#sharing knife

[ahedderick]

Book book book book

Pakige!!

Ive had the four books* of the Sharing Knife series by Lois McMaster Bujold for years, now. Somewhere along the way, though, books 2 and 3 vanished form my shelf? I must have loaned them out, but my efforts to track them down were fruitless. However, I started reading book one with K last month, so I MUST have all four books again. I ordered another copy of the ones I was missing.

Book two arrived yesterday, and I'm so tickled.

Why do I love them? Hmm. Well, for one thing, Bujold writes some of the REALEST characters I've ever read. For another, the complex family dynamics (his, hers, and other characters) are so damned good. Good folks inadvertently not treating each other so well. Good folks treating each other with heartbreaking tenderness. A few truly bad folks, but very few. A fresh, unique system of magic that has reasonable limits and is very consistent across all the books. GROWTH!!! A disabled protagonist (Dag's missing his left hand) with interesting accommodations. A book (3) all about pre-industrial river travel. A society that's on the brink of big change, and some people don't like it.

It has similar high points to the beloved Vorkosigan saga, but fantasy instead of sci-fi. And in no way is it a retread of those earlier books, it just has the same appeal. Ok, I could go on forever. I'm going to go curl up with my book.

'* There's also a novella published later, to tie up one late-breaking plot point.

[redshoesreads]

[rosetintedkaleidoscope]

can anyone recommend books similar to the vorkosigan saga? ever since i read it ive just been hungry for more but i cant find more...

[ethelindawrites]

I got to meet Lois McMaster Bujold!!! *____*

[extrapenguin]

Want to participate in the ficathon?

(link)

For those of you who would like to prompt, but have no AO3, drop me an ask or reply or w/e and I’ll put your prompt up! If you want to be anonymous, tell me, otherwise I’ll put your tumblr URL in the prompt. Should your prompt be filled, I can also post a link to the fill and tag you.

[extrapenguin]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

I made a prompt meme! This is my first time setting up a collection of any type, so if you spot any mistakes, do poke me here, on AO3 or on DW. You don’t have to claim anything to submit a prompt, and multiple claims are allowed. Go forth and share your prompts for the Vorkosigan Saga, the Chalion series, and the Sharing Knife quartet!

[a-scorpio-king]

The Sharing Knife: Passage, by Lois McMaster Bujold

Passage picks up where Legacy left off, with main character couple Dag and Fawn traveling from Dag’s Lakewalker camp to Fawn’s family farm in West Blue en route to the Grace River and eventually the sea.  For those who have read the first two books in the Sharing Knife series, Passage represents a shift in the storytelling, focusing less on Dag and Fawn’s developing relationship and the immediate pull of dealing with dangers, to feature the story that Dag and Fawn are trying to tell as they travel downriver, meet new people, and deepen existing relationships.

Though Passage is the third book in a now four-book series, it can certainly be read and enjoyed by anyone who hasn’t read Beguilement or Legacy, though why would you want to?  Bujold’s writing in Passage continues in the open, honest tones she uses throughout the series, and the story is so welcoming, even while dealing with difficult subjects, that I recommend all readers start at the beginning just for the sheer enjoyment of it.  Bujold treats all of her characters with care, giving them distinct voices and personalities, allowing them to grow and develop based on their interactions and experiences; she doesn't foist dark or grim occurrences on the plot just to get her characters where she wants them. 

Passage is the kind of novel you never want to end.  The characters are engaging, and Bujold writers with the easy and quiet confidence of one who has long ago mastered her craft.  Though her world building relies on a pre-industrial American West style, she provides a range of social organizations, rather than only sticking with traditional gender roles for the sake of “realism.”  She doesn’t overuse suspense or other techniques to make the reader care about the story or its characters; instead the characters themselves earn the regard of readers by being whole people. 

Readers who enjoy the optimistic side of epic fantasy exemplified by Tolkien will find The Sharing Knife series equally engaging, as will readers who prefer their fantasy less on the medieval side of things.  Like Kate Elliott, Bujold pays attention to building whole societies, with much attention paid to food production, commerce, and local politics.  The Sharing Knife would be a great series for teenagers looking to break into adult fantasy writing due to Bujold’s ability to treat all her subjects with both honesty and respect. 

[bookbegins]

The Drowntown day market was in full spate. Fawn's nostrils flared at the strong smells: fish, clams, critters with twitching legs like giant crawdads packed in seaweed; frying funnel cakes, boiling crabs, dried fruit, cheeses; piles of used clothing not well laundered; chickens, goats, sheep, horses. Mixed with it all, the damp tang of the river Gray, stretching so wide its farther shore became a flat blur in the winter morning light.