Very Short Book Review: Penric and Desdemona in "The Corpse Isn't Dead"

Knot of Shadows (A Penric & Desdemona Novella in the World of the Five Gods) by Lois McMaster Bujold (Subterranean)

Knot of Shadows (A Penric & Desdemona Novella in the World of the Five Gods) by Lois McMaster Bujold is not your ordinary murder mystery, but anything involving Temple sorcerer Penric and his chaos demon, Desdemona, is bound to be anything but ordinary. In this case, they’re called in to investigate when a drowning victim turns out to be not quite dead. The animated corpse houses two souls, sundered from the care of their gods, the result of vile and highly illegal death magic. But is the corpse the victim or the perpetrator, a person so desperate to avenge a wrong that they are willing to sacrifice their own soul?

As usual for these novellas, the story is intricately crafted, and full of snappy dialog, vivid characters, and profound emotions. I hope we’ll see many more of them.