T. Kingfisher: For Fans of Soft Romance and Fantasy

Recently I’ve read Nettle & Bone, Swordheart and The Clocktaur Wars by T. Kingfisher, and I was pleasantly surprised to find that I really enjoyed her novels. I didn’t think I would dislike them, but I also didn’t think I would find myself hoping the day passed by quickly so I could return home and slip back into Kingfisher’s world.

The first book I read, Nettle & Bone, is a shorter book (just under 250 pages) that follows the protagonist, Marra, as she sets out to avenge one sister and rescue another. In order to accomplish these tasks, she must kill the prince of her kingdom. This is no easy feat, so she must seek help from a powerful and mysterious witch, and she gains several more pals along the way as she journeys towards her destination. The ensemble of characters helps the story remain lively, and Kingfisher has an excellent grasp on writing enjoyable banter and interesting character dynamics. The magic system and setting are explored pretty generally, but there are really intriguing situations and concepts at play throughout the novel that made the fantasy aspects stand out. The romance is a very small subplot of this book, but I think it pays off in the end. For those who are interested in fantasy without romance, I would say this book keeps the romance on the backburner enough for the primary story to still be enjoyable.

In contrast, Swordheart is a longer novel (around 450 pages) that focuses a little bit more on the romance subplot. After the passing of her uncle, Halla must try to escape her greedy in-laws that are trying to seize inheritance. As she’s trying to figure out what to do, she draws the sword that has hung above her bed for years and unleashes a bound warrior. The warrior is pledged to protect the wielder of the sword, and he helps her on her journey as she seeks a way to claim her inheritance and take down her despicable family. In this book, while the main plot still takes precedence, there is a larger focus on the romance than in Nettle & Bone. There is a lot of time spent discussing the nature of the characters’ relationship and how being bound to one another affects their dynamics. I was glad to see Kingfisher address this aspect, and it was a different kind of romantic hindrance than I’m used to seeing which made the romance feel really unique.

Then, The Clocktaur Wars is a duology set in the same world as Swordheart, though there aren’t any overlapping characters or storylines (the main storyline of the Clockwork Boys is very briefly mentioned in Swordheart). The main character, Slate, must assemble a group of criminals to sneak into a rival city and shut down their war operations. If they survive, they will be granted pardons in their home city. While not the most unique plot, the mysterious heist aspect does draw the reader in from the beginning. The books have the same style of banter seen in Kingfisher’s other works, and the cast of characters is a large part of what makes these books so appealing. Kingfisher has a knack for creating many different types of chemistry between her characters, which makes their interactions feel realistic and enjoyable. I would say that there is a little more telling than showing in this series (a lot of information is given through dialogue), but I think Kingfisher’s strong suit is in the character development rather than worldbuilding, so it wasn’t much of a surprise for me. That being said, the fantasy aspects of the story remain consistent and intriguing throughout the books. Fans of hard fantasy may be disappointed that there don’t seem to be concrete explanations for certain magical aspects, but I’m okay with a little bit of “we simply don’t know.”

For all novels, the writing style is descriptive but not flowery, and they’re overall very easy to read. While they may not be revolutionary, the plots are well thought out and engaging. On a scale from “this book was awful” to “this book blew my mind”, I would rank each story at “this book was fun and enjoyable, and I may even read it again sometime.”

I also enjoyed that these novels helped lead me to a discovery about myself as a reader: I really enjoy soft romance. As a rule, I typically avoid romance novels because I’ve never read one that truly captured my attention. I’m a fan of romance as a subplot to a novel, but I can’t seem to care enough about romance to want to read a book where it’s the main focus. For this reason, I found that I really enjoyed the romance aspect of Kingfisher’s novels.

They’re soft romances that build throughout the story. There’s a decent amount of pining going on, though I would say the pining most prevalent in Swordheart. The characters are mainly focused on their mission (the main plot of the story), but they still have time to wonder about their attraction to one another and eventually act on it. They can definitely be categorized as “slow-burn” romances, rather than intense or dramatic ones. There are no contrived situations that create drama for the sake of drama, and the characters act both reasonably and passionately, which is a difficult combination to find. Plus, the characters in her novels are middle-aged (in their 30s), which makes their romance a lot easier for me to digest.

While I know they’re only books, YA romance that goes beyond the realm of kissing feels too creepy for me, as a 24-year-old, to read. Then, adult romance is often too sexually explicit and/or unrealistic for me to find it enjoyable. Kingfisher’s style relays the sweet and anxious feelings behind falling in love, while avoiding overly explicit sex scenes or tantalizing situations. It feels like how two people could really fall in love, just set in a fantasy world. Which, it turns out, is definitely my jive, and I would recommend these books for anyone who feels similarly.

For lovers of soft fantasy and soft romance, Kingfisher’s books are an enjoyable and quick way to get your fix.

The Lit Wiz