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    The Sharing Knife Volume Two: Legacy
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    The Sharing Knife Volume Two: Legacy
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    The Sharing Knife Volume Two: Legacy
    Ebook411 pages6 hours

    The Sharing Knife Volume Two: Legacy

    By Lois McMaster Bujold

    4/5

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    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this ebook

    “A saga of daring deeds and unlikely romance.”
    —Library Journal

    One of the most respected writers in the field of speculative fiction, Lois McMaster Bujold has won numerous accolades and awards, including the Nebula and Locus Awards as well as the fantasy and science fiction genre’s most prestigious honor, the Hugo Award for Best Novel, four times (most recently for Paladin of Souls). With The Sharing Knife series, Bujold creates a brand new world fraught with peril, and spins an extraordinary romance between a young farm girl and the brave sorcerer-soldier entrusted with the defense of the land against a plague of vicious malevolent beings. Legacy continues the tale of Fawn Bluefield and Dag Redwing Hickory—the dangerous repercussions of their rebellious marriage and the strengthening of their love in the face of dark magic—as duty and disaster call the Lakewalker patroller away from his new bride and toward a peril that could forever alter the lovers and their world.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperCollins
    Release dateOct 13, 2009
    ISBN9780061798337
    Unavailable
    The Sharing Knife Volume Two: Legacy
    Author

    Lois McMaster Bujold

    One of the most respected writers in the field of speculative fiction, Lois McMaster Bujold burst onto the scene in 1986 with Shards of Honor, the first of her tremendously popular Vorkosigan Saga novels. She has received numerous accolades and prizes, including two Nebula Awards for best novel (Falling Free and Paladin of Souls), four Hugo Awards for Best Novel (Paladin of Souls, The Vor Game, Barrayar, and Mirror Dance), as well as the Hugo and Nebula Awards for her novella The Mountains of Mourning. Her work has been translated into twenty-one languages. The mother of two, Bujold lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

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    Reviews for The Sharing Knife Volume Two

    4/5

    591 ratings39 reviews

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    • 5/5
      Newly married, it is time for Dag and Fawn to go back to his home at Hickory Lake and introduce her to his family and culture. There they run into all kinds of problems starting with Dag's mother and brother. They don't accept that the marriage cords are valid despite being able to use their ground senses to see that they are. They can't accept that Fawn, let alone half-breed children in the future, can have anything to offer the Lakewalkers in their mission.Before matters can come to a head and a Council session be called, there is a major malice outbreak under a farmer town called Greenspring near the Lakewalker settlement of Raintree. They are calling for help. Fairbolt Crow, who is the Patroller Captain, drafts Dag to lead the rescue attempt. Dag isn't keen since his last leadership role cost him his hand, his wife, and most of his patrol. But he is the most experienced and knows the most people. He is also the tactician who might be able to prevail.Fawn asks if there is something he can do to their marriage cords that will let her know his condition they way Lakewalkers can tell about each other through theirs. He does something that lets her know where he is and if he's all right. Therefore, when they run into problems with this very powerful malice, Fawn is one of the first to know about it.Determined to go to him, Fawn takes off with a stolen map and her chubby horse despite being told that she should stay behind. Finding her husband groundlocked in some way despite the death of the malice and with the healer who traveled with her baffled, Fawn uses her brain and some clues that she put together to save Dag though he is gravely injured. Even though they killed the malice and Fawn saved Dag's life, they still find themselves facing the Council when they return. But Dag has grown because he loves Fawn. He's finally come out the other side of the grief that crippled him after his first wife's death. He's developed new abilities as a healer that he didn't have as a younger man. And his is starting to question the way things have always been done. The worldbuilding is fantastic. The writing is excellent. The book is filled with fascinating characters who grow and change as a result of the things they do and see. I am eager to see where Dag and Fawn go next in their journey together.
    • 3/5
      Good entry in an interesting series. Mixed marriages are fraught with problems, such is the case with the farmer and the Lakewalker. Despite their success aiding in the demise of several malices, they are banned from The Lakewalker community. The next episode should continue to be interesting.
    • 4/5
      This book picks up immediately after the first volume, with Dag the patroller and his Farmer wife Fawn enjoying their wedding night on the road and then going to to the camp of his people ( a charmingly described lake-island settlement); there his own mother and brother and a good many others strongly disapprove of the marriage, though they they are able to set up a little tent in a more sympathetic household. Word comes that a malice has broken out in a Farmer village about 100 miles away; Dag leads a party of patrollers who defeat the malice iutself, but ti has left behind a complex "ground" (magic) network that imprisons several makers (artisans) of another patroller camp, and the patrollers who try to break the spell (eventually including Dag and the leading healer Hahorie) are trapped in it.Fawn senses Dag's trouble through their wedding cords and frees him ad the others by driving the sharing knife she had unintentionally charged with her unborn infant's life into Dag leg. Though this frees Dag and all the other trapped patrollers and makers,many in Dag's camp are still unfriendly and he is summoned before the camp council to defend his marriage. A note: I was struck by the fact that the more extended map for this volume strongly suggests it is set in an equivalent of early Ohio, with the iron-producing Tripoint as Pittsburgh in the "rock il country" and the Gray River to the west as the Mississippi. It is not clear whether this is a post-apocalyptic version of our world or an alternate world sharing roughly the same geography. If the legendary history of a king whose misused magic produced the malices is true, presumably it is an alternative, but it is not cear how literally true that story may be.
    • 4/5
      I left this in my TBR pile for quite a while, because I didn't fall for the first book in the series - but that turns out to be a mistake.

