Daggerbound: Swordheart #2    by T. Kingfisher Order:  USA  Can Tor, 2026 (2026) Hardcover, e-Book      Reviewed by Hilary Williamson T. Kingfisher is on my must read list for fresh perspectives on well known fairytales in stories like Thornhedge, Hemlock & Silver, and A Sorceress Comes to Call. Swordheart introduced 'A beleaguered magical sword saddled with an inept wielder'. Daggerbound is the second episode in the series. The wielder this time is kind, frustrated scholar Learned Edmund, who's been tasked with carrying a precious relic from his temple to another. Attacked by bandits, he grabs the relic and out comes the 'inhumanly beautiful' Dervish, trapped in it for centuries. He's been treated very cruelly by previous wielders of his sword, so is hostile from the start. Once Edmund regains his senses and they are properly introduced, he (along with his mule Sweetness) and the Dervish share adventures - retrieving the kidnapped Sweetness; capture and escape, helped by a giant pillbug and a gnole; and an encounter with a dragon. Edmund falls hard for the very broken Dervish, who is attracted in turn but unable to trust a wielder. They seek a Scholar who might know how to free the Dervish, and he learns that his ex commander Sarkis (introduced to readers in Swordheart) is around, also sword bound. The Dervish blames Sarkis for all he has suffered. But when Edmund is kidnapped, they work together to get him back. I love this series, and can't wait for the story of the third swordbound hero(ine), Angharad! Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Fantasy books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews