Penric and the Shaman

Starred review from December 5, 2016
Bujold follows Penric’s Demon with another brief tale set in her World of the Five Gods, this time combining supernatural sleuthing with finely drawn characters and a panoply of emotions. Four years after the events of the previous novella, Penric is now a learned divine in addition to having previously become a temple sorcerer. Senior Locator Oswyl of the Father’s Order has come to Martensbridge in pursuit of Inglis kin Wolfcliffs, a murder suspect who is also one of the Wealdean royal shamans. Oswyl believes that Penric’s demon (and therefore Penric himself) will be immune to the magically persuasive powers of the shaman. Accompanied by some guardsmen, the pair set off into the hinterlands in pursuit of Inglis, only to find that catching him is the simplest part of their adventure. When Great Beasts, demons, and gods take part in the affairs of mortals, nothing is as it appears. Bujold makes Inglis’s grief and guilt palpable but lightens the mood with Penric’s droll humor. This is a wonderful expansion of her World of the Five Gods.

Narrator Grover Gardner's wiry, rough tones evoke the stark mountain wilderness and grueling hardships in the world of the Five Gods. Penric, sorcerer, scholar, and divine of the Bastard's Order is sent on a quest to track a runaway shaman. Gardner's inflection, while brusque, belies a tenderness that lends humanity to hardened characters. The story also focuses on the travels of the shaman, Inglis, and Gardner's command of the narrative helps listeners stay invested in the overlapping tales. While the story may be harder to follow for those unfamiliar with the World of the Five Gods, listeners will enjoy Penric's resilience and humor, Bujold's world-building, and Gardner's delivery. K.S.B. � AudioFile 2017, Portland, Maine