Reviews

The Physicians of Vilnoc by Lois McMaster Bujold

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drkappitan's review

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adventurous fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Loveable characters? Yes

4.0

Content Warnings

mjfmjfmjf's review against another edition

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4.0

I like epilogues. Sure having the same structure in each novella is somewhat formulaic. But this is Bujold. By the end I was as tired of the plague as the characters were. We certainly see Penric's exhaustion. And there wasn't all that much use of the existing cast. But as always, we see just a little bit more of the way magic works. And a bit more of the greater world. Another fine addition to this world.

wetdryvac's review against another edition

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5.0

In which I am reminded of the joys of population density and ease of travel.

danielmbensen's review against another edition

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3.0

I liked this one more than most of the Penric stories, to the extent that I recommend it if you can find it for free on Audible. There's an interesting medical mystery and a some noticeable character development. There isn't much else, but I didn't feel as let down as in the "Orphans of Raspay." Maybe Bujold is getting better at not promising more than can be delivered in a novella, or maybe my expectations were more reasonable this time. I still think her earlier work was better.

sylda's review against another edition

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adventurous inspiring tense 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

4.0

Content Warnings

samwescott's review

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adventurous hopeful medium-paced

5.0

Oof. Honestly, delightful and it's fun to see Penric more settled and working out of one place instead of flying around to all these different locations. And seeing him with a happy family life is really rewarding. But I don't know if I was ready for a storyline about a mysterious plague being narrowed down to

zoonotic transmission of a novel disease spread at a local market

. Given the publication date, is our Lois a prophet???

Honestly, a really great little mystery and enjoyable book that just happened to touch on a sore spot.