World of the Five Gods

MYSTERY AND MAGIC FROM A LEGENDARY MASTER

Footloose nobleman Penric journeys from young lord to sorcerer and scholar in the Bastard’s Order—and solves mysteries along the way.

Penric’s Demon: On the way to his betrothal, young Lord Penric happens upon a riding accident and stops to help. But the victim 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.” As she lies dying, she passes her strange powers to Penric—and changes the course of his life forever.

Penric and the Shaman: Now a divine of the Bastard’s Order as well as a sorcerer and scholar, Penric must accompany a Locator of the Father’s Order assigned to capture a runaway shaman charged with the murder of his best friend.

Penric’s Fox: When Penric—sorcerer, scholar, and divine in the Bastard’s Order—travels to Easthome, the capital of the Weald, he once again finds himself embroiled in a mystery. The body of a sorceress has been found in the woods, and it is up to Penric and his friends, Shaman Inglis and Locator Oswyl, to unravel a mystery mixing magic, murder, and the strange realities of Temple demons.

Praise for the Penric & Desdemona series:

“Lord Penric, Pen to his friends and Penric to others, is a fabulous character. He's got a serious problem; he's never been trained to handle so he's doing the best he can. This ruffles the feathers or exasperates the other characters that he comes in contact with throughout the story. There's tension, danger, humor, and some interesting insights into various human traits.” —SFRevu

“Another thoroughly engaging entry in the Penric and Desdemona series. There are some truly interesting new characters, a medical mystery to be solved, lots of great dialogue, and some philosophical issues to think about when you finish the story. What could be better?” —SFRevu

“An engaging revisitation of the world of the Five Gods. Another felicitous combination of formerly told tales, again meshing masterfully (mistressfully?)” —Seattle Book Review

“[F]illed with a satisfying blend of strong characters and wry humor.” —Publishers Weekly

“Fans of fantasy with clever, innocent underdog characters will root for Penric to beat the odds and hope to visit him and his demon again.” —Booklist

“Bujold’s fans will be delighted with this latest adventure featuring Penric and his resident demon.” —Booklist

“Bujold continues to expand her "Five Gods" world, reviving familiar faces along the way. The fascinating relationship between Penric and Desdemona is especially fun.” —Library Journal

“Bujold's many faithful readers will delight in this engaging blend of mystery and magic.” —Library Journal

“Changing points of view make earlier chapters a little challenging, but strong secondary characters and Bujold's amazing worldbuilding will please readers of this swift-paced series.” —Library Journal

“Fast action and dialog create a humorous and satisfying story that shows the intriguing connection between sorcerer and demon.” —Kristi Chadwick, Massachusetts Library System

“Bujold's nuanced writing vividly shows the unique relationship between Penric and Desdemona and their journey that continues to grow in action-filled ways.” —Library Journal

“Bujold's fans will appreciate this novella, which returns to her World of the Five Gods and beloved maturing characters.” —Library Journal

About Lois McMaster Bujold:
"The pace is breathless, the characterization thoughtful and emotionally powerful, and the author's narrative technique and command of language compelling. Highly recommended."—Booklist

"If you love solid space opera rooted in strong character, you can't go wrong . . . The Warrior's Apprentice already displays the craft and the heart which would soon make Lois McMaster Bujold one of the most feted talents in SF."—SF Reviews

“Bujold is adept at worldbuilding and provides a witty, character-centered plot, full of exquisite grace notes . . . fans will be thoroughly gripped and likely to finish the book in a single sitting.”—Publishers Weekly on Diplomatic Immunity