Review posts on my blog on October 2nd, 2024

Mattinesh Jay is the oldest son of Jay House, which, due to a string of bad luck, is long on respectability and short on funds. Matti is getting married to an acquaintance from a House whose finances are solid but whose reputation in the city is less firmly established. He’ll marry her for duty, and hopefully find companionship (maybe even love?), but Matti puts his family first without complaint. The trouble is, his intended has a paramour, who is very good with a sword and will almost definitely challenge at the wedding, so Matti has scraped together the funds to hire a Best Man to defend any challenge with steel (as is tradition). The night before he is set to contract a professional for this position, an accident in a bar leaves him short of funds, forced to hire an excellent but unknown and untested swordsman rather than the best of the best... but who turns out to be the one who swindled him out of his money. As recompense for his silence, Jay insists that the swordsman, Luca, teach him in the mornings for the weeks leading up to the wedding. The more they clash with steel each day, the more Jay and Luca are desperate for different swords to cross...

SWORDCROSSED advertises itself with the tagline “Low Stakes. High Heat. Sharp Steel.” Early on, I thought the first part might not be true, because I was instantly very invested in the future of Jay House and their financial trajectory and Matti's happiness felt like high stakes. But, while the stakes matter a great deal to those involved (and to me, goddammit), this is a very cozy and ultimately low stakes story that delivers with erotic scenes and steel. Swords are crossed, literally in morning practices, and metaphorically in physical passion between two cis men. I was delighted by this story which combines two of my hobbies, sewing and swordplay, as the title had only guaranteed one of those at first glance.

The most stressful parts of this story for me was the tension over betrayal and secrets between Matti and Luca, and the question of whether there was something more going on with Jay House's string of bad luck. Normally, I get very stressed out by books that have lying in relationships, but the way this was handled kept me engaged instead of getting too stressed to continue. There are so many subtle narrative layers, expertly woven, so that by the end an intricate story can be revealed, with dastardly deeds and hidden motivations, while the exact shape of it was obscured until the end. It has the appeal of a mystery story, the heart of a romance, and the swordplay of an adventure novel. All that while delivering on its promise of keeping the stakes low, the passions high, and the steel sharp.

Things I love, in no particular order: Maya (Matti's sister), how the swordplay is discussed, the wedding, Matti's parents, Luca's brother. The characters are vibrant and wonderful. Keeping the important cast of characters small gave room for several people to shine without becoming too many to track in detail. The intricacies of wool and swordplay are described in a manner that threads the needle between infodumping and vagueness, explaining the important relationships between concepts without getting stuck on specifics that would slow down the story. Part of this is achieved by giving information in scenes where one person is new to the information but isn't ready to handle a mountain of details. One of my favorite moments is when Matti innocently asks whether there is more than one style of fencing, and Luca oscillates between stunned silence the impulse to convey the complexity of fencing and its history in a dizzying spiel.

I applied to read this ARC on NetGalley specifically for the cover and book name pun and I was not disappointed! Low stakes, moderate heat, and a happy ending wrapped this cozy fantasy up with a pretty bow. I would have personally loved a little more world-building because I find the different patron Gods/Goddesses are so cool and unique. Matti and Luca are perfect and I will take no criticism. 🫶🏼

Thank you so much, Tor Publishing Group | Bramble and NetGalley, for the chance to read this book in exchange of an honest review.

Mattinesh Jay is the dutiful heir to a struggling family business and only the arranged marriage with Sofia Cooper can help his family. Now he only has to hire a swordsman to serve as his best man and the only man he can afford is a con artist and duellist, and very charming, Luca Piere. On the other side, Luca wants to reinvent himself in Glassport and he didn't expect to be blackmailed by Matti in order to get sword lesson. Slowly Matti and Luca start to like one other and to become more and more involved in each other's lives and as the wedding nears, Matti and Luca try to investigate what brought Matti's house to financial ruins, between lies, secrets and sabotages. Also, Luca isn't who he claim he is and the truth could ruin their relationship forever.

