Daggerbound

Synopsis

Learned Edmund is a scholar tasked with the thrilling responsibility of transporting books and a precious ancient relic from one temple to another.

Then he's attacked by thieves.

In desperation, Edmund reaches for the ancient sword he's carrying—and instead of simply drawing a weapon, he summons the Dervish, an immortal warrior who has been trapped within the sword for centuries.

The Dervish wants his freedom, and there's one rather straightforward way to achieve it: allow his new wielder to die.

Unfortunately for that plan, Edmund is injured, sweet, clever, and in desperate need of help.

And apparently the Dervish still has a conscience.

Forced to travel together, the unlikely pair encounter plenty of danger along the way, while the connection forming between them becomes increasingly difficult to ignore.

My Thoughts

I have to admit, seeing Daggerbound appear after all these years was a SURPRISE.

The first Swordheart came out in 2018.

It's 2026.

I had pretty much accepted that was that, and then suddenly...

Hello, Book 2. Where did YOU come from? 😂

This wasn't necessarily my favorite T. Kingfisher book, and it took me a little longer than I expected to really connect with the characters, but by no means did I think it was bad.

Our MMC Edmund is a scholar whose exciting mission consists of transporting books and a precious relic from one temple to another.

Thrilling stuff.

Until he's attacked by thieves, gets injured and, in desperation, draws the ancient sword he's been transporting.

Lo and behold...

THERE'S A MAN IN THE SWORD.

And not just any man, obviously.

He's an incredibly handsome, extremely skilled immortal warrior known as the Dervish, who has been trapped inside that forsaken thing for centuries.

Dervish would very much like to never go back inside.

There's just one tiny problem: he's bound to the person who summoned him.

Solution?

Let Edmund die from his wounds.

Simple.

Except apparently centuries trapped inside a sword haven't managed to completely murder Dervish's conscience, because when presented with this sweet, injured scholar who really could use some help...

He can't do it.

And that's how our reluctant immortal warrior and cutesy little scholar end up traveling together to deliver Edmund's items to the temple.

Naturally, the journey doesn't exactly go according to plan. There are more dangers, more adventures, and plenty of opportunities for these two to grow closer until that little pull between them becomes something considerably harder to ignore.

Edmund was honestly quite a cutesy character. He's clever and kind, and I loved the contrast between him and this centuries-old warrior who initially wants absolutely NOTHING to do with him.

It did take me a while to connect with both of them, though, and I think that's what kept this from becoming one of my favorite T. Kingfisher books.

Once their relationship started developing and I became more invested in their journey together, I enjoyed it much more, but I never quite reached that I am completely obsessed with these characters level.

Still, there's something wonderfully ridiculous about an immortal warrior emerging from an enchanted sword, deciding his best chance at freedom is to let his new wielder die, and then immediately ruining his own plan by developing a heart.

Sir.

You had ONE job.

Audiobook Thoughts

I listened to the audiobook narrated by Jesse Vilinsky, and I really enjoyed the narration.

There are plenty of different personalities appearing throughout Edmund and Dervish's adventure, and the distinct character voices helped bring both the cast and T. Kingfisher's humor to life. I thought the audio format worked particularly well with the banter and the more ridiculous moments of their journey.

Final Thoughts

Daggerbound was a fun return to the Swordheart world after a very, VERY long absence.

It didn't completely steal my heart, mainly because it took me longer than expected to connect with Edmund and Dervish, but once their relationship began developing, I became much more invested in their adventure.

Edmund and Dervish certainly managed to charm me by the end, even if Dervish spectacularly failed at his original “just let the scholar die and finally be free” plan.

Again.

ONE JOB, SIR.

Rating: 3.75⭐

ALC Disclaimer

Thank you so much to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to and review this ALC.

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Wednesday, September 2, 2026

Daggerbound - T. Kingfisher