This is the first T. Kingfisher book I ever read!

Prior to this release, I read this book as a self-published Amazon e-book. It blew my mind then and it blows my mind now!

Halla is the type of woman who never felt she was in control of her life. When she inherits a house from her uncle, she finds herself locked in her small attic bedroom by her money-hungry relatives. When thinking about how to end her life, Halla finds a sword....a magic sword.

This might sound like a strange beginning, but it gets stranger and is funny and heartfelt throughout. Because of Swordheart, T. Kingfisher is an instant purchase for me.

This book was absolutely lovely. I was already somewhat familiar with the world, having read all of the released Saint of Steel books. The way T. Kingfisher writes fantasy romance is just so addicting! The humor and internal dialogues are some of my favorite parts. This book had me laughing so hard right from the beginning.

Halla is an incredible character, I adored her! The way she "weaponizes ignorance" actually shows how intelligent she really is, and it's also just funny. She also asks the questions (and then some) that we're all wondering. Sarkis is a fictional man who's easy to fall in love with. Zale is also a delightful addition as a side character, and the nonbinary rep is nothing less than I'd expect from T. Kingfisher, happy to see it!

The pacing gets a bit slow at times, it's a book that I took my time reading, just enjoying and taking it all in. I didn't find it boring, but it wasn't a page turner either.

Thank you Tor and NetGalley for the ARC! Easy 5 stars. T. Kingfisher remains a favorite author and auto-buy/read for me!

Thank you to Tor/Forge, Bramble, and NetGalley for the chance to review this book, all opinions are my own.

I am so excited that this fantastic romantic fantasy from T. Kingfisher is getting the special edition treatment and being re-released with a beautiful new cover and sprayed edges. I already have my copy pre-ordered!

I actually read Swordheart back in 2022 after falling in love with Nettle & Bone and diving into Kingfisher’s indie pubbed back catalogue. I loved it then and I am so happy to report that after rereading it almost 3 years later it is still a fantastic book! I’m so excited for new readers and T. Kingfisher fans to be introduced to this delightful story.

Swordheart is about Halla, a 36 year old widow who has just inherited her uncle-in-law's estate. Unfortunately his other relatives have issues with this and they seek to force Halla to marry one of them so they can keep this inheritance in the family. Halla disagrees. They lock her in her room. And then she discovers a man in a sword! I won’t say too much about the plot because it’s more fun to just enjoy the story as it unfolds but if you are a fan of a ragtag group of characters going on a journey and experiencing trials and tribulations along the way (with a healthy dose of humor and sarcasm) this is a book for you!

I think the vibes of this book are closest to Kingfisher’s Nettle and Bone, so if you enjoyed that one I think you will definitely love Swordheart as well. And anyone who can appreciate dark humor and levity in stressful, emotional times will love the dialogue, banter, and Halla’s incessant questions driving Sarkis up the wall.

I appreciate that Kingfisher almost always gives us older MCs, Halla in her late 30’s, Sarkis the sword is in his 40's, and that the side characters are diverse in appearance and identity. I also love the queer normative world.

If you have loved any of Kingfisher’s previous books (even if they were of the horror variety) I think this is a book you will definitely enjoy and if you have been craving a lighthearted but emotional romantic fantasy with older MCs, this would be great one to start with!

And once you finish, don’t forget to read the Clockwork Boys and the Saint of Steel series, the world is interconnected and side characters from this book return!

Swordheart is a delightfully romantic and witty fairytale retelling, a change from the previous horror Kingfisher works I have read. When Halla, a resourceful widow, inherits a magical sword containing the warrior Sarkis, her life turns unexpectedly. Forced to flee a dreadful arranged marriage, she and her talking sword embark on a quest for her rightful inheritance. The banter between Halla and Sarkis is witty and engaging, while the slow-burn romance is sweet and satisfying. Although the ending feels slightly rushed, Swordheart delivers a winning combination of humor, heart, and adventure. This is a fun, feel-good read with a unique premise. I am hopeful that we will see more of Halla and Sarkis.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars.

