Paladin's Strength
Ratings53
Average rating4.2
15
Ratings53
Average rating4.2
From two-time Hugo Award-winning author T. Kingfisher comes Paladin's Strength, the perfect blend of cosy fantasy romance and classic fantasy adventure featuring an order of secretive nuns, a swashbuckling paladin and a strange hive of rabbits. He's a paladin of a dead god, tracking a supernatural killer across a continent. She's a nun from a secretive order, on the trail of the raiders who burned her convent and kidnapped her sisters. When their paths cross at the point of a sword, Istvhan and Clara will be pitched headlong into each other's quests, facing off against enemies both living and dead. But Clara has a secret that could jeopardize the growing trust between them, a secret that will lead them to the gladiatorial pits of a corrupt city, and beyond... Praise for T. Kingfisher: 'T. Kingfisher solidifies her place as natural and inevitable heir to the greats of her genre, while remaining clearly and unquestionably a unique voice in fantasy' Seanan McGuire 'Exciting, deeply wise, sad, brutal and compassionate all at once. And beautifully written, with a plot as cunning as fine embroidery' Catriona Ward 'Creepy, funny, heartfelt, and full of fantastic characters I absolutely loved' Melissa Caruso, author of The Tethered Mage "Nettle & Bone brings Kingfisher's signature honesty and authenticity to a fairy tale setting: the result is refreshing, earnest but not naive, and deeply satisfying. I devoured it. This is one that's going to stay with me for a long time' Sarah Gailey, author of Magic for Liars 'A delight throughout' Louisa Morgan, author of A Secret History of Witches 'T. Kingfisher uses the bones of fairy tale to create something entirely her own, written in gloriously clear and transparent prose' Emily Tesh, author of Some Desperate Glory 'Funny, frightening, and full of heart; I loved it' Alix E. Harrow, author of The Ten Thousand Doors of January 'Charming and macabre, often both at the same time' A. K. Larkwood, author of The Unspoken Name 'Absolutely delightful and full of charm and truth' Naomi Novik, on Thornhedge
Reviews with the most likes.
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.
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.
Series
4 primary booksThe Saint of Steel is a 4-book series with 4 primary works first released in 2020 with contributions by T. Kingfisher.
Series
1 released bookThe World of the White Rat is a 7-book series first released in 2017 with contributions by T. Kingfisher.
Featured Prompt
2,669 booksWhen you think back on every book you've ever read, what are some of your favorites? These can be from any time of your life – books that resonated with you as a kid, ones that shaped your personal...
