New Releases by Troy Denning

USA TODAY BESTSELLER A Master Chief story and original full-length novel set in the Halo universe—based on the New York Times bestselling video game series! October 2559. It has been a year since the renegade artificial intelligence Cortana issued a galaxy-wide ultimatum, subjecting many worlds to martial law under the indomitable grip of her Forerunner weapons. Outside her view, the members of Blue Team—John-117, the Master Chief; Fred-104; Kelly-087; and Linda-058—are assigned from the UNSC Infinity to make a covert insertion onto the ravaged planet Reach. Their former home and training ground—and the site of humanity’s most cataclysmic military defeat near the end of the Covenant War—Reach still hides myriad secrets after all these years. Blue Team’s mission is to penetrate the rubble-filled depths of CASTLE Base and recover top-secret assets locked away in Dr. Catherine Halsey’s abandoned laboratory—assets which may prove to be humanity’s last hope against Cortana. But Reach has been invaded by a powerful and ruthless alien faction, who have their own reasons for being there. Establishing themselves as a vicious occupying force on the devastated planet, this enemy will soon transform Blue Team’s simple retrieval operation into a full-blown crisis. And with the fate of the galaxy hanging in the balance, mission failure is not an option…

A Master Chief story and original full-length novel set in the Halo universe—based on the New York Times bestselling video game series! 2526. It has been more than a year since humanity first encountered the hostile military alliance of alien races known as the Covenant, and several weeks after the United Nations Space Command’s devastating counterattack of Operation: SILENT STORM was deemed an overwhelming success. The UNSC has put its faith in the hands of the Spartans, led by the legendary Master Chief, John-117: enhanced super-soldiers raised and trained from childhood via a clandestine black ops project to be living weapons. But the Covenant—enraged and fearful of their enemy’s unexpected strategies and prowess—is not taking its recent defeat lightly, and is now fully determined to eradicate humanity from existence, brutally overrunning the ill-fated planets of the Outer Colonies faster than retreats can be ordered. If the UNSC has any chance of stemming the tide of the war, the Master Chief and Blue Team must drop onto an empty, hellish world in order to capture a disabled Covenant frigate filled with valuable technology. It has all the makings of a trap, but the bait is far too tempting to ignore—and this tantalizing prize is being offered by a disgraced and vengeful Covenant fleetmaster, whose sole opportunity for redemption lies in extinguishing humanity’s only hope of survival…

A Master Chief story and original full-length novel set in the Halo universe—based on the New York Times bestselling video game series! 2526. It has been a year since humanity engaged in its destructive first contact with a theocratic military alliance of alien races known as the Covenant. Now the hostilities have led to open war, and the United Nations Space Command understands virtually nothing about its new enemy. There are only two certainties—the Covenant is determined to eradicate humanity, and they have the superior technology to do just that. The UNSC’s only hope lies with the Spartans: enhanced supersoldiers raised and trained from childhood via a clandestine black ops project to be living weapons. Their designated commander, Petty Officer John-117, has been assigned to lead the Spartans on a desperate counterattack designed to rock the Covenant back on its heels, and to buy humanity the time it needs to gather intelligence and prepare its defenses. But not everyone wants the Spartans to succeed. A coalition of human insurrectionist leaders believes an alliance with the Covenant to be its best hope of finally winning independence from the Unified Earth Government. To further their plans, the insurrectionists have dispatched a sleeper agent to sabotage the UNSC counterattack—and ensure that John-117 and the Spartans never return from battle....

SET IN THE WORLD OF KEITH LAUMER’S STAR COLONY! You are Gaspar Newlin, a junkloader in the Hillgrove Production Complex who becomes caught between rebel and government forces. You must choose to lead either a group of outlaws or a government security force as the colony ship Omega makes planet-fall to establish a new colony. Your strategies hold the key to survival! COMBAT COMMAND BOOK 6. At the publisher''s request, this title is sold without DRM (Digital Rights Management).

A sensational short story collection in the expansive universe of HALO, the New York Times bestselling series! Launch once more into galaxy-spanning conflict and legendary heroism…shards of an ever-expanding journey where human and alien alike find their finest hours in facing their greatest challenges. These scattered stories span untold millennia, from the age of the ancient custodial race known as the Forerunners…to the aftermath of the Covenant’s bloody war against humanity…and even the shocking events surrounding the resurrection of the mysterious Guardians. Halo: Fractures explores mythic tales of bravery and sacrifice that blaze brightly at the very heart of the Halo universe. Featuring electrifying works from such acclaimed authors as: Tobias Buckell • Troy Denning • Matt Forbeck • Kelly Gay • Christie Golden • Kevin Grace • Morgan Lockhart • John Jackson Miller • Frank O’Connor • Brian Reed • Joseph Staten • James Swallow

In a direct follow-up to his penultimate book in the Sundering series, "The Sentinel," "New York Times "best-selling author Troy Denning thrusts conflicted paladin Kleef Kenric into a tangled web of corruption that will force him to confront an evil greater than he s ever faced before. In the wake of the events of the Sundering, Kleef has only recently returned to the city of Marsember when he stumbles upon a dark secret. Corrupt watchmen are passing convicts to an illithid slaver. Even worse, the exchange is a standing arrangement that one the city fathers believe is for the common good, since it keeps the monstrous illithids from preying on more innocent members of society. However, the further Kleef traces the threads of deceit, the more tangled they seem and the deadlier things become, especially when Kleef begins to realize that something far darker than illithids lurks beneath the streets of Marsember."

An original novel set in the Halo Universe and based on the New York Times bestselling video game series! It is 2553, and the three-decade long Covenant War that defined a generation has suddenly drawn to a close. Yet, in the remotest parts of human space, tensions remain that threaten to overflow into another full-scale conflict. Beneath the surface of the planet Gao lies a vast cavern system renowned for its therapeutic effects and rumored miraculous cures. But now Gao natives are turning up brutally murdered down there—violent acts that happen to coincide with the recent arrival of a UNSC research battalion protected by Spartan Blue Team, led by the renowned Spartan-II Fred-104. Maverick detective Veta Lopis of the Gao Ministry of Protection is only trying to do her job as the Special Inspector assigned to catch a serial killer—one who is possibly hiding within the Spartan ranks—but she never anticipates the situation spiraling out of control into an all-out crisis. When Gao is revealed to harbor ancient Forerunner technology that could solidify the UNSC’s military supremacy for centuries to come, Insurrection loyalists within the planetary government will do anything—even align with a vicious faction of what remains of the Covenant—to ensure that never happens…

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER Han Solo, Leia Organa Solo, and Luke Skywalker return in an all-new Star Wars adventure, which will challenge them in ways they never expected—and forever alter their understanding of life and the Force. When Han and Leia Solo arrive at Lando Calrissian’s Outer Rim mining operation to help him thwart a hostile takeover, their aim is just to even up the odds and lay down the law. Then monstrous aliens arrive with a message, and mere threats escalate into violent sabotage with mass fatalities. When the dust settles, what began as corporate warfare becomes a battle with much higher stakes—and far deadlier consequences. Now Han, Leia, and Luke team up once again in a quest to defeat a dangerous adversary bent on galaxy-wide domination. Only this time, the Empire is not the enemy. It is a pair of ruthless geniuses with a lethal ally and a lifelong vendetta against Han Solo. And when the murderous duo gets the drop on Han, he finds himself outgunned in the fight of his life. To save him, and the galaxy, Luke and Leia must brave a gauntlet of treachery, terrorism, and the untold power of an enigmatic artifact capable of bending space, time, and even the Force itself into an apocalyptic nightmare. Praise for Crucible “[Troy] Denning opens new pathways of adventure and recaptures the feel of the Star Wars universe and its beloved characters.”—Library Journal “Outstanding . . . an adventure that tantalizes the imagination.”—Roqoo Depot “A fun, fast paced take on some of Star Wars’ most iconic characters.”—The Founding Fields

An embittered paladin races to stop evil forces from taking advantage of the chaos rolling across Faerûn and claiming dominion over the Realms Stubbornly clinging to his family’s worship of a long-forgotten god, paladin Kleef Kenric soon discovers that his god has blessed him with divine gifts, making him one of a new group of Chosen cropping up around the Realms. This divine gift makes him an excellent ally—and a target for those who wish to corral his powers. After battling his way out of Marsember, a city besieged on all sides in the wake of the Sundering, he becomes swept up in the mission of a group of odd allies—a warrior noblewoman, an accomplished thief, and a mysterious short, pudgy man exuding a faint odor of decay. With the forces of Shade tracking their every step, they travel to the Underdark to thwart the rise of the goddess of Death. But before long, Kleef learns that his allies hide dangerous secrets—secrets that could destroy not only Kleef but the very fabric of the Forgotten Realms.