      The character of Fawn is an incredibly rounded character. It's rare to encounter a character in writing that seems so read. Not perfect, not master of everything, but capable of some thing, incapable of others and yet more that able to be the heroine in both small and big ways. The rest of the book is okay, but Fawn alone makes this worth the read.

    • 3/5
      Basically set in an "alternate universe" approximating frontier America, with the requisite spunky pioneer heroine, the pseudo-Native-American, and the usual complement of Bad Guys. Would be suitable for teens except for the graphic sex scenes, especially in the opening chapters (deemed necessary for later plot development, but overly specific in my opinion).Reasonably interesting characters and lively action.Bujold is a writer of great skill; this is just not my favorite series. Read Book 1 c. 2008, didn't care for it then, but might like it better now.(There are 4 books in the series, to date.)
    • 4/5
      Main review at the end, on Horizon. This is the one where they live in Dag's camp.
    • 3/5
      After the first book turned into a tawdry romance novel, I almost refrained from picking up the second in the series. But I did, because I really liked Ms. Bujold's 'Miles' series and she writes exceptionally well. The begining of Legacy made me suspect the story remained stuck in the dull and self-absorbed sex lives of the two major characters. I persevered and glad I did. I ended up skimming much of the first half of the book, but it got better with more development of the interesting world that provides the setting and more focus on the clash of cultures between the "Lake Walkers" and the "Farmers."
    • 3/5
      Unfortunately, I read some of the negative reviews of book 1 of this series before proceeding to book 2, and it may have colored my experience. One of them talked about Fawn, the female lead, being a total Mary Sue. This is a term often thrown around on a writers' forum I used to frequent, and I kind of wondered what all the fuss was about. Now I know.

      By the end of this book I was thoroughly sick of Fawn. She's always trying to please people, only minimally disobedient, and vaguely smug. I also felt a little uncomfortable with the May (April?)-December romance, but that was done well and believable and Dag himself never came across as creepy, only maybe a little emotionally stunted from his first wife's death, and still charismatic enough for Fawn's affection for him to seem genuine.

      That said, there were a lot of cool things going on in this story, and on the whole I enjoyed it, but not enough to move on to Book 3 just yet.
    • 4/5
      What a pretty story. One dangerous adventure, lots of family drama and what-not. A restful read really. This book takes place in the Lake people's village. Dag and Spark try to convince folks to accept them as a couple.
    • 4/5
      Legacy by Lois McMaster Bujold is the second book in her fantasy series entitled” The Sharing Knife”. The story follows the meeting and romance that occurs between a young farm girl, Fawn and a mature warrior mage, Dag who fights to defend the land against vicious malevolent creatures. In this volume, the two main characters are now newlyweds and travel to Dag’s home to seek acceptance of their marriage by the Dag’s people, the Lakewalkers. Unfortunately, Dag’s own family are totally against the marriage. They bring Dag and Fawn up on charges to the council in an effort to have the marriage annulled. Before this can happen though they receive word that a Malice has spawned and Dag must lead a patrol against this evil. Although they are victorious, Dag realizes that there is more to the culture and history of this land and he has decided that he and Fawn may be the ones to break new ground and challenge the old ways.Lois McMaster Bujold is an author that I have come to rely on to deliver excellent stories, peopled with well rounded characters. She adds enough violence and danger to keep things interesting but the main draw here is the wonderful relationship between Fawn and Dag. I am looking forward to continuing on with their adventures.
    • 3/5
      The second book in the Sharing Knife series continues on the romance storyline, but now the unconventional couple aim to find acceptance from the husband's side of the family. The book focuses only this one concept, which makes it essentially have no plot and very repetitive dialogue. The writing and characters are good, which helps make it still enjoyable. Not as good as the first book, but if you enjoyed the last parts of the first book and wanted more, then you will likely enjoy this one too.
    • 4/5
      Definitely more action in this one. Lots of silly familial conflict that I couldn't help but get worked up over. A decent read.
    • 3/5
      I was surprised to find I actually enjoyed reading this book. I still don’t like Fawn, who is oh-so-sweet and naïve, or Dag, whose “I’m just an old warhorse” schtick is pretty tired. In fact, I find their entire romance contrived and unrealistic, and their “artfully” yet explicitly described sex scenes are far from erotic. And yet, Bujold is a good enough author that even though I didn’t like any of the characters, I still couldn’t help but want to read more of their adventures. Despite a battle and some council meetings, nothing much happens in this book, but it's a fast read.
    • 4/5
      The second in the Sharing Knife series. Bujold is always great, and I really enjoy this world. I love the fact that it’s based on the Midwest (go, overlooked regions of the US!) and find the magical system fascinating. [May 2011]

    • 3/5
      I'm enjoying this series, but I wish Fawn didn't sound so much like Mal from Firefly. It's starting to bug me.
    • 3/5
      The plot was slow and generally not super exciting, but as in the first volume, I really enjoyed this book's earthy, domestic atmosphere. This book celebrates the sights, scents, sounds, and everyday routines of traditional American life in a way that perfectly complements the magic system and the love story. There's something impressive about a series peppered with steamy sex scenes giving equal attention to other physical experiences - injuries and aches, fabric coarse and fine, cool water and hot summer days. The story may be lightweight but I really admire Bujold for writing genre fiction that's so mimetic, that describes the world as real people experience it and isn't just a shallow, saccharine entertainment.

      I'm not in a hurry to finish the series - there's not a whole lot of urgency, honestly - but I'm really glad I read these first two books and I wish more people would write American-inspired fantasy fiction.

      Oh, and on a sillier note, the matching book covers of the first two volumes? SO cute.
    • 2/5
      The world reappeared! How nice!

      I still don't get the romance between Dag and Fawn. It just isn't comprehensible to me at all. Why are they in love again? Absolutely nothing in common!

      That being said, the world hidden in between the romance scenes is the part that gives it 2 stars. I rather like the direction the plot seems to be headed for the next book, so I'm rather torn. On one hand, I care not a whit for the main characters, but on the other the world is great and I'd love to see a bit more resolution there.

