Kathleen O'Connor is an arts and literature student trying to research for her last paper at college when a history professor asks if she is aware of her family legacy for she carries the family physical genetic trait of others in the O'Connor family tree. In an effort to figure out what the older gentleman is all about, Kathleen discovers four women, 200 years apart, who have had a hand at sculpting history through their faith and courage.

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The Silver Sword is Kathleen's account of a scribe called Anika O'Connor who lived in 15th-century Prague. Anika lost her mother early and was raised by her copyist father. But when a wealthy lord in the city decided to take Anika for his son's play thing, her father looses his life defending her honour and Anika is forced to run and hide.

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She ends up at the estate of Lord John of Chlum as a squire, hiding her womanhood, and training to become a knight so she can take revenge on the lord who killed her father, and the Catholic Cardinal who allowed it to all happen.

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In an era set before the Hussite Crusades in Bohemia, Anika O'Connor's story sets her apart from everything that society believed women were capable of in that time. Hiding her true nature caused a few mishaps and a whole lot of mischief, but she finally she was able to stand up for what she believed in, help set free those oppressed by the Catholic Church and fought along side her Lord and Master, John of Chlum.

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I liked Anika, really enjoyed her story but found there could have been less historical information and politics involved in the story and more of Anika's character development.

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It reminded me a whole lot of The Song of the Lioness series written by Tamora Pierce.

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4 stars for the first book in the Heirs of Cahira O'Connor Series.