The Sharing Knife, Volume 1

Beguilement

By: Lois McMaster Bujold

Narrated by: Bernadette Dunne

Length: 11 hrs and 59 mins

Publisher's summary

Young, pregnant Fawn Bluefield has just fled her family's farm to the city of Glassforge, where she encounters a patrol of the enigmatic soldier-sorcerers known as Lakewalkers. Fawn has heard stories about the Lakewalkers, who are wandering necromancers with no permanent homes and no possessions except the clothes they wear and the mysterious knives they carry. What she does not know is that the Lakewalkers are engaged in a perilous campaign against inhuman and immortal magical entities known as "malices".

When Fawn is kidnapped by one of these creatures, it is up to Dag, an older Lakewalker, heavy with sorrows and responsibilities, to rescue her. But in the ensuing struggle, it is not Dag but Fawn who kills the creature, at dire cost. And an uncanny accident befalls Dag's sharing knife, which unexpectedly binds their two fates together.

Don't miss the second volume, Legacy.

©2007 Lois McMaster Bujold (P)2007 Blackstone Audio Inc.

Critic reviews

"Bujold develops the characters and their relationship skillfully enough to please romance as well as fantasy fans." ( Booklist)
"[A] saga of daring deeds and unlikely romance. Bujold quickly develops unforgettable characters as she crafts a world filled with unique monsters and an original approach to magic." ( Library Journal)
"Compelling characters lift this first of a two-book romantic fantasy from Hugo-winner Bujold....Bujold hints at an epic past of mighty kingdoms and ancient sorceries, a past that will hopefully be fully detailed in the sequel." ( Publishers Weekly)

I have a hard time getting interested

I have a hard time getting interested in a book with romance between an 18 yrs old and a 55 yr old. I year younger (and I think that is just a technicality) it would be a love story of a pedophile. Other than that, it would be just OK..

A Fantasy Romance Novel With Actual Substance

I read and listen to a lot of fantasy books, and I still enjoying re-listens of this series, twenty years later. While I'm not a fan of romance, especially where there's a big age difference between the two characters in the pairing, I feel that the writer managed to create a flawed pair in the hero and heroine, who are both equally likeable. Fawn is naive but intelligent, proud, has a mature mind, and grows into a striking, wise woman very quickly and believably. She may be the only naive heroine I have ever genuinely admired. Dag is emotionally spent, but observant, thoughtful, hard-working, and he grows into a lively and enjoyable human being through his admiration and delight with Fawn. Although he is a quiet man with a past, he is open and honest with the heroine, rather than mysterious, and his past experiences benefit his relationship with Fawn, rather than hinder it.

All in all, I would recommend this series to anyone who likes romance, fantasy, characters with excellent growth, and a unique world.

Hidden Gem (warning spoiler)

Just found this through Audible Plus as a free listen.
Thoroughly enjoying the story but good lord, was I that naive at eighteen?
A refreshing change from Martin, Wight, Sanderson...

A superbly written romance but great fantasy storyline like Outlander but not a time travel this is a fantasy world with dangerous creatures.

A quick fun diversion

I really like this story in that it’s a whole new world but simple in its storytelling. The two main characters are relatable and are engaging. I look forward to see more unfold in this story and these characters but have enjoyed it straightforward simplicity.

Kind of a romance novel, but read it anyway...

...because the rest of the books in the series rock. I read this and rolled my eyes a lot. Did I somehow end up with a Harlequin novel? But my advice is to hang in there. The book seems to focus a bit TOO much on the relationship between the two main characters. Fawn and Dag are really into each other, OK? OK. That's the main takeaway. We also learn a lot about the two kinds of people in this distant post-apocalyptic earth. There are Farmers and Lakewalkers. This book, while yeah, kind of a romance novel, does set the stage for the other books in the series. Lots of events in this book are referenced later. Some people will find it creepy that Fawn falls for a guy old enough to be her grandfather, but I decided to just accept this as fact, ignore the predatory overtones, and enjoy the books.

At first, the Southern drawl the narrator used for the Farmer characters bugged me a lot, then I got used to it. However, now that I am on book 4.5 with a different narrator (and noticable lack of drawl), I feel a sense of relief. I really don't like it, especially since the characters were supposed to be essentially from Ohio (LMB set this story in her childhood environs) and are constantly referred to as Notherners in subsequent books.

Overall, this book has the feel of a book LMB wrote early in her career. The style differs enormously between this book and Knife Children (written over a decade later). It seems like she needs a few books and a few series entries to find her style. I have to say I didn't expect to finish this book, but not only did I finish, I galloped through the rest, one after the other, because I was dying to know what happened next!

loved this book

great story, complex story, the world was made real. we'll read. you should listen to this book

excellent

There is good character development, and the story is interesting. I throughly enjoyed it.

Not quite a Miles book, but lovely and well- written just the same

I came to love the characters, and with the author’s phenomenal writing, felt keenly connected to the humanness that is so central to everything she writes. I’d recommend!

Good story

Excellent author consistently delivers another story that is hard to avoid binge listening through to the conclusion.

Masterful and beautiful

Lois McMaster Bujold is an absolute master at changing every aspect of her style from one world to the next, all while keeping her own distinctive touch that makes each series such a joy to read