I really wanted to love this one, but it didn't quite connect. It was frothy fun in the way fanfic can be, but I wasn't invested in the textile business and there were a lot of details about it that I didn't need. I can see this book really working for some people, alas, I just wasn't one of them.

I've enjoyed other "cozy fantasy" and I think "low stakes high heat" is a perfectly nice little tagline. But unfortunately for me this felt like, actually the stakes were both high and boring, like just a LOT of information about textile tariffs and the fantasy mercantile caste system to get through. Also it felt like I was supposed to be horny for all the sword training scenes but they were not hitting for me (so to speak).

IDK, I'm sure this book will have its audience but if you're looking for something like Legends & Lattes...to me this is......not a good readalike for that.

This is another queer fantasy romance by Freya Marske, the author of The Last Binding trilogy, which I loved. Swordcrossed is set in an entirely new fantasy world. This one is ruled by merchant guilds, and it reminded me a bit of Six of Crows. There’s lots of political intrigue in this one, but as the cover says, the stakes stay low as far as fantasy books are concerned.

Matti is the heir to a failing merchant house and he’s doing everything in his power to shore it up, including marrying someone he doesn’t love for her money. For his wedding, he has to hire a best man, a swordsman who will stand up in his place in a ceremonial duel. He meets the handsome swordsman Luca, who is also a con man who duped him the night before. Matti hires Luca but demands sword lessons as recompense.

The first half of the book is a very slow build. Freya reveals political intrigue among the merchants, slowly revealing the mysterious sabotage. She also meticulously fleshes out the characters of Matti and Luca and the slow burn of their attraction. (Prepare for simmering sexual tension in the training room!)

After this build up though, we get a fantastic series of reveals on the politics as well as forbidden romance between two people obviously made for each other. The payoff was worth the slower first half. The final act brings everything together in such a perfect way. It was so beautiful, I cried.

Overall, I thought this was a fantastic book! We got Freya’s signature blend of emotion, romance, heavy spice and political intrigue. I’d recommend it to people looking for a slower-paced character-driven MM fantasy romance.

This was such a cute book! I had a lovely time reading about Matti and Luca. Matti was cracking me up this whole book, and Luca was truly charming, as the summary suggests. Their story entwines in a facinating way, and their story ends perfectly. Highly recommend this Read!

A slower read for me, and I didn’t always find the balance of romance and politics to my liking. But I think a lot of people will really like this.

This book was such a fast and fun ride!! I loved the characters and their dynamics were amazing and so exciting to explore. The fantasy element meshed well and while the whole guild politics could weigh it down at times, it still felt easy to get through and kept me engaged! The ending was truly amazing and I loved it! 4.25 stars would definitely recommend.

I really enjoyed this! I thought the characters were powerful and loveable and the writing itself was really easy to read while keeping me engaged!

Freya Marske returns with a smashing romance following Mattinesh Jay, leader of his House, and Luca Piere, a sword-for-hire. Matti's family business is struggling and agrees to an arranged marriage to get them out of financial trouble, but someone has promised to challenge their marriage, leading him to hire Luca. Luca is on the run and new to town for unknown reasons, but his witting charm easily wins Matti over, despite previously being conned by the red head. The two have instant chemistry and the two work together to unravel a plot to undermine Matti's business, but not before secrets come out and the two have to figure out how to trust each other. Swordcrossed is a fun read that is full of heart.

Thank you Bramble, Tor and Netgalley for the ARC in trade for an honest review.

This is the story of Matti, a young man from an established and well-known family that is struggling financially. His upcoming arranged marriage to Sofia Cooper, of another rich and well-connected house, is supposed to save the family, though neither of them are super jazzed about marrying the other. Matti must hire a best man to take on any challengers to the wedding, but when he gets to the shop the next day, the only duelist he can afford is a young thief who conned him the previous day. Matti reluctantly hires the young man, Luca, as his best man, and he finds out that he has much more chemistry with this conman than with his own betrothed, making things complicated.

To start with, I really enjoyed the world building. I love historical settings where things like diversity and queerness are celebrated instead of looked down upon or persecuted, and this was handled excellently in this book. I also liked the more modern twist on the traditions, like how either gender could duel for the other, not just for the bride.

