In The Swordmaster’s Daughter, a young woman named Lucinda Evans is followed in 1604 London. She resides at the fencing academy where her father owns a business with her grandma. Sadly, Lucinda is not permitted to attend the academy now that she is a young lady. She starts her own independent practise. She soon discovers that there are other females who aspire to become fighters.
Local women are scared after a string of horrific assaults. These girls are committed to learning self-defense skills, as do people from many walks of life. They decide to refer to themselves as the Sisters of the Sword after persuading Lucinda to train them. The Sisters must, of course, keep their organisation a secret.
The advent of the charming and troublesome Scotsman Robert McCrae, his politically astute uncle, and a group of Spanish fencers further complicates Lucinda’s life. Lucinda must make sense of her new surroundings after being abruptly forced into a society where she is unfamiliar with the rules. She is also committed to identifying the perpetrators of the attacks so they cannot happen again.
Writing accurate historical fiction is challenging. Often, modern people are used in historical settings rather than relatable, historically correct individuals. Although Lucinda Evans and the other characters have a sense of being from the past, they are nonetheless accessible. Readers are transported to the past rather than contemporary ones. We are placed in their world and taught to see things through their eyes. This makes the story more effective and easy to be immersed in.
The character rivalries also come across as genuine. The reasons for the disparate ways in which characters treat one another are adequately explained. They don’t have the impression of being forced at all. The Sisters of the Sword come from quite diverse social circles, thus there are excellent reasons why they don’t always get along.
The romance is also excellently executed. The many aspects of the plot are well-balanced, so it is not overpowering. There is believable chemistry between the two characters. The relationship between Lucinda and Robert starts out poorly and follows a charming path from enemies to friends to lovers.
Although it can be challenging to do so convincingly, this novel did so. It took both characters some time to get to know one another, but their journey made sense for both their characters and the plot. Before beginning The Swordmaster’s Daughter, readers should check for content warnings. There are some occurrences that can be upsetting to some readers due to the mystery’s nature and the attacks on the women.
However, it was executed flawlessly and without any further details. It was even more potent because the recovery was the main focus. Instead of the initial trauma, resilience was the main focus. This book is definitely worth reading if you enjoy mysteries in historical fiction that feature an intriguing romance. Hopefully, there will soon be additional books featuring the other Sisters!
About The Book
Whitefriars London 1604:- When her father bans her from fighting after an unfortunate incident with a stray sword, Lucinda Evans is determined to continue fencing. She recruits a small group of women with an urgent need to defend themselves, training them in secret as the Sisters of the Sword. When the Sisters discover that two of their number were victims of the same cruel predator, they set out to bring him to justice, no matter what it takes.
Robert McCrae, the infuriatingly attractive heir of a Scottish Lord, cannot fathom why any woman has a need to fight, but when he fails to protect his only sister, he reluctantly seeks Lucinda’s help.
Plunged into a murky world of politics and duplicity, they are forced to work together, and faced with impossible choices. Loyalty or duty? Love or justice? The more he pulls, the more she pushes, and despite all of McCrae’s attempts to keep her safe, Lucinda strides on into danger, a danger she must ultimately face on her own.
The Review
The Swordmaster's Daughter
I found The Swordmaster’s Daughter to be an incredible read. It was entertaining, witty, engaging, suspenseful, and filled with terrific characters. Lucinda and her Sisters of the Sword were strong and captivating women. The storyline had enough twists and turns to keep me interested. This is typically not the type of book I would normally read, so what a pleasant surprise how good it really was. You have to love a story about a strong willed girl raised in a man’s world. Lucinda can fight like a man, but learns it’s better to fight like a woman. She’s feisty and resourceful, and I am looking forward to the next book in the series. Highly recommend!