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]

[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. :)