📖 Book Review: Paladin’s Grace
✍️ Author: T. Kingfisher
⭐ Rating: 4/5

✨ Writing Style

T. Kingfisher’s writing is just so enjoyable. The dialogue is sharp, the humor is on point, and the character interactions feel natural and lived-in. While the pacing dragged a little in the middle, I never stopped being entertained. Her books have a cozy quality to them—even with murder and intrigue thrown into the mix.

📖 Plot

I’d describe this as cozy fantasy with a side of murder mystery—though the mystery isn’t fully solved in this book. While the story is part of an interconnected series, the romance arc is fully resolved here, which I appreciated.

I’ll admit that not a ton happens plot-wise, but honestly? I didn’t mind. The real magic of the book is in the characters and their relationships.

👫 Characters

Stephen is a gentle giant of a paladin who spends most of the book guilt-spiraling over the fact that he likes a pretty lady and she likes him back. Watching a 37-year-old warrior freak out over basic human emotions? Delightful.

Grace is equally well-written, and their dynamic is wonderfully awkward, with plenty of small but meaningful moments where their connection shines. There’s a bit more miscommunication than I usually like, but it was handled in a way that didn’t annoy me too much.

💔 Romance

The romance in this book is adorable. Stephen and Grace are both awkward and unsure of each other’s feelings, which leads to some really sweet interactions. My only complaint is that the romance leans a little into insta-love—I would’ve liked a bit more development before they started catching feelings.

🏁 Final Thoughts

I loved this book. Was the mystery underdeveloped? Yes. Was the worldbuilding a little thin? Also yes. But was I highly entertained anyway? Absolutely. Kingfisher’s characters and humor are what make her books stand out, and Paladin’s Grace is no exception. If you’re looking for a charming fantasy romance with likable characters, witty dialogue, and just a touch of murder, this one’s for you!

Thank you NetGalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK for providing me with a copy in exchange for a review

I absolutely love anything T Kingfisher writes and this is no different. A Fantasy Romance with an adorable love story and brilliantly written characters, what more could I ask for?

We follow a Paladin whose God has died, now 3 years later he meets a beautiful perfumer, who reminds him life is worth living! Kingfisher has a real talent for writing characters who feel like real people, as well as relationships that develop naturally. The dialogue also deserves a shout out for being so easy and natural to follow, which a lot of writers can't manage.

In all, so sweet and adorable that I'll be buying the whole series as soon as it's available!

Who knew a story about a berserker paladin could be so cosy and wholesome?

I absolutely adored this book. I'm a character-driven reader and this book was a FEAST. From Stephen and Grace to side characters like Istvhan and Beartongue, every single person in this book was deeply interesting and I would love to read more about them and get absolutely entangled in their world.

The story itself was engaging and surprisingly dark in places for a book as wholesome and funny as this was, and the dark humour was just the cherry on top.

I'll be raving about this book to everyone I know for a good while and also picking up the rest of the books in the series.

In my opinion T Kingfisher never misses and this book was no exception. I LOVED it.

This book has been on my TBR list for ages and now the redeisgned and traditionally published versions are coming out I am very grateful indeed that I was given access to an ARC! T Kingfisher is one of my favourite authors and this book has only solidified that - despite me going into it thinking a T Kingfisher Romantasy - wth?! So Stephen is a Paladin for the Saint of Steel, except unfortunately that saint dies. It's not explained how that came about but it is obviously a VERY BIG DEAL to him and his brothers and sisters at arms as the loss of the saint basically rips their souls apart and their immense battle strength and life's purpose has been lost from one moment to the next. The book starts a few years down the line from this tragedy and shows what Stephen and a handful of the remaining paladins are upto, living day by day in the Temple of the White Rat (anybody who has read Swordheart this is a same world slight crossover - we get more Zale! Always a pleasure!) Grace is a perfumer, happily mixing scents in her workshop and selling them to make ends meet when she happens upon Stephen in an alleyway one evening as she is trying to get away from one of the sinister religious orders in the city - The Motherhood. Being a helpful paladin Stephen of course helps her to avoid their attentions and escorts her home and they keep coming onto contact after that.

This book was very sweet and exceptionally funny! I loved being back in this setting with gnoles and sects. The characters, main and side are all charming and well rounded - except of course for the villains who you want to tear their eyes out and scream at them but that's a sign of good writing.

Alongside the main plot of the book there is a VERY dark side storyline happening which gets progressively more and more involved - I can't wait for the next instalment to find out more of what happens with these particular bad guys removing heads and leaving them lying around where unsuspecting women stand on them! This is a particularly T Kingfisher style story arc.