      I think this book and the previous would have worked a lot better as a single longish novel with a few of the scenes that don't seem to add much to either the plot or the characters edited out. Of course, if I get a say in how books get edited, I would ask that Fawn be older and less naive, so obviously I've no say at all.
    • 3/5
      This was again about one-third fantasy and two-thirds romance novel, and I liked a third of it. It's very well done, for what it is.
    • 5/5
      This series probably isn't for everyone, but I really dug it. It's definitely the characters that do it for me and also the way Bujold writes. I think she can write about Dag and Fawn doing any number of boring mundane things and I'll probably still enjoy reading it. Even so, I was glad for the action in this book, which made up for the slower pace of the first book.Legacy picks up immediately where Beguilement left off, with newlyweds Dag and Fawn heading up north to Lakewalker country to meet his family -- and boy, are Dag's brother and mother real pieces of work. Needless to say, Fawn's arrival is met with suspicion and open hostility. While Dag tries to settle her in, a malice outbreak happens at the worst possible time, forcing him to leave his farmer bride at home while he heads up a patrol to handle the problem.This novel is more interesting than its predecessor for a couple reasons. First of all, there's a lot more conflict in this novel -- aside from the protagonists having to deal with Dag's bitchy mother and asshole brother, the book also turns its focus back on the Lakewalker vs. malice war, which is good news for those disappointed by the first book because of its lack of progress on that front.Second, we also get a lot more lore and background of the world, as well as more details about Lakewalker magic. The magic system here involving "grounds" can get pretty convoluted, but is admittedly quite interesting and unique. I also love the world building, especially when it comes to Lakewalker culture. Consider how in many fantasy worlds, magic-users are usually the lords, the masters, and the upper class who live in castles and mansions holding power over the common magic-less folk. In contrast, Bujold's Lakewalker sorcerer-soldiers in this series live lives of sacrifice. Their existence is spartan, rustic and they dedicate their lives to protect the land and the farmers living on it.I want to note, Beguilement and Legacy should be read back-to-back, since both were apparently written together. Whatever the reasons (I really don't feel like opening up that can of worms right now), the publisher decision to split them up was a pretty stupid one, since in my opinion the story would have been so much more cohesive as one big book, and it's not like 600 pages these days is considered too long for a fantasy novel.
    • 4/5
      Reading some reviews I'm rather glad I hadn't read the Vorkosigan saga first. Not that I don't love that science fiction series of Bujold, which I discovered later, but I didn't go into this one with expectations shaped by that series. No, this isn't science fiction (although I think there are hints there could be a scientific explanation for what looks like fantasy). And yes, this involves a May/September romance between an eighteen year old and a 55-year old. If that bothers you, you might want to put the book down and back away slowly.Above all, this isn't a stand alone book. You can even see that in the covers of the first book, Beguilement and Legacy. Put the two books side by side and they make one picture. The entire four-volume The Sharing Knife was conceived as one novel, then split up due to length. This is therefore the middle portion of a whole, and as such like many middles not I think quite as involving as the beginning and end books.But yes, I do like this book very much. Fawn is from the farmers, who are in conflict with Dag's group of magical Lakewalkers. This takes place after their marriage and the inlaws are unhappy. And right there is a lot of what I like about Bujold as she works the implications out. Neither side has all the right or all the wrong in this. For me, anyway, a lovely blend of fantasy and romance.
    • 2/5
      I really wanted to be able to finish this book (after all I did pay good money for it) but it is UTTER CRAP! The first 50 pages is, essentially, about a 55 year old man having sex with his new 20 year old bride. That could be okay, I suppose, but their first sex scene includes her saying his penis is too big for her and is this normal, then proceeding to talk to him while his "eyes are crossed" (I'm assuming with passion??). Oh, and we don't even get the maturity of the word penis, or acknowledgment that they are having "sex"... they are sharing their grounds, not shagging 'cause that would be just too... I dunno, mature?For crying out loud, we're not 12. It's bad enough I have to accept a 20 year old would take up with an old geezer, but please, if they're going to have sex, please don't make it so clinical.I really like Bujold's Miles series and won't hold this one against her, but... please... save your money 'cause this ain't science fiction, and, the best I can hope is that it was intended for young teens 'cause otherwise, she thinks her readers are stunned ( or maybe that they just left the convent).
    • 4/5
      Not nearly as good as the first book. The expansions to the magic system felt a bit contrived - well, some were good, but mostly awkward. The romance started out OK but by the time they got to his people (and especially afterward) it felt more like they were refusing to let others separate them than that they really wanted to stay together. I guess I'll look at the next one...but I don't feel like owning this one at all. Second reading - much better. I think I like Bujold better when I'm reading backward - when I know what will happen next. Having now read Passage, I find Legacy far less painful and much richer in characterization and foreshadowing. Still not as good as Beguilement _or_ Passage, but good enough. Boost rating to 3.5.
    • 3/5
      You must read "Beguilement" first. This is a direct continuation, and too much would make no sense without it. This book starts right after the wedding that ended that first in the series. Very much right after: that very night. With a rather odd sex scene.The series is an enjoyable fantasy: Fawn the farmer girl takes up with Dag from the semi-nomadic and magical Lakewalker clan, who patrol the land for evil magic beings called Malices.The two groups do not get along, so there's inlaw trouble. And there's also an adventure, with an evil monster to be slain, and complicated after-effects to be sorted through.It's a mix of romance and swords & sorcery, with some good tough women characters. And a segue off to the next book in the series.Lois McMaster Bujold is an engaging writer. I quite enjoyed it, but it's not a patch on the Vorkosigans.
