Penric's Mission

Penric and Desdemona (Publication order) #3

by Lois McMaster Bujold

In his 30th year, Penric fell in love with light.

Learned Penric, a sorcerer and divine of the Bastard's Order, travels across the sea to sunlit Cedonia on his first covert diplomatic mission, to attempt to secure the services of a disaffected Cedonian general for the Duke of Adria. However, nothing is as it seems. Penric is betrayed and thrown into a dungeon, and worse follows for the general and his kin.

Penric's narrow escapes and adventures—including his interest in a young widow—are told with Bujold's remarkable energy, wit, and humor. Once again, Bujold has created unforgettable characters and a wondrous, often dangerous world of intrigue and sorcery.

Genres: Fantasy, Novella, Audiobook, Fiction, Magic, High Fantasy, Demons

264 pages, Hardcover

First published November 2, 2016

About the author

Lois McMaster Bujold was born in 1949, the daughter of an engineering professor at Ohio State University, from whom she picked up her early interest in science fiction. She now lives in Minneapolis, and has two grown children.

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/

Reviews

[Bradley · Rating 4 out of 5]

These Penric novels are getting very good. Bastard be praised. :)

We've seen Penric grow as a person and a cleric/sorcerer and now he has eleven years of Desdemona inside his flesh. I love how he's struck off on his own (for very persuasive reasons) doing spywork for a Duke.

So of course, it perfectly follows that this should be a tight and fun novella about magically healing a soldier's wounds and beginning a romance with the soldier's sister. I can see it! :) Plus it gets rather exciting but not for the whole romance thing. There's still some other kinds of action going on here. :)

For everyone not in the know, this takes place in the universe of Chalion by the wonderful Bujold, focusing delightfully on the life and inner life of a disciple of the Bastard God. He was unwilling at first, but it is really fascinating to read how a boy learns to make friends with twelve demons who've been skinwalking for over two hundred years in other disciples.

Flash forward a bit and Penric is fine in his own skin. He has a great working relationship with his demons (collectively called Desdemona) and dare I say it, a good friendship. Penric is also insanely powerful, but he generally keeps that to himself. He's rather a quirky and nerdy delight. His idiotic fumbling with women can only get better when the demon starts talking to her. :) I loved it.

No spoilers, but I had a great time! :) It doesn't necessarily need to be read with all the other Penric novellas, but I like a sense of progression. :)

Thanks to Netgalley for a copy of this ARC!

[Tadiana ✩Night Owl☽ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best Penric and Desdemona story yet! Penric is accused of being a spy when he travels to another country (well, in fairness, he kind of is), is thrown into a dungeon and barely escapes with his life, and then kind of goes off on his own version of the mission.

It looks like Desdemona and the gods support him ... but that may or may not be enough when there are lots of people out to get both Penric and the people he's trying to help.

My only complaint is that this is really only half of the story. It continues in the next novella in this series, Mira's Last Dance. Which I luckily already have on my Kindle app ready to fire up!

4.5 stars.

[Phrynne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am really enjoying this series of short but so entertaining books. You could think that having all your main characters bundled up into one person would limit possibilities but not when this author is in control. Each book has a whole new set of problems for Penric and his inner demons to overcome.

Penric's mission in this particular book is supposed to be an easy one but it turns bad very quickly. Luckily his sorcerer's skills are superb and enable him to get out of some very tight situations. He also meets a young woman and, although his romantic skills are not as developed as his magical ones, this looks like a continuing theme which should be fun.

Looking forward to the next book!

[Ben Aaronovitch · Rating 5 out of 5]

My only problem with these novellas is their length - way way too short.

[Gavin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Penric's Mission is the third book in Bujold's Penric & Desdemona novella series, which is set in the same world as her World of the Five Gods books, from a publication standpoint but the fourth book from a chronological standpoint. I chose to read it as the third book as you can never go wrong going with the publication order. It always helps to avoid spoilers!

This was an excellent instalment of the series. Penric's Demon was great but Penric's Shaman was a bit less inspiring by comparison. Thankfully Penric's Mission saw a return of all the things that made the first book in the series such a fun read. We got a nice mix of action, intrigue, and mystery and also got a hint of romance thrown in as well! Bujold's writing is always excellent and engaging but I felt like this story benefited from having a slightly faster pace than is typical of the normal Bujold story.

The story was good. Penric has been sent to Cedonia as a spy to meet a contact in the region and possibly escort them back to his employer, the Duke of Aradasia. Unfortunately for Pen things so go awry and he needs Desdemona's help along with his quick wits to figure out what went wrong and how to fix it!

