The Privilege of the Sword
by Ellen Kushner
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Book Summary Information
Author: Ellen KushnerEdition: Mass Market Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2007-06-26
ISBN: 0553586963
Number of pages: 480
Publisher: Spectra
Book Reviews of The Privilege of the Sword
Book Review: Taking on the world
Summary: 5 Stars
Anyone who's been looking for a coming-of-age story that feels timeless in meaning and enjoyment will be very happy to have found this superb novel. Unlike many other genre novels that approach the subject of romantic same sex relationships, this one doesn't suffer from the tendency to obsess over sexuality at the cost the story it wants to tell. Kushner understands that while we are intrigued by what it means to be an outsider, life offers far more than just one thing of keen interest, which should be reflected in literature whether the central character of a book is gay or not. A careful craftsman with many interests to share with us, Kushner manages to tell an adventure tale full of witty dialogue and reckless defiance against traditional gender roles without losing thread or focus even once. When I finished the last chapter there had been so many times that my breath had been quickened by all the excitement and fun that I immediately wanted to read it again! I just wished it never would end.
What I enjoyed most of all was the relationship between Katherine, our triumphant swordswoman, and her two mentors, and how they teach her (each in his own way) to have faith in herself. Yet these are just two characters out of a large cast in which everyone is memorable. Two characters, Artemisia and Marcus, Katherine's closest friends as she moves to the city, stand out more than the others. Even though Artemisia couldn't be more unlike Katherine the two of them bond as though they've always known each other, yet it never feels forced. Then something horrible happens to Artemisia that Katherine has to keep secret. What is most astounding about this novel is its deep understanding of how vulnerable true friendships are to secrets. In a book full of pleasant surprises, it was this test of Katherine's friendship with Artemisia that I found most satisfying. From Katherine's initial inexperienced childlike innocence, through her growing self-confidence in which she feels like she can take on anyone in the world, and all the way to her sexual awakening, she felt like a really close friend that you care deeply about.
And like a true good friend, this is a book that you'll remember fondly for the rest of your life. Its execution is a serious achievement and I hold the highest admiration for the creative force behind it. I don't exaggerate when I say that its fast paced action bears comparison with the very best work of Alexandre Dumas and its sharp repartee with that of Jane Austen. But its wit, wisdom and winning charm is entirely its own.
This is one of a kind; the first of what I hope will be many more books about swordswomen defying expectation and tradition, their revenge won by the sword but their honor guarded by the heart and its unquenchable passion.
Summary of The Privilege of the Sword
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.From the Trade Paperback edition.
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