The Privilege of the Sword

By: Ellen Kushner

Narrated by: Ellen Kushner, Barbara Rosenblat, Felicia Day, Joe Hurley, Katherine Kellgren, Nick Sullivan, Neil Gaiman

Audie Award Nominee, Multi-voiced Performance, 2013

Award-winning author, narrator, and screenwriter Neil Gaiman personally selected this book, and, using the tools of the Audiobook Creation Exchange (ACX), cast the narrators and produced this work for his audiobook label, Neil Gaiman Presents.

The Privilege of the Sword tells the tale of a young girl who risks everything to go live with her eccentric, litigious - and extremely rich – uncle Alec in the colorful city Kushner has created, a city where elegant nobles can mingle with raffish actors one moment and deadly swordsmen the next. Fans of Kushner's first book, Swordspoint, will already be familiar with Alec as the angry young scholar with mysterious origins, living in the city’s Riverside district with a notorious killer swordsman. Now, in The Privilege of the Sword, some years later, Alec is the Mad Duke Tremontaine, living in a mansion on the Hill, still tortured by his past….

But you don’t need to have read Swordspoint to enjoy The Privilege of the Sword. This is the story of Katherine herself, a girl who starts out imagining her life will be a sort of Jane Austen-style romance, full of dances and dresses and parties - but finds that her iconoclastic uncle has other plans. When she gets to his house in the city, the Mad Duke dresses Lady Katherine in men's clothes, gets her a first-rate tutor in swordplay, and sets her loose on a traditional world that is not really ready for her…. Nor, at first, is she ready for it.

A few words from Neil on Privilege of the Sword: "Life hands us so many moments when we hover between who we were raised to be, who the people around us are trying to make us, and who we are trying to become. In Katherine's case, that means encountering a range of people and behaviors her mother never prepared her for - including some shocking acts of violence, both physical and emotional. As one of Kushner’s most charming characters, an actress known as 'The Black Rose', sighs, 'It's all so very difficult, until you get the hang of it.'"

In this exciting new "illuminated production", the author herself reads her own work, supported by a full cast. Author Ellen Kushner is also a popular performer and National Public Radio host (Sound & Spirit). As with her previous audiobooks, the award-winning Witches of Lublin and Swordspoint, Ellen teamed up with Sue Zizza of SueMedia Productions to illuminate certain key scenes with some truly stunning sound elements, including original music commissioned just for this book (!) by composer Nathaniel Tronerud. Ellen Kushner reads all of the first-person narration from Katherine’s own point of view. In scenes where an omniscient narrator takes over, we’ve called on the amazing talents of the award-winning actor Barbara Rosenblat, a woman who's been called "the Meryl Streep of audiodrama". The cast also features Joe Hurley (Alec Campion: the Mad Duke Tremontaine), Felicia Day (Katherine Talbert), Nick Sullivan (Lord Ferris; Arthur Ghent), Katherine Kellgren (Lady Artemesia Fitz-Levi; Teresa Grey; Flavia "the Ugly Girl"), and Neil Gaiman himself (Rogues' Ball Artist)! The artwork used here is an original painting and design by Thomas Canty created exclusively for the Neil Gaiman Presents audiobook edition of The Privilege of the Sword.

To hear more from Neil Gaiman on The Privilege of the Sword, click here, or listen to the introduction at the beginning of the book itself.

Learn more about Neil Gaiman Presents and Audiobook Creation Exchange (ACX).

©2006 Ellen Kushner (P)2012 SueMedia Productions

Critic reviews

"One of the most gorgeous books I've ever read: it's witty and wonderful, with characters that will provoke, charm, and delight." (Holly Black, coauthor of The Spiderwick Chronicles)

"Unholy fun, and wholly fun… and elegant riposte, dazzlingly executed." (Gregory Maguire, author of Wicked)

disappointed in the narration

What did you like best about The Privilege of the Sword? What did you like least?

The best thing about the story was how all the characters lives were weaved together.
The least favorite things was use sparingly used guest narrators. It was billed that Felicia Day was narrating the voice of Lady Katherine -- but she wasn't the character's voice in all the chapters of the book. Same with the other guest narrators.
It broke up the continuity of the book and was distracting to the content of the book.

I hope next time when they bill someone as narrating a character, they narrate the character in every single chapter.

Not bad, but missing some pieces.

Would you try another book from Ellen Kushner and/or the narrators?

The book was decent, and Barbara Rosenblat and the supporting cast were fantastic. But Ellen Kushner shouldn't be reading her own stuff. More on that below. Mostly, it was fine. But not all that memorable. Neil Gaiman owes me an Audible credit.

Would you recommend The Privilege of the Sword to your friends? Why or why not?

Not at all.

What do you think the narrator could have done better?

