101. The Hallowed Hunt by Lois McMaster Bujold (Fantasy) 470 p.

This is a re-read for me. It’s the third in a series, loosely connected to The Curse of Chalion and Paladin of Souls, set in the same universe but without being a sequel. I am a huge fan of Bujold (or at least, everything except her latest series–I was disappointed with Beguilement and thought Legacy was crap.) If you aren’t familiar with her work, Lois McMaster Bujold is a four-time Hugo award winner who is best known for the Vorkosigan saga, a fun and fast-paced space opera series which so far consists of 14 novels, which are some of the most entertaining books I’ve ever read.

The Hallowed Hunt is a different kind of book. It’s set in a fairly standard medieval-type fantasy world, but one which rises above the usual mediocrity of such settings by (a) being more realistic than romantic, and (b) having an interesting and well-explored religion that drives the plot (and in various ways, the characters.) That plot is the main engine of the story, but the main characters are so well-developed that it almost feels character-driven.

The Quintarian religion is probably the most-cited element when the series is praised, and for good reason. Unlike many fictional religions, it actually feels real–it seems like one in which real human beings might participate, rather than an afterthought tacked on to make a pseudo-historical fantasy setting feel more realistic. It’s also not just Christianity in disguise, despite a few overlapping terms (”saint” and “holy family”, for instance, do not mean the same thing to a Quintarian as they would to a Catholic.)

As fascinating as the world-building is, though, it’s the plot and characters that make The Hallowed Hunt such an absorbing book. Lord Ingrey, a man whose soul is defiled by a spirit animal (through no fault of his own) arrives at Boar’s Head Castle to escort the corpse of a murdered prince back to the capital for burial, and to bring his murderer back for trial. The case, though disturbing, seems clear: Lady Ijada, who unfortunately caught the prince’s eye, was forced into a room alone with him against her will. When the prince’s guards, after ignoring her screams for some minutes, finally opened the door, they found Lady Ijada splashed with blood, holding the war hammer she’d used to kill the prince.

Although there is no doubt of Ijada’s responsibility for Prince Boleso’s death, there are a number of mitigating factors, including the prince’s madness and the evidence that he was dabbling in sorcery, and Ijada would certainly be acquitted by any fair court. But when those factors would embarrass so many members of the royal family, Ingrey knows very well that a fair trial is the last kind Ijada is likely to get.

As they travel back to Easthome, Ingrey discovers something even more disturbing–an uncontrollable compulsion to kill Ijada whenever his mind wanders. It’s clear that someone in Easthome doesn’t want Ijada to return alive for trial, and Ingrey has very little idea who might be using him as a tool to elminiate her.

I was disappointed with this book the first time I read it, but I liked it much better this time, mostly because I knew what to expect. Don’t go into The Hallowed Hunt expecting it to be full of action, because it isn’t. Even though things do happen, Ingrey himself spends most of the book reacting to events, trying to figure out what’s going on, and not really succeeding, because he just doesn’t know enough. Even when he figures out who the main villain is, he doesn’t have enough information to guess at what his antagonist’s plan is. That doesn’t stop The Hallowed Hunt from being a riveting novel, but it means it’s a story that’s most about thought and investigation than action.

Some of the minor characters, like Fara and Jokol, are so interesting that I want them to star in their own novels, as Ista did in Paladin of Souls. Particularly Jokol, who is a sweetheart. I would love to read about his relationship with Breiga, who also sounds like she would make a great character.

The Chalion series is a great work of fantasy, and although I’d recommend starting with The Curse of Chalion, The Hallowed Hunt is also a good place to begin.

Rating: 9 out of 10

Pages read: ?

Tags: 50 Book Challenge 2008, Chalion, Chunkster Challenge 2008, Lois McMaster Bujold