16 replies to this topic

[CocoaJin]

I'm going to to start picking up copies on occasion, I'd like to know the names of titles that dealt with the Draconis Combine and Wolf's Dragoons story arcs.

[Khan Reaper]

I'm currently rereading the "Blood of Kerensky" series. It's a set of three books that deal with the Clan invasion. A lot of good info in there. Though nothing really specialized. The Combine takes a main part in the story arch as it follows a couple of nobles from that house. While it does touch on Wolf's Dragoons some, the story arc doesn't really delve into much of their history. Still, the clan invasion is the period that this game takes place in, and I wanted to get into the spirit of MWO. I'm on the last volume now and I think they've gotten better since I last read them. Updated special effects maybe?

[dal10]

Wolves on the border, and Wolf pack are the 2 books the primarily deal with the dragoons. however, if you read ANYTHING by stackpole, realize that he is a massive davion fanboy. I honestly view his books as some of the worse BT books. My personal favorites are the GDL trilogy and Ideal War.

[CocoaJin]

thanks for the recommendations.

[Khan Reaper]

Hmmmm....I've mostly read Stackpole. I wonder if that is why I'M such a Davion Fanboy!? I just ordered "Decision at Thunder Rift". This is the earliest story in canon from what I've researched (though it is numbered 6 for some reason, anyone know why?). I want to thank you too Dal10, as I will keep your recommendations in mind when it's time to start my next book.

[dal10]

the books are ordered by the date that they were published.

[Khan Reaper]

You wouldn't happen to know which title was the first published, would you?

[Khan Reaper]

Oh! Do you mean that the one that I ordered was the 6th publification of that particular title? The first being in 1986.

[MayGay]

they hate each other because the Kurita are douches?

[dal10]

not sure why it would be 6th, Decision at thunder rift WAS the first Battletech Book

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

course you are most likely reading the newer version, the book was reprinted later with new cover art, the initial cover is rather rare now.

[Kobold]

Blood of Kerensky. If you don't have time to read everything, but you want to be introduced to the era that MWO is set it, read these books. Period.

[Khan Reaper]

Yeah. I am wondering if maybe the six represents a publish cycle. I'm looking forward to finishing Blood of Kerensky 3 and moving onto Decision.

[Anthracis]

If you want Dragoons and Draconis Combine read "Wolves on the Border" you get both in one book. Oh and I would advise you to stay away from all books starring the poster boy Victor Steiner-Davion. These are way to black-white in my opinion. Victor is always the good guy, Katrina always the evil incarnated *yawn*

Other good Books:
Gray Death Trilogy
Warrior Trilogy
And all books from Victor Milan (my favorites, Hearts of Chaos and Black Dragon)

[James The Fox Dixon]

A great book about House Kurita and Wolf's Dragoons is the old House Kurita sourcebook published in 1987. FASA made this book available for free, minus all of the artwork. You can get a copy of it, and all of the other House sourcebooks, at Sarna.net.

http://www.sarna.net...rita_Sourcebook

The writing and the depth of these books is far better than what was in the Field Manuals making the latter to be poor replacements for the originals.

[BlackAce]

Others has pretty much covered whats out there regarding House Kurita.

The Sword and the Dagger: Chancellor Maximillian Liao concocts and hairbrained, but just might work, plan to replace First Prince Hanse Davion with a puppet double.

Very early BTech book that doesn't really capture the tone and style of the universe but does set the stage for House Davion and House Liao relations. The rivalry even bleeds over into the fan base.

The Warrior Trilogy: Justin Xiang Allard, the son of a prominent House Davion noble gets hacked off with the Federated Suns military and leaves under a cloud, to go make his fortune on Solaris 7 as a Mech Gladiator. Justin with his Mech, Yen Lo Wang, becomes a famous Solaris Champion and finds himself falling into bed (politically) with Chancellor Liao and (literally) with one of his daughters. Meanwhile Hanse Davion gets his revenge on Max Liao... Like. A. Boss.


The Blood of Kerensky Trilogy: Battletech: The Next Generation. Follows Mercenary scion Phelan Kell hunting pirates in the periphery when his lance is overun and destroyed by unknown forces. Meanwhile Victor Davion and Kai Allard have both graduated from military college and find themselves posted to front line units.

The Kerensky Trilogy is perhaps the best introduction to the BattleTech universe. It pretty much covers every major faction, every major confrontation and every major political tension in the Inner Sphere. Almost every plot in Battletech history begins or ends here.

Also if you can, I'd highly recommend the Darius Davion fan fictions (The first few are Davion/Kurita centric).

They're a homage to George MacDonald Fraser and Flashman, but the author really knows his factions and his BT lore. They may be non-canonical but they're brilliant Battletech short stories and well worth reading and I say that as quite a big literary snob when it comes to fan fiction.

Edited by BlackAce, 26 November 2012 - 10:01 AM.

[Steinar Bergstol]

If you want info on the Draconis combine then Heir to the Dragon is a must. It covers the story of Theodore Kurita from a small child when his father took over as Coordinator of the Combine until the 3040's pre-Clan invasion when he is appointed Gunji no Kanrei and effectively put in charge of the entire DCMS. It covers his marriage to Tomoe Sakade which he had to keep secret from his father, how he first showed himself as one of the best leaders in the Inner Sphere during the 4th Succession War, the war of 3039 where the Combine gave the FedSuns a bloody nose and his efforts to reform and modernize the overly traditional and inflexible DCMS.

You might also want to read the Camacho's Caballeros trilogy by Victor Milan. Although the Caballeros are a mercenary unit they are in the employ of Chandrasekhar Kurita (Uncle Chandy), a cousin of Theodore's and as such there are quite a few hints about Combine culture in those book. The entire last book, Black Dragon, takes place on Luthien, in fact. The ISF, Subhash Indrahar and Ninyu Kerai all have fairly prominent supporting roles in these books, and the whole Black Dragon uprising by traditional hardliners against Theodore's reforms are explored quite a bit in them.

[Skylarr]

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.