Lois McMaster Bujold

[jehane]

Originally Posted by Jemcrystal

Coincidently, I get angry when almost everyone else gripes that The Sharing Knife was not Bujold's best works. Maybe it wasn't for them but it is for me. Because of the way these critics down The Sharing Knife in favor of her other works, I will not read anything else by LMB.

There's a term for that. Cutting off your nose to spite your face. Note that in spite of their preferences for adventure over romance, those critics didn't *not* read the Sharing Knife series. The Vorkosigan novels are not all a boy's own adventure in space. The Warrior's Apprentice certainly is (and I love it) however Shards of Honor could easily be categorised as Science Fiction Romance (and I love it as well). Barrayar (which, yes, I love, especially the erm, "shopping" scene) maintains the strong romantic thread of Shards of Honor. Some of the later novels deal with Miles' and his friends' own romantic entanglements. And I love them as well.

What I need help with is a question I have asked countless times on countless forums; what other fantasy novels by other authors are there that are VERY LIKE The Sharing Knife. Anyone know of some good reads that might also win my heart?

Melanie Rawn - the Sunrunner series. I actually prefer the Exiles trilogy but it remains unfinished after about a decade and with no end in the foreseeable future.
Juliet Marillier
Sarah Zettel
Robin McKinley
Isolde Martyn - historical rather than fantasy
Marion Zimmer Bradley - in particular the Avalon series and the Trillium series she co-wrote with Julian May and Andre Norton
Catherine Asaro
Mercedes Lackey
Jacqueline Carey
Guy Gavriel Kay (more historical fantasy but does the romance quite well and really does produce the most beautiful writing I have ever come across)

These are the ones I can think of that write fantasy with very strong romantic elements. It's a stereotype, but as a general rule, speculative fiction written by women will likely have stronger romantic subplots than those written by men.

If you'd like to expand your reading there's also:
SL Viehl - space opera and paranormal romance (under a different name)
Elizabeth Moon - space opera (Serrano Legacy and Vatta's War)
Kim Harrison - urban fantasy

There are more in all categories, but these are the ones I have read and enjoyed. You might also like to check out The Galaxy Express - there is a list of authors on the left, and links to other sites on the right.

[khalleron]

Originally Posted by RockdaMan

I loved loved loved Cordelias Honor, then I moved onto Warriors Apprentice...which to me was a HUGE letdown. So much so that I'm not very interested in the rest of the series.

It was next in the chronology...did I move onto the wrong book though? I almost found the story of Elena (the daughter) to be more compelling, and I wish there was a book about her further adventures.

Well, you see, LMB doesn't (or rather didn't) write books in chronological order. Shards of Honor and The Warrior's Apprentice were very early books, Barrayar (the 2nd 'half' of Cordelia's Honor) wasn't written until years later and I consider it her 'breakthrough' book.

So, yeah, I can see where you might be disappointed, but I'd say give it another try. Her books get better (with a few caveats) as she goes along, if you read in the order they were written.

[bjones6416]

Originally Posted by jehane

There's a term for that. Cutting off your nose to spite your face. Note that in spite of their preferences for adventure over romance, those critics didn't *not* read the Sharing Knife series. The Vorkosigan novels are not all a boy's own adventure in space. The Warrior's Apprentice certainly is (and I love it) however Shards of Honor could easily be categorised as Science Fiction Romance (and I love it as well). Barrayar (which, yes, I love, especially the erm, "shopping" scene) maintains the strong romantic thread of Shards of Honor. Some of the later novels deal with Miles' and his friends' own romantic entanglements. And I love them as well.



Melanie Rawn - the Sunrunner series. I actually prefer the Exiles trilogy but it remains unfinished after about a decade and with no end in the foreseeable future.
Juliet Marillier
Sarah Zettel
Robin McKinley
Isolde Martyn - historical rather than fantasy
Marion Zimmer Bradley - in particular the Avalon series and the Trillium series she co-wrote with Julian May and Andre Norton
Catherine Asaro
Mercedes Lackey
Jacqueline Carey
Guy Gavriel Kay (more historical fantasy but does the romance quite well and really does produce the most beautiful writing I have ever come across)

These are the ones I can think of that write fantasy with very strong romantic elements. It's a stereotype, but as a general rule, speculative fiction written by women will likely have stronger romantic subplots than those written by men.

