3.5 STARS

This book was really nice, but to be completely honest I was hoping for something a tad different. Mind me, it is nice and sweet, with good characters and chemistry, but it has the feeling of a debut novel, mostly because to me there was a great imbalance between the plot and the romance part.
A lot of romances, being they fantasy, contemporary, or historical, have romance as the focus, and everything else is secondary to that, even the plot. But in these cases, the plot is like an afterthought, it is not something big, it’s just there to move things along and you shouldn’t be too bothered by it. And that’s okay. (Sure, it is not my preferred method, and I don’t gorge myself on this kind of books, but I still enjoy them, from time to time, and I have no problems with that, usually), but that’s not the case with this book. Here the plot is pretty central to everything, but the author is constantly switching it in and out of focus.
And there are some instances in which this simply does not make sense.
Matti, our MC, has a lot of problems because he is the head of the family (his father is alive, but since he is in politics, and it is a hard thing because he is really trying to do good things for people and he puts a lot of efforts into this, Matti has taken over the family business) and the businesses aren’t going so well lately, because of a series of unfortunate events, and the family is almost without money.
And this is slowly destroying him, because he is trying his best and he feels all the responsibility for it. He is carrying around the world on his shoulders, and all this is taking its toll.
At one point he and Luca discover that things are not exactly like they seem and that some intrigues and fool play are afoot, so I was expecting them to take action, at least in some way, because this is a huge revelation but… nope, all of this is suddenly out of focus because the romance part has to take the spot light. And it was maddening. (And also a tad out of character for Matti).
This was the hugest example, but not the only one, but I hope it helps carry my point across.

That said, I still had a good time with this book, because Matti and Luca are nice characters, and following their relationship growing, with highs and lows and drama and whatnot, was pretty fun. But I have to say that the girls still stole the scene. I would have loved to see more of Maya, Matti’s sister, and Sofia, Matti’s betrothed. They are so full of life and they are witty and so strong-willed!
Mind me, Matti and Luca are nice characters and I highly enjoyed spending time with them, but still… I was more curious about the girls.
Even more so because Sofia is central to a topic that I think should be talked about more. A lot more. And I loved that we get to see it there (even if, once again, the romance outstages this).
Matti and Sofia’s wedding is nearing, and there is a peculiar costume in this world: if someone objects to the wedding, he (or she) will challenge to a duel the husband-to-be or the wife-to-be. Sofia has a suitor who is really good with a blade and he is not happy that she is marrying Matti so everyone and their mother knows that he will challenge Matti at the wedding. And since it is permitted to have a champion dueling in your stead and since Matti is no good with a sword, he hires Luca.
Everyone knows that Sofia and her suitor are in love and that she is going into the marriage because of duty and not love, there is even a popular song about these two star-crossed lovers (a song composed by the suitor himself).

THE FOLLOWING BIT IS A MINOR SPOILER, SO IF YOU DON’T WANT TO READ IT, JUMP TO THE “IT’S SAFE AGAIN” BIT.


But what everyone knows is a lie. Nobody ever asked Sofia what she thinks or what she feels. And this was amazing! And it could have been developed into something even more amazing! I would have loved for them to take action and do something about this! But… again, the romance part has to come first and this just went out of the scene again.

FROM HERE ONWARD IS SAFE AGAIN TO READ!

There are so many good ideas here, and they all are overshadowed by a romance that is quite mediocre. And this to me was such a shame! Mind me, Matti and Luca are cute and their romance is not bad, at all! We have some banter, we have unusual situations and some beloved tropes, we have a lot of good things, but when all is said and done, the romance part was good but not so special. What was special was all the rest: the plot was solid, there are some themes that need more visibility and that are original, and the world building was quite fascinating too (we have a lot of different gods in there, and the society has some complex rules) but everything is always outstaged by the romance.

All in all is not a bad book, I had fun with it and it was a nice reading, but I think it could have been so much more! And this was a tad disappointing.

Love love loved this!!

Anything Freya writes.. I will read!! 🤩
Swordcrossed was definitely a different direction from the Last Binding trilogy, but it didn’t disappoint!

The story follows Matti Jay, a head of house for wool distribution who is about to enter and arranged marriage to save his house’s reputation. Little does he know, that the man who he hires to be his best man (swordsman for anyone who challenges the marriage) that his life is going to get a heck of a lot more interesting than just crunching numbers and organising shipments!

