"Prosper's Demon" by K. J. Parker is a tightly-woven novella that packs a punch. Full of dark humor, ethical dilemmas, and intricate characters, it's a roller-coaster ride through a world where demons and human foibles coexist. Parker's writing is sharp, and the plot deftly navigates moral gray areas. A brilliant, compact masterpiece.

I'm currently clearing out all of the books that were published in 2019-20 from my title feedback view!

I'm not sure what I can say about this entirely its own entity little book. For what it's worth, I would probably be happy reading it twenty times over. The narrator was wrong though, I do like him quite a bit.

Creative, snarky, violent, dark and hits the perfect balance for the nameless MC’s world-weary but clever tone. Bloody revenge + demons = a genuinely good time. ★★★½ out of 5

Now that I have read Prosper's Demon, I regret that I had not read this sooner! Picture a medieval world like that inhabited by Leonardo di Vinci (who Prosper seems to be partially modeled on) but with demons, actual demons who have a grand plan! Since there are demons ( 72,936 to be exact), there are demon hunters, actually demon exorcists who can extract the demon from the human. Unfortunately, the demons cannot be killed, but they can be removed painfully, but the victim will suffer as well. Our unnamed narrator had a very early encounter with a particular demon and has made it his mission to harass Him whenever he get the chance. And, boy, doe he get the chance at the climax of this tale! Nicely done, K. J. Parker!

A darkly interesting and innovative novella, doing some really interesting things with the narrator--not exactly unreliable so much as "slowly revealed to be ethically questionable". By turns witty and savage, it explores "means vs. ends" in a kind of alternate Renaissance Italy. The magic/theological system is well-done, with shades of "The Screwtape Letters" and a healthy dose of ambiguity.

This was A LOT of fun! Loved the comparison in the description / blurb to Deadpool, as that's one of the characters I found myself thinking of through some of the internal monologue moments here. While I'd never read anything by K.J. Parker leading up to this, I'm sold on them now & will definitely check out more in the future.

This is a super unique story about an exorcist - normally, the exorcists we see are men of the church, very old and wise. This exorcist character totally flips the script on that, and it's done in an enjoyable, not-over-the-top way! Loved it.

K.J. Parker is a pretty sure bet with me. Whether it's a novella or a novel, I can expect cynical, interesting and amusing characters, smart world building, and a twist that I rarely see coming even if I'm looking for it.

This particular book is about a rather nihilistic exorcist. He's got no choice in his occupation; he's been able to see and cast out demons from the time he was a child and the Church has long since hunted him down and turned him to their cause.

This particular exorcist has a demonic nemesis referred to as Him, capitalized. These two have been doing their destructive dance seemingly forever, and each have escalated their violence in response to the other.

The exorcist ends up meeting Prosper, a self-proclaimed genius, in the hunt for his nemesis. Prosper's new project is to raise the perfect ruler in order to usher in a more enlightened society. There's a wrinkle though- the new ruler, who has just been born, is the latest sheltering place for this enemy demon, and demons can't be cast out of children without harming or perhaps killing the host.

It also turns out that Prosper might be getting some supernatural aid of his own. The exorcist is tempted much as Jesus was in the desert, told that the payoff for demonic plans is so far in the future that the exorcist himself will be long dead by the time they come to fruition, so why not allow himself comfort in the present?

I'm not sure what KJ Parker's opinion of Da Vinci was, but Prosper is an obvious analogue to Da Vinci, and Prosper, according to the exorcist, is maybe 60% genius tops. Prosper intends to build a giant bronze horse statue, bigger than any ever before, something impossible with the body of engineering knowledge at the time. But if something's impossible, that makes it all the more impressive when it's finally done, and it will make Prosper's name for posterity. If you're interested, here's the story of the Da Vinci horse; it's pretty interesting: https://www.davincisciencecenter.org/...

So, again, I didn't see the end coming even though I probably should have. I was amused and entertained and ready to read more at the end of this story.

