A review by sparrowhawk444
Paladin of Souls by Lois McMaster Bujold

4.0

While The Curse of Chalion is certainly my favorite in Bujold's World of the Five Gods books (besides some of Penric's novellas, which are delightful but different animals from the longer works), I do enjoy this second, slower installment. I think most of my joy comes from having an unusual protagonist like Ista - a mother, a woman in her 40s who longs for independence, a former ruler, someone betrayed by the gods and embittered by it. Ista's character is definitely what kept me engaged across my reads of this book, as the beginning can be somewhat slow. Once we arrive at Porifors, however, and the real crisis becomes apparent, the book moves at a quick clip, and I really loved the characters that were introduced. Ista's growth throughout the book is probably my favorite part of reading, and I loved to see her journey just as much this second time as I did the first.