The Privilege of the Sword
Ellen Kushner
Bantam, Aug 2006, $14.00
ISBN 0553382683

Mad Duke of Tremontaine, David Alexander "Alec" Tielman Campion still hosts wild orgies in his two prime residences, Tremontaine House and his Riverside house. That is when the duke of debauchery is not stirring up trouble for his family, neighbors, and rivals as someone has to fund his hedonism. In other words nothing has changed in the past two decades in terms of this depraved soul.

His latest ploy is to make his enemy widower Lord Ferris bow to him. Alec blackmails his sister into handing over her daughter. Alec has plans for his niece Katherine who looks forward to a season of galas in beautiful gowns only to learn she will dress like a male and learn to fence as she will become his bodyguard. Though she detests most of what her hideous uncle does to her, Katherine enjoys dueling and become quiet proficient with swords, and makes friends with Lady Artemisia Fitz-Levi, engaged to Lord Ferris. The Duke takes Katherine to the infamous Rogues' Ball where Artemisia pleads with Katherine to help her escape her engagement at the same time that her uncle enacts his scheme to destroy Ferris.

THE PRIVILEGE OF THE SWORD is a fantastic sword and society thriller that uses no magic to portray a medieval like realm in which SWORDSPOINT wielders become critical defenders of relationships teaching "manners" to their foes. The plot is character driven to a degree by the rivalry between the Mad Duke Lord Ferris, but belongs to Katherine as she becomes as adept with a sword as any of the male bodyguards; no one will rape this lock. Ellen Kushner provides a superb intelligent gender bending medieval manners motif that grips the audience from the moment the Duke deems it will prove amusing to make his niece a swordswoman.

Harriet Klausner