Penric 14 impending > Likes and Comments

1) Eeee! More BOOK yaaay!
2) Penric's training? My thought being that it alludes to on-the-job training, and animal training, but remains ambiguous as to whether Penric is trainer or trainee
3) For your goofoff eve, I wish for you all the fun

What a magnificent thing to come to Goodreads and to just happen upon! Thank you LMB for your eternal amazing works.

"Penric's Instructive Interference" is probably too geeky.

For some reason 'The Sorcerer's Apprentice' popped into my head, which made me laugh and I don't know if it's appropriate at all.

Sorcerer's Apprentices, plural?

In any case, no matter what the title, I will be buying ASAP.

So glad to learn about this.

Jerri wrote: "Sorcerer's Apprentices, plural?

In any case, no matter what the title, I will be buying ASAP.

So glad to learn about this."


That's... actually not bad. Will put it on the brainstorm list (or braindrizzling list, more like) for consideration.

Ta, L.

If the title is Sorcerer's Apprentices, then self-animating brooms need to be involved at some point in the story. Just saying.

Also, YAY!!!!

Yay!!! So excited to read it when it's ready :)

The best news to wake up to!

Penric and the Apprentice? xD

Also the Subterrenean Press cover for Penric and the Bandit is gorgeous :)

So excited to read this news this morning. I was looking through the thesaurus and ideas ranged from Penric's Proteges or Penric's Charges. Not sure either is right. Kids fall under Legacy but that was a Sharing Knife title.

Penric and the Perils of Parenthood?

Good news, indeed!

I was listening to a radio program this morning that asked listeners to send in what book/movie summer release they were most excited about. So, of course, I had to send an email explaining about the upcoming Penric 14! I hope they read my message on the air in a few days when they run that episode.

Excellent, always happy to hear there's more Penric - or, indeed, anything at all from Lois.

I'm hoping some more paper collections might be on the horizon at some point too, old-school person that I am. 😂

If I had an excuse as good as Ron Miller, I’d read the whole manuscript at the earliest opportunity too! (grin)

Alexandria wrote: "Penric and the Apprentice? xD

Also the Subterrenean Press cover for Penric and the Bandit is gorgeous :)"

Isn't it, though!

I have it as my current desktop wallpaper, at the moment. V. inspiring.

Ta, L.

Martha wrote: "If the title is Sorcerer's Apprentices, then self-animating brooms need to be involved at some point in the story. Just saying.


I think I already did that with Miles and the Dendarii...

Heh, L

Wonderful news! I'm so glad.

So delighted to read that Penric is embroiled in a new adventure - soon to be shared with his not-so-secret admirers.

Thanks to you, L, for giving so many hours of reading pleasure to all of us.

Thank you! My life could so use some more Penric.
Now my brain is trying to remember Miles having animated brooms...

Also on the table for titles are "Penric's Proteges" and "The Sorcerer's Scions". Don't quite like scions, as it implies a blood relationship that is too restrictive to capture this varied handful of young characters. Proteges is kind of... not quite, but it doesn't seem to have a better synonym. Well, will have to keep scratching at the problem.

Mulling, L.

Great news! Thanks for keeping Penric alive in your semi-retirement.

“Demon Daughter” is one of my favourite stories, so I’m particularly keen to read a follow-up to that.

And we have a new one from Ben Aaronovitch due out this summer, too.

oh wow!! my copy of Penric and the Bandit only just arrived yesterday!! I'm so excited 😄
with regards to title ideas would something like Penric's Pupils work?

By now Penric has amassed quite a horde of colleagues, ex-colleagues, family, friends, and acquaintances; and I’d like to hear about all of them; but it’s not really feasible to mention all of them in each story.

In between novellas, you could put out a news bulletin about the large cast of supporting characters, and what they’re up to. No, I’m not being serious: I don’t expect the idea to look good from your point of view. Pity.

You have a knack of writing supporting characters so well that we want to hear more about them, if even they were never intended to last beyond one story.

"Penric's Study in Parenthood"?

