The Prophecy of Tendarrion - or at least, one obvious reading thereof - said that the time was coming for the goddess Jirilis to die.

Jirilis was understandably unhappy about this. Her plans for the future did not involve dying yet. But a prophecy is a prophecy.

Prophecies, however, are notoriously fickle about exactly what precise interpretation of them turns out in the end to be correct. That was an exploitable loophole. But Jirilis could not exploit it herself. That was, to greatly oversimplify the explanation, 'against the rules.' Prophecy didn't work that way.

Jirilis needed a champion. Not one who could win battles for her, not one who could slay mighty enemies for her, not one who would spread her word or perform heroic deeds in her name.

No, Jirilis needed a champion who could subvert a prophecy. And she had an idea that she knew just who that might be. She had had her eye on him for some time, in fact.

Fortunately, he was already coming to her. Though he might need a little help.

That was alright. Jirilis had one of the most powerful incentives to help him that there could possibly be.

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Sean Fenian's Godthief is a standalone fantasy novel set in an alternate world that might or might not be "real". It delves into the nature of gods and the mechanisms of prophecy, and what we really mean when we say "Paladin", all against a background of the aftermath of a thousand-years-past, almost-world-shattering demon war.

Godthief is (c) 2025 by Sean Fenian and Fenian House Publishing.