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Available
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Publication
Eos (2009), Edition: 1, Hardcover, 464 pages
Description
In a world where malices--remnants of ancient magic--can erupt with life-destroying power, only soldier-sorcerer Lakewalkers have mastered the ability to kill them. But Lakewalkers keep their uncanny secrets--and themselves--from the farmers they protect, so when patroller Dag Redwing Hickory rescued farmer girl Fawn Bluefield, neither expected to fall in love, join their lives in marriage, or defy both their kin to seek new solutions to the perilous split between their peoples.
User reviews
LibraryThing member shadrach_anki
This book is an excellent conclusion to the series, providing closure for the major plot elements without freezing the characters into a static position just because the story is "over."
I am particularly fond of the setting in this series since it is something you don't often see in the current
I do have to say that my decision to start reading this late in the evening was a mistake, but only because I got sucked into the story and before I quite knew what happened I was halfway through the book and it was three in the morning...and I had work the next day.
I am particularly fond of the setting in this series since it is something you don't often see in the current
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crop of fantasy novels. The frontier settlement aspect provides a different set of basic conflicts than you'd find in a city or within the sweeping vistas of epic fantasy.I do have to say that my decision to start reading this late in the evening was a mistake, but only because I got sucked into the story and before I quite knew what happened I was halfway through the book and it was three in the morning...and I had work the next day.
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LibraryThing member johnnyapollo
I'm giving this a neutral review as I want to read the earlier books before getting into this one - I am very fond of Ms Bujold's work, however so I'm sure that at the very least it will be more than palatable. Once I get caught up I'll edit or change my review.
LibraryThing member 530nm330hz
Bujold's "The Sharing Knife" tetralogy is a fantasy series set in a world where certain people, known as Lakewalkers, have a specific ability that we would consider supernatural. The novels trace the development of Fawn, a "farmer" (i.e., non-Lakewalker), and Dag, a Lakewalker.
I usually have a low
I found the first three novels in the series very entertaining and gripping. In each novel, the characters grow as individuals and their relationships with one another and their wider world develop in ways thtat are sometimes unexpected but never feel forced.
Which brings me to "Horizon", the final novel in the tetralogy. When I tell you that I was somewhat disappointed in "Horizon," you should not take that to mean that the novel is bad. It's quite good, and I'm glad to have read it, but it does not rise to the level of its predecessors.
The biggest problem is that the pacing is off. One gets the feeling, reading "Horizon", that Bujold was starting to tire of this series, and felt that she had to complete a story arc that was originally planned to take more books. There are a lot of character-developing events that fill the book, but there's not enough room between them for the characters to breathe, grow, and inhabit their new selves. Also, the gradual buildup of threat, to be relieved in a climactic confrontation, doesn't happen --- the threat is absent for much of the book, then arises and is dispatched so quickly that it feels almost pro forma; this is doubly unfortunate in that the resolution of the threat is not only supposed to serve a dramatic purpose for the structure of this particular story but it's also clearly supposed to drive home the point of the entire series.
There's also a major difficulty in the series as a whole which "Horizon" brings to the surface. The protagonist of the series is Fawn, yet it is Dag who ends up being the more interesting character and the one who goes through the most development. Fawn's support for Dag --- not only emotionally and physically, but also in offering key insights at critical moments --- cannot be denied, yet despite her own personal growth she remains the woman behind the man.
Those are the shortcomings. The strengths outnumber them. Bujold's concept for this universe is a compelling one. Dag is a wise man who is as deft at manipulating societal foes as military ones. Bujold's evocation of rustic and river life is literary genius; as a city boy born and bred I found myself drawn hoplessly in to her depiction of a life that she clearly knows and loves. And as I said above, she holds the line --- no fairies, elves, orcs, or deus ex machina magic here. Bujold is not primarily interested in the fantasy elements; as with her masterful Vorkosigan saga, she wants to explore how societies interact, and the fantasy setup is merely the Macguffin for her masterful storytelling.
I usually have a low
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tolerance for fantasy novels, but Bujold brings the same discipline to the Sharing Knife series that she brings to her hard-SF novels in the Vorkosigan saga. Having established the one difference between the world of "The Sharing Knife" and our own, she draws out what such a world would be like without piling on additional gratuitous fantasy elements. I found the first three novels in the series very entertaining and gripping. In each novel, the characters grow as individuals and their relationships with one another and their wider world develop in ways thtat are sometimes unexpected but never feel forced.
Which brings me to "Horizon", the final novel in the tetralogy. When I tell you that I was somewhat disappointed in "Horizon," you should not take that to mean that the novel is bad. It's quite good, and I'm glad to have read it, but it does not rise to the level of its predecessors.
