Synopses & Reviews
Welcome to Riverside, where the aristocratic and the ambitious battle for power in the city's ballroom, brothels and boudoirs. Into this alluring world walks Katherine, a well-bred country girl versed in the rules of conventional society. Her mistake is thinking that they apply. For Katherine's host and uncle, Alec Campion, aka the Mad Duke Tremontaine, is in charge here—and to him, rules are made to be broken. When Alec decides it would be more amusing for his niece to learn swordplay than to follow the usual path to marriage, her world changes forever. Blade in hand, it's up to Katherine to navigate a maze of secrets and scoundrels and to gain the self-discovery that comes to those who master: the privilege of the sword.
About the Author
Ellen Kushner is a novelist, performer, and public radio personality. Her work includes the weekly notational public radio series
PRIs Sound & Spirit with Ellen Kushner, the recording
The Golden Dreydl: a Klezmer ‘Nutcracker for Chanukah (Ryykodisc CD) and a live performance piece,
Esther: the feast of Masks. Her novels
Swordpoint and (with Delia Sherman)
The Fall of Kings share a setting and quite a few characters with
The Privilege of The Swords. She is a member of Terri Windlings Endicott Studio for Mythic Arts and co-founder of the Interstitial Arts Foundation. She lives in New York City and travels a lot, giving shows and readings, lecturing and teaching. You can keep up with her whereabouts and learn more about Riverside and its denizens at
www.EllenKushner.comHer novel Thomas the Rhymer won the World Fantasy Award.