Blood Legacy

BattleTech Universe #11

by Michael A. Stackpole

Jaime Wolf has brought all the key leaders of the Inner Sphere together at his base on Outreach in an attempt to put to rest old blood feuds and power struggles. For only if all the Successor States unite their forces do they have any hope of defeating this invasion by warriors equipped with BattleMechs far superior to their own.

But old hatreds and suspicions are hard to put aside, and mutual trust even harder to attain. Especially when the very man who asks for that trust has freely admitted to being a former Clansman himself. And even if the Houses should agree to stand together, another threat as fully dangerous lurks within their very midst - ComStar, the sect controlling interstellar communication which is determined to rule all of the Inner Sphere by any means at its disposal...

Blood Legacy, volume two of the Blood of Kerensky trilogy, continues the saga of the Clan invasion begun in Lethal Heritage. This explosive trilogy is now back in print by audience demand and is the basis for the top-rated animated series.

Genres: Science Fiction, Fiction, Science Fiction Fantasy, Audiobook, Fantasy, Ebooks, Role Playing Games

385 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1990

Reviews

[Olethros · Rating 3 out of 5]

-Casi más politiqueo y estrategia que combates.-

Género. Ciencia ficción.

Lo que nos cuenta. En el libro Asalto a la ciudad imperial (publicación original: Blood Legacy, 1990), y a pesar de que la retirada del grueso de las fuerzas de los Clanes no es más que un evento temporal hasta que elijan un nuevo líder, las Casas de la Esfera Interior tienen problemas para formar un frente común ante el enemigo; son muchos años de enfrentamientos entre ellos y la sospecha es una sombra que no desaparece jamás. Sin embargo, se comienzan a dar ciertos pasos en la dirección correcta aunque, en realidad, los intereses y ambiciones de varios líderes tratan de abrirse paso a pesar del riesgo que corren. Segundo libro de la trilogía La Sangre de Kerensky.

¿Quiere saber más de este libro, sin spoilers? Visite:

https://librosdeolethros.blogspot.com...

[Clint the Cool Guy · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Clans vs. the Inner Sphere - who will emerge victorious? A long battle lies ahead... A battle not fought with mechs so much as through the power of Crucial Conversations. Chapter after chapter of talking, talking... There will be many arms crossed, many fists clenched, many tables pounded. Also, combined with the power of Crucial Conversations is the awesome might of Bad Dialogue.

One key thing is that you really get to know the main characters. For example, who could forget these?

Phelan Wolf - A headstrong young hero who makes mistakes sometimes due to his weakness of being brash at times, but who has a heart of gold and is 100% loyal to his friends.

Victor Steiner-Davion - A headstrong young hero who makes mistakes sometimes due to his weakness of being brash at times, but who has a heart of gold and is 100% loyal to his friends.

Kai Allard-Liao - A headstrong young hero who makes mistakes sometimes due to his weakness of being brash at times, but who has a heart of gold and is 100% loyal to his friends.

Shin Yodama - A headstrong young hero who makes mistakes sometimes due to his weakness of being brash at times, but who has a heart of gold and is 100% loyal to his friends.

And finally...

Theodore Kurita - A headstrong young hero who makes mistakes sometimes due to his weakness of being brash at times, but who has a heart of gold and is 100% loyal to his friends.

Very memorable characters, indeed!

In all seriousness, why are the clans even fighting the inner sphere? I don’t get it. To retake Terra and... do what with it?

Also, has this writer ever even played Battletech? Most of the battles he describes have things happen that cannot happen in-game.

A very long book. Onto the next! I guess.

[Paul · Rating 2 out of 5]

Way too much (badly) written dialogue. Worse still a huge percentage of it just recounts what happened in the last book. There aren't any real battles until near the end. Instead, the majority of the action in the book is just training exercises.

Thoughts while reading this book:

"How about a real battle with big stompy robots instead of a FRIGIN LACROSSE GAME?"

"Naw, let's just have a conversation about how heroic we were in one of the battles in the last book for the fifth time."

