ARC Review: Swordheart #2

Daggerbound by T. Kingfisher

Publication Date: August 25, 2026

Summary from Netgalley:

Learned Edmund, a disillusioned scholar, is transporting yet another precious relic from one stuffy temple to a different stuffy temple. Another great adventure for the ages…

But when Edmund is set upon by bandits, in desperation, he breaks the cardinal rule and grabs for the relic, an ancient sword. To his surprise, instead of unsheathing a rusty, ancient weapon, an alarmingly handsome man appears, wielding daggers of blue steel and cutting the thieves down.

This man is the Dervish, an immortal warrior who’s been trapped for centuries in a sword of enchanted steel, and is angry as hell about it. He hates the curse that put him there, and he wants to hate Edmund, just as he has hated every wielder before him.

But the damned scholar is just so sweet and clever and kind. And while the Dervish may be able to protect Edmund from bandits, cultists, dragons, and strange inhuman diplomats, he may find it much harder to protect his own heart.

ARC provided by Tor Publishing Group via Netgalley for an honest review.

Confession:

Swordheart has to be one of my favorite books by Ms Kingfisher and I was so excited to read this sequel. I was not disappointed. This one was just as much fun as the first one. I loved the characters, the romance and the overall plot. If you loved Swordheart as much as I did, you will love this one too.

Learned Edmond is a minor character from the Clocktaur War duology. I remember how much I enjoyed him in that series and wanting him to have a book of his own. It is seven years after these books and Edmond has changed quite a bit. He is more mature and has tried to make a difference in the world. He is still a scholar, and knows alot about many things, which he is very happy to tell you about, even if you don’t want to know. I loved some of his little stories or facts about the things they encounter on the road.

The Dervish was a great character and I just adored him. He went through so much as an enchanted sword, that my heart really ached for him. His journey in this book was very sweet. I loved how he kept saying that Edmond wasn’t his type, but we never really learn what his type is. The banter between these two was excellent and often made me smile. The way their feelings for each other grew felt very organic and went slow enough to make me keep cheering them on.

We are introduced to some new characters in this story, and a new species. I loved them as well, even if Francis did creep me out a bit. Many of the characters from Swordheart also make appearances in this book which thrilled me.

One thing Kingfisher does well is road trip stories. Edmond and the Dervish have many adventures as they try to reach the city. They encounter dragons, murderous villagers and of course bandits. The Dervish gets them out of most of the situations they find themselves in but Edmond does hold his own in most of the time. The plot moves along at quite a good clip and keeps you smiling even when things get a little bit scary.

This is an excellent sequel that will make fans of the first book very happy. If you haven’t yet picked up a book by this author, you really should. If you enjoy a cozy romantic adventure fantasy with a great cast of characters, this is one you don’t want to miss.