Paladin of Souls - Lois McMaster Bujold

Category: Fantasy

While events in this book take place after those in Curse of Chalion, it does not follow on as such, so this book can be read without having read that one first.

This book follows the fortunes of the Dowager Royina Ista, the mother of Iselle who is now the ruler of Chalion.

With the death of her own mother, she finds herself in very real danger, that of being 'loved' back into insanity by those around her who believe her still mad, and who only wish to care for her and prevent her from hurting herself.

Ista however, is no longer mad and is starting to feel smothered by the constant care. She plans her escape in the form of a religious pilgrimage ostensibly to ask the gods to bless her daughter's marriage with a son. Although the pilgrimage is merely a device to effect her escape, Ista finds herself once more caught up in the machinations of the gods and an unwilling recipient of their gifts.

This is another great book from this author. It manages to maintain the continuity of the world without dragging out the stories of previous characters beyond their satisfactory conclusions.

The world of Chalion's gods is explored again but in far more detail than before and it makes for a fascinating read. Again the characters are full of life and energy, and they pull you along through the story like a child leading you to the sweetie counter.

I can't wait for the next one!

Rating 7/10

The series:
Curse of Chalion
Paladin of Souls