The Sharing Knife: Passage
I have been looking forward to the latest installment in this series since the last book. I thoroughly enjoyed it, the return to the world, the characters, the conflicts between Lakewalkers and farmers and the problem of how to resolve them. Although now I’m wondering how this is going to get wrapped up in only one more book! Can’t wait to see how that works out, because it won’t be simple.
Nobody does a balance of character, world-building, and plot like Bujold. So her books are always a joy to read; I know none of these essential elements will be lacking. I also like her deft handling of heavy subject matter so that it doesn’t feel overwhelming or unbearable. Despite the enormous problems still facing the protagonists at the end of Passage, it didn’t seem at all hopeless. The passage on the river was a sort of microcosm of what the world could be, with both groups of people working together.
I don’t want to say too much because I hate to give spoilers, but if all fantasy was written like this, I’d read a lot more of it. I lean towards urban fantasy as a rule because serious traditional fantasy (is there such a thing?) often feels inaccessible to me. So I end up gravitating to Pratchett and Dickson and Cook because they write lighter fantasy, and authors like Kim Harrison and Kelley Armstrong for the gritty stuff and skipping over serious fantasy. Which is unfortunate, because done right, it reads like this. And I really wish there were more books like this. I content myself with pouncing on every new title she releases, fantasy or science fiction, but I’d love to read more fantasy like this.
Yeah, yeah, write it myself. In my spare time. *eye roll* Anyway, I loved this book and highly recommend it. Even if you think you won’t like fantasy, try Bujold.
