At the beginning of each month, the Tor.com eBook Club gives away a free sci-fi/fantasy ebook to club subscribers.

We’re happy to announce that the pick for February 2017 is: The Bloodline Feud by Charles Stross, an omnibus edition collecting the first two novels in Stross’ parallel-universe techno-thriller series The Merchant Princes.

The Merchant Princes is a science fictional examination of parallel universes whose societies exist at different points of development, as one woman from “normal” Earth discovers her true bloodline and the ability to walk between these worlds:

The six families of the Clan rule the kingdom of Gruinmarkt from behind the scenes. They are a mixture of nobility and criminal conspirators whose power to walk between their world and ours makes them rich in both.

Miriam, a hip tech journalist from Boston, discovers her alternate-world relatives with explosive results that shake three worlds. Now, as the prodigal Countess Helge Thorold-Hjorth, she finds herself ensnared in schemes and plots centuries in the making. She is surrounded by unlikely allies, lethal contraband, and—most dangerous of all—her family.

To avoid a slippery slope down to an unmarked grave, Miriam must build a power base of her own—with unexpected consequences for three different time lines, including the quasi-Victorian one exploited by the hidden family.

Note: If you’re having issues with the sign-up or download process, please email [email protected].

Happy reading! To keep track of Tor.com eBook Club offerings and discussion, just bookmark the Tor.com eBook Club tag page.