The Hallowed Hunt

July 18, 2008 at 10:49 am · Filed under Book Reviews, Favourite Books, Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror

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

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New Books

April 16, 2006 at 11:47 pm · Filed under Book Reviews, Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror

Just after Christmas, I read Lois McMaster Bujold’s Paladin of Souls. I enjoyed it, but not nearly as much as her Miles Vorkosigan books. When I found the next in the series, The Hallowed Hunt, at my favourite discount bookstore, I did buy it, even though I didn’t think I would like it any better than its prequel, and I was proved right.

Earlier this week, I found the first book in the series, The Curse of Chalion (in hardcover), for $4 in a used bookstore. Since I already had the next two in hardcover, and it was so cheap, I bought it. I am so glad I did. CoC is so much better than either of its sequels. It had an exciting and interesting plot with that special LMB spark to it, just like the Vorkosigan novels. Why couldn’t PoS and HH be as good?

Meanwhile, I also found copies of some Guy Gavriel Kay books I’ve been looking for: Tigana and The Last Light of the Sun. I’d already read, and loved, Sailing to Sarantium, Lord of Emperors, and A Song for Arbonne, so I was eager to read more of his work. I read Tigana in a single day, and loved it. I kind of want to save LLotS until I can find a copy of The Lions of Al-Rassan, which is the only one of GGK’s historical fantasies that I don’t own, but I’m not having any luck with it. Still, I feel like I should savour the last two of his books, because who knows how long it will be until he publishes a new one?

Sometimes I wonder why I like GGK’s historical fantasies so much (besides the entertaining plot and great writing, that is.) They’re inevitably bittersweet and somewhat angsty, which I don’t always enjoy. I tend to avoid stories that might make me cry, or that include character death or tragedy of some kind, especially if there’s no happy ending. Books, fanfic, even movies - for me, it’s all about escapism. GGK’s books tend to affect me emotionally in a way that a lot of stuff that I read doesn’t.

Tags: Chalion, Guy Gavriel Kay, Lois McMaster Bujold

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Paladin of Souls

January 8, 2006 at 4:51 pm · Filed under Book Reviews, Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror

Paladin of Souls by Lois McMaster Bujold

This book is the second in a series, which I didn’t realize when I read it for the first time last Fall. I still haven’t read The Curse of Chalion or The Hallowed Hunt, but Paladin of Souls stands perfectly well on its own.

On the whole, I prefer Bujold’s Vorkosigan series. I find that universe far more convincing, its issues more relevant. This may be because I do tend to prefer space science fiction over magical fantasy; for some reason, no matter how enjoyable the book or how intriguing the author, the presence of magical powers almost never fails to annoy me. Two of the very few exceptions are Terry Pratchett’s Discworld series, and Diana Wynne-Jones’s Chrestomanci quartet.

However, despite magic running rife through the novel, Paladin of Souls succeeds very well. Bujold is one of a few writers with the talent to produce convincing, lifelike female characters. Women, particularly strong women, are often written to be too strong, as though a woman cannot be truly strong unless she is free of all the weaknesses of ordinary women and able to outperform all men.

I didn’t find the plot as absorbing as those of Bujold’s other books, but as usual, her characters do a lot to make up for anything less than brilliant in the storyline. Paladin of Souls is definitely an entertaining read, although not as layered or thought-provoking as, say, Shards of Honor.

Tags: Chalion, Lois McMaster Bujold

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