Review: Swordheart

Swordheart by T. Kingfisher
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Fun and amusing. I believe this is what would be termed "cosy fantasy," in that the stakes are not the fate of kingdoms or the world, but the fate of an impoverished widow who unexpectedly inherits all the possessions of her late husband's great-uncle, for whom she'd been serving as a housekeeper for some time. Her late husband's other relatives have a problem with this, and she wins free of them, with some difficulty, thanks to the unexpected help of a magic sword that manifests an immortal warrior.

That's only the start of their problems, though; they have to make a number of perilous journeys between towns (often a fraught proposition before modern times), encountering bandits, dangerous creatures, fanatical priests, and the other typical hardships of the road. Along the way, widow and warrior grow closer, bonded by their mutual travails.

With beautifully-drawn minor characters - special mention to Brindle, the gnole, with his distinctive phraseology and imperturbable manner - and varied incidents, leavened by amusing and insightful reflections, and a strong middle-aged romance between two people who find each other both frustrating and admirable, this all comes together into a highly enjoyable book. Recommended.

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