Paladin's Grace: 1 (The Saint of Steel) Paperback – 2 Mar. 2021

First, I need to declare that Ursula Vernon (T. Kingfisher) is one of my favourite authors. I recommend the Harriet the Hamster Princess books to anyone with children, a sense of humour or, preferably, both.The books set in the world of the Church of the White Rat are equally marvellous. They are funny, touching and unpredictable. Her imagination is quirky and full of a sense of the ridiculous, and her characters are fully fleshed out and don't conform to standard fantasy tropes. Her romance writing is fresh and real, and full of the genuine human worries and insecurities that plague and enhance everyone. Her paladins are noble and flawed, and very very funny.I recommend any and all of her books, and each one is slightly better than the last.I still haven't read The Twisted Ones, but I will get to that as soon as possible.Thank you, Ms. Vernon.

I really enjoyed this story. The writing style is great and the characters are very enjoyable. It felt like various genres all added together which was quite refreshing and I'm always happy with stories which have a generally lighter tone.

Grace is a master perfumer selling them to the court via her friend Marguerite. When a Prince visits their small kindgom Grace is brought to court to bring some new perfume for him. She has previously met Stephen while looking for some herbs and plants for her scents while being chased she is saved by Stephen returning from a guarding job. He is a former knight of steel who is broken after his god is killed. Only he and a small band of knights have survived but all are struggling to cope.Grace is something that he finds to help and assist when she is accused of poisoning the Prince, Stephen wants to help her and in doing so they fight and then accept their attraction.A great story can’t wait for book 2

I am not surprised this book is good. T Kingfisher is one of the authors I happily buy from without reading the sample first. I am just suprised because it appeared unexpectedly. It was a very nice surprise - when I have nothing to read I often fruitlessly check all my favourite authors on Amazon to see if there are any upcoming books. And there it was! It's like having an unexpected birthday. Sorry, this is not a very good review of the actual book. It's beautifully written, sweet, acerbic, heart-warming and funny. I choked with laughter multiple times. I love all the characters, particularly the paladins, and the Rat priests. I know I will re-read it several times. Can't wait for the next one!

I really love T. Kingfisher's books, and bought this one immediately after finishing Swordheart. Sadly, although enjoyable, the story (mousey, unconfident but courageous woman and strong but conflicted man) was just too similar to enjoy thoroughly as I knew how the story would travel and end. It's a shame, as the other characters are so well drawn and the premise of perfumer/poisoner is a fantastic one. We're promised more from the world of the White Rat, both from Swordheart and Paladin's Grace, and I can guarantee I will read and enjoy any and all of them. Now the standard romance has been played out there are many opportunities for many more intriguing storylines to come.Having said that, please read this book - it's as warm, quirky, funny and intriguing as all of them and you'd be missing out if you didn't.

T Kingfisher has a great knack for observing people and writes characters so they ring true and you love them, and are amused by their habits and root for them. This book is a murder mystery, an adventure, a romance and a fantasy. The romance is heartbreaking because it is two people who do not value themselves trying to believe that someone else could love them. They are also the viewpoints of two people who have in common that they are really dedicated experts and see the world through the lens of their expertise. The perfumier always notes smells, pleasant or unpleasant - and this is integral to her character and is done well throughout the whole book, rather than being dropped after the first couple of chapters. The paladin tends to have combat advice running in his head and he sees the world in terms of threats and solutions to the threats. There is much warmth to this book despite the dark events the two main characters experience.

I’ve been sampling badly written novels in this genre too much lately. To return to excellent prose , fine characters, and a compelling plot — plus humor and a romance that is believable and touching and fun (and includes a man who knits socks!) —what a pleasure!

I loved the richly described world, the premise and the characters ( a sock-knitting ex-paladin!!) and the love story was sweet.Recommendand the

If you've liked any of her other books, you'll love this one. If you haven't read her work yet, then this is a great starting point. It's set in the same world as Clockwork Boys and Swordheart, and she does such a great job of bringing the city of Archenhold to life. The way the author keeps adding more and more depth and life to this setting with every book, yet each book stands well on its own, well, it's really amazing. The characters really ring true.Also the romance is really good. The conflicts in the story all felt liked they progressed naturally. If someone made a dumb mistake, it was a mistake consistent with their character (i.e. No one gets tossed an Idiot Ball in this book)Anyway, I'm going to immediately go re read this book now, because it's that good.

I love all the author's works, and this is a long beloved favourite. Stephen the paladin is simply the perfect hero: kind, forthright, tortured by his tragic past, and he knits. I love him excessively. Grace is a lovely heroine: skilled, determined, very aware of who she is. The notes about perfumery are interesting and add so much colour to the story. Also, it's hot. The almost-kisses are as good as the actual kisses.The whole series is great, and I love the world these books exist in. Overall, an excellent fantasy adventure with a love story that really works.I know I've overused the word 'love' in this review, but I really do love this book. I want you to read it, because you deserve to love it as much as I do.

This story comes together very well because of the characters. Grace, our heroine, is a perfumer. Her remarkable sense of smell allows her to break fragrances into their components and to compound unique personal perfumes for customers. She has escaped an abusive past and is building a new life in a new kingdom. Grace is vulnerable, but also strong and determined to survive on her own and to solve her own problems. Stephen was a paladin called to work on behalf of his god, until the god died. Now the paladins that survived the death of their god are watching after each other and working for Bishop Beartongue who serves the White Rat. Stephen is a mighty warrior, but he struggles with his control and worries about his broken soul and his future. There is something charming about a powerful man who knits pink socks. The wise and wonderous Bishop is smart, empathetic, kind, and a skilled diplomat. She provided a home for the paladins after the death of their god despite the murderous berserker rage that overcame many of them when the god died. The background is rich, and the plot is complex. The nice thing is that the story does not get lost in lengthy explanatory passages to set up the characters, the world, and the elements of the plot. There are multiple plot lines, which reach resolution, although one of the plot lines is only partially resolved. The romance is romantic, with some passionate sex scenes. This is a pre-industrial world where travel is by horse or on foot, and lighting is with candles. It is a complicated social structure with multiple temples that serve different gods and a multiple political powers. There are details that are gross (an autopsy, decapitations, and oceans of mud) and some that are charming (the gnoles, small badger like creatures that engage in street cleaning and odd jobs). The pacing is brisk and the writing is good.