Paladin of Souls

By: Lois McMaster Bujold

Narrated by: Kate Reading

Length: 16 hrs and 17 mins

Publisher's summary

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)

A Vacation from YA

I think this is the Author's finest book. As a complex story about a completely adult woman, it is very rare indeed.

Lovely

Any additional comments?

The main character is interesting and unique, the reading is great, and together they create a character I'd have liked to spend more than one book with.
The beginning is a little slow, but well worth it.
I've listened to it several times, and will probably enjoy it again.
There's no need to listen to the rest of the series first, it's a good stand-alone.

Worth while read

Slow beginning, but original magical theory and good ending worth getting to. I do recommend.

A Must Read/Hear

Bujold has been a favorite of mine because of her Vorkosigan Series, which I highly recommend. However, I must admit that the Curse of Chalion and Paladin of Souls top even those works. This book is refreshingly different from the traditional fantasy stories where the hero somehow finds some source of unstoppable power. Rather, it seems somewhat more... believable. The story takes place in a wonderfully fascinating world, and the characters in it are delightful. Kate Reading provides an excellent voice for the book. I do, however, highly recommend reading the Curse of Chalion before enjoying this novel.

Excellent Story

I was apprehensive about buying this book. I loved The Curse of Challion, but the idea of a fantasy book written by a middle aged woman, with a middle aged woman heroine did not appeal to me. I glad I got over my bias and listen to this book. It has an excellent story. My only complaint is that it can be difficult to follow the character’s names and relations. This probably would not have been an issue if I would have read the book instead of listening to the book.

Very Much Worth Reading

What did you love best about Paladin of Souls?

The characters and the plot. This is a continuation of the Curse of Chalion and is the best of the two

What was one of the most memorable moments of Paladin of Souls?

Its hard to say, I think I would pick the final battle when Ista defeats the sourcerers

What does Kate Reading bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Her voice matches what I expected Ista to sound like and her voices for other characters is very good. Even though I prefer reading a book, it is easy to get caughtup in the action the way she presents it

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Not at 25 hours, This is best read over a week

Five curses on the god of all things out of season

Wonderful to be able to spend time with Ista after the Curse of Chalion. Kate Reading does a fine job as the narrator except that I had not pronounced Arhys the way she did. I thought it would rhyme with Harris, without the 'h', rather than the Are/high/s that she says and it is amazing how often it had to be said and this took some of the shine off the narration for me. Bujold is a superb author and her divinity is wonderfully described. May the five gods bless her.

Not your average Sequel

What a great follow up to The Curse of Chalion. It starts with a damaged & misunderstood woman who finally takes her future into her own hands quite to the disbelief and consternation of her family, friends, and attendants and finds out who she really is.

Well read, good match of voice and character

Any additional comments?

Lois McMaster Bujold is a master of the craft of writing, storytelling, creating real characters ... and Kate Reading was an excellent match for bringing protagonist Ista to life. (Along with all the rest of the cast!) Paladin of Souls is a first-person narrative and includes a lot of internal monologue, and Kate manages to make it clear when Ista is talking out loud and when she's thinking something, or keeping a remark to herself. This book is the sequel to The Curse of Chalion and I recommend reading (or listening to) the first book first, as it's also an excellent novel and provides depth and background for this one.

Great as a stand-alone novel.

I have not read any other book in this series and I loved this book. (Just wanted to clear that up based on some of the reviews I read before I bought this book.)
I'd give the first half of the book 5 stars with no hesitation. Even though, for me, the second half wasn't as good, I still recommend this wholeheartedly.