BattleTech: Isle of the Blessed

BattleTech Universe #95

by Steven Mohan Jr.

The Federated Suns have long been held as the pinnacle of military professionalism and skill in the Inner Sphere, a reputation earned across centuries of combat on hundreds of worlds. But when the Word of Blake launches their Jihad and attacks the Suns capital world, New Avalon, even that reputation will be put to the test.

Marshal of the Armies Jackson Davion is the heir to a centuries-old tradition of martial excellence, but even he may not be enough to stem the tide of invasion.

Precentor Geoffrey Zucker is an idealist of the Word of Blake, a man who fights not for flag but for ideas. Forced to attack his homeworld, he chafes beneath the conflict between duty and family.

Avitue is one of the Word of Blake elite, a Manei Domini—a hand of the Master. Blessed by the Word of Blake’s leaders, imbued with cybernetic enhancements, and driven by a fanatical zeal to succeed, she will go to any length to capture New Avalon.

Among such icons, can the everyday soldiers and citizens of New Avalon survive?

This edition includes the entire novel originally published serially on the BattleCorps fiction website, as well as companion in-character journal entries, and a new foreword from the author.

Steven Mohan, Jr. has professionally published more a half million words of military science fiction including the BattleTech novel A BONFIRE OF WORLDS. He has sold original fiction to markets as diverse as INTERZONE, POLYPHONY, and PARADOX, as well as several DAW original anthologies. His short stories have won honorable mention in THE YEAR'S BEST SCIENCE FICTION and THE YEAR'S BEST FANTASY AND HORROR and he has been nominated for the Pushcart Prize.

Genres: Fiction, Science Fiction

410 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 1, 2013

About the author

Steven Mohan, Jr. has professionally published more a half million words of military science fiction including the BattleTech novel A Bonfire of Worlds. He has sold original fiction to markets as diverse as INTERZONE, POLYPHONY, and PARADOX, as well as several DAW original anthologies. His short stories have won honorable mention in THE YEAR'S BEST SCIENCE FICTION and THE YEAR'S BEST FANTASY AND HORROR and he has been nominated for the Pushcart Prize.

Reviews

[Joseph D Olsen]

Good read

The book was action packed, lots of mech warfare. Great story line with great characters. The ending was rather disappointing as it left the story incomplete. Worth the cost even with the bad ending.

[Az Vera · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cool look at the Jihad area and the first stumbles by the Word Of Blake. I like the multiculturalism and diversity of the BattleTech universe, was a fan of seeing both opposing sides attempt to out-feint each other from their own weak positions.

I didn't feel as connected or engaged with the characters as much as the conflict and mech battles.

[Tim Gray · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wanted Battlemech content & I got it! Hurrah, some great action sequences, and an attempt to make the Word of Blake a little more human, without taking away their status as Zealots in chief of the Battletech universe.

[Frank Harris · Rating 1 out of 5]

In a setting that more often than not has strong female characters, the sexist way women are approached in this novel just really put me off. And I was really looking forward to getting more insight into the Word of Blake during the Jihad, too, but this didn't really deliver.

[Alexander Shearer · Rating 1 out of 5]

Was rolling along fine as a multi-POV story of the WoBbies fighting on New Avalon and then suddenly felt the need to describe how big a bridge officer’s breasts are mid combat scene.

DNF at 9%

[John Somers · Rating 4 out of 5]

15/20.