20 replies to this topic

[SKiD07]

Ok, since I became aware of this game and getting back into the franchise, is there a specific series that covers everything from the original start point of where Battletech started? I thought I remember seeing books as a kid but never thought to pick any up. I tried looking on Apple's iTunes as well as Amazon but I only seem to find some books here and there of the later part of the franchise. Would be good to read up on some of the old stories to really understand the universe and not just the mechs I played in the previous games.

[Shad0wsFury]

The Blood of Kerensky trilogy by Michael Stackpole would be a good place to start.

It basically picks up just before the clan invasion, and is the closest novels to the timeline MWO will take place in.

There's lots of other good stuff out there, but this is the must read trilogy, IMO.

[Faceless Priest]

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

some of my favorites are the legend of the jade phoenix

anything dealing with the davion/steiner civil war

and some of the dark age books are great if you like politics and spycraft

[Alex Novian]

Any and all of the OLD House books... Including the Periphery and Star League Book. then followed up with the 3025/26 Tech readouts book... 20 Year Update then the NEW House books and Periphery, Comstar.

as for Novels.. Meh, the aforementioned books have plenty of story to them.. no need to ruin it with a Novel.

[Aidan Malchor]

I'd say all of em. I started with The Sword and The Dagger and went on from there. There are plenty of sites that will list then in chronological order.

[Thom Frankfurt]

For people new to the BT universe I say:

Warrior trilogy is good. Even though it ends very bad for my House....
And like someone else mentioned, the Blood of Kerensky trilogy is pretty good. It's set in the same timeline that MWO starts out in, so you'll get a good idea of the current state of afairs.

[Rezalas]

Maybe you can help me out along these lines as well. I was trying to think of the first battletech novel I read but can't think of the name. It was about an inner sphere pilot that was captured by a clanner during the invasion but ended up convincing the clanner to basically turncoat. Any ideas?

[Oshay]

Sounds like the first of the Exodus Road books. The ones involving the ComStar ROM girl and Mechwarrior Trent of the Smoke Jaguars. When they get home, the SEcond Whitting Conference happens, and then the SLDF reforms, setting the stage for Serpent and Bulldog.

Edited by Oshay, 20 July 2012 - 09:43 PM.

[Rezalas]

You nailed it! Exodus road: twilight of the clans 1. http://www.sarna.net...dus_Road_(novel)

[SKiD07]

Thanks for the info guys! Looks like I found what I needed. Can't wait till we're all in the game, then it'll be carnage a la carte.

[Skinflowers]

"Decision at Thunder Rift" was my first BT novel. Not a bad little read and it is responsible for my love of the Locust.

[Minami]

I've never red any battletech books and with the upcoming MWOmercs release I decided to fix that gap. I tried to start with Lethal Heritage novel but I find it not to my liking cause of too many main characters and constant story jumping between them. So can anyone advise me some good books from battletech universe with story focused around one main character?

[Tinal]

"Far Country" by Peter Rice is always a good read. Your BTech experience just won't be complete without it.

Edited by Tinal, 28 July 2012 - 03:17 AM.

[Harlock Fredrick]

FreeBirth was a good book. Realy got into that one.

[George Ledoux]

Tinal, on 28 July 2012 - 03:15 AM, said:

"Far Country" by Peter Rice is always a good read. Your BTech experience just won't be complete without it.

Oh yes. This one really nails it. It truly is unforgettable.

[Peter Valentine]

My personal fav is the Wolves on the Border by Robert N. Charrette. But its little far from the MWO events(take place years before it).

[Peter Valentine]

Tinal, on 28 July 2012 - 03:15 AM, said:

"Far Country" by Peter Rice is always a good read. Your BTech experience just won't be complete without it.

Yeah it's really an interesting book,But when I read that one somehow I felt that book is not really belong to the universe. But as all BT book has its own atmosphere.

[Skylarr]

• I would start with the Warrior Trilogy

The Warrior Trilogy, by Michael A. Stackpole, is about the events before and during the Fourth Succession War. 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)
  
• Warrior: Riposte (October 1988)
  
• Warrior: Coupé (April 1989)

• 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)
  
• Mercenary's Star by William H. Keith, Jr. (June 1987)
  
• The Price of Glory by William H. Keith, Jr. (October 1987) (Helm Memory Core was Found in this book
  
• Blood of Heroes by Andrew Keith (July 1993) ( From This book on is about the Unit after the 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 start of the Clan Invasion.

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

You can also look here for a list of BattleTech Novels.

[Jmb]

I think there was about a 6-10 book arc that described both Operation Bulldog and Operation Serpent where they waged an unstated Trial of Annihilation with clan Smoke Jaguar and the rebirth of the Star League.

[Skylarr]

Tinal, on 28 July 2012 - 03:15 AM, said:

"Far Country" by Peter Rice is always a good read. Your BTech experience just won't be complete without it.

There are many BT fans who refuse to consider this book as canon. This book does cover one of the things that could happen if your Jumpship encounters a misjump.



There is a BT Module called Living Legends that covers deals with an SLS ship that misjumped.