Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Swordspoint (Riverside Series #1)

3.86 of 5 stars 3.86 · rating details · 3,405 ratings · 326 reviews

The classic forerunner to The Fall of the Kings now with three bonus stories.

Hailed by critics as “a bravura performance” (Locus) and “witty, sharp-eyed, [and] full of interesting people” (Newsday), this classic melodrama of manners, filled with remarkable plot twists and unexpected humor, takes fantasy to an unprecedented level of elegant writing and scintillating wit. A...more

Paperback, 329 pages

Published February 2003 by Spectra (first published 1987)

more details... edit details

Get a copy:

More…

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

Best Fantasy Books with Gay Main Characters

8th out of 332 books — 697 voters

LGBT sci-fi and fantasy

8th out of 369 books — 332 voters

More lists with this book...

Community Reviews

(showing 1-30 of 3,000)

filter | sort: default (?) | rating details

Apr 11, 2012 Mike (the Paladin) rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

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 taste as fiction.. It...more

16 likes · like · see review

Jan 21, 2011 TheFountainPenDiva rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: genre-fantasy, genre-m-m-romance, opinions-books-i-wish-i-d-written, authors-ellen-kushner-rocks, heroes-who-rock, characters-unusual-heroes, cover-artist-thomas-canty, settings-alternate-universe, sub-genre-fantasy-of-manners, opinions-read-this-book-now

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 Basil Rathbo...more 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 Basil Rathbone and Errol Flynn, and as just complex. He kills for hire, yet has a poetic soul and a certain code of honor, which includes not taking commissions in which children or women are to be harmed. His companion, the mysterious Alec - once a student at University, now 'slumming' on the other side of the river, has a definite taste for danger though he can barely handle himself. He's wry, sarcastic and perhaps a little unhinged. The alluring Diane, Duchess of Tramontaine is one of literature's cleverest femme fatales, and I would love to see an entire novel written about her. She comes off as completely uninterested in anything outside of her little social milieu, a facade that fools nearly everyone around her.

I'm a little appalled that some critics of the book make much of the novel's take on homosexuality, to the point that they did not enjoy such a well-crafted tale. I think these readers forget this is not a social treatise, but a work of fantasy fiction and as such, Ms. Kushner doesn't have to deeply examine the whys and wherefores of her imagined society's tolerance. To be honest, I found Ms. Kushner's treatment of the fluid sexuality of her characters to be passionate yet tasteful. She doesn't write erotica, but allows the reader to imagine the power of the various couplings. Bottom line - good fantasy fiction allows us to immerse ourselves in places and times not our own, and if one brings their silly baggage and hangups with them, they do a great disservice to the writer...and to themselves.

My only issue with 'Swordspoint'...it was far too SHORT. I fell in love with Riverside and its inhabitants and shed a tear when I had to leave. The true sign of a book that will remain dog-eared and much-beloved.
(less)

22 likes · like · see review

Nov 01, 2009 Nikki rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, lgbt

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 one level,...more 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 one level, I really enjoyed Swordspoint. It's easy to read, the prose is clear and precise, and everything ticks along at a nice pace. The alternate world is built up with ease, and the dialogue flows along smoothly, if perhaps not as memorably as the author intends.

I did have quibbles about it, though. It slid by so smoothly that it didn't really get any hooks into me, and I didn't really care all that much about the characters. I love reading romance involving two men, but Alec and Richard didn't really convince me. Alec was strange and melodramatic and unreasonable, and I couldn't fathom Richard's attraction to him -- or what Alec really saw in Richard in return. In my copy of Swordspoint, there are three short stories from their world, and it's in "The Swordsman Whose Name Was Not Death" and "The Death of the Duke" that I really felt engaged with their relationship -- a brief humorous exchange about how Alec loves Richard only for his sword (hawhaw) and the story of Alec's death. Mostly in the latter. I suspect they might grow on me on a second reading, but I spent a lot of time wondering why they were together. Alec's backstory didn't really satisfy me, either.

Definitely fun, and I'll probably keep it around, but not quite what I'd been hoping, I guess. I have the other books set in this world, and it'll be interesting to see who shows up for a second round, and whether I feel less ambivalent about them.

Edit: I can confirm that on a reread, I liked Swordspoint rather more, because I already knew and loved the characters.(less)

5 likes · like · see review

Aug 09, 2007 Darcie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy

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 magic or mythical crea...more

6 likes · like · see review

Jun 05, 2007 Siria rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: 20th-century, american-fiction, fantasy

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 the blurb by...more 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 the blurb by Neil Gaiman on the back cover is true - that this was the best fantasy novel of 1988 - then the fantasy novels published in 1988 weren't all that much to write home about, I think.

This is not to say that Swordspoint is badly written. It's not. It's quite competently written, in fact; but that's all. There were a couple of nicely written passages, but I never really got the impression that Kushner rose above the average throughout the book. It's also probably an indication more of how much fanfic I read than how prevalent it actually was, but I was also really irked by how often (it seemed) she talked about characters' eye colours, and how much she used epithets. I am perfectly aware that they can come in useful when dealing with two characters who are the same sex; but constantly referring to Richard as 'the swordsman' does tend to wear after a while.

However, my main issue with the book was the fact that it came across as Les Liaisons Dangereuses-by-numbers. There are attempts at witty, subtle, layered dialogue; treacherous, unscrupulous, amoral characters; hot sex. In fact, Kushner tries to include almost everything that makes Les Liaisons Dangereuses such a delicious pleasure to read. She lacks the finesse in combining everything which made Choderlos de Laclos' book work, though.

Richard and Alec are, for the most part, boringly flat. For a potentially lethal swordsman who has no qualms about killing, Richard is remarkably unmenacing, while for an unstable aristocrat, Alec is remarkably boring. The plot is very see through, and Kushner seems to have a thing for twisting the characters to fit the plot, rather than letting the character's development affect the story. For instance, I am really, really unable to see any reason why Alec and Richard are together and stay together other than for the necessities of the plot. The rapier-sharp dialogue which I'm sure Kushner was aiming for was also a much blunter sword than the author would wish, I think. A lot of the time, it had the laborious feel of someone who sat around a lot coming up with witty epigrams to come up with at a moment's notice - much more Mr Collins than Elizabeth Bennet, I'm afraid.

I'm also pretty certain that, were the Marquise de Merteuil and the Duchess Tremontaine ever to meet, the Marquise would be able to rip the Duchess to shreds without exerting herself one little bit.

I'm not not recommending this book - a lot of people whose reading tastes normally gel with mine really seem to love it - but it left me cold.(less)

16 likes · like · see review

Apr 25, 2008 Sean rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, glbtq2-interest

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 an eventu...more

9 likes · like · see review

Feb 18, 2012 Miss rated it 3 of 5 stars

Hahahahaha wow. Man I don't even know what to say about this. Okay basic run down: this book's got two primary narrators: Richard St. Vier and Michael Godwin. Everyone wants a piece of St. Vier because he's the most badass swordsman ever to exist and apparently stabbing people is an acceptable way to resolve conflicts in this world so long as you outsource the job. Michael Godwin is a doof with a talent for ruining his own life. Lucky for him he is rich good looking doof who catches the eye of o...more

4 likes · like · see review

Jan 28, 2008 Dumbledore11214 rated it 5 of 5 stars

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 must warn you though - two...more

3 likes · like · see review

Feb 09, 2008 Holly rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: not-for-kids-only, fantasy

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 to, but highly recommende...more

3 likes · like · see review

Feb 13, 2013 Jennyusagi rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: to-sell

This book billed itself as a fairy tale, which I normally love. Unfortunately none of the characters really engaged me, and the only fairy tale element I could find was at the very end, and even then it was an element and not a retelling/reworking of any full story I recognized. I dislike political dramas, which is what this story was buried in, but I soldiered through until past halfway hoping for improvement. I was interested enough in the two main characters to skim through and find out what...more

like · see review

Dec 28, 2012 Julian Griffith rated it 5 of 5 stars

Very simply: this is my favorite book in the entire world.

