Status
Available
Call number
Series
Genres
Publication
Eos (New York, 2005). 1st edition, 1st printing. 480 pages. $24.95.
Description
The half-mad Prince Boleso has been slain by a noblewoman he had intended to defile. It falls to Lord Ingrey kin Wilfcliff to transport the prince to his burial place and to bring the accused killer, Lady Ijada, to judgment. His mission is an ugly and delicate one, for the imminent death of the old Hallow King has placed the crown in play, and the road he travels with his burden and his prisoner is fraught with danger. But in the midst of political chaos, magic has the fiercer hold on Ingrey's destiny, and Ijada herself may turn out to be the only one he dares trust.
Media reviews
Bujold's ability to sustain a breathless pace of action while preserving a heady sense of verisimilitude in a world of malignant wonders makes this big novel occasionally brilliant—and not a word too long.
User reviews
LibraryThing member Severn
(mild, mild spoilers)
The Hallowed Hunt comprises the third novel set in the same world as 'Curse of Chalion' and 'Paladin of Souls', but in a different locale, with a new set of characters and at a different time. For these reasons, the book can be read easily as a standalone novel. In any event,
The book is slow to start. Perhaps detrimentally so. I realised that I was genuinely excited by events when there were 70 pages left out of 400. The story is told through the eyes of Lord Ingrey, who carries a magic he does not understand. The villain, Wencel, carries a similar magic and is using it for ill purpose, and again Lord Ingrey is in the dark to his intentions or the truth of the magic.
Consequently, most of the book is a foray into Lord Ingrey's mind as he soul-searches, thinks and asks many, many questions about what is happening, what could happen and what he might do about it.
Given that I did become enthralled by the last few chapters I realised that somewhere along the slow journey I had come to care about the characters and their fates. But, perhaps, things could have started happening earlier.
Bujold's writing lacked a certain spark that brought the previous Chalion novels to rich life. In 'The Hallowed Hunt' the writing was dry, bordering on dull. The love story is stale, predictable and didn't feel particularly genuine either. In fact, it felt like a means to an end, which is a crushing judgment on any love story in a novel.
So, while by the end of the book, I enjoyed 'The Hallowed Hunt', I can understand if others throw the book aside early on out of sheer boredom, as I nearly did.
The Hallowed Hunt comprises the third novel set in the same world as 'Curse of Chalion' and 'Paladin of Souls', but in a different locale, with a new set of characters and at a different time. For these reasons, the book can be read easily as a standalone novel. In any event,
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it feels completely unconnected both in style and story, to the first two novels. The book is slow to start. Perhaps detrimentally so. I realised that I was genuinely excited by events when there were 70 pages left out of 400. The story is told through the eyes of Lord Ingrey, who carries a magic he does not understand. The villain, Wencel, carries a similar magic and is using it for ill purpose, and again Lord Ingrey is in the dark to his intentions or the truth of the magic.
Consequently, most of the book is a foray into Lord Ingrey's mind as he soul-searches, thinks and asks many, many questions about what is happening, what could happen and what he might do about it.
Given that I did become enthralled by the last few chapters I realised that somewhere along the slow journey I had come to care about the characters and their fates. But, perhaps, things could have started happening earlier.
Bujold's writing lacked a certain spark that brought the previous Chalion novels to rich life. In 'The Hallowed Hunt' the writing was dry, bordering on dull. The love story is stale, predictable and didn't feel particularly genuine either. In fact, it felt like a means to an end, which is a crushing judgment on any love story in a novel.
So, while by the end of the book, I enjoyed 'The Hallowed Hunt', I can understand if others throw the book aside early on out of sheer boredom, as I nearly did.
