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Penric and Desdemona (Chronological) #6-8
Penric's Travels
TALES OF A NEW HERO IN FANTASY FROM LOIS McMASTER BUJOLD, TOGETHER FOR THE FIRST TIME! Includes Penric’s Mission, Mira’s Last Dance, and The Prisoner of Limnos. He does it his way! FOLLOW-UP TO COLLECTION PENRIC'S PROGRESS.
Penric’s Mission
Learned Penric, a sorcerer and divine of the Bastard’s Order, has faced danger and intrigue many times before. Now, he finds himself on his first covert diplomatic mission. Penric must travel across the sea to Cedona in an attempt to secure the services of the Cedonia General Arisaydia for the Duke of Adria. But nothing is as it seems. No sooner than he has arrived, Penric finds himself tossed into a dungeon. If Penric is to survive, he’ll have to navigate treacherous politics—and his own feelings for the young widowed sister of the General.
Mira’s Last Dance
Penric, suffering from injuries attained while escaping from the Cedonian dungeon in which he was imprisoned, must now guide 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.
The Prisoner of Limnos
Penric and Nikys have reached safety in the Duchy of Orbas when a secret letter from a friend brings frightening news: Nikys's mother has been taken hostage by her brother's enemies at the Cedonian imperial court and confined in a precarious island sanctuary.
Now, Nikys, Penric, and Desdemona must infiltrate the hostile country once more, finding along the way that family relationships can be as unexpectedly challenging as any rescue scheme.
About Penric's Demon:
“A novella filled with a satisfying blend of strong characters and wry humor.”—Publishers Weekly
About Lois McMaster Bujold:
"The pace is breathless, the characterization thoughtful and emotionally powerful, and the author's narrative technique and command of language compelling. Highly recommended."—Booklist
"If you love solid space opera rooted in strong character, you can't go wrong . . . The Warrior's Apprentice already displays the craft and the heart which would soon make Lois McMaster Bujold one of the most feted talents in SF."—SF Reviews
“Bujold is adept at worldbuilding and provides a witty, character-centered plot, full of exquisite grace notes . . . fans will be thoroughly gripped and likely to finish the book in a single sitting.”—Publishers Weekly on Diplomatic Immunity
Penric’s Mission
Learned Penric, a sorcerer and divine of the Bastard’s Order, has faced danger and intrigue many times before. Now, he finds himself on his first covert diplomatic mission. Penric must travel across the sea to Cedona in an attempt to secure the services of the Cedonia General Arisaydia for the Duke of Adria. But nothing is as it seems. No sooner than he has arrived, Penric finds himself tossed into a dungeon. If Penric is to survive, he’ll have to navigate treacherous politics—and his own feelings for the young widowed sister of the General.
Mira’s Last Dance
Penric, suffering from injuries attained while escaping from the Cedonian dungeon in which he was imprisoned, must now guide 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.
The Prisoner of Limnos
Penric and Nikys have reached safety in the Duchy of Orbas when a secret letter from a friend brings frightening news: Nikys's mother has been taken hostage by her brother's enemies at the Cedonian imperial court and confined in a precarious island sanctuary.
Now, Nikys, Penric, and Desdemona must infiltrate the hostile country once more, finding along the way that family relationships can be as unexpectedly challenging as any rescue scheme.
About Penric's Demon:
“A novella filled with a satisfying blend of strong characters and wry humor.”—Publishers Weekly
About Lois McMaster Bujold:
"The pace is breathless, the characterization thoughtful and emotionally powerful, and the author's narrative technique and command of language compelling. Highly recommended."—Booklist
"If you love solid space opera rooted in strong character, you can't go wrong . . . The Warrior's Apprentice already displays the craft and the heart which would soon make Lois McMaster Bujold one of the most feted talents in SF."—SF Reviews
“Bujold is adept at worldbuilding and provides a witty, character-centered plot, full of exquisite grace notes . . . fans will be thoroughly gripped and likely to finish the book in a single sitting.”—Publishers Weekly on Diplomatic Immunity
336 pages, Hardcover
First published May 5, 2020
8 people are currently reading
417 people want to read
About the author
Lois McMaster Bujold
181 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/
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 69 reviews
December 12, 2020
Ahoy there me mateys! These delightful novellas take place in the World of the Five Gods from the trilogy of that name. That said, ye do NOT have to have read the trilogy first, though I did. Book one of the trilogy, curse of the chalion, is one of the best fantasy books I have ever read and I really enjoyed the remaining two.
