#29: T. Kingfisher, Paladin's Grace (Saint of Steel #1)

[kareila]

I gather that there are earlier stories set elsewhere in this same world, but I didn’t get a sense that I was missing anything by starting here. The setup: in a pseudo-Renaissance city, there are many gods of various specialties, and when one of them mysteriously dies, his followers go mad with grief. Seven surviving paladins of the dead god find refuge and purpose in the temple of another god, the White Rat, a practical god of healers, lawyers, and such. The Bishop of their order is the most likable secondary character of the story. The two main characters are Steven, one of the paladins, and Grace, a merchant with a traumatic past who memorably crosses his path one day. Both of them have emotional damage that complicates their path to a romantic relationship, but watching them work through it to find a happy ending is a delightful experience.

It looks like this book is the first of a trilogy, with the other installments focusing on two of Steven's other paladin comrades. Perhaps they will all find love? I hope they also tie up the loose ends of the story that were left dangling here.

Content note: the sex scenes do not fade to black, they are fairly explicit.