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…
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 stayed up all night to finish this because I couldn’t put it down. I’d never read a T. Kingfisher book so I wasn’t expecting so much romance and fluff, but I wasn’t displeased with it. The writing was good—it me got completely hooked—but there were quite a lot of errors that the editor somehow didn’t catch? It made it feel a tiny bit less professional.
I was really disappointed with how the mystery was concluded though. It felt like the book was ramping up to something really climactic, only for it to be like, “Actually, turns out it was a totally different thing that was completely unrelated, oops!” at the last minute.
I loved this book a lot! I think the way it conceptualizes paladins is incredible, and it takes the best part of why I like werewolf romance (this person is a bit feral about you) without taking on the part I like least about werewolf romance (the feral quality is one that must be allowed to ransack or it will be unhealthy for them), but still maintains what makes paladins so wonderful to chew on (the guilt, the intense adherence to rules they think are correct).
The romance was also very sweet, really actually managed the "two broken people" concept where they are both learning to forgive who they became under Circumstances and work on moving closer to who they want to be.
I will never shut up about Beartongue. Bishop Beartongue is perhaps the first woman I've seen described as older and handsome and I would have …
I loved this book a lot! I think the way it conceptualizes paladins is incredible, and it takes the best part of why I like werewolf romance (this person is a bit feral about you) without taking on the part I like least about werewolf romance (the feral quality is one that must be allowed to ransack or it will be unhealthy for them), but still maintains what makes paladins so wonderful to chew on (the guilt, the intense adherence to rules they think are correct).
The romance was also very sweet, really actually managed the "two broken people" concept where they are both learning to forgive who they became under Circumstances and work on moving closer to who they want to be.
I will never shut up about Beartongue. Bishop Beartongue is perhaps the first woman I've seen described as older and handsome and I would have loved her for that alone, but she also has to wrangle seven grief- and guilt-stricken paladins whose stress response is to become murderous killing machines. She does this with the air of wrangling toddlers with decent grip strength and access to breakable but replaceable objects. Have I mentioned I love her?
My one - one! - thing that I would mention about this book that I did not wholeheartedly love was that the very first chapter I think writes a slightly different check than this book ultimately cashed. It was still a good check! I am also aware that this is a series! However that first chapter implied an amount of violence and a darker tone than what I ultimately read. I think there is a darker, less healing book that could have come out of that first chapter, and I would have loved it as well.
Anyway. Very long review. Very good book. Been trying to split time between some nonfiction that is emotionally draining and some fiction that I find compelling and enjoyable, and this was it. Fantastic recommendation, thank you nasamuffin.
I loved this book a lot! I think the way it conceptualizes paladins is incredible, and it takes the best part of why I like werewolf romance (this person is a bit feral about you) without taking on the part I like least about werewolf romance (the feral quality is one that must be allowed to ransack or it will be unhealthy for them), but still maintains what makes paladins so wonderful to chew on (the guilt, the intense adherence to rules they think are correct).
The romance was also very sweet, really actually managed the "two broken people" concept where they are both learning to forgive who they became under Circumstances and work on moving closer to who they want to be.
I will never shut up about Beartongue. Bishop Beartongue is perhaps the first woman I've seen described as older and handsome and I would have …
I loved this book a lot! I think the way it conceptualizes paladins is incredible, and it takes the best part of why I like werewolf romance (this person is a bit feral about you) without taking on the part I like least about werewolf romance (the feral quality is one that must be allowed to ransack or it will be unhealthy for them), but still maintains what makes paladins so wonderful to chew on (the guilt, the intense adherence to rules they think are correct).
The romance was also very sweet, really actually managed the "two broken people" concept where they are both learning to forgive who they became under Circumstances and work on moving closer to who they want to be.
I will never shut up about Beartongue. Bishop Beartongue is perhaps the first woman I've seen described as older and handsome and I would have loved her for that alone, but she also has to wrangle seven grief- and guilt-stricken paladins whose stress response is to become murderous killing machines. She does this with the air of wrangling toddlers with decent grip strength and access to breakable but replaceable objects. Have I mentioned I love her?
My one - one! - thing that I would mention about this book that I did not wholeheartedly love was that the very first chapter I think writes a slightly different check than this book ultimately cashed. It was still a good check! I am also aware that this is a series! However that first chapter implied an amount of violence and a darker tone than what I ultimately read. I think there is a darker, less healing book that could have come out of that first chapter, and I would have loved it as well.
Anyway. Very long review. Very good book. Been trying to split time between some nonfiction that is emotionally draining and some fiction that I find compelling and enjoyable, and this was it. Fantastic recommendation, thank you nasamuffin.
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 …
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.
Everyone loves a Paladin, right? Especially in this world, where they're god-touched and have amazing abilities?
Well, what happens when their god dies? What does that do to all of their relationships?
Continuing on in the world of Clocktaur War and Swordheart, we have some more (formulaic, yes) romance, between a Paladin without a god and a perfume-maker who got pulled into a plot.
Everyone loves a Paladin, right? Especially in this world, where they're god-touched and have amazing abilities?
Well, what happens when their god dies? What does that do to all of their relationships?
Continuing on in the world of Clocktaur War and Swordheart, we have some more (formulaic, yes) romance, between a Paladin without a god and a perfume-maker who got pulled into a plot.
