I know some people get annoyed by "chosen one"-ish books, but I actually do enjoy these very much. Ronan and Karis are special, though very different, people. Their story is a journey of learning to let in and let go; of Karis finding and understanding his place in the world; of Ronan finally accomplishing his mission for the gods, and realizing he has something else to live for afterwards.
The Lovers
We first met Ronan in The Necromancer's Light, where he gained notoriety for stabbing his paladin lover Arthur in the back before escaping with a priceless treasure of the Radiant Order. He comes back as one of the MCs now, for a bit of redemption and a bit of understanding, along with a whole lot of angst.
Karis was one of my favorite characters from the first book, a witty and comedic personality, so I was super excited to read his story in this book! He's a squire of the Radiant Order, hoping to become a paladin, though he often gets in trouble (of course). He's the kind of person who's confident about going after what he wants, and a bit cocky — but who wouldn't be, with the voice of a god in your head?
The Story
I loved how The Paladin's Shadow (more so than The Necromancer's Light, I think), contained a wealth of secrets that were slowly uncovered as the story progressed. (This is also the most plot-aside-from-romance-heavy book of the entire Radiance trilogy, in my opinion.) Ronan and Karis both have a lot of secrets, of course; some kept from each other and some kept from us readers. And so, slowly, we begin to put together the pieces to a much larger picture — of a centuries-long conspiracy against the gods, orchestrated by a few and now to be fixed by a few...
The book starts out with a hostage situation (as all good romances do, right? jk 😜). Ronan finds the younger Karis annoying, but keeps him around for his valuable tracking magic. Karis, on the other hand, yo-yos between trying to escape, trying to seduce his captor, and trying to figure out what the voice in his head actually wants.
Trust is built between the two, tentatively, once Ronan reveals his plans to Karis, who realizes they may be on the same side. United in their goals against much larger powers, they work together to carry out the heist of a lifetime. Along the way, they encounter challenges and uncover more conspiracies; learning who Karis truly is and the truth behind organizations like the Radiant Order...
The ending was supremely satisfying, I must say, watching Karis claim his right and Ronan scrambling to rectify his mistakes when he realizes how much he and Karis need each other. But I won't spoil it for you. 😉