Riverside is magical. Shakespeare's London, Dumas's Paris, and echoes of 1980s New York all layered on each other to create a city you can't forget. I have fallen asleep and dreamed dreams set in Riverside.

And the characters. I have loved Richard and Alec from the moment I picked it up, but the others -- young Michael Godwin, and the scheming Lord Ferris, and the inimitable Duchess of Tremontaine, and the dissolute Lord Horn... and Bertra...more

like · see review

Nov 26, 2012 Benjamin added it

Shelves: audiobook

Up on the Hill, the nobles scheme for love or power, in between sipping hot chocolate and lounging on riverboats to watch fireworks. But when the nobles' plans require blood, they hire the swordsmen of the Riverside slum to fight for them. That's how Richard St. Vier, premier swordsman of Riverside, gets involved with the machinations of Lord Ferris as he seeks the premier council position (or something). Meanwhile (and interlocked), a young noble discovers he enjoys swordfighting, while Richard...more

like · see review

Oct 14, 2012 Jan rated it 4 of 5 stars

Recommended to Jan by: Andre Levi

Bisexual fantasy! It gets an extra star from me just for that.

No magic, just a world rather like medieval/renaissance Europe, where society is divided into nobles and the common people. Professional swordsmen from among the common people are hired by the nobles to challenge each other in duels of honor, and sometimes to perform assassinations (cloaked within this honor code.) In the city in which the story is set, nobles live on the Hill, while criminals and swordsmen live in Riverside, a neigh...more

like · see review

Sep 07, 2012 Summer rated it 3 of 5 stars

This book was well written, and I like how the main characters are developed, but the themes are awfully dark.

The main character is a poor scholar who is in a relationship with a famous swordsman in the run down and shady part of the town. The scholar is an unbelievable witty and sarcastic young adult who has an astonishing amount of pride, and the swordsman is very calm and collected-- he only gets into things when he has to :) I think they make a fairly good couple :3

*Spoiler alert*: This boo...more

like · see review

Mar 19, 2012 Christal rated it 2 of 5 stars

This is soooo not my type of book. Ok let me start this by saying this is not a badly written book, it just isn't my cup of tea. The characters are fine as they are if you like that sort of thing, and only once did a choice of words make me do a double take as the time frame this is set in I am pretty sure 'automaton' wasn't in the lexicon yet, but other than that if you really enjoy authors like Jane Austen then you would love this book.

Now for me, I wanted to tear my hair out and gouge out my...more This is soooo not my type of book. Ok let me start this by saying this is not a badly written book, it just isn't my cup of tea. The characters are fine as they are if you like that sort of thing, and only once did a choice of words make me do a double take as the time frame this is set in I am pretty sure 'automaton' wasn't in the lexicon yet, but other than that if you really enjoy authors like Jane Austen then you would love this book.

Now for me, I wanted to tear my hair out and gouge out my eyes waiting for the fun to start. What is this? Well just as everyone said it is, a book of manners. Meaning very little happens other than spoiled brats of all age gossiping about each other and playing at politics. Pretty words (that half the time I didn't know what the hell they were getting at as I hate this type of inane warfare) are about all you get. I mean Richard is a swordsman, but there is very little in way of action and swordplay except for when the one deception takes place.

Yup that's it, the whole book is table parties, who is screwing whom behind closed doors, and 1 actual event that encompassed maybe 2 chapters worth of pages that make you go 'oh what happens next' to then be a complete let down of 'ohhh, this crap again.' There is even a small short story in the back that Kushner wrote to go along with it and I was like 'uhm no, thanks anyways' and gladly chucked this to the back of the bookcase. This will be heading to swap.com soon, maybe I can get something worthwhile.

