Life. Luck. Love. Lowport. Life, so the wags tell us, is what happens while we're making other plans. Luck...or, as some have it, chance...Luck is what makes Life interesting; introducing spicy bits of chaos — good, bad, and neutral. Without Luck, there is no savor — no adventure — in Life. Love. Ah, Love. The yeast of Life, Love expands our horizons, deepens our understanding, and opens our eyes. Love makes us daring. And Lowport? Lowport...

A faction of renegade priestesses is seeking to circumvent the Dyan City High Priestess to outlaw "hedge magicians." Their reason is that such "bogus magic" confuses the simple, and diverts awe and respect that ought to be reserved for the true magic worked by priestesses in the name of the Goddess. Meanwhile, Master Magician Lute arrives in Dyan City on Beltane Eve, driven there by the will of the Goddess. Is he a sacrifice? Or is he the Hammer...

Two novelettes set on Surebleak after it has been invaded and conquered by Pat Rin yos'Phelium Clan Korval. Each story features a young person coming to terms with the new conditions, and navigating treacherous cultural waters."Chimera" was first published on Baen.com in May 2015."Friend of a Friend" is original to this chapbook.

When Clan Korval knows your name...Abandoned on a strange port by a scam gone bad, his license to pilot rescinded, and his pockets very much to let, Fer Gun pen'Uldra was teetering between trouble, more trouble, and bad trouble. Cornered in a cheap bar by a too-knowledgeable stranger with an unlikely offer, Fer Gun realized having no money and no license might be the least of his troubles. Clan Korval knew his name and that proposal was hard to refuse......

Meanwhile, on another side of the Universe. . .Meet Gem ser'Edreth, a wizard with electronics and a freelance thief. Deliberately solitary, unencumbered by family or friends, he immerses himself in his profession, rising to a pinnacle of skill so exalted that the planetary crime boss seeks him out with a commission to steal. Refusing the commission, of course, is his first mistake.Gem's hidden past proves an unexpected liability and his plants to...

Included in this volume is "Veil of the Dancer," in which a scholar with three daughters properly marries off the two eldest, while teaching the youngest, Inas, how to read and thereby endangering them all. Also included is "Quiet Knives," which finds Captain Rolanni with time on her hands time to fulfill a promise she made years ago to a man who may no longer be a friend."Put plainly and simply, I like the Liaden books. . .for a whole slew of reasons....

When Ceola's bar-partner sister finds interest in the business waning, even leaving for days on end without warning, the tavernista needs help and she needs it fast. But along with the bar her sister has abandoned a young lover known to his friends as Shadow... and whoever else he is, he's not one to permit a good thing to die. A Scout to his core, young Shadow introduces Ceola to Jasper, and to other possibilities she never knew existed, in "Shadow...

You've heard of Neverland and its inhabitants. Fairies, pirates, mermaids, and a boy who didn't want to grow up. But you can't always believe the stories.

Adventures in the Liaden Universe® Number One. Originally published by SRM Publisher in 1995. Includes the two classic Liaden stories, "To Cut an Edge," and "A Day at the Races." "To Cut an Edge" details a Scout trainee's meeting with an alien; and "A Day at the Races," pits two young gentlemen of fashion against their very proper aunt.

This chapbook contains two tales from the Liaden Universe®: short story "Out of True," and novelette "The Rifle's First Wife." "Out of True" is a first contact story that takes place around the time of Balance of Trade and Trade Secrets. "The Rifle's First Wife" takes place soon after Korval's relocation to Surebleak, and explores the necessity for society to adjust to new realities, and a new culture. Both stories were previously published in A...