4 replies to this topic

[Oni Ralas]

Ok, so I stumbled across a motherload of battletech books. Like... has to be a hundred in this box.

Where in the hell should I start to get a refresher course in all things important timeline wise?

[CyclonerM]

Oni Ralas, on 04 November 2013 - 01:55 PM, said:

Ok, so I stumbled across a motherload of battletech books. Like... has to be a hundred in this box.

Where in the hell should I start to get a refresher course in all things important timeline wise?

http://www.sarna.net/wiki/Novels

This the list of the printed novels.
If you want to follow closely the timeline you may check the first series in that list, they should be set around 3025. I strongly reccomend you to start with Wolves on the Border, my first book.

Then you can jump directly to the Clan invasion (3048-3060) era, when is set MWO. I strongly suggest you the Jade Phoenix trilogy to have an introduction to the Clan Jade Falcon and the Clans traditions as a whole , or pick instead the Blood of Kerensky trilogy (about Clan Wolf, Phelan Kell and the first battles of the Inner Sphere against the Clans): Then you may read the following novels: Malicious intent, Bred for war, etc. to the Twilight of the Clans (bye bye Smoke Jaguars!). [Warning: high amount of Davion propaganda ]

Then there are the Jihad and the Dark Age, but those eras can difinitely wait.

You can find them on Amazon. Hopefully someone else will give you some more advice

[Tyrnea Smurf]

Depends if you want to cover the era of MWO, or want to read through the 3025 era. (I recommend avoiding the Dark Age/Jihad era like its got a communicable disease) Mainly at this point of the lore (the 3050ish era) will be the Stackpole novels as his books were the ones that moved the timeline/events forward largely.

Assuming you don't want to start in the 3rd succession war (with novels set in the early 3000's - 3020's) or the 4th succession war (3026 - 3028)

The IS centric point of view of the clan invasion is the Blood of Kerensky trilogy, Lethal Heritage, Blood Legacy, Lost Destiny. (note although some of the narrative is in and around Clan Wolf in these novels, the point of view is followed almost exclusively by the IS characters and their reactions to the clanfolk)

The Clan centric point of view is the Robert Thurston Legend of the Jady Phoenix trilogy, Way of the Clans, Bloodname, Falcon Guard (note only the 3rd book Falcon Guard is set during the invasion itself, the first 2 introduce you to clan society, and clan military culture before the invasion begins)

After the invasion the novels narrative lore wise follows the Stackpole novels starting in 3054 with Natural Selection.

If it was me first getting into the Battletech fiction/lore and having the option I would go with the early 3020's era books, a bunch of them are the Grey Death Legion books by William Keith, starting with Decision at Thunder Rift.

[Skylarr]

I feel the following books will give you a good feel of the BattleTech Universe.

I would start with the Warrior Trilogy by Michael A. Stackpole, is about the events before and during the Fourth Succession War( 3028 to 3030). The main acts are the wedding of Hanse Davion and Melissa Steiner, the experiences of Justin Xiang on Solaris VII and as spy on Sian, the vendetta between Morgan Kell and Yorinaga Kurita, the machinations of Michael Hasek-Davion and of subversive elements inside the Steiner nobility, ComStar's secret manipulations and of course the most important battles of the war.

• Warrior: En Garde (August 1988) 3026
  
• Warrior: Riposte (October 1988) 3028
  
• Warrior: Coupé (April 1989) 3029

Heir to the Dragon, by Robert N. Charrette, follows Theodore Kurita for twenty-two years as he learns to survive and thrive in the subtle and deadly courts of the Draconis Combine. The novel is also the only narrative of the War of 3039.


The Saga of the Gray Death Legion is a series of books about the famed Gray Death Legion mercenary unit. Most of the novels are by William H. Keith, Jr., with additional writing by Andrew Keith and Thomas S. Gressman. (This is the Mercenary unit that found the Helm Memory core that brought back Star League Tech right as the Clans hit.)

• Decision at Thunder Rift by William H. Keith, Jr. (June 1986) 3024
  
• Mercenary's Star by William H. Keith, Jr. (June 1987)
  
• The Price of Glory by William H. Keith, Jr. (October 1987) 3028 (Helm Memory Core was found in this book)
  
• Blood of Heroes by Andrew Keith (July 1993) 3056 -From this book on the novels cover the unit after Clan Invasion-
  
• Tactics of Duty by William H. Keith, Jr. (August 1995)
  
• Operation Excalibur by William H. Keith, Jr. (August 1998)
  
• The Dying Time by Thomas S. Gressman (January 2002)

The Legend of the Jade Phoenix trilogy, by Robert Thurston, is the story of the fall and redemption of Aidan Pryde, hero of Clan Jade Falcon.

• Way of the Clans (August 1991) (This happens in Clan space before the Clan Invasion)
  
• Bloodname (October 1991) (This happens in Clan space before the Clan Invasion)
  
• Falcon Guard (December 1991) (This is about Aiden Pryde during The Invasion including the Battle of Tukayyid)

Blood of Kerensky is a trilogy by Michael A. Stackpole about the Clan Invasion (3049 - 3052)

• Lethal Heritage (September 1989)
  
• Blood Legacy (December 1990)
  
• Lost Destiny (April 1991)

There are many other fine novels you can read. Here is a complete list of BattleTech Novels.


v This is a list that I made over a year ago and I post when someone asks for a recommendation.