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    Paladin of Souls: A Hugo Award Winner
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    Paladin of Souls: A Hugo Award Winner
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    Paladin of Souls: A Hugo Award Winner
    Ebook581 pages9 hours

    Paladin of Souls: A Hugo Award Winner

    By Lois McMaster Bujold

    4/5

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    Currently unavailable

    About this ebook

    One of the most honored authors in the field of fantasy and science fiction, Lois McMaster Bujold transports us once more to a dark and troubled land and embroils us in a desperate struggle to preserve the endangered souls of a realm.

    Three years have passed since the widowed Dowager Royina Ista found release from the curse of madness that kept her imprisoned in her family's castle of Valenda. Her newfound freedom is costly, bittersweet with memories, regrets, and guilty secrets—for she knows the truth of what brought her land to the brink of destruction. And now the road—escape—beckons … A simple pilgrimage, perhaps. Quite fitting for the Dowager Royina of all Chalion.

    Yet something else is free, too—something beyond deadly. To the north lies the vital border fortress of Porifors. Memories linger there as well, of wars and invasions and the mighty Golden General of Jokona. And someone, something, watches from across that border—humans, demons, gods.

    Ista thinks her little party of pilgrims wanders at will. But whose? When Ista's retinue is unexpectedly set upon not long into its travels, a mysterious ally appears—a warrior nobleman who fights like a berserker. The temporary safety of her enigmatic champion's castle cannot ease Ista's mounting dread, however, when she finds his dark secrets are entangled with hers in a net of the gods' own weaving.

    In her dreams the threads are already drawing her to unforeseen chances, fateful meetings, fearsome choices. What the inscrutable gods commanded of her in the past brought her land to the brink of devastation. Now, once again, they have chosen Ista as their instrument. And again, for good or for ill, she must comply.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperCollins
    Release dateOct 13, 2009
    ISBN9780061748905
    Unavailable
    Paladin of Souls: A Hugo Award Winner
    Author

    Lois McMaster Bujold

    One of the most respected writers in the field of speculative fiction, Lois McMaster Bujold burst onto the scene in 1986 with Shards of Honor, the first of her tremendously popular Vorkosigan Saga novels. She has received numerous accolades and prizes, including two Nebula Awards for best novel (Falling Free and Paladin of Souls), four Hugo Awards for Best Novel (Paladin of Souls, The Vor Game, Barrayar, and Mirror Dance), as well as the Hugo and Nebula Awards for her novella The Mountains of Mourning. Her work has been translated into twenty-one languages. The mother of two, Bujold lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

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    Reviews for Paladin of Souls

