Swordheart — Book Review with Content Warnings

Author: T. Kingfisher

Genre: Fantasy romance

Series: Standalone

Age Rating: Adult

Synopsis

In desperation, Halla draws the ancient sword that has hung in her bedroom for years, aiming to take her life with it. She gets more than she bargained for when Sarkis, an immortal swordsman trapped within the steel, appears. Together, they embark on an adventure that will free Halla from her vicious relatives, encountering bandits and an enchanted forest along the way.

Content Warnings

General Rating: Adult (18A / R / TV-MA)

• Spice Rating: Severe—sexual innuendos and bodily humour, masturbation alluded to in chapter 17, closed-door intimacy in chapter 44, open-door intimacy in chapter 45

• Violence Rating: Moderate—sword violence

• Profanity Rating: Mild—world-appropriate curses

• Other Trigger Warnings: human trafficking, death of a loved one, xenophobia, religious trauma, suicidal thoughts, self-harm, sexual assault, murder and attempted murder, racism

Overall Rating: 4/5

A funny, witty story told in the familiar style of T. Kingfisher, who once again excels at weaving together humour, romance, and adventure.

What I Liked

• Halla: She’s a thirty-something, flawed, overly chatty protagonist, but quickly becomes endearing to both the reader and Sarkis. Her apparent stupidity gets the two of them out of more than one scrape.

• The world: In typical Kingfisher fashion, the worldbuilding is immersive and enchanting. It breathes life just as easily as the characters without becoming a distraction to the plot or character development.

What I Didn’t Like

• Betrayal trope (spoiler): Ugh, really? This is apparently the plot climax, and I couldn’t buy it. Would Halla really hold a hundred-year-old betrayal against Sarkis? Supposedly, she does, which I find immensely petty. Thankfully, it is resolved without too much pain or conflict.

Themes and Reflections

• Female agency: Halla has little agency or autonomy in her recently acquired home. Her relatives see her as a nuisance who must be married off as expediently as possible. The entire plot is about reclaiming what is hers outside of familial and social expectations.

• Freedom vs. obligation: Both protagonists are bound to some degree—Halla to her social obligations and Sarkis to his sword. They are confronted with questions of loyalty and duty. Will they remain bound, or will they help one another be set free?

“Hardly anybody kills stupid women,” said Halla. “They kick us out of the way, they smack us occasionally, but nobody thinks we’re a threat.”

— T. Kingfisher, Swordheart

Writing Style

• Humorous, clever prose

• Steady pacing

• Enchanting, comedic, hopeful atmosphere

• Endearing third-person POV

• Witty, sharp dialogue

• Immersive worldbuilding
  

Tropes

• Quest

• Blood magic

• One bed

• Reluctant hero

• Sunshine & Grumpy
  

Books Like This

• Nettle and Bone by T. Kingfisher

• Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldree

• The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune

Publisher Info

• Publisher: Argyll Productions

• Release Date: November 27, 2018

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