When a mysterious plague breaks out in the army fort guarding Vilnoc, the port capital of the duchy of Orbas, Temple sorcerer Penric and his demon 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.

"The Physicians of Vilnoc" is the eighth Penric & Desdemona novella, following about a year after the events of "The Orphans of Raspay".

"Bujold's delightful latest tale of Penric … is another winner in Bujold's already strong series."
- Publisher's Weekly Starred Review on "The Prisoner of Limnos"

"Series fans and fantasy readers who seek well-drawn characters will love this tale."
- Publisher's Weekly on "Mira's Last Dance"

"Best-selling author Bujold follows her Hugo-nominated "Penric and the Shaman" (2017) with another adventure featuring the sorcerer Penric and his resident 200-year-old chaos demon, Desdemona. ... Series fans will be delighted with this tale, which begs for continuation."
- Booklist on "Penric's Mission"

"Set in the 'World of The Five Gods' (The Curse of Chalion; Paladin of Souls; The Hallowed Hunt), Bujold's novella takes series fans back to a well-known realm in an exciting new adventure. The varied voices, especially between Pen and Desdemona, add a fun slant to a serious tale."
- Library Journal on "Penric and the Shaman"

"Bujold follows 'Penric's Demon' with another brief tale set in her World of the Five Gods, this time combining supernatural sleuthing with finely drawn characters and a panoply of emotions... This is a wonderful expansion of her World of the Five Gods."
- Publisher's Weekly Starred Review on "Penric and the Shaman"

"Fans of the Chalion tales will again be drawn in by the intrigue of the religious dynamics, the fantasy aspects of the "magic" and the complexity of character that Bujold is so masterful at creating."
- RT Book Reviews on "Penric's Demon"