Thank you, Bramble, for providing me with an eARC of this enchanting novel!

Swordcrossed marks my introduction into Freya Marske's work, and I'm thrilled to have started here! The story introduces us to Matti, the son of a struggling Merchant House who is marrying to uphold his family's honor. When a chance encounter with the charismatic Luca Pierre leaves him short on funds intended for a Best Man, Matti finds himself making an unexpected bargain for sword lessons. I was pleasantly surprised by how central the wedding theme became; it's aspects something I'm not familiar with. In addition, Swordcrossed blended elements of both fantasy and historical romance in a way that felt reminiscent of Natasha Pulley's work--which made the Natasha Pulley fan in my undoubtedly ecstatic.

Matti is a deeply sympathetic character, bound by societal expectations and longing to assert his own identity. His sword lessons with Luca offer him not just a reprieve but a journey of self-discovery and personal fulfillment. Luca, with his brash and moody demeanor, quickly became my favorite. His wit and vibrant presence brought humor and life to the story. The dynamic between Matti and Luca was endearing, with their contrasting personalities creating a delightful presence. I did find myself wishing for a bit more depth in Luca’s side of their conversations. While his secrets were integral to the plot, a touch more insight into his character would have made me the happiest of campers.

The plot unfolds gradually, revealing its layers in the latter half of the novel. This pacing made it easy to follow and enjoy. My only real critique is the touch of insta-love, which isn't usually my cup of tea, and the initial pacing felt a bit slow as it moved beyond Matti and Luca's routine. Despite this, Swordcrossed has left me eagerly anticipating Freya Marske's The Last Binding series! Her engaging storytelling and rich character development have definitely earned my interest.

4.5 stars for this one from me! :)

Perhaps I have been reading far too many queer romance/fantasy novels, but I found myself indifferent to the story in Swordcrossed. The characters, to me, did not seem to have much connection at all, nor did I see many fantasy aspects as I would have expected from the description. The cover is gorgeous, and if I were starved for LGBT+ content, this would be a fine read, but I simply believe there are other books out there that excel at what this novel tried to be. Not to say that this novel is bad per se, and I can see many readers thoroughly enjoying it, but I would be hesitant to give it a full recommendation to someone.

Absolutely loved the concept of this but the writing was not for me whatsoever. The metaphors and similes were way overused which made it felt very forced and clunky, I could not get into a flow of reading. I have a good idea of where the story was going, and I definitely could recommend it to others based on that if they enjoy a style of writing such as this.

Genre: fantasy romance

Mattinesh Jay needs a best man to stand with him at his wedding to Sofia Cooper. A best man’s role is to defend against challenges to the marriage, and Matti has reason to believe that he’ll need a good swordsman to stand at his side. As the heir to a struggling House, he needs this marriage to shore up the House finances, and while there is little attraction between them there is companionship, and it’s for the good of both Houses if the marriage goes forward. Enter Luca Piere, con-man and expert swordsman, the best that Matti can afford. Matti knows that Luca isn’t all he seems to be, but he’s still drawn to this best-man-for-hire.

Swordcrossed takes a little while to get started, and some patience is required while Freya Marske sets the stage for us. If all cozy romantasy read like this, it would be my favorite genre. The tagline “Low stakes. High heat. Sharp steel.” is a perfect description for this book. Marske writes some of the best intimate scenes in fantasy, so it’s worth hanging on if you feel bogged down. Once Matti and Luca start spending more time on page together, the book becomes unputdownable, and the stakes become all about how they can make their relationship work while Matti is set to marry someone else.

I loved every moment Matti and Luca were on page together. This was fun and sensitive and queer. The fantasy world is very light touch, with no real magic, but very rich worldbuilding, which allows Marske to play into her character development and focus on the relationship more than an external plot. This doesn’t hit quite as strong for me as The Last Binding trilogy does, but I thoroughly enjoyed the ride.

After the A Power Unbound trillogy I figured Freya Marske was going to be an insta-buy author for me. And then I read Swordcrosses... and my suspision was confirmed! This book had everything! Romance! Swordfighting! Family drama! Shameless flirting! Strong female characters! Witty banter! I'm really loving this trend of low stakes, high drama writing. Marske lets us fall in love with the characters, faults and all, without the added stress of end of the world doom. I love these two idiots so much and I'm excited to order a copy of Swordcrosed for my personal bookself. Bonus points for the gayest coverart ever.

