Penric's Demon

Book excerpt: On his way to his betrothal, young Lord Penric comes upon a riding accident with an elderly lady on the ground, her maidservant and guardsmen distraught. As he approaches to help, he discovers that the lady is a Temple divine, servant to the five gods of this world. Her avowed god is The Bastard, "master of all disasters out of season", and with her dying breath she bequeaths her mysterious powers to Penric. From that moment on, Penric's life is irreversibly changed, and his life is in danger from those who envy or fear him. Set in the fantasy world of the author's acclaimed novels THE CURSE OF CHALION, PALADIN OF SOULS and THE HALLOWED HUNT, this novella has the depth of characterization and emotional complexity that distinguishes all Bujold's work. “Bujold’s delightful latest tale of Penric … is another winner in Bujold’s already strong series.” - Publisher’s Weekly *Starred Review* on “The Prisoner of Limnos” “Series fans and fantasy readers who seek well-drawn characters will love this tale.” - Publisher’s Weekly on “Mira’s Last Dance” “Best-selling author Bujold follows her Hugo-nominated “Penric and the Shaman” (2017) with another adventure featuring the sorcerer Penric and his resident 200-year-old chaos demon, Desdemona. ... Series fans will be delighted with this tale, which begs for continuation.” - Booklist on “Penric's Mission” “Set in the ‘World of The Five Gods’ (The Curse of Chalion; Paladin of Souls; The Hallowed Hunt), Bujold’s novella takes series fans back to a well-known realm in an exciting new adventure. The varied voices, especially between Pen and Desdemona, add a fun slant to a serious tale." - Library Journal on “Penric and the Shaman” “Bujold follows ‘Penric’s Demon’ with another brief tale set in her World of the Five Gods, this time combining supernatural sleuthing with finely drawn characters and a panoply of emotions... This is a wonderful expansion of her World of the Five Gods." - Publisher’s Weekly *Starred Review* on “Penric and the Shaman” “Fans of the Chalion tales will again be drawn in by the intrigue of the religious dynamics, the fantasy aspects of the "magic" and the complexity of character that Bujold is so masterful at creating.” - RT Book Reviews on “Penric’s Demon”