What do you think?
Rate this book
Penric and Desdemona (Publication order) #4
Mira’s Last Dance
In this sequel to the novella “Penric’s Mission”, the injured Penric, a Temple sorcerer and learned divine, tries to guide the betrayed General Arisaydia and his widowed sister Nikys across the last hundred miles of hostile Cedonia to safety in the Duchy of Orbas. In the town of Sosie the fugitive party encounters unexpected delays, and even more unexpected opportunities and hazards, as the courtesan Mira of Adria, one of the ten dead women whose imprints make up the personality of the chaos demon Desdemona, comes to the fore with her own special expertise.
Fourth novella in the “Penric and Desdemona” series.
Fourth novella in the “Penric and Desdemona” series.
110 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 28, 2017
435 people are currently reading
1458 people want to read
About the author
Lois McMaster Bujold
190 books39.3k followersLois 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.
Her fantasy from HarperCollins includes the award-winning Chalion series and the Sharing Knife tetralogy; her science fiction from Baen Books features the perennially bestselling Vorkosigan Saga. Her work has been translated into over twenty languages.
Questions regarding foreign rights, film/tv subrights, and other business matters should be directed to Spectrum Literary Agency, spectrumliteraryagency.com
A listing of her awards and nominations may be seen here:
http://www.sfadb.com/Lois_McMaster_Bu...
A listing of her interviews is here:
http://vorkosigan.wikia.com/wiki/Auth...
An older fan-run site devoted to her work, The Bujold Nexus, is here:
http://www.dendarii.com/
Her fantasy from HarperCollins includes the award-winning Chalion series and the Sharing Knife tetralogy; her science fiction from Baen Books features the perennially bestselling Vorkosigan Saga. Her work has been translated into over twenty languages.
Questions regarding foreign rights, film/tv subrights, and other business matters should be directed to Spectrum Literary Agency, spectrumliteraryagency.com
A listing of her awards and nominations may be seen here:
http://www.sfadb.com/Lois_McMaster_Bu...
A listing of her interviews is here:
http://vorkosigan.wikia.com/wiki/Auth...
An older fan-run site devoted to her work, The Bujold Nexus, is here:
http://www.dendarii.com/
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 491 reviews
April 27, 2024
Following directly from Penric’s Mission, Penric, Nikys and Adelis flee from Cedonia, hoping for safety in Orbas. Their biggest problem is how to cross the border and the solution is crazy but very funny.
A short book but very entertaining book. We get to see what can happen when one of the ten women who make up the demon we know as Desdemona is allowed to come to the fore. We discover that Penric can make himself into a beautiful woman when required. And Nikys discovers it will take a very strong woman indeed to have a long term relationship with this particular sorcerer.
Excellent. Even better there are more of these books ready for me to read!
A short book but very entertaining book. We get to see what can happen when one of the ten women who make up the demon we know as Desdemona is allowed to come to the fore. We discover that Penric can make himself into a beautiful woman when required. And Nikys discovers it will take a very strong woman indeed to have a long term relationship with this particular sorcerer.
Excellent. Even better there are more of these books ready for me to read!
December 6, 2017
Light fun, maybe less impressive than the rest of the Penric novellas, but this one has more of one thing than all the others combined. Boobs.
It was very funny, and even though it's basically a direct follow up from Penric's Mission, still a roadtrip novel, it was a delight just for seeing Penric have to cross-dress. :)
That's what you get when one of your ten demons was a courtesan! The poor boy never stands a chance. :)
It was very funny, and even though it's basically a direct follow up from Penric's Mission, still a roadtrip novel, it was a delight just for seeing Penric have to cross-dress. :)
That's what you get when one of your ten demons was a courtesan! The poor boy never stands a chance. :)
March 18, 2017
Mira's Last Dance is the silliest thing Lois McMaster Bujold has written since A Civil Campaign. It's clear she's enjoying her semi-retirement and just writing whatever the heck she feels like.
I don't mind that one bit. I had a giant grin stretched across my face for most of the book.
I don't mind that one bit. I had a giant grin stretched across my face for most of the book.
June 15, 2020
3rd read: Bumping it up to 5 stars this time because it may be brief but I enjoy it so much.
2nd read: Still good!
1st read: I loved Penric's interactions with his companions and Mira. This certainly addresses what Penric's life can be like as a man with 10 female personalities inside his head! A few scenes made me laugh aloud!
This is much briefer than the previous novella (which was the first half of Penric, Nikys, and Adelis' journey), and I hoped for a more tidy ending. Maybe #5 is coming soon??
2nd read: Still good!
1st read: I loved Penric's interactions with his companions and Mira. This certainly addresses what Penric's life can be like as a man with 10 female personalities inside his head! A few scenes made me laugh aloud!
This is much briefer than the previous novella (which was the first half of Penric, Nikys, and Adelis' journey), and I hoped for a more tidy ending. Maybe #5 is coming soon??
September 25, 2017
The story in this one was pretty much a direct continuation of the story in Penric's Mission.
Penric, Nikys, and Adelis, are still trying to flee to Orbas but the journey through the last parts of Cedonia proves anything but smooth and is hindered by the fact that Penric is still recovering from the happenings at the end of the last novella.