The biggest problem is that the pacing is off. One gets the feeling, reading "Horizon", that Bujold was starting to tire of this series, and felt that she had to complete a story arc that was originally planned to take more books. There are a lot of character-developing events that fill the book, but there's not enough room between them for the characters to breathe, grow, and inhabit their new selves. Also, the gradual buildup of threat, to be relieved in a climactic confrontation, doesn't happen --- the threat is absent for much of the book, then arises and is dispatched so quickly that it feels almost pro forma; this is doubly unfortunate in that the resolution of the threat is not only supposed to serve a dramatic purpose for the structure of this particular story but it's also clearly supposed to drive home the point of the entire series.
There's also a major difficulty in the series as a whole which "Horizon" brings to the surface. The protagonist of the series is Fawn, yet it is Dag who ends up being the more interesting character and the one who goes through the most development. Fawn's support for Dag --- not only emotionally and physically, but also in offering key insights at critical moments --- cannot be denied, yet despite her own personal growth she remains the woman behind the man.
Those are the shortcomings. The strengths outnumber them. Bujold's concept for this universe is a compelling one. Dag is a wise man who is as deft at manipulating societal foes as military ones. Bujold's evocation of rustic and river life is literary genius; as a city boy born and bred I found myself drawn hoplessly in to her depiction of a life that she clearly knows and loves. And as I said above, she holds the line --- no fairies, elves, orcs, or deus ex machina magic here. Bujold is not primarily interested in the fantasy elements; as with her masterful Vorkosigan saga, she wants to explore how societies interact, and the fantasy setup is merely the Macguffin for her masterful storytelling.
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LibraryThing member tardis
Horizon is the fourth and presumably final book in the Sharing Knife series, set in a fantasy world that feels very much like frontier North America. Two peoples - the Farmers, the ordinary people, busy building, farming and expanding into new territory, and the Lakewalkers, magic-using descendants
Dag (a Lakewalker) and Fawn (a Farmer) met, married and went on an adventurous "honeymoon" trip in previous books, collecting a motley crew of friends and family along the way. Now Dag needs a Lakewalker teacher to help him manage his burgeoning abilities as a maker and reach his goal of bridging the gap between Farmers and Lakewalkers. He finds an apprenticeship, but the traditional Farmer/Lakewalker divide interferes again and he and Fawn head back towards home, travelling with a group of friends and some settlers looking for a new home in the north. On the way they meet the most dangerous Malice yet.
This is an excellent book but it's necessary to have read the earlier books first. The frontier world setting is a nice change from the pseudo-Europe of most fantasies and characters and dialogue ring true. In particular, Dag and Fawn's relationship is a joy, but even the minor characters are well-drawn. Like all Bujold's books, this series is a keeper and I will be re-reading it for many years to come.
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of long-ago mage lords who protect the Farmers (and each other) from Malices. Malices are projections of "ground" which is the force that inhabits all matter. Living things have a stronger ground, but inanimiate objects have it too. Lakewalkers can sense, shape and manipulate ground to mend and heal. Farmers and Lakewalkers don't mix and have many misconceptions about each other.Dag (a Lakewalker) and Fawn (a Farmer) met, married and went on an adventurous "honeymoon" trip in previous books, collecting a motley crew of friends and family along the way. Now Dag needs a Lakewalker teacher to help him manage his burgeoning abilities as a maker and reach his goal of bridging the gap between Farmers and Lakewalkers. He finds an apprenticeship, but the traditional Farmer/Lakewalker divide interferes again and he and Fawn head back towards home, travelling with a group of friends and some settlers looking for a new home in the north. On the way they meet the most dangerous Malice yet.
This is an excellent book but it's necessary to have read the earlier books first. The frontier world setting is a nice change from the pseudo-Europe of most fantasies and characters and dialogue ring true. In particular, Dag and Fawn's relationship is a joy, but even the minor characters are well-drawn. Like all Bujold's books, this series is a keeper and I will be re-reading it for many years to come.
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LibraryThing member aqualectrix
Horizon is a satisfactory conclusion to the Sharing Knife books. The little group that Dag and Fawn have gathered around themselves head north along the river again, pausing while Dag finally learns how to properly use the talents which were developed to a somewhat disturbing extent in the previous
This book is all about hammering home the plausibility and importance of Lakewalker-famer cooperation. Two of the young people in the group are halfbreeds who need to learn how to manage their groundsense; meanwhile, Dag is experimenting with a making which may be able to protect farmers from having their minds controlled by malices. By the time the group (fairly inevitably) meets up with a malice-grown-strong, it's a farmer who saves the day and kills the malice, finally providing Dag with the evidence he needs to get the Lakewalker camps to listen to his ideas.
An epilogue gives us a work-to-do-but-happily-ever-after ending: Fawn with a baby and Dag respected, in much demand for preachin' his philosophy of cooperation and teachin' his farmer-protecting maker-work.
