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ladyethyme's review against another edition
2.0
While I love Bujold's wet and occasional turn of phrase that has me laughing out loud, the spoken particular was a short story that could have been edited severely. The last hour and a half was just basically recap of what we had just read for the first 2/3 of the book. Pen himself seems to be a colorless and shallow character, without development, and without much depth.
I am also a bit disappointed that they did not address the fact that the saint was not being paid her due allowance, but that the person at her chapter house was apparently keeping it all for himself… I would have liked to have seen that resolved, but it was not. There was more than enough time to do so, as I said the last third of the book was pretty much worthless and could have been edited down to three or four pages tops.
I am also a bit disappointed that they did not address the fact that the saint was not being paid her due allowance, but that the person at her chapter house was apparently keeping it all for himself… I would have liked to have seen that resolved, but it was not. There was more than enough time to do so, as I said the last third of the book was pretty much worthless and could have been edited down to three or four pages tops.
kbhenrickson's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-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
4.0
I figured out the mystery aspect fairly early on in the story, but that did not detract from my overall enjoyment of the book. I'm enjoying spending a little more time in this world with its bite-sized novellas after finishing a very long audiobook.
amlibera's review against another edition
4.0
Penric is somehow both Lord Peter Wimsey and Lymond in a fantasy world. But Desdemona makes him less of a tortured enigma and much more human. I could wish that each of these novellas were five times as long and the mysteries more complicated just to spend even more time in the alternate world Venice of Lodi and particularly with the sainted Chio who has hidden depths that seem to invite more discovery.
iaraya's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-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 ninth novella in the Penric-and-Desdemona series, a wonderful sequence of fantasy novellas about Penric and the two-hundred-year-old female demon who shares his body. I love the gentle touch with which Bujold writes these stories. Her prose is a pleasure, smooth and elegant, at times luminous. And for all Desdemona's sharpness, the fondness between her and Penric is always clear.
Although the ninth novella to be published, in the internal chronology of the series this is the fourth installment. I will skip all other details and plot spoilers. Suffice it to say this entertained, moved, and delighted me. I gobbled it up, despite all my good intentions to make it last.
4.5 out of 5 stars under the view of the Bastard God.
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).
Although the ninth novella to be published, in the internal chronology of the series this is the fourth installment. I will skip all other details and plot spoilers. Suffice it to say this entertained, moved, and delighted me. I gobbled it up, despite all my good intentions to make it last.
4.5 out of 5 stars under the view of the Bastard God.
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
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
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
yak_attak's review
3.0
The first half of Masquerade in Lodi trends towards one of the better Penric novellas, with a great mystery setup in a Venice-alike during the heart of a celebration... unfortunately it's all over too soon. The twist isn't well set up enough to be poignant, and when it comes, it basically leaves a full third of the story to wrapping things up. It's nice to get a good denouement, even in a short story, but in this case it comes off as wrapping things up too neatly and ensuring we got all the details. Penric in particular is made more daft than usual in order to have characters explain things to him and.... eh? It's fine.
unofficialcate's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
sad
medium-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? It's complicated
4.25
jonathanpalfrey's review against another edition
5.0
This story introduces followers of Penric to a new city (Lodi), a new and different demon, and a new and different saint. The story is just a brief incident in Penric’s life, with no lasting effect on him. However, we find out more than we knew before about demons, saints, and sorcerers; so it’s an educational incident.
Some readers seem to feel this is a shorter than usual story. In fact it’s about average length for a Penric novella, but it all takes place over the course of one night (about 12 hours?), so it’s short in timespan.
I thought of it initially as a simple story and gave it three stars, but after much rereading I’ve come to the conclusion that there’s plenty in it for a novella, and I like the characters, so I’ve raised it all the way to five stars. Unfortunately, this is the only Penric story set in Lodi, so we never see the Lodi-based characters again.
Some readers seem to feel this is a shorter than usual story. In fact it’s about average length for a Penric novella, but it all takes place over the course of one night (about 12 hours?), so it’s short in timespan.
I thought of it initially as a simple story and gave it three stars, but after much rereading I’ve come to the conclusion that there’s plenty in it for a novella, and I like the characters, so I’ve raised it all the way to five stars. Unfortunately, this is the only Penric story set in Lodi, so we never see the Lodi-based characters again.