Early this year I was thrilled to find out that the Penric and Desdemona novellas were being republished in a two-book omnibus set. The first omnibus contained novellas 1 - 3 in the internal chronological order not publishing order. This review is for penric's travels which contains the novellas 4 - 6. Minor spoilers from the blurbs be used so read at yer own peril . . .
Penric’s Mission
I adore Penric and Desdemona. In this novella, Penric has been working with his demon (a combination of twelve female personalities inside of him) for over a decade. It was so enjoyable to see that Penric and Desdemona's relationship has matured and that their friendship and caring for another is stronger than ever. Penric is on secret mission to Cedonia for his employer. What surprised me about this story is how quickly everything went wrong and the volume of trouble that Penric gets into. I also loved the addition of Nykis. She is a strong-willed woman whose brother, Arisaydia, is involved in Penric's troubles. I loved watched the three interact. This was an intense little story and I was constantly wondering where it would go next. The small cliffhanger ending made me want more. Luckily the omnibus has more of the story.
Mira's Last Dance
This picks up where the previous one ends and is mostly set in an interlude stop in the town of Sosie. The delays are unwelcome for the characters but completely welcome for me because this novella gives the reader more insight into an aspect of Desdemona called Mira. Mira has an unique set of skills that didn't get called on in the previous Penric novellas. I adored watching all the women in this book deal with Penric. This novella doesn't further the plot a whole bunch but certainly gives insight into the characters. It was so much fun.
The Prisoner of Limnos
This installment sees Penric and gang back in safe territory for a small breather until Nikys learns that her mother has been taken hostage. Penric and Nikys set out to rescue her from a woman's only religious island. It was delightful. I loved the surprise characters. I loved that there was a character that was an albino who wasn't evil. He is wonderful in fact. I ended up really enjoying how all three novellas were part of a larger story arc. I can't help but want more of Penric's earlier life and to see the parts that have been skipped. Arrrr!
Side note: I thought that I had finished the series after reading both omnibuses. Turns out there are three other novellas! One takes place between novella three and four. The other two take place after the events at the end of the second omnibus. I will have to track these down.
Early this year I was thrilled to find out that the Penric and Desdemona novellas were being republished in a two-book omnibus set. The first omnibus contained novellas 1 - 3 in the internal chronological order not publishing order. This review is for penric's travels which contains the novellas 4 - 6. Minor spoilers from the blurbs be used so read at yer own peril . . .
Penric’s Mission
I adore Penric and Desdemona. In this novella, Penric has been working with his demon (a combination of twelve female personalities inside of him) for over a decade. It was so enjoyable to see that Penric and Desdemona's relationship has matured and that their friendship and caring for another is stronger than ever. Penric is on secret mission to Cedonia for his employer. What surprised me about this story is how quickly everything went wrong and the volume of trouble that Penric gets into. I also loved the addition of Nykis. She is a strong-willed woman whose brother, Arisaydia, is involved in Penric's troubles. I loved watched the three interact. This was an intense little story and I was constantly wondering where it would go next. The small cliffhanger ending made me want more. Luckily the omnibus has more of the story.
Mira's Last Dance
This picks up where the previous one ends and is mostly set in an interlude stop in the town of Sosie. The delays are unwelcome for the characters but completely welcome for me because this novella gives the reader more insight into an aspect of Desdemona called Mira. Mira has an unique set of skills that didn't get called on in the previous Penric novellas. I adored watching all the women in this book deal with Penric. This novella doesn't further the plot a whole bunch but certainly gives insight into the characters. It was so much fun.
