New Releases by Timothy Zahn

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Timothy Zahn comes a brand-new Star Wars adventure, set in the time between A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back and featuring the young Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Princess Leia Organa, and the beloved Mara Jade. The fate of the Rebellion rests on Luke Skywalker’s next move. But have the rebels entered a safe harbor or a death trap? Eight months after the Battle of Yavin, the Rebellion is in desperate need of a new base. So when Governor Ferrouz of Candoras Sector proposes an alliance, offering the Rebels sanctuary in return for protection against the alien warlord Nuso Esva, Luke, Leia, Han, and Chewie are sent to evaluate the deal. Mara Jade, the Emperor’s Hand, is also heading for Candoras, along with the five renegade stormtroopers known as the Hand of Judgment. Their mission: to punish Ferrouz’s treason and smash the Rebels for good. But in this treacherous game of betrayals within betrayals, a wild card is waiting to be played. Don’t miss the new novella by Timothy Zahn, “Crisis of Faith,” featured in the 20th anniversary edition of Star Wars: Heir to the Empire

Conheça as origens do Grão-almirante Thrawn – nomeado pelo próprio imperador Palpatine e um dos maiores vilões do Império Galáctico –, nesta épica trilogia Star Wars. Livro 1 – Ascensão do caos A paz da Ascendência – lar dos enigmáticos Chiss e das Nove Famílias Governantes que os lideram – é abalada após um ousado ataque à capital Chiss que não deixa vestígio algum da identidade do inimigo. Perplexa, a Ascendência despacha um de seus mais brilhantes jovens militares para erradicar os agressores invisíveis – um recruta nascido sem nenhum título, mas adotado pela poderosa família Mitth, e que recebeu o nome Thrawn. Livro 2 – O bem maior Por toda a Ascendência, eventos aparentemente inconsequentes podem significar a ruína dos Chiss. À medida que Thrawn e a Frota de Defesa Expansionária se unem para desvendar uma conspiração, eles descobrem uma verdade perturbadora: em vez de invadir capitais Chiss ou saquear recursos, os inimigos atacam a própria fundação da Ascendência, instigando as desavenças entre as Nove Famílias Governantes e as Quarenta Grandes Casas abaixo delas. Livro 3 – O mal menor Apesar do esforço da Frota de Defesa Expansionária, a Ascendência está cada vez mais perto de uma guerra civil. Para assegurar seu futuro, Thrawn mergulhará em seu passado, desvelando os segredos em volta da ascensão da Primeira Família Governante. Sobre o autor TIMOTHY ZAHN é autor de mais de sessenta romances, mais de cem contos e novelas, e cinco coletâneas. Em 1984, ele ganhou o Prêmio Hugo na categoria melhor novela. Zahn é conhecido por seus romances da saga Star Wars (Thrawn, Thrawn: Alliances, Thrawn: Treason, Heir to the Empire, Dark Force Rising, The Last Command, Specter of the Past, Vision of the Future, Survivor’s Quest, Outbound Flight, Allegiance, Choices of One e Scoundrels), com mais de oito milhões de exemplares vendidos. Outros livros incluem StarCraft: Evolution, a série Cobra, a série Quadrail e a série infantojuvenil Dragonback. Zahn é formado em Física pela Universidade do Estado de Michigan e pós-graduado pela Universidade de Illinois. (© & TM LUCASFILM LTD.)

HOPING TO TAKE POSSESSION OF A NEW ALIEN STAR-HOPPING PORTAL, ROARKE AND SELENCE ARE TASKED WITH TRANSPORTING AN ASSASSIN, WHO IS HERSELF BEING TARGETED. For years Gregory Roarke and his Kadolian partner Selene worked as crocketts, combing through the atmospheres of uninhabited worlds for places that might be colonized or hold valuable resources. Now, they work for the Icarus Group, a top-secret government organization hunting for portals created by a long-vanished alien race, portals that can teleport a person hundreds or thousands of light-years in the blink of an eye. Usually, those hunts are long and tedious. But Roarke has now been handed an intriguing offer. A criminal boss, Robertine Cherno, will hand over a hitherto unknown portal to the Icarus Group in exchange for Roarke and Selene agreeing to transport a passenger named Nikki across the Spiral. There’s only one catch. Nikki is a professional, high-priced, highly feared assassin. And she’s on the job. That would have been bad enough. But when the alien Patth also move to gain possession of the portal, bad quickly promises to go to worse. Especially when it becomes clear that Nikki herself is being hunted by someone. It’s up to Roarke and Selene to untangle the mysteries and get to the truth before they become someone’s collateral damage.