Bujold writes well, and although the message is strong doesn't quite come across as preachy. As always, interpersonal relationships are a strength. (This is slightly to the detriment of the series as a whole -- I care mostly about the characters I've met, and no matter how much they talk about it the reality of the Big Bag Thing That Might Happen is never really brought home to me: I only care because they seem to care, not because it's actually become scary for me.) Bujold's left herself enough loose ends to write plenty more in this world, but also tied up the series well. If we do get more, I'd prefer something not from the perspective of the Dag-and-Fawn pair -- their one-in-a-million Lakewalker/farmer True Love makes their perspectives not as interestingly conflicted as they might be.
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book. An unauthorized healing of a farmer youngster with tetanus results in a precipitous departure from that Lakewalker camp, and everyone's off on a long trek back north: Dag, Fawn, a group of farmer boys, a few rebellious Lakewalker youngsters, and Dag's very respected teacher (who though he was bluffing... but ends up coming along for the ride).This book is all about hammering home the plausibility and importance of Lakewalker-famer cooperation. Two of the young people in the group are halfbreeds who need to learn how to manage their groundsense; meanwhile, Dag is experimenting with a making which may be able to protect farmers from having their minds controlled by malices. By the time the group (fairly inevitably) meets up with a malice-grown-strong, it's a farmer who saves the day and kills the malice, finally providing Dag with the evidence he needs to get the Lakewalker camps to listen to his ideas.
An epilogue gives us a work-to-do-but-happily-ever-after ending: Fawn with a baby and Dag respected, in much demand for preachin' his philosophy of cooperation and teachin' his farmer-protecting maker-work.
Bujold writes well, and although the message is strong doesn't quite come across as preachy. As always, interpersonal relationships are a strength. (This is slightly to the detriment of the series as a whole -- I care mostly about the characters I've met, and no matter how much they talk about it the reality of the Big Bag Thing That Might Happen is never really brought home to me: I only care because they seem to care, not because it's actually become scary for me.) Bujold's left herself enough loose ends to write plenty more in this world, but also tied up the series well. If we do get more, I'd prefer something not from the perspective of the Dag-and-Fawn pair -- their one-in-a-million Lakewalker/farmer True Love makes their perspectives not as interestingly conflicted as they might be.
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LibraryThing member Turrean
Ahh--now I see the problem with this series. Lately, I've been reading lots of Charles Dickens novels, and suddenly the relationship between Bujold's heroines and Dickens' came upon me in a flash of understanding! Any Bujold heroine under age 21 is thin, beautiful, clever, loyal, earnest, moral,
I really liked the third book in the "Sharing Knife" series (Passage,) because it had a few characters with emotional complexity, including a great villain. In this 4th and last installment,Bujold returns to the formula of the first two books, with rah-rah cheerleader Fawn--who never, ever, makes a mistake in her dealings with other characters--center-stage. (And what is it about some of Bujold's heroes? Sheesh, find some women near your own age!)
I'm going to go re-read Paladin of Souls or Komarr or Barrayar. Ista, Ekaterin and Cordelia, thank goodness, are magnificently complicated, make mistakes, say the wrong things, and misjudge people. The way REAL women do.
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and very, very boring, just like Little Dorrit, Esther Summerson, and Kate Nickelby. Bujold's late-teen heroines have escaped the Dickens universe, no doubt in search of sex and adventure. Run, Amy, run! I really liked the third book in the "Sharing Knife" series (Passage,) because it had a few characters with emotional complexity, including a great villain. In this 4th and last installment,Bujold returns to the formula of the first two books, with rah-rah cheerleader Fawn--who never, ever, makes a mistake in her dealings with other characters--center-stage. (And what is it about some of Bujold's heroes? Sheesh, find some women near your own age!)
I'm going to go re-read Paladin of Souls or Komarr or Barrayar. Ista, Ekaterin and Cordelia, thank goodness, are magnificently complicated, make mistakes, say the wrong things, and misjudge people. The way REAL women do.
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LibraryThing member seekingflight
This is the fourth and final book in The Sharing Knife, my favourite contemporary fantasy series. One of my favourite books of the year, so far. It has a different feel and pace to Bujold’s action-packed series depicting the adventures of Miles Vorkosigan, which I also loved. Yet I think the
I love Fawn and Dag and the way in which they process their experiences and interact with each other. In particular, I’m enchanted by the bewildered joy they seem to feel at having found each other, Dag’s blend of strength and vulnerability, the way in which Fawn has thawed his heart and taught him to care – and fear – again, and the way in which their experiences motivate them to try to change their society, in the face of the many obstacles they encounter on the way ...
I want to describe this as ‘gentle’ fantasy, because of the absence of the ‘epic quest’ and ‘climactic battle’ motifs. There are elements of these (and this book contains its share), but this series (and particularly this last book) struck me more as a reflection on the way in which small changes made by a small group of people, can have – through the tales that are told about them – ripple effects that may lead to profound changes in one’s society.
It is perhaps fair to say that this depicts (like a perennial favourite of mine, The Postman) the power of words and ideas (and stories!) to shape the world, and to do so in a way that is more powerful than a successful quest or battle ever could be.
