Paladin of Souls

Dowager Royina Ista dy Chalion is at loose ends now that her "madness" is over and the curse of Chalion broken. After her mother's death, there is nothing to tie her to her girlhood home, and desiring an excuse to get away from her family, she decides that a pilgrimage may be a good idea. With a divine of the Bastard temple, Learned Chivar dy Cabon, Liss, courier cum lady-in-waiting, and a Chancellory guard commanded by brothers Ferda and Foix dy Gura, Ista begins her journey. However, after only a few days, the small group is overtaken and scattered by Jokonan troops, and Ista is kidnapped for ransom. Arhys dy Lutez, son of the man for whose death Ista was previously responsible, single-handedly rescues her and takes her back to his home, Castle Porifors. Ista soon realizes that Porifors is the location of the injured man, Illvin, of whom she has dreamt. While at Porifors, she is once again called upon by the gods, and her "madness" returns. As a saint, will Ista be able to interpret the gods' message in time to save Porifors and possibly Chalion from the Jokonons?

Paladin of Souls won both the Hugo and Nebula awards, and it is no surprise to me why. It is a fantastic story. Almost from page one, Bujold made me interested in the characters, even the minor ones. She puts them through the wringer, but somehow everything manages to turn out in the end - not without quite a bit of breath-holding on my part, though. Although the world is somewhat unfamiliar, Bujold's seamless writing draws one into the story and doesn't let go, even after the book is over. Ista is a very captivating character, and I wish there were more of her story to read.