NEW ENTRY IN THE ICARUS SAGA FROM NEW YORK TIMES BEST-SELLING AUTHOR TIMOTHY ZAHN. Ten thousand years ago, a mysterious people known as the Icari vanished from the Spiral, leaving behind a network of portals that can instantaneously transport passengers hundreds or thousands of light-years across the stars. Gregory Roarke and his Kadolian partner Selene have been tasked with seeking out these alien artifacts and bringing them under the control of the Icarus Group. But the Group’s leadership has changed, and Roarke soon finds himself at serious odds with the new director’s plans. The result: a counter-plan that lands Roarke and Selene on a distant world with a broken city, a dozen portals, and a group of aliens called the Ammei who dream of using the portals to bring back their own glory days. But their ambitions will be costly, and not just for themselves. Roarke and Selene must put together the scattered clues and solve the riddle of the Ammei and their plans, while at the same time fending off the Patth and their bid to claim the city and portals for themselves. Because the Icari are gone . . . aren’t they? At the publisher''s request, this title is sold without DRM (Digital Rights Management).

An original collection of thirteen exciting science fiction & fantasy stories by the #1 bestselling author of the Star Wars Thrawn trilogy. He captivated readers with his creation of General Thrawn beginning with his #1 New York Times–bestselling Star Wars: Heir to the Empire. Now, Hugo Award–winning author Timothy Zahn shares thirteen of his masterful science fiction and fantasy stories, previously published separately in magazines and anthologies throughout his career, together for the first time in one original collection. Take a trip down memory lane with Zahn and prepare yourself for a journey across space and time where you will see wonders of technology, powerful magic, and chilling monsters. In "The Battle of Space Fort Jefferson," a mild-mannered Park Service Ranger must deal with terrorists aboard a former space prison and quarantine center that''s now a largely deserted tourist attraction. Administrators from Earth discover an alien race''s secret to longevity in "A Lingering Death." A wizard prepares for the army of the evil witch king in "A Touch of Rosemary." Scientists discover the dangers of first contact in the novella Cordon Sanitaire. A jazz music aficionado travels two hundred years back in time to 1953 Pittsburgh in "For Love of Amanda." A vampire helps Hollywood celebrities avoid the paparazzi in "Vampin'' Down the Avenue." A werewolf and a mermaid encounter murder in the countryside in "Protection." These stories and more await readers in this exciting collection, full of all the action, mystery, suspense, thrills, chills, and humor that have made Zahn a leader in science fiction and fantasy.

AN EASY ASSIGNMENT INSTEAD TURNS HARD AND LEADS TO A STRING OF MURDERS, AND A RACE AGAINST AN ALIEN ENEMY Gregory Roarke—former bounty hunter, former Trailblazer, current agent for the ultra-secret Icarus Group—has received a new assignment: locate a suspected but as-yet undiscovered teleportation portal on the backwater colony world of Alainn. The rival Patth are also searching for the device, and have considerably more resources at their disposal. Fortunately, Roarke has Selene and her incredibly sensitive Kadolian sense of smell. On paper, it should be a straightforward enough job. But that was before there was a murder in the small town of Bilswift . . . and another one . . . and the discovery that the Patth are already on the scene and have narrowed the search to a heavily forested area in the hills and mountains east of town. Most disturbing of all is the discovery that one of Selene’s people, a Kadolian teenaged boy named Tirano, is working at one of Bilswift’s fish markets. A boy who may have lost his parents before his proper socialization was completed. A boy who may be connected to both the murders and the Patth. A boy who may be the potentially dangerous wild card that the Kadolians call changelings. At the publisher’s request, this title is sold without DRM (Digital Rights Management). Praise for Timothy Zahn: “Zahn fans will enjoy the variety of small-unit combat scenes in the action-packed third and final Cobra Rebellion military SF adventure . . . [a] gripping series.” —Publishers Weekly “Zahn keeps the story moving at a breakneck pace, maintaining excitement.” —Publishers Weekly “. . . you can count on Timothy Zahn for three things: clean, sparse prose; good pacing; and great action scenes. The first book in the Cobra War series hits all those marks in admirable style and makes for a quick, entertaining sci-fi novel.” —BlogCritics “[Conqueror’s Heritage] is another finely wrought space adventure . . . [with] social, political, and emotional complications, all of which Zahn treats with his usual skill.” —Booklist “Zahn paints every detail [in Angelmass] with gleamy realism . . . scientific dialogue that streams with starship hardware and military trooper talk . . . immensely appealing.” —Kirkus Reviews