I loved both Luca and Matti’s characters! Luca is definitely ADHD coded which I loved, and Matti clearly struggles with anxiety. I loved the way that these two balanced each other out though, Luca calming Matti’s panic attacks and Matti soothing Lucan’s need to move. Their relationship is both spicy and sweet! I loved all the side characters too, especially Maya and Sofia who both have a fierce side that I love to see!

All in all, a solid 4 stars for this book! I found it a little slow to start, but once I got into it, I couldn’t put it down!!

Great characters, great sword fighting, great spice, and the ending was a wonderful twist. Loved it!

As a huge fan of The Last Binding trilogy, I was so excited to read Swordcrossed and it absolutely did not disappoint. Swordcrossed follows the story of Matti, heir to his family's wool buisness and swordsman Luca whom Matti employs as his best man for his upcoming wedding. Much like Marske's previous books, Swordcrossed is full of the mystery, intrigue and romance that she's known for. This was an absolute pleasure to read, witty, steamy and so full of love that it practically bursts from the page. As someone who doesn't read a lot of books that have such in-depth world building, I did get a little confused with the sheer amount of information packed into the story regarding the houses and politics of the setting, but the characters and the story were more than enough to keep me hooked and I've no doubt I'll appreciate it more on my inevitable second read. Even with that in mind, this is an easy five stars and as always, I cannot wait to see what Marske writes next.

Big thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for providing me with an advanced copy in return for an honest review.

Swordcrossed is a queer romance, and while it’s labeled as fantasy on Goodreads, it’s more about the whimsical worldbuilding and historical romance atmosphere than traditional fantasy elements.

I really enjoyed this story—it had me giggling the entire time, and I absolutely adored the two protagonists! 💕

I fell for Luca right away, and Matti’s commanding presence had me melting, too. 😍 I loved watching their relationship evolve as they both fell for each other without even realizing it! The plot twists and mysteries definitely kept things interesting. 🔍✨

My rating is almost 4 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐, but I struggled with following the dialogues at times. It was confusing figuring out who was talking, and it threw me off a bit.

That said, the spicy scenes were 🔥🔥🔥—totally unexpected but very welcome! 😏

Thank you Pan Macmillan and NetGalley for this ARC copy!

A thoroughly enjoyable romance set in a fantasy world. The two main characters came alive on the page and I found myself rooting for them right from the beginning, despite not being able to see a way through their issues. I did get a little confused by all the politics in it but I pretty much understood what was going on by the end- not that it mattered if I didn't. The romance was enough to keep me reading anyway! I liked the elegant solution at the end (no spoilers!) and would definitely love to find out more about the world it is set in now that I've got my head around some of the religion and politics. It's always refreshing to read a queer romance completely free of homophobia as well. There was a diverse range of characters without it ever feeling forced.

As a lover of Marske's other works, especially A Marvellous Light, I was very excited to read her new romantasy and was not disappointed. As always, I really enjoyed her writing style and the way that she brings the characters, setting, and story to life! This is a fairly low stakes and cosy romantasy, with a rivals to lovers trope, an oh the longing and pining! Matti hires Luca for his skills with a sword to protect him on his (arranged) wedding day as there is a tradition of duels and challenges at the altar. The chemistry takes off from there! I still prefer the Last Binding series, but this was still a fast and fun read with a heartfelt and believable romantic story.

Swordcrossed is another taste of Freya Marskes delicious writing perfect for fans of Marvelous Light and Slippery Creatures.

Mattinesh is the perfect loveable and dutiful main character trying to save his families failing bussines by getting married. And then Luca stumbles onto his path and manages to topple his plans only to rebuild them even beter.

I was easily attached to the characters and really appreciated them being so fully written. I loved the girls too and really appreciated the openness of Sofia and Matti in their arranged marriage so we’re not made to dislike her and it’s no overdramatic I hate you cause I have to marry you situation.

Luca was a fun character to read about and even if messy his relationship with his family was very interesting to read. You could see his mother and brother really loved him even if he thought they didn’t.


All in all it was a great adventure to read and it makes me want to reread marvelous light again!!

