The Privilege of the Sword
The Privilege of the Sword is a fantasy novel by Ellen Kushner, published in 2006 by Bantam Spectra. It is the third book in the Riverside series but can be read as a stand-alone story. The first edition cover art was by Marc Peltzer and Stephen Youll.
Katherine Talbert, a young noblewoman from the countryside, is invited by her uncle, the Mad Duke of Riverside, to live in the capital. Rather than pursuing an arranged marriage, he decides she should learn sword fighting. Katherine dresses like a boy and learns to sword-fight while trying to navigate a city full of secrets and scheming people. The uncle’s true motives are unclear, and Katherine is determined not to let him ruin her future.
The book was well received. It won the 2007 Locus Award for Best Fantasy Novel and was nominated for the 2007 Nebula Award for Best Novel and for the 2007 Gaylactic Spectrum Award.
The Privilege of the Sword is connected to Kushner’s earlier novel Swordspoint, but it can stand alone as its own story.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 11:00 (CET).