A review by manuphoto
Paladin of Souls by Lois McMaster Bujold

adventurous emotional hopeful medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Building on The Curse of Chalion, Bujold sends us back into the world of the Five Gods, this time with Ista at the helm. *Paladin of Souls* is compelling, funny, and interesting but not perfect.

As with other novels by Bujold, her strength lies in the characters. Although I liked Cazaril in The Curse of Chalion, I found him a bit too perfect and straightforward—the perfect knight, but not particularly great or original. Ista is a much more interesting character. She’s flawed, troubled, and brilliant. She’s definitely a great asset to the novel.

The rest of the cast is also well-balanced, with each character having a clear role and some nice twists along the way.

My main gripe comes from the plot and pacing, especially in the middle section of the book. The beginning of the novel feels like an excuse for adventure. Even the other characters are flabbergasted by Ista’s decision to leave for a pilgrimage. Although it’s an excuse, it feels a bit forced. But we go along, as the adventure itself grabs us pretty quickly.

However, once the events of the first part of the book have happened and we get to Castle Porifors, the pace slows down in a peculiar way. Don’t get me wrong; there are compelling story elements here, but the rhythm feels a bit odd. And they stay there for quite a long time, almost the entire middle section of the novel. Part of the problem is me; I’m not much of a fantasy reader, so my patience for showcasing magical concepts is probably too short.

But luckily, things start moving again before it becomes boring. I have to say that Bujold is great at making world-building effortless, something I really appreciate in a fantasy novel. New characters and places are introduced very smoothly. That, plus the well-defined and compelling characters, makes for an easy and enjoyable read when things are moving along.

The third act is quite good, with lots of action. A couple of twists I saw coming a mile away and a couple I didn’t. But the ending is satisfying overall.

I did like this book; I didn’t love it, but I did love some elements in it. Ista is definitely a great character, as are Liss, dy Calbon, and a couple of others. I also appreciated that women are empowered in a smart way by Bujold. She manages to reverse classic gender roles while challenging conservative values—well done.

However, the uneven pacing and relative shallowness of the plot prevent me from loving this book. I had a good time reading it, with Bujold’s easy-to-read prose being a boon, but it won’t really stay with me