Velveteen vs. the Consequences of Her Actions (preorder)

(preorder—to be published in early 2026)

Dust jacket illustration by Bengal.

Interior color plate by Dylan Meconis.

We’re pleased to present some of Seanan McGuire’s rarest—and previously unpublished—stories in the new mega-collection (over 600 pages), Velveteen vs. the Consequences of Her Actions. This volume includes sixteen never-before-published stories.

About the Book:

It hasn’t been very long since the Super Patriots, Inc. were defeated by Velveteen and her friends, and the echoes of a world where superhumans could be bought and sold by corporate interests are still shaping the greater landscape.  In order to achieve their victory, Velveteen had to make a devil’s bargain with Santa Claus himself, and now the cost of his aid is coming due.  Even as the rebuilding begins, she has to leave for the Seasonal Lands and fulfill the terms of service she agreed to, or she’ll never be able to come home again, and never be able to enjoy the world she’s fought so hard and sacrificed so much to achieve.

And of course, there’s the matter of what comes after her sentence has been served.

In the aftermath of the fall of the Super Patriots, Inc., Velveteen will have to overcome the greatest challenge she’s faced to date: how does she move forward with her life and become an independent adult, when that’s the one battle she’s never been prepared for?  And what about all the other problems she hasn’t defeated yet, from super villains to death itself?  She’s already won, so why does it feel like the fight will never end?

These short stories continue Velveteen’s adventures, from her service with the Seasons to her attempt to find a way to live a normal life in a superheroic world.  Includes the original volume three, along with the sixteen stories in the never-before-published volume four.

Limited: 1000 signed numbered hardcover copies

Table of Contents

VELVETEEN VS. THE SEASONS

• Velveteen vs. Hypothermia
• Velveteen vs. Santa Claus
• Velveteen vs. Global Warming
• Velveteen Presents the Princess vs. Public Relations
• Velveteen vs. The Thaw
• Velveteen vs. Balance
• Velveteen vs. Spring Cleaning
• Velveteen Presents Polychrome vs. The Court of Public Opinion and Not Punching Anyone
• Velveteen vs. The Melancholy of Autumn
• Velveteen vs. A Disturbing Number of Crows
• Velveteen vs. Trick and Treat
• Velveteen Presents Action Dude vs. Doing the Right Thing
• Velveteen vs. The Consequences of Her Actions
• Velveteen vs. Going Home Again
• Velveteen vs. Everything You Ever Wanted
• Velveteen vs. The Retroactive Continuity
• Velveteen Presents Jacqueline Claus vs. The Lost and the Found
  
  
• APPENDIX A: Velveteen and Allies
• APPENDIX B: Spirits of The Seasons

VELVETEEN VS. LIFE

• Velveteen vs. Recovery
• Velveteen vs. Temptation
• Velveteen vs. Doctor Darwin
• Velveteen vs. Gainful Employment
• Velveteen Presents the Princess vs. The Congressional Committee for Superhuman Oversight
• Velveteen vs. Evolution
• Velveteen vs. Extinction
• Velveteen vs. True Love’s Kiss
• Velveteen vs. The Parliamentarian
• Velveteen Presents Tag vs. Being Alive
• Velveteen vs. Winter
• Velveteen Presents Jacqueline Claus vs. Existence
• Velveteen vs. The United States Government
• Velveteen vs. Uncomfortable Resolutions
• Velveteen vs. Normalcy
• Velveteen vs. A Potential Happy Ending
• APPENDIX A: Velveteen and Allies
• APPENDIX B: Spirits of The Seasons