The classic forerunner to The Fall of the Kings now with three bonus stories.
Hailed by critics as “a bravura performanc... read full description
Hailed by critics as “a bravura performanc... read full description
reviews
May 15, 2011
Vixenne
rated it: 
Ellen Kushner's first novel sets the standard for what a polite fantasy of manners and romance should be. Like Jane Austen, Ms. Kushner's language sparkles with wit and verve. She creates a world both familiar and yet not like anyplace we've ever been and inhabits it with characters who cease to be imaginary. Like Rafael Sabatini, the swordfight scenes keep one on the edge of their seat, though are elegantly restrained yet sharply honed.
Richard St. Vier is as dashing and gallant as More...
Richard St. Vier is as dashing and gallant as More...
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Jan 05, 2011
Nikki
rated it: 
Ellen Kushner's Swordspoint is a very light and easy to read fantasy novel. The book is set in an unnamed city, in a world rather different to ours. The main character, Richard, is a swordsman, who earns his living by killing nobles by contract. This is basically done as a way to get around blood being on a noble's hands. The other main character, Alec, is mysterious and very, very messed up. Despite the fact that the cover doesn't breathe a word of it, Richard and Alec are lovers.
On More...
On More...
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Dec 17, 2009
Darcie
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I do not like fantasy books at all--particularly those that deal with magic and monsters and the like. I was initially skeptical of how well I would like this book since it is in the fantasy genre, but very quickly I found that I could not put this book down. I have recently re-read it and found it to still be high on my list of favorite books.
What did it for me was that this book was not about the things one usually thinks of upon hearing the word "fantasy." There was no More...
What did it for me was that this book was not about the things one usually thinks of upon hearing the word "fantasy." There was no More...
Jun 05, 2007
Siria
rated it: 
I picked this up for a couple of euro in one of my favourite second-hand bookshops because I'd heard it recommended numerous times on my flist. Cheesy fantasy novel cover aside (as a side note, exactly why must the covers of 99% of fantasy books be so fantastically appalling?), the descriptions I'd heard of it made it seem as if the book was tailor-made to appeal to me. A well-written, slashy, historical fantasy-of-manners - what's not to like?
Well, quite a lot, as it turns out. If t More...
Well, quite a lot, as it turns out. If t More...
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(8 people liked it)
Apr 25, 2008
Sean
rated it:
I read this book years ago when I was an impressionable Mormon closet case, and I remember being intrigued and disturbed at the time by Kushner's depiction of lust, bisexuality and homosexual relationships. When I reread it today I rediscovered its brilliance, intricacy and poignancy. The relationship between the swordsman St Vier and "his young gentleman, the University student" had a glittering, frenzied, self-destructive beauty I associate with Matt Damon's Mr. Ripley, while finding
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(5 people liked it)
Aug 02, 2010
Mike (the Paladin)
rated it:
I read very little of this book. While it is well written (I say this in respect to those who like it greatly) it is not a book I care to get involved in. The world while well crafted is one that creeps toward debauchery and cynicism on an almost monumental scale. There are actually (so far as I can see) no "heroes" here, very little that is redeeming. It's claim to fame is a drama in a world of those who see themselves as sly sophisticates.
Please enjoy it if it's to your More...
Please enjoy it if it's to your More...
2 comments
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(3 people liked it)
Jan 28, 2008
Dumbledore11214
rated it:
If I could give this book ten stars, I would have. It is a rare book that will make me care for the society that promotes values so different from my own. I could not believe that I actually sympathized with the society that makes murders for hire part of their everyday life. Um, they call them swordsmen, but to me, really potato - patato.
And I so enjoyed the writing, very very beatifully done.
I highly recommend this book to everybody who loves politics and intrigue. I mu More...
And I so enjoyed the writing, very very beatifully done.
I highly recommend this book to everybody who loves politics and intrigue. I mu More...
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(2 people liked it)
Feb 09, 2008
Holly
rated it:
I read this after I read the book that follows it chronologically (not a sequel really), The Privilege of the Sword. I liked the heroine in that one better, but this one felt more focused and tight.
The writing is wonderful, really evocative of a place and time that is part Regency England, part fantasy. Allegedly young adult, but great for adults as well. Both books dealt with gay relationships matter-of-factly and without comment.