A NEW NOVEL IN THE ICARUS SERIES FROM NEW YORK TIMES BEST-SELLING AUTHOR OF THE ADMIRAL THRAWN STAR WARS NOVELS TIMOTHY ZAHN For years Gregory Roarke and his Kadolian partner Selene worked as crocketts, combing through the atmospheres of uninhabited worlds for places that might be colonized or hold valuable resources. Now, they quietly work for the Icarus Group, a top-secret government organization hunting for portals created by a long-vanished alien race, portals that can teleport a person hundreds or thousands of light-years in the blink of an eye. Roarke and Selene are searching one such possibility when they find that someone appears to be stalking them. They evade their pursuers and return to find that a man named Easton Dent has been searching the Spiral’s databases for the names Gregory Roarke and Icarus. Roarke reluctantly agrees to meet with him. But that first contact is cut short, and hours later Roarke is arrested and accused of Dent’s murder. More importantly to Roarke’s Icarus Group overseers, that brief meeting also confirms that Dent was in recent contact with a portal. But the alien Patth are also searching for such portals, and they are also on the trail. It’s now a race . . . and the Patth have resources and ruthlessness far beyond anything Roarke and Selene can match. At the publisher’s request, this title is sold without DRM (Digital Rights Management). Praise for The Icarus Plot: “This is Zahn at his best—great characters and settings, great worldbuilding, great suspense, and just a ton of action and space opera fun . . . It’s also a passion project for the author, so if you enjoy Zahn, it’s not to be missed.” —Analog SF&F “There are plenty of little things to delight the longtime Zahn reader, while also bringing new fans in a way that is perfectly accessible . . . Zahn remains one of the best writers of action I have ever had the pleasure of reading . . . The Icarus Plot is pure fun in the way that only one of the genre’s greatest yarn-weavers can do.” —Warped Factor “Timothy Zahn is a mainstay in the field of science fiction.” —Seattle Book Review “Anyone who has ever been interested in noir science fiction and espionage should read this. Take the espionage of John le Carre, the deduction of Sherlock Holmes, the twisty nature of The Sting, and you have The Icarus Plot.” —Upstream Reviews About Timothy Zahn: “Zahn fans will enjoy the variety of small-unit combat scenes in the action-packed third and final Cobra Rebellion military SF adventure . . . [a] gripping series.” —Publishers Weekly “Zahn keeps the story moving at a breakneck pace, maintaining excitement.” —Publishers Weekly “. . . you can count on Timothy Zahn for three things: clean, sparse prose; good pacing; and great action scenes. The first book in the Cobra War series hits all those marks in admirable style and makes for a quick, entertaining sci-fi novel.” —BlogCritics “[Conqueror’s Heritage] is another finely wrought space adventure . . . [with] social, political, and emotional complications, all of which Zahn treats with his usual skill.” —Booklist “Zahn paints every detail [in Angelmass] with gleamy realism . . . scientific dialogue that streams with starship hardware and military trooper talk . . . immensely appealing.” —Kirkus Review

Tercera novela de la nueva trilogía de Thrawn. Novela canónica escrita por el autor best seller the Star Wars, Timothy Zahn. El Gran Almirante Thrawn se enfrenta a la prueba definitiva de su lealtad ante el Imperio en esta novela épica. Thrawn ha sido uno de los instrumentos más efectivos del Imperio, persiguiendo a sus enemigos hasta los límites de la galaxia conocida. Pero, aunque se ha convertido en un arma afiladísima, el Emperador sueña con algo mucho más destructivo. Ahora, cuando su programa de los Defensores TIE se cancela para dar prioridad al proyecto secreto de la Estrella de la Muerte del director Krennic, el Almirante se da cuenta de que los equilibrios de poder en el Imperio se basan en algo más que en la perspicacia militar o la e‐ciencia táctica. Ni siquiera los cerebros más brillantes pueden competir con el poder de destruir planetas enteros. Mientras Thrawn se esfuerza por garantizarse un sitio en la jerarquía imperial, su antiguo protegido, Eli Vanto, regresa con una grave advertencia sobre el mundo natal de Thrawn. Su dominio de la estrategia deberá guiar a Thrawn en una elección imposible: su compromiso con la Ascendencia Chiss o la lealtad al Imperio que ha jurado servir. Incluso si la elección correcta supone traición.

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Thrawn and his allies race to save the Chiss Ascendancy from an unseen enemy in the second book in the epic Star Wars: Thrawn Ascendancy trilogy from bestselling author Timothy Zahn. Thrawn’s latest triumph still rests newly on his shoulders. He has led the Chiss to victory and brought glory to the House of Mitth, but the true threat to the Ascendancy has not yet been extinguished. Their foes do not send threats or ultimatums, do not mass ships on the edge of the Chaos. Their weapons come cloaked in smiles and generosity: Gifts offered freely. Services granted unconditionally. Across the Ascendancy, seemingly inconsequential events could herald the doom of the Chiss. As Thrawn and the Expansionary Defense Fleet rally to uncover the plot, they discover a chilling truth: Rather than invade Chiss capitals or pillage resources, their enemy strikes at the very foundation of the Ascendancy, seeking to widen the rifts between the Nine Ruling Families and the Forty Great Houses below. As rivalry and suspicion sow discord among allies, each warrior must decide what matters most to them: the security of their family or the survival of the Ascendancy itself.