The story was decent enough but not quite as exciting as the story in Penric's Mission. It might just be a personal preference but I've always preferred intrigue stories to journey tales. That is not to say this was a bad read as it was still pretty good. It had a lot of the elements that made the last instalment of the series so good. We got the combination of Pen, Des, Nikys, and even the surly Adelis again and that resulted in the opportunity for plenty of humor and even a little romance in the tale.
The big plus to this instalment was that we got to enjoy Pen having to draw on the skills of one of Desdemona's previous hosts, the courtesan Mira, to aid his companions flight and that produced a bunch of hilarious moments!
I was not a giant fan with a few developments late in the story and that likely hurt my enjoyment of this story overall.
All in all I felt like this was a good read and a decent sequel to Penric's Mission. Bujold's writing is always good and engaging and the story had plenty of humor and a bit of tension to keep it ticking along at a decent pace.
Rating: 4 stars.
Audio Note: Grove Gardner does and OK job with the narration of this series. He has a few flaws but is definitely passable.
Penric, Nikys, and Adelis, are still trying to flee to Orbas but the journey through the last parts of Cedonia proves anything but smooth and is hindered by the fact that Penric is still recovering from the happenings at the end of the last novella.
The story was decent enough but not quite as exciting as the story in Penric's Mission. It might just be a personal preference but I've always preferred intrigue stories to journey tales. That is not to say this was a bad read as it was still pretty good. It had a lot of the elements that made the last instalment of the series so good. We got the combination of Pen, Des, Nikys, and even the surly Adelis again and that resulted in the opportunity for plenty of humor and even a little romance in the tale.
The big plus to this instalment was that we got to enjoy Pen having to draw on the skills of one of Desdemona's previous hosts, the courtesan Mira, to aid his companions flight and that produced a bunch of hilarious moments!
I was not a giant fan with a few developments late in the story and that likely hurt my enjoyment of this story overall.
All in all I felt like this was a good read and a decent sequel to Penric's Mission. Bujold's writing is always good and engaging and the story had plenty of humor and a bit of tension to keep it ticking along at a decent pace.
Rating: 4 stars.
Audio Note: Grove Gardner does and OK job with the narration of this series. He has a few flaws but is definitely passable.
Want to read
May 24, 2021Second half of the fantasy adventure that started in Penric’s Mission
August 22, 2018
I'm deeply disappointed. And I can't say why because spoilers. But I'll try in general terms. I don't like how passive and even withdrawn Nikys became. I had thought better of her. This isn't the woman who defied and planned and schemed and accepted help, but asserted her own terms while doing so. And that change made me sad. Bujold's mastery of story is still strong. Penric is still dazzling and inventive and I still love his continuing growth with, through, and in spite of Desdemona. So this is still three stars. But I'm still ending on disappointment so no higher.
July 8, 2018
A pleasant and amusing excursion in a favorite writer’s newest series, my second from among the five novellas so far that feature the scholar, sorcerer, and priest Penric and the more earthy and sarcastic “demon” possessor, Desdemona. This one is involves a challenging journey out of a country where Penric and his companions, a brother and sister, are being hunted for their role in some secret mission there. All we know is that Penric is recovering from some magical attack that damaged his heart, leaving him vulnerable and weak in his sorcery powers. As I read this one out of order, I suffer a bit from not knowing what their mission was, but the author’s method of not revealing the backstory itself makes it feasible to read out of order without spoiling an earlier tale.
Here the main plot element involves the party seeking refuge in a village brothel, the aid of the madam is disguising Penric as a traveling female courtesan, and the comedy and danger when the commander of the nation’s defense falls for “her.”
The modest plot here, and I suppose all of the series, appears designed to use certain fantasy elements as a means to elucidate human nature. The device of souls of the dead being able to jump into and the mind of the living allows Bujold to explore the functioning of plurality of the self we all have of capacity for. Not only is Penric the host to Desdemona, he is the repository of the personalities of about 10 others, plus two animals. Luckily, one such personality is a skilled courtesan, Mira. The metaphor or allegory of our mind as a stage for performance of roles we put on takes on some special whimsy here when it involves crossing the gender boundary.
I wished for more out the two stories I’ve read so far from the series, such as the fulsome tales from the same “World of Five Gods” as her masterful “Curse of Chalion” and “Paladin of Souls.” My rendering of 3.5 stars for this read reflects that comparison. But perhaps I will come to benefit from seeing this new series of novellas as chapters in one big book or as dishes in one prolonged smorgasbord meal.
This book was provided for review by the publisher through the Netgalley program.
Here the main plot element involves the party seeking refuge in a village brothel, the aid of the madam is disguising Penric as a traveling female courtesan, and the comedy and danger when the commander of the nation’s defense falls for “her.”
The modest plot here, and I suppose all of the series, appears designed to use certain fantasy elements as a means to elucidate human nature. The device of souls of the dead being able to jump into and the mind of the living allows Bujold to explore the functioning of plurality of the self we all have of capacity for. Not only is Penric the host to Desdemona, he is the repository of the personalities of about 10 others, plus two animals. Luckily, one such personality is a skilled courtesan, Mira. The metaphor or allegory of our mind as a stage for performance of roles we put on takes on some special whimsy here when it involves crossing the gender boundary.
I wished for more out the two stories I’ve read so far from the series, such as the fulsome tales from the same “World of Five Gods” as her masterful “Curse of Chalion” and “Paladin of Souls.” My rendering of 3.5 stars for this read reflects that comparison. But perhaps I will come to benefit from seeing this new series of novellas as chapters in one big book or as dishes in one prolonged smorgasbord meal.
