Knot of Shadows

Penric and Desdemona (Publication order) #11

by Lois McMaster Bujold

When a corpse is found floating face-down in Vilnoc harbor that is not quite as dead as it seems, Temple sorcerer Penric and his chaos demon Desdemona are drawn into the uncanny investigation. Pen’s keen questions will take him across the city of Vilnoc, and into far more profound mysteries, as his search for truths interlaces with tragedy.

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

111 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 21, 2021

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

[David Holmes · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm now fully caught up with both the Vorkosigan books and the World of the Five Gods books. Around 35 novels and novellas by Lois McMaster Bujold, more than I've read by any other author. That's enough to notice a few trends, and one of which is that the first half of her career is generally (but not always) a lot heavier and intense than the second half. This isn't necessarily a bad thing: I really like character-heavy books like Gentleman Jole and the Red Queen, in spite of the lack of personal disasters and dire consequences, and some of my favorite Penric & Desdemona stories have been light-hearted adventures where any bad stuff happens in the past or off-screen.

But I no longer go into new Bujold stories wondering if something terrible will happen. By the last few Penric & Desdemona books I don't think I ever seriously believed that anything bad would happen to the main characters in the pages I was reading, and that has the effect of reducing tension a lot. The darkest aspect of the series so far has been something that happened to Penric in the past, off-screen, which has been referenced in each of the recent books.

That's why I was rather caught off guard by Knot of Shadows. In spite of some solid humor early on, this is probably the most serious installment in the series. It reminded me more of The Mountains of Mourning than anything she's written in the past ten years. For me, that's a very good thing. Though I might need another Mira's Last Dance or The Orphans of Raspay next as a palate cleanser.

[Algernon (Darth Anyan) · Rating 4 out of 5]

[7/10]

Experimental theology, who else would think to invent it? murmured Des.
Only you, Pen.

Episode eleven in the series of novellas that are set in the Land of the Five Gods.
If you’ve read the previous ones, you know what to expect: excellent prose in a tight package, a mostly fun adventure with a moral lessons at the end.
If you’re new to Lois McMaster Bujold and stumbled somehow over this story, don’t worry: it’s as good a start as any. She is quite reliable in terms of storytelling and emotional charge.

Penric and Desdemona are a sort of X-Files investigators of paranormal activities, only instead of aliens they deal with the intervention of the local gods in the lives of mortals.
... and instead of the classic ‘buddy cop’ format, Penric and Desdemona share the same body: Penric is the host, a trained sorcerer, spy and researcher of medical and esoteric problems, while Des is the multiple personality demon that was passed on to him by its previous host. [about eleven deceased personalities, all women, all ready with a sarcastic commentary on the proceedings].

There is no magic that can fix this.
No, Des agreed.

Some episodes are wild and filled with action [pirates, assassins, angry spirits], others are more intimate and really heartbreaking, dealing with personal tragedy. ‘Knot of Shadows’ falls into the second category:
When an animated corpse is discovered in the waters near Vilnoc, capital of the duchy where the sorcerer has settled down with his family, Pen is called to determine its identity and the reason why it was refused passage into the netherworld ruled by the gods.
The investigation is local this time, confined to Vilnoc, and rather less flashy, more subdued than usual, but truly heartbreaking in its discoveries.
I will refrain from explaining why, but I think the author did well to tone down on the humorous banter between Pen and Des. I don’t really read these stories only for the fun part. Bujold is exploring through her Five Gods mythology ardent questions about why we are here and how to deal with loss and with mortality.
And this is the reason why I hope the author will continue to write her fantasy X-Files.

Over and over in his career, Pen had confronted the insight that the gods did not care for humans’ material concerns, much to the humans’ dismay. Only with what record of them was carved into their souls by their unique and individual lives, presented as the final offering upon the altar of their deaths.

[Phrynne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book 11 in the series and the second in my own my personal mini binge of Penric and Desdemona.

