Reviews tagging 'Panic attacks/disorders'

Paladin's Grace by T. Kingfisher

31 reviews

toobusy's review against another edition

adventurous lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

This book was so much fun and not your typical Romantasy on the market. I cackled many many times while reading/listening to this. NOW I find out that it's a series that follows each of the paladins??? I'm in love.

"Good mystery elements + good romance and banter + established fantasy world = fun read for me"

As another reviewer noted, this book is great if you've outgrown the amazingly gorgeous and talented 18-yr olds that are destined to save the world. This story is about two people who have seen some of the world and it hasn't always been kind. I love the awkward but well meaning interactions between Grace and Stephen and crew even if the "I'm too hurt to love anyone" trope gets a bit old. The character dialogue is light and full of banter that keeps it light-hearted and fun despite the darker mysteries afoot.

Some of the internal dialogue does get repetitive and I got tired of Grace's timidness. Yes I know you think you're a little grey boring mouse and that you can't do anything right. But at some point you have to start growing past that mindset right? At least for the sake of character development.

At times I found the romance to be a bit "male gaze-y" and oversimplified for me. Lots of descriptions of how small and plump and round the FL is and how hard and LARGE the ML is (whole body not just certain bits...).

Loved the characters from the Temple of the White Rat and Stephen's fellow paladins (see Beartongue and Istvhan). Overall I liked how all the characters fit in. Plus casual LGBTQ+ representation is always a bonus.

This felt well paced up until about the 2/3 mark where it dragged for a bit but then picked up the pace for the ending.

2.5/5 🌶
(suggested content throughout the book and some Not-to-black moments)

*AudioBook* 

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders and Sexual content

Minor: Gore, Gaslighting, and Toxic relationship

silentquercus's review against another edition

adventurous emotional mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Sexual content, Mental illness, and Panic attacks/disorders

Moderate: Gaslighting, Blood, Confinement, Infidelity, Murder, Toxic relationship, and Violence

ritabriar's review against another edition

adventurous dark funny lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

As always, Kingfisher's main characters are kind and funny and stand up for each other when they can. I love Kingfisher's characterization of Paladins, especially these paladins, as self-sacrificing, self-blaming, and angsty to a fault. Grace is delightful, her interest in scents and perfumes fascinating and handy for solving problems. Marguerite is a remarkably well-developed character for as little as she appears on the page. As always, I love the Temple of the White Rat and all of their people. They certainly help the main characters navigate much of the political intrigue they get tangled up in. 

Some things in this book happen by chance, like

finding the first dead body and various chance meetings

, but most things happen because the characters make them happen, such as

figuring out what's going on and what to do about it.

 

Magic is common in this setting. The magic that really digs into the plot is a bit horrifying.  

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content and Panic attacks/disorders

Moderate: Murder, Toxic relationship, Death, Body horror, and Infidelity

Minor: Injury/Injury detail and Gore

Grace's husband is a piece of work. This is the source of the toxic relationship, infidelity, and panic attack tags. The horrible smooth men are the source of the body horror and gore tags. A young man has been pressured or brainwashed into making a really bad,

fatal

choice.

miss_berry315's review against another edition

medium-paced

3.0

I originally dnf'd this book, realized the Saint of Steel series can be read as stand-alone books, read Paladin's Strength and Paladin's Hope, started Paladin's Faith and realized I wanted more context so I went back to this one.
 
I dnf'd this book originally because of the scene where Stephen and Grace meet. It is fairly early in the book and I really felt like the author could have done literally anything other than have Stephen practically SA Grace.
IDC if this is a spoiler, it's really not done well and adds absolutely nothing to the story overall.
Stephen is walking back home when he hears someone running and he determines that the person sounds like they're in trouble, so he wants to help (paladin things). Grace approaches him near an alleyway and asks Stephen to help her hide. Stephen then grabs her, shoves her against the wall so she's hidden from the people chasing her, and begins dry humping her and acting as if he is having sex. She plays along with it, he's apologizing the whole time (super uncomfortable) and the people chasing her end up leaving them alone. It's important to note that this happens in an alleyway very close to this city's version of a 'Red Light District' aka a place where sex workers are known to be present and offering services. The author does not write about sex workers in a positive way. The language used is outdated, Stephen says he would 'never be involved with a sex worker' and Grace is relieved. Its just really not empowering and starts the relationship between these two off in a very uncomfortable place. Why couldn't Stephen help Grace into a crate or behind some barrels, or in a pile of trash or literally anything in the entire world that could have been realistically in the alleyway? Why did the author see the only option as borderline SA?? 

Other than that, the book was fairly boring in plot, characters, and romance. Grace is defined by her relationships and career. I felt like the perfume making stuff could have been interesting, but kind of fell flat. I understand it's hard to write about how someone may have a natural ability to create something and how they often will incorporate that into their lives however they can, but the way that Grace can differentiate smells within complex ones just came off like the whole 'chosen one' 'special-special' trope that protagonists often have. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Infidelity, Toxic relationship, Death, Murder, Gore, and Violence

Moderate: Sexual assault

Minor: Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Stalking, and Panic attacks/disorders

The book starts off with

mass murder by the paladins when their God dies, but it is not super graphic as most of them cannot really remember what happened

The sexual assault is mentioned in my review above. Grace's ex

cheats on her numerous times, brings the women to their home, gaslights her into believing that she is just bad at sex, and generally ignores her.

all of this is spoken about in reflection and is not happening actively during the story. She does

run into him again and runs into one of the women that he cheated on her with, leading her to have panic attacks

simothys's review against another edition

adventurous funny mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Death, and Gore

Moderate: Sexual content and Emotional abuse

Minor: Torture

jonie_rich's review

adventurous challenging dark funny mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

This genuinely got weirdly spooky, but it also made me laugh out loud in public. A well rounded book that I genuinely enjoyed. I’m looking forward to continuing the series! 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Blood, Medical trauma, Panic attacks/disorders, Vomit, Death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Medical content, Mental illness, Misogyny, Cannibalism, Grief, Infidelity, Murder, Sexual harassment, Suicidal thoughts, and Toxic relationship

puck_jay's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny inspiring mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.75

THE PALADINS ARE ADORABLE AND I LOVE THEM. This was a good book I wish the fandom was bigger. 

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Gore, Infidelity, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Alcohol, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, War, Blood, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Suicide, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, and Toxic relationship

honeywolf's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful lighthearted mysterious relaxing slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Two broken people find love. This takes place in a fantasy setting and does have plot that unfurls throughout but it's so much more about these two people who believe themselves to be too "damaged" to deserve happiness and comfort. The moments that make this book shine are the quiet moments that make the protagonists feel safest; often times in silent companionship or safety and respect. It's somewhat slow and somewhat crams the plot into the last few chapters but because this is about the relationship more than anything I find that a largely forgivable offense. 

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Sexual content, Murder, Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic relationship, and Suicidal thoughts

alainral's review against another edition

adventurous hopeful mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Body horror, Confinement, Emotional abuse, and Panic attacks/disorders

Moderate: Death, Abandonment, Toxic relationship, Cannibalism, and Murder

Minor: War

purplepenning's review against another edition

adventurous funny lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.25

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Gaslighting, Gore, Infidelity, Body horror, Blood, Confinement, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, and Violence