As I said, Ellen Kushner shouldn't be reading her own stuff. In this instance, she sounds way too old to narrate the character of a 16 year old girl. And she makes the classic amateur actor's mistake of emphasizing pronouns all over the place. Which ultimately made her sound like Amanda in a bad community theater production of "The Glass Menagerie."Honestly, though, I blame whomever directed this audiobook. That one simple correction would have vastly improved the performance.Still, she's not an actor. She would have done better letting the pros do their job. The difference is pretty striking.

Do you think The Privilege of the Sword needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

No. It wraps things up in a pretty tidy way, and it's not really compelling enough to go back and revisit the characters.

Any additional comments?

It's an ok book, but it pulls its punches at the end in a pretty major way.

Austen-es​que tale (with swordfight​s!)

Ellen Kushner's "The Privilege of the Sword", an Austen-esque tale spiced with romance (and swordfights!) is a delight from start to finish.

Artemisia, a gently-reared young lady of the nobility, discovers to her shock that the process of Growing Up actually equates to "being marketed as a valuble commodity", and that she herself has no real say over the consummation of the deal. Katherine, fresh from the country, looks forward to a conventional coming-out, as befits her family's rank; however, her guardian in the City is the definitely un-conventional Mad Duke Tremontaine, and he has very different plans for her. In desperate straits, Mia finds in Katherine a lifeline, while Katherine views Mia's circumstances with horror, and finds herself feeling more than a little gratitude to her uncle for making sure she doesn't suffer similar circumstances.

Woven all around this is Kushner's rich tapestry of Riverside and the Hill, the Mad Duke Tremontaine and his outrageous antics, a delightful cast of supporting characters (Lord Michael Godwin and his lady, Rosamund, are a particular delight), and of course, Tremontaine's love for the swordsman St Vier at the heart of it all.

If you are a fan of Ellen Kushner's books, you already know all that! So let me speak now specifically about the audiobook version.

The presentation as an "illuminated audiobook" is a delight from beginning to end. Ellen Kushner as Katherine's first-person narrator, and Barbara Rosenblat as the Narrator, are perfectly droll. Felicia Day's Katherine is as fresh and vibrant as any fifteen-year-old you might know. Katherine Kellgren reads a variety of female parts, each of them distinct and amusing, while Nick Sullivan, who we loved to hate as Lord Ferris in the "Swordspoint" audiobook, reprises that role here, even more wonderfully despicable. Joe Hurley's Tremontaine is deliciously decadent-sounding. (If you're a TPOTS fan, and you're wondering, Ellen Kushner narrates the well-loved "Highcombe" scene. It's heartrending.)

A particularly enjoyable aspect of the "illuminated audiobook" is Nate Tronerud's original soundtrack music (which also incorporates some of his well-loved themes from the "Swordspoint" audiobook. Although we only get to hear bits and pieces, each theme is unique and memorable, perfectly highlighting character and mood.

Sword play, coming of age, gender roles

What made the experience of listening to The Privilege of the Sword the most enjoyable?

Great characters, and interestingly written. I liked the use of multiple narrators and voices. The only time it became weird for me was when the main character suddenly had a different voice.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Katherine and St. Vier. Katherine, grew to realize the independence and freedom of having the ability to defend herself and fight her own battles. But was still free to be the Lady she wanted to be. It was interesting watching how she came to see how helpless her friend was, and how she could right those wrongs.St. Vier, was still the unbending single minded master of the sword. No matter what, if he has the ability, he will practice with the sword. He was one of those types with a single focus in life. To be the best with the sword he could be.

Which scene was your favorite?

Katherine's Duels. Ellen shows a better understanding of the Fencing type swordplay she talks about in this novel. Made me want to start fencing again.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Sure, but I don't have that much time. Though, it was nice to savor it. Sometimes when I get towards the end of a good book I almost want to stop.

Characters & Performance

Kushner’s characters are incredibly well-realized, and she is skilled enough where her audience understands what lies beneath motivations of characters like the Max Duke even when the narrator/others do not. These fantastic characters are larger than life, and magnified with brilliant performances. One of the finest audiobook experiences of my life!

Very enjoyable sequel to "Swordspoint"

Would you consider the audio edition of The Privilege of the Sword to be better than the print version?

Oddly enough, I haven't read the paper version. I somehow managed to not know that "Swordspoint" , one of my favorite books, had two sequels. These days I spend unreasonable amounts of time in my car commuting back and forth to work, so most of my reading is now via audio. So - this audio is my "first read".

What other book might you compare The Privilege of the Sword to and why?

The obvious comparison is the original book in the series "Swordspoint". A wonderful mix of intrigue, and love that has no problem speaking its name.

What does the narrators bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Of course - it would be very hard to read it on paper while driving - but in all seriousness I could listen to Ms. Kushner read eternally. I also really enjoyed the occasional (but never overdone) use of sound effects.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Sorry - can't reveal w/o giving a spoiler - but yes, there were a few of those when I found myself getting a little moist around the eyes.

