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Robotech #21
Robotech: Before the Invid Storm
SHIP OF DREAMS!
The second Robotech War ended without victors. The Masters had been defeated, but the Army of the Southern Cross had suffered devastating losses, with Earth's cities reduced to rubble.
Then a heavily armed warship arrived from Tirol and instantly became the object of intense rivalries. To the survivors of the United Earth Government, it was a spear they could hurl into the Invid Sensor Nebula. To the decimated Southern Cross forces, it was the weapon they needed to use against the impending Invid invasion. For the Starchildren it represented escape from their planetary prison, and the Shimada Family wanted it neutralized before it sabotaged their hopes for a peaceful solution.
But no one knew just how dangerous the ship could be. No one, that is, except for its commander, Colonel Jonathan Wolf of the rag tag freedom fighters known as the Sentinels, and Dana Sterling, heroine of the war with the Masters. And Dana had her own agenda...
Set between The Final Nightmare (Robotech #9) and Invid Invasion (#10), BEFORE THE INVID STORM reveals the struggle for control of the dreadnought from Tirol.
The second Robotech War ended without victors. The Masters had been defeated, but the Army of the Southern Cross had suffered devastating losses, with Earth's cities reduced to rubble.
Then a heavily armed warship arrived from Tirol and instantly became the object of intense rivalries. To the survivors of the United Earth Government, it was a spear they could hurl into the Invid Sensor Nebula. To the decimated Southern Cross forces, it was the weapon they needed to use against the impending Invid invasion. For the Starchildren it represented escape from their planetary prison, and the Shimada Family wanted it neutralized before it sabotaged their hopes for a peaceful solution.
But no one knew just how dangerous the ship could be. No one, that is, except for its commander, Colonel Jonathan Wolf of the rag tag freedom fighters known as the Sentinels, and Dana Sterling, heroine of the war with the Masters. And Dana had her own agenda...
Set between The Final Nightmare (Robotech #9) and Invid Invasion (#10), BEFORE THE INVID STORM reveals the struggle for control of the dreadnought from Tirol.
228 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 2, 1996
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
February 7, 2017
The struggle for a REF battle ship!
This novel serves as a "bridge" after the events of the Second Robotech War and before of the Third Robotech War.
IN WAR NOBODY REALLY WINS
The Second Robotech War was an indeed dark chapter in Earth's history.
The psychopatic Anatole Leonard, supreme leader of the United Earth Government, dismantled the few remains of the Robotech Defense Force, to impose his own Army of the Southern Cross, which was an inferior military organization, not only in development of technology, but in combat spirit, with too many inner struggles to serve as a functional unified force against the Robotech Masters.
The only thing that leveled the odds was that the Robotech Masters had several problems of their own: short supply of Protoculture, the lost of their Zentraedi fleet and a minimal ammount of Bioroids with capable pilots.
Both sides of the Second Robotech War had very dark hearts in the deepest of their structures.
And with such rotten leaders in both sides of that war, it was only logical to get a tragic ending.
In war nobody really wins, but the Second Robotech War got too far.
Indeed, the Robotech Masters were beaten, but the cost was just too much.
Earth is in ruins, the Army of the Southern Cross is crippled...
...and the Invid Regis and her invading fleet is coming!!!
THE SIGN OF DOOM
The Flower of Life has bloomed around the Earth as the final twisted result of the closure of the Second Robotech War.
And whenever the Flower of Life is bloomed...
...the Invid aren't far behind.
The invasion is imminent.
Nothing can be done to avoid this.
Earth was already in bad shape, but now was undeniably doomed...
...it's only a matter of time until the arrival of the Invid.
And in the middle of this gloomy scenario...
...a battle ship from Tirol lands.
MY PRECIOUS
A battle cruiser from the Robotech Expeditionary Force, with Col. Jonathan Wolfe in command, arrives to Earth.
Everybody wants that ship for their own agendas!
The poor excuse of Earth's government remnant thinks that they can use it against the Invid.
Civilian parties that think that it's possible to deal a peaceful solution with the Invid wants the ship destroyed.
However, Dana Sterling, heroine of the Second Robotech War, daughter of Max Sterling and Miriya Parino-Sterling, knows that this vessel is her only ticket to reunite again with her parents, but also the only chance of survival of the non-military people rescued from the Robotech Masters, since if they aren't safe with Earth's humans, it's clear that it will be worse once the Invid would attack.
And of course, there is too, the Col. Jonathan Wolfe, legendary war hero that maybe has become something that nobody would believe, and he's too ashamed to admit aloud.
This novel serves as a "bridge" after the events of the Second Robotech War and before of the Third Robotech War.
IN WAR NOBODY REALLY WINS
The Second Robotech War was an indeed dark chapter in Earth's history.
