Rating: 
Summary: Paladin of Souls - LMB Hits a Home Run!!!!!
Review: I could not stop reading this book from the moment I picked it up. While I would agree with one reviewer in the tempo is slow at first - the tempo allows the reader an opportunity to bond with the main character and to feel the quiet angst of a woman, new to sanity, and surrounded by lackeys with whom she has no real connection. Her isolation and boredom is palpable. And then the real fun starts. This book is rich in character, plot and mystery. Add romance, wit, wisdom, lots of adventure and the intimate touch of the Gods, and if you are at all like me, you won't be able to put this book down. I have loved LMB's writing since she penned her first book, but she shows mastery in this one. She has raised the bar to an entirely new level. I ended up loving the main characters, and put the book on my shelf quite reverently. It is a keeper, and without flaw. I know I will read it again and again. Even her Gods are fascinating characters. I am often difficult to please in my reading materials, but I loved this book, and recommend it unreservedly.
Rating: 
Summary: A fully fleshed out female protagonist
Review: I haven't read The Curse of Chalion, so I am not comparing this book to its predecessor. I liked Ista, I liked the plot turns and twists, I liked how Bujold had yet *more* plot going on long after a lesser writer would have ended the story (after the mystery of the two men is solved).
The story is not without its flaws. There is some dialogue that doesn't quite fit, and I did get annoyed a bit with the change of pace from a fantasy to a mystery novel in the middle (aka Murder She Wrote). It's not perfect by any means, but any book with such a well-thought out mileau and characters gets a standing ovation from me.
Rating:
Summary: Disappointed at first ...
Review: I was disappointed to realize that this book would not be about Cazaril but the Royina Ista. Then I began reading it, and my dissatisfaction evaporated as I became quite attached to Ista and her entourage-Liss, dy Cabon, and all the others. My only regret about Paladin of Souls is that I cannot unread it to have the pleasure of reading it again for the first time. That misfortune is somewhat mitigated, however, by the fact that I am about to begin reading the Vorkosigan series. I can't wait.
Rating:
Summary: Great quality, as always
Review: I'd enjoyed the Curse of Chalion and couldn't wait to get my hands on Paladin. Bujold doesn't disappoint. Ista didn't have much of a role in the previous book and she comes across as a woman of spirit in this sequel.
The plot was satisfyingly convoluted - twisty enough to hold my interest, and yet simply explained so you don't get lost, and it was a mostly happy ending.
Rating:
Summary: Love this Book
Review: I'm glad I bought a hardcover copy of this sequel to The Curse of Chalion. It's so good I am going to be reading it over and over. On the dust cover Diana Paxon writes "This is a book first to devour, then to savor, worth many re-readings." I completely agree.
Rating:
Summary: An introspective, intriguing, rich and satisfying book
Review: I'm re-reading "Paladin" for the third time in five months and decided to comment on it. Prior to (relatively) minor surgery a few days ago, I needed to pick out a "comfort" book (to borrow Anne McCaffrey's term regarding Lee & Miller's "Korval" series ... another wonderful source of reading pleasure), to get me through it all, and I was a little surprised to find myself reaching for this. I truly enjoyed "The Curse of Chalion", though I had been prepared to be disappointed that it wasn't more of Miles Vorkosigan's saga -- what an enjoyable surprise! THEN I was prepared to be disappointed with "Paladin" as a sequal -- again, my pesimism was completely unwarranted. Maybe I should let my guard down when it comes to Ms. Bujold -- unlike some authors, she has never disappointed me! "Paladin" is more introspective than "Curse" ... more of a drawing room "spiritual whodunit" at times. Despite the necessarily slower pace, I love the tangential thoughts that seem to illuminate a lot of my own experiences in life. Don't get me wrong -- there's plenty of hair-raising fight and/or flight scenes that leave me relieved and exhausted when "we've" made it through. But there's also more focus on the developing romantic interest for Ista than there was on the subtle growth of Caz's love interest in "Curse". It's lovely to see "poor royina Ista" from the "Curse" have a second chance at life and love ... and have the guts and wit to grab onto it, despite fear of failure. Thanks, Ms. Bujold for your "get well" gift; I will enjoy it for years to come.
Rating:
Summary: Classic storytelling
Review: I'm thrilled to see Bujold branching out from her wildly successful space operas into another sub-genre. That takes a lot of courage, and it is always a temptation to keep writing the same story and characters over and over, knowing that paycheck will be a lot higher than trying something new. It's clear from this series that Bujold is not a "one-trick pony."
Not only a keeper, but buy two, one to read to death now, and one to replace it when the first one falls apart.