The Prisoner of Limnos
This installment sees Penric and gang back in safe territory for a small breather until Nikys learns that her mother has been taken hostage. Penric and Nikys set out to rescue her from a woman's only religious island. It was delightful. I loved the surprise characters. I loved that there was a character that was an albino who wasn't evil. He is wonderful in fact. I ended up really enjoying how all three novellas were part of a larger story arc. I can't help but want more of Penric's earlier life and to see the parts that have been skipped. Arrrr!
Side note: I thought that I had finished the series after reading both omnibuses. Turns out there are three other novellas! One takes place between novella three and four. The other two take place after the events at the end of the second omnibus. I will have to track these down.
February 4, 2022
I forgot how much I enjoy this novella series. Penric, with his sunny disposition, is always a delight, as is his wise old demon Desdemona. These novellas are a little more interconnected than the first three I read, with the first two having quite open-ended endings, and an obvious hook for more sequels. Which is fine, I will read them all sooner or later, but they’re not as self-contained as I thought going in. What I liked about this collection in particular is that two of the novellas feature a man crossdressing as a woman for disguise, without making it into a joke. A rarity.
Enjoyment: 4.5/5
Execution: 4.5/5
More reviews on my blog, To Other Worlds.
Enjoyment: 4.5/5
Execution: 4.5/5
More reviews on my blog, To Other Worlds.
June 30, 2020
Another great set of Penric novellas - these three actually make up one story. Bujold defies most expectations, and the Penric/Desdemona team just gets more and more awesome.
August 23, 2021
This book contains numbers 5,6, and 7 of the Penric and Desdemona stories, which are set in the world of the Five Gods and, well, it’s great theological fantasy. The characters are great. I would describe relationships as the centers of the story, and the action and whatnot supports it. They’re a lot of fun.
September 26, 2021
A powerful collection of 3 interconnected novellas about Penric and his love interest, Nikys. See my reviews of the included novellas.
Penric’s Mission
Mira's Last Dance
For some reason unfathomable to me, I never reviewed the last novella in the collection, The Prisoner of Limnos, although I read it, of course, and enjoyed it when it first came out as an ebook. I'll write my review of it as soon as I decided to re-read this entire book. I do re-read all the Penric stories periodically. It's always a treat for me, like chocolate: delicious and fun.
Penric’s Mission
Mira's Last Dance
For some reason unfathomable to me, I never reviewed the last novella in the collection, The Prisoner of Limnos, although I read it, of course, and enjoyed it when it first came out as an ebook. I'll write my review of it as soon as I decided to re-read this entire book. I do re-read all the Penric stories periodically. It's always a treat for me, like chocolate: delicious and fun.
July 15, 2020
The Penric and Desdemona novella series is SO GOOD. I love their good but chaotic (wink) energy. This time around the three novellas are not really standalone as Penric is on a mission and ends up on the run with two person he's trying to save. I love that we got Nikys's pov, it gave their mutual crush lots more ground and depth!
I'm really looking forward to the next collection, and might even continue reading just with the ebook edition while I wait!
I'm really looking forward to the next collection, and might even continue reading just with the ebook edition while I wait!
May 21, 2021
Again, since this is an anthology of three novellas I've already reviewed, it makes most sense to link to my reviews of "Penric's Mission," "Mira's Last Dance," and "The Prisoner of Limnos." The three together make a lovely arc of Penric meeting and courting a woman who might be able to accept Pen and his demon, Desdemona, as a package deal.
January 3, 2023
Basically a complete arc. The second novella could have been and ending. But the third one definitely was. This is a jump of maybe a decade from the previous collection of stories. We get some new characters, see some new lands. We don't really get to see anyone from the previous stories except Penric and Desdemona, but you feel them there just a bit off screen. A really fast read.
August 8, 2021
More connected than the previous collection which allows the spirit and humanity to build even further and make it an even more compelling and entertaining story
January 25, 2020
I wish I could get more Lois McMaster Bujold books!
June 8, 2023
Though originally produced as three novellas, when the publisher prints them together in this book, they read like a continuous story—other than the exposition at the beginning of each novella that could be a bit repetitious, or perhaps just a refresher for the reader. I am so impressed with Bujold’s writing and character building and have found reading these stories a delight. As this set of three novellas begin, Penric’s “employer” the Archdivine of Martensbridge, has died and he is now under the patronage of the Duke of Adria who is certainly less sympathetic to Penric’s desires and his compulsions in caring for his demon. The Duke has sent Penric off to Celadon as a spy to seal the deal with General Adelis Arisaydia to hire his military expertise. What Penric and the Duke don’t know is that the letter and offer is a forgery to catch Adelis in a charge of treason, effectively removing a popular general from the political scene. And so Penric becomes embroiled in the deadly affair, beginning with his being thrown into a bottle dungeon and the general being blinded by boiling vinegar poured on his eyes. With the help of his demon, Penric escapes and feels obligated to heal Adelis as best he can and in the process meets and falls in love with the general’s sister, Nikys. Penric tries to convince Adelis to come to Adria but he is determined to flee to the neighboring kingdom of Orbas. And he tries to convince Nikys to love him but she’s not so sure a demon-ridden sorcerer/divine/physician is a good catch. There is excitement and action and tension, as the three flee ahead of the faction trying to kill them. There is also great character development as the general and his sister begin to know Penric and his demon, Desdemona.
April 5, 2022
Contains spoilers.
Penric's Travels is a compilation of three novellas (though the third may actually be a full-blown novel; at just under 170 pages, it's longer than a few works that have won Hugos or Nebulas as best novel) about Penric, the sorcerer and Desdemona, the demon that lives within him. (If you want an explanation of how that works, see the previous volume, Penric's Progress.)
The three works in this volume are closely linked, and together can be viewed as a single work. In "Penric's Mission," Penric is sent on a secret mission to deliver a letter to a foreign general, Adelis. But he's captured, and the general is arrested and brutally blinded. Penric escapes, then goes to help the blinded general, first to heal him, then to help him and his sister, Nikys, escape the country.
"Mira's Last Dance" tells of how they escape, and "The Prisoner of Limnos" tells how Penric and Nikys return to the country from which they had escaped to rescue Nikys's now-imprisoned mother.
These are very entertaining stories. Bujold is skilled at developing believable and likable characters. Penric and Desdemona play off of and balance one another very well, at times bickering internally with one another: Penric young, at times a bit naive, but very smart and observant; Desdemona with all the experience of the the women she had ridden before coming to Penric, worldly, blunt, and at times shocking. And Nickys is a wonderfully brave, smart, and witty character. She and Penric make a wonderful pair, even as they dance around one another.
Overall, great fun. I'm looking forward to the next compilation of Penric stories.
Penric's Travels is a compilation of three novellas (though the third may actually be a full-blown novel; at just under 170 pages, it's longer than a few works that have won Hugos or Nebulas as best novel) about Penric, the sorcerer and Desdemona, the demon that lives within him. (If you want an explanation of how that works, see the previous volume, Penric's Progress.)
The three works in this volume are closely linked, and together can be viewed as a single work. In "Penric's Mission," Penric is sent on a secret mission to deliver a letter to a foreign general, Adelis. But he's captured, and the general is arrested and brutally blinded. Penric escapes, then goes to help the blinded general, first to heal him, then to help him and his sister, Nikys, escape the country.
"Mira's Last Dance" tells of how they escape, and "The Prisoner of Limnos" tells how Penric and Nikys return to the country from which they had escaped to rescue Nikys's now-imprisoned mother.
These are very entertaining stories. Bujold is skilled at developing believable and likable characters. Penric and Desdemona play off of and balance one another very well, at times bickering internally with one another: Penric young, at times a bit naive, but very smart and observant; Desdemona with all the experience of the the women she had ridden before coming to Penric, worldly, blunt, and at times shocking. And Nickys is a wonderfully brave, smart, and witty character. She and Penric make a wonderful pair, even as they dance around one another.