The stunning follow-up to Fate of the Jedi! Han Solo, Luke Skywalker, and Princess Leia have spent a lifetime fighting wars, bringing the Jedi back from extinction, raising families, and saving the galaxy more times than they can count. They''ve earned the right to rest on their laurels and let the younger generation shoulder the burden--but fate has another adventure in store for our heroes, a quest only they can tackle and hope to survive...

When Han and Leia Solo arrive at Lando Calrissian''s Outer Rim mining operation to help him fend off a hostile takeover, they join forces with Luke Skywalker to confront a dangerous adversary with evil intentions and a vendetta against Han.

The galaxy is in turmoil due to spreading and incresingly violent civil war - and the Solo/Walker clan is in shock after the horrifying murder of one of it''s most beloved members. Jacen Solo, now a full Sith Lord, has seized control of the Galactic Alliance. Luke Skywalker''s judgement is clouded by grief, even as he faces his most momentous decision since becoming Grand Master of the Jedi order: whether to support Jacen''s illegitimate government against the forces threatening Coruscant...or to join the Rebel Confederacy and take arms against the Galactic Alliance he helped forge.

A must-read for every fan of Star Wars fiction and the New Jedi Order series in particular! It is a dark time for the New Republic. The Yuuzhan Vong, despite some recent losses, continue to advance into the Core, and continue their relentless hunt for the Jedi. Now, in a desperate act of courage, Anakin Solo leads a Jedi strike force into the heart of Yuuzhan Vong territory, where he hopes to destroy a major Vong anti-Jedi weapon. There, with his brother and sister at his side, he will come face to face with his destiny--as the New Republic, still fighting the good fight, will come face to face with theirs...

The second book in a trilogy that will bridge the events of the hugely popular New Jedi Order series, which has sold four million copies to date, and our upcoming 9-book epic Star Wars series to be published in 2006-2008. Despite being given new worlds to populate, the insectoid Killiks have not found peace. A seemingly unknowable enemy has been attacking the new nests and the Killiks hold the Jedi responsible. Traveling back to the Unknown Regions to unravel the mystery, the Skywalkers and Solos discover an evil far more familiar than they ever expected...and even more terrifying. Why does the dark nest want to kill Mara? Will Jacen''s apocalyptic vision trigger another galactic war, or prevent one? And perhaps most ominous of all, what deadly secret are the Killiks hiding? To find out, Luke, Mara, Han, and Leia must embark on a perilous journey into the uncharted void between right and wrong. The ferocious Unknown Terrors are only the beginning of the awesome challenges that lie ahead in their quest to fathom the unfathomable.

The final novel in the epic nine-book Legacy of the Force series, concluding the tale of Jacen Solo''s journey to the dark side, and featuring Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Leia Organa Solo, Jaina Solo, and Ben Skywalker, Luke and Mara Jade''s son.

As the stand-off between the Galactic Alliance and its rebellious member states erupts into full-blown battle, the new Corellian leadership develops a desperate plan to draw the Hapan Consortium into the war on their side. But the plot poses a moral quandry for Han and Leia Solo, who cannot abide deliberately spreading the war any more than they can the murder of the Hapan Queen Mother, ex-Jedi Knight Tenel Ka. Taking it upon themselves to save her life - and that of her young daughter, Allana - the Solos set in motion a firestorm of confusion and mayhem that will pit children against parents, bring Luke Skywalker into battle with his foremost nemesis, and leave them at the mercy of one of the Jedi''s oldest and most deadly enemies.

