Scan barcode
A review by mary_soon_lee
The Orphans of Raspay by Lois McMaster Bujold
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).