Young Fawn Bluefield has fled her family's farm hoping to find work in the city of Glassforge. Uncertain about her future and the troubles she carries, Fawn stops for a drink of water at a roadside inn, where she encounters a patrol of Lakewalkers, enigmatic soldier-sorcerers from the woodland culture to the north. Fawn knows the stories about the Lake-walkers: they are necromancers; they practice black sorcery; they have no permanent homes and own only the clothes they wear and the weapons—mysterious knives made of human bone—they carry. What she does not know is that the Lakewalkers, as a whole, are engaged in a perilous campaign against inhuman and immortal magical entities known as “malices,” creatures that suck the life out of all they encounter, and turn men and animals into their minions.
Dag is an older Lakewalker patroller who carries his past sorrows as heavily as his present responsibilities. When Fawn is kidnapped by the malice Dag's patrol is tracking, Dag races 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.
And so now the misenchanted knife must be returned to the Lakewalkers. Together, Fawn and Dag set out on the long road back to his camp. But on the journey this unlikely pair will encounter danger and delight, prejudice and partnership, and maybe even love. . . .
Title: The Sharing Knife: Beguilement
Author: Lois McMaster Bujold
Year published: 2006
Why I picked up this book: I'd heard good things online and I needed something to read during break at work.
Do I like the cover? Yeah, I like that it fits a scene in the book pretty well.
Is this part of a series? It's the first part of what I think is a duology.
What I enjoyed about the book: I really loved almost everything about the story. It's a wonderful fantasy romance. And yes, it's definitely a romance. I actually wasn't expecting it to have as much romance as it did. The fantasy elements are also really fascinating and I really hope that the two books aren't the only ones that will be in the series.
What I didn’t like about the book? It ended! Oh, I cannot wait until this summer and the sequel.
Is this a new-to-me author and would I read something by this author again? Actually, I think this might be the first book of hers I've read. I have some on my shelf, but I can't recall if I've ever read her in the past. Maybe a decade ago...
Wait, I'm almost positive I read Curse of Chalion. I'll definitely be reading more, too.
Am I keeping it or passing it on? I haven't decided yet. My copy is an ARC, so I might wait and buy the paperback whenever it comes out.
No comments:
Post a Comment