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Poisoned Saints #1
Of Deeds Most Valiant
Eleven paladins walk into a monastery. Only one knows it’s a trap. When Victoriana Greenmantle is summoned to represent her paladin order in an unusual quest, the timing couldn’t be worse. Having just witnessed the horrific death of her mentor, she is barely a paladin at all. Worse, she has a trapped demon on her hands and if anyone discovers she hasn’t quite managed to cast it out, she will be made to suffer consequences worse than death. The summoning requires Victoriana to journey to the newly revealed Aching Monastery and there to search for and recover the fabled Cup of Tears on behalf of her order. But her order is not the only one seeking this relic. And her rivals are stronger, smarter, more experienced and just as motivated as she is. Will this cynical paladin have the faith to find the truth? When Adalbrand Von Menticure is summoned to the Aching Monastery he is unamused. Far from his holy work healing the sick and injured, this quest seems a waste of his time. But when the murders start and he’s thrown together unwittingly with a young female paladin who keeps breaking all the rules and drawing everyone’s ire, he is forced to confront ghosts of his past. Can he push past his guilt to accept this tempting ally? Together, these two holy paladins may be the only ones who can discover what or who is killing their compatriots and whether the Cup of Tears is really worth the bloodshed and danger within the monastery walls before time runs out and they are trapped forever. A complicated mission, you say? Oh, but it gets worse, because forbidden love is slowly stalking them both, complicating everything, and leaving them each more vulnerable than they can afford to be in the face of a danger worse than either of them ever imagined. Will this pair find strength in their strict discipline and holy orders in time to escape, or will they fall before the twin dangers of a rogue killer and an attraction more deadly than the simple risk of death?
This adult romantic epic fantasy stand-alone novel features paladins in all their aspects and is perfect for lovers of T. Kingfisher, Tamsyn Muir and Danielle L. Jensen. Though this book is a part of a collection of books linked by the same world it is a complete story in itself and does not bleed out into the other books in the series.
This adult romantic epic fantasy stand-alone novel features paladins in all their aspects and is perfect for lovers of T. Kingfisher, Tamsyn Muir and Danielle L. Jensen. Though this book is a part of a collection of books linked by the same world it is a complete story in itself and does not bleed out into the other books in the series.
540 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2023
240 people are currently reading
8349 people want to read
About the author
Sarah K.L. Wilson
158 books1,120 followersSarah K. L. Wilson is a USA Today Bestselling author who writes fantasy stories featuring practical heroes & heroines in the most impractical circumstances. She loves writing because it is the only way to make a living and give back to the world when your primary skill is an overactive imagination and a tendency toward violent daydreams.
Sarah can be found in the outdoors of Northern Ontario with her young boys and beloved husband, reading a book, or fending off her husband's pet turkeys with a straw broom.
You can find Sarah's books in paperback, hardcover, ebook and audiobook and they have also been translated into Italian, German, and (very soon) Turkish.
Please, do, enjoy the read!
*USA Today bestseller list, November 2, 2017
www.sarahklwilson.com
sarah@sarahklwilson.com
Instagram @sarahklwilson
Facebook @sarahklwilson
TikTok @sarahklwilson
Sarah can be found in the outdoors of Northern Ontario with her young boys and beloved husband, reading a book, or fending off her husband's pet turkeys with a straw broom.
You can find Sarah's books in paperback, hardcover, ebook and audiobook and they have also been translated into Italian, German, and (very soon) Turkish.
Please, do, enjoy the read!
*USA Today bestseller list, November 2, 2017
www.sarahklwilson.com
sarah@sarahklwilson.com
Instagram @sarahklwilson
Facebook @sarahklwilson
TikTok @sarahklwilson
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 231 reviews
February 5, 2024
Would you rather take a vow of celibacy or a vow of poverty?
I have to admit I would prefer neither. 😂
The author sent me a paperback of this book a few months ago (after I had preordered the eBook), but I didn't read it until last week after the audiobook came out because of who I am as a person.
I knew I was going to love this book, but I also knew it was going to tangle all my emotions into knots and I would need a day where I could binge the whole thing. I was right, of course.
Paladin is my favorite class to play in Dungeons and Dragons, so I've been wanting to read a Fantasy book feauturing them for a while. (Most authors don't know what to do with them I think.) This is a brilliant book with a refreshing take on religious orders that gain their powers from service to a god.
Most books I've read with this dynamic fall into the severely jaded or naively idealistic category, but this one is a good balance. There's lots of church corruption at play, but there are an equal number of people trying to do the right thing.
This had the twisty, fairytale nightmare vibes I've come to expect from Wilson's work, that explores the darkness without actually succumbing to it.
This is a dual POV, so we see things from both Victoriana and Adelbrand's perspective. I really enjoyed seeing their internal battles with faith, doubt, temptation, fear, and they had a very sweet dynamic despite everything.
We also have a dog named Brindle who has multiple personalities, but is still a good doggo. One spoiler I will give is that the dog lives. Repeat: THE DOG LIVES.
Five out of five stars for me! This is a standalone and while I might like to read more about these characters in the future, I'm kind of glad it's over for the sake of the characters. Poor babies have been through A LOT.
I have to admit I would prefer neither. 😂
The author sent me a paperback of this book a few months ago (after I had preordered the eBook), but I didn't read it until last week after the audiobook came out because of who I am as a person.
I knew I was going to love this book, but I also knew it was going to tangle all my emotions into knots and I would need a day where I could binge the whole thing. I was right, of course.
Paladin is my favorite class to play in Dungeons and Dragons, so I've been wanting to read a Fantasy book feauturing them for a while. (Most authors don't know what to do with them I think.) This is a brilliant book with a refreshing take on religious orders that gain their powers from service to a god.
Most books I've read with this dynamic fall into the severely jaded or naively idealistic category, but this one is a good balance. There's lots of church corruption at play, but there are an equal number of people trying to do the right thing.
This had the twisty, fairytale nightmare vibes I've come to expect from Wilson's work, that explores the darkness without actually succumbing to it.
This is a dual POV, so we see things from both Victoriana and Adelbrand's perspective. I really enjoyed seeing their internal battles with faith, doubt, temptation, fear, and they had a very sweet dynamic despite everything.
We also have a dog named Brindle who has multiple personalities, but is still a good doggo. One spoiler I will give is that the dog lives. Repeat: THE DOG LIVES.
Five out of five stars for me! This is a standalone and while I might like to read more about these characters in the future, I'm kind of glad it's over for the sake of the characters. Poor babies have been through A LOT.
July 27, 2024
First off, I want to thank my dear Bryn Shutt for pestering me to read this and telling me I'd like it. (Hey, she compared it to Illuminare, so that's good enough for me.) It was a ride.
My process reading the book was first confusion but being unable to stop thinking about it and trying to figure out the puzzling plot, then I was "wait what?!!!" and then <.< ooohhhh Aldabrand *whistles* (What can I say...), and then "HOLD UP" followed by lots of internal screaming, asofjasofsgasdf, loss of sleep, being utterly consumed with this story mentally, and now the strange, exhausted calm of being on the other side.
This book might have left me insane. (But it was so...good.)
Think King Arthur and the Holy Grail, but everything is cursed. Also, the place where the "grail" is supposed to be is like an Indiana Jones-style trap with multiple layers. And everyone wants to kill each other—or mostly everyone. There is also...some forbidden romance. (Content: descriptive kissing, otherwise fairly clean). I shipped Victoriana and Aldabrand from the get-go and I'm so, so happy they got the ending they deserved. ;-; Also...so many, many good quotes. Goodreads, I think, saved all my many highlights. And I have to admit...some of those quotes have really hit home and changed my perspective on things.
All in all, this was the adventure that satisfied my unspoken longings for a knights' epic tale, and I look forward to reading this again in future. (Hopefully...in a physical copy by then!)
My process reading the book was first confusion but being unable to stop thinking about it and trying to figure out the puzzling plot, then I was "wait what?!!!" and then <.< ooohhhh Aldabrand *whistles* (What can I say...), and then "HOLD UP" followed by lots of internal screaming, asofjasofsgasdf, loss of sleep, being utterly consumed with this story mentally, and now the strange, exhausted calm of being on the other side.
This book might have left me insane. (But it was so...good.)
Think King Arthur and the Holy Grail, but everything is cursed. Also, the place where the "grail" is supposed to be is like an Indiana Jones-style trap with multiple layers. And everyone wants to kill each other—or mostly everyone. There is also...some forbidden romance. (Content: descriptive kissing, otherwise fairly clean). I shipped Victoriana and Aldabrand from the get-go and I'm so, so happy they got the ending they deserved. ;-; Also...so many, many good quotes. Goodreads, I think, saved all my many highlights. And I have to admit...some of those quotes have really hit home and changed my perspective on things.
All in all, this was the adventure that satisfied my unspoken longings for a knights' epic tale, and I look forward to reading this again in future. (Hopefully...in a physical copy by then!)
August 4, 2025
4.0 ★— She’s a young warrior of the faith, haunted by demons she’s trying to outrun. He’s another, sworn to celibacy and steeped in self-loathing. Alongside a ragtag group of fellow paladins, they’re tasked with retrieving a legendary cup, while barely managing to function as a team.
I don’t know exactly what I expected, but it wasn’t the most intense yearning, pining, and denial between the two leads that I got here.
Our FMC and MMC are Victoriana and Adalbrand.
Victoriana is a very solid heroine. She’s a competent fighter with a cunning edge and a lighthearted personality. She’s devoted to her role as a paladin, but still young and relatively inexperienced, trying to navigate an increasingly complex situation.
Adalbrand is very much her opposite: more experienced, used to helping others, and someone who genuinely cares. I really appreciated how he was written as warm and honorable, with a big savior complex. I mean, his power lets him heal others by taking on their ailments himself. He’s quite literally the definition of a tortured hero and his devotion to his calling is palpable, while making his struggle all the more compelling.