I loved reading this book! It was very intriguing, brilliant and, as always, well written and with amazing characterization. Matti is a very dutiful
main character, worried about his family business, about his loved ones and forced, years after years, in a box of numbers, responsibilities and duties. On the other hand there's Luca, brilliant, charming, smiling and very much his opposite and it's him that helps Matti to give himself more space and time to be himself and to follow what he wants.
The story is stratified. We have the sword lessons with Matti and Luca, the investigation in order to understand what really happened to Matti's house, with secrets, lies, subterfuges, break-ins and more, the relationships between Matti and his family and Sofia, Luca's past and secrets and the whole background of a city filled with merchants, guilds and traditions.
I really liked reading this book. The investigation was intriguing and I love how it brought Matti and Luca closer and how slowly they opened themselves up to one other, revealing lies and masks and becoming more and more confident in themselves and each other.

The plot and characterization were brilliant and I really appreciated the characters growth, mostly Matti and how he recognize the need of being himself and to follow his heart, while becoming more confident in what he wanted from his life. The same with Luca and his lies and half-truths, how he realized the importance of Matti and how to help him and his family. The characters relationships were so well written, I adored Matti's relationship with Maya and Sofia and how Sofia wasn't seen as a "rival" or an "issue" in his falling in love with Luca, but a well rounded character with her own dreams, desires and need to help her loved ones.


The queer love and queer-normative society were such a pleasure to read and I loved it so much and the relationship between Matti and Luca was brilliant, steamy and I totally loved reading about them falling in love with one other.
Amazing, funny and steamy. This book is so recommended

I will always read anything Marske writes. This book is such a delight, and it's exactly what I was looking for when I picked it up. Marske is so good at creating characters that are flawed and lovely, who you love to root for. I highly recommend Swordcrossed if you love mutual pining, swashbuckling, action and adventure, and most importantly, a beautiful love story.

This book is my new roman empire.

The amount of chemistry and tension in this book along is astounding.

Another great queer love story from Freya Markshe. Loved the characters and great build up to their romance 🥰

This was a very charming book, with two main characters that you can't help but root for. The character development was fabulous, the diverse supporting cast loveable, the central mystery compelling and the world building complex enough to make sense but not too overwhelming that it became overpowering. It was refreshing seeing a main character in a fantasy novel that had a loving, supportive family. Matti's struggle to please everyone and fulfil his duty, at great cost to him personally, was very relatable to me. This, overall, is an enjoyable, heartwarming, low stakes story.

There is a comfort to something being exactly what you expected, and Swordcrossed was just that. My own tastes tend to run toward higher stakes, so I was not expecting this to be my favorite book of the year, but Marske has a gift for character and it was such a comfort to slip back into one of her books and just relish watching a relationship grow. The world was built enough to support the characters and familiar enough to let the interactions shine.

Also, I learned so much about the fantasy textile trade. Always a plus.

I stopped at 23%. This was definitely a me thing. As a reader, I need stakes (and an engaging plot) to keep me focused and caring about a story, and it kind of didn't feel like there were any. Which is basically the point of cozy. So again, it's me, not the book. The prose is very readable and well done overall, though erring on the side of over-narrated.

This will definitely work better for character-driven readers. I think this will be a solid 3 to 4 stars for the target audience, 5 for the right readers.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor for the ARC.

I absolutely loved this sweet and spicy romance. Luca and Matti (like all of Freya's characters) are rich and fleshed out people and their chemistry is infectious. The world she has built, one that feels foreign and fantastical yet familiar and grounded, was magnetic. This was a rare book that had me longing to read at every moment I was away from it.

Despite being a little repetitive and insta-lusty, Swordcrossed was still a very charming romance and exactly what I'm looking for when I pick up anything Freya Marske. Mattie and Luca were loveable, and I enjoyed how their relationship progressed throughout this book. The ending was a smidge predictable, but I still found myself grinning. If you're looking for a quick, low-stakes romance, I recommend!

Very cute story! I was totally pulled in and loved both Matti and Luca. The ending was incredibly sweet.

As a huge fan of The Last Binding series, I was so excited to see Freya's new book. Swordcrossed is definitely a lighter, lower stakes story with a less complex plot but it was a fun read.

Thank you Bramble and NetGalley for the ARC! All opinions are my own.

I cannot overstate how much of an utter delight this book was. Marske has crafted a rich and vivid world that’s easy to wrap yourself in, and characters that instantly wove themselves into my heart. The book promised low stakes and high heat, and that’s absolutely what it delivers.

Matti and Luca are one of my new favorite couples, the contrast between them as people leading to delightful, playful banter. Watching the progress of their relationship from antagonistic to trusting and ultimately loving was beautiful. And the way in which the book explored duty, responsibility, and bravery was gorgeous. I loved the twist at the end and the unraveling of the tensions between the rival Houses, and the whole thing led to a very satisfying conclusion.

