Paladin's Grace

Please keep in mind that at least one of these stars is because of how this book hit my own personal preference.

Someone at my book club a few months ago said that in modern romance novels, you can open them to halfway and open them to 90% and instantly find the two sex scenes. I'm pleased to report that this book was actually just all pining for pretty much the whole time, even if it was a little hard to believe by the end.

The plot was engaging and charming and I'm excited to read the rest - what's the deal with smooth men!!!! And I loved the supporting cast.

Only bad part is that I listened to the audiobook narrated by Joel Richards...who read usually with the speed and enthusiasm you'd use reading a menu from the passenger seat to someone who's watching the road while they drive. I bumped it up to 1.3x and it was fine, though.

EDIT: I completely forgot to say that the personal preference part was that I think, as a survivor of abuse myself, I have a bit of a fondness for reading stories about survivors of abuse coming to terms with it (especially when the abuser gets their comeuppance). The female lead is unfucking her head as a result of an emotionally abusive and gaslighting marriage that felt similar to my own prior abusive relationship. So I was cheering for her as she unlearned the things her abuser had convinced her of, and got rid of him for good.

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!