Penric's Demon
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4.6 • 33 Ratings
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- $4.99
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- $4.99
Publisher Description
On his way to his betrothal, young Lord Penric comes upon a riding accident with an elderly lady on the ground, her maidservant and guardsmen distraught. As he approaches to help, he discovers that the lady is a Temple divine, servant to the five gods of this world. Her avowed god is The Bastard, "master of all disasters out of season", and with her dying breath she bequeaths her mysterious powers to Penric. From that moment on, Penric's life is irreversibly changed, and his life is in danger from those who envy or fear him.
Set in the fantasy world of the author's acclaimed novels THE CURSE OF CHALION, PALADIN OF SOULS and THE HALLOWED HUNT, this novella has the depth of characterization and emotional complexity that distinguishes all Bujold's work.
Bujold's "work remains among the most enjoyable and rewarding in contemporary SF."
- Publishers Weekly
“A superb craftsman and stylist, Ms. Bujold is well on her way to becoming one of the great voices of speculative fiction.”
- Rave Reviews
“Bujold is not just a master of plot, she is a master of emotion.”
- SF Site
about the author:
Lois McMaster Bujold was born in 1949, the daughter of an engineering professor at Ohio State University, from whom she picked up her early interest in science fiction. She now lives in Minneapolis, and has two grown children. She began writing with the aim of professional publication in 1982. She wrote three novels in three years; in October of 1985, all three sold to Baen Books, launching her career. Bujold went on to write many other books for Baen, mostly featuring her popular character Miles Naismith Vorkosigan, his family, friends, and enemies. Her books have been translated into twenty-one languages. Her fantasy from Eos includes the award-winning Chalion series and the Sharing Knife series.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Bujold (Gentleman Jole and the Red Queen) returns to her World of the Five Gods universe with a novella filled with a satisfying blend of strong characters and wry humor. Lord Penric kin Jurald is a younger son of a minor noble house whose life is radically altered on his way to his betrothal. On the road to Greenwell Town, he volunteers his assistance to a dying Temple Divine (a kind of priestess). As the Divine passes away, Desdemona, the demon dwelling within her, leaps into Penric. With the unexpected acquisition of a demon, Pen becomes a sorcerer and now must travel to Martensbridge, where the Divine's order is located, to make an account of what occurred and, if possible, come to terms with the demon within. The demon has had 12 previous hosts, making it powerful and a very desired commodity. Bujold creates a good-hearted, if somewhat naive, fellow in Penric and a fascinating multivoiced character in Desdemona. The banter between the two and the bizarre situation that Penric finds himself in add levity to this fantasy road story.
Customer Reviews
Review of Penric's Demon
As always, I have enjoyed reading Lois McMaster Bujold's tale of a young man who accidentally acquires a demon and gets sent off to learn how to cope with this complication. Many changes and trials occur and young Penric and his demon muddle through them in an endearing fashion. I would love to read further adventures of this unlikely hero.