T. Kingfisher has enough cred as an author with me that I will give anything she writes a try. But it’s not reasonable to expect that any one author will hit your target every single time. This is a perfectly good story, excellently written, with engaging characters. It just didn’t hit my personal sweet spots in terms of story and characters. Your experience will most likely be different.

This is probably the most real work of fantasy I've ever read.

So a forger, an assassin, a fallen paladin, and a terribly young priest of an all-male order have to go save the country from golems. Possibly demon-powered golems. It's a little unclear to them. Which is why they're Plan C (A & B failed) to find out what the Clockwork Boys are, how they're made, and how to stop them. Hopefully in reverse order. Or at least the stopping part. Sample. Sample this. (Then buy it but hey, pretend you might not.) Warning for some gore -- demon possession is kinda bad -- and a lot of snot. Did I mention the forger is allergic to things? Including magic...