Scan barcode
A review by iam
Swordcrossed by Freya Marske
lighthearted
medium-paced
4.0
I'll be honest - the first half of this gay (no magic) romantasy felt a bit lackluster to me, but the second half more than made up for it!
I can't quite put my finger on why, but this did not start off on the right foot for me. I found the beginning kind of confusing with all the different names mentioned, and something about the writing style didn't entirely mesh with me either, even though I've enjoyed other books by this author before.
I did eventually get used to it, but even then, the plot wasn't all that exciting to me. Matti and Luca start off in an antagonistic way but then quickly settling into a mututally benefitial arrangement with plenty of banter and attraction was fun, but not all too much exciting. They did also clearly not trust each other, and maybe that's also why I wasn't that invested into them. The plot around Matti's family debts, his upcoming wedding, and the uncovering of a conspiracy against his family also wasn't super engaging, though also not boring.
What changed the game for me was when Luca's past finally caught up with him. It's clear from the start that he is running from something, but he mostly successfully hides it from both Matti and the reader- until his past catches up with him, and everything comes crashing down. That was a huge turning point for me in the book, and the fact that it forces both character to be honest and face the truth of what they really want VS. their obligations made me truly care about them for the first time.
I felt like at that point the side characters were also more involved. The plot and romance culminates in a beautifully exciting climax that I thoroughly enjoyed. It was dramatic and a bit over-the-top, but very satisfying and indulgent. I enjoyed both the personal relationship developments, the conclusion of the character arcs, as well as how the political intrigue ends up.
This was overall a very feel good read to me.
I know some people feel iffy about the fact that the romance between Luca and Matti happens while Matti is engaged to another. The topic of cheating or open relationships is not discussed in the book, but there are never any hurt feelings or broken obligations or promises.
My personal biggest complaint was that I couldn't always follow all the names of the individual houses and characters - but this may be becauses I read it in audio, where I sometimes struggle with processing names, so this may be more of a me-issue than the book's fault.
I can't quite put my finger on why, but this did not start off on the right foot for me. I found the beginning kind of confusing with all the different names mentioned, and something about the writing style didn't entirely mesh with me either, even though I've enjoyed other books by this author before.
I did eventually get used to it, but even then, the plot wasn't all that exciting to me. Matti and Luca start off in an antagonistic way but then quickly settling into a mututally benefitial arrangement with plenty of banter and attraction was fun, but not all too much exciting. They did also clearly not trust each other, and maybe that's also why I wasn't that invested into them. The plot around Matti's family debts, his upcoming wedding, and the uncovering of a conspiracy against his family also wasn't super engaging, though also not boring.
What changed the game for me was when Luca's past finally caught up with him. It's clear from the start that he is running from something, but he mostly successfully hides it from both Matti and the reader- until his past catches up with him, and everything comes crashing down. That was a huge turning point for me in the book, and the fact that it forces both character to be honest and face the truth of what they really want VS. their obligations made me truly care about them for the first time.
I felt like at that point the side characters were also more involved. The plot and romance culminates in a beautifully exciting climax that I thoroughly enjoyed. It was dramatic and a bit over-the-top, but very satisfying and indulgent. I enjoyed both the personal relationship developments, the conclusion of the character arcs, as well as how the political intrigue ends up.
This was overall a very feel good read to me.
I know some people feel iffy about the fact that the romance between Luca and Matti happens while Matti is engaged to another. The topic of cheating or open relationships is not discussed in the book, but there are never any hurt feelings or broken obligations or promises.
My personal biggest complaint was that I couldn't always follow all the names of the individual houses and characters - but this may be becauses I read it in audio, where I sometimes struggle with processing names, so this may be more of a me-issue than the book's fault.