Paladin

I received a copy of this book from Perfect Analogy Publishing via NetGalley in return for an honest review

um...I...LOVE THIS BOOK!!!!!!!! *clears throat* sorry, I got a little carried away there.

I haven't been able to start a review like this in a while, this book was SUCH a pleasure to read!!

Rating- 4.5 Stars

Let's talk plot

Lady Samantha is good with a sword, her father the Duke wants her married. One day her life and naive delusions are shattered when a demon kills her Mother and turns it's eyes to her. Samantha knows she can't win, she wouldn't know how to kill a demon. Until a man, with hair like the sun rescues her. His name is Tristan, and he is a Paladin, a warrior who eradicates the world of demons. Not only is he a warrior, but he is the master of the sword. Samantha grieving her mother means only one thing to her...revenge.

You killed my mother," She told the demon with a calm she didn't feel, "and now I'm going to kill you."

Samantha decides one thing, to have revenge, she can no longer be weak. To no longer be weak she needs to be trained. To train she needs to join the Paladin. To join the Paladin, she needs to become a man.
And so Samantha becomes Sam of Haywood.

SOOO GOOODDDD.

At first i had that moment of fear, like oh crap, is this going to be another story where a girl impersonates a guy and everything will be so predictable?

UGH NO. NOT. AT. ALL

Don't get me wrong, she does impersonate a man BUT this story is not predictable, it is freaking enjoyable! The adventure, the fighting, the world- building (you guys know i love me a good world- building) just made it so good!

I started reading this late at night and i was so mad when i had to sleep! This is a story you can't stop midway and honestly, you probably wouldn't want to.

Okay, lets have a chat on the characters...I loved all of them, even the bad guy. Our three main characters is Sam/ Samantha, Tristan and Braeden. While we might think that this story is all about Sam, honestly, it felt like this story was about Braeden. I just LOVE him!

These characters are not your perfect characters, they are angry, they mess up, they struggle. However, they try their best at doing what's right and bless my little heart if i didn't fan girl.

Seriously, you won't regret reading this. To me this is a great story!

It also had a lot of funny parts too, which made it all the more enjoyable.

THERE IS AN AWESOME ROMANCE IN THIS BOOOOOOOKKKKK!!!!!!!! *cough*

I mean, there is one and the wonderful thing about it is that it's not the focus of the actual story! BUT! You can see the characters falling in love...that's my favourite part.

There is some heart- melting moments too!

" I would rather bleed till my body is dry and empty," he said, "than draw a single drop of your blood."

You may think that sounds cheesy, but trust me once you read this and this happens you're dying on the inside.

There is also something that is not seen in a lot of books. Sam is a strong female character and in the love aspect of the story, they treat each other like partners, not one stronger than the other.

"One day I'll get you to stop trying to protect me." (He) laughed softly.
"That's never going to happen." Sam scowled.
"Fine," She said. "Then I'll just have to protect you back."

SO CUTE!

" (He) was a noble, self- sacrificing idiot, but he was her idiot."

READ THE BOOK PEOPLE.

Did I mention this story has a pretty fascinating bad guy? I didn't see that coming when it was revealed who it was. So good.

I can't wait for the next one.

If you like Fantasy, good but imperfect characters, an adorable romance, adventure, strong characters and sword fighting. You'll enjoy this one for sure!

Paladin is AMAZING!

And that's an understatement. Forget five stars I need five more!
Where have you been Miss Slater? It doesn't matter, you're here now. ;)

We meet Lady Samantha, the daughter of a Duke, who wants to marry her off right. Sam has different aspirations for her future, she wants to be a warrior. After her mother is killed by a demon, Sam cuts her hair, binds her chest, ditches her gowns and runs off to join the Paladin ranks. Now she has to train under the man who inspired her to become a Paladin in the first place, Tristan Lyons, whom ends up with an additional charge...

Enter Braeden, the half demon trainee who will change everything...

The world building in this book is incredible, the characters are 3 dimensional, you feel what they feel, their struggles, frustrations, their joy, they will make you laugh, and pull at your heartstrings.
The romance is so cute! I just can't get enough of it!
There's not a dull moment, it's fast paced, Slater grips you tightly and doesn't let you you go until the end. When you get there you feel satisfied, yet somehow bereft, because you just want more....

Fantasy nuts, rejoice!
I can't recommend this enough!

Miss Slater is on my radar!

Happy Reading!

All reviews appear on Amazon, Goodreads, LibraryThing plus LT Facebook and Twitter, eyes.2c review blog

Amazon http://smile.amazon.com/Paladin-Sally-Slater-ebook/dp/B00WL64DLI/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top?ie=UTF8 (May 31, 2015)

LibaryThing and LibraryThing Facebook and Twitter http://www.librarything.com/work/15635129/summary/118809725 (May 31, 2015)

Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1294707450 (May 31, 2015)

eyes.2c reviews blog http://eyes2creviews.blogspot.ca/2015/05/dreams-of-swords-and-honor.html (May 31, 2015)

Dreams of swords and honor!

Great new female hero. Slater's writing reminds me a tad of Sarah J. Maas with a dash of Tamora Pierce.
A tried and true theme with a difference. Young woman (of noble birth) wants to be a Paladin, lives for sword fighting, and definitely doesn't want to be married off to decorate someone's holdings and birth the required heirs.
Disguising herself as a boy, Sam (Samatha) heads off to paladin headquarters to try her luck.
(I've got to say that all that breast binding and then hiding how the the 'call of nature' impacts differently for women would wear me out, let alone holding my own in sword fighting against a hulking successful Paladin. How did she get away with it? Privacy would not be the first thing on the travelling Paladins' minds).
She succeeds. An unforeseen circumstance--her co-trainee Braeden is a half demon. Her trainer, her hero from her past, Paladin Tristan Lyons, First of the Sword.
Training, fighting demons, following the High Commander's bidding, and the continued battle to disguise her gender do take a toll, as does entering the enclave of a rival organization, The Uriel. It is feared that they seek to oust the Paladins. Sam and her team find more than they'd bargained for. Frighteningly more! The Paladin are in trouble!
Well written, Sam's story exercises such a pull that you soon find yourself deep into the action and just snarl at having to face the day's busyness. A feisty young woman who won't settle for any less than she feels driven to do. Translate that drive to today's young women and here's a message for all to follow their dream. They can come true!

