Group Read: Paladin of Souls (Apr 2021)

Getting the thread going early :) Please err on the side of caution and use spoiler tags.

I started early and am one chapter in. It's so nice to read about non-standard fantasy protagonists.

I feel for Ista. After being cursed for so long I think I'd want some freedom too!

>1 Narilka: Thanks for starting the thread! I won't be getting to this one for a bit, I suspect.

This will make a lot more sense for me after reading Curse of Chalion, I may pick this up again.

>4 Karlstar: I too need to reread The Curse of Chalion - as well as coming out of lock down so that I can get my copy - so I will not be joining you here in April.

Thanks Narilka! I'm looking forward to this reread!

Way ahead of you guys, after finishing The Curse of Chalion I promptly went onto Paladin of Souls and The Hallowed Hunt.

I really must get the Penric and Desdemona novellas at some point - at least the silly prices seem to have gone away. I might treat myself this Easter.

I'm here, starred the thread, have the book on my April stack, but am not sure when I will tackle it.

Hopefully others join in later in the year :) This thread will still be here.

Through Ch 4. The gods definitely are not done with Ista whether she wants it or not. So.... I'm guessing she's going to get the Bastard's attention.

I started last night. Decided not to wait. I'm enjoying it so far. I really hate the way Ista is still treated by her retainers as though she might snap any minute.

Ch 5 & 6 I did not see that coming! So how are they going to save Foix? And themselves? This ramped up fast!

Ch 9 There's a nice mystery for Ista to solve. I'm not crazy about it taking a slightly soap opera turn though with the apparent love triangle. We will see.

Somehow the thing Ista saw in the tent is linked to her visions. Is there a demon involved? That's my guess. It feels like sorcery IMO.

I'll come back after I get started on the book...

This is one heck of an engaging read :) Through Ch 16 So much has happened! I'm glad the love triangle from earlier wasn't what it appeared to be. Ista has quite a situation to sort out. Two demons needing to be exorcised without harming the hosts. At least the little band is back together. He might not see like much help yet but I'm guessing that dy Cabon's education is going to be useful in helping Ista finish her transformation into a Paladin.

Ch 20 Another great twist! Princess Joen is somehow manipulating multiple demons at the same time. My current guess is Ista is going to have let go of her inhibitions and open herself fully to the god's power to stop them all.

I finished. That was amazing. Debating between 4.5 and 5 stars. I had one irritation. After being incapacitated for two months Illvin had no problem immediately springing back into battle? I know it's funny to feel something so minor as being far fetched in a story about exorcising demons but there you go :)

I can't believe I didn't put together the method Ista would have to use so send the demons home. The clues were so obvious in hindsight.

My Kindle copy included a pronunciation guide at the end. Boy did I get some of those wrong lol

Can't wait for everyone to get started.

>17 Narilka: Hey, you mean everyone else but me, right? I started a few days ago. LOL

I've only made it to Chapter 12, but I have been sucked in 100%.

>18 clamairy: :D

Going to try to jump in here now before I forget everything about the book, and I'm going to be overly cautious and put it all behind spoiler tags.

I'm not entirely sure why I enjoyed Paladin of Souls more than The Curse of Chalion, but I believe it's mainly because I found Ista so much more relatable than Cazaril. They are both kind of broken, but he's only in rough physical shape, and still seems like he hasn't lost all his faith in humanity. Ista is mostly the reverse. She's physically fine, and that's about it. Also, I think there was a bit more humor in this one. Also, Ista isn't lusting after a young pupil put in her charge. LOL

And I do love that the gods in this world are in charge of the forces of magic, even the so called negative ones. Very well done. Very 'Sandersony' and before he was even writing, I think. I started to wonder if George RR Martin had ripped off Bujold's ideas, with his 7 gods of Westeros. But then I realized his first book in that world was published several years before The Curse of Chalion.

I definitely plan to read more by this author. I didn't realize that the
Vorkosigan books were SciFi and not fantasy, but that works. I will get to them eventually.

I enjoyed Paladin more than Curse too and I think due to Ista. I'm still thinking up how to write my review.

These were my first books by Bujold. I need to try her scifi and other series too. I think the Penric books are in this world aren't they?

>21 Narilka: Yes, the Penric books are also World of the Five Gods, although set earlier than Curse and Paladin. In fact, in strictly in-world (as opposed to publication) order, it's Hallowed Hunt, the Penric and Desdemona series, Curse of Chalion, and then Paladin of Souls. HH and Penric are set in different parts of the world.

Lois announced recently that she's written Penric and Desdemona #10, which has come out rather longer than the usual novella size of the earlier books.

>22 tardis: Yes, I'm excited about the new Penric.

Oops, forgot this was going on! I have it starred now and will follow along as Paladin of Souls is a favorite and a comfort re-read for me. I have reread both it and Chalion numerous times, and love Ista's story so much--yes, like others here, I think I prefer it over Chalion although both are excellent. If you have read other Bujold books, let me strongly encourage you to do so, whether fantasy or science fiction. She brings the same strong characterizations and empathy to both.

I just reread Paladin of souls so I could join the group read. I love it so much. I can't choose a favourite between this and Curse of Chalion - whichever one I have just finished is the best! Ista is a marvellous heroine - it is lovely to have a female lead who is not a naive young princess or a feisty warrior, but a mature woman.

I agree totally with Clam's comment in >11 clamairy:, and even more so when Lady dy Hueltar returns at the end and continues to infantilise her. At least her brother seems to learn better by then. And you can see how Ista has grown through the book by her actions at the start and end - in the beginning she seeks to escape rather than confront her family (though she does overrule them in the details of her pilgrimage. At the end she outright defies convention and insists upon going ahead with the role the god has given her.

I feel rather sorry for Liss, forced into the role of Lady in Waiting instead of her courier job that she loves. But I get the sense that going forward her role in Ista's entourage will combine those tasks and allow her to use her talents to the fullest.

I rather regret that Bujold hasn't continued the series with books focusing on the Mother and Father (IIRC The hallowed hunt is about the Son).

I just acquired the paperback omnibus of the first three Penric novellas, so my plan now is to try and find my copy of The hallowed hunt and reread it, then start on Penric.

>25 Sakerfalcon: I think I need to add that to my wishlist.

Hey, is anyone else reading this or planning to comment or should I unpin it?

I've read it, and posted my review of the 3 books in The Hallowed Hunt.

I got very ahead of the group read - finishing Paladin of Souls before most had finished The Curse of Chalion.

I'll probably pick up the Penric & Desdemona novellas at some point this summer; I held off because originally I thought the price point way too high, but now they're around £2.50 - so a sensible price, not an extortionate one.

>28 Maddz: Okay.

I thought I remembered someone else saying they were going to start this, so I'll leave it pinned a little longer.

I am unpinning this one.

I can't believe it has been over a year since this group read happened. I had planned to join it, just not right away. Pretty good procrastinating, huh?

When I finished The Curse of Chalion, I loved most everything about it, except Ista. She left me cold, which is why I was not eager to jump into this story. Now I've read this one and I found many things about Ista I could identify with. Some were almost too close to home. I recognize the urge to flee, the sense of being smothered, the anger/ disappointment with one's gods/God. Her inner thoughts as she mouthed the words of prayers so as not to offend others. The feelings of life passing by and being over.

Don't get me wrong, I don't live in any of those places, but I have certainly visited them. Perhaps most women my age have to some extent. So I read this book with a measure of discomfort, but also with great hopes for Ista. I have read enough Bujold to know the type of story she writes and this certainly did not disappoint.

Now I want to go back to the first book and read it again paying more attention to Ista.