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The Curse of Chalion

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The Curse of Chalion

By: Lois McMaster Bujold
Narrated by: Lloyd James
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About this listen

 Lord Cazaril has been, in turn, courtier, castle-warder, and captain; now he is but a crippled ex-galley slave seeking nothing more than a menial job in the kitchens of the Dowager Provincara, the noble patroness of his youth. But Cazaril finds himself promoted to the exalted and dangerous position of tutor to Iselle, the beautiful, fiery sister of the heir to Chalion's throne.

Amidst the decaying splendor and poisonous intrigue of Chalion's ancient capital, Cazaril is forced to confront not only powerful enemies but also the malignant curse that clings to the royal household, trapping him, flesh and soul, in a maze of demonic paradox, damnation, and death for as long as he dares walk the five-fold pathway of the gods.

©2004 Lois McMaster Bujold (P)2004 Blackstone Audiobooks Epic Epic Fantasy Fantasy Romance Fiction

Continue the series
Paladin of Souls cover art
Paladin of Souls By: Lois McMaster Bujold

Critic reviews

"Bujold weaves a convincing and captivating fantasy world, well researched, with magic that works and gods that live without destroying the balance of this medieval society....A finely balanced mixture of adventure, swordplay, court intrigue, romance, magic, and religion makes this book a delightful read." ( School Library Journal)
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I love this book and the sequel, Paladin of Souls. Mostly the reading is very good, and does capture the emotions well. However, sometimes he does voices/accents which are a bit overdone, eg the "yokel" accent near the beginning of part 2. And, annoyingly, the reader occasionally stresses or breaks up the sentences in a way that makes a nonsense of what is being said - I'm not clear why as mostly it's good. As I say, a very good book, but not the ideal reading of it.

Great book, reading a bit patchy

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This is one of my favourite books ever, and the reader is just good enough not to spoil it. Wish it could have been Grover Gardner!

Not the greatest reader ever, but a great book

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Very beloved by many. Adult twist on a fairytale. I found it quite a tame read, nice enough, and not at all grim. I didn't agree with the hype this book has got, I didn't find it brilliant, just very good. Well worth the read/listen.

Very beloved by many. Adult twist on a fairytale.

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An amazing tale set in the world of the five gods. Such a complex and rich magical world, and a worthy hero you can’t help but love. So cleverly written. I love the prose, the quest, the whole story.

Loved it!!

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Would you listen to The Curse of Chalion again? Why?

No. Although I love the story, I find the narrator's swallowing noises too awful to handle.

What did you like best about this story?

The story itself.

Who might you have cast as narrator instead of Lloyd James?

Grover Gardner

Unfortunate narration

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