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I enjoyed listening to this fluffy romance very much. The background story of a poisoning and some killings with victims getting there heads chopped off made it a mystery somehow. The humour had me laugh in my car a lot of times and made up for the somewhat overdone insecurity of the two main characters. I have to say listening to Steven & Grace‘s thoughts about whether they liked each other or not was quite annoying. Still a pick.

Well, we can certainly stand in one place and look … ah … bearded. 🤣🤣🤣

Kingfisher says that she wanted to write a fluffy romance, but wound up with a few too many severed heads and rotting corpses. I'd still put it in the fluffy, and formulaic category. Luckily it's also sweet, relatable and often funny, with a nice slow burn.

#SeriesLove2025

Don't you hate it when you read what you at first think is a four book series, but then it turns out it's supposed to be a seven book series and the last anyone heard book five was due last year? 😣 I binged so hard on this series, and while the romance was starting to feel rather formulaic, the overarching plot was just getting going, and it's rare that books make me LOL this much. I want book 5 damnit!

This is going to be a fun series. Glad I finally started it.

Kingfisher‘s books are so fun to read—a paladin adrift after the death of the god he served, a perfumer running from her past, a spy who may be much more, a killer stalking the streets of the city, & oh yeah, an assassination attempt…lots going on in this one which is held together, as always, by witty banter (Kingfisher is great at dialog), pining, humor, noxious toadies, & the good guys/girls doing good things. The first in a series. Fun read.

My #bookspinbingo list for August @TheAromaofBooks

Stephen is a worried possibly uncontrollably murderous paladin who knits socks while Grace is a self conscious perfumer with a penchant for trouble. These two are sweet and exemplify the cozy romantic fantasy of Kingfisher.

I preferred Swordheart (sequel 🙏), but will for sure read the rest of this series. It was nice being familiar with this world of Rat 🐀 priests and terrible temple of the mother. #romantsy #cozyfantasy #knittersoflitsy

I meant to be done with this blanket before my son arrived, but he arrived a bit early, so I am knitting by his beside. I haven‘t read much the last month, but have made my way through a few audiobooks thanks to @Kimberlone and her hoopla hookup.

I love going back to the world from Swordheart. Also Stephen, the MC, is a knitter. 🧶🧶🧶 #craftsy #knittersoflitsy #knitting #fantasy

This man(Stephen) is such a gentle giant….. made up of a heart of gold, warm socks and a sweet sense of humor… if Grace doesn‘t snatch him up, I will…

“Saint‘s teeth, even if he hadn‘t been prone to berserker fits, there was nothing about Stephen that would set a maiden‘s heart alight. He was solid, reliable, and worried about people getting turned into severed heads or standing around with wet feet. Bards did not compose wistful ballads about men like him.”

I‘m sorry but I like my men solid, reliable and caring about severed heads and wet feet. Sounds like a good man to me Stephen.

Close to a DNF for me, only finished it because it was for a book club. Story was very uninteresting and under developed overall. Narrator for the audiobook was painfully monotone and boring. Will not be reading the rest of the series

Absolutely adored Stephen and Grace journey together❤️❤️ I loved that this is set in the same world with returning characters from Swordheart. T. Kingfisher is quickly becoming one of my fav authors. Can‘t wait to read the next book in the series. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

When the Saint of Steel died, his paladins went berserk, literally. When the dust settled, the temple was in ruins & the remaining seven broken paladins were adopted by the temple of the Rat.
Stephan has dedicated his life to repaying the Rat for taking in him and his fellow paladins, not allowing himself a life outside of his oath. Until he met Grace.
Grace is a talented perfumer who was accused of poisoning the Prince.

Look, if you can‘t laugh about the homicidal fits that make you a menace to society, what‘s even the point?

Beartongue eventually told them that if they didn‘t stop trying to make her laugh in front of the Motherhood priest, she‘d throw them in the stockade.

“You don‘t have a stockade,” said Stephen.

“You will get to build one so that I can throw you in it!”

“Well, that does seem practical.”

“That‘s the Rat‘s priests for you,” said Istvhan. “Always very practical.”

One to go! @AsYouWish #WickedWords

I loved this book it was sweet and had a really great premise with a love story on the side. Not to mention I loved it because of the dnd aspects of paladins and the creatures and religions of that world. Already started the second book.

Such a gorgeous book! I recently included a reference to this in an article for Interweave Knits 🧶 super excited for the article, only my second popular publication

#LetterP recs:

Paladin's Grace by T. Kingfisher
Piranesi by Susanna Clarke
A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers

#AlphabetGame @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

I really enjoyed this book. I liked the world set up and the characters. I definitely plan to continue this series and see what else Kingfisher has to offer!

Stephen has lost his god and has had nothing to live for for 3 years. His group was taken in by the Temple of the Rats. Grace makes/sells perfumes and is accused of poisoning and thrown in jail. This book has a lot going on in the world and there is a bigger mystery going on as well.

