Paladin's Strength

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.