A review by tostita
Paladin's Grace by T. Kingfisher

adventurous dark emotional 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

5.0

I loved this story. I was expecting a suspense A plot and a romance B plot, but those roles were reversed—i.e., this is a fantasy romance first and foremost. That is not at all a mark against it in my book. The heroine, a perfumer who has fled from another city and set up shop despite lacking proper credentials, is still recovering from multiple emotionally abusive relationships (her former perfumery master and her former husband), and struggles to trust her assessments of others’s characters and stand up for herself. The hero, a paladin, struggles to trust his own instincts and worth after the devastating death of his god. The romance plot and the murder mystery are tied up neatly by the end of the book, while the supernatural threat remains ambiguously active, presumably to be addressed later in the series. The secondary characters shine and I hope most of them will reappear as the series progresses.
Expand filter menu Content Warnings