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    1,333 ratings66 reviews

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    • 3/5
      I do nmot like this bok quitre as well as Curse of Chalion,but I like it better tan the third book in the 5 Gods series. As Curese of Chalion was loosely based on the marriage of Ferdinad of Aragon and isabela of Castile, the lain character in this, Royina Iskra, is loosely based on Juana la Loca, but much less closely.
    • 4/5
      This book was a great sequel to The Curse of Chalion, and by my favorite author, but ultimately Paladin was way too repetitive. Same ideas, old plot lines, retold over and over till I wanted to scream. It needs a good trimming. Every new character is told the original story/history, and unfortunately we readers are along for the ride.
    • 5/5
      Ista is the the mother of the ruler of Chalion, but she's in her mother's household and was thought to be crazy. She's had her fair share of hard knocks, losing husband, son, and now mother. Not wanting to stay cooped up forever, Ista decides to go on pilgrimage, going incognito and taking a few attendants along with her. But she soon finds out that the gods aren't quite done with her yet, and this former crazy saint has something important to accomplish.I really enjoyed the worldbuilding in The Curse of Chalion. Paladin of Souls expands on that, giving us more insight into exactly how the world works, and making me read a little more slowly at times than perhaps I wanted to - though to be fair, that assessment could be me, because after finishing almost a book a day on a sickbed, I was back to a busy work week and didn't have as much time to be reading. Still, I found the story and especially the ending very satisfying and would certainly read it again. If you like intricate fantasy with complex characters, give it a whirl.
    • 5/5
      The Curse of Chalion is a favourite book of mine with one of the best lead characters ever written. I have read Paladin of Souls before but had forgotten much of it. A reread by audiobook proved to be a fabulous idea. Ista is a great character - an older woman with a very dark past. The audiobook reading brought out the humour of the novel amongst the adventure. I had to speed up the reader slightly to 1.20 as I found it slightly too slow but otherwise it was close to perfect.
    • 5/5
      The premise: ganked from BN.com: Follow Lois McMaster Bujold, one of the most honored authors in the field of fantasy and science fiction, to a land threatened by treacherous war and beset by demons — as a royal dowager, released from the curse of madness and manipulated by an untrustworthy god, is plunged into a desperate struggle to preserve the endangered souls of a realm.My Rating: Couldn't Put It DownIt's so funny that The Curse of Chalion was an okay book for me. Good but not great. Now that I've read Paladin of Souls, I want to go back to Curse and sink my teeth into everything that I missed the first time. Granted, it helped already being familiar with the world, the characters, and the gods, so I was immediately comfortable with Paladin of Souls in a way that I was never comfortable with Chalion. That being said, Ista is a wonderful heroine. A kind of running joke regarding her is that instead of calling her "Sweet Ista," she should be called bitter or cranky or cross instead, and yet all of this comes as an endearment, because Ista is the kind of woman who does not suffer fools gladly, and yet has her own grace. It's the kind of woman that's inspiring to me, as well as a woman I don't get to see very often in fiction.So I'm thrilled I decided to give this Hugo and Nebula-winner a shot. I'm glad I have the third book in the series waiting on the shelf, though it's definitely going to wait. Because I've been warned it's very different from both Chalion and Paladin, and that it's better appreciated with some distance from both, which is what I intend to do. And then one day after that, I may just re-read these books all over again.Spoilers, yay or nay?: Yay. There are lots events I want to talk about, namely in how the female characters of this story interact with each other, and that may spoil some of the bigger plot points. The full review with said spoilers may be found in my blog, which I've linked to below. As always, comments and discussion are most welcome!REVIEW: Lois McMaster Bujold's PALADIN OF SOULSHappy Reading!
    • 4/5
      Paladin of Souls is a loose sequel to The Curse of Chalion, an epic fantasy novel. However, both books stand alone, and you don’t really need to have read The Curse of Chalion to read Paladin of Souls, which feels less like epic fantasy in some ways. I guess technically the fate of the kingdom is at stake, but the novel is more centered around its protagonist’s life than court life.Ista is the widow of a king and the mother of a queen. She’s also spent most of her adult life under the influence of a spell that caused madness. Now that she’s regained control of herself, she wants to define who she is and what she will do with her life. Unfortunately, she can’t do that while stuck in a castle with all her mother’s old friends. So Ista makes a plan. She’ll go on a pilgrimage. Her prim and proper minders can’t object to that, and they have no way of knowing that the not really religious Ista just wants to go traveling. But as Ista hits the road, she discovers that more and more demons have been discovered recently. And then her party begans having its own encounters with demonic forces.There’s