Marriage has not changed Han and Leia much - they still bicker and banter with each other, but now they have something new to disagree on: whether to have children. Han wouldn''t mind being a father, but Leia is terrified that whatever turned her own father into Darth Vader might be genetic, and she can''t risk giving birth to a monster. I n an attempt to put the past to rest, the newlywed couple go to Tatooine, where they speak with the people who knew Leia''s grandmother, Shmi Skywalker. And Leia gets a gift: Shmi''s diary, in which she recorded all her hopes and dreams for her beloved son, Anakin. While Han and Leia get caught up in an ever-escalating adventure on Tatooine, Leia reads her grandmother''s diary and learns something of her heritage, something that will change her forever.

The saga of the mighty Forest Kingdom comes to a close as dark magic, fell foes, and a vicious dragon threaten to destroy Cormyr’s royal family—and Cormyr itself Azoun IV, in the twilight of his years, is still a shining hero to most of his subjects. To all but the eldest, he is the only king they''ve ever known. He''s led them capably out of dark doom before. Yet Cormyr has never faced so many mighty and mysterious foes at once. Demonic ghazneths, ancient curses, weird trees of foul magic, goblins and their kin on the rise in the northern wilderlands, a blight upon the land, rebellious mutterings, dying war wizards . . . and a dragon the likes of which no living eyes on Faerûn have ever seen. The Purple Throne doesn''t seem so unassailable now. It could well shatter under the weight of a gigantic dragon—or the secrets and follies of the last of the Obarskyrs.

On a mission sanctioned by the gods, an amnesiac warrior realizes he is woefully unprepared for a confrontation with the enigmatic Lady of Pain The Lady of Pain rules the city of Sigil from behind a veil of perfect silence. Feared by mortal and gods alike, she flays her worshipers alive and casts her foes into inescapable labyrinths of despair. Only fools dare ask her to speak. And the Amnesian Hero has come with a question. When the god Poseidon tells a man with no memory how to recover his past, the unwitting warrior seeks out the Lady of Pain and finds himself banished to the Mazes. With the help of a beautiful—but dead—tiefling sorceress, a horned fiend with a dark disposition, and a deranged wind-priest who claims top be the center of the multiverse, he must discover the secret of the Lady''s past—or confront a memory so horrifying it could tear him apart.

When demons bear down on Cormyr with great force, the heir to the Obarskyr throne must assume a different title: heroine The seer Alaundo prophesied that seven scourges would sweep Cormyr away in ruin. For centuries, the royal family has stood watch against that day and devoted their lives to the protection of the realm. But in a time when their ancient guardians slumber and their most loyal servants disappear, when a terrible evil prepares to sweep down upon their home . . . Who will protect the royal family? It falls to Tanalasta, the eldest Obarskyr princess and heir to the throne, to find a way to defeat the ghazneths—the demon forms of old Cormyrean traitors—who now threaten to raze the kingdom to the ground. Under the tutelage of Court Wizard Vangerdhast, Tanalasta has come to hone her magical abilities. But will they be enough to save everyone and everything she has ever loved?

Guided by the goddess of beauty, an ugly nobleman ventures to the Utter East in search of a cure for his facial deformities Atreus of Erlkazar has always been hidden from his powerful family''s enemies, concealed behind the hideous mask of his own face. The result of a wayward spell that distorted his features, Atreus’ ugliness is a curse he has borne since he was just a child—and one he has spent his entire life trying to break. He is driven to find a way past his own flesh, into a soul torn between destiny and love. In an ironic twist of fate, he becomes an acolyte of Sune, the goddess of beauty. Under her command, he embarks on an impossible mission to the mysterious country of Langdarma, where the magical waters of the Fountain of Infinite Grace await him. Deep in these ancient valleys of the enigmatic Utter East, Atreus will finally look into . . . the faces of deception.

In the final Avatar Series adventure, an ordinary mortal is chosen as the champion of Cyric the Mad and joins the battle of the gods When Malik, an ordinary mortal, is mysteriously chosen as the champion of Cyric—the Lord of Murder and the Prince of Lies—and imbued with divine powers, he has no idea of the epic struggle that awaits him. Malik is drawn deeper and deeper into the immortal conflict between Cyric and Mystra, the mother of all magic and a former ally. As Cyric’s champion, Malik gets a front row seat in the age-old battle of the gods, meeting such heroes as Adon and Kelemvors—and bearing witness to the final struggle between good and evil.

Luke Skywalker leads an assault against the Lost Tribe of the Sith in order to protect Coruscant and the Galactic Alliance, a confrontation that poses unprecedented threats to his Jedi Order.