In this essential Star Wars Legends novel, the sequel to Heir to the Empire, Grand Admiral Thrawn''s sinister plan threatens to spell doom for the fledgling New Republic and its most iconic heroes. The dying Empire''s most cunning and ruthless warlord, Grand Admiral Thrawn, has taken command of the remnants of the Imperial Fleet and launched a massive campaign aimed at the New Republic''s destruction. Meanwhile, Han Solo and Lando Calrissian race against time to find proof of treason inside the highest Republic Council-only to discover instead a ghostly fleet of warships that could bring doom to their friends and victory to their enemies. Yet most dangerous of all is a new Dark Jedi, risen from the ashes of a shrouded past, consumed by bitterness, and scheming to corrupt Luke Skywalker to the dark side.

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • In this essential Star Wars Legends novel—the first ever to take place after the events of the original trilogy—Grand Admiral Thrawn makes his debut on the galactic stage. Five years ago, the Rebel Alliance destroyed the Death Star, defeated Darth Vader and the Emperor, and drove the remnants of the old Imperial Starfleet to a distant corner of the galaxy. Princess Leia and Han Solo are married and expecting twins. And Luke Skywalker has become the first in a long-awaited line of Jedi Knights. But thousands of light-years away, the last of the Emperor’s warlords, Grand Admiral Thrawn, has taken command of the shattered Imperial fleet, readied it for war, and pointed it at the fragile heart of the New Republic. For this dark warrior has made a vital discovery that could destroy everything the courageous men and women of the Rebel Alliance fought so hard to build.

The peace of the Ascendancy, a beacon of calm and stability, is shattered after a daring attack on the Chiss capital that leaves no trace of the enemy. Baffled, the Ascendancy dispatches one of its brightest young military officers to root out the unseen assailants. A recruit born of no title, but adopted into the powerful family of the Mitth and given the name Thrawn

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Discover Thrawn’s origins within the Chiss Ascendancy in the first book in an epic new Star Wars trilogy from bestselling author Timothy Zahn. Beyond the edge of the galaxy lies the Unknown Regions: chaotic, uncharted, and near impassable, with hidden secrets and dangers in equal measure. And nestled within its swirling chaos is the Ascendancy, home to the enigmatic Chiss and the Nine Ruling Families that lead them. The peace of the Ascendancy, a beacon of calm and stability, is shattered after a daring attack on the Chiss capital that leaves no trace of the enemy. Baffled, the Ascendancy dispatches one of its brightest young military officers to root out the unseen assailants. A recruit born of no title, but adopted into the powerful family of the Mitth and given the name Thrawn. With the might of the Expansionary Fleet at his back, and the aid of his comrade Admiral Ar’alani, answers begin to fall into place. But as Thrawn’s first command probes deeper into the vast stretch of space his people call the Chaos, he realizes that the mission he has been given is not what it seems. And the threat to the Ascendancy is only just beginning.

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER In this essential Star Wars Legends novel-the first ever to take place after the events of the original trilogy-Grand Admiral Thrawn makes his debut on the galactic stage. Five years ago, the Rebel Alliance destroyed the Death Star, defeated Darth Vader and the Emperor, and drove the remnants of the old Imperial Starfleet to a distant corner of the galaxy. Princess Leia and Han Solo are married and expecting twins. And Luke Skywalker has become the first in a long-awaited line of Jedi Knights. But thousands of light-years away, the last of the Emperor's warlords, Grand Admiral Thrawn, has taken command of the shattered Imperial fleet, readied it for war, and pointed it at the fragile heart of the New Republic. For this dark warrior has made a vital discovery that could destroy everything the courageous men and women of the Rebel Alliance fought so hard to build.

A legend of Space Opera is back with Knight, the second book in Timothy Zahn''s Sibyl’s War series Nicole Hammond was just trying to survive on the streets of Philadelphia, then she and her partner Bungie were abducted by a race of mysterious moth-like aliens and taken to a strange ship called the Fyrantha. Now she is a Sibyl, a special human that has the ability to communicate with the aliens and their ship, and no one is happy. Competing factions control different parts of the Fyrantha with the humans and other sentient aliens caught in the middle. But Nicole is done being bullied, and now she has a plan to take control of the ship. She just has to outsmart war profiteers and slavers to do it.

Rivals Grand Admiral Thrawn and Lord Vader are sent on an investigation by Emperor Palpatine that will force both men to confront the consequences of their past actions.