a lot I enjoyed about Paladin of Souls. Bujold is a skilled writer, and I can clearly see why this novel won a Hugo, Nebula, and Locus back in 2004! There’s some action, but it’s not a book I’d call action packed. The only magic comes either from demons or divinities, or sometimes both, as in the case of the god the Bastard. It mainly takes place in rural areas and an out of the way castle, instead of at court. But it still involves demonic possession, and even battles and armies.Of course, the center of the book is Ista, a heroine I quickly came to love. I really liked that the protagonist of Paladin of Souls was an older woman, since that’s not the sort of protagonist you see in a lot of fantasy novels. I want stories about all sorts of women, or all ages! Ista has a bit of a rebellious spirit, but she also more life experience and wisdom than you find with most young adult protagonists. I loved how she was trying to take charge of her own life and find adventure.In my review of The Curse of Chalion, I said that my favorite part of the book was the magic. I don’t think that’s entirely true here–I like Ista a ton–but I do find the magical elements fascinating. They definitely are more involved throughout the book than in The Curse of Chalion, where it took them a while to come into play.Anyway, Paladin of Souls is a really great fantasy novel, and I can see why Bujold is considered one of the premiere authors of the genre. I’d probably even recommend it over The Curse of Chalion, and I’ll have to search out more books by Bujold.Originally posted on The Illustrated Page.
    • 5/5
      Dowager Royina Ista dy Chalion is at loose ends now that her “madness” is over and the curse of Chalion broken. After her mother’s death, there is nothing to tie her to her girlhood home, and desiring an excuse to get away from her family, she decides that a pilgrimage may be a good idea. With a divine of the Bastard temple, Learned Chivar dy Cabon, Liss, courier cum lady-in-waiting, and a Chancellory guard commanded by brothers Ferda and Foix dy Gura, Ista begins her journey. However, after only a few days, the small group is overtaken and scattered by Jokonan troops, and Ista is kidnapped for ransom. Arhys dy Lutez, son of the man for whose death Ista was previously responsible, single-handedly rescues her and takes her back to his home, Castle Porifors. Ista soon realizes that Porifors is the location of the injured man, Illvin, of whom she has dreamt. While at Porifors, she is once again called upon by the gods, and her “madness” returns. As a saint, will Ista be able to interpret the gods’ message in time to save Porifors and possibly Chalion from the Jokonons?Paladin of Souls won both the Hugo and Nebula awards, and it is no surprise to me why. It is a fantastic story. Almost from page one, Bujold made me interested in the characters, even the minor ones. She puts them through the wringer, but somehow everything manages to turn out in the end – not without quite a bit of breath-holding on my part, though. Although the world is somewhat unfamiliar, Bujold’s seamless writing draws one into the story and doesn’t let go, even after the book is over. Ista is a very captivating character, and I wish there were more of her story to read.
    • 5/5
      Not often you come across a middle-aged heroine. In this book, Ista comes into her own and becomes all the things she wasn't in the first book, "The Curse of Chalion" A very satisfying read.
    • 5/5
      My second venture into the Five Gods series and loved it.
    • 4/5
      I didn't love it as much as book 1, but that would have been really hard, as I have the first book 5 stars.
    • 5/5
      Lois McMaster Bujold is the Nebula and Hugo award winning author of the Vorkosigan series, the Sharing Knife series, and three related novels, of which Paladin of Souls is the middle. Of all her stories, I find Paladin of Souls the deepest, richest and most profound. Though Ista is now released from the horror of her family's curse, she is left scarred, torn, and crippled from her attempts, when she was Royina (queen) of Chalion, at trying to parse the god's riddles and end the curse. Though furious at what she views as the gods' abandonment of her in her greatesy need, she uses a trumped up pilgrimage to escape the home where she has lived so long as a "mad woman" . But when her pilgrimage is violently interrupted and she finds herself in the midst of someone else's horror story, and pursued again by gods pushing her to get involved, Ista does some cursing of her own as she slowly begins to unravel another's tragedy.
    • 4/5
      My brief overview ~ Well-plotted and character development intriguing. High adventure, although not very subtle management of the mechanics during the action. Some injuries seemed to pass off terribly readily. As well, the concept of living-dead and using that connection was rather brilliantly devised.Overall, the story was engaging and the main character (Ista dy Chalion) was really well-wrought. Her escape from the dominating family brings a sense of realism to this chronicle. A few sequences in the action don't seem to compute well but overall, a much tighter story than The Hallowed Hunt.
    • 5/5
      Lois McMaster Bujold's works are always worth reading, but this book came to me at the perfect time in my life. What's not to like about the story of a middle-aged widow who takes to the open road to escape the dreary limits of her life and finds herself unexpectedly immersed in spiritual growth and adventures?