If you'd like to expand your reading there's also:
SL Viehl - space opera and paranormal romance (under a different name)
Elizabeth Moon - space opera (Serrano Legacy and Vatta's War)
Kim Harrison - urban fantasy

There are more in all categories, but these are the ones I have read and enjoyed. You might also like to check out The Galaxy Express - there is a list of authors on the left, and links to other sites on the right.

Nice list -- thanks! I'm going to check out some of those myself...

[ebusinesstutor]

Originally Posted by Jemcrystal

I'm in love with The Sharing Knife series and have been so for years. I keep rereading it. I am a romance buff, not fantasy only. I do not care how well a novel is written if there is no serious romance I'm not in it. This series touched me very deeply and is one of my most prized possessions!

Coincidently, I get angry when almost everyone else gripes that The Sharing Knife was not Bujold's best works. Maybe it wasn't for them but it is for me. Because of the way these critics down The Sharing Knife in favor of her other works, I will not read anything else by LMB.

Don't let the naysayers get to you. I loved both the Miles series AND The Sharing Knife and I liked the romance in each. And I am a guy. Another one by LMB that also has great romance is The Curse of Chalion and its sequel Paladin of Souls.

And the Miles series dips into romance regularly as well.

[AlexBell]

Originally Posted by ebusinesstutor

Don't let the naysayers get to you. I loved both the Miles series AND The Sharing Knife and I liked the romance in each. And I am a guy. Another one by LMB that also has great romance is The Curse of Chalion and its sequel Paladin of Souls.

And it's sequel - more or less - The Hallowed Hunt

Regards, Alex

[RockdaMan]

I finished Mountains of Mourning last night. Wow...great read.

That was more like it. So whats next? Chronology, or is there a better way to read them?

I think the Vor Game is next in the series chronologically. But maybe I'll follow Khallerons advice...

[RockdaMan]

Originally Posted by Worldwalker

I've read them all; even not-so-good Bujold is better than most other writers. I still want more about Bel Thorne -- how it got involved with the mercenaries in the first place, for instance. And Tung, his back-story might be interesting too. I was thinking more of an immediate sequel to "Falling Free", which is after all quite a ways earlier than the "Bujoldverse" main timeline.

Ooh, yes, "Sergyar" would be good. Miles is fine, but I want more Aral & Cordelia!

And Ivan. He needs a book. Or how about Captain Negri? Or ... I've forgotten his name ... the pilot who can only fly obsolete ships?

I think it's a mark of just how good Bujold is as a writer that there are people who want to follow the other characters in her world because they're as real as most authors' main characters.

Elena. Please.

[FlorenceArt]

Originally Posted by RockdaMan

I finished Mountains of Mourning last night. Wow...great read.

That was more like it. So whats next? Chronology, or is there a better way to read them?

I think the Vor Game is next in the series chronologically. But maybe I'll follow Khallerons advice...

I started reading her book after downloading a free copy of Mountains of Mourning, and so far nothing I have read is on par with that. Yes, the Vor game comes after in the chronological order, but don't expect more than a nice light read.

I am finishing Labyrinth, and again it was a nice light read but nothing to rave about. Maybe I'll just skip to Barrayar and start reading the following books in the publication order after that...

[khalleron]

The next book will be an Ivan book, LMB is already working on it.

When I first became acquainted with her, when Mountains of Mourning was just published, she was *supposed* to be working on the sequal to Falling Free, but apparently that book never gelled.

She's been working pretty much chronologically for awhile now - I think the last time she jumped the chronology in the Vorkosigan series was with Cetaganda.

As for reading order, that's always been a subject of debate among Bujold fans. I've read her in writing order because I've been reading her since pretty early on. If you do read in internal chronological order, just be aware that some books that come later in the series, such as Brothers in Arms, were actually written pretty early and make allowances. It might be a good idea to check the copyright date before you begin one.

