A mention because it was so good, I lost sleep over it: Paladin’s Grace was an awesome book. Literally, that may be the worst thing that I can say about it. Paladin’s Grace isn’t quite fluffy romance and isn’t quite murder mystery or legal drama, but does weave a delightful tale; or perhaps you could say, it’s the kind of romance story that I enjoy.
Stephen and Grace make an excellent pair, but we are also rewarded with something that I’m very fond of–the witty supporting characters. I’m pretty sure that Istvhan and the bishop’s antics alone make the book worth reading. I’m not really fond of highlighting passages in novels, but found myself marking quite a few of them. Also, laughing my ass off in spots.
One of the things that I also particularly applaud is the level of veneer. We don’t need a detailed view to experience the pathological horror that Grace’s backstory may imply, nor the trauma that Stephen has suffered, but the characterizations and details that we do encounter weave what’s necessary. Plus, to be honest, I kind of love how that sometimes manifests itself.
Seriously, the paladins guarding the bishop made me cackle so much. Imagine a bunch of bored paladins discussing how to stab people with statuaries and the occasional oversized hat. Not to mention the knitting and other flavorful oddities.
Yep, I think my reading queue has shifted for a while. I’m not sure if the next book, Paladin’s Strength, will be as spectacular, but I plan to find out. The worst case is I lose a few hours sleep over reading late into the night. Fortunately, it’s the weekend coming…