Chad and Matt have been telling me that I need to read Lois McMaster Bujold’s self-containedⁱ The Curse of Chalion for years; I should have listened to them then. Along with Glen Cook’s The Black Company this is one of the most enjoyable Fantasy stories I have read in a long time.

The story follows ex-slave, and crippled lord dy Cazaril as he returns to the kingdom. He gets caught up in the political life of the royal family of Chalion, and the intrigue that goes along with it.

Unlike typical fantasy stories, this is not a story of mighty wizards or poorly clad barbarians. Bujold has created a well thought out religion that is both concrete and mythical, and that impacts the people of her world daily while still leaving details of theology unanswered. This faith, and sacrifice, plays a major part in the story and the titular curse.

1. There are however two sequels, Paladin of Souls and The Hallowed Hunt.