It is one of those stories in which you can lose yourself for a while. In fact, even when I didn’t like what they were doing, I was often captivated by their machinations. But it didn’t take long before I found people to root for and care about.
It takes a while to sort out everyone’s agendas (that is part of the fun!). Such is the way of things when so many of the characters that get a lot of ‘screen time’ are scheming against each other. I will admit to having thought about one of my father’s adages about stories a few times during this book: “Who is there to root for?”.
I wonder if that would have been easier had I been seeing the names rather than hearing them, but the different voices of the audiobook also helped me differentiate the characters as well – so it might not have made a difference after all. I will admit to sometimes losing track of some of the names for a bit, but anyone important enough to demand attention would soon turn up again and I shortly got everyone sorted out. Someone like Richard St Vier, if you are very lucky. In Swordspoint, duels settle disputes - and when you aren’t a swordsman yourself, then you need someone to fight in your stead. Those in Riverside are frequently entangled in the intrigue from across the bridge and it is in midst of these entanglements that we find much of the story. There are lots of beautiful parties and back room negotiations. As is often the case, those with power use everything, and everyone, at their disposal to shift things to their liking. Much of this story is what I think of as court intrigue – people in power manipulating things behind the scenes to get more power or regain power. They have their own rules – and those not from Riverside rarely dare to cross within its borders. Meanwhile, up on the hill across the bridge, is the nice side of town – home to the rich and the people in charge. Riverside is the home to thieves, swordsman, and prostitutes. Richard St Vier is the best swordsman. He lives in Riverside, the “other side of the tracks” which in this story is the “other side of the bridge”. But I hadn’t, until about two weeks of my spare time were swallowed whole by this story.
Long Review: For those of us well read in the Fantasy genre, this is one of those books that many people expect you to have read.
Short Review: Character-driven sweeping tale of court intrigue, thieves, and swordsmen read beautifully by many voices and accompanied by music and sound effects. Extras: An introduction by Neil Gaiman, which you can listen to below
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