The Privilege of the Sword

The Privilege of the Sword is an epic sword-and-sorcery novel by Ellen Kushner set in a richly imagined world blending 18th-century aesthetics with dark magic. When Katherine Talbert's uncle, the Duke of Riverside, forces her to learn swordplay instead of following the path laid out for women of her station, she is thrust into the capital's underworld and becomes entangled in a conspiracy that threatens both her and those around her. Kushner weaves political intrigue, martial skill, and a slow-burning mystery into a tale of identity and survival.