I Should Read That

Book review¹

He’s a paladin of a dead god, tracking a supernatural killer across a continent. She’s a nun from a secretive order, on the trail of the raiders who burned her convent and kidnapped her sisters.

When their paths cross at the point of a sword, Istvhan and Clara will be pitched headlong into each other’s quests, facing off against enemies both living and dead. But Clara has a secret that could jeopardize the growing trust between them, a secret that will lead them to the gladiatorial pits of a corrupt city, and beyond…

I recently read Paladin’s Grace and was hungry for more of the amazing characters and world of the Saints of Steel series. I picked up Paladin’s Strength soon after finishing the first book – breaking my rule about reading series back to back – and was once again delighted Kingfisher’s wonderful writing.

Like many romance series, rather than fantasy series, the books in the Saints of Steel series pick up with different characters tied to the original storyline. Paladin’s Strength features Istvhar, one of Steven’s fellow paladins whom we meet in the first book, and Clara, a woman on a quest to save her sisters kidnapped from the convent of St. Ursa. If you’re worried about not following the same couple from the first book, don’t be. While Clara and Istvhan are very different from Steven and Grace, you’ll still get what makes the first book, and the series as a whole, so delightful.

Paladin’s Strength has a bit more plot than Paladin’s Grace did – we get a good old fashioned fantasy quest storyline (which happens to be one of my favourite types of fantasy narrative). As Clara and Istvhan join forces and face dangers together on the road, their interactions change and evolve as the grow to know each other. Not only was watching their relationship blossom so lovely, this really cements their HEA (happily ever after), a problem I sometimes have in romantasy (what do you talk about after you’ve finished your quest and life goes back to normal?? What happens when there’s no more sexy mortal peril?? I can’t see these two having that problem).

Much like the first book, our couple is in their late 30s-early 40s, which remains one of my favourite aspects of this series. Romance and complaining about back pain? Yes please. These two are also physically large people. Clara is tall and large and incredibly physically strong. She also has incredible strength of character and is confident in herself and her abilities. She’s such a breath of fresh air and has made it onto my list of all-time favourite characters. She’s perfectly paired with Istvhan, who is huge and intimidating but also a kind (and snarky) soul and they compliment each other so well. I loved their bonding over how tiny furniture and silverware is for people of their stature.

While I found Paladin’s Strength a little long, I had a great time with it. This book is another excellent instalment in Kingfisher’s beloved romantasy series, and the hype is well worth it!

1. I received a copy of this book from Orbit Books in exchange for an honest review. ↩︎