Oh, for a summary, basically Richard St. Vier is a swordsman so he is a lower lifeform base on the scale, just above the Riversiders (aka the ghetto), and above are the Nobles. Uhm, Richard is bi and his gay lover Alec (who is later discovered as a noble trashing about) is a snot and together live not so happily in the ghetto while Richard duels every so often to keep them in food and Alec in gambling money. Then the machinations start and honestly the only one that matters is Lord Horn wanting him to kill Michael Godwin for not sleeping with him, Richard refuses and Horn kidnaps and tortures Alec until Richard agrees. He goes after Michael, kills the boy's master instead because he agrees to fight for him, and comes back and eviscerates Horn and his men for blackmailing him. Trial ensues, more pretty words, uhoh! Alec is a noble, Lord Ferris is made to blame and exiled, and everyone goes back to their places to play the game all over again. Just not with me watching because I have better things to do with my time, like watch paint dry.

I think Richard and whats her name, the head of house Tremontaine are the only characters I even cared about and liked. Richard, even though he denies it, has a sort of honor. And Diane.. that's her name! Diane is a great villainess, the kind you should hate but you know you love anyways like Melisande from Carey's Kushiel series.

Also one last thing, I don't get why this is a fantasy book. It's not like they were elves or anything, it was more like a historical setting type chick lit. I mean there is no difference between this and like Pride and Prejudice except the setting was a different city. Whatever, it's done, the point of reading it is fulfilled and I have a feeling I will never like Mannerpunk at all.(less)

like · see review

Mar 11, 2012 Hayley rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book's subject matter might suggest frilly melodrama (and yes, that's its surface), but it's complex -- readers have to pay very close attention, and those who do will be rewarded with much to think about, if not certain answers.

"Swordspoint" is driven by highly-amplified social nuance. The dialogue often has two or more meanings, and seemingly offhanded words or sentences create ripples that later become waves. I'm telling you this now because I think having this expectation will help you...more

like · see review

Feb 08, 2012 Sarah rated it 5 of 5 stars

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 the City wa...more

like · see review

Sep 01, 2011 Jenre rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, romance, m-m

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 unforeseen cons...more

like · see review

Jun 07, 2011 Cécile Cristofari rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: science-fiction-fantasy

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 prostitute,...more

1 like · like · see review

Mar 25, 2011 Ka rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, romance

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 whiny angsty dud...more 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 whiny angsty dude, serious manly stoic dude, clever older lady and let's not forget that one chubby chick beloved by a hot young guy) were right out of half the slashfics I've ever read. Which isn't to say the prose wasn't good or the story, with its twists and turns and clever people all trying to outsmart one another, wasn't interesting. It just read like a fic for some reason. If you yourself happen to enjoy reading slashfic, especially of the wangsty sort (but not TOO wangsty, you can leave that for the sequel, "The Fall of the Kings"), then by all means hunt this book down at once.

I think the reason I felt the slashfic vibe, aside from the unusual (in published fantasy) gay romantic pairing, was the strong focus on describing how people felt about the other characters in every scene. Also, everyone in the novel was always thinking about how beautiful various men were, especially regarding eye color, which is definitely a style of language I rarely see outside of slashfic. And then there was the sort of inexplicable pairing: I like Alec and Richard as characters, although they don't get nearly as much backstory as you wind up wanting--but why are they together? Backstory needed, please! Jumping into an established world and relationship that we never get any more detail on the genesis of is okay in fanfic (the reader is supposed to be familiar with canon), but it's a little more annoying when this IS the canon. Okay, I guess there are more ways it reminded me of fic than I thought.

Fans of action should probably look elsewhere. There's some good swordfighting and face-punching in this book, but not a great deal of it, and it's always over quickly. The book's main focus is the relationships (not just romantic, but of all sorts) between characters, and the political trickery and nonsense which swallows up all threads of the plot by the end in a fun, twisty ending that I felt a bit dumb for not seeing coming. And for those of you who like a good hurt/comfort fic session (not really me), there are lots of melodramatic goings-on when it comes to Alec's behavior. He's always doing drugs or crushing glasses in his hand or provoking fights or doing other sorts of oh-so-tragic, self-destructive stuff that only luv and maybe a slap in the head can help him with. Despite this, I liked him, possibly because I knew he'd turn into the Mad Duke in the next book.