I may have found my favorite T. Kingfisher novel!! To be fair I still have a long backlist to get to, but this was absolutely amazing and super fun!!
We follow Grace, a perfume maker, who in need of help has to stage a scandalous scene with Stephen, a paladin. The two however keep circling back to each other and as new crimes come up in the city they might need to work together to save one another.
I had the time of my life reading this, and although my final day with this was terrible in my personal life, I kept going back to this story to take my mind off things. This was such a cute and heartwarming love story between two people who swore love off because of their pasts, but then finding one another puts all those convictions to the test. I cannot wait to know the stories of all the other paladins and I’m so grateful to have read this story.
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

That was delightful!

Paladin's Grace, the first book in The Saint of Steel series, wasn't on my long list of T. Kingfisher books soon-to-read, but I am so happy to start with this gorgeous cover of the new release, which comes out on April 8 (Thank you to Little, Brown Book Group UK and NetGalley for the digital review copy!).

The Saint of Steel is an order whose god has died. It never occurred to anyone that a god could die, and its saint’s paladins who are killing machines, with only seven remain... ok, let's leave the story behind... I love these paladins... Here is Stephen who smelled like gingerbread, and for the next book, seems we have Istvhan and I can't wait to get my hands on him it.

Now, story again... After losing their god, the final seven survivors and the broken paladins chose to serve the Rat Priests. During one of these missions, Stephen found himself in the unusual position of saving Grace, a perfumer.

"now I’m thinking about how to make perfume out of human flesh. Yep, that’s completely normal behavior. Nothing odd going on here."

After that, we have a slow-burning romance, T. Kingfisher's sense of humor, chopped off heads, rain and rain again, a poisoned king, and so on... oh I can't believe I forgot Tab, Grace's cat who eats pillows. They were amazing!

This is one of those books that makes me kick myself for not picking it up sooner. I knew I was going to love it, Kingfisher has yet to let me down, and I apparently now have a thing for disgraced/godless Paladin's pining over their love interest...who knew.

Paladin's Grace is set in the same world as Kingfishers other self-published works, and I did enjoy the nods to certain people and places we meet in those books... but this book belonged to Grace and Stephen. Grace is someone so incredibly unaware of her self-worth, willing to see the good in every situation... even when there isn't much to find. She's insecure and believes her life will be easier alone, she doesn't want to have to pack everything up and run away like she did previously, but then enters Stephen, and she starts to wonder whether having someone around would be that bad after all. Stephen's God is dead, now he and his Paladin brothers who managed to survive find themselves in the care of the Temple of the White Rat and it's followers. Stephen has resigned himself to a life of loneliness, terrified that he will have a berserker fit, basically loose himself to the throes or war, and kill anyone who gets too close. These pair couldn't be more broken if they tried, but together, they start to mend the pieces of each other, bit by bit.

In true Kingfisher fashion this story is filled with a witty, and sometimes sinister cast of side characters. I absolutely fell in love with Stephens Paladin's brother, especially Isthvan who I believe is the MC of the next book, Marguerite, her friend and spy for Anuket City, and even the Bishop of the White Rat herself had me cackling in parts . The cast is tight knit, and they all have their part to play in adding to the mystery, or the budding romance between Stephen and Grace.

While this is undoubtedly a romance, Kingfisher manages to weave in a mystery surrounding body-less heads being found throughout the city, as well as a coup that Grace finds herself embroiled in. Kingfishers writing style carries a levity and wit with it that just makes even the darkest themes seem lighthearted and a little silly, and she does throw in a few adventurous scenes to keep us all on our toes. It's quirky, slightly sinister in parts, and really adds a depth to the story, without detracting at all from the bit were all here for.

The romance. I would say it featured miscommunication, but it was more that these two idiots couldn't possible understand why anyone would want them, for very different reasons. Grace's past romantic live wasn't what you would call... well romantic I guess. Her husband cheated on her openly, made her feel as if she was useless in bed, and Stephen... well Stephen was terrified of having a berserker fit whilst in the throes of passion. Their romance was slow burn, something that started with longing and emotion and then turned into something slightly more raunchy. It's hilarious in parts... especially their first meeting, and I really loved seeing these two broken people realise that they might just be worth loving after all.

I'm really happy that these are finally getting trad published and hope that Kingfisher starts getting the praise she deserves. If you're looking for a fast read, on the quirkier side with a great cast of characters, a well written mystery and plenty of romance, look no further. I can't wait to pick up the next in the series.

Thank you NetGalley and Orbit, Little Brown Book Group UK for sending me this ebook. All thoughts are my own.

4.5⭐️ There was something unique about this book. The characters were soft and gentle (even when wielding a sword and entering a berserker rage). I mean she was a perfumer and he was a paladin who knits socks. So lovely. For those who also love a cosy fantasy, this really is for you! Not only this, but I absolutely adored that the characters were in their 30s. It is just so nice and refreshing to read a fantasy romance that doesn’t feature an immortal man and a 19-year-old girl.

In general, the plot was captivating and well-paced, even if it veered on predictable at points. I thought the dialogue flowed naturally, which was important due to its light-heartedness and humour. Also, I was grateful that the world-building was effective without including any exhausting info-dumping. I think I’m correct in saying that this is part of a world that you see in other books by T. Kingfisher, but this was my first book by the author and I didn’t suffer from not having read their wider works. Finally, what was particularly strong in this book was the side characters. They definitely make me want to continue the series. Bring on Istvhan’s book!

”That was one thing that she was noticing, that he took all her questions seriously and considered them, and felt they were worthy of an answer. She wasn’t used to that." Why is this one of the nicest things ever? Stephen truly was very dear to me.

4,25/5

Paladin’s Grace is a cozy romantasy novel about Stephen, a paladin whose god has died. Now, Stephen is helping where he can, even though he feels empty. One day, he helps a woman in the alley, who ends up being the perfumer Grace. It’s love on first sight, and both can’t stop thinking about one another, but also feel like they can’t offer each other anything. However, they keep meeting, and soon they get mixed up in an assassination plot.

This was definitely a fun book! Despite the murders and the severed heads, this book actually feels cozy and light-hearted. I loved that both characters are middle-aged and have had their own life experiences. This made them interesting and realistic. I wasn’t a big fan of the insta-lovey, will they won’t they romance, but I really liked the mystery aspect of the plot. I also really liked the worldbuilding, and would love to read the other books set in this world one day.

Overall, I had a great time with this book, and I can definitely recommend this book if you like a fluffy romcom romance set in a high fantasy world.

Thank you, Netgalley and Little Brown Book Group UK for allowing me to read this novel in exchange for an honest review!

This book is an absolute treat of a book! Here we've got the world of the White Rat, where magic is real, gods are real, and petty squabbles between guilds and religious orders are DEFINITELY real.

This book is fun, there's murder, mystery, mayhem, gentle pining and an adorable couple.

What got me about this book is that our MCs aren't young, they aren't perhaps super classically attractive, and they're not without their own baggage. Stephen lives under the shadow of his dead god, the loss of his order and the fear of what will happen to him next. Grace has started her life over, leaving again and again with nothing but the clothes on her back (and, at least this time a Civette called Tab). All she wants to do is make perfumes in peace.

While they solve the mystery, get accused of crimes and have the odd fit beserker rage, they sweetly fall in love and agree how to build a life together.

This is what I want in fantasy romance. Please give me more.

I had a great time with this! I really enjoy T Kingfisher's writing and her creepy whimsical vibes. This centers around Grace a perfumer with a troubled past and Stephen a Palladin of a dead God just trying to stay useful, who become embroiled in nefarious politics with a side order a disturbing serial killer spree. I loved how the mc's are both older and a bit awkward. Loved their slow burn and banter. I smiled lots whilst reading this with a few grimaces thrown in with the horror undertones. The supporting characters were great too. The craft elements of this were really interesting and lifted the world building nicely. I was thoroughly entertained, the prose and atmosphere a joy to read. Looking forward to carrying on with more set in this world.
Thanks to Netgalley and Little Brown Book Group UK for the arc, all thoughts are my own and left voluntarily.

In Paladin’s Grace we follow Grace, a gifted perfumer, who’s unexpectedly rescued by Stephen — a broken paladin who prefers knitting socks to wielding swords. As their unlikely connection grows, they’re swept up in a dangerous mystery.

I was really drawn to the love story, and the world-building is so rich and well-crafted that I’m excited to read more set in this universe!
The mystery plot didn’t fully capture my interest, I didn’t find it as compelling as I’d hoped, and at times I felt like it slowed the story down.
Still, the charm of the world and the characters has me excited to keep exploring this series, and I’m especially looking forward to seeing some of the side characters take the spotlight in future books!

I absolutely adored this book! And this is coming from someone who isn’t even a big fan of romance. But if one author could make me love this genre, it has to be T. Kingfisher. There is simply nothing this woman couldn't write. Her humour is, as usual, top notch, making this story an unexpected warm read.

I fell in love with both main characters (maybe just a little more with Grace, because of our shared love for scents) and couldn’t have hoped for a more compelling and relatable cast. I simply can’t think of a single bad thing to say about Paladin’s Grace because of how perfect this book is. A new favourite comfort read for sure!

Paladin's Grace by T. Kingfisher is such a good story. I totally recommend everyone to read this book as fast as they can because it's really good and the characters are fantastic and the story is immaculate.