This book had the makings of a good book, but it never got there. Maybe it was the shortness, or undeveloped ideas.

"I have an idea you aren't going to like me very much."

Set in a historically twisted past, our narrator introduces himself as having an unfortunate gift - the ability to sense and converse with demons. One look at someone and he can tell if one of Them are inside. And he's been bestowed with the authority to extract Them...

"Out, I say, and out They have to go. They go, because They know that if They don't, I can haul Them out".

...which can be a painful experience for both the demon and the person. Well, mostly for the demon. Because the human will die.

Our narrator and these demons, they know one another, because there are a finite number of them. They are immortal, they can't die but they also can't reproduce, and they appear to be bound to their territories, unable to travel far, and so our man here, well, he gets to know them and begins to take their menacing personally.

"I feel guilty because I don't feel guilty...The victims aren't what motivates me, not anymore. Or not the only thing... My motivations are my own business, my privilege, and my intolerable burden".

This is not so much a book about the possessed than it is about the revenge this man wishes to exact on the ones that do the possessing. And it's a wicked read!

If you're a fan of unreliable narrators (like myself), then let me tell you this book has a doozy of an unreliable narrator and is definitely for you. A demonic exorcist and a demon-possessed genius go toe to toe in this book with as many twists and surprises as you could possibly want in a book with such an unlikely premise. It's an excellent, quick read. K. J. Parker is definitely an author I will be keeping my eye on, because as good as this book was, I can only imagine what they'll come out with next.

Prosper’s Demon is a compact little novella that exists in an appropriately small space bounded on four sides by Leonardo da Vinci, Good Omens, and the competing definitions of the word “collaboration”, which can either refer to working with someone else to produce something, or working with an enemy to destroy something one is supposed to hold dear.

Prosper of Schanz is very definitely this world’s avatar for Leonardo da Vinci, the genius, inventor and artist of the Renaissance. The ultimate Renaissance man who seemed to excel in every field he touched.

While Prosper of Schanz seems to be equally gifted, as our narrator discovers in the course of this gem, Prosper has a bit of help. Prosper’s genius is, maybe, possibly, as much as 40% Prosper. And 60% the demon that is currently taking him for a ride.

How do we know this? Our narrator, who never is named in the story, has a lifetime of experience with demons. That is, after all, his job. He’s a demon extractor. His duty is to remove demons that are infesting humans. The extraction will certainly cause the demon an excruciating amount of pain. It’s been estimated that the demon will experience 10 times the pain that the human will during the extraction. But demons are immortal, they can survive that pain. They can survive anything. Their human hosts, on the other hand, are not and will not.

It’s one of those “greater good” situations, or the needs of the many outweighing the needs of the few or of the one. Because while the demons are host-less they can’t do any damage. But it’s also a Kobayashi Maru, a no-win scenario, because the human will be seriously damaged by the extraction – if they manage to survive at all.

And it seems like many, possibly even most, don’t. While the demon will eventually find another host and start all over again.

So our demon extractor makes a bargain with the demon he’s supposed to extract. And this is where the reference to Good Omens comes in. Both because the seemingly ultimate implacable enemies are colluding and because the demons have a long-term, an exceedingly long term “Plan”. They are all immortal, they can afford to play a very long game.

Extracting the demon will remove 60% of Prosper’s genius, rendering him pretty much below average. If he survives losing 60% – or so – of his mental capacity. All of the things that he, or rather his demon, have hinted at him producing will never happen. No more art, no more engineering, no more inventions. In the short term, life will be much poorer for many people because Prosper is no more.

The deal is struck. The demon hunter will leave Prosper’s demon in place while Prosper creates a marvel of art and engineering. It will be beautiful and awe-inspiring. The Great Plan that the demons have for mankind would not truly be impacted by the removal of Prosper, but mankind definitely would.

But about that deal. And about that narrow space between collaborating to create a work of artistic genius and collaborating with the enemy. The demon believes that the demon extractor has been convinced to the creation side of that equation, while the demon extractor ruefully opines that he has given into the other.

