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Originally Posted by thrawn_aj
A question for you Sharing Knife fans. Every time I'm about to pick up one of her fantasy novels, I shy away at the last minute. A large part of what makes the Vorkosigan saga so enchanting to me is the brilliant humor. Do the fantasy novels lack this aspect entirely?
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I wouldn't call myself a Sharing Knife fan, but I've bought, read, and to a certain extent enjoyed everything that LMB has written so far (up to the latest, which I'm waiting to receive in the mail).
The fantasy novels very definitely have humour in them. I recommend the Chalion series, especially The Curse of Chalion (won a Mythopoeic Prize, which should banish any lingering concerns about overall quality), where the protagonist is a bit more Miles/Mark-ish in his outlook and attitude, and has an often dryly sardonic take on things, which should be a nice transition.
The other Chalion books still have that sharp sense of humour, though they become more "serious" as the series progresses, so it becomes a lower-key, more background element.
Regarding the Sharing Knife books, they still have humour, but it's a lot lower-key, and the main focus of those books is really on the developing romantic relationship. Being a no-romo who doesn't mind romance, but would prefer for it not to be a dominant primary element, I was somewhat unsatisfied with these books, although they are still worth taking a look at if you enjoy her other books.
The Spirit Ring, available multiformat via Fictionwise, is also a more "romantic" fantasy, but less so than the Sharing Knife series, and I enjoyed it a lot more, even though it is in an earlier, less "developed" style.
But I'd start with the Chalion books first as a more balanced and possibly more appealing dip into the fantasy waters.