Knot of Shadows is a story in which a dead but unfortunately still animated body is found floating face down in Vilnoc Harbour. Concentration on the part of the reader is essential as souls and corpses intertwine and it all becomes confusing but totally fascinating. Penric and Desdemona are on the case of course and even they are somewhat subdued by the enormity of what goes on when souls do not depart the world appropriately for one reason or another.

So a slightly sadder and more pensive (see what I did there) story than usual but I enjoyed it as much as ever. Now on to Demon Daughter which I think may be the last Penric book in this series. I will miss him.

[Olga Godim · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars
Not my favorite of Penric stories. As it happens, I'm in the process of re-reading the first three of Penric's adventures, all three bubbling with novelty and wit and the charismatic hero. This novella pales in comparison. Even Penric is colorless in it.
On the surface, this short book is a murder mystery, but if you dig deeper (not very much deeper), it is really the author's contemplation of life, death, and justice. There is not much mystery there and no urgency. Everyone who could've been dead is already dead. The only concern of the living is the state of dead persons' souls. Fictional theology rather than fictional adventure.
It is written well, as everything Bujold writes, but I won't be re-reading this particular story. In fact, I want to forget it.
Overall: blah.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Probably, realistically, I should give 5 stars to every work by Lois Bujold, but I want to try to make some distinctions.

I enjoyed this chapter of Penric's life less than other recent ones like "Physicians of Vilnoc," "Masquerade in Lodi," and "Assassins of Thasalon," so it gets only 4 stars. It is sadder than most, and doesn't have a triumphant resolution. Penric isn't in serious danger, so it lacks that kind of suspense, and the ending kind of trails off, with almost everything resolved/revealed, but rather a muted climax.

But it is beautifully written, as all Bujold is, and the story gives considerable intellectual pleasure, as it explores theological issues of death that have been pending since the introduction of the world in the first chapter of Curse of Chalion––as well as some new ones that I had never thought of. And it is very nice to catch up with Penric's family and friends!

It did start me wondering what the Brother's Halls must be like, filled to the brim with boys and young men, soldiers and hunters, with almost no women. I wonder if Ijada will enjoy it there.

[Scratch · Rating 5 out of 5]

I always give books from the World of the Five Gods an automatic 5 stars. That being said, sometimes these Penric and Desdemona novellas I listen to in audiobook format can be a little boring.

This book sort of introduces the idea of zombies to the World of the Five Gods. But they're not conventional zombies. They're products of the kind of godly magic Penric dabbles in, based upon praying to the Bastard God to kill an enemy, and some jiggery-pokery ensues with regards to what happens to the souls afterward.

Pen has to solve the mystery of a couple animated corpses. Along the way he and the female demon possessing him make funny asides to each other. That's about it.

[Chloe Frizzle · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a theology focused zombie murder mystery.
I suppose I need to go read the beginning of the series now, because I'm terribly intrigued.
Tho this story didn't do much with it, what I'm most curious about is the relationships. Particularly the one the whole series revolves around: Penric and the friendly demon possessing him, Desdemona.

A video review including this book will be on my Youtube channel in the coming weeks, at https://www.youtube.com/chloefrizzle

Thanks to Netgalley and Subterranean Press for a copy of this book to review. All opinions are my own.

[The Captain · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ahoy there me mateys!  The Penric and Desdemona novellas take place in the World of the Five Gods from the trilogy of that name.  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.  Penric, a sorcerer, and Desdemona, his chaos demon, are a fantastic duo that I ADORE.

I normally read in publishing order but have to admit that I strongly feel this series should be an exception if ye be new to it.  I recommend the omnibuses.  The first omnibus contains novellas 1 - 3 in the internal chronological order not publishing order.  The second set has novellas 5 - 7 and the third has 4, 8-9.

