Reviews with content warning for Alcohol - Paladin's Grace

A wonderful, funny, sweet start to the series. I loved both of the main characters. Stephen has a sturdy practicality that was laced with genuine kindness. And Grace is so unique and intelligent and caring. The vulnerability of both characters made you love them. The thread of their romance - aka the main point of the novel - was my favorite part of the book. And the fact that both characters were in their 30s was refreshing! I love a book that shows that life isn't over when you leave your 20s.

The things that kept this from a 4 star read for me are just some simple style choices. The inner monologue, while oftentimes funny, sometimes was a bit too much talking to themselves. Also the poisoning plot and the beheading plot together felt like a lot going on.

Kingfisher drops lots of breadcrumbs for the rest of the series, and I'm excited to get to it.

Content Warnings

booksthatburn's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous dark funny medium-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

4.5

The White Rat books definitely have a trend towards featuring broody men who are good at stabbing things and carry around an enormous amount of (understandable but often overwrought) guilt. Stephen is no exception to this. He is a paladin whose god died suddenly three years ago, which left people disturbed and confused that a god could die, and triggered berserker rages in many of the paladins. The survivors are now in one of the White Rat’s temples, offering their services as protectors, guards, and whatever else the temple needs where muscled and frequently brooding swordsmen are of use. Grace is a perfumer who has an excellent sense of smell and finds herself rather suddenly in trouble.

Grace is so genuinely trusting that she needs someone more cynical and observant around to keep things from turning out badly when people take advantage of her. She can, and has, reset her life after betrayal, but it's so nice to see a part of her life where people help her rather than leaving her to sink or swim in the wake of abuse and betrayal. Stephen and his fellow paladins are living each day without their god, trying to be helpful rather than letting the black tide swallow them. It's nice to read a story where the main characters have lives separate from each other, but it's obvious how their lives are enriched by each other's company and possible affection. Zale is a fantastic wit and an even better lawyer, it's great to see them again.

While technically not a sequel, this is set in the world of the White Rat, mentions places featured elsewhere, and includes at least one character from SWORDHEART. The story itself is entirely new. The worldbuilding focuses on just a couple of locations, but describes places in a way that provides relevant information for this story while giving details which complement what that other White Rat books established. I recommend reading at least SWORDHEART before this, but the main thing that will affect is whether Zale is a new or familiar character.

Content Warnings

bethanycrowepowell's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous dark emotional funny tense fast-paced

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

5.0

A romantic, earthy fantasy reminiscent of Chalion hewing a little more contemporary in tone. I'd heard a lot about this series here and there, so finally jumped in. For me, it was an unusually successful gritty fantasy in a secondary world that centers a romance while still having a compelling plot, one that continues into the rest of the series even once the MCs of this book have found their happy ending.

Content Warnings

wickedgrumpy's review

Go to review page

adventurous emotional funny hopeful mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.75

Stephen's god died a little after noon on the longest day of the year.

With a compelling opening line like that how could I not have a good time reading this book?

To be honest, it kinda similar to The Clockwork boys/The Wonder Engine and Swordheart in that they feature a competent female protagonist in her 30s and a tortured soul of a male paladin(-esque) love interest nearing 40 (+/- a few hundred years), but what can I say beyond I apparently love the trope? It isn't even that unexpected since it's the same author.

Also worth note is that our non-binary friend/lawyer Zale makes an appearance as well as a few other known entities from the world of the White Rat.

My quest to read all the things written under the T. Kingfisher pseudonym continues.

Content Warnings

More...