Swordheart by T. Kingfisher

TL;DR: Another fun and romantic fantasy from T. Kingfisher.
Source: NetGalley, thank you Bramble!

Plot: Halla, while attempting to end her life, ends up with a magical guardian from within a sword. Hijinks follow.
Characters: As always T. Kingfisher’s characters are easy to love. They’re fun and friendly and it’s hard to go wrong.
Setting: The setting was a little loose, and we spent most of our time traveling so it wasn’t the strongest for me.
Romance/Fantasy: I love the romance in these books as I’m a goofy person and this always feels a little goofy. The fantasy was great as well, especially if you’re familiar with her other fantasy novels.
Thoughts:

T. Kingfisher’s Swordheart has been trending a lot lately, and this beautiful trad printing of it does it a service. The story follows practical Halla. Trapped in her own home after inheriting a large sum of money, she decides the best path forward is to end her life so the money she has gained goes to some distant family. So she pulls an old antique sword off the wall and when she does so a man appears, magically bound to the sword and it’s wielder (now her). From there they set out on an adventure.

This is a journey book, we leave Halla’s home and go to two towns then come back. The characters spend a lot of time on the road and interacting and that is where I think Kingfisher shines. Her dialogue is snappy and funny and her characters’ interactions feel like conversations and reactions I have with my friends. You laugh, you gasp, and you just have a lot of fun. There are also little nods throughout to other books in the Kingfisher world, which is delightful for a returning reader.

My only complaint is that the book felt it’s length. It’s just shy of 450 pages and it did feel a bit long at times. Is that enough for me to say skip it? No, not at all. But there is a bit of bloat. I enjoyed this. I want more here (a sequel has been announced) and I can’t wait. There is a bird shouting doom filled prophecies! How can you not want more? For fans of romantic fantasy, cozy, or humorous fantasy this would be a great pickup.