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nina_rae_131's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.5
It was a sweet cozy fantasy, but I felt it could have been shortened a bit. If a sequel ever comes out about the Dervish and Anharad (I listened to the audiobook so sorry if the spelling is off) , I would definitely read it :)
This is the first book I've read with a 30+-year-old protagonist, so it was nice to try something new. I enjoyed being in Halla's head, and I enjoyed her banter with Zale (who was probably my favorite character). I liked that she wasn't super competent, and had a unique self-defense mechanism. Although I wish she wasn't so insecure. "What Makes You Beautiful" by One Direction is Sarkis and Halla's theme song.
Speaking of Sarkis and Halla, I feel like they fell for each other a bit too fast. I also feel like Sarkis didn't have to think about her boobs so much (but I don't read a lot of romance, so maybe that's a me problem). I felt like the "omg I can see your nipples through your shirt" moments were unnecessary.
I enjoyed most of the humor (although I don't think it's for everybody), but not all of it worked for me.
I loved that Halla and Sarkis were child-free and didn't change their minds at the end.
Also, I'm offended at the clammy hands hate. It's not my fault :')
This is the first book I've read with a 30+-year-old protagonist, so it was nice to try something new. I enjoyed being in Halla's head, and I enjoyed her banter with Zale (who was probably my favorite character). I liked that she wasn't super competent, and had a unique self-defense mechanism. Although I wish she wasn't so insecure. "What Makes You Beautiful" by One Direction is Sarkis and Halla's theme song.
Speaking of Sarkis and Halla, I feel like they fell for each other a bit too fast. I also feel like Sarkis didn't have to think about her boobs so much (but I don't read a lot of romance, so maybe that's a me problem). I felt like the "omg I can see your nipples through your shirt" moments were unnecessary.
I enjoyed most of the humor (although I don't think it's for everybody), but not all of it worked for me.
I loved that Halla and Sarkis were child-free and didn't change their minds at the end.
Also, I'm offended at the clammy hands hate. It's not my fault :')
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder and Suicide
Moderate: Confinement
Minor: Death of parent
vagrantheather's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
God I love T Kingfisher. What a delightfully funny author.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content, Murder, Death, and Violence
Minor: Death of parent, Child death, and Suicide attempt
saltycoffee's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Confinement, Kidnapping, Classism, Murder, Physical abuse, and Sexism
Minor: Child death and Death of parent
nebraskanwriter's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
One of my new top favorite fantasy books! If you are a plot person, this is not the book for you. This book is about 90% witty banter and 10% plot. I am normally a plot-based person but the characters were so funny and the chemistry between them all was so engaging, I did not mind at all that there really wasn’t a lot of plot going on.
This is basically Aladdin (in a way) except instead of a lamp, a powerful warrior is trapped in a sword and has to do the bidding of whoever wields him until either that wielder dies or sells the sword. Shenanigans ensue when instead of a warlord, a respectable widow unsheathes the sword and releases Sarkis from his silver prison. What follows is an adventure of travel (a lot of it, lots of walking and riding in a wagon pulled by a pretty footed ox) so if you don’t like a lot of travel in your books, you might not like this one. Along the way they meet a rat priest and a few other charismatic characters. The search to get Halla back her rightful inheritance so she doesn’t have to marry her clammy handed cousin was quite the time, just what I needed. This book made me smile and laugh a lot, the dialogue was so witty and fun!
This is basically Aladdin (in a way) except instead of a lamp, a powerful warrior is trapped in a sword and has to do the bidding of whoever wields him until either that wielder dies or sells the sword. Shenanigans ensue when instead of a warlord, a respectable widow unsheathes the sword and releases Sarkis from his silver prison. What follows is an adventure of travel (a lot of it, lots of walking and riding in a wagon pulled by a pretty footed ox) so if you don’t like a lot of travel in your books, you might not like this one. Along the way they meet a rat priest and a few other charismatic characters. The search to get Halla back her rightful inheritance so she doesn’t have to marry her clammy handed cousin was quite the time, just what I needed. This book made me smile and laugh a lot, the dialogue was so witty and fun!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Medical content, Sexual content, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Violence, Abandonment, Body horror, Murder, Physical abuse, War, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Blood, Bullying, Child death, Confinement, and Death of parent
booksthatburn's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Halla is a widow who has inherited her uncle's fortune, whereupon her aunt and brother-in-law have locked her in her room until she agrees to marry him. He has an odious personality and clammy hands, and seemingly no understanding that locking a woman in a room until she agrees to marry you is a very terrible start to any kind of relationship. When she decides that death is better than her upcoming fate, she tries to kill herself with a sword that turns out to have Sarkis, an immortal swordsman, trapped inside. Together they escape and attempt to get help for Halla's legal troubles and grasping relatives.
SWORDHEART is one of the funniest books I’ve read recently, and the main contenders for that honor are other White Rat books by this same author. It’s vibrant without requiring the characters to constantly be witty, the whole thing is a delight. It’s a fluffy romance in desperate circumstances, buoyed by Halla’s never-stymied open nature and endless optimism, and tempered by Sarkis’s practicality. Halla uses prattle, questions, and observations as a multi-purpose tactic on a near-constant basis. Sarkis is trapped in a sword and is unfamiliar with current customs of Halla’s home, creating a natural ebb and flow of competency and possession of relevant information at any one moment. Zale is a welcome addition to their party, a temple lawyer acquired to help with Halla’s legal tangle, and Brindle rounds out their party by taking care of the ox and cart.
