I loved this wholesome and cosy book! I enjoyed the ease and uncomplicated nature of this tale!

I’m definitely going to continue this series!

I've read many Kingfisher books now and this was the cosiest by far but still with her trademark touch of drak and gruesome.

This was cute, cosy and devilishly funny, I loved it. I'm so excited to read about some of the other Paladins. Istvhan, especially, is a riot. I thought Steven was utterly delightful, he was a burly bear of a man who knits, cares and is deeply loyal but could slay you enemies with a swing of his sword. What more could you want?!

As with all Kingfisher books, the world building was exceptional and the characters were thoroughly developed, both the main duo and the supporting characters. I loved the instant attraction but slow burn relationship between Grace and Stephen. They were sweet and endearing, I loved that they each had their own separate, supportive, friend circles.

To start with, we have duel POV starting with the MMC, such an interesting storyline right from the start we've got a paladin whose god has been killed leaving berserker paladins without direction or a grounding force, driving many to end their lives.
We have characters in their 30's!! Which I also loved
It's a cosy romance set in a medieval low fantasy setting with yeeeeearning and slow burn.

The story slowed a fair bit at 40% in and starting feeling a little repetitive at times but picked back up with a very satisfying ending.

I found myself relating to the FMC so much being autistic and hyper sensitive to smells, I too stick my head out of windows and huff the air 😂

MMC: 37
FMC: 32

I'm pretty sure I've already stumbled upon these books quite some time ago when I discovered the author. However, for some reason the covers didn't really work for me and I never even bothered to read what this book was about. And then the new covers were revealed and all of a sudden I had to read this book. Luckily the book was on Netgalley and when I requested a digital review copy publisher Orbit granted me one.

This was exactly the kind of book I want and need right now. It has the lighthearted vibe of cosy fantasy, where the main characters just want to be happy and live a normal life, while there is also that little bit more to the plot to keep you hooked. In this case there were some beheadings, the politics were complicated and there were eventually false accusations. The book was therefore highly entertaining and the perfect company during a long ride by train.

What I loved most of all is how relatable these characters are. It doesn't happen often that we meet characters well into their thirties in books like this. It was insanely refreshing to see two characters, both with a life and career, slowly falling in love. The book had all the giddiness of love, all the slight discomfort when two mostly introverted people fall for each other and yet the book stayed far away from teenage drama. Things were talked over and things were understood.

I also really loved the setting. I'm kinda glad that we don't have to let these characters and this world go yet and that there are three more books in this series. It feels like this world is full of possibilities. It was my first introduction to this world and although I had no problem following at all, I grew curious about swordheart and I'm really looking forward to the other Paladin stories. I'm pretty sure each story will be unique, since this world is so big and filled with possibilities!

Paladin’s Grace was my first T. Kingfisher book, and wow, what an introduction!

I've been in such a weird reading drought lately, picking up books only to put them down after a chapter, struggling to find anything that held my attention. Then I got Paladin’s Grace through NetGalley, and like magic, I was completely absorbed. I devoured the entire thing in one sitting, staying up far too late because I just could not stop.

This was my first T. Kingfisher novel, and now I completely understand the hype.

Stephen, the gallant but deeply awkward paladin with a tragic past, and Grace, the sharp-witted perfumer with her own secrets, feel real in a way so many fantasy protagonists don’t. Their slow-burn chemistry is incredibly satisfying, full of small, tender moments that made me grin like an idiot.

The worldbuilding is fantastic, just enough detail to feel immersive without ever bogging down the story. And the plot! A murder mystery, political intrigue, and yes, even perilous knitting (which is somehow both hilarious and genuinely tense).

Kingfisher blends whimsy with real stakes so well, making the story feel cozy and exciting at the same time.

I’m docking half a star only because I selfishly wanted more - more of Stephen and Grace together, more banter, more of this world. But really, that’s just me being greedy.

By the end, I was already looking up the next book in the series. If you’re in a reading slump, or just want a fantasy romance that’s smart, funny, and full of heart, Paladin’s Grace is an absolute gem.

4.5/5

Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit for providing me an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

4.5 stars rounded up to 5 stars.

I loved this book so much. It was a super easy read that had me instantly hooked.

A fantasy with a grumpy but honourable gentlemen paladin- it was greatly refreshing from the normal MMC archetype that we can’t seem to stray from in fantasy at the moment. Stephen is the epitome of a gentle giant, with his habit of knitting but tendency to sometimes go a little berserk (but only for a good cause). Grace the perfumer is less lovable than Stephen but still has a well rounded personality with some issues of her own to work through.