Any additional comments?

A very good sequel to "Swordspoint" - almost as perfect (my only quibble with this one was that the ending seemed a little rushed in comparison). Well- acted and well-cadenced narration make for an audiobook that found me making excuses to take more long walks - I wanted to keep listening to it without seeming rude to those at home.

Sequel to Swordspoint

Originally post at FanLit.

“Whatever the duke means to do with her, it can’t be anything decent.”

The Privilege of the Sword is Ellen Kushner’s sequel to her novel Swordspoint which was about the doings of the high and low societies in her fictional town of Riverside. The main characters of that novel were the nobleman Alec Tremontaine, a student, and his lover, the famous swordsman Richard St. Vier. You don’t need to read Swordspoint before reading The Privilege of the Sword, but it will probably be more enjoyable if you do because you’ll have some background on most of the characters.

Now Alec is known as the Mad Duke Tremontaine. He spends some of his time in his mansion outside the city, but he really prefers to reside in his house in Riverside where the common people live. The Mad Duke is known for being rapacious and decadent. Yet when he asks his estranged sister to send her 15-year-old daughter Katherine to him, Katherine must go because Alec controls the family fortune.

When Katherine goes to live with her mad uncle, she envisions beautiful new gowns, exciting balls, and gallant suitors. And indeed that’s probably what she would have gotten if this story hadn’t been written by Ellen Kushner. A sweet romantic fantasy isn’t what Kushner had in mind, however (though there is sweetness and romance). Instead, the Mad Duke dresses Katherine like a boy and makes her take swordfighting lessons. She hates this at first, but later she learns that her skills are quite useful for carrying out her romantic schemes. Even later it becomes clear that there’s a method to her uncle’s madness.

Katherine is a delightful character. At the beginning she’s a sweet romantic girl with starry visions and high hopes, but her innocence is challenged when she joins the lascivious duke’s household. She’s forced to grow over the course of the novel and she learns about friendship, honor, and her own (and other people’s) sexuality. Katherine’s friendship with Marcus, a boy who works for the duke, is sweet. However, her friendship with the noblewoman Artemesia, which drives the plot in the second half of the novel, is hard to believe in since two girls hardly know each other. I did like, however, how they were bound together by the romantic admiration for the same book.

Alec is even more unlikeable in The Privilege of the Sword than he was in Swordspoint, but Kushner provides us with more of his backstory in this novel and he at least becomes a little more sympathetic. By the end I had decided that maybe I liked him after all. He has no respect for the rules of his society and it’s hard not to admire him for that. Readers of Swordspoint will also be interested to see what became of the famous swordsman Richard St. Vier.

The plot of The Privilege of the Sword is “lite” and a bit muddled. I found it somewhat dull at first, but it picks up eventually when the political intrigue starts and there’s a mystery for Katherine and Marcus to solve. The story isn’t particularly memorable, but it’s mostly amusing, unpredictable, and mercifully avoids all fantasy clichés. Most notably, it examines gender and sexuality issues in a way that has so far been unusual in fantasy literature. (Though I hesitate to call this novel a fantasy since its only fantastical element is the totally made-up setting.) Most of the characters are exploring their sexuality (which is both homosexual and heterosexual and gets rather decadent in parts) and this, in my opinion, affects the plot negatively. In other words, it could be argued that the book is more about sex than it is about story.

I listened to the audio version of The Privilege of the Sword which was produced by Neil Gaiman Presents and expertly narrated by Ellen Kushner and a full cast. Neil Gaiman and actress Felicia Day make vocal appearances. This is a good way to read The Privilege of the Sword.

Delightful!

I didn't know anything about the book or the author when I selected this, just took a chance based on the reviews. What a wonderful surprise - this is one of my new favorite audiobooks! I loved Katherine, her unorthodox 'education' (courtesy of her uncle), the way she adapts to her new circumstances, in fact everything. The narration is terrific. I look forward to listening again ...

switching voices

Would you try another book from Ellen Kushner and/or the narrators?

If you're going to have voice actors, use them for the whole of their parts. I can't stand them switching. The author should stick to perhaps two voices and narration.

What was the most interesting aspect of this story? The least interesting?

I am distracted by the voices, but I suppose the author could pay more attention to what is actually required for sword work. Of course with bent legs the place you feel it is in your butt, most noticeable the next day on stairs.

What aspect of the narrators’s performance would you have changed?

Cut the narrator's character voices, give the voice actors the whole of their parts.

Life in the City

A friend recommended this to me and this was right up my alley. Political machinations and swordplay, seen from the eyes of a young girl sent to live with her uncle in the city. I expected for some reason that there would be magic, but this series is grounded in reality, just set in a time and place not our own. Excellent performance by the audiobook cast.