Ill-chance brought young Fawn Bluefield together with Dag Redwing Hickory, the seasoned soldier-sorcerer, but it was love and loyalty that joined their fates. While their unorthodox marriage has been grudgingly accepted by the clever farm girl's people, Dag's Lakewalker kin are less tolerant, greeting their union with derision, suspicion, and prejudice.
The specter of permanent exile looms above the couple—until a final decision on their lot is diverted by a sudden, viciously magical malice attack on a neighboring hinterland. Sworn to duty, Dag must answer the call, leaving his new bride behind. But what awaits him and his patrol could have serious and unimagined consequences for farmers and Lakewalkers alike, forever altering the lovers, their families, and their world.
The Sharing Knife, volume two, Legacy (2007) 348 pages by Lois McMaster Bujold.
I bought volume one when it came out in paperback a couple of years ago. Since it said "volume one" on the cover, I decided to wait until I had all three [ha! on me, there's a fourth one coming.] So the irony is in this 4 week or so span that it's going to take my thumb to heal, fractured metacarpal, the hero of the story I'm reading has one arm. Personally I think it would have been nicer to have some young girl fall in love me than a broken hand, but where's the conflict resolution in that.
This book picks up right where volume one leaves off. Dag and Fawn leave West Blue and go to Hickory Lake. We are introduced to more of Dag's family. The Lakewalker culture is given added depth. There are enough plot elements to keep the story flowing. This may say more about my sense of humor than anything--Dag was explaining the lakewalker grown fruit (veg?), plunkin, to Fawn. "Some people say you could live forever on plunkin and water. Others say it would just seem like forever." I think I laughed for about 45 seconds after reading that line.
I think I'm giving away less than what's on the back cover, but I don't want to give away things from book one either, so I'll just say that I don't have enough superlatives to do justice to the book.
