“I tore into The Fall of the Kings with the enthusiasm of an emigrant allowed to make a sudden, unexpected trip home. Not the least of its considerable rewards is the admirably compacted density of that particular space-time invention, the other world. Kushner and Sherman don't spin fables or knit fancies: they are world-forgers, working in a language of iron and air.”

—Gregory Maguire, author of Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister and Wicked

“Swordspoint was the best fantasy novel of 1989. The Fall of the Kings, if possible, is even better — twistier and deeper.”

—Neil Gaiman, author of Coraline and American Gods

“This is a richly imagined tale in which attractive characters, realistically enmeshed in social, political, and personal concerns, must deal with the resurgence of ancient wizardry and royal divine right into a more rationalistic and modern political system. The settings — a university full of rival masters and ambitious students, the drawing rooms and festivals of a privileged aristocratic class, and the secret meeting places in which fanatical barbarians plot the return of ancient blood-rites — are realized with a robust depth and realism rare in fantasy literature; and I am pleased to report that our hero comes equipped not only with friends and lovers of various sexes, but with a full-fledged family including among others an astute and influential mother, some aunts and cousins and nieces, and even a delightfully swashbuckling sister — the sort of female relations usually glossed over, if not completley omitted, in sagas of magic and romance. A sparkling job!”

—Suzy McKee Charnas, author of My Father's Ghost and Motherlines

“This book is stunning. It has all of the rich fantastic tapestry of Swordspoint, and more depth, more wonder and truth and humanity-and, of course, lots of parties and handsome men and costumes and scheming and cutting remarks and intimate little dinners and lots and lots of sex. If Oscar Wilde were writing high fantasy, he'd want to write The Fall of the Kings.”

—Sarah Smith, author of The Vanished Child and A Citizen of the Country

“To be blunt, I loved this book. These are my reasons why: First, The Fall of the Kings is a major work of Interstitial Fiction — falling into the interstitial realm between fantasy and modernist literature, drawing on the very best tropes of both. Second, it's a novel deeply rooted in myth, re-configuring the classic motif of king-sacrifice in ways both sensual and startling (Joseph Campbell fans take note). Third, underneath the razzle-dazzle of the plot, there's a deeper story that has much to say to our modern world about the value of not discarding myth and fantasy from our lives. And finally, it's a delicious read, rich in character and dialogue; dark, sexy, and wickedly funny by turns. I loved it. You'll love it too.”

—Terri Windling, author of The Wood Wife, editor of The Year's Best Fantasy & Horror

“Considering the splendid talents of Ellen Kushner and Delia Sherman when writing under their individual bylines, it's really no surprise that The Fall of the Kings is the treat it is. Engaging characters, with their sharp dialogue and complex relationships, and a wonderfully realized setting combine here for one of my favourite books this year — and so far it's already been a very good year.”

—Charles de Lint, author of The Onion Girl

“I loved Swordspoint and its world. From Ellen Kushner and Delia Sherman, I expected brilliance and wit. I found it. I expected style and substance, and I found those too. I also found truth, love, hearts of fire, hearts of gold, and even a few hearts of substances less noble but even more interesting. The Fall of the Kings makes Swordspoint and its world even deeper and richer. I had astronomically high expectations for this book. It surpassed them all.”

—Caroline Stevermer, author of A College of Magics

“Ellen Kushner and Delia Sherman combine their talents to fine effect in The Fall of the Kings, pulling off the considerable trick of making elegant prose seem effortless. The characters are as vivid, complex and varied as the milieu in which they operate, and the contrast inherent in the reemergence of a deep-rooted, archetypal magic into an elaborately mannered society is piquant and compelling.”

—Jacqueline Carey, author of Kushiel's Dart

“Sherman and Kushner are painters of great subtlety and sophistication, giving us a rich fantasy world where swordsmen and lady pirates seem every bit as believable as scholars. Sacred sexuality, drawing room politics, and mystical secrets all walk right into our hearts in the form of unforgettable characters. I enjoyed every page, every line, of this book.”

—Cecilia Tan

“The Fall of the Kings evokes a sumptuous (not wholly unfamiliar) world whose inhabitants, willing or not, must play out a blend of animal ritual and inky passion. In a city where street brawls follow the rules of fencing and tenure is defined by whether or not your students feel like paying you, two blazing personalities entwine in an exquisite tapestry of intrigue, blood, silk, and magic green as summer. Rife with suspense and hilarity, Kushner and Sherman's magnificent pasquinade of kingship and scholarship should enchant anyone who has ever aspired to either.”

—Elizabeth E. Wein, author of The Winter Prince

“The Fall of the Kings tells a rich, intricate story, in which politics, passion, scholarship and magic are intriguingly entwined. It's a triumphant return to a captivating country.”

—Elizabeth A. Lynn

“What a pleasure to return to the world Ellen created in Swordspoint. A generation later, it is as decadent, intriguing and, of course, as romantic, as ever, and peopled with a fabulous new cast, as well as a few familiar, if more time worn faces. Historian Basil St. Cloud's very believable world of academic in fighting makes for an unlikely yet thoroughly engaging backdrop for events in which history is the dark catalyst. His myopic scholarship, coupled with the cruel forces of fate, pull St. Cloud and his students into a political struggle with consequences none can foresee. And this is how fantasy should be written. Kushner and Sherman write with grace, style, wit, and a delicious attention to detail. The Fall of the Kings is that rare thing these days: a novel that sweeps you in and lets you live the story with the characters.”

—Lynn Flewelling, author of The Bone Doll's Twin

“A charmed, witty romp through an alternate history's history, full of appealing characters and enough mystery to keep me turning pages . . . A very intelligent novel, skillfully written by two writers from whom I've come to expect the best.”

—Patricia McKillip, author of Riddle-Master and Ombria in Shadow

“Gorgeous prose and a galloping story, with a wickedly funny appreciation for academic knifefights, and a deep understanding of a true scholar's passion for his subject.”

—Mary Doria Russell, author of The Sparrow

“If one wants to locate the high ground of fantasy fiction, as this new millenium begins, it is a very good idea to see where Ellen Kushner and Delia Sherman are. Individually, and writing together, they honor the genre with their work.”