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4.08 AVERAGE
4.08 AVERAGE
I have to admit I'm getting a little bored with this series. There's nothing wrong with the story — it's a tight & well-paced mystery. But the characters have become static, and so this series of novellas is no longer a developing story of Penric/Desdemona's humanity/growth/change, but a nicely plotted tale with a few bits of metaphysical insights thrown in. It's a low-conflict story that you can easily read late at night.
Another fun puzzle for Penric to solve. This one doesn’t have a lot at stake for Penric, but he deserves a break after all the risks of the previous adventure! This installment does delve more into some of the magics of the world, so interesting for that aspect as well.
dark
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
A deliciously dark mystery revolving around greed, status and despair.
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
A really good installment but a profoundly sad one, much more so than I'd expected. A case of death magic entangles together a few distinct tragic stories. There's a a lot about grief and suicide and as ever, the worldbuilding of religion in this world of Bujold's is surprisingly poignant and kind.
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
"Knot of Shadows" is the most recent and currently last (sob) of the Penric and Desdemona novellas. I have been reading them for almost a year - one per month, and I don't know what I will do without my fix of Pen and Des in October. Read other Lois McMaster Bujold books, I guess. 😅
This installment of the series is a bit darker and sadder than others. The titular knot of shadows involves several ruined and lost lives. Penric and Desdemona approach the tangle with their usual sensitivity and compassion, qualities that have made me love them. So so much. I was excited to see "death magic" as one of the major plot points; it was such an intriguing part of "The Curse of Chalion," a novel set in the same world and one of my favorite books of the year. The gods are very present in this novel, and I always find Bujold's portrayal of them thought-provoking. The ending had Bujold's usual masterful, heartening, and heart-wrenching epiphany.
I hope we get more Pen and Des. 🤞 Thank you, Lois McMaster Bujold, for these books. They have given me so much joy.
This installment of the series is a bit darker and sadder than others. The titular knot of shadows involves several ruined and lost lives. Penric and Desdemona approach the tangle with their usual sensitivity and compassion, qualities that have made me love them. So so much. I was excited to see "death magic" as one of the major plot points; it was such an intriguing part of "The Curse of Chalion," a novel set in the same world and one of my favorite books of the year. The gods are very present in this novel, and I always find Bujold's portrayal of them thought-provoking. The ending had Bujold's usual masterful, heartening, and heart-wrenching epiphany.
I hope we get more Pen and Des. 🤞 Thank you, Lois McMaster Bujold, for these books. They have given me so much joy.
mysterious
sad
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:
Yes
I've owned this audiobook since February, and I've put off listening to it after reading a couple of reviews that categorized it as "depressing" or "sad." I found it to be relaxing. I listen to the entire novella in an afternoon, even with frequent interruptions. I find the theology in The World of the Five Gods to be absolutely fascinating, and I like Penric and Desdemona both. I've noted before that this series is low-tension without being boring.
I found the "mystery" of the nightshirt to be completely obvious from the start, but it was interesting watching the other threads come together. I would have appreciated a bit more from Alixtra & Arra. Maybe they can get their own book in the future?
5 stars for audiobook narrator Grover Gardner.
I found the "mystery" of the nightshirt to be completely obvious from the start, but it was interesting watching the other threads come together. I would have appreciated a bit more from Alixtra & Arra. Maybe they can get their own book in the future?
5 stars for audiobook narrator Grover Gardner.
Entirely by accident, I am spending October reading several books about ghosts. The ghosts in the world of the five gods are mostly sad though, and this set even sadder than usual. Pen and Des sum it up themselves early on:
This case is bound to get ugly and sad.
No doubt, love, but you need not. She added after a thoughtful moment, You need to not to.
An enlightening exploration of one of the darker corners of the Bastard's theology.
This case is bound to get ugly and sad.
No doubt, love, but you need not. She added after a thoughtful moment, You need to not to.
An enlightening exploration of one of the darker corners of the Bastard's theology.