When it all began, it was just supposed to be a game: Seven college students sitting down for an evening of role playing. But a real wizard intervened, and the students found themselves in a world where magic worked—too well—with their only way home the near-mythical Gate Between Worlds.

Years later, their earthlike existence now seems like a fading dream. They have fought and tricked their way into positions of power, seeking justice for all and the abolition of slavery. But they have also made many powerful and dangerous enemies. And one of these in particular has decided that the time is ripe for eliminating these idealistic troublemakers once and for all. . . .

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Joel Rosenberg was born in Winnepeg, Manitoba, Canada and raised in North Dakota and Connecticut. His occupations have included driving a truck, caring for the institutionalized retarded, bookkeeping, gambling, motel desk-clerking, and passing himself off as a head chef.

His first sale was an op-ed piece favoring nuclear power, appearing in The New York Times. His Guardians of the Flame novels have been bestsellers, and given him a huge readership in fantasy. His science fiction novels, including Ties of Blood, Emile and the Dutchman, Not for Glory, and Hero have been equally popular and received critical acclaim. With his new novel, Paladins (Baen), he has begun a new heroic fantasy series.

He lives in Minneapolis with his wife and daughters.

The hottest team
in military SF is back in action—
with Book I of a red-hot sequel
to The General series!

Planted by interstellar probes on hundreds of human-occupied worlds, the downloaded personalities of Raj Whitehall and the ancient battle computer known as Center work together for planetary unity. Their goal is to prepare those worlds for membership in the Second Federation of Man. But on one planet they do the opposite: on Visager they work to prevent unity. For on Visager a nation-state of vicious militarists is about to start the final war to unite their world-once that is accomplished and their technology has matured they will turn outward, bringing their fatal racist infection to the stars. ,

John Hosten is the son of a high general of the Chosen. Jeffrey Fair is the son of an admiral of the only nation on Visager that might be capable of halting the onslaught. Through a strange twist of fate they have become as brothers united in their hatred of all that the Chosen hope to do. Only they—with the aid of the disembodied voices of their mentors from the stars-stand between eternal tyranny'for their world and eternal war for the galaxy.

by Mark Shepherd

Bahzell of the Hradani is Back!
Exciting Fantasy Adventure
by the New York Times
Best-Selling Author of the
Honor Harrington Series.

In The War God's Own, Bahzell had managed to stop a war by convincing Baron Tellian, leader of the Sothoii, to "surrender" to him, the War God's champion. Now, he has journeyed to the Sothoii Wind Plain to oversee the parole he granted to Tellian and his men, to represent the Order of Tomanak, the War God, and to be an ambassador for the hradani. What's more, the flying coursers of the Sothoii have accepted Bahzell as a windrider—the first hradani windrider in history. And since the windriders are the elite of the elite among the Sothoii, Bahzell's ascension is as likely to stir resentment as respect. That combination of duties would have been enough to keep anyone busy—even a warrior prince like Bahzell—but additional complications are bubbling under the surface. The goddess Shigu, the Queen of Hell, is sowing dissension among the war maids of the Sothoii. The supporters of the deposed Sothoii noble who started the war are plotting to murder their new leige lord and frame Bahzell for the deed. Of course, those problems are all in a day's work for a champion of the War God. But what is Bahzell going to do about the fact that Baron Tellian's daughter, the heir to the realm, seems to be thinking that he is the only man—or hradani—for her

Praise for the Earlier Novels in the Series:

Oath of Swords
"David Weber branches out into fantasy with this latest novel, and does as well as he does with hardware-heavy space opera . . . colorful characters . . . compelling reading, with plenty of sword & sorcery action and a pleasant sense of humor." —Locus

"The creator of SF series heroine Honor Harrington turns successfully to fantasy . . . Weber is . . . emerging as a consistent producer of highly entertaining and intelligent action tales." —Booklist

The War God's Own
"The action is brisk, the world-building an intelligent extrapolation from classic fantasy elements. . . . Most fantasy fans should find the novel . . . irresistibly entertaining fare. . . ." —Publishers Weekly