[Xan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Los Clanes reanudad su avance por la Esfera Interior. Frenta a ellos los Estados Sucesores, que son convocados por el lider de los mercenarios Dragones de Wolf para conseguir que presenten un frente común frente a la amenaza.

[Adam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Blood Legacy is the sequel to the excellent Lethal Heritage. This is the third trilogy Michael Stackpole has written under the BattleTech name and this trilogy is shaping up to be even better than the Warrior Trilogy, which was spectacular.

Now that the ilKhan has been killed during the prior novel the Clans have halted their invasion, because according to their culture the war can't continue without a new leader, so a new leader must be elected first. This is going to give the Inner Sphere some time to bolster it's defenses, so it's kind of strange to a see militant society like the Clans to give their foes up to a year. However, it does make for a far more epic battle when things resume, so, I'll allow it. As with the prior novel there were a few separate story lines going on at the same time and this one is no different, except Stackpole adds a wonderful excuse to merge some of the fragmented story, so for most of this book it's split up between what the Clans are doing and what the Inner Sphere is doing.

At the end of Lethal Heritage all the prominent leaders of the Successor States were summoned to Outreach to by Jaime Wolf of the Wolf's Dragoons. I'm kind of glad Stackpole didn't waste a lot of time with the leaders of these places going into all kinds of intrigue scenarios, instead they all just go willingly to meet there. It seems somewhat unrealistic based on the prior novels, but he is using the Clan invasion as an excuse to get all these characters together in one room.

It's kind of funny, about halfway through this book I realized that this entire thing is really just one giant training montage. If you had told me about a book that covers a few hundred pages of people training, I would have said it was a really stupid idea, but Stackpole managed to make this work. In this novel we get really excellent insight into character development. Especially with regards to old enemies being forced to work together and finding areas of mutual respect. One of the alliances I was surprised to see working together so well was between Kurita and Davion. It seemed like all aspects of those factions started to work well together. Victor and Hohiro found mutual respect and a lot of grounds to work together to achieve their goals. Theodore, even after reading Heir to the Dragon has turned into quite the incredible leader. In some ways, I'm still shocked he didn't make a play to become Coordinator. Romano Liao has become leader of the Capellan Confederation and given how insane she was portrayed in the Warrior Trilogy, that has only deepened. She doesn't get along with the group and by extension it appears that her song, Sun-Tzu, will not either. It's kind of surprising that Jaime Wolf didn't kick her and her party out after a few frustrating incidents. Thomas Marik from the Free World's League shows up, but once again that entire state feels like an after thought to the writers of BattleTech. The Clan Invasion isn't happening in their territory... so why do they matter? At least that's how it feels, but at least they had a bit of a role to play. Rasalhague, where the invasion is mostly taking place does have a bigger role, even though they are a smaller state.

Wolf's training of the next generation on Outreach proves to be precipitous, because they have the inside track on the Clans, being Clanners themselves. They share knowledge on Clan 'Mech designs and everything, so it appears this reprieve will truly give the Inner Sphere a fighting chance, provided they can make the 'Mechs in time. This entire section was sort of an excuse to delve into the character development for the second generation.

Meanwhile in Clan space the story of Phelan goes in further. In the last book Phelan was inducted into the family of Wolf and is now known as Phelan Wolf. At the end of the last book we also saw the arrival of Natasha Karensky returning to her home Clan. Phelan deeply wants to become a Mechwarrior by Clan standards so he needs to pass a test to make that happen. Luckily, Natasha will be there to help him train. In Clan society apparently they don't think too highly of older warriors. Instead they make room for younger generations and expect the older to become teachers and such. Natasha insists she can still fight despite her age, so they're going to make her take a similar test as Phelan to prove her worth.

Once all of those tests are dealt with and a new leader is elected the invasion of the Inner Sphere may resume. I, somewhat, felt the resumption of the invasion was a bit premature in this novel and maybe that should have been saved for the third in a huge climax. But, I guess it came off okay. I suppose leaving the readers hanging till the next novel might have been a little too much or made the next novel way too long. Plus, we get a first taste to see if the meeting at Outreach was worth everyone's time.

