'Beguilement' by Lois McMaster Bujold is the first installment in 'The Sharing Knife' fantasy series. It follows the unconventional romance between Fawn, a farmer girl, and Dag, a Lakewalker patroller, set in a world where people are divided into farmers and Lakewalkers who protect the land from magical creatures called malices. The story delves into their forbidden love, adventures, and struggles against the backdrop of a richly imagined fantasy world with elements of romance and magic. The writing style is described as efficient, with a focus on character development and world-building, creating an engaging and optimistic coming-of-age story.

Characters:

The characters are well-developed, with Fawn representing youth and vulnerability, while Dag is portrayed as a wise protector.

Writing/Prose:

The writing style is characterized by a blend of engaging prose and strong character development, seamlessly combining romance and fantasy.

Plot/Storyline:

The plot follows a young woman fleeing her troubled life and the unexpected bond she forms with a much older man amid supernatural threats.

Setting:

The setting merges elements of a medieval fantasy world with a backdrop reminiscent of early American frontier life.

Pacing:

The story begins with a fast pace that shifts to slow down as it focuses on character relationships and emotional development.

Fawn came to the well-house a little before noon. More than a farmstead, less than an inn, it sat close to the straight road she’d been trudging down for two days. The farmyard lay open to travelers, ...

Notes:

The Sharing Knife series is a blend of fantasy and romance by acclaimed author Lois McMaster Bujold.

The main characters are Fawn, a young farmer girl, and Dag, an older Lakewalker Patroller.

The book explores the themes of cultural differences between farmers and Lakewalkers, who are both mistrustful of each other.

Fawn is pregnant and running away from home due to family shame and fear of social stigma.

Dag rescues Fawn from a malice, a supernatural creature that poses a threat to both her and the farmers.

The sharing knives are a crucial element in the story, made of human bones and are key to defeating malices.

The romance between Fawn and Dag develops over the course of their journey, despite their age difference - she's 18, and he's 55.

Critics noted the book leans heavily on romance, which may disappoint readers looking for more traditional sci-fi elements.

Many readers praised the character development and the emotional depth of the relationship between Fawn and Dag.

The story includes serious themes such as pregnancy, miscarriage, and the complexities of familial relationships.

Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings

Content warnings include themes of unplanned pregnancy, miscarriage, the distress of familial relationships, and cultural prejudices.

Has Romance?

Romance is a central theme in the narrative, with significant development between the main characters.

implied steam level

From The Publisher:

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.

Meet Fawn Bluefield and Dag Redwing Hickory in Beguilement, the first book in Bujold’s unforgettable four-volume fantasy saga, and witness the birth of their dangerous romance—a love threatened by prejudice and perilous magic, and by Dag’s sworn duty as Lakewalker patroller and necromancer.

Ratings (19)

Incredible (1)
Loved It (8)
Liked It (6)
It Was OK (4)

Reader Stats (40):

Read It (19)
Want To Read (16)
Did Not Finish (1)
Not Interested (4)

1 comment(s)

briane441

Loved It

5 months

I'm not normally a romance reader but I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this—the characters were really endearing and I liked the magic system. The age gap was a little strange but still a cute romance :)

What can you read after
Beguilement?

See the list (100 books)

About the Author:

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).

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Beguilement

Lois McMaster Bujold

Book 1 in the series:The Sharing Knife