This is probably my favorite of the Penric novellas thus far. It was very enjoyable to see aspects of this fantastic fantasy world her fleshed out in new and fascinating ways. Bujold is always impressive in her ability to create characters that are compelling that you care about, and her dialogue is some of the best in the business.

Part of Lois McMaster Bujold's Penric series - always breezy fun. I always think of this series as lesser, especially compared to her Vorkosigan series, but sometimes a shorter, less complicated read is good too.

A novella about a sorcerer and a shaman trying to help out with a murder case in the woods and getting creative in a case of the victim’s soul passing to a mother fox. Penric, our hero, is a young man studying to be a sorcerer is this medieval low-tech society, but he is already blessed with a lot of powers through the spirit of a dead female sorcerer, Desdemona, the incarnated “demon” at residence inside him. I got a kick out of their often sarcastic inner dialog and conflicts over what to do. A great personification of the common sense we often get of having divided selves. Their partner on this caper is a professor of shamanism, Inglis, whom Penric is fishing with at the time of discovery of a woman’s body shot with two arrows. They have to do a lot of ordinary detective work while retraining use of their powers (which like in Harry Potter’s world is frowned upon in ordinary human society). Suspects must be considered among the aristocratic landowners, the shaman order, or the village people, servants, and tenant workers.

This is world-building in a microcosm. Bujold shines at how she throws you in the middle of the action and helps you swim in stages toward figuring out what’s going on. No big information dumps bogging down the narrative. Though a magical world, the issues at play in the characters’ concern are core human ones. We are given that demons like Desdemona and that in the elusive fox are souls incarnated in another person or creature that happens to be close at hand at the time a person dies. Temples of sorcery like to make sure that the succession of skill and wisdom are passed to prepared acolytes in their orders. Thus, this murder from a distance by arrow is especially heinous, as a great sorcerer’s soul came close to being lost. That the dead woman turns out to have been a powerful sorceress makes it likely the killer is quite powerful and dangerous to the public should the spirit in the fox vessel be warped or feel threatened.

My “B” star rating is a relative grade, given the host of the authors’ fantasy and sci fi books that I have loved at the 4-5 star level. I will avidly read anything of hers I get my hands on, and I have no regrets with this, a tasty buzz and not a fulsome feast. Undoubtedly, I missed the pleasures of this series beginning and Penric’s early experience with Desdemona as a rider, the novel gender collision and such. We are left with a pointer that Penric in a future volume will next get some mentoring on shaman ways from Inglis and learn all about their collective project to develop a leader with a “Great Beast” harnessed within.

This book was provided for review by the publisher through the Netgalley program.

This particular Penric & Desdemona novella jumps back to a little less than a year after my personal favorite of his novellas, Penric and the Shaman, so I was overjoyed to see Oswyl (the detective) and Inglis (the shaman) again. It was a bit jarring to go from much more – uh – Learned *snicker* Penric of Mira’s Last Dance to this more innocent and somewhat more bumbling version. And as always, Ms. Bujold approaches a new tangle in the World of the Five Gods with lots of wit and intelligence. I suppose you could read this as a standalone, as I think there’s enough background given to get the gist of the story, but just do yourself a favor and read from the beginning. If you’re a fan of smart, witty fantasy, you’ll be hooked.

"Penric wondered if their Beasts had been matched to their persons in advance, or if the young shamans had taken on aspects of their possessions after acquiring them. Aspirants worked in the menagerie for some time before being paired with their powers, Inglis had mentioned, so perhaps it was more a matter of the two compatible spirits finding each other. Like a person and their god.
Or their demon, Des put in, slyly.
So what does that reveal about me?
You possess the Bastard’s own luck?
Eee. And then wondered how literally true that might be."


This is essentially a basic murder mystery, but the Bujoldian tangle is that the murdered woman was a sorceress. While it’s Oswyl’s job to investigate her murder, Penric is roped in to deal with all the little demonic details, like, oh, the small matter of where did the demon go after her host’s death? Nothing makes sense, initially. Learned Magal, while a grown woman, was a fairly new sorceress, was well liked by pretty much everyone, and had no reason to be where she was found murdered. But as they investigate more, the pieces start to fit together, and let’s just say it’s a good thing that Penric is on the scene! Besides the mystery, we also get a to meet more shamans, and get more insight into Penric’s relationship with the Princess-Archdivine, and a bunch of cute foxes. Plus, more Oswyl, whom I simply adore. I swear, I would read an entire series of just him solving cases!

As usual with Ms. Bujold’s work, highly recommended!

