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A review by thatdecembergirl
Swordheart by T. Kingfisher
2.0
I hate it when I read something that is almost good because it makes me mad. I prefer to read bad books instead, because when something is so bad, oftentimes it turns into something funny. Thus, it can be enjoyable in a totally different way. However, Swordheart by T. Kingfisher is precisely in the almost-good-book bracket. It's so frustrating for me because I do like books written by Kingfisher, and the potential is there, but oh boy it missed A LOT of things.
Let's list what I like from the book first.
- The unusual female main character. Halla is a widow in her mid-thirties, and she is described as being 'not a small woman'. Sure, nice. Her problem starts from rejecting a marriage proposed to her by her relative, and she ends up running away from her own house. Okay, fine, interesting enough.
- Kingfisher included non-penetrative sex scenes because Halla is unwilling to bear children from anyone (and this universe does not offer condoms or any of the likes). This one, I don't see very often between two main characters. We have a rather convenient solution for this problem, but still, I appreciate the inclusion.
Now, my problems with this book.
And boy they are plenty.
- Kingfisher is obsessed in making Halla an 'unusual' female protagonist that she becomes such a nonsense to me. I agree wholeheartedly with another review saying that Halla and all her ramblings and questions crossed the line from witty interplay to annoyingly obtuse. We're given reasons to justify this, but I'm absolutely not sold because Halla does it every. Single. Time. And not just in front of men in power for her own survival (like what the narrative claims). Her mannerisms aren't consistent throughout the story. Also, the way she repeats "respectable widow" over and over again makes me want to take shots every time those blasted phrase appear in the pages. Yeah, Halla, we get it. Now move on.
- The comedic tone Kingfisher insisted to have just doesn't match the whole story, and obviously it doesn't work for me, too.
- So many things happening (and conversations taking place) that don't contribute to the main plot and don't have any concrete subplots either. This story could be sliced in half and trust me, it would still work.
- The characters feel like caricatures and it's not just Halla. Zale, the lawyer AND the priest from one of the several religions in this universe, reads like Halla's high school bestie instead of an official representative from an important institution.
(I give up writing down this list for fear of making my review far too long.)
This has SO MUCH potentials, and it could be SO MUCH better, and yet it falls short.
I will still read Kingfisher because I read better stories from her, but this one is 100% a miss for me. How disappointing. Damn, how almost-good books infuriate me.
Let's list what I like from the book first.
- The unusual female main character. Halla is a widow in her mid-thirties, and she is described as being 'not a small woman'. Sure, nice. Her problem starts from rejecting a marriage proposed to her by her relative, and she ends up running away from her own house. Okay, fine, interesting enough.
- Kingfisher included non-penetrative sex scenes because Halla is unwilling to bear children from anyone (and this universe does not offer condoms or any of the likes). This one, I don't see very often between two main characters. We have a rather convenient solution for this problem, but still, I appreciate the inclusion.
Now, my problems with this book.
And boy they are plenty.
- Kingfisher is obsessed in making Halla an 'unusual' female protagonist that she becomes such a nonsense to me. I agree wholeheartedly with another review saying that Halla and all her ramblings and questions crossed the line from witty interplay to annoyingly obtuse. We're given reasons to justify this, but I'm absolutely not sold because Halla does it every. Single. Time. And not just in front of men in power for her own survival (like what the narrative claims). Her mannerisms aren't consistent throughout the story. Also, the way she repeats "respectable widow" over and over again makes me want to take shots every time those blasted phrase appear in the pages. Yeah, Halla, we get it. Now move on.
- The comedic tone Kingfisher insisted to have just doesn't match the whole story, and obviously it doesn't work for me, too.
- So many things happening (and conversations taking place) that don't contribute to the main plot and don't have any concrete subplots either. This story could be sliced in half and trust me, it would still work.
- The characters feel like caricatures and it's not just Halla. Zale, the lawyer AND the priest from one of the several religions in this universe, reads like Halla's high school bestie instead of an official representative from an important institution.
(I give up writing down this list for fear of making my review far too long.)
This has SO MUCH potentials, and it could be SO MUCH better, and yet it falls short.
I will still read Kingfisher because I read better stories from her, but this one is 100% a miss for me. How disappointing. Damn, how almost-good books infuriate me.