Scott's Take: Paladin’s Grace by T. Kingfisher (The Saint of Steel series)

 

Paladin’s Grace by T. Kingfisher is the first book in the series,  The Saint of Steel. It is also set in the overarching “The World of the White Rat” universe that covers several different series.

 

Stephen, the main male character, is a Paladin that has fallen in to depression. What is a Paladin, you ask? A Paladin is usually a heroic figure that derives their powers from a god. They are the knights of a God. For want of a better way of putting it, they have a sort of psychic spiritual connection to a god that gives them powers, guidance, and support.

 

The Saint of Steel (a god) is considered dead since his prescence is no longer felt by his followers. Many of those psychically connected followers having lost that connection, became adrift, and could not handle the loss of the presence of the god. Some died in battle. Some went completely insane. Many of them killed themselves.

 

As the book opens three years later, Stephen and 6 others remain, and have united together to survive. Stephen stumbles into an assassination plot that involves a local perfume maker named Grace. Soon Stephen and others are attempting to uncover the truth of what is going on. Additionally, Stephen is also involved in the secondary storyline involving murders and decapitation.

 

This is a romance fantasy book that follows Kingfisher’s usual plot beats. So, you get a lot of character development, action, comedy, romance, and characters dealing with their past. As expected, the read is a fantasy featuring romance type characters in their mid-thirties or so in a medieval style world. Her books are a little repetitive and follow a sort of template that applies across multiple series.

 

It usually takes me to Chapter Five before I start liking the characters enough to stay with the read. Despite what you read on the synopsis on Goodreads and elsewhere, the idea of the god being dead is not a substantial part of the book. Some plot threads lead into the next book, Paladin’s Strength.

 

There are currently 4 books out in this series and 3 more planned. There are also several  other series that tie into this series. So, there is a lot to read if you are interested in this type of book.

 

Amazon Associate Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/3T0RIMw

 

 

I read this in digital format by way of the Libby/Overdrive App through the Dallas Public Library System.

 

Scott A. Tipple ©2026