      The Chalion books are very different from the Vorkosigan series, being centered around a unique theology and spiritual adventures instead of space opera. I would enjoy spending the depth of time with characters like Ista that Bujold devoted to the Vorkosigans, but even this relatively small story is deeply satisfying.
    • 4/5
      Exciting, philosophical, excellent character and world-building. I found myself yearning to talk to someone about this book--it really incites thought.
    • 5/5
      "Once, she had been her parents' daughter. Then great, unlucky Ias's wife. Her children's mother. At the last, her mother's keeper. Well, I am none of these things now. Who am I, when I am not surrounded by the walls of my life?"Paladin of Souls is the second book in Bujold's World of the Five Gods series. Technically it can be read standalone as the story is wholly contained, has all the information needed to understand the nuances of the world and only references the first novel that aren't plot impacting. If you're looking for a fantasy novel starring a mature, middle aged woman with demons and gods mucking about, this is the book for you. Ista's story had me hooked immediately. Dowager Royina Ista is questioning what to do with her life. Previously believed to be mad though in reality just god cursed, the feeling of being stuck and believing her life has no purpose is slowly driving Ista mad in actuality. Unable to put up with the condescension of her keepers any longer, Ista decides to go on a pilgrimage to escape castle life. It's not long before Ista learns that while you can run away to a different location, problems eventually find a way back to you, especially when gods are involved.Ista is such a great character and one that's easy to identify with. Who hasn't had that same feeling of being at a crossroads in life, unsure where to go next, unsure if your life has purpose at all and just wanted to run away from everything? I know I've been there a few times. As Ista sets off on her journey a bigger mystery starts to unfold. Ista is up for the challenge and encounters a great supporting cast along the way. There are plenty of clues as to where the mystery is going, several I picked up on, a few I missed and were nice surprises.A small warning. There is an apparent love triangle early on. If you hate that trope please push through. It ends up not being what it first appears at all.If I had one gripe with the book it is that after being incapacitated for two months Ilvin is able to immediately go into battle no problems. It's funny how something so minor feels far fetched in a story about gods and demons but there you go.I absolutely loved this book. This having being my second time reading her works, I love Bujold's writing style and am firmly a fan now. I need to check out some of her other series.
    • 4/5
      Did really enjoy this. Well written and a good plot.
    • 5/5
      This is very romantic story. Thanks for sharing it.
    • 5/5
      She's almost exactly perfect for me (I can handle maybe just a soupcon more quirkiness, like in a Connie Willis or Diana Wynne Jones). Great characters, unexpected plot complications, clear sense of place, all the things that you would thing are a given in a published book but so often aren't! You sympathize with the protagonists and all works out relatively well in the end (as Oscar Wilde said, the good end happily and the bad unhappily, that's why it's fiction).