Overall a fun read, and I recommend it to anyone who read the above and didn't immediately flee the room in distaste. I'd give it 3.5 stars if I could, but due to the lack of backstory I felt I couldn't give 4.(less)

1 like · like · see review

Sep 29, 2010 Phoenixfalls rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: cities, fantasy, female-author, high-fantasy, thriller, fantasy-of-manners, queer-protagonists

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...more 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 see (and the viewpoint shifts frequently and with no formatting flourishes like line or chapter breaks) is damaged, driven by wants and needs that we get mere glimpses of. It is really an incredible feat for an author to accomplish: every time the viewpoint shifts the reader can see how the person whose actions we are following is acting in the way he or she thinks is right or justified. Knowing what we know of what else is going on, we can see how the person is short-sighted, or is playing into someone else's hands, or is simply an idiot; but every single person has his or her reasons and, given his or her state of knowledge and desired goals, is justified.

This, unfortunately, is what made the book so extremely hard to read. Because it takes place among an aristocratic class that does nothing but play politics with their own and other peoples' lives, the only viewpoint that was restful, the only person whose goals and needs were simple and straightforward, the only person who acted consistently with what we normally consider honor in a fantasy novel, was the swordsman Richard St. Vier. His was the most common viewpoint, as it is his story being told, but it was not often enough to prevent the novel from feeling like a tragedy to me, rather than the comedy I was led to believe it was. This was partly aided by the fact that something I read online about it gave away what I think was actually supposed to be a twist in the middle of the story, but I think even without that spoiler I would still have been left feeling unsettled by this novel. It clashes with my view of the world. I made my philosophical choice years ago, and I chose to believe that the world is ultimately a decent place, where people occasionally have misunderstandings, but these misunderstandings can be ironed out if we give honest communication and empathy a try. I do not want to live in a world like the one Kushner so lovingly detailed, where every man is an island to himself and the only choice is who you want to be used by and how. There is too much power in this novel and not enough love, and even the love that is in it is based in mutual conquest rather than in mutual surrender. It is a dark novel, an ugly one, but one that will undoubtedly stay with me for a long time.(less)

3 likes · like · see review

Feb 06, 2010 Sophie rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, fantasy, lgbt, not-owned

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 talented: th...more 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 talented: the best of the best, and never loses a fight. Like the majority of this world, he is bisexual, and he is currently living with his lover, Alec. (More to that part in a second.) Richard is in a situation where he can choose which jobs to take and which not; in the course of the book he becomes entangled in various intrigues of the nobility. The volume I have contains the novel as well as three short stories set in the same world as the novel; it also contains an extract from the follow-up novel The Fall of the Kings.

At the beginning of the book there is a number of quotes, one of them by Neil Gaiman, saying: "Swordspoint was the best fantasy novel of 1989." Well, I have to say that if Swordspoint really was the best fantasy novel of that year, I don't want to read any of the others. [Which reminds me of something: is it just me or do the 80s seem more recent than they actually are? I mean, 1989 used to be just a couple of years ago, and now it's almost 20.]

It's not a bad book: the world Kushner created is actually rather interesting. The problem is that it reads to me like mediocre fanfiction - you know the kind: somewhat OOC characterization, no great plot, weakish sex scenes, but nothing jarringly bad enough to make you stop reading. In fact, it really did feel like fanfiction to some other book or movie, and it's that other book that I'd love to read.

The plot is very confusing and not exactly exciting: mostly politics, which can be interesting, but not the way it's portrayed here. The resolution in the end felt very construed, but it did make a certain degree of sense. One storyline felt somewhat unfinished; since it was the most interesting one that was particularly disappointing. The novel itself was boring except for two or three scenes, but I read it through to the end. As I said, it's like mediocre fanfiction - it's not so bad you have to stop so you read on and on until you reach a certain point where you might as well finish it.

