The Hallowed Hunt

Extract: When I read a novel, I am often amazed at the phenomenon of how the whole of a book can be greater than the sum of its parts. I believe it's the magic of good writing. The concept, the characters, the plot devices, the prose, all add up to not simply a book, but an experience. On the other hand, I'm baffled at books that have a multitude of good ingredients, but then produce something that's just not very satisfying. Bujold's "The Hallowed Hunt", my second read in and the third book of the Chalion series is sadly one of the latter...