This book read like fanfiction, which I mean as the highest compliment. I can imagine rereading this again and again as a comfort book. It has everything I could want and I’m so glad I got to read it early.

did i like this? sure, but idk it felt kind of...cobbled together. the plot is mostly just whatever--its not a super complex plot and yet it somehow came across as convoluted--and the romance itself was enjoyable but forgettable. altogether this was a bit bland, a bit flimsy, nice in the moment but a story where ultimately nothing much stood out to me. (tbh the cover has more intrigue and tension than the actual book...)

(thank you to Bramble for the eARC!)

Swordscrossed by Freya Marske

This was my first Freya Marske book and it did not disappoint! I knew when I saw this book was available for request I had to try to get an ARC. It sounded so good and the description was amazing. Fast forward to it dropping into my shelf and me devouring it.

This book was so good. Luca and Mattis meet cute was so funny and I loved their characters so much. Matti was tall and stoic and honor bound to serve his family and Luca is a wild child who’s up to no good with a loud mouth. Their banter and tension was HOT AND STEAMY. The half moon ball scene!?!!!! Just incredible. They were the perfect definition of opposites attract. It was overall such a fun read and I loved the story and plot on how matti and Luca worked together to save Mattis business. I will for sure be reading more Freya Marske in the future! Thank you Tor publishing and NetGalley for this awesome arc!

I loved this book! Great worldbuilding, well rounded characters, and an engaging and realistic love story. Also, swords! I hope Freya revisits this world again!

I will officially follow Freya Marske anywhere she decides to go. I loved pretty much everything about Swordcrossed, from the characters, to the setting, to the writing. Matti and Luca are wonderful and flawed. Marske made me care about their relationship very quickly.

The setting was very interesting and felt fully realized, but never getting so out of hand that I wasn't able to follow along with everything happening. I also really enjoyed the side characters, especially Maya (Matti's sister) and Sofia (Matti's fiancee).

Overall, I would highly recommend this book.

I really liked this book, and I think the world-building and character creation worked great together. I found them to be dynamic and very entertaining to read

After absolutely adoring Freya Markse’s The Last Binding Trilogy, I was eager to see how she’d take on a whole new world and set of characters, and I dove in straight away! Needless to say, her writing is just as immersive and charming as ever in this light romantasy about a dutiful son of a struggling Guild family and the secretive dualist he reluctantly hires to protect his upcoming marriage.

I absolutely adored the lower-stakes atmosphere of Swordcrossed and how focused the story was on both the romance and the family aspects. In many ways, this felt like a historical romance with a hint of fantasy elements in the gods and the second world setting— fit with all the tropes and trappings of my favorite historicals.

Both characters felt equally as fleshed out and Marske’s ability to craft a compelling character with a clear journey, once again, reigns supreme. Mattinesh Jay is the poster child for family commitment - serious, loyal to a fault, self sacrificing and forever concerned with making sure everyone is comfortable, even at his own expense. He’s locked into a tactical marriage at the start that will securing his family the money they so desperately need, even as a certain sword master is making the prospect of marrying someone else increasingly impossible. I loved seeing him slowly realise that it’s okay to follow his heart, and there’s nothing selfish about occasionally putting yourself first. His journey to confidence and strength was communicated perfectly, and he was such a convincing character. His family loyalty will be very familiar for a lot of eldest children.

And Luca. Oh, Luca. Matti’s foil in so many ways. He’s outspoken, restless, rash, yet sensitive and caring to a fault. He might see himself as selfish and evasive, but his actions towards both Matti and the whole Jay family show quite the opposite. I really loved seeing his scheming side come out near the end, and the reveal about his true identity was definitely satisfying. I loved his energy and could spend forever in his head, truly!

Fans of Freya’s particular brand of steamy, historically influenced romantasies will be sure to fall in love with Swordcrossed with its scheming Guilds, cherry pastries, and dashing, sword-crossing paramours. Can’t wait to read whatever Freya writes next!!

Great fun! This book is just what it says on the label, low stakes, moderate heat (although others may consider it higher). Luca, Matti, and the rest of the cast of characters are fun and well rounded (ie for as little as Matti's father appears on the page, you have a strong sense of what he's like). It was fun to watch the dominoes fall into place at the end of the novel. Luca and Matti's relationship develops over sword lessons and small adventures, and I absolutely love them.