From their very first meeting, the tension and fascination between them was just so apparent!
There’s so much unresolved sexual tension, which is mostly fueled by his pining, made worse (or better?) by the vow of celibacy his order requires. And because this is dual POV, as the reader, you get to feel all of it. Watching him want her so much, while trying to be honorable about it? Delicious.
Seeing him interact with Victoriana — who’s a bit of a loner due to her own paladin role, but still more laidback, more lighthearted — was so satisfying. She’s dealing with her own (literal) demons, but she still brings this energy that balances his intensity.
Also, let me add, that as a Dragon Age girlie and someone who loves a good quest in RPGs, I really enjoyed all the familiar beats this story hit with the mystery of the quest, the well-drawn, interesting characters, and a tightly written setting that still felt layered. Even though the story takes place in a relatively small area, I was never bored, because the character dynamics were so fun to watch play out!
Anyone craving a deep, yearning romance, a memorable cast, and a plot with some classic fantasy elements will be satisfied here!
I don’t know exactly what I expected, but it wasn’t the most intense yearning, pining, and denial between the two leads that I got here.
Our FMC and MMC are Victoriana and Adalbrand.
Victoriana is a very solid heroine. She’s a competent fighter with a cunning edge and a lighthearted personality. She’s devoted to her role as a paladin, but still young and relatively inexperienced, trying to navigate an increasingly complex situation.
Adalbrand is very much her opposite: more experienced, used to helping others, and someone who genuinely cares. I really appreciated how he was written as warm and honorable, with a big savior complex. I mean, his power lets him heal others by taking on their ailments himself. He’s quite literally the definition of a tortured hero and his devotion to his calling is palpable, while making his struggle all the more compelling.
From their very first meeting, the tension and fascination between them was just so apparent!
There’s so much unresolved sexual tension, which is mostly fueled by his pining, made worse (or better?) by the vow of celibacy his order requires. And because this is dual POV, as the reader, you get to feel all of it. Watching him want her so much, while trying to be honorable about it? Delicious.
Seeing him interact with Victoriana — who’s a bit of a loner due to her own paladin role, but still more laidback, more lighthearted — was so satisfying. She’s dealing with her own (literal) demons, but she still brings this energy that balances his intensity.
Also, let me add, that as a Dragon Age girlie and someone who loves a good quest in RPGs, I really enjoyed all the familiar beats this story hit with the mystery of the quest, the well-drawn, interesting characters, and a tightly written setting that still felt layered. Even though the story takes place in a relatively small area, I was never bored, because the character dynamics were so fun to watch play out!
Anyone craving a deep, yearning romance, a memorable cast, and a plot with some classic fantasy elements will be satisfied here!
May 30, 2023
This was an unusual book for me from Sarah, I've read most of her books and I am used to fast paced quicker reads, so I was a bit astonished at the length of this standalone book. This one was a whopping 600 pages and very much an epic fantasy but guess what? It still had all the humour I am used to, it still had a wonderful strong FMC, it still has a gentle, sweet, caring and righteousness MMC and a gorgeous romance that brews like a good cup of tea! It was quaint, it was fanciful and it was quirky, all the while peeling the layers off a very real, very scary mystery, (murder IS scary and mysterious) with the challenge of finding the culprit.
Victoriana is thrust into an unfortunate situation she has no idea how to handle nor solve. She is forced to kill her mentor, who was her best friend and father figure and before you judge, she REALLY had no option! But now she's stuck with her mentor's dog, who IS a dog, basically a dog... occasionally a dog... and a calling from her God to find the Cup of Tears. Which leads to, a spectre, (of sorts) a demon and a dog all wrapped up into one. I'm sure a lot of you, at this point, are saying "huh? what?" The beauty, you'll see, is how it unfolds, how it develops, how it slides into place, it gets richer and richer, opening up like a fan, one notch at a time until it's displayed in all its glory. What was glorious was the cat and mouse dance between Victoriana and Adalbrand, from the forbidden attraction to the sweetest of romances. Forbidden? Yes, well, Adalbrand has sworn to celibacy... I loved how the 2 of them try to fight the attraction, butttt....And I take my hat off to Victoriana, she really takes immense pressure in her stride. My goodness, one voice in one's head, our own, is bad enough but when you have 3 competing voices, as Victoriana has, how disruptive must that be!
With a kaleidoscope of eccentric characters, a plot that untangles slowly, an honest to goodness proper puzzle to solve, a sweet romance, all add to my reading pleasure. But, I have to mention my personal favourite, the demon... He added an element of black humour that I loved. Well done Ms Wilson for another fanciful and dazzling read!
Victoriana is thrust into an unfortunate situation she has no idea how to handle nor solve. She is forced to kill her mentor, who was her best friend and father figure and before you judge, she REALLY had no option! But now she's stuck with her mentor's dog, who IS a dog, basically a dog... occasionally a dog... and a calling from her God to find the Cup of Tears. Which leads to, a spectre, (of sorts) a demon and a dog all wrapped up into one. I'm sure a lot of you, at this point, are saying "huh? what?" The beauty, you'll see, is how it unfolds, how it develops, how it slides into place, it gets richer and richer, opening up like a fan, one notch at a time until it's displayed in all its glory. What was glorious was the cat and mouse dance between Victoriana and Adalbrand, from the forbidden attraction to the sweetest of romances. Forbidden? Yes, well, Adalbrand has sworn to celibacy... I loved how the 2 of them try to fight the attraction, butttt....And I take my hat off to Victoriana, she really takes immense pressure in her stride. My goodness, one voice in one's head, our own, is bad enough but when you have 3 competing voices, as Victoriana has, how disruptive must that be!
With a kaleidoscope of eccentric characters, a plot that untangles slowly, an honest to goodness proper puzzle to solve, a sweet romance, all add to my reading pleasure. But, I have to mention my personal favourite, the demon... He added an element of black humour that I loved. Well done Ms Wilson for another fanciful and dazzling read!
Currently reading
February 27, 2024update- WE HAVE A COVER
~~
I'm not one to read snippets or excerpts typically, because I'd usually suffer from feeling like I need the book NOW and I'd rather not subject myself to such longings...
however, I made an exception for this one! Wilson (ahem, one of the few autobuy authors for me) has recently released some snippets via short videos (she reads them!) and they are AMAZING. I CANNOT wait for more Victoriana & Adalbrand (oh and this is going to be in various POVs!) > https://www.facebook.com/reel/7268582...
(**hint: click on the right arrow to watch the next preview ;)
Something about Tropes Included so Far and Expected things she's listed on her site is getting to me ahhh
- don't kill the dog!
- knights competition
- no way out
*****- cinnamon roll love interest
***- demon hunter
*****- chivalry is not dead
Expect:
- epic fantasy setting
- closed location puzzle plot
- paladin class deep-dive characters
*****- theocracy worldbuilding
- strong romance side-plot
- intriguing side character
For more: https://www.sarahklwilson.com/poisone...
The writing sounds GLORIOUS from the shorts. And I can't wait for more EPIXNESS from Wilson!! <3
~~
I'm not one to read snippets or excerpts typically, because I'd usually suffer from feeling like I need the book NOW and I'd rather not subject myself to such longings...
however, I made an exception for this one! Wilson (ahem, one of the few autobuy authors for me) has recently released some snippets via short videos (she reads them!) and they are AMAZING. I CANNOT wait for more Victoriana & Adalbrand (oh and this is going to be in various POVs!) > https://www.facebook.com/reel/7268582...
(**hint: click on the right arrow to watch the next preview ;)
Something about Tropes Included so Far and Expected things she's listed on her site is getting to me ahhh
- don't kill the dog!
- knights competition
- no way out
*****- cinnamon roll love interest
***- demon hunter
*****- chivalry is not dead
Expect:
- epic fantasy setting
- closed location puzzle plot
- paladin class deep-dive characters
*****- theocracy worldbuilding
- strong romance side-plot
- intriguing side character
For more: https://www.sarahklwilson.com/poisone...
The writing sounds GLORIOUS from the shorts. And I can't wait for more EPIXNESS from Wilson!! <3
June 27, 2025
Perhaps closer to like a 4.75, but bumping up to five for originality, writing style, great characters, a super cool puzzle-box story, and a great time while reading this!
Synopsis:
Eleven paladins walk into a monastery; only one knows it's a trap. These paladins are sent as representatives of their orders to investigate a mysterious and ancient monastery that has just been discovered. Upon entering the monastery, they become entangled in a series of schemes, mysteries, puzzles, and a strange clock that can't tell the time. Will they be able to find a mysterious relic and escape the monastery before it's too late? The story is told from two POVs from paladins serving different orders: Victoriana the Vagabond Paladin and Adalbrand the Poisoned Saint.
Rating: 5/5
Spice: 2/5 behind closed doors (the romance and tension is there, but the story takes priority over the romance).
Qualities:
- Great writing
- Cool, original worldbuilding
- Great pacing and foreshadowing of major plot points
- Complex and varied character personalities
- Satisfying conclusion
- Really cool story concept
- The mystery unfolds at a good pace throughout the story. I had no idea what was going on at certain points (in a good way) because the mystery was stumping me sometimes.
- The puzzles and design for the setting is really neat, but a bit hard to describe. It's a setting you have to read and experience for yourself!
- Free on KU
Recommended for Readers who Enjoy:
- Puzzle box mysteries
- Slow burn romances and forbidden love
- Stories involving heavy religious imagery and language
- Knights
- Capable, smart, determined FMCs
- Troubled, honorable, self sacrificial MMCs
Helpful Worldbuilding Info: There is only one god in this world (referred to as "The God"), but different religious orders have sprung up around different traditions of serving the god. A Paladin of one of these orders has certain powers, but each power comes with some kind of weakness. This is listed below, info comes from the opening pages of the book. You don't need to know the information below to start the story, but I found it helpful to have handy as I got into the story and was learning all the characters' names and their powers.
