19 replies to this topic

[Chikote]

Maybe the wrong forum section, but...

I'm thinking of tracking down a battletech book or two to see if I like them. I've played mechwarrior since MW2, but never read any of the books. Any recommendations on which I should target? Was thinking either just trying to start back from the beginning, or maybe starting at the beginning of Mechwarrior: Dark Age. Thanks for your input.

[Durant Carlyle]

MechWarrior: Dark Age sucks because there are very few BattleMechs. Lots of fighting is done by converted AgroMechs and support units.

BattleTech books are better because it's mostly BattleMech armies fighting against each other, with non-BattleMech units in support.

[Manthony Higgs]

Most of the books are stand-alone novels, so you don't really need to start anywhere. Just pick one up and read it.

[Ramius Hazen]

I'd recommend the Jade Phoenix trilogy by Robert Thurston. Probably my favorite of them that I've read (haven't read them all but a good many.) Don't have the ISBN on hand but I believe all 3 volumes are available as a single book.

Enjoy.

Edited by Ramius Hazen, 12 July 2012 - 05:38 PM.

[Chikote]

Thanks for the input. I'll stay away from the dark ages series and see what I can find out there from the older works.

[Foresale]

Ramius Hazen, on 12 July 2012 - 05:37 PM, said:

I'd recommend the Jade Phoenix trilogy by Robert Thurston. Probably my favorite of them that I've read (haven't read them all but a good many.) Don't have the ISBN on hand but I believe all 3 volumes are available as a single book.

Enjoy.

Judging from your bloodname no bias there is there? I agree though, the Jade Phoenix trilogy is outstanding, especially Aidan Pryde's small laser of doom which one shots a Rifleman.

Edited by Uziel Huntsig, 13 July 2012 - 05:06 AM.

[Gabopentin]

63 books in total from Battletech, starting circa 2016 and ending circa 3065. Then there is the Dark age series which continue the 'history'.

[shadowhawk102]

anything of the older books by stackpole are good, the darkage one suck.

sword and trhe dagger if you can find it is a good place to start.

Edited by shadowhawk102, 13 July 2012 - 05:13 AM.

[GT Hawk]

ok first off the best ones I have read (I have them all but have not finished all yet) are by Michael A. Stackpole. there are other amazing ones but he got to write 2 of the biggest stories. 1 the forth secession war (The Warrior Trilogy) and the clan invasion(Blood of Kerensky Trilogy[color=#000000].)[/color]. I would suggest these 2 sets for some realy good stories.

Jade Phoenix trilogy is another amazing set. Its around the same time as clan invasion as well.

these 3 sets would be great for setting the stage of both clan and IS in our current time line.

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

Edited by GT Hawk, 13 July 2012 - 05:15 AM.

[Balls of Steele]

Stackpole books are generally good fun to read and tend to have convoluted plots with lots of twists. The problem I find is that the writing is a bit on the trashy side and the dialogue tends to be very wooden and inorganic. More often than not you can find characters giving info dumps or major plot points during ordinary conversation and it's really obvious and weird. There tends to be a heavy good-guy bias too, with protagonists having very few to no character flaws which gets boring to read very quickly. The bad guys are never really a credible threat imho, which ruins the story for me.

Most of Loren L. Coleman's books are great. His writing I find, is far more fluidic than Stackpole's, the downside is some of his books can be very slow. It all depends on what you're looking for really. I enjoyed the Capellan Solution series especially, since I found myself sympathising with St Ives just as much as Liao, they both had valid claims and believable flaws.

Only other author I've read is Blaine Pardoe and only for Exodus Road. I wish he had written more of the Twilight of the Clans series since the first book is positively brilliant. To have the reader sympathise with what is essentially Benedict Arnold is no mean feat and it's a blast to read too.

[Faceless Priest]

Legend of the Jade Phoneix trilogy imo is one of the best, it is based on the clans though.

The origional books about the war between victor davion and katrenia stienier are amazing (as long as it is the ones that matter in the plot/war, not just the filler combat novels)

[eldelbarrio2]

Short and simple, read all Robert Thurston and Michael A. Stackpole. That'll get you a good start. Also listen to everything above, if your looking for clan invasion related novels.

[Faceless Priest]

Oh & if you do like the books, give the dark age books a try, they arn't nearly as bad as people like to throw a fit about.

[eldelbarrio2]

Ramius Hazen, on 12 July 2012 - 05:37 PM, said:

I'd recommend the Jade Phoenix trilogy by Robert Thurston. Probably my favorite of them that I've read (haven't read them all but a good many.) Don't have the ISBN on hand but I believe all 3 volumes are available as a single book.

Enjoy.

And yes, they do have the 3-in-1, thats how I have come to know them.

[Thorgar Wulfson]

decision at thunder rift is a great one to start with, the beginnings of the grey death legion

[Madog]

Anything by Stackpole and Thurston are good. Stackpole mainly focuses on the IS, and Thurston on the Clans. They both write in series, so it is good to read them in order. Stackpole's start durign the 4th Succession War, but if you want to start reading in the period MWO is set, start with Lethal Heritage.

One stand alone book I like is "Far Country", though it really seems like a scifi novel that was edited to get crammed into the BT universe. Apart from some having a couple mechs and some of the same tech, it really has nothing to do with anything else in BT. But it is a fun read:
http://www.sarna.net/wiki/Far_Country

Chikote, on 12 July 2012 - 04:50 PM, said:

Maybe the wrong forum section, but...

I'm thinking of tracking down a battletech book or two to see if I like them. I've played mechwarrior since MW2, but never read any of the books. Any recommendations on which I should target? Was thinking either just trying to start back from the beginning, or maybe starting at the beginning of Mechwarrior: Dark Age. Thanks for your input.

[Thratchen]

Close Quarters from Victor Milan is one of my favorite.
Its maybe not the best Book to start with, because its placed after the Clan Invasion.

[Endless Ike]

Honestly, most of the books aren't exactly great reads. I always enjoyed reading the old sourcebooks much more.

[OskaRus]

Gray death leagion sage rulez!

[Konrad Zell]

Balls of Steel said with Exodus Road. I've read pretty much all the Classic BT novels and it's only one I went back and re-read because it was so good.