Two empty vessels invite two squatters, and four lives for Penric to untangle. With Alixtra and Arra's help, Penric and Desdemona canvas Vilnoc in search of the tangled threads.
I most loved the poor young boy and the presentation of the God for his assent. Heart wrenching and endearing at the same time. ( )

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. ( )

After The Assassins of Thasalon, Penric and Desdemona are back in Vilnoc and are cast into the role of detective after a strange corpse is discovered in the harbour.

The murder mystery is a little sombre, but I liked learning more about this world -- especially because Pen himself has an enthusiasm for knowledge. And he is ultimately such a kind person to spend time with. ( )

The latest of the Penric books deals with death and ghosts. He is also working with his apprentice and former assassin to solve what happened to the drowned man that came back to life. There is magic in the book that hasn’t come up before and chewy theological questions about the Five Gods. As always Bujold is a must read in every story universe she has. ( )

Penric is an interesting character, both a sorcerer and a Learned servant of the Bastard, the fifth god. He seems to resent intrusions on his time, but he honors a request from a medical Master to consult about a strange-looking case. What he finds is something he has never seen: a ghost has occupied a dead body and reanimated it slightly.

Penric and others are concerned about the proper disposition of souls after death; cases such as this one suggest the possibility of chaos entering the process. Penric investigates what's been happening with the help of his indwelling demon, Desdemona, and manages to find and use the right tools to help things sort themselves appropriately.

The story provides the opportunity for Pen and others to speculate about various aspects of death and what happens after it. It seems almost as if Bujold simply wanted a chance to throw some ideas around, and she created a story in which it could happen. Penric responds cleverly, and manages some sleuthing that helps make the pieces come together. ( )