    • 5/5
      Summary: Fawn and Dag are an unlikely couple, and no mistake. He's a Lakewalker, and she's a Farmer, but after facing down a malice - an evil creature that absorbs life force from everything around it - together, their lives are now inescapably intertwined. After they convinced her family that Lakewalkers are not evil necromantic sorcerers that eat children (or at least that Dag wasn't), they were even married... but now they have to return to his family. And considering that most Lakewalkers think Farmers aren't even fully human, getting his family and his community to accept their marriage as valid - let alone to accept Fawn into their lives - is going to be quite a challenge. And, to make matters worse, Dag is soon called away to deal with a malice attack larger than any they've seen for years, leaving Fawn alone in some very hostile territory.Review: Legacy is not really a stand-alone book; it starts less than two hours after Beguilement ends, and the two should really be considered as the two halves of a single book, rather than two independent volumes in a series. If Beguilement was a romance novel dressed up in fantasy clothes, then Legacy picks up all of the fantasy-ness that wasn't used by Beguilement, and packs it in at a breathless pace. Not to say that there aren't quite a few touches of romance around the edges of Legacy, but it feels like much more of a "proper" fantasy novel than did its predecessor. Both flavors of story are equally enjoyable from my perspective, but I do worry that people who read the first one and went "What's with all this lovey-dovey sexy stuff? When do we get to the good part about the knifes made out of human bone?" may have dropped the series without reading the second book, which is where all of those "good parts" are waiting. All of the threads that were left hanging and unexplained by the end of Beguilement are picked up again in Legacy... and then some.Because, regardless of whether you want to classify the Sharing Knife series as fantasy tinged with romance, or romance in a fantasy universe, or whatever, the heart of the matter is that it just tells a damn good story. Bujold has created her usual wonderful characters that have firmly wormed their way into my heart, making every plot twist, whether it involves Fawn and Dag's relationship or the giant life-sucking malice, thoroughly involving, and capable of wringing out some serious emotion. (Seriously, when Dag explains his theory about what happened to Fawn's baby and the Sharing Knife, I collapsed into a soggy crying mess. Good stuff.) This was the sort of book that I told myself I'd read for half an hour before bed... but then they go off to fight the malice, so I have to keep reading to see how that turns out, and then something happens to Fawn, and I have to keep reading to see how THAT turns out, and then are they ever going to be together and happy? I'll have to keep reading to see... and that's how I wound up rolling into work the next morning with less than four hours of sleep under my belt. But the thing is: it was absolutely worth it. 4.5 out of 5 stars.Recommendation: Love. Love Bujold, love this series. If you like original, well-built fantasy with great characters and a solid dose of romance, you should definitely pick up this series. Don't read this one first... but do have it on hand immediately upon finishing Beguilement.
    • 4/5
      The Sharing Knife is a fun, trashy series that you can read through in an instant. Perfect for a train ride when you want to just forget about what you're doing. There are adult topics, and some intimate parts of the book can be a little blunt, but I found it to be a mostly enjoyable read.When I started reading, I was a little bothered by the main character, but suspending disbelief I was just fine pushing on through it.
    • 5/5
      Again, a real sweet story. There's always the vague threat of tragedy but it never quite occurs.
    • 4/5
      In this second book in the Sharing Knife trilogy, Dag and Fawn return home to Dag's camp, and must face the Lakewalker prejudices against their marriage.The relationship between Dag and Fawn is sweet and caring, and the way they interact is downright charming, which makes the prejudices they face that much more startling. Dag's own brother and mother fight the hardest against the marriage, referring to Fawn as nothing more than an annoying animal.When Dag's camp is called to aid another camp in defeating a powerful malice, Dag's life in endangered, and Fawn may be the only one who can save his and several other Lakewalker lives.These books are refreshing - exciting and magical, but dealing with very real subjects such as prejudice and bigotry.Recommended.
    • 3/5
      Lois McMaster Bujold is one of my very favorite writers, and I picked this up at the library to read in little bits before bed, kind of the literary equivalent of comfort food. I don’t actually love this series the way I love her other books, which is why I borrowed this instead of buying. Some of her strengths are still evident: she creates characters you want to know in real life, who are just so engaging and interesting that you can’t wait to spend more time with them every time you open the book, and their lives and problems and struggles become almost as important to you as they are to them. This book is somewhat more romance-y than her other books (although there is often a good dose of romance in her novels, and she does romance really well) and I like some romance in my reading, but in this series it seemed to take over and make the plot somewhat less compelling as a result. One thing that struck me as interesting: the POV switches between two main characters, and it was sometimes hard to tell which POV we were in until there was some obvious piece of narrative saying “Dag thought” or whatever. This is interesting because LMB is such a strong writer, and I guess I expected to be able to tell more easily whose voice we were in, just by the flavor of the language, or something. I’m curious to see if this was an issue in some of her other books that I just never noticed before, or if it’s one more reason this series doesn’t quite wow me the way her others do.
    • 3/5
      The Sharing Knife triology is not your typical Lois McMaster Bujold novel. While each world created by Bujold is unique, her novels can be read alone, which is not the case with the Sharing Knife. I'm 2/3 through the triology and find the characters interesting, but I'm more intrigued by the world she has created and hope that more comes to light as the story progresses.
    • 4/5
      Another great entry into the series, once again I'm glad it feels like it's own book, not just the path to a cliffhanger. The characters have really grown on me, and the world feels totally believable. I particularly enjoy the little bits of humor (usually ought of the characters' inner commentary) and the sense of deeper mystery.