The pup is sick, so I set up an air mattress in the basement so I can keep an eye on him at night. He‘s not allowed in our bedroom or bed, so this is the best way to keep an eye on him.

Really enjoying this book. It‘s one of my first T. Kingfisher books.

Another delightful read by T. Kingfisher. In the same world as Swordheart, but the beginning of a new series of standalones. Our heroes are a paladin who can go into berserker rages and loves to knit, and a perfumer who has escaped a crappy marriage. Adventure ensues! I look forward to more in this series. 4⭐️

#weekendreads
1. Listening to tagged, reading Deceived by the Gargoyles by Lillian Lark
2. My Darling Wife by Samantha Downing
3. My TBR/what‘s up on my library holds/mood

Happy 4th of July and Happy #LitsyLoveSummerSwap opening day!! @Hazel2019 thank you so much!!! I'm so excited about all three of these books!!! The card is gorgeous, snuggly socks are always a win, and the bookmarks are so pretty and unique - I especially love the ginkgo one, which ironically got cut out of the picture haha And 50 bags of tea! YAY! Thank you so much!!!

And thank you for hosting @kdgordon88 @rsteve388 - such a fun swap!!

Enjoying the return of the nice weather 😎😊

From the World of the White Rat Series, which was nominated for a 2022 Hugo Best Series award, this is an enjoyable story, with good characters, suspense, comedy and romance (though maybe a little too much romance for my tastes). I've enjoyed a number of other works by T. Kingfisher (a.k.a. Ursula Vernon).

#hugoawards #hugo2022
#BookSpinBingo @TheAromaofBooks

I‘ve been working on this Japanese Garden by Chatelaine on and off (mostly off) for the past 17 years. I‘m hoping May‘s #LitsyCrafters focus on cross-stitch will help me get working on it again! @Catsandbooks

I‘ll be #audiostitching along to the first book in T. Kingfisher‘s Paladin series.

I loved this one so much! It was dark and mysterious, yet there were moments when I found myself laughing out loud (like at the quote above). Stephen is a paladin whose god has died and therefore he is prone to losing himself to the battle tide. When he meets Grace and continues to rescue her, he doesn't want to grow close to her in case he should lose control and hurt her.
The characters were complex but relatable and the story was gripping.

April #bookspinbingo list is ready! Leaving a bit of wiggle room on choices this month because I've been in a mood reading mood lately
@TheAromaofBooks

I've completed 12 #booked2022 prompts so far. The first half of a challenge is always the easiest since I just read what I want and see what matches a prompt, it's the second half that's harder when I start having to read outside my comfort zone a little more.

@Cinfhen @4thhouseontheleft @BarbaraTheBibliophage

It was really lovely to delve back into the world she introduced in Clockwork Boys, and I love how all these different books are very loosely related together (I get a little giddy whenever anyone from another book is mentioned, and I love how awkward and imperfect the characters are. And while romance novels will never be my genre of choice, I‘m becoming a fan of awkward romantic fantasy.

4.5/5

I've been hearing so many good things about this series I finally had to check it out. If you enjoy some romance in your fantasy, you have to check out this series. It follows paladin, Stephen, 3 years after his god has died when he meets Grace. There's mystery, murder, perfume, and romance. It's both a sweet romance, and a fantastic fantasy world, and I loved it.

Freshly reread in preparation for the sequel's release. Which, gimme!

(Quote from author's Acknowledgments.)

his book was just so lovely and fluffy! Grace is a perfumer who gets caught up in a royal plot and Stephen is a Paladin dealing with lingering mental health issues from the death of his god. They meet when he saves her from charges of grave robbing and then he later saves her from fainting in public by dragging her into another room and accidentally foiling an assassination. This #romantsy is easygoing and joyful with depth.

Full review here: https://wp.me/p21txV-Hy

Rating: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ of 5 ⭐s

I read this all the way back in February, but given how stressful life was at the time (double-whammy of work + recovery from the Mt. Taal eruption), this was a nice, bright spot whenever I picked it up. And right, I think we need all the bright spots we can get. Hopefully this is just what some of you need.

This was recommended by a close friend of mine who said I might like stories about broken people healing each other, and since she knows my tastes very well, I have full faith that this'll be good :D.

I delight in Vernon's world building, but one of my favorite things about this book is the return and elaboration of the Temple of the Rat character, Bishop Beartongue, and she was a secondary character here at best. The author's afterword implies she may return in a future book, and oh I cannot wait.

Set in the same world as T Kingfisher‘s Clocktaur Wars duology and Swordheart, this book romance has everything you could want: an amusing & awkward 1st meeting, assatinations, eventual kissings, decapitations, a paladin whose god died, a perfumer, courtroom drama, knitting and anal glands.

I shan‘t say any more because spoilers. However, it moved me both to laughter and tears more than once. Cannot recomment highly enough! 5/5

Dating tips for abandoned paladins.

New from Vernon/Kingfisher!!

#releasedayyay

Standalone set in the same Clockwork world? Gimme!