I am delighted Bramble has made this title more broadly available, and in such a gorgeous package as well. Kingfisher's ability to create identifiably emotional and complex characters under extraordinary and even bizarre circumstances is on full display.

The cozy romantasy I’ve been dreaming of! I loved these characters, and the way Sarkis regains his humanity and just pines for her!

Thank you to Bramble for the advanced copy to Swordheart.

Swordheart is an apt name for this book, as it will pierce you thusly. I am overcome by emotion from this book. Never have I felt so seen in a narrator. The book opens in a way that resembles Buttercup, in The Princess Bride, trying to kill herself. Halla has unsheathed a sword to fall on it so that she does not have to deal with her terrible in-laws. (Respect, mama). Once she's unsheathed the sword, a strange man appears who we learn has been cursed and is housed in the enchanted sword. Both main characters are incredibly flawed in a way that is relatable but doesn't take away from the fantastic element of the world. The slowest of slow burns and the longingest of longings ensues between Halla and Sarkis, and never more deeply have two people been perfect for each other. Along the way they pick up a myriad of side characters, a Nonbinary lawyer priest of the local Rat God and his Gnole employee, charged with taking care of the slowest of Oxen. If you need to understand me a little better please read this book. And for the love of the Rat God, stop reading Romantasy that doesn't read like this. I hope you can feel my eyes boring into your soul when I say that.

Thank you NetGalley and Tor Publishing for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I’m very hit or miss with T Kingfisher books so I was absolutely thrilled to find this one was absolutely delightful. It was cozy and warm in the best of ways, but held enough darkness and heaviness to not feel too fluffy. The characters were all absolutely charming and I fell in love with Halla especially really quickly. The action was fast enough to keep me interested but not so treacherous or intense to keep this from being a quick delightful read. I have not read the Clocktaur War books so I can attest that, while there may have been pieces I missed and didn’t understand, it did not prevent me from enjoying this as a standalone. Though if the Clocktaur books are like this I may need to pick them up now…

This is a cozy fantasy romance with humor and banter. It's a mildly spicy standalone novel with an enchanted sword, Halla is an unlikely heroine stumbling along on an adventure she was grossly unprepared for. Along the way she picks up some friends and that's where the banter really gets good. If you love lighthearted romance with a dash of adventure then you would love this book!

Kingfisher will never miss. Every books I’ve read has been magic and so special. It’s not my favorite of the collection but it has been one of my favorite reads so far this year

Swordheart by T. Kingfisher is a delightful blend of adventure, humor, and fantasy. The story follows a woman who inherits a magical, talking sword and ends up on an unexpected journey with a grumpy but endearing warrior. Kingfisher’s writing is witty and engaging, with well-developed characters and a plot full of action, heart, and humor. The mix of fantasy elements and sharp dialogue makes this book an enjoyable and refreshing read for fans of character-driven fantasy with a lighthearted twist.

BOOK REVIEW: SWORDHEART by T. KINGFISHER

4.25 ⭐️

This was my first T. Kingfisher book and it did not disappoint! This book was so funny and full of laughs. I didn’t expect it to be as cozy as it was. The sword magic was so unique and I just adored the side characters.

Halla and Sarkis are a pair I’ll think about often. I’m so excited to jump more into T. Kingfishers other works soon ⚔️💗 a HUGE thank you to NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group for the advanced arc!! #bookreview #romantasy #books #reading #bookishthoughts

This book was SUCH a fun read! I had a blast following along on the adventures, and the delicate slow burn had me yearning for more. T. Kingfisher always hits for me! 4.5 stars!

My first T. Kingfisher, though her books have been on my list for a long time. I am so glad I finally got around to her stories. This book was so much fun to read. I could not stop reading and loved the characters. Halla was such a refreshing character, I loved her strength throughout the book and how she weaponizes "incompetence". The way she spoke and her relationship with Sarkis was amazing, there was a lot of great banter and I really enjoyed watching the relationship grow. I cannot wait to go back and read more from T. Kingfisher

This was a fun book, I loved that the FMC was an older woman. It was refreshing and exciting! Thank you T. Kingfisher and NetGalley!

A magical sword, a lawyer priest, clammy in-laws, and a ridiculous journey; Swordheart is Halla's story. After her great-uncle-in-law dies and surprisingly leaves everything to her, the other in-laws close in to marry her back into the family and keep his wealth. But if she can die before that marriage, her impoverished nieces will get it all. In her bedroom prison, she finds a sword to end her life, and when she unsheathes it, a warrior pops out? Sarkis is an ancient, immortal warrior tied to the sword, and Halla is now his mistress. Sure, getting a woman out of a house and over a few cities isn't quite like any other mission he's had before, but he should be more than capable. As they set off towards the Temple of the White Rat seeking legal help, tensions flare between them, and Sarkis especially can't decide whether he should try to ignore her or kiss her, and Halla, a middle-aged widow, feels like she couldn't possibly stand a chance with a magical sword.
I loved this. I loved that it's a cozy romantasy between two middle-aged people. I love Halla, who is a wonderful curious unhinged lady, and I love Sarkis, who is grouchy and big without being an alphahole or anything. I love Zale, the nonbinary, very practical lawyer priest, and the whole concept of the White Rat, a deity of practicality. The setting was enough to pull me into the extended world, where there are like two or three more series I can't wait to read. And the best part of this reprint? It's getting two sequels. I cannot wait.

