Swordspoint - Tapa dura

Swordspoint
On the treacherous streets of Riverside, a man lives and dies by the sword. Even the nobles on the Hill turn to duels to settle their disputes.
Within this elite, dangerous world, Richard St. Vier is the undisputed master, as skilled as he is ruthless - until a death by the sword is met with outrage instead of awe, and the city discovers that the line between hero and villain can be altered in the blink of an eye.

The classic forerunner to The Fall of the Kings now with three bonus stories. Hailed by critics as a bravura performance (Locus) and witty, sharp-eyed, [and] full of interesting people (Newsday), this classic melodrama of manners, filled with remarkable plot twists and unexpected humor, takes fantasy to an unprecedented level of elegant writing and scintillating wit.

Award-winning author Ellen Kushner has created a world of unforgettable characters whose political ambitions, passionate love affairs, and age-old rivalries collide with deadly results.