A NetGalley ARC

While much of this book does use common tropes in this kind of YA fantasy, I still really enjoyed it, pay no mind to the cartoon-y cover. Sam, while a fairly cliche character, had better reasons for why she ran off to join the Paladins than "I don't want to follow the standard rules of high society." After a tragedy and her father becomes a recluse, Sam decides she wants to take matters into her own hands, and seeks training. She is still pretty annoying sometimes with her bravado of "I'm so tough I can beat all you men." attitude, she walks the line between cocky and confident.

I liked Tristan. He wasn't really a cliche of a character, but at the same time he wasn't exactly original either. He's noble, and not the cliche "badboy" or "boynextdoor" he's mostly just a guy that is really good at being a warrior. His age was never really clear until closer to the end of the book, and it was only mentioned in years of how long he was in certain places but doing the math, he's 25. A bit old for a character in a young adult book, not really a problem accept he acts like he's the same age as Samantha, which is maybe 18 by the time the story really picks up.

Braden, he was kind of interesting, but there was little that was actually all that special about him. his place in the story is what made some of the things I've seen before in the genre seem like something new, and his presence seemed to be the driving point for most of the plot, not Sam

There is a little hint of a romance in this book, and while I dont know if it was actually needed, the way it turned out wasn't how I predicted; but I don't know if thats a good thing or not. The person she ends up with she didn't really share any chemistry with, but I don't mind that it went the way it did. I don't know if this is a stand-alone or not, but it had a little bit of an open ending, so I assume that there will be more.

I was afraid I wouldn’t like this as much as I did, because the ‘girl pretending to be a boy and falling in love while proving she is as good as any boy’ seemed to be hugely popular a few years ago. And I read a lot of them. But this book sucked me in from the first pages.

There is a lot of gore and some fairly icky descriptions of battle with monsters and descriptions of wounds gone bad. So I wouldn’t suggest this for younger readers or those who are bothered by such things. However that said…

I really liked Sam, and I adored Braeden! I liked Tristan and the Uriel’s leader. There wasn’t a huge amount of world-building, but there was enough that you got a sense of how things fit together. And while it has the ‘girl pretending to be a boy’ plotline, it was anything but predictable. One of the boys finds out she’s a girl fairly early on in the book, but it is not done in any way I’ve seen before. The bad guy was also a near total surprise to me, though I could see a bit of the foreshadowing of it once it was revealed.

Sam is headstrong and stubborn, she is also sometimes a bit of an idiot. Mostly because she doesn’t often think before she acts or says things. Braeden is both dark, and a bit of a tragic hero. He tries so hard to do the right thing, but something always seems to go wrong.

This is not a love triangle. Though for close to half the book I was afraid it might end up being so. But one of the two possible loves was never actually in love with her, and she was never in love with him. And I’ll leave it at that to avoid spoilers, you’ll have to read it to find out who Sam picks.

I loved this book so much! And I'm thrilled to hear it is the first in at least a 2-book set. There are a number of questions left unanswered, and threads hanging that I want to know what happens with. The war, the trip across the sea, if Sam's relationship with her father changes like it looked like it might towards the end of this first book.

If you want a story that will suck you in and make you read every page, with a slow-build romance that you can actually see growing, as well as plenty of action and characters that are highly developed, you need to read this book.

Loved this book and had a hard time putting it town. The plot was engrossing, the characters entertaining...can't wait for the sequel!

enjoyed the book.

I received this book from Netgalley and Perfect Analogy Publishing in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I have to be completely honest here. When I first opened the book and read the prologue, I thought "A princess like character needing to find a husband?" and inside, I groaned a little. There are about 3 bazillion books that all seem to have that same start and I worried that I had stumbled across yet another one.

This book didn't fall instantly into boring tropes and cliches, well, not completely. Yes, there is some romance and gender confusion as Girl pretends to be Boy wanting to be Knight (er, Paladin in this case) and Boys near said Girl get caught up into the story. This book is equal parts Shakespeare gender challenging, standard YA, Fantasy elements, with a little princess bride mixed in. I say Princess Bride because by the time that there was actually romance involved, I didn't actually mind reading about the "Kissy parts".

I felt that Sam of Haywood, Tristan, and Braeden were interesting characters and I felt that the author conveyed why characters acted in the way that they did without compromising the characters themselves. The old romance ideal of the female character instantly falling for the first jerk male in the book in the end wasn't the immediate solution and the way that the story is told makes the twists and turns feel more fluid than many of the contrived plot lines that romance and even Disney stories seem to want to go.

The editing in the electronic version was very well done even when I was looking for errors. The writing was easily followed although there were a few times that action events happened so quickly that I had to go back and re-read a paragraph to see what I must have overlooked or skimmed past only to find out that the event being referred to hadn't fully been explained yet. If I had to find a main problem with this book is was simply in it's title. I grew up on old school fantasy and even with Dungeons and Dragons and the like. As such, when I see the word 'Paladin', I instantly think of a pure and true knight fighting for a divine power. I associate Paladins as having healing abilities, some form of magic, and are almost priest like in their purity. This isn't what 'Paladin' was used for in this story. It was used more as a name of an order of knights with pure intentions although, since the main characters first action was to join a group of "pure and honest fighters", the fact that Sam joined based on a lie seemed a contradiction to the title. But that is just being picky.

This was a solid read, enjoyable with some interesting characters and some moral choices and gender twisting fun that I enjoyed more than I thought I would. I would recommend this book to readers who enjoy Mercedes Lackey and Melanie Rawn but also those who like series like Hunger games. I would say that grade 9 and above will all find something to enjoy in this book, especially girls who enjoy a good role model for not being trapped into the role that you feel life seems to lock you into.

Okay, with this one it has been love at first sight.

This book is... AMAZING!

Paladin is action- packed, twisted, compelling and it literally blew me away.
Maybe it's not perfect - there are some minor issues - but seriously, who cares when a book is this unputdownable?

I loved the story and even more the characters, that IMO are the greatest strength of this book.

Sam
"All of her training had been for this. For a chance to become her own hero. It was now or never. The Paladins waited for no man. And certainly for no woman."