Knot of shadows is number 11 in the series.  No surprise that this is another wonderful addition.  Penric and Desdemona are called on to visit a drowned man who seemingly comes back to life.  Of course things are more complicated then they first appear.  The darling duo are tasked with solving a murder, dealing with forbidden magic, and looking for a missing child along the way.  Unlike other Penric novellas, this one ends with a rather sad conclusion even though everything is technically solved satisfactorily.  It is always lovely to see how various characters' lives are progressing.  Recommended to Penric fans.  Arrrrr!

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well-written novella with a (mostly) likeable cast of characters.

I've always been a huge fan of the author's work, so I was thrilled to receive an e-version from Subterranean Press and Netgalley. I have read every novel and novella in the Five Gods series, starting with The Curse of Chalion up to this latest novella. So I am surprised and slightly bummed that this didn't merit at least four stars from me.

Like the other novellas in this series, this is a mystery wrapped up in a fantasy setting. Pen and his student travel all throughout Vilnoc to solve the mystery of the undead corpse. The dialogue is snappy and witty, the interesting world of the Five Gods is subtly explained without the dreaded info-dump, and the pacing is decent.

The character of Penric is a cheerful fellow, and Des' interaction with him is almost always amusing. There just wasn't as much of that interaction. Pen and Nikys have a great marriage, but Nikys was mostly off screen raising their children. There really wasn't character growth to speak of. I believe that is my chief complaint. My secondary issue is that this storyline is awfully similar to another in the series.

Perhaps the series has just run its course for me, I don't know. She is truly one of the better authors writing today, and I will continue to read anything she publishes despite this lackluster review.

This quick and relatively light read would appeal to most fantasy readers, but particularly to Lois McMaster Bujold's fanbase.

[Teleseparatist · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really good installment but a profoundly sad one, much more so than I'd expected. A case of death magic entangles together a few distinct tragic stories. There's a a lot about grief and suicide and as ever, the worldbuilding of religion in this world of Bujold's is surprisingly poignant and kind.

[Marlene · Rating 5 out of 5]

Originally published at Reading Reality

There’s a fine line between justice and vengeance. In the World of the Five Gods, that line is the white of the Fifth God, the Lord Bastard, the god of chaos, criminals and unexpected blessings, often of the “may you live in interesting times” and “be careful what you wish for” varieties. The Bastard is the god that Learned Penric, sorcerer and divine, serves in whatever way his god deems best – or whatever way will screw up Penric’s life the most at the time. If the White God has his way – and he usually does – it’s generally both at once.

After all, if Murphy’s Law has a god, it’s the Lord Bastard.

Penric gets called when uncanny things happen in the port and city of Vilnoc, or in the Court of the Duke of Orbas, which are the same place in summer. But not in winter when the port city is cold and the Duke retreats inland where it’s a bit less so, leaving Penric, who is also the court sorcerer, to concentrate on his other duties and avocations, like his growing family, his service to the Temple, and his scholarship.

But there are always interruptions, and this one is a bit of a mystery that gets bigger and has more profound implications as it goes along.

A corpse was washed ashore, not uncommon in a port city. The dead man was assumed to be a drowning victim, also not uncommon. Until he “woke up” and began knocking on the locked door of the hospice morgue – from the inside.

That’s not common at all. It’s also not all that rare in a world where rogue demons can possess the dead. When THAT happens, putting things to rights is the province of the Bastard, so Penric, as the highest ranked priest of the White God in Vilnoc, trudges to the hospice with the intent of sending the rogue demon to his god and letting the hospice deal with the funeral rites for the unnamed deceased.

But the case isn’t nearly that simple. The body has not been possessed by a demon, but it has been possessed. One of the many ghosts that naturally haunt a place where people meet their end has found a new home in the body. Which leaves Penric on the horns of a serious moral and ethical dilemma, as well as a chilly quest to discover both who the victim was and who wanted him dead so badly that they were willing to sacrifice their own life in order to achieve it.

The Bastard is, among his many other titles and attributes, the deliverer of justice when all justice fails. Worldly justice failed this man’s victims, but divine justice has not. It’s up to Penric to figure out who and how and why, to clean up any loose ends that his god might have left behind.

Escape Rating A-: OMG this was the right book at the right time. Last week’s reading ended on a major fail, so I was looking for something that I was even more certain would be a terrific read. I was also looking for a story of people being competent and accepted for their competence, as Penric finally has been. (He needed to grow up first, and he has.) What I especially loved about this entry in the series is that it’s both a puzzle to be solved AND displays the way that things in this world WORK, both in the sense of how things are done as well as in the way that justice is finally served. The way that even though human justice failed, divine justice was able to balance the scales.

The fascinating thing about this series is that we view the story from inside Penric’s rather crowded head. It’s not just Penric in there, it’s also his temple-trained demon Desdemona, and the memories of all the people (and a couple of animals) that Desdemona rode before she came to Penric. From Penric’s perspective, it’s rather like having a dozen older sisters living in his head, because all of Desdemona’s previous companions have been female. Even the animals.

Desdemona has a personality all her own. She doesn’t always agree with Penric, and she often knows best because her experience is considerably longer than his. They are partners and the relationship is deep and rich and frequently hilarious, because Desdemona sits on Penric’s shoulder like a demon of temptation, and Penric doesn’t need anyone to lead him in that direction. He already knows the way.

In this particular case, it’s Desdemona who is able to identify what’s going on, but it’s Penric’s logic and his legwork that discovers the solution to the mystery. Which turned out to be sad but ultimately cathartic.

Still, this is a story where the journey is what keeps the reader – or at least this reader – turning pages. It’s whodunnit and whydunnit wrapped into one tantalizing package, with just a bit of philosophy added for seasoning.

All the novellas in this series are wonderful little reading treats, just right for a change of pace or something to fill in the corners after a big epic book hangover. If epic fantasy by the mouthful appeals to you, start with Penric’s Demon – just as Penric himself did – and be prepared for a wonderful reading time.

[Stephen Richter · Rating 5 out of 5]

The next installment of one of my favorite novella series. It not often you find as series where a happy family man with two children is the main protagonist. Just a joy to continue the journey.

[eyes.2c · Rating 5 out of 5]

Demon ridden Sorcerer!

Elegant writing as ever. Penric is called to an unexpected happening. A dead body with a sundered soul trapped inside it. Penric’s investigation follows a series of events, some sad, some, like his confrontation with a downy pair of old sailors, hilarious.
But finding the body of the sundered spirit and then finding who’d been dealing in this sort of magic produces some startling insights.
My favorite demon ridden sorcerer never fails to interest.
A stunning cover accompanies this special edition hardback.

A Subterranean Press ARC via NetGalley.
Many thanks to the author and publisher.

[lucy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sad. Lois McMaster Bujold’s writing in this series is always worthwhile, exploring the most compassionate fantasy pantheon/theology ever created imo. But this was not a happy episode.

Also the death magic made me nostalgic for Cazaril, which is funny because in the timeline of the world he’s about -100 years old right now.

[Karen A. Wyle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm rounding up.

Lois McMaster Bujold is one of my buy-immediately authors, and her Penric & Desdemona series is no exception. One could, I suppose, start one's reading of the series with this book, though it might be confusing, and one would lose much of the nuance and richness that comes with knowing the characters and the series arc. I would call it a must-read for those who follow the series.

This is another satisfying Penric and Desdemona novella, and particularly moving at times. (It may, in fact, be too much for anyone still struggling with a recent bereavement, particularly of certain kinds it would be a spoiler to mention.)

Among plenty of other pleasures, we get to see some development of a character introduced in the last book.

[Peter Tillman · Rating 4 out of 5]

This latest entry in the long-running Penric and Desdemona novella series unravels a dark mystery, with unhappy results for all of those caught up in it. "Experimental theology, who else would think to invent it?" murmured Des. "Only you, Pen."

