Point of View

"Swordspoint" is told by a third-person narrator, who is semi-omniscient, meaning that the narrator seems to be able to read the thoughts of only some of the characters. The primary characters, through whose eyes the story is seen, are Richard St. Vier, Lord Michael Godwin, and Lord Anthony Ferris. Richard and Michael have the most open thoughts, while Lord Ferris reveals his scheming to the reader only toward the end. This limited viewpoint can still provide information about most of the characters, however, since they are constantly gossiping and double-crossing one another, trying to read meaning into each other's veiled words. Even though the narrator has access to these men's thoughts, it seems to be access to whatever the character is thinking at that moment, so that any demons of the past that are stirred up by deep thinking remain a mystery to the reader. This...