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Grand Admiral Thrawn and Darth Vader team up against a threat to the Empire in this thrilling novel from bestselling author Timothy Zahn. “I have sensed a disturbance in the Force.” Ominous words under any circumstances, but all the more so when uttered by Emperor Palpatine. On Batuu, at the edge of the Unknown Regions, a threat to the Empire is taking root—its existence little more than a glimmer, its consequences as yet unknowable. But it is troubling enough to the Imperial leader to warrant investigation by his most powerful agents: ruthless enforcer Lord Vader and brilliant strategist Grand Admiral Thrawn. Fierce rivals for the Emperor’s favor and outspoken adversaries on Imperial affairs—including the Death Star project—the formidable pair seem unlikely partners for such a crucial mission. But the Emperor knows it’s not the first time Vader and Thrawn have joined forces. And there’s more behind his royal command than either man suspects. In what seems like a lifetime ago, General Anakin Skywalker of the Galactic Republic and Commander Mitth’raw’nuruodo, officer of the Chiss Ascendancy, crossed paths for the first time. One on a desperate personal quest, the other with motives unknown . . . and undisclosed. But facing a gauntlet of dangers on a far-flung world, they forged an uneasy alliance—neither remotely aware of what his future held in store. Now, thrust together once more, they find themselves bound again for the planet where they once fought side by side. There they will be doubly challenged—by a test of their allegiance to the Empire . . . and by an enemy that threatens even their combined might. Praise for Thrawn: Alliances “It’s a science fiction beach read in the best way, brisk and amusing, with some cool additions to the Star Wars galaxy.”—Den of Geek “Like all of Zahn’s novels set in a galaxy far, far away, it’s an essential read for anyone looking for an artistically done adventure.”—CNET

Die spannende Vorgeschichte zur erfolgreichsten Star-Wars-Trilogie - GroSSadmiral Thrawn ist Kult! Nachdem Thrawn von imperialen Soldaten aus dem Exil befreit wurde, weckt sein taktisches Geschick schon bald Imperator Palpatines Aufmerksamkeit. SChnell erweist sich Thrawn als unverzichtbar fur das Imperium, und sein Aufstieg scheint unaufhaltsam. ALs Thrawn zum GroSSadmiral ernannt wird, werden seine Fahigkeiten jedoch auf eine harte Probe gestellt. NUn muss er beweisen, dass sein todlicher Scharfsinn im Krieg gegen die aufkommenden Rebellen stark genug ist. DEnn nicht nur unschuldige Leben werden bedroht, sondern auch der eiserne Griff des Imperiums um die Galaxis. UNd auch Thrawns ganz eigene Plane sind auf einmal in Gefahr ...

All aboard the Quadrail for three tales of nonstop action from the #1 New York Times–bestselling and Hugo Award–winning author of Star Wars: Thrawn . It is the Quadrail—a miracle of design that connects all twelve of the galaxy''s inhabited empires, allowing diverse alien species and cultures to exchange ideas, inspire imaginations, build bridges of understanding . . . and orchestrate the subjugation of all living things. Night Train to Rigel: Frank Compton used to be an operative for Western Allied Intelligence. Then he blew the whistle on some shady dealings and got himself fired. Nowadays he just wants to lay low and let someone else do the galaxy''s dirty work. Unfortunately, no one does dirty work quite like Frank. And the robotic alien Spiders who maintain the Quadrail know it—which is why he''s going to work for them whether he likes it or not. The Third Lynx: After barely surviving his last mission, Compton just wants to relax with his gorgeous half-human partner, Bayta. But their reverie aboard the Quadrail is broken by a persistent human going on about alien artifacts. Then someone shuts him up permanently, and what begins as a murder leads Compton to uncover a conspiracy that threatens to engulf the entire galaxy. Odd Girl Out: Finally back on Earth, Compton is confronted in his apartment by a woman demanding that he rescue her ten-year-old sister. He brusquely shows her the door, only to be accused of her murder the next day. Determined to make things right, he heads to the world of New Tigris to find the little girl. But his adversaries, the mind-enslaving Mohdri, are waiting for him there. Together in a single volume, here are the first three books in the Quadrail series from a writer New York Times–bestselling author Kevin J. Anderson calls "a master of tactics [who] puts his own edge on complex hard-SF thrillers."

