Though there are many duels fought with swords in the world of Riverside, the clashes simply spoken out loud are what define Ellen Kushner’s cult-favorite novel. Swordspoint, a defining work in the fantasy of manners sub-genre, is centered around characters, their witty banter and the quieter dilemmas they face surrounding politics and class. The novel follows the journey of Richard St. Vier, a swordsman who makes his living by killing nobles in a world unlike our own. We’re aware that the land he traverses is fantastical, but those elements are played down in favor of a small-scale story centered on Richard’s tormented love for a scholar named Alec. There’s no kingdom to save or world to protect, but instead a romance to root for written in thrilling and precise terms. —Annabel Gutterman
Buy Now: Swordspoint on Bookshop | Amazon
- TIME's Top 100 Photos of 2021
- Inside Frances Haugen's Decision to Take on Facebook
- Why We Should Stop Freaking Out About Inflation
- Austria's Plan to Make COVID-19 Vaccines Compulsory Is Dividing Citizens — and Experts
- Inside the 80-Year Quest to Name Pearl Harbor's Unknown Victims
- Buying a House Feels Impossible These Days. Here Are 6 Innovative Paths to Homeownership
- 'They're Very Close.' U.S. General Says Iran Is Nearly Able to Build a Nuclear Weapon
- A Charter School's Racial Controversy Reveals the Real Battle For America's Classrooms
