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BattleTech Universe #127
BattleTech: Blood Will Rise
FOR THE GOOD OF THE STATE…
Danai Liao-Centrella rose to prominence on the gladiator world of Solaris VII before being sent to McCarron’s Armored Cavalry, where her victories on innumerable battlefields garnered her the position of shàng-xiào of the Second MAC. Her brother, Capellan Chancellor Daoshen Liao, now uses Danai as a powerful chess piece in his relentless quest to conquer Terra—despite her opposition to his ruthless tactics.
On the remote world of Sheratan, a violent resistance has formed, threatening Daoshen’s march toward Terra. Assuming command of the Liao forces there, Danai discovers that diplomacy is sometimes a dead-end. But achieving peace may cost more than she is willing to pay…
As Daoshen’s ambitions grow ever more expansive and his tactics ever more destructive, Danai is promoted to jiāng-jūn of the MAC to keep her out of Daoshen’s way. Robbed of any real power, Danai is forced to reckon with the Celestial Wisdom’s overreach and its cost to the Confederation in treasury, faith, and blood.
There are eyes on Daoshen’s crown. Rumors of a mad king. And a plot to have Danai ascend to the Capellan throne…
In the end, blood will rise… For the good of the state…
Danai Liao-Centrella rose to prominence on the gladiator world of Solaris VII before being sent to McCarron’s Armored Cavalry, where her victories on innumerable battlefields garnered her the position of shàng-xiào of the Second MAC. Her brother, Capellan Chancellor Daoshen Liao, now uses Danai as a powerful chess piece in his relentless quest to conquer Terra—despite her opposition to his ruthless tactics.
On the remote world of Sheratan, a violent resistance has formed, threatening Daoshen’s march toward Terra. Assuming command of the Liao forces there, Danai discovers that diplomacy is sometimes a dead-end. But achieving peace may cost more than she is willing to pay…
As Daoshen’s ambitions grow ever more expansive and his tactics ever more destructive, Danai is promoted to jiāng-jūn of the MAC to keep her out of Daoshen’s way. Robbed of any real power, Danai is forced to reckon with the Celestial Wisdom’s overreach and its cost to the Confederation in treasury, faith, and blood.
There are eyes on Daoshen’s crown. Rumors of a mad king. And a plot to have Danai ascend to the Capellan throne…
In the end, blood will rise… For the good of the state…
367 pages, Paperback
Published April 22, 2025
18 people are currently reading
2 people want to read
About the author
Tom Leveen
45 books238 followersTom Leveen is the author of nine novels originally with imprints of Random House, Simon & Schuster, Abrams, and more. He has written with Todd McFarlane on SPAWN, the comic book series, and fiction for the TTRPG BattleTech for Topps, Inc.
Recently an early literacy specialist with Phoenix Public Library, Tom has twelve years of previous library work experience. He also has 22 years of theatre experience as an actor and director, and has been the Artistic Director for two different award-winning theatre companies.
Tom wrote his first story in second grade and has been writing and telling stories ever since. His first horror novel, SICK, won the Westchester Fiction Award and the Grand Canyon Reader Award. His novel ZERO was a Best Book of 2013 (American Library Association/Young Adult Library Services Association).
A frequent guest speaker and teacher, Tom has taught, paneled, and/or keynoted for SCBWI, RWA, Desert Nights Rising Stars, Phoenix ComiCon, AzLA, NCTE, TEDx, People of Color Network, Western New Mexico University, Arizona State University, Arizona Reading Association, Kennesaw State University, multiple schools and conferences throughout Germany, AETA, the Los Angeles Teen Book Fest, and many others.
In addition, apropos of absolutely nothing, Tom:
Finished a marathon (in six and half hours) and a triathalon sprint in 2 hours, earned a blue belt in Tae Kwon Do, co-hosted a public access comedy show, directed 30 plays and acted in 30 more, ran a theatre company out of his backyard, met almost all of his literary heroes except for Stephen King, played in a punk band live in front of actual people (once), prefers the Hero System but nevertheless runs a warlock minotaur and storm cleric elf when time permits, trained at the Utah Shakespeare Festival Actor Training program for five sessions, was Best Masque & Gavel Member in high school, lettered in Speech, has a rock in one finger from a pretty bad bail on his (now stolen) Tony Hawk, was the safari train driver for the Phoenix Zoo for a short time, worked in the stock room for Forever 21 for an even shorter time, completed a Spartan Sprint with three friends, and spent twenty years earning his Bachelor of Science degree. He is currently in an MFA program at a major international university.
So if there's something you want to do, go do it.
Recently an early literacy specialist with Phoenix Public Library, Tom has twelve years of previous library work experience. He also has 22 years of theatre experience as an actor and director, and has been the Artistic Director for two different award-winning theatre companies.
Tom wrote his first story in second grade and has been writing and telling stories ever since. His first horror novel, SICK, won the Westchester Fiction Award and the Grand Canyon Reader Award. His novel ZERO was a Best Book of 2013 (American Library Association/Young Adult Library Services Association).
