I'm not sure if the Penric books are getting more Milesian or if Grover Gardner reading the audio just makes me think everyone has a Barrayaran accent.
But Penric is starting to remind me of a young Miles - slightly beyond control, incurably curious, possessed of hindrances and a source of power he is learning to deploy more effectively.
I'm not complaining about this development, I should note. But it is interesting.
It's also interesting to me to watch the evolution of the Five Gods world as Bujold decides that the interesting thing here is the Bastard. And the story of divinity and redemption. But you can see the treatment of demons from Chalion up through Penric also as a shift in what she's doing with them as figures of...malice? chaos? something?
Anyway, I'm quite enjoying the Penric books now that he's...auditoring, perhaps?
Also, "Ho lads, hold my ale" had me in stitches. As did the princess bride reference.

Well, the complete WTFery of the first book continues apace. Palmer is no less adept here at writing the 18th century novel of the future, complete with all the melodramatic tropes one would expect AND complex questions of theology and philosophy in the process. She does to Fielding what Clarke did to Thackeray with Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell.
It...helps to have read the first book recently because it took me a while to remember what words meant and who everyone is and what was going on...insofar as anyone knew what was going on at any point.
I initially found the lack of resolution less frustrating than the cliffhanger at the end of the first book, but then all the questions that Palmer failed to answer sprang back again. She gives answers, but so few of her answers are more than matters of opinion. The theology aspect is particularly thorny.
Send more books, please.

I enjoyed this mishmash of meditations on falling in love as a geek--some more than others, as is the way with all anthologies--although, upon reflection, this may be the kind of book that benefits from being read slowly and savored. And not, say, read in short bursts while watching a toddler try to sing Beaker from the Muppets.

These are definitely undergoing Vorkosification, which I am 1,000% okay with. And it's not that Penric is turning into Miles (although I have a feeling that, if Nikys and Ekaterine were ever in a room together, they would have a lot to commiserate about) or that Grover Gardner's voice has imprinted VORKOSIGAN into my brain. It's that the narrative is heading slowly down the "I had a very good plan when all this started..." route. Penric has a certain forward momentum to him that is reminiscent of Miles in some of his Naismith moods.
This delights me. It's everything I enjoy about Bujold's writing in a world that is still new enough that it unfolds for the reader (and, based on the evolution of the Bastard and his demons throughout this series, for the author) in a way that delights on the level of character and worldbuilding.
So, do I read the next one or wait for the audiobook?

Still enjoying, still want to see where this series goes.

Look, I am a firm believer that the best stories are retold fairy tales and, for whatever reason, I will tolerate things like love triangles in them and nowhere else.
Having said that, this book was gorgeous and delightful and you think I would have learned my lesson about getting BOTH books out from the library when the second one is already released.

...can I just get the tor.com novellas delivered to me when they come out and save some time?
This book was basically everything I wanted it to be. And it made me smile too.

Still good, I appreciated the closure, although it did the thing where Ahdieh resolved the romance at the end of book one, so book two was a lot of "external forces are keeping us apart!" Which is way better than "and then they fought because tension!" But let's be fair, I'm in it for the love story.

Why yes, I wanted my heart ripped out of my chest by a book this chag, how did you know?
Taylor remained excellent, I can't believe I'm stuck at this cliffhanger.

In fairness, I'd probably listen to Robin Miles read the phone book. Although I'd probably appreciate her reading N. K. Jemisin more.
Anyway, it was awesome to read this after seeing the movie and getting the history behind the movie (and the way they turned it into drama). And just hearing all their names. It was excellent and I basically recommend to everyone.