Sam is not just a girl in man's shoes: not only there are serious motives behind her choice to join the Paladins, but she's also a fine swordman and a strong, kick-ass heroine. I loved her squabbles with Tristan and the funny misunderstandings arising from her secret identity (the brothel scene is pure genius!) and of course her relationship with Braeden!

Tristan
"Tristan was the one of them without secrets, the unflappable one, the one without a chink in his armor. What kind of sordid past could he possibly want to hide?"

I had thought that Tristan had to be the knight in shining armor, the perfect guy, the one without fears and without stains. I was wrong and I liked it, because it made me enjoy this book and its complex, believable characters even more.

Braeden
"Braeden didn’t fear much in life. Why would he be afraid of monsters when he was one himself? He’d been told he was evil since he’d left his mother’s womb, and after a time, he’d started to believe it true. There wasn’t much to fear when he was his own worst nightmare."

Needless to say, I have a twisted thing for this guy. He's haunted, he's torn and I simply adore him.

So, in the end, this is my advice: READ. THIS. BOOK. You won't regret it.

Even though the story had huge illogical moments (like arguing before demons' attacking, having the best swordsman blush and many more), the author managed to get me gripped until the last word. I wish it would have been better written as for characters and places descriptions but she developed a great plot. Bravo.

Ok I have to admit, to start with this reminded me of Defy crossed with Summoner: Novice (I don't know why, possibly because that was the last demon book I read) but that was bad. Very very bad. I really didn't get on with Defy and I thought I was going to give up on this one, but I'm so happy I didn't! What put me off I think was the comments about her being a woman and weak, but far from it being all over and an obsession mentioned every 5 minutes, it seemed as though it was covered as part of the world truth.

There was a tiny hint of a love triangle that was something I ignored. It was more the hint of a possibility rather than an actual love interest which was good. And I'll tell you what was even better, which is a SEMI SPOILER ALERT: At the end SHE GOES WITH HIM! No separation for book two! I'm so happy and excited it's ridiculous.

There were a few things that I thought were perhaps missing, making the plot a little less complex which made me feel it was more a teen book, but at the same time I think it's meant to be a YA and they may have perhaps been missing by accident. I believe this is Sally Slaters' first novel and that people should always be given some slack the first time they do stuff.
There was no hint how much time had passed at the start, it seemed as though it was week or months at most but it was in fact years and I thought that there would have been a sort of qualifying process before they were assigned to their trainers, unless it was mentioned in a line or two and I missed it.

I liked how frank Sam was and that she was quite focused on what she wanted. I wasn't too fond of Tristan but I think that was just how we saw him. My favourite is certainly Braeden. A wounded underdog type, with silver hair whose kind when he almost shouldn't be? I like these types.

I hope we get to see him lots in the next book...which at the moment is being written and no publish date is in sight.

Sam of Haywood is the daughter and sole heir, but she wants none of it. Sam wants to be a paladin, protector of the land. After her mother is brutally killed by a demon, Sam runs off to train as a paladin, and becomes firm friends with Braeden (half human, half demon) and the paladin who saved her life when her mother was killed.

Of course, the secret of her gender cannot be kept forever.

This book was very very good at time, and other times I felt like I wandered a bit until I figured it out. The relationship between Braeden and Sam is tight. I enjoyed the book and would read the second, if there is one.

Paladin is a doozie! Lady Samantha, aka Sam, lost her mother in a demon attack. With a father who couldn't care less, Sam takes on the journey to become a Paladin (think Mulan, except she's fighting demons, not the Huns.) Along with the half demon Braeden, she is assigned as trainee to Paladin Tristan . Aka, the dream boat who helped her during the demon attack that killed her mother.

This book is a fine mixture of Mulan and The Night's Watch from Game of Thrones. It's got the whole cross dressing female ready to fight a war, backstabbing by allies,and a bunch of big headed men fighting demons (white walkers of this world.) It's so much fun!!

I make it sound like this book is someone what silly, but it's really not. Aside from the fun, light bantering between Tristan and Sam, Paladin is a quite serious story. Sam is basically having an identity crisis throughout the book. It's emotional and slightly heart-wrentching if you try to put yourself in her shoes. Does she have to be just Sam, Paladin trainee? Or can she be Lady Samatha as well? Braeden, similarly, doesn't know if he is more human or demon. Doesn't know if he deserves to be loved or to love. Tristan...well, he has skeletons in his closets, demons in his past, etc. etc., you know how it goes.

Really, this book is quite lengthy and you have to give it time. The length, however feels just right. Unfortunately, I didn't find this book particularly astounding. I wasn't bored, but the pages never put me on edge ever. Slater tries to pull off the whole Star-crossed lovers, the demon and human can never be, but doesn't do it very well. Braeden was kind of a pushover and too nice, while sam was the go-getter.

What I can tell you is that if you're looking for a book with a strong female character, this is the one for you:

"'This is no fairy tale, little girl,' he said into her ear as she started to slump. ' No one's coming to save you.'

Before her vision could fade to black, she clasped her hands together and drove the hilt of the sword into his gut. 'I don't need to be saved. I'll damn well save myself.'"

Overall, A definite 3 star. The sequel will be worth the read and I definitely will be picking it up, but it's not one of those books that I'll be counting the days till it comes out.

Provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, thank you

And thanks a lot to Vippi! Grazie, grazie, grazie! *_*

So... I didn't really think that I could fall in love so "easily" after the end of Shin's and Olgun adventures, but I was wrong, and for once I didn't mind (usually I love to be right and I hate when I'm wrong, but for this one I didn't mind. I'm happy!!!!!).

Wow. This book is amazing, and I mean it. From the start to the end, it's perfect. The story is intriguing, fascinating, absorbing (I really couldn't stop to read it!!!) and good. It's a good and I don't think that Young Adult is a quite right label, for me it's more appropriate the label "epic fantasy". Sometimes it reminds me of another book that I loved: [book:Blood Song|13569581] and I loved Paladin more for this.

