Book Review: Swordspoint
I actually finished this book a while ago, but I was holding off on writing about it because I planned to do a multi-book review post, which ended up getting way too long, so I broke it up anyway. Oops.
Swordspoint, by Ellen Kushner
I found this book via flake_sake's rec. It's a historical fantasy set in a preindustrial world where disputes and matters of honor are settled via professional swordsmen for hire. In this unnamed city, the nobility run the city via council and live in luxury on The Hill, while the lower class live with the riffraff and criminals in the poorer Riverside district. The story involves the political maneuvering of the nobles, and the Riverside swordsman who gets caught up in the middle of it all.
The book was enjoyable, but kind of... unremarkable, I guess. If it hadn't been recced by someone on my flist, I'm not sure I'd have given it much consideration (probably not enough to write a whole review). The best thing about it is the world-building, as the author creates a historically-influenced setting that is at once both foreign and familiar. The stark divisions in society set the stage for exploring class conflict, and the descriptions of the two very different parts of the city created a vivid mental picture. I also liked that the structure of government is hinted at just enough to be clear without being tedious.
The characters were a bit of a mixed bag. Only Richard St. Vier, the swordsman, and his unstable lover Alec really feel fleshed out enough to be more than a stock Regency character. Their relationship is intense and complex, and the political and sexual exploits of the nobles seem prosaic and unoriginal in comparison. It's the typical scheming aristocracy without a king, and these characters don't do much to distinguish themselves outside of their slightly unusual setting. And since everyone is morally grey and completely self-centered, there aren't really any particularly sympathetic characters. Even Richard and Alec, although it was clear that they had very strong feelings toward one another, it was a little hard to understand what they actually saw in each other in the first place. It makes me curious how they met, which is never mentioned.
The plot is rather low-key for most of the novel and spends a lot of time on sitting room conversations. There's a lack of urgency to the proceedings, even though the stakes ought to be high in a story that involves swordfighting and death. The author never truly made me worry. It never really seemed to be a question of whether Richard would succeed, merely how, in which case, all that's at stake are the reputations of the nobles who've tried to use him for their own ends. I've also seen the term "Melodrama of Manners" used to describe the novel, and I think that premise makes it seem a bit stilted and too far removed from the reader to engage very deeply.
I really enjoyed the universe Kushner's created, though, so I did get the next book in the series from the library. Thus far, it seems to be an even slower start than the first. I'd say if you are looking for an atmospheric story with a well-crafted setting, Kushner's your gal, but if you expect a fair amount of action in a fantasy novel, you might want to look elsewhere.
Swordspoint, by Ellen Kushner
I found this book via flake_sake's rec. It's a historical fantasy set in a preindustrial world where disputes and matters of honor are settled via professional swordsmen for hire. In this unnamed city, the nobility run the city via council and live in luxury on The Hill, while the lower class live with the riffraff and criminals in the poorer Riverside district. The story involves the political maneuvering of the nobles, and the Riverside swordsman who gets caught up in the middle of it all.
The book was enjoyable, but kind of... unremarkable, I guess. If it hadn't been recced by someone on my flist, I'm not sure I'd have given it much consideration (probably not enough to write a whole review). The best thing about it is the world-building, as the author creates a historically-influenced setting that is at once both foreign and familiar. The stark divisions in society set the stage for exploring class conflict, and the descriptions of the two very different parts of the city created a vivid mental picture. I also liked that the structure of government is hinted at just enough to be clear without being tedious.
The characters were a bit of a mixed bag. Only Richard St. Vier, the swordsman, and his unstable lover Alec really feel fleshed out enough to be more than a stock Regency character. Their relationship is intense and complex, and the political and sexual exploits of the nobles seem prosaic and unoriginal in comparison. It's the typical scheming aristocracy without a king, and these characters don't do much to distinguish themselves outside of their slightly unusual setting. And since everyone is morally grey and completely self-centered, there aren't really any particularly sympathetic characters. Even Richard and Alec, although it was clear that they had very strong feelings toward one another, it was a little hard to understand what they actually saw in each other in the first place. It makes me curious how they met, which is never mentioned.
The plot is rather low-key for most of the novel and spends a lot of time on sitting room conversations. There's a lack of urgency to the proceedings, even though the stakes ought to be high in a story that involves swordfighting and death. The author never truly made me worry. It never really seemed to be a question of whether Richard would succeed, merely how, in which case, all that's at stake are the reputations of the nobles who've tried to use him for their own ends. I've also seen the term "Melodrama of Manners" used to describe the novel, and I think that premise makes it seem a bit stilted and too far removed from the reader to engage very deeply.
I really enjoyed the universe Kushner's created, though, so I did get the next book in the series from the library. Thus far, it seems to be an even slower start than the first. I'd say if you are looking for an atmospheric story with a well-crafted setting, Kushner's your gal, but if you expect a fair amount of action in a fantasy novel, you might want to look elsewhere.