It was an entertaining story and engaging story. Pen and Des were at their amusing and resourceful best. The pairs banter is so hilarious. The cast was pretty small but the new characters were an interesting brother and sister duo who both made a good impression of the story.

All in all I quite enjoyed this novella and feel it was a return to top form after the slight lull of the second book.

Rating: 4 stars.

Audio Note: Grove Gardner did OK with the audio.

[Roslyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bujold does something quite unusual in the World of the Five Gods series. Few genre writers portray religion, either in our world or in an invented one, as anything other than something either to be admired and pushed onto readers, or else to be reviled. But Bujold weaves the religious/spiritual impulse into her characters' lives and into her created worlds completely seriously as something both understandable and meaningful. What's special here is not just that gods are real (lots of writers do this) but that they also retain a feel of the numinous and mystery, and that Bujold allows them to have a real impact on her characters' inner lives.

As with the second novella in the series, I didn't enjoy this one quite as much as the first, but it was still excellent. Interestingly, I actually preferred the slightly bumbling Penric in this third novella to the just-a-little-too-perfect Penric in the second one. On the other hand, I preferred the greater emphasis on the inner lives of the other characters in novellas one and two. I’d love to read more Penric stories, or anything else set in this world for that matter.

[Mogsy · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum https://bibliosanctum.com/2018/01/11/...

Bujold returns to her World of the Five Gods with another novella featuring Penric, a sorcerer of the Bastards’s Order, and Desdemona, the ancient and powerful demon riding in his head. We once again jump ahead in time, accompanying an older and mellower Penric as he travels across the sea to the nation of Cedonia where he will attempt to carry out a secret mission on behalf of his employer, the Duke of Adria.

But despite traveling under a false name, Penric is immediately arrested upon his arrival and thrown into a dungeon to await execution. Soon, he discovers that something similar had also happened to General Arisaydia, the contact he was supposed to meet. Although the general was eventually released, the punishment he endured during his imprisonment left him blinded and forever incapacitated, unable to perform his military duties. Somehow, the truth of Penric’s purpose in Cedonia has gotten out, and someone is clearly going to great lengths to prevent him and Arisaydia from ever meeting.

Not to be deterred, the ever resourceful Penric manages to evade death in the dungeons with the help of Desdemona. He then proceeds to track down Arisaydia, whom he finds being cared for Nykis, the general’s widowed sister. Developing a relationship with the latter while attempting to heal the former, Penric becomes entangled in web of danger which culminates in a dramatic and breathless escape from Cedonia.

For those who require a quick refresher on the series thus far, Penric is a former nobleman who became a sorcerer and temple divine following his accidental posession by the demon known as Desdemona. Although Desdemona and her kind are called “demons” in this world, these spirits aren’t considered typically or inherently evil, and most end up being more mischievous and impish than anything. Even a demon as old and powerful as Desdemona is known to partake regularly in good-natured teasing and playful banter, leading to no shortage of entertainment when it comes to the dialogue between her and Penric.

In fact, I’m sure that readers who enjoyed the friendship and lively interplay between the characters in the first two novellas will find even more to delight in with Penric’s Mission. Now thirty years old, our titular protagonist has had a lot more time to get to know Desdemona, and the genuine affection they have for each other is apparent in all their interactions. After all, when you let your literal demons out to talk to your potential romantic interest, that’s what you call trust! Pen and Desdemona’s conversations also reveal a lot more about the world-building, furthering our knowledge of the lore and mythology behind the World of the Five Gods. In addition, our characters’ journey to Cedonia opens up another little corner of the map, introducing us to a new place and culture.

Compared to its predecessors Penric’s Demon and Penric and the Shaman, which were more subdued, this third installment reads more like an action-adventure, complete with a touch of spycraft and a high-risk rescue mission. I daresay fans of the author’s more action-oriented and fast-paced military sci-fi sagas are going to feel right at home. There’s even a thread of romance—not prominent, but still well developed—between Pen and Nykis. Given how some of my favorite fictional couples have been created by Bujold (Cazaril and Betriz, Dag and Fawn), I’m understandably excited to see where she’ll take their relationship. The characters are always the highlight of her stories, so I’m especially intrigued at the possibilities that new POVs like Arisaydia and Nykis can bring to the table.

All in all, Penric’s Mission is another fantastic addition to the Penric and Desdemona sequence. A must read for fans of Bujold and followers of the series.

[Rachel (Kalanadi) · Rating 5 out of 5]

3rd read: yep, it's my favorite Penric novella

2nd read: This is probably my favorite Penric novella!

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

I require additional Penric novellas.