Or has he?

Escape Rating A: This story is absolutely perfect at its length. Nothing more needs to be said. And at the same time, I wish I knew more about this world and how it works, and just exactly who our unnamed demon-extracting narrator really is. We know more than enough to be absolutely sucker-punched at the end, but I just got sucked into this world and this character and wasn’t ready to be spit out, at least not yet.

Part of that “not ready yet” is that even from inside the protagonist’s head we STILL don’t know what he’s thinking. We’re fooled right along with the demon.

At the same time, this whole thing is a thoughtful exposition (in a marvelously snarky voice) on whether the ends justify the means – and who gets to decide those things. Our narrator seems to enjoy the fear he engenders and the destruction he causes – to the point where it makes his an extremely uncomfortable head to be in. He tells us at the very beginning that we’re not going to like him – and he’s right.

But we also kind of sneakily do. Like him in spite of ourselves, I mean. It feels a bit like he cheated the system, and reprogrammed the Kobayashi Maru. But then, that’s been done before, too. Sometimes the hero cheats. Sometimes the cheater is a hero. Sometimes the hero is a villain. And sometimes the villain is a hero.

It all depends on who sits in judgment. I’m still judging – and shaking my head in amazement at it all.

This is so good that this might be the perfect novella.

Prosper's Demon is an exercise in information reveals. The exposition is deliberate and careful. The narrator (also our protagonist) is unreliable.They are a demon hunter of sorts, and we very quickly get a sense that they are not exactly angelic in action or motivations.

I won't share more and risk spoiling anything, but please read this-- it is exquisite, clever, dark, and so much more.

Quick, clever, dastardly.

PROSPER'S DEMON is a very short read, and I was incredibly impressed by the depth of the story Parker managed to cram into those 58 pages. The voice of our unnamed protagonist is pitch black and pitch perfect, sharp and cutting as a razor. The plot is simple enough - the MC has the ability to (painfully) remove demons from their human hosts, which he does with great pleasure. Certain demons cross his path again and again, until a certain archenemy decides to meddle with the plans of genius scholar Prosper, and his plans to raise a philosopher king.

The result is ... well, I won't spoil it. But there's something strangely cathartic about a character who essentially *never* does the morally right thing. I'm not sure what that says about me as a person, but I digress. There are great questions raised about the grayness of those moral lines, and bigger explorations of human mortality, legacy, and creation. It's an odd length, but memorable, and I'd love to read more novellas in this vein! 4/5

I can definitely see the value of this book and I will be recommending it to the right readers, but for me the humor just wasn't hitting so I ended up not finishing it.

Well this was a surprisingly dark and wonderfully intelligent read.

Prosper's Demon is a well crafted gothic novella that combines a darkly satirical narrative with a brief but interesting plot line.

While the narrator repeatedly warns the reader that he is unlikable, I found him to be very interesting. His actions, especially at the end, were positively ingenious.

The book started off with a bang, and I was immediately hooked. While it got a little redundant around the middle, regarding the making of the horse, the twist at the end, and the way everything came together to fit into place was marvelous.

Parker is an impeccable writer, knowing exactly where to tease his readers, and leave them begging for more information.

At just under 100 pages this novella blew me away! The prose is beautiful and the story is unique. It’s an unusual take on demonic possession and I absolutely loved it. I couldn’t stop thinking about it long after I finished. Highly recommended!

Last but not least for the month of January, a very unusual novella that I ended up really enjoying! We follow our narrator, a morally ambiguous and throughly interesting exorcist, as he removes demons from people. He can see them, speak to them and injure them but he can't kill them. The novella focuses on the narrators thoughts, memories and his actions when he encounters Prosper of Schnaz, the latter is a famed man of science who also happens to be processed by a demon. It sounds like something I'd love and the premise, tone and the narrator were fantastic. Thankfully it wasn't too abstract as I think that would have ruined the book for me but it was a fantastic blend of historical fiction, fantasy and magical realism that I won't be forgetting soon.

