19 replies to this topic

[orcrist86]

Review #1 http://mwomercs.com/...t-thunder-rift/

Sword and Dagger



This second novel follows the completely awful luck of Ardan Sortek. The basics of the plot are that an otherwise worthless ball of dirt in space is taken over by a Liao assault force as a way of provoking tensions within House Davion among its internal political dynasties. This is where we meet Sortek who is having serious emotional issues with his best friend and ruler Hanse Davion. He essentially begs his way into combat from his safe position in a ceremonial unit. Once on planet things go to crap and he is captured, drugged and used to help put a clone on the Davion throne. What follows is a tale of a dude loving another dude but not in that way dude, while hankering for his lady friend who he can't quite bring himself to talk to because dude, he's a dude. Also, hes kind of in love with his best bud's underage lady, but duty first, broham. In the end, the day is saved by space magic and a neurohelmet.

Very space opera. A little convoluted but not bad. The ending was a big bag of I'm not getting paid for these extra 1000 words.


Things of notice:

Aerospace fighters: who the hell wants to burn at 6G's in a cramped cockpit for DAYS!

Semi-intelligent murder things: Sapient life is out there, apparently in this book it like to tie you up and let you die of starvation.

Montezuma's revenge... in space: no seriously, don't drink the water.

Clones: what the ****.... this will come back to haunt us.

Inferno missiles: are still OP as per the previous book

The characters: Ardan, Hanse, Melissa, Katrina, all the people are there and they are nice. Maximilian Liao is, however, a ****.

Edited by orcrist86, 18 March 2016 - 06:36 AM.

[dervishx5]

PINK SPACE MONKEYS

[LordNothing]

i read it, it was like wtf is this? it put me off on starting warrior series.

[El Bandito]

And Old Max would have gotten away with it too, if it wasn't for the meddling Sortek!

Edited by El Bandito, 18 March 2016 - 02:58 AM.

[orcrist86]

El Bandito, on 18 March 2016 - 02:26 AM, said:

And Old Max would have gotten away with it too, if it wasn't for the meddling Sortek!

Right? If you list all the plot points it sounds liner Scooby doo

[Bishop Steiner]

orcrist86, on 18 March 2016 - 04:42 AM, said:

Right? If you list all the plot points it sounds liner Scooby doo

so does that make Melissa Steiner into Velma? (Obviously, Hans is Fred, Ardan is Scooby Doo, fitting as Davion's lap dog......)

And who's Shaggy?

[dervishx5]

When you read the book and keep the preconceptions of battletech lore and rules out of your head, it's not that bad.

[mogs01gt]

Im assuming this is suppose to be a satire....

[kesmai]

Nope, it's the sole reason for the warrior trilogy and the 4th succession war.

Edited by kesmai, 18 March 2016 - 05:39 AM.

[mogs01gt]

kesmai, on 18 March 2016 - 05:35 AM, said:

Nope, it's the sole reason for the warrior trilogy and the 4th succession war.

Warrior Trilogy was great

[kesmai]

Yup. Though I liked jade phoenix the most.

[orcrist86]

mogs01gt, on 18 March 2016 - 05:27 AM, said:

Im assuming this is suppose to be a satire....

My reviews might be a bit snarky, but there is no satire. Battletech books run the range from flash Gordon to patriot games in quality. All with copious sci-fi tropes and cheeze.

[kesmai]

Ya. It's definitely not asimov or niven. Entertaining though and it's battletech.

[CDLord HHGD]

Where's BATTLETECH BOOK REVIEW #1 and why aren't you cross-linking?

Gotta go find this book now.....

Edited by cdlord, 18 March 2016 - 06:05 AM.

[mogs01gt]

orcrist86, on 18 March 2016 - 05:47 AM, said:

My reviews might be a bit snarky, but there is no satire. Battletech books run the range from flash Gordon to patriot games in quality. All with copious sci-fi tropes and cheeze.

They're from the 80s man....

[orcrist86]

cdlord, on 18 March 2016 - 06:02 AM, said:

Where's BATTLETECH BOOK REVIEW #1 and why aren't you cross-linking?

Gotta go find this book now.....

The review is better in the general section, it's where I will post reviews of every single book as I read it... After I finish the first 25 reviews.


EDIT: added link to first review in first post

Edited by orcrist86, 18 March 2016 - 06:36 AM.

[Lorian Sunrider]

mogs01gt, on 18 March 2016 - 05:43 AM, said:

Warrior Trilogy was great

Ugh, I dunno. I finished finding paperback copies of all the books, so I've been going back and reading them and I'm struggling to get through book one of the warrior trilogy. I forgot how many god damn characters that first book felt the need to introduce and give the life story of. Seriously. I know some of them end up being huge characters but there are so many minor characters that get a whole damn chapter explaining their life story.

Only saving grace are the actual battles themselves, both the Solaris ones and the re-appearance of Sortek for the first time since Sword and Dagger fight. Granted the three prior books were the Grey Death Legion Trilogy, but I felt like I enjoyed those immensely more plot line wise.

[orcrist86]

Lorian Sunrider, on 18 March 2016 - 08:11 AM, said:

Ugh, I dunno. I finished finding paperback copies of all the books, so I've been going back and reading them and I'm struggling to get through book one of the warrior trilogy. I forgot how many god damn characters that first book felt the need to introduce and give the life story of. Seriously. I know some of them end up being huge characters but there are so many minor characters that get a whole damn chapter explaining their life story.

Only saving grace are the actual battles themselves, both the Solaris ones and the re-appearance of Sortek for the first time since Sword and Dagger fight. Granted the three prior books were the Grey Death Legion Trilogy, but I felt like I enjoyed those immensely more plot line wise.

some of that will be addressed in my review

[Damia Savon]

Well the book was supposed to be written by Weis and Hickman but they got a better deal elsewhere and dropped the project. It was then given to Ms. Mayer who really was a writer of Westerns. She knew nothing of the setting and had to figure things out from the rulebook. Not surprising there were issues.

[Moomtazz]

This is the one that described the Victor's jumpjets used as more of a way to leap forward rather than up (like MWO). Victor's seemed useful in this book.