Not going to be a favorite I come back t More...
The writing is wonderful, really evocative of a place and time that is part Regency England, part fantasy. Allegedly young adult, but great for adults as well. Both books dealt with gay relationships matter-of-factly and without comment.
Not going to be a favorite I come back t More...
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Feb 08, 2012
Sarah
rated it:
I read this novel after its sequel, so I already had an idea of where certain characters would end up. That said, I ended up enjoying it even more than said sequel. It's very much the author's "first-novel", you can tell compared to some of her later work, but although there was a bit of fluff here and there, which I found delightful itself, the plot was fast-moving and absolutely intriguing. The main couple's relationship was amazing, to me - I loved how the most deadly swordsman in t
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Sep 01, 2011
Jenre
rated it: 
This was a book which several people had recommended to me, plus I'd heard a good buzz about it. It was written in the 1980's so it's been around a while.
The story follows Richard De Vier who makes his living as a swordsman for hire to noblemen or women who need satisfaction for a slight or problem. He lives in the very dangerous Riverside with his obviously higher born lover, Alec. During the story Richard is offered two jobs and he accepts one and rejects the other, leading to More...
The story follows Richard De Vier who makes his living as a swordsman for hire to noblemen or women who need satisfaction for a slight or problem. He lives in the very dangerous Riverside with his obviously higher born lover, Alec. During the story Richard is offered two jobs and he accepts one and rejects the other, leading to More...
Jun 07, 2011
Cécile
rated it:
A brilliant swashbuckling novel. It's not canon fantasy (there is no magic, no supernatural, nothing... in fact it could well be a historical novel), but fantasy fans should read it nonetheless. The plot blends personal stories with political intrigue and never slows down, and every bit of it is as enjoyable as the rest.
But Swordspoint also has a rare quality. It is very seldom that novels set in the most dangerous slums of a rich and sinful city, that feature bandits, assassins and p More...
But Swordspoint also has a rare quality. It is very seldom that novels set in the most dangerous slums of a rich and sinful city, that feature bandits, assassins and p More...
Mar 25, 2011
Ka
rated it: 
Mix up swashbuckling sword action, gay romance, political intrigue, and a quasi-Renaissance-ish setting and you've got this novel. I actually read this series all out of order, starting with the one that comes chronologically after this (The Privilege of the Sword). It was a fun read, so I had to back up and read this one. It was like reading a slash fanfic. A fun, well-written fanfic, but nonetheless.
I don't mean that in a negative sense, really, but the character types (bratty whin More...
I don't mean that in a negative sense, really, but the character types (bratty whin More...
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Sep 29, 2010
Phoenixfalls
rated it:
This was a hard book for me to read. It is undeniably brilliantly written, with characters that go down and down and a world that extends well belong the edge of the page. It is true, there is no magic as so many people insist on having in their fantasy worlds, but the world we get glimpses of is certainly not this one, so there is nowhere else to market it but the fantasy shelves. That depth and realism is extremely rare, and definitely to be commended: every single character whose viewpoint we
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(3 people liked it)
Feb 06, 2010
Sophie
rated it:
Swordspoint is a fantasy novel set in an unnamed city that is roughly divided into two parts: the Hill, where the nobility live, and Riverside, home to the less fortunate inhabitants of the town. The city is governed by a council of nobles, and those nobles have a tendency to fight among themselves; however, they don't pick up swords themselves but hire swordsmen to fight their fights for them.
The main character of the book is such a swordsmen: Richard St Vier. He is extraordinarily More...
The main character of the book is such a swordsmen: Richard St Vier. He is extraordinarily More...
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(2 people liked it)
Jun 18, 2009
Maureen
rated it:
Swordspoint by Ellen Kushner. (Fantasy)
Reason for Reading? As I said before, it's all Sarah Monette's fault. There's a bit more to it than what I suggested last time, though. Yes, Alec as a 'relation' to Felix Harrowgate was a draw, as was the fact that this was a story that did not rely on hetero-normativity. Also, however, was the fact that this was a book of some importance to at least one of my favourite authors (Monette) and that it was read and enjoyed by several other aut More...
