THE PRICE OF VICTORY... David McCarthy returns to Kathil a hero—one of the few surviving members of the First Kathil Uhlans, who fought so fiercely in the war to defeat the Clans. But David returns from Clan space with haunting memories of the cost of victory… With the Federated Commonwealth on the brink of civil war, David joins the planetary militia on Kathil—and steps into a powder keg. Opposing forces wrangle for control of the planet and its orbital shipyards, which berth a portion of FedCom’s mighty WarShip fleet. The Eighth Regimental Combat Team—loyal to Archon Katrina—refuses to turn over control of the planet to the militia. Caught in the power struggle between supporters of Katrina and those of her brother, Victor, McCarthy vows that he won’t fail the people of his homeward, even if that means leading his untested MechWarriors against the Eighth’s superior firepower—and dredging up a past he’d rather forget...

A DANGEROUS DECEPTION... Truebirth: Born in the laboratory, these genetically engineered soldiers train to be the ultimate warriors. They are the elite pilots of the Clan's fearsome BattleMech war machines. Freebirth: Born of the natural union of parents, these too are soldiers, but pale imitations of their Truebirth superiors. Despised for their imperfections, they fight where and when their Clan commands. Aidan has failed his Trial of Position, the ranking test all Truebirth warriors of the Clan Jade Falcon must pass. He is cast out. Disgraced. His rightful Bloodname denied him. But with a Bloodname, all past failures are forgiven. With a Bloodname comes respect. With a Bloodname comes honor. Aidan will do anything to gain that name. Even masquerade as the thing he has been taught to despise. A freebirth.

DEAD RIGHT THERE Flush with their success against the Jade Falcons on Borghese, Jeremiah Rose and the Black Thorns head to Harlech to draw a new assignment. Their only requirement: Their new job must let them face off against the Clans. They find more than they bargained for. Their assignment: Garrison duty on Wolcott—a Kurita planet deep in the heart of the Clan Smoke Jaguar occupation zone. The world itself is besieged, but protected from further Clan aggression by the Clan code of honor. And Wolcott makes a useful staging area for Kurita raids on Smoke Jaguar-occupied territory. The mission pay is good. The advance is unbelievable. They just have to live long enough to spend it...

THE CLAN INVASION COMES TO A HEAD... In 2786, the elite Star League Army fled the Inner Sphere, abandoning the senseless bloodshed ordered by the Successor Lords. Now, almost three hundred years later, the Clans, heirs of the Star League Army, turn their eyes back upon their former home. Nothing will stop them from raising the Star League banner over Earth once again. For two years, the Clans BattleMech war machines have overwhelmed the armies of the corrupt Successor Lords. Now, at the gates of Earth, the Clans must fight one final battle, a battle that will decide the fate of humanity for all time. For Star Colonel Aidan Pryde of Clan Jade Falcon, the battle is more than a question of military conquest. It is an affirmation of the superiority of the Clan way, a way of life that he has sworn to uphold despite his fear that the noble crusade has fallen prey to the lust and ambition of its commanders.

A DESPERATE FIGHT… Under assault and ill-equipped, Alkalurops has come apart since the loss of its communications grid and the inability of the Republic of the Sphere to re-establish it. But in a universe of powerful players, a leader has to grab power fast if she's going to survive... Grace O'Malley's people are valiantly making a stand against Hansen's Roughriders, a band of mercenaries destroying everything in their path. Badly outnumbered, her forces need real BattleMechs operated by trained MechWarriors. And they're not going to be easy to afford, especially since the big mine owners refuse to offer any funds for planetary defense. But Grace will not surrender her homeland, no matter what the price. Even though the ragtag locals are putting up a surprisingly good fight, Loren Hansen remains confident he can defeat them. What he doesn't count on is an opponent determined to write her planet's history in the scorched wreckage of the battlefield...