[Di Maitland · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my favourite of the series so far; I loved it. It’s exciting plot combines wonderfully with Pen’s gentleness and humour, and I found it hard to put down.

“‘Scuse me, but I havetogokillsomerats now.”

Penric is now 30 and in the service of the Archdivine of Adria. As a favour, to the Archdivine’s brother, the Duke, Penric is tasked with infiltrating Cedonia and encouraging a a disillusioned, young general to abscond. But the game is up before Penric even arrives, and he must do what he can to survive, recover the mission, and maybe even find more in the general’s widowed sister.

The plot begins with a bang, levels off with a gentler middle, and then picks up again at the end. It’s exciting and dramatic, and yet nicely tempered my Bujold’s usual restraint and under-statement.

“What, you prayed for guidance and in the very next moment that nice child came and sat down beside you. I thought she was going to pat you on the head. I could have told her a board would work better. What do you expect from Him, a letter signed and sealed and hand-delivered? A parade with trumpets?”

The story is told from the point of view of Penric (as usual) and the general’s sister, Nikys Khatai. I found both equally interesting and enjoyed the fresh view of Penric: at first, quite odd and eccentric, his kindness and his talent coming clear only later.

“How can we tell?” “A sorcerer or sorceress whose demon has become ascendant will exhibit far more chaotic -erratic-behavior” A long silence. Twin, level stares.

As usual the star of the show was Desdemona, and we see far more of her here than the other books. She’s hilarious, but she’s also wonderfully protective of him, both against others and against himself.

“Do try to be more sensitive around the sister, Des. She’s quite upset already.” Des snorted. You have more than enough sensitivity for us all. To excess, as I have pointed out before. / Bloody-minded chaos demon, Pen thought back. The impression of an amused purr. I do sometimes wonder how you ever survived, Pen, before you were us. / Whereas I more often wonder how I am to survive after…

Pen, meanwhile, is an utter babe. He’s grown into his talents but remains humble and unassuming, determined to do right-and quite happy to lecture on exactly what right is-but uninterested in the status or accolades his power could bring. He’s wonderfully eccentric, and quick with a smile, but, for the first time, we see some of the strain that his powers and responsibilities bring. I’m torn between wanting to know more about this period in his life and being glad that we’re picking up after it’s resolved.

“I’m not a hedge sorcerer. And your government policies are stupid!”

My only small criticism of the book is that, at the end, I still don’t feel I know Nikys or her brother, Adelis, particularly well. I’ve seen their actions, but little of their souls: their beliefs and values, their deeper thoughts and feelings. It’s left me feeling rather ambivalent towards the growing bond between Pen and Nikys; a shame because he deserves the world and, although I like Nikys, I don’t yet think she can give it to him.

“I promised Des I would try to restore you eyebrows. She was rather set on it.”

The Penric and Desdemona books have become some of my favourite go-to comfort fiction. They’re short but enticing, exciting yet under-stated, gentle but not boring, and wise but not stuffy. I’d describe them as hopepunk-where good people do good things and, after a struggle, good wins out in the end- and they leave me feeling happy.

Signed, Di, loyal follower to the Bastard, Fifth and White.

[DivaDiane SM · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finished just in time before they removed it from Audible Unlimited. I have quite a few books I wanted to read which are being removed today. Oh well, it means I can focus on the unread books I’ve actually purchased.

I realized belatedly that I probably should’ve listened to a different installment in the series first. This was the next one that was published, but not the chronological order, which I’ve been told is better. But I also vaguely remember that the 3rd and 4th in chrono-order should be read together, and that wouldn’t have been possible for me right now, so it’s all for the best, I suppose.

I enjoyed this novella, quite a bit, although it seemed just a little aimless, but it’s possible it was just a means to get from here to there for the series. Not sure! There were some spots I actually laughed out loud. LMB does wry humor so well.

Grover Gardener is a good narrator, but his cadence is exactly the same for these as for the Miles Vorkosigan series, and he doesn’t vary his pacing at all, which sometimes allows me to tune out.

[Algernon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is where the series takes a turn for the better, and where I can finally cast away all reservations and admit it is a great experience, worthy of comparison with some of my favourite fantasy epics. The reason for this is a change in focus, from episodic and stand-alone ‘murder investigations’ with a magical angle, to a coherent main plot that spans several episodes. The move away from mountainous Martensbridge [Switzerland] marks a major expansion in world building, including here the previous visit to Lodi [Venice].

To recap how we got here: Penric is still a young man, now in his thirties, and a respected adept [Learned] in the temple of the Bastard, one of the dominant five-fold religious system. A dedicated scholar and medical practitioner, Penric nevertheless owes his rise in the ranks of the Bastard’s Order to Desdemona – his multiple personality demon that was transferred to him from a previous host. This makes Penric a powerful sorcerer, but it doesn’t keep him away from troubles and heartbreak. The troubles come from the demise of his initial sponsor, the Princess ruling over Martensbridge. The heartbreak comes from his personal pain and depression after he was forced to become a full-time healer and ended a burnout wreck.

So Penric goes into exile, ending up from necessity in service to another prince, who sees fit to send our hero on a secret mission to the neighbouring Cedonian Empire, there to try and convince the talented and successful young general Adelis to change sides.
Penric’s career as a secret agent is abruptly ended scant minutes after he lands in the port city of Patos, as his cover is blown. Thrown into a deep dungeon renowned for being impregnable, Penric has a chance to re-evaluate his career choices.

This novella has everything : intelligent use of magic powers, political intrigue, the first stirrings of romantic emotions as Penric first lays eyes on the sister of the by now compromised general, medical challenges that will test Penric’s abilities to their limit and beyond, horse and carriage chases across the landscape, one on one duels between sorcerers.
Most importantly, the novella continues to explore the moral quandaries that superpowers create and the personal struggles caused by a belief in higher powers.
Have I mentioned that it is also wickedly funny?

“Your demon is a gift of the God and the Temple, you know, an elegant opportunity for mutual growth, not a beast to be dominated, imprisoned, and enslaved. To it, you are model, mentor, and the only parent such an elemental being can have. As the holder of a Temple demon, you have an obligation to pass it on at the end of your life improved, not ruined by your selfishness, inattention, or, as in this case, fear, bad judgement, and panic.”

I continue to be thrilled by the snarky interaction between Penric and his demon and I look forward to the possibilities introduced by Nikys, the lady who stole our hero’s heart. A second perspective on the proceedings is always welcome, as is the need to continue the journey to new territories around the Adriac shores [clearly based in the geography of the series on our own Adriatic Sea]

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this one. Possibly my favorite book from the "Five Gods" world (I also really liked the 2nd Chalion book). This novella was everything I've wanted int he previous Penric books but never really got. There's really interesting characters, an exciting plot, a bit of romance and we get to see Pen and Des using their magic. This one was action packed and kept me up until 1:30am turning pages - it was reminiscent of some of the Vorkosigan books. I was reminded again why I love Bujold so much.

I got this ebook for free from Netgalley - although I'm not sure why it was available there since it isn't a new release. Maybe it's because there was a new Penric novella that came out recently - the 6th novella, but directly related to the story line here.

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the world of the Five gods. Bujold’s writing is really very good- it reminds me of Robin Hobb’s.

[Olga Godim · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like Penric, the sorcerer carrying his demon Desdemona inside himself. I like Desdemona too, have been in love with her since the first Penric novella. I like the other characters of this tale as well, and their harrying adventures were totally engrossing. As always, Bujold has written a superb story, where the narrative flows and the suspense doesn’t let on for longer than a few pages, BUT...
It is not complete. It doesn’t have an ending. The last confrontation in the story is not a resolution, nor is it a cliffhanger. It feels as if someone just arbitrarily stuck the word “FINIT” under the text after a few chapters and published it. The story definitely goes on, but the reader is left behind. It was so frustrating, I got angry and decided to rant.
I expected better from Bujold. She doesn’t have to resort to such cheap gimmicks for me to buy her books. I’ve been a fan since the first Vorkosigan novel I’ve read; I’d buy them anyway, but now I’m so upset with her, I’m contemplating not buying the next installment. My rating reflects my irritation too. It would be higher, if the story was complete.
Why, oh why did she do that?

[katayoun Masoodi · Rating 4 out of 5]

i loved this, except that this time it really felt like this is a section of a lovely book, i want all the penric happenings before he deciding on this mission and all the story that is left unfinished. i like that i get glimpses and i can think about the story, but i really want the story told by bujold and wishing for it.

[Economondos · Rating 5 out of 5]

That may not have been the best way to start a secret mission, but Penric and Desdemona persevere as they always do. Bujold once again adds to the depth of Penric, the world of the 5 gods, and how demons and magic work. All while providing a fast-paced entertaining story. Once again this book leaves me wanting more, More, MORE.

[Jacob Proffitt · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is part of a series and I recommend reading them in an order. I'm reading them in chronological (rather than publication) order and that has been working out very well, I think.

This one breaks from the pattern of the others a bit. I've felt like the previous stories were more aligned with cozy mysteries than anything else with maybe a spike of action at the end. This one starts with action and never really lets up making it an awesome adventure story. And since Bujold is just that good, she throws in a wonderful romance while she's at it.

In other words, this is all of my jam!

I think I'll end there because I'm too full of burble for my own good and I'll spare you that. All the stars.

A note about Chaste There isn't even any kissing in this as there's just too much going on and there's no room to get physical. I've been wondering how Desdemona would figure in any romance Penric might engage in and I was not disappointed.

[Tracy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another heartily enjoyable novella by Bujold. A bit more adventurous in this instance than the previous story of Penric and Desdemona. More Desdemona too which is always fun.

[Andreas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Learned Penric has been living together with his embedded Demon Desdemona since more than ten years in the World of Five Gods. They are an established team, know how to work with each other, having survived several adventures - as described in "Penric's Demon" or "Penric and the Shaman" - and probably don't expect many surprises.

This time, Penric travels undercover on behalf of the Duke of Adria to the mediterranean country Cedonia in order to win over famous general Arisaydia. As a personal mission, he develops a relationship to the general's widowed sister Nikys. The undercover part didn't last long, and the whole mission seems to go downhills, develops into a race and rescue mission.

I found the first novella in this series better, maybe because it was more surprising and more full of banters between Pen and Des. But as part of the series, it is worthwhile reading, as it expands the details and backgrounds of spiritual and theological reasoning once again. Also, the relationship gets a new dimension, when Pen starts to fall in love: How would you feel when a couple of elderly women watch and comment on your advances? I just love the complexity of their characters, and besides of that Bujold's story telling is excellent.

You don't need to read the novels in the series or other novellas from Penric, but I recommend reading the first installation "Penric's Demon" for a general introduction to the main character's background, because it would be too confusing otherwise. Note that there is already a followup novella "Mira's Last Dance" which picks up this story and characters exactly where they where left off. That's why I can forgive the small cliffhanger and open ended finish of this novella.

Subterranean publisher does a very fine job of producing dead tree editions of this series. I'd like to have it just to place it in my bookshelf besides my copies of Curse of Chalion and Paladin of Souls. We only have to wait a year after each publication, to get it in this preferred form. So, if you want to collect the series, it is very worthwhile and constantly expanded.

[Chloe Frizzle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the book I was craving

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

Penric tries his hand at international intrigue and ends up imprisoned, then on the run while trying to heal a man whose eyes have been boiled out. Yowza. Typically excellent.

Favorite line: “Desdemona couldn’t lick her lips, but she could lick his.”

[Ari · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5

[Maia · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's so funny to me how in this novella series Bujold apparently decided "I am only writing the parts of the story which interest me" even if that leads to a book both beginning and ending almost mid-scene. I'm not complaining! I really loved this installment in the Penric and Desdemona saga. But Penric has now completed two full university degrees, yet Bujold completely skipped over all of his schooling, to instead tell the bite-sized mysteries and shenanigans he gets up to between jobs and schools. In this one Penric attempts his first undercover spy mission. It goes terribly. Within less than a day of landing in a new country he has been discovered and thrown in prison. It becomes clear that his jailers plan to execute him without a trial. This feels like the first time Penric has really seriously faced potential death since the first book. I enjoyed how this one unwound; very curious how much of a time jump I'll get between this book and the next one.

[Elentarri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Penric's Mission is the third installment of the Penric and Desdemona series.  In this story, Penric (and his resident Demon) have been sent on a diplomatic mission that goes horribly wrong.  There is a more complex plot to this installment, with intrigue and deception, some budding romance (possibly),one particularly nasty character and other very interesting characters.  I particularly liked this story because we spend less time in Penric's head, get to see more of Penric and Desdemona's magic and healing abilities, not to mention their skill at getting out of difficult situations, usually with humour.  Penric and his demon are quirky and entertaining characters that are fun to spend a bit of time with.

[Spad53 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Penric continues to develop, he’s getting more and more like Miles Vorkosigan, not a criticism, that suits me fine. Either these books are very short or I read them way too fast, I started it yesterday, and today I found that I’ve already finished it.
This is a wonderful series.

[wishforagiraffe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Penric and Des have a spy mission go very awry, and Pen does some rather clever magic. Great supporting characters, as always.

[Suzannah Rowntree · Rating 4 out of 5]

Absolutely darling. Penric fails a secret mission, then very conscientiously sets out to save the people who have suffered because of his mishap. They are properly terrified by this.

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favourite from this series until now

[Joseph · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was outstanding. It is my favorite book in the series(so far).