"You have a knack of writing supporting characters so well that we want to hear more about them, if even they were never intended to last beyond one story" - I wholeheartedly agree with Jonathan's point here. Does Pen still correspond with Oswyl and Inglis? Was Learned Hamo able to pair the fox with a young aspirant? So many questions!

Todd wrote: ""Penric's Study in Parenthood"?

"You have a knack of writing supporting characters so well that we want to hear more about them, if even they were never intended to last beyond one story" - I whol..."

I have always wondered about these characters and what they would be doing in the later Penric timeline as well!

How Exciting!
I'm enjoying all these creative title suggestions too. "Penric's study in Parenthood" could perhaps be shortened to a more active "Penric Parents" but 'parents' might be mistaken for a noun rather than a verb, and either version it puts all the emphasis on Penric. "The Sorcerer's Apprentices" is good too, putting the opposite emphasis on the kids/apprentices. Not knowing the story of course makes it impossible to consider if one or the other may be more appropriate.

I rather liked the "Penric's Proteges" suggestion as a general title idea. It is alliterative and fun to say, plus fits the "Penrics..." Pattern of titles and puts more equal emphasis on both Penric and his Proteges.
The "Perils of Parenthood" suggestion made me laugh, I think it is a very fun idea. It could become "Penric's Perilous Parenting" or similar (Perilous Parenthood, perhaps), but that is probably alliteration overkill. No matter the title, I am excited to read it once it becomes available!

Thank you!!! I am looking forward to the next installment of Penric's adventures. I am grateful for the thought-provoking and fun reads that you produce. I have not found many authors where I pause and reflect while reading. Any author recommendations from all are appreciated:)

"Penric's Junior Troop"? Some of them will be more prepared than the others.

Still flailing around for a title here at the end, which is a thing that happens about every other story. I wasn't liking any of the permutations of "proteges", though it is precise, because it feels too modern. "Apprentices" doesn't really work because only one is technically an apprentice, and my OCD readers will get all flustered; ditto with "children" "daughters" or any of their synonyms. 3 AM last night brought me

"The Disciples and the Demonic Ox"

which casts a reasonably wide net, is not wrong, not too long, and is alliterative. This one may stick. Maybe...

Ta, L.

Oh, yay, a new Penric book! I was just starting to suffer from withdrawal symptoms from the lack of Penric in my life! ;)

"The Disciples and the Demonic Ox" - hmm, doesn't quite roll off the tongue. But still, it certainly paints a vivid picture. I assume it will involve Penric dealing with a demon-possessed ox along with Otta, with possibly his other kids as well various junior hangers-on and proteges, such as the Corva sisters and perhaps Alixtra in tow? Can't wait to find out! :D

"Penric's Aides"

"Penric's Assistants"

"The Bastard's Children"

"Desdemona's Children" - just because I would love to see Desdemona by name in a title

"The Children of [x]" - like "The Orphans of Raspay"

"Lessons in Demonology" or "Lessons in [x]" - like "Masquerade in Lodi"

"Penric's First Lesson" - probably not that accurate, but something along the lines of "Mira's Last Dance"

(it's relatively hard to make suggestions without knowing the story)

"The Demon's Yoke" - (oxen have yokes, right?) (but also possible double meaning)

"Penric's Chaos" - reference to both demon magic and shenanigans

"The Children of Chaos"

"Students of Chaos"

(a few more) (yes, it's possible that I've done this professionally)

"Lessons in Chaos" - (for Penric as much as his young disciples)

"Disciples of Chaos"

"The Runaway Demon" - (assuming the ox escapes at some point)

"Classroom of Chaos"

"An Errand of Chaos"

"Travels With My Demon" - (okay, this one is mostly a joke, but I sometimes use it to think of Penric's adventures collectively)

Looking forward to the book. :)
How about
Penric's Pedagogics
Penric Enlightens His Children

Connie wrote: "Looking forward to the book. :)
How about
Penric's Pedagogics
Penric Enlightens His Children"

Heh. Children, in my experience from both sides of the divide, are generally rather resistant to enlightenment

Ta, L.