The writing is good and compelling and the characters... they're simply amazing! I loved them all! (Ok, I loved more Sam and Braeden and Tristan, but all the characters are good!). You simply couldn't not fall in loe with them!
For once I was completely and utterly in love with the female charachter (and in this period is not an easy thing for me), I loved Sam, she's so funny, resolute, she knows her mind, and she's a really kick-ass heroine, yay! Braeden was my favourite. It was really love at first sight! And I am a superficial person, because when I firt read about him I fall in love and it was just a description (but, really.. silver hair and split pupils, how can you resist???).
And Sam's parents... they're not to present in the book but they are in the starting, and they're quite good! I mean... they are really parents, they're the real thing! And ok, maybe they're a little bit medieval, but they are parents for true, and it's a very hard thing to find in books! So... wow!

Maybe I'll come back to write something more sensible, but for now... wow, wow, wow! You have to read it!

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1302053768?book_show_action=false

I received a free copy of this book through NetGalley and was not compensated for this review. Many thanks!

This is the story of Samantha, a young noblewoman who dresses as a boy and sneaks off to become a Paladin. She wants to protect the world from the demons that plague it and she is willing to reinvent her identity to do so.

A solid first book by the author. I think it might lack a little polish, but I won't trash it because it does a lot of things right.

You might think a book about a girl living as a boy would be terribly insensitive and disrespectful sometimes, but it isn't. Some of the other trainees are nasty towards Sam and her half-demon friend Braeden, but they're only nasty in the way that young people usually are when they want to exclude those that are different. Sam doesn't trash other women just because they aren't tomboys like her. She also isn't a mary-sue who is the BEST at everything; she's actually quite weak in the beginning and has to earn her status as a good swordsman. Sam, Braeden and Tristan generally respect eachother. I like that pronouns for Sam are switched around. When she presents herself as male, male pronouns are used. When Sam is thinking to herself, female pronouns are used. Maybe that's silly, but I was just glad to see the author wasn't afraid to show both aspects of Sam; I think that we all have "masculine" and "feminine" traits and that's nothing to be ashamed of.

There are two opposing factions that are simultaneously fighting the demons in this world, the Paladins and the Uriel. At first Sam sees the Uriel as bad, but some characters are presented to her and she begins to see the world as more than black and white. In addition to this intrigue, there is plenty of action. If you were worried this would be nothing but Sam falling in love undercover, don't be. There's plenty to see between point A and point B that's not romance. It's a pretty well rounded story.

If you love fantasy novels and young adult then you are sure to enjoy this. Paladin is the story of Sam, a woman who wants desperately to be a warrior, Braeden, a half demon who seeks redemption for his sins, and Tristan, their skilled trainer with a dark past. Together they set out on a journey to kill demons and gather information to report back to the Paladins.

This is a really well written story with a well developed world and a nice blend of characters. It's fast paced, throwing you right into the heart of the story from the very beginning. One of the things that keeps the story fresh and flowing is the alternating perspectives between our three main characters.

The story is also rather humorous. Sam is a woman pretending to be a man so she can train with the Paladins. As I'm sure you can imagine, this gets her into some very interesting situations. This, along with the friendly banter between the three companions, keeps the narrative rather light even in the darkest moments. The three characters play really well off of each other.

I love character driven stories and this one certainly has some strong characters that kept me interested. Sam is cocky, sassy, talented, and nearly fearless. This combination doesn't necessarily sound the most appealing, but she is an extremely likable main protagonist. Braeden is loyal, brave, caring, misunderstood, and fun. He has a tortured past and an uncertain future. He is probably my favorite character. Tristan is arrogant, cocky, skilled, and kind. He has demons that haunt his memories and isn't always the most likable, but he's still interesting.

There is a bit of romance in the story, but it's never particularly over the top. I actually really like the way it's handled and resolved without forcing Sam to give up her identity and independence. It's cute, fun, dangerous, and doesn't take away from the story, which is what I'm always worried about when any kind of romance is introduced in these kinds of stories. The overall plot was predictable at times and I was able to guess many of the key revelations that came at the end, but that didn't hinder my enjoyment of the story.

I highly recommend this to any and all young adult fantasy fans. It's a fast paced and fun read.

5 stars!!!!

Faith in blood that was amazing!!!

Sam is such a kick ass character and I loved her passion and her fearlessness!!!
Tristan is the perfect knight in shining armor, and Braeden... oh, Braeden he is just PERFECT!!!!
I really liked that the story was told from the point of view of a different character in each chapter. This made me connect even more with each one of the characters.

No words can express how good this book was, and how I loved every word of it!!! I just didn't want it to end! Thank God I read that there are more books to follow, because my poor little heart would not be able to stand that this could be a stand alone!! Oh no! :)

This is a great book. I read a lot, and few books hold me like this one. The concept of a young woman dressing as a man so that she can follow a path other than marriage is not new, but this is done with a unique angle and such skill and that that doesn’t matter. It’s a classic theme, one that raises issues of equality and equal opportunity that will always be relevant, and Paladin combines this theme with a budding romance and questions of loyalty and betrayal.
The story is set in a traditional medieval fantasy world, but there’s no sorcery. There is, however, plenty of sword and plenty of demons. Our heroine is good with her sword and wants to be a warrior, not a wife. The plot is strong and the pace excellent. I never wanted to put the book down. The characters are fully fleshed, likeable, and not always predictable but always believable. On top of this, the book has been expertly written and edited. I could not fault it on technical issues at all. The prose is excellent and easy to read for the intended YA audience.

This is a fun, character-driven fantasy in an old school style, with a girl pretending to be a boy in order to train for combat. I loved stories like this as a teenager (I wrote one that bears a few similarities to this one, minus the demons) and I still enjoy them now, though I’m a little more sceptical about the likelihood of pulling off such a ruse. For the most part, though, this one works, thanks largely to Tristan’s convenient dimness and Braeden’s sheer awesomeness.

Before I talk about the boys, first I’ll deal with Sam. While she makes for a compelling lead character, getting out there, living her dreams and excelling, I’m still not sure I actually like her. She’s brash and impulsive, judgemental and rude and often pretty childish for an eighteen-year-old. A lot of her behaviour smacks of brattishness, and though she is brave and trains hard I could have done with less whining. Yet it didn’t matter how I felt about her personally, because I still wanted to know what would happen to her next. So even if she wasn’t likeable she was always interesting, which is not something to be sniffed at.

