This short package of stories is mostly forgettable, with much of it reading like b-plots from other novels. The notable exception is the story that tells how Cadfael left his soldiering life and joined the Benedictine order. This one definitely delivers the best and most complete tale of the collection, and the peak at young(ish) Cadfael is exciting, he's strangely distant as a younger man, and keeps his thoughts hidden even from the reader. I'm still unsure if it's clever characterization, or just weirdly flat. Still, a fun little read.