I aspire to have as a good of retirement output as Bujold does. I snap these novellas up as soon as I see them – they’re just such a great read.
This story isn’t really revolutionary – Pen’s journeying into the countryside to find a forgotten shrine to his god, the Bastard. In a small town near the purported location, he meets a man named Roz. And since Pen is who he is, he knows Roz is a local bandit and considers Pen a mark. But the Bastard is the patron of thieves, as well as lost causes becoming found, and Pen sees something in Roz. So off to find the shrine they go, and adventure follows.
Good, solid characters, and just a lovely story in a lovely world.