Richard as a character could be quite fascinating, for example, but throughout the book he remains flat. I wanted to like him, maybe even love him, but I never felt like I got to know him. And then there is Alec, who I never understood, at least not in the main book. (One of the three stories at the end was quite touching, and the one where I felt actual sympathy for him.) Most of the time, you only get glimpses of his personality, which don't make sense. Which can be interesting, but in this case it felt like clumsy writing rather than a complex personality.

As for the slash factor: Well. A big minus for me was that Alec and Richard's relationship is an established one. I like the anticipation of the falling-in-love and getting-together kind of romance. And in this case this was especially bad because I never got why they were together. Alec is such a basket case I never understood what Richard sees in him, and althought I got that he was supposed to be in love with him I never felt it. Richard has to fight all the time to keep Alec save (mostly from Alec himself.), and it's clear from the beginning that Alec has some sort of Secret (and I can tell you right now that he wasn't a prostitute and can tell left from right), and of course it's that secret that tears the lovers apart for a while.

The sex scenes were very confusingly and clumsily written. I'd say they're PG-13 at the utmost, and not very erotic. (Especially one where Alec is showing his basket-case-ness.) I really was missing an emotional connection for most of the time. I think the book on the whole suffers from a lack of showing and an excess of telling.

What was very well written were the swordfights, and that is part of the reason why I'm giving it two and a half stars. There is also Michael, my favourite character and a much more apt choice for Richard, in my opinion. I also did like the world, and the characters do have potential, even though it wasn't used.

Of the three short stories, the third one was written last, and since it was the best one I have hopes that her later books are better as well. There I could make a connection, so maybe I'll give her other books set in that world a chance at a later point.(less)

5 likes · like · see review

Jun 18, 2009 Maureen rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, queer-interest

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 authors that I like....more

1 like · like · see review

Dec 30, 2009 Jennn rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Jennn by: Stacey

Shelves: 2009, fiction

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I wasn't given much when Stacey said, "Here, you might like this." I didn't even read the flap inside; I just started reading the book. I'm glad I didn't read it since it's actually hard to describe the summary, "It's about swordsmen...well, maybe more about nobility and politics...But more like a love story with nobility and politics...Or really just a story of two men who are in love and one is a swordsman who gets mixed up by nobility."

I think another factor that played in, that's unique to...more I wasn't given much when Stacey said, "Here, you might like this." I didn't even read the flap inside; I just started reading the book. I'm glad I didn't read it since it's actually hard to describe the summary, "It's about swordsmen...well, maybe more about nobility and politics...But more like a love story with nobility and politics...Or really just a story of two men who are in love and one is a swordsman who gets mixed up by nobility."

I think another factor that played in, that's unique to me, is that while I read this book, I am also currently reading Anna Karenin(a), which is all about polititcs/nobility and has made me a very patient reader. Even though I probably thought the first part was slow before(when first introducing Michael, etc.), I thought it was well-paced while I read and I enjoyed the non-complexity of the noble houses that I'm not used to with Anna K (another book, another review for later).

What's best about this book isn't really the plot or intrigue, but the characters. I'm a very character-driven reader. I like it when characters surprise me and draw me in. I want them to win (after struggling around, of course) and more importantly, to grow. I immediately loved the relationship between Alec and St Vier since it was very refreshing (no klunky declarations of love or obnoxious wishy-washiness that usually follows it - c'mon! People in love are much more interesting than that! But, getting back on track) and actually pretty down-to-earth. They were just lovers, yes, but they really had a fun friendship. They were just as great, maybe even better, TOGETHER as well as apart, which makes a fantastic relationship (and something a lot of people forget when writing romance, unfortuantely). I was a little worried that Michael might try for St Vier, but was happy to see that he didn't and the more I read, I realized that Alec was not a passing fancy for St Vier.

The plot was ineteresting enough, but kind of muddled around at the end with the trial and all. It wasn't horrible and, as previously mentioned, I'm more about characters anyway (hell, if a character can entertain me about walking to the store and buying a loaf of bread, I'm smitten).