A frequent guest speaker and teacher, Tom has taught, paneled, and/or keynoted for SCBWI, RWA, Desert Nights Rising Stars, Phoenix ComiCon, AzLA, NCTE, TEDx, People of Color Network, Western New Mexico University, Arizona State University, Arizona Reading Association, Kennesaw State University, multiple schools and conferences throughout Germany, AETA, the Los Angeles Teen Book Fest, and many others.
In addition, apropos of absolutely nothing, Tom:
Finished a marathon (in six and half hours) and a triathalon sprint in 2 hours, earned a blue belt in Tae Kwon Do, co-hosted a public access comedy show, directed 30 plays and acted in 30 more, ran a theatre company out of his backyard, met almost all of his literary heroes except for Stephen King, played in a punk band live in front of actual people (once), prefers the Hero System but nevertheless runs a warlock minotaur and storm cleric elf when time permits, trained at the Utah Shakespeare Festival Actor Training program for five sessions, was Best Masque & Gavel Member in high school, lettered in Speech, has a rock in one finger from a pretty bad bail on his (now stolen) Tony Hawk, was the safari train driver for the Phoenix Zoo for a short time, worked in the stock room for Forever 21 for an even shorter time, completed a Spartan Sprint with three friends, and spent twenty years earning his Bachelor of Science degree. He is currently in an MFA program at a major international university.
So if there's something you want to do, go do it.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
May 11, 2025
Swing and a miss for me, unfortunately.
Now, I will be honest, I have fallen fast out of love with the current era of BT in the last two years due to some creative decisions regarding the "big picture" that I think are so totally wrong I'm not sure there's any way to overcome that (and I plan for this to be the last BT novel I will read for a long while since by now it is clear things will not improve for years to come). I will still try to give this book an objective review regardless of that fact, but yes, I am biased against this book.
This book suffers from the typical issues tie in novels to sourcebooks often have, especially in the second half it feels more like the author working through a checklist of events that have to be mentioned (most of them happening offscreen) instead of trying to tell an entertaining story let alone having a character arc for the protagonist (which the novel for me simply fails at, I have no idea what the book wants me to think about Danai's character or where her journey is supposed to be going)
A way too big part of the book is just chapter after chapter of Danai complaining to Daoshen about things happening offscreen in an increasingly agitated manner until a big showdown that manages to at the same time feel very lazily tacked on at the end yet you could still see it coming almost since the first chapter. To me, it felt very much like the first half was the story Tom Leveen _wanted_ to tell (which also suffers for the issues mentioned above, the total lack of understandable, believable characterisation of Danai at this point is just painful. Here we have a military leader in her 40s with decades of experience, who grew up in the highest ranks of politics all her life, but that somehow still is being written like a teenager who knows absolutely nothing about the world she lives in, the realities of war or anything else), while the second half is the story he _had_ to tell and it does not feel like his heart is really in it.
The other novel covering the same sourcebook (Trial of Birthright) has some of the same issues but it's still a far superior story to this one.
Now, of course as simply a way to convey setting information, this novel remains a valid source. If you don't want the dry, repetitive (also, much more expensive) sourcebook style of ilKhan Eyes Only but still want to read about this front of the war, there's simply no other option. But as an entertaining story in its own right, this is a skip for me.
Now, I will be honest, I have fallen fast out of love with the current era of BT in the last two years due to some creative decisions regarding the "big picture" that I think are so totally wrong I'm not sure there's any way to overcome that (and I plan for this to be the last BT novel I will read for a long while since by now it is clear things will not improve for years to come). I will still try to give this book an objective review regardless of that fact, but yes, I am biased against this book.
This book suffers from the typical issues tie in novels to sourcebooks often have, especially in the second half it feels more like the author working through a checklist of events that have to be mentioned (most of them happening offscreen) instead of trying to tell an entertaining story let alone having a character arc for the protagonist (which the novel for me simply fails at, I have no idea what the book wants me to think about Danai's character or where her journey is supposed to be going)
A way too big part of the book is just chapter after chapter of Danai complaining to Daoshen about things happening offscreen in an increasingly agitated manner until a big showdown that manages to at the same time feel very lazily tacked on at the end yet you could still see it coming almost since the first chapter. To me, it felt very much like the first half was the story Tom Leveen _wanted_ to tell (which also suffers for the issues mentioned above, the total lack of understandable, believable characterisation of Danai at this point is just painful. Here we have a military leader in her 40s with decades of experience, who grew up in the highest ranks of politics all her life, but that somehow still is being written like a teenager who knows absolutely nothing about the world she lives in, the realities of war or anything else), while the second half is the story he _had_ to tell and it does not feel like his heart is really in it.
The other novel covering the same sourcebook (Trial of Birthright) has some of the same issues but it's still a far superior story to this one.
Now, of course as simply a way to convey setting information, this novel remains a valid source. If you don't want the dry, repetitive (also, much more expensive) sourcebook style of ilKhan Eyes Only but still want to read about this front of the war, there's simply no other option. But as an entertaining story in its own right, this is a skip for me.
May 17, 2025
Not a bad book, but did feel like it was moving slowly towards an inevitable conclusion.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews