Take a photo of a barcode or cover
A review by yevolem
The Hallowed Hunt by Lois McMaster Bujold
3.0
Lord Ingrey kin Wolfcliff, twenty four years old, has been ordered to investigate the murder of Prince Boleso. The prince had been sent away because he had murdered, skinned, then butchered one of his manservants. Lady Ijada killed him because he attempted to rape her during a forbidden forest ritual involving animal sacrifice and their spirits. Ingrey must return to Easthome with Boleso's salt preserved corpse and Ijada so that they both stand trial, the former before the gods and the latter at court. Ingrey and Ijada immediately fall into a peculiar relationship with an unexpected power dynamic. All five gods and their representatives, a sorcerer of immense power, and the nobility influence their actions. A plot centuries in the making unfolds. All the pieces on the board must think they're moving themselves rather than being moved.
The Hallowed Hunt has a completely new cast, aside from the gods, and takes place in a previously unmentioned land. I've seen this described as a trilogy of standalone fantasy novels and while I think that's somewhat arguable for the first two that's definitely true for this one. I don't know quite how to sum up what this one is about without spoiling a lot, but even I did, I think what it is about is rather underwhelming. For the most part the characters lack agency and go where they're supposed to and do what they're forced to. What saved this book for me was the writing. It was nice enough to read, even though most everything else was lacking. This was especially the case for the mastermind antagonist's motivations. When they were revealed I was vastly disappointed because of how petty it was.
Of the three books this one has the most romance by far. I wouldn't have minded as much, but it just seemed to happen because the plot needed it to be. It was oddly developed and there's a slight bit of shifter stuff as it deals a lot with animal spirits. It may be unfair of me, but the kind of paranormal romance it made me think of definitely detracted from my enjoyment. I also don't think they made a good couple in general, or were that interesting of characters. I don't know what happened with this book, relative to the previous two.
I'd say this one is an optional read. The first two are great and this one is alright, though the comparison to the previous books hurts it. My first thought was to give this 3.5 rounded up, mostly out of inertia, but after writing this and thinking it over, I don't think I can. There's simply not enough that I liked about it, but even so, it's still a close call. Next in the setting is the dozen or so Penric and Desdemona novellas. I expect them to be at least somewhat better than this was.
Rating: 3.5/5
The Hallowed Hunt has a completely new cast, aside from the gods, and takes place in a previously unmentioned land. I've seen this described as a trilogy of standalone fantasy novels and while I think that's somewhat arguable for the first two that's definitely true for this one. I don't know quite how to sum up what this one is about without spoiling a lot, but even I did, I think what it is about is rather underwhelming. For the most part the characters lack agency and go where they're supposed to and do what they're forced to. What saved this book for me was the writing. It was nice enough to read, even though most everything else was lacking. This was especially the case for the mastermind antagonist's motivations. When they were revealed I was vastly disappointed because of how petty it was.
Of the three books this one has the most romance by far. I wouldn't have minded as much, but it just seemed to happen because the plot needed it to be. It was oddly developed and there's a slight bit of shifter stuff as it deals a lot with animal spirits. It may be unfair of me, but the kind of paranormal romance it made me think of definitely detracted from my enjoyment. I also don't think they made a good couple in general, or were that interesting of characters. I don't know what happened with this book, relative to the previous two.
I'd say this one is an optional read. The first two are great and this one is alright, though the comparison to the previous books hurts it. My first thought was to give this 3.5 rounded up, mostly out of inertia, but after writing this and thinking it over, I don't think I can. There's simply not enough that I liked about it, but even so, it's still a close call. Next in the setting is the dozen or so Penric and Desdemona novellas. I expect them to be at least somewhat better than this was.
Rating: 3.5/5