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A review by laurentined
The Privilege of the Sword by Ellen Kushner
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
More bisexuals doing sword duels: Her Edition. I wish the resolution of relationships had ended up a bit different but I will be excited to see what kind of cast the author and her wife collaborated on in the third book.
Katharine's exploration of her gender and sexuality are relatively lighthearted and innocent as things go—aside from the one particular content-warning-worthy plot point. The fact that she bonds with Artemisia over loving a play, a nod to fandom culture in a way, is very cute. It's just a lot of teen girlisms as they all figure out their place in society and what they consider worth fighting for.
I don't think Swordspoint is mandatory reading before this one, but there are certain plot points that have added depth with that context. The superstitions around a swordsman going to view that particular play aren't repeated in this book, nor are Alec's motivations around democratizing the concept of personal honor really given—which really adds a layer to his desire to see Katharine as a swordswoman. Alec is a more sympathetic figure in general if you have his backstory to reference.
In all, just as enjoyable as the first in a very different way.
Katharine's exploration of her gender and sexuality are relatively lighthearted and innocent as things go—aside from the one particular content-warning-worthy plot point. The fact that she bonds with Artemisia over loving a play, a nod to fandom culture in a way, is very cute. It's just a lot of teen girlisms as they all figure out their place in society and what they consider worth fighting for.
I don't think Swordspoint is mandatory reading before this one, but there are certain plot points that have added depth with that context. The superstitions around a swordsman going to view that particular play aren't repeated in this book, nor are Alec's motivations around democratizing the concept of personal honor really given—which really adds a layer to his desire to see Katharine as a swordswoman. Alec is a more sympathetic figure in general if you have his backstory to reference.
In all, just as enjoyable as the first in a very different way.