Bujold, Lois McMaster: Paladin of Souls

[calico_reaction]

Comments

[morgan_dhu]

While I enjoyed all three of these books, Paladin of Souls was definitely my favourite. Ista really grew on me as a character, and the simple fact of having so many female characters in one book was a real treat.

[calico_reaction]

the simple fact of having so many female characters in one book was a real treat.

No kidding! And there's something deliciously ironic about her patron god actually being the Bastard. :)

[intoyourlungs]

Ooouuu, I should got on this. I bought it (as an e-book) because my mom read Chalion (which was also an e-book -- she borrowed my e-reader when she went on a trip) and fell in LOVE with it and wants to read the rest of the trilogy. It's good to know that she (and me) should probably wait before diving into the third one whenever she gets around to Paladin.

[calico_reaction]

Yeah, I heard the third is a GOOD book, but if read too close to Paladin it's a disappointment because it's so different. So even though the third is on my shelf, I'll probably hold off until next year to read it.

[stfg]

I am a long-term Bujold fan and read this the week it came out. The first time through, I did not really appreciate the slow build of the first 99 pages. On re-reads though, it has become one of my favorite parts of the book. I love Bujold's dry humor, and the lack of urgent action gives her the space to give us Ista's mental commentary on her would-be protectors in Valenda, on dy Cabon, on Ferda and Foix's competition for Liss's attention, on Liss's interactions with more conventional women. I love it all.

I agree that The Hallowed Hunt is a very different book than the other two. I think I went into it with expectations unreasonably high because of the first two books, and was not blown away the way I was anticipating. Again, I have learned to appreciate it more on re-reads. It is a perfectly good book when taken on its own terms.

[calico_reaction]

I think the very slow start of The Curse of Chalion prepared me for the slower start here, so I was fine. And I hope that by waiting at least a year or so, I'll be able to enjoy book three on its own terms as well!

BTW: did you get my email?

[stfg]

Yes, I actually just responded.

[calico_reaction]

Awesome. :)

[liddle_oldman]

Amusingly, I have Devil's Punch at my elbow, waiting to be logged.

But what I wanted to say was that I loved The Curse of Chalion. I'm enthralled by the structure, as the story whittles down to an end, a final point -- Help me. Help me. Help me. -- and then it opens up again, completely unexpectedly, and climbs back to a quiet triumph. I'm fond of the character, and how he slowly climbs back to a life, and slowly realizes just how he has gotten here -- and why -- and how he participated in it. Anyway, a favorite book, and one which I'll re-read again.

Not all Bujold is brilliant, but her average is really good.

[calico_reaction]

I definitely think I'll be re-reading Chalion at some point in the future. :)

[beth_noel]

Love love love her. I like the Vorkosigan series way more, but these are def also good. (skip sharing knife...)

[calico_reaction]

I've already got it in my TBR, so I'm gonna give it a go one of these days. Still, people like it, so it'll be interesting to compare. :)