Demon Daughter

A Penric and Desdemona Novella

De: Lois McMaster Bujold

Narrado por: Grover Gardner

A six-year-old shiplost girl draws the kin Jurald family of Vilnoc into complex dilemmas, and sorcerer Learned Penric and his Temple demon Desdemona into conflict—with each other. It will take all of Penric’s wits, his wife Nikys’s wisdom, and the hand of the fifth god’s strangest saint to untangle the threads of their future.

©2024 Lois McMaster Bujold (P)2024 Blackstone Publishing

Best Pen story yet!

And that's saying something.
I loved the variety of narrators in this story and how smoothly we move between them

Authentic voices, grand world, beautifully read

Penric is a remarkably talented, thoughtful, focused main character, not unlike one of my all-time favorites, Miles Vorkosigan. This episode in the ongoing story of Penric is set among his family, wholly welcome to this reader. Ota, the young girl he helps, is one of the most authentic child voices I have met in literature. Perfectly narrated by Grover Gardner. Highly recommended.

Skilled writing and narrator

Grover Gardner is one of my favorite narrators. I also love how Lois M.B. is able to convey with each book how mature Pen becomes. Her characters grow.

Authentic Storytelling. Sorcery slice of life.

It’s a good story. Slow pace, but heartwarming and entertaining. The narrator fits the story, and does a decent job of maintaining several different voices.

A joy to listen to

Did not disappoint! My favorite series for a long while now. Can't wait for the next one!

Amazing, possibly my favorite Pen & Des

I really love this series, and Grover Gardener has a very soothing voice, as always. This one really hits home personally, as I am a foster parent who has also adopted.

Even without that personal affinity, it is a well written, witty, interesting book. Without being overly sensational. Some nice plot surprises, and some plot progression that is easy to predict but satisfyingly accomplished.

I also really appreciate the way Bujold blends the general world lore recap into the book at appropriate times without being jarring or long winded. As is typical with the other books in this series.

So good! Not what was expected

Lois McMaster Bujold is not an author you can predict. Even for this series this book was unexpected.

I felt a roller coaster of were emotions. Loved getting a very intimate look at Pen’s home life.

Another Brilliant Penric & Desdemona Story

The Penric & Desdemona series isn't precisely a cozy series, in that the stakes are often life and death. But those stakes are mostly personal rather than world-altering.

Here, we have a 6-year-old girl who gains a demon and, lacking control, is thrown off her ship when she inadvertently starts fires. Found on the beach, she ends in Penric and Desdemona's hands.

As always in this series, it's the characters that carry the story. Ota (the girl) is young, innocent, and afraid, both because of the demon and because she was abandoned at sea by her family. The interplay of that girl and Penric is the core of the story.

Gardner is the perfect narrator for this story. His voice has exactly the calm and quiet tone that this subdued story wants.

There's not much new about the setting and the plot is only as complex as it needs to be. But the character work is (as expected) exceptional. This story and the entire series are highly recommended.

A warm cozy return

I didn’t realize how much I’ve missed following along with Penric and Desdemona. This was a much welcomed return.

Pure joy as always from LMB

This is my idea of easy listening. I needed this relaxing departure from the negative borage of social media.