While locked in her bedroom, Halla inspects the ancient sword that's been collecting dust on the wall since before she moved in. Out of desperation, she unsheathes it―and suddenly a man appears. His name is Sarkis, he tells her, and he is an immortal warrior trapped in a prison of enchanted steel.
Sarkis is sworn to protect whoever wields the sword, and for Halla―a most unusual wielder―he finds himself fending off not grand armies and deadly assassins but instead everything from kindly-seeming bandits to roving inquisitors to her own in-laws. But as Halla and Sarkis grow closer, they overlook the biggest threat of all―the sword itself."
T. Kingfisher has quickly become an auto-buy author for me over the past several years, and I don't think I've read one book from her that I haven't liked. I'm happy to say that Swordheart keeps that streak going!
What I liked: Swordheart is an absolute delight of a fantasy tale and it features all the things Kingfisher does best: charming characters with strong personalities and plenty of eccentricities, fantastic banter and humor, and a world that feels fully alive with oddities and mysteries at every turn. Halla is a remarkable protagonist who I could not get enough of, and Sarkis was equally charming. Their growing relationship was a joy to witness and hit all the right notes. I also love that you can never fully predict what you're going to get in a Kingfisher novel, and that unpredictability is part of what makes her writing so special. The world-building is not the focus of the story, but it's very vibrant in the background, and the entire book is populated with a wide array of characters. I wholeheartedly recommend this for any Kingfisher fans, as well as anyone who wants some fantasy, some romance, and some wonderfully witty and entertaining dialogue and storytelling.
What I didn't like: There were only two minor issues that I had with Swordheart, and the first is that the pacing is slightly inconsistent. This book is very much about the characters more than a heavy focus on plot (in my opinion, at least), and because of this things tended to drag a bit in certain areas. We would spend a lot of time on certain events or scenes due to a heavy focus on the dialogue and banter between characters, which really slowed down the forward progress of the story. If you enjoy the dialogue and such, then this probably won't bother you too much, but it's something to note because I think it's something that could be hit or miss for people. It definitely is the reason it took me longer to get through the book than I expected, but it was still an enjoyable ride the whole time. The only other issue I had was that 'villains' felt extraordinarily classic 'bad guy' style and didn't bring much to the table for me. That being said, they fit the story perfectly so I do believe it's on purpose, it's just not something that I really like in books.
Overall, if you're looking for a fun fantasy read that will keep you laughing and enjoying some incredible characters, then be sure to check out Swordheart.
I just bought the new sprayed edges copy, it's so pretty! Not sure when I'll get to it, but I'm glad I know to expect some slower parts.
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