First, I would like to give a huge thank you to Tor Publishing Group, NetGalley and the author for a copy of this wonderful book!

This was such a fun and refreshing story- going in, I had no idea that I would laugh as much as I did. The witty banter and quirky humor of the characters were both entertaining and captivating- it pulled me into the book right away. I loved that the author’s characters were older than the characters in most books nowadays- being in their mid thirties, was a welcome and relatable surprise. However, I will admit that sometimes Halla drove me absolutely nuts with her babbling- Sarkis though, he was adorable.

This was my first T. Kingfisher book and the writing style was great. It was well written, easy to follow, and flowed well for the most part. There were some points where the dialogue felt a little repetitive and slow but overall, this was a cozy little adventure, with a side of cute romance- a fantasy story that I would definitely recommend.

I received an arc of this book from NetGalley.

Unfortunately, I was so annoyed by the writing style that I couldn’t make it past the 10% mark. I tried my best to overlook the missing punctuation, after all it is an arc, but I just couldn’t find it in myself. The sentence structuring was so off it made my head hurt in only *six* chapters.

Not only that, I’m not fond of the humor. It’s very millennial I feel, and the best thing to compare it to is that Daniel Radcliffe show called “Miracle Workers: Dark Ages.” If you like that show, you’ll probably like this book.

Not giving it a star rating on here as I didn’t enjoy it at all. Quite disappointed, considering this was my first T Kingfisher novel and I’ve heard great things, but I’m sure I’ll give them another shot.

Wonderful, charming and HILARIOUS!! I absolutely LOVED T. Kingfisher's Swordheart.
It has the feel of an epic quest, without the world saving. I guess it would be more of a personal epic quest.
The characters are absolutely loveable, the type I'd want to go on an adventure with and stay friends forever. Hella has unconventional talents, unending curiosity and an almost bouncy personality. Sarkis is brooding, tender and humorous.
I enjoyed this so much, and the ending left it in such a way that it could be a series. I am hoping. So I went to look it up and Swordheart is a novel in the World of the Rat series, which is comprised of three other series. It did not feel like I had to read the others though. Although I loved this one so much, that I'm absolutely going to read the the others.
Thanks so much to Netgalley and Tor Publishing Group for this ARC!!

I am so thankful to NetGalley, T. Kingfisher and TOR publishing group for the opportunity to read this ARC copy of Swordheart.

The concept of Swordheart is so original and refreshing. It was a nice cozy fantasy with low stakes. The story follows a widow who picks up a sword only to find that there is a man inside the sword that is now duty bound to protect her.

It’s charming, funny and has great banter.

I would recommend!

Cozy bodyguard romance fantasy, I was blessed to get it as an arc and this should definitely be one of the books you add to your the.

4.75 ⭐️

First and foremost, thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me and eARC to read and review Swordheart by T. K. Kingfisher! I laughed, I cried, I laugh-cried at so many parts/chapters. I really love this authors writing style/sense of humor. Halla, Sarkis, and the other minor characters were so fun to read. Halla is my spirit animal and Sarkis is the man every woman wants. This was a very comedic, quest driven book and I definitely recommend. I feel like the pacing in the last 25% was a little funky but I enjoyed regardless and I will continue to go through all this author’s backlog.

“Swordheart” is a solid four out of five. There are a lot of laugh-out-loud moments, mostly due to Halla’s rambling. I enjoyed the way the company came together, and enthusiastically followed them on their adventures, however slow and plodding they turned out to be.

My only problem is that the romance is decidedly not fade to black. The scenes aren’t as explicit as a lot of romantasy out there, but it’s still more than I want. Just close the bedroom door, peeps!

Other than the spice, this is a fun fantasy with a unique twist. T. Kingfisher remains one of my favorite authors.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group/Bramble for the advance digital copy in exchange for an unbiased review.

Thank you NetGalley for a copy of this ARC in exchange for my honest review

T. Kingfisher books are always a hit for me. I love the more mature protagonists that aren’t unreasonably skinny or weirdly muscular with no fat. The characters always feel so much like real people rather than just someone you’d find in a book.