Compared to Marske’s The Last Binding trilogy, this romantasy doesn’t have a whole lot of fantasy. Really the only thing marking this as fantasy is the setting, which is a world comprising nine city-states of the country Thesper, where wealth and power are claimed by merchants from successful Houses and religions are tied to a House’s guild. There is some world-building based on the religions, especially the patron deity Huna who is important to members of the Guild of Spinners and Weavers. What stands out to me most about religion is the number of times characters swear by a god. I can’t count how many times a character swears by gods in general or by a specific deity’s body part, often vulgarly, and not just during the steamy scenes. Huna’s teeth, it’s a lot! Sometimes entertaining, but also somewhat tiresome, and the levity of the swearing clashes with the importance their society puts on the gods. Overall, I feel fairly meh about the fantasy aspect of this novel.

All that said, I’m here for the romance, and I’m quite happy with a book that can provide a cozy little adventurous romp that is tied up neatly in a standalone novel. Marske delivers that with lovely, vulnerable, flawed and lovable characters and a setting that embraces relationships between all genders. Despite stating that “weddings of matched gender” have been legal for almost 30 years, a relatively short time, choosing any gender for a partner simply doesn’t seem to be an issue. Likewise, a secondary character from a prominent House transitioning to new pronouns seems to be universally accepted. The setting feels historical, only with less prejudice. If you’re in the mood for a lusty pining queer romance set in an unknown world that’s a bit cozy and occasionally steamy, pick up this book.

An indulgent queer romantasy full of swords, yearning, and banter - a great read!

gay love | high fantasy | meet-hate | power play | sword lessons | spicy | rituals and traditions

I've read many of Marske's books before this and so was super excited for Swordcrossed. How could I turn back from that cover? We also love a good teacher moment and sword lessons? Yes please. With an arranged marriage on the horizon, Matti has to figure out not only how to save his family's wealth, but also how to sword fight. And thus the panic begins. I really enjoyed the romance vibes - we love the swoons and the tension - but I felt like at some parts of the story is really dominates the story. For the whole middle part I feel like we really sunk into their relationship, to the point where the overall plot took me by surprise again.

The perfect blend of enemies to lovers in a magical setting with steamy scenes and cozy moments with all the feels.

No one is more disappointed than me by the fact that I didn’t love this. I’m a huge Freya Marske fan (I’ve read her “The Last Binding” series about ten times now), so I definitely went into this with high expectations. Some things did work for me: the sexual tension was crazy, the exploration of mental health was well done, and the final scene (and Maya twist) was fantastic. Although this book ended up not really being my cup of tea, I did leave the story with a smile on my face, so that’s something. However, I thought everything else fell flat. Luca, in my opinion, was unlikeable, and the romance between him and Matti seemed fully based on sexual attraction. Those scenes were great and full of chemistry, but as soon as they started stating how much they cared about each other, I wasn’t feeling it. They didn’t have enough build up, and I honestly think they didn’t make sense as a couple. I also am not a fan of how much of this book was just mini rants on the wool industry. I wasn’t interested in that topic before, and this book somehow made me less interested. If that’s a niche you’re into then this book is definitely for you, but I wasn’t enjoying it. All in all this was a well written story with pretty good characters, so I do think it’s me, not the book.

Freya Marske brings tension to town in her newest, Swordcrossed! Mattinesh Jay is in trouble. In dire need of a swordsman best man for his upcoming marriage that will save his merchant family, Matti is bombarded by Luca Piere. As Luca attempts to keep a low profile, flaming red hair and all, he can't help but be drawn into Matti’s orbit and offer up bits of his true self.

Marske’s story is one of character, family and what it means to follow your heart in a world where duty trumps all. You will root for these two after every turn of the page— I loved every moment with Matti and Luca!

This had a fun premise and I think there is a lot to like here, but ultimately, I didn't find Matti and Luca to have much chemistry. Marske created a very compelling and interesting storyline with a lot of intrigue into the rules of the society. I have no idea if best men were hired to duel in history, or if it was made up for the story. Ha ha.

Separately, I really liked both Matti and Luca. They showed a lot of character and liveliness and each had their own journeys that I found interesting to follow along with.

I like how the author wrapped things up.

I went into this book largely blind, without having read any description or blurbs; I saw the author name and hit that request button hard.

This story is set in a fantasy universe, not at all connected to the author's earlier series (beginning with A Marvellous Light). There's also no magic, which was unanticipated. Once I got oriented, I found it a pretty good read. There could have been a little more attention paid to world-building; for instance, there is an entire pantheon, but names of deities are often dropped in as oaths without having been previously introduced. There wasn't enough explanation for the breadth of the world that's shown, or there was too much world crammed in to too short of a story-- either way.