"Filled with memorable and distinctive characters . . . [The War God's Own] will have new readers looking for the first book and anticipating the sure-to-come third. . . . Weber proves his talent for the storyteller's cadences . . . this book is for readers who enjoy immersing themselves in the myriad dimensions of an alternative world." —VOYA

"Excellent fantasy drama. . . ." —The Bookwatch

"Bahzell Bahnakson, the reluctant hero of Oath of Swords, returns in this entertaining fantasy sequel . . . there's plenty of action and amusing banter . . . making it a great read." —Locus

". . . a well realized fantasy world . . . Weber deftly fleshes out such concepts as the undergound cities of the tale's dwarves, the immortality of its elves, [and] the power of its demons to destroy those who summon them. . . ." —Booklist

W200405 May 2004 Monthly Baen Bundle

Wind Rider's Oath

by David Weber

The Regiment: A Trilogy

by John Dalmas

The Chosen

The Houses of the Kzinti

by Jerry Pournelle, Dean Ing and S. M. Stirling

Between the Strokes of Night

by Charles Sheffield

Hour of the Gremlins

by Gordon R. Dickson and Ben Bova

The Epic Struggle of Freedom and Justice
Against the Tyrannies of the 17th Century Continues,
as European Cunning Meets American Courage!

The Thirty Years War continues to ravage 17th century Europe, but a new force is gathering power and influence: the Confederated Principalities of Europe, an alliance between Gustavus Adolphus, King of Sweden, and the West Virginians from the 20th century led by Mike Stearns who were hurled centuries into the past by a mysterious cosmic accident. The democratic ideals of the CPE have aroused the implacable hostility of Cardinal Richelieu, effective ruler of France, who has moved behind the scenes, making common cause with old enemies to stop this new threat to the privileged and powerful. But the CPE is also working in secret. A group of West Virginians have secretly traveled to Venice where their advanced medical knowledge may prevent the recurrence of the terrible plague which recently killed a third of the city-state's population. At the same time, the group hopes to establish commercial ties with Turkey's Ottoman Empire, then at the height of its power. And, most important, they hope to establish private diplomatic ties with the Vatican, exploiting Pope Urban VIII's misgivings about the actions of Richelieu and the Hapsburgs. But a Venetian artisan involved with the West Virginians may cause all their plans to come to naught. Having read 20th century history books of the period, he has become determined to rescue Galileo from his trial for heresy. The Americans are divided on whether to help him or stop him—and whether he succeeds or fails, the results may be catastrophic for the CPE.

Praise for Earlier Novels in the Series:

"A rich complex alternate history with great characters and vivid action. A great read and an excellent book."
—David Drake

"Gripping . . . depicted with power!"
—Publishers Weekly

". . . formidable historiography, wit, balance (there are few stupid bad guys—well, England's Charles I), intelligently ferocious women, and mouth-watering displays of alternate technology . . . [many readers] will turn every page and cry for more!"
—Booklist

"[Flint takes] historic speculation to a new level in a tale that combines accurate historical research with bold leaps of the imagination. Fans of alternate history and military sf should enjoy this rousing tale of adventure and intrigue."
—Library Journal

The Empress of Earth

Finest passenger liner in the galaxy —

Brightest link in the chain that binds the starflung civilization of the 23rd century—

Six thousand lives in a single hull, trembling through multiple universes to land on raw, often violent worlds, each with its own history and wonder —

The Empress of Earth

Neutral pawn in an interstellar war!

When hostile necessity knows no law, Ran Colville and the rest of the complement of the Empress of Earth must bring home their ship and the passengers entrusted to them. From the Captain on his bridge to the Cold Crewmen who work in conditions that differ from Hell only by name, they'll have their work cut out for them this voyage!

The planet Korwar was a glittering jewel of a world, inhabited by the galaxy's wealthiest, visited by the upper classes of other worlds in search of diversion. The jewel had a flaw: the Dipple, its name coming from a contraction of "displaced person," where the misfits, the hopeless, the penniless eke out a wretched existence on the dole. Two young men hoped to escape from the Dipple:

Troy Horan was deported from his own planet after it lost an interstellar war. When he had a chance to work in an unusual pet shop, offering exotic creatures from other worlds to the wealthy, he though his luck had changed. But the owner was playing a dangerous game of intrigue, and when he was murdered Troy barely escaped with his own life. Aided only by telepathic animals from old Terra who had befriended him, he had no choice but to hide in ruins left behind by the now-vanished original inhabitants of Korwar; ruins which explorers had entered without returning. . . .

Nik Kolherne had a face so cruelly scared and disfigured that he wore a mask to cover it. When he was recruited with a promise of being given a new face, a face which would make a young heir think he was someone else, he was uneasy, but accepted the offer. Then he found out that he was party to a kidnapping for more sinister purposes than he had been told, and he was the only hope of the young heir's survival—if the two of them could survive on a planet veiled in eternal night, swarming with dangerous predators. . . .

Publisher's Note: Masks of the Outcasts has previously appeared separately as Catseye and Night of Masks. This is the first combined publication of the complete book.

In a future where humanity has scattered itself across the stars and Earth itself is now a dimly-remembered place of legend, two worlds of near-supernatural strangeness challenge two naive but courageous heroes. The planet Beltane had been unscathed by the all-encompassing war of the four Sectors when Vere Collis and his friends, exploring caves underground, were trapped by powerful explosions on the surface. Their leader was killed, but the group wandered for days underground to find a way to the surface. They emerged to find that they were the last human survivors on Beltane. Only strange and deadly mutant creatures now roamed the surface.

Elsewhere in the galaxy, Kilda's home planet had no place for her, so she took employment as a teacher and governess to two young children on the planet named Dylan. But she soon found that one of her charges has an invisible "dread companion"—and soon Kilda knows that the companion is not imaginary at all, as it leads her charges into an other-dimensional world resembling the legends of Faerie. Though the other world has unknown dangers on every hand, Kilda follows the children across the spatial barrier, knowing that she is their only hope. Two complete novels of two very different heroes battling alien and unknown evil, and fighting to protect the helpless in worlds that are wondrous, terrifying, and utterly alien.

Publisher's Note: Dark Companion has previously appeared separately as Dark Piper and Dread Companion. This is the first combined publication of the complete book.

From the Far Reaches of Space to the Unknown Depths of Past Time
—Rapid-fire Science Fiction Adventure from
"One of the most popular authors of our time."
(Publishers Weekly)

Was Andas an android—or the rightful Emperor, held prisoner on a distant planet while an android impersonated him on the Empire's throne world Was Tallhassee Mitford a modern archaeologist suffering from strange delusions, or has an ancient Egyptian ankh somehow hurled her personality far back in the mists of time to a Nubian kingdom where she is now a warrior princess named Ashake, caught up in a struggle between the gods of Egypt Two very different heroes in the grip of forces beyond control, beyond comprehension, both destined to be the only hope of doomed civilizations. . . .

Publisher's Note: Gods and Androids has previously appeared separately as Android at Arms and Wraiths of Time. This is the first combined publication of the complete book.

"Engrossing . . . Norton in top form!" —Booklist

"Norton . . . at her best!" —Publishers Weekly

"Excellent . . . science fiction at its best." —Oregonian

"A superb storyteller!" —Chicago Tribune

W200404 April 2004 Monthly Baen Bundle

1634: The Galileo Affair

by Eric Flint and Andrew Dennis

The Second Coming

by John Dalmas

Gods and Androids

by Andre Norton

March to the Stars

by David Weber and John Ringo

Resurgence

by Charles Sheffield

Advance and Retreat

by Harry Turtledove

Starliner

by David Drake

Two novels in one large volume,
both set in the same universe as
The Ship Who Sang:

The City Who Fought: Simeon was bored with running the mining and processing station that made up his "body." If anyone was to survive, somehow he must transform his wargaming hobby into the real thing and become The City Who Fought.

The Ship Avenged: Ten years later, Joat, the eleven year old techno-demon heroine of the first novel is now an adult herself. She and her ship are on the trail of the Kolnari space raiders, trying to stop them before they can spread an infectious, mind-destroying disease among the inhabited stars and destroy civilization throughout the galaxy.

