In the wake of what Palladium Books CEO Kevin Siembieda referred to as a 'Crisis of Treachery,' the company has, with the help of RPG fans from across the globe, staggered to its feet after a blow that, according to many financial experts, should have spelled the end (see 'Palladium Goes Public With Crisis of Treachery').  Although cash flow (as Siembieda admitted) has been 'uneven' and the company has had to modify its previously announced schedule of releases (see 'Crisis of Treachery Update'), several titles have come out this spring including Rifts: D-Bees of North America ($22.95), a 224-page sourcebook/compendium of 'dimensional beings' with a cover by Dave Dorman.  Though other publishers have been cutting back on RPG releases, that's not the case at Palladium where, according to a posting by Siembieda on the company's Website, 'All of us at Palladium Books know role-playing games have a bright future, and we aim to prove it.'

Due out this week is Rifts: Machinations of Doom ($18.95), another full-fledged Rifts sourcebook, which includes a 72-page graphic novel by Ramon Perez and 43 pages of gaming source material for Rifts by Kevin Siembieda plus pin-ups and concept sketches.

Starting in June with the publication of Carl Gleba's Rifts Dimension Book 10: Hades -- Pits of Hell (224 pg., $22.95), Rift gamers will be able visit Hell, be taken to Hell, or escape from Hell.  Then in July comes Gleba's Rifts Dimensional Book 11: Dyval -- Hell Unleashed ($22.95), which explores Dyval a second Hell as a stand-alone sourcebook but can also be used along with Book 10 in a mega-scenario known as the Minion War, in which the demons from Hades invade Dyval and the conflict spills out into Phase World and the Three Galaxies, an event which is chronicled in the Gleba's Dimension Book 12: Dimensional Outbreak ($22.95), which is due out in August.

The other major Palladium Books release of the summer is an artbook, the oft-delayed 128-page Rifts & the Megaverse: The Art of John Zeleznik, which will be available in a standard softcover edition ($22.95) as well as in a limited edition signed and numbered hardcover that comes with an original concept sketch by John Zeleznik glued into the book ($125).