Aspect of the Rejected God (Vagabond Paladins): These paladins foreswear wealth and in return may ask any favor of the God, though He may not always answer as they hope. These paladins travel the world intent on casting out demons.
- Member(s): Victoriana, Sir Branson, and Brindle
Aspect of the Sorrowful God (Poisoned Saints): These paladins foreswear affection and in return they are given the gift of healing.
- Member(s): Adalbrand
Aspect of the Benevolent God (Prince Paladins): These paladins may speak a blesson over anything and see it miracously happen, but they pay for this with their sanity.
- Member(s): Hefertus
Aspect of the Creator God (Holy Engineers): These paladins foreswear lying and must speak the truth if asked directly for it. They have the ability to fashion holy items.
- Member(s): Sorken, Coriand, Cleft, Suture
Aspect of the Sovereign God (High Saints): These paladins foreswear mercy, but if they keep to their order's precepts without fault, then any other servant of the god must grant their requests.
- Member(s): Joran
Aspect of the All-Seeing God (Holy Inquisitors): These paladins foreswear physical strength, but they can winnow out essences. While doing this, they sacrifice some of their own essence.
- Member(s): Plenum
Aspect of the All-Knowing God (Seers): These paladins foreswear enjoyment and may see glimmers of the future, but the god slowly takes back all of their other senses.
- Member(s): Blanta
Aspect of the Majestic God (Majester Generals): These paladins foreswear individuality and privacy but can offer companions blessings of the god in a group, things such as unity, power, and wisdom.
- Member(s): Roivolard
Aspect of the Holy God (Penitent Paladins): These paladins foreswear comfort, but are granted immunity to many physical ills. They have an uncomfortable method of reverence.
- Member(s): Owalan
Aspect of the Vengeful God (Hands of Justice): These paladins foreswear leadership and power except in matters of judgment. They are granted the ability to judge and execute rightly, but if they are wrong in their judgment, it is they who will be executed.
- Member(s): Kodelai
Synopsis:
Eleven paladins walk into a monastery; only one knows it's a trap. These paladins are sent as representatives of their orders to investigate a mysterious and ancient monastery that has just been discovered. Upon entering the monastery, they become entangled in a series of schemes, mysteries, puzzles, and a strange clock that can't tell the time. Will they be able to find a mysterious relic and escape the monastery before it's too late? The story is told from two POVs from paladins serving different orders: Victoriana the Vagabond Paladin and Adalbrand the Poisoned Saint.
Rating: 5/5
Spice: 2/5 behind closed doors (the romance and tension is there, but the story takes priority over the romance).
Qualities:
- Great writing
- Cool, original worldbuilding
- Great pacing and foreshadowing of major plot points
- Complex and varied character personalities
- Satisfying conclusion
- Really cool story concept
- The mystery unfolds at a good pace throughout the story. I had no idea what was going on at certain points (in a good way) because the mystery was stumping me sometimes.
- The puzzles and design for the setting is really neat, but a bit hard to describe. It's a setting you have to read and experience for yourself!
- Free on KU
Recommended for Readers who Enjoy:
- Puzzle box mysteries
- Slow burn romances and forbidden love
- Stories involving heavy religious imagery and language
- Knights
- Capable, smart, determined FMCs
- Troubled, honorable, self sacrificial MMCs
Helpful Worldbuilding Info: There is only one god in this world (referred to as "The God"), but different religious orders have sprung up around different traditions of serving the god. A Paladin of one of these orders has certain powers, but each power comes with some kind of weakness. This is listed below, info comes from the opening pages of the book. You don't need to know the information below to start the story, but I found it helpful to have handy as I got into the story and was learning all the characters' names and their powers.
Aspect of the Rejected God (Vagabond Paladins): These paladins foreswear wealth and in return may ask any favor of the God, though He may not always answer as they hope. These paladins travel the world intent on casting out demons.
- Member(s): Victoriana, Sir Branson, and Brindle
Aspect of the Sorrowful God (Poisoned Saints): These paladins foreswear affection and in return they are given the gift of healing.
- Member(s): Adalbrand
Aspect of the Benevolent God (Prince Paladins): These paladins may speak a blesson over anything and see it miracously happen, but they pay for this with their sanity.
- Member(s): Hefertus
Aspect of the Creator God (Holy Engineers): These paladins foreswear lying and must speak the truth if asked directly for it. They have the ability to fashion holy items.
- Member(s): Sorken, Coriand, Cleft, Suture
Aspect of the Sovereign God (High Saints): These paladins foreswear mercy, but if they keep to their order's precepts without fault, then any other servant of the god must grant their requests.
- Member(s): Joran
Aspect of the All-Seeing God (Holy Inquisitors): These paladins foreswear physical strength, but they can winnow out essences. While doing this, they sacrifice some of their own essence.
- Member(s): Plenum
Aspect of the All-Knowing God (Seers): These paladins foreswear enjoyment and may see glimmers of the future, but the god slowly takes back all of their other senses.
- Member(s): Blanta
Aspect of the Majestic God (Majester Generals): These paladins foreswear individuality and privacy but can offer companions blessings of the god in a group, things such as unity, power, and wisdom.
- Member(s): Roivolard
Aspect of the Holy God (Penitent Paladins): These paladins foreswear comfort, but are granted immunity to many physical ills. They have an uncomfortable method of reverence.
- Member(s): Owalan
Aspect of the Vengeful God (Hands of Justice): These paladins foreswear leadership and power except in matters of judgment. They are granted the ability to judge and execute rightly, but if they are wrong in their judgment, it is they who will be executed.
- Member(s): Kodelai
November 11, 2025
This was a surprise 4.5 star for me. I go this free either from a SYKD or a Freebie Friday from Chirp, I'm not sure which and it was a great find. It's a mystery novel inside of a fantasy novel which made for a compelling and genre bending story. The main characters are unique and I really didn't know how it was going to end. It also raises some greater points about life in general. I'm a no spoilers kinda gal so that's all you're getting from me.
July 9, 2023
Of Deeds Most Valiant follows Victoriana Greenmantle, a young woman serving the Aspect of the Rejected God, and training under her paladin mentor. But when she and her mentor face off against a demon, Victoriana is forced to kill her mentor after the demon possesses him and then, with possibly the worst timing ever, she's summoned to join a gathering of paladins who must enter Aching Monastery and recover the Cup of Tears. Unfortunately, there's only one cup and all of them have been charged with recovering it for their order. Full of doubt after having to kill the one person who mattered most to her, Victoriana must survive the monastery, followed by her faithful dog (who is unfortunately also possessed) and make sure none of the other paladins notice her flaws. And then the murders start. Fortunately, she is able to ally with another paladin, Adalbrand von Menticure, a paladin known as a Poisoned Saint, who admires Victoriana's bravery. But even with an ally, the monastery is a very dangerous place and it will take all of their skill to survive it.
Of Deeds Most Valiant is in the growing category of romantasy, fantasy with very strong romantic elements but still a fully explored fantasy world. Wilson does an excellent job of exploring the different paladins, who are all aspects of the same god but with different abilities related to that aspect and I found that all fascinating. She also delves into themes of paladins doubting both themselves and each other and the lengths to which even paladins can be driven in the pursuit of knowledge, self-sacrifice and righteousness. As someone who is a sucker for any paladin stories that delve into these themes, this book was incredibly difficult to put down.
The plot starts off as pure fantasy but quickly adds mystery elements as the paladins start exploring this strange monastery and not all of them make it out of even the first day once they enter the place. The slow build up to this as Wilson introduces the characters and some of the rivalries and initial allies before ramping up into the violence and death did remind me a bit of Gideon the Ninth. The tone is both equally melodramatic and completely different since this has none of Muir's snark or references but it had the same appeal of intrigue and characters I genuinely was rooting for.
The prose is likely going to be the determining factor for folks liking it or not because it's written in dual 1st-person POV, with one perspective from Victoriana and one from Adalbrand. I did like this because it helped to get the more experienced and also more melodramatically, classic paladin POV from Adalbrand. I'll admit that some of his sections made me roll my eyes because he was such a classic paladin but he's clearly intended as such so I don't have a gripe with it. I think I loved Victoriana's POV more just because I love how she was out of her depth but unwilling to back down at any point and knew what mattered to her. Both perspectives has a sort of fourth wall breaking that might not be everyone's cup of tea but I enjoyed thoroughly.
The romance is something that honestly felt a little over the top for me at times in terms of their depth of feeling after minimal acquaintance but given the circumstances, I was willing to go with it. And honestly I loved the mutual pining (since Adalbrand's particular brand of paladin requires celibacy) and by the end, I was close to shouting "Just kiss already!" So, potentially not one for folks who enjoy steamy romances but for those of us who enjoy pining, it's pretty fun.
Overall, I really enjoyed Of Deeds Most Valiant and I'm rounding up from my initial 4.5 rating just because I found it incredibly difficult to put down and I really enjoyed the characters and the way the relationship built from the beginning to win me over. It's not perfect, the prose sometimes got a little flowery for my personal taste but the themes were fantastically explored and I can definitely see myself re-reading this and any other books in this series that Wilson releases. Definitely recommend if you're into paladins and a bit of pining!
Of Deeds Most Valiant is in the growing category of romantasy, fantasy with very strong romantic elements but still a fully explored fantasy world. Wilson does an excellent job of exploring the different paladins, who are all aspects of the same god but with different abilities related to that aspect and I found that all fascinating. She also delves into themes of paladins doubting both themselves and each other and the lengths to which even paladins can be driven in the pursuit of knowledge, self-sacrifice and righteousness. As someone who is a sucker for any paladin stories that delve into these themes, this book was incredibly difficult to put down.