Two Top-Selling Sequels to Anne McCaffrey's The Ship Who Sang in One Volume

"Anne McCaffrey and S.M. Stirling have, in The City Who Fought, combined her brain-ships and his military expertise to produce a superior book." —Chicago Sun-Times

"McCaffrey and Stirling create vivid heroes and villains in a complex and deadly game." —Publishers Weekly

"Intriguing . . . McCaffrey and Stirling have produced a book that expands the boundaries of the series to which it belongs, yet remains consistent with the cycle's overall design. Fans of both writers should be more than pleased." —Dragon

"[The Ship Avenged is a] compelling story of resourcefulness and politics in space." — Midwest Book Review

Keith Laumer's Bolos are Back
—and New York Times Best-Selling
Author John Ringo has Signed on
with the Bolo Brigade!

When a ruthless political regime seizes power on a world struggling to recover from alien invasion, a former war hero finds herself leading a desperate band of freedom fighters. Kafari Khrustinova, who fought Deng infantry from farmhouses and barns, finds herself struggling to free her homeworld from an unholy political alliance, headed by the charismatic and ambitious Vittori Santorini, which has seduced her young daughter with its propaganda and subverted the planet's Bolo, using the war machine to crush all political opposition. To free her homeworld, Kafari must somehow cripple or kill the Bolo she once called friend. Unit SOL-0045, "Sonny," is a Mark XX Bolo, self-aware and intelligent. When Sonny's human commander is forced off-world, Sonny tries to navigate his way through ambiguous moral and legal issues, sinking into deep confusion and electronic misery. He eventually faces a dark night of the soul, with no guarantee that he will understand—let alone make—the right decision. And caught in the middle of this volatile battlefield is Yalena Khrustinova, Kafari's young daughter. Will she open her eyes in time to save herself—and millions of innocents—or will Santorini's relentless brainwashing campaign continue to blind her while the tyrant engineers the ultimate destruction of a helpless and enslaved population

Praise for the Science Fiction of John Ringo

"MARVELOUS!" —David Weber

"As much action as you could hope for. . . . And then there's that quirky sense of humor running like a vein of gold under the mayhem." —Eric Flint

"Explosive. . . . Fans of strong military SF will appreciate Ringo's lively narrative and flavorful characters. . . . One of the best new practitioners of military SF." —Publishers Weekly

". . . since [Ringo's] imagination, clearly influenced by Kipling and rock and roll, is fertile, and his storytelling skill sound, [When the Devil Dances] is irresistible." —Booklist

"[Ringo demonstrates a] flair for fast-paced military sf peopled with three-dimensional characters and spiced with personal drama as well as tactical finesse." —Library Journal

"If Tom Clancy were writing SF, it would read much like John Ringo . . . good reading with solid characterizations—a rare combination." —Philadelphia Weekly Press

"Ringo provides a textbook example of how a novel in the military SF subgenre should be written. . . . For those who have read everything David Drake has written or who may have wished that Tom Clancy, Larry bond or Harold Coyle would write SF, Ringo provides what's needed. . . .Crackerjack storytelling." —Starlog

The Virtual-Reality Mercenaries of
A Boy and His Tank Face a New Menace
—and There's Nothing Virtual About It!

First, the involuntary colonists of New Kashubia rescued their planet from crushing debt by becoming virtual-reality mercenaries, then they successfully revolted against the oppressive government of Earth, but now they are menaced by the Mitchegai, a species whose biology has made them inherently evil. The carnivorous adults lay and abandon vast numbers of eggs, some of which grow into vegetarian juveniles, which are the adults' only food supply. Their culture has no family life, they eat only meat, have nothing like sex., and their main pleasures are gambling, art, and killing each other. They are an ancient civilization, millions of years old, with thousands of densely populated star systems in their realm. Lacking an immune system, they must completely sterilize any planet before they colonize it. The region of the galaxy they occupy is rapidly expanding . . . and Human Space is their next frontier!

