 | Paladin’s Grace opens with a shattering opening line: “Stephen’s god died a little after noon on the longest day of the year.” Stephen is a skilled knight-paladin serving the Saint of Steel, and when his god dies, he and his fellow knights shatter and go berserk. Three years later, the surviving knights now serve the White Rat (god) in return for being sheltered on the fateful day their god died. Stephen’s duties mostly involve escorting the Rat’s healers into the poorer sections of the city. It is during one such venture he helps a perfumer named Grace evade minions of the Hanged Mother, a sect known for fanaticism. The two of them immediately hit it off, but circumstances keep them apart at first. |
Stephen and Grace don’t exchange names and don’t know how to find each other in the crowded city. We get to watch them long for each other for a couple of chapters and root for them to find each other, creating wonderful suspense.
 | Grace the perfumer describes her world by smell. Her description after meeting Stephen: “He smelled clean and warm, with notes of leather and metal and, for whatever reason, gingerbread.” Her best friend, Marguerite, gets Grace a commission to make perfume for a visiting Crown Prince, and also vows to find the mysterious paladin Grace is smitten with. Marguerite and Grace are both from the neighboring city of Anuket, where we learn Grace was married to a cad named Philip who cheated on her and passed off her perfumes as his own. |
Grace escaped Philip and through skill and hard work has slowly built up a thriving perfumery, though she still carries internal scars from Philip’s mistreatment and accusations of her poor sexual performance.
 | When Stephen is given guard duty for the foreign prince’s welcoming ceremony he sees Grace presenting her perfume as a gift to the Crown Prince. She becomes faint in the crowded room and he escorts her to the hallway where they discover a dead guard and a young boy holding a bloodied knife. The boy swallows poison before he can be questioned, then Grace’s friend Marguerite takes incriminating papers off his body and suggests Stephen meet them in Grace’s perfume shop to learn what they say. The women leave and Stephen is questioned by inquisitors of the Hanged Mother, but released. |
From there things become complicated, with stolen books and false allies soliciting “help” from Grace when the Crown Prince falls ill.
 | Grace is accused of poisoning the Crown Prince with her perfume and stands trial. Luckily the White Rat aids her with a smart lawyer named Zale. The minions of the Hanged Mother use the book stolen from Grace’s to insinuate her guilt. Zale is able to question the case against Grace. Then the cad Philip shows up from Grace's past and falsely accuses Grace of crafting poisons in Anuket—then Stephen misbehaves, landing both he and Grace in prison. One of the most satisfying scenes occurs later when Philip comes looking to hone in on Grace's perfumery and she throws him out of the shop. |
This is a “slow-burn” romance between Grace and Stephen: it takes them most of the book to act on their growing desire for each other, but when they do, it is thoroughly satisfying. The two of them complement each other perfectly: Stephen is the balm for the scars she carries from Philip, and Grace is unafraid of the former paladin’s brokenness.
The novel’s climax is a celebration of friendship and loyalty, with Stephen and Grace facing down the Hanged Mother’s guards with Stephen’s fellow former paladin’s and priests of the White Rat. The resolution is unexpected but absolutely perfect.
Paladin’s Grace is a standalone novel in the World of the White Rat series, meaning you can enjoy it without reading any of the other books. It’s a page-turner for both the exciting plot events and the lovely romance between two endearing characters. Highly recommended.
The novel’s climax is a celebration of friendship and loyalty, with Stephen and Grace facing down the Hanged Mother’s guards with Stephen’s fellow former paladin’s and priests of the White Rat. The resolution is unexpected but absolutely perfect.
Paladin’s Grace is a standalone novel in the World of the White Rat series, meaning you can enjoy it without reading any of the other books. It’s a page-turner for both the exciting plot events and the lovely romance between two endearing characters. Highly recommended.
Read more in the world of the White Rat: Swordheart
For additional mature "romantasy," try Best New Romantic Fantasy, The Unspoken Name,
The Thousand Eyes, Fire Logic, and Earth Logic.
Other fabulous books by T. Kingfisher include Nettle & Bone, A Sorceress Comes to Call,
Thornhedge, Hemlock & Silver, and What Moves the Dead
For additional mature "romantasy," try Best New Romantic Fantasy, The Unspoken Name,
The Thousand Eyes, Fire Logic, and Earth Logic.
Other fabulous books by T. Kingfisher include Nettle & Bone, A Sorceress Comes to Call,
Thornhedge, Hemlock & Silver, and What Moves the Dead
