This was my first book by T. Kingfisher, but I don't think it'll be my last.

This was very well written, the story flowed easily, and kept me engaged the entire time. I did enjoy the romance and the majority of the characters. I did find our main character Halla a bit frustrating though. She is 30-something but acts more like a teenager. If she had acted more mature, this would have been the perfect read.

Rated 4 stars. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC ebook.

This is sweet, warm-hearted, and lovely. Not sure why it's available as an ARC due to being published nearly seven years ago, but still glad that I had the opportunity to sneak a read while the library's waitlist was out the door.

This is not my first read from Kingfisher, but it is the longest! When reading the synopsis, I had no idea where the story was going to go. It did NOT disappoint. The characters, the story, the details were so original and that is hard to do now!

I am absolutely in love with this book! T. Kingfisher has done it again—crafted a magical, heartwarming story filled with humor, adventure, and romance. I don’t think this author is capable of writing a book I wouldn’t adore!

This slow-burn fantasy romance had everything I could have hoped for. Halla and Sarkis are chef’s kiss perfection—a grumpy-sunshine duo with incredible chemistry. Watching their bond grow as they navigate bandits, inquisitors, meddling relatives, and even a cursed sword was such a delight!

And let’s talk about the supporting cast. Zale, the nonbinary priest, and Brindle the gnole were absolute scene-stealers, adding so much charm, humor, and heart to the story. But what really stood out to me was how real and relatable the characters felt. Kingfisher has this incredible way of making even the most fantastical worlds feel cozy and believable.

If you love romantic fantasy, quirky humor, and stories that leave you smiling long after you’ve turned the last page, this book is an absolute must-read!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

This is the book I can't stop talking about. As I was talking to folks in the bookstore last week I realized how popular Kingfisher has become with diverse readers from their twenties to their eighties who are now eagerly awaiting Swordheart. This story of Halla, a widow locked away by her late husband's avaricious family accidentally releases a warrior from a sword. Sarkis breaks her out and they start their quest to get her inheritance encountering various priests, mountains ranges that actually range, and amazing librarians.

This was a really fun low stakes fantasy with added bonuses of romance and adventure. I love a good slow burn and this didn’t disappoint. I’ve heard nothing but great things about this book and I’m glad all of them were correct!

T. Kingfisher has an elusive way with writing that I just can't quite grasp. This book was enjoyable and I love a good thorough fantasy. Sub plots, romance, all there. Still fell a little flat for me. I had to push myself to finish.

This book was everything I needed and more. It tugged on my heart strings and made me fall for characters I'd never thought I'd fall for. One of the best books I've read all year.

I honestly don't think T. Kingfisher can possibly write a book that I don't adore. Swordheart was no different. I love the way she crafts characters that aren't usually considered main character material and yet still makes them lovable and human. The romance in this was so so sweet and I love the persnickety FMC!

Overall, I really liked Swordheart. I loved Halla and Sarkis together and thought their romance was sweet. They played off each other well and I enjoyed the humor. I really loved Zale and Brindle. Once they are added to the group, the book really picks up and Zale and Halla playing off each other was so fun. I appreciate that Halla used what she knew to keep herself safe. She has no training, but she is able to use words and the way men in power see women as ditzy and beneath their notice to shield herself.

I have two main issues with the book. Halla and Sarkis' relationship was a little too fast, understandable as the plot does need to move along and while it's not world ending stakes, dealing with the estate and will is something they would want to sooner rather than later. They do spend a huge amount of time together, so at least it wasn't instalove in three days with the couple spending little time together. The bigger issue was the third act conflict. I thought it was a little overblown with what Halla and Sarkis already knew about each other and that Halla acted a little out of character during it.

However, I still really enjoyed Swordheart. I would definitely recommend it and Kingfisher has mentioned there will be more books in this series. I'm so excited to read their stories because the book makes it very clear who those will be.

What a fun addition to a Romantasy series. A heroine with a mouth that won't stop when she's scared, a hero stuck in a sword, and lots of action meld into this clever fantasy. Toss in lots of action, a bit of romance and you have a story that can't be put down. Halla is a fun character and her interactions with her trusty man (who was imprisoned in a sword) were entertaining. I can always count on strong characters and funny dialogue from T. Kingfisher.

A lovely romance with a fairy tale feel set in the same world as Kingfisher's Clocktaur War and Saint of Steel series.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group for allowing me to read a copy of Swordheart by T. Kingfisher in exchange for an honest review.

When Halla agreed to care for her husband's great uncle after his passing, she didn't expected the cooky old man to leave it all to her when death came for him. While not ungrateful, she understands what it means to be an unmarried widow with wealth. Especially when there are other family members who had plans for their assumed inheritance. That is exactly how Halla finds herself bolted in her room contemplating the end of her life. The last thing she could have prepared for when drawing a sword was a whole man to emerge. Sarkis, having been trapped in the sword for centuries, anticipated stepping into a battle or stopping an assailant... not a half naked woman figuring out how to fall on a sword. Halla and Sarkis begin their journey to rightfully claim Halla's inheritance and uncover information that could free Sarkis from his iron prison. But secrets make for bad travel companions and they can be more painful than the cut of a sword.