      (Note: 5 stars = amazing, wonderful, 4 = very good book, 3 = decent read, 2 = disappointing, 1 = awful, just awful. I'm fairly good at picking for myself so end up with a lot of 4s). I feel a lot of readers automatically render any book they enjoy 5, but I grade on a curve!
    • 5/5
      This is every bit as good as the preceding book, "Curse of Chalion." I confess I'd hoped to see more of Cazaril, since I liked him so much, but this book follows Ista, one of the more interesting lesser characters from "Curse". "Paladin of Souls" could possibly be read and understood entirely on its own without having read the earlier book, but if you enjoy it, you should definitely also read "Curse of Chalion," and if you're going to read both, reading them in order would be preferable."Paladin" is a very well-engineered story, beautifully told (as always from Bujold.) Ista turns out to be every bit as much fun as Cazaril and quite unique as well. Chalion's five gods are back again, and even better than before.One of the things I like about this book is that Bujold's "bad" characters are fully-realized people whose behavior makes sense. They may be only misguided, or may be rather more villainous, but either way they have motivations and past experiences that explain the way they are. They aren't "just evil", somehow, without explanation. Also, Bujold doesn't ask her heroes to save the world from ultimate evil. She manages to make thoroughly engaging tales out of smaller-scale threatened catastrophes.
    • 5/5
      I had read this previously, but long enough ago that all I remembered was that I really loved it. So it was very enjoyable to listen to the audiobook version and feel as if I were reading it over again for the first time!