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things that I enjoy the most in the Vorkosigan books (the richness of Bujold’s characters and world-building) are also here in this series.I love Fawn and Dag and the way in which they process their experiences and interact with each other. In particular, I’m enchanted by the bewildered joy they seem to feel at having found each other, Dag’s blend of strength and vulnerability, the way in which Fawn has thawed his heart and taught him to care – and fear – again, and the way in which their experiences motivate them to try to change their society, in the face of the many obstacles they encounter on the way ...
I want to describe this as ‘gentle’ fantasy, because of the absence of the ‘epic quest’ and ‘climactic battle’ motifs. There are elements of these (and this book contains its share), but this series (and particularly this last book) struck me more as a reflection on the way in which small changes made by a small group of people, can have – through the tales that are told about them – ripple effects that may lead to profound changes in one’s society.
It is perhaps fair to say that this depicts (like a perennial favourite of mine, The Postman) the power of words and ideas (and stories!) to shape the world, and to do so in a way that is more powerful than a successful quest or battle ever could be.
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LibraryThing member attolia
The Sharing Knife: Horizon is the fourth and, apparently final volume
in the Sharing Knife saga. I enjoyed this volume more than the second
and third books largley because it had a stronger climax and
conclusion. Indeed, I began the book fearing that Bujold might have
succumbed to what I call
later books in a series to become progressivley longer while covering
less and less time. (In fairness to Cherryh, I abandoned the
Foreigner series after the third or fourth book so it may have
improved since, and I have just started the long-awaited Regenesis
with great anticipation.) Although this series as a whole is my least favorite among Bujold's worlds, it did make an enjoyable read.
in the Sharing Knife saga. I enjoyed this volume more than the second
and third books largley because it had a stronger climax and
conclusion. Indeed, I began the book fearing that Bujold might have
succumbed to what I call
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Cherry-Foreigner syndrome, which causes thelater books in a series to become progressivley longer while covering
less and less time. (In fairness to Cherryh, I abandoned the
Foreigner series after the third or fourth book so it may have
improved since, and I have just started the long-awaited Regenesis
with great anticipation.) Although this series as a whole is my least favorite among Bujold's worlds, it did make an enjoyable read.
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LibraryThing member kdcdavis
The ending of this series makes me want more. I want to know the history of the malices and the absent gods; it actually surprised me a little that Bujold never explained any of that. I do like, however, that it's an evil that can and must be dealt with on an everyday level. The Lakewalkers will
The first book of this series was my introduction to Lois Bujold, though my husband was a longtime fan. After reading Beguilement, I went on to inhale the rest of her books and I love them all. This is a really fun series and all the characters are well-drawn and interesting. They have their flaws, but I'd like to share a campfire with them.
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continue to wipe out malices in the future, but now the help of the farmers may make it easier.The first book of this series was my introduction to Lois Bujold, though my husband was a longtime fan. After reading Beguilement, I went on to inhale the rest of her books and I love them all. This is a really fun series and all the characters are well-drawn and interesting. They have their flaws, but I'd like to share a campfire with them.
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LibraryThing member hjjugovic
The culmination of this series is just great. All the elements that made the previous books good come together in a perfect mix for a fitting close to the saga. The romance and relationship aspects that make the book feel like a "cozy" at times are balanced out by a truly terrifying climax and a
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satisfying ending. Recommended. Show Less
LibraryThing member koalamom
A fitting conclusion to a great series which leaves our heroes completing their journeys circle but with their lives changed - for the better or for the worse - read the book and you decide!
LibraryThing member ansate
If you've already read the rest of the Sharing Knife - you will find this a satisfying conclusion to the series. We learn a lot more about how magic works in this world (but not so much that it feels too neat and wrapped up), the characters do get settled - but not before learning more and having a
If you're thinking about reading the series: If you like imaginative fantasy, exploring a new system of magic, and either like or can skim past a little supersweet romance, you will really really like these books. Oh! and plenty of action.
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few more adventures. If you're thinking about reading the series: If you like imaginative fantasy, exploring a new system of magic, and either like or can skim past a little supersweet romance, you will really really like these books. Oh! and plenty of action.
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LibraryThing member amybryant
Sharing Knife Horizon is the fourth volume in the saga of Dag and Fawn Bluefield. The story begins shortly after the end of book three, and opens at a leisurely pace. Dag and Fawn soon part with old friends, and throughout the story slowly build up a new set of friends, family, and problems. The
This is a very satisfying book for fans of the series. New readers are probably best served by starting with volume one. Bujold does do a good job of reminding the readers of important facts from the previous volumes, but for new readers these previous plot briefings would spoil the joy experiencing the full saga as it enfolds over the entire series.
A great series for fans of fantasy sagas with romantic elements and a lead couple in a committed relationship.
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pace and action increase as they discover a dangerous new type of Malice. This is a very satisfying book for fans of the series. New readers are probably best served by starting with volume one. Bujold does do a good job of reminding the readers of important facts from the previous volumes, but for new readers these previous plot briefings would spoil the joy experiencing the full saga as it enfolds over the entire series.
