Hugo Review: PALADIN OF SOULS
I continue with my quest to read all the Hugo award winners for best novel.
PALADIN OF SOULS is a lovely book by Lois McMaster Bujold. It’s the sequel to the also excellent THE CURSE OF CHALION, which did not win the Hugo, but which I had to read in order to have the full context for this book.
PALADIN OF SOULS can be read on its own, but I think having read THE CURSE OF CHALION made it a richer experience.
Both books take place in a medieval high fantasy world that Bujold has created. One of my majors was medieval history, so I have to say that I truly love how well she has simulated a country with the feel of medieval Spain. The religious system, a cornerstone of both books, is also quite remarkable and something that will get you thinking about the nature of loyalty and belief, if those are topics that interest you. Overall, the worldbuilding is very reminiscent of the classic Earthsea books (also must-reads).
But without a doubt the best thing about these books is the character development. It’s richer than I’ve seen in many, many other books. The main characters in both books are spectacularly believable. They are like fine sculptures that show both features and flaws in stunning detail.
The bottom line is that these books are going to make a fantasy fan a happier person after reading them. So get on that, fantasy fans.