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • “The origin story of one of the greatest Star Wars villains . . . a book that fans have wanted for decades.”—The Verge One of the most cunning and ruthless warriors in the history of the Galactic Empire, Grand Admiral Thrawn is also one of the most captivating villains in the Star Wars universe. Since his introduction in bestselling author Timothy Zahn’s classic Heir to the Empire, Grand Admiral Thrawn has earned an iconic status equal only to the most notorious of Sith lords, Darth Vader. But Thrawn’s origins and the story of his rise in the Imperial ranks have remained mysterious. Now, in Star Wars: Thrawn, Zahn chronicles the fateful events that launched the blue-skinned, red-eyed master of military strategy and lethal warfare into the highest realms of power—and infamy. After Thrawn is rescued from exile by Imperial soldiers, his deadly ingenuity and keen tactical abilities swiftly capture the attention of Emperor Palpatine. And just as quickly, Thrawn proves to be as indispensable to the Empire as he is ambitious; as devoted as its most loyal servant, Darth Vader; and a brilliant warrior never to be underestimated. On missions to rout smugglers, snare spies, and defeat pirates, he triumphs time and again—even as his renegade methods infuriate superiors while inspiring ever greater admiration from the Empire. As one promotion follows another in his rapid ascension to greater power, he schools his trusted aide, Ensign Eli Vanto, in the arts of combat and leadership, and the secrets of claiming victory. But even though Thrawn dominates the battlefield, he has much to learn in the arena of politics where ruthless administrator Arihnda Pryce holds the power to be a potent ally or a brutal enemy. All these lessons will be put to the ultimate test when Thrawn rises to admiral and must pit all the knowledge, instincts, and battle forces at his command against an insurgent uprising that threatens not only innocent lives but also the Empire’s grip on the galaxy—and his own carefully laid plans for future ascendancy.

An action-packed novel that ushers in a new age of adventure in the critically acclaimed StarCraft series from Blizzard Entertainment The #1 New York Times bestselling author of Thrawn pens the latest chapter in the stunning StarCraft saga, building on the game’s rich legacy to create an unforgettable new story. After nearly a decade of brutal warfare, three mighty factions—the enigmatic protoss, the savage zerg, and the terrans, humanity’s descendants in the sector—have entered a cease-fire, but the peace is tenuous at best. When the sudden restoration of an incinerated planet is brought to light, tensions erupt. Neutrality swings back to hostility, and old enemies are accused of developing biological weapons to reignite the bitter conflict. An expedition of terran and protoss soldiers and researchers is deployed to investigate the mysterious zerg planet and its inhabitants’ intentions. But the lush alien landscape is host to other denizens, creatures shrouded in shadow, and should they be unleashed, they will change the fate of the entire galaxy.

A collection of career-launching short fiction by #1 New York Times–bestselling author Timothy Zahn, including the Hugo Award–winning novella Cascade Point. Timothy Zahn shows an unparalleled mastership of science fiction in the fifteen tales gathered here. "The Price of Survival" features an alien ship that arrives in our solar system without hostile intentions but with a desperate need whose fulfillment could destroy humanity. "The Giftie Gie Us" tells the story of two lonely survivors who find love among the ruins of a post-apocalyptic United States. And in "Pawn''s Gambit," a human and his alien opponent face off over a game that will decide which one of them will return home. This collection also includes the Hugo Award–winning novella Cascade Point and nine other works of science fiction, post-apocalyptic drama, and humorous fantasy previously unpublished in book form. Timothy Zahn is the author of the #1 New York Times bestseller Star Wars: Heir to the Empire and has won multiple awards for his work. With nonstop action, suspenseful plots, and high-tech twists, the stories in Pawn''s Gambit are science fiction at its best.

Timothy Zahn, Hugo Award-winning author of The New York Times best-selling Star Wars trilogy, blazes a spectacular new path across the sky in an epic original novel of star-spanning action adventure, mystery and intrigue. A long era of peace and prosperity in the interstellar Commonwealth has suddenly come to an end. Four alien starships of unknown origin have attacked, without provocation, an eight-ship Peacemaker task force, utterly destroying it in six savage minutes. The authorities claim there were no survivors. But Lord Stewart Cavanaugh, a former member of Parliament, has learned through back channels that one man may have survived to be captured by the aliens: his son, Commander Pheylan Cavanaugh. A large-scale invasion appears imminent, and the strictest security measures are in effect . . . measures that Lord Cavanaugh has no choice but to defy. He recruits Adam Quinn, who once flew with the elite Copperheads--fighter pilots whose minds are literally one with their machines--to rescue his son. Quinn assembles a crack force of Copperheads to steal out of the Commonwealth security zone and snatch Pheylan Cavanaugh from the conquerors. Depending on the outcome, Quinn and his men will retum home as heroes or as the galaxy's most despised traitors--if they come home at all.

Science redefines life and death in this novel by the #1 New York Times–bestselling, Hugo Award–winning author. Dr. Adrian Sommers’s world was destroyed in a split second of distracted driving. The accident left his son wavering between life and death. When the end came, Sommers’s family was torn apart, but the tragedy gave him hope and an obsessive mission: to forestall death through science and technology. Years of experimentation lead Sommers to develop Soulminder, a device capable of capturing a dying person’s life essence and holding it safely in stasis while physicians heal the body from injury or disease. But there are those who recognize Soulminder’s true potential: body-swapping, obstruction of justice, extortion, and perhaps even immortality. As Sommers struggles to retain control over the use of his invention against corrupt and dangerous factions, he must question his own moral judgment and motives in creating Soulminder and determine if humanity has earned the right to harness the power of life and death. From the author of Star Wars: Heir to the Empire, this is not only a tale of a father’s desperate love for his son but also “an intriguing thought experiment. . . . Those who enjoy deep philosophical questions will appreciate being left with much to ponder” (Publishers Weekly).

