Tremontaine

Tremontaine is the latest book in the Swords of Riverside series - this volume written by authors who are fans of the original three books. It takes place fifteen years before Swordspoint. 

Ixbaab Balam is a spy from across the sea. She is in a London-like city with her family who import chocolate. They are the only source of chocolate, a fad that has taken the upper classes by storm.

Micha is a farm girl, in the city with her cousin to sell vegetables. She is dressed as a boy to make her work easier. She is a math genius. When she meets Rafe, a university student, on a delivery she joins him in class.

Tess lives in Riverside, a lower class neighborhood where the regular people live. Although there is nothing common about Tess - as Ixkaab notices on first glance.

Diane, Duchess Tremontaine, is a member of the ton. Anything she does is to be copied. She is in the process of trying to save the Tremontaine name in spite of some bad investments. 

This series is a fun, swashbuckling tale of Regency times. The authors of this volume have captured the feel and tone of the originals by Kushner. A must read for fantasy fans.

Kushner, Ellen. (2017), Tremontaine. New York: Saga Press.

Swordspoint (Swords of Riverside)

Swordspoint is the novel that began the Swords of Riverside series by Ellen Kushner. (Each book takes place approximately 20 years apart.)

In the center of the city is a neighborhood called Riverside, located on an island between the two rivers. It was once coveted real estate but now even the Watch will not go there - it is run by thieves and ruffians. The higher classes may venture over the bridge to the nearest tavern when they want a thrill, but they would not make it much farther without being harassed.

Richard St. Vier is quickly becoming a legend as a swordsman. Nobles, who run the city, are starting to hire him to defend their honor in a complicated system of duels. But with fighting for the higher class comes the politics of their rank - something St. Vier never had to deal with before. Luckily, his lover, an ex-scholar, knows of some of the rules that nobles live by.

Together Richard and Alec are a force to be reckoned with in this swashbuckling tale of the sword. Kushner has created a world with vague similarities to old London that is ripe with colorful characters and dangerous plots.

Kushner, Ellen. (1987). Swordspoint. New York: Bantam Spectra Books.

The Privilege of the Sword (Swords of Riverside)

The Privilege of the Sword by Ellen Kushner is the second book that takes place in Riverside. This book is listed as fantasy but reads more like historical fiction - it is set in a made-up city similar to old London.

Katherine Talbert has heard stories of her uncle the Mad Duke Tremontaine but has never met him. Now, at fifteen, she is summoned to his home in the city. If she agrees to go, her family's debt will be forgiven and their wealth restored.

But the Duke is not bringing her to the city for her coming out season - he means to train her as a swordsman. She will be forced to wear pants and train daily until she has the skills to defend the Duke's honor.

As strange as it sounds to Katherine when she leaves home to join the Duke, nothing could prepare her for the strange and queer happenings at his many homes in the city. Every notion she has about society and morality will be put to the test by the Mad Duke.

This is a swashbuckling novel with a twist. I cannot wait for the next volume featuring the dashing and dangerous Katherine Talbert.

Kushner, Ellen. (2006). The Privilege of the Sword. New York: Bantam.