Where to Begin Your Journey with Delia Sherman
Delia Sherman is a master of "interstitial" fantasy—stories that gracefully slip through the cracks of traditional genres, blending historical realism with folklore, myth, and magical realism. Because her work spans collaborative adult fantasy of manners, whimsical middle-grade urban fantasy, and poignant historical time-travel novels, the best place to start depends heavily on what kind of reader you are.
For readers who love witty, character-driven historical fantasy with a touch of romance and political intrigue, the best starting point is The World of Riverside (co-created with her wife, Ellen Kushner). Specifically, starting with Ellen Kushner's foundational novel Swordspoint, followed by the co-authored The Fall of the Kings, offers the perfect introduction to this setting.
If you prefer standalone historical fantasy with a lush, fairytale atmosphere, start with the Mythopoeic Award-winning The Porcelain Dove. For younger readers or those who enjoy whimsical, portal-style urban fantasy set in a magical version of Manhattan, the Changeling duology is the ideal path.
The World of Riverside & Tremontaine
The World of Riverside (also known as the Swords of Riverside series) is a collaborative fantasy-of-manners setting created by Ellen Kushner. While Kushner wrote the main novels, Delia Sherman has been a critical contributor, co-authoring the key novel The Fall of the Kings and serving as a writer and editor for the serialized prequel project Tremontaine. Here is how to navigate this elegant world of swords and scandal:
1. The Core Riverside Novels (Publication Order)
If you want to read the main novels in the order they were published and read by the public, follow this path:
- Swordspoint (1987) — Written by Ellen Kushner. The book that started it all, introducing the city, its nobles, and the professional swordsman Richard St. Vier.
- The Fall of the Kings (2002) — Co-authored by Delia Sherman and Ellen Kushner. Set two generations (roughly 60 years) after the events of Swordspoint, this novel focuses on the university, academic politics, and the rediscovered history of the city’s ancient magicians.
- The Privilege of the Sword (2006) — Written by Ellen Kushner. Set about 15 years after Swordspoint, following Richard St. Vier's niece, Alec.
2. The Prequel: Tremontaine
For a massive collaborative project, Kushner, Sherman, and a writers' room of authors created Tremontaine, a serialized prequel set 20 years before the events of Swordspoint. Delia Sherman edited Season 1 and co-wrote episodes in Season 3. It can be read before Swordspoint if you want a chronological experience, or as a supplement after you have read the core novels.
- Tremontaine: The Complete Season 1 (2016)
- Tremontaine: The Complete Season 2 (2017)
- Tremontaine: The Complete Season 3 (2018)
- Tremontaine: The Complete Season 4 (2018)
The Changeling Duology
For younger readers, Sherman crafted a whimsical, middle-grade urban fantasy series set in the "New York Between"—a magical parallel version of New York City where folklore, fairy tales, and mythological figures reside side-by-side with modern infrastructure. Unlike the Riverside books, these should be read strictly in chronological order:
- Changeling (2006) — Introduces Neef, a human child swapped at birth with a fairy. When she accidentally breaks a treaty, she must embark on a quest through the magical wild spaces of New York.
- The Magic Mirror of the Mermaid Queen (2009) — Follows Neef as she goes on a new quest involving the Mermaid Queen of Central Park, magical mirrors, and underwater dangers.
Award-Winning Standalone Novels
If you want self-contained stories, Sherman’s standalone novels showcase her range as a solo writer. Each book is entirely independent and can be read in any order:
- Through a Brazen Mirror (1988) — Sherman's debut novel. It is an atmospheric retelling of the traditional Anglo-Scottish ballad "The Famous Flower of Serving-Men," featuring themes of gender disguise, identity, and medieval court magic.
- The Porcelain Dove (1993) — Winner of the Mythopoeic Fantasy Award. Set in an 18th-century French castle, this lush, fairytale-infused gothic novel is narrated by a witty chambermaid named Adele, detailing a cursed family and the magic of a legendary porcelain dove.
- The Freedom Maze (2011) — Winner of the Andre Norton and Prometheus Awards. A young adult time-travel novel set in 1960, following a young girl named Sophie who is transported back to a 1860 Louisiana plantation, where she is mistaken for a slave and must survive while seeking a way home.
- The Evil Wizard Smallbone (2016) — Nominated for the Andre Norton Award. A YA fantasy about a runaway boy named Nick who becomes the apprentice to a mysterious, curmudgeonly wizard in a small Maine town, discovering magic, shape-shifting, and his own power.
Short Stories and Novellas
Sherman has also written numerous short stories that expand on her favorite themes or explore new subgenres:
- The Parwat Ruby (1999) — A Victorian-era fantasy of colonial inheritance and family secrets, which was nominated for the World Fantasy Award. It is collected in her short story compilation, Young Woman in a Garden.
- The Great Detective (2016) — A steampunk, Sherlockian alternate-history story featuring Mycroft Holmes and an "Illogic Engine," published digitally on Tor.com.