      Ista is such a wonderful, interesting character. I love how she begins the story in such a complicated place: having been under a curse that blighted the so-called "best years" of her life, which has left her uncertain, guilty, bitter, and yet still with her sense of humor, and not entirely despairing. Seeing her grow into her life and her gifts is one of the most compelling and uplifting character arcs in anything I've ever read. And then there is the world-building! I continue to believe that Bujold's cosmology in the Chalion series is some of the best I have ever read. The five gods, demons, sorcerers, all of these elements make SO MUCH SENSE, and yet feel mysterious, as if there are still many secrets to discover.

      And I haven't even talked about the other characters, who range from the infuriating to the delightful to the beloved, and feel utterly real.

      Highly recommended!
    • 4/5
      This sequel to ‘Curse of Chalion’ takes place soon after the events of that book, but follows the character of Ista. No longer under the curse that made her seem depressed/deranged, the widow chafes at the confines of palace life. She decides to take a pilgrimage – after her disastrous brush with the deities in the past, she doesn’t have any interest in the gods, but religion seems a good excuse to freely wander through the countryside on a bit of a vacation. Unfortunately, the gods take an interest in her. After a few disturbing incidents involving demon-possessed animals, and the ever-present threat of Roknari invaders, soon, Ista finds herself at a castle headed by a handsome lord and his beautiful and loving young wife… however, not all may be as it seems. What mysterious ailment has stricken the lord’s brother? And what do the gods want Ista to do about it all?
      The book works as a stand-alone novel, still, I was glad that I had previously read the first one, for the deeper knowledge of past events and awareness of various characters…
      I have to admit, I slightly preferred ‘Curse of Chalion’ to this one, just because I found the protagonist in that book, Cazaril, to be such an engaging character. However, this was still an excellent book, and one I’d recommend.
    • 5/5
      "Paladin of Souls", the second chapter of Lois McMaster Bujold's Chalion trilogy is just as fantastic as "The Curse of Chalion" and maybe slightly better. Shifting the focus from Cazaril and royal court, Bujold followed the formerly mad dowager royina Ista through a false pilgrimage into the heart of a war in which the mortal, demonic, and the divine are twisted together.Set three years after the first book, the book begins with Ista having finished with the funeral rites for her own mother and dealing with stigma of her former madness. Wanting to just escape her childhood home, later asylum, Ista uses the uses the idea of a religious pilgrimage for the purpose if only for a little while. But hardly has it begun when her party is first attacked by demonic and then enemy forces. After being made a special prisoner, Ista is rescued like in a children's tale by Arhys dy Lutez, the commander of the border fortress of Castle Porifors. And it's only when Ista arrives at Porifors that things get really interesting.Although Ista is the main character, Bujold returns two other minor characters from the first book the dy Gura brother though the younger Foix is given more attention than his elder brother. Attending Ista as her lady-in-waiting is "tomboy" courier Liss, who is both feisty and clever as well as been naive creates a well rounded character. The various inhabitants of Porifors and the their links to the great mystery that Ista and her party stumble upon are ingeniously constructed. Bujold further develops her theological system, which is one of the most unique and clever that I've personally read.To be honest I couldn't find a fault in this book, from the first page I was hook and always wanted to follow along with Ista as she attempted to figure out what was happening in both the realms of the mortal and the divine. I recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of fantasy and enjoyed "The Curse of Chalion."
    • 5/5
      I LOVE THIS BOOK! Let me count the ways!1. It’s so refreshing to have a female main character who is middle aged. At 40 years old, Rowena Ista dy Chalion is free of her past madness and tucked away into a safe, little town away from the demands of the central government. She is coddled and patronized and treated like a child. She’s hard on herself and bitter about her past mistakes. Ista longs only to escape the bounds of her past and of her claustrophobic present life, and so enacts a plan to venture forth on pilgrimage, even though she doesn’t feel slightly pious. Along the way, she curses the gods for the burdens they once placed on her and her failure to carry those burdens. Despite all her hard edges, she’s compassionate toward most people, hoping to do as little harm as possible as she seeks her own freedom.2. Challion is a well imagined high fantasy setting. The back of the book described it as medieval, but I would more visualize it as similar to 16th century Italy or France. Without overwhelming the reader with details, Bujold presents the society along with its government and religions in a way that rather specific to this world. 3. I love that there clear magical rules and limitations with power sourced either from the gods or demons. The rule provide just enough leeway for mystery to still be possible, although it’s clear that while these rules can be bent, they cannot be outright broken. 3. The fifth god in Challion’s religion is The Bastard, who is less holy than the other gods, enjoys playing tricks, and has a delightfully crude sense of humor. 5. Liss is a courier, who becomes Ista’s lady in waiting on the road. She’s a rough and straightforward girl from a common family, who unabashedly rides faster than any man on the field. I love her. 6. Illvin makes me swoon. 7. The writing is wonderfully vivid, drawing me in so that I can hear the buzzing of green flies or the see the glint of a man’s armor. 8. Though it’s the second book in the series, it stands on its own feeling complete in and of itself. This book is just about perfect for me and my tastes, so much so that I almost don’t want to read the first or third books and risk marring the experience (though I’m sure I’ll read them eventually after some of the shine wears off in my memory).
    • 4/5
      I'm really enjoying this series. I took a while to change mental tracks after following the adventures of Cazaril in the first book. I enjoy the worldbuilding, especially the religious aspects. And, so as not to be spoilery- there's a formula to the second half of the book that I really like.
    • 4/5
      This was a well written, interesting book that kept me wanting to keep reading right up to the end. When it was over, I was hoping there would be a sequel. The only drawback for me was the slow beginning and lack of a clear plot from the start. With no clear plot at the start it took quite a while before I really got interested, though the writing was good enough to keep me going. Overall, quite good.
    • 5/5
      This book deserved its Hugo and Nebula. A fantastic main character holds this tale together
    • 5/5
      The second fantastic fantasy novel I've read by Lois McMaster Bujold. Very creative and engaging story, with a strong female lead character. Not at all your typical stock fantasy.
    • 4/5
      Paladin of Souls is a fantastic story, a tale of reluctant saints and enigmatic gods, of isolation and reconciliation and redemption. In the first novel in the series, The Curse of Chalion, we followed the journey of the ever-forgiving, ever-noble, and ever-self-sacrificing Lupe dy Cazaril. In this story, which takes place a few years later, we take up the tale of the far more imperfect Ista dy Chalion.

      Bujold creates a wonderful and mythologically complex world. In Chalion, gods and demons are very real, separated from humanity by only a thin veil of reality. Gods can influence dreams and even cross the veil to embody the souls of the "saints" who allow them access. There are five gods: the Father, Mother, Daughter, Son, and the ever-enigmatic Bastard, the god of small things, the guard of demons. Yet demons sometimes escape their prison and force themselves into the souls of animals and humans alike. Initially, a human gains additional powers of sorcery, but inevitably the demon transitions from being ridden to riding--and effectively completely possessing--the human.

      Ista's past involves both demons and gods. When she married into the royal family, Ista was briefly touched by the Mother, who revealed the terrible curse placed on her house and foretold the cure. However, Ista, in her stubbornness and doubt, failed to carry out the prophecy, leading to the death of her husband's greatest friend. Driven mad by guilt, Ista effectively isolated herself from reality until the events in the previous book, when the curse was finally broken. But even with the curse broken, Ista is still treated like a disobedient child by her caring relatives. Every move is watched and every care taken to limit her stress, but all this only makes Ista feel more trapped. To get away from her stifling caretakers, she decides to make a holy pilgrimage. With Liss, a female courier, as her only female companionship, the brothers Foix and Ferda to guard her, and the divine of the Bastard to act as spiritual leadership, she escapes her gilded prison.

