Jason E. Thummel’s “The Duelist” appeared at
Black Gate recently, their
first online fiction offering, which signals an exciting new phase in this fine publication’s life cycle.
A rollicking, swashbuckling adventure set amongst the aristocratic
intrigues of a city where the distinction between the wealthy Uphill
aristocrats and the poor folk who live below in Plague Bottom is everything, “The Duelist” is
reminiscent of
Ellen Kushner’s “mannerpunk”
novels
Swordspoint,
The Privledge of the Sword, and
The Fall of Kings.
Thummel’s protagonist, Androi Karpelov, is an aging duelist –
a profession centered around a ritualized trial by ordeal for the settling of
grievances between aristocrats. Androi is one of the best, but he is also jaded
and tired of being reminded of his place in this deeply flawed society.
When he gets tangled up in the intrigues of the deplorable
Baron Wyck, Androi’s life takes a turn for the complicated. Androi’s personal
code of honor drives him into peril both Uphill and down, and the question
becomes how to adhere to his sense of honor without losing his life in the
process.
I have to admit to being a bit put off by the somewhat
stilted, highly formal dialogue between the characters, including many of the denizens of Plague
Bottom. I have grown rather accustomed to (spoiled by, perhaps) the use
of quite modern language in a lot of recent secondary-world fantasies, and it took a bit of
adjustment to get used to Thummel’s style. All in all, though, this is an exciting story, filled with well-choreographed sword fights that would not be out of place in
The Princess Bride. Well-executed and clever, “The Duelist” promises good things to come from both Jason E. Thummel and
Black Gate’s online fiction offerings.
En Garde!
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