I have grown fond of T. Kingfisher's writing the last few years so I was overjoyed and grateful to be contacted again about reviewing a book. Swordheart is a very wholesome cozy read. The story building is not too complex - they travel to one town through another and back again. I love a good dual POV and I felt present in each narrator. Another part of this book that I really enjoyed is that the characters are older than what is the current norm for fantasy tales. Halla is in her late 30s and Sarkis is (chronically) in his early 40s. They have both lived a lot of life and I think that is important sometimes when bringing depth to characters. Can't wait to read more Kingfisher in the future!

I LOVE T. Kingfisher's World of the White Rat books; this one is no exception. This is a cozy adventure fantasy with lovable characters and a rich world. Fans of Travis Baldree should read this next. It works as a standalone but readers will get a little more if they've read other books in this world.

🗡️ ❤️ ARC REVIEW ❤️🗡️

Swordheart by T. Kingfisher
5/5 ⭐
Rerelease date 🇺🇸: Feb 25, 2025

This author is an automatic read for me, and it's because of books like this. I loved this book, it was a cozy fantasy and just the thing I needed!

The book starts with a woman trapped by her family, trying to figure out how to extricate herself from the situation. She draws a sword, which releases a warrior trapped and bound to the sword. And they have an adventure!

Please read if you like the following:

❤️ Cozy fantasies filled with good, decent people
❤️ Grumpy x sunshine trope
❤️ Main characters that can't seem to get themselves out of trouble
❤️ Amazing banter

Thank you to NetGalley and Bramble for the review copy!

🏷️ #netgalley #romancebooks #fantasybooks #bookstagram #books #booklover #book #bookworm #bookstagrammer #reading #bookish #bookaddict #booknerd #bibliophile #readersofinstagram #booksofinstagram #booksbooksbooks #bookreview #instabook #bookrecommendations #read #bookcommunity #bookphotography #bookshelf #bookaholic #bookblogger #booklovers #booklove

Halla and Sarkis - the banter, the longing, the sloooooooooow burn…. oh, hello there, excuse me, lost my train of thought for a minute.

The cover, the mention of The Princess Bride, and a “cozy fantasy romance” sold me immediately on this. I was fortunate enough to receive an early copy and, pulled in by the opening on the first page, I read this happily and absolutely loved it ❤️ A purely fun and utterly enjoyable story.

This was my second time reading the author’s work and it’s safe to say that I’m officially a fan now and will absolutely be reading more of her work.



Thank you to Bramble and NetGalley for the DRC

Really 2.75. I liked the characters of this book a lot, especially Zale. The humor T. Kingfisher infuses in her novels is always delightful. However the stakes for this one were so low that I just felt like not much happened. I do think romantasy fans will like this book, especially for the characters if not so much the plot. I much prefer Kingfisher's horror novels or other fantasy like Nettle & Bone. Also, for being previously released, the Kindle edition of this book is a mess. There is a ton of missing punctuation.

I love T. Kingfisher and hadn't read anything of the books from the World of the White Rat series yet but after reading this one it has made me want to continue. I enjoyed the characters and their dynamics the most, however the world building was great and is what made me want to read more from this universe. It's a cozy fantasy with romance, murder, and magic but at it's core is kind of a coming of age story, if the protagonist was a middle aged woman. It may not be for everyone but I really enjoyed it and would absolutely recommend it.

I have never met a T. Kingfisher book that let me down. True, this one was a bit longer than I wanted it to be. But, also true, I stayed up late two nights in a row reading it.

The previously self-pubbed novel is being re-released by Tor to capitalize on the current romantasy trend (~*sprayed edges*~), and oh, is it pretty. I love me a quirky (probably neurospicy) Kingfisher protagonist, and this didn't disappoint. I was less interested in the romance than the quest, but the romance delivered with a mature (though not overly explicit) few scenes. Both Sarkis and Halla were endearing in their grumpy/sunshine ways. While perhaps I would have benefited from having read the Clockwork Boys prior to this one, it didn't suffer in my mind from being read as a standalone.

A note on the audio version: I did a few passes of this on audiobook because I was so engrossed in the story that I didn't want to give it up on my commute. Do not recommend. I'm sure Jesse Vilinsky is a completely competent narrator, but I found her interpretation of Halla to be more in line with an overdramatic, slightly flaky YA heroine than a respectable 36 year old widow. This may have been an effect of picking up the audio at a point where the on page voices had been firmly established in my head, but I felt like much of T. Kingfisher's wry wit as Halla was lost in the narration.

This takes place in the same universe, and around the same time, as the Paladin's Grace series, but intoduces a separate trio with a separate mystery to solve. Minor characters from the original series make appearances, but it's ok to read this book in any order.

This universe-- and the writing style-- feel more and more like the Discworld. Suggest this series+friends to Terry Pratchett fans. A unique storyline in a world generic enough to feel familiar. The only think I didn't like is how often it's repeated that the heroine is old, so old, frequently described as "middle aged." She's 36. For real.