I think I marked this on a summer reading bingo sheet in a "queer joy" box, because this is a universe that's like solar-punk but for queer identities instead of solar power. The main character is contracted to an arranged marriage that's hetero-presenting, but the match was made because of financial reasons; many other families and clans are shown as being lead by same-sex couples, and the gender presentation of the main character's love interest isn't one of the (several) barriers to their being together. The love interest's elder sibling is trans-fem and married to a woman, and the main character's sister and ex-fiance both end up in same-sex relationships. It was a wonderful change of pace, kind of like the cozy queer-positive universe in Can't Spell Treason Without Tea.

eARC from NetGalley.

I picked this book up originally because the cover is GORGEOUS. And the description sounded fun and it seemed like an easy read. I was right on all counts. This is my first Freya Marske book, but it certainly won't be my last. Our story follows Matti Jay, head of a prominent textile household on the verge of destitution, as he solicits the help of swordman and con-artist Luca Piere to ensure that his wedding to a local wealthy wine-owner's daughter goes smoothly. In the deal they make, Luca also agrees to give Matti lessons in the sword. The lessons quickly goes from instructional to steamy, and not only that, but it seems there may be a conspiracy afoot to bring Matti's entire family down, and our protagonists must keep their hands to themselves long enough to get their hands on the evidence, as they unravel the fabric of this mystery. This was a couldn't-put-down read. I finished it within 24 hours. If you want more queer romantasy in your life, definitely pick this up.

I excitedly requested Swordcrossed when I saw it was in the “Sci Fi and Fantasy” category. It was a bonus that it has LGBTQ+ romance.

Unfortunately, I had to stop reading the book at the 23% mark. There were no science fiction or fantasy elements present in this book, which was disappointing. I think the book would be more appropriately categorized solely as an LGBTQ+ Romance.

It is misleading to have a book inaccurately placed in a genre category. This will lead to disappointment among readers who are seeking out that specific genre.

Aside from the lack of fantasy, I had a difficult time reading the book. I felt the way information was presented was confusing. There were so many names and places introduced, it felt like filler.

I think this book would be perfect for a reader looking for an LGBTQ+ Romance!

Freya Marske's Last Binding series is one of my favorite romantasy series of the past decade. A Marvellous Light drew me in right away, partially because it had a familiar historical (Edwardian England) setting. Swordcrossed is a different beast: it's set in a completely new fantasy world, where merchant guilds form the basis of governance. Each guild has several family Houses, which then focus on a specific product Matti Jay is the heir to a fabric-producing House with a focus on wool (and on ethical business practices). House Jay is, unfortunately, practically bankrupt, so Matti has betrothed himself to the daughter of a rich allied House. She's been publicly courted by House Jay's steward's son, so Mati's certain that there will be a challenge at the wedding, leading to a duel. He hires a (hot) swordsman/conman, Luca, to act as his best man (to fight on his behalf during the duel). But Matti is way more interested in his best man than he has ever been in his fiancee...

It took me a little bit of time to get the hang of this fantasy world, but by about chapter 10 I was really invested in the politics of Jay House. Since in this universe same-sex marriages are totally accepted, the forbidden aspect of the relationship is carried by Matti's betrothal to someone else, not because he's interested in a man. While I liked this aspect of the plot, I was uncertain why exactly Matti had chosen to marry to shore up his fortune.

Some other stuff I liked: the focus on mental health and neurodiversity (Matti definitely has anxiety, while Luca likely has ADHD and possibly dyscalculia. I especially loved Luca's grovel (more men in romance need to know how to say "I'm sorry"). And the final act was a pure delight!

This objective review is based on a complimentary copy of the novel.

This was an interesting book!
The storyline and the characters gripped me from the beginning and I kept turning the pages to see what was going to happen next!
Matti and Luca get tangled into this story and are similar but they don't necessarily see their similarities and how they carry the weight of the world on their shoulders.
This is a romantasy book, with a focus on Matti and Luca and their building romance, some parts of the book had me wishing for more of the story, but overall I really enjoyed this book!
I definitely will want it on my shelf!

I greatly enjoyed this book. I've always been a fan of Freya Marske and have read every book thus far. I was quite excited for this new book, and I wasn't disappointed. I so enjoyed following Matti and Luca finding themselves and their right place in the world.
The only thing that was slightly frustrating was the world building. There were things mentioned or cultural items that weren't explained fully or well enough.

I did end up DNFing this book at about 60%. The writing was wonderful, and the chemistry was off the charts!!
I just have an issue with regency era type vibes, and that's a personal problem. I also just couldn't find myself to really care enough about the fabric industry drama to be fully invested enough in the mystery :/

A banger!! There was a tad more plot than I particularly cared to get into, but the romance was so delightful and I ate up the drama of the climax. The world is also really fun, and I’d love to read more set in it.