I have a new free short story available now on the Baen website. https://www.baen.com/
The Testimony of the Traitor Ratul is set during the events of Son of the Black Sword, and gives the backstory of one of the pivotal supporting characters. Here is a direct link: https://www.baen.com/testimonytraitorratul
Book 2 in the Saga of the Forgotten Warrior, House of Assassins, comes out in a couple weeks. And Baen.com always likes to have a non-fiction article to go along with their free fiction, so as a happy bonus this month, there is an article by Whit Williams (my sword fighting technical adviser for the series) about The Swords of Lok https://www.baen.com/swordsoflok
I hope you enjoy.
“For a righteous hate can be addictive as the poppy.”
Quoted for truth.
Spoilers.. kinda.
(quote removed)
Brilliant. Sent a shiver thru me.
Larry, you let us down Brah. We were hoping you’d post up the Gencon shenanigans from your SW game. Bob the orc is having a sad. 🙂
I never had a chance sadly. That was a great game.
I appreciate the compliment, but I am gonna delete that spoiler, just because I love that line. 🙂
That line is pretty epic. Whole story was pretty damn good. Two more weeks….
Lil’ Joe is sad too, but we understand that getting paid is the first priority. Occasionally I still feel bad about what we put that poor trucker through…
Also, looking forward to seeing you again in KC!
At the risk being “Buckley”-ed, do you want the typo I spotted?
Give it to Baen. It is out of my hands now. 🙂
Will do.
[edited to add superfluous verbiage, on account my comment being “too short”!!!!!]
Thank you very much for story. Glad I recently re-listened to Son of the Black Sword.
Excellent short – Really looking forward to the sequel.
Is House of Assassins going to be on Audible at release? I’ve been waiting for it to show up available for pre-order but so far no joy.
It will be on Audible at release.
I loved Son of the Black Sword. I’m looking forward to the sequel. Any plans for a short story anthology with multiple authors like you did for Monster Hunter set in the world of the Forgotten Warrior? Because that would be awesome.
Not currently. To do an antho set in a particular world you usually need to wait until there are more books out to make it viable.
This is a truly fine story. I don’t know why, but there seems to something about writing in this world that really elevates your wordsmithing.
Just curious – did you set out to write the story, or did it grow out of notes or exercises that were part of the worldbuilding you did for this series?
All that back story existed already for the world building, there just hadn’t been a place to put it into a book. Toni asked me for a stand alone short story, and this was about the right size. So I wrote this story last week. 🙂
So you’re not doing the Niven/Pournelle method of writing out ALL of the background universe in a big encyclopedia and then write the story based on the encyclopedia?
The people here at work are looking around trying to figure what alarm went off.
Fortunately, I’m a big and manly enough dude that they won’t realize it was just me Squeeeeeeing like a deranged fan-girl.
Baen site says it will be out 2/5/2019. I wonder if the eardrums of the woman in the cubicle next door will last that long. LOL!!!
That was a masterful piece of writing. I could hear it in Ratul’s voice, and felt as if we were sitting round a camp fire or at a table in some somewhat decrepit hostelry somewhere.
Time to re-read Son of the Black Sword in preparation.
Loved the story, and am looking forward to the new book.
Nicely done ‘backstory’. This should whet people’s interest for the next book! 😀
Great backstory on an interesting character. Thanks for providing this! Pre-ordered HoA and am really looking forward to it.
Well, that was a simply delightful read and I shall point my son at it on the morrow.
‘Addictive as the poppy’ indeed.
I’d read an entire book of this expanded backstory.
I do not see House of Assains availible on audible !? Not even as a pre order 🙁 when do you think that will happen? I need one of your books 🙂 !
I don’t know when the preorder will be up, but it should release on Feb 4th.
I did enjoy it, thank you. I also enjoyed the article on swords.
If someone is starting to read this series for the first time, where would you recommend placing this short story within the reading order?
Chronologically it happens before book 1, but it actually opens the 6th and final book.