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The Death Dealer #1
Fallen Grace
Branded a witch and exiled after a dishonorable display at the king’s annual tournament, quiet Grace Hilren is forced to uproot her life of luxury as a lord’s daughter and move to the slums of the port city, Glenbard. But Grace carries a secret. Though trained to be a fine lady, she also learned to handle a sword and has made it her mission to eradicate evil and injustice where she finds it. Even in exile, Grace continues her work under the given name of Death Dealer. Her nightly deeds bring her to the notice of the self-proclaimed King of Thieves, Marcus. When the king’s power is threatened by a rival named Mac, the Death Dealer unwittingly becomes a pawn in the struggle between thieves for control of the lower city. The game becomes dangerous as Grace realizes she may not be able to best this usurper.
- GenresFantasy
156 pages, Paperback
First published November 1, 2013
10 people are currently reading
1957 people want to read
About the author
Katie Roman
18 books87 followersRaised in the suburbs of Chicago, Katie Roman has been many things. Student, band geek, dog sitter, history major , and consummate tea drinker, but above all things she's been a writer.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
October 10, 2015
Fallen Grace is about a young woman who hates how society forces women to wed and bear children. And she despises the ladies in court who only gossip to one another about each other. Grace wants to do more. That's how she became the Death Dealer, protecting the innocent people of the land from those who seek to do bad.
Grace finds herself in a whole heap of trouble when she uses her skills as the Death Dealer to portray her injured male cousin in a sword fighting tournament. She's discovered and cast out. If she were to return, she'd be killed, so she goes off in search of a safe and stumbles onto Glenbard, a place over run with thieves.
Pros: There were some nice characters in this story. I loved Ridley, a spunky girl known as the Princess of Thieves; a female pirate who causes havoc wherever her ship docks; and Sir Henry a portly ex-knight who stands up for Grace when she needs a friend. I enjoyed the scenes at court and the tournament. And liked following Grace as she wandered and tried to prove her worth among those in Glenbard. I kept wanting to root for her to show them up. "See, I'm a girl but I can muck out stalls with the best of them!"
Cons: The names of the kingdoms, countries, and knights in the beginning was confusing. There were too many mentioned too soon. And it took me a while to get into this story because of the perspective changes in the beginning. It's not until we get into Grace's perspective that I'm able to get into the story. I think the previous perspectives could've been removed from the story. Especially since I didn't realize one of the scenes had the characters from Glenbard in it (such as Ridley and Jack) until I was more than half-way through the story and flipped back to the start.
The biggest disappointment was how fast the Death Dealer scenes came and went. I wanted to read about the excitement Grace experienced as the Death Dealer for pages. I wanted to get into her head and experience the danger. But we're never really given the chance. If these scenes were longer with more of Grace's senses and longer descriptions of the action, I would've given this story a higher rating. Also, for someone known as the Death Dealer, she needed to be saved a lot.
Overall this was a satisfactory story with great settings and some nice characters. The author has a talent with words and the ending was good. We finally got to see Grace in full Death Dealer mode. But I did hope for more.
Grace finds herself in a whole heap of trouble when she uses her skills as the Death Dealer to portray her injured male cousin in a sword fighting tournament. She's discovered and cast out. If she were to return, she'd be killed, so she goes off in search of a safe and stumbles onto Glenbard, a place over run with thieves.
Pros: There were some nice characters in this story. I loved Ridley, a spunky girl known as the Princess of Thieves; a female pirate who causes havoc wherever her ship docks; and Sir Henry a portly ex-knight who stands up for Grace when she needs a friend. I enjoyed the scenes at court and the tournament. And liked following Grace as she wandered and tried to prove her worth among those in Glenbard. I kept wanting to root for her to show them up. "See, I'm a girl but I can muck out stalls with the best of them!"
Cons: The names of the kingdoms, countries, and knights in the beginning was confusing. There were too many mentioned too soon. And it took me a while to get into this story because of the perspective changes in the beginning. It's not until we get into Grace's perspective that I'm able to get into the story. I think the previous perspectives could've been removed from the story. Especially since I didn't realize one of the scenes had the characters from Glenbard in it (such as Ridley and Jack) until I was more than half-way through the story and flipped back to the start.
The biggest disappointment was how fast the Death Dealer scenes came and went. I wanted to read about the excitement Grace experienced as the Death Dealer for pages. I wanted to get into her head and experience the danger. But we're never really given the chance. If these scenes were longer with more of Grace's senses and longer descriptions of the action, I would've given this story a higher rating. Also, for someone known as the Death Dealer, she needed to be saved a lot.
Overall this was a satisfactory story with great settings and some nice characters. The author has a talent with words and the ending was good. We finally got to see Grace in full Death Dealer mode. But I did hope for more.
April 10, 2015
I won this book from Goodreads First Reads program.
This book was a big disappointment. I was hoping for the strong female character who will not bow down to just being a baby maker and an obedient wife. Yet when the first guy comes along, she fawns all over him and lets him do whatever he wants with her. She says she hates the life of luxury, yet when she is banished she moans and complains about how she doesn't want to live with the commoners and work like one of them.
The characters in general didn't fit the time frame. This book was probably set sometime in the Middle Ages but the characters use modern day slang, Grace wears jeans at one point of the book, and towards the end of the book she has her hair in a ponytail when before she had her hair down or in a braid. It was like the editor j=got tired of fixing all of the authors mistakes and just gave up.
Another thing that this author did was have Grace throw her dagger at this guy and run away, yet about a month later she still has the dagger and you are left thinking, how did that happen? Then another thing she does is kill a guy (when she swore that she would never kill a man in her entire life) with the same dagger and leaves it buried in his chest as she runs away from more attackers. Yet a few days later she pulls the dagger out of her pocket (even though she never carries weapons with her) and she is thanking the guy who gave it to her. Here again you are wondering how on earth she has the dagger when she left it in the chest of the dead guy! I could believe it if the author had someone give her the dagger but no, it just appears out of thin air!
Another thing, all the food that they eat? Is all stuff that wouldn't have been around at the time ore if it was around at the time people of their position wouldn't be eating it. For example, the nobles eat hamburgers, French fries and porridge. While the commoners eat Shepherd's pie,roasted garlic potatoes, and caramel apple cake.
This was a very frustrating book to read and if I hadn't won it I wouldn't have read the whole thing. Don't waste you time on this super boring, historically incorrect, sorry excuse for a book. And by the way, this book was ended in a way that indicated that it would be a stand alone novel, not the first in a series.
This book was a big disappointment. I was hoping for the strong female character who will not bow down to just being a baby maker and an obedient wife. Yet when the first guy comes along, she fawns all over him and lets him do whatever he wants with her. She says she hates the life of luxury, yet when she is banished she moans and complains about how she doesn't want to live with the commoners and work like one of them.
The characters in general didn't fit the time frame. This book was probably set sometime in the Middle Ages but the characters use modern day slang, Grace wears jeans at one point of the book, and towards the end of the book she has her hair in a ponytail when before she had her hair down or in a braid. It was like the editor j=got tired of fixing all of the authors mistakes and just gave up.
Another thing that this author did was have Grace throw her dagger at this guy and run away, yet about a month later she still has the dagger and you are left thinking, how did that happen? Then another thing she does is kill a guy (when she swore that she would never kill a man in her entire life) with the same dagger and leaves it buried in his chest as she runs away from more attackers. Yet a few days later she pulls the dagger out of her pocket (even though she never carries weapons with her) and she is thanking the guy who gave it to her. Here again you are wondering how on earth she has the dagger when she left it in the chest of the dead guy! I could believe it if the author had someone give her the dagger but no, it just appears out of thin air!
Another thing, all the food that they eat? Is all stuff that wouldn't have been around at the time ore if it was around at the time people of their position wouldn't be eating it. For example, the nobles eat hamburgers, French fries and porridge. While the commoners eat Shepherd's pie,roasted garlic potatoes, and caramel apple cake.
This was a very frustrating book to read and if I hadn't won it I wouldn't have read the whole thing. Don't waste you time on this super boring, historically incorrect, sorry excuse for a book. And by the way, this book was ended in a way that indicated that it would be a stand alone novel, not the first in a series.
February 19, 2019
I won this through a Goodreads First Reads giveaway.
I was disappointed in Grace. She really wasn't the strong heroine I was expecting.
I was disappointed in Grace. She really wasn't the strong heroine I was expecting.
