On 10th Octorber 2006, Lois McMaster Bujold published a new fantasy novel called The Sharing Knife: Beguilement. It is the first novel in a (so far) four part story staring a Lakewalker called Dag (I can't recall his full name, nor do I feel inclined to look it up) and a farmer called Dawn. Synopsis: Troubled young Fawn Bluefield seeks a life beyond her family’s farm. But
on the way to the city, she encounters a patrol of Lakewalkers, nomadic
soldier-sorcerers from the northern woodlands. Feared necromancers
armed with mysterious knives made of human bone, they wage a secret
on-going war against the scourge of the “malices,” immortal entities
that draw the life out of their victims, enslaving human and animal
alike. It is Dag—a Lakewalker patroller weighed down by past sorrows and
present responsibilities—who must come to Fawn’s aid when she is taken
captive by a malice. They prevail at a devastating cost—unexpectedly
binding their fates together as they embark upon a remarkable journey
into danger and delight, prejudice and partnership . . . and perhaps
even love.
The novel opens with a young woman named Fawn Bluefield walking. Seems Bujold has a thing for starting the first book of her fantasy series with the main character walking (The Curse of Challion). Fawn's left her family behind because some idiot named Sunny Sawman (yeah, sounds like an arsehole) got her pregnant; she's going to the city called Glassforge. A group of Lakewalkers passes by a farm when she's picking apples. The lead Lakewalker, Dag, suspects a malice in the area. During a brief fight with bandits, Dag chases after a fleeing mud-man. Two mud-men attempt to rape Fawn but Dag kills them and both recognize each other from the apple farm. Dag tells Fawn what the mud-men are and Fawn accidentally reveals that she's pregnant. They come across a raided farm and house: Fawn stays while Dag goes hunting; three mud-men recapture her. Dag attempts to rescue her, but mud-men block his path to the malice--which has killed Fawn's unborn baby. Dag tosses his sharing knives to Fawn. She stabs the malice with an unprimed knife, then with the primed one. the malice dies upon being stabbed with the primed knife. Dag, after touching the unprimed knife and taking Fawn away from the decomposing malice realizes that the unprimed knife is now primed via Fawn stabbing the malice, but he wants to have that confirmed. Back at the farm house, Dag attempts to explain groundsense, malices, and sharing knives to Fawn. They talk about why Fawn left her place and about Sunny Sawman knocking her up and his refusal to acknowledge what he'd done and how Fawn's folks and brothers think she's stupid; Dag talks about his youth.
The farmers return and fix their place and the wife accuses Dag of messing with Fawn's mind. Dag and Fawn leave for Glassforge. They arrive and discover that Dag's patrol leader, Mari, went looking for him with the whole patrol except wounded Saun and Reela. Mari comes back and Dag and Fawn tell her what happened. As Mari checks to make sure Fawn's healing, Mari tells her about Kauneo--Dag's dead wife--and how he lost his hand and why the unprimed knife is special to Dag. Dag gets his arm brace fixed and goes back on patrols while Fawn rests up; Dag tells Fawn about the history of the Lakewalkers, or some of it. (You want to know more, read the book, cos I'm not telling.) Mari lectures Dag about his feelings so much that it reminds me of the Star Wars Prequel Trilogy Jedi harping about no attachment. He tries to rebuff the idea that he loves Fawn, but doesn't convince anybody. After a party, Fawn and Dag make out--she invited him, as is proper in Lakewalker society. Eventually, Fawn and Dag leave for Hickory Lake via Lumpton Market and West Blue. Every member of Fawn's family except Aunt Nattie demands to know why she left to find work in Glassforge. her family doesn't believe her story, except Nattie. Sunny tries to make threats but Dag puts him in his place.
Over a couple of days, they get to know Dag. He asks to marry Fawn and they greet him with silence. Sorrel--Fawn's father--tries to take a glass bowl that Fawn bought for her mother away from Rush--Fawn's brother--and it smashes on the floor. Dag's missing arm's ground--ghost hand, as I call it--puts the bowl back together; he's not a maker, something he and the camp determined when he was younger. Nattie makes the Lakewalker bracelets cos of her awesome backstory which you shall know when you read the book. She tells the family to shut it. Rush and Reed try and split Fawn and Dag up. Rush leads Dag into a trap with Sunny and three of Sunny's friends. Dag sics wasps on Sunny and company. Dag and Sorrel give Rush a good talking-to, then Dag lets Sorrel rip (verbally) into Reed. Fawn and Dag marry, then leave for Hickory Lake.
