TWO OF PENRIC’S MOST INTRIGUING TALES—A SHORT NOVEL AND NOVELLA, COLLECTED TOGETHER FOR THE FIRST TIME.

From Lois McMaster Bujold come the latest entries in the fan favorite fantasy series, Penric & Desdemona. With a brand new introduction from the Science Fiction Grand Master herself, this collection is a must have for fans!

The Assassins of Thasalon, the short novel

An unholy attack upon his brother-in-law, General Arisaydia, pitches sorcerer Learned Penric and his Temple demon Desdemona headlong into the snake-pit of Cedonian imperial politics. But they will not travel alone. The mission from his god brings Penric some of his strangest new allies yet, and the return of some of his most valued old ones.

Knot of Shadows, the novella

When a corpse is found floating face-down in Vilnoc harbor that is not quite as dead as it seems, Temple sorcerer Penric and his chaos demon Desdemona are drawn into the uncanny investigation. Pen’s keen questions will take him across the city of Vilnoc, and into far more profound mysteries, as his search for truths interlaces with tragedy.

A constellation of shining stories set in the vastly diverse space opera world of the Liaden series

The sixth Constellation collects eleven stories set in Sharon Lee and Steve Miller’s vast, versatile, and beloved Liaden Universe^®. Themes range from military to western to found family, and include discovery stories and novel outtakes. All showcase Lee and Miller’s deft touch with characterization and their acclaimed world-building skill. Also included in this volume is the text of Sharon Lee’s speech accepting the Robert A. Heinlein Award for outstanding published works in science fiction literature, which was presented at the 59th Baltimore Science Fiction Convention.

Stories included in this collection are: “Standing Orders,” “Gadreel’s Folly,” “The Last Train to Clarkesville,” “Wise Child,” “Songs of the Fathers,” “From Every Storm a Rainbow,” “Our Lady of Benevolence,” “Chimera,” “Neutral Ground,” “Mother’s Love,” and “Core Values,” plus a foreword from the author, original to this volume.

Artorius and his team must race against time to thwart a looming clash between two ancient powers, navigating a treacherous landscape where their actions could rewrite history and spark a catastrophic conflict.

In a world where history can be rewritten at will, the threads of destiny intertwine in ways no one could have foreseen.

Years after their groundbreaking journey into the past, Artorius and his team stumble upon a devastating revelation: the Chinese government has dispatched five time-travelers and a trove of advanced technology back to 165 CE, during the waning days of the Han dynasty. While believed they were guiding Rome toward a new era of modernization and unity, the emergence of Chinese influence threatens to unravel everything they have fought for.

As whispers of innovation ripple through the ancient world, Artorius and his companions realize they are in a race against time—not just to protect their vision for a united future, but to prevent a catastrophic clash that could bring about nuclear war centuries sooner than they ever imagined.

With their own presence now at risk of exposure, they must navigate the treacherous waters of politics, technology, and culture in a world caught between two colossal powers. As the balance of history teeters on a knife's edge, loyalties will be tested, alliances forged, and the very fabric of fate will hang in the balance.

Conspiracy Theories Meet Superhero Reality

ALL IT TAKES

It’s there for anyone to see: There are dark forces at work on the world, working to destroy civilization. All it takes for evil to triumph is for good men to stand by and do nothing. We need a good guy.

NOT ALL HEROES WEAR CAPES—BUT SOME DO

For a generation, individuals have arisen with super powers, able to change the course of history, or at least save a few lives. But these people have free will—and not all choose to work for the forces of good. We need someone with an unblotted escutcheon, a Galahad for the 21st Century, someone pure of ethics and morality.

NOT THAT KIND OF GOOD GUY

What we get is Michael: the product of a broken childhood, raised in the foster system of one of America’s most dangerous inner cities, his wisdom comes from drug addicts and whores. Maybe he’s not the hero we asked for, but he’s the hero we need. And he’s about to hit puberty.

In the Year of our Lord 1633, Mary Margret Russo graduates from Grantville High School at the top of her class. The beautiful and strong willed up-timer, as the people from the future are called, is mysteriously hired by a branch of the wealthiest family in the world. Mary finds herself far from her family, living in a beautiful castle in the Inn Valley of Tyrol. There she meets Counts, Countesses, the handsome and distant Count Johann Franz, and works hard as a teacher and consultant among the one-percenters of the day. But all is not what it seems in this gilded world, where religion, undercurrents of witchcraft, and vast sums of money create high-stakes contests, and where treachery and death await the unwary or the unprepared. Can a resolute and intelligent girl find love, happiness, and purpose in this world where she is the ultimate outsider, out of her time, alone, and in dangers she cannot comprehend?