The plot starts off as pure fantasy but quickly adds mystery elements as the paladins start exploring this strange monastery and not all of them make it out of even the first day once they enter the place. The slow build up to this as Wilson introduces the characters and some of the rivalries and initial allies before ramping up into the violence and death did remind me a bit of Gideon the Ninth. The tone is both equally melodramatic and completely different since this has none of Muir's snark or references but it had the same appeal of intrigue and characters I genuinely was rooting for.
The prose is likely going to be the determining factor for folks liking it or not because it's written in dual 1st-person POV, with one perspective from Victoriana and one from Adalbrand. I did like this because it helped to get the more experienced and also more melodramatically, classic paladin POV from Adalbrand. I'll admit that some of his sections made me roll my eyes because he was such a classic paladin but he's clearly intended as such so I don't have a gripe with it. I think I loved Victoriana's POV more just because I love how she was out of her depth but unwilling to back down at any point and knew what mattered to her. Both perspectives has a sort of fourth wall breaking that might not be everyone's cup of tea but I enjoyed thoroughly.
The romance is something that honestly felt a little over the top for me at times in terms of their depth of feeling after minimal acquaintance but given the circumstances, I was willing to go with it. And honestly I loved the mutual pining (since Adalbrand's particular brand of paladin requires celibacy) and by the end, I was close to shouting "Just kiss already!" So, potentially not one for folks who enjoy steamy romances but for those of us who enjoy pining, it's pretty fun.
Overall, I really enjoyed Of Deeds Most Valiant and I'm rounding up from my initial 4.5 rating just because I found it incredibly difficult to put down and I really enjoyed the characters and the way the relationship built from the beginning to win me over. It's not perfect, the prose sometimes got a little flowery for my personal taste but the themes were fantastically explored and I can definitely see myself re-reading this and any other books in this series that Wilson releases. Definitely recommend if you're into paladins and a bit of pining!
February 19, 2024
This is a very impressive fantasy novel. It's richly told, with a writing style that perfectly matches the story. I liked the characters. I expected a broader plot, but this is more of an epic fantasy locked room novel with a scary demon bad guy. Because it was mostly set in one place, the worldbuilding wasn't as exciting as I would've liked. I never really connected to the conflict. I just cared about the two main characters and wanted them to live.
November 13, 2023
A puzzle-box-house thriller, a la Thir13en Ghosts or Gideon the Ninth, and SKLW freely admits that this standalone was directly inspired by Tamsyn Muir's novel.
Ten Orders each send an emissary (or two) to an ancient monastery discovered beneath a receding glacier. Eleven paladins - warrior priests who each represent one aspect of the God - are tasked with retrieving the Cup of Tears, a fabled relic with the power to convert a mortal into a living Saint. But at what price?
At nearly 600 pages, I was hoping for a more convincing everything. The romance was instant and the monastery was confusing. I have no idea why they all trooped inside, came back out for a single night, and went back inside with no supplies the next day - it made no sense, even taking Sir Kodelai's demands into account. I also never understood how Sir Branson failed such that he and the demon wound up inside a dog.
For me, SKLW does her best novels with Fae - I don't expect to understand them or their motivations, so coming away a little unclear is alright with me. With human characters, it's much harder to rationalize why things aren't better explained.
Oh well. I still love Sarah, and her entire catalog is in my TBR! I'm sure I'll fall in love with whatever I pick up next by her.
Ten Orders each send an emissary (or two) to an ancient monastery discovered beneath a receding glacier. Eleven paladins - warrior priests who each represent one aspect of the God - are tasked with retrieving the Cup of Tears, a fabled relic with the power to convert a mortal into a living Saint. But at what price?
At nearly 600 pages, I was hoping for a more convincing everything. The romance was instant and the monastery was confusing. I have no idea why they all trooped inside, came back out for a single night, and went back inside with no supplies the next day - it made no sense, even taking Sir Kodelai's demands into account. I also never understood how Sir Branson failed such that he and the demon wound up inside a dog.
For me, SKLW does her best novels with Fae - I don't expect to understand them or their motivations, so coming away a little unclear is alright with me. With human characters, it's much harder to rationalize why things aren't better explained.
Oh well. I still love Sarah, and her entire catalog is in my TBR! I'm sure I'll fall in love with whatever I pick up next by her.
January 12, 2026
This book did so many things well!
It is rare that I find a fantasy world that has a religious element that doesn't feel meh. This one is good!
The setting is a group of "Holy" Paladins that are set on a quest. It doesn't go well. But it doesn't trash religion nor does the book come across at preachy. I don't even know if the author is religious. If she is, I think she is in a sense where her faith is so strong that she doesn't need to freak about about showing the difficulties, the hypocrisies, and doubts that can come with faith.
Often I find modern fantasy filled with such potencial, but at the end disappointed because it ended up being mid because the author ran out of steam. But this one held me until the end.
This book also is a standalone book. (So rare these days!) But it has a beginning, a middle, and an end! (Quite refreshing.)
I guess I can say I liked it.
Don't really know how I found this book, but however it ended up in my possession, I'm thankful.
It is rare that I find a fantasy world that has a religious element that doesn't feel meh. This one is good!
The setting is a group of "Holy" Paladins that are set on a quest. It doesn't go well. But it doesn't trash religion nor does the book come across at preachy. I don't even know if the author is religious. If she is, I think she is in a sense where her faith is so strong that she doesn't need to freak about about showing the difficulties, the hypocrisies, and doubts that can come with faith.
Often I find modern fantasy filled with such potencial, but at the end disappointed because it ended up being mid because the author ran out of steam. But this one held me until the end.
This book also is a standalone book. (So rare these days!) But it has a beginning, a middle, and an end! (Quite refreshing.)
I guess I can say I liked it.
Don't really know how I found this book, but however it ended up in my possession, I'm thankful.
January 13, 2026
Of Deeds Most Valiant completely enraptured me. It’s a story with real heart—I cared deeply about the characters and was fully invested in their wellbeing.
The plot is fast-moving and engaging, with a strong escape-room feel: tests, trials, and high-stakes challenges, balanced with humor and thoughtful dialogue that give the story room to breathe and the characters space to feel real.
This is not a simple good-versus-evil tale. The world and themes are layered, and the different aspects of a god form both a central theme and a fascinating magic system. While the book naturally engages with questions of faith and religion (as a story about paladins should), it never feels preachy.
I would happily read more books set in this world, but I’m also very satisfied with how this one stands on its own.
The plot is fast-moving and engaging, with a strong escape-room feel: tests, trials, and high-stakes challenges, balanced with humor and thoughtful dialogue that give the story room to breathe and the characters space to feel real.
This is not a simple good-versus-evil tale. The world and themes are layered, and the different aspects of a god form both a central theme and a fascinating magic system. While the book naturally engages with questions of faith and religion (as a story about paladins should), it never feels preachy.
I would happily read more books set in this world, but I’m also very satisfied with how this one stands on its own.
August 1, 2023
I genuinely cannot decide if I loved this book or hated it and that contradiction is seriously messing with my head.
Things I Liked
--The main characters. They were both well-developed and made conscientious decisions based on their lived experiences. They were also both fundamentally good and fundamentally flawed which made them relatable. Their romance also seemed genuine (if a bit rushed). I was rooting for both of them and was happy with the way their arc ended.
--The faith. I am a sucker for faith. I don't even really care what the faith is in. I just really like it when people believe in something greater than themselves; something that cannot be seen but that nonetheless has power. I am therefore naturally drawn to stories about paladins, and this book had paladins aplenty. I appreciated the way faith was handled in this book and liked the novel way the author leaned into paladin lore.
--The plot. For the most part. Or at least, partially. Overall I thought the story was engaging and interesting. The core plot itself was both unique (in that it wove a complex faith and magical structure throughout) and--I mean this in the least-censorious way possible--derivative (in that the story of overcoming obstacles as a group to achieve a higher purpose is nothing new). This made it simultaneously interesting and relatively easy to follow--again, as a whole. There were certainly elements of the plot that didn't quite hit home, but I'll save those for later. (Also, somewhat related: this book seems to be the first in a series, yet it doesn't end on a cliffhanger. I adore that.)
--Hefertus. More Hefertus forever, please. In fact, I'd read this entire book over again from Hefertus' POV just because his commentary would be so on point.
Things I Did Not Like
--THE PLOT. Okay, yes, this is on both lists. But there's a good reason for this. Despite the overarching story being largely fine, the intricacies of the plot were far too convoluted. The challenges the group went through were either too simple or too complex to be of much interest or value, and I never understood what the point of was. Everything also just moved so fast that there wasn't time for the characters to breathe. Or really even think. Which made the relationships they formed harder to believe in, even if I allowed myself suspension of disbelief for the sake of the story. In short: the pacing was all wrong, and I'm pretty sure the book could have been about 150 pages shorter if someone had corrected that in the editing process.
--The characters. I understand what the author was trying to do and it was a truly noble effort, but there were far too many characters. And maybe the cast itself wasn't the problem, it was that the author tried to make us understand every single one of them. There are 11 main characters, not including the ~dog~, and each character is a paladin of a different order that is governed by very specific rules/codes/sacrifices. Somehow we were supposed to internalize all of the paladins' codes early on so that we could understand their actions and motivations as they moved through the monastery. Girl, no. We need to know which MCs to care about up front so that we can focus on them as the action unfolds and leave the side characters for a second reading. It wasn't until the last 100 pages or so that we, as readers, even understand who the true MCs are (apart from the narrators), and that was really frustrating. Let's just take The Hunger Games as an example here. Does anyone know who the tributes from District 3 are? 4? No. They don't even have names. They're there, but they're not important so we don't have to waste our mental energy learning their backstories. Sarah K. L. Wilson really expected us to know 11 different backstories to survive her novel. It was too big an ask.