Praise for Leo Frankowski and A Boy and His Tank

"When I teach science fiction, I use Frankowski's books as an example of how to do it right." —Gene Wolfe

". . . a literate military adventure laced with political allegory—and a great deal of fun." —Starlog

". . . the action is gripping, and there are plenty of novel twists and ironic moments." —Locus

"A blend of Keith Laumer's Bolos and David Drake's Slammers. . . ." —Science Fiction Chronicle

W200403 March 2004 Monthly Baen Bundle

The Road to Damascus

by John Ringo and
Linda Evans
created by Keith Laumer

Kren of the Mitchegai

by Leo Frankowski and Dave Grossman

The City and the Ship

by Anne McCaffrey and S. M. Stirling

Seas of Venus

by David Drake

Eternal Frontier

by James H. Schmitz
edited by Eric Flint

Alternate Generals II

by Harry Turtledove

In Enemy Hands

by David Weber

by Eric Flint

Grantville Gazette, Volume II

created by Eric Flint

Grantville Gazette, Volume III

created by Eric Flint

Grantville Gazette, Volume IV

created by Eric Flint

DENORIEL:
WARRIOR OF KORONOS;
RIDER IN THE WILD HUNT
. . . NURSEMAID

Denoriel Siencyn Macreth Silverhair was a warrior in Koronos' band, a fierce rider in the Wild Hunt, but when he was summoned he came obediently to the valley of the FarSeers.

A glow of power lifted about the crystal lens. "Here is the nexus of our future," said the FarSeer in the dress of ancient Greece, and a mist seemed to pass over the surface of the lens. A moment later, the surface cleared, and within it, Denoriel saw the image of a human infant, red-haired and scowling, swaddled in fine, embroidered linen and lace . . . and glowing with power. The babe was being held by a figure that Denoriel recognized—the mortal king of England, Henry, eighth of that name.

The lens misted again, and scene after scene played out briefly before him—briefly, but enough to show him a future very bright for the mortals of England, a flowering of art, music, and letters, of great deeds, of exploration and bravery. Oh, there were problems——twice, if Denoriel read the signs aright Spain sent a great fleet against England, only to be repulsed at minimal cost. But the troubles were weathered, the difficulties overcome, and the result was nearly an age of gold.

"And this," said the lady of the ancient ways, "Is what will come to pass if that child does not reign."

Fires . . .

Black-robed priests, grim-faced and implacable, condemned scores, hundreds, to the Question, torturing their bodies until they would confess to anything, then burning what was left in front of silent onlookers. Others, whose intellects burned as brightly as the flames, did not need to be tortured; they confessed their sins of difference defiantly . . . and were also burned. In place of a flowering of art and science, came a blight. Darkness fell over the land, pressed there by the heavy, iron hand of Spain and the Inquisition.

"You are the key to all of this." The FarSeer's emerald eyes held his. "The red-haired child of Great Harry of England must live, and thrive, and grow up to rule. You must go to it in the mortal world, and become its protector."

"But I am a warrior, not a nursemaid—" he said, feebly.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Mercedes Lackey is the author of the Bardic Voices series and the SERRAted Edge series (both Baen), the Heralds of Valdemar series (DAW), and many more. Of her writing, Stephen King has stated, "She'll keep you up long past your bedtime," and Locus raved, "Lackey is one of the best storytellers in the field." She has her own fan club with over 1,000 members, and was one of the first writers to have an online newsgroup devoted to her writing. Among her popular Baen titles are The Fire Rose, The Lark and the Wren, and The Shadow of the Lion (with Eric Flint and Dave Freer). She lives in Oklahoma.

Roberta Gellis is author of over 25 novels in different fields. New York Times best-selling author John Jakes has called her "a superb storyteller of extraordinary talent," Publishers Weekly has termed her "a master of the medieval historical," and Romantic Times has praised her as "a master spinner of tales." Her many awards include: The Silver and Gold Medal Porgy for historical novels from West Coast Review of Books and the Golden Certificate and Golden Pen from Affaire de Coeur. From Romantic Times she has received both the Award for Best Novel in the Medieval Period and also the Lifetime Achievement Award for Historical Fantasy. And the Romance Writers of America have presented her with their Lifetime Achievement Award. Her previous fantasy titles for Baen are Bull God and Thrice Bound.