An unnamed narrator who is an exorcist, a court physician and philosopher, reminiscent of a true renaissance man, and a possessed heir. A recipe for disaster. Clocking in at just over one hundred pages, this is a fun romp through a renaissance world, inspired by revenge plays of the time, full of Machiavellian energy and brimming with smart philosophical discourse. The novella format works very well here, ending on an unexpected but satisfying conclusion.

If you like dark and gloomy, intellectual and weird, give this one a go.

Greetings, fine folks of the interwebs! Hope you’re all having a great Tuesday. It still feels like I’m living a week that will never end, but who cares about that? I just read THE BEST NOVELLA, and I am here to tell YOU today about PROSPER’S DEMON.

So let’s talk about it.

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In a botched demonic extraction, they say the demon feels it ten times worse than the man. But they don’t die, and we do. Equilibrium.

The unnamed and morally questionable narrator is an exorcist with great follow-through and few doubts. His methods aren’t delicate but they’re undeniably effective: he’ll get the demon out—he just doesn’t particularly care what happens to the person.

Prosper of Schanz is a man of science, determined to raise the world’s first philosopher-king, reared according to the purest principles. Too bad he’s demonically possessed.

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PROSPER’S DEMON opens up with our protagonist, an exorcist, waking up next to a slaughtered body with his first thoughts being, “Welp, look what He made me do this time,” before he proceeds to ditch the body. So right away you know this story is going to kick all kinds of ass.

Being a novella, we’re given a bite-sized story. But that in no way lessens its impact as a narrative – in fact, in my opinion, it increases it. You know the attitude of the protagonist, you’re given the issue he’s faced, and the ending absolutely blindsides you both its scale and its inevitability.

It’s one of my favorite parts, really. Here we have an exorcist who very clearly says, “You’re not going to think I’m a good person,” almost challenging you to find a way to counter his opinion, and then as he explains to you what went down at the climax of the story, he once again throws in your face the fact that at the end of the day, his job isn’t to be a good person. It’s to get the demons out, no matter the cost. Which he does, with explosive results. (I’m doing my best not to spoil this, I truly am, but on god that ending floored me.)

It illustrates to me that people have been going around doing the “lawful good” character all wrong – like, this exorcist from an outside view is doing everything by the book. He’s exorcising people, and getting rid of a demonic taint. It’s a job that never ends because demons don’t die, but he and others like him soldier on regardless. He’s backed by the church, he’s granted accesses that minor men would never dream of . . . and he has no qualms about what effects his actions might have on the others around him.

I don’t want a full novel with this protagonist. I don’t even want to know his name. I’d love an anthology of him running into the same demon over and over until they realize they’re in love but so much of what entices me to him are these things that we don’t know. We know enough of his background to know that by all means, he’s a right to feel the way he does. We’re given enough emotional weight that we can see what it’s done to him, without it weighing him down at inopportune times.

Not to say that I wouldn’t read a full novel of this. I’d be the first in line, and that is a threat.

Prosper, the title character in the story, is also one for the books. I love how his greatest creation becomes his downfall, and even though the writing was on the wall – and even though our protagonist all but explains himself as the story progresses as to what’s probably going to happen – it’s still a huge shock that had me lying on the floor of my hotel room afterwards going, “Hot fuck how did none of us see that coming.”

The writing is absolutely exquisite. The voice of our protagonist comes in loud and clear, to the point of almost hearing how smug he sounds when he tells us things. I wish I was a teacher so I could roll up on my English class like, “Read this and learn how to write better.” (Side note: teachers and professors, there’s nothing wrong with including some spec fic in your syllabus. On god. Signed, someone who will absolutely go feral if they hear the name “Raymond Carver” ever again.)

So yeah I really, really love PROSPER’S DEMON and you should read it and we should talk about it for the rest of forever, the end.

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