Penric and the Bandit
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4.8 • 102 Ratings
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- $3.99
Publisher Description
Strange company…
When Rozakajin, road-weary bandit and army deserter, spots a hapless blond young man in a country inn with an intriguing treasure map, he thinks he’s scouted an easy and lucrative victim. Attaching himself to odd traveler Penric seems simple enough, but when Roz’s old enemies catch up from behind, his plans take a turn for the much worse. When Pen’s claim that I never travel alone proves true in ways Roz never imagined, his world becomes more frightening still—but also much wider than he’d ever dared to dream.
The internal chronological order of the Penric & Desdemona tales is presently:
“Penric’s Demon”
“Penric and the Shaman”
“Penric’s Fox”
“Masquerade in Lodi”
“Penric’s Mission”
“Mira’s Last Dance”
“The Prisoner of Limnos”
“The Orphans of Raspay”
“The Physicians of Vilnoc”
The Assassins of Thasalon
“Knot of Shadows”
“Demon Daughter”
"Penric and the Bandit."
“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 has a gift.”
- Chicago Sun Times
“Best-selling author Bujold follows her Hugo-nominated “Penric and the Shaman” (2017) with another adventure featuring the sorcerer Penric and his resident 200-year-old chaos demon, Desdemona. ... Series fans will be delighted with this tale, which begs for continuation.”
- Booklist on “Penric's Mission”
"Bujold follows 'Penric's Demon' with another brief tale set in her World of the Five Gods, this time combining supernatural sleuthing with finely drawn characters and a panoply of emotions... This is a wonderful expansion of her World of the Five Gods."
- Publisher's Weekly *Starred Review* on "Penric and the Shaman"
"Series fans and fantasy readers who seek well-drawn characters will love this tale."
- Publisher's Weekly on "Mira's Last Dance"
"Bujold's delightful latest tale of Penric ... is another winner in Bujold's already strong series."
- Publisher's Weekly *Starred Review* on "The Prisoner of Limnos"
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In the thrilling 13th Penric and Desdemona adventure (after Demon Daughter), Bujold sends temple sorcerer Pen and Des, the demon who shares his body, on a quest to track down some valuable and long-lost magical writings. Along the way, they meet Roz, a thief on the run from his former crew. Bujold takes what for her is the unusual step of splitting the narration between Roz, who thinks Pen might prove an easy mark, especially when he alludes to hunting down a "treasure," and Pen, whose magic allows him to easily discern Roz's motives. Pen could use the help of Roz and his (stolen) mule, so agrees to hire them both, thus entangling Pen and Des in Roz's troubles, which are quick to manifest. A handful of the bandit gang find Roz that night and he reveals the existence of a potential treasure trove in exchange for his life, putting Pen and Des on a collision course with the criminals. It's exciting to watch as the fast-moving plot comes together, especially when the usually nerdy, restrained Pen, under threat, demonstrates his and Des's true badassery. The combination of mystery, action, and ethical conundrums proves as enjoyable as ever. Bujold shows no signs of slowing down.
Customer Reviews
A new fellow's eyes...
I do love seeing a familiar face through unknowing eyes and this does not disappoint. We do get the Pen and Des show from their perspective as well, but this adds to my entertainment, as what they're up to, vs what their traveling companion thinks they're up to... Well. It's a good story.
An end, and a beginning
As always, an interesting journey with Pen & Des. There is no-one named Smokey in this story, and aside from our duo, only one other main character, Roz, who hasn’t made the best of what poor choices he was ever given.
He has doubts about his life and future, and the longer he’s with Pen, the more unhappy he is with what prospects he can see for himself.
Pen is on holiday, seeking some unnamed non-monetary treasure, in a province adjoining Orbas.
Roz originally thinks Pen is someone of whom he can take advantage. When he finds out just how wrong he is—well, it’s a learning experience that weirds him out, until explanations come, and make sense.
In a moment of crisis, he chooses to do something unlike he’d ever thought to do before. Under Pen’s gentle “sermonizing”, he begins to see what could be for himself, going forward.