The characters were lovable, though Matti and Maya had me wanting to rip my hair out, because if they would have just communicated better, most of their frustration would have been avoided! I did like Luca quite a bit and was always looking forward to getting more backstory from him. I also liked that even though this book started with the main character engaged to someone else, it was never a love triangle, as those can get exhausting. Lastly, the tension was great and the spice was steamy. It wasn’t exactly a slow burn, but it did feel like the moments were earned instead of just thrown at the reader.

As for the plot, there wasn’t much of it, and I found myself bored at times. There were many descriptions about the wool and merchant industries, which was interesting at first, but I would have liked more action instead, seeing as a big premise of the story was sword fighting and dueling. There was actually very little of that. The side characters felt nonexistent and are not expanded on at all, which was a bit disappointing. Also, while the book is technically fantasy because it is set in an entirely made up world, there are no elements of magic or creatures or anything like that, so it just felt more like alternate history.

Overall it was a solid story and I did enjoy myself while reading it for the most part. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

Swordcrossed was a perfect blend of humor, spice, and suspense. Jay and Luca’s chemistry and banter had me hooked from the start. The story felt like a thrilling mix of a spy novel, steamy romance, and comedy, with the author crafting each character uniquely and balancing them beautifully. When Jay and Luca were together, all their baggage seemed to melt away—Jay blossomed and let loose, while Luca found his grounding. Watching their relationship develop was a joy, and the spicy moments? Absolutely scorching!

Gosh I adore Freya Marske's writing. This didn't have the magical elements of the Last Binding trilogy, but readers who loved the high-heat queer romance and disaster characters of her previously published books will find much to love here.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc! Opinions are my own.

I was doing an Olympics reading challenge and needed a book that featured fencing so I was thrilled to receive an ARC of Swordcrossed!

The opening chapter brings our protagonists into a collision, misunderstanding, and financial entanglement brimming with resentment. The solution is that con-artist Luca, a trained swordsman, will serve as Matti's best man at his upcoming nuptials (in case the wedding is challenged via a duel) while also giving Matti sword lessons. Matti is the heir to his family's wool business house which is teetering on financial ruin. He desperately needs this wedding to move forward to save his family's business. He absolutely does NOT need to be distracted by the menace Luca, but increasingly finds his mind and body calling out to him. This book is filled with so.much.damn.longing that I thought I might burst before these two men finally kissed. Marske writes romance in a fashion that makes readers hold their breath! The dual POVs were so well done, and Luca and Matti were both so flawed, yet fell hard for one another. They both carry the weight of family expectations, and it was a joy to watch them push one another into new experiences and roles. I laughed, swooned, and blushed! There is a good amount of business and political posturing, plenty of villains, a great plot twist, and a couple worth cheering on towards a potential HEA. Fantastic spice round out this great romance read!

I enjoyed this very much - it fits in well with the recent boom in lowish-stakes found family warm fuzzy books, although this one does have genuine conflict in it. Reminded me very much of a gentler Swordspoint, which is high praise.

Thank you, Bramble, for providing me with an eARC of this enchanting novel!

Swordcrossed marks my introduction into Freya Marske's work, and I'm thrilled to have started here! The story introduces us to Matti, the son of a struggling Merchant House who is marrying to uphold his family's honor. When a chance encounter with the charismatic Luca Pierre leaves him short on funds intended for a Best Man, Matti finds himself making an unexpected bargain for sword lessons. I was pleasantly surprised by how central the wedding theme became; it's aspects something I'm not familiar with. In addition, Swordcrossed blended elements of both fantasy and historical romance in a way that felt reminiscent of Natasha Pulley's work--which made the Natasha Pulley fan in my undoubtedly ecstatic.

Matti is a deeply sympathetic character, bound by societal expectations and longing to assert his own identity. His sword lessons with Luca offer him not just a reprieve but a journey of self-discovery and personal fulfillment. Luca, with his brash and moody demeanor, quickly became my favorite. His wit and vibrant presence brought humor and life to the story. The dynamic between Matti and Luca was endearing, with their contrasting personalities creating a delightful presence. I did find myself wishing for a bit more depth in Luca’s side of their conversations. While his secrets were integral to the plot, a touch more insight into his character would have made me the happiest of campers.

The plot unfolds gradually, revealing its layers in the latter half of the novel. This pacing made it easy to follow and enjoy. My only real critique is the touch of insta-love, which isn't usually my cup of tea, and the initial pacing felt a bit slow as it moved beyond Matti and Luca's routine. Despite this, Swordcrossed has left me eagerly anticipating Freya Marske's The Last Binding series! Her engaging storytelling and rich character development have definitely earned my interest.