Stephen and his 6 friends lost their saint 3 years ago and have since been living in the temple of the white rat, a benevolent monk like religious order who amongst other things, provide healers and lawyers for those in need. In exchange for sanctuary after their saint died, the remaining Paladins gratefully serve the temple , going above and beyond. There’s a lot of charming old fashioned honour from the Paladin’s which is both sweet and usually hilarious at how self sacrificing they all are.

It was slower than I thought it was going to be but I loved the characters and the witty banter between them all.

The relationship is slow burn but we get to see the progression which is done in a very believable way. Both of the couple have some emotional damage to work through in the book which they do in a very gradual way.

Though the main mystery of this book gets wrapped up, another mystery is not, presumably setting up the story arc to span across the rest of the series. It leaves somewhat of a creepy disconcerting cliffhanger.

Can’t wait to read the next.

Kingfisher is a Queen! I love, love, love her stories, the perfect blend of humour, fantasy and romance, and most of all, her endearing and relatable characters, and the tenderness of their love.

Paladin’s Grace has all of this in spades!

The story follows Stephen, a paladin mourning the death of his god, and Grace, a perfumer with secrets and traumas of her own. Their romance is beautifully tender and marked by emotional depth and quiet moments.

“It was strangely peaceful. To share a space with another person who was absorbed in their own work, but still present, still there…gods”

The plot moves at a steady, character-driven pace, with enough tension and worldbuilding to keep things interesting.
This is a story about healing, trust, and the small acts of kindness that put people back together.

Written with Kingfisher’s traditional wit, Paladin’s Grace has something inside for every reader.

<i>I would like to thank NetGalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK | Orbit for the opportunity to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review.</i>

4 stars

For a murder mystery plot, this was hilariously romantic.
Read this in one sitting and love every minute of it.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Really enjoyed this one. T Kingfisher is excellent at building out the logic and consequences of unusual magic systems and worldbuilding, and this one (in a world established in another of her books, which I've not read) is no exception. The characters are engaging and sympathetic, the romantic miscommunication isn't infuriating (as they often can be), and the overarching plot involves more decapitation than is usual for a romance.

Tons of fun, definitely adult (on page sex and aforementioned decapitations), will absolutely be seeking out the rest of the series

Title: Paladin's Grace
Author: T. Kingfisher
Pages: 366
Rating: 5/5
Romance Rating: 🩷🩷🩷

#Arc e-copy ( #gifted ) - review left voluntarily
UK paperback publish date - 8th April 2025

Well, this was just a cinnamon bun cosy snuggle cup of tea read. Perfect for a snuggle in your favourite chair. This was everything I didn't know I was looking for.

Main characters over 40? ✔️
Fluffy romantasy ✔️
Big burly man that knits socks ✔️
Gory 💀 with heads getting lobbed off ✔️
A perfumery with the most beautiful descriptive scents ✔️

This is from T.Kingfisher's world of the white rat... And there are A LOT of books, with all the Paladin paperbacks being released on the 8th April. If you're unsure of the timeline @dryadbookshop
have made a really handy post that you can check out. But they can be read in any order.

Honestly, I'm hooked and I'll be getting my grubby mitts on the lot of them.

Absolute perfection!!!

If you've already read it, what did you think??

You'll love this book if you like
- fluffy romance
- MCs over 30
- gory 💀 scenes
- funny tongue in cheek lad humour
- vanilla spice scenes
- cosy fantasy

#QOTD 💭 what is your favourite masculine scent?

Loved the chance to be able to read and review this book. This was such an cozy enjoyable read. The tension and slow burn between grace and Stephen was immaculate, the angst was perfect.
The plot also felt well balanced with romance 👌
So excited to continue the series
The new covers are so cute as well.

I've said a million times that T. Kingfisher is one of my absolute favourite authors. Having discovered her while I was on hiatus from the blog, I've read a fair bit of her back catalogue and kept up with her new releases. However, one of the big gaps in my Kingfisher reading is the Saints of Steel series. Orbit Books generously sent me a set of their beautiful reissues of this four-book series and I knew that I had to dive in right away. Paladin's Grace is the first book in the series and it is an absolute delight.