*ive got an arc from netgalley all thoughts are mine*


I don't think Freya Marske can ever disappoint me. It's just the perfect blend of fantasy and romance. The stakes were not that high but I still felt the pressure Matti was under. He wanted nothing but help his family and seeing him taking something for himself for ONCE was so freeing.
Luca. Sweet summer child. That man never think before he act and I adored him. I can totally understand why Matti ended up in love with him.

Their banter was so hilarious, I could have read endlessly about their sword lessons.

And don't start me on Luca doing his best to help Matti 🫠

The wedding scene was *CHIEF KISSES*

NOW. MY FAVORITE PART WAS MAYBE THE SUBPLOT WITH MAYA. loved it.


ANYWAY. GO READ THIS!

An engaging read which caught my attention right away and kept me wanting more.

I absolutely adored Freya Marske’s previous series so I was very excited to receive her latest work, and I have to say, if you enjoyed The Last Binding books I would definitely recommend this one.

It has similar vibes and style to The Last Binding books, while holding its own as a different story in a different world. I love the alternate history feel that Marske’s books hold - that out of time but fantastical sense - and I was drawn in immediately by it in Swordcrossed.

Our two main characters are instantly engaging, and I was invested in their stories - which we learn more about as the book progresses - from the off. The way the relationships developed felt realistic and important to the plot without being the only thing that was going on, which I enjoy.

I loved the way the ending came together, it was so cleverly done and left me satisfied with the story’s conclusion.

Overall, if you enjoyed The Last Binding series, or like a queer historical feeling fantasy in general, I would highly recommend Swordcrossed, and I can’t wait to read more from Freya Marske in the future!

I loved all of the Last Binding trilogy by the author and was excited to see what delights Swordcrossed held.
The story is set in a world with its own vibe, carefully crafted by the author. For me there was an edge of the Regency storyline where the heir of a noble, but financially compromised house, has to marry a rich heiress to set the family fortunes straight. All this so that to the world the house continues to appear affluent and maintain societies standards.
Mattinesh or Matti Jay is our heir in need - Jay house has experienced setbacks and new competition in their wool empire. Sofia, the lady who is the solution to all the Jay family problems is a friend, however she already has a suitor who is likely to attempt to stop the arranged marriage by requesting a duel. Common practice is for a family to hire a best man who will duel on behalf of the family and this is where Luca Piere comes in. Luca swindles Matti out of some of his hard earned money and as recompense as well as being best man he is engaged to teach Matti dueling.
So the scene is set for a tangled web of intrigue, deceit and conspiracy to play out.
Sofia is not just a spare wheel in this story., as she has a strength and determination to forge her own path and take what advantages a marriage to Matti could bring.
I enjoyed the storytelling and the relationships that were built and look forward to the authors next book.
My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for access to this ARC - all views are my own.

If Freya Marske writes it, I will read it (and love it!)

It's no surprise this turned out to be a 5 star (and one of the best reads of the year). If, like me, you're here from the perfection that was A Marvellous Light, then be ready for a book just as memorable. Swordcrossed ditches the historical setting Marvellous Light had in favor of an all-new fantasy world. You can tell the author had immense fun with the worldbuilding, and I loved the concept of Houses and their Gods, but in a much lower-stakes narrative than most high fantasies.

The political intrigue lost me a bit in the first 100 pages (perhaps on account of too much information introduced too soon, I feel like we should have spent some more time with the characters first, so we had reason to care about their troubles), but after that stumble the plot got more engaging and by the end I was captivated.

The romance is, of course, the swoon-worthy Freya Marske type, that I know and love so well. Perfection is the only way I can describe it, there's nobody writing yearning quite like her.

My thanks to NetGalley and PanMacmillan for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

This book was well written and very cosy. I enjoyed the characters and their relations immensely.
While I enjoyed the writing I found the pacing to be a bit slow, which could be a personal preference. I also found the talk of guilds and their economy to fill a bit too much in the book.
The ending was however really satisfying and felt really satisfying both plot wise and character wise.

Thank you to netgalley and the author/ publisher for the opportunity to read this arc.

(This review will also appear on my storygraph account)

I absolutely adored Freya Marske’s previous trilogy of magical books and was thrilled to get an ARC of this from NetGalley. The author has created a whole new world to enjoy. Mattinesh Jay must enter into an arranged marriage to restore the fortunes of his family’s fabric business, but plans are derailed by the arrival of Luca, a swordsman who Matti hires to be his best man, (yes, wedding duels are a thing) and who has a part to play in working out what has gone wrong for the business.
There is skulduggery aplenty, and an enemies to lovers theme (there is some pretty steamy queer romance if that’s not your thing), and the world building is brilliant - I particularly loved the descriptions for foods which are imagined but that I could really almost taste! The Jay family are great - loving, accepting and honest, and Luca is a brilliantly drawn renegade.
Really great stuff.

I was quite excited to see a new book by Freya Marske and a standalone as well (for now anyway). But unfortunately this book could not quite sell me over. It felt mediocre.

We meet Matti, son and heir to one of the larger families in the city. Unfortunately their family business is struggling. To keep afloat and to keep up appearances Matti is going to marry a daughter from one of the other bigger families. But with the threat of a 'lover' of the lady to sword challenge him at the wedding, he has to hire a professional best man who can possibly fight for him. Unfortunately the only one he can afford is the swindler who crossed his path the day before.

With having read some previous books by the author I had high hopes for the plot and world of this book. Both of them were a let down to me. Calling this a fantasy is such a stretch. It is set in a thought up world but that is where the fantasy ends. There is no magic or anything like that. Just a world much like our own historical world has been. There wasn't anything special about it in anyway. Nothing new or refreshing. No fun combining of elements out of our history.

Adding into that was the plot. It is a little thin. It is clearly just there to set up our two characters. Luca's backstory, why he ran away and he was such a con artist, was so thin. I just didn't care. His family was alluded to being so bad at the start but nothing of that stood by the end. Adding that I didn't actually care too much about the political aspects of the plot with Matti's family business. Fine, I got wanting to down a business because they are in the same business as you are, wool. But the political aspect added was so thin because we got to see absolutely nothing of the city. Having one scene at a factory is not a enough to carry that.

So instead of a strong book I got a medicore and not quite memorable book. It is an okay read but not something I will easily reccomend to another.

I've tried to read a Freya Marske before and I can confidently say that I just don't think her writing style is for me. For people who love really intricate, detailed fantasy that has a historical angle to it and good steaminess, this book will totally schmear your bagel. But for me? It's just not the right fit. I spent so much of this book feeling entirely lost and confused, having had no introduction to key parts of the world and getting lost with Marske's tendency to run into expositional tangents after every other line of dialogue. Not for me, but certainly for someone else.

I loved this, and now I think I need to read A Marvellous Light. While the premise of Marske's debut didn't grab me, I was intrigued by the premise of Swordcrossed, and it definitely didn't disappoint. This was such a rich fantasy, full of political intrigue (a favourite of mine!) and swoon-worthy romance! The leads had fantastic chemistry, and while I enjoyed all parts of the novel, it was the romance that propelled me through the story. Also, I don't feel like it's mentioned enough, but I adored the writing. Marske's prose is self-assured and witty, and I adored it.

Thank you to the publisher and to Netgalley for granting me an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Once again an enjoyable read by Freya Marske!
I want to start getting some admin stuff out of the way, which is I don't think it's fair to call this book a romantasy - yes, it is a romance, in a secondary world fantasy setting, but the more magical (and sometimes) adventure elements that people usually expect of romantasy aren't there. There might very well be magic somewhere in this world, but this book is mostly about romance and politics and the wool trade, it just happens to take place in a secondary world. And I don't mind that! I like the world the book is set in, and I didn't feel a gnawing need for dragons or fairies or elves to also be there - but, you know, if that's what you are expecting going in, you might end up being disappointed.
That said, the story is very fun! I like both Matti and Luca, and Matti's family kind of made the book for me - a loving family that end up sometimes hurting each other by being too exhaustingly selfless is honestly a very interesting dynamic to explore.
The romance is... well, it's a Freya Marske romance, and when you have read enough of them you start being able to predict where and when the important emotional beats are gonna happen, but it's a pretty tried and tested formula that flows naturally and convincingly. Insta-lust is not really my thing, but I never had any trouble believing that Luca and Matti actually end up liking each other even regardless of physical attraction,
The plot itself other than the romance is quite loose, and I actually wish we had gotten a little more of that - Freya Marske either did a lot of research on wool craftsmanship or is very good at faking it, because whenever Matti monologued about wool I fully believed he knew what he was on about. It would have been interesting to dive a little bit more into the nitty gritty political aspect of the guilds and the big houses, but novel clearly intends to spotlight the romance over the rest, so I can't be too mad about it.
Overall, while the book didn't quite tick all my boxes, it definitely ticked all of its own boxes, and will certainly appeal to fantasy romance fans.