THE GAUNTLET IS THROWN… Hanse Davion and Melissa Steiner have united two Great Houses of the Inner Sphere in a marriage that upsets the balance of power among the stars. Though some hope this may bring an end to centuries of war, Maximilian Liao of the Capellan Confederation has enlisted the aid of two highly placed Davion traitors to destroy Hanse Davion and the Federated Suns from both within and without. But in the distant star chambers of the Capellan March and Draconis Combine, the warlords of Maximilian Liao are honoring a different and more deadly vow: to wage an unholy war that threatens to rip apart the vulnerable worlds of the Federated Suns. As Davion ’Mech commander Andrew Redburn and his mercenaries streak into battle, an explosive clash of metal and men signals the return of a formidable foe. Interstellar legend Yorinaga Kurita has returned to stake his claim as the most bloodthirsty warrior of all. For both men, it is do-or-die combat that could ensure the triumph of a glorious new alliance—or result in total annihilation…

A PACK DIVIDED… Anastasia Kerensky has declared the Steel Wolf Clan to be mercenaries, re-christening them the Wolf Hunters. The combination of autonomy and wealth will make them more than a match for any MechWarrior battalion suicidal enough to challenge them. But the real challenge comes from within the Clan itself. Star Colonel Varnoff believes Kerensky has betrayed them all—and with a loyal faction of Steel Wolves at his side vows to destroy all the Wolf Hunters. Meanwhile, others who do not agree with Anastasia’s decision strike out on their own. Some join other mercenary units, another finds his purpose on the gaming world of Solaris VII. But one thing is for certain: as the Republic of the Sphere continues to fall apart, new factions and rivalries arise as the leaders of each planet left on its own adapts to this dangerous new universe. And the surest way to protect a planet is by hiring mercs…because the best defense is a good offense…

CLAWS THAT CATCH… As a reward for her loyalty and cunning, Katana Tormark has been granted the rank of Warlord of Dieron—a somewhat dubious honor. For even as she is given her new title, she is also given a nearly impossible task to prove her worth—one that may usher in a new era of interplanetary chaos... Barely three generations ago, the Draconis Combine ceded control of dozens of planets to the Republic of the Sphere. But now, with Terra locked behind its impenetrable Fortress Wall, these same planets are left to fend for themselves. Some go on as if nothing has changed, while others find themselves pawns in a deadly game of territorial sovereignty. These are the planets Katana must take over if she is to reestablish the historic Dieron Military District. If she can manage this with minimal resources and the very subtle support of the Coordinator, then she will become a full-fledged warlord of House Kurita. But Katana’s enemies inside and outside the Combine see the ensuing confusion as a chance to destroy her once and for all...

IN A TIME OF PEACE… For generations, the Republic of the Sphere has known a Golden Age of peace. Mighty BattleMechs, once kings of the battlefields, now aid the reconstruction of war-torn worlds. But when terrorists destroy the interstellar communications net, each planet is thrust into isolation. Suddenly old hatreds resurface, and a people who have never known war face the prospect of it firsthand… A MYSTERIOUS NEW THREAT ARISES… Sam Donelly is one of the best LumberMech jockeys on the planet, wielding his 'Mech's fifteen-foot chainsaw with the grace and precision of a surgeon. Caught in a skirmish with revolutionaries, he soon finds himself a rebel recruit. But Sam is no mere lumberjack, and if his true identity is discovered, the repercussions could be disastrous not only for Sam, but for the entire Republic…

THE THIRD NOVEL IN THE EPIC BLOOD OF KERENSKY TRILOGY! THE FINAL ASSAULT... The Clans. Warriors bred for battle and mated to fantastic war machines, Clansmen live for victory and pray for death before defeat. Invaders from beyond the Periphery, the Clans have beaten the forces of the Inner Sphere repeatedly. Now the Clans are driving toward their ultimate objective—Terra, cradle of humankind, and hub of the ComStar communications network. Nothing the Inner Sphere has can stop them. The heir to the throne of the Draconis Combine is missing. Whole regiments of BattleMechs lie smashed like abandoned toys. Rasalhague is overrun. The Clans are sweeping toward the center of the known universe in a relentless tide. Humanity's only hope is the Inner Sphere's most powerful traitor. ComStar betrayed the Inner Sphere by aiding the Clans in their conquests. Now the mystic sect that controls all interstellar communication must face the Clan hordes—alone. And a mysterious, elderly warrior—along with the untested warriors of ComStar—is the Inner Sphere's last defense against total defeat.