Status
Available
Call number
Series
Genres
Collection
Publication
Subterranean Press (2021), 224 pages
Description
When a mysterious plague breaks out in the army fort guarding Vilnoc, the port capital of the duchy of Orbas, Temple sorcerer Penric and his demon Desdemona are called upon by General Arisaydia to resurrect Penric's medical skills and solve its lethal riddle. In the grueling days that follow, Pen will find that even his magic is not enough to meet the challenges without help from dedicated new colleagues--and the god of mischance.
User reviews
LibraryThing member quondame
More a puzzle story than an adventure, Penric is called to the fort outside Vilnoc to deal with a rapidly spreading disease, leaving his new baby daughter. What is the disease and how is it spreading and how can Penric and Desdemona deal with the heavy case load forms the bulk of the story. As in
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the last episode we see little to none of previous companions but meet some interesting new ones. some interesting new ones. Show Less
LibraryThing member Dejah_Thoris
New father Penric and his demon Desdemona are drawn into the mystery of a deadly illness that seems to be sweeping through through his brother in law’s troops - and Penric can’t turn General Arisaydia's request for help down, no matter how little he likes to call on his medical skills.
It’s not my favorite of the novellas, but it was still a pleasure to read.
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Discovering what causes the plague while trying to care for its victims is no easy task, but Penric and Desdemona, with a little help from new friends and his God, are up to the task.It’s not my favorite of the novellas, but it was still a pleasure to read.
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LibraryThing member jjmcgaffey
Oh, lovely. Penric is forced into a physician's role again - well, sorcerer-physician. A mysterious disease is spreading, far too close to home, and Penric's best efforts are only slowing it. He gets help from another sorcerer, with a very young demon, and...ok, not saying (spoilers), but they
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eventually come out on top of the problem. Penric gets to go back to his peaceful scholar's life (and his new child). But he's no longer the boy he was when this series started - he's now an authority (little as he believes it), and he begins to make real changes for those around him. This is yet another major step on his path - and also a fascinating story. Fun! Show Less
LibraryThing member JudithProctor
Well written as always, but a bit depressing in the middle sections. (but then I was reading it during the Covid 19 pandemic)
The origin of the disease was well handled. The writer gives you the clues, and I did get half way there, but I failed to guess the complete answer.
The origin of the disease was well handled. The writer gives you the clues, and I did get half way there, but I failed to guess the complete answer.
LibraryThing member Herenya
Penric and Desdemona are summoned to deal with an outbreak of a mysterious disease.
This could easily be an intense story and, oddly enough, it isn’t. It’s an intense experience for Pen, who is stressed, overworked and cares about all of his patients -- but because he doesn’t have personal
Given the current state of the world, I’m glad Bujold didn’t go with the dark and harrowing possibilities and instead wrote a mystery in which Pen investigates how the disease is transmitted while treating as many patients as he can.
I liked the other physicians; I’d have liked to see more of them. And it was satisfying to get a better understanding -- and to see Pen gain further clarity -- regarding the best way for Pen to use his and Des’s collective knowledge, skills and experiences.
“This is why medicine can’t be my calling,” said Pen dimly. “The demand is endless, and I’ve learned I am not. Only the gods could deal with all the world’s pain, all at once, all the time. It’s a wonder they’re not driven mad. Unless they have been, which would explain some things. Theologically speaking. Even a sorcerer can’t be a god, not all by himself. Although some desperate people will try to make him so.”
This could easily be an intense story and, oddly enough, it isn’t. It’s an intense experience for Pen, who is stressed, overworked and cares about all of his patients -- but because he doesn’t have personal
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relationships with any of them and the reader doesn’t really get to know them, I didn’t feel particularly invested in their fate. (Contrast with Penric’s Mission, when Pen has only one patient and half the story is from said patient’s sister’s POV.) I was also confident that Pen’s worst fears -- that the outbreak cannot be controlled and spreads to his family -- wouldn’t come to pass.Given the current state of the world, I’m glad Bujold didn’t go with the dark and harrowing possibilities and instead wrote a mystery in which Pen investigates how the disease is transmitted while treating as many patients as he can.
I liked the other physicians; I’d have liked to see more of them. And it was satisfying to get a better understanding -- and to see Pen gain further clarity -- regarding the best way for Pen to use his and Des’s collective knowledge, skills and experiences.
“This is why medicine can’t be my calling,” said Pen dimly. “The demand is endless, and I’ve learned I am not. Only the gods could deal with all the world’s pain, all at once, all the time. It’s a wonder they’re not driven mad. Unless they have been, which would explain some things. Theologically speaking. Even a sorcerer can’t be a god, not all by himself. Although some desperate people will try to make him so.”
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LibraryThing member LisCarey
Penric is happily settled in Vilnoc, and enjoying being a new father, when his brother-in-law, General Arisaydia, shows up at his door--but will not come in--to ask him to come to the army fort. A strange and deadly new disease has broken out, and Arisaydia wants Penric to use his sorcerous powers,
Penric has worked very hard to avoid taking oath to the Mother and becoming the Sorcerer-Physician he was expected to become when he inherited the demon Desdemona from Learned Ruchia. When acting as a physician, he finds it impossible to accept that some patients are just going to die anyway. But the only physician at the fort, Rede Licata, is very capable but not a sorcerer, and the Mother's Order chapter is too busy with the same sickness in town to spare time for the fort. Penric can't say no.