2.5

Oh well, this was disappointing.
I'm so angry with myself for not liking this as much as I hoped! I was so damn sure "Swordcrossed" was going to be a winner. I love Freya Markse's writing, and I absolutely adored her "The Last Binding" series (I'm still missing book three, but I'm certain that one too will be a winner). Unfortunately, this book did not work for me.
There were some things that I absolutely adored, but all in all, they were not enough to win me over, and especially, they definitely were not enough to stop me from skimming nearly half of the book. I should have DNF it, but I was still curious to see what would happen to Matti and Luca and to see the plot unfold.

Anyway, the good: I adored Matti as a protagonist. If there's one thing I love, it's chronically responsible, anxious messes getting their shot at happiness and setting boundaries. He was the literal best: serious and competent but also so damn earnest and honest and vulnerable and insecure and uGHH, my son, I loved him to bits. I wanted to jump into the book to wrap him in blankets. I also ADORED all the side characters: Maya and Sofia were fantastic, and I wanted to be adopted by the entire Jay household.
I also really liked the plot: I'm a plot girlie through and through, and Freya's already shown us how good she is at crafting well-thought-out stories that manage to keep you on the edge of your seat. I didn't think I'd manage to find myself invested in the intricacies of wool industry, but here we are. The plot was the main reason I wanted to finish this book, alongside Matti's well-earned HEA and the feeling I had about the whole Sofia situation. I was so happy to be right. <3

Apart from these things, the rest of the book did not work for me.
I'm a plot girlie, but also a world-building one too, so I can't believe I have to write this but: the world-building was too damn complicated and convoluted. I'm usually good at keeping up, but damn, I could not, for the life of me, understand what was going on there.
I could have gotten over that if only the other protagonist, Luca, and Luca and Matti's romance, had stolen my heart... and yeah, that didn't happen. I disliked Luca so much. I'm usually all over messy, lying liars with secret damaged hearts, but god, he was despicable. Or not even that, just plain annoying, and his reasons for being annoying and a lying liar were thin at best. I didn't like how he treated Matti, and I didn't buy his sudden interest in Matti's well-being.
I also didn't buy their dynamic. Something felt off about them together, I'm still not sure what. Maybe I would have loved them more if I liked Luca, or maybe they just weren't my cup of tea together. Oh well. I still wanted to know what would happen between them, but I was more invested in the secondary romances.

Like I said, I really like the plot, and I really liked Matti and the cast of side characters. The ending was pretty satisfying too, and I was happy to see how everything wrapped up. I'm sticking with this rating for these reasons alone.
I think this could be a case of "it's me, not you" because the whole world loved this. Maybe I wasn't in the right mindset, or maybe they can't all be winners, and that's okay.
If you love low-stakes romances in a low-stakes fantasy world, with a complex world-building and (at least one) complex, lovable protagonist, give this book a go. Hopefully it will work better for you than it did for me!

With this standalone fantasy, Marske confirms that she is a masterful storyteller. Swordcrossed delivered on the low stakes and high heat that were promised, with our protagonists crossing swords on during fencing lessons beyond.

Dutiful and responsible Matti, who needs to enter an arranged marriage to save his family's struggling business, is tricked out of the funds for hiring a duellist to defend him against any challenges at the altar by charming con-artist Luca. Instead of having Luca arrested, Matti hires him to stand as his duelist for his upcoming nuptials and blackmails him into also teaching him swordsmanship.

This novel was full of witty banter and loveable characters, perfectly paced, with secrets and untoward business deals to uncover, and with plenty of clashing swords. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and loved the resolution - definitely a wedding to remember!
I adored Luca's wit and charm, but also his caring side, and I'll give Matti all the hugs he needs! You can expect great representation of mental health issues, diverse characters, and a queer-normative world. And while I'm not a fibre nerd, Marske definitely got me invested in the finer details of the wool trade.