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iaraya's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
medium-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
3.5
mary_soon_lee's review against another edition
5.0
This is the seventh in a series of fantasy novellas about Penric and Desdemonda, Desdemona being a centuries-old demon and Penric being the young man in whom she is currently resident. I've become very fond of both Penric and Desdemona, and this novella did not disappoint. I love the sureness of Bujold's prose and the underlying compassion. There is fantasy aplenty and a fair amount of violence, but there is also humor and kindness, even tenderness. Near the end, there's a paragraph that underlines the importance of kindness, bringing to the foreground a quality that underpins the story as a whole. A pleasure throughout. Highly recommended.
Update 7/12/2022: re-read this and liked it even better. The paragraph near the end that I singled out before moved me very much. 4.5 out of 5 kindly stars in a time when I value kindness more and more.
About my reviews: I try to review every book I read, including those that I don't end up enjoying. The reviews are not scholarly, but just indicate my reaction as a reader, reading being my addiction. I am miserly with 5-star reviews; 4 stars means I liked a book very much; 3 stars means I liked it; 2 stars means I didn't like it (though often the 2-star books are very popular with other readers and/or are by authors whose other work I've loved).
Update 7/12/2022: re-read this and liked it even better. The paragraph near the end that I singled out before moved me very much. 4.5 out of 5 kindly stars in a time when I value kindness more and more.
About my reviews: I try to review every book I read, including those that I don't end up enjoying. The reviews are not scholarly, but just indicate my reaction as a reader, reading being my addiction. I am miserly with 5-star reviews; 4 stars means I liked a book very much; 3 stars means I liked it; 2 stars means I didn't like it (though often the 2-star books are very popular with other readers and/or are by authors whose other work I've loved).
xjennoe's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
auora1484's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
unofficialcate's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
jonathanpalfrey's review against another edition
3.0
This is a perilous adventure for Penric, in which he’s taken by surprise in the night and captured by pirates during a sea voyage. He eventually manages to escape from their island base, with difficulty, and also rescues a couple of unaccompanied children.
Like some of the other stories, this one makes no permanent difference to his life. He has problems, he solves them, after which normal life is resumed. This is the first story in which he’s married, but his wedding hasn’t been described, and his wife remains safely at home during his adventure.
The new characters introduced here are minor, temporary, and of relatively little interest. The children make brief appearances in later stories.
This story is quite interesting, exploring the limits to Penric’s powers, but I find that I don’t actively enjoy much of it. The ending is quite fun, although the timing of it is rather too convenient for credibility.
Another credibility issue is Brother Godino, who first tries to throw them out of the temple, then becomes remarkably cooperative after Penric proves he’s a sorcerer. I’d have expected him to run straight to the pirates and complain, “There’s a sorcerer in my temple!”, leaving them to deal with the problem. Not very easy, perhaps, but sorcerers need food, water, and sleep, like other people.
Like some of the other stories, this one makes no permanent difference to his life. He has problems, he solves them, after which normal life is resumed. This is the first story in which he’s married, but his wedding hasn’t been described, and his wife remains safely at home during his adventure.
The new characters introduced here are minor, temporary, and of relatively little interest. The children make brief appearances in later stories.
This story is quite interesting, exploring the limits to Penric’s powers, but I find that I don’t actively enjoy much of it. The ending is quite fun, although the timing of it is rather too convenient for credibility.
Another credibility issue is Brother Godino, who first tries to throw them out of the temple, then becomes remarkably cooperative after Penric proves he’s a sorcerer. I’d have expected him to run straight to the pirates and complain, “There’s a sorcerer in my temple!”, leaving them to deal with the problem. Not very easy, perhaps, but sorcerers need food, water, and sleep, like other people.
kvedja's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
aishoka's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0