Paladin's Grace by T. Kingfisher

Paladin's Grace (The Saint of Steel, #1)

by T. Kingfisher

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.

Reviewed by Quirky Cat on

4.5 of 5 stars

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Book Summary:

Stephen is a Paladin for the Saint of Steel. Or rather, he was. His god died three years ago, and Stephen and the few remaining Paladins have been struggling to find a purpose ever since. It's like a part of his chest has been ripped away, leaving little behind.

Yet one chance encounter may present Stephen with the chance to find something new and warm in his life. Grace is a perfumer – one quite talented at getting herself into trouble. On the bright side, that'll give Stephen the perfect excuse to be near her.

My Review:

I've had The Saint of Steel series on my TBR list from the moment I discovered T. Kingfisher, and man, was I not disappointed here! Paladin's Grace is heavy-hitting, with strong emotional tones, a decent romantic subplot, plus lots of mystery and adventure. In other words, it's exactly what I was looking for.

Stephen and Grace are perhaps not the characters I was expecting from a world such as this, but having finished the book; I don't think I would have had it any other way. They're perfect, and by that, I mean they're imperfect. Stephen is tortured by the loss of his god (and sometimes his loss of control), while her past haunts Grace. It's a lot to delve into, but it's worth it.

There are two significant mysteries in Paladin's Grace, which are fascinating. One gets mostly resolved by the end, but the other is borderline cliffhanger territory. On the bright side, there's no need to wait for the next book (Paladin's Strength), so I'm not going to complain!

I'm glad that Paladin's Grace is part of a series because I feel like there's so much more to this world – and I can't wait to see what T. Kingfisher has in store. Now, excuse me; I must order a copy of Paladin's Strength.

Highlights:
Worldbuilding
Gods and Saints
Fantasy Mystery
Romance

Trigger Warnings:
Poisoning
Loss of control
Home Invasion
False Imprisonment

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 27 January, 2023: Finished reading
  • 27 January, 2023: Reviewed