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Paladin of Souls cover art

Paladin of Souls

By: Lois McMaster Bujold
Narrated by: Kate Reading
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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

"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)

What listeners say about Paladin of Souls

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Wonderful

This is a really wonderful book, and it's great to find it unabridged on Audible. It spins an absorbing story around a minor and seemingly very unheroic character from *The Curse of Chalion*, the widowed Ista (note: you do not have to have read *The Curse of Chalion* to enjoy this, although you may well want to read it afterwards.)
Ista is 40 and seemingly rather defeated by life, having suffered the death of her husband and son and a prolonged bout of divinely-induced madness. She decides to set out on a pilgrimage to escape from her confined life at court, but quickly finds that the gods have not yet done with her. It's the kind of narrative that keeps you guessing - just when you think you've sussed out where it's all headed it suddenly takes a sharp turn in another direction. Nevertheless it comes to a very satisfying conclusion. I find it the kind of book that's a real pleasure to re-read because it's fascinating to see how the author sets up plot and character developments a long way in advance.
I suppose my one minor quibble is that the narrator sometimes makes Ista sound a bit too feeble and self-pitying, particularly to begin with. That said, she is a character who grows in strength and self-confidence in the course of the novel, so presumably the narrator was trying to reflect this. Other than this I found the narrator excellent: the different characters are voiced very effectively, and she manages to distinguish between the different levels of narration (narrator's voice, Ista's internal thoughts, Ista's speech, etc.) very clearly.
Overall, this is a strong character-driven novel with a clever and satisfying plot. I thoroughly recommend it, even if you're not normally into fantasy novels.

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10 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Just fabulous.

What a beautifully crafted and exquisite fantasy novel, which fully desrerves the awards it has received. I have been hesitating for sometime whether to add it to my collection and I'm so glad I did.

The author did a magnificent job sculpting Ista, the main character, full of knowledge, beautiful emotion and strength within. Ista is no ordinary person and following her story you will lose yourself for hours. There are so many layers to her personality.

On the first thought, a strong heroine might appeal more to female readers, however I would recommend this book to anyone with a little bit of willingness to endulge yourself in a good and captivating story.

Kate Reading did a splendid job. It's a pleasure to listen to her voice, which so easily expressed all humanly possible feelings: happiness, sadness, fear, wisdom, love, excitement and so many others.

Listening to 'Paladin of Soluls' was a simple pleasure.

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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Fine fantasy, beautifully read

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Absolutely - a literate and well written fantasy with a female protagonist. The world-creation, with its very different theology, is immaculate and believable and the characters are well drawn. Ista, the heroine, grows before your eyes (or ears) into a person of real power who can at last be at peace with her past.

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

When Ista is walking as a hostage to meet the Princess at the head of the Army that has successfully besieged the castle. She realises that she has lost her link to the Gods and has just to rely on herself - her vulnerability is very moving.

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

I have read the book, and enjoyed it, but was held spellbound by the audiobook. Kate Reading brings wisdom, warmth and crisp characterisation to the story.

Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Yes, I enjoyed the story and the storytelling. Sometimes laughed at the wit, and other times touched by sadness. Always gripped and had to keep on listening!

Any additional comments?

One of my favourite audiobooks of all time - and I have read a lot!

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

First class tale & reader!

At 16 hours of first class story, this audiobook is excellent value for money. I've read Paladin of Souls several times, but I got something new out of hearing it read. I'm new to audio books: they're great it you want to do something while you read, and I'm finding they alter the way you consume a story, so you notice things you'd missed before. A lot of Bujold's books are read by actors with strong American accents, which doesn't fit the story to me. Kate Reading has an attractive English accent, is a clear reader - I always know which character is speaking - and gives a great characterisation of Ista, the protagonist,

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

engrossing

There is something about Lois McMaster Bujold's books which keeps drawing me back. I've read this one twice as hard copy and made myself give a decent gap of more than a year before downloading it to listen to. I was not disappointed. The narration is very good. Her characters are interesting (perhaps with the exception of Ferda and Foy, as I could never remember which was which) and the world she has devised is thought provoking. It's definitely not a sword and sorcery style of fantasy, but one in which fantastic elements blend credibly into the more 'mundane' aspects of the plot.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

A classic fantasy masterpiece...

This wonderful sequel to The Curse of Chalion features poor, unlucky Ista, who had been disastrously entangled in the terrible Curse. And though released from its clutches, seems doomed to live a half-life surrounded by fussy old courtiers who are constantly on the lookout for any odd behaviour from her. Until she decides to escape by going on a pilgrimage. And is promptly overtaken by a catalogue of dangerous adventures that spin her onto a completely different trajectory. I simply stopped to give all my attention to the unfolding story, wonderfully narrated by Kate Reading. I love that Ista is a middle-aged protagonist who is justifiably bitter and angry at what befell her - and this nuanced, brilliantly written story explores her emotional landscape, as well as her ongoing escapades. 10/10

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

A masterpiece of storytelling and narration

If you could sum up Paladin of Souls in three words, what would they be?

Intelligent moving fantasy.

Who was your favorite character and why?

The characters are all beautifully drawn, with charm and deftness.

What about Kate Reading’s performance did you like?

Kate Reading is a great fit for this story, which is centred around a mature female character. It was the best narration I have encountered so far on Audible.

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

Absolutely.

Any additional comments?

The book had a perfect balance of deft narrative, humour, charm and suspense. It also packs a genuine emotional punch. The narration fits the style of the story perfectly and the whole fits together to form a tremendous package.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Loved it - now what do I listen to?

Lovely! Beautifully read, and a steady development in plot that carries you onwards through the book reluctant to take a break. I will track down more of Ms Bujold's work - I thoroughly enjoyed The Curse of Chalion as well. Highly recommended.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Magnificent

Magnificent story - so very rare to find a book that has everything.
A gift- most truly.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Wonderful story with great characters

Really enjoyed listening to this story , and reader does a fabulous job. LMB once again delivers a satisfying story, characters you care about and an complex interesting world.

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