SISTER SVANGERD AND THE DEVIL YOU KNOW

Reviewed by Steven H Silver

Sister Svangerd and the Devil You Know begins immediate following the events K.J. Parker recounts in Sister Svangerd and the Not Quite Dead. Their services have been coopted by Mother Tysapherna, who wants them to travel to Angkola, a distant city-state ruled by pirates, in order to copy of a book. The job should be right up Brother Desiderius' alley, but his lack of trust of Mother Tysapherna and his understanding of how difficult it will be to get into the Angkolan library make him wary of the job. Nevertheless, due his their oaths of obedience, and Mother Tysapherna's threats, they have no choice but to accept the job.

To Sister Svangerd's consternation, Brother Desiderius puts together an overly elaborate plan, creating identities for them based on the mythical kingdom of Brother Jovian (Parker's version of Prester John). The expense behind the subterfuge, and Mother Tysapherna's agreement to cover the expenses, makes Desiderius understand how important the job is, while at the same time making him even more wary of her reasons for sending them on their mission. Naturally, despite his best efforts and the depth of his planning, things fall apart almost immediately upon their arrival in Angkola.

Just as Desiderius found himself in the company of members of the Loyal Opposition in the first novel in the series, someone who claims to be a demon working for the Loyal Opposition plays a large role in this novel, in fact plays a bigger role than the title Sister Svangerd. Over the course of the novel, the demon and Desiderius discuss the long game the Loyal Opposition is playing, at least in general terms, since the specifics are constantly changing. This leads the book to an examination of good versus evil. Something that seems good in the short run (saving a baby) may be evil in the long run (the baby's descendent kicks of the bloodiest war in history), and vice versa. Parker handles this well, allowing Desiderius time for asides and for the travelers to have a variety of adventures, keeping the book from becoming a philosophical lecture.

Desiderius finds himself not only facing the Loyal Opposition, the Angkolans, and Mother Tysapherna's plot, but also the potentially well-meaning interference of Mother Grimhild, an inquisitor who saved Sister Svangerd from her earlier life and is now trying to rid both Sister Svangerd and Desiderius of the influence of the demon. Life is not so straightforward however, and even if Mother Grimhild has their best interests at heart, as opposed to wanting to use the demon to further her own plans, the demon's removal could harm Sister Svangerd and Desiderius, or even cause their deaths.

Sister Svangerd and the Devil You Know is a morally complex novel, looking at good an evil which has an underpinning of paranoia as Desiderius is never quite sure who to trust or believe, not even Sister Svangerd. Parker uses medieval Europe as his template with a focus on the church and the theology of the religion of the Invincible Sun adheres, at times, a little too closely to Christian theology. The similarity detracts from the story since the reader is supplying their own knowledge of the real theology, although the similarity of the theology means Parker's arguments can be more directly applied to the real world without resorting to mapping the analogy.

The second novel of the Loyal Opposition trilogy expands on the base that Parker laid out in the first novel and points toward a strong and excellent conclusion when Sister Svangerd and the Chosen One is eventually published. The members of the Loyal Opposition have been hinting about a special role for Desiderius throughout the series and the conclusion of Sister Svangerd and the Devil You Know has completely altered Desiderius and Svangerd's roles, and even identities, in their world. It will be interesting to see how Parker ties everything together.

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