Jacey Bedford's Journal

Set in the same world as Swordheart, The Clockwork Boys and The Wonder Engine, but unconnected, this is a fabulous read.

Stephen is a paladin, utterly broken by the death of the Saint of Steel, the god he served. Now, three years later, along with half a dozen other broken paladins (the only survivors of the god's death) he serves the Temple of the White Rat. His only ambition is to be useful without experiencing his dead god's uncontrollable berserker madness and killing innocent people. His hobby is knitting socks. A soldier always needs a good pair of socks. Grace Angelica is a perfumer running from her past, trying to make a living in a new city - Archon's Glory - with only her landlady, Marguerite, and a civet for friends.

 After Stephen inadvertently rescues Grace from the servants of the Hanged Mother, a particularly nasty god with acolytes to match, the pair of them dance around each other with engaging lack of social skills, but soon they are trying to outwit the Motherhood, track down an assassin and deal with a particularly nasty spate of beheadings. This is a love story, but so much more. There are some wonderful characters in this book: Bishop Beartongue, a formidable woman; Istvhan, a brother paladin, also broken, but with a sense of humour; Marguerite, not only a landlady, but a spy. The author handles all this with deft touch, light when necessary, even funny at times for such a serious premise. I loved Swordheart, and this falls into the same category for me, fantastic and romantic. Expect socks, severed heads, false accusations, scents (good and bad), foreign dignitaries, faithful friends, and an evil ex-husband. Highly recommended. I couldn't put it down.