The Spirit Ring

The Spirit Ring was Lois McMaster Bujold's first foray into fantasy, and it kind of shows. This book is fun and has some interesting characters and a truly lovely romance. But it's simply not as good as the Chalion books. Everything is pretty straightforward, with clear demarcations between the good guys (stalwart, true, and pure of heart) and the bad guys (greedy, power-mad, and deceptive).

What is most interesting about this book is the early shades of Chalion's religion and magic system. This book is set in our past, with such famous people as the Borgia's and Medici's populating the cast. There are fantastical elements, and magic is certainly real in this alternate history, but it's tied to the Catholic church. Bujold's ideas about souls and demons and morality are confined by Catholocism's doctrines. They don't really flourish here the way they do in the Chalion books. But it's still fun to see those ideas in this earlier form.

All in all, this was a fun, quick read. Good for a vacation. I need to track down more of the Vorkosigan books, though.

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