Swordcrossed
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4.5 • 4 Ratings
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- $9.99
Publisher Description
Brimming with steamy romance, charm and intrigue, Swordcrossed is a dazzling queer fantasy from the internationally bestselling author of The Last Binding trilogy.
'This is fantasy romance at its very best' - Grace D. Li, author of Portrait of a Thief
Low stakes. High heat. Sharp steel . . .
Mattinesh Jay, dutiful heir to his struggling family business, needs to hire an experienced swordsman to serve as best man for his arranged marriage. Sword-challenge at the ceremony could destroy all hope of restoring his family's wealth, something that Matti has been trying - and failing - to do for the past ten years. What he can afford, unfortunately, is part-time con artist and full-time charming menace Luca Piere.
Luca, for his part, is trying to reinvent himself in a new city. All he wants to do is make some easy money and try to forget the crime he committed in his home town. He didn't plan on being blackmailed into giving sword lessons to a chronically responsible - and inconveniently handsome - wool merchant like Matti.
However, neither Matti's business troubles nor Luca himself are quite what - or who - they seem. As the days to Matti's wedding count down, the two of them become entangled in the intrigue and sabotage that have brought Matti's house to the brink of ruin. And when Luca's secrets threaten to drive a blade through their growing alliance, both Matti and Luca will have to answer the question: how many lies are you prepared to strip away when the truth could mean losing everything you want?
The cosy, low stakes of Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree meets the scorching bodyguard fantasy of Jennifer L. Armentrout's From Blood and Ash in this enemies-to-lovers romance by Freya Marske.
'Deliciously cosy and blisteringly hot' - Lex Croucher, author of Gwen and Art Are Not in Love
'Swordcrossed proves there's nothing in fantasy - or queer romance - Marske can't do' - Sarah Rees Brennan, author of Long Live Evil
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In this charming and steamy romantasy, set in the preindustrial city of Glassport, Marske (A Marvelous Light) explores what happens when one's desires conflict with one's duties. Mattinesh "Matti" Jay has dedicated his life to his family's wool business, even agreeing to marry the daughter of another prominent family to shore up the Jays' secretly flagging finances. Meanwhile, Luca Piere has left duty behind and come to Glassport to start anew. Matti hires Luca as a duelist, as he expects to be challenged for the hand of his betrothed, but the chemistry he has with Luca is far stronger than what he has with his future bride. Still, Matti's sense of responsibility means putting aside what he most wants. Marske fleshes out her characters with a keen eye for detail, particularly when it comes to the Jays and their background. Meanwhile, the trade disputes that have brought about the present conflict, while melodramatic at times, keep the plot chugging along. The sweetly slow-burning queer love story and inevitable sex scenes are where the book truly shines. Readers looking for red-hot queer romantasy will want to snap this up.