Kingfisher delivers time and time again and this is no exception!
A book filled with everything you could ever want.

No sé si serán un guilty pleasure, pero leer las obras de T. Kingfisher situadas en el universo de Clockwork Boys me llena de tranquilidad y buenos sentimientos. Y eso que en un muy corto espacio de tiempo he leído cuatro historias y se le nota cierto patrón en cada obra, una especie de plantilla en la que la autora va marcando los puntos que caracterizan esta serie: protagonista madura, historia de amor en la que ambos personajes dudan del interés del otro, temas legales, tensión sexual in crescendo… Así que es posible que estas historias no acaben resultando una fiesta de originalidad, pero sí un paseo agradable por un camino conocido que nos reconforta.


La protagonista es Grace, una perfumista que sin comerlo ni beberlo se ve envuelta en una conspiración en contra de un dignatario de visita en la ciudad en la que reside. Me encanta que Paladin’s Grace sea el relato de una persona normal, no un guerrero ni un espía ni nada así, aunque a su alrededor sí que aparezcan estos personajes. Y me parece acertadísima que la mayoría de las descripciones se basen en el sentido del olfato como corresponde a su profesión, algo que no recuerdo haber leído desde El Perfume.

Su contrapartida en el título y en la propia novela es el paladín Stephen, un berserker que desde que murió su dios (hay que ver qué cosas pasan) vive atormentado por la posibilidad de que un desliz de lleve a un ataque de furia que no podrá controlar. En su torturada vida solo vive para servir a los demás, incapaz de comprender que aún habiendo perdido la gracia de su dios todavía quedan otras cosas que hacer durante su existencia. Un encuentro fortuito aunará su destino con el de Grace.

Entiendo perfectamente que todo esto suena a comedia romántica y es que Paladin’s Grace lo es, aunque el entorno sea fantástico. Entre sus mejores cualidades está precisamente el humor del que hace gala la autora, capaz de hacerte sonreír con los equívocos y situaciones absurdas que aparecen en la trama. Pero también hay algo más de trasfondo en la historia, como la trama secundaria en la que aparecen cabezas humanas sin origen claro o el ya mencionado espionaje. Y algunos personajes secundarios son de quitarse el sombrero, como la compañera de piso de Grace o la mandamás de la casa de la Rata, que juegan un papel relevante en la trama.

He podido disfrutar de la narración de la obra a cargo de Joel Richards, con un tono quizá más serio del que se podría presuponer para el contenido, pero que le sienta bastante bien sobre todo a la parte de enredo y malentendidos.

En definitiva nos encontramos ante un libro que no es novedoso, pero que no lo necesita, que nos hace reconciliarnos una vez más con el ser humano.

Paladin’s Grace by T. Kingfisher is a great example of great slow burn romance in a high fantasy book with rich world building and the distinctive T Kingfisher writing style full of humor.

Stephen, a grieving paladin of a dead god, is a wonderfully complex protagonist—honorable, self-doubting, and unexpectedly sweet. His dynamic with Grace, a skilled perfumer with secrets of her own, is full of tension, warmth, and some truly delightful awkwardness. Their relationship is built on mutual respect, wariness, and a gradual, aching attraction that makes every moment between them feel earned. Even the most hardened fantasy reader is sure to be giddy at their cute developing romance, rooting for their small touches and living with Stephens daily existential crisis and self doubting moments.

The murder mystery is not put aside like in other romantic fantasies I’ve read. It has somehow kept its equal position plot wise and the world building is so so well done that even if it’s a high/epic fantasy novel it feels more like a cozy hug while there are weird things happening all around you and murders and assassinations here and there.

I’ll definitely look forward to reading Kingfishers other novels in the world of the white rat!

4.5

T kingfisher always knows just how to make me love something I normally wouldn’t pick myself. She did it with her horror and she does it again with her romantasy.

I tend to reach for fantasy books with romance max on the background as a subplot but T. Kingfisher is a definite exception and manages to make me swing my feet and giggle while reading it.

Paladins Grace is the first book in the Saint of Steel series and a perfect introduction to Kinfishers World of The White Rat, frankly one of my favorite fantasy worlds, the perfect combination of adventures epic fantasy and cozy feel good world +murder of course.

I adored both Stephen and Grace individually and absolutely loved their dynamic as well, full of awkwardness and heartfelt kindness. Another very important part for me was each main characters relationship with other characters like Stephen and his fellow paladins and Grace and her roommate.

The writing is an absolute joy to read full with humor yet mature enough to enjoy, really reminding me of Martha Wells her writing style.

Overall, this is definitely one of my favorite reads ever and proving the authors place on my list of top authors. She has such a skill with making everything she writes enjoyable!