SWORDHEART is not technically a sequel, it is a stand-alone book. However, it takes place in the world of the White Rat approximately five years after the events of CLOCKWORK BOYS and THE WONDER ENGINE. It contains details that blur the line between callback and spoiler, I think they’re suitably opaque as to keep from giving away major plot points of that duology, but I do recommend reading this after the duology for the best overall experience. The worldbuilding seemed complete enough to stand on its own, someone reading just SWORDHEART would know everything they need to. It is focused on different aspects than in the earlier duology, complementing the prior information without feeling redundant. Because Sarkis is from another land it also helps to establish the patchwork of kingdoms and territories in this part of the world.
I had a fantastic time reading this and I'm looking forward to more books set in this world.
SWORDHEART is one of the funniest books I’ve read recently, and the main contenders for that honor are other White Rat books by this same author. It’s vibrant without requiring the characters to constantly be witty, the whole thing is a delight. It’s a fluffy romance in desperate circumstances, buoyed by Halla’s never-stymied open nature and endless optimism, and tempered by Sarkis’s practicality. Halla uses prattle, questions, and observations as a multi-purpose tactic on a near-constant basis. Sarkis is trapped in a sword and is unfamiliar with current customs of Halla’s home, creating a natural ebb and flow of competency and possession of relevant information at any one moment. Zale is a welcome addition to their party, a temple lawyer acquired to help with Halla’s legal tangle, and Brindle rounds out their party by taking care of the ox and cart.
SWORDHEART is not technically a sequel, it is a stand-alone book. However, it takes place in the world of the White Rat approximately five years after the events of CLOCKWORK BOYS and THE WONDER ENGINE. It contains details that blur the line between callback and spoiler, I think they’re suitably opaque as to keep from giving away major plot points of that duology, but I do recommend reading this after the duology for the best overall experience. The worldbuilding seemed complete enough to stand on its own, someone reading just SWORDHEART would know everything they need to. It is focused on different aspects than in the earlier duology, complementing the prior information without feeling redundant. Because Sarkis is from another land it also helps to establish the patchwork of kingdoms and territories in this part of the world.
I had a fantastic time reading this and I'm looking forward to more books set in this world.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Violence, and Death
Moderate: Physical abuse, Excrement, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Murder, Suicide, Sexual content, Emotional abuse, Sexual harassment, Kidnapping, Animal death, Grief, Confinement, and Domestic abuse
Minor: Pregnancy, Slavery, Child death, Alcoholism, Vomit, Fire/Fire injury, War, Terminal illness, Torture, and Death of parent
wilybooklover's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
4.0
This was so fun. Cosy fantasy with a smidge of death and horror and a lot of swoony romance. It was so genuinely funny, too. I often find that humour in books falls flat for me but the banter in Swordheart had me laughing out loud. Sarkis and Halla were such great characters and worked together so beautifully (if I’m being honest I kind of want a Sarkis myself). I loved that they were both older and had the bodies to show for it.
The world that T. Kingfisher has created is so intriguing. The variety of different gods and religions and all of the lore and rules behind them, the truly inventive creatures, the incredibly disturbing Vagrant Hills. You could tell at times that the author also writes horror, because some of the scenes were so creepy they sent a chill down my spine.
One thing I really appreciated was a key aspect of Halla’s characterisation. She basically uses the misogyny of the world to her own advantage and deliberately plays stupid and acts like a bit of a vapid airhead so that people underestimate her and she can get away with things. Weaponised ignorance, basically. You don’t often see women in fantasy novels taking back some power in this way.
I really didn’t like the third-act conflict though. It felt very out of character for Halla to react in the way that she did, especially after everything she’d been through in the book. It read more like a deus ex machina in order to tie up the Bartholomew/Nolan plot. And I have some qualms about the ending, with Sarkis remaining immortal while Halla is mortal. There’s scope for it to be addressed in future books, I suppose, but it didn’t really feel like a proper HEA.
I want to end on a positive note, because I really did love this book, so I’ll just say that Zale was amazing and I would die for them.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Murder, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Gore, Death, Domestic abuse, and Violence
Moderate: Suicide, Suicide attempt, Body horror, Gaslighting, Sexual content, and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death of parent, War, and Misogyny
wickedgrumpy's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
This book takes place five years after The Clocktaur War series and follows Halla, who can talk her way out of most of the dangerous situations that occurs, Sarkis, the grumpy sword/man, Zale, the non-binary priest/lawyer/clerk, and Brindle, the job-gnole that takes care of the ox.
I had a lot of fun reading this book and I look forward to everything else that occurs in this world.
Repetitions of "decadent south" and "respectable widow" were pervasive enough to essentially reach meme status for me in the it-is-so-bad-and-or-ridiculous-it-is-good-again way.
I had a lot of fun reading this book and I look forward to everything else that occurs in this world.
Repetitions of "decadent south" and "respectable widow" were pervasive enough to essentially reach meme status for me in the it-is-so-bad-and-or-ridiculous-it-is-good-again way.
Content Warnings
Minor: Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, War, Blood, Confinement, Death, Alcohol, Kidnapping, Sexual content, Suicide attempt, Terminal illness, Torture, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Religious bigotry, and Violence
theirgracegrace's review
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, and Murder
Moderate: Violence, Toxic relationship, Torture, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Confinement, and Physical abuse
Minor: Xenophobia, War, Suicidal thoughts, Stalking, Sexism, Rape, Pregnancy, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Death of parent, Body horror, and Incest
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