The Privilege of the Sword

It has been many long years between the publication of Kushner's brilliant first novel, Swordspoint (1987?), but the wait was worth it. This isn't quite the darkly bitter and romantic fairy tale that the first book was, with its tales of deadly duels fought by professionals hired by the aristocracy amidst the dark intrigue of the wealthy Hill and the crime-ridden warrens of Riverside, but it is so good to be back, even though times have changed. Riverside has been civilized somewhat by the sardonic Duke Tremontaine, who once wandered there as a poor student by the side of the legendary duelist St Vier. Into this world comes the young and innocent Katherine, sent for by the Mad Duke. He is her Uncle and her family needs his money, so she is under his control for six months and bidden to learn to be a swordsman. Thrown into a strange new world of glittering society and deadly intrigue, at which her Uncle is intricately involved, there is still enough dark and decadent dealings going on in Riverside for great deeds and romantic adventure.

Is it because each of her novels is as finely crafted as this one? Or, is it because she prefers to put thought, depth and profound consideration into her books, rather than churn out multi-volume "epics" that go on far too long? "The Privilege of the Sword" is as wonderful as Ms. Kushner's previous novels about Riverside. I am always amazed by the exquisite detail that she includes in her stories. She includes not only seemingly frivilous descriptions about clothing, furnishings and food, but telling details about the society of Riverside--the manners, social structure and culture. Best of all, she makes her characters come alive with engaging descriptions of how they stand, their facial expressions, and of course, how they FEEL about particular situations. And the situations in "Privilege" are VERY particular! A young, impoverished noblewoman is "sold", not into slavery, but into swordsmanship. The young lady, Katherine, is a one of the most lovable female characters to appear in a fantasy for quite some time. She defeats other swordsman in duels--and she is always as surprised as the onlookers! She becomes quite accomplished at her craft, but never stops longing to join society, and enjoy being a young woman crossing into adulthood. The plot of this delightful book is elaborate as the snowy white lace that everyone seems to either wear, make or covet. Although it may appear to be another "swords and sorcery" fantasy, there is not one ounce of sorcery in it, but a tremendous amount of beautifully described swordplay. And every single swordfight scene resonates with depth and meaning which propel the plot and affect the characters in profound ways. Charming, funny and a real treat, "The Privilege of the Sword" stands head and shoulders above the glut of fantasy novels available. Thank you for writing so "slowly", Ms. Kushner! Always worth the wait.

If you have a swash in need of buckling, check out Ellen Kushner's The Privilege of the Sword. Yes, it is everything you think it is: a romance (in the traditional sense of the word, not the genre sense--well, maybe that, too), a fantasy, a satire. And it is many things that you don't expect: a pointed commentary on gender, sex, family and love, and a ripping good adventure as well. It is Kushner's willingness and ability to screw with your expectations that make the novel enjoyable. From the vulgar core beneath Lord Ferris' refined and gentlemanly exterior to the nobility of the loose-living Duke Tremontaine to the inexorable resolve of the flighty Artemisia Fitz-Levi, none of Kushner's characters is all light or all darkness. When I finished the book, I was sorry that it had ended. There are numerous characters who made previous appearances in Kushner's other Riverside novels, but foreknowledge of their dealings is not necessary to enjoy the book. That said, many of the asides and minor details of the book are much more likely to delight those who have read Swordspoint and The Fall of the Kings than Kushner neophytes like me.

Just finished the book this morning. What a wonderful sequel to Swordspoint! I've missed the deliciously wicked, biting dialogue and impossibly twisted situations. The repartee and swordsplay make this book indulgent fun! Young Katherine Talbert is swept into the worlds of the Hill and Riverside by her uncle, the mad Duke Tremontaine. Lover and swordsman St. Vier is back too but not as you would expect! It is wonderful to see these familiar settings through Katherine's wide eyes. Ellen Kushner writes like a dream and the book is very very hard to put down for any length of time. Her "The Fall of the Kings" was great too... but this is the true sequel - the one we've been waiting for- for too long!

This is the book I have been waiting for since I first read Swordspoint, more than ten years ago. It's not the first sequel. When The Fall of the Kings came out, a few years back, I devoured that too. And I was delighted to find old familiar names, and see how the City had changed, and I learned fascinating things about its history, and gnawed my knuckles in sheer envy over the complicated silver chocolate services... but I wasn't quite satisfied, because it had skipped a generation ahead, and it didn't really tell me what I most wanted to know, which was "what became of Richard and Alec?" This one does. This is a jewel of a book. At first I thought of it as a tray of pastries, each more cunning and delicious than the last -- creamy eclairs, jam tarts, marzipan fruits with their hint of cyanide bitterness under the sweet -- with all of the gowns and matchmaking and Riverside debauchery and multi-era historical details, with all of the froth of the best Georgette Heyer novels, concentrated and multiplied -- and then, as I read further on, it was as if I found another platter of savory morsels hiding behind it, because Ellen Kushner doesn't stop at the glorious surface froth. She's spent a great deal of time considering how the sordid, dreary, and messy complications we're used to in modern life would play out in the setting and the culture she's developed. It gives everything depth, and richness, and a startling reality. If you've ever wondered what became of any of the characters from Swordspoint, you'll find it out in this book. Well, I didn't notice Nimble Willie the pickpocket, I suppose, but otherwise, they're all there. And you learn what drove Alec to live as he did, and... oh, there is SO MUCH in this book. Also, if you are like me, you will be utterly slain by the recurrence of this line: "'Hello,' he said. 'I've brought us some fish.'" Read it. Buy it. Buy it for all your friends, but make them read Swordspoint first. Absolutely worth the wait.