Eye of the Storm-ARC

Advance Reader Copy
Unproofed

The Fight for the Galaxy is On!

Earth's Posleen invasion is contained—at a huge cost in human blood and anguish. Now hard-nosed commander Mike O'Neal discovers that he's saved our world only to unwittingly lead humanity into slavery. It's another twist of the knife in the human back courtesy of those wannabe Masters of the Universe, the Darhel. But the Darhel are about to experience an even nastier revelation of their own. For there are other universes—universes with occupants so ravenous they make the Posleen horde seem like a Boy Scout troop. Occupants with the mind-bending power to open a door between realities—and invade a certain double-spiral galaxy like the plague!  As war turns to rout and slaughter, the Darhel have no choice but to beg the one man who hates them more than anything to lead the counter-attack.  General O'Neal, welcome to your destiny. The galaxy that betrayed you is now depending on you for salvation!

At long last — the latest and greatest entry in military SF master John Ringo's ground-breaking "Posleen War" series, and a direct sequel to his New York Times best-seller Hell's Faire.

"If Tom Clancy were writing SF, it would read much like John Ringo."
—Philadelphia Weekly Press.

"[Combines] fast-moving battle scenes with vignettes of individual courage and sacrifice."
—Library Journal on New York Times and USA Today best-seller John Ringo's "Posleen War" saga.

Cover Art by Kurt Miller

Hardcover
This is a work of fiction. All the characters and events portrayed in this book are fictional, and any resemblance to real people or incidents is purely coincidental.

First printing, June 2009

Distributed by Simon & Schuster
1230 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10020

Pages by Joy Freeman (www.pagesbyjoy.com)
Printed in the United States of America

ISBN-13: 978-A1-4391-3273-9
ISBN-10: A1-4391-3273-9

Copyright© 2009 by John Ringo

All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form.

A Baen Books Original
Baen publishing Enterprises
P.O. Box 1403
Riverdale, NY 10471
https://www.baen.com

Electronic version by Baen Books
https://www.baen.com

To Jim Baen,
my mentor, my publisher and my friend.
Just trying to pay forward.

Baen Books by John Ringo

The Legacy of Aldenata Series

A Hymn Before Battle by John Ringo
Gust Front by John Ringo
When the Devil Dances by John Ringo
Hell's Faire by John Ringo
The Hero by John Ringo & Michael Z. Williamson
Cally's War by John Ringo & Julie Cochrane
Watch on the Rhine by John Ringo & Tom Kratman
Yellow Eyes by John Ringo & Tom Kratman
Sister Time by John Ringo & Julie Cochrane
Eye of the Storm by John Ringo

There Will Be Dragons
Emerald Sea
Against the Tide
East of the Sun, West of the Moon

Ghost
Kildar
Choosers of the Slain
Unto the Breach
A Deeper Blue

Princess of Wands

Into the Looking Glass
The Vorpal Blade with Travis S. Taylor
Manxome Foe with Travis S. Taylor (forthcoming)

Von Neumann's War with Travis S. Taylor

The Road to Damascus with Linda Evans

with David Weber:

March Upcountry
March to the Sea
March to the Stars
We Few

Acknowledgements

I'd like to thank some people for their help in finally getting this novel done.

Jim Baen, deceased by three days when I finally figured out how to continue the story of Michael O'Neal. Because I swear to God I heard him say "do it this way, Johnny." This one's for you, Jim.

Miriam Sloan for back rubs, hot tea and just being her.

Rogue, Jessica and the rest of Cruxshadows.

Tom Kratman and Julie Cochrane for expanding the vision of the Aldenata universe and the characters therein. And for telling me "It's done, John. Turn it in."

Ben-David Singleton for actually organizing my randomized characters, systems and TOE.

The various members of RingTAB for corrections of some very obvious errors.

Conrad Chu, PhD and Doug Miller, USAR for physics and electrical help, respectively.

Now on with the show.