Paladin of Souls

Executive Summary: A slow-paced but enjoyable fantasy novel that can mostly be read as a stand-alone.Audio book: This is my first novel read by Kate Reading. I have long heard she is a great narrator, and I would have to agree. She doesn't exactly do voices or anything but she does distinguish a bit between characters. She speaks clearly with good inflections and emotions.Full ReviewRight off the bat this novel is unique for me. The protagonist is a 40-something woman. That's never the case for any of the fantasy books I've read.This book like it's predecessor [b:The Curse of Chalion 61886 The Curse of Chalion (Chalion, #1) Lois McMaster Bujold https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1322571773s/61886.jpg 1129349], has a slow pace that somehow just works for me. The only other author/series I can think of that manages this is [a:Robin Hobb 25307 Robin Hobb https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/authors/1394752275p2/25307.jpg]'s Edlerling books.I don't really remember the details of [b:The Curse of Chalion 61886 The Curse of Chalion (Chalion, #1) Lois McMaster Bujold https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1322571773s/61886.jpg 1129349], but that doesn't seem to matter. In fact I'd imagine you'd be able to read this book having skipped that one without issue. Not that I recommend it, because that book was also enjoyable.Most reviews I've read seem to indicate this is the best of the series. I found my enjoyment to be about the same. If anything distinguishes the two it's that this one doesn't focus on a male whose righting wrongs with his sword, but a woman who is doing it with her wits (and some help from the gods).I think this is one of those books you need to be in the right mood for. It's not a fast-paced, action packed sword and sorcery story. It's also not a politically charged struggle for power. Often times it seems that when strong woman are portrayed in fantasy, they are politically savvy nobility maneuvering for power.Instead we have a woman who decides she needs a journey. Not for adventure. Not for glory. Simply because she needs a break. Royina Ista has spent most of her life under a family curse or control of someone else. She just needs to get away. This doesn't seem to make sense to anyone else, so she does so under the guise of making a religious pilgrimage to pray for her daughter to have a grandson.Unfortunately for her (and fortunately the reader), the gods have other plans. Royina Ista is confronted with raiding soldiers, demons, sorcerers and a plot that threatens the safety of all of Chalion. There is a bit a of romance thrown in for good measure.All and all this is a well written and enjoyable fantasy story that is quite different from just about everything I read.