Lois McMaster Bujold

A sequel to The Curse of Chalion, PoS (bad initialism?) is almost as enjoyable. However, it is a little too sappy and too, dare I say it, feminine in its atmosphere. The universe is nevertheless nicely developed.

If you enjoyed its prequel, you will enjoy this one as well.

Captain Vorpatril's Alliance is another book in the Vorkosigan saga by Lois McMaster Bujold that I enjoy so much. The book is generally very entertaining and focusses—as the title suggests—on Miles' cousin and bumbling sidekick, Ivan Vorpatril which is a pretty fun diversion. There are plenty of laugh-out-loud moments and a healthy dose of imagination thrown into the mix. However, after a certain point, the plot and the characters get a little too silly and more than a little dull. Maybe my tastes have changed, but I also found Bujold's dialogue rather amateurish in some parts.

An offering by Lois McMaster Bujold, The Curse of Chalion is undoubtedly a page-turner which is primarily, and oddly, based on the concocted theology of the Quintarian/Quadrene faith. While the authoress does not provide enough background for the mysticism to bear close scrutiny, there is enough of a structure for it to be fascinating (which is more or less all that you want in fantasy).

Lois McMaster Bujold is one of my favourite authors (authoresses sounds rather dodgy, no?) of all time. While she is better known for her Vorkosigan saga, a very popular sci-fi, space opera-ish series, I was completely enchanted by her foray into fantasy, which yielded the excellent Chalion series.