THREE PENRIC AND DESDEMONA NOVELLAS IN THE WORLD OF THE FIVE GODS BY GRAND MASTER LOIS McMASTER BUJOLD. INCLUDES "MASQUERADE IN LODI," "THE ORPHANS OF RASPAY," AND "THE PHYSICIANS OF VILNOC." Penric and Desdemona are back in three novellas from Grand Master Lois McMaster Bujold. Masquerade in Lodi: Bastard''s Eve is a night of celebration for most residents in the canal city of Lodi--but not for sorcerer Learned Penric and his Temple demon Desdemona, who find themselves caught up in the affairs of a shiplost madman, a dangerous ascendant demon, and a very unexpected saint of the fifth god. The Orphans of Raspay: When the ship in which they are traveling is captured by Carpagamon island raiders, Penric and Desdemona find their life complicated by two young orphans, Lencia and Seuka Corva, who are far from home and searching for their missing father. Pen and Des will need all their combined talents of mind and magic to unravel the mysteries of the sisters and escape from the pirate stronghold. The Physicians of Vilnoc: When a mysterious plague breaks out in the army fort guarding Vilnoc, the port capital of the duchy of Orbas, Penric and Desdemona are called upon by General Arisaydia to resurrect Penric''s medical skills and solve its lethal riddle. In the grueling days that follow, Pen will find that even his magic is not enough to meet the challenges without help from dedicated new colleagues--and the god of mischance.

Also includes a new introduction, "outroduction," and suggested reading order by Lois McMaster Bujold! 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 Praise for 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.