For the first time in nearly twenty years, Elizabeth Moon returns to the thrilling realm of her superb Deed of Paksenarrion trilogy.
 
Thanks to Paks’s courage, the long-vanished heir to the half-elven kingdom of Lyonya has been revealed as Kieri Phelan, a formidable mercenary who earned a title—and enemies—in the neighboring kingdom of Tsaia, where Prince Mikeli suddenly faces the threat of a coup. Acting swiftly, Mikeli strikes at the powerful family behind the attack: the Verrakaien, magelords steeped in death and evil. Mikeli’s survival—and that of Tsaia—depend on the only Verrakai whose magery is not tainted with innocent blood. Two kings stand at a pivotal point in the history of their worlds. For dark forces are gathering against them, knit in a secret conspiracy more sinister and far more ancient than they can imagine.

In the near future, Los Angeles is an all but uninhabitable war zone, racked by crime, violence, pollution and poverty. But above the blighted city, a Utopia has arisen: Todos Santos, a thousand-foot high single-structured city, designed to used state-of-the-art technology to create a completely human-friendly environment, offering its dwellers everything they could want in exchange for their oath of allegiance and their constant surveillance . But there are those who want to see the utopia destroyed, whose answer to tomorrow’s best and brightest hope is mindless violence. And they have just entered Todos Santos. . . .

While the Crusades raged in the Holy Land, Europe, too, was torn apart by war. From England's Anarchy to the slaughter of the Albigensian Crusade, Kings, nobles and clergy all vied for power and wealth. Out of this bloodshed, however, arose one of the most honored ideals of history, the Code of Chivalry. With new troop types, historical backgrounds and accompanying maps and artwork, Oath of Fealty allows Field of Glory generals to take up arms in defence of honour, faith and liege lord.

The only child of a barbaric king is kidnapped and sentenced to death for her father’s sins against the people. As her father casts a blanket of death over the land, seeking the return of the daughter heir and vengeance upon the traitorous men that have taken her, Carista is forced into the filthy bowels of the kingdom’s underworld. Her captors passing her into the care of their most ruthless and brutal mercenary. Yet her strength of spirit will not be broken and she eventually earns more than just the respect of her murderous warder.

We are not the footnotes of history. We follow in the footsteps of heroes. - Toturi Kyoji
While the Great Clans are the Empire's most obvious movers of great events, they are not the only ones. Almost since the Dawn of the Empire, the Emperor has retained the right to create Minor Clans as reward to those who have served him with great distinction, and they have carved out the right to be recognized as history. The Imperial Families - the Seppun, the Otomo and the Miya - have devoted their lives to serving the Emperor directly, and although they are small compared to the Great Clan Families, the pride that they take in their role as the Emperor's own retained servants makes up for their lack of numbers. And ronin, though despised as wave-men, are always useful to their betters as freelance soldiers and on occasion important parts of the social order.
Fealty and Freedom examines all of these Rokugani factions and gives them their due. Fealty and Freedom features:

Detailed histories of the Minor Clans, the Imperial Families and the role of Ronin in the Rokugan including profiles of notable characters

Advice and insight for playing characters from all of these factions and how their unique perspectives fit into the Emerald Empire

New and updated character creation and development mechanics for all existing Minor Clans, the Imperial Families and Ronin characters

Historical summery describing some of the factions that have disappeared from the Empire including the Hantei and Toturi Families and Minor Clans that have been absorbed into the Great Clans

Fealty & Freedom is the definitive source for the inner workings and character of Rokugan's minor factions. Players and game masters alike will find exciting new insight into life outside the Great Clans. With all new schools, paths and powerful items this book is an essential addition to any Legend of the Five Rings library.

Since the Revolutionary War, American Presidents have accepted a secret blood oath of fealty from a race of men called the Atta. Unmatched in combat, stealth, and agility, the Atta left Europe for America centuries ago, bringing with them a dark secret.

When the Atta’s nascent existence in their new land was threatened by British tyranny, they fought alongside George Washington to secure liberty for the fragile United States of America, continuing to fight throughout the years whenever America’s freedom was at risk.

Now Lieutenant General Viktor Laszlo, an Atta Elder and commander of all American Special Forces in Iraq, is on the verge of securing a lasting victory against Al Qaida and the insurgents when freshman Congressman Jack Roberson arrives in Baghdad determined to uncover the secret behind Laszlo’s stunning successes against the terrorists.

Roberson teams up with veteran war correspondent Alexandra Bachli and launches himself into the middle of a fire storm of battle, kidnapping and torture that threatens to derail Laszlo’s victory and expose the Atta’s secret.

The Blood and Honor Series, of which Fealty is the first novel, traces the history of Atta clan from their beginnings in medieval Hungary to the near future, and their role keeping America secure and the world safe.

Since the Revolutionary War, American Presidents have accepted a secret blood oath of fealty from a race of men called the Atta. Unmatched in combat, stealth, and agility, the Atta left Europe for America centuries ago, bringing with them a dark secret.

When the Atta’s nascent existence in their new land was threatened by British tyranny, they fought alongside George Washington to secure liberty for the fragile United States of America, continuing to fight throughout the years whenever America’s freedom was at risk.

Now Lieutenant General Viktor Laszlo, an Atta Elder and commander of all American Special Forces in Iraq, is on the verge of securing a lasting victory against Al Qaida and the insurgents when freshman Congressman Jack Roberson arrives in Baghdad determined to uncover the secret behind Laszlo’s stunning successes against the terrorists.

Roberson teams up with veteran war correspondent Alexandra Bachli and launches himself into the middle of a fire storm of battle, kidnapping and torture that threatens to derail Laszlo’s victory and expose the Atta’s secret.

The Blood and Honor Series, of which Fealty is the first novel, traces the history of Atta clan from their beginnings in medieval Hungary to the near future, and their role keeping America secure and the world safe.

While the Great Clans are the Emerald Empire's most obvious movers of great events, they are not alone. Almost since the dawn of the Empire, the Emperor has retained the right to create Minor Clans to reward those who have served him with great distinction, and they have carved out the right to be recognized as history. Fealty and Freedom features new and updated character creation and development mechanics for all existing Minor Clans, the Imperial Families, and Ronin characters, as well as a historical summary describing minor factions that have disappeared in the Empire, including the Hantei and Toturi Families, and Minor Clans that have been absorbed into Great Clans.