I knew this was coming last month, and checked the store nearly daily. Bought it yesterday, stopped reading the current novel, and gulped this down. Many of Ms Bujold’s fans & other readers do the same—what’s going to happen this time? drives us. Pen & Des & Nikys have two daughters (one adopted) and a son old enough to think about each of their futures, and the training needed, at much younger ages than for which Penric is ready. Coming of age? No, none of you are old enough to leave us yet! I feel sorry for the ox, who didn’t ask to have a demon. He wasn’t in a position to accept nor understand what had happened. Penric is injured far worse than Desdemona can quickly repair, and it scares her. It makes Rina and Otta uncomfortably aware of what they don’t know or can’t do to help. Meanwhile, an unprepared dedicat gets an unexpected Gift, and needs help deciding what to do. Our old friend Sainted Iroki has been sought, by that son, for a problem that no longer exists, but he can help the dedicat resolve his dilemma. The family chain works well together, because they each have their reasons and are possessed of that uncommon trait, practical common sense. I wish more families could be like this: practical common sense doesn’t rule out adventure!

Satisfying, full of surprise, suspense, joy and hope. It inspires the imagination to so many possibilities for the futures of all these well-rounded, engaging characters. Loved it. Highly recommend it for all, if you are old enough to read well you are old enough to enjoy this story. It has a density, like Des, universality, and brevity, that would make it great for book clubs also. Bujold has an unparalleled talent for making characters deeply real and giving readers a window to glimpse into their vibrant lives knowing there is so much more to experience in time whether it is ever directly seen in a story or not. Each glimpse is a treasure that makes the reader experience and character’s lives ever richer. You can’t help but come away feeling you have learned something of worth for your time and hungry to read it all again and again. There is always something more to see, a new connection to make between character experiences and the reader’s own ever changing lives and viewpoints. I’m looking forward to delving into all the ideas and complexities at my next book club meeting.