This book actually precedes the Saint of Steel series, but I couldn’t get it off the library hold list until now. Practical housekeeper Halla inherits her great-uncle’s estate and suddenly finds herself at the mercy of her greedy in-laws, who are intent on forcing her into marriage so they can get their hands back on the estate; she stumbles upon an ancient, magical sword containing Sarkis, a warrior sworn (or perhaps cursed) to protect the bearer of the sword. Because this is a Kingfisher fantasy, there is plenty of hilarious miscommunication and misfortune before the two of them manage to figure out a way around their problems. I particularly liked the characterization of Halla, who consciously uses the stereotype of a silly, babbling middle-aged woman to get herself out of sticky situations.