I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Review of Penric’s Fox by Lois McMaster Bujold

In the interests of full disclosure, I was sent an ARC of this novella by the publisher through NetGalley for review purposes. All my reviews, good, bad, or indifferent, are based on my own opinion and from my personal viewpoint. They are also spoiler free.
Lois McMaster Bujold is one of my all-time favorite authors and I will read anything she writes. That being said, she rarely disappoints.
This story of the World of the Five Gods starts with an attempt at relaxation which doesn’t last long. Penric and his associates are quickly involved in a murder mystery.
The investigation requires knowledge and skills from investigators, sorcerers, and shamans to resolve.
A lovely addition to the Penric tales.
It might be a bit difficult to enjoy as a stand-alone story without any background. I recommend you start at the first tale Penric’s Demon and catch up. It will be worth your time.
I give it 4 stars.

Book Review Rating System
1 star Not even worth the $1 at the used bookstore
2 stars Worth the $1
3 stars Worth the time to read
4 stars Good book! Earns bookshelf space
5 stars Great book! Start hunt for more books by this author

I’ve loved Lois McMaster Bujold’s World of the Five Gods ever since I picked up a copy of The Curse of Chalion. This novella follows the adventures of a sorcerer-scholar (Penric) and his resident chaos demon (Desdemona) as they encounter a murder mystery. In this world, chaos demons bestow various powers upon their hosts and carry the personalities of those hosts as they shift from one to the other when each host dies. The mystery centers of the death of a sorceress and the absence of any trace of her demon, since no other human was nearby at the time of her passing. Where has the demon gone? Throw in a handful of utterly charming shamans, as well as other nicely depicted secondary characters, and the result is a delightful novella, just the right length to both savor the world and move the plot along nicely. When’s the next one coming out?

Penric's Fox is another great installment of Penric and Desdemona's story! Penric finds himself investigating a murder and a wayward demon, which he suspects may have found a fox to inhabit. Desdemona, Penric's demon, is of course naturally suited to help guide that part of the investigation. Bujold's writing is clever and her characters are wonderful. You can't go wrong with this latest novella!

This novella is set timewise after Penric and the Shaman and has both Locator Oswyl and Shaman Inglis working on a case of a murdered sorceress. Penric is learning more about shamanic magics during this time frame and hunting down missing demons. A nice little murder mystery in this setting and anything with more Penric and Desdemona is always a plus.

Who dares kill a demon?

In the sequel to Penric and the Shaman, Penric and Desdemona team up with Inglis and Oswyl to figure out why a sorceress has been struck down in the depths of the woods and by whom. Penric and the others must find a fox that has escaped with the sorceress’s demon before woodsmen slaughter it in an ill-timed campaign to clear the woods of foxes.

Why would someone dare to kill a sorceress knowing her demon would try to jump to someone nearby? Or was there canniness to the fatal arrow that forced the demon to enter a lower beast? Bujold carves a path through her constructed world, meshing magic, demons, and the murder of a well-regarded woman in this newest Penric mystery.

The Penric novellas are less manic than Bujold’s other series. They’re often a seemingly bucolic ramble through whatever wilderness of human intrigue Bujold is mapping for us. That said, the world-building is rich, the characters complex, and the magic and mysteries fascinating. As usual, Bujold reveals much about the human condition, with all its strengths and frailties, while keeping us entertained and focused on her sleight of hand.

My only con for this book is that Bujold keeps convincing me to pay for these novellas, which are rather small installments, compared to her Vorkosigan novels. I suppose the blame is on me for my addiction, but I would dearly love to see all the Penric novels in an omnibus or two for newcomers to the series.

I received this book as an Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) from NetGalley. My opinions are my own.

I received this book through the publisher via Netgalley.

The Penric and Desdemona series is such a cozy delight, and the fifth novella continues that experience without missing a beat. The plot follows like a fantasy melded with a murder mystery: a woman found dead in the woods, with Penric and friends called to solve not only the riddle of her murder but to find where the woman's demon-ally went after her body expired. There are false leads and suspect interviews and, of course, the titular fox. I'm always a bit sad when these novellas end because I feel like I relate to Penric as a friend, and I like to spend time with him.

Penric's Fox by Louis McMaster Bujold- This novella takes place soon after the previous adventure, "Penric and the Shaman". Infact the Shaman, Inglis plays a part in this story as well. The two are drawn into an investigation of the murder of a sorceress, found shot by arrows in the woods. A lone arrow is also found near the victim with a tuft of fox fur caught on its point. The scene is set, the mystery progresses through various characters until the perpetrator is caught. Some good action and a lot of magic propel Penric and Inglis to the proper denouement. A satisfying short tale.

Penric's Fox by Lois McMaster Bujold is the fifth (?) in the series, but the first one I've read.. It was a little confusing in the beginning because I didn't have any background for the world Bujold has created.

Once I got a grasp (incomplete, but enough to allow me to feel comfortable) of the world in which the story takes place, I quite enjoyed this novella that combines fantasy and a murder mystery. Who murdered the temple sorceress, why, and what happened to her demon?

Penric's Fox is set in an interesting world with some intriguing characters.

read in Dec; review scheduled for Feb. 19

NetGalley/Subterranean Press

Fantasy. Feb. 28, 2018. Print length: 113 pages.