I’ve already read(and loved) the Saints of Steel books so seeing familiar characters from there pop up was so fun!

It wasn’t an epic fantasy adventure by any means, more a mix of family drama and slice of life semi-cozy fantasy vibes? If you haven’t read anything else in the universe it’ll be weird, but if you love the universe I think it’s well worth a read.

Thank you so much to Tor PublishingGroupfor the E-ARC!

I really enjoyed this book. It felt very different from a lot of the romantasy I've read. The dialogue felt particularly unique. Halla's rambling and curiosity stood out so much. The dialogue was also just hilarious at times. It was so fun! My favorite scenes are the ones where Hall and Zale were debating/hypothesizing what happens to Sarkis's bodily fluids after he goes back into the sword. I about died.

While I really enjoyed it, the plot, the dialogue, I found that it dragged at times. This book was so long, and really not a lot happens. It's a lot of back and forth between locations. I thought i would never finish. Still, I really enjoyed this and definitely recommend it!

Also, Bartholomew is a snake.

I love this book with my whole heart. I've read the previous version and I don't think there were any significant changes (not that it needed any), so this was a delightful reread for me. Where so many other "romantasy" books fail me, this one works. It has strong fantasy elements with a unique world AND a compelling romance. Character growth, dark humor, an engaging plot, and a dash of spice too. What more could a reader want?

Halla is contemplating suicide instead of marrying her despicable cousin, when she unexpected gains a magical bodyguard named Sarkis. He helps her escape and they go on a quest to gain her inheritance, making unlikely friends and enemies along the way.

This exists in the same world as several other T. Kingfisher books but can be read by itself. The epilogue does have me wondering if we'll get a more direct sequel though. Hopefully!!

Thank you Netgalley for the arc, I really loved the premise of this book, the beginning of the book had me enthralled and the adventure seemed thrilling but towards the middle, it felt a bit too repetitive for my liking. Towards the middle of the book I could not continue, I really tried but the story did not grasp my attention anymore.

I do enjoy T. Kingfisher's writing and I was able to get a look into it, but this book/story personally was not for me. I liked the characters but something was lacking for me and I think I will check out her other series.

Swordheart by T. Kingfisher is another delight. Halla, a diligent widow who served her deceased husband's uncle as his housekeeper, was shocked to learn that her employer made her his heir. But she was not as surprised as some of the other relatives! One particularly unpleasant niece decided to solve the problem by forcing Halla to marry her son. Instead, Halla draws a sword to try to escape and finds that the sword is the enchanted home of Sarkis, a solder from days long past. Sarkis defends Halla and helps her escape to find legal recourse to gain her inheritance. Along the way, they face corrupt priests, betrayal, and magical mountains.

Anything by T. Kingfisher is an auto buy for me. She can write horror & the most unsettling but somehow cozy fantasy books? Sign me up. This book had a cozy adventure, fairy tale vibes & a slow burn romance. What more could you want?

“Swordheart” by T. Kingfisher had me in its grip from the moment I started it! Halla finds herself in trouble when her great uncle leaves her his estate. Quickly Sarkis enters the scene and from there, the wit and jokes do not stop! Throughout the story, there is also a quest as Halla tries to get help for the trouble she has found herself in. After reading this book, I found out that it was part of The World of the White Rat, and even though I haven’t read the other books from this world, I found that it did not take away from my enjoyment. Thank you to Tor- Bramble for an advanced copy! All thoughts and opinions are my own!

This is a very very cozy & heartwarming romantasy novel with a bit of adventure mixed in. I loved Halla & Sarkis’s banter and the genie in a bottle-esque feel to their meeting. It is set in the world of the previous duology The Clocktaur War but I don’t think it’s a necessity to read that to enjoy this, you’ll just get more background of the world building.

I read everything that T. Kingfisher writes and enjoy the large majority and this was no exception. My only critique would be the length could be a bit shorter, I didn’t think it needed for 400 pages.

As always, T. Kingfisher knocks it out of the park. It was lovely getting to visit this world again.