Paladin's Grace

Here we are again, on my quest to read every single book this author's hands have ever written. Paladin's Grace is book number 11(ish) and like every other one so far I can say: I loved this book. Literally. Every. Part. The assassination plot: super exciting, the head-but-no-body-cases situation: absolute bonkers, the romance: sooooo swoon-worthy. This story feels like one of our D&D sessions at home and I am obsessed with it. It is cute and funny and I HAVE to repeat myself: bonkers. Well if you're thinking about reading this book you absolutely should and I will be continuing the series ASAP!!!

Shame on me, this was only my first Kingfisher novel. I always struggle deciding where to start when it comes to authors with a giant backlist, even though I just KNEW T. Kingfisher would be exactly my cup of tea. When I first saw the beautiful covers of this series I couldn't resist any longer and had to jump in. And I'm happy to report the inside of this book is at least as beautiful as the outside. A swoon worthy romance set in a complex but cozy fantasy world + a murder mystery? Sign me up. What can I say, Kingfisher's prose, characters & humor are just 100% up my alley and I can't wait to pick up the rest of this series. A must read for fans of SPELLSHOP or LEGENDS & LATTES and definitely a new all time favorite of mine.

I picked up Paladin’s Grace initially because of the cover, but honestly, that ended up being the least remarkable thing about the book; It’s now easily in my top three reads. Grace is a perfumer living with Marguerite, a spy from Anuket City, and her weasel-cat, Tab. When her fate intertwines with that of Stephen, a tortured Saint of Steel Paladin, things get interesting (if you like mysteriosly appearing heads rolling around the city). Stephen is a soldier battling guilt over a dead god and, surprisingly, also a sock-knitting enthusiast. The writing is exceptionally beautiful, and the chemistry between Grace and Stephen had me utterly hooked. It was sort of a slow burn and I was practically gnawing on the book every time Stephen spoke about his feelings for her (which is a rarity for me when it comes to romance books). What I adore most, besides their relationship, is the world-building. The setting is a cozy medieval-esque world, steeped in the dark realities of corrupt politics and mysterious assassins. I’m absolutely enthralled with the universe, and I can’t wait to dive into the next book in the Saint of Steel series.

Romantasy tends to annoy me... Yeah, not when T. Kingfisher writes it. I mean this is about a perfumer who falls in love with a paladin in shining armor - who likes to knit colorful socks for his friends. They're both in their 30s, they're both broken people and they both find comfort in each other. If you are looking for a cozy story that still has an interesting and suspenseful plot, look no further. <3

It's almost funny how I roll my eyes every time a new romantasy book arrives, but I had to try this one. And I wasn't disappointed, T. Kingfisher has proven that she can sell me not only horror but this one too. It has humor and an interesting world with gods and heroes to fall in love with. And who couldn't love a Paladin sitting in front of your house knitting?