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miss_berry315's review
1.75
I am so fed up with how this series has fallen apart. After the end of Paladin's Hope, you would assume the next installment would touch on the main theme running through the series, but alas, we get nothing. If I didn't have some interest in knowing what happens with the running plot, I would have DNF'd this one.
This book did not feel like it was in the same series as the rest of them. They're in an entirely different location attending some royal court event, Marguerite is a ""spy"" who will do ~whatever it takes~ to get information out of people (this is the author's attempt at being pro-sex worker, a minor improvement from the blatantly anti-sex worker comments from previous books in this series).
The relationship is boring, there is no banter, no friendship built at any point, Shane is insecure and awkward and full of guilt for even feeling lust towards a woman. The title should be "Paladin's Catholic Guilt" because my goodness it was laid on thick in this book. I'm talking, every damn time Shane has even the slightest lustful thought, he feels the need to serve penance for it.
Even though we get both Shane and Marguerite's POVs, we don't get any thoughts about each other, no pining or emotions, just the author telling us they like each other instead of showing it.
If the synopsis did not explicitly state that Shane was the love interest for Marguerite, I would have assumed it was Wren -- which would have honestly been a better story for both characters.
Which leads me to Wren's storyline in this book. She deserved so much better than the unnecessary descriptions the author repeatedly gave to us. I'm so beyond tired of women who aren't hyper feminine being written in this way. Did we really need another book where a woman is described as meek, chubby, unstylish, not conventionally pretty, frumpy, and insecure only to be put in situations where she has to wear a dress (*gasp* how silly goofy to make someone feel dysphoria!!) and then gets bullied and made fun of by conventionally attractive women?? Like, is this high school?? And to then have a man pretend to like her and date her when he really has ulterior motives to get information and ofc he would never date someone who looks like her is outdated, hurtful, and cheesy. She doesn't even really get a revenge arch or find her power in any way. Huge thumbs down, even more so once she is forced to spend time with him after knowing he was using her, just so the MCs could be alone together. Like, do not give this man a redemption arch, make him go tf away.
Honestly, between how caricaturized all of the characters are, the lack of continuation on the whole Saint of Steel thing, and the lack of relationship building, this book was really not that good.
The last 5ish chapters are probably the only good part of the whole thing and finally gave us a little bit to work with moving forward.
I may just end up skimming the next book whenever it eventually comes out.
I wish I could replace these books with Swordheart 4 times over tbh.
This book did not feel like it was in the same series as the rest of them. They're in an entirely different location attending some royal court event, Marguerite is a ""spy"" who will do ~whatever it takes~ to get information out of people (this is the author's attempt at being pro-sex worker, a minor improvement from the blatantly anti-sex worker comments from previous books in this series).
The relationship is boring, there is no banter, no friendship built at any point, Shane is insecure and awkward and full of guilt for even feeling lust towards a woman. The title should be "Paladin's Catholic Guilt" because my goodness it was laid on thick in this book. I'm talking, every damn time Shane has even the slightest lustful thought, he feels the need to serve penance for it.
Even though we get both Shane and Marguerite's POVs, we don't get any thoughts about each other, no pining or emotions, just the author telling us they like each other instead of showing it.
If the synopsis did not explicitly state that Shane was the love interest for Marguerite, I would have assumed it was Wren -- which would have honestly been a better story for both characters.
Which leads me to Wren's storyline in this book. She deserved so much better than the unnecessary descriptions the author repeatedly gave to us. I'm so beyond tired of women who aren't hyper feminine being written in this way. Did we really need another book where a woman is described as meek, chubby, unstylish, not conventionally pretty, frumpy, and insecure only to be put in situations where she has to wear a dress (*gasp* how silly goofy to make someone feel dysphoria!!) and then gets bullied and made fun of by conventionally attractive women?? Like, is this high school?? And to then have
Honestly, between how caricaturized all of the characters are, the lack of continuation on the whole Saint of Steel thing, and the lack of relationship building, this book was really not that good.
The last 5ish chapters are probably the only good part of the whole thing and finally gave us a little bit to work with moving forward.
I may just end up skimming the next book whenever it eventually comes out.
I wish I could replace these books with Swordheart 4 times over tbh.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Sexual content, Violence, Sexism, and Death
Moderate: Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Dysphoria, Fatphobia, Body shaming, and Classism
buttermellow's review
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence, Bullying, Classism, and Death
purplepenning's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
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: Grief, Sexual harassment, Body shaming, Violence, Death, Fatphobia, Kidnapping, Murder, Blood, Classism, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, Animal death, Body horror, and Abandonment
Minor: Chronic illness, Bullying, and Child abuse
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