I’m not typically a romantasy fan, but Paladin’s Grace ticked all the boxes for me. 30+ characters? A muscular, sock-knitting cinnamon roll falling for a talented, awkward artisan? Banter and peril? Friends trying to get these two horny idiots to admit they like each other? Tick, tick, tick.

As you’d expect with a Kingfisher book, the world-building is fabulous, the banter and humour are perfect, and there’s a serious spookiness factor, but the characters are where this book shines. I’ve never read a romance-focused book from her and I was absolutely delighted. I loved that Steven and Grace have their own established lives with friends and jobs - there’s more to them than just their romance. I wanted to shout ‘just kiss, you idiots!’ throughout the book, but I never got frustrated with them - you really understand their hesitations and feelings. Grace and Steven have such wonderful depth of character and are not defined by their relationship - they compliment each other so well.

Romance is definitely the focus of the book, but Kingfisher doesn’t skimp on the story. There’s plot multiple threads that come together, from a killer stalking the night to a dangerous religious order gaining power in the city. I had an amazing time immersing myself in this world and had a great time reading this book. Luckily for me, there are three more books in the series waiting for me on my nightstand.

I loved going into Kingfisher’s backlist and reading one of her beloved series. I can see how she has grown as a writer since Paladin’s Grace originally published in 2020, however she shows that her roots have always been in clever, fun, amazing fantasy.

You can pick up the entire Saints of Steel reissues with these beautiful covers (I’m obsessed - bring back painted fantasy covers!) on 8 April.

Paladin’s Grace follows Stephen, a paladin who’s God suddenly died one day and now he’s in a constant guilty cycle of just being useful when one day he stumbles across Grace, a perfumer with a secret, and a failed assassination attempt. This book is part of a series which is unfinished.

This is my first T. Kingfisher book and one thing I can say is that I am in love with the writing style from Kingfisher. It’s simple yet elegant, it’s emotive, it’s creepy, it’s yearning, it’s just completely incredible and I don’t understand why I have not read anything by her sooner. The writing throughout Paladin’s Grace is so easy to follow, it held a good pace, it wasn’t overly descriptive but still incited some graphic imagery and was just very enjoyable to consume.

The characters within the book were simple and well thought out. I did really enjoy everyone I came into contact with and they’re all so interesting despite this only being a short book. The background insight you get into the characters all lined up and worked well with the plot line and I really enjoyed that they all had their own faults and fears. They felt realistic which I really enjoyed.

The romance was fantastic. I would argue it’s very slow but I cannot deny that the yearning was to die for and that when you eventually did get a little bit more of the romance, it was hard not to enjoy it and feel liberated that it finally got to that point. It’s definitely a slow burn and occasionally I did get frustrated (in a positive way) with how they reacted to one another but it made sense due to the flaws of the characters.

I would’ve liked to have known more about the paladins prior to their God dying especially because that’s what drew me to the book to begin with via the description but the plot was very solid throughout this book and by the time I’d finished, I was so enamoured with the world that I totally forgot about the God and that these paladins had a life before. There were glimpses throughout but I am hungry for more.

Overall, this book would be a fantastic read for those that like a bit of a fantasy crime mystery, a slow burn romance, a solid plot with little silver threads of other plots spanning multiple books and a writing style that is serious yet still light-hearted.

Thank you to NetGalley and Little Brown Book Group UK for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was an absolute joy cover to cover, I smiled I made a horrible noise at one of the big reveals, my heart was warmed! I love romance I love mystery every character was a delight I love the setting I will be absolutely hammering the rest of the white rat universe as soon as possible

I enjoyed the cosy yet medium-stakes vibes of this fantasy. The characters were endearing and loveable and the plot was there, albeit a little slow for my taste at times. Worth a read for anyone after mystery with a cost feel.

This is a book that will make you smile with each page you turn. A gentle fantasy with beautifully thought out characters that have warmth, self doubt and substance. I can’t wait to read the rest of the series and will buy the book when it comes out.
This book is all about intentions and smells, good, bad and misguided, a found family you wanted to be part of. T Kingfisher is now an auto buy author for me.

Paladin's Grace follows Stephen, a berserker paladin who's god died three years ago, leaving His paladins suicidal and prone to now-uncontrollable fits of murderous frenzy. (Previously the god would direct the berserker rages and ensure no innocents were harmed.) Grace fled an emotionally abusive several husband years ago and moved to a new city to start over and earn her perfumery Mastery. Meanwhile, a murderer stalks the slums of their city, leaving only severed heads behind...