Rating:
Summary: Playing footsie with the gods
Review: I've been a fan of Lois McMaster Bujold since I was entranced by her Miles Vorkosigan series a couple of years ago. She has an interesting way of telling a story, combining fascinating characters with the ability to write action when the story calls for it. I was sure that she could write fantasy as well, and she proved it with The Curse of Chalion. Now, she has written a sequel of sorts, called Paladin of Souls. And once again, she hits the perfect mix. Paladin of Souls is a sequel only in the sense that the events in the book take place after the previous book. Ista was the mother of two of the main characters in The Curse of Chalion, and she didn't figure that prominently in it. Bujold takes her, a relatively undeveloped character except where the curse was concerned, and gives her a living vibrancy. The reader can see why she went mad before, and why she is still seen as slightly insane. But we can also see the inner workings of her mind, and see why she is like this and how she can sometimes use it to her benefit. When one is touched by the gods, one is not unaffected, and Ista shows that effect. She's in her 40s, most of her family dead and her daughter off ruling the kingdom, and she's bored. She's also one of the only people who know the whole truth of what happened, and what lengths her family had taken to try and remove the curse. The entire book is told from her viewpoint, so the reader also gets to see her reaction to the events and the people around her. Ista's not the only wonderful character, though. All of the characters in the book are three-dimensional, unless the book doesn't call them to be. There's Liss, the messenger girl who Ista enlists to be her traveling maid (mainly because Liss doesn't treat her like an invalid who will kill herself the first chance she gets). She mixes wonderfully with everybody, demonstrating how uncomfortable she is with the trappings of a royal court, but willing to do anything for Ista. Her two soldiers at arms, Forda and Foix, are loyal to a fault, but also men with their own emotions. Bujold makes great use of them as well, giving Foix a lot to do that a normal man-at-arms wouldn't get. Bujold's great strength has always been her characterization, and it's this skill that makes even the slower parts of the narrative (there are a few sequences that seem to go on forever) interesting in themselves. The plot of the book is just as good, with Bujold slowly unfurling it as she goes along. Just when the reader thinks it's going one direction, it suddenly turns and goes somewhere else. It starts out as a story of redemption for Ista, and while that ultimately is the point of the story, it redeems some of the other characters as well. The fact that we care about these characters only adds to the strength. Bujold keeps the story flowing, with only the aforementioned slow parts bringing it down just a little. A couple of Ista's conversations with the Bastard (one of the five gods) drag a little bit at times, but the Bastard is such an interesting character that it's easy to forgive. While the book is not filled with action and is a character-driven one, there are some great sequences that show she can handle fast-paced action as well. Everything is vividly described, and while there is a lot of blood flowing at times, none of it is too grotesquely described. There may be missing limbs, but nothing too outrageous. One thing I thought was a little bit less well-done was the final battle, though. It's a bit confusing at times, with events moving from the physical plane to inside Ista's head and then back again. Overall, however, Bujold does a great job, immersing the reader in the book, and never letting go. The writing style is simply gorgeous. I read the book very slowly because I was just reveling in it. She captures the gentle humour of the characters along with the metaphysical aspect of the plot, almost making it lyrical. Her prose has really matured since she started with Shards of Honor. Don't race through Paladin of Souls to get to the finish line. Instead, savour it. Take your time and lose yourself. I haven't read a bad Bujold book yet (there have been a couple sub-par books, but that's only when compared with her other stuff). This is yet another winner. It also almost demands a sequel (and she is writing another Chalion book), but perhaps she'll do what she did this time and go off on another tangent. Wherever Bujold leads, I'll be right there waiting. David Roy
Rating:
Summary: good, but this universe has its limits
Review: I've enjoyed both Chalion books, though I find they don't really stick with me once I'm finished. I had to go back to _Curse of Chalion_ to jog my memory on the names and events referenced in the first part of _Paladin_. Once I was oriented (not strictly necessary to enjoy this book, but it doesn't hurt) I found _Paladin_ to be an enjoyable and involving read, and yet it didn't fully engage my emotions. I like the world Bujold sets up with its unusual rules of theology, but you can only reiterate the natures of the five gods so many times. The god focused on in this book is surely the most complex and interesting of the five, and I enjoyed its interactions with the main character, but I'm not sure a whole lot of ground was covered here that hadn't already been gone over in _Chalion_. These books don't quite seem to have the, well, soul of some of Bujold's other work. It was interesting watching a normal person have interactions with the gods, once. It was still worth reading a second time. I hope if there's a third book set in Chalion, we get a little more variety.
Rating:
Summary: The Dowager Rules
Review: Ista, mother of the Royina finally comes into her own, and she brings the delightful Illvin, Foix, and several others with her, The Mothers woodscolt son, is vile, contemptable, and a delight to read. WOW! As a fan of Bujold since the first book i read, its always a delight to read her works, and she keeps out doing herself.
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