BattleTech: The Blackbird Gambit

by Tom Leveen

385 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 31, 2026

About the author

Tom 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.

Reviews

[Clementine Tolly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Shooting For The Stars

This was close to hitting really high for me, and it's a solid read regardless. Decent construction, tension's there. My main issue is that I expected a bit more punch to the end. This has the feeling of a tragedy for most of the book, that kind of slow escalation and creeping threat, that feels like it's building to something big. But while the Tiger Shrikes take losses throughout, the ultimate conclusion feels... Clean. Most of the well established cast survive and the consequences of what happened aren't dwelt on.

There's a few bits of questionable logic there too. I don't think any of this is a killer if you go in with the right mindset. Just... know this is more "MechWarrior: Dad of Girl" than "The Last Days of the Tiger Shrikes" and you'll have a good time

[Tim Gray · Rating 3 out of 5]

Without spoilers, the plot stretched my credulity at times. Also the game mechanics were not right in a number of places, which might not annoy others, but does me. Mechs can only take so many hits before going down.
That said some of the characters engaged me, and at least it was not one of those Battletech books where the Mechs don't get a look in.

[J Murdock · Rating 2 out of 5]

Mechwarrior sadness

Failure upon failure upon failure makes for a very boring story. Could have done without this whole storyline. Pass on it unless its free.