Charlotte Kersten

“Events may be horrible or inescapable. Men have always a choice – if not whether, then how, they may endure.”

Year published: 2001

Categories: Adult, fantasy

LGBTQIA representation: M/M, side character

Summary: A man broken in body and spirit, Cazaril, has returned to the noble household he once served as page, and is named, to his great surprise, as the secretary-tutor to the beautiful, strong-willed sister of the impetuous boy who is next in line to rule.

It is an assignment Cazaril dreads, for it will ultimately lead him to the place he fears most, the royal court of Cardegoss, where the powerful enemies, who once placed him in chains, now occupy lofty positions. In addition to the traitorous intrigues of villains, Cazaril and the Royesse Iselle, are faced with a sinister curse that hangs like a sword over the entire blighted House of Chalion and all who stand in their circle. Only by employing the darkest, most forbidden of magics, can Cazaril hope to protect his royal charge—an act that will mark the loyal, damaged servant as a tool of the miraculous, and trap him, flesh and soul, in a maze of demonic paradox, damnation, and death.”

My Thoughts: it’s always a magical experience when you’re reading a book that you just know is bound to be a new favorite. For the first quarter or so of The Curse of Chalion I wasn’t sold, but right around that quarter -way mark I started to fall in love. This is a dense, rich and deeply thoughtful epic fantasy that I think is a perfect suggestion for anyone looking for the same kind of incredibly emotional and character-driven work that Robin Hobb does.

Just as I love Fitz dearly I also love Cazaril – he is a quiet, intelligent and subtly wry man who is struggling deeply with PTSD from his enslavement. His struggle with his experiences is very well written, but overall what I love about Caz is that he’s simply an imperfect man struggling against the weight of immense suffering to do good and help the people he cares about. I REALLY think he and Fitz need to start a support group.

The beautiful character work extends to nearly every character in the story; even small side characters are well drawn and I came to have strong opinions about nearly everyone in the story. Dondo Dy Jironal is loathsome in the extreme, Iselle is a delight, and Ista (the protagonist of the next book) is revealed to have a great depth of character.

I will say that it took me a while to feel the emotional connection between Caz, Iselle and Betriz, and that I think the story would have been even stronger if there had been more of them growing to know each other and bonding. Caz’s massive sacrifice for Iselle would have meant even more than it did if I had felt more strongly about their relationship. In addition, the romance with Betriz did absolutely nothing for me. There was very sparse interaction between the two of them alone and none of it made me feel that they were an especially interesting or meaningful couple.

I love the emphasis on religion on fate in The Curse of Chalion – blessings and curses, divine intervention and the will of the gods all play a significant role in the unfolding of the plot. My favorite part of the story’s magic was the nature of the curse that Caz must grapple with. The despicable Dondo Dy Jironal’s fate was fascinating and the body horror involved was an especially gruesome touch.

I will say that the revelation that Bergon was a slave along with Caz was something of a Dickensian coincidence and, while I can understand its inclusion based on the book’s theme of fate and divine intervention, I also think that the story could have stood just fine without and the plot would have felt stronger to me. My only other real complaint is that I did feel somewhat like Caz’s PTSD was magically healed at the end of the book after seeing the Lady. I have conflicting feelings about this – on one hand Cazaril deserves the happiest of happy endings, but on the other I would have appreciated seeing him learn to find happiness through his suffering without divine intervention.

I think in many regards this book’s treatment of female characters can be likened to Robin Hobb’s treatment in the Fitz books too. There is a male protagonist, yes, and there is a great deal of female suffering in this story, but Caz is surrounded by well-written women who resist their fates. One example is Ista, who everyone dismisses as a madwoman and yet knows the reality of the curse better than anyone. I also loved Iselle, who grows from a naive young girl into a decisive woman who fights for her autonomy and her right to make decisions for herself, comes up with the idea to marry Bergon and resists Dondo’s marriage at every turn. She’s clever and observant and I really loved her. Even Sara, a very minor character whose husband allowed her to be raped repeatedly, gets a peaceful ending and the thoughtful detail that she refused to mourn her husband’s death.

In sum, this is a thoughtful, wonderfully-characterized epic fantasy with one of my favorite protagonists ever. I’m greatly looking forward to reading about Ista in the next book too!