2024 fantasy novella in the World of the Five Gods (formerly known as
Chalion). Roz the bandit has fallen out with his gang, and is looking
for a new pigeon to pluck. And the traveller he meets at an inn seems
like a good prospective victim. He even has a treasure map…
This is told from mixed viewpoints, some Roz and some Penric
(because of course it is he). And in principle what it's about is a
trip to an abandoned temple, in the hope of recovering some lost
manuscripts… but the point is much more that Penric, who has
instantly worked out what's going on with Roz, finds himself seeing a
path for Roz that doesn't involve continued unsuccessful banditry
followed by death (possibly from his own former colleagues).
There's also a lot of practical travel, including things like eating
the food bought from the inn in the right order so that on day four
what's in your bag will still be at least edible if not pleasant, and
some shenanigans involving the abandoned temple. Matters mostly
conclude with a desperate fight, showing the full development of
Penric's and Desdemona's sorcerous powers.
But all of that action is very much in the background to the story of
Roz's possible redemption. (What do you find to do if your experience
is working on a road gang, being a drafted soldier, and being a
bandit? Especially if they're still looking for you for banditry and
desertion?)
Good stuff. There wouldn't be enough here to make a novel, but as a
novella it works rather well.