Reason for Reading? As I said before, it's all Sarah Monette's fault. There's a bit more to it than what I suggested last time, though. Yes, Alec as a 'relation' to Felix Harrowgate was a draw, as was the fact that this was a story that did not rely on hetero-normativity. Also, however, was the fact that this was a book of some importance to at least one of my favourite authors (Monette) and that it was read and enjoyed by several other aut More...
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Dec 30, 2009
Jennn
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
To view it, click here
Aug 07, 2009
Bria
rated it:
I picked up this book after someone mentioned that Holly Black and Ellen Kushner would be doing a Bordertown book. While I've never read any Bordertown books, I am quite a fan of Holly Black.
I can't say this book leaves me looking forward to seeing the Bordertown book.
The story starts off great. But the plot quickly disappears and you find yourself wandering from scene to scene. I got 116 pages into the hardback edition, which is just under halfway, when I realized I More...
I can't say this book leaves me looking forward to seeing the Bordertown book.
The story starts off great. But the plot quickly disappears and you find yourself wandering from scene to scene. I got 116 pages into the hardback edition, which is just under halfway, when I realized I More...
Jan 28, 2012
Kellyann
rated it:
Set in an oligarchical, very male-dominated society (a lot like Prussia in the 18th-19th centuries) Swordspoint focuses on a professional swordsman (Richard) who is hired by nobles to challenge and fight other nobles (nobles not being so great with swords, but huge on honor). Almost all the main male characters are bisexual, though none of the women are, this being such a phallocentric society (which is to say that while I enjoyed and appreciated the depiction of tenderness, care, and desire be
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Dec 05, 2011
Pam
rated it:
After all the glowing reviews, I'm honestly disappointed. I wanted to like this book, it has all the elements I normally enjoy in a fantasy. Trouble is, it's just so mind-nubingly boring and uninteresting! The characters are flat and the plot just plods along in a series of vignettes that completely failed to engage me. The writing is indeed gorgeous, but by pretty words are simply not enough.
A word on the Audio Production: Elen Kushner is indeed perfect as a narrator, with a pleasant More...
A word on the Audio Production: Elen Kushner is indeed perfect as a narrator, with a pleasant More...
Dec 03, 2011
cole
rated it:
Just a few thoughts:
+ I listened to the audiobook format which was very well done. There is always a bit of give and take when it comes to audiobook format. Somethings I believe I would have read and interpreted different than I had listening. However, I strongly recommend the audiobook version of Swordspoint. It is read by the author which is sometimes hit or miss but worked splendidly coming from an author who is also part of radio. The additional actors and soundscapes for certain More...
+ I listened to the audiobook format which was very well done. There is always a bit of give and take when it comes to audiobook format. Somethings I believe I would have read and interpreted different than I had listening. However, I strongly recommend the audiobook version of Swordspoint. It is read by the author which is sometimes hit or miss but worked splendidly coming from an author who is also part of radio. The additional actors and soundscapes for certain More...
Jul 23, 2010
Nicolas
rated it:
Dans ce roman, on suit les aventures de Richard sainte-Vère, bretteur indépendant au service de l'honneur des nobles, de son "ami" Alec, étudiant défroqué, et de quelques nobles pour lesquels Richard manie l'épée avec brio.
J'ai retrouvé dans ce roman l'esprit que Laurent Kloetzer met par exemple dans La voie du cygne ou Mémoire vagabonde. Du coup, hélas pour l'auteure dont j'avais spécialement apprécié le premier roman, l'effet de surprise a été considérablement atténué.
Et More...
J'ai retrouvé dans ce roman l'esprit que Laurent Kloetzer met par exemple dans La voie du cygne ou Mémoire vagabonde. Du coup, hélas pour l'auteure dont j'avais spécialement apprécié le premier roman, l'effet de surprise a été considérablement atténué.
Et More...
Jan 14, 2009
Illyria
rated it:
The book started slowly, and did not grab me until around page 70-ish, and the characters, likewise, fail to captivate until about a third way in. Afterward, once the conflict sharpens, the central characters, swordsman Richard St Vier and his lover, the mysterious scholar Alec, grew on me, enough to make me rush the climax. None of them are exceptional on their own. Granted, St Vier's fearsome reputation as a hired swordsman seems to promise a lot of excitement, but he is also very practica
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Oct 23, 2010
Tocotin
rated it:
Rereading this one... I like it much less than I used to. Sigh.