MEN WHO GO UP TO THE
STARS IN WOODEN SHIPS—
INTO A UNIVERSE OF DANGER!

It is six hundred years in the future and mankind has learned to move between the stars . . . by going into Two-Space, the vast realm where sentient wooden ships travel beneath canvas sails in a universe that is corrosive to technology.

As they charged headlong into the galaxy, humans discovered others who were already there: The elven Sylvans who live in the vast forests of low-gravity worlds, the dwarven Dwarrowdelf who thrive deep in the mines of high-gravity worlds, and other, far more alien races. The ancient Sylvan race is enchanted by the human culture, embracing Tolkien as prophecy and taking "classic" human science fiction as a guide.

Against this stellar backdrop, Lt. Thomas Melville's ship is mortally wounded in a cowardly surprise attack. With his captain killed, Melville must capture a feral, sentient enemy ship, then must fight his way across the galaxy to warn of the vast invading armada. In an odyssey of turmoil and battle he forges his ship and crew into a mighty weapon of war and earns the love of an alien princess.

Now, if he can only survive the attacks of two very angry alien empires, and avoid being court martialed by his own nation of Westerness for getting them involved in a vast intergalactic war, he might live to enjoy the fruits of his labor.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Dave Grossman is a retired U.S. Army Lt. Colonel, West Point Psychology Professor, Professor of Military Science, Army Ranger, and lifelong SF fan. He started his military career as a paratrooper and a sergeant before attending OCS. Colonel Grossman is the author of the Pulitzer nominated book, On Killing, which is used as required reading in courses at military academies, police academies, and colleges worldwide. He has written many other scholarly and popular works, and since his retirement from the military in 1998, he now travels the world almost 300 days a year, training elite military and law enforcement organizations.

Besides Leo Frankowski's popular Cross-Time Engineer series for Del Rey, which has gone through six novels to date, with frequent reprintings and translated editions in Italy, Spain, and Poland, he has written the novels A Boy and His Tank, The Fata Morgana and Conrad's Time Machine for Baen. Frankowski was nominated for the John W. Campbell award for best new writer. His occupations have ranged from scientist in an electro-optical research lab to chief engineer to company president. His work in chemical and optical instrumentation has earned him several patents. Currently a writer and consulting engineer, he lives in with his new Russian wife and teenage daughter in Tver, Russia.

W200402 February 2004 Monthly Baen Bundle

This Scepter'd Isle

by Mercedes Lackey and Roberta Gellis

The Rackham Files

by Dean Ing

Four and Twenty Blackbirds - Lackey

by Mercedes Lackey

The Warmasters

by David Weber, Eric Flint and David Drake

Conrad's Time Machine

by Leo Frankowski

A MAGICAL MANIAC IS LOOSE IN ALANDA!

A magical murderer is loose in Alanda. The victims are always women, always lower-class, and the weapon is always a three-sided stiletto, most often found among Church regalia. But the killers are never churchmen, and they always commit suicide immediately after the bloody deed.

Tal Rufen is just a simple constable. But he really cares about his job, and when one of these murder/suicides happens on his beat he becomes obsessed. His superiors don't care—the victims will never be missed, and their murderers are already justly dead. But every instinct Tal Rufen has cries out that he has seen only one small piece of a bigger and much nastier puzzle....

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Mercedes Lackey has a degree in biology from Purdue University. Like many writers, she has worked at a variety of jobs including short stints as a waitress, security guard, telephone surveyor and artist's model. A longer period of time was spent as a computer programmer for American Airlines. What she is most known for, however, and what has inspired a national fan club of over one thousand members, are her inventive fantasy novels. She lives outside of Tulsa, Oklahoma, with her husband and collaborator, artist Larry Dixon, and their ever growing menagerie. Larry and Misty are both members of SOAR (Support Our American Raptors), sponsors of the Sutton Avian Research Center in Bartlesville, Oklahoma, and continue to work rehabilitating birds to live in the wild.

Also in this series:

Bardic Voices: The Lark & the Wren
Bardic Voices: The Robin & the Kestrel
Bardic Voices: The Eagle & the Nightingale
Bardic Choices: A Cast of Corbies
  (with Josepha Sherman)