As usual with a Stackpole novel, some truly shocking things happen concerning some main characters. I got the impression at the end that this story isn't actually as resolved as it appears to be. The Clans also send a shock to ComStar with their end goal and it's going to be interesting to see how ComStar reacts to this in the next novel. ComStar has always only been too happy to help the Clans, but something happens in this novel that might change that. Time will tell... I'll find out in the next book.

This is something like the 12th book in the BattleTech universe and I am so glad I have been reading everything in order. You really get a deep sense of the time line and I feel like it's just a much fuller experience reading it this way. So, if you're interested in BattleTech and people are telling you to start with this series, I would say don't, just start at the beginning so you can get all the background, because by the time you get to this book it really helps to have the full history behind you.

[Adam Annaratone · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow Michael Stackpole really used to pack a punch back in the day. They truly don't make them like they used to.

[Excel Lifestyle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bunch of dudes training to fight bad guys and then only actually fighting the bad guys for like 50 pages.

[Logan Kedzie · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's Mechwarrior Babies 2: Sleepaway Camp.

In this book, we are following two plot threads, mostly, one with Jamie Wolf's work on Outreach to bring the Successor States together in order to fight the Clans, and the other following Phelan within the Clans as he continues to fish out of water while transforming into an amphibian.

I do not want to like Phelan, but I do. I feel like some bias may exist in my treatment of his plot line, but I do not have a reason for that bias, generally hating the mercenary plots in the previous trilogy. I think that there are two reasons why I like him and feel that he transcends the sort of Mary Sue energy that he's embodied with. First, his role both in the text and in the subtext is as a critique of the Clans, their culture, and their eugenic-driven righteousness. I thought the lacrosse scene a highly effective commentary. Not only does it open with Phelan seeing the sort of figurative damage of the Clans' philosophy on their best and brightest, he wins the day due to the failures of imagination produced by the glorification of violence for violence's sake. Second, unlike Kai A-L, Stackpole will show not tell, letting him do something clever, as opposed to Kai's much more everyone says he's a genius, so there.

The Outreach plot line is a big ooof. Other than how everyone seems to just be their parents, the whole thing feels like contrivance on contrivance, particularly in Hohiro and Victor's fight at the beginning which I read and reread trying to make sense of in something other than a 'plot's goin' here' sense. Likewise the whole project seems misaligned to the goals intended, and Sun-Tzu as the fat kid in every 80s movie is real tiresome but later on he gets a chapter to show it is all a game...and it is a great chapter with his joke about destroying the room that is the source of all treason after he is on the throne, but again, I do not get it. Like the idea it is a ruse is cool, and I do look forward to learning what the plan is, but at this point, it is nonsense. Specifically, if the goal was to make him seem as crazy as his mom, which is already a pretty dubious sort of thing as a trope, he failed in doing so.

But I did like the love story between Omiko and Victor (what can I say, I am a sap) and it was a welcome respite to having some humanity for these characters, and I do like what was intended as the payoff and the unspoken Davion/Kurita truce that leads to the mercenary forces in support of Luthen except that the sort of extended groundwork on this drew out all the mystery and tension out of the moment. It would have been much more interesting for the book to lead with this, without all the time on Outreach, because it is clear from day on on there that this resolution was something of a fait accompli.

The fights at the end are okay. I like that there is something resembling character development in both. Victor gets to wrestle with maturity, which at least puts some spots on his otherwise plastic character and I find that a good move. Luthen is more complicated. Luthen feels like an apology for the Warrior series, or at least an synthesis of it with the Charrette books and trying to nudge the Orientalism slider down a few divots (when will the same happen for Liao?). I like this. I think that the overall tone is good. Most of the action is okay. And again, I like the direction. But it feels cheap, or maybe unearned. There is like 4 different interpersonal conflicts that largely get wrapped up by one scene, maybe two. It has emotional heft, there was a lot more that could have worked well here.