This book was provided for review by the publisher through the Netgalley program.
October 22, 2021
Probably the shortest episode so far in the ongoing adventures of Learned Penric of the Bastard’s Order – a sort of intermezzo or divertimento after the intense action of the previous novella.
The good news is that the scope of the tale is growing and that there is a new continuity between what was initially just a collection of stand-alone murder investigations with a supernatural element. Penric has gotten out of the library and is helping two fugitives, general Adelis and his lovely sister Nykis, to escape from a death penalty in their homeland of Cedonia. The siblings have refused an offer of asylum with Penric’s Duke, so he follows them to the duchy of Orbas. If this sounds confusing from a geographical perspective, think Renaissance period Adriatic.
Before the trio reaches safety they have one large problem to overcome: the heavily guarded border between Cedonia and Orbas. The description of the trio has already been circulated to the garrison town, so Penric and his demon Desdemona must come with a creative solution for a disguise and for a cover story.
This is the point where Mira takes over. She is one of the ten previous owners of the multiple personality demon also known as Desdemona or ‘Des’ . Did I mention that these predecessors are all women with a strong personality and a wicked sense of humour? They love to tease and browbeat the young Penric, and this friendly leg-pulling has become a lot more animated since Penric fell in love with Nykis.
One of the abilities / dangers inherent to a person who acquires a creature of chaos that is barely civilized is that the demon becomes ascendant and takes almost complete control of its host. If the transfer is amiable this control is temporary. Mira is selected from the group of ten personalities because in her former life she was a famous courtesan. You can probably guess the sort of disguise she will choose for Penric: He gets a chance to get in touch with his feminine side and to seduce the general of the border garrison.
Hilarity and a lot of sexual innuendo follows, but both general Adelis and lady Nikys are shocked at the complete transformation of their friend. The awareness of the true power of Desdemona will put a damper on the reciprocating love the lady feels for Learned Penric and solving the immediate problem of the border crossing will probably create many more complications down the road.
In the end, this was an entertaining interlude, but it lacks some of the more serious moral and religious debate or the clever plot developments that I associate with this series. A small step back, but I have high hopes for the next instalment.
The good news is that the scope of the tale is growing and that there is a new continuity between what was initially just a collection of stand-alone murder investigations with a supernatural element. Penric has gotten out of the library and is helping two fugitives, general Adelis and his lovely sister Nykis, to escape from a death penalty in their homeland of Cedonia. The siblings have refused an offer of asylum with Penric’s Duke, so he follows them to the duchy of Orbas. If this sounds confusing from a geographical perspective, think Renaissance period Adriatic.
Before the trio reaches safety they have one large problem to overcome: the heavily guarded border between Cedonia and Orbas. The description of the trio has already been circulated to the garrison town, so Penric and his demon Desdemona must come with a creative solution for a disguise and for a cover story.
This is the point where Mira takes over. She is one of the ten previous owners of the multiple personality demon also known as Desdemona or ‘Des’ . Did I mention that these predecessors are all women with a strong personality and a wicked sense of humour? They love to tease and browbeat the young Penric, and this friendly leg-pulling has become a lot more animated since Penric fell in love with Nykis.
One of the abilities / dangers inherent to a person who acquires a creature of chaos that is barely civilized is that the demon becomes ascendant and takes almost complete control of its host. If the transfer is amiable this control is temporary. Mira is selected from the group of ten personalities because in her former life she was a famous courtesan. You can probably guess the sort of disguise she will choose for Penric: He gets a chance to get in touch with his feminine side and to seduce the general of the border garrison.
Hilarity and a lot of sexual innuendo follows, but both general Adelis and lady Nikys are shocked at the complete transformation of their friend. The awareness of the true power of Desdemona will put a damper on the reciprocating love the lady feels for Learned Penric and solving the immediate problem of the border crossing will probably create many more complications down the road.
In the end, this was an entertaining interlude, but it lacks some of the more serious moral and religious debate or the clever plot developments that I associate with this series. A small step back, but I have high hopes for the next instalment.
February 10, 2024
I'm late to the party on these -- this is my first Penric novella, and it was a delight. The Mira persona is quite something: "It's lovely to know I can still hook them in." The hookee is General Chadro, and Mira is reluctant to throw him back: "He's charmingly persistent. . . ."
The writing is Bujold at her best. I tried the first two Chalion books years ago and didn't care for them, then tried the first Sharing Knife, which was just OK. And the less said about "Gentleman Jole and the Red Queen", the better! So I wasn't too keen on more Five Gods stuff, but I'm glad she kept at it until she got it right. Because, when Bujold is right on, she's the best in the business. This one is pretty near perfect. I have catch-up Penric reading to do.
The writing is Bujold at her best. I tried the first two Chalion books years ago and didn't care for them, then tried the first Sharing Knife, which was just OK. And the less said about "Gentleman Jole and the Red Queen", the better! So I wasn't too keen on more Five Gods stuff, but I'm glad she kept at it until she got it right. Because, when Bujold is right on, she's the best in the business. This one is pretty near perfect. I have catch-up Penric reading to do.
August 9, 2021
This felt less like a book to me, and more like an extended epilogue to Penric’s Mission. It’s quite funny, in its way, but very little of importance happens and it ends on a bit of a downer.