A great series for fans of fantasy sagas with romantic elements and a lead couple in a committed relationship.
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LibraryThing member gann
Authors have a different strengths that they bring to their craft: plotting, characterization, world building, action, etc. Bujold is such a fantastic writer because she's a master of all of these, as she's shown repeatedly in her novels; but in The Sharing Knife series (ending with Horizon), she
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focuses her attention almost entirely on something a bit more unusual-- relationships. Sure, her other skills are in fine form with plenty of heart-stopping, gut-wrenching action scenes and memorable, believable characters, but, really, these books are primarily about a small cast of characters (and through them, their communities) growing together. It's a gentle and wonderful ride. Show Less
LibraryThing member jjmcgaffey
Good. It really managed to tie together all the loose strings of the first three books. Dag finally got his plan for integrating farmers and Lakewalkers started - no more needing to keep pushing, it's moving with its own momentum now. As usual, Fawn sees things he missed and smooths the path for
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their plans. And is finally able to deal with the emotional scars of her first pregnancy. Dag's reaction to learning what his groundripping is would almost be funny, except it points up both how worried he's been about it and how isolated the different sectors of Lakewalkers are from each other, never mind the farmers. Nice. Show Less
LibraryThing member ascexis
Where the previous book in this series was slow moving to the point of tedium, this moved amazingly fast. Bizarrely fast, in fact, given that the previous two books were given over in whole or part, to how absolutely impossible it was that any LakeWalkers could ever associate with Fawn and Dag.
That said, I liked this. As I've said, it was way, way faster paced than the previous book. The characters were drawn more sharply -- Neeta in particular was pretty standout, but so was Sumac. Though Arkady didn't so much have a personality as react to everyone else's. I have no idea if that was meant to be the case or not, but it was slightly bizarre to read.
Some nice touches and dealings with consequences, and all in all, a pretty neat rounding up of the whole series. At any rate, it inspired me to go back and re-read the other three books, and check if a fifth is likely. Interestingly enough, they actually make a lot more sense read as all four in a row, the pacing is clearly across the four books. IIRC, they were intended to be two pairs, and well. If they'd been published together that might have made sense. As it is, I put off reading this for months because the previous one was weirdly paced and didn't really have an ending, so much as just... stopping.
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It's not quite forgotten -- they all flee a camp yet again, taking yet more LakeWalkers with them to bulk out their ragtag parade -- but it all seems rather more hand waved as lipservice.That said, I liked this. As I've said, it was way, way faster paced than the previous book. The characters were drawn more sharply -- Neeta in particular was pretty standout, but so was Sumac. Though Arkady didn't so much have a personality as react to everyone else's. I have no idea if that was meant to be the case or not, but it was slightly bizarre to read.
Some nice touches and dealings with consequences, and all in all, a pretty neat rounding up of the whole series. At any rate, it inspired me to go back and re-read the other three books, and check if a fifth is likely. Interestingly enough, they actually make a lot more sense read as all four in a row, the pacing is clearly across the four books. IIRC, they were intended to be two pairs, and well. If they'd been published together that might have made sense. As it is, I put off reading this for months because the previous one was weirdly paced and didn't really have an ending, so much as just... stopping.
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LibraryThing member jadelennox
In the final book of the Sharing Knife series, Bujold finally brings all of the threads of this world's metaphysics together into a comprehensible pattern. In a style only Bujold regularly pulls off, the fantasy tale of a tiny domestic girl who just wants to live a comfortable farm life with her
If you read this story as a Mississippi River-inspired fantasy world, but I don't recommend it. If not necessary, and doing so adds sketchiness to the relationship between Dag and Fawn. Instead, read this and be truly satisfying story of two standout people who know the only way they can live happily together if they change the world. The ending might be too sappy for some, but I find it wholly satisfying.
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warrior husband manages to be something of a story of female empowerment. Bujold fans never get to see Cordelia Vorkosigan do all of the terrifying speed we are positive she did after the birth of Miles, but we do get to see Fawn get medieval on some pretty terrifying malices. As in the previous three books of this quartet, Dag and Fawn need to bring Lakewalker and Farmer together if they want to defeat malices, overcoming the prejudices of both and culminating in some angst-ridden but action-packed fight scenes.If you read this story as a Mississippi River-inspired fantasy world, but I don't recommend it. If not necessary, and doing so adds sketchiness to the relationship between Dag and Fawn. Instead, read this and be truly satisfying story of two standout people who know the only way they can live happily together if they change the world. The ending might be too sappy for some, but I find it wholly satisfying.
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LibraryThing member Neale
A great conclusion to the series. The series was very consistent with each book adding more to the fantasy world and expanding on the themes from the books before. She writes great fantasy stories.