Halla was a DOLLLLLLL. She made me lol and I never understood what a cozy fantasy was until this. The nostalgia of Princess Bride, where humor, love and heroics rule.

Sarkis was just everything you'd want in a guardian-lover romance. Protective, annoyed, grumpy. We love him.

My only critique is that Halla talks a lot about how old she is, and I get it, she's not a 19-year old maiden like so many of our fantasy stories are but 36 is NOT old. Fresh, new, FIRST time love can be found in your 30s and 40s!

This book is a DNF for me, I hate doing that on books that need a review but I just can't stand the FMC. She is in her late thirties and a widow, she is also a doormat and is written more like a naive 15 yr old. What could be an endearing personality that questions everything was just too much and drove me bonkers. I hope this finds the right audience, unfortunately, that audience is not me.

Anything T. Kingfisher writes is always amazing! I enjoyed this one. I liked how Halla used the “women know nothing” stigma to her advantage and made so many men uncomfortable with her crying then Sarkis always there in the background like why do I deal with this. They truly go so well together. I will say Brindle though is my favorite character in all of this! Can’t wait for more!!

Swordheart was such a cozy, chaotic delight. T. Kingfisher has this magical ability to write the weirdest situations in the most comforting way.

Halla, our FMC, is awkward, funny, and a total gem of a main character (plus super relatable). She accidentally unsheathes a cursed sword and out pops Sarkis, our MMC (maybe SMC - sword main character?), a grumpy immortal swordsman who’s now magically bound to protect her. Their banter is TOP NOTCH. The whole vibe is grumpy x sunshine meets bodyguard romance, this one seriously had me smiling like an idiot and giggling to myself.

The romance leans a little more toward insta-love than I usually go for, but honestly, I didn’t care and still enjoyed it thoroughly. All of the characters were so lovable and the dialogue so witty and cute that I was just happy to be along for the ride. Also, the new cover on the rerelease is just gorgeous 🤌

If you like your fantasy weird with a side of sarcasm, a dash of romance, and a whole lot of giggling, then definitely read Swordheart!

Fun Kingfisher romp. I got a free ebook from the publisher and didn't realize it's a re-release, new edition apparently. The copy wasn't error-free though, so it read like a traditional arc. And then the afterword mentioned a sequel coming, but I researched it and no sequel is coming soon. I'm not sure I understood the choice to re-release and promote this book right now, but I'm a huge fan of the author and I was happy to read a backlist book of hers. The physical copy of the new edition looks so pretty--I would have loved a promo copy of that!

As far as the story, it was fun and satisfying, but not my favorite of her books. The middle dragged a bit, and the love story didn't seem to develop a whole lot past physical attraction and insta-love. However, the female main character, Hella, was a classic Kingfisher female character: flawed, interesting, hilarious, goofy, self-conscious, brave, feisty, and completely lovable. It was no surprise why Sarkis loved her. I just wasn't sold on the two of them as soulmates, beyond "why not?" I'd also hoped for some exploration of what a future with Sarkis would look like, perhaps a fulfillment of his curse (he's been living in a sword for several centuries, a bit like a genie in a lamp except instead of granting wishes, he becomes your faithful bodyguard. And he's human. Immortal, but human). Perhaps the planned sequels will give more answers. The conflicts in this story are all resolved, and apparently the sequels will be about other characters, but it's possible Ms. Kingfisher will continue developing these characters too.

Thank you to the publisher, Tor, and NetGalley for the free copy. I also checked out the audiobook from my local library to help me read it a bit faster. I thought the narrator did a great job. I'd recommend this to fantasy fans, romance fans, and Kingfisher fans.

Cozy romantasy meets adventure… Say less!

⭐️found family
⭐️grumpy x sunshine
⭐️bodyguard
⭐️witty banter
⭐️lovable characters
⭐️slow burn

I read along with listening to the audiobook, which I HIGHLY recommend! It was SO well done and entertaining! Jesse Villinsky was amazing at bringing the characters to life!

Thank you NetGalley and Tor Publishing for the chance to read this eArc ❤️

Woah I went into this blind and I’m so glad I did. This is the definition of a cozy fantasy, with lots of romance and adventure and I ate it up.

Swordheart is everything I didn’t know I needed in a cozy fantasy adventure!
Halla is just a regular woman who suddenly finds herself in possession of a sword that comes with an immortal, sarcastic swordsman attached. He is now bound to protect her.
The world building is fun and light and the banter between Halla and Sarkis is perfection. It’s funny, full of adventure and has a dash of romance!