Bridget: 3/26: Paladin of Souls by Lois McMaster Bujold

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0380979020/002-5475172-1556832?v=glance

Still no picture...

Summary: 464p. Decided to read it because it won both the 2005 Hugo & Nebula awards. Did not know that it was a sequel. Started out to be a BIG mistake but started to figure the book out along the way. If you want to read the first book in the series, it's called "The Curse of Chalion." I would recommend that because I imagine that it would have made this book more enjoyable.

The author does not write in Harry Potter fashion. She assumes that you have read the previous books and know who the heck all of the characters are. I thought of punting this book but after a dozen or so chapters, there is a retelling of what the main character's special gift is and a clue to how this gift ties into the plot. After the retelling, the story got really good.

Basic plot: the main character Ista is trying to escape her past as well as her special gift (which gives her very cool abilities). She was given this gift by one of the 5 gods (Father, Mother, Brother, Sister, Bastard) portrayed in the story. She puts herself on a journey to escape the gods and her gifts but finds herself regifted and in contact with the gods again. Cool twist (not a spoiler), Ista is a saint who is given the ability to see the essences of the spirit world. She also has the ability to fight off demons.

Recommended. But like I said earlier, read the first book first.