Booklog 90/2020: Lois McMaster Bujold: Masquerade in Lodi – Penric and Desemona #9

[jacey]

Though it's the ninth book, this is a Penric story that is fourth in the chronological sequence, between Penric's Fox and Penric's Mission. For those who have never read any of the Penric novellas, Pen hosts a chaos demon, Desdemona, who 'lives' inside him and has powers that Pen can call on. It's a symbiotic relationship which has gained him the position of temple sorcerer, and he's now in Lodi, a city with many canals. Penric is almost thirty, and has not yet met the love of his life who appears in later books. He's relatively recently left Martensbridge where he discovered that being a full time healer was not for him. In Lodi he's called upon to see what's really wrong with a mad man fished out of the sea, and discovers the young man has been possessed by a dangerously mad demon, Unlike Pen's demon this one has gained control of the young man and is too disturbed to be tamed. It must be expelled, and for that Penric needs the help of a saint. It's Bastard's Eve, carnival time in Lodi, so when the young man and his demon run wild into the city, Pen and Des have a problem.