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BattleTech Universe #34
Impetus of War
Major Loren Jaffray is a soldier's soldier, a hardened professional who made his reputation with the Capellan Confederation's legendary Death Commandos. Now serving as an officer in the Northwind Highlanders, Loren longs to prove his loyalty to his new comrades. And he's getting that chance - the Draconis Combine is hiring his regiment to take on a mission unlike any before it.
The ruthless Clan Smoke Jaguar emulate the savagery of their feline namesake with lethal accuracy. Nobody knows this better than the samurai of the Draconis Combine, who fought to the death to save their very home world. Now Loren's crack highlanders will be the instrument of the Combine's vengeance, striking into the Deep Periphery to crush one of the Jaguars' supply centers on a distant world called Wayside V. But the young, confident major is in for a very nasty surprise - and unless he makes a brilliant change in plans, Wayside V will be soaked in Scots blood...
The ruthless Clan Smoke Jaguar emulate the savagery of their feline namesake with lethal accuracy. Nobody knows this better than the samurai of the Draconis Combine, who fought to the death to save their very home world. Now Loren's crack highlanders will be the instrument of the Combine's vengeance, striking into the Deep Periphery to crush one of the Jaguars' supply centers on a distant world called Wayside V. But the young, confident major is in for a very nasty surprise - and unless he makes a brilliant change in plans, Wayside V will be soaked in Scots blood...
48 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published December 1, 1996
11 people are currently reading
128 people want to read
About the author
Blaine Lee Pardoe
94 books116 followersBlaine Pardoe is a New York Times Bestselling and award winning author of numerous books in the science fiction, military non-fiction, true crime, paranormal, and business management genre's. He has appeared on a number of national television and radio shows to speak about his books. Pardoe has been a featured speaker at the US National Archives, the United States Navy Museum, and the New York Military Affairs Symposium. He was awarded the State History Award in 2011 by the Historical Society of Michigan and is a silver medal winner from the Military Writers Society of America in 2010. In 2013 he was awarded the Harritt Quimby Award as part of the induction ceremony at the Michigan Aviation Hall of Fame. Mr. Pardoe is also a member of the League of WWI Aviation Historians.
His books have even been mentioned on the floor of the U.S. Congress. His works have been printed in six languages and he is recognized world-wide for his historical and fiction works. He can be followed via Twitter (bpardoe870)
His books have even been mentioned on the floor of the U.S. Congress. His works have been printed in six languages and he is recognized world-wide for his historical and fiction works. He can be followed via Twitter (bpardoe870)
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
April 13, 2024
Great action, very brilliant and bold battle strategy, so much intense battle action, and some character development or unraveling. I really enjoyed this one. Oh, and physics. 😉
February 12, 2025
All killer no filler. Which is a bad thing?
Impetus of War continues the story of Loren the Highlander, now a ranking officer in the mercenary force known as the Northwind Highlanders, now hired by usual target House Kurita to take the fight to the Clans. But is the situation more than they bargained for?!?
Yes.
The best part of the book is the epilogue, in that it seems to lay a lot of track there to go interesting places later. The book is full of internecine Clan conflict, which is amusing, if a bit still Calvinball. There is, I think, a bit of not being able to win with the Clans. Present them as suitably alien and they become no longer human; present them as human and they become cartoonish, with Ming the Merciless hoping they would turn it down a bit. But you know what? If the latter is overly simplistic, it is fun and more readable than the other.
Much like in the author's previous book, also about Loren the Highlander, there is a shocking lack of tension. The reader knows the complication going in. The complication is never more complicated than that. All the protagonist's plans work out afterwards. The twist of misfortune is both out of nowhere and immediately rectified, without narrative tension. There is a satisfying moment of eutastrophy . Other than that, like in Highlander Gambit, I never felt much for these people, or doubted inevitable success.
I have one complaint and that is the character of the Kurita liaison. Knowing what direction the author would go, the temptation is to ascribe it to bigotry, but I am not willing to assume that. The character is not a harmful stereotype, or even much of a stereotype, but he is also not much of a character. But you can come to the deduction that he did not know how to write a non-vilianous Kuritan and so did not write much character at all.
Again, that is not what I think happened, largely because it plays out too much like the previous book of the authors. It is as if the author can conceptualize a really great wrench that would make a splendid display of sparks if tossed into the plot machine, but having found a solution, is content to let the tool sit there.
I am left in the unusual position of wishing that the book had more filler in it, and that some amusing faffing about might have given the skeleton some heft. Give Stackpole this and you have much worse combat and dialog, but loads of operatic nonsense to thrill and chill over. Instead, it is a book with everything on the good side of okay, with sensibly developed characters and a reasonable plot based off a solid hook, yet no feeling, no sense of risk, danger, or adventure. It is one of the times I find myself thinking that I wish I did like it more, but it does not provide a lot to go off on.
