Of Deeds Most Valiant

A Poisoned Saints Standalone

De: Sarah K. L. Wilson

Narrado por: Aiden Snow, Stina Nielsen

Eleven paladins walk into a monastery. Only one knows it's a trap.

When Victoriana Greenmantle is summoned to represent her paladin order in an unusual quest, the timing couldn't be worse.

Having just witnessed the horrific death of her mentor, she is barely a paladin at all. Worse, she has a trapped demon on her hands, and if anyone discovers she hasn't quite managed to cast it out, she will be made to suffer consequences worse than death.

The summoning requires Victoriana to journey to the newly revealed Aching Monastery and there to search for and recover the fabled Cup of Tears on behalf of her order.

But her order is not the only one seeking this relic. Her rivals are stronger, smarter, more experienced, and just as motivated as she is. Will this cynical paladin have the faith to find the truth?

When Adalbrand Von Menticure is summoned to the Aching Monastery, he is unamused. Far from his holy work healing the sick and injured, this quest seems a waste of his time. When the murders start, and he's thrown together unwittingly with a young female paladin who keeps breaking all the rules and drawing everyone's ire, he is forced to confront ghosts of his past. Can he push past his guilt to accept this tempting ally?

Together, these two holy paladins may be the only ones who can discover what or who is killing their compatriots and whether the Cup of Tears is really worth the bloodshed and danger within the monastery walls before time runs out and they are trapped forever.

A complicated mission, you say? Oh, but it gets worse because forbidden love is slowly stalking them both, complicating everything and leaving them each more vulnerable than they can afford to be in the face of a danger worse than either of them ever imagined.

Will this pair find strength in their strict discipline and holy orders in time to escape, or will they fall before the twin dangers of a rogue killer and an attraction more deadly than the simple risk of death?

This adult romantic epic fantasy standalone features paladins in all their aspects and is perfect for lovers of T. Kingfisher, Tamsyn Muir, and Danielle L. Jensen. Though this book is a part of a collection of books linked by the same world, it is a complete story in itself and does not bleed out into the other books in the series.

©2023 Sarah K. L. Wilson (P)2024 Podium Audio

Of Deeds Most Valiant

Very well spoken. I very much enjoyed the two different authors and their performances. The story is quite good and being assisted with a lot of passion from the voice actors led to a truly amazing listen.

Incredible

Immediate re-listen. This was wonderful and very well performed. No cursing, no spice, tons of longing and angst. 10/10.

Better than expecting

Found it much better than I thought it would be. It was fun to listen to

Ultimate slow burn

Not the typical book I would read but i absolutely clung to every single word!

surprises at everyturn!

I rarely write reviews but I really had to with this book. I started it thinking that I was not going to like the whole demon/Saint thing because those stories tend to be predictable and people often don't know what they are stirring up when they write or read this. But, this story surprised me. and there were so many layers to reflect on throughout the story. the different Paladins reflected the virtues, but their sins reflected the 7 deadly sins. and the story made me think of the Pharisees in the Bible who were so righteous they couldn't recognize the Messiah ( or didn't want to) showing how virtue can be twisted to be a tool against ourselves. But all of this was layered in a really interesting and suspenseful story that even included romance in the twists and turns of the story. a fascinating and enjoyable listen that kept me glued to the tale as I waited breathlessly to see how it would unfold.

Powerful Examination of Goodness/Corruption/Faith

Convinced to give this a read by Elisabeth Wheatley's video review and I'm glad I did so! Loooooove the worldbulding of this so much, was wondering if a book about paladins would hit for me and it did! The devotion and the lore and politics of the church and its various little and not so little corruptions are interesting, as are the questions of faith and doubt! Now that said, it's impossible to ignore that religion and a monotheistic god's guidance do feature heavily in this book, so those with hard religious trauma may not find this right for them.

I wanted to give this five stars because in craft and character and prose it is quite brilliant. But I do have one major quibble, and it is that there are two points in the novel where Adelbrand doubts Victoriana... and I feel that only one should have happened, as both require divine intervention to resolve and I was going "why is Adelbrand doubting her after the God he is devoted to said she's cool, back off? A God whose word he should not doubt, as he scorns Victoriana's doubt?" Like it does still work overall, but there isn't even any mention the second time of how he had needed the extra telling off from his God. I feel the first time doubting instance should have been lessened, as the doubt and resolution of that moment is still very important but I feel the God's intervention may have been used too soon there.

It also makes me somewhat feel Adelbrand isn't good enough for Victoriana, which doesn't mean he's bad but I don't always feel he's matching her freak. But what can you do?

I also appreciate the (sadly relevant) commentary on so-called progress that comes at the expense of lives and well-being.

Action, Romance, Intrigue

I love it. The romance is tantalizing and forbidden and delightful, and clean for those who prefer to skip the steam. There are puzzles and intrigue and conspiracy. There is action and the sort of inner turmoil that only SKLW can bring to life. The narration is very good, engaging. Definitely recommend and I look forward to more like this from the author.

Perfect

This was exactly the perfect blend of horror and guilt-ridden romance I was after, thank you very much. Loved the ensemble cast and puzzle box mystery, as well as the deep dive into the messed up ways zealots express faith and justify atrocity. This was an excellent story full of action and heart, and I can’t wait for more novels to be set in this world.

Love this author but…

This is my third series (even though this is only one book so far) that I’ve read by Sarah KL Wilson… this was the hardest one for me to get into. I had a hard time understanding the world she had created and the different characters. I was halfway through and about to give up before it began clicking. That’s why I gave the book three stars - didn’t grab my attention and imagination as the Bluebeard stories and her Fae Hunter series did. The narration, however, was spot on - love the dual narrators and their voices. I also appreciate that the book was clean and yet well written enough to include romantic moments that weren’t vulgar or gratuitous.

Epic clean fantast romance!!!

This book has it all! Romance (slow burn), cute doggy, humor in spades, and excellent voice actors.