New York Times bestseller: Midnight and Adon are tasked with returning the magical Tablets of Fate to their rightful guardian—finding adventure, friendship, and romance along the way After their adventures in Tantras, Midnight and her allies are tasked with returning the Tablets of Fate—mysterious and ancient artifacts on which the responsibilities of the gods are recorded—to the god Ao. However, their quest is more complicated than it appears. The evil gods Myrkul and Bhaal also seek the Tablets, hoping to twist them to their own dark ends. And they aren’t the only ones with a selfish hidden agenda. Hungry for power, the deity Cyric is on a similar mission—one that further imperils the very existence of Faerûn itself. Though Cyric was once Midnight’s trusted friend, their history cannot save her from his ruthless ambition . . . The destiny of the world will soon be decided and a new pantheon of gods will rise into the heavens.

An aspiring Harper agent finds that solving a poisoning—and impressing her superiors—is much harder than she imagined The Bedine witch Ruha has left the parched sea of Anauroch on her quest to become a Harper. That quest takes her to Eversult, where she must prove her mettle by discovering who has poisoned Lady Yanseldara. Simple enough—find the poison and track the poisoner. But when the Cult of the Dragon, a Shou Prince, an oriental merchant, and an ancient dracolich get involved, Ruha’s simple task becomes far more complicated. As she soon discovers, life is never simple for a Harper, and poisoners'' plots hold more treacherous twists than the tail of a Shou dragon. The Veiled Dragon is the twelfth book in a series of loosely-connected novels about the Harpers.

The beloved Harpers series kicks off with a thrilling tale about an outcast witch, a foreign agent, and the endangered desert tribes of the Anauroch Determined to drive a trade route through Anauroch, the Zhentarim have sent an army to enslave the fierce nomads of the great desert. As tribe after tribe fall to the intruders, only a single woman, Rhua, sees the true danger—but what sheik will heed the advice of an outcast witch? Ruha finds help from an unexpected source. The Harpers, guardians of liberty throughout the Realms, have sent an agent to counter the Zhentarim. If she can help this stranger win the trust of the sheikhs, perhaps he can overcome the tribes’ ancestral rivalries and drive the invaders from the desert. The Parched Sea is the first book in a series of loosely-connected novels about the Harpers.

The rise of a new queen has shattered the ancient peace of the Ice Spires, and the only thing left standing between Hartsvale and the giant tribes bent on her destruction is a lone scout armed with a single golden arrow. And now that sanctuary is about to end. The queen is trapped in a remote citadel, surrounded by giants, and the scout who would save her must now leave and undertake a harrowing journey to summon help. Only, as the scout soon learns, the greatest danger to the queen is posed not from without, but from within.

Return to the apocalyptic deserts of the Dark Sun world as unlikely heroes spark a revolution against an evil sorcerer-king For thousands of years, the devil sorcerer King Kalak has used vile magic to drain Athas of its precious life-force. Now, his reign is coming to an end—though the city of Tyr, like the rest of the world, is nothing more than a magic-blasted ruin and a desolate place of dust, blood, and fear. All that’s left is desperation—and revolution. Leading this revolution against Kalak are a maverick statesman, a winsome half-elf slave girl, and a man-dwarf gladiator bred for the arenas. But if the people are to be freed, the mismatched trio of steadfast rebels must look into the face of terror and choose between love and life. First introduced in 1991, Troy Denning’s post-apocalyptic world of Athas remains one of the most talked-about and fan-requested settings in the Dungeons & Dragons universe. Now, a new generation of readers can discover the magic-blasted deserts of the unforgettable Dark Sun . . .

Two former friends seek a powerful ancient oracle—one for good; one for evil—in this fourth Prism Pentad novel that explores the harsh world of Dark Sun The Dark Lens is an ancient oracle that can harvest the magic of the sun, hidden by the last dwarven knights for the sake of a new world. With it, Tithian of Tyr can evolve into a true sorcerer-king. Only Agis of Asticles, who covets the lens to destroy the Dragon Borys, stands between Tithian and his desire. For either man to survive the quest, the hatred between them must be vanquished. If not, they risk falling prey to the beast-headed giants who guard the Obsidian Oracle.