‘Penric’s Demon’ Book Review

Mount Readmore Book Review, 2017 100/100

Penric’s Demon By Lois McMaster Bujold

Audiobook Edition

Finished on 11/22/2017

Goodreads

Description: On his way to his betrothal, young Lord Penric comes upon a riding accident with an elderly lady on the ground, her maidservant and guardsmen distraught. As he approaches to help, he discovers that the lady is a Temple divine, servant to the five gods of this world. Her avowed god is The Bastard, “master of all disasters out of season”, and with her dying breath she bequeaths her mysterious powers to Penric. From that moment on, Penric’s life is irreversibly changed, and his life is in danger from those who envy or fear him.

Set in the fantasy world of the author’s acclaimed novels THE CURSE OF CHALION, PALADIN OF SOULS and THE HALLOWED HUNT, this novella has the depth of characterization and emotional complexity that distinguishes all Bujold’s work.

Genres: Fantasy, Novella, High Fantasy

A boy meets a girl-hive mind, and sparks fly…

Spoiler-tastic review

This is a short story in the ‘World of the Five Gods’ series by Lois McMaster Bujold. This is a re-read for me, for I wanted to refresh myself on this mini-series before I read ‘Penric and the Shaman.’

Penric is your average middle-son of a country lord, who’s on his way to be betrothed when he accidentally contracts a demon. Now haunted by a spectral amalgam of souls, Penric has no choice but to seek theological comfort from the less-than-reputable priests of the Bastard God.

Characters: Awesome! I like Penric and I like Desdemona, the two main characters. Penric’s naiveté is hilarious, while Desdemona’s emergent personality made from twelve souls is equal parts crass and witty.

Plot: A bit basic, but it has to be basic in such a short novel. I think this could have been split into two parts: Penric dealing with the immediate aftermath of his demonic invasion and Penric’s captivity in Martin’s Bridge.

Highly recommended. You don’t need to read Curse of Chalion or Paladin of Souls before this… but they are both excellent books so you might as well.

Stay Sunny!