Daggerbound

Daggerbound (2026) T. Kingfisher (Swordheart #2)

Not a decade, but long enough for the impatient, we have the follow-up to Swordheart!

This is set about 7 years after the end of the Clocktaur War series, and a couple of years after Swordheart but before The Saint of Steel series.

Learned Edmund (from the Clocktaur War series) has decided he can no longer faithfully serve as a dedicate to the Many-Armed God.

We could have done so much good, he thought, staring down at the temple. We could have changed so much. But we huddle in our temple and only give our knowledge to people who know the right words to ask for it, and any good we do is because of them, not us.

So after this journey to take some old books and an older sword to Archenhold he is going to find something else to do.

He just doesn’t know what.

But his journey is almost immediately interrupted by bandits, and the Dervish is accidentally released from the sword and Edmund becomes the sword’s master.

Edmund (who was an annoying little shit at the start of the Clocktaur War series) has matured but is still a scholar at heart.

“Edmund!”

“But it’s math,” Edmund said.

“I don’t know how to break it to you, but bad people can also do math!”

The Dervish–who was one of Sarkis’s seconds in command, is quick-witted, but very different from Sarkis.

“I hate this,” he said, to no one in particular. Then, “Sheathe the sword and draw it again immediately.”

“W-what?”

The Dervish unslung the enchanted sword and handed it to Edmund. “Just for a moment.”

“Are you sure? I thought you hated…”

“I do. But I’m also extremely vain.

Of course Edmund makes many friends along the way.

“I-am-so-sorry, friend-Dervish. Keeping-your-skeleton-on-the-inside-must-be-so-troublesome.”

“Do you know, up until this moment, I never thought about it that way?”

“Twisting your whiskers, book-man.”

“I know, I know. I just keep … thinking.”

“Think less.”

“I don’t know how.”

And we get to meet some old friends.

When Zale came in, she looked up and smiled inquiringly. Then her eyes took in the Dervish and dropped to the sword in Zale’s hands.

“Oh god,” she said. “Not another one.”

“I don’t mean to keep stumbling over people trapped in swords,” Zale said. “It just keeps happening.”

“The last time it happened, you wandered in the Vagrant Hills…”

“I didn’t mean to.”

Now I want both the third book in the series (Angharad’s story) and more of the Saint of Steel series.

Characters: Learned Edmund, The Dervish, Sweetness the mule, Large-Francis-Building, Dog Violet, Greathoof, Zale, Brindle, Sarkis, Halla, Angharad, Iron Peg, Brother Merle, Gervase, Jorge, Leon, Scholar Andraste, Taz, Alba, Otto, Kit, Brother Mornan

Cover art and design by Andrew Davis and Leo Nickolls

Publisher: Bramble

Rating: 9/10

• Browse the archives:
  
• One Good Turn » »
• « « The Bell in the Fog