Ok, here's the flaws:

St Vier - WE KNOW ALMOST NOTHING ABOUT HIM! I like the slow, delicious force behind Alec revealing who he is, but St Vier's past is very subtly hinted at and nothing is really brought to light. C'mon! I would have loved to know more about his past, but all I got was a vagueness like walking through a wet fog. We know a little something about his past relationship (with the lady whose name started with a 'J'), but I wanted to see that expanded more (especially with Alec). Maybe tortured remorse or even a statement of, "I got over it." But, nope.

Michael - Michael is one of the main characters (even getting his own "screen time") and then...pretty much drops off the face of the earth. A rivalry would have been great between him and St Vier or anything, really. But, nope, a brief mention after he goes into hiding and then he's gone.

Tickling and eye-lickings - Can we, for the love of any god imaginable, stop with the tickling and face-licking? Please? It burns my eyes each time I read it and carves away a little (but vital) section of my soul. Really, all writers, stop it! Tickling is so girly; I'm sure it happens with guys at some times, but can my guys not tickle eachother in every story? And the face/eye/cheek licking when someone's crying - uhg! Just...no. I don't care who started it, please finish it. You could be licking at other, much sexier, parts of the body. Please, stop it. I hate reading it.

Editing - Can we get better editors for these? I found a few mistakes. It irks me because usually someone is paid to correct those and they're not doing their job right. If I saw it just during a first-read, it's a problem.

Lessons that I learned: Don't be the guy with the eyepatch.

Favourite character: Alec, because he's rude, but funny, and unstable (which makes him interesting). And not described as drop-dead-gorgeous (yummy, yummy realism).

Bottomline: I liked it. I love their relationship. I love their personalities (would like to see more of St Vier). Well-written with great description. However, there's a few issues.(less)

like · see review

Aug 07, 2009 Bria Teragram rated it 1 of 5 stars

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 had gained quite a dislike...more

2 likes · like · see review

Mar 18, 2013 Caroline Kimsey rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013, james-fraser

This is review is for the audio full cast version. This novel comes under the sub-umbrella Manner punk genre in the fantasy realm. It was praised and recommended by Neil Gaiman as one of his favourite books and having a great deal of liking for his own tales I thought I would give it a try. I felt this book was more along the lines of Les Liaisons Dangereuese with a touch of Cyrano De Bergerac and a pinch of Shakespeare rather than Austen.... and I would advise Austen lovers of that.

Others have...more
This is review is for the audio full cast version. This novel comes under the sub-umbrella Manner punk genre in the fantasy realm. It was praised and recommended by Neil Gaiman as one of his favourite books and having a great deal of liking for his own tales I thought I would give it a try. I felt this book was more along the lines of Les Liaisons Dangereuese with a touch of Cyrano De Bergerac and a pinch of Shakespeare rather than Austen.... and I would advise Austen lovers of that.

Others have outlined the plot so I will not duplicate, however, it is based on the themes of duplicity, honour, Nobles, Courts and peasants, swordplay, politics, taverns, jealousy, greed, hubris, unrequited love and deception. There are very few endearing qualities to the characters which helps the tension in the book. In this world murder can be committed if a professional Swordsman is hired and a challenge is issued. A proxy may stand in and fight the challenge but ultimately the master Swordsman will win..... "There can be only one". This rule unravels when a Noble gets a bit too pushy and goes beyond the unwritten boundaries and pushes the Swordsman into check. The Swordsman is left in a difficult position to save his honour, his reputation and his love...... everything is turned about and the drama begins.

This book shows many side to relationships, homosexuality, older women with younger men, older men with servants and so on. But there seems to be very little love and respect between any of these couplings apart from the Swordsman. His narrator has a lovely voice and I think that helps you to anchor more to him. But I found I did not really care about most of the characters but was interested in the intrigue although it was not difficult to work out the ending.

