A review by mossy_rock
Swordheart by T. Kingfisher

adventurous funny lighthearted slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

Incredibly torn in this review. The start was...bold. The first two chapters being the main character trying and failing to kill herself was very intense. It almost made me drop it. I stuck through, and I'm glad I did, as it was a fun read.

In the body, I really enjoyed the story. I found the characters likable! I LOVED Zale so much! I thought there were many a plot points unresolved. Why
go to the wandering hills at all? Meeting the runes didn't lead to anything! It felt like a waste of time
. So much of the book is spent traveling back and forth and back and forth. I LOVE a good slice of life, but it starts to feel redundant after SO MUCH TRAVEL. Not a fan of super jealous/protective Sarkis but it is not as overdone as some other series'. I do appreciate his emphasis on consent. Love the lack of homophobia! It is just accepted as normal, thank The Rat. I am still enjoying it at this point. I reach for it and it is hard to put down.

The end is where it lost me. The confrontation between
Zale and Malva was so satisfying! They had their "AHA!" moment and shined like the badass they were, but then it kept going! Why?!
I feel the last 100ish pages sour the ending.
I don't see why she was so upset by him being a traitor, then needing to get him back, but that all being redundant because they die! never even meeting the Smith Nolan was trying to get to, what was the point? (probably setting up for the second book but that isn't an excuse to write the first one poorly)
I was like "Yippee! This is the ending! ... There's still 100 pages?!?!" I enjoyed the paladin characters and Zale sticking around.
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