This was a pretty enjoyable read with a great, twisty adventure-and-investigation plot unfolding alongside the central romance storyline, set in a quirky, inventive fantasy world. At the heart of it, the romance felt similar to the first book in the series: to people struggling with their own demons and the sense of not being good enough, but still ultimately coming together. However, Isthvan and Clara are rather different from Stephen and Grace, and their story takes a different spin. 

Put into the spotlight, Isthvan initially felt somewhat different from how he appeared in his side character position in Paladin's Grace. A bit blander, perhaps, and less confident? It seemed like he could benefit from some of the same pep talks he gave Stephen in the first book. Still, the longer I spent in his company, the more I connected to him, and the weaker that feeling of "difference" became; eventually I've come to feel the way he's perceived by friends and what's going on in his head are two perfectly logical sides of the same coin. I enjoyed reading about his perception of what all the paladins of his Order had gone through. In the first book, Stephen focused mainly on the trauma from their god dying and the immediate aftermath with its awful events. Isthvan digs deeper, examining the times when the Saint of Steel was still alive and all the paladins were holy and righteous and always knew what to do—or so they perceived themselves. These small differences make me especially curious to read the next installment and to see what angle Galen brings to the table.

Clara captivated me from the very first page, and my attachment only kept growing throughout the book. She's such a strong, brave, and determined character, and she never stops being any of that when she deals with her very understandable insecurities. There was something highly compelling about her thought process regarding all the challenges the plot threw her way, and how she clearly strived to remain honest with herself even when she kept secrets from others. I was also enchanted by her relationship to faith and the way it subtly evolved throughout her journey.

As a couple, I felt these characters worked so well together. That one scene where they openly talked about their pasts, finding common ground to relate to each other's pretty unique situation, is going to stick with me. I loved the banter between them and the way they so clearly lifted each other up.

The one thing that perhaps didn't sit well with me was the uneven pacing. The first half of the book was perfect, with a very steady, very gradually increasing pace. By the middle, there was a clear slog, though, and once things started picking up again, it was kind of patchy. The last few chapters felt somewhat rushed. That made the plot a bit harder to follow than I would've liked.