Paladin of Souls by Lois McMaster Bujold

This book is the second in a series, which I didn’t realize when I read it for the first time last Fall. I still haven’t read The Curse of Chalion or The Hallowed Hunt, but Paladin of Souls stands perfectly well on its own.

On the whole, I prefer Bujold’s Vorkosigan series. I find that universe far more convincing, its issues more relevant. This may be because I do tend to prefer space science fiction over magical fantasy; for some reason, no matter how enjoyable the book or how intriguing the author, the presence of magical powers almost never fails to annoy me. Two of the very few exceptions are Terry Pratchett’s Discworld series, and Diana Wynne-Jones’s Chrestomanci quartet.

However, despite magic running rife through the novel, Paladin of Souls succeeds very well. Bujold is one of a few writers with the talent to produce convincing, lifelike female characters. Women, particularly strong women, are often written to be too strong, as though a woman cannot be truly strong unless she is free of all the weaknesses of ordinary women and able to outperform all men.

I didn’t find the plot as absorbing as those of Bujold’s other books, but as usual, her characters do a lot to make up for anything less than brilliant in the storyline. Paladin of Souls is definitely an entertaining read, although not as layered or thought-provoking as, say, Shards of Honor.

Tags: Chalion, Lois McMaster Bujold