Swordspoint: A Melodrama of Manners

The prequel to The Fall of the Kings set sixty years earlier, this book follows the adventures of a swordsman-for-hire and his more than slightly mad lover. (Sound vaguely familiar?) The madman is, in fact, the predecessor of the one in FotK, but Kushner never made Theron (from FotK) sound at all like Alec from Swordspoint. This book had a slightly less intriguing plot, probably because there was no magic in this one, but I still was hooked by the story and the characters. Again, the ending was less than satisfactory, but it was also incredibly sweet, so I'll let that one slide.

I discovered this series through the Neil Gaiman Presents audiobook collection, but this is my first time actually reading it. I still found it incredibly entertaining. It is fantasy without magic, romance without cliche, and drama with extra melo. It's my favorite kind of popcorn and it is five start popcorn.

The story is set in the dual world of Riverside and the Hill, the respective low and high classes of a fictionalized society where dueling is often done by proxy and the dangerous job of Swordsman is one both respected and reviled. Richard St. Vier is the best of the swordsmen working, and through this becomes entangled in the political machinations of the powerful much against his own will. He is regularly encumbered by Alec, his lover of mysterious origin. Alec's character, never entirely at ease and always a danger to himself and others, is probably the most intriguing character in the book.

Kushner's unique appeal is in her world's approach to sexuality. Almost every character could be viewed as bisexual, and there isn't much scorn attached to it as long as one does duty by their house and produces suitable heirs among the rich. There seems to be none at all when the people involved don't need to concern themselves with noblesse oblige. This may be the more “fantasy” portion of the novel (which I was surprised to find was written in 1987), and it gives the story a unique twist when dealing with love, power, and the manifold relationships between characters.

I love this story, and I think most anyone who thinks Regency literature could use a bit more excitement would agree with me.