Her interestingness is definitely aided by her two travelling companions. I didn’t always like Tristan either, though. He’s the perfect paladin – a master swordsman, has a personal vendetta against demons and is a glowing example of doing as he’s told. He’s also arrogant, light on praise and a bit of a jerk at times. He’s also prone to big-dumb-brute syndrome, but only when it’s convenient. I did find it a little odd that he’d be sent on such a trip right after he was handed two trainees, but hey, it helped the plot so let’s not quibble on details.

Especially when one of those trainees was Braeden! I loved him. Not just because his half-demon status made him an even odder duck than Sam. He’s funny and quiet and smart and definitely my favourite character in this book. I loved the snarky banter between him and Sam at the start of their relationship, and the half-demon aspect of his character made him both different and fascinating. Sure, he has that noble streak that makes things a bit annoying at times, but I liked how he balanced out both Sam and Tristan.

The characters are definitely the strongest part of this book. They’re well developed, interesting and have plenty of facets – unlike the plot, which is mostly trekking around the country on a bit of wild goose chase, while political and geographical details are revealed. It’s great for world building, but if the characters had been any less interesting it would have made the book itself a bit dull. Luckily that doesn’t happen, but if you like a well laid out plot, you won’t find it here. Which isn’t to say the plot isn’t interesting – because it definitely is – it just takes a good long while to get to the point, any point, before rushing through a few conclusions at the end.

Overall this is a highly readable and enjoyable debut with some great characters, set in a well developed world. It’s not particularly original or massively different, instead it’s a good start to a new fantasy series that I definitely want to read more of. If you love fantasy, particularly in the classic style, then you’ll probably like this too.

Lady Samantha has dreams of being a Paladin, one of the heroic knights that protect the land and when her father tells her that she must choose a husband within a few months or he will choose one for her she becomes angry. Upset she runs to her favorite place on the estate and it there that her mother finds her and tried to comfort her and make her understand her father’s decision. The weather turns and they are making their way back to them manor when they are trapped by a demon…….. Afterwards, Sam is determined that she will do whatever it takes to become a paladin.

This is a well-developed story with characters that the reader can relate to and the story alternates between the three man characters which I feel made the story more enjoyable. The story has action and also some humor (a girl masquerading as a man while trying to hide other things can lead to some amusing scenes). There is some romance, but it’s not the focus of the story and there is no unnecessary sex which is too often written into a story. If you are a fan of young adult and fantasy novels this is one that you should not miss.

4.25/5 STARS: **I want to thank the author and/or the publisher for providing a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review; all opinions are mine.**

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book to review through Netgalley and this review is also posted on my Goodreads page and personal website: www.travelsinmedia.nl.

The book that I am reviewing for you today is called Paladin and is written by Sally Slater. Paladin is her debut novel and I absolutely loved it! I can tell you right away that it is a must-buy for fans of Young Adult Fantasy novels.

Paladin’s story is about a girl called Samantha. Instead of marriage and knitting, she spends her spare time training with swords and other ‘unfitting’ hobbies for a woman. When her mother is killed by a demon and Paladin Tristan Lyons saves her, she knows exactly what to do: become a Paladin herself and slay all demons. There is one minor problem: only men can become a Paladin. So she cuts of her hair, binds her breasts and changes her name to Sam. When she enters the academy for training, her mentor is none other than Paladin Tristan Lyons...

The chapters are not too short, or too long. You can pick it up for a short read, or even continue until the end of the book if you prefer. It is written in third person, with changing perspectives. You look through the eyes of three main characters; Sam, Tristan and Braeden, a half-demon. This gives Paladin a nice variation and different insights to the events that are happening. Author Sally Slater created a noticeable difference between the female character (Sam) and the two males characters. It is how it should be, so well done Sally!

Paladin is definitely a Young Adult book. There is an overall concept of politician-games, but it never goes deeper than some small mentions of them. People die, but there hardly is any emotion to it. And kissing is about the most explicit act that is going on. It means that Paladin is an easy read, but it does have some plot twists that will surprise you. Because you most likely haven’t read this book yet, I have adjusted the font colour of the next part. Do not read this and skip it if you don’t want to get spoiled!

One of the things that surprised me was that the Paladins also turned out to be Braeden’s master. In the synopsis Sally mentioned that Braeden had a secret, but I was thinking more in the lines of his father being the one that killed Sam’s mother, or that he was the one that killed everyone in Tristan’s village when he was young. But this? Wow, it really was a pleasant unexpected surprise.

Conclusion:
Paladin had a solid storyline, well developed characters and a satisfying ending. It does imply that there is a sequel on the way, but there are no major cliffhangers. You won’t be disappointed, so go buy Paladin now!

Storyline 37/40 Main character(s) 26/30 Chapter length 8/10 Plot twists 8.5/10 Ending 8.5/10
------------------------------
Total score 88/10

Where do I start with this one really ?

The basic idea of the plot really interested me, you follow a seventeen years old girl named Sam. One day while she's in the wood with her mother, she's attacked by a demon who tried to kill her. But her mother as you can guess sacrifices herself to protect her daughter so she can run away. However, too shocked to do any other things, Sam attacks the demon with a stick and... she's rescued by a Paladin, a protector of the realm, named Tristan Lyons. He accompagnies her to her castle and leaves. You could think that this going to stop here ? It's so not because now Sam knows that she can learn to defend herself and the kingdom against those who murdered her mother. And the only way is to become a Paladin. The problem ? She's a girl and it's forbidden.

What did I love in this book ?

I loved this book because the character of Sam is really interesting, genuine and witty. She also knows what she wants and doesn't let people tell her what she should or shouldn't do. She is also super badass and kind of pretentious at times but still utterly loveable. I also liked a lot her relationship with Braeden and how it slowly progress from a real friendship to something more without being rushed (and also no love triangle here).
The pacing of the story and the story itself were really good and I couldn't put the book down. It was definitely one of the (if not the) bes YA fantasy I read this year.

Do I recommend this book to you ?

You should definitely pick this up. If you enjoyed the Throne of glass series by Sarah J. Maas, I truly think that you won't be able to put Paladin down !

What drew me to Paladin in the first place was that the synopsis reminded me of Tamora Pierce’s Song of the Lioness quartet, one of my favorite series. Sally Slater did not disappoint.