Just as well-written as all of these I've read so far, but I didn't find this one very appealing. Set in a wet and cold coastal winter, this is a somber tale, with less drama and fewer of the humorous flashes that have enlightened previous episodes. A worthwhile read, but not a book I would be likely to re-read. For me, 3.7 stars.

[Shana]

As compelling as ever but, for spoilery reasons, this was a much more difficult read than normal. This series is still an automatic buy for me, of course, but I'm hoping Nikys will do more than just stay at home with the children in the next novella.

[Mikhail · Rating 4 out of 5]

A solid entry in the Penric and Desdemona series, I think. Not quite amazing as Orphans of Raspay, but solid.

[Emilia · Rating 3 out of 5]

There is nothing wrong with this installment but I've realized that I prefer earlier installments better. That is, I think I like pre-Vilnoc Penric better. I have now read all of the available Penric and Desdemona novels and will be eagerly waiting for the new one which will be published next year.

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well, Bujold certainly took a turn from action adventure. It's a mystery, but it's as much about the mystery of the soul as about solving this death. I'm glad I still remember my Curse of Chalion reread, so I have a background of death magic, but only for added resonances.

How do parents handle grief? What is a sin against the soul? How can divinity reach across despair? These are questions Bujold is interested it, and this story is a good start at some answers.

[Claire · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful, melancholy contemplation of grief wrapped up in a murder mystery and missing child. I love Penric's take on theology (the gods don't give us our children, we give our children to the gods) and the exploration of how people behave and justify their behaviour faced with the reality of their gods in the world. It's a gorgeous, sad novella that has a satisfying but not happy ending from a temporal point of view.

[David H. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another quiet adventure with Penric and Desdemona, as they and a new character from the last book work together to solve a local mystery that's clearly within their god's realm. Lots of reflection, and in the end, lots of sadness.

[Ay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good proper stuff. This is a really good addition to the Penrith series. You can start with this story, but Why not start with book one?

[Charlotte · Rating 5 out of 5]

close to, possibly even first, on my list of favorite Penric books.

[Promiscuous Bookworm · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5/5
Не 5, потому что это типичная история о Пенрике и Дездемоне - а это значит, что хорошая и держит планку, но не ��ыдающаяся)

[William Howe · Rating 5 out of 5]

a little (not)murder mystery

Dead people who won’t quite stay dead, and gods whose actions remain somewhat mysterious.

Some parts of this can be quite depressing, but you should push through to the final moments and really contemplate what Penric is pondering.

I buy everything she writes.

[Zan · Rating 3 out of 5]

The best of the Penric stories have definitely been those that are essentially secret murder mysteries - none are quite filled out to the point of really being a super compelling 'murder but fantasy' book, but they flow through similar beats, and nearly hit that spot well - Knot of Shadows is one of those, forgoing more of the theological discussion for plain ol' detecting. It's all simple and wraps up quick, but it's a good showcase that such a thing is possible at least?

[Leah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Audio, narrated by Grover Gardner

Short and, while not sweet, powerfully poignant. I’ve said before that Bujold has a gift for understanding human nature, and she brings a very compassionate perspective to our sorrows, joys, hurts, and trials. This is all on glorious display here, and while the story overall is very tragic, there is comfort in the everyday joys of love, family, and familiar and enjoyable routines. She does a great job contrasting that with the tragedy that life can also include. I enjoyed “seeing” more of Alikstra, but I would have enjoyed more of Penric’s home life.

[igorama · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first death magic encounter for Penric. We all know how it works from The Curse of Chalion but of course our charismatic divine goes deeper. Some notes of Dostoevsky here and a bit of Narnia. Pretty heavy stuff but handled with grace. There's even some humor.

[Tracy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book made me tear up at least twice while I was reading it. Both lovely and sad. I was happy to see Alixtra and her demon growing in their powers and finding their way in their new life.