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BattleTech Universe #13
Way of the Clans
In the 31st century, Aidan aspires to be a warrior of Clan Jade Falcon and faces trials that will shape him into one of the best warriors in the galaxy, a member of an elite group of warriors resulting from generations of controlled breeding
288 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published August 6, 1991
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews
September 8, 2007
A part of the Battletech books I got from a book sale, Way of the Clans is extremely well written, bringing you into the way of the life of a Clan warrior youth who begins training to become a Mechwarrior, one of the society's elite...
...only to encounter a tough trainer, an obssessed commander, and a pretty scientist.
All hail Aidan, Falcon warrior.
...only to encounter a tough trainer, an obssessed commander, and a pretty scientist.
All hail Aidan, Falcon warrior.
March 5, 2008
This was the first Battletech book that I read and led to buying many, many more of them. If I could go back, I'd probably start with the Warrior trilogy first, but this is a good intro to the Clan side of things.
December 2, 2015
As Proust wrote in Remembrance of Things Past, "I could hear the whistling of trains, which, now nearer and now farther off, punctuating the distance like the note of a bird in a forest, showed me in perspective the deserted countryside through which a traveler is hurrying towards the nearby station; and the path he is taking will be engraved in his memory by the excitement induced by strange surroundings, by unaccustomed activities, by the conversation he has had and the farewells exchanged beneath an unfamiliar lamp, still echoing in his ears amid the silence of the night, by the imminent joy of going home." This book was not like Proust.
January 23, 2023
A trainee goes through the brutal trial to become a mechwarrior, fails, then gets a second chance against all normal rules.
While this book has huge exposition dumps that tend to slow it down at times, it does paint an interesting far future world that seems ripe for more exploration. The characters are rich enough that they are understandable and the technology is unique enough to carry it through. I’ll definitely keep going in this series and see where it goes.
The only experience I had with this world beforehand was from video games but it wasn’t hard to get into or follow. Maybe more of a 3.5 but still solid.
While this book has huge exposition dumps that tend to slow it down at times, it does paint an interesting far future world that seems ripe for more exploration. The characters are rich enough that they are understandable and the technology is unique enough to carry it through. I’ll definitely keep going in this series and see where it goes.
The only experience I had with this world beforehand was from video games but it wasn’t hard to get into or follow. Maybe more of a 3.5 but still solid.
November 6, 2021
Mostly a 2.5, but hits 3.5 at times (but they are few)
This was one of the first BattleTech books I ever read, mainly due to a massive misunderstanding of which book comes first. The BattleTech books were not organized into a cohesive series on Goodreads back then and Sarna.net was something I didn't even know about it. That being said, this is the first BattleTech novel published by Roc, but it is NOT the first BattleTech book. This is the 13th BattleTech book! The way Roc advertises this makes it seem like it's the first and it's really not and if you read this first, it's rather confusing. The sad part is, now that I've read it during the correct spot, it still really wasn't any better.
Way of the Clans introduces us to a new author for BattleTech, Robert Thurston and compared to the likes of William H. Keith Jr., Michael Stackpole, or Robert N. Charrette, he can't really compete. On the heels of the Blood of Kerensky Trilogy by Michael Stackpole, Way of the Clans really is kind of a let down for me. It felt so dry compared to the other novels I had read.
I think the main point of this trilogy was to introduce deeper into the world of the Clans. We got a taste of their ideas with the Wolf Clan and Clan Jade Falcon was there for the Inner Sphere invasion, but they are not a large player in the main stories of that first trilogy Blood of Kerensky. So, here Thurston will introduce us in much more detail to the world of Jade Falcon. One thing he does is basically start at the beginning with a sibko reporting for Warrior training. A lot of the words used during Stackpole's novels are given much deeper meaning as their explanation shows up in this novel. The sad part is, it's a little dry for the most part, to the point where the sourcebooks of the game can come off as a bit more exciting. In reading this it seemed like it was a blending of Soviet and Indian societal structures. There’s a really involved caste system that made me think of the structures in Indian hierarchical society, but everything else felt patently Russian in nature.
The sibko, which are the genetically designed children, are expected to become part of the highest class of society, the warrior caste. You follow them through all the grueling training and get great insight into how the warrior caste develops its superