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purplepenning's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.75
My favorite of this series so far — and they've all been great!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Injury/Injury detail, and Blood
Moderate: Gaslighting, Medical content, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Alcohol, Grief, Police brutality, Violence, Classism, Animal death, Animal cruelty, Death, Murder, and Sexual content
Minor: Excrement
cwerber's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
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
HOW DARE YOU END THE BOOK LIKE THAT?!?!?!
IS PIPER OKAY?!?!?!?
IT'S TWO IN THE MORNING AND NOW I CAN'T GO TO SLEEP THANKS TO YOU AND THIS BOOK.
TEN STARS OUT OF FIVE.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Medical content, Hate crime, Blood, Xenophobia, Violence, Grief, Confinement, Medical trauma, and Injury/Injury detail
no_mourners_'s review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
fast-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
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Violence, Police brutality, Sexual content, Animal death, Medical content, Blood, and Murder
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Alcoholism, Grief, and Alcohol
Minor: Child death, Kidnapping, Physical abuse, Cursing, War, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Addiction, Drug use, Excrement, and Torture
roksyreads's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
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? It's complicated
5.0
Another lovely fantasy with the perfect balance of mutual pining, smouldering romance, and loveable characters. But how can you end it like that???? I am relieved to know there will be more books, because I love these stories immensely, but I do rather wish there were more now following that last paragraph. Alas, I will have to put my patience hat on. Thankfully, there are plenty more stories written by Vernon under the Kingfisher pen name for me to read and re-read whilst I wait.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, Murder, Violence, and Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Police brutality, Classism, and Suicide
marsh_mall0w's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Confinement, Violence, and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Animal cruelty and Sexual content
Minor: Child abuse and Child death
booksthatburn's review
adventurous
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
4.5
PALADIN'S HOPE features Galen, one of the paladins of the (now dead) Saint of Steel. He appears in the first two books in the series but now gets a story of his own. The main story is entirely new, as Earstripe the guard-gnole requests that Galen and the lich-doctor, Piper, help him find out the cause of several mysterious and violent deaths (which are both introduced and resolved). Very late in the book I figured out that this wraps up some things left hanging from other White Rat books, not just the first two Saint of Steel books (though it does that as well). The epilogue, in particular, exists to show the state of Galen and Piper's relationship some time after the main story, and to continue the underlying thread of the death of the Saint of Steel. It leaves the book on a bit of a cliffhanger, but one related to the general course of the series and not to the central plot of the book.
Galen and Piper are both new narrators, though Galen is consistent with his previous appearances as a secondary character. The main story would make sense for someone who started here without reading the rest of the series or any other White Rat books, but the epilogue in particular will make much more sense for someone who has read the first two books. There's a pretty cool character detail to delight anyone who read THE WONDER ENGINE, and the return of a couple of characters who first appeared in SWORDHEART, but these connections aren't necessary for understanding most of the book. It is the strongest entry in the ongoing thread of greater understanding between gnoles and humans, or at least between some specific gnoles and a few humans. Until now it seems like gnoles have been doing most of the understanding, so it's nice to see things start to shift.
The worldbuilding focuses on gnole/human interactions and the details of the place where they find themselves. It's a character-focused story, but the setting is specific and growing more detailed with each new entry in the White Rat books.
Galen is a brooding paladin, but a very different flavor of one from either Stephen or Istvhan. He has nightmares which can trigger the battle-tide if he's touched in his sleep. The warning that Galen should not be touched in his slumber has been consistent in the series so far, and now we get his side of that burden. Piper works with the dead, a profession which most people find distasteful. The pace of their relationship has an entirely different flavor from the first two books. It takes place over a fairly short period of time, with the main action confined to a day or two. The restricted but fascinating setting acts as a crucible where Galen, Piper, and Earstripe spend a lot of time together under very stressful circumstances. They don't have quite as much trouble figuring out whether that the other person is interested (at least not for long), but are trying to figure out whether this is a fling or if it can be something more long-term once they're not in mortal danger.
I enjoyed the different pace of this one and am excited for more entries in the series.
Galen and Piper are both new narrators, though Galen is consistent with his previous appearances as a secondary character. The main story would make sense for someone who started here without reading the rest of the series or any other White Rat books, but the epilogue in particular will make much more sense for someone who has read the first two books. There's a pretty cool character detail to delight anyone who read THE WONDER ENGINE, and the return of a couple of characters who first appeared in SWORDHEART, but these connections aren't necessary for understanding most of the book. It is the strongest entry in the ongoing thread of greater understanding between gnoles and humans, or at least between some specific gnoles and a few humans. Until now it seems like gnoles have been doing most of the understanding, so it's nice to see things start to shift.
The worldbuilding focuses on gnole/human interactions and the details of the place where they find themselves. It's a character-focused story, but the setting is specific and growing more detailed with each new entry in the White Rat books.
Galen is a brooding paladin, but a very different flavor of one from either Stephen or Istvhan. He has nightmares which can trigger the battle-tide if he's touched in his sleep. The warning that Galen should not be touched in his slumber has been consistent in the series so far, and now we get his side of that burden. Piper works with the dead, a profession which most people find distasteful. The pace of their relationship has an entirely different flavor from the first two books. It takes place over a fairly short period of time, with the main action confined to a day or two. The restricted but fascinating setting acts as a crucible where Galen, Piper, and Earstripe spend a lot of time together under very stressful circumstances. They don't have quite as much trouble figuring out whether that the other person is interested (at least not for long), but are trying to figure out whether this is a fling or if it can be something more long-term once they're not in mortal danger.