Although I found Diplomatic Immunity kind of weak, even though it's a later book - she needed to fulfill her contractual obligation to Baen before she could get on with the Chalion series, and it shows.

Cryoburn is lovely, though, truly lovely. Worth the wait.

[jgaiser]

I'm going to butt in again.

I had my doubts about her books, as I started with the the first two, chronologically. Shards of Honor and Barrayar. I'm really not into romance novels, and though I enjoy the "writing" the books left me less that eager to continue.

I'm glad I did. I've been working my way through the books, and while some aren't the greatest writing ever done, they've all been enjoyable and I'll continue as long as she does.

[ATDrake]

Originally Posted by FlorenceArt

I started reading her book after downloading a free copy of Mountains of Mourning, and so far nothing I have read is on par with that.

Try the Borders of Infinity novella, if you haven't already. I think it does for character resonance, emotional depth, and expression of core themes to the Naismith portions of Miles' life what The Mountains of Mourning does for the Vorkosigan bits. A complete free read as a sample from Baen's Webscription copy of the Miles Errant omnibus, and of course on the Cryoburn CD.

From Brothers in Arms over to Mirror Dance and beyond is where the writing starts to get really good and of the quality people mostly associate with LMB's "modern" work.

[FlorenceArt]

Originally Posted by ATDrake

Try the Borders of Infinity novella, if you haven't already. I think it does for character resonance, emotional depth, and expression of core themes to the Naismith portions of Miles' life what The Mountains of Mourning does for the Vorkosigan bits. A complete free read as a sample from Baen's Webscription copy of the Miles Errant omnibus, and of course on the Cryoburn CD.

From Brothers in Arms over to Mirror Dance and beyond is where the writing starts to get really good and of the quality people mostly associate with LMB's "modern" work.

Thank you, I will go download it!

[jehane]

I'd love an Ivan book, so I'm glad to hear that the next one will be about him. It's been hinted at several times that he has potential - I'd love to see him forced into living up to it and getting out from under Miles' shadow for a change.

For me, it's hard to see what could be done with Elena as a character. Really she grew up in The Warrior's Apprentice and from there she's been fully developed. I'd actually like one set in the years that Miles was away from the Dendarii - something to show the Dendarii in between Warrior's Apprentice and Vor Game. That's where LMB could really showcase Elena, Tung and Bel.

Try the Borders of Infinity novella, if you haven't already. I think it does for character resonance, emotional depth, and expression of core themes to the Naismith portions of Miles' life what The Mountains of Mourning does for the Vorkosigan bits.

Absolutely agree!

[badgoodDeb]

Originally Posted by FlorenceArt

Thank you, I will go download it!

It's not designed to be downloadable. However, if you bring it up in your browser, the whole story is on one page. (The "next-page" links start you into the next novel, which is NOT all online .... you gotta continue it elsewhere).
Anyway, if you just select all the text on the one browser page, you can copy it into an offline text file and then send that to your ereader.

I do agree that it's very good -- it got me hooked on the character of the main character (sorry for redundant phrasing!) and so I started the whole series from the beginning. Good stuff! I'm choosing to read them in story-line chronology, rather than publish order.

[FlorenceArt]

Originally Posted by badgoodDeb

It's not designed to be downloadable. However, if you bring it up in your browser, the whole story is on one page. (The "next-page" links start you into the next novel, which is NOT all online .... you gotta continue it elsewhere).
Anyway, if you just select all the text on the one browser page, you can copy it into an offline text file and then send that to your ereader.

I do agree that it's very good -- it got me hooked on the character of the main character (sorry!) and so I started the whole series from the beginning. Good stuff! I'm choosing to read them in story-line chronology, rather than publish order.

Ah, that explains why I couldn't find it on the site (I had forgotten about ATDrake's link, duh ). But that's OK, I just bought Miles Errant, which includes it I think. So I guess I will continue reading the series in the chronological order after all.

I also bought Cordelia's Honor, since it includes Barrayar and several people recommended it I think.