LibraryThing member LeHack
This is the final book in The Sharing Knife series. We met Dag and Fawn in Book One: Beguilement when he rescued her from a malice. Dag is a Lakewalker, but no longer with his family since he married Fawn, a Farmer.
They have headed back North. Dag has begun an apprenticeship to a groundsetter, new
Some of the themes are universal: leaving home to see the world, helping others, tolerance, love of family (and getting away from family!), seeking a new career when a former career ends. The fear of not succeeding in a new venture. The Lakewalkers protect everyone, but aren't very tolerant of allowing others into their circle. Dag has come to terms with their feelings, but not when it hurts Fawn.
Dag is growing older and his powers are stronger than they were, but he has to learn to harness his magical abilities. Dag will face the greatest test of his life when he confronts a powerful malice. How will people be protected in the future?
Fawn is hoping they can settle down and have a family. Both of these characters are very strong people. Dag's nickname for Fawn is "Spark". She is feisty and full of spunk. I had the feeling from book one that Bujold really likes her characters. I felt like I was back visiting old friends.
This was an ending of a series, but I didn't feel any conclusion. The door was almost left open, just a crack, for another book. I loved this series. I was sad when I finished the book because I wasn't quite ready to say goodbye to Dag and Fawn. I would recommend that all the previous books be read before this final installment.
They have headed back North. Dag has begun an apprenticeship to a groundsetter, new
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work for him since he has been exiled from his Lakewalker kin. The book opens with a wedding, Fawn's brother Whit is marrying Berry Clearcreek. They are all now a part of Tent Bluefield. Some of the themes are universal: leaving home to see the world, helping others, tolerance, love of family (and getting away from family!), seeking a new career when a former career ends. The fear of not succeeding in a new venture. The Lakewalkers protect everyone, but aren't very tolerant of allowing others into their circle. Dag has come to terms with their feelings, but not when it hurts Fawn.
Dag is growing older and his powers are stronger than they were, but he has to learn to harness his magical abilities. Dag will face the greatest test of his life when he confronts a powerful malice. How will people be protected in the future?
Fawn is hoping they can settle down and have a family. Both of these characters are very strong people. Dag's nickname for Fawn is "Spark". She is feisty and full of spunk. I had the feeling from book one that Bujold really likes her characters. I felt like I was back visiting old friends.
This was an ending of a series, but I didn't feel any conclusion. The door was almost left open, just a crack, for another book. I loved this series. I was sad when I finished the book because I wasn't quite ready to say goodbye to Dag and Fawn. I would recommend that all the previous books be read before this final installment.
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LibraryThing member flemmily
I kind of like how there is no huge evil menace plot in this series. There is an evil menace, but no armageddeon-style event which must be averted. And the relationship between Fawn and Dag is really sweet (if also a little creepy in the may-december sense...)
LibraryThing member fyrefly98
Summary: Although Dag's power as a medicine maker has been growing since he gave up patrolling, by the beginning of Horizon he's reached the limit of what he can learn on his own. He and his Farmer wife, Fawn, head to the nearest Lakewalker camp, where Dag strikes up an unusual - and somewhat
Review: Overall, I love Bujold's books and think it's a travesty that more people aren't reading them. Specifically, however, I don't think this was one of her strongest books, even within this series.
Don't get me wrong; it was still a crazy-enjoyable book. It got me out of a slight reading funk induced by too much holiday cheer and not enough down time. I still love Fawn and especially Dag as characters. The action was as heart-stopping as ever, and this book managed to get all of its sub-plots and characters to a satisfactory end and comfortable stopping place without leaving things feeling pat or overly wrapped-up. The world-building and magic is still as unique and interesting as it ever was, and I really appreciated how Bujold has expanded the scope of her world in each book in this series, without it ever feeling expository or inorganic.
Still, there were a couple of things about this book that didn't sit quite right with me. The first was that it seemed a little disjointed into two separate halves. The first half is all Dag and Arkady in the Lakewalker camp, and then it seemed like all of a sudden, they're out on the road, with only the briefest of scenes to smooth over the transition. My other problem was that there were just too many characters. Bujold can write brilliant characters when she's got the time and space to flesh them out a bit. In the third book, Passage, we got a passel of new characters in the beginning, but we got to spend enough time with them that by the end we love them almost as much as Dag and Fawn. In this case, however, new characters keep getting added into the group, without much time spent on developing them, and as a result the book starts to feel a little overcrowded and not as emotionally resonant as I would have liked.
All in all, though, this was a good end to a great series, and it's one that I'll definitely be revisiting in the future. 4 out of 5 stars.
Recommendation: Don't start on the last book, but this series as a whole is highly recommended for fantasy fans who like unique, well-thought out magic systems, non-traditional fantasy worlds, sympathetic characters, lively dialogue, a good sense of humor, and a little bit of romance stirred into the pot.
