And here they must face great challenges: recontact with Terra, the native chieri, and the laran powers they must control at all costs.

    Hansen Through Fire and Frost, by Dorothy J. Heydt Way of a Wolf, by Lynne Holdom A Recipe For Failure, by Millea Kenin Where the Heart Is, by Millea Kenin Di Catenas, by Adrienne Martine-Barnes Camilla, by Patricia Shaw Mathews Skeptic, by Lynn Mimms Cold Hall, by Aly Parsons A Gift of Love, by Diana L. Paxson In the Throat of the Dragon, by Susan M. Shwartz Legend of the Hellers, by Ty Nolan Escape, by Leslie L. Williams Rebirth, by Elisabeth Waters Confidence, by Phillip Wayne Wind-Music, by Mary Frances Zambreno

    They, forming the Friends of Darkover, have joined with Marion Zimmer Bradley to create this anthology of new stories of Darkover, written by its most talented followers. Here are stories that span the whole of Darkover history -- from the days after the original landfall, through the Ages of Chaos, the Pact of the Comyn, and the coming of the Terrans. Included are three original stories by Marion Zimmer Bradley and her editorial commentaries on each story.

    And now, the latest tale in this epic, generations-spanning saga is sure to become a favorite of both long-time readers and newcomers.

    In these magical citadels, those gifted with telepathy join together, sometimes for good, sometimes in fantastic power struggles.

    Here dwell the Free Amazons, who have set themselves apart from their male-ruled world, owing loyalty only to each other, living their lives as free citizens, equal to any man or woman, soldier or lord. The eighteen tales in this collection, including two by Marion Zimmer Bradley herself, tell the story of these Free Amazons, and are certain to enchant anyone who has fallen under the spell of the Amazon heroines of Thendara House and City of Sorcery.On the Trail - Barbara ArmisteadTactics - Jane M.H. BigelowThe Meeting - Nina BoalKnives - Marion Zimmer BradleyThe Legend of Lady Bruna - Marion Zimmer BradleyThe Oath of the Comhi Letzii, Or "Order of the Renunciates" - Walter BreenHer Own Blood - Margaret L. CarterThe Camel's Nose - Susan HoltzerThe Oath of the Free Amazons: Terra, Techno Period - Jaida n'ha SandraThe Banshee - Sherry KramerA Different Kind of Courage - Mercedes R. LackeyThe Mother Quest - Diana L. PaxsonTo Open a Door - P. Alexandra Riggs Growing Pains - Susan M. SchwartzRecruits - Maureen ShannonGirls Will Be Girls - Patricia Shaw-MathewsCast Off Your Chains - Margaret SilvestriThis One Time - Joan Marie VerbaChild of the Heart - Elisabeth WatersMidwife - Deborah J. Wheeler

    "Bradley's Darkover series grows richer by the book."--Science Fiction Review.Introduction: And Contrariwise by Marion Zimmer BradleyAcurrhir Todo; Nada Perdonad by Deborah J. RossObject Lesson by Mercedes LackeyBeginnings by Cynthia DroletClingfire by Patricia Duffy NovakDeath in Thendara by Dorothy J. HeydtFiretrap by Elisabeth Waters & Marion Zimmer BradleyFriends by Judith KobyleckyManchild by L.D. WoeltjenJust a Touch… by Lynne Armstrong-JonesMind-Eater by Joan Marie VerbaMist by Meg MacDonaldOur Little Rabbit by Mary FreyGift from Ardais by Barbara DenzHorse Race by Diann PatridgePlague by Janet RhodesTapestry by Micole SudbergTo Serve Kihar by Judith Sampson

    Valentine's journey is a long one, a tour through a series of magnificent environments. Fields of predatory plants give way to impossibly wide rivers, chalk-cliffed islands and unforgiving deserts. The prose is unrelentingly dreamlike—no accident given that on Majipoor, dreams rule the minds of great and humble alike. Originally serialized in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction in four parts: November 1979, December 1979, January 1980 and February 1980.

    Cover Illustration: Jim Burns

    I hop to avoid either and to entertain you while I'm doing it."Here she has succeeded!

    His purpose -- to create out of the insubstance of the air, from a shimmering of light and a fluttering of shadows. that most wonderous of spells, a Shaping. A Shaping in the form of a, young man who will be sent east on the road the old was to old to travel. To right the wrongs of a long-forgotten wizard war, and call new wars into being. Here is the long-awaited major new novel from one of the brightest stars in the fantasy and science fiction firmament.C.J.Cherryh's haunting story of the wizard Mauryl, kingmaker for a thousand years of Men, and Tristen, fated to sow distrust between a prince and his father being. A tale as deep as legend and a intimate as love, it tells of a battle beyond Time, in which all Destiny turns on the wheel of an old man's ambition, a young man's innocence, and the unkept promised of a king to come.

    And when she finally agreed to marry him, he felt like the luckiest man in the universe.There was just one small problem. He was broke. His only goal in life was to become a composer, and he knew it would take years before he was earning enough to support a family.But Jinny wasn't willing to wait. And when Joel asked her what they were going to do for money, she gave him a most unexpected answer. She told him that her name wasn't really Jinny Hamilton---it was Jinny Conrad, and she was the granddaughter of Richard Conrad, the wealthiest man in the solar system. And now that she was sure that Joel loved her for herself, not for her wealth, she revealed her family's plans for him---he would be groomed for a place in the vast Conrad empire and sire a dynasty to carry on the family business.Most men would have jumped at the opportunity. But Joel Johnston wasn't most men. To Jinny's surprise, and even his own, he turned down her generous offer and then set off on the mother of all benders. And woke up on a colony ship heading out into space, torn between regret over his rash decision and his determination to forget Jinny and make a life for himself among the stars.He was on his way to succeeding when his plans--and the plans of billions of others--were shattered by a cosmic cataclysm so devastating it would take all of humanity's strength and ingenuity just to survive.

    Everyone, holder and dragonrider alike, pitched in to help -- except Nerilka's father, who refused to share Fort Hold's bounty with the other Holds. So, ashamed of her family and determined to do her part, Nerilka packed up medicines and supplies and sneaked off to aid her people.Her quest to help wherever she was most needed led her finally to RuathaHold, where Lord Alessan was frantically preparing the precious serumneeded for mass inoculations against the dread plague.Nerilka had long ago abandoned the hope of marriage and a home of her own. Now she found happiness in being useful and appreciated -- first the Healers and then Alessan made very clear that they were grateful for her help.She had no idea that her new path would change the course of her life forever!

     In an interstellar romp that proves science and sorcery can mix, only hard-headed realist Rod Gallowglass can save the people of Gramarye from their doom by becoming--The Warlock in Spite of Himself--if only he believed in magic.

    [Publisher's Note: "Labyrinth" was originally published as a stand-alone novella in the August 1989 issue of Analog. It was then included in the novel "Borders of Infinity" (October 1989). For the novel, Ms. Bujold added a short "framing story" that tied the three novellas together by setting up each as a flashback that Miles experiences while recovering from bone-replacement surgery. Fictionwise is publishing these novellas separately, but we decided to leave in Ms. Bujold's short framing story for those who may also wish to read the other two novellas ("The Mountains of Mourning" and "The Borders of Infinity").] Analog Reader's Choice Winner, Locus Poll Award Nominee