Paladin of Souls
Encyclopedia
Synopsis
Paladin of Souls is a sequel to The Curse of ChalionThe Curse of Chalion
The Curse of Chalion is a 2001 fantasy novel by Lois McMaster Bujold. In 2002 it won the Mythopoeic Fantasy Award for Adult Literature and was nominated for the Hugo, World Fantasy, and Locus Awards in 2002....
and is set some three years after the events of that novel. It follows Ista, mother of the girl who became Royina (Queen) in that book and a minor character in it. Recovering from the extreme guilt and grief that had marked her as mad while the Golden General's curse on her family persisted, she finds herself bored to distraction and restless. To get away from her home town, Valenda, and its ugly memories she sets out on a religious pilgrimage with the dy Gura brothers (also minor characters from the earlier story) for protection; Liss, a feisty and clever courier girl; and dy Cabon, a plump priest of the Bastard---one in a pantheon of five gods---as her 'spiritual guide'. The Bastard, god of things out of season and disasters, becomes a larger presence in this novel than was The Lady of Spring in The Curse of Chalion; by its end, Ista herself has become a saint in his service. (The Father of Winter, another of the Five gods of the Chalion World
The Fivefold Pathway of the Soul
The Fivefold Pathway of the Soul, written by Ordol, is one of the primary religious texts of orthodox cultures in Lois McMaster Bujold's fantasy novels The Curse of Chalion , Paladin of Souls , and The Hallowed Hunt . This entry outlines that book based on background from Bujold's three books in...
, also makes a brief appearance.)
The pilgrimage party is overrun and captured by a troop of Roknari raiders from the adjacent principality of Jokona, then set free by a patrol from nearby Castle Porifors. Leading the rescuers is Arhys, lord of the castle and a very effective warrior indeed---considering that he scarcely eats or drinks, or sleeps except for brief afternoon naps. Though she comes to be immensely attracted to him, she realizes in horror that he is the son of a man she had helped murder. Another obstacle is Arhys's very young and very beautiful wife, Cattilara. Once in the castle Ista discovers another odd man: Lord Illvin, Arhys's half-brother. He is unconscious except for afternoon wakings that match Arhys' naps. She has seen him before, though, in a baffling dream that at last makes some sense. As this mystery begins to come clear, Castle Porifors is besieged by a new force of Roknari from Jokona that includes its Prince, Sordso, and his mother, Princess Joen. The latter is an elderly, minor daughter of the Golden General and has accumulated a whole troop of demon-ridden magicians, including her son, all of them controlled by one major magician: herself.
As Castle Porifors and its defenders crumble under magical siege, Lord Arhys and a picked troop make a night raid that jolts the Jokonans but does not dislodge them. Only when Ista allows herself to walk as a hostage into the Princess' lair is the siege ended. The remaining magicians' demons are sent back to the Bastard's care, and the remaining loose ends of the story are resolved, with Ista's acceptance of the Bastard's offer of skills and a job that give use and meaning to the rest of her life. Lord Illvin comes with the job as a bonus.
Awards and nominations
- Hugo Award for Best NovelHugo Award for Best NovelThe Hugo Awards are given every year by the World Science Fiction Society for the best science fiction or fantasy works and achievements of the previous year. The award is named after Hugo Gernsback, the founder of the pioneering science fiction magazine Amazing Stories, and was once officially...
, winner (2004) - Locus AwardLocus AwardThe Locus Award is a literary award established in 1971 and presented to winners of Locus magazine's annual readers' poll. Currently, the Locus Awards are presented at an annual banquet...
for Best Fantasy Novel, winner (2004) - Nebula Award for Best NovelNebula Award for Best NovelWinners of the Nebula Award for Best Novel, awarded by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America. The stated year is that of publication; awards are given in the following year.- Winners and other nominees :...
, winner (2004)