--The word "doggy." No. Just. No. [Also see: "horsey"]
--The dialogue. Okay, so the writing was fine for the most part, but I will never understand why the narrative sounds like it was written in essentially modern English (including when the characters are thinking to themselves!) but the dialogue is trying to sound like it is being spoken in 17th-century English. It was super jarring and took me out of the story several times. Which leads me to my last complaint...
--The TENSE. Why why WHY are Victoriana's chapters in past tense and Adalbrand's chapters in present tense? What possible narrative purpose does this serve? I already loathe FPPOV, so it was hard enough for me to get into this story already. But then to have the narrative switch between past and present tense for no reason is just inexcusable. Of all the things the editor let slip by in the publication of this book, this is the one I cannot forgive.
~So idk... 3 stars because half of the time I wanted to throw my Kindle across the room and the other half of the time this book made me cry my own tears? Fine. Let's go with that.~
Things I Liked
--The main characters. They were both well-developed and made conscientious decisions based on their lived experiences. They were also both fundamentally good and fundamentally flawed which made them relatable. Their romance also seemed genuine (if a bit rushed). I was rooting for both of them and was happy with the way their arc ended.
--The faith. I am a sucker for faith. I don't even really care what the faith is in. I just really like it when people believe in something greater than themselves; something that cannot be seen but that nonetheless has power. I am therefore naturally drawn to stories about paladins, and this book had paladins aplenty. I appreciated the way faith was handled in this book and liked the novel way the author leaned into paladin lore.
--The plot. For the most part. Or at least, partially. Overall I thought the story was engaging and interesting. The core plot itself was both unique (in that it wove a complex faith and magical structure throughout) and--I mean this in the least-censorious way possible--derivative (in that the story of overcoming obstacles as a group to achieve a higher purpose is nothing new). This made it simultaneously interesting and relatively easy to follow--again, as a whole. There were certainly elements of the plot that didn't quite hit home, but I'll save those for later. (Also, somewhat related: this book seems to be the first in a series, yet it doesn't end on a cliffhanger. I adore that.)
--Hefertus. More Hefertus forever, please. In fact, I'd read this entire book over again from Hefertus' POV just because his commentary would be so on point.
Things I Did Not Like
--THE PLOT. Okay, yes, this is on both lists. But there's a good reason for this. Despite the overarching story being largely fine, the intricacies of the plot were far too convoluted. The challenges the group went through were either too simple or too complex to be of much interest or value, and I never understood what the point of was. Everything also just moved so fast that there wasn't time for the characters to breathe. Or really even think. Which made the relationships they formed harder to believe in, even if I allowed myself suspension of disbelief for the sake of the story. In short: the pacing was all wrong, and I'm pretty sure the book could have been about 150 pages shorter if someone had corrected that in the editing process.
--The characters. I understand what the author was trying to do and it was a truly noble effort, but there were far too many characters. And maybe the cast itself wasn't the problem, it was that the author tried to make us understand every single one of them. There are 11 main characters, not including the ~dog~, and each character is a paladin of a different order that is governed by very specific rules/codes/sacrifices. Somehow we were supposed to internalize all of the paladins' codes early on so that we could understand their actions and motivations as they moved through the monastery. Girl, no. We need to know which MCs to care about up front so that we can focus on them as the action unfolds and leave the side characters for a second reading. It wasn't until the last 100 pages or so that we, as readers, even understand who the true MCs are (apart from the narrators), and that was really frustrating. Let's just take The Hunger Games as an example here. Does anyone know who the tributes from District 3 are? 4? No. They don't even have names. They're there, but they're not important so we don't have to waste our mental energy learning their backstories. Sarah K. L. Wilson really expected us to know 11 different backstories to survive her novel. It was too big an ask.
--The word "doggy." No. Just. No. [Also see: "horsey"]
--The dialogue. Okay, so the writing was fine for the most part, but I will never understand why the narrative sounds like it was written in essentially modern English (including when the characters are thinking to themselves!) but the dialogue is trying to sound like it is being spoken in 17th-century English. It was super jarring and took me out of the story several times. Which leads me to my last complaint...
--The TENSE. Why why WHY are Victoriana's chapters in past tense and Adalbrand's chapters in present tense? What possible narrative purpose does this serve? I already loathe FPPOV, so it was hard enough for me to get into this story already. But then to have the narrative switch between past and present tense for no reason is just inexcusable. Of all the things the editor let slip by in the publication of this book, this is the one I cannot forgive.
~So idk... 3 stars because half of the time I wanted to throw my Kindle across the room and the other half of the time this book made me cry my own tears? Fine. Let's go with that.~
May 28, 2023
Sarah Wilson knows what I want. Knights, expressions of piety, questions of faith in tough times, and a twisty dungeon-crawl of a plot that would be right at home in a D&D campaign or the obligatory labyrinth/fight tower arc of a manga. Also, a demon-possessed doggo? Good stuff.
Unfortunately, despite loving everything that happened in the story, I got bogged down in how it was told. There's hefty sections of thoughts and dialogue that I wish had been more balanced with the super quick, pivotal plot events. And the trend toward using dual POV to explain Victoriana and Adalbrand's emotions rather than relying on inference/actions pretty much always bugs me.
Still, my copy is full of highlights and underlines for thoughts to chew over later.
**Thanks to the author for the ARC**
Unfortunately, despite loving everything that happened in the story, I got bogged down in how it was told. There's hefty sections of thoughts and dialogue that I wish had been more balanced with the super quick, pivotal plot events. And the trend toward using dual POV to explain Victoriana and Adalbrand's emotions rather than relying on inference/actions pretty much always bugs me.
Still, my copy is full of highlights and underlines for thoughts to chew over later.
**Thanks to the author for the ARC**
March 11, 2024
SCREAMING CRYING THROWING UP
this is a very appropriate reaction to finishing this book. it was excellent. Capital letter Excellent.
The Yearning was exquisite. The storyline fantastic. Brindle is the bestest boy there is.
Loved the set up, loved the banter between Victoriana (that name, chefs kiss) and Adalbrand.
More people should read and love this book. It's absolutely excellent. Important today that it reminded me a lot of The Locked Tomb, which i was shamefully reminded was MENTIONED IN THE FOREWORD. So, if you love TLT, and DND and YEARNING and a happy ending, go read this. it's amazing.
this is a very appropriate reaction to finishing this book. it was excellent. Capital letter Excellent.
The Yearning was exquisite. The storyline fantastic. Brindle is the bestest boy there is.
Loved the set up, loved the banter between Victoriana (that name, chefs kiss) and Adalbrand.
More people should read and love this book. It's absolutely excellent. Important today that it reminded me a lot of The Locked Tomb, which i was shamefully reminded was MENTIONED IN THE FOREWORD. So, if you love TLT, and DND and YEARNING and a happy ending, go read this. it's amazing.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 5, 2025
The story, the writing, the characters, the angst! This book took its time, had so much world and character building, and was full of stunning one liners and swoon worthy prose. I want to read everything else by this author!
THIS part had me melt and die in an angst puddle (without context it might not land the same but OH WELL):
'I am surprised when a warm palm finds mine. Startled enough that I shoot Victoriana a bemused glance. Her expression is firm and sincere but perhaps she has realized along with me, that we are likely in our last hours. Perhaps she wants only to touch another human, to make the most of these last hours.'
"Does this count as affection?" she asks lightly.
'I squeeze her palm, certain she will pull away when I reply, but wanting whatever few moments she will grant.
"Is it meant as such?" '
"Yes."
"Then it counts."
😭❤️✨️
THIS part had me melt and die in an angst puddle (without context it might not land the same but OH WELL):
'I am surprised when a warm palm finds mine. Startled enough that I shoot Victoriana a bemused glance. Her expression is firm and sincere but perhaps she has realized along with me, that we are likely in our last hours. Perhaps she wants only to touch another human, to make the most of these last hours.'
"Does this count as affection?" she asks lightly.
'I squeeze her palm, certain she will pull away when I reply, but wanting whatever few moments she will grant.
"Is it meant as such?" '
"Yes."
"Then it counts."
😭❤️✨️
June 24, 2025
review to come!
Want to read
November 15, 2025i am a paladin in dnd, so i guess im reading this now.
September 10, 2023
"Of Deeds Most Valiant" by Sarah K.L. Wilson is a compelling and multifaceted epic fantasy that weaves together elements of forbidden romance in a horrific setting and complex characters.
The story follows the point of view of two paladins, Victoriana and Adalbrand, who are summoned with other paladins (each from different aspects of god) to the newly revealed Aching Monastery to embark on an unusual and perilous quest for their orders. Victoriana is dealing with the recent horrific loss of her mentor and the challenges of keeping a trapped demon under control in the body of her dog, while Adalbrand travels with an old friend in another order. However, as they delve deeper into the mysteries of the monastery, they are forced to confront not only external threats but also their own inner demons.
Now, let's talk about that forbidden love. Adalbrand has taken vows of celibacy but sparks fly between he and Victoriana nonetheless. It's a slow-burn romance that's so full of longing and tension it practically leaps off the pages and into your heart. This love story adds a very human layer to the characters as they wrestle with their feelings while battling all kinds of dangerous challenges.
The world-building in this book is top-notch. The Aching Monastery serves as a haunting and atmospheric backdrop for the story, filled with secrets and malevolent forces that made me feel a mounting discomfort as the characters continued into the puzzle-and-trap-filled ruins. The narrative balances dark and intense moments with moments of snark and humor, providing a well-rounded reading experience. It also delves into challenging and thought-provoking themes, including guilt, redemption, and the consequences of one's actions.
"Of Deeds Most Valiant" is a thrilling mix of epic fantasy, horror, and romance. It's got a gripping narrative, well-crafted characters, and a thought-provoking exploration of love, sacrifice, and the eternal battle between good and evil. And the dog is incredibly important.
The story follows the point of view of two paladins, Victoriana and Adalbrand, who are summoned with other paladins (each from different aspects of god) to the newly revealed Aching Monastery to embark on an unusual and perilous quest for their orders. Victoriana is dealing with the recent horrific loss of her mentor and the challenges of keeping a trapped demon under control in the body of her dog, while Adalbrand travels with an old friend in another order. However, as they delve deeper into the mysteries of the monastery, they are forced to confront not only external threats but also their own inner demons.
Now, let's talk about that forbidden love. Adalbrand has taken vows of celibacy but sparks fly between he and Victoriana nonetheless. It's a slow-burn romance that's so full of longing and tension it practically leaps off the pages and into your heart. This love story adds a very human layer to the characters as they wrestle with their feelings while battling all kinds of dangerous challenges.
The world-building in this book is top-notch. The Aching Monastery serves as a haunting and atmospheric backdrop for the story, filled with secrets and malevolent forces that made me feel a mounting discomfort as the characters continued into the puzzle-and-trap-filled ruins. The narrative balances dark and intense moments with moments of snark and humor, providing a well-rounded reading experience. It also delves into challenging and thought-provoking themes, including guilt, redemption, and the consequences of one's actions.
"Of Deeds Most Valiant" is a thrilling mix of epic fantasy, horror, and romance. It's got a gripping narrative, well-crafted characters, and a thought-provoking exploration of love, sacrifice, and the eternal battle between good and evil. And the dog is incredibly important.
May 31, 2023
Swords & Sorcery – and a whole lot more
Betrayals & blasphemies, demons & dogs, kisses & killing, monks & murder, poetry & puzzles, saints & sinners…in a place of the ancient arcane.
Oh, to have such faith!
‘Our last trial is upon us … when it is complete, all riddles will be answered, all doors unlocked, all truths laid bare.’
But are they really??? Do we ever find out everything or do we just end up believing what we want to believe?
Oh, that we have such doubts!
I’m not even going to try to describe the characters’ dark theological philosophizing or their deep despair. The key that will unlock this mystery begins with broken vessels… You just have to read this to get the emo. At times, I felt like I was reading a Russian Master. Nobody, but nobody, does emo like the Russian Masters.
All right, all right. I cannot resist the temptation!!!
‘Only a man…correction…only a man who was also a paladin…would decide that the way he was going to fix everything was by dying dramatically.
And he’d told it to me with those earnest brown eyes, so wide and innocent, like it would be the simplest thing in the world for me to hold his head under holy water and drown him.’
Which leads me to ask the question, which demons are we *really* fighting? The external ones that fly about in the night or the internal ones we refuse to release from our psyche?
Some sage advice from the author:
Beware saints with grand visions.
Fave quote:
‘Guilt is a cruel mistress’
This is my first book by this author and I’ll continue to read her works. I have ‘Fly with the Arrow’ (Bluebeard's Secret #1) and some ‘Dragon School’ shorts. Totally looking forward to more in this series.
Betrayals & blasphemies, demons & dogs, kisses & killing, monks & murder, poetry & puzzles, saints & sinners…in a place of the ancient arcane.
Oh, to have such faith!
‘Our last trial is upon us … when it is complete, all riddles will be answered, all doors unlocked, all truths laid bare.’
But are they really??? Do we ever find out everything or do we just end up believing what we want to believe?
Oh, that we have such doubts!
I’m not even going to try to describe the characters’ dark theological philosophizing or their deep despair. The key that will unlock this mystery begins with broken vessels… You just have to read this to get the emo. At times, I felt like I was reading a Russian Master. Nobody, but nobody, does emo like the Russian Masters.
All right, all right. I cannot resist the temptation!!!
‘Only a man…correction…only a man who was also a paladin…would decide that the way he was going to fix everything was by dying dramatically.
And he’d told it to me with those earnest brown eyes, so wide and innocent, like it would be the simplest thing in the world for me to hold his head under holy water and drown him.’
Which leads me to ask the question, which demons are we *really* fighting? The external ones that fly about in the night or the internal ones we refuse to release from our psyche?
Some sage advice from the author:
Beware saints with grand visions.
Fave quote:
‘Guilt is a cruel mistress’
This is my first book by this author and I’ll continue to read her works. I have ‘Fly with the Arrow’ (Bluebeard's Secret #1) and some ‘Dragon School’ shorts. Totally looking forward to more in this series.
November 28, 2025
2.5 stars
Okay, I don't know what happened with this one.
I wanted to like it, but the predominant feeling I got while listening to the audiobook was ~ head empty, no thought ~ like, I literally forgot what was happening, while I was still actively reading the book! Nothing felt memorable, nothing stuck. Which is such a bummer, because I really liked the initial concept and the very ending was actually so good?!
The book flew by, but not in a good way. About three-quarters through I went: huh? Nearly at the end? But...like, I felt nothing of the story! Where did the book go? What even happened? There were so many words, yet so little actual action? Like, yes, stuff happened, but I felt totally unaffected? Also, the book meandered quite a bit in a lot of places (especially the very beginning)
My biggest gripe were probably the characters: while I liked the two protagonists well enough (and Brindle probably, too), there were so many side characters that felt insignificant and replaceable that I actually struggled remembering there names. Okay, man-with-superiority-complex-who-hates-the-FMC-for-being-a-woman-and-for-being-poor number four, in which ways will you attack the protagonist and in which way will you ultimately fail? Like, I know that well written characters are supposed to have flaws, but all these side-characters felt like flaws-only not-quite-villains to make the two main characters look better. At the end, I didn't even bother trying to keep the paladins apart, because it didn't really matter anymore? Like, any man that wasn't Adalbrant (or Hefertus) was a misogynistic asshole or deluded lunatic without much nuance.
Another thing that just wasn't my thing was some of the writing. I don't mind poetic writing, I just don't like when characters speak in grand sweeping monologues that sound like something they should have worked a week on and not something they just say on the go. But that also might just be me.
In the end: I don't know what I expected, but I was left deeply dissatisfied. It wasn't bad but to me absolutely unmemorable, sadly.
Okay, I don't know what happened with this one.
I wanted to like it, but the predominant feeling I got while listening to the audiobook was ~ head empty, no thought ~ like, I literally forgot what was happening, while I was still actively reading the book! Nothing felt memorable, nothing stuck. Which is such a bummer, because I really liked the initial concept and the very ending was actually so good?!
The book flew by, but not in a good way. About three-quarters through I went: huh? Nearly at the end? But...like, I felt nothing of the story! Where did the book go? What even happened? There were so many words, yet so little actual action? Like, yes, stuff happened, but I felt totally unaffected? Also, the book meandered quite a bit in a lot of places (especially the very beginning)
My biggest gripe were probably the characters: while I liked the two protagonists well enough (and Brindle probably, too), there were so many side characters that felt insignificant and replaceable that I actually struggled remembering there names. Okay, man-with-superiority-complex-who-hates-the-FMC-for-being-a-woman-and-for-being-poor number four, in which ways will you attack the protagonist and in which way will you ultimately fail? Like, I know that well written characters are supposed to have flaws, but all these side-characters felt like flaws-only not-quite-villains to make the two main characters look better. At the end, I didn't even bother trying to keep the paladins apart, because it didn't really matter anymore? Like, any man that wasn't Adalbrant (or Hefertus) was a misogynistic asshole or deluded lunatic without much nuance.
Another thing that just wasn't my thing was some of the writing. I don't mind poetic writing, I just don't like when characters speak in grand sweeping monologues that sound like something they should have worked a week on and not something they just say on the go. But that also might just be me.
In the end: I don't know what I expected, but I was left deeply dissatisfied. It wasn't bad but to me absolutely unmemorable, sadly.
March 28, 2025
"Eleven paladins walk into a monastery. Only one knows it’s a trap." What starts out reading as a DnD campaign turns into a not so cozy who-done-it fast.
Victoriana Greenmantle is in bad but very entertaining company when she arrives with a horse, a dog, the soul of her slain mentor, and a demon on her heels. The demon was my favorite character—seriously, loved them <3.
Adalbrand von Menticure is a healer; kind, caring, and dryly witty. An absolute dream boat, except he's sworn an oath of celibacy.
Being a paladin seems so inconvenient, I don't even like playing as one in BG3. But here it gets as complicated as can be.
This book felt unique to me, I really liked it.
I have a few complaints though:
- the overuse of the word "doggy"
- the almost instant love (appriciated the resulting pining though)
- and the long expositions that were inserted in moments that would have been exciting otherwise
Victoriana Greenmantle is in bad but very entertaining company when she arrives with a horse, a dog, the soul of her slain mentor, and a demon on her heels. The demon was my favorite character—seriously, loved them <3.
Adalbrand von Menticure is a healer; kind, caring, and dryly witty. An absolute dream boat, except he's sworn an oath of celibacy.
Being a paladin seems so inconvenient, I don't even like playing as one in BG3. But here it gets as complicated as can be.
This book felt unique to me, I really liked it.
I have a few complaints though:
- the overuse of the word "doggy"
- the almost instant love (appriciated the resulting pining though)
- and the long expositions that were inserted in moments that would have been exciting otherwise
Read
August 15, 2024DNF @15%. No rating.
I was really excited about this one, as I love lady warriors in fantasy and was curious about how the author would develop her paladins. Unfortunately, I found the constant dialog and commentary from the demon “possessing” our heroine to be rather annoying after a while as it really interrupted the flow of narration.
Not for me.
I was really excited about this one, as I love lady warriors in fantasy and was curious about how the author would develop her paladins. Unfortunately, I found the constant dialog and commentary from the demon “possessing” our heroine to be rather annoying after a while as it really interrupted the flow of narration.
Not for me.
December 27, 2023
I plan on writing a review for this one soon. But for now, know that one of the many reasons why I dislike it has to do with the religious aspects.
January 13, 2025
This had so much potential but it fell a bit flat for me. The concept was amazing, and actually executed rather well. Paladins who all serve different aspects of the same god being called to figure out a complex magical/holy puzzle? Amazing. There were riddles and puzzles a la the maze in the goblet of fire, and there were clashing personalities, which is all fun stuff for a fantasy novel!
However the romance made me groan. I think the “celibate man of god tortured by lustful thoughts” trope has a lot of potential, but I just couldn’t stand Adalbrand’s internal monologue. Victoriana’s POV was so much more entertaining, realistic, and smart, and I just wanted her to ignore his simping.
I also wish there were more allies. Having all the kooky paladins together, all of whom are caricatures of their orders, makes for fun interactions, but somehow all of them were bad guys/cowards. Like give me at least one ally to work with who isn’t having horny thoughts!
However the romance made me groan. I think the “celibate man of god tortured by lustful thoughts” trope has a lot of potential, but I just couldn’t stand Adalbrand’s internal monologue. Victoriana’s POV was so much more entertaining, realistic, and smart, and I just wanted her to ignore his simping.
I also wish there were more allies. Having all the kooky paladins together, all of whom are caricatures of their orders, makes for fun interactions, but somehow all of them were bad guys/cowards. Like give me at least one ally to work with who isn’t having horny thoughts!
February 21, 2024
I don’t know what I was expecting- but this wasn’t it.
I had a really hard time following his book. The action sequences, while described in depth, were mostly a bit of a muddled mess in my head. There were so many characters each with 3 names (order names, order slang name, and actual name) that I couldn’t keep everyone straight. I think the only characters I actually followed were the two engineers.
Plot was…well…weird - and kinda missing in major holes. The relationship was also pretty shallow. This just wasn’t my cup of tea…
I had a really hard time following his book. The action sequences, while described in depth, were mostly a bit of a muddled mess in my head. There were so many characters each with 3 names (order names, order slang name, and actual name) that I couldn’t keep everyone straight. I think the only characters I actually followed were the two engineers.
Plot was…well…weird - and kinda missing in major holes. The relationship was also pretty shallow. This just wasn’t my cup of tea…
March 1, 2024
Why did the narrator for the Poisoned Saint Paladin sound like a serial killer?
The fact that this book was directly inspired by Gideon the Ninth with an added demon dog should've been at least 4 stars. But the Poisoned Saint's POV sounded super creepy and the instant love didn't help.
The fact that this book was directly inspired by Gideon the Ninth with an added demon dog should've been at least 4 stars. But the Poisoned Saint's POV sounded super creepy and the instant love didn't help.
May 25, 2023
I received an ARC for an honest review!
Real star rating: something like 4.75. But so close to 5 stars for me that there's hardly any point in me even clarifying that.
TLDR: I really loved this book. It is an ambitious puzzle-box plot driven by likeable characters with a dramatically romantic slow-burning love story. It is a love letter to Paladins which means it is dark, brooding, often violent, and deeply, deeply religious. If that spiel sounds like fun to you, read it. You will love it.
Now, for the long diatribe (because I Absolutely Cannot Be Stopped™).
I found this to be a wonderfully engrossing read. It's a huge book, over 160k words, but I never wanted to put it down and I was reading it every moment I wasn't working or sleeping for 4 straight days until it was finished. Then I had to sit and feel bereft for a full 24 hours before I could even comprehend the act of writing a review for it. But now 24 hours have passed, so I will do my best.
This is, as it promises to be, a truly deep dive into Paladins as a people. I found the religious system, and the ensuing 10 orders of Paladins, to be very well constructed and enjoyable to dive into and live in for a few hundred pages. (I am excited for more stories in this world, as well). As a result of this strength I will also give an endorsement/warning: by its nature, this is a highly religious book. It deals with all the light and dark that comes with strong religion, but it is, at its heart, earnest about faith. True faith is important and real in this world. Thus, this book will speak to the heart of the very religious reader (as it did to mine) but it may not mesh as well with someone who dislikes themes of that sort. If that's you, then I would proceed with caution. This book has a LOT to recommend it (a good and large ensemble of characters, a fascinating plot, and highly enjoyable prose) but it is all built on the back of a real and integral religion and God that is inexorable from the world & story. So take that as you will.
Okay, that's that! Other things I loved:
- Adalbrand and Victoriana. They are excellent coprotagonists. They are strongly and clearly drawn and their hearts leap off the page.
- A large ensemble of characters that function well both as a background ensemble and solidify into fun, individual characters that we get to have relationships with.
- Speaking of that: Hefertus. I love him. You'll soon understand.
- The romance. I will admit to some trepidation when it was introduced (there is a roadblock to the love story that I was very nervous/interested to see how it would be overcome) but I ultimately found it VERY SATISFYING. Sarah K.L. Wilson also writes such sweeping, breath-catching romance that I doubt I will ever tire of it. This is no different.
- Speaking of which (but it gets its own bullet point), TALK ABOUT SLOW BURN. Agonizing, but such a wonderful payoff when we get it.
- The puzzle. Trying to unravel the multiple mysteries, problems, and puzzles that layered over each other throughout the story was great fun. Things also didn't necessarily go down as I anticipated in that final climax; it was a nail-biter and SUCH fun to read. I flew through those last chapters.
- This also gets its own bullet point despite my huge paragraph about religion earlier: the God. I really, really liked how the God is present in this story. With religion such an integral aspect of this plot, this world, and these characters, it's always intriguing to see how a deity/ies will be treated. I really enjoyed this characterization of a God who ... doesn't feel entirely fictional. ;)
- The dog. I will not elaborate. If you read it, you will immediately understand that there is a LOT going on with the dog. I liked all of it.
Things I didn't love QUITE as much:
- With such a huge ensemble, there were a few characters I just didn't get to know as well and I would have liked to. There are plot & world reasons that I didn't get to know some of them as well as I would have liked, so I'm not TOO irked by this, but it did bother me a couple times as I read.
- This is more a warning than a criticism, but there is a lot of worldbuilding to grasp and remember. If you are a regular fantasy reader, you won't find it too difficult. But there is a broad religious reality, some geographical items of importance, and 10 separate religious orders (with several different names & titles kicking around in each) to keep track of. So it does sometimes require a little self-quizzing to make sure you have the the correct Aspect of the God fitted to the correct Paladin fitted to the correct power in your head.
And ... that's it. If it wasn't painfully clear already that I loved this book, the difference in size between my pro and con lists will certainly make it stark.
I became a fast fan of Sarah K.L. Wilson the first time I ever read her. I just find her to think deeply, write beautifully, and to furthermore write extremely earnestly. I love the balance of grim-dark and eventual redemption into light that is present in almost everything she writes; definitely everything of hers that I've read, at any rate. This book is no different, and I think it may be my favorite work of hers thus far (though I haven't quite made my mind up yet).
So, yes. It's great. You really, definitely should read it.
Real star rating: something like 4.75. But so close to 5 stars for me that there's hardly any point in me even clarifying that.
TLDR: I really loved this book. It is an ambitious puzzle-box plot driven by likeable characters with a dramatically romantic slow-burning love story. It is a love letter to Paladins which means it is dark, brooding, often violent, and deeply, deeply religious. If that spiel sounds like fun to you, read it. You will love it.
Now, for the long diatribe (because I Absolutely Cannot Be Stopped™).
I found this to be a wonderfully engrossing read. It's a huge book, over 160k words, but I never wanted to put it down and I was reading it every moment I wasn't working or sleeping for 4 straight days until it was finished. Then I had to sit and feel bereft for a full 24 hours before I could even comprehend the act of writing a review for it. But now 24 hours have passed, so I will do my best.
This is, as it promises to be, a truly deep dive into Paladins as a people. I found the religious system, and the ensuing 10 orders of Paladins, to be very well constructed and enjoyable to dive into and live in for a few hundred pages. (I am excited for more stories in this world, as well). As a result of this strength I will also give an endorsement/warning: by its nature, this is a highly religious book. It deals with all the light and dark that comes with strong religion, but it is, at its heart, earnest about faith. True faith is important and real in this world. Thus, this book will speak to the heart of the very religious reader (as it did to mine) but it may not mesh as well with someone who dislikes themes of that sort. If that's you, then I would proceed with caution. This book has a LOT to recommend it (a good and large ensemble of characters, a fascinating plot, and highly enjoyable prose) but it is all built on the back of a real and integral religion and God that is inexorable from the world & story. So take that as you will.
Okay, that's that! Other things I loved:
- Adalbrand and Victoriana. They are excellent coprotagonists. They are strongly and clearly drawn and their hearts leap off the page.
- A large ensemble of characters that function well both as a background ensemble and solidify into fun, individual characters that we get to have relationships with.
- Speaking of that: Hefertus. I love him. You'll soon understand.
- The romance. I will admit to some trepidation when it was introduced (there is a roadblock to the love story that I was very nervous/interested to see how it would be overcome) but I ultimately found it VERY SATISFYING. Sarah K.L. Wilson also writes such sweeping, breath-catching romance that I doubt I will ever tire of it. This is no different.
- Speaking of which (but it gets its own bullet point), TALK ABOUT SLOW BURN. Agonizing, but such a wonderful payoff when we get it.
- The puzzle. Trying to unravel the multiple mysteries, problems, and puzzles that layered over each other throughout the story was great fun. Things also didn't necessarily go down as I anticipated in that final climax; it was a nail-biter and SUCH fun to read. I flew through those last chapters.
