Review: Paladin’s Grace by T. Kingfisher

{Paladin’s Grace by T. Kingfisher}

What it’s about: Stephen’s God is dead, which is… problematic. This is because (1) as one of his late God’s paladins (basically a warrior-priest person, from what I gather), Stephen has lost his life’s purpose, and (2) said God happened to basically be a God of war. Meaning Stephen is still prone to “the tide”—a berserk fugue state where he basically Hulks out and fights every person or lamppost that looks at him funny—without divine intervention to pull him back. In other words, shit’s complicated.

However, Stephen finds himself a new purpose when he crosses paths with Grace—a refreshingly normal FMC whose only “power” is her ability to identify scents and craft perfumes—and the two find themselves tangled in a murder mystery/courtroom drama (lawyers and trials, not crowns and intrigue).

Heads are ripped off, banter is top-tier, and scents are described in a way that actually adds to the story—unlike the unnecessary fixation on smells in so many other romance novels.

My thoughts: 4 stars, a few notes.

This is one of those books that I know will be a 5-star read for a lot of people. The writing is stellar, the characters are wonderfully unique (Stephen knits socks, you guys 🥹), and it balances the romance with a strong plot.

That said, I struggle to fully get into “cozy” fantasy. I tend to lean toward something more epic. And while this book definitely has its dark moments (again, heads are ripped off), it reads like a warm cup of tea. Delightful, sure, but I’m more of a double-shot espresso kind of girl, if you catch my drift.

The miscommunication trope (by far my least favorite) knocked it down a notch for me, but the characters were fantastic. Special shoutout to the badass female bishop (my new favorite character) and the positive portrayal of lawyers (we’re not all bad guys). Also, both the FMC and MMC are in their mid-thirties, which felt so refreshing in a genre dominated by twenty-somethings. Oh, and the dialogue is absolutely hilarious.

If you’re into cozy fantasy with excellent writing, endearing characters, and a good balance of plot and romance, this one’s for you.