The Adventure of the Demonic Ox, by Lois McMaster Bujold (Subterranean)
The Demonic Ox is yet another enchanting adventure
featuring cleric-scholar Learned Penric and the centuries-old chaos demon,
Desdemona, who has taken up residence in his mind. In past adventures, Des has given
Pen supernatural powers of healing, perception, and strength, and she has a
wicked (literally, since she is a demon) sense of humor, but her long existence
through many hosts has made her extraordinarily powerful, a fact that Pen never
forgets. Now Pen is summoned to investigate a different sort of demonic
possession, the host being a valuable ox. Under the quite reasonable
expectation that this will be a simple enough matter to resolve (is the ox
actually possessed or crazed with a natural illness?), Pen brings along a small
coterie of youngsters from his household. He expects the outing to be pleasant
and instructive, but unfortunately, he is mistaken. A series of increasingly
disastrous turns of events risks not only Pen’s life but those of his young
charges.
Like previous adventures, Demonic Ox begins in a
slow-paced manner, focusing on everyday family relationships. The sudden
reversals spin the story at a breakneck pace, and the increasingly desperate
conditions reveal new aspects of the central characters. Although Demonic Ox
is not a good entrance point into the series, for established readers, it
offers a richly rewarding journey.
I can hardly wait to read what happens next!
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