Penric and his BFF Inglis must solve the murder of a temple sorceress and track down her stray demon before evildoers escape!

Lois McMaster Bujold flexes her literary muscles once again in this masterful display of short form prose. 'Penric's Fox' is a mystery story not dissimilar from a Golden Age of Mystery mystery story, a la Agatha Christie or Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Focusing on a non-magical plot, this book triumphs where 'Penric and the Shaman' coasted. With clearly understandable motives by both heroes and villains, we are able to fully comprehend what is going on in this plot.

Bujold is probably one of the best fantasy authors alive writing in the English language. 'The Curse of Chalion' and 'Paladin of Souls,' in my opinion, were some of the best fantasy books ever printed and 'The Hallowed Hunt' was no slouch either. 'Penric's Fox,' set in the same setting as those books, compares positively despite its short length. With strong plotting and a focus on characterization, the 'Penric' series has become a serial series of novellas I am looking forward to more and more with each release.

Now for some constructive criticism. Beware minor spoilers ahead! For all the fact that this was a competent mystery novella, it lacked surprise. There were no twists in the plot which are not heavily forecasted, and neither were there any red herrings which one would expect in a mystery novel. Am I picky because I read a lot of mystery books? Probably. But I think this novella could've been improved by making the ending not quite so predictable. Part of the fun of a mystery novel is the suspense of the unknown, and the fear that your heroes are about to accuse the wrong guy.

Stay sunny!

I hadn't read any of Bujold's work before, but this was lovely. It's a neat world and is an interesting twist on a murder mystery.

I'm going to have to track down the other stories in this series now, because this novella piqued my interest in them.

If you haven't read any of the other stories in this series, you can start with this one, though it does vaguely reference events of previous books (and thus spoil some things).

Delightful, as the Penric stories always are, although I think the mystery/adventure is slightly less compelling than the previous three. We don't really get to know any new characters in depth, so this is more a visit with old friends (Inglis and Oswyl show up again, in addition to Pen and Desdemona).

Another novella about Penric, a sorcerer – which in the rules of this fantasy series means he is possessed by a friendly chaos demon. Penric’s is named Desdemona and has possessed ten women – plus a lioness and a mare – before him, giving it a rather female personality. Penric’s Fox follows fairly closely after Penric and the Shaman (link to my review of it), wherein he met Inglis (the shaman of the title) and Oswyl (a sort of police detective). In this one, Penric is spending a pleasant day fishing with Inglis when Oswyl arrives to ask for their help – another sorcerer has been murdered and her demon is missing. This sets off the murder mystery that ends up being the main plot: Who murdered her, of course, but also how on earth could anyone sneak up on a women with a demon, and where exactly has that demon has gone off to? And most importantly, who was the real intended victim: the woman or the demon?

When it seems the demon may have jumped into a passing fox, Penric and the others begin to search the forest and its hundreds of local foxes, a task much like hunting for a needle in a haystack. Their task is complicated when they find signs that the still-unknown murderer is also looking for a certain special fox.

I really enjoyed this novella. The Penric series (and the larger series it’s a subthread of, The World of the Five Gods) are all light, fun short stories, absolutely charming ways to spend an afternoon. I loved reading about Inglis and Oswyl again, as I'd liked them previously and was glad to see their friendship with Penric deepening. It’s also intriguing to see that Bujold seems to be setting up future stories to further explore the relationship between the magics of sorcerers and shamans, a topic that I’m very interested in her take on and so I will be looking forward to reading whatever comes next.

My one complaint is that, late in the novella, there's a development that seems to draw on the real-world issue of police brutality. I don’t think Bujold handled it offensively, but it’s a brief digression and that's not a great way to deal with such a sensitive topic. I wish she had either gone into it with real depth or had just not brought it up at all. As it is, it feels half-hearted, which isn’t fair to such a serious matter. But this is literally only a few pages out of two hundred, so I certainly wouldn’t un-recommend the novella for that alone. On the other hand, it did bother me, so I wanted to mention it.

Overall, a fantasy series that takes a digression into murder mystery. Certainly worth reading if you’ve enjoyed other books in the series, but not a good introduction to the world or characters.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2213366596

This yet-another (not that I'm complaining) Penric novella chronologically takes place a little bit of time after Penric and the Shaman. Similar to the Shaman story, this one also is a bit of a whodunnit though with a limited set of clues and possible suspects.

For me this is the best novella in the series, primarily because it all takes place in a very concentrated area and moves at a slow, almost languid pace. I've never felt Penric is a big action hero and prefer the slower pace, almost "slice of life" quality in this one.

The more I read of the Penric series the more I like it. It has a pleasant feel to it and has a feel of a lazy Sunday afternoon. Ms. Bujold is accomplished an author enough not needing to prove anything anymore and writes with confidence and poise. There's no exposition, no bizarre plot twists or excessive edginess - at this point of her career she can write for herself and this is a good thing.