The Privilege of the SwordThe Privilege of the Sword
Score Modern
What it's about
Katherine, a sheltered young woman from the country, is summoned to the city of Riverside by her uncle, the Mad Duke Tremontaine, who orders her to learn swordfighting, a scandalous activity for a woman. To her surprise, she loves it, and uses her new skills to defend a friend's honor.
Why it's worth reading
It was a Nebula finalist and won the Locus Award. It's a witty, swashbuckling fantasy of manners.
You'll love it if you liked
The Goblin Emperor
Pride and Prejudice
The Curse of ChalionGood to know
It's set in the world of Swordspoint but stands alone.
By the numbers
- Readers30 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics24 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller0 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
On our reserve shelf: it doesn't have enough readers yet for us to rank it alongside the Must-Read 50 pool. We check again every month, and it can still turn up in your 50 once you've read most of our ranked books.
Why it made the list
Reads as
Adventurous
If you like this, read next
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
Six of Crows
A Court of Thorns and Roses
A Dog's Purpose
The Golden Compass
LegendbornExplore the best-of lists
All 36 best-of lists →
Quick answers
Is The Privilege of the Sword worth reading?
It was a Nebula finalist and won the Locus Award. Its Must-Read Score is 57.4 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is The Privilege of the Sword about?
Katherine, a sheltered young woman from the country, is summoned to the city of Riverside by her uncle, the Mad Duke Tremontaine, who orders her to learn swordfighting, a scandalous activity for a woman. To her surprise, she loves it, and uses her new skills to defend a friend's honor.
How long does it take to read The Privilege of the Sword?
About 9 hours (378 pages), or about 3 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after The Privilege of the Sword?
If you liked it, try The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison, Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen or The Curse of Chalion by Lois McMaster Bujold.