But the ending of the book sort of is dropped on us, making it feel like just a lot of prologue for book three. I do not know why the need for book 1 and book 2 to have the structure of the ending on a big reveal that does not connect to much existing tension. So enough bright points to get to okay, but the whole felt like a drag way too often.

[Johnny Bennett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stackpole delivers a strong follow-up in the Blood of Kerensky trilogy, skillfully blending high-stakes diplomacy with bursts of well-paced action. The narrative moves smoothly, avoiding the drag that can plague middle installments, and even works in a few twists that keep the otherwise straightforward story arc engaging.

The tone feels slightly “saltier” than earlier BattleTech entries, with a bit more colorful language, but it still comfortably fits within a PG range. As is often the case with a second book in a trilogy, the payoff here is moderate—the big resolutions are still to come—but the epilogue provides a tantalizing tease for what’s ahead.

This is very much a bridge book, and while it’s an enjoyable read, it doesn’t stand well on its own. Lethal Heritage is essential groundwork, and readers will appreciate Blood Legacy far more if they’ve read it first.

For fans of space opera, particularly those already invested in the expansive BattleTech universe, this installment hits the right notes. Those seeking pure hard sci-fi may find the style less appealing. Fans of Star Trek or Star Wars novelizations may find a comfortable home here, while long-time BattleTech readers will enjoy another well-crafted step toward the trilogy’s conclusion.

Recommendation: A solid continuation for BattleTech and space opera fans—best enjoyed as part of the trilogy rather than on its own.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

Blood Legacy by Michael A. Stackpole is the eleventh book in the classic BattleTech Universe. It is also the second book in the "Blood of Kerensky" trilogy.
In this one, the Successor States have been fighting among themselves for many decades. Then from out beyond the Periphery comes a new threat. A swift-moving military force of unknown origin. Nothing the Inner Sphere has can stop them. Their power, speed, and ferocity are unparalleled. Some of the finest warriors and ablest units have challenged them and been crushed. No force has faced them and won.
They are the Clans! A military juggernaut whose sole reason for existence is battle. A race that selectively breeds itself for combat.
The Inner Sphere's only hope is an alliance of mortal enemies. The Federated Commonwealth and the Draconis Combine, interstellar empires at war for 300 years, must now stand side-by-side—or face certain destruction.
Unknown to the Clans and the Inner Sphere powers they both have an unknown enemy working to pit them against each other for its own ends. Comstar!
Although the classic Battletech books are written by many different authors, Michael A. Stackpole has risen to the top as one of the best in this series.

[Katrina Payne · Rating 4 out of 5]

So, this is the middle book of The Blood of Kerensky Trilogy. You need to read the first book, as this book is not exactly a decent entry point into world of Battle Tech

At the end of the first book you will have likely, somehow, managed to keep track of the various characters--which there is a lot of them. Due to this being In-Universe Historical Fiction. With it operation on a "Great Person History" model of actions--and there being several "Great People" in this set of events. Most of them House Steiner-Davion

As much as one would expect this book would be mostly filler events that could be skipped over--the events are fairly interesting and help develop the conclusion that occurs in the third book

The material should not be as compelling as it actually is. The characters tend towards being humanoid robots--though they seem a bit more human than in the last book

The author is clearly very skilled--and appears to have abilities that should usually not be possible in writing. I would definitely recommend this--but only as part of the entire trilogy

[Temucano · Rating 3 out of 5]

Baja el ritmo en esta segunda parte, al menos en lo que acción militar se refiere, centrándose más en las intrigas políticas de ambos bandos y en el entrenamiento para las próximas batallas. Cuando se desata la acción, ya son tan pocas las páginas que quedan, que los Mechs se agolpan disparando misiles a diestra y siniestra, dejando un final abierto que pide a gritos el tercero.

Sirve para visualizar mejor el contexto de la historia, pero me entretuvo menos que el primero.

[Michael Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

The invasion continues. As with the five main kingdoms, there are good clans and greedy clans and many in all who have their own hidden agendas. The fighting continues and Old Earth seems to be the goal for unknown reasons.

[Kenneth Bratton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyed reading again

I originally read this when it was first released so many years ago
I’m so happy that they have begun releasing them again digitally
This time I’m reading them in chronological order

[Kevin K · Rating 4 out of 5]

The second novel in the series, it acts more as an interlude and buildup for the next offering in the series. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, as it explains why the Clans stopped their advance, and the efforts that the Inner Sphere forces took to prepare.

I dug it.

[Dave · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great, if short continuation of the Blood of Kerensky.

[Nathan Willard · Rating 4 out of 5]

The tension between the warrior society and our friendly backstabbing inner sphere continues.

[Spire Metro · Rating 4 out of 5]

Political intrigue, action-packed future warfare, universe-spanning conflict, and giant mechs.

Yes, recommended.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little slow in the beginning as the author pulls the threads together from the first book, but some great battle scenes in the back half.

[Freya · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stackpole made me cry.

[Joe Postingg · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book took me a long time to read because I was drinking a lot over the holidays

[Justin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Every time I read Stackpole books, I always wonder Stackpole has 1) cloned a character or 2) injected himself as a character, or 3) created his alter ego.

In the case of Phelan, Victor, and Corran Horn in his Star Wars: X-Wing series, you have basically the same character with the same backstory and personality: 1) military brat (or police brat for Corran); 2) very good at what he does and has natural talent; 3) can be hot-headed at times but tempered by mentors; 4) fights in distinguished units and 5) not a ladies man. All in all, you really don't have a main character or an antagonist that you grow to hate or love.

Blood Legacy as a book is the middle of a trilogy and what the author does well for all his books is continuity. You don't really lose the thread of a main character and the ensemble cast have good interactions. You see Phelan's growth and acceptance into the Wolf Clan and his enmity with Vlad. You see the evolution of Hanse and Theodore's relationship, as well as their sons, to end a longstanding rivalry.

It was a good book and I subtracted one star because of the similarities between Stackpole's main characters.

[Brian Turner · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Clan invasion resumes as the heirs to the various thrones are put through their paces on Outreach.
Follows on directly from Lethal Heritage, and is a bit slow to get going as it switches between the Inner Sphere and the Clans as they prepare.
It picks up when the battles are finally joined.

Features a few "historical" events in the Battletech universe timeline that may be familiar to people who have read other stories. You can read it as a standalone book but it would help to have read Lethal Heritage first.

[Eric Lawson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Blood Legacy is the second in Michael A. Stackpole's Blood of Kerensky trilogy. The clan invasion has shocked the inner sphere and if they don't stand together, they will fall separately. Phelan, Kai and Victor are at the center of it all.

The great part of this series is how the politics on both sides is affecting the effectiveness of the warriors. Wardens vs Crusaders on the Clan side, and Comstar's manipulation of the inner sphere on the other.

[Alex · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got all three books from a book sale, and I must say, its a good thing I did. Part 2, Phelan's story with the Clans continues...not to mention a little Victor Steiner Davion and Kai Allard Liao thrown into the pot.

[H.L. Reasby · Rating 5 out of 5]

A strong middle volume of a series with appearances by well-loved characters in the Battletech universe. I'm definitely looking forward to picking up the third novel and seeing how the adventures end!

[Nick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book 11 of the BattleTech Series, Book 2 of the Blood of Kerensky Trilogy. Continues Phelan Kell's integration into his new 'family', the Inner Sphere training to prepare for continued invasion. Luthien is under attack by the invaders, will House Kurita survive?

[Kavinay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Can get a bit clunky at spots (lots of nobels and elites prone to moping internal dialogues) , but still a fun read. It's where the clan invasion and culture starts to get fleshed out, and all the era's who's-who of the Inner Sphere youth experience the Wolf Dragoons version of Hogwarts.

[Collin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pretty much said everything I needed to say in my review of Book 1, but this series is a guilty pleasure of mine.

[Juanfra Valero · Rating 4 out of 5]

Segunda parte de la invasión de los clanes. Continúa con la historia anterior,y tiene características similares, aunque el final es un poco agridulce.