<span class="SFPTagline"> From SCIFIPEDIA </span>

The "Chalion" Series by Lois McMaster Bujold begins with the fantasy novel The Curse of Chalion,, which was nominated for both the World Fantasy Award and the Hugo Award (Best Novel). It was awarded the 2002 Mythopoeic Award for Adult Literature. The series continues with Paladin of Souls, which received the field of science fiction's highest honors: the 2003 Hugo Award for Best Novel and the 2004 Nebula Award for Best Novel. The Hallowed Hunt (2005) is the third novel set in the Chalion world.

Bujold, a seasoned writer and the recipient of numerous Hugo and Nebula awards for her science fiction works, found inspiration for her fantasy series in studies of 15th-century Spain. The main character in the first book, Lupe dy Cazaril, was conceived in a letter game between Bujold and fantasy author Patricia C. Wrede. Wrede is co-author, with Caroline Stevermer, of the most beloved epistolary novel in the fantasy field, Sorcery and Cecelia (or The Enchanted Chocolate Pot: Being the Correspondence of Two Young Ladies of Quality Regarding Various Magical Scandals in London and the Country.) Cazaril outgrew his intended role in the letter game to become a bruised and weary hero who is willing to sacrifice his life to save his homeland from a decades-old curse.

In the sequel, Paladin of Souls, Ista dy Chalion, the dowager queen of Chalion, assumes the protagonist's role. Again, Bujold transcends fantasy norms to create another heroic character who has been knocked around by life. No dewy-fresh adolescents need apply for the rocky courses Bujold sets for her heroes.

The third installment in the series, The Hallowed Hunt twines the narratives of Lord Ingrey kin Wolfcliff and Lady Ijada, each burdened with a magical curse made only more thorny by their developing affection for each other.

When asked whether the world of Chalion has more adventures in store, Bujold replied, "There is a certain temptation to make the Chalion series one book for each of the five gods, but I haven't committed to the notion yet."