Paladin's Grace

by T. Kingfisher

Synopsis:

While foraging for startleflower, perfumer Grace finds herself pursued by ruffians and rescued by a handsome paladin in shining armour. Only, to outwit her hunters, they must pretend to be doing something very unrespectable in an alleyway.

Stephen, a broken paladin, spends his time knitting socks and working as a bodyguard, living only for the chance to be useful. But that all changes when he saves Grace and witnesses an assassination attempt gone wrong. Now, Stephen and Grace must navigate a web of treachery and poisoners, while a cryptic killer stalks one step behind.

I’ve been meaning to give T. Kingfisher’s Saint of Steel series a try for a while, and the lovely new UK editions spurred me on. Paladin’s Grace is the first, and sets the scene well: Stephen is a berserker paladin whose god has died, struggling against their remaining uncontrolled berserker tendency and the legacy of violence the paladins left when, as their god died, they went berserk. The remaining living paladins now serve the Rat, who offers help to all who need it — and took in the broken paladins when they most needed it.

He stumbles into a meeting with Grace, a perfumer, who quickly ends up in everything over her head after previously running away from her abusive philandering husband. She doesn’t want protecting, and Stephen doesn’t quite dare have a relationship, but sparks fly and, anyway, sometimes you do need help even when you can stand on your own two feet.

It’s a lovely story of healing, for both of them, and also a bit of a mystery, set against a fascinating world with lots of moving parts, and stories going on of which Stephen and Grace are just parts. I loved Stephen and Grace as individuals and as a pair, and all the glimpses of the other paladins too, but also I’m really looking forward to reading more of the world, in the other Saint of Steel books and in Swordheart (also getting a UK reissue) and Clockwork Boys (already reissued in a nice hardback and on my TBR).

I am pleased that Istvhan and Piper get their own books, as I enjoyed both as characters. I’m less fussed about Shane, but since his book matches him up with Marguerite, that should be fun.

All in all, a lot of fun. For the ultimate endorsement: when I read the last 100 pages of this, I was unwise enough to be sat cross-legged on the floor, a dangerous prospect now I’ve reached the ripe old age of 35. Maybe some 35-year-olds can still do that comfortably, but my ability to do that for any length of time can best be described as limited.

Apparently I could do it just fine for the 40 minutes I spent raptly reading the last 115 pages of this without shifting an inch. I was somewhat less able to creak to my feet again afterwards, though…

Rating: 4/5 (“really liked it”)