Rede and Penric are soon struggling to keep up with the increasing number of patients, while trying to identify the cause, and the seemingly random pattern of its spread. It's clearly not spreading person to person. Rede thinks it might be spread by rat fleas, and conducts a dangerous experiment, but that's not it either. As they work to save people, they're both exhausted, Penric is burning out, and some start to fear that the disease is sorcery, and to resist the "uphill magic" treatment Pen can give them. He also, of course, starts to need more than fleas and vermin to dump the accumulated chaos into. When he starts using that accumulated chaos to do the slaughtering for the General's table, it doesn't help his reputation.
Yet unexpected clues start to turn up, along with what is by now unexpected help. Penric has been writing for help from sorcerer-physicians, or just any sorcerers. When the first appears, he's given up expecting anyone--and the first sorcerer to arrive is more unexpected than most.
This is a tale of persistence in adversity, teamwork, cooperation, ingenuity. Penric, Master Rede, and Learned Dubro, are all people I'm glad to have spent time getting to know (or in Penric's case, know better.)
Recommended.
I bought this audiobook.
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and his own and two of Desdemona's previous riders, Helvia and Amberein's, medical training to solve the mystery of it and stop the epidemic.Penric has worked very hard to avoid taking oath to the Mother and becoming the Sorcerer-Physician he was expected to become when he inherited the demon Desdemona from Learned Ruchia. When acting as a physician, he finds it impossible to accept that some patients are just going to die anyway. But the only physician at the fort, Rede Licata, is very capable but not a sorcerer, and the Mother's Order chapter is too busy with the same sickness in town to spare time for the fort. Penric can't say no.
Rede and Penric are soon struggling to keep up with the increasing number of patients, while trying to identify the cause, and the seemingly random pattern of its spread. It's clearly not spreading person to person. Rede thinks it might be spread by rat fleas, and conducts a dangerous experiment, but that's not it either. As they work to save people, they're both exhausted, Penric is burning out, and some start to fear that the disease is sorcery, and to resist the "uphill magic" treatment Pen can give them. He also, of course, starts to need more than fleas and vermin to dump the accumulated chaos into. When he starts using that accumulated chaos to do the slaughtering for the General's table, it doesn't help his reputation.
Yet unexpected clues start to turn up, along with what is by now unexpected help. Penric has been writing for help from sorcerer-physicians, or just any sorcerers. When the first appears, he's given up expecting anyone--and the first sorcerer to arrive is more unexpected than most.
This is a tale of persistence in adversity, teamwork, cooperation, ingenuity. Penric, Master Rede, and Learned Dubro, are all people I'm glad to have spent time getting to know (or in Penric's case, know better.)
Recommended.
I bought this audiobook.
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LibraryThing member eyes.2c
A deadly mystery!
Newly minted father Penric is not happy to be taken away from the wonder of his delightful baby daughter, Florina. When something unusual happens he’s resigned to the demand. A mystery illness spreading amongst the personnel at the army fort in Vilnoc has Temple sorcerer Penric
A Subterranean Press ARC via NetGalley
Newly minted father Penric is not happy to be taken away from the wonder of his delightful baby daughter, Florina. When something unusual happens he’s resigned to the demand. A mystery illness spreading amongst the personnel at the army fort in Vilnoc has Temple sorcerer Penric
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with his demon Desdemona called to investigate at the request of his brother-in-law, General Arisaydia. Penric finds himself in the midst of a plague, working alongside the army doctor, needing all his medical skills to combat the deadly foe. His calls for help from the Temple for extra sorcerer physicians leads to an interesting result. The cause of the plague is hidden in mystery, although when revealed it’s no surprise. (The whole quickly transmitted disease, a story down through the ages, runs a bit close to the bone given the current situation !) Penric moves forward from the formidable and solid foundation that grounds him to face a different challenge. Another great addition to the Penric canon.A Subterranean Press ARC via NetGalley
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LibraryThing member Glennis.LeBlanc
The latest of the Penric stories is a set after the previous book so there will be spoilers for the last several books. Pen is now a very new father and is pulled away from his new baby by his brother in law to look at a disease killing soldiers at the fort. Pen doesn’t want to go back to
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medicine but is soon working hard to find out the cause when he realizes that it going to spread like wildfire. Pen and Desdemona are stumped as to the cause but with the help of his god he does figure out the cause and a way to beat it. Another entertaining story and I can’t wait to see more of these. Show Less
LibraryThing member elorin
Penric is enlisted to help with an illness at the fort, that spreads to the nearby village and then the town of Vilnoc. With the head army physician taken by the contagion, Penric, Desdemona, and the second highest medical officer do all they can to stem the tide before it overtakes them all.
I felt
I felt
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this illustration of why medicine is not Penric's calling quite enlightening. Show Less
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2020-05
ISBN
1645240215 / 9781645240211
Local notes
When a mysterious plague breaks out in the army fort guarding Vilnoc, the port capital of the duchy of Orbas, Temple sorcerer Penric and his demon Desdemona are called upon by General Arisaydia to resurrect Penric's medical skills and solve its lethal riddle. In the grueling days that follow, Pen will find that even his magic is not enough to meet the challenges without help from dedicated new colleagues--and the god of mischance.