I enjoyed the different pace of this one and am excited for more entries in the series.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Blood, Gore, Death, Medical content, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Violence, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Racism, Murder, Child death, and Alcohol
Minor: Slavery, Death of parent, Suicidal thoughts, Fire/Fire injury, Ableism, Panic attacks/disorders, Torture, and Pregnancy
wilybooklover's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
5.0
Funny, warm, and creepy in equal measures, just like the other books in this series. I really enjoyed the plot of this one. I’m not going to spoil it because I think it’s better to go into it not knowing anything, but it was such a page-turner. I am more intrigued by the gnoles than ever after finding out more about their culture.
Galen made some pretty boneheaded decisions (seems to be a paladin thing) but it did lead to some great moments, so I can’t be too mad. His romance with Piper was very sweet and adorably awkward.
I think Piper is my favourite main character so far in this series and Earstripe the gnole was just delightful. I can’t wait for Shane and Marguerite’s book!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Gore, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Confinement, Xenophobia, Racism, and Torture
Moderate: Medical content, Animal death, and Body horror
Minor: Child death and Police brutality
wardenred's review
adventurous
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I hurt you terribly because I was trying not to hurt you terribly. Can you forgive me?
Somehow, I expected to like this book more than book 2 and at least as much as book 1. Possibly because I loved Piper so much when he appeared in Paladin's Grace and I really wanted to see more of him. Well, in this regard, at least, I wasn't disappointed; Piper's been awesome all along. I really enjoyed his dry wit and his outlook on life.
However, the story at large was somewhat... unsatisfactory. While Piper was awesome, I can't say the same about Galen. He was fun and familiar in the first half of the story, but then he just started reverting deeper and deeper into the one-dimensional "I am very dangerous, woe is me" state and became the embodiment of "break their heart in order to save them" trope, except Piper didn't need saving and it was just all very frustrating. I mean, this is a T. Kingfisher book about traumatized paladins, I except a lot of pining and wallowing and worrying about not being good for each other! But it was just so heavy-handed here, and it didn't feel completely organic for this character. I'm not saying I didn't think Galen would wallow and worry, but I just... expected him to do it differently? Idk.
The non-romance part was somewhat disappointing, as well. I expected a mystery with some adventure. Instead, most of the book was devoted to an escape room quest. Yes, there were some great moments, some amazing banter, some quirky worldbuilding, but for the most part... Eh. Meh.
Despite all that, the cliffhanger it ended on basically guarantees that I will continue with the series. It was nice to see Stephen again, among other characters, and to delve deeper into the gnolls' culture. And I really can't disagree with the book's stance on cops... er, guards.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Injury/Injury detail, and Medical content
espiargrant's review
adventurous
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
I really should've loved this book, but instead, I found it very disappointing. My favorite part of this book was the world, which was well-crafted and complex, with an interesting religion and minor magical elements. This in conjunction with a murder mystery story arc, lends to a setup for a great novel. However, the book didn't really follow through regarding the mystery element due to the 'Who' and 'How' of it being revealed almost immediately and the killer being neutralized almost immediately, once the opportunity arose.
But in my opinion, the biggest disappointment of this book was the romance, of which I will enter even more spoilery territory:
Although both Galen and Piper were quite loveable at first glance, they eventually came across as quite flat and their connection was shallow. Both of their desperate need to sacrifice themself to save the other seemed to stem more from the fact the other was hot, as opposed to genuine mutual affection. The self-sacrifice also got quite repetitive, and did nothing to further either the plot or their character development. But what ticked me off the most about the romance was the sexual component. By Ch. 3, I was able to tell who the "Top" and the "Bottom" was going to be, not because the writing clearly shows what these characters prefer, but because they fit so neatly into heteronormative stereotypes. And what's worse is that they both somehow telepathically knew who was going to take which role, rather than having a conversation about what they each like. Lastly, for a book that spent so much time having these MCs fixate on how much they want to bang, I was incredibly confused that the 2 love scenes that were in this book were largely F-T-B (the 2nd moreso than the 1st). It just seemed like such a waste to listen to MCs long for eachother's bodies just to skip over the parts where they actually hookup.
But in my opinion, the biggest disappointment of this book was the romance, of which I will enter even more spoilery territory:
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Medical content, Death, and Violence
Moderate: Gore and Sexual content
wickedgrumpy's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.5
Hot emo paladin ✅
Cute lich doctor ✅
Unexplained murders ✅
Pining ✅
Since the smooth men were no longer an issue, this book felt like it was lacking some of the depth from the previous two installments. I did thoroughly enjoy it, especially learning more about gnoles. Also the allusion to the ancients possibly being from our current timeline (the fabric that melted instead of burning i.e. possibly polyester) was really subtle. I'm not sure what that means for the overall history of the ancients and their fallen empire/death traps.
Cute lich doctor ✅
Unexplained murders ✅
Pining ✅
Since the smooth men were no longer an issue, this book felt like it was lacking some of the depth from the previous two installments. I did thoroughly enjoy it, especially learning more about gnoles. Also the allusion to the ancients possibly being from our current timeline (the fabric that melted instead of burning i.e. possibly polyester) was really subtle. I'm not sure what that means for the overall history of the ancients and their fallen empire/death traps.
Content Warnings
Minor: Animal cruelty, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Murder, Violence, Confinement, Sexual content, Gore, Panic attacks/disorders, Blood, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Medical content, and Religious bigotry