The psychopatic Anatole Leonard, supreme leader of the United Earth Government, dismantled the few remains of the Robotech Defense Force, to impose his own Army of the Southern Cross, which was an inferior military organization, not only in development of technology, but in combat spirit, with too many inner struggles to serve as a functional unified force against the Robotech Masters.
The only thing that leveled the odds was that the Robotech Masters had several problems of their own: short supply of Protoculture, the lost of their Zentraedi fleet and a minimal ammount of Bioroids with capable pilots.
Both sides of the Second Robotech War had very dark hearts in the deepest of their structures.
And with such rotten leaders in both sides of that war, it was only logical to get a tragic ending.
In war nobody really wins, but the Second Robotech War got too far.
Indeed, the Robotech Masters were beaten, but the cost was just too much.
Earth is in ruins, the Army of the Southern Cross is crippled...
...and the Invid Regis and her invading fleet is coming!!!
THE SIGN OF DOOM
The Flower of Life has bloomed around the Earth as the final twisted result of the closure of the Second Robotech War.
And whenever the Flower of Life is bloomed...
...the Invid aren't far behind.
The invasion is imminent.
Nothing can be done to avoid this.
Earth was already in bad shape, but now was undeniably doomed...
...it's only a matter of time until the arrival of the Invid.
And in the middle of this gloomy scenario...
...a battle ship from Tirol lands.
MY PRECIOUS
A battle cruiser from the Robotech Expeditionary Force, with Col. Jonathan Wolfe in command, arrives to Earth.
Everybody wants that ship for their own agendas!
The poor excuse of Earth's government remnant thinks that they can use it against the Invid.
Civilian parties that think that it's possible to deal a peaceful solution with the Invid wants the ship destroyed.
However, Dana Sterling, heroine of the Second Robotech War, daughter of Max Sterling and Miriya Parino-Sterling, knows that this vessel is her only ticket to reunite again with her parents, but also the only chance of survival of the non-military people rescued from the Robotech Masters, since if they aren't safe with Earth's humans, it's clear that it will be worse once the Invid would attack.
And of course, there is too, the Col. Jonathan Wolfe, legendary war hero that maybe has become something that nobody would believe, and he's too ashamed to admit aloud.
December 1, 2023
This was decent enough but it couldn't get past the fact that it is simply an unnecessary filler episode.
September 1, 2011
For die-hard fans. The return of Jonathan Wolff to Earth. Where is Dana Sterling when the Invid Invade? What happens to the clones that were rescued from the Master's ship? What is the ultimate fate of the Zentraedi left on Earth after the Expedition leaves for Tirol? Fans must read this book!!
October 14, 2016
If nothing else, the last of the McKinney novels made a genuine attempt to justify to additional characters from
The Masters Gambit
. There is a hint of considered story here, but one that likely would have needed three times the page space to have been told well. Instead, Team McKinney rushes through the events as quickly as possible while still trying to clog the pages with bit players (and keeping almost all of the major characters on the sidelines throughout).
Surprisingly, it isn't as bad as it should be given the pacing and page constraints. There isn't really any mystery as to what it going to happen, so the best one could expect would be to feel the characters remain true to their TV presentation.
Surprisingly, it isn't as bad as it should be given the pacing and page constraints. There isn't really any mystery as to what it going to happen, so the best one could expect would be to feel the characters remain true to their TV presentation.
August 17, 2022
Unnecessary. Read in the order of publication, by the time we get to this last of McKinney's Robotech novels we knew almost everything that was important to know. All that was left for this book was to tell us about some meaningless minutia. The first 4/5ths of the book talked of politics, some new configurations of society and world governments or lack of them, and machinations by characters that we already knew would succed or fail from the other novels. The last fifth just was a mad dash to get rid of characters that we wouldn't see in the third season of the Robotech TV series. Not that enjoyable, this novel could be skipped except for those determined to complete the McKinney Robotech series.
October 31, 2019
Felt rushed.
July 25, 2024
This was interesting... I would almost call this a Southern Cross novel instead of an Invid novel... Took care of the characters that were introduced by these "gap" novels.
December 15, 2015
I would like to begin this review by saying that for a normal person, this is not a four-star book. Before the Invid Storm is an action free, politics heavy Robotech novel that fills in the blanks between The Masters Saga and The New Generations Saga. It is pretty much about Dana Sterling and Jonathan Wolfe trying to decide what to do about the Invid. There is also stuff with a yakuza group with potentially shifty goals and their role in the coming Invid invasion, a lot of Nova Satori, and some interesting details about what happens to the Tirolean clones after the story of The Masters Saga.
