2021 fantasy novel in the World of the Five Gods (formerly known as
Chalion). Penric's brother-in-law, the former General Arisaydia, is
quite happy to ignore the Imperial succession crisis. But one of the
factions doesn't trust him to stay out, and sends a new sort of
assassin after him. Which generates a theological challenge for
Penric…
"You might as well start at the beginning" has become one of my
clichés, in these days when getting the first book of a series no
longer means a hunt through second-hand shops, but clichés get that
way by having value and in this case it's definitely a good idea. Not
only do several characters from earlier books reappear (mostly Tanar
and Bosha from The Prisoner of Limnos, but there are cameos by the
girls from The Orphans of Raspay, the sorcerer from The Physicians
of Vilnoc, and the general from Mira's Last Dance); much of the
emotional impact rests on remembering the background of Pen's
experiences in the Empire in more detail than the quick sketch given
here.
There's a definite sense of time passing (it's been two years since
Vilnoc, and five years since Pen first met the General and his
sister in Penric's Mission). There's also some sense of completion,
as several dangling plot elements get wrapped up.
What there isn't, yet again, is much Nikys; she's in at the beginning
and the end, and that's it. Yes, all right, there are small children
to worry about, but I do feel that after being established as a really
interesting character she's now being shunted off into the role of
background home comforts that Penric misses when he has to be away.
And there's some banter with Desdemona, but that also seems now to
have become more a background element than a major strand of the
narrative.
Apart from that, it's solidly good, with plenty of the theology that's
the keystone of this world, and interesting new and old characters.
All right, one repeatedly-signposted dilemma is wrapped up with "it's
probably going to be fine", which made me wonder why so much effort
had been put into the signposting, but what I really appreciate is
that although Penric has a great deal of direct personal power – other
sorcerers' demons cower from him, and he knows tricks that can knock
out any attacker – he can still be overwhelmed by numbers; even more
significantly, if someone sends a squad of guardsmen or soldiers after
him, he doesn't want to risk killing or crippling those people who
as far as they know are doing the right thing. And the opposition here
is the sort that's smart enough not to go up against Penric in person.
(Also, while this is the first novel-length story in this setting, it
doesn't get flabby by trying to pad out a novella's worth of plot.
Bujold knows what she's doing.)
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