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The Assassins of Thasalon
3/5. Latest Penric story, this time a short novel. Pen goes on a diplomatically perilous journey into neighboring country court intrigue in the company of a new sorcerer and a saint who'd rather be fishing. Pleasant, but.
I realize it's hilarious to complain about the deus ex machina that resolves this book. I mean, the entire series is powered thereon, emphasis on the deus. But in this instance, it was just too literal (someone prays, and the whole thing is immediately and tidily resolved. So even though the new characters are charming, and the cameos from practically everyone are appreciated, this book never lifted above gentle enjoyment.
Maybe that's a limitation of the form? This series feels quite low stakes at this point – see above re prayer resolving everything neatly and immediately, to say nothing of the complete lack of personal conflict Pen has in this book. That has its pleasures and its place, but when you're not in the mood for mild comfort reading . . . well, it all goes a little flat. There's a lot you could do about that as a writer. Personally, I'd have been writing various stories up and down Des's timeline, featuring her various companions, and that's just the most obvious course. There are also enumerable ways to generate conflict within Pen and, more interestingly, between Pen and Des. But LMB isn't really here for that, so okay, it is what it is.
3/5. Latest Penric story, this time a short novel. Pen goes on a diplomatically perilous journey into neighboring country court intrigue in the company of a new sorcerer and a saint who'd rather be fishing. Pleasant, but.
I realize it's hilarious to complain about the deus ex machina that resolves this book. I mean, the entire series is powered thereon, emphasis on the deus. But in this instance, it was just too literal (someone prays, and the whole thing is immediately and tidily resolved. So even though the new characters are charming, and the cameos from practically everyone are appreciated, this book never lifted above gentle enjoyment.
Maybe that's a limitation of the form? This series feels quite low stakes at this point – see above re prayer resolving everything neatly and immediately, to say nothing of the complete lack of personal conflict Pen has in this book. That has its pleasures and its place, but when you're not in the mood for mild comfort reading . . . well, it all goes a little flat. There's a lot you could do about that as a writer. Personally, I'd have been writing various stories up and down Des's timeline, featuring her various companions, and that's just the most obvious course. There are also enumerable ways to generate conflict within Pen and, more interestingly, between Pen and Des. But LMB isn't really here for that, so okay, it is what it is.