History Literature / TheSharingKnife

* PoorCommunicationKills: Setting aside the [[BurnTheWitch repeated incidents]] rooted in rumor caused by quarter-understood glimpses of Lakewalker customs; it is clear that Malices emerging under a farmer town where no one would recognize the signs of them even if they believed such creatures existed is in many ways the most dangerous scenario possible.

-->'''Whit Bluefield''': "I don't know if he's robbing the cradle, or if she's robbing the grave!"

* ChekhovsGun: both the primed Sharing Knife from ''Passage'' and Whit's crossbow in ''Horizon''

* DarkIsNotEvil: The rumors about Lakewalker Necromancy are overblown, but their [[strike:primary]] [[KryptoniteFactor only effective]] blight-bogle slaying weapons ''are'' carved from the bones of their dead and empowered by [[BloodMagic the lives of sacrifices]].
* DeathSeeker: the true reason why Dag has killed more Malices than any other Lakewalker.

'''''The Sharing Knife''''' is a four novel fantasy/romance/western series by Creator/LoisMcMasterBujold set in a post-apocalyptic world, with a culture patterned on aspects of the nineteenth century United States, especially the expanding frontier. It examines the tension between the two cultures: the magical/traditionalist "Lakewalkers", who are fighting a ForeverWar against [[EldritchAbomination malices]], and the techno-agricultural "Farmers", who tend to think the malices are less dangerous and abundant than they are, and believe (falsely) that the Lakewalkers are [[ImAHumanitarian cannibalistic]] [[BlackMagic black mages]] though there is some truth in those beliefs.

* AfterTheEnd: After ''an'' end, at any rate; the series takes place centuries after the advanced civilisation of the 'Lake League' was destroyed by the emergence of the first malices. What parts of the world not covered with uninhabitable blight have mostly gone back to nature, and technology is at levels roughly equal to the early nineteenth century.

'''''The Sharing Knife''''' is a four novel fantasy/romance/western series by Creator/LoisMcMasterBujold set in a post-apocalyptic world, with a culture patterned on aspects of the nineteenth century United States, especially the expanding frontier. It examines the tension between the two cultures: the magical/traditionalist "Lakewalkers", who are fighting a ForeverWar against [[EldritchAbomination malices]], and the techno-agricultural "Farmers", who tends to think the malices are less dangerous and abundant than they are, and believes (falsely) that the Lakewalkers are [[ImAHumanitarian cannibalistic]] [[BlackMagic black mages]]. Though there is some truth in those beliefs.

* GutFeeling In ''Horizon'', Dag can't shake the feeling that there was something wrong with their encounter with a malice that close to molting. [[spoiler: He realizes too late that the first malice was fleeing from a second, more powerful malice]]* HalfBreedDiscrimination: Discussed with Calla and Indigo in ''Horizon''. In farmer society, half bloods face fears of being witches and are not trusted. Lakewalkers do not accept them at all, unless they can demonstrate they can use their groundsense.

* AfterTheEnd: After ''an'' end, at any rate; the series takes place centuries after the advanced civilisation of the 'Lake League' was destroyed by the emergence of the first malices. What parts of the world not covered with uninhabitable blight has mostly gone back to nature, and technology is at levels roughly equal to the early nineteenth century.

* HalfBreedDiscrimination: Discussed with Calla and Indigo in ''Horizon''. In farmer society, half bloods face fears of being witches and are not trusted. Lakewalkers do not accept them at all, unless they can demonstrate they can use their groundsense.

* GutFeeling In ''Horizon'', Dag can't shake the feeling that there was something wrong with their encounter with a malice that close to molting. [[spoiler: He realizes too late that the first malice was fleeing from a second, more powerful malice]]

* AfterTheEnd: After ''an'' end, at any rate; the series takes place centuries after the advanced civilisation of the 'Lake League' was destroyed by the emergence of the first malices. The world has mostly gone back to nature, and technology is at levels roughly equal to the early nineteenth century.

* ButWeUsedACondom: The rhythm method is far more reliable when one party can literally see when his partner is most fertile. Unless that party gets caught up in the moment, as Dag was in ''Passages''

** In ''Beguilement'', Dag is told of a Lakewalker from another camp who was banished for keepind a secret farmer family. That Lakewalker turns out to be the BigBad of ''Passage''.

* BabiesEverAfter: The epilogue of ''Horizon'' sees [[spoiler: Fawn and Dag's daughter, Nettie-Mari, a healthy happy baby, and Sumac pregnant with Arkady's child.]]

* EstablishingCharacterMoment: Boss Berry first makes herself known by chastising another boatman who was making lewd remarks to Fawn, then explains what she's carving when Fawn asks, completely and without hitting Fawn with the usual accusation of being "Stupid" for expressing her curiosity. Fawn decides right then that Berry's boat would be perfect for their trip downriver.

* FoodPorn: There are many loving descriptions of the meals Fawn cooks, particularly in ''Passage'' and Dag is amazed at the abundance and variety found at Farmer tables.

* MoralEventHorizon: See MurderTheHypotenuse.

* MurderTheHypotenuse: In ''Horizon'' [[spoiler: Neeta]] allows the party to bury [[spoiler:Fawn]] despite being able to tell she's not dead. The story is deliberately ambiguous as to whether or not this was intentional or subconscious.

* FamedInStory: Between the number of malices he has slain and the famous Battle of Wolf Ridge, Dag is a near-legend among many Lakewalkers. But few Lakewalkers connect the scruffy, one-handed old patroller with the latter legend.
* FantasticRacism: Across the board. Lakewalkers tend to be more [[CantArgueWithElves contemptuous]], but [[{{Muggles}} Farmers]] balance it out with bouts of superstition-born [[BurnTheWitch violence]]. We, the audience find out that Dag is even more famous under his married name of Dag Wolverine (and Dag is even more annoyed by that).

* AnimalThemeNaming: Lakewalker 'tent names' (family names) all seem to be those of animals. Redwing, Wolverine, Crow...]
* BabiesEverAfter: The epilogue of ''Horizon'' sees [[spoler: Fawn and Dag's daughter, Nettie-Mari, a healthy happy baby, and Sumac pregnant with Arkady's child.]]

* AnimalThemeNaming: Lakewalker 'tent names' (family names) all seem to be those of animals. Redwing, Wolverine, Crow...

* BigBrotherBully: All of Fawn's older brothers bullied and mistreated her to some degree. Reed was by far the worst.

* BuriedAlive: [[spoiler:Fawn]]

* {{Muggles}}: Lakewalkers call them all "farmers", regardless of their occupation or where they live,

* ToBeLawfulOrBeGood: In ''Horison'', Dag risks his place in a southern Lakewalker camp - one with a medicine maker mentor who has the same abilities as Dag and can teach Dag more than he ever dreamed of - to save a Farmer boy from Lockjaw. In the end, It's the camp Patrol Captain, not the mentor, that decides Dag's fate. [[spoiler: He bans Dag from New Moon Cutoff when Dag pushes back on his refusal to deal with farmers - not helped by Dag pointing out where New Moon Cutoff falls far short of traditional Lakewalker doctrine.]]

* FamedInStory: Dag is famous in the Lakewalker world as one of the heroes of the Battle of Wolf Ridge. Dag is doubly pissed at this because A) it seemed to ignore that he wasn't the only survivor of that battle and B) took no notice of the lives lost that day [[spoiler:including Dag's fist wife and most of his patrol.]]

* FamedInStory: Between the number of malices he has slain and the famous Battle of Wolf Ridge, Dag is a near-legend among many Lakewalkers. But few Lakewalkers connect the scruffy, one-handed old patroller with the latter legend.

* HonorBeforeReason: The reason the Lakewalkers don't take on Farmers to handle tasks in their camps that don't require groundsense to accomplish. They don't want to become defacto lords over Farmers, so won't even entertain scenario that could theoretically lead to Lakewalker Rule.

* FantasticRacism: Across the board. Lakewalkers tend to be more [[CantArgueWithElves contemptuous]], but [[{{Muggles}} Farmers]] balance it out with bouts of superstition-born [[BurnTheWitch violence]].

* FantasticRacism: Across the board. Lakewalkers tend to be more [[CantArgueWithElves contemptuous]], but [[{{Muggles}} Farmers]] balance it out with bouts of superstition-born [[BurnTheWitch violence]]. We, the audience find out that Dag is even more famous under his married name of Dag Wolverine (and Dag is even more annoyed by that).

* FantasticRacism: Across the board. Lakewalkers tend to be more [[CantArgueWithElves contemptuous]], but [[{{Muggles}} Farmers]] balance it out with bouts of superstition-born [[BurnTheWitch violence]].

* {{Polyamory}}: A rare example of a woman married to two husbands. It's not really accepted practice among Lakewalkers, but they have no actual law against it, and the three are happy together, so the rest of the clan just kind of adjusted to it.

* {{Muggles}} (Lakewalkers call them all farmers, regardless of their occupation or where they live).
* MyGreatestFailure: Twenty years ago in what became known as the Battle of Wolf Ridge; Dag lost all but three of his command, his left hand, and ''his wife'' in the space of an hour. It does not help that more than one epic poem[=/=]song has been composed about it, and he tends to make himself scarce when one some pup decides to sing one at a celebration.