All in all, a good start to an interesting series (for me, I liked books three and four more than one and two). Great characterizations and story that leave you wanting more.
The novel opens with a young woman named Fawn Bluefield walking. Seems Bujold has a thing for starting the first book of her fantasy series with the main character walking (The Curse of Challion). Fawn's left her family behind because some idiot named Sunny Sawman (yeah, sounds like an arsehole) got her pregnant; she's going to the city called Glassforge. A group of Lakewalkers passes by a farm when she's picking apples. The lead Lakewalker, Dag, suspects a malice in the area. During a brief fight with bandits, Dag chases after a fleeing mud-man. Two mud-men attempt to rape Fawn but Dag kills them and both recognize each other from the apple farm. Dag tells Fawn what the mud-men are and Fawn accidentally reveals that she's pregnant. They come across a raided farm and house: Fawn stays while Dag goes hunting; three mud-men recapture her. Dag attempts to rescue her, but mud-men block his path to the malice--which has killed Fawn's unborn baby. Dag tosses his sharing knives to Fawn. She stabs the malice with an unprimed knife, then with the primed one. the malice dies upon being stabbed with the primed knife. Dag, after touching the unprimed knife and taking Fawn away from the decomposing malice realizes that the unprimed knife is now primed via Fawn stabbing the malice, but he wants to have that confirmed. Back at the farm house, Dag attempts to explain groundsense, malices, and sharing knives to Fawn. They talk about why Fawn left her place and about Sunny Sawman knocking her up and his refusal to acknowledge what he'd done and how Fawn's folks and brothers think she's stupid; Dag talks about his youth.
The farmers return and fix their place and the wife accuses Dag of messing with Fawn's mind. Dag and Fawn leave for Glassforge. They arrive and discover that Dag's patrol leader, Mari, went looking for him with the whole patrol except wounded Saun and Reela. Mari comes back and Dag and Fawn tell her what happened. As Mari checks to make sure Fawn's healing, Mari tells her about Kauneo--Dag's dead wife--and how he lost his hand and why the unprimed knife is special to Dag. Dag gets his arm brace fixed and goes back on patrols while Fawn rests up; Dag tells Fawn about the history of the Lakewalkers, or some of it. (You want to know more, read the book, cos I'm not telling.) Mari lectures Dag about his feelings so much that it reminds me of the Star Wars Prequel Trilogy Jedi harping about no attachment. He tries to rebuff the idea that he loves Fawn, but doesn't convince anybody. After a party, Fawn and Dag make out--she invited him, as is proper in Lakewalker society. Eventually, Fawn and Dag leave for Hickory Lake via Lumpton Market and West Blue. Every member of Fawn's family except Aunt Nattie demands to know why she left to find work in Glassforge. her family doesn't believe her story, except Nattie. Sunny tries to make threats but Dag puts him in his place.
Over a couple of days, they get to know Dag. He asks to marry Fawn and they greet him with silence. Sorrel--Fawn's father--tries to take a glass bowl that Fawn bought for her mother away from Rush--Fawn's brother--and it smashes on the floor. Dag's missing arm's ground--ghost hand, as I call it--puts the bowl back together; he's not a maker, something he and the camp determined when he was younger. Nattie makes the Lakewalker bracelets cos of her awesome backstory which you shall know when you read the book. She tells the family to shut it. Rush and Reed try and split Fawn and Dag up. Rush leads Dag into a trap with Sunny and three of Sunny's friends. Dag sics wasps on Sunny and company. Dag and Sorrel give Rush a good talking-to, then Dag lets Sorrel rip (verbally) into Reed. Fawn and Dag marry, then leave for Hickory Lake.
All in all, a good start to an interesting series (for me, I liked books three and four more than one and two). Great characterizations and story that leave you wanting more.
