35 replies to this topic

[littlebruiser]

Can someone post a list of Battletech novel( or at least the most interesting one ) to read.
I'm from Québec Canada and we don't see a lot ( more like never ) of battletech novel in our book or gaming stores.

[Iacov]

do you use amazon kindle? they have quite a large number of battletech ebooks

i personally haven't read a lot of the "old" battletech novels, but i read about the first docen of novels that came out with the Dark Age
i enjoyed them a lot, even though the newer mechs didn't win my heart as much as the "classics" (up to MW4) did

[Grey Black]

They have been out of print for a while now, your best bet may be either a second-hand book store of some sort or looking on Amazon.

Also, though, just speaking from my personal experience in Quebec, there may not be any up there because of how prevalent the French language is. I don't know how much Battletech was translated into French, but you may be able to find some in French second-hand. Otherwise, second-hand Amazon is your best bet.

[Barkem Squirrel]

Here are two lists:

http://en.wikipedia....ttleTech_novels

http://www.sarna.net...ttleTech_novels




Then there is the previous post
http://mwomercs.com/...tletech-novels/

[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 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.

Edited by Skylarr, 31 January 2014 - 10:40 AM.

[Jugger Grimrod]

I just received my order from Amazon this past week: The Warrior Trilogy: Engarde, Riposte, and Coupe, by Michael A Stackpole. Easy to find and pretty inexpensive! I've read a lot of the other novels in the Battletech series over the years, but these three are still in my 'Top Ten'.

Edited by Jugger Grimrod, 01 February 2014 - 06:49 AM.

[Steinar Bergstol]

Personally I would give my heartiest recommendation to Heir to the Dragon and Wolves on the Border. Two of the best BTech books featuring the Draconis Combine (and Wolf's Dragoons in Wolves on the Border) in the pre-clan invasion era in my opinion.

[Lightdragon]

some of the other ones that cover more interesting parts of the combine would be close quarters, and any other books following the cabileros

[Elric Tchernovkov]

Heir To The Dragon is what got me into Battletech. I always read books and played DnD. Found Heir in a used bookstore back in high school, read it overnight. Then the next day convinced my buddies to chip in on our first Battletech boxed set. Been a fan ever since. Think that was in 1989 or 1990.

[Shiro Matsumoto]

i agree, "Warrior Trilogy", and "Wolves on the Border" are probably some of my favorite books ever.

"Grey Death Trilogy" is nice too as is "Ideal War".

ok the other side:

"Far Country" is a bit far from Canon, but not a bad book in itself, though infamous for the Tetatae.

Personally i could never warm for the Jade Falcobn trilogies.. the Clan society just feels unrealistic and colorless.

[Griffin Talon]

Hello instead of making a new topic thought I'd ask the question here, any one know which book has phalen wolf known to his father that he's still alive?

Read a number of the books Grey death, clan invasion, but I've skipped a few and more or less read from the start of the fedcom civil war which has phalen, to much amusement when I was reading it, almost strangle Kathrine, to the end of the war, description of some of the novels arnt wonderful helpful, I can get the books about the great refusal/wolf-in-exile and the red corsair bit don't know which in specific on phalen coming back, mainly want to know since he's one of my favourite characters haha.

Edited by Griffin Talon, 20 February 2014 - 11:06 PM.

[Tyrnea Smurf]

If Phelan Kell/Wolf is your favorite character, then I highly recommend getting/reading the Michael A. Stackpole Blood of Kerensky trilogy, as Phelan is the most central character, as the Clan prospective in those novels is told largely from Phelan point of view, and perspective.

Phelan Kell is first lost in action against a scouting force from Clan Wolf on the Rock in the first Blood of Kerensky book, Lethal Heritage. To the Inner Sphere he is presumed killed.

Then in the second book, Blood Legacy during the Outreach Conference a cryptic communiqué from Comstar is sent to Phelan's parents quoting the old line from Mark Twain "Reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated..." However they have no idea what its supposed to mean.

In the third book Lost Destiny IlKhan Ulric Kerensky sends a direct message to Phelans family through Comstar, and iirc his parents arrive at Tukayyid after the battle and the end of the Ward Bloodname Trial, however the reunion itself is not depicted.

So to answer your question directly Phelan's parents learn directly of his survival in the third Blood of Kerensky book Lost Destany, however you won't see Phelan with his parents until the Stackpole novel following that trilogy, Natural Selection. The opening chapters of that book iirc (been 10 years at least since I read it) show Phelan and a honor guard of Clan Wolf at Arc Royal for a diplomatic exchange.

[Fang01]

http://c4mercs.enjin...a-lore-b-thread

[Hawk819]

Favorites:

Impetus of War by B. Lee Pardoe

Dark Age:

Blood Avatar by Ilsa J. Bick.

[SaltBeef]

The best Battletech Books were written by M. Stackpole IMHO but love the other writers as well. The mechwarrior series also added greatly to lore. Mechwarrior darkage I have a few books but have not read them yet Battletech lost me there after the clans.

I just read by Blood Betrayed good read. Ghost of winter is still one of my favorites. I think it would make an excellent movie.

[Skylarr]

Tyrnea Smurf, on 21 February 2014 - 09:10 AM, said:

The opening chapters of that book iirc (been 10 years at least since I read it) show Phelan and a honor guard of Clan Wolf at Arc Royal for a diplomatic exchange.

It has been a while since I read these book. But, is this when high collars becomes the new fad?

[Griffin Talon]

Skylarr, on 22 February 2014 - 05:33 AM, said:

It has been a while since I read these book. But, is this when high collars becomes the new fad?

Next few books along before the fedcom civil war starts, and shortly after Melissa Steiner and Phelan's mother are assassinated, the scene that leads to the high neck fashion, was quite enjoyable to read.

[SaltBeef]

I was surprised and also Happy when going through some of my older books to find I have many Battletech books!,... some I forgot that I had owned. I start re-reading Lethal Heritage. When I get to the Yen-Lo Wang simulation chapter 8 I think The auto cannon was described as firing bursted shells. The AC20 sends out multiple shells that rip through targets in burst mode? (The mech was a Solaris Champion mech at one time) Boy would that be sweeeeeet! Also forgot the Locust , Griffin, and rifleman were destroyed by the first clan mechs to enter the inner sphere. Now I have to buy all of the Locusts and Griffins and hope for a newly designed Rifleman variant.

Edited by SaltBeef, 23 February 2014 - 04:51 PM.

[McBond]

So far I've read Wolves on the Border and the blood of Kerensky trilogy. Wolves was by far a better book. Stackpole makes the clans seem incompetent and impotent. I mean come on - they pick up an 18 year old kid as prisoner and all the sudden the most senior man in wolf clan is talking to him like his bro and trusted advisor. And the low confidence kid who's the best at everything and beats up and kills elementals with his bare hands every other chapter. But when it comes to science fiction and writing about "military stuff" I think some writers "get it" and some are totally off the mark with absurd ideas.

Next I think I'm going to try decision at thunder rift although its like $25. I'll get back to the sequels to wolves on the border later but I've heard they're good.

[SaltBeef]

I Think the YEN LO WANG has a LOSTECH ULTRA AUTOCANNON!