Due to a tragedy that happened in her past - a tragedy involving a demon, Sam wants to be a Paladin. She’s excellent with the sword, preferring to work at improving her swordsmanship instead of doing activities that a Duke’s daughter would normally do. The Duke has other plans for Sam. Add this to the fact that the Paladins don’t accept women and… what is a girl to do other than dress up as a boy and become a Paladin anyway?

I really enjoyed Slater’s portrayal of Sam. Having a female character be “brash” and “cocky” is uncommon, unfortunately. That or I’m just not reading the right books. But I’m used to seeing those traits portrayed more in male characters. I loved seeing the author bring out these traits in Sam, frequently cheering her on in my head (“Get him, Sam!”)

On that note, I did feel something was missing from the characters. This is why I gave it 4 stars, not 5. I like getting attached to my characters and one thing that helps me do that is knowing the history of the characters. While I feel the reader gets to know Sam quite well, I wish there was more about Tristan and Braeden. Not saying there is no background on them; the reader gets to see the story told from their point of view throughout the book, which is where we get some more backstory on them. But I guess I was hoping for more. There will be another book (at least one more as far as I know) so I still have hope!

This ended up being one of those books that I had a very, very hard time putting down, sleep be damned. There was so much action! It’s fantastic but awful if you have other obligations to tend to.

I think this book would appeal to those who enjoy high fantasy novels. If you’re a fan of Tamora Pierce, I think there’s a good chance you’ll like Paladin. If you’re a fan of strong female characters and/or action/adventure, you may like this book.

Great fun read! I enjoyed hte shifting viewpoints among the main characters. The heroine is great and she definitely winds up with the best hero! hope there is a sequel

Tamora Pierce's Song of the Lioness for older teens? Plus demons. Awesome, awesome demons.

I LOVED this book. I haven't been able to do anything but read Paladin the last two days.

Paladin by Sally Slater, is about a girl named Sam who rejects her fate of becoming the next duchess, runs away and disguises herself as a man. She leaves to follow her dream of becoming a part of the demon-slaying army of Paladins.

This book of course reminded me of Mulan, and in the beginning I admit "I'll Make a Man Out of You" was running through my head nonstop. But this book is not just about her disguising herself as a man. A lot more happens in this action-packed fantasy story. And Sam is one amazing MC. She is strong and can stand up for herself, even when she is surrounded by men with huge egos.

Even the other characters in the story are impressively fleshed out, and they all have interesting back stories. The book didn't revolve around Sam, which was realistic and refreshing. The dialogue was also well done and the banter was very entertaining. I just have a thing for journeys across the land, with three friends that all pretend to hate each other.

The only thing about this book that annoyed me (and I admit this is very nit picky) was that almost every person was described as "handsome". There just needed to be more adjectives to describe all of these apparently attractive people.

The romance aspect of the book was well done. It didn't over shadow the plot, but instead was the perfect balance.

I highly recommend this book if you love fantasy books with a strong female character who is a badass sword swinging demon hunter.

A unique, magical world filled with action, suspense, plenty of demons, and soldiers on separate sides of the coin that fight for similar reasons but may themselves be corrupt and not know what is good or bad anymore. This book brings to question of whether people, creatures, beliefs, and everything in the world are split up in black and white areas without a grey area. The pacing is well spaced throughout to leave room for world building, action, travelling, and character growth. The world building is up to par but could have been better especially in certain areas.

I will admit to being a bit of a sap for girl-disguised-as-boy stories. The writing was gorgeous. What really sold me was the characters; well developed, with believable interactions and complex motivations and relationships. I am very much looking forward to the sequel!

I enjoyed this one. I'm always for badass women that can fight. Sam dresses as a boy to join the demon fighting Paladins. Her tale ends up with an unexpected twist when she is matched up with her hero Paladin and another recruit that is part demon. I like a character that takes things into her own hands but still makes mistakes along the way.

TURNING PAGES: PALADIN by SALLY SLATER

I am a big old sucker for girl-disguised-as-boy novels; give me a tough girl with a sword in addition to a disguise and I'm in don't-bother-me-I'm-reading mode for hours. Add to this the fact that I'd read an article this author had written on Huffington Post and you'll know why I was so intrigued -- and in the end, entertained.

"Imagine Game of Thrones with less blood and more gender confusion and you get a taste of this knightly epic."
— The Guardian

Summary: Lady Samantha knows her duty as an aristocrat of the kingdom of Thule - to marry well, produce an heir, carry on the lineage of her father, the Duke of Haywood. Lady Samantha's father is a politician before all else, and he knows the ways of power -- and if her marriage can be used as an alliance to increase his power, purchase, pull or potential, she knows he'll marry her not for her heart, but for her value. It's not fair, really - it's not what he got to do; everyone knows how he and Lady Samantha's mother married to follow their hearts - but at her mother's bidding, Lady Samantha is prepared to do what must be done -- until her mother is killed in an attack near their home. Though her life is preserved by the timely arrival of a gorgeous and heroic Paladin, Samantha's life at home is destroyed, and her father, in his grief, turns colder than ever. Left with nothing but duty the detested duty to marry well, Sam hacks off her hair, and becomes who she feels she's meant to be -- Sam of Haywood, a trainee Paladin.

It's not that easy to shed who you are, even if you can fight okay with a sword -- As Samantha or Sam she is still impatient, impetuous, and brash. She manages okay, getting along with the other trainees, but then she befriends the "wrong" type of trainee - an odd boy with silvery hair and catlike eyes that react to the light, and bizarre tattoos on his shoulder and chest. He's half-demon, half the monsters that killed her mother. As, as it turns out, he's keeping secrets, too...

Peaks: Fast paced adventure with a strong-minded protagonist and secondary characters who are just as intriguing - that's a major plus for this type of book, which has a dual hero/ine's journey going on -- inasmuch as Sam is the main character, her two partners are on their own journeys as well.

Sam - as either gender - is as subtle as a chainsaw. She opens her mouth and sticks in her foot more often than not. Accustomed to apologizing before she gets yelled at, poor Sam is constantly being yelled at - because the behavior of a Lady of Thule does not come easily to her - good thing she can at least excel in swordplay. The girl-disguised-as-boy thing isn't played for laughs; Sam is very well disguised until she has to tell one person the truth. Though she is smaller, she is muscular and quick - but not supernaturally so; she has a lot to learn. I liked the reality of that. Of course, she works with men and boys all the time, and inevitably notices them a little more than she ought - and then to suppress her natural inclinations to touch familiarly the people she likes becomes harder - but not impossible. It's nice that the author doesn't depict males and females as so far apart in behavior that they're creatures from differing planets.