T. Kingfisher is one of my favourite fantasy authors, so I was excited to try this series of hers, which I would classify as more romantasy than fantasy, though not quite in the currently-trending sense. There are no teenagers or barely-adults here, no first love, no all-consuming love. This novel is about grown adults who have their own lives and priorities outside romance, and their own deep wounds holding them back from starting a new relationship. I'm fine with this since YA/NA romantasy hasn't excited me for a long time, but I would still classify this as romantasy due to the large focus on the romance. I would say this novel is roughly 60% romance to 40% plot. My ideal novel would be the other way around, but I still greatly enjoyed this novel and was rooting for the protagonists to overcome their fears and get together.

There is much to love about this novel, but some of my favourite aspects were:
- Humour. I was not expecting the level of dry wit in this novel. I laughed aloud frequently, as well as taking snapshots of some of my favourite witty rejoinders.
- Unusual professions. I love to see less-common professions and hobbies in novels. A Paladin is nothing new in fantasy, but a Paladin whose god died and left their order mostly-dead with the few surviving still depressed and vaguely suicidal? That's new, that's interesting. Perfumery is also new to me, and I could tell there was a lot of research behind this. Even the pet/mascot character is determined by what would have been useful to a perfumer. It also ties so smartly into the plot (or the other way around, the plot tying into the character and her skills.)
- Worldbuilding. No surprise for T Kingfisher to have excellent worldbuilding, but this world and culture shine. The gods are unique, from the idea of berserker Paladins to the Order of the White Rat who's dedication to logic, intellect and compassion mean they have no paladins of their own because they have no use for religious guilt. We've got judicial system details, political rivalries between religious orders as well as between political figures, city planning & architecture complete with seasonal natural disasters. Best of all are all the tiny details that are easy to miss in passing: golems, clockwork armies, "wonderworkers" which sounds like a version of superpowers/mutants/natural-magic-abilities -- none of which are important to this novel but apparently exist elsewhere in this world.

Overall, I enjoyed this just as much as I thought I would. There were times the romance and forced we-must-keep-apart-despite-our-attraction grated on me just a little, but I always looked forward to picking the novel back up and continuing reading. Even if romantasy will never be my favourite genre, I greatly enjoyed this book & am highly looking forward to more books set in this same world.

Thankyou to Netgalley and the publisher for providing a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.


Rating: 4 stars -- A romantasy featuring real adults (in their 30s), a unique and believable world, and an engaging plot full of poisonings & beheadings.

Not many books have managed to make me laugh out loud in a very embarrassing way while in a coffee shop, but this one did to spectacularly.

I absolutely loved the characters, the world, the relationship development and the mixture of cosy vibes with higher stakes. It sucked me in so quickly and I didn't want it to end. I need more books with sock-knitting paladin's.

I would happily jump straight into book number two immediately, even knowing it focuses on different characters, as every character was so alive and realised. I do hope the next few books include more of Stephen and Grace but even if they don't, I'll happily re-read this book again.

The end was unexpected but brilliant and I'm now hoping for even more dark vibes going forward.

This book had great vibes, was a lot of fun and kept me turning pages. I was sad to finish it so quickly but also couldn't put it down.

⤷ 2.75✩
This book has its strong and weak points. Maybe my expectations were too high, which is why I’m being this critical. Maybe it’s just not my genre, but after some chapters, this book kinda felt like a “meh” to me.

The writing style and world-building really appealed to me, but those were the most positive aspects I could find. I did not care much about the characters and their backstories and, as a result, also not about the romance. I also found the plot and/or stakes of this book to be lacking.

Speaking of stakes, it often felt like the story jumped from problem to problem. These issues stacked upon each other without any clear connection, only being referenced later out of convenience to “solve” these problems. This also only took up the last 20% of the book, lacking an overall impact by postponing this so much. Overall an okay book. I don’t feel that strongly about it, but it also does not leave a lasting impression.

first of all, thank you Netgalley for letting me read this :)

this was a fun, cosy first foray into this authors writing, and while I did find that the author rushed the ending and everything was wrapped up for the main characters in a sort of unsatisfying way I honestly don’t care because this was really funny and cute.

We had two older main characters (finally no 18 years in sight) who were more relatable with their awkward conversations and self deprecating banter.

Also we need more hot, gentle giants who knit.