chirson's review against another edition
3.0
Not bad, but I wish it had more Desdemona. Still, the worldbuilding is glorious, and I would have been utterly in love with this book if I'd read it during my more worldbuilding-focused years.
I hope the next volumes bring more Des.
I hope the next volumes bring more Des.
emilyplun's review against another edition
adventurous
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
kowshik1009's review against another edition
4.0
This one has very little of Desdemona. But it is a multiple POV story and is very well structured. The story is really intriguing and I got fully invested in the "science" behind the Shamans. As with the previous novella in the series, I loved the pacing and really liked the fact that "action" is not the solution. It's not Penric's skills in sorcery or archery, but rather his diplomacy & humanity that helps him grasp the complexities of the problems and solve them.
brokenrecord's review against another edition
3.0
This was… fine, I guess? It may be partially my fault for not having read the first one in this series, and while I did read The Curse of Chalion, which shares a universe with this series, it was like 6 years ago and I remember nothing about it (other than that I loved it). The only reason I did read this is because it was nominated for a Hugo, and after reading it, I'm not really sure why because… it's just okay. Other than I guess because Lois McMaster Bujold wrote it and she's a big name (and don't get me wrong, I've loved plenty of her writing before!). I mean, it wasn't bad, I just never really got into the story or the characters.
shomarq's review against another edition
adventurous
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
eb00kie's review against another edition
4.0
A hilarious fun adventure - felt like Bond and Q, but with less of that doom-and-gloom
tehani's review against another edition
5.0
Thoroughly worth your while as a reader. I think this novella could be read as a standalone (Bujold does an excellent job in most of her books to ensure that) but it certainly rewards the reader invested in the series.
See my longer review here.
See my longer review here.
gillothen's review against another edition
4.0
A splendid continuation of the Penric stories - love his interaction with his demon(s) and the mission is intriguing, sometimes gripping.