Reread, and adjusting the rating a bit. This novel reads like contemporary urban fantasy set in Kushner's Riverside setting. It does a lot to expand the world of Riverside, giving it folk customs and ancient history and a lively academic scene, and I definitely had fun rereading it. But as a narrative it didn't totally gel for me, especially the second time round.

The Fall of the Kings follows the messy romance of a young nobleman who hasn't quite figured himself out and a young scholar who is really, really bad at departmental politics. Their attempts to realize their destinies get tangled up in ancient magic. I liked Theron and Basil an awful lot, but their lack of self-awareness (and self-preservation!) is frustrating. They are both such earnest, clueless guys and as a result they become passive characters, swept along by magic and the engine of the story. I have a notion that Kushner and Sherman didn't have an ending in mind when they started writing, and the plot, while pleasingly organic, lacks the intensity of the other Riverside novels.

That said, after a muddy middle, there was a lot to enjoy in the third act. Theron's swashbuckling art dealer/pirate half-sister Jessica is a delightful character who absolutely works despite showing up late in the game. I found Theron's resolution satisfying as well, even if it's a bit out of left field.

As for Basil, this time round I realized this is a novel about dealing with the legacy of problematic intellectual pioneers, who are brilliant one moment and weighed down with scandal and junk theories the next. I think this is one of the strongest themes in the book and would have liked to see it more in the forefront.

At the end of the day, The Fall of the Kings is a book as messy and fascinating as Basil St. Cloud's scholarship. I wouldn't recommend it to those who haven't read Kushner and Sherman's other works, but it's certainly a must-read for Riverside completists. ( )

Bienvenidos a una ciudad sin nombre dividida entre la Colina, sede de suntuosas mansiones, y la Ribera, hogar de carteristas y prostitutas, donde los nobles encuentran a los expertos espadachines que, sin nada que perder, se baten en duelo por ellos. El poder está en manos del Consejo de los Lores desde hace dos siglos, cuando la aristocracia se enfrentó a la monarquía y el duque de Tremontaine, el Regicida, retó y mató al último rey. Pero ahora algo se mueve en las provincias del norte, fuente de una magia cuya sola mención está prohibida, y su infuencia se deja sentir en la ciudad. Basil de Cloud, doctor en Historia, desafía los principios de la academia al proponer la tesis de la realidad de la magia, que puede demostrar al poseer el único ejemplar existente del Libro del brujo del rey. Y desafía las normas de la sociedad al tomar como amante a Theron Campion, heredero de Tremontaine, por cuyas venas corre la sangre de los reyes. Su encuentro no es casual: cada rey debe tener un brujo como compañero y consejero... y las antiguas tradiciones están a punto de cobrar nueva vida.

This book has been on my to-read list for ages and ages, long enough for me to forget pretty much everything about Swordspoint. But that didn't matter. I wasn't quite sure what I was expecting from this book, but throughout, I kept finding it surprising in its imagination, its vision, and how it carried the story forward. ( )

I could barely finish this. Characters were introduced with a list of their distinguishing characteristics. One chapter started with what appeared to be the notes for that chapter. Random druid-like stuff happens. The ending doesn't make anyone happy, especially me.

Skip this, assume it was nice, and go read a different book. ( )

This is the 3rd book (soon to be the 4th book) in the Riverside series, although it was the 2nd published in the series. I love the series; Kushner's writing has improved in the intervening time.

Katherine is still Duchess of Tremontaine, but Theron, Alec's posthumous son is her heir presumptive. He is involved with Basil St Cloud, a magister at the University. We see more of the University and the political machinations.

Enjoyable.