Well, actually, no, I take it back. I like it, like it quite a lot. Yes the characters are a bit flat, cold, dispassionate, despite the passions which are supposedly moving them. Richard's behavior borders on psychopathic to be honest, but he's the only character I could stand, because he was also quietly funny and because he couldn't read and didn't care for anything save his sword skill, which means he was focused - and I More...
Well, actually, no, I take it back. I like it, like it quite a lot. Yes the characters are a bit flat, cold, dispassionate, despite the passions which are supposedly moving them. Richard's behavior borders on psychopathic to be honest, but he's the only character I could stand, because he was also quietly funny and because he couldn't read and didn't care for anything save his sword skill, which means he was focused - and I More...
Mar 28, 2010
Lindsey
rated it:
I came into Swordspoint with high expectations, which may account partly for why it disappointed me - there's much intriguing and interesting about this book, but I also found it distant, puzzling and often vague.
The atmospheres of the twin societies - Riverside and the Hill - and their very different natures (or are they so different?) are flavorful and sharply drawn. There's a subtle wit underlying the story in several places - one of my favorite scenes was a description of a trag More...
The atmospheres of the twin societies - Riverside and the Hill - and their very different natures (or are they so different?) are flavorful and sharply drawn. There's a subtle wit underlying the story in several places - one of my favorite scenes was a description of a trag More...
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Apr 20, 2011
Jacqueline
rated it:
If found Swordspoint very enjoyable, if a bit frustrating. Kushner without a doubt can write stunningly, and she has created a very believable world. The plot and characterisation were also very good. The central relationship between Richard and Alec was also well done, believable and strangely sweet (strangely sweet because Richard is essentially a bit of a sociopath and Alec is mostly useless and suicidal, though in the 'I'll aggravate someone so they'll kill me' rather than actually attemptin
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Mar 03, 2011
Kate
rated it:
The book may actually have stolen the "favourite book of the summer" rank (I think it goes: Swordspoint, The Demon's Lexicon, and The Hero and the Crown, if I had to be specific). I loved the imagery, the city of Riverside, and the inhabitants of it. Sometimes conversations and all the insinuations and politics that went with them were so clever it made me wonder, like more than one "drama of manners" (I'm looking at you, Miss Austen) has, "Can anyone really talk like th
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Jul 29, 2010
Aredhel
rated it:
I picked this book up because I wanted to read a fantasy novel stuffed with intrigues, political games, outstanding characters and with a love story that would make my heart beat faster or, at least, wouldn't be repelling.
So I expected something definite from this book and I know, that when I have such expectations, a book is usually doesn't live up to them. And it was just the case with this book.
It seemed to me, that Kushner was great only in one thing - in creating he More...
So I expected something definite from this book and I know, that when I have such expectations, a book is usually doesn't live up to them. And it was just the case with this book.
It seemed to me, that Kushner was great only in one thing - in creating he More...
Jan 28, 2009
Steve W
rated it:
Thumbnail review: I will say that Ellen Kushner's Privledge of the Sword is a way better book in that it actually has likeable and sympathetic characters. Alec and St Vier are just horrible people: it was like watching a dysfunctional relationship in action with extra DRAMA! I've known way too many gay couples(and straights as well) who live this way their entire life--I don't want to read about it in escapist literature in my so-called "heroes". And I love anti-heroes as much as the n
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Jun 25, 2008
Tori
rated it:
One of the best fantasy books I have ever read. Full of court intrigue and daring escapades. Fully formed characters that I truly missed once I finished the book, and a beautifully intricate plot that I was not able to predict. An excellent choice for anyone who enjoys fantasy novels or even semi-historical adventures.
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Mar 02, 2008
Meredith
rated it:
I saw the sequel first and had to hunt down this one to read before picking up the second, which I look forward to reading. The author created a complete world with complex characters who have realistic desires, goals, secrets, and flaws. Plus there's some damned fine sword fighting and some juicy political maneuvering.
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