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    Point of Knives: A Novella of Astreiant
    Unavailable
    Point of Knives: A Novella of Astreiant
    Unavailable
    Point of Knives: A Novella of Astreiant
    Ebook169 pages2 hours

    Point of Knives: A Novella of Astreiant

    By Melissa Scott

    4/5

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    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this ebook

    A welcome return to the vividly realized city of Astreiant with its intricate magics and deadly politics, Point of Knives takes place in the interval between the widely praised earlier novels Point of Hopes and Point of Dreams. A fantastical mystery and a rousing adventure, Point of Knives also reveals for the first time the beginning of the romance between Adjunct Point Nicolas Rathe and the Leaguer Philip Eslingen.

    The events of Midsummer have not been forgotten by the Fall Balance, and Nicolas Rathe can hardly complain that they’ve done any harm to his reputation, or to the reputation of the Points in general. However, newfound fame has meant that he’s more in demand as an investigator, and the increased recognition and workload make it difficult to pursue friendship, or anything more, with the handsome former soldier Philip Eslingen, his comrade in the rescue of the stolen children. Eslingen’s employer Hanselin Caiazzo is still deeply involved in any number of questionably legal ventures. Any association between Rathe, a representative of Astreiant’s queen, and Caiazzo’s bodyguard Eslingen is regarded with suspicion from both sides of the law.

    When a father and son rumored to be “summer-sailors,” or pirates, are murdered on the same night and Rathe finds Eslingen standing over the son’s body, Eslingen proves his innocence easily enough, despite loyally refusing to say exactly what errand he’s running for Caiazzo at that untimely hour of the morning. But when the old man’s grandson and the son’s self-proclaimed wife quarrel over the son’s meager belongings, and Caiazzo dispatches Eslingen to represent his interests in the investigation, Rathe begins to wonder if their friendship is going to survive. Or whether he and Eslingen will survive at all.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherLethe Press
    Release dateJul 8, 2012
    ISBN9781452482569
    Unavailable
    Point of Knives: A Novella of Astreiant
    Author

    Melissa Scott

    Melissa Scott is an award-winning science fiction and fantasy author. She is the author of more than two dozen books, including the Astreiant series. She has won the John W. Campbell Award and several Lambda Literary Awards.

    Read more from Melissa Scott

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    Reviews for Point of Knives

    4/5

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    • 3/5
      This novella felt very slight. The mystery is not that involving, and the relationship development is minor. Non-specific spoilers: I was expecting to either see Rathe and Eslingen get together for the first time, or define their relationship, and they really do neither. There are some mild developments, but nothing truly satisfying - and nothing racier on-screen than a kiss.

      There was nothing particularly wrong with it, but it didn't tick the boxes I was looking for. Point of Dreams (the full novel this precedes) is much more satisfying in terms of relationship development and in terms of the mystery plot.
    • 4/5
      They're way too cute. It's not as polished as the other two books, kind of like really great fanfiction, but SO entertaining. I just love Nico and Philip so much! A cute short story that I think lives up to the other two quite well. Now I need to reread Point of Dreams. I'm excited about it!