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LibraryThing member jjmcgaffey
This story is very loosely linked to the other two Chalion books - I'm not even sure what the time sequence is. They know _about_ Chalion (the country), but it's not someplace that affects the story directly. The overlay of cultures is fascinating - the Old Weald, the invaders, and the New Weald
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(which is both) all overlapping. The magic and the way people relate to it are - well, I've never read any other book that had really similar magic. There are similarities to classic werewolves...but not many. A weird and wonderful story, where every time they think they've figured out what's going on something new pops up and changes the ground they're fighting on. I've read it twice already (since September 2007) and talking about it now makes me want to re-read it. And reread it in January '10. Show Less
LibraryThing member reading_fox
Really enjoyable. An interestingly different take on the standard dark ages low fantasy world. This is nominally the third of a series, which I didn't realise when I bought it. It seems emminently readable as a standalone, and I'm looking ofrward to enjoying the earlier books to find out exactly
Lord Ingrey is the disinherited eldest son of a duke. Not for any of the usual reasons, but because his father succeeded in an ancient (forbidden) rite of investing an animal soul within him. The Temple's usual punishment for such action is hanging, but given the extenuating circumstances Ingrey is allowed to live, although much rumour and gossip surrounds him. He makes his living as a trusted confident and man-at-arms for the High King's sealmaster, Hetwar. As such he is sent to a remote township where the king's youngest son has been murdered. The lady in question is to be brought to the capital for trial. Given that she is a lady of minor rank, Ingrey is cureously polite, but it's quickly apparent that something uncanny has happened - and that the prince was involved. The return journey quickly gets stranger still and Ingrey and the Lady Ilja are thrown into the murky politics of the capital and the Gods where, even here, not everything is as it seems.
This works very well as a standalone, the references to the animal magic system are still clearly explained, as is the history and politics of the surrounding kingdoms, even if the precise details leading up to the Prince's death don't emerge. The characters are vibrant and sympathetic, occasionally humerous and interact well together. The plot is well constructed with several red herrings until the main action is revealed. the ending is perhaps a little bit weak. The only other slightly significant downside is that some of the names are too similar, Fala and Fafa for instance. I read quickly and look at a name as a character tag, it was easy if confusing to get these mixed up!
Well worth reading, an enjoyable fantasy, vastly different from her more famous SF series.
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what happened previously.Lord Ingrey is the disinherited eldest son of a duke. Not for any of the usual reasons, but because his father succeeded in an ancient (forbidden) rite of investing an animal soul within him. The Temple's usual punishment for such action is hanging, but given the extenuating circumstances Ingrey is allowed to live, although much rumour and gossip surrounds him. He makes his living as a trusted confident and man-at-arms for the High King's sealmaster, Hetwar. As such he is sent to a remote township where the king's youngest son has been murdered. The lady in question is to be brought to the capital for trial. Given that she is a lady of minor rank, Ingrey is cureously polite, but it's quickly apparent that something uncanny has happened - and that the prince was involved. The return journey quickly gets stranger still and Ingrey and the Lady Ilja are thrown into the murky politics of the capital and the Gods where, even here, not everything is as it seems.
This works very well as a standalone, the references to the animal magic system are still clearly explained, as is the history and politics of the surrounding kingdoms, even if the precise details leading up to the Prince's death don't emerge. The characters are vibrant and sympathetic, occasionally humerous and interact well together. The plot is well constructed with several red herrings until the main action is revealed. the ending is perhaps a little bit weak. The only other slightly significant downside is that some of the names are too similar, Fala and Fafa for instance. I read quickly and look at a name as a character tag, it was easy if confusing to get these mixed up!
Well worth reading, an enjoyable fantasy, vastly different from her more famous SF series.
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LibraryThing member MusicMom41
Before I joined LT my fantasy reading consisted mainly of regular rereads of Lord of the Rings and The Chronicles of Narnia. In the last couple of years, with the encouragement of many of my LT friends, I have greatly extended my knowledge of and enjoyment of other fantasy authors and series.
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However, LotR and Narnia have remained alone in my top echelon of fantasy until I read the Chalion series. When I read The Curse of Chalion I was impressed by the world and society she created, found the characters interesting and well drawn and the plot was intriguing. Paladin of Souls was an even better story and I became totally immersed in that world. The third volume of the trilogy, The Hallowed Hunt, takes place in a different part of her “world” with an entirely different society and new characters but the story is powerful and for me this was the best volume in an outstanding series. I was spellbound (which is appropriate given the plot of the story!) throughout and continually surprised. It reads somewhat like a mystery as the reader tries to figure out—along with the main character—what exactly is going on. With this stunning 3rd volume this series becomes the third fantasy series in my top tier of reading. Show Less
LibraryThing member surreality
Plot: Well-paced adventure, with a good dash of mysticism and magic. The plot is rather dense, with few side-plots, and overall very focused. Good beginning and an excellent ending that manages to keep you wondering until the wrap-up chapter. It's set in the Chalion universe, but centuries and
Characters: Nicely sketched central male character, who is believable in his motives and reactions. The female lead is a little less successful and lacks depth. Side characters are plentiful and drawn with a lot of love, and they really make the story shine.
