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Beguilement (The Sharing Knife, #1)

Lois McMaster Bujold

Why we're reading this: I adore Bujold's characters. This is the first in one of her fantasy series and features a strong heroine…more
[close] I adore Bujold's characters. This is the first in one of her fantasy series and features a strong heroine.

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Aug 16, 2010 Christine rated it really liked it

Shelves: romance, fantasy

This is the first book in a series, which always makes me feel a little uncomfortable when it comes time to review it. At this point, I think the best I can say is that I enjoyed it and intend to read the second book.

Structurally, the plot surprised me. The romance between Fawn and Dag framed this book. Normally, when I read romance in a series, each book handles a different couple or the romance isn't fully resolved until the last book. In this case, the romance was resolved (although I suppos This is the first book in a series, which always makes me feel a little uncomfortable when it comes time to review it. At this point, I think the best I can say is that I enjoyed it and intend to read the second book.

Structurally, the plot surprised me. The romance between Fawn and Dag framed this book. Normally, when I read romance in a series, each book handles a different couple or the romance isn't fully resolved until the last book. In this case, the romance was resolved (although I suppose it can go through ups and downs as life leads them where it will), but other plot elements remained open. And it really is a romance story. There is some interesting magic and world-building, some action and evil beings, but the plot is clearly about two people coming together.

The unusual structure left me feeling somewhat uncertain where the series is heading, though one significant, unanswered question will keep me reading to find out.

I did have one serious believability issue with the world: Dag suggests at one point that the Lake Walkers don't have unwanted pregnancies because they can use their magic (ground sense) to detect when a woman is fertile. Yeah...not buying it. I've studied fertility awareness and would even trust it to prevent pregnancy in certain situations, but it's not like there's a day or two when a woman might get pregnant. It's more a matter of steadily increasing odds until ovulation has passed, at which point a woman is highly unlikely to get pregnant. Before ovulation, however; it's got a lot more to do with the stamina of the sperm, which typically live 3-5 days but have been known to live longer.

And if the technical details are putting you to sleep, let's just try it this way: A woman's fertile time is the time she is most likely to want to have sex. Plus, there are plenty of women who intentionally get pregnant, even if it's not a good idea, and men who would be happy to let them.

That detail gnawed at me, but it's only a small part of the book. Overall, I'd say this series is shaping up well and I'm looking forward to reading more. ...more

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Dec 15, 2011 Anna rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy-science-fiction, library

Feb 18, 2013 Rebecca rated it really liked it

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