Growing up, Travis Uriah Long yearned for order and discipline in his life . . . the two things his neglectful mother couldnu0090t or wouldnu0090t provide. So when Travis enlisted in the Royal Manticoran Navy, he thought heu0090d finally found the structure heu0090d always wanted so desperately. But life in the RMN isnu0090t exactly what he expected. Boot camp is rough and frustrating; his first ship assignment lax and disorderly; and with the Star Kingdom of Manticore still recovering from a devastating plague, the Navy is possibly on the edge of budgetary extinction. The Star Kingdom is a minor nation among the worlds of the Diaspora, its closest neighbors weeks or months away, with little in the way of resources. With only modest interstellar trade, no foreign contacts to speak of, a plague-ravaged economy to rebuild, and no enemies looming at the hyper limit, there are factions in Parliament who want nothing more than to scrap the Navy and shift its resources and manpower elsewhere. But those factions are mistaken. The universe is not a safe place. Travis Long is about to find that out. At the publisher''s request, this title is sold without DRM (Digital Rights Management). About A Call to Duty: "A new series set in the universe of Webers popular heroine Honor Harrington gets off to a solid start. . . . Cowriters Zahn and Weber do an excellent job alluding to events known to longtime fans. . . . [T]his astronautical adventure is filled with . . . intrigue and political drama."_Publishers Weekly About the Honor Harrington series: _Weber combines realistic, engaging characters with intelligent technological projection and a deep understanding of military bureaucracy in this long-awaited Honor Harrington novelãFans of this venerable space opera will rejoice to see Honor back in action.Ó_Publishers Weekly _. . .everything you could want in a heroine ã. Excellent ã plenty of action.Ó_Science Fiction Age _Brilliant! Brilliant! Brilliant!Ó_Anne McCaffrey _Compelling combat combined with engaging characters for a great space opera adventure.Ó_Locus _Weber combines realistic, engaging characters with intelligent technological projection . . . Fans of this venerable space opera will rejoice . . .Ó_Publishers Weekly About Timothy Zahn: _Zahn keeps the story moving at a breakneck pace, maintaining excitement.Ó¾Publishers Weekly "[Y]ou can count on Timothy Zahn for three things: clean, sparse prose; good pacing; and great action scenes. The first book in the Cobra War series hits all those marks in admirable style and makes for a quick, entertaining sci-fi novel." ¾Blogcritics _[Conqueroru0090s Heritage] is another finely wrought space adventure . . . [with] social, political and emotional complications, all of which Zahn treats with his usual skill.Ó¾Booklist _Zahn paints every detail [in Angelmass] with gleamy realism . . . scientific dialogue that streams with starship hardware and military trooper talk . . . immensely appealing.Ó¾Kirkus Review

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • To make his biggest score, Han's ready to take even bigger risks. But even he can't do this job solo. Han Solo should be basking in his moment of glory. After all, the cocky smuggler and captain of the Millennium Falcon just played a key role in the daring raid that destroyed the Death Star and landed the first serious blow to the Empire in its war against the Rebel Alliance. But after losing the reward his heroics earned him, Han’s got nothing to celebrate. Especially since he’s deep in debt to the ruthless crime lord Jabba the Hutt. There's a bounty on Han's head—and if he can’t cough up the credits, he’ll surely pay with his hide. The only thing that can save him is a king's ransom. Or maybe a gangster’s fortune? That's what a mysterious stranger is offering in exchange for Han’s less-than-legal help with a riskier-than-usual caper. The payoff will be more than enough for Han to settle up with Jabba—and ensure he never has to haggle with the Hutts again. All he has to do is infiltrate the ultra-fortified stronghold of a Black Sun crime syndicate underboss and crack the galaxy’s most notoriously impregnable safe. It sounds like a job for miracle workers . . . or madmen. So Han assembles a gallery of rogues who are a little of both—including his indispensable sidekick Chewbacca and the cunning Lando Calrissian. If anyone can dodge, deceive, and defeat heavily armed thugs, killer droids, and Imperial agents alike—and pull off the heist of the century—it’s Solo’s scoundrels. But will their crime really pay, or will it cost them the ultimate price? BONUS: Includes the novella Winner Lose All.

