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serru's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
5.0
sofipitch's review against another edition
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
This was well written and entertaining, the characters and well written and interesting but it was very slow paced until 2/3rds of the way in where the storygraph description of the plot happen and that was just ok. But while I find the plot rushed and the conclusion not super interesting or meaningful there is something about the writing style and characters that really compelled me with this one. It reminded me a lot of Anne Rice's earlier work
Content Warnings
Moderate: Kidnapping
Minor: Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Violence, and Classism
finestgreen's review against another edition
1.0
Muddy characters in a muddy puddle
There's a decent short story buried in of the second half of the book, maybe. There's nothing worthwhile in the first half.
There's a decent short story buried in of the second half of the book, maybe. There's nothing worthwhile in the first half.
noam's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
hard to ask for more from a fantasy novel. i kind of love that it ends so abruptly. there's a vital energy generated by unspooling these threads just to leave them untied. but i understand why kushner went back for more. the characters, the world, the drama... it's all too seductive to abandon, even if it takes you nearly twenty years to return.
ajax's review
funny
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
aceinit's review against another edition
2.0
I have heard quite a lot of people say quite a lot of wonderful things about his book, and I have been meaning to read it for quite a while. To say the least, I was completely underwhelmed.
I suppose part of that is my own fault for diving into something in the “of manners” genre, which always read to me more like local gossip columns rather than anything with a plot and a sense of urgency. The same certainly applies here, with far more time devoted to banter and wit and glories of society such as fireworks and the theatre than to building plot or suspense.
Regrettably, the novel lacks a sympathetic character of any form. Richard, despite being charismatic, has a permanent stain around him centering around the fact that he murdered a former lover during an argument. Alec comes off as too much of a snob during almost every interaction with him, and I spent more of the book wondering how Richard could even tolerate him rather than caring about his character. Adding a great amount of instability and vulnerability that seems to disappear utterly once his true identity is revealed does not help matters.
The nobles are so self-centered in their little schemes and mechanizations that none of them are truly developed and they are almost completely interchangeable with one another. Michael Godwin ends up being utterly pointless—dominating the first half of the narrative along with Richard and Alec, then being sent off to the country and rarely mentioned again. He is an utter waste of page space, especially for so little payoff in the form of a rumor that may or may not be true. I honestly cannot fathom what the point was of devoting so much time to a character, only to have him wander off and be forgotten.
Let’s not even get into how big of an idiot Horn was regarding his kidnapping and almost turnaround-quick release of Alec. As far as plot devices go, his behaviour was absurd. I get that Horn was not supposed to be the sharpest crayon in the proverbial box, but it’s hard for me to imagine that anyone could be so blatantly stupid as to not realize what was going to happen to him.
The ending courtroom scene drags on for entirely too long, first with the extended inner dialogue regarding Ferris’s scheme and how it has all fallen apart, and then with his long-winded attempts to redeem himself. The final scene between the duchess and Alec is also too long and provides too little resolution.
There was a lot of possibility in his novel, but it all falls flat. A book centering around a swordsman, a former scholar with a mysterious past, and society intrigues should not have been so utterly dull.
I suppose part of that is my own fault for diving into something in the “of manners” genre, which always read to me more like local gossip columns rather than anything with a plot and a sense of urgency. The same certainly applies here, with far more time devoted to banter and wit and glories of society such as fireworks and the theatre than to building plot or suspense.
Regrettably, the novel lacks a sympathetic character of any form. Richard, despite being charismatic, has a permanent stain around him centering around the fact that he murdered a former lover during an argument. Alec comes off as too much of a snob during almost every interaction with him, and I spent more of the book wondering how Richard could even tolerate him rather than caring about his character. Adding a great amount of instability and vulnerability that seems to disappear utterly once his true identity is revealed does not help matters.
The nobles are so self-centered in their little schemes and mechanizations that none of them are truly developed and they are almost completely interchangeable with one another. Michael Godwin ends up being utterly pointless—dominating the first half of the narrative along with Richard and Alec, then being sent off to the country and rarely mentioned again. He is an utter waste of page space, especially for so little payoff in the form of a rumor that may or may not be true. I honestly cannot fathom what the point was of devoting so much time to a character, only to have him wander off and be forgotten.
Let’s not even get into how big of an idiot Horn was regarding his kidnapping and almost turnaround-quick release of Alec. As far as plot devices go, his behaviour was absurd. I get that Horn was not supposed to be the sharpest crayon in the proverbial box, but it’s hard for me to imagine that anyone could be so blatantly stupid as to not realize what was going to happen to him.
The ending courtroom scene drags on for entirely too long, first with the extended inner dialogue regarding Ferris’s scheme and how it has all fallen apart, and then with his long-winded attempts to redeem himself. The final scene between the duchess and Alec is also too long and provides too little resolution.
There was a lot of possibility in his novel, but it all falls flat. A book centering around a swordsman, a former scholar with a mysterious past, and society intrigues should not have been so utterly dull.
wodime's review
3.75
think i enjoyed swordspoint more on reread, but it's still a solid 3.75 for me. this is a very charming world, populated with some vintage Problematic mlm, and it's doing a lot of fun genre stuff. that said, its characters still didn't quite land? michael's subplot remains far and away my favourite, and while it makes an interesting counterpoint to st vier's story, it also overshadows it. on top of that, i (still) found alec a little too opaque; he's so close to being the exact type of character i go nuts for, but we never really get to be in his brain, or understand what makes him tick. in turn, this impacted my feelings about st vier and alec's relationship. hard to fully buy into it when you aren't sure what these men like about each other in the first place -- let alone why they like each other enough to stick around.
also, i found a lot of the structural choices to be baffling? i hate to say it, but the back half felt shapeless and directionless, and i really did not know where it was trying to go. (the road to your climax should not feel like wading through a mire!) could have used more judicious editing in a lot of places, both to smooth out the pacing, and to rein in kushner's tendency toward purple prose. still hoping the sequel will be better about this.
all that said, though. men in love with men 😭
also, i found a lot of the structural choices to be baffling? i hate to say it, but the back half felt shapeless and directionless, and i really did not know where it was trying to go. (the road to your climax should not feel like wading through a mire!) could have used more judicious editing in a lot of places, both to smooth out the pacing, and to rein in kushner's tendency toward purple prose. still hoping the sequel will be better about this.
all that said, though. men in love with men 😭
the_chicken_roll's review
funny
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
tsukibunny68's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
kathrinpassig's review against another edition
3.0
Ein paar Aspekte mochte ich, vor allem, dass man die Handlung (nicht durchgehend, aber über weite Strecken) nicht vorgekaut bekommt, sondern wirklich aufpassen und zurückgehen und Stellen noch mal lesen muss. Aber insgesamt ging es mir zu viel um adjektivreiche Coolness.