Seven Brides for Seven Bastards

The Sisterhood (a band of hardened and successful adventurers) consists of nine close comrades (including the seven titular bastards): an ex-imperial assassin Chaegurd, a grizzled mighty veteran Duinglas, and a vicious berserker and despoiler of women Viksgald. Also Foldric, a tormented but brave former bard, Zala, a doughty warrior woman and former gladiator, Brimsaga and Sibil, two fell fighters, and Leah, a young girl who has trained in all aspects of warfare. The ninth comrade, Slim, is an enchanting woman, previously forced to work as a whore, who binds them all together. 

Accompanying the Sisterhood are many camp followers and hangers on, led by the bold but scarred Cephie, with Amstal, a quiet but lusty lass, and Angel, a toddler terror.

The Sisterhood slays the Bardrachad champion Breargrar and are paid a fortune in gold by the Draggans (the formidable army) of the Fenigruin Empire, the force being led by Lord Melkor. 

Having amassed a fortune, the Sisterhood decide to retire from adventuring and find refuge in the Castle of the Dead in the remote mountainous north. They also decide to acquire fresh girls (brides) by force, if necessary. 

They take one last job and along with their followers — floozies, dandies, lost ladies and laddies, children and runaways — travel to Alamata, the White City far to the east, where the city is blockaded by imperial forces in a dispute over tax revenues.

The seven ‘brides’ are to be: Raechil, a girl from a strict religious sect known as the D-Harna, betrothed to an aged man many years her senior whom she is to meet for the first time in Alamata. Storm, a wily street-girl from the White City, who turns to violence and prostitution to survive. Gelda, a passionate farmer whose drunken lazy husband owns her family farm and has unexpectedly brought her to the best inn in Alamata. Dryffe, friend of Storm, a dancer and prostitute, who has her money — carefully saved for a better life — stolen. Leilani, the pampered and forgetful daughter of a Count, whose life mostly consists of boring formal occasions, apart from a recent disturbing encounter with the notorious princess Natisstathe. On the sea journey to meet her betrothed, Leilani’s father breaks their journey at Alamata, despite being forbidden to do so. Xapheron, feisty daughter of a merchant adventurer of the city, is deeply in love but a malison (prophecy) decrees that she shall die when she is 21 and take her lover to the grave with her. The final ‘bride’ is a nameless girl (later known as Izarrah), a nun in the abbey of Alamata, who has been imprisoned all her life but has the supernatural ability ‘to see inside’ people and possibly much more.

At Alamata the Sisterhood is again employed by the Draggans, Slim arranging the deal with Soulsender, the mighty and charismatic general. So the Sisterhood cunningly betray the city by treacherously opening the main gates. During the subsequent sack and plunder, they acquire their seven brides. 

Foldric meets Gelda, and Zala rescues Xapheron. In the main square, the girl (Izarrah) from the abbey, while being pursued by assassins of the Xenic church, is saved by Brimsaga. Storm and Dryffe then join up with Sibil and Duinglas. 

These ten find shelter until morning, while Chaegurd, on an errand to steal jewellery for Slim, rescues Leilani. Viksgald, having glimpsed Raechil, had already identified the location of her betrothed’s residence, breaks in and saves her from kidnap and slavery. She flees and then only agrees to go with him after he threatens the life of her family. Viksgald and Raechil rescue a wounded adventurer called Spider.

The brides are taken to the Sisterhood camp, where Viksgald brutally rapes Raechil and Zala Xapheron. Though most settle in as far as they can, there are simmering tensions: between Viksgald and Raechil, between Raechil and Storm, and between Storm and many of the others. The nameless girl, now widely called Izarrah, knows no sin and, with her newly discovered freedom, is uninhibited and amorous. 

While on a trip to a neighbouring village a group rescue a raddled working girl Ana, who joins the mercenary camp.

The Sisterhood soon discovers that Izarrah has special powers. She may even be the third Messiah, as described in the doctrine of the D-Harna and Xenic church. They also realise that the Sanctorum Police, the fanatical forces of the Xenic Church, are hunting Izarrah, accusing her of being an evil succubus and murderous demon. They have the mercenary camp surrounded.

Leilani and Spider manage to flee the camp while Chaegurd rides north, hoping to find a ship which can take them to the City of the Dead.

The concluding part describes the bloody attack on the mercenary camp by the Sanctorum Police, who slaughter everyone they encounter as they seek Izarrah. 

In the final desperate defence, Raechil, Viksgald, Leah and Brimsaga form the rearguard. Brimsaga is eventually slain, as is Cephie, and all of them would have died but they are saved at the last moment by the intervention of the Draggans. Raechil is freed, along with Ana and Angel, but Viksgald and Leah are taken to be sold as slaves. Xapheron and Zala, attempting to protect fleeing women and children, are killed.

The last few of the Sisterhood reach the coast. They are attacked repeatedly but manage to fight off the poorly trained Sanctorum Police. Foldric, however, is mortally wounded in a melee while Gelda, Storm and Sibil are captured, also to be sold as slaves.

At the last moment, Chaegurd arrives by ship and the final few survivors manage to escape: Chaegurd, Duinglas, Izarrah and Dryffe among them. 

Still pursued by their enemies, they travel to the Castle of the Dead, only just reaching the gates of that haunted fortress ahead of the Sanctorum cavalry. 

Slim, however, although surviving the battle, has ridden off on her own.

The second part of the pentalogy of THE SISTERHOOD covers the further adventures of the survivors as they deal with loss and separation, slavery and despair, and the rebuilding and melding of the Sisterhood, tracking the fate of comrades and ensuring a safe refuge at the Castle of the Dead.