Overall, great fun. I'm looking forward to the next compilation of Penric stories.
January 1, 2023
Penric is a wonderful characters, much more complex than he looks, and having added a demon multiplies the complexity. The first three novellas cover Penric's acquisition of the demon, and two early assignments as a sorcerer. Very important is his naming of the demon. Desdemona is a demon of many lives: 10 women and before them a mare and a lioness. So Penric has in his head a collection of older sisters who often comment on his behavior and thoughts, occasionally speaking through his mouth.
His beloved mentor has died and he's been sent to a different country. At the behest of the duke, he's sent on a covert mission to another country to speak to a disgraced general. Unfortunately, his mission falls foul of Cedonia's vicious politics. His assignment betrayed, he must try to survive, and help a couple of other people get free as well.
This trilogy of novellas is really an extended single story, but they are pretty much independent.
Penric has trained as a fully fledged and pledged divine of the Bastard, with the braids to prove it, though he doesn't always carry them around with him.
He is also a thoroughly trained physician, though he hasn't taken oath to the Mother, under whom medicine falls.
Penric gets to use his medical training, and Desdemona's magic in matters large and small. Sometimes very large, sometimes very small.
Highly recommended. I would recommend all of the books in this World of Five Gods series.
His beloved mentor has died and he's been sent to a different country. At the behest of the duke, he's sent on a covert mission to another country to speak to a disgraced general. Unfortunately, his mission falls foul of Cedonia's vicious politics. His assignment betrayed, he must try to survive, and help a couple of other people get free as well.
This trilogy of novellas is really an extended single story, but they are pretty much independent.
Penric has trained as a fully fledged and pledged divine of the Bastard, with the braids to prove it, though he doesn't always carry them around with him.
He is also a thoroughly trained physician, though he hasn't taken oath to the Mother, under whom medicine falls.
Penric gets to use his medical training, and Desdemona's magic in matters large and small. Sometimes very large, sometimes very small.
Highly recommended. I would recommend all of the books in this World of Five Gods series.
November 20, 2021
Penric's Mission: Straight to the action with more of an action and interest. Great story that shows more of Penric's power and kindness, we also learn a lot about the in-between time of the books with some interesting implications. We get more of Des then every before.
Mira's last dance: A good main story with a meh romance behind it. Nykis likes penric because hes nice but Penric likes Nikys because ...shes pretty? Not alot of motivation there and still likeing her after she said no shows how childlikehe is at heart. Des gets penric INTO and out of trouble.
The prisoner of Limnos: Great more romance... Nykis judges Penric up until she needs him... and then still judges how he does things. Best line to describe this is (I am paraphrasing): He didn't ask for payment or gratitude even though he risk his life several times to save us so why am I judging how he saves us or what he had to do to save us? So she knows she literally looks a gift horse in the mouth but continues to do so. But I did end up likeing the romance....at the very very end.
From the sequel of my best rated book of this year I like this one considerably less. Likely due to the romance being starting off ok and then turning to very not compelling. Everything else about this book is great. If I am supposed to see the romance as unfated and terrible on purpose or as some sort of cynical joke I unfortunately missed it but that would make sense and that's my bad.
Mira's last dance: A good main story with a meh romance behind it. Nykis likes penric because hes nice but Penric likes Nikys because ...shes pretty? Not alot of motivation there and still likeing her after she said no shows how childlikehe is at heart. Des gets penric INTO and out of trouble.
The prisoner of Limnos: Great more romance... Nykis judges Penric up until she needs him... and then still judges how he does things. Best line to describe this is (I am paraphrasing): He didn't ask for payment or gratitude even though he risk his life several times to save us so why am I judging how he saves us or what he had to do to save us? So she knows she literally looks a gift horse in the mouth but continues to do so. But I did end up likeing the romance....at the very very end.
From the sequel of my best rated book of this year I like this one considerably less. Likely due to the romance being starting off ok and then turning to very not compelling. Everything else about this book is great. If I am supposed to see the romance as unfated and terrible on purpose or as some sort of cynical joke I unfortunately missed it but that would make sense and that's my bad.
