Paladin's Grace

Saint of Steel Series # 1

By: T. Kingfisher

Narrated by: Joel Richards

Stephen's god died on the longest day of the year....

Three years later, Stephen is a broken paladin, living only for the chance to be useful before he dies. But all that changes when he encounters a fugitive named Grace in an alley and witnesses an assassination attempt gone wrong. Now the pair must navigate a web of treachery, beset on all sides by spies and poisoners, while a cryptic killer stalks one step behind....

From the Hugo and Nebula Award-winning author of Swordheart and The Twisted Ones comes a saga of murder, magic, and love on the far side of despair.

©2020 T. Kingfisher (P)2021 Tantor

Good story, just unexpected

This story was a bit of a struggle to get through, mostly because the synopsis was misleading. The synopsis lead me to believe there would be at least one sword fight present. There isn't. This is definitely a love story first, with a character that just happens to be a paladin in a fantasy setting, not a fantasy paladin who falls in love along the way. If you're a fan of romance novels with an interesting premise, cool worldbuilding and a bit of a twisting plot, this is a good one! If you're a fan of high/epic fantasy, give this a pass.
The rest of the series looks like it will expand a bit on the plot hooks left dangling in this book, so maybe that opinion will change as the series marches on.

Absolutely brilliant

T Kingfisher has a gift when it comes to characters. They absolutely feel like real people you know, your neighbors, your friends. They all have quirks and genuine behaviors. I love both the heroines and the male leads. I love how they meet and how they fall in love. The world is rich and glorious. The Temple of the rats is delightful a priesthood of lawyers. The intrigue in this title was fascinating with two villains to contend with. I can’t wait for the next novel and the next beyond that for years to come.
Do yourself a favor and buy all of hers books.

Who wants normal anyways?

Two awkward individuals find each-other, one a human blood hound and the other a sock maker/ berserker. Just read it to see how they fall in love

Great story

I've never read anything like this. the characters are so lovable and funny. definitely reading the next in the series!

Classic Kingfisher…..except

The narrator did all the voices very well but his basic narration was so monotone and robotic that I had to rewind so many times to catch what he was describing. Shame really.

Humorous Sexy Fantasy for Adults

This series is romance very cleverly disguised as fantasy. In the best possible way. The protagonists are actually adults. The sex scenes don't last an obnoxious amount of story time and are just on the right side of graphic. The characters and plot are well written. And it was surprisingly funny. Currently reading book #2 of the series and expect to purchase the rest.

so funny and characters so relatable

enjoyed the narrator's performance when revisiting one of my fav books! especially when narrator was making the civet noises 🤣 i am so fond of grace and stephen and the paladins and i'm looking forward to listening to the next books in the series

also shout out to t. kingfisher for nb rep with an important secondary character being genderqueer and that detail seamlessly fitting into the world building (and no drama about it!) we love to see it (⁠✿⁠ ⁠♡⁠‿⁠♡⁠)

Great Story, Lovely Narration

I usually prefer duet narration, but this book was great. The narrator managed the women's voices well (no cringe!) and the male voice felt very appropriate for the story. There was some lovely world building, and an adorable meet-cute, and a slow burn romance that helped the plot along. The plot of headless bodies is an overarching one that carries into book 2, while Stephen seems to find his HEA (or at least HFN) in this book making the minor cliffhanger more of a hook (and less of a hang).

Fun Story to Get Lost in

T. Kingfisher has become one of my favorites. The story is great escapism, which is what I want when I commit to a book. I laughed out loud more than once as the story unfolded. Yes, as someone else said, it is a formulaic romance, but hey, what’s wrong with that? It is entertainment and a fun story.
The narrator seemed a bit flat at first and I don’t know if he got better or I just got used to his style.
The world building that goes on in Kingfisher’s writing is wonderful.
Give this a try!

Simply Fantastic

Great story and a perfect balance of humor, romance, and action. I love this entire series!