Curse of Chalion, The

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). Throw in some swordplay, a couple of adventurous treks, and a generous dash of romance, and we end up with a well-rounded finished product, albeit one that could have fleshed its characters out a wee bit more.