The Sharing Knife: Beguilement...

[fajrdrako]

Thanks to some wonderful people, including commodorified and Alayne, I read the advance copy of the new Lois McMaster Bujold novel The Sharing Knife this weekend. Loved it.

Mostly, I've liked all Bujold's fantasy novels less than all her SF novels, and the setting and situation of this one hadn't sounded promising to me when I read the advance publicity. Not that I didn't want to read it, of course. I was avidly curious.

Well, it was quite wonderful, and a joy to read. Thank you, commodorified.



As is usual with Bujold, the best thing about her books are her characters. The protagonists, Dag and Fawn, were delightful - just vulnerable enough to be real, just short of t00-good-to-be-true. As heroes go, Dag manages to tap into a number of my favourite heroic attributes, besides just being heroic and clever. (Which is a damn good way to start.) The man plays to all my archetypical kinks: he specializes in interpersonal diplomacy - that is, controlling a situation by tact, persuasion, beguilement and trickery in lieu of violence, as necessary. He is mature, of a long-lived race, with a troubled past - while the woman he loves is much younger than he is. He is a Ranger - well, in this culture they are called Lakewalkers, but I kept thinking of him as a Ranger. He is deeply loving and loyal where he loves. He thinks independently, imaginatively, and not traditionally. He knows what he wants and goes after it, often at great risk. And - oh joy of joys - he has only one hand. Not ot mention that he is sexy, understanding, inventive, and good in bed. Not to mention that he is an outsider, unique even in his own culture. Was Bujold tapping into my subconscious for this gem?

The only flaw I could think of in him is that he has rather short hair. But the book sets up a situation where he could grow it longer.

Now, I had certain expectations through the first third of the book. An enemy entity is set up - no need to go into details here, though I thought of the creature, the malice, as an alien soul-eater. There are several hints in the first section, when Dag is hunting the malice and its creepy minions are hunting Fawn, that led me to think certain things were going to happen in the second part of the book. Lines about the worse case scenarios with the malice made me expect that these scenarios would come to pass.

And none of them did. Instead of being a story about defeating the malice, it turns out to be a story about relationships: how people treat each other. I would say it is primarily a romance, except that it has none of the genre romance plot, no misundestandings between the lovers, so real obstacle to their love. The last third seems to be a bit of a paeon to marriage, as Dag sets out to win Fawn's family over to acceptance of him as her husband, and to reconcile her to her family, from which she had been estranged.

There are some great character scenes, such as Dag's humiliation of Fawn's nasty ex-lover, and the conversations with her best relative, Aunt Nettie. I think the relationship I enjoyed most was that between Dag and Fawn's father, a suspicous old farmer - well, not old, he's 53, actually almost the same age as Dag. And me. Not old at all.

There were a few places I wanted to learn more. I wanted more of the Lakewalker culture, and less of the Farmer culture. I wanted to know why Fawn's twin brothers Reed and Rush were so nasty to Dag (whom they considered evil) and so ready to destroy Fawn's life through violent means.

There's a lot left for my curiosity in the second book - where I would hope we will meet Dag's family, and have more about the Lakewalkers? It looks as if Dag is making a sort of transition from being a Patroller to being a Maker - that's intriguing even if we hear no more about the malice.

Other questions may remain unanswered. Is this an anarchic society, without government?

I cried over the scene with the glass bowl.

Comments

[msilverstar]

I found a review copy of that in a bookstore in Berkeley, and had pretty much the same response you did. Except, I'd just read her 'Curse of Chalion', which is a much better book (despite the fantasy novel cliches). So this suffered in comparison, but it's a nice book.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Oh, congratulations on finding a copy! I look forward to the sequel.

I liked it better than "The Curse of Chalion".

[xinef.livejournal.com]

I prefer Lois's SF to her fantasy. But this one I loved. Can't wait for _Legacy_. Somewhat to my surprise, my husband also enjoyed _Beguilement_, although not nearly to the extent that I did. But he did say that he'd read the sequel when I got it.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

I prefer Lois's SF to her fantasy.

That is usually the case with me, too.

But this one I loved.

There was something about it - ! One of her finer romances, I thought, and such convincing characters.

Can't wait for _Legacy_.

Oh, absolutely. I just wanted to go on reading and not stop.

[apis-mellifera.livejournal.com]

Here from the LMB list.

I loved the book. Loved loved loved it. And a review to that effect will be showing up in the October issue of Romantic Times (I just turned it in on Monday).

And the sex scene? It's the best one I've read in a very long time. That bit in the midst of it about grief and time and stones on the heart was just perfect. I can't wait to read the second half of the story--I'm hoping that we get to learn more about the Lakewalkers and I got the sense that things get a bit darker, too.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Here from the LMB list.

Wonderful! So glad you dropped by.

a review to that effect will be showing up in the October issue of Romantic Times (I just turned it in on Monday).

Oh, wonderful! I hope I get a chance to see that. It was one of the best romances I've read in years. And yes, the sex scene was terrific - there were many wonderful things about it, including the words used and the way the characters and actions meshed. It also seemed quite real to me, as many published sex scenes do not.

I can't wait to read the second half of the story--

Me too. This waiting business - it's terrible!

I'm hoping that we get to learn more about the Lakewalkers

So do I! They're so intriguing.

I got the sense that things get a bit darker, too.

I predict a serious crisis - some threat (probably from the malice) that Dag and Fawn can handle together but could not handle alone.

I like the way Fawn is an outsider-view on Lakewalker culture, similar to the way Cordelia was a outside-view on Barrayaran culture.


I'm hoping that we get to learn more about the Lakewalkers and I got the sense that things get a bit darker, too.

[apis-mellifera.livejournal.com]

I used to belong to the list a long time ago, then left for some reason I can't remember, and I just rejoined this week--I'm mostly a lurker on my email lists.

The magazine will hit subscribers' mailboxes in about a month, so look for it at the bookstore in mid-September. It'll be in the SF/F section, which is the section I take care of.

Bujold books are like sweet, sweet crack--I inhaled this one by sneaking bits and pieces while I was at work a month or so ago. Luckily, the books are eminently rereadable (I just reread Natalie's Favorite Bits of ACC earlier this week).

I really liked the lighter feeling in this book. I love the Chalion books, but they're so heavy at times. I am expecting that the danger from the malice(s) will be mor pronounced in the second book, and of course, we'll find out what the deal with the knife is, too. I'm looking forward to Dag's people's reaction to Fawn.

Also, Bujold got all the fiber stuff *right*--I'm a spinner and knitter who wants to learn to weave, and nothing struck me as wrong. Aunt Nettie is awesome.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

used to belong to the list a long time ago... and I just rejoined this week

Well, then, welcome back! I find that my enjoyment of the list ebbs and flows, depending on who is posting and what they are talking about. I like it best when they are actually discussing the Bujold novels.

Bujold books are like sweet, sweet crack--

Naw. They're much more appealing.

I love the Chalion books, but they're so heavy at times.

I sometimes love the Chalion books and sometimes don't. They've yet to break some sort of mental barrier for me, between 'real' and 'stories', if that makes sense. Wonderful scenes, wonderful lines - but it still seems somewhat artificial to me in a way that Vorkosigans and Lakewalkers do not. I still haven't read Paladin of Souls.

I am expecting that the danger from the malice(s) will be more pronounced in the second book

Me too, but none of the Bujold novels are predictable, so I don't know if the things I would expect will happen - and I love the uncertainty!

Aunt Nettie is awesome.

So she was.