The Paladin

Fantasy by Carolyn J. (Carolyn Janice) Cherryh

Blurb

The Paladin is a 1988 fantasy novel by science fiction and fantasy author C. J. Cherryh. It was published by Baen Books and was nominated for the Locus Award for Best Fantasy Novel in 1989. The book features no actual magic or supernatural occurrences, and as such it can be considered an example of the Low Fantasy subgenre of fantasy fiction. It takes place in a fictional country clearly modeled upon China of the Tang Dynasty.