From Timothy Zahn, Hugo Award winner and New York Times bestselling author of two landmark Star Wars® series, comes an original new tale featuring a renegade space pilot, his unusual alien partner, and an unknown cargo that can change the course of galactic history. Jordan McKell has a problem with authority. Unfortunately for him, the iron-fisted authority of the powerful Patthaaunutth controls virtually every aspect of galactic shipping. In order to survive, Jordan ekes out a living dabbling in interstellar smuggling for outlaw concerns that represent the last vestiges of free trade in the galaxy. So when Jordan and his partner, Ixil--an alien with two ferret-like "outhunters" linked to his neural system--are hired by a mysterious gentleman to fly a ship and its special cargo to Earth, they jump at the job. Caution has never been one of Jordan''s strong suits. But this time he may have taken on more than even he can handle. The ship, Icarus, turns out to be a ramshackle hulk, the ragtag crew literally picked up off the street, and the cargo so secret, it''s sealed in a special container that takes up most of the cramped and ill-designed ship. As if that weren''t bad enough, it looks like the authorities already suspect something is afoot, there''s a saboteur aboard, and the Icarus appears to be shaking apart at the seams. It doesn''t seem as if things could get any worse. That is, until a beautiful crew member helps McKell uncover the true nature of the cargo he''s carrying. With his enemies closing in on the lumbering Icarus, the unknown saboteur still aboard, and authorities on Earth pressured to turn them in, McKell and Ixil become fugitives. Their only chance is to stay one step ahead of their pursuers as they try to make it home. A bold and epic novel filled with unrelenting action and a good dose of humor, The Icarus Hunt is a wild hyperspace romp through the galaxy.

Cobra warriors, surgically implanted with an arsenal of covert weaponry, are the most dangerous guerilla fighters humanity has ever produced. For Jin Moreau Broom, the war is the culmination of a lifetime of Cobra service. But it is also the height of danger for herself and her family as they struggle to survive a war that none of them ever expected to see. The Troft invasions of Qasama and the Cobra Worlds has had at least one result: it has turned long-time antagonists into uneasy and unwilling allies. As the aliens battle to consolidate their conquered territories, a small group of Cobras and Qasaman Djinn work together to create a victory that will rock the invaders to the core, a victory designed to bring other Troft demesnes into the conflict on the humans'' side. Now one young Cobra must forge a new political order as a devastating alien enemy strikes¾an enemy more deadly than any humanity has ever faced. At the publisher''s request, this title is sold without DRM (Digital Rights Management).

Here is a special 20th anniversary edition of the #1 New York Times bestselling novel that reignited the entire Star Wars publishing phenomenon—featuring an Introduction and annotations from award-winning author Timothy Zahn, exclusive commentary from Lucasfilm and Del Rey Books, and a brand-new novella starring the ever-popular Grand Admiral Thrawn. The biggest event in the history of Star Wars books, Heir to the Empire follows the adventures of Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, and Princess Leia after they led the Rebel Alliance to victory in Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi. Five years after the Death Star was destroyed and Darth Vader and the Emperor were defeated, the galaxy is struggling to heal the wounds of war, Princess Leia and Han Solo are married and expecting twins, and Luke Skywalker has become the first in a long-awaited line of new Jedi Knights. But thousands of light-years away, the last of the Emperor’s warlords—the brilliant and deadly Grand Admiral Thrawn—has taken command of the shattered Imperial fleet, readied it for war, and pointed it at the fragile heart of the New Republic. For this dark warrior has made two vital discoveries that could destroy everything the courageous men and women of the Rebel Alliance fought so hard to create. The explosive confrontation that results is a towering epic of action, invention, mystery, and spectacle on a galactic scale—in short, a story worthy of the name Star Wars. Features a bonus section following the novel that includes a primer on the Star Wars expanded universe, and over half a dozen excerpts from some of the most popular Star Wars books of the last thirty years!

Hugo Award-winning author Timothy Zahn brings his epic two-volume series The Hand of Thrawn to an explosive conclusion with a discovery that rocks the New Republic to its foundations--and threatens to resurrect the Empire. The Empire's master plan is under way. The New Republic is on the verge of civil war and the rumor that the legendary Admiral Thrawn has returned from the dead is rallying the Imperial forces. Now Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Princess Leia, and their allies face the challenge of their lives. They must infiltrate a hidden fortress filled with Imperial fanatics, rendezvous with a double-dealing Imperial commander, and journey into enemy territory to learn the identity of those responsible for an act of unthinkable genocide. But most important of all is the truth about Thrawn. In his hands--alive or dead--rests the fate of the New Republic. Features a bonus section following the novel that includes a primer on the Star Wars expanded universe, and over half a dozen excerpts from some of the most popular Star Wars books of the last thirty years! © 1998 Lucasfilm Ltd. & TM All rights reserved. Used under authorization.