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uneasy, due to his unorthodox opinions about Farmers - apprenticeship with the master groundsetter Arkady. However, while Dag is learning to control his newfound power, Fawn is growing antsy; as much as she loves Dag, a camp full of Lakewalkers that treat her as barely human is not a place to settle down, and while she still believes in Dag's mission to save the world, she's also anxious to have a home to call her own. But where can she find a home that her unique family will fit in?Review: Overall, I love Bujold's books and think it's a travesty that more people aren't reading them. Specifically, however, I don't think this was one of her strongest books, even within this series.
Don't get me wrong; it was still a crazy-enjoyable book. It got me out of a slight reading funk induced by too much holiday cheer and not enough down time. I still love Fawn and especially Dag as characters. The action was as heart-stopping as ever, and this book managed to get all of its sub-plots and characters to a satisfactory end and comfortable stopping place without leaving things feeling pat or overly wrapped-up. The world-building and magic is still as unique and interesting as it ever was, and I really appreciated how Bujold has expanded the scope of her world in each book in this series, without it ever feeling expository or inorganic.
Still, there were a couple of things about this book that didn't sit quite right with me. The first was that it seemed a little disjointed into two separate halves. The first half is all Dag and Arkady in the Lakewalker camp, and then it seemed like all of a sudden, they're out on the road, with only the briefest of scenes to smooth over the transition. My other problem was that there were just too many characters. Bujold can write brilliant characters when she's got the time and space to flesh them out a bit. In the third book, Passage, we got a passel of new characters in the beginning, but we got to spend enough time with them that by the end we love them almost as much as Dag and Fawn. In this case, however, new characters keep getting added into the group, without much time spent on developing them, and as a result the book starts to feel a little overcrowded and not as emotionally resonant as I would have liked.
All in all, though, this was a good end to a great series, and it's one that I'll definitely be revisiting in the future. 4 out of 5 stars.
Recommendation: Don't start on the last book, but this series as a whole is highly recommended for fantasy fans who like unique, well-thought out magic systems, non-traditional fantasy worlds, sympathetic characters, lively dialogue, a good sense of humor, and a little bit of romance stirred into the pot.
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LibraryThing member kmartin802
Now at the southern end of their journey, Dag has finally found a teacher who can help him learn more about his strange new powers. Arkady is a groundsetter and he recognizes that Dag, even though he is little trained, can be one too. The problem is find a place for Fawn in the Lakewalker camp
When Finch, a young man Fawn has met at the camp market, comes and begs for assistance for his 5-year-old nephew who has lockjaw, Dag doesn't think twice before going to help even though it will likely cost him his place in the camp and his teacher.
When he is kicked out of the camp, he and Fawn decide to work their way north again. She's newly pregnant and would like to find a home before her baby is born. At first, they decide to join a party which includes Finch and some of his friends but the party soon grows with the addition of Arkady and Barr. Also in the party are a couple of untrained half-breeds. They also meet again with Fawn's brother Whit, his wife Berry, and Berry's uncle and younger brother.
Trailing both Dag and Arkady is a jealous young female patroller who has been trying to pry Dag loose from Fawn ever since she met him. Once she realizes that he is the hero of Wolf Ridge, she becomes even more determined to have him for her own. Dag isn't at all interested and is completely in love with and loyal to Fawn but Neeta isn't easily discouraged and reappears throughout the story trying one approach after another to separate Dag and Fawn.
The trip is hard and made even harder when the group runs into two different malices. Luckily, Dag has been working on a way to protect Fawn and has expanded the protection to Fawn's brother Whit and his wife Berry. When the party is scattered during the malice attack, it is up to those protected farmers to find a way to save the group and introduce the malice to mortality.
This was a wonderful story filled with great characters set in a well-developed world. It was about making small changes to bring about a changed future. Dag wants to change the dynamic between farmers and lakewalkers. He wants to change the world and pave the way for a future after the last malice has been destroyed.
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where she is seen only as a farmer girl. Dag learns a lot in two months but he doesn't agree with the camp's policy of not providing healing for farmers. When Finch, a young man Fawn has met at the camp market, comes and begs for assistance for his 5-year-old nephew who has lockjaw, Dag doesn't think twice before going to help even though it will likely cost him his place in the camp and his teacher.
When he is kicked out of the camp, he and Fawn decide to work their way north again. She's newly pregnant and would like to find a home before her baby is born. At first, they decide to join a party which includes Finch and some of his friends but the party soon grows with the addition of Arkady and Barr. Also in the party are a couple of untrained half-breeds. They also meet again with Fawn's brother Whit, his wife Berry, and Berry's uncle and younger brother.
Trailing both Dag and Arkady is a jealous young female patroller who has been trying to pry Dag loose from Fawn ever since she met him. Once she realizes that he is the hero of Wolf Ridge, she becomes even more determined to have him for her own. Dag isn't at all interested and is completely in love with and loyal to Fawn but Neeta isn't easily discouraged and reappears throughout the story trying one approach after another to separate Dag and Fawn.