      Ista's enjoyment of her newly found freedom is interrupted when their party is attacked by invaders from a neighboring kingdom. But her rescue only leads her into deeper trouble. She finds herself in a castle where mystery and the taint of sorcery are almost palpable. Yet again, it seems that Ista is chosen as a vessel of the gods. This time, the Bastard seeks her aid in the mortal realm, and if Ista fails again, she may bring yet another curse to all of Chalion.

      Like most of Bujold's stories, the plot is not straightforward and, rather than depending on a simple straightforward epic quest, tends to use character flight and sudden emergencies to lead to unexpected twists. Since this is a story by Bujold, the plot, of course, involves rape, and, as usual, this bothered me. In this case, we have female-on-male rape, and what bothered me most was how unphased all the characters were about it. As far as I could tell, there were never any recriminations or even recollections after that repulsive scene. In terms of characters, only Ista stood out to me as complex and fully realized. When I thought more about this, I realized that part of the issue is the lack of dialogue. The book is written from Ista's perspective and much of the time, summaries of conversations are reported to the reader. Without hearing the characters speak, I didn't gain a real sense of three-dimensionality from most of them other than Ista herself.

      I went into this story with very mixed feelings about Ista. She is a more difficult character to like than the gloriously unselfish Caz. Ista has given up hope and is cynical about the gods and her own role, cursing them for choosing her while allowing her to fail. Yet this story also displays her bravery and stubbornness. Her journey is a wonderful tale of character growth that leaves Ista as stubborn and independent as she began, but with a deeper soul.

      For me at least, the strongest draw of these books is the mythology, and Paladin of Souls truly shines here. We find out much more about the mythology and the complex history of the Bastard. I find this god fascinating. Unlike the others, he represents sin as well as purity. He guards the demons and can bring (usually ironic) evil upon the heads of those who displease him. Yet he is also the god of small things, the god of desperation, the god to turn to when all else fail. The beautiful characterization of the complex fivefold religion is really what stayed with me when I finished this story.

      Overall, this book should not be read without having read Curse of Chalion, if you read the former and enjoyed it, this is a must-read, as it truly completes the tale.
    • 3/5
      I should have really liked this book. I like Bujold, and this book has a strong central female character - the story is about her going from a middle-aged rich lady of leisure, hurt by earlier traumas in her life, to a kick ass demon slayer with a lover and a purpose.But I never really got into it. I mean, it was a fine book, but I never got to the point where I couldn't put it down. I think the difference between this one and Curse of Chalion was that in Curse, Cazriel is god-touched, but it doesn't really help him know what to do - he still succeeds because he makes plans, and rides across the country and fights bravely. OK, that's not 100% true, because he does get out of the ambush _solely_ because of his second-sight, but in this book Ista manages to do pretty much everything by the mcguffin of the Gods turning up and helping her out with magical powers. I found myself thinking the bad guys were much cooler and more interesting than the good guys, which never really helps.
    • 4/5
      In Paladin of Souls, Bujold takes a minor and uninteresting character from her previous book, The Curse of Chalion, and gives her a starring role. While at first our heroine Ista appears to be in the center of a bad romance novel (meek woman unhappy with her life situation meets tall, dark, and handsome lord), Bujold quickly takes this another direction as Ista takes charge, discovers the dark secrets of her allies, and personally foils the new arcane threat from the north. At the center of Ista's transformation is her uneasy relationship with the gods, who have made her their appointed champion in dealing with this new threat. Ista resents the gods' past interference in her life, and doesn't appreciate their oblique references and lack of instructions, but eventually reconciles herself to her role by taking charge and doing what she thinks is right.