Paladin of Souls

By: Lois McMaster Bujold

Narrated by: Kate Reading

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 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 unforseen 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.

Don't miss Lois McMaster Bujold's first book about Chalion, The Curse of Chalion.©2003 Lois McMaster Bujold (P)2005 Blackstone Audiobooks

Critic reviews

• Romantic Times Award Winner - Best Fantasy Novel, 2003
• Hugo Award Winner, Best Novel, 2004
• Nebula Award Winner, Best Novel, 2004

" "Rich in sumptuous detail and speculative theology....This engaging installment of Chalion's mythical history whets the appetite for new marvels yet to come." (Publishers Weekly)
"Bujold couldn't characterize badly if threatened with a firing squad, and what really keeps one turning the pages is the fascinating cast of characters, not that the plot is anything to sneeze at." (Booklist)

Good as a sequel, good stand-alone too

While I agree with the other reviewers that you'll do better listening to The Curse of Chalion first, this is not the conclusion of a cliff-hanger. Both books stand alone, with different protagonists and different plot lines.
The plot here is a mixed bag - sometimes fast, sometimes slow. At times I caught on to the next event almost too fast; at other times I was completely surprised.
The strengths of the book are the protagonist, the style, and the religion Bujold creates.
The protagonist begins as a depressed and cynical middle-aged woman, yet someone one can sympathize with - she becomes something far more, and far happier . . . while remaining entertainingly cynical.
The style is nearly word-perfect, creating a magical, courtly world unlike our own, but peopled by real individuals with distinctive strengths and weaknesses.
The religion is complicated, yet plausible (and I speak as a professor of religious studies). More than that, though, Bujold treated the heroine's spiritual journey in ways that made me think, and enriched my own spiritual life, speaking as a liberal Christian.
The narrator is a woman with a British accent, very good.

Loved it!

The book had me on the edge of my seat wondering what would happen next. It was a great read.

It took a chapter or two for me to really start getting into the book. I think it took me a bit to get usto the narrator.

Excellent

I liked this book better than the first one. The characters developed throughout the book adding depth to the story line. I would recommend. Word of warning it has a deep theological presence (not the traditional God, Satan, and the Holy Ghost) but theological within this created world.

Lacks action. It’s mostly introspective 3.6 stars

It’s well written but long and the plot is weak. I felt like this book could have told the same story just as competently in 2/3 of the length. Similar to “ Curse of Chalion”, the ending is literally a due ex machina, which was disappointing. I hoped the author would rely less on interventions by Gods to tie together her books.

Paladin of Souls

I enjoyed listening to this book and would suggest friends to listen to it as well. It is a slightly dense read, but it has an entertaining plot and a couple of unusual twists in plot that surprised me. My only, very slight qualm with the book was that the main villain was unknown until about halfway through.

Again, I very much enjoyed it.

Delicious, Harrowing, Wonderful

McMaster Bujold's characters are truly vivid and deliciously complex. Always something more to enjoy. I have read most of her Sci-Fi works - and loved them. Now I realize its not the Sci-Fi I loved so much (interesting as it is) but the characters. Bujold definitely does not disappoint in the Chalion series; and Paladin of Souls is another cabinet of wonders added to her already formidable collection of formidable characters.

Kate Reading's performance is pitch-perfect. She gave true voice to Issta and Lys (sic?). She interpreted the vast array of other characters with great panache and variety.

I am thoroughly pleased!

Fabulous Story

Lois is an amazing writer. One of the best I've ever read and I've been a voracious reader for over 45 years (you do the math). I've listened to two of her books so far. Her characters are complex and nuanced. There are no perfect people. The heroes are flawed and the vilans are, if not likeable at least human. The story is fast paced and interesting. The narrator is amazing as well. She has varied and believable voices for both women and men. Her inflections are wonderful. She takes a fabulous story and elevates it to, well, even more fabulous.

Great

Another fine work by Bujold. I recommend this interesting and complete world view to any SF and fantasy reader.

I've always loved this book.

I have read this book 6 times. And have listened to it twice. I still love the book enough to read or listen to it another 1000 times.

Read the text before and loved it. Enjoyed again with good narration

I am not impartial. I love everything Ms. Bujold has written. But even an excellent story can be ruined by a bad narrator. Happily not the case with this audiobook. I would not hesitate to purchase another narrated by Ms. Reading.
If you are new to Bujold's World of the Five Gods, please read or listen to The Curse of Chalion first. That book starts slowly, and I do love this one more, but there are many subtleties that will be better enjoyed by knowing the other story first.
This book has so many levels, I find new things to enjoy as I encounter the story over again. Highly recommended