The Hallowed Hunt

Lois McMaster Bujold

8/29/2005

Lord Ingrey kin Wolfcliff has been sent to the remote castle where Prince Boleso had been exiled. Prince Boleso has become mad and killed a servant, so was sent away from Easthome in disgrace. But Prince Boleso has been killed. He was practicing dark, old magic and had a young woman with him for his latest effort. In order to protect herself, she killed him in self-defence. Now Lord Ingrey has to take the Prince's body and the Lady Ijada back to the capital, Easthome.

Lord Ingrey is a military aide and warrior for the country's seal master. He is unique, with a special dispension from the Temple. When he was young, his father had a dark magic spell cast which cast the spirit of a wolf into him intertwined with his own spirit. When the old magic is practiced, the Temple usually casts out the people involved. But Lord Ingrey had his wolf spirit bound so is allowed to live in their country.

Prince Boleso's last attempt in old magic was partially successful. He was attempting to bind a leopard spirit into himself. Instead, with his death, the spirit entered Lady Injada. She had no preparation either for the Prince's attack or for hosting an animal spirit. Fortunately for her, Lord Ingrey is her jailer - he can help her with the adjustment.

That is only a small portion of their problems. The old king is dying. The Prince's older brother is in line to be elected as the next king. But on the return to Easthome, Lord Ingrey learns there may be a plot to wrest the kingship to a new family. Someone has laid a spell on Ingrey that is dangerous to Lady Ijada. While trying to release the spell, more happens to Lord Ingrey than anyone could guess. He has to find a way for Lady Ijada to avoid the gallows for killing Prince Boleso, rescue a cousin, restrain his own inner wolf, and keep the country's political system in place.

Lois McMaster Bujold is a master of her craft. She has created a fantasy world with old and new magic, religion, politics, and strong people. It hangs together extremely well. This book, The Hallowed Hunt, pulled me in so well, I kept having to put it down to work it through. I never felt it was intense while I was reading it, yet it got under my skin. I put it down because this country needs unintentional mulling over. Then I returned to it and got pulled right back in. This is not only a novel of conflict, politics, and magic, but of romance as well. But the romance description is subtle and not as strong as I would like considering the importance of the romance by the end of the novel. Despite that, this is a very good book.

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