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mirandalikesbooks's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
This series just keeps getting better! I think Piper and Galen were such a lovely pair, and the secret to what was causing the deaths being explored in the beginning was a fun adventure.
I like how this book explored discrimination within this fantasy setting. It made the main characters that much more loveable that they stood up for the underdog.
I like how this book explored discrimination within this fantasy setting. It made the main characters that much more loveable that they stood up for the underdog.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical content, Racism, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Cursing, Murder, Body horror, Sexual content, Death, Torture, and Violence
Minor: Animal cruelty and Animal death
directorpurry's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
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? No
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Kidnapping, Blood, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, Xenophobia, and Confinement
reclusivebookslug's review against another edition
adventurous
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
3.0
I was really looking forward to reading Galen and Piper's story, but this book kind of disappointed me. It's the shortest in the trilogy and felt quite unlike the first two books. The plot was much more straightforward and the inter-character conflict took more of the center stage. It also felt like Galen's internal conflicts about getting into a relationship were too similar to Stephen's. What I thought would be the overarching conflict of the series, the smooth men, was resolved in book two, and wrapping up the series with an entirely new thing felt odd to me. I also really wish Piper's wonderworker ability was brought up more. It seemed like such an interesting thing to explore, but it was mainly used as a utilitarian plot device.
This is not to say I disliked the book. The fantasy portrayal of prejudice and discrimination through the gnoles was very interesting, I love when fantasy authors choose to eliminate homophobia from their worlds, and the epilogue felt like a nice sendoff to the series. The last line was especially impactful.
I had no idea before reading this book that Kingfisher had other books written in this same world, but I will definitely be looking into that.
This is not to say I disliked the book. The fantasy portrayal of prejudice and discrimination through the gnoles was very interesting, I love when fantasy authors choose to eliminate homophobia from their worlds, and the epilogue felt like a nice sendoff to the series. The last line was especially impactful.
I had no idea before reading this book that Kingfisher had other books written in this same world, but I will definitely be looking into that.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail and Racism
welgan's review
adventurous
emotional
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? Yes
5.0
I really like how different the three paladins main characters in this series are. I love all of them, even if Galen speaks less to me, but Piper speaks to me more than the other 2 love interests so it balances out, and it really is nitpicking at this point. They're all amazing characters and I love them.
10/10 would read the series again with great pleasure.
The relationship dynamic of this opus of the series was nicely different of the others (yet always a variation of the theme of the broken paladins which I love very much). The prevalence of sex related matters in characters' inner monologue is still bothering me a bit as a personal preference, but it is author's style at this point and as in the others, it did not prevent me from enjoying the relationship and it's development at all. If anything, I even found the first sex scene between them more vivid and interesting the others I've read.
I really liked that the gnoles and society issues related to them were a focus of the book ! Gnoles are awesome.
The last line of the book is pure genius and it is worth everything.
10/10 would read the series again with great pleasure.
The relationship dynamic of this opus of the series was nicely different of the others (yet always a variation of the theme of the broken paladins which I love very much). The prevalence of sex related matters in characters' inner monologue is still bothering me a bit as a personal preference, but it is author's style at this point and as in the others, it did not prevent me from enjoying the relationship and it's development at all. If anything, I even found the first sex scene between them more vivid and interesting the others I've read.
I really liked that the gnoles and society issues related to them were a focus of the book ! Gnoles are awesome.
The last line of the book is pure genius and it is worth everything.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism and Sexual content
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
epsyphus's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
After their introductions in the other two books, I hoped either Galen or Piper would get their own book. Them getting their own book together was everything I could have hoped for.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Animal death, and Blood
Moderate: Sexual content
orchidd's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death, Racism, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexual content, and Violence
Moderate: Medical content, Panic attacks/disorders, Classism, and Grief
Minor: Torture, Child death, and Child abuse
buttermellow's review
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Blood, Death, Medical content, Racism, Violence, Animal death, and Animal cruelty
Minor: Confinement, Police brutality, and Torture
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