Swordplay, scandal, sex...and chocolate.
Welcome to Tremontaine, the long awaited return to Ellen Kushner’s beloved Riverside series and the prequel to the cult-classic Swordspoint.
“A Vanity Fair of aristocrats, rogues, orphans, and heroes…”
- Neil Gaiman on Swordspoint
This “Fantasy of Manners” follows the lives and intrigues of four very different
characters as they maneuver the cobblestone streets and glittering ballrooms of a city that never was. Nameless, but inspired by Elizabethan London, 18th century Paris, New York in the 1980s, the setting of Tremontaine comes alive behind the colorful figures of Micah the genius; Rafe Fenton, a man of many passions; the mysterious foreign swordswoman, Ixkaab Balam; and of course: Diane, Duchess Tremontaine, a character well-met in the original series, but whose history has remained a mystery until now.When Ellen Kushner’s Swordspoint was originally released in 1987, it quickly became a beacon of queer-friendly fantasy for a generation of LGBT readers, and all those interested in something a bit different from the status quo of knights, wizards, and heteronormative fiction. Tremontaine continues these themes and promises all the heat, romance, and wit fans have come to love.The Tremontaine writers room brings together Swordspoint fanfiction authors and known super-fans of the original series handpicked by Ellen Kushner and Julian Yap of Serial Box. Ellen is the series creator and the team includes Alaya Dawn Johnson (The Summer Prince), Malinda Lo (Ash), Joel Derfner (Swish), Racheline Maltese, and Patty Bryant.Tremontaine will be released as weekly episodes in digital and audio starting October 28th, 2015, via SerialBox.com, the Serial Box Publishing iOS app, and wherever ebooks and audiobooks are sold. Preorder here.
Praise for Tremontaine
“Sharp blades and even sharper wits abound! Delicious new adventures await fans in this welcome return to the world of Swordspoint.”– Jacqueline Carey, New York Times Bestselling author of the Kushiel’s Legacy series“Lovely! Beneath a froth of silk and lace Tremontaine is finely muscled, rippling with skill and promise.”– Nicola Griffith, author of Hild“More Tremontaine stories? YESPLEASE. Tremontaine stories by some of my favorite, excellent writers? HELLA YESPLEASE. I can't wait to read them all! ”– N. K. Jemisin, author of The Fifth Kingdom“A pure delight full of sparkling characters that match equally dazzling wits and swords. If you've visited the world of Swordspoint before, you'll be delighted to return; if it's your first time, you'll be welcomed in style. I can't wait to read more myself!”– Naomi Novaik, author of Uprooted
The Writing Team
Ellen Kushner's paying jobs have included folksinger, book editor, national public radio host (Sound & Spirit/WGBH), writing teacher (Clarion, Odyssey, WRX, Hollins Child.Lit.MFA), audiobook narrator (all three Riverside novels for Neil Gaiman Presents) and pilgrim at Plimoth Plantation. Her Riverside novels begin with Swordspoint, followed by The Privilege of the Sword (Locus Award, Nebula nominee); The Fall of the Kings (written with Delia Sherman) and a growing collection of short stories. She lives in New York City with Delia Sherman, no cats, and a whole lot of airplane and theater ticket stubs she just can’t bring herself to throw away. EllenKushner.com. @EllenKushner.Alaya Dawn Johnson is the author of six novels for adults and young adults. Her novel The Summer Prince was longlisted for the National Book Award for Young People's Literature. Her most recent, Love Is the Drug, won the Andre Norton Award. Her short stories have appeared in many magazines and anthologies, including Asimov's, Fantasy & Science Fiction, Interzone, Subterranean, Zombies vs. Unicorns and Welcome to Bordertown. In addition to the Norton, she has won the Cybils and Nebula Awards and been nominated for the Indies Choice Award and Locus Award. She lives in Mexico City. AlayaDawnJohnson.com. @alayadj.Malinda Lo is the author of several young adult novels including most recently the science fiction duo logy Adaptation and Inheritance (Little, Brown). Her first novel, Ash, a retelling of Cinderella with a lesbian twist, was a finalist for the William C. Morris YA Debut Award, the Andre Norton Award, the Mythopoeic Fantasy Award, and the Lambda Literary Award. Her novel Huntress was an ALA Best Book for Young Adults and a finalist for the Lambda Literary Award. malindalo.com. @MalindaLo.Joel Derfner is the author of Gay Haiku, Swish: My Quest to Become the Gayest Person Ever and What Ended Up Happening Instead, and Lawfully Wedded Husband: How My Gay Marriage Will Save the American Family. (Are you sensing a theme?) Musicals to which he has composed the score have played in New York, London, and various cities in between (going counterclockwise). He lives, alas, in Brooklyn, along with his husband and their small, fluffy dog. joelderfner.com. @JoelDerfner.Racheline Maltese is a performer and storyteller focused on themes of loss, desire, and fame. With Erin McRae she co-writes the Love in Los Angeles LGBTQ+ contemporary romance series from Torquere Press and the Love's Labours contemporary gay romance series from Dreamspinner Press. From tentacle monsters that rule the New York City subways to lesbian werewolf bodyguards in 19th century Rome, her short fiction is about the practical problems caused by fantastical events. Racheline also writes plays and poetry, and her non-fiction on all things pop-culture has been widely published. @Racheline_M.Patty Bryant is a cafe-based writer who publishes in the romance genre under several different pen names. She has an M.A. in archaeology from New York University and, when she is not in the field, lives in Brooklyn, NY. She is passionate about tea, nail polish, and horror movies.
