Reviews with content warning for Body horror - Paladin's Grace

I thought long and hard, but I couldn't think of any reason not to give this book 5 stars! Kingfisher knocks it out of the park with an interesting premise, likeable and funnily awkward leads, heartwarming support and compassion for people going through touch situations, and laugh out loud moments. I couldn't stop thinking about the book when I went to bed.

I somehow missed this book was a romance, but the author does a great job of balancing it with the plot. Unlike a lot of other romantic mysteries, I felt like both played a role in the resolution of the story and the romance did not dominate. And despite it being a "fluffy" romance where boy and girl are very attracted to one another from the start, there are also some horror/dark fantasy elements. I really look forward to seeing how the rest of the paladins fare in their adventures and romantic exploits.

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thebetterstory's review against another edition

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adventurous funny medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Another book with a wonderful premise and T. Kingfisher’s signature mix of the creepy and the cozily mundane. Unfortunately, this is actually my least favourite of hers I’ve read so far—which is a shame, given it’s the only one that’s part of a series—owing purely to the rather clumsy romance.

Normally I quite like Kingfisher’s romantic subplots, perhaps because all the ones I’ve read previously have been quite low-key, but it takes up a much larger focus in this one and the novel suffers for it. Grace and Stephen are individually likeable, but there were numerous asides in every chapter where they had ill-timed inappropriate thoughts about each other and pattered on for a bit about what a bad idea it would be to kiss/have sex with the other that quickly weighed the narrative down and honestly felt a bit juvenile. You could cut out all the times Stephen thought about breasts or Grace thought about muscles, or a side character teased them about it, and the book would be both much shorter and much better.

Happily, there’s still plenty to like here. Things pick up a lot about halfway through, which thankfully also means less badly written internal monologuing about anatomy, and the plot is tidy and satisfying. The entire conceit behind the paladins and their dead god hits all my fealty kink buttons, the banter is funny when it’s not about getting laid, and the supernatural villain eventually encountered is fantastically creepy. There’s enough depth to the worldbuilding that I’m excited to get different characters in future instalments that can explore the setting from more angles.

Recommended along with the rest of T. Kingfisher’s work; even not at her best, she packs lots of fun ideas into her narratives. Just know that you might enjoy yourself more with a different book of hers if you end up bouncing off of this one.

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silentquercus's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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wandering_seal's review against another edition

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emotional funny lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Loved this. Loved the quietly funny writing style. Loved the adorably awkward romance. Great worldbuilding and interesting story. All round great read.

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ritabriar's review against another edition

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adventurous dark funny lighthearted fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

As always, Kingfisher's main characters are kind and funny and stand up for each other when they can. I love Kingfisher's characterization of Paladins, especially these paladins, as self-sacrificing, self-blaming, and angsty to a fault. Grace is delightful, her interest in scents and perfumes fascinating and handy for solving problems. Marguerite is a remarkably well-developed character for as little as she appears on the page. As always, I love the Temple of the White Rat and all of their people. They certainly help the main characters navigate much of the political intrigue they get tangled up in.

Some things in this book happen by chance, like

finding the first dead body and various chance meetings

, but most things happen because the characters make them happen, such as

figuring out what's going on and what to do about it.

Magic is common in this setting. The magic that really digs into the plot is a bit horrifying.

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jonie_rich's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark funny mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

This genuinely got weirdly spooky, but it also made me laugh out loud in public. A well rounded book that I genuinely enjoyed. I’m looking forward to continuing the series!

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