The Paladin’s Shadow, which is the second book in Tavia Lark’s fabulous Radiance romantic fantasy trilogy, has an exciting kidnapping / heist / quest vibe, as we learn the other side of events referenced in the first book (The Necromancer’s Light).
Ronan (who previously betrayed and stabbed Arthur from book 1) has assembled a crafty covert team to carry out a years-long mission to free a group of bound gods. Nothing will sway him from his quest, and he’s done some dodgy things at the bidding of his god, the Trickster. He kidnaps paladin squire Karis through expediency — but Karis happens to be the Voice (prophet) of the bound god, Radiant Vara. (Lark cleverly plots this to avoid relying on coincidence.)
I love the way The Paladin’s Shadow subverts our understanding of this fantasy world, as depicted in The Necromancer’s Light. Several of the paladins that appear in the first book, are present in the second, but we get new understanding of Vara’s Radiant Order and its dark history.
All the characters are unique and memorable (and audiobook narrator, Kai Rubio, does a brilliant job with all the voices). Vara is a wonderfully sardonic voice in Karis’s head. Karis is a bratty young squire who has been protecting his secret all his life, but he’ll do anything to free his god. Broody, driven Ronan has done bad things for good reasons. There is also the full band of Ronan’s dedicated ‘locksmiths’, who each have different kinds of magical ability.
Once again, I really like the magic system in this world. Some people are born with innate magic, some join the various churches and form contracts with the different gods to gain divine magic, some bond with demons (an unpopular choice). A special shout-out for Ronan’s divine Trickster magic, which involves flipping coins and rolling dice to determine efficacy.
I absolutely love the whole journey through this book: Ronan’s plotting and sacrifices, Karis’s revelations as he learns the truth of the binding and what he is, and the action scenes as the locksmiths carry out their mission.
The MM love story between Karis and Ronan unfolds in parallel. For me, the romance feels slightly more forced than Arthur and Shae’s story, but I love how Ronan softens through his love for Karis, who himself grows into his role as the Voice of Vara. There are some scorching scenes.
To sum up, this is a feel-good MM romantic fantasy with noble goals, adventure and a satisfying conclusion. This whole series has become a favourite of mine.
Ellen Gregory 
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