On his way to his betrothal, young Lord Penric comes upon a using accident with an seniors lady on the floor, her maidservant and guardsmen distraught. As he methods to help, he discovers that the girl is certainly a Temple divine, servant to the five gods of the world. Her avowed god may be the Bastard, “grasp of all disasters out of season,” and with her dying breath she bequeaths her inexplicable capabilities to Penric. From that minute on, Penric’s existence is irreversibly changed, and his existence is in peril from those who envy or fear him.

Set in the fantasy world of the author’s acclaimed books The Curse of Chalion, Paladin of Souls, and The Hallowed Hunt, this novella has the depth of characterization and emotional intricacy that distinguishes Bujold’s function.

“[Bujold’s] work continues to be being among the most exciting and satisfying in modern SF.”-Publishers Weekly, compliment for the writer