September 25, 2020
6 stars out of 5. 3 novels in one book: Penric's Mission, Mira's Last Dance, and The Prisoner of Limnos. Each beautifully written. Well developed characters. Surprising twists to the plots. Penric's Mission involves escaping from a bottle cell, dealing with a general's blinding by boiling acid, escaping over rugged mountains on foot. Mira's Last Dance describes Penric's laying low with Nikys and her brother Adelis at farmhouses and finally a city whorehouse so Penric can recover from a major injury. The Prisoner of Limnos is the rescue of Nikys' mother from monastery for women on a rocky island where she has been imprisoned. Nail-biting climbs, descents, encounters with armed men, unbelieving helpmates, and unfamiliar countryside. Took my mind off the world of September 2020, 7,228,047 confirmed cases of Covid-19 and 208,242 dead in the US. Smoke from WA, OR, and CA fires reached Europe. August Complex fires (Mendocino Co.) 40% contained, Creek fire (SW of Yosemite) 36% contained, fire near LA's Mt. Wilson observatory 36% contained, the rest about 80% contained. Justice Ginsberg died last week and Trump refuses to say he will concede defeat in the Nov. election.
August 14, 2022
Bujold is so fun to read. This is 3 novellas that when combined together complete an adventure arc for the sorcerer Penric and his possessing demon Desdemona. You could read this as a standalone fantasy novel in 3 arcs and do just fine, but I definitely recommend checking out the whole series.
She just gets all the little details of worldbuilding so right, woven into a classic hero's journey. The fantasy plot tropes are familiar but not cliched in her handling, the characters are convincing and intriguing, and I love this universe in its complexity and specificity. There's no real philosophical wallowing in the angst of Desdemona's 10 past lives, but it's taken seriously by everyone according to their personality and their religious station. The fear of demons by the laypeople -- and earning their trust -- is especially thoughtful and realistic without being ponderous or unsubtle.
Of all the excellent images, plot twists, and narrow escapes in this tale, for some reason the "bottle dungeon" sticks with me the most. Looking forward to more Penric stories.
She just gets all the little details of worldbuilding so right, woven into a classic hero's journey. The fantasy plot tropes are familiar but not cliched in her handling, the characters are convincing and intriguing, and I love this universe in its complexity and specificity. There's no real philosophical wallowing in the angst of Desdemona's 10 past lives, but it's taken seriously by everyone according to their personality and their religious station. The fear of demons by the laypeople -- and earning their trust -- is especially thoughtful and realistic without being ponderous or unsubtle.
Of all the excellent images, plot twists, and narrow escapes in this tale, for some reason the "bottle dungeon" sticks with me the most. Looking forward to more Penric stories.
December 31, 2023
Penric's Mission. Bujold's Penric books are classic romantic fantasy, about outsiders trying to find their place in a human-focused world. That's perhaps never been so obvious (thus far) as in in "Penric's Mission". Though there certainly is an intriguing mission at the heart of the story, it's the human connections that are the most intriguing, as you root for Penric to find something _more_. [5/5].
Mira's Last Dance. More than anything, this story felt like a vignette about Penric coming to terms with dual-gendered nature. Plus there's a coda to the previous story. It's a fine little bit that introduces interesting nuance to Penric's character, but this doesn't really feel like a novella worth of story [3+/5].
The Prisoners of Limnos. This is the payout for the emotional investment of "Penric's Mission", and together with the much briefer vignette in "Mira's Last Dance", it really creates a complete story. (Was Bujold now writing for the collection? Hard to say, as it was years before Penric's Progress was put together.) In any case, this is a great caper, a lot of understated Bastard's coincidence (I really enjoy all the things that Bujold DOESN'T say about why things happen in Penric's world), and a great emotional finale. [4+/5].
Mira's Last Dance. More than anything, this story felt like a vignette about Penric coming to terms with dual-gendered nature. Plus there's a coda to the previous story. It's a fine little bit that introduces interesting nuance to Penric's character, but this doesn't really feel like a novella worth of story [3+/5].
The Prisoners of Limnos. This is the payout for the emotional investment of "Penric's Mission", and together with the much briefer vignette in "Mira's Last Dance", it really creates a complete story. (Was Bujold now writing for the collection? Hard to say, as it was years before Penric's Progress was put together.) In any case, this is a great caper, a lot of understated Bastard's coincidence (I really enjoy all the things that Bujold DOESN'T say about why things happen in Penric's world), and a great emotional finale. [4+/5].
December 14, 2021
I really enjoy the Penric stories, but this one had an odd flaw, from my point of view. We never got to see Penric's actual escape plan in a key segment, because he ended up sort of getting accidentally rescued. Not that the rescue was accidental, only his being the rescued, so to speak.
I did find the discussion between Nikys and Desdemona to be interesting. I was hoping that the result would be roughly what it was, but the author set up the internal conflicts of Nikys in a very solid way.
As in the earlier stories in this world, I found the governments of all the realms to be run largely by crazy people, who occasionally lapsed into making sense. Sadly, though, the kinds of things they did had precedents in real world history.
Penric's various disguises, based on previous carriers of Desdemona, were great.
I did find the discussion between Nikys and Desdemona to be interesting. I was hoping that the result would be roughly what it was, but the author set up the internal conflicts of Nikys in a very solid way.
As in the earlier stories in this world, I found the governments of all the realms to be run largely by crazy people, who occasionally lapsed into making sense. Sadly, though, the kinds of things they did had precedents in real world history.
Penric's various disguises, based on previous carriers of Desdemona, were great.
November 10, 2025
This one didn't work for me as well as the first. I think I loved the first because it's more day-to-day. This one is too caught up in international intrigue for me to click in with. It has it's moments of charm, but midway through the second novella, I realized that I was fine with the idea of Penric and Nykis together, but minimal interest in how it happened. Not ideal. I understood Nykis' reservations, and had they remained limited to Penric, I could have dealt with it better, but the political side felt tedious. And the objections felt logical, but the heart seemed missing.
This book worked in theory, but in practice had none of the quiet charm of it's predecessor collection for me. I'm not giving up on the series, but I may take a break, and hope the others go back to the initial model.
This book worked in theory, but in practice had none of the quiet charm of it's predecessor collection for me. I'm not giving up on the series, but I may take a break, and hope the others go back to the initial model.
June 15, 2025
4.5*
The three novellas collected here present a whole plot arc, dealing with the rescuing of General Arisaydia and his widowed sister, Nikys, and how this affects Penric and Desdemona.
Bujold combines brilliantly the ‘adventure’ side with the characters’ development, the first’s role being of enabling the latter, and entertain of course. And what a cast! So relatable in their reactions, feelings, and thoughts. The author also is not afraid of dealing with some pretty heavy topics but she does this in a pragmatic and quiet way that conveys realism. Have I mentioned how funny she can be too?
And I will keep saying it - I love how ‘kindness’ is such an elemental part of Penric, and of this series :O)
The three novellas collected here present a whole plot arc, dealing with the rescuing of General Arisaydia and his widowed sister, Nikys, and how this affects Penric and Desdemona.
Bujold combines brilliantly the ‘adventure’ side with the characters’ development, the first’s role being of enabling the latter, and entertain of course. And what a cast! So relatable in their reactions, feelings, and thoughts. The author also is not afraid of dealing with some pretty heavy topics but she does this in a pragmatic and quiet way that conveys realism. Have I mentioned how funny she can be too?
And I will keep saying it - I love how ‘kindness’ is such an elemental part of Penric, and of this series :O)
March 16, 2022
This sequence of novellas works much better than the first three as a combined story. I loved this part of Penric's adventure. The bottle dungeon is such a clever idea that I absolutely want to steal. The crossdressing story of the middle novella reminds me of a Shakespeare plot in the precarious position it puts Penric in. And the overarching love story is atypical and wonderful in the more practical bent it puts on things. Basically, this is a wonderful sequence of Bujold's books. If you're a Bujold fan, you've probably already read it. If not, this wouldn't be a terrible place to start either.
January 16, 2024
Absolutely loved these sequel novellas.
Penric and Des continue to be excellently written characters. It was great to see how their relationship progressed as Penric matured. I really enjoyed the new additions to the main cast as well. When previously established characters get new people introduced to their crew, they often times can take some getting used to. That was not the case here. Bujold craftef them with the same care as she did with Pen and Des.
The novellas themselves were exciting, well-paced, and managed to balance humor with dire circumstances. I'm definitely looking to get my clutches on the next collection.
Penric and Des continue to be excellently written characters. It was great to see how their relationship progressed as Penric matured. I really enjoyed the new additions to the main cast as well. When previously established characters get new people introduced to their crew, they often times can take some getting used to. That was not the case here. Bujold craftef them with the same care as she did with Pen and Des.
The novellas themselves were exciting, well-paced, and managed to balance humor with dire circumstances. I'm definitely looking to get my clutches on the next collection.
December 30, 2024
This volume was fine if not overly exciting. I'm rather underwhelmed with Penric as a character, although I enjoy Desdemona and all her sister selves quite a bit. The stories in this volume are fine if not particularly exciting. The book is dragged down by the introduction of two siblings: an annoying military man and his sister. The sister is fine but she is posited as Penric's love interest and the romance is not particularly interesting. I have the next volume in the series but if I don't enjoy that any more than I did this volume, I may stop reading there.
May 5, 2020
Desdemona, as obliging as she may, really complicates Penric's life. His attempts to court his chosen lady not only to have circumvent her brotherly protectors and her own personal misgivings. Desdemona turns out to be a permanent chaperone. How can he court with her always present? It is to be admitted that any lady who can handle Desdemona is not a pushover. Poor Penric - I really should not giggle over his tribulations.
January 1, 2021
Three novellas that combine into one complete story arc. Penric is sent to Cedona by the duke he serves, only to become embroiled in an unexpected political situation that leads to his acquaintance with the widowed Nikys and her brother. Together the three of them go on the run . . . and this is the beginning of their adventures. Although set in a fantasy world, the people are all believable, and behave in realistic ways. Recommended.
November 20, 2023
Average at 4.38 - I like Penric's adventures. He and Desdemona have a great dynamic. I miss the tension of the initial book in the shorter pieces
Penric’s Mission (Penric and Desdemona, #3) 5/5 stars - Read 9 December 2020 - Entertaining
Mira’s Last Dance (Penric and Desdemona, #4) 4/5 stars - Read 10 December 2020 - Funny
The Prisoner of Limnos (Penric and Desdemona, #6) 4/5 stars - Read 10 December 2020
Penric’s Mission (Penric and Desdemona, #3) 5/5 stars - Read 9 December 2020 - Entertaining
Mira’s Last Dance (Penric and Desdemona, #4) 4/5 stars - Read 10 December 2020 - Funny
The Prisoner of Limnos (Penric and Desdemona, #6) 4/5 stars - Read 10 December 2020
January 5, 2024
4.5 stars-It was great getting to revisit this world and these characters! Penric is such a great character, with his sly humor and relationship with Des. In these stories he falls in love and ends up proposing to a woman he helps. I was glad they actually ended up together, since she made him jump through so many hoops and risk his life saving her mom. I am excited to see where they go for the next batch of stories.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 23, 2020
I have thoroughly enjoyed this book, even though it is not a continuation of the Sharing Knife series, I thought it was. It was a wonderful story with strong characters, a smoothly flowing plot, and a great ending. I highly recommend this book and the author. Everything I have read of hers is top notch.
July 17, 2020
These really fit together as three parts of a single book. Penric's Mission was another interesting timeskip, the character flung ahead through time and trauma. Mira's Last Dance was unexpected and delightful. The Prisoner of Limnos felt a bit too clockwork for me, and it's odd in this world because you can always say, "well, the gods intervened".
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