And I'd also like to congratulate the publisher for allowing the character to look tough on the cover. While it's clear here the character is Lady Samantha and not her alter, Sam, the boots and the sword and the rocks give us a good preview into what's ahead in the novel.

Valleys: This isn't a "valley," but the reader should be aware that this is the beginning of a series, and there's no guarantee of when the sequel is going to be out - however, as this is a durably written adventure, rereading it will keep you sated for a little while.

I had questions as I read through the novel - not alarming, can't-keep-going ones by any means, but I wondered where the monsters in the kingdom of Thule had come from, why they were there, whether other kingdoms suffered from them, how it was that they were variously shaped, and not all one kind, and basically just the origin story of that world. When a novel is fast-paced and has a lot of action going on, these are the types of things that can be missed - not to the detriment of the story, but reading this made me want to KNOW.

Though I may have misread or generalized, this novel reads as that sort of Fairytale Landscape that mimics old Europe, and the characters seem to default to having no ethnic diversity, which I hope is merely oversight in reading on my part, but I'm afraid not.

Conclusion:I can strongly recommend this fast-paced adventure with a stroppy female wielding a sword - and if this is your particular catnip, grab a copy of PALADIN for an afternoon of reading that will leave you hoping for more - soon!

I received my copy of this book courtesy of the indie publisher. You can find THIS BOOK by This Author at an online e-tailer, or at a real life, independent bookstore near you!

How silly to think a girl, a high born girl at that, can even come anywhere near doing what a boy, let alone a paladin can do? Well, this fast paced, but not rushed, story of a young girl and her adventures are here to prove that statement wrong. The story flows at a good clip, carrying us along and while letting the characters gel together, the reader is introduced to each of their past's, yet, not overwhelming the present with too much information (as sometimes is the case). There is excitement, fear, friendship, love and hate all bound into this delightful book of girl who is hiding from what she is, trying to control her own destiny. Over all, it was a very pleasant read, in fact, I read well into the night to finish it and hope I will be riding along behind the two unusual young lovers on their many adventures together.

What do you do when the fulfilment of your goal is held back by conventions? Fight harder!

4.5 Stars for this adventurous gem with a romantic edge to it.

Sam was never your typical girl. Instead of dressing up prettily she is much more interested in getting better with the sword.
When her mother gets killed by a demon and Sam barely manages to escape with her life, thanks to a Paladin, Sam sets out on a path of blood and revenge.
But in order to become a Paladin, someone who kills demons, Sam has to leave behind everything. Including her gender.
Mere minutes into being a trainee Sam fears that everything is already over. Of all people she could have gotten as a mentor it had to be the Paladin who had saved her life back then! Will her goal already be impossible to reach before her journey even started properly?

The plot device of girl disguising as guy is nothing new but the author's execution of it was.
Samantha is a strong and stubborn female lead who doesn't need protection. It didn't feel like she was a girl in disguise at all. Though her 'physical disadvantages' make some things more difficult for her it only spurs her on harder in order to proof herself.

The book was so good and enjoyable that I found myself unable to put it down until I reached the last page. The end made me cry a little. Not because it is sad but because there is no sequel out yet.
Please don't let me wait long for another volume of this beauty!

I crave to read more about the world, the characters and their developing relationships.
One in particular, but no spoilers. ^^
The romance doesn't start until well into the story and even then it doesn't suffocate you or takes over the story.
And seriously, until the kissing scene I wasn't completely sure which pairing it would be. The cliche one or the one I was shipping hard.

When I saw that this gem was first uploaded on Wattpad before being published I was even more excited to read it. My personal experience is that the best books I've encountered so far are those either not well known or not published at all. And Paladin just added another book to that category.

Hey, mainstream novels, over here! Read and learn from this beauty right here!

Read it or miss out on something that is more than just well worth the time and money you spend on it.

This book was so fun!! It had a Twelfth Night aspect. The multiple POV gives this a well rounded look at everyone. Loved it!!

I had expected this book to be just "ok", but was I surprised by how much I loved it.

Lady Samantha of Haywood has always been a tomboy, but after a demon kills her mother, she decides to become a Paladin--a demon-slaying warrior. There are no female paladins, however, so Sam practices in secret for two years, then runs away from home, chops off her hair, disguises herself as a boy, and invents a new heritage in order to begin her training. She is assigned both a mentor and a roommate. The first is her hero and the man who saved her life. The second is a half demon/half human whom the other students taunt and fear. After the trio save the training fortress from a demon attack--the first in its history--they are sent on a quest to learn more about a new fighting force rising in the East, the Uriel. Their orders are to capture the leader of the Uriel and bring him to meet their High Commander, but all is not as it seems, and new information shifts allegiances.

I'm so glad this is the first in a new YA fantasy series! I absolutely loved it and stayed up way past my bedtime because I couldn't put it down. Sally Slater did an outstanding job building the relationships between Sam, Tristan, and Braeden, and I can't wait to read the next book.

There were a few puzzling things here and there, such as how Sam managed to keep her sword practice truly a secret in a castle full of servants, why she thought her father didn't care about her in the slightest, and how she could hope to maintain her masquerade while traveling when her companions would know she never had to shave and did have to (presumably, unless on this world reproduction is different) deal with menstrual cycles which are never mentioned, but these were minor in comparison with the overall arc of the story.

For readers' advisors: Most YA fiction has story as the primary doorway, but this book was more about character development and world-building, although plot was also strong. There was a small amount of swearing (mostly "shite"), and a some sexual innuendo (primarily during the scene when Tristan decides Sam needs to "become a man" and drags both trainees to a brothel...which doesn't go so well). Otherwise it's a pretty "clean read." This would be an excellent read-alike for fans of Tamora Pierce, particularly her Alanna the Lioness series.

Many many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read a free Advance Reader Copy in exchange for my honest review.

Wait,that's it???No more demon slayers and kickass warriors and rebels and general awesomeness??Sally Slater,you'd better be writing a sequel!

