Paladin’s Grace

Quotes

Genre

• Fantasy
• Romance
• Mystery
• Adult

Trigger Warnings

• Bullying
• Death
• Prosecution
• Prostitution (mentioned)
• Sexual content
• Violence

*There may be spoilers in this review. I will try to avoid major spoilers but some need to be brought up to be discussed.

Summary

Stephen’s god died on the longest day of the year…

Three years later, Stephen is a broken paladin, living only for the chance to be useful before he dies. But all that changes when he encounters a fugitive named Grace in an alley and witnesses an assassination attempt gone wrong. Now the pair must navigate a web of treachery, beset on all sides by spies and poisoners, while a cryptic killer stalks one step behind…

From the Hugo and Nebula Award winning author of Swordheart and The Twisted Ones comes a saga of murder, magic, and love on the far side of despair.

Characters

• Stephen – A berserker paladin of the Saint of Steel. He likes to knit socks.
• Grace – A perfumer trying to live her life as quietly as possible
• Marguerite – Grace’s best friend and land lord.
• Istvhan – A berserker paladin of the Saint of Steel
• Galen – A berserker paladin of the Saint of Steel
• Shane – A berserker paladin of the Saint of Steel
• Dr. Piper – an undertaker
• Bishop Beartongue – Bishop to the Temple of the White Rat
• The Hanged Motherhood – order usually at odds with the White Rat. A touch zealous in their pursuits and convictions.
• Crown Prince – visiting crown prince who someone is attempting to assassinate
• DuValier – Servant to the crown prince. I’m sure he’s trustworthy.
• The Smooth Men – creepy monster men who are running about biting people’s heads off. Literally.

Setting

The World of the Rat, after both the Clocktaur Wars and Swordheart series.

Overview

I have only read Nettle & Bone by Kingfisher and I don’t know much about her style or focus. After Paladin’s Grace I know I love her way of handling relationships. She spends the time building chemistry and interest and I super love it.

The mystery takes a second to build but that stays intriguing all the way through.

The paladins themselves are well developed and the idea of their patron god dying was incredibly engaging. The way they had to handle the void was a new twist to something you see over and over.

There’s humor and horror, romance and repulsion. I gotta say, I was super surprised how much I loved this book. Especially since no one else is talking about it.

Pros

Characters are the best part of this story. Stephen and Grace are incredibly awkward and relatable but so very authentic. Stephen’s trauma and depression are heartbreaking and feel real, the telling himself to get out of bed every morning still strikes a cord with me. Him knitting socks to keep busy just pushed me right over the edge. Grace and her thought process felt far too familiar and she had me giggling in the best of ways. I also really loved the focus on scents and their origin, I could see that dragging for some readers but I really enjoy that kind of deep dive.

The swap between the two main characters kept the tension real and in a romance it was the perfect blend of pining and misunderstanding to be perfectly frustrating in the best of ways. They both have their messes in their heads and it was nice to see these adults not having all the answers.

Kingfisher’s writing is refreshingly to the point with things the narrator wants to focus on. I felt like I was really in Grace’s head getting to know her on an intimate and real level. I appreciate the realism in both of the leads and the friends around them.

Cons

Not Enough World Building – This might be on me but this series is a part of another series’ world that I have not read yet so there might be more that I am missing. I had to figure out what a gnole was and that took a second. I didn’t really know how to picture the city or how the general population looks but in the grand scheme of things I cared more about the characters and their interactions.

There were some odd word choices that felt a little out of place for the fantasy world but it was only really distracting in the first parts of the novel. I am still concerned about what happened to Marguerite and now I am starting to feel she might be a part of one of the other series. Gotta love working backwards.

Final Thoughts

This is one of those I want to recommend to everyone. I liked the chemistry and the characters. The world stands on its own and the people feel real and responsive to the things around them. Stephen and his knitting to battle his depression and Grace and scents to keep the anxiety at bay it is just engaging to read. The mystery of the smooth men keeps the plot moving and gives the world more of a sinister flavor.

I have to go find the other series now so I can understand the world better.

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