It was nicely written without to much verbiage and I got lost in the time until every so often I would hear and anchronistic word that drew me out of the story a little. I felt this would have made an interesting play and was written in such a way.
(less)

like · see review

Apr 03, 2013 Lorinda rated it 3 of 5 stars

Richard St. Vier is a swordman who has risin to the top of the list of local swords for hire. His duels are fought with skill and the killing
blows are clean and swift. He is honorable, smart and in control, or so he believes. St. Vier is about to be embroiled in a complicated power struggle and finds his personal and professional life comprimised.
First let me say that this book was not what I expected! I was expecting a multitude of fencing duels and blood and guts! What I got was a complicated...more

like · see review

Feb 14, 2012 Jacob Proffitt rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, wouldn-t-give-a-pig

People keep talking this up as "a fantasy of manners", but for that to work, you have to have actual wit and snappy dialog and someone to root for. I only made it about half-way through but to that point, Swordspoint is devoid of anything or anyone likable and the conversations are, at best, desultory. The only byplay you get is laboriously highlighted by the narrative voice, all subtlety wiped out by neon-like description and color commentary/analysis.

And the characters are all mean, in a compl...more

3 likes · like · see review

Jan 28, 2012 Kellyann rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction

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 bet...more

like · see review

Dec 05, 2011 Pam rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011, audiobooks, fantasy, i-want-my-money-back

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 voice and...more

like · see review

« previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 … 99 100 next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

topics	posts	views	last activity
why are they together	3	62	Jun 03, 2012 02:34pm

combine
Other Editions (13)

More editions...

Genres

Fantasy

686 users

Glbt

45 users

Romance

42 users

Romance > M M Romance

41 users

Glbt > Gay

33 users

Glbt > Queer

31 users

Science Fiction Fantasy

21 users

Fantasy Of Manners > Mannerpunk

12 users

Adult Fiction

11 users

Speculative Fiction

10 users

See top shelves...

Readers also enjoyed similar books

The Virtu
by Sarah Monette
Stalking Darkness
by Lynn Flewelling
The God Eaters
by Jesse Hajicek
The Fire's Stone
by Tanya Huff
Lord of the White Hell - Book One
by Ginn Hale

About Ellen Kushner

American writer of fantasy novels, and the host of the radio program Sound & Spirit, distributed by Public Radio International.

She lives in New York City with her wife and sometime collaborator, Delia Sherman. Her first novel, Swordspoint (1987), and its sequel (co-authored by Sherman) The Fall of the Kings (2002), are mannerpunk novels set in a nameless imaginary capital city, and its raffish...more

More about Ellen Kushner...

Books by Ellen Kushner

The Privilege of the Sword (Riverside, #2)

Outlaws of Sherwood Forest (Choose Your Own Adventure, #47)

More…

Share This Book

Facebook Twitter Your website

Trivia About Swordspoint

No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »

Quotes from Swordspoint

“Let the fairy tale begin on a winter's morning, then, with one drop of blood newly-fallen on the ivory snow: a drop as bright as a clear-cut ruby, red as a single spot of claret on the lace cuff.” — 3 people liked it

“Que comience el cuento de hadas una mañana de invierno, en tal caso, con una gota recién caída en la nieve marfileña: una gota tan brillante como un rubí bien cortado, roja como una solitaria mancha de clarete en un puño de encaje. Y lo que aquí se sigue, por consiguiente, es que el mal acecha detrás de cada ventana rota, maquinando malicia y encantamiento; mientras que detrás de los postigos cerrados los justos duermen sus sueños a esta temprana hora en la Ribera. Pronto despertarán para ocuparse de sus quehaceres; y uno, tal vez, será tan adorable como el día y estará armado, como lo están los justos, para enfrentarse a un triunfo predestinado...” — 2 people liked it

More quotes…

title link	preview: Swordspoint
avg rating	preview: Swordspoint Goodreads rating: 3.86 (3405 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/68485.Swordspoint?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1320445792l/68485.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/68485.Swordspoint?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Swordspoint by Ellen Kushner[/url]

Swordspoint (Riverside Series #1)

Friend Reviews

Community Reviews

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website