Search - The Curse of Chalion

I loved every second! This was my very first Bujold book, and poof! I became an immediate life-long fan!

Things started out fine.... It's a big fantasy, so there's always a lot of background info to impart at the beginning. Unusual set-up for a main character (which turns out to be the norm for Bujold -- yet another thing I love about her books), then the story started to get more established.... And then bang! About a third of the way in there was a huge twist and I was completely revited! There was one little place where I thought something was just a little too convenient, but this was good enough for a reread!

The story is full of court politics, long conversations, and the main fantasy element is based in the local religion. No dragons or elves running about in this one -- it's the five gods who control the magic here. Well, maybe I should say it's the five gods and the high court who make poor Cazaril's life so crazy during the story!

Oh -- and this book is fully stand-alone. It's technically the first book in the Chalion series, but the plot comes to a full conclusion, and the other books in the series are set in the same world but tell their own stories as well, mostly using new characters. In fact, if you're following the series, it makes absolutely no difference if you read the second or the third book next -- there's zero overlap between two.

Excellent book, wonderful series. There is strength in the characters and many lessons to be considered. A book that allows me to reconsider much of what I personally believe...and challenges me to dig deeper.