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…
I was never sure how i felt about this book. It was released in 2021, but i kept thinking it was written in the 70s or 80s. Not even sure why, just had a weird retro feel to the writing or plot or something. Good enough to read the next one if there's nothing better to move on to.
It was fun! And so satisfying to realize how a lot of subtle setups paid off near the end.
I love a romance where you get to see both characters' point of view, and even more if they're in their thirties, because they have a different approach to relationships than teenagers (also, I'm the same age as Stephen). The book was maybe a little heavy on the self-deprecating inner monologues, but this is me quibbling.
Anyone who's been enjoying Lois McMaster Bujold's Penric novellas will probably fall into T. Kingfisher's Clocktaur world with delight and a strong feeling of familiarity. And anyone who hasn't read both should probably do so ASAP! T. Kingfisher is rapidly becoming one of my favourite authors for light, readable fantasy with likeable characters and a bit of romance on the side.
I had assumed this was a sequel to Swordheart, but although it's set in the same world, and also features paladins and servants of the White Rat god, it actually features an entirely different set of paladins, plus one master perfumer who manages to get tangled up in some complicated murder plotting and a lot of severed heads.
The world remains delightful; not enough gnoles in this book but a few appearances. More about the wonderful worshippers of the White Rat, including a heroic defense by a Solicitor Sacrosanct …
Anyone who's been enjoying Lois McMaster Bujold's Penric novellas will probably fall into T. Kingfisher's Clocktaur world with delight and a strong feeling of familiarity. And anyone who hasn't read both should probably do so ASAP! T. Kingfisher is rapidly becoming one of my favourite authors for light, readable fantasy with likeable characters and a bit of romance on the side.
I had assumed this was a sequel to Swordheart, but although it's set in the same world, and also features paladins and servants of the White Rat god, it actually features an entirely different set of paladins, plus one master perfumer who manages to get tangled up in some complicated murder plotting and a lot of severed heads.
The world remains delightful; not enough gnoles in this book but a few appearances. More about the wonderful worshippers of the White Rat, including a heroic defense by a Solicitor Sacrosanct of the temple (unlike the other gods, the White Rat has lawyers rather than paladins).
T. Kingfisher's writing style is light and enjoyable and often humourous: "Look, if you can't laugh about the homicidal fits that make you a menace to society, what's even the point?" "He's a paladin," said Marguerite. "They only have a couple of emotions and the primary one is guilt." "Paladin Stephen likes you," said Zale, "And anyone that keeps our paladins happy, instead of moping and clanking and suffering nobly around the temple, is worth fighting for."
Kingfisher also does an excellent job without making a big deal of it at all in representing important things like, - Asking and giving consent in romantic contexts - Sincerely apologizing - Making occasional nonbinary characters without even ever mentioning it except for using the "they" pronoun
Also, she clearly has a bit of a thing for flawed paladins and middle-aged, divorced or widowed heroines, which I am 100% on board with.
Can't wait for the sequel both to this, and to Swordheart, and many more!