Style: Descriptions are comparatively sparse, but still enough. Good dialogues that feel realistic. The underlying magic puts an interesting twist on a few conventional ideas. What is confusing about the story is the historical background, which doesn't really beome clear until the end. With less references to history, it wouldn't have mattered, but as it is you keep wondering what the characters are going on about.
Plus: Excellent, self-contained story.
Minus: You're left confused about quite a few things for a while. Relatively boring female lead.
Summary: It's not quite up with the other two Chalion books, but still a great read.
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countries removed from the previous two books, and thus is practically a stand-alone.Characters: Nicely sketched central male character, who is believable in his motives and reactions. The female lead is a little less successful and lacks depth. Side characters are plentiful and drawn with a lot of love, and they really make the story shine.
Style: Descriptions are comparatively sparse, but still enough. Good dialogues that feel realistic. The underlying magic puts an interesting twist on a few conventional ideas. What is confusing about the story is the historical background, which doesn't really beome clear until the end. With less references to history, it wouldn't have mattered, but as it is you keep wondering what the characters are going on about.
Plus: Excellent, self-contained story.
Minus: You're left confused about quite a few things for a while. Relatively boring female lead.
Summary: It's not quite up with the other two Chalion books, but still a great read.
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LibraryThing member ladycato
I was blown away by the first two books in the Chalion series. Perhaps my expectations here were too high. The Hallowed Hunt is not a bad book by any means, but it suffers from a slow start, less developed characters, and sometimes confusing theological plot twists.
Prince Boleso has been murdered.
Part of my joy in the first books was in the involvement of the deities. Here, their presence felt more detached for the first half of the book. Everything was about the animal spirits, and that just didn't grab me the same way. Ingrey is a like able enough fellow, but sometimes he feels weak and whiny. Lady Ijada, possessing the jaguar, never really had a chance to come into her own; this is a shame because Bujold's other books displayed such strong, confident women.
The Curse of Chalion and The Paladin of Souls will have a permanent place on my shelf; this one will be traded in.
Prince Boleso has been murdered.
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Lord Ingrey has been dispatched to bring his murderer to justice, and finds things are not at all what he expects. The murderer is a young woman, defending herself from rape. To make the tale even more sordid, the prince dabbled in ancient magics and killed a jaguar--a jaguar whose soul then entered the woman's body. Lord Ingrey has suffered from a similar condition since he was a teenager, and endured much suspicion and condemnation because of the wolf residing in his body. Now, he finds a like soul--and is likely returning her to the capital to face a lopsided trail and certain death.Part of my joy in the first books was in the involvement of the deities. Here, their presence felt more detached for the first half of the book. Everything was about the animal spirits, and that just didn't grab me the same way. Ingrey is a like able enough fellow, but sometimes he feels weak and whiny. Lady Ijada, possessing the jaguar, never really had a chance to come into her own; this is a shame because Bujold's other books displayed such strong, confident women.
The Curse of Chalion and The Paladin of Souls will have a permanent place on my shelf; this one will be traded in.
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LibraryThing member Herenya
The Hallowed Hunt is set in the same world as The Curse of Chalion and Paladin of Souls but not in the same country, so the only overlapping characters are the gods. I wasn’t in a hurry to read it because consensus from comments I’d read seemed to be that it wasn’t as good as the first two.
So
When Lord Ingrey kin Wilfcliff is sent to bring Prince Boleso’s body and his murderer back to Easthome, he becomes convinced that Lady Ijada was acting in self defence - and that no one else will want to accept that.
