The Return . . .

So you all said you wanted more Caroline Sula, the heroine of the Praxis novels.  I wrote “Investments,” which featured co-protagonists Martinez and Severin, and you all said, “Thanks, Walter, that was very nice, but we want more Sula!“

Well, I hope to heck you all meant what you said, because I’ve just sold “Impersonations” to the new novella line at Tor.com, and it’s all Sula, lots of Sula, doing Sula-type things.

Sula, you may remember, was assigned to Earth at the conclusion of Conventions of War, a nowhere assignment to a nowhere planet, an assignment meant as punishment.  But, as you might also remember, Sula is an Earth history buff, and thought her new assignment was just peachy.

“Impersonations” features Sula on Earth, and trying to work out what Earth means to her, all while engaged in the usual shenanigans (mysterious warships, assassinations, bribery, trying to keep from being executed, being stalked by sinister members of the Sula family, and appreciating fine porcelain).

Plus a volcano.  A really big volcano.

While intended for Tor’s new novella line, the story “grew in the telling,” as Tolkien would have remarked, and now it’s technically a novel.  Half the size of my usual novel, but still a novel.  Tor very kindly accepted it anyway.

It won’t appear on the Tor.com site, but will be available as an ebook, and also as some form of print edition.  Maybe print-on-demand, maybe plain old print.  The details haven’t been worked out.

I’m really happy that this story is finally available.

Here’s the original press release.