An observant reader just sent us this link to Random House's website - it's a hardcover listing for this December, titled simply "Darth Bane Sequel". Is it possible that LFL not only commissioned a sequel to last fall's Path of Destruction, but is releasing it this soon? While there is a single-hardcover gap in the current schedule - due to the cancellation of James Luceno's Darth Plagueis novel - that spot isn't open until February 2009, and as anyone who's been following the Force Unleashed adaptation knows, it's a big deal for hardcover releases to get moved around at all, let alone two years. I'd say something's definitely going on here, but I'd hesitate to assume it's exactly what it looks like. Thanks to Will for pointing this out.

Update! Well, highly irregular though it may be, it looks like this is really happening. First came a suspicious comment on Drew Karpyshyn's website to keep an eye on his Star Wars Blog over the next couple days, and now, thanks to Starwars.com's VIP forum, actual confirmation from Sue Rostoni herself, along with a little background:

Is it really happening or a mistake on Random House's part? Was this some super-fast and super-stealthy effort to surprise the hell out of us?

It surprised the hell out of me too.

Shelly (Shapiro, Del Rey Editorial Director - Mike) called me late last week to propose an additional hardcover this fall. THIS fall. Yep. Del Rey figured the market could bear one more, and since the Darth Bane novel was a hit, a follow-up, written by Drew, seemed the best idea. So the untitled Feb. 09 hardcover (previously the "Plagueis" novel) has been moved up, and Drew agreed to continue Bane's story. So we're off and running.

The release date is slated for December 26th, 2007.

Well, that answers that question. Hopefully we should be seeing a plot blurb and/or a cover fairly soon.