After starting out with Curse of Chalion, tearing my way through the Vorkosigan saga and falling madly in love with Miles, I finished my feast of all things Bujold with the Sharing Knife. This is a romantic fantasy, and the fantasy element allowed Bujold to avoid the part that always turns me off romance - the bit where the main characters get into a huge fight because of a miscommunication or misunderstanding. Fawn & Dag fall in love very early on, and they remain in love with one another throughout the entire series. And more than that, they're partners in the life they're building together.The story is a bit slow at times, largely because as they travel around, their story needs to be told over and over again to the new people they meet. And since the telling varies, and the tale has a large impact on the people they meet, you get to hear it over and over again. This was exacerbated for me by listening to the audiobook, which meant that I couldn't just skip over bits the way I usually would. On the other hand, the action does move pretty quick once it gets going, and there was one scene near the end that gave me the shaking horrors. It certainly isn't just about repeating the same themes over and over!
One of the things I enjoyed most about this was the exploration of being both valued and loved in a relationship. Fawn is loved but not valued by her family, and the result is stifling. Dag on the other hand is valued, but not loved. The effect on their personalities once they fall in love with one another of being both loved and valued by someone whom you love and value is transcendent.
Overall a great story - wonderful love story, excellent action, and a very interesting world.
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