Reviews

The Physicians of Vilnoc by Lois McMaster Bujold

Only show reviews with written explanations

kbhenrickson's review

adventurous fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

I really need to slow down reading this series because I'm going to run out soon, but I just can't stop. There is something about the stories and the audio narration that are so comforting, even this one, which was a bit more stressful due to the peril of an unknown disease.

amlibera's review against another edition

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4.0

Nothing beats Bujold for complex storytelling that sweeps you along on a ride with characters that live and are deeply human and compelling. It's a novella but a deeply satisfying one.

themanfromdelmonte's review against another edition

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4.0

I’ve pretty much gobbled up the series in one go. I’m a firm fan of Bujold’s writing. Interestingly the series started out in an episodic fashion with significant intervals between each one. The later ones are more serial with each one starting either immediately or very shortly after the previous one.
My only criticism is that Penric and Nikys did rather start to resemble Miles and Ekaterina at times.
I do hope they’re collected into a physical anthology at some point. I prefer to have physical things to read

klmoran's review against another edition

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4.0

I had to check the pub date on this one. I love Penric and Desdemona and enjoyed their take on the plague. I felt part of the catharsis it must have been to write this during the pandemic.

cmbohn's review against another edition

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adventurous funny hopeful lighthearted tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

Content Warnings

mary_soon_lee's review against another edition

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4.0

This is the eighth 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'm very fond of both Penric and Desdemona, and liked this novella greatly. That said, for anyone considering reading this during a pandemic (as I just did), be warned that it deals with a plague outbreak, which I found a bit discomfiting. 4 out of 5 witched stars.

Update: 7/13/2022. Re-read this. Still very good.

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).