Paladin’s Hope

Quotes

Genre

• Fantasy
• Romance
• LGBTQ+
• Mystery
• Adult

Trigger Warnings

• Gore
• Dead Bodies
• Child’s Death
• Trapped Underground
• Nightmares
• Flashbacks
• Murder
• Alcohol Consumption

*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

Piper is a lich-doctor, a physician who works among the dead, determining causes of death for the city guard’s investigations. It’s a peaceful, if solitary profession…until the day when he’s called to the river to examine the latest in a series of mysterious bodies, mangled by some unknown force.
Galen is a paladin of a dead god, lost to holiness and no longer entirely sane. He has long since given up on any hope of love. But when the two men and a brave gnole constable are drawn into the web of the mysterious killer, it’s Galen’s job to protect Piper from the traps that await them.
He’s just not sure if he can protect Piper from the most dangerous threat of all…

Characters

• Piper – Lich Doctor with a special gift
• Galen – Paladin of the Saint of Steel aka Tomato Man
• Earstripe – Guard gnole with good sense
• Brindle – Gnole with good taste
• Skull of Ice – Doctor of the Gnoles
• Mallory – Captain of the City Guard
• Stephen – Paladin of the Saint of Steel
• Thomas – Nervous young man who owns a chateau by the river. Kind of a jerk.
• Commander – Commander of the City guard
• Jorge – Paladin of the Dreaming God
• Housekeeper – Thomas’s Housekeeper
• Shane – Paladin of the Saint of Steel

Setting

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

Overview

This was a slower start for me but once I hit the maze I found myself struggling to put it down. The chemistry between the two main characters on top of their backgrounds and traumas was just well developed. I didn’t find myself super frustrated with them playing the will they won’t they game, I saw it coming with Galen, and I appreciated how Piper processed and moved forward with his feelings.

The maze really had me invested and now I want to go find the series where the ancients and the machines get more screen time. I also really appreciated the gnoles and glimpse into their culture.

Pros

Seriously the maze and the machines really had my attention. The different puzzles and the way the team had to problem solve them in their own special way made it feel like a realistic approach to a whole death machine. The heightening tension between the characters on top of the rising stakes of each room kept the momentum moving. I was engaged with their chemistry and I was invested in them figuring themselves out as well their relationship.

Piper was one of my favorites, his awkward social skills with his genuine kindness coming through in his narrative. His burnout was super relatable especially coupled with his desire to help. His “gift,” more of a curse really, gives him an empathetic edge that he can’t even escape with his food. He’s pretty well adjusted all things considered. Plus, he’s freaking adorable.

Galen we’ve met in previous novels and his nightmares were explained through both of them. Watching it go wrong with Piper helped build into his character and his desire to keep the world at arm’s length. Piper calling him on his nonsense was also nice to see. I always appreciate the characters that make self-care a part of their reaction to relationship issues/

The gnoles were a bigger element to this installment and I have to say, even though I didnt know much about them I loved seeing them on stage. Earstripe is sensible and I love how compassionate and strong he is, putting others first no matter the species. Skull of Ice and the whole concept of doctors being a collective entity was a lot of fun to see especially with Piper wanting to learn and help.

Cons

I could see readers getting frustrated with the will they won’t they aspect of the relationship. I could also see the reference to the ancients and the machines if they don’t know the whole background but it didn’t distract me too much. I felt like I wanted more of Dr. Piper’s back story but that is mostly because I am nosy and I want to know more about what he had to go through. I was a bit sad to see Mallory showing colors of bias towards Earstripe but it did give us a fun confrontation scene with the Commander of the Guards and Piper.

Final Thoughts

This installment really made me invested in figuring out the Clocktaurs and the history of the world. I really enjoyed the characters and their chemistry especially with the context of the death maze to keep the pace moving.,

Earstripe still wins MVP for this one for his compassion, perseverance, and, most importantly, his patience.

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