- This also gets its own bullet point despite my huge paragraph about religion earlier: the God. I really, really liked how the God is present in this story. With religion such an integral aspect of this plot, this world, and these characters, it's always intriguing to see how a deity/ies will be treated. I really enjoyed this characterization of a God who ... doesn't feel entirely fictional. ;)
- The dog. I will not elaborate. If you read it, you will immediately understand that there is a LOT going on with the dog. I liked all of it.
Things I didn't love QUITE as much:
- With such a huge ensemble, there were a few characters I just didn't get to know as well and I would have liked to. There are plot & world reasons that I didn't get to know some of them as well as I would have liked, so I'm not TOO irked by this, but it did bother me a couple times as I read.
- This is more a warning than a criticism, but there is a lot of worldbuilding to grasp and remember. If you are a regular fantasy reader, you won't find it too difficult. But there is a broad religious reality, some geographical items of importance, and 10 separate religious orders (with several different names & titles kicking around in each) to keep track of. So it does sometimes require a little self-quizzing to make sure you have the the correct Aspect of the God fitted to the correct Paladin fitted to the correct power in your head.
And ... that's it. If it wasn't painfully clear already that I loved this book, the difference in size between my pro and con lists will certainly make it stark.
I became a fast fan of Sarah K.L. Wilson the first time I ever read her. I just find her to think deeply, write beautifully, and to furthermore write extremely earnestly. I love the balance of grim-dark and eventual redemption into light that is present in almost everything she writes; definitely everything of hers that I've read, at any rate. This book is no different, and I think it may be my favorite work of hers thus far (though I haven't quite made my mind up yet).
So, yes. It's great. You really, definitely should read it.
November 14, 2023
4.5 stars rounded up, very good!
Characters both broken and blessed, on a mysterious quest that is Not What It Seems, the beginning of this book was the equivalent of literary catnip for me.
It was a story of paladins, men and women who live in service to the God. Each type of paladin has some limitation, in exchange for which they can perform a certain miracle. At the beginning, we dive straight in to action and meet Victoriana and her very complicated circumstances with the dog (which she doesn't want to kill), the spirit of her mentor (whom she was forced to kill), and a demon (which she is supposed to banish). We also meet Adalbrand, who is atoning for past sins by serving the God by taking others' sicknesses onto himself. The beginning was fast-paced, with plenty of interesting conflicts set up, making me wonder how each would play out.
They, along with representatives of each of the other paladin orders, meet up at an abandoned monastery on a quest to find the Cup of Tears. The plot then reminded me of a cross between a country house mystery story, where all the characters are stuck together while the bodies begin to pile up, and a series of escape room puzzles, as they must figure out the quest before they can leave. This part was a little slower, not for lack of action (there was plenty), but because in this weird monastery where everything can change in an instant and the usual rules of the outside world don't apply, I had to read very carefully to find all the details to understand what was happening. Careful reading isn't usually my thing, and this was the primary reason the book didn't get an unreserved full 5 stars from me.
And then that ending. It was awful and it was inevitable and it was perfect.
Content notes:
Some violence - not too gory, but there are fights, and some awful things that demons do are discussed
Mild suspense/horror - Let's face it, I am a wimp about horror, and I could handle it. There's plenty of atmospheric build-up, which made me nervous because I kept thinking it was going to go farther, but it didn't. Thankfully.
Chaste romance - a few kisses, not too much angst, which was a delightful surprise given that it falls into "forbidden romance" category.
Lots of mature themes - Nothing explicit, but when the themes are exploring sin and depravity vs. sainthood and faith, it's not a fluffy read, and various more mature ideas are discussed
Overall: I thoroughly enjoyed this book, but I think it's primarily because the characters and tropes were ones that I enjoy reading. I am not sure how much this book will appeal to a broader audience (ratings suggest maybe??)
Characters both broken and blessed, on a mysterious quest that is Not What It Seems, the beginning of this book was the equivalent of literary catnip for me.
It was a story of paladins, men and women who live in service to the God. Each type of paladin has some limitation, in exchange for which they can perform a certain miracle. At the beginning, we dive straight in to action and meet Victoriana and her very complicated circumstances with the dog (which she doesn't want to kill), the spirit of her mentor (whom she was forced to kill), and a demon (which she is supposed to banish). We also meet Adalbrand, who is atoning for past sins by serving the God by taking others' sicknesses onto himself. The beginning was fast-paced, with plenty of interesting conflicts set up, making me wonder how each would play out.
They, along with representatives of each of the other paladin orders, meet up at an abandoned monastery on a quest to find the Cup of Tears. The plot then reminded me of a cross between a country house mystery story, where all the characters are stuck together while the bodies begin to pile up, and a series of escape room puzzles, as they must figure out the quest before they can leave. This part was a little slower, not for lack of action (there was plenty), but because in this weird monastery where everything can change in an instant and the usual rules of the outside world don't apply, I had to read very carefully to find all the details to understand what was happening. Careful reading isn't usually my thing, and this was the primary reason the book didn't get an unreserved full 5 stars from me.
And then that ending. It was awful and it was inevitable and it was perfect.
Content notes:
Some violence - not too gory, but there are fights, and some awful things that demons do are discussed
Mild suspense/horror - Let's face it, I am a wimp about horror, and I could handle it. There's plenty of atmospheric build-up, which made me nervous because I kept thinking it was going to go farther, but it didn't. Thankfully.
Chaste romance - a few kisses, not too much angst, which was a delightful surprise given that it falls into "forbidden romance" category.
Lots of mature themes - Nothing explicit, but when the themes are exploring sin and depravity vs. sainthood and faith, it's not a fluffy read, and various more mature ideas are discussed
Overall: I thoroughly enjoyed this book, but I think it's primarily because the characters and tropes were ones that I enjoy reading. I am not sure how much this book will appeal to a broader audience (ratings suggest maybe??)
July 6, 2024
Review: An extraordinary take on paladins, evil spirits, and unlikely redemption.
This book not only featured an intriguing story, but the journey was marked by beautiful prose, and hilarious banter. When you have a dog possessed by a demon who is also sharing space with the saint the demon killed, it makes for some very interesting conversations to say the least.
This story contained a lot of meaningful messages about self-worth as characters deal with guilt, issues of self-doubt, and inadequacy. Our two main protagonists both struggle with these issues. One after being thrust into a quest for a sacred cup after only recently joining the order, and the other being a long-standing paladin with a dark past he struggles to forgive himself for.
The overall tone of the story is a little bleak in spite of the redemption arcs featured throughout. Everything seems pretty dark and dismal. As I read, I imagined a gray, post-apocalyptic landscape, the sun remaining always muted by clouds. This is never said, but the general tone of this world is one of constant turmoil, little trust, and misdeeds both frivolous and grand. In spite of the humor, most of this story is not the lighthearted, ‘feel good’ sort I’m accustomed to. However, it is incredibly well-written and the characters carry the story throughout. I think the tone is so bleak because the characters feel so real, so vulnerable. We ‘feel’ their self-doubt, their inner self-loathing, their fear that they are not enough. Wilson has a real knack for digging deep into the core of her characters and bringing it all forth, the good, the bad, and ugly. But in the end, there is an uplifting message of the unlikely hero, and the broken, morally gray character choosing the path of righteousness.
This is a beautiful story worth reading!
Here’s a quote that stuck out at me yet won’t spoil the story for you:
“Who would have thought that in a group that contained the most famous of those who bring justice and a man so devout that he could ask for the blood of another and she would give it to him – in those high circles –that it would be neither of those who passed the test but rather a wild card, the crow, the one swept in with the wind of poverty and subversiveness?
Perhaps the God chose to delight himself with her wildness and bold heart when he made her. Perhaps even now he rejoices in her stalwart spirit and determination. Whether he does or not, I do.
We are such broken vessels –all of us.”
This book not only featured an intriguing story, but the journey was marked by beautiful prose, and hilarious banter. When you have a dog possessed by a demon who is also sharing space with the saint the demon killed, it makes for some very interesting conversations to say the least.
This story contained a lot of meaningful messages about self-worth as characters deal with guilt, issues of self-doubt, and inadequacy. Our two main protagonists both struggle with these issues. One after being thrust into a quest for a sacred cup after only recently joining the order, and the other being a long-standing paladin with a dark past he struggles to forgive himself for.
The overall tone of the story is a little bleak in spite of the redemption arcs featured throughout. Everything seems pretty dark and dismal. As I read, I imagined a gray, post-apocalyptic landscape, the sun remaining always muted by clouds. This is never said, but the general tone of this world is one of constant turmoil, little trust, and misdeeds both frivolous and grand. In spite of the humor, most of this story is not the lighthearted, ‘feel good’ sort I’m accustomed to. However, it is incredibly well-written and the characters carry the story throughout. I think the tone is so bleak because the characters feel so real, so vulnerable. We ‘feel’ their self-doubt, their inner self-loathing, their fear that they are not enough. Wilson has a real knack for digging deep into the core of her characters and bringing it all forth, the good, the bad, and ugly. But in the end, there is an uplifting message of the unlikely hero, and the broken, morally gray character choosing the path of righteousness.
This is a beautiful story worth reading!
Here’s a quote that stuck out at me yet won’t spoil the story for you:
“Who would have thought that in a group that contained the most famous of those who bring justice and a man so devout that he could ask for the blood of another and she would give it to him – in those high circles –that it would be neither of those who passed the test but rather a wild card, the crow, the one swept in with the wind of poverty and subversiveness?
Perhaps the God chose to delight himself with her wildness and bold heart when he made her. Perhaps even now he rejoices in her stalwart spirit and determination. Whether he does or not, I do.
We are such broken vessels –all of us.”
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