4.5 stars for this one from me! :)

Perhaps I have been reading far too many queer romance/fantasy novels, but I found myself indifferent to the story in Swordcrossed. The characters, to me, did not seem to have much connection at all, nor did I see many fantasy aspects as I would have expected from the description. The cover is gorgeous, and if I were starved for LGBT+ content, this would be a fine read, but I simply believe there are other books out there that excel at what this novel tried to be. Not to say that this novel is bad per se, and I can see many readers thoroughly enjoying it, but I would be hesitant to give it a full recommendation to someone.

Absolutely loved the concept of this but the writing was not for me whatsoever. The metaphors and similes were way overused which made it felt very forced and clunky, I could not get into a flow of reading. I have a good idea of where the story was going, and I definitely could recommend it to others based on that if they enjoy a style of writing such as this.

Genre: fantasy romance

Mattinesh Jay needs a best man to stand with him at his wedding to Sofia Cooper. A best man’s role is to defend against challenges to the marriage, and Matti has reason to believe that he’ll need a good swordsman to stand at his side. As the heir to a struggling House, he needs this marriage to shore up the House finances, and while there is little attraction between them there is companionship, and it’s for the good of both Houses if the marriage goes forward. Enter Luca Piere, con-man and expert swordsman, the best that Matti can afford. Matti knows that Luca isn’t all he seems to be, but he’s still drawn to this best-man-for-hire.

Swordcrossed takes a little while to get started, and some patience is required while Freya Marske sets the stage for us. If all cozy romantasy read like this, it would be my favorite genre. The tagline “Low stakes. High heat. Sharp steel.” is a perfect description for this book. Marske writes some of the best intimate scenes in fantasy, so it’s worth hanging on if you feel bogged down. Once Matti and Luca start spending more time on page together, the book becomes unputdownable, and the stakes become all about how they can make their relationship work while Matti is set to marry someone else.

I loved every moment Matti and Luca were on page together. This was fun and sensitive and queer. The fantasy world is very light touch, with no real magic, but very rich worldbuilding, which allows Marske to play into her character development and focus on the relationship more than an external plot. This doesn’t hit quite as strong for me as The Last Binding trilogy does, but I thoroughly enjoyed the ride.

After the A Power Unbound trillogy I figured Freya Marske was going to be an insta-buy author for me. And then I read Swordcrosses... and my suspision was confirmed! This book had everything! Romance! Swordfighting! Family drama! Shameless flirting! Strong female characters! Witty banter! I'm really loving this trend of low stakes, high drama writing. Marske lets us fall in love with the characters, faults and all, without the added stress of end of the world doom. I love these two idiots so much and I'm excited to order a copy of Swordcrosed for my personal bookself. Bonus points for the gayest coverart ever.

Compared to Marske’s The Last Binding trilogy, this romantasy doesn’t have a whole lot of fantasy. Really the only thing marking this as fantasy is the setting, which is a world comprising nine city-states of the country Thesper, where wealth and power are claimed by merchants from successful Houses and religions are tied to a House’s guild. There is some world-building based on the religions, especially the patron deity Huna who is important to members of the Guild of Spinners and Weavers. What stands out to me most about religion is the number of times characters swear by a god. I can’t count how many times a character swears by gods in general or by a specific deity’s body part, often vulgarly, and not just during the steamy scenes. Huna’s teeth, it’s a lot! Sometimes entertaining, but also somewhat tiresome, and the levity of the swearing clashes with the importance their society puts on the gods. Overall, I feel fairly meh about the fantasy aspect of this novel.

All that said, I’m here for the romance, and I’m quite happy with a book that can provide a cozy little adventurous romp that is tied up neatly in a standalone novel. Marske delivers that with lovely, vulnerable, flawed and lovable characters and a setting that embraces relationships between all genders. Despite stating that “weddings of matched gender” have been legal for almost 30 years, a relatively short time, choosing any gender for a partner simply doesn’t seem to be an issue. Likewise, a secondary character from a prominent House transitioning to new pronouns seems to be universally accepted. The setting feels historical, only with less prejudice. If you’re in the mood for a lusty pining queer romance set in an unknown world that’s a bit cozy and occasionally steamy, pick up this book.

An indulgent queer romantasy full of swords, yearning, and banter - a great read!

gay love | high fantasy | meet-hate | power play | sword lessons | spicy | rituals and traditions