Scan barcode
A review by jonathanpalfrey
Penric's Mission by Lois McMaster Bujold
5.0
Penric is now 30 years old, and has rather strangely been sent on a diplomatic mission from Adria (where he’s now based) to Cedonia. The mission goes horribly wrong, through no fault of his, and he’s much exercised to recover from the disaster.
While doing so, he meets Cedonian General Adelis Arisaydia (the man he was sent to contact) and his half-sister Nikys, who are fated to remain part of his life for much longer than he initially expected.
This is a story both exciting and rather charming, in which we see Penric coping inventively with a variety of challenging experiences. Adelis and Nikys are the main new characters introduced; only a few other named characters appear, briefly, and none of the old characters from previous stories, because the story takes place in Cedonia.
The next novella in the series, [b:Mira's Last Dance|34348998|Mira’s Last Dance (Penric and Desdemona, #4)|Lois McMaster Bujold|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1487582553l/34348998._SY75_.jpg|55425075], is a direct sequel to this one, continuing the story.
If this story has a disadvantage, it’s that none of the main characters are at their best in it—Adelis in particular, for reasons that become obvious.
While doing so, he meets Cedonian General Adelis Arisaydia (the man he was sent to contact) and his half-sister Nikys, who are fated to remain part of his life for much longer than he initially expected.
This is a story both exciting and rather charming, in which we see Penric coping inventively with a variety of challenging experiences. Adelis and Nikys are the main new characters introduced; only a few other named characters appear, briefly, and none of the old characters from previous stories, because the story takes place in Cedonia.
The next novella in the series, [b:Mira's Last Dance|34348998|Mira’s Last Dance (Penric and Desdemona, #4)|Lois McMaster Bujold|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1487582553l/34348998._SY75_.jpg|55425075], is a direct sequel to this one, continuing the story.
If this story has a disadvantage, it’s that none of the main characters are at their best in it—Adelis in particular, for reasons that become obvious.