The trip is hard and made even harder when the group runs into two different malices. Luckily, Dag has been working on a way to protect Fawn and has expanded the protection to Fawn's brother Whit and his wife Berry. When the party is scattered during the malice attack, it is up to those protected farmers to find a way to save the group and introduce the malice to mortality.
This was a wonderful story filled with great characters set in a well-developed world. It was about making small changes to bring about a changed future. Dag wants to change the dynamic between farmers and lakewalkers. He wants to change the world and pave the way for a future after the last malice has been destroyed.
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LibraryThing member JeremyPreacher
This was my favorite of the four novels - it really digs into the social and moral implications of the magic system the previous three volumes have been setting up, and there's quite a bit more action. The relationships between the characters are established, so they can get on with doing things
I would really like to see a second trilogy set twenty years in the future that is a straight-up adventure to see how some of the social change plays out. I am curious what romance readers think of this series - as a fantasy series it's really not up to par, although it has tremendous potential.
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instead of moping around, which makes for much more interesting reading in my opinion.I would really like to see a second trilogy set twenty years in the future that is a straight-up adventure to see how some of the social change plays out. I am curious what romance readers think of this series - as a fantasy series it's really not up to par, although it has tremendous potential.
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LibraryThing member cajela
I do so wish that Lois McMaster Bujold would get back to Miles Vorkosigan's universe. This is yet another installment in the Sharing Knife series. Farmer Fawn and Lakewalker Dag come from clashing cultures and are trying to heal the rifts. There's a lot of good stuff in here for fantasy
But she just doesn't bring it together enough to be either exciting or funny. There's not enough dramatic tension; I find it comes off as soppy. She *can* do funny romantic - see A Civil Campaign for some great farcical moments - but Bujold is being far too nice here.
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aficianados: bone/life magic; mysteriously intriguing evils to be fought; a big land to be travelled by caravan and boat etc. But she just doesn't bring it together enough to be either exciting or funny. There's not enough dramatic tension; I find it comes off as soppy. She *can* do funny romantic - see A Civil Campaign for some great farcical moments - but Bujold is being far too nice here.
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LibraryThing member PallanDavid
Until the Sharing Knife series, I had never read Lois McMaster Bujold. She is one of my husband's favorite authors, though, so I decided to take a chance on beginning this series. I am the type of person who reads a book cover to cover, no matter how much I dislike the book. I also will read an
But I HAD to read this 4th volume or my OCD would go crazy on me!
As such, I bought the book within a few days of it's release three years ago, in 2008, and it sat on the book shelf until just this week (July 2011). I was expecting another convoluted over written story and hoped it was true that this would be the final volume. To my extreme surprise, though, I was captivated and enthralled and so brought into the story I read it in two days - for a slow reader like me that is amazing speed. I LOVE this book!!
The characters are so well written, and there are new characters added to the group that had come together in the first 3 volumes. Even Fawn the farmer-girl and Dag the Lakewalker suddenly showed themselves in 3D technicolor. Love between characters is offered to the readers without "sex scenes", friendships are made and expand under the mastery of Bujold's words in a seamless characterization, tragedy and near-tragedy is written without over dramatization.
I whole heartily recommend this series to anyone who would like to read a fantasy combining love, upset, forgiveness, and coming together of two cultures. The whole series? Yes. Even though I greatly disliked the first three volumes, one must trudge through them in order to be prepared for volume four. Without the background much will be lost to the reader.
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entire series even if I was not enamored with beginning volumes. Coming to Horizon, the 4th of the Sharing Knife series, I was (to say the least) NOT excited. The first three volumes, to me, were slow, over written, had too many lengthy descriptions of sex between the two protagonists (Fawn and Dag), and for me was so over written I literally scanned as many as 15 pages of text before coming to a point of interest. But I HAD to read this 4th volume or my OCD would go crazy on me!
As such, I bought the book within a few days of it's release three years ago, in 2008, and it sat on the book shelf until just this week (July 2011). I was expecting another convoluted over written story and hoped it was true that this would be the final volume. To my extreme surprise, though, I was captivated and enthralled and so brought into the story I read it in two days - for a slow reader like me that is amazing speed. I LOVE this book!!
The characters are so well written, and there are new characters added to the group that had come together in the first 3 volumes. Even Fawn the farmer-girl and Dag the Lakewalker suddenly showed themselves in 3D technicolor. Love between characters is offered to the readers without "sex scenes", friendships are made and expand under the mastery of Bujold's words in a seamless characterization, tragedy and near-tragedy is written without over dramatization.
I whole heartily recommend this series to anyone who would like to read a fantasy combining love, upset, forgiveness, and coming together of two cultures. The whole series? Yes. Even though I greatly disliked the first three volumes, one must trudge through them in order to be prepared for volume four. Without the background much will be lost to the reader.
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Language
Original publication date
2009-01-27
Physical description
464 p.; 9.1 inches
ISBN
0061375365 / 9780061375361