Penric's Flock ?
(covers all sorts of livestock at least).

Very thrilled to be gifted yet another Penric. Totally amazing. Thought we were spiraling towards something unsavory and then, on the contrary, a Penric emerges.
* sigh *

Lois wrote: "Still flailing around for a title here at the end, which is a thing that happens about every other story. I wasn't liking any of the permutations of "proteges", though it is precise, because it fee... 3 AM last night brought me "The Disciples and the Demonic Ox""

Still plugging at this. I reflect that a title only needs to be a distinguishing label, not a story synopsis, nor a futile attempt to lard in all the nuance the actual story may contain into three words. On the ever-useful principle of "less is more", and knocking out "Penric's Ox" due to potential confusion with a prior title, and "Penric's Lessons" because I want to use it for a future collection, and all the other word choices because they don't capture enough, or in the right way, and, indeed "Penric" because that is also too limiting, how about

"The Adventure of the Demonic Ox"

Reasonably catchy, not wrong, and inclusive if only by virtue of being strategically vague. Hm.

Checking my Sherlock, we also have "case" and "problem" (not to mention "incident" and "issue", thank you thesaurus) but I really think "adventure" may be better here.

Ta, L.

Lois wrote: "Checking my Sherlock, we also have "case" and "problem" (not to mention "incident" and "issue", thank you thesaurus) but I really think "adventure" may be better here."

Heh. I immediately thought of the Randall Garrett stories, and how fun they were to read and to guess the referents. ("Too Many Magicians" was a dead giveaway.) I wonder if you could make use of the word "beef"... Penric and the Barmy Beef? Nah...

Sigh. My thesaurus got lost in the moves to Germany and back.

@Lois:
The Adventure of the Demonic Ox it is!!

(best thing - it is very memorable and absolitely unique plus piques rhe interest immediately).

Now on to the covert art! (he he :D)

I feel like "Adventure" is overused (particularly in anime and video games), to the point of not really meaning anything. It's just kind of a filler word in titles.

Clearly, you should use all unique words that are seldom found in titles, like "Rise of the Legend of the Demonic Ox Chronicles: Legacy". :P

My husband offers the following suggestions, none of which I believe are meant to be serious. But they made me giggle.

Penric’s Udderly Fantastic Adventure
Penric’s Bovine Caper
Penric and the Bastard’s Oxilliary

Shane wrote: "Lois wrote: "Checking my Sherlock, we also have "case" and "problem" (not to mention "incident" and "issue", thank you thesaurus) but I really think "adventure" may be better here."

Heh. I immedia..."

I loved the Randall Garrett Lord Darcy stories. Read 'em in Analog Magazine, back in the day.

Ta, L.

A late entry to the title suggestion box:

Desdemona's Cattle

Just to get Des to have her own title for once, and a switch around from "Penric's Demon". 😂

Kosigan wrote: "A late entry to the title suggestion box:

Desdemona's Cattle

Just to get Des to have her own title for once, and a switch around from "Penric's Demon". 😂"

Oo, I kind of like "Desdemona's Ox", as opposed to "Penric's Fox"!

Penric and the Demon's Ox.

I am circling back the Penric and Bastard's Oxilliary .

Lois wrote: "Lois wrote: "Still flailing around for a title here at the end, which is a thing that happens about every other story. I wasn't liking any of the permutations of "proteges", though it is precise, b..."

I think "The Adventure of the Demonic Ox" works great. The idea of an adventure hints at fun and excitement to me. Obviously I haven't read the story and don't know what it may contain, but it would definitely make me Want to read the story even if I had never read any Penric books before.

I'm glad you chose this and I think it is definitely an improvement over the aforementioned "The Disciples and the Demonic Ox" which seemed to herald a darker tale. (although, not having much in the way of darker reference material, the first image that popped into my mind when I read the "Disciples" title suggestion was actually from a comedy. Namely, the scene in the Dragnet movie with the goat sacrifice and Dan Akroyd running around in furry chaps lol I think my brain, having no appropriate ox reference, went goat)