Impetus of War continues the story of Loren the Highlander, now a ranking officer in the mercenary force known as the Northwind Highlanders, now hired by usual target House Kurita to take the fight to the Clans. But is the situation more than they bargained for?!?
Yes.
The best part of the book is the epilogue, in that it seems to lay a lot of track there to go interesting places later. The book is full of internecine Clan conflict, which is amusing, if a bit still Calvinball. There is, I think, a bit of not being able to win with the Clans. Present them as suitably alien and they become no longer human; present them as human and they become cartoonish, with Ming the Merciless hoping they would turn it down a bit. But you know what? If the latter is overly simplistic, it is fun and more readable than the other.
Much like in the author's previous book, also about Loren the Highlander, there is a shocking lack of tension. The reader knows the complication going in. The complication is never more complicated than that. All the protagonist's plans work out afterwards. The twist of misfortune is both out of nowhere and immediately rectified, without narrative tension. There is a satisfying moment of eutastrophy . Other than that, like in Highlander Gambit, I never felt much for these people, or doubted inevitable success.
I have one complaint and that is the character of the Kurita liaison. Knowing what direction the author would go, the temptation is to ascribe it to bigotry, but I am not willing to assume that. The character is not a harmful stereotype, or even much of a stereotype, but he is also not much of a character. But you can come to the deduction that he did not know how to write a non-vilianous Kuritan and so did not write much character at all.
Again, that is not what I think happened, largely because it plays out too much like the previous book of the authors. It is as if the author can conceptualize a really great wrench that would make a splendid display of sparks if tossed into the plot machine, but having found a solution, is content to let the tool sit there.
I am left in the unusual position of wishing that the book had more filler in it, and that some amusing faffing about might have given the skeleton some heft. Give Stackpole this and you have much worse combat and dialog, but loads of operatic nonsense to thrill and chill over. Instead, it is a book with everything on the good side of okay, with sensibly developed characters and a reasonable plot based off a solid hook, yet no feeling, no sense of risk, danger, or adventure. It is one of the times I find myself thinking that I wish I did like it more, but it does not provide a lot to go off on.
July 4, 2025
Nortwid Highlanders is Clans
Great plot! Wonderful characters! Another Loeren Jaffray adventure! Taking the fight to the clans. Love that the clans are developed too, good villains make good stories. Written so that you empathize with some of the clan too!
Great plot! Wonderful characters! Another Loeren Jaffray adventure! Taking the fight to the clans. Love that the clans are developed too, good villains make good stories. Written so that you empathize with some of the clan too!
November 13, 2010
Excellent follow-up to Highlander Gambit. The cover doesn't explicitly state that it's a follow up but some of the story will not make as much sense unless you have read it.
The story is full of battles which is what I really look for in Battletech books. There is a solid story around it which is good and keeps you interested. The Highlanders have been hired by House Kurita to take and hold a Clan world in the deep periphery which is a supply depot on the route to the Inner Sphere from the Clan homeworlds. What unfolds is a war of attrition between the Northwind Highlanders and the Smoke Jaguars.
The story is full of battles which is what I really look for in Battletech books. There is a solid story around it which is good and keeps you interested. The Highlanders have been hired by House Kurita to take and hold a Clan world in the deep periphery which is a supply depot on the route to the Inner Sphere from the Clan homeworlds. What unfolds is a war of attrition between the Northwind Highlanders and the Smoke Jaguars.
March 26, 2019
Follow on novel to Highlander Gambit, this is set shortly after the events in that book.
Former Capellan Loren Jaffray is now XO of the Northwind Highlanders. Taking a contract with the Draconis Combine, they are tasked with retaking one of their planets currently controlled by Clan Smoke Jaguar.
Jaffray comes up with an audacious plan to take the fight to them, but because of his heritage, there is some opposition.
Lots of 'Mech action in this novel, with the Inner Sphere troops at a major disadvantage against the Clans, leading to some tense moments.
Former Capellan Loren Jaffray is now XO of the Northwind Highlanders. Taking a contract with the Draconis Combine, they are tasked with retaking one of their planets currently controlled by Clan Smoke Jaguar.
Jaffray comes up with an audacious plan to take the fight to them, but because of his heritage, there is some opposition.
Lots of 'Mech action in this novel, with the Inner Sphere troops at a major disadvantage against the Clans, leading to some tense moments.
May 17, 2009
I found this book to be a little different from prior Post-Treaty books. The planet itself was unique and the bailout plan was excellent. It was good to read more on the Clans, especially the Nova Cats.
If I could give it 3.5 stars I would.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 8, 2013
Nice, action-packed tale. Not really a believable story. But there were a lot of mech-on-mech battles. It is what a standard Battletech novel should be. Room for improvement, but on the whole it is good.
September 25, 2015
The mechwarrior series usually has decent stories, but it's hardly high literature. This was one of the better, stand alone stories. When you're behind the lines and outnumbered, what do you do? Attack
July 23, 2022
Very enthralling. A good page turner
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews