Booklog 5/2024: T. Kingfisher: Paladin’s Faith – Saint of Steel #4

Kindle version. I love T. Kingfisher’s books in general and her Saint of Steel books in particular, so I was delighted to pre-order this. Wren and Shane, both Paladins of the now-deceased Saint of Steel, are assigned by Bishop Beartongue of the White Rat to protect Marguerite at a foreign court where she’s looking for information about an artificer who could revolutionise the salt trade – which might not sound terribly exciting, but it could affect many other trades and revolutionise the economies of many countries. Unfortunately, Marguerite is likely to be killed by one of the factions of the Red Sail, but worryingly she’s not sure which faction or whether she’s a primary target or just a loose end that they are trying to clear up from a previous encounter. While Wren has to pose as a minor foreign dignitary at court, Shane plays the muscle-bound bodyguard, supposedly standing on the side-lines. It would all be so simple if he were not falling for Marguerite and unable to protect her from the more unpleasant parts of her job as a spy. Then, suddenly, their roles are reversed and it’s Shane who is in deadly danger. There’s peril, action and quirky humour a-plenty without letting the dramatic or romantic tension lapse. Highly recommended. And if you haven’t read the other Saint of Steel books, they are also highly recommended. I would suggest starting with Paladin’s Grace, where we first meet Marguerite as a secondary character, but all the books stand alone. I'm hoping Judith is the next Paladin to have her own book. There's a loose end in this that could easily lead to that.