Thoughts I must admit,at first I wasn't sure whether I'd rate it with 4 or 5 stars,because despite the great story something was missing.I liked it but I didn't love it.And then the second half happened and faith of blood! it was intense!
Paladin is a story full of gruesome fights,slow-burning romance,vivid characters and strong friendships,and I swear this is everything I want in a YA fantasy book!And let me tell you this:in a story where a girl pretends to be a boy,funny and awkward incidents are inevitable (I will never forget the brothel scene,nor will the prostitutes I bet!).Plus, it gave me the feels;a strong urge to grab a sword and kill demons,anger,elation,love,pain,relief,dread...Name an emotion,and I felt it.

The characters
“Get this through your thick skull:I am not some fragile flower.I don't break easily.I can defend myself from anything.Even you.”

With a female protagonist like this,do you expect anything less than badassery?Meet Sam,an excellent swordswoman who pursued her dreams,defied the obstacles and never backed down.Stubborn,not particularly obedient and big-mouthed Sam did not need a hero,she was a hero and you can't help but love her.

“Paladin Tristan Lyons.The man who'd saved her and the reason she was here.He would ruin everything.”

Sam's mentor and the most famous Paladin,Tristan was loyal to a fault,brave,arrogant and bossy and extremely handsome.He was not always as mature as you'd think and his interactions with Braeden and Sam were hilarious!

“He'd been told he was evil since he'd left his mother's womb,and after a time,he'd started to believe it true.”

The feels I mentioned earlier?Most of them were caused by Braeden.My heart broke for him,he wanted to do the right thing and he was more noble and trustworthy than those who accused him of being a monster.He was in constant war with his savage side,he wanted to tame the demon but there were times he failed.He despised himself and the things he'd done but I assure you,there is not a chance that you will not love him.

If a book of this magnitude is Sally Slater's debut,I can't wait to read her next works!

Paladin is unlike any other book I have read. Normally I do not find the kickass female leads in books very relatable, but Lady Samantha, or Sam as she is better known, relates on myself on so many levels.

Where do I start? There is only one part of Paladin that I did not enjoy as much as the rest. Just one! Which is around the romance at the end, it just felt to cheesy for my liking, but then again, I am not a great fan of romance in general.

Paladin has 3 different Points Of Views, Sam, Tristan and Braeden, each aiding in moving the story forwards, as well as giving enough depth to their character. I found Braeden the most interesting, with his mixed blood of human and demon. Braedon has suffered in the past, but he does not let it get in his way. Sam was just the right mix of femininity and no-one-can-tell-me-what-to-do attitude. Sam should be an aspirations for all girls. And then Tristan just felt really whiney to me. Oh well, 2 out of 3 great characters is good.

Apart from the ending, which I found 1) predictable and 2) boring, I throughly enjoyed Paladin. Paladin combines the right amount of action/adventure mixed with Demons and romance.

I would recommend Paladin to anyone who enjoys YA and fantasy novels.

I received Paladin as an ARC (advance reader's copy) book from NetGalley. The gifting did not determine the review/rating, which reflects my honest opinion. Absolutely loved this story. Strong female character; although young, wasn't an over emotional teen. Excellent plot. Character development was exceptional, and the story was well-paced with some nice twists. I'll be interested in reading more if this is a series (it ends with the probability of a next book, but this is a stand alone with a solid ending).

Well... this book was totally unexpected but in an awsome way! I saw a fellow blogger's review of this book and the blurb seemed pretty exiting, so I didn't hesitate to request it on Netgalley. Oh and plus I saw there was no love triangle, (I know... what a relief!) so there was no harm in giving it a try. And oh boy! I absolutely loved this book! Paladin was packed with adventure, action, romance, it had all the elements that we fantasy lovers absolutely love and enjoy.

Sam or Lady Samantha was always different than the other girls of her age. When she should be looking for her ideal marriage partner, she longed to be a Paladin i.e. a demon slayer. After an unfortunate incident where Sam's mother is killed by a demon, she decides to run off and join the Paladin as a trainee in the disguise of a boy. But she's not the only one harbouring secrets, there's Braeden who is a half demon and he might be dangerous to everyone around him, including himself. The trio forms an unlikely alliance as they set out for an adventure and they slowly discover that what they knew uptil now might entirely be a facade and the truth they discover is shocking as ever.

I really enjoyed the plot. Though it started a bit slow but it didn’t take time to pick up its speed. The book is narrated in Sam, Braeden and Tristan's POV, mostly Sam's, I equally enjoyed reading all of them. I absolutely loved Sam, she is a kickass heroine, she's loyal, strong, caring, stubborn, sassy and she’s absolutely sure of herself. She’s also the girl who doesn't need a knight in a shining armour.

“If this were a fairy tale, I'd be my own damned knight.”

Sam's such a fine character, I absolutely loved and enjoyed reading about her. She disguised herself as a boy as she joined the training to be a future Paladin because girls were not allowed to do such things and she wanted to avenge her mother's death. There she meets Tristan who is none other than her hero who saved her from a demon attack and also her trainer. There were really many awkward and funny moments because of the fact that he didn't knew that Sam was actually a girl. It was pretty difficult to control my laughter, specially when they visited the brothel. I also loved the banters between Tristan and Sam. Then comes Braeden, he was a pretty great character. He was definitely not what I expected, I though he was going to cocky and arrogant, instead he was calm and gentle. I was rooting for him from the moment he entered the scenario.

This book was filled with so much action which I absolutely adored. There were so many detailed fighting scenes with various demons and I've always loved fighting specially sword fighting fascinates me and I got excited everytime there was a fighting scene, which was very often. The plot twist was mind blowing, I could guess there was definitely something off about a particular character but never in the world did I guess that! It was pretty much an OMG moment where my ereader fell from my hands (thankfully in my bed). I loved how this book ended but I definitely need the second book because the ultimate fighting is going to take place. I can't wait to see what happens next!

Overall, Paladin was a great read. The plot was well written and there was great characterisation. I loved the friendship between Sam, Braeden and Tristan, the trio formed a strong bond. Also, I loved the romance between Sam and Braeden although it wasn't a dominant factor in this book which I actually enjoyed for a change. The writing style was a bit different but I had no problem with it, it was smooth and easy to read. I was hooked from the start and it was a pretty enjoyable ride throughout the book.

Recommend it?

Definitely yes!

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