As much as I'm struggling to get through the Sentinels novels, my hopes were not high for this novel, but I really enjoyed it. The slow, deliberate pace had time for some decent character development and plenty of quirky nods to the anime origins of the series, and this book reignited my fascination with the fact that, of all the characters in the three anime that comprise Robotech, the American writers decided that Jonathan Wolfe was the linchpin of the series. Plus, the political nonsense here was like candy. I had a great time reading it.
That being said, if you do not know Robotech, there is no reason whatsoever to read Before the Invid Storm. Even I, who bought one Robotech purse and made another, was jumping to wikis to refresh myself on some of the tiny details here. For someone new to the franchise, I imagine it would be totally incomprehensible. For fans, it may suffer from the fact that this is a novel that, by its chronological placement in the series, has no real bearing on any events in the rest of the series. I didn't really care, but wanted to make sure that I gave a fair warning before I placed this book back on my shelf with love and care.
As much as I'm struggling to get through the Sentinels novels, my hopes were not high for this novel, but I really enjoyed it. The slow, deliberate pace had time for some decent character development and plenty of quirky nods to the anime origins of the series, and this book reignited my fascination with the fact that, of all the characters in the three anime that comprise Robotech, the American writers decided that Jonathan Wolfe was the linchpin of the series. Plus, the political nonsense here was like candy. I had a great time reading it.
That being said, if you do not know Robotech, there is no reason whatsoever to read Before the Invid Storm. Even I, who bought one Robotech purse and made another, was jumping to wikis to refresh myself on some of the tiny details here. For someone new to the franchise, I imagine it would be totally incomprehensible. For fans, it may suffer from the fact that this is a novel that, by its chronological placement in the series, has no real bearing on any events in the rest of the series. I didn't really care, but wanted to make sure that I gave a fair warning before I placed this book back on my shelf with love and care.
August 3, 2011
This is the weakest of the McKinney novels. Essentially, the need to fill in the gap between the Southern Cross Saga and the New Generation is really unnecessary, as the narration at the beginning of the Invid Invasion tells us the same thing. The Army of the Southern Cross were devastated by the Robotech Masters and simply couldn't resist the Invid swarm. How Colonel Wolff got to Earth isn't really a big surprise either, as that can be inferred from the tv show.
The only real plot purpose is that it explains why none of the characters from the Masters saga are around (which isn't much of an issue as they are not very popular), and why none of the Robotech Masters clones are present. Other than that, it just shows various factions on Earth desperately trying to come up with their own plan in the face of the inevitable doom of the Invid Invasion and occupation.
The only real plot purpose is that it explains why none of the characters from the Masters saga are around (which isn't much of an issue as they are not very popular), and why none of the Robotech Masters clones are present. Other than that, it just shows various factions on Earth desperately trying to come up with their own plan in the face of the inevitable doom of the Invid Invasion and occupation.
February 20, 2008
Taking place as part 16 of the saga, this book provides the link between the end of the Southern Cross saga and helps to set the stage for the start of the Invid Saga.
It also helps transition away from (what I consider to be) the low point of the entire RoboTech series, the Southern Cross saga, and into the Invid Saga, which doesn't suck, and is actually quite good, but has the problem of the Prequel Star Wars Triology - that is, it kinda sucks because it HAS to follow a bad act. By the time the Invid series is over, it (thankfully) scrubs the bad taste out of your mouth that the Southern Cross Saga leaves behind.
It also helps transition away from (what I consider to be) the low point of the entire RoboTech series, the Southern Cross saga, and into the Invid Saga, which doesn't suck, and is actually quite good, but has the problem of the Prequel Star Wars Triology - that is, it kinda sucks because it HAS to follow a bad act. By the time the Invid series is over, it (thankfully) scrubs the bad taste out of your mouth that the Southern Cross Saga leaves behind.
December 31, 2014
Like "The Zentradi Invasion" this book does a great job bridging the gap between series.
I know the original manga were three separate entities that Harmony gold combined to make the Robotech universe which led to many big questions just watching the episodes.
This helps give background and reasons for the way things are during the invid invasion. (Like the events that saw Wolfe on Earth and Dana Sterling not for example.)
In addition, hearing Dana talk about Minmei had me laughing.
I know the original manga were three separate entities that Harmony gold combined to make the Robotech universe which led to many big questions just watching the episodes.
This helps give background and reasons for the way things are during the invid invasion. (Like the events that saw Wolfe on Earth and Dana Sterling not for example.)
In addition, hearing Dana talk about Minmei had me laughing.
December 28, 2014
the invid have pushed the robotech ship to its limit, before they try to over whelm the earth forces
May 12, 2015
Great SiFi series. Giant battlesuits battling outer space monsters, what more can you ask for. Very recommended
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews