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The Sworn Soldier
gothic horror
Series · romantic fantasy
Saint of Steel
The Saint of Steel series by T. Kingfisher has 4 books and is best read in publication order, starting with Paladin's Grace (2020).
- Books
- 4 books
- First published
- 2020
- Status
- ongoing
- Last checked
Start here: Paladin's Grace (2020) — then read straight through in publication order.
Reading order
The order the books were released — the default way to read the series.
- Book 1:
Paladin's Grace
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Paladin's Grace - Book 2:
Paladin's Strength
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Paladin's Strength - Book 3:
Paladin's Hope
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Paladin's Hope - Book 4:
Paladin's Faith
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Paladin's Faith
About the Saint of Steel series
When the god they served died, his seven Paladins -- the Saint of Steel's berserker-warrior knights -- were left without the divine voice that kept their battle-rage in check, prone to sudden violent blackouts and convinced they're a danger to everyone around them. Each Saint of Steel novel pairs one of these traumatized, self-doubting paladins with a sharp, capable woman who refuses to be scared off by his condition -- a disgraced ex-lawyer turned pawnbroker's assistant in Paladin's Grace, a prickly bounty hunter in Paladin's Strength, a nervy embalmer in Paladin's Hope, and a professional poisoner-slash-food-taster in Paladin's Faith, which widens the scope into a larger political conspiracy. T. Kingfisher writes the romance with warmth, comedy and a refusal to let trauma be aestheticized -- the paladins' blackouts are frightening and disorienting, not a broody love-interest quirk -- while wrapping it all in a lived-in fantasy world of guilds, temples and small-scale political intrigue.
The series belongs to the same 'World of the White Rat' setting as several of Kingfisher's other adult fantasy books (including Swordheart and Clockwork Boys), and shares its clergy, gods and geography with them, though each book's central couple and plot stand alone. It's been a major driver of Kingfisher's crossover popularity with romance and BookTok readers who came to her fantasy through the romance side of the shelf.
How to read this series
Each Saint of Steel novel is a self-contained romance with a new central couple, so you can start anywhere, but Paladin's Grace (2020) is the true first book and introduces the premise -- the death of the Saint of Steel and what it did to his paladins -- that every later book assumes you understand. Reading in publication order (Paladin's Grace, Paladin's Strength, Paladin's Hope, Paladin's Faith) also lets you watch supporting characters and the wider 'White Rat' world recur and deepen book to book. Paladin's Faith leans more heavily on plot threads from the earlier three than they lean on each other, so it's the one entry best saved for last.
Frequently asked questions
How many Saint of Steel books are there?
Four: Paladin's Grace (2020), Paladin's Strength (2021), Paladin's Hope (2021) and Paladin's Faith (2023).
What order should I read the Saint of Steel series in?
Publication order, starting with Paladin's Grace, which introduces the premise every later book builds on. Each book centers a new couple and can technically stand alone, but Paladin's Faith draws on plot threads from the earlier three.
What is the Saint of Steel about?
Seven paladins whose god died, leaving them prone to violent berserker blackouts; each book pairs one paladin with a capable woman as they fall in love while he works through the trauma and danger of his condition.
Is Saint of Steel connected to T. Kingfisher's other books?
Yes. It shares the 'World of the White Rat' setting, gods and clergy with several of her other adult fantasy titles, including Swordheart and the Clocktaur War duology, though no reading order is required between them.
Is there a fifth Saint of Steel book coming?
None has been announced as of August 2026; Paladin's Faith (2023) is the most recent entry.
Reading order last verified .