Things quickly get much more complicated. Someone is trying to prevent Ijada from reaching her trial alive, and Prince Boleso’s attempt to use Ijada in a heretical rite of the old kin warriors had unexpected consequences. Ingrey has had unwelcome experience with a now-forbidden rite himself - and his unanswered questions about his past, and his family, abruptly become very relevant.
As the current hallowed king lies dying, Ingrey and Ijada become tangled up in mysteries about a hallowed king from hundreds of years earlier, the ghosts of his warriors and the plans of the five gods.
My library only had this available as an audiobook and I’m very glad read the book this way! The narrator highlighted the amusing moments and brought the characters to life, and I suspect I became much more attached to the characters as a result of experiencing their story more slowly. I loved Ingrey’s quiet, stoic determination - he’s very conscious of the risks he’s taking and the limitations of his own position, and is consequently pessimistic about his chances of success, yet he keeps on doing everything he can.
And I loved Ijada’s fierce courage and optimism.
The old kin warriors and their spirit animals, and the how that fits in with the religion of the five gods is a really unusual aspect to the worldbuilding, and this means The Hallowed Hunt is doing something sufficiently different from, if thematically related to, Paladin of Souls. So while I’ll agree that Paladin of Souls is a stronger novel, I don’t feel like The Hallowed Hunt suffers from comparison. It is its own story, and it’s gripping, and at times it is so obviously a Bujold novel that I was very amused. I think this is going to be a book I’ll reread.
*impulsively goes off to buy the ebook*
“[... ] So what did you and the god really say to each other?”
“We…argued.”
Hetwar's lips curled up in a genuine, if dry, smile. “Why does this not surprise me? I wish the gods well of you. May They have better luck getting straight answers from you than I ever did.”
So
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I wasn’t expecting to enjoy it as much as I did. When Lord Ingrey kin Wilfcliff is sent to bring Prince Boleso’s body and his murderer back to Easthome, he becomes convinced that Lady Ijada was acting in self defence - and that no one else will want to accept that.
Things quickly get much more complicated. Someone is trying to prevent Ijada from reaching her trial alive, and Prince Boleso’s attempt to use Ijada in a heretical rite of the old kin warriors had unexpected consequences. Ingrey has had unwelcome experience with a now-forbidden rite himself - and his unanswered questions about his past, and his family, abruptly become very relevant.
As the current hallowed king lies dying, Ingrey and Ijada become tangled up in mysteries about a hallowed king from hundreds of years earlier, the ghosts of his warriors and the plans of the five gods.
My library only had this available as an audiobook and I’m very glad read the book this way! The narrator highlighted the amusing moments and brought the characters to life, and I suspect I became much more attached to the characters as a result of experiencing their story more slowly. I loved Ingrey’s quiet, stoic determination - he’s very conscious of the risks he’s taking and the limitations of his own position, and is consequently pessimistic about his chances of success, yet he keeps on doing everything he can.
And I loved Ijada’s fierce courage and optimism.
The old kin warriors and their spirit animals, and the how that fits in with the religion of the five gods is a really unusual aspect to the worldbuilding, and this means The Hallowed Hunt is doing something sufficiently different from, if thematically related to, Paladin of Souls. So while I’ll agree that Paladin of Souls is a stronger novel, I don’t feel like The Hallowed Hunt suffers from comparison. It is its own story, and it’s gripping, and at times it is so obviously a Bujold novel that I was very amused. I think this is going to be a book I’ll reread.
*impulsively goes off to buy the ebook*
“[... ] So what did you and the god really say to each other?”
“We…argued.”
Hetwar's lips curled up in a genuine, if dry, smile. “Why does this not surprise me? I wish the gods well of you. May They have better luck getting straight answers from you than I ever did.”
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LibraryThing member soliloquies
Not as enthralling as the other books set in the Chalion universe. Whilst the main characters are interesting the book didn't flow as well for me and I found it hard going in parts. It seemed to get bogged down in the intricacies of the 'ridden' characters and just seemed improbable in places.
LibraryThing member MrsLee
A man with unknown depths, Ingrey meets Injara, a woman with newfound powers. Together they must sort the mysteries of what is happening in and around them. I very much enjoyed this story. I love the spiritual world which Bujold has built here, and the few interactions with the gods of this world
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are always interesting. I find the faith and doubts of the people to be very real. Here is a partial quote regarding the choice of a few not to go to the gods when they die. "Heaven weeps, but free will is sacred. The meaning of yes is created by the ability to say no." It is this sort of insight which makes me give four stars to the work. It can be chewy for introspection, but sprinkled lightly, not heavy handed. It is the full-fleshed characters and world that makes me know I am always going to enjoy reading a work of Bujold. Show Less
LibraryThing member rocalisa
I loved this. Of course, I generally love Bujold's work and give her a good amount of leeway, but she didn't disappoint. I've heard some people say they didn't like this one as much as The Curse of Chalion and Paladin of Souls. It was a bit different (in a very different part of this universe for
About half way through it took an unexpected right angle and went in a different direction from what I had expected. I thought this made the story a lot stronger, but it may be what annoyed other readers. To me, it gave the whole story a lot more depth and purpose than just the simpler level of tale we began with.
You don't really need to have read the first two books to enjoy this one, but you will have a better understanding of the Chalionese gods if you do and that may help the sense of the story as, once again, it is a theological tale as well as an adventurous one.
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one thing and a couple of centuries for another), but I really enjoyed it. About half way through it took an unexpected right angle and went in a different direction from what I had expected. I thought this made the story a lot stronger, but it may be what annoyed other readers. To me, it gave the whole story a lot more depth and purpose than just the simpler level of tale we began with.
You don't really need to have read the first two books to enjoy this one, but you will have a better understanding of the Chalionese gods if you do and that may help the sense of the story as, once again, it is a theological tale as well as an adventurous one.
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LibraryThing member jadelennox
Good, but not nearly as good as its predecessors. What makes the first two Chalion books is the amazing and unconventional world-building as well as the unusual pantheon. This story takes place in a much more conventional and familiar northwestern Europesque world (though it's south of Chalion and
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Ibra), and the pantheon plays a smaller role here than it does in the other two books. I'd clasify this book with The Spirit Ring; absolutely worth reading, but not up to top standards. Show Less
LibraryThing member amf0001
The first time I read this I so wanted a book directly related to the first two books of the series, that I spent half the book confused, looking for familiar characters that never came out to play. This book is set in the same world as the Curse of Chalion and Paladin of Souls, but not in the same
All this is a long winded way of saying I didn't like it the first time I read it because of my own expectations. Rereading it, having different expectations, I find like it just fine. Lady Ijada is a lovely character, a noble woman accused of a most serious crime, with few friends and allies, but with a strict belief in her innocence. Lord Ingrey kin Wolfcliffe, famous for being possessed by a wolf spirit, comes to take her to judgment, and along the way all sorts of adventures, both physical and mystical happen. Bujold is such a joy as a writer, fluid, fluent, expressive, using beautiful words but not over using them. A very intelligent author.
I'm glad I reread this and really enjoyed it.
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time. I'm not even sure if it is many years before or many years after the first two, but the same rules of society and religion apply. You don't need to have read the first two to read this one, it is a stand alone, though I image they help understand some of the religious/cultural aspects.All this is a long winded way of saying I didn't like it the first time I read it because of my own expectations. Rereading it, having different expectations, I find like it just fine. Lady Ijada is a lovely character, a noble woman accused of a most serious crime, with few friends and allies, but with a strict belief in her innocence. Lord Ingrey kin Wolfcliffe, famous for being possessed by a wolf spirit, comes to take her to judgment, and along the way all sorts of adventures, both physical and mystical happen. Bujold is such a joy as a writer, fluid, fluent, expressive, using beautiful words but not over using them. A very intelligent author.
I'm glad I reread this and really enjoyed it.
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LibraryThing member AnnaOok
A very good book. The tone and mood is different from the previous two books in this series: although it is still fantasy, and still set in the same "5 gods" world, I was continually reminded of Vorkosigan while reading this -- the viewpoint character's attitude, also some of the dialogues and the
Less brooding and intense than Paladin of Souls, a fun read which did manage to keep me up past my bedtime to find out what would happen next.
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implied narrating voice.Less brooding and intense than Paladin of Souls, a fun read which did manage to keep me up past my bedtime to find out what would happen next.
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LibraryThing member mamajoan
I'm an enormous fan of Lois Bujold's, and I like her Chalion world, but this book was not among her best work. It just feels like a rehash of a lot of similar concepts and characters from the previous two novels. I give it 3.5 stars because Lois's writing itself, as always, is wonderful; but the
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plot was disappointingly mundane. Show Less
LibraryThing member sara_k
A book from the world of Paladin of Souls and The Curse of Chalion. Spirits who belong to the land mix it up with humans who have the ability to shape change and humans who have found a way to circumvent death. The damage to the land and the twisting of power lead to a huge push by the dead and old
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powers to make things right. Show Less
LibraryThing member Black_samvara
Set in the same world as The Curse of Chalion and Paladin of Souls. This has wonderful layers of intrigue and characters to die for; I’m particularly in love with the warrior-prince-poet Jokol and his pet ice bear. A somewhat cranky swordsman Ingrey collects the body of a murdered prince, custody
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of the killer (a lovely young lady) and gets plunged into a spiritual, magical and political whirlwind. Show Less
LibraryThing member oellerw
A fun read, although the ending seemed a little bit rushed.
LibraryThing member hjjugovic
I'm a huge fan of Lois McMaster Bujold, but I just could not get into this book. The previous two books set in this world had intriguing mysteries centered upon the unique concept of gods she created, but this one feels labored. I had to make myself keep going. There were great minor characters,
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but I had a hard time getting interested in the main ones, which is so unusual for this author! I didn't feel the suspense. I think this ones qualifies as my least favorite of her books. Show Less
LibraryThing member flemmily
The darkest of the trilogy, but with the best ending. It kind of slogs along and then hits you. I really liked the characters of Hallana and Jokol, and I liked Ijada and Ingrey as well but found their romance a bit stiff and uninteresting.
LibraryThing member Phrim
In The Hallowed Hunt, Bujold continues to explore the theology of the world she created in The Curse of Chalion, this time focusing on what happens when people capture the souls of animals or even other people. The main character, Ingrey, is alternatingly enjoyable and frustrating. It's pleasurable
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to read about how he uses his sinister reputation to extract himself from delicate situations with just a sliver of intimidation. On the other hand, he never can seem to figure out who to trust, even though for most of the book it's obvious because of the way the characters are portrayed. Though we don't find out the antagonist's real motivation until the end, the reader is asked to make a moral judgment between the way things are and the the way things used to be that's far more ambiguous than in previous books. So, while the characterization wasn't quite as good, I did appreciate that not everything was so black and white. Show Less
LibraryThing member ShiraC
a good read. Not the best in this series
LibraryThing member iayork
A reading ride: The Hallowed Hunt is a beautiful and fast-paced fantasy and sci-fi story filled with action, adventure and mystery. Like Heart Stroke, Irresistible Forces, Usurper and Others, The Shadow of Saganami, the reader gets thrilled until the last page.
LibraryThing member Neale
Another good book in the Chalion series. LMB's fantasy writing is brilliant - I'm not a fan of her SciFi. If you liked the others in the series you'll like this one. Its not a sequel as no characters from previous books are mentioned. It just uses the same world for a new story.
LibraryThing member Vilakins
I did not enjoy this as must as the two other Chalion novels, but it's still a very good read. It's not set in Chalion, but in a northern country more like a mix of England and Germany, and has engaging characters, even the minor ones.
LibraryThing member luisbaars
Another excellent entry in this series. I'm surprised with how many different ideas this author has been able to do with this world. While each book is closely linked to the 5 gods (Father, Mother, Sister, Brother, and Bastard...I love the Bastard) she puts a new spin on how the world is linked to
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the spirit world in each one. This is a bit more of a departure from the first two books, however people who enjoyed the series so far should like this book as well. Show Less
Subjects
Awards
Romantic Times Reviewers' Choice Award (Winner — Fantasy Novel — 2005)
Mythopoeic Awards (Finalist — Adult Literature — 2006)
Locus Award (Finalist — Fantasy Novel — 2006)
SF Site Reader's Choice (2005)
Locus Recommended Reading (2005)
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2005-05-24
Physical description
480 p.; 6 inches
ISBN
0060574623 / 9780060574628