July 26, 2020
2.5 stars rounded up because of Ridley
Dialogue felt a bit stilted, though overall writing was pretty decent. Characterising was okay - most were a bit flat; only person I quite enjoyed reading about was Ridley - she's so sunny.
I was extremely weirded out that Grace would address the prince and the baron by their first names... Was expecting honourifics / their titles.
Grace has her moments of being a frustrating ninny, particularly when people warned her that she was out of her depth with Mac. I mean, she actually acknowledged it, but went ahead and tried to confront him anyway (you can imagine how well that turned out). There's a fine line between plucky and being stupid, right?
Dialogue felt a bit stilted, though overall writing was pretty decent. Characterising was okay - most were a bit flat; only person I quite enjoyed reading about was Ridley - she's so sunny.
I was extremely weirded out that Grace would address the prince and the baron by their first names... Was expecting honourifics / their titles.
Grace has her moments of being a frustrating ninny, particularly when people warned her that she was out of her depth with Mac. I mean, she actually acknowledged it, but went ahead and tried to confront him anyway (you can imagine how well that turned out). There's a fine line between plucky and being stupid, right?
February 11, 2015
Ah, I was sad when this book ended. I actually enjoyed this book. I had no expectations except from the excerpt that there was a kickass heroin. The book did not disappoint me there. The book is well paced.
I really liked Grace's character. Despite the era Grace was born in and into a noble family, where women only had 1 role to play she was not weak, meek or whiny at all. She also didn't seem to fit in with the other cliche women. She had a secret identity of a Death Dealer which she played well and to the best of her ability. Grace did not like that title as she was not a killer but, there wasn't much she could do about it. She has her weaknesses and is not afraid to admit them. I liked how her family taught her well and did not force her to the same fate as other women in that day and age. Grace was thoughtful albeit a bit stubborn, impulsive and passionate in whatever she did. Her well meaning but, impulsive gesture leads her to her exile. However, instead of succumbing to her fate and whining about it....she stood tall and worked hard to carve a place for herself in the new city along with her trusted and loyal manservant.
Other supporting characters are well written and developed as well. Although, we don't know a whole lot of background details about those characters. Marcus, king of thieves, I loved him. He has his reasons for what he does. He takes Grace under his wing. He is very smart, looks after his people and is very perceptive. I enjoyed Ridley's character. She is an amazing, feisty and loyal friend to Grace. Jack, oh Jack...how you made me laugh and boink you on the head at the same time. I loved his and Grace's interaction. I am hoping for some MORE of Jack/Grace scenes in the next book. It was really sweet to see them get close and grow on each other. Jack had a lot of baggage (and a secret) and it was nice to see him slowly come out of his bitterness (can't blame him). There's no insta-love in this book. More like a slow burn.
Another interesting character that I'd like to know more about is Prince Drake. What made him make those choices (sorry cannot say it without spoilers)? What was the real reason he did what he did?? Tristan, God, he pissed me off. I'm hoping for a harsh reality lesson for him.
Thankfully, there is no love triangle as of yet. I hope it stays that way. I definitely want to read book 2 to find out more.
I really liked Grace's character. Despite the era Grace was born in and into a noble family, where women only had 1 role to play she was not weak, meek or whiny at all. She also didn't seem to fit in with the other cliche women. She had a secret identity of a Death Dealer which she played well and to the best of her ability. Grace did not like that title as she was not a killer but, there wasn't much she could do about it. She has her weaknesses and is not afraid to admit them. I liked how her family taught her well and did not force her to the same fate as other women in that day and age. Grace was thoughtful albeit a bit stubborn, impulsive and passionate in whatever she did. Her well meaning but, impulsive gesture leads her to her exile. However, instead of succumbing to her fate and whining about it....she stood tall and worked hard to carve a place for herself in the new city along with her trusted and loyal manservant.
Other supporting characters are well written and developed as well. Although, we don't know a whole lot of background details about those characters. Marcus, king of thieves, I loved him. He has his reasons for what he does. He takes Grace under his wing. He is very smart, looks after his people and is very perceptive. I enjoyed Ridley's character. She is an amazing, feisty and loyal friend to Grace. Jack, oh Jack...how you made me laugh and boink you on the head at the same time. I loved his and Grace's interaction. I am hoping for some MORE of Jack/Grace scenes in the next book. It was really sweet to see them get close and grow on each other. Jack had a lot of baggage (and a secret) and it was nice to see him slowly come out of his bitterness (can't blame him). There's no insta-love in this book. More like a slow burn.
Another interesting character that I'd like to know more about is Prince Drake. What made him make those choices (sorry cannot say it without spoilers)? What was the real reason he did what he did?? Tristan, God, he pissed me off. I'm hoping for a harsh reality lesson for him.
Thankfully, there is no love triangle as of yet. I hope it stays that way. I definitely want to read book 2 to find out more.
January 11, 2015
To begin with, I felt this story was rather stiff and somewhat formal and it took me a while to get into it. As the world of the courts was left behind, however, that formality too melted away and I found myself completely and utterly lost in the story, unwilling to put the book down for any reason.
I loved that Grace isn’t some fully competent ‘warrior’ woman, but that she’s trying to make good use of the skills she’s gained, and that she willing to admit her weakness’ and learn along the way. She might be a little foolhardy and naïve, at times getting in over her head…but she’s not stupid or foolishly stubborn like other ‘independent’ heroines I’ve read. I also enjoyed reading about someone who wasn’t a ‘loner’ or completely ‘tough as nails’. There is a strength to her and she works hard…and she’s human.
The world created by Katie Roman was great too. The dirt, the mud, the smell of vomit and the calls of merchants beyond the temple walls. There’s politics and religion but nothing overtakes the story and makes you feel as though you are lost in the who’s who of Kings and lessor rulers. There’s just enough to create a ‘reality’ in the world.
I really did enjoy this book and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good fantasy world.
I loved that Grace isn’t some fully competent ‘warrior’ woman, but that she’s trying to make good use of the skills she’s gained, and that she willing to admit her weakness’ and learn along the way. She might be a little foolhardy and naïve, at times getting in over her head…but she’s not stupid or foolishly stubborn like other ‘independent’ heroines I’ve read. I also enjoyed reading about someone who wasn’t a ‘loner’ or completely ‘tough as nails’. There is a strength to her and she works hard…and she’s human.
The world created by Katie Roman was great too. The dirt, the mud, the smell of vomit and the calls of merchants beyond the temple walls. There’s politics and religion but nothing overtakes the story and makes you feel as though you are lost in the who’s who of Kings and lessor rulers. There’s just enough to create a ‘reality’ in the world.
I really did enjoy this book and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good fantasy world.
June 2, 2015
Thank you Goodreads and Katie Roman for the opportunity to win and read Fallen Grace! I am thrilled, and will post my review as soon as I have received and read. Thank you again!
Non-Spoiler Review... Update - 4 1/2 stars! Loved getting lost in this book!! A great fusion of fantasy and action with a tinge of romance. Katie Roman's very descriptive writing just engulfed me in that world. I have to say that I tore through it in one night. Who needs sleep, right?
Fallen Grace is a fantasy novel perfect for everyone, from young adults to those young at heart. Would absolutely recommend this book!
I very much appreciated that Grace was not just another "unbeatable heroine." Her character - both courageous and kind, yet shy and naïve. It made me like her all the more. Jack has to be my favorite though!! Guess I just have a thing for the strong, brooding, silent type. LOL. I am hoping for some more of Jack/Grace in the next book as well as learning more about Marcus and the characters Grace left behind.
My only criticism: wish it was longer....... Now I am dying to know the backgrounds of more of the characters (which I am hoping will come in the next book in the series!!!)
Thank you Katie Roman. Will impatiently await Book 2!
Non-Spoiler Review... Update - 4 1/2 stars! Loved getting lost in this book!! A great fusion of fantasy and action with a tinge of romance. Katie Roman's very descriptive writing just engulfed me in that world. I have to say that I tore through it in one night. Who needs sleep, right?
Fallen Grace is a fantasy novel perfect for everyone, from young adults to those young at heart. Would absolutely recommend this book!
I very much appreciated that Grace was not just another "unbeatable heroine." Her character - both courageous and kind, yet shy and naïve. It made me like her all the more. Jack has to be my favorite though!! Guess I just have a thing for the strong, brooding, silent type. LOL. I am hoping for some more of Jack/Grace in the next book as well as learning more about Marcus and the characters Grace left behind.
My only criticism: wish it was longer....... Now I am dying to know the backgrounds of more of the characters (which I am hoping will come in the next book in the series!!!)
Thank you Katie Roman. Will impatiently await Book 2!
October 3, 2016
At first the book was a little slow moving, but as I continued reading it I loved it. Throughout this book there is a lot of sexism, fighting, romance and drama in the book. Grace, the main character, doesn't follow everyone else and sets her own path. Grace who is a noblewoman was trained to fight and decided to make a difference by being a vigilante hero. Though her intentions are noble, her behavior is not accepted by many of the nobles. There are those nobles that care for others, but most of them don't. The beginning of the book was alright, but I didn't really understand the culture or context. Grace makes a mistake causing her to be set for execution. One of the nobles who cares sets Grace free. After being cast out of the city, Grace's journey is much clearer. I feel like she really had the chance to grow as a character. The characters at the Angle (the local bar/inn) are very likeable. Jack is one of my favorite characters in the book. He has had a rough journey, but for most the book he is misunderstood. I loved seeing his character unfold into an amazing person.
I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who likes drama, fighting, and/or the middle ages.
I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who likes drama, fighting, and/or the middle ages.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 19, 2015
Eh, this was an okay. It was great at keeping your attention for a little while but then there were a few boring moments that had me skipping pages to get to more interesting scenes.
I didn't really like how a few characters were introduced in the beginning of the chapters and then they were just ignored, almost as if they weren't important to the story anymore. They were mentioned like three more times and then they were forgotten. The romance was sort of bland, and I didn't really find myself connecting with the story or characters at all. I mostly read this book because I had nothing else to do but I admit that even finishing this book was a struggle for me.
I'm not planning on reading the rest of the series if they're going to be the same as this one, and I won't recommend this book, unless you want to give it a try and see if it's to your liking or not.
I didn't really like how a few characters were introduced in the beginning of the chapters and then they were just ignored, almost as if they weren't important to the story anymore. They were mentioned like three more times and then they were forgotten. The romance was sort of bland, and I didn't really find myself connecting with the story or characters at all. I mostly read this book because I had nothing else to do but I admit that even finishing this book was a struggle for me.
I'm not planning on reading the rest of the series if they're going to be the same as this one, and I won't recommend this book, unless you want to give it a try and see if it's to your liking or not.
June 18, 2015
I received a copy of this free through the First Reads Giveaways.
This book was an absolute joy to read and I enjoyed it from page one to the last page. The character of Grace is strong and unique, giving the book a wonderful strong and independent heroine. The characters in the book are well developed and a blast to read about, while the plot itself is well paced, action packed, and will leave you not wanting to set the book down until you're done. I cannot wait to get my hands on the second book, and look forward to following Grace, Jack, Ridley, and everyone else's stories! So go on, and read this book, you will not regret it!
This book was an absolute joy to read and I enjoyed it from page one to the last page. The character of Grace is strong and unique, giving the book a wonderful strong and independent heroine. The characters in the book are well developed and a blast to read about, while the plot itself is well paced, action packed, and will leave you not wanting to set the book down until you're done. I cannot wait to get my hands on the second book, and look forward to following Grace, Jack, Ridley, and everyone else's stories! So go on, and read this book, you will not regret it!
November 5, 2015
This is a very weird book. It is written in third person and I think that is one of the reasons it was very hard to me to connect with any of the characters. I don't know why the charters' did what they did. The story doesn't lots of telling and not showing. In addition, Grace is a idiot. I felt bad for Donald and Jack having to deal and be friends with her.
October 17, 2014
Death dealer?
It was ok. I had to many unanswered questions for me to feel like it was complete. If you don't care about the other characters you will love it. Grace and Jack are wonderful. However, I want to know about the Prince, Henry, Marcus and diggery just to name a few.
It was ok. I had to many unanswered questions for me to feel like it was complete. If you don't care about the other characters you will love it. Grace and Jack are wonderful. However, I want to know about the Prince, Henry, Marcus and diggery just to name a few.
April 22, 2016
I received this book through the Goodreads Giveaway. It took a little while for this book to set the ground work for the main story, but overall it was a decent story about a heroine who does not understand the word danger and will accept help from no one.
January 18, 2017
I won Fallen Grace from Goodreads for an honest review. I was not just sent Fallen Grace but By Grace Alone, Grace of the Goddess and Disgraceful. I enjoy all four of them and highly recommend them!!
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews