Paladin's Strength
Ratings88
Average rating4.2
4.25 stars Second book in the Saint of Steel quadrilogy, a Romantic high fantasy mystery, it follows another Paladin, Istvhan who is tracking the strange serial killer (from the previous book) and meets a nun, Clara, whose fellow sisters were kidnapped. I decided to read the second book quickly after the first and overall it was another very good read! Yet again I really liked the main characters again and the side characters were all very compelling, plus the worldbuilding is really great. I loved that they continued the subplot of the serial killer and the clay creatures from the previous book which were truly disturbing. I also liked how the author basically reimagined the Prometheus and Galatea myth (but making it gay and horror/murder based). The subplot with Clara and her fellow nuns who has been kidnapped, was also super interesting though it's not until later into the book we see more of that element, which disappointed me a bit. Pacing wise unfortunately there was parts in this that really dragged on too much for my taste, especially when Istvhan and Clara travel together towards the middle of the book. Some parts didn't really added anything substantial to the plot or their relationship, also some scenes felt repetitive. Once they get to their destination, the action was more fast paced and I liked it more. The romance part as still good though because of the pacing problems, I wasn't totally into it. Still I'm looking forward to check out the other books in the series, though I might wait a bit before reading them.
Another fantasy romance book by T Kingfisher. To be honest didn't grip me as much as the previous book in the series but an easy read nonetheless.
Probably more of a 3.5 but I'm rounding up.
This one took a while to get going for me but eventually I was totally engaged with the story and the characters. Clara is a super fun heroine and I really her character arc a lot, especially the reveal of her identity was such a delightful surprise. Ishtvan felt a bit different than the character I came to love in Paladin's Grace but he is still a compassionate leader and takes care of everyone with him. The plot was also a bit on the slow side which made me very distracted but overall, I had fun listening to the well narrated audiobook and hopefully will get to the next one soon.
You all know how much I love T. Kingfisher's fantasy-romance novels. Paladin's Strength is just as funny, just as heart-warming, and just as weird as the other ones. I cannot recommend her enough, and I laughed through this entire book. I can't wait to reread it, honestly.
...as the story progresses, Clara realises that while the hurts done to her shape her and are forever a part of her, they are not the end-all and be-all of who she is. She opens up, not because someone else makes her do so, but because she chooses to.
Full review here: https://wp.me/p21txV-K0
I'm not sure how to write a review of this book except to say: !!!!! And that doesn't tell you enough about why it's so wonderful and why T. Kingfisher is a national treasure. So I'll try to elaborate a bit more. Paladin's Strength is a more than worthy sequel to [b:Paladin's Grace 50702014 Paladin's Grace (The Saint of Steel, #1) T. Kingfisher https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1580209503l/50702014.SY75.jpg 75730699]. The hero is Istvhan, another paladin from the unfortunate order whose god died, leaving the Saints of Steel devastated and in chaos. The previous book's hero Stephen found a reason to go on living, as well as love, with a beautiful but insecure perfumer. Now it's Istvhan's turn, as he's on a journey to try to find the source of the horrific “smooth men” who are killing people and leaving headless corpses behind. He accidentally picks up Clara, a tall, full-bodied woman who isn't quite forthcoming about her reasons for wanting to join Istvhan's caravan. That is the start of an epic adventure that includes creepy rabbits, a giant toad named Maude, a tonic-peddling salesman, and enough unresolved sexual tension (UST) and mutual pining that you will want to slap both MCs and yell at them to just get on with it already (one memorable secondary character eventually does just that, and I wanted to stand up and cheer). The last 20% of the book must be read in one sitting because of the constant danger that one or both of the main characters could die at any moment. And nd of course for T. Kingfisher fans, there is a gnole. What Kingfisher (who is also [a:Ursula Vernon 36276 Ursula Vernon https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1271095776p2/36276.jpg]) continues to do so well is blend imaginative storytelling, very human yet brave and noble characters, humor that arises naturally from their interactions, creepy horror, and pointed yet never pedantic commentary on the foibles of humanity (paladins, nuns, warlords and others). Istvhan and Clara are keeping secrets from each other, but they are both aware of that fact, and they like and support each other anyway. They have their reasons for believing they aren't good love interest material - Isthvan because of that whole dead god, tendency to indulge in berserker fits thing, Clara because of - well, it starts with her being a big woman but is much more complicated than that. Their reticence to make the first move is understandable even as it is absolutely goddamn frustrating (Kingfisher's editor apparently was scribbling notes in the manuscript margins to that effect). So by the time they finally get together, you know it is well earned and that they will walk through fire for each other. If there is a weakness in the book, it is in that it ends abruptly, leaving me wishing for an epilogue chapter that sees the couple living blissfully together in a home with a very large bed, but that's not Kingfisher's style. She's romantic but not sentimental. I guess the best I can do is hope that readers will catch a glimpse of Istvhan and Clara in the next book in the series, which can't come soon enough.
I'm rounding this up from 4.5.
This is a sequel to Paladin's Grace, although I'm sure you could enjoy this without having read Paladin's Grace (but go read that anyways).
As the afterword to Paladin's Grace said: “I had it in my mind that I was going to write a fluffy romance. I am a great fan of fluffy romance. I am told that there are generally fewer severed heads and rotting corpse golems in fluffy romance, so possibly this book didn't quite get there, but I'm certain I can write something fluffy eventually. Probably.”
So there's another lovely fluffy romance in this book, plus more severed heads and rotting corpses, plus nuns with a secret. Plus some newts. And mules. And bears. And, of course, delight.
A quote: ““So their leader looks pretty dead,” said Istvhan, who was at the point where a corpse was a welcome break in the tension. “
If a corpse is not occasionally a break in the tension of a fluffy romance, you may not enjoy this book. If, however, you're willing for the occasional severed head coming up, in between the romantic tension, you will be delighted.
