📖 About Penric and Desdemona

Penric and Desdemona is a series universe written by Lois McMaster Bujold. The complete collection runs to 16 books across 3 series, published between 2015 and 2025.

The main series is Publication Order of Penric and Desdemona Books with 15 books. It opens with Penric's Demon (2015) and currently runs to Testimony of Mute Things (2025).

Series included on this page:

🎯 Where to Start with Penric and Desdemona

New readers should begin with the first book of the main series in publication order: Penric's Demon (2015), book 1 of Publication Order of Penric and Desdemona Books. Reading in publication order lets the world and characters develop the way the author intended, and it avoids spoilers that later books may contain.

If you would rather follow the story timeline instead of the release sequence, a chronological order is listed below. It begins with Penric's Demon (2015).

Each of the 3 series on this page is expandable — click a series heading to see every title it contains, in order, with a direct link to buy the book on Amazon.

📚 Penric and Desdemona Books in Order

Publication Order of Penric and Desdemona Books
15 books
1
Penric's Demon book cover1Penric's Demon2015Buy on Amazon
Penric and the Shaman book cover2Penric and the Shaman2016Buy on Amazon
Penric's Fox book cover3Penric's Fox2016Buy on Amazon
Masquerade in Lodi book cover4Masquerade in Lodi2016Buy on Amazon
Penric\'s Mission book cover5Penric\'s Mission2017Buy on Amazon
Mira's Last Dance book cover6Mira's Last Dance2017Buy on Amazon
The Prisoner of Limnos book cover7The Prisoner of Limnos2017Buy on Amazon
The Orphans of Raspay book cover8The Orphans of Raspay2019Buy on Amazon
The Physicians of Vilnoc book cover9The Physicians of Vilnoc2020Buy on Amazon
The Assassins of Thasalon book cover10The Assassins of Thasalon2021Buy on Amazon
Knot of Shadows book cover11Knot of Shadows2021Buy on Amazon
Demon Daughter book cover12Demon Daughter2024Buy on Amazon
Penric and the Bandit book cover13Penric and the Bandit2024Buy on Amazon
The Adventure of the Demonic Ox book cover14The Adventure of the Demonic Ox2025Buy on Amazon
Testimony of Mute Things book cover15Testimony of Mute Things2025Buy on Amazon
Chronological Order of Penric and Desdemona Books
15 books
2
Penric's Demon book cover1Penric's Demon2015Buy on Amazon
Penric and the Shaman book cover2Penric and the Shaman2016Buy on Amazon
Penric's Fox book cover3Penric's Fox2016Buy on Amazon
Testimony of Mute Things book cover4Testimony of Mute Things2025Buy on Amazon
Masquerade in Lodi book cover5Masquerade in Lodi2016Buy on Amazon
Penric\'s Mission book cover6Penric\'s Mission2017Buy on Amazon
Mira's Last Dance book cover7Mira's Last Dance2017Buy on Amazon
The Prisoner of Limnos book cover8The Prisoner of Limnos2017Buy on Amazon
The Orphans of Raspay book cover9The Orphans of Raspay2019Buy on Amazon
The Physicians of Vilnoc book cover10The Physicians of Vilnoc2020Buy on Amazon
The Assassins of Thasalon book cover11The Assassins of Thasalon2021Buy on Amazon
Knot of Shadows book cover12Knot of Shadows2021Buy on Amazon
Demon Daughter book cover13Demon Daughter2024Buy on Amazon
Penric and the Bandit book cover14Penric and the Bandit2024Buy on Amazon
The Adventure of the Demonic Ox book cover15The Adventure of the Demonic Ox2025Buy on Amazon
Publication Order of Penric and Desdemona Collections
1 books
3
Penric's Labors book cover1Penric's Labors2022Buy on Amazon

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

How many Penric and Desdemona books are there?
There are 16 books in the Penric and Desdemona collection, organised into 3 series and published between 2015 and 2025.
What is the first Penric and Desdemona book?
The first book is Penric's Demon, published in 2015.
What order should I read the Penric and Desdemona books in?
Most readers use publication order, which is the order the books were originally released. A chronological order is also provided on this page for readers who prefer to follow the internal timeline of the story.
Who wrote the Penric and Desdemona books?
The Penric and Desdemona books were written by Lois McMaster Bujold.
Is the Penric and Desdemona series finished?
The main series, Publication Order of Penric and Desdemona Books, has 15 books so far. The most recent title listed on this page gives the current end point of the series.
When did the Penric and Desdemona series start?
The earliest title in this collection was published in 2015, and the most recent in 2025.