It took me a while to get into this 1987 swords-and-horses-without-many-horses fantasy. Once I did, though, the intrigue and period detail drew me in, reminding me of Les Liasons Dangereuses. In this Regency-flavored world, disagreements are settled with swords, often by proxy swordsmen like Richard St. Vier, who lives with his mysterious lover Alec among the lower classes in Riverside but earns his keep fighting the battles of the lords on The Hill. I was sorry when we lost track of the noble young rake and aspiring swordsman Michael Godwin, and hoped we see him return in a sequel. Alas, Kushner waited 13 years to write The Privilege of the Sword and the online summaries don’t mention Michael.
Tags: ellen kushner, fantasy, swordspoint
