So it turned out I’ve been asleep for a bit, because I hadn’t realized that Lois McMaster Bujold had released some more Penric and Desdemona novellas. So some catching up was in order. And a good thing too, because the next review I had previously planned is a bit of a doozy, and it may take me a little while to complete
Demon Daughter is the kind of title that made me think that this particular Penric and Desdemona novella was going to be very chaotic indeed. This wasn’t quite correct; while there is still a moderate amount of chaos, due to the story dealing with demons and all, it actually turns out to be a rather cozy little novella.
The ‘Demon Daughter’ of the title might refer young Otta, who has been found washed ashore not far from Penric’s home. Otta is not a normal little girl; wherever this small girl has wandered around the port town, small fires have been following her. The local authorities need Penric’s help to see whether or not the poor child has found themselves possessed by an elemental—in other words, a demon.
The interesting thing about Demon Daughter is that it is written from duel third-person limited perspectives; that of Penric, who is deeply concerned for this small child; and that of Otta, who is confused and traumatized. It turns out that the poor girl inherited the demon after its previous host—a little white rat—was thrown overboard the ship she was traveling on. The poor girl can NOT control this very new demon, leading to several small fires on the ship.
She was then thrown overboard,
So we have one perspective of a concerned sorcerer who, despite having two small children of his own, is having some hiccups talking to this small girl. Thank goodness for his wife, Nikys. Then we have the view of this sad, small girl trying to make sense of what is happening around her.
Enter Desdemona. While everyone else seems concerned about the small child, Des is very concerned about the baby demon. We have another ‘Demon Daughter’, it turns out. Des quickly becomes fond of the little demon who ends up being nicknamed Atto; she’s never seen one so young and pure in its potential. She obviously doesn’t want to see Atto destroyed. But to leave the little demon intact would mean that Otta—who is six—will become a sorcerer. And that means taking on some very adult responsibilities at a very young age.
Also, Otta’s family are Roknari and they do NOT follow the white god; sorcerers are not honored amongst the Roknari, they are killed.
Ooof.
If this sounds like a lot to deal with in the space of a short novella, it is. But remember, I did describe Demon Daughter as cosy; never at any point did I think that there would be anything but a warm and tidy resolution at the end.
The Penric and Desdemona series of novellas are really not like that.
Demon Daughter was a very enjoyable entry into the series; I enjoyed it more than some of the other more recent ones. Still, there is a second novella I need to catch up one, so I’ll see what else The Bastard has in store.
For cbr16bingo, this is Fiasco. Small child + Chaos Demon = ???