I am admitting that while i can absolutely read 50 plus books in a year, writing them up is apparently a challenge.
I enjoy T. Kingfisher books generally – they meet a very real need for cozy fantasy with self aware flawed characters. Since the Clocktaur wars duology (hopefully i did write about that?) she has set a number of stories in that world. It is a world of city-states, gods and magic.
Paladins Faith
Paladin’s Faith is the fourth book in the series, which follows a group of Paladins whose God died. The Saint of Steel (which was a god, not a saint) was a god of berserkers, the Paladins were all berserkers. When the god died, the paladins and the priests went mad, and a number of them killed each other. The remaining group have found a home of sorts with the Temple of the White Rat, a pragmatic and helpful group. They are all broken in some way.
This book sees Marguerite, a spy, seeking out the Bishop of the White Rat for help. Marguerite appeared in the first Paladin book, as a friend of the heroine, but had to disappear as the consequences of being a spy were following her. In this book, the consequences have continued to dog her, and she is in need of assistance. A rival spy organisation continues to target her, and all of the other options have not worked. In an act of desperation, she is asking the White Rat for help in locating an artificer (Ashes Magnus, reoccurring from the Clocktaur wars) who has designed a machine to extract salt from seawater. Salt is tightly controlled, cities and organisations that control the salt trade are wealthy. Getting the machine built will destabalise the rival organisation and will also help the White Rat in assisting people.
The Bishop agrees to provide two paladins as an escort for Marguerite to a gathering of wealthy merchants and minor nobles. Shane, a paladin who grew up in the Temple of the Dreaming God, another god that has paladins, and Wren, who was a minor noble before becoming a berserker and then a paladin. Shane has some rejection issues – he grew up training and expecting to be called by the Dreaming God, and he wasn’t. Wren has some confidence issues, she is not comfortable playing a noblewoman, she prefers her life as a paladin.
This is a romance, although a slow burn. Marguerite and Shane are attracted to each other, but they represent very different spaces- she is a pragmatic spy who does what she needs to do. Lies and subterfuge are key to her life. He is someone who has dedicated his life twice over to gods, and has a reasonably rigid moral code. They struggle with their attraction, and believing the other is not attracted/not approving of their moral stances.
Things do not quite go to plan, and the three are forced to flee the house party, along with a former associate of Marguerite’s, who was flirting with Wren. Trying not to spoil the rest of this – but both Marguerite and Shane must confront what they are willing to do for a loved one, their faith in the world and their gods.
I enjoyed the story, the reappearance of a number of characters, and the mechanism to resolve one of the key conflicts (setting other things in motion?) Part of the mystery of the death of the Saint of Steel was addressed here, clearly future books will build on this.
Swordheart
This book is also set in the same world, a few years earlier.
Halla has inherited her great uncle’s (by marriage) estate, much to the disgust and consternation of the extended family. In an effort to secure the inheritance, one of the matriarchs is trying to force Halla to marry her son, and has locked her in her bedroom. Halla draws the sword in the room, intending to kill herself, and Sarkis appears. He was bound to the sword hundreds of years ago, and must serve the owner, which is now Halla.
There is an element of slapstick here, the two of them escape the house and the family and set out to a nearrby city, to ask the Temple of the White Rat for help. Adventures on the road ensue, the two get to know each other, and their respective traumas appear. The White Rat sends them back with a lawyer (non-binary) and she successfully gets her inheritance, but there is conflict with a rival religious order and someone seeking to collect the sword itself.
Halla has a lack of confidence in herself, Sarkis feels guilt for how he ended up in the Sword and his fellow mercenaries who also ended up in swords. These cause some significant miscommunication issues, before everything can be resolved. Both Halla and Sarkis need to have faith in the other.
I enjoyed this as well, the worldbuilding and characterisation are awesome. It was somewhat more frustrating in how the characters behhaved, but they are still engaging.
Something i enjoy with the Paladin books and with Swordheart – they are specifically childfree. The end game for a lot of romances is the epilogue with children. These heroines and heros are specific and clear that they do not wish for children and discuss this, in varying ways. As someone who did not get the choice in being childfree, it is refreshing and appreciated that the childfree nature is addressed clearly. There are multiple reasons and methods for the childfree status, but I like knowing that i will not be ambushed by an epilogue with the many children from prior books.
I also appreciate the approach on sexuality and gender appearance – in that a big deal is not made about the same sex couples or the non-binary characters – they simply exist within the world and participate in it.