Mira’s Last Dance picks up where Penric’s Missions left off, with Penric, Desdemona, Nikys and Adelis fleeing south, out of Cedonia to Orbas. With Penric’s health so precarious after their last fight, their only choice is to disguise themselves. Mira–one of Desdemona's conglomerate personalities–proves surprisingly helpful here, though her methods leave Penric in rather an awkward, if amusing, position.
One thing I’ll give this book is that it’s funny. Some parts made me laugh out loud, such as when a bag of gold is delivered to Penric from the general. Another thing I really liked was the consideration Penric gave to Mira/Desdemona in letting her take charge. It was a brave move on his part: partly because most riders would fear demonic ascendancy; partly because her plan was so risky; but mostly because it required him to swallow his pride, and maybe even a part of his identity, in order to to play the woman. And what a woman he makes! I loved seeing Pen’s metrosexual side and respect him all the more for not shying from the homoerotic ploy.
Linked to this second point, this book made me appreciate, perhaps for the first time, the true complexity of the the life Penric leads. It's one thing to laugh and joke about a cabal of women in his head, another to consider how that might affect his own sense of identity and his relationships with others. It can't be easy for him–must actually be quite lonely–and yet on he troops, with a smile on his face. What a wonder.
Unfortunately, I spent most of the book questioning why the book existed at all. It had little plot and did little to advance the series' overarching plot. There’s a lot of hanging around and dressing up, and the risks Pen takes with the general seemed unnecessarily risky and over-complicated–something even he admits.
Furthermore, the situation with Nikys and Pen left me feeling pretty angry and unsatisfied. To say the romance, which was a key part of this story, was lukewarm would be an over-statement. In some ways, I can see Nikys’ point of view, not wanting to be pushed from pillar to post, and unsure exactly with whom she's getting into a relationship; but if she can’t see what an amazing human being Pen is, she doesn’t deserve him. Needless to say, I’m no longer a fan of hers. Interestingly, I remember having similar ambivalent feelings towards Miles’ wife-to-be in Komarr, so am beginning to get the feeling that Bujold struggles to write romance. You can forget heat and passion, that’s for sure.
All in all, I could have managed without reading this book, but I’m glad I did. I can’t resist Penric and Desdemona, and I did have a good chuckle, even if I was left a little bummed at the end.
For all of Penric’s soft-voiced self-effacement, the ignore-me-I’m-harmless smiles, she was beginning to realise he might be the least safe man she’d ever met-or certainly the least predictable. Perhaps that was the root of it. Most men kept to their assigned parts in life. If you knew the part you could reliable guess how they would behave. She had no script for demon-ridden sorcerer.
Mira’s Last Dance picks up where Penric’s Missions left off, with Penric, Desdemona, Nikys and Adelis fleeing south, out of Cedonia to Orbas. With Penric’s health so precarious after their last fight, their only choice is to disguise themselves. Mira–one of Desdemona's conglomerate personalities–proves surprisingly helpful here, though her methods leave Penric in rather an awkward, if amusing, position.
“Mira, what are you about? Are you out of my mind?”
One thing I’ll give this book is that it’s funny. Some parts made me laugh out loud, such as when a bag of gold is delivered to Penric from the general. Another thing I really liked was the consideration Penric gave to Mira/Desdemona in letting her take charge. It was a brave move on his part: partly because most riders would fear demonic ascendancy; partly because her plan was so risky; but mostly because it required him to swallow his pride, and maybe even a part of his identity, in order to to play the woman. And what a woman he makes! I loved seeing Pen’s metrosexual side and respect him all the more for not shying from the homoerotic ploy.
“If Nikys were not watching, dear Pen, would you even care? Or would you find this just one more odd adventure with us?”
Linked to this second point, this book made me appreciate, perhaps for the first time, the true complexity of the the life Penric leads. It's one thing to laugh and joke about a cabal of women in his head, another to consider how that might affect his own sense of identity and his relationships with others. It can't be easy for him–must actually be quite lonely–and yet on he troops, with a smile on his face. What a wonder.
“So where does Mira leave off and Penric begin, behind that pretty face of yours.”
Unfortunately, I spent most of the book questioning why the book existed at all. It had little plot and did little to advance the series' overarching plot. There’s a lot of hanging around and dressing up, and the risks Pen takes with the general seemed unnecessarily risky and over-complicated–something even he admits.
“Tomorrow we need a new plan. This one is growing over complicated.” “You think so?”
Furthermore, the situation with Nikys and Pen left me feeling pretty angry and unsatisfied. To say the romance, which was a key part of this story, was lukewarm would be an over-statement. In some ways, I can see Nikys’ point of view, not wanting to be pushed from pillar to post, and unsure exactly with whom she's getting into a relationship; but if she can’t see what an amazing human being Pen is, she doesn’t deserve him. Needless to say, I’m no longer a fan of hers. Interestingly, I remember having similar ambivalent feelings towards Miles’ wife-to-be in Komarr, so am beginning to get the feeling that Bujold struggles to write romance. You can forget heat and passion, that’s for sure.
“It is plain madness to fall in love with a man who has more personalities than I have fingers.”
All in all, I could have managed without reading this book, but I’m glad I did. I can’t resist Penric and Desdemona, and I did have a good chuckle, even if I was left a little bummed at the end.
She contemplated the tangled complexity of all she’d witnessed, the lunatic absurdities of pubic lice and amorous generals aside. “I saw him pull death from a woman’s breast as if drawing down wool from a distaff, and then spin in out into the world following him like a billowing shadow. He sees in the dark.” She shook her head. “I have no idea what to think of him by now.”
January 4, 2019
Mini-Review:
Initially, I rated this as 3 stars and then I went back and listened to the last 40 min of the story and changed it to 4 stars. This story raised a lot of interesting questions because really hit the point about boundaries for Penric. He is a person in himself but he has multiple female personalities living inside his body & mind. I felt it was odd how easily Pen could act as Mira and laughed at the times that he willingly let Mira have control of his body. Yet, the pieces that touch on healing and the deep loss he feels about it felt very much a part of him.
It would have been great if Pen could have fallen in love and found someone to love him back. I thought it would happen. Yet, the way Nikys responded to him was totally true to herself and that she wasn't the right person for Pen. He needs someone that is willing to share him with his demons. A lot was packed into a short novella and it was good.
I'm totally down to talking to someone about the awkward stance on sexuality for poor Pen! LOL
Initially, I rated this as 3 stars and then I went back and listened to the last 40 min of the story and changed it to 4 stars. This story raised a lot of interesting questions because really hit the point about boundaries for Penric. He is a person in himself but he has multiple female personalities living inside his body & mind. I felt it was odd how easily Pen could act as Mira and laughed at the times that he willingly let Mira have control of his body. Yet, the pieces that touch on healing and the deep loss he feels about it felt very much a part of him.
It would have been great if Pen could have fallen in love and found someone to love him back. I thought it would happen. Yet, the way Nikys responded to him was totally true to herself and that she wasn't the right person for Pen. He needs someone that is willing to share him with his demons. A lot was packed into a short novella and it was good.
I'm totally down to talking to someone about the awkward stance on sexuality for poor Pen! LOL
February 26, 2024
Direct continuation of Penric's Mission. Do not read until you finish Mission. Then read it right away. My Mission review said I wanted more - this book delivered. Read it in one night, half before sleep and half early in the morning.
A completely different side of Desdemona comes to the fore. We really hadn't met Mira before, and she has a . . . different imprint on Des. It is a wonderful look at a different side of the World of 5 Gods.
A completely different side of Desdemona comes to the fore. We really hadn't met Mira before, and she has a . . . different imprint on Des. It is a wonderful look at a different side of the World of 5 Gods.
September 27, 2017
I wish Bujold would have stopped at Penric's Mission. It had a perfectly good ending. This brings nothing new, apart from What is worse, Penric and Desdemona are more annoying than funny. Unforgivable.
May 11, 2017
Loved it. This novella is the conclusion to the previous one, Penric’s Mission. Remember I griped about that one: that it didn’t have an ending. Now it does, with
Mira’s Last Dance
.
This story is much lighter in tone than Penric’s Mission, with moments of unrestrained hilarity interlaced with sadness. Penric’s mission is a success, all the characters are safe; they found what they were looking for, or at least got as close as it was possible in the confines of their world, but the story doesn’t have a happily-ever-after I hoped for. The woman Penric fell in love with turned him down.
I thought about it. I like Penric and I wanted him to be happy, but I couldn’t blame the author for finishing her story this way. It was logical and couldn’t turn otherwise. Penric possesses a huge personality, plus his demon Desdemona with her dozen previous lives, plus Penric’s multi-faceted education. He is huge on the inside, a giant of culture and magic, a Renaissance man of his fantasy universe.
His love interest, Nikys, on the other hand, is a brave and kind woman, but she doesn’t seem to have a personality at all. No education. No goals of her own except a quiet and secure little life with a quiet and secure little husband in a quiet and secure little house. Penric couldn’t offer her that. His life is bound to be big and turbulent. He carries a demon of chaos inside himself after all. Of course, Nikys refused his proposal.
Penric’s partner should be either 100% dedicated to him, like so many wives of the geniuses of our world. Nikys clearly is not. Her first priority is her brother. Or Penric’s partner could be a personality in her own right – a talented artist or musician, maybe. Someone with goals and aspirations of her own. Someone who is unusual herself – because her talent drives her towards nonconformity and originality – so she wouldn’t be freaked out by the weirdness that surrounds Penric and his demon. Nikys doesn’t have a talent either. She is just an average, prosaic woman who sees that they don’t suit and acts accordingly. Still, it made me a bit sad.
This story is much lighter in tone than Penric’s Mission, with moments of unrestrained hilarity interlaced with sadness. Penric’s mission is a success, all the characters are safe; they found what they were looking for, or at least got as close as it was possible in the confines of their world, but the story doesn’t have a happily-ever-after I hoped for. The woman Penric fell in love with turned him down.
I thought about it. I like Penric and I wanted him to be happy, but I couldn’t blame the author for finishing her story this way. It was logical and couldn’t turn otherwise. Penric possesses a huge personality, plus his demon Desdemona with her dozen previous lives, plus Penric’s multi-faceted education. He is huge on the inside, a giant of culture and magic, a Renaissance man of his fantasy universe.
His love interest, Nikys, on the other hand, is a brave and kind woman, but she doesn’t seem to have a personality at all. No education. No goals of her own except a quiet and secure little life with a quiet and secure little husband in a quiet and secure little house. Penric couldn’t offer her that. His life is bound to be big and turbulent. He carries a demon of chaos inside himself after all. Of course, Nikys refused his proposal.
Penric’s partner should be either 100% dedicated to him, like so many wives of the geniuses of our world. Nikys clearly is not. Her first priority is her brother. Or Penric’s partner could be a personality in her own right – a talented artist or musician, maybe. Someone with goals and aspirations of her own. Someone who is unusual herself – because her talent drives her towards nonconformity and originality – so she wouldn’t be freaked out by the weirdness that surrounds Penric and his demon. Nikys doesn’t have a talent either. She is just an average, prosaic woman who sees that they don’t suit and acts accordingly. Still, it made me a bit sad.
April 13, 2020
This is a direct sequel to the previous installment rather than a stand-alone story.
For some time, as a writer, I have been contemplating whether and in what circumstances I or someone else could write a story about a man dressed as a woman that is not a farce. That has some of the power the reverse kinds of stories have over some readers (which are less likely to be farces). After all, when a woman disguises herself as a man, it's seen as her seizing agency and power, usually, that is out of her reach as a woman. When a man disguises himself as a woman, it's still seen as risible because he is assumed to already have that power and agency.
A lot of the reviewers think this is a farce. While I do think Bujold was having fun, it doesn't feel like a farce at all to me. It felt deadly serious in its consequences for Penric as a result of Nikys's reactions to him. (Not to Penric exactly as he seems very "flexible of mind" as Desdemona puts it.) So was this successful? I don't know. I really have no idea how I feel about this book. I gobbled it down. I enjoyed it. I enjoy Penric very much. I enjoyed Penric making Adelis uncomfortable--and perhaps by extension some of the readers? But I had very mixed feelings while reading it. I wanted to know more about what went on behind closed doors and wondered what those closed doors mean, not for this individual writer, but about what we as a society find acceptable. And is this acceptable because it's a one-time thing? (The book is titled LAST dance, after all.)
I still am wondering about the situations that would make it possible to write a successful man disguised as a woman story. Like this one, I think it would have to be when a man is in a position where he is without power, and which also looks at the types of power women have in sexist societies.
For some time, as a writer, I have been contemplating whether and in what circumstances I or someone else could write a story about a man dressed as a woman that is not a farce. That has some of the power the reverse kinds of stories have over some readers (which are less likely to be farces). After all, when a woman disguises herself as a man, it's seen as her seizing agency and power, usually, that is out of her reach as a woman. When a man disguises himself as a woman, it's still seen as risible because he is assumed to already have that power and agency.
A lot of the reviewers think this is a farce. While I do think Bujold was having fun, it doesn't feel like a farce at all to me. It felt deadly serious in its consequences for Penric as a result of Nikys's reactions to him. (Not to Penric exactly as he seems very "flexible of mind" as Desdemona puts it.) So was this successful? I don't know. I really have no idea how I feel about this book. I gobbled it down. I enjoyed it. I enjoy Penric very much. I enjoyed Penric making Adelis uncomfortable--and perhaps by extension some of the readers? But I had very mixed feelings while reading it. I wanted to know more about what went on behind closed doors and wondered what those closed doors mean, not for this individual writer, but about what we as a society find acceptable. And is this acceptable because it's a one-time thing? (The book is titled LAST dance, after all.)
I still am wondering about the situations that would make it possible to write a successful man disguised as a woman story. Like this one, I think it would have to be when a man is in a position where he is without power, and which also looks at the types of power women have in sexist societies.
January 24, 2019
„Последният танц на Мира” – всичко, което трябва да знаете за тази част от сборника е, че е директно продължение на „Мисията...” и Пенрик най-накрая прибягва до услугите на куртизанка, която е разнасял в главата си от самото начало. Няма да разказвам повече, за да не се изчерви някой. Прочетете ревюто на "Книжни Криле": https://knijnikrile.wordpress.com/201...
August 18, 2021
Trans and breast cancer are not topics fantasy novels usually delve into, so that was unexpected and interesting! This quick novella is more about intrigue and laughs rather than the adventure, mystery or magic of previous volumes in the series. That was a-ok with me, as I don't mind when a series switches things up a bit. Keeps it fresh!
April 25, 2025
Bujold really said "sex work is work" in this one, and continues to explore how the various identities of Penric's demon can come to the fore and assert their own personalities. This one picks up days after Penric's Mission ends so sure to read them in chronological order, not publication order!
September 4, 2021
Picking up soon after the end of Penric’s Mission, the trio are still on the run, and continue arguing about where Adelis and Nikys should go once they escape Cedonia. Taking refuge in a brothel (the Bastard’s temple in the small town has a double funeral on for a pair of teens from two warring families—is this the Cedonia version of the Capulets and Montagues? If so, very funny Ms Bujold).
One of the demon’s earlier hosts, Mira, a successful prostitute, is instrumental in helping the trio outwitting pursuit.
This Penric story really can’t be read without Penric’s Mission; it's entertaining, and I had to laugh when Penric was arguing with Mira. We haven’t spent much time with Penric’s previous riders, and it was nice to get a little insight into the types of people inhabiting his head.
One of the demon’s earlier hosts, Mira, a successful prostitute, is instrumental in helping the trio outwitting pursuit.
This Penric story really can’t be read without Penric’s Mission; it's entertaining, and I had to laugh when Penric was arguing with Mira. We haven’t spent much time with Penric’s previous riders, and it was nice to get a little insight into the types of people inhabiting his head.
January 26, 2024
UPDATE, 1/26/24: Unsure why I originally minced words so completely in this review, but: this is the story where
Anyway. Still a fun story! But GOSH do I wish Bujold had done more with the excellent material she had to hand here, especially since she made that material herself.
ORIGINAL: The problems with Bujold's "just the good parts" approach to telling this story are starting to become clear, but this is still a fun read.
This book picks up exactly where book #3 left off, and it's sort of -- the middle of the story, I guess? This ends with a (very mild) cliffhanger, not an actual resolution. Bujold is just not a natural at the novella form, and as Penric's story goes on, she has more she wants to say, so -- yeah, this is basically the middle chunk of a novel, chopped out and sold as a separate book.
Which isn't to say it's not fun or worth the read! It is. Bujold hasn't exactly explored the full possibilities or complexities of her (totally fascinating, would read 1000 fics using it) concept, here -- at least, not the way I'd love her to -- but she comes closer in this story. And Desdemona remains a fascinating, fun character.
Basically, this novella isn't a complete story, but I don't really mind, because it is fun. I'm going to continue to read this series.
Anyway. Still a fun story! But GOSH do I wish Bujold had done more with the excellent material she had to hand here, especially since she made that material herself.
ORIGINAL: The problems with Bujold's "just the good parts" approach to telling this story are starting to become clear, but this is still a fun read.
This book picks up exactly where book #3 left off, and it's sort of -- the middle of the story, I guess? This ends with a (very mild) cliffhanger, not an actual resolution. Bujold is just not a natural at the novella form, and as Penric's story goes on, she has more she wants to say, so -- yeah, this is basically the middle chunk of a novel, chopped out and sold as a separate book.
Which isn't to say it's not fun or worth the read! It is. Bujold hasn't exactly explored the full possibilities or complexities of her (totally fascinating, would read 1000 fics using it) concept, here -- at least, not the way I'd love her to -- but she comes closer in this story. And Desdemona remains a fascinating, fun character.
Basically, this novella isn't a complete story, but I don't really mind, because it is fun. I'm going to continue to read this series.
September 20, 2024
this was very hard to get through, actually. i thought i’d really enjoy the continuation of Penric’s journey with the Arisaydia siblings, but this novella grinds all their previous momentum to a halt in order to dilly-dally at a small-town brothel for a couple days, where nothing important happens.
there’s some exploration of gender and personal agency going on with Penric & Desdemona, and there’s emotional development re: Nikys’s feelings for Pen, but i found it all very annoying, to be real with you. i was annoyed at Desdemona for coercing Penric into an impromptu stint as a female prostitute against his wishes, because yikes. (the way he compared it afterward to his traumatizing experiences in med school??? god that hurt me. but it’s all supposed to be whatevs, just ‘cause she’s an occupant of his body too? dislike.)
and i was annoyed at Nikys for being so repulsed that he/they had for-profit sex with a man, because i don’t see how giving a dude a kinky handjob for smuggle-us-to-safety money is an indictment of Pen’s character. if i were in love with Penric kin Jurald (by which i mean if he were real and alive in front of me), i simply wouldn’t let something so foolish dissuade me from accepting his MARRIAGE PROPOSALS. PLURAL. he was BEGGING. soooo frustrating agghh i wanna pluck the keys off my keyboard and crunch them between my teeth like ice cubes.
there’s some exploration of gender and personal agency going on with Penric & Desdemona, and there’s emotional development re: Nikys’s feelings for Pen, but i found it all very annoying, to be real with you. i was annoyed at Desdemona for coercing Penric into an impromptu stint as a female prostitute against his wishes, because yikes. (the way he compared it afterward to his traumatizing experiences in med school??? god that hurt me. but it’s all supposed to be whatevs, just ‘cause she’s an occupant of his body too? dislike.)
and i was annoyed at Nikys for being so repulsed that he/they had for-profit sex with a man, because i don’t see how giving a dude a kinky handjob for smuggle-us-to-safety money is an indictment of Pen’s character. if i were in love with Penric kin Jurald (by which i mean if he were real and alive in front of me), i simply wouldn’t let something so foolish dissuade me from accepting his MARRIAGE PROPOSALS. PLURAL. he was BEGGING. soooo frustrating agghh i wanna pluck the keys off my keyboard and crunch them between my teeth like ice cubes.
December 11, 2024
This was not quite as good as Penric's Mission, but still a joy.
In fact, it is the first of these Penric novellas that is a direct sequel to the previous entry. We continue on the run with Penric, Nikys, and Adelis and learn more not only about them and their backgrounds but also Mira - one of Desdemona's previous hosts.
Again, this has everything the previous novellas have - a fascinating world, complex characters, and a great sense of humor.
Highly recommended!
In fact, it is the first of these Penric novellas that is a direct sequel to the previous entry. We continue on the run with Penric, Nikys, and Adelis and learn more not only about them and their backgrounds but also Mira - one of Desdemona's previous hosts.
Again, this has everything the previous novellas have - a fascinating world, complex characters, and a great sense of humor.
Highly recommended!
June 29, 2022
I genuinely love the series (Penric's Mission especially has quickly become one of my favorite fantasy stories of all time), but this entry had me puzzled - and not in a good way.
To anybody who has read it: yes I am talking about that controversial scene.
Spoilers:
I don't have an issue with the crossdressing part (though I have no idea why anybody thought it would be a good plan) so much as with the consistency of the relationship between Penric and Desdemona (and Nikys for that matter). Until now, Penric was ultimately always in control and the different characters that make up Desdemona were more akin to little devils on his shoulders whispering things in his ears. This time though it seemed like Mira just fully took over to the detriment of the relationship between Penric and Nikys.
There was literally no reason for Penric to do any of the things he did other than to artificially ruin his relationship. It especially makes me angry that the entire thing just hangs above the story now but none of it is talked out or even explained more than through a series of half hearted implications. As a reader, I'd like to know what's going on and not feel left out, attempting to guess what actually happened, especially such a rather critical little detail.
I don't understand how (potentially?) prostituting himself - while crossdressing - was the only solution here for Penric... Quite the opposite: it was about the most risky approach he could've come up with. I can think of a billion other ways he could've made money and/or fled to the border. I truly don't understand what just happened and why.
I also wouldn't have minded the open end so much if at least *that scene* wasn't also super fuzzy and implied. This entire book feels like a weird fever dream in retrospect. None of it fits together and there are so many things intentionally left open and unexplained.
And then there's Nikys, who was a genuinely interesting character previously. But now, she's just... there? She doesn't seem particularly invested in her own plot if that makes sense. The character seems very passive throughout the entire novella. Instead of telling Penric to fuck off for treating her poorly (seriously, that entire thing made no sense), she just sits there as confused as me.
I will probably keep reading, though this one was the first entry that had me genuinely disappointed.
To anybody who has read it: yes I am talking about that controversial scene.
Spoilers:
I don't have an issue with the crossdressing part (though I have no idea why anybody thought it would be a good plan) so much as with the consistency of the relationship between Penric and Desdemona (and Nikys for that matter). Until now, Penric was ultimately always in control and the different characters that make up Desdemona were more akin to little devils on his shoulders whispering things in his ears. This time though it seemed like Mira just fully took over to the detriment of the relationship between Penric and Nikys.
There was literally no reason for Penric to do any of the things he did other than to artificially ruin his relationship. It especially makes me angry that the entire thing just hangs above the story now but none of it is talked out or even explained more than through a series of half hearted implications. As a reader, I'd like to know what's going on and not feel left out, attempting to guess what actually happened, especially such a rather critical little detail.
I don't understand how (potentially?) prostituting himself - while crossdressing - was the only solution here for Penric... Quite the opposite: it was about the most risky approach he could've come up with. I can think of a billion other ways he could've made money and/or fled to the border. I truly don't understand what just happened and why.
I also wouldn't have minded the open end so much if at least *that scene* wasn't also super fuzzy and implied. This entire book feels like a weird fever dream in retrospect. None of it fits together and there are so many things intentionally left open and unexplained.
And then there's Nikys, who was a genuinely interesting character previously. But now, she's just... there? She doesn't seem particularly invested in her own plot if that makes sense. The character seems very passive throughout the entire novella. Instead of telling Penric to fuck off for treating her poorly (seriously, that entire thing made no sense), she just sits there as confused as me.
I will probably keep reading, though this one was the first entry that had me genuinely disappointed.
February 29, 2020
I'd have gone full five except that this feels more like a stretched short story than a novella. And it's all a big setup for one hilarious scene, in which one of Penric's submerged personalities deploys hitherto-unknown skills in a ... wait, he's going to WHAT? Lois McMaster Bujold is going there? No! Way! Of course, the key moments are offstage, but that's as it should be.
General Arisaydia was just a grump the whole time. As if he and the author had had a spat and weren't speaking.
Still a good story, and an ending that stops just a hair short of being a complete resolution, which again was a good choice and the mark of an experienced, confident author.
General Arisaydia was just a grump the whole time. As if he and the author had had a spat and weren't speaking.
Still a good story, and an ending that stops just a hair short of being a complete resolution, which again was a good choice and the mark of an experienced, confident author.
June 16, 2018
More enjoyable than the previous -- the turn to comedy meant less ponderous magic and less unpleasant moralizing. Still, Nikys is an incredibly weak character, with all the tendencies of Ekaterin as love-interest-function magnified, and few of the threads that kept that character individuated as a real person. I really dislike Bujold's tendency to introduce love-interests who are utterly socially isolated and so totally (or near-totally) dependent on the hero.
January 8, 2023
Mira's Last Dance is a direct continuation of Penric's Mission, furthering the adventures of Penric and his two traveling companions on their way to sanctuary. This installment allows the reader a larger glimpse of one of the demon personas in Penric's head. Penric decides to disguise himself as a courtesan to avoid detection and ends up with some unwelcome attention. The story was fairly amusing and makes a nice conclusion to this particular extended mission.
January 3, 2023
This one kind of feels like a middle story. I'd been expecting to see Penric with a bit of romancing, and we certainly get something like that in this one. I think the idea of Mira's LAST dance is a bit of misdirecting - it implies that Mira would be gone afterward. There was definitely some nebulousness by making Mira's strongest performance off-screen. And it does mean that we don't know to what lengths Penric will go for his head-mates or missions. Readable and fun and fast-moving.
July 16, 2018
Mira’s scenes were excellent and everything else was mediocre in comparison
July 3, 2025
Fun but not as good as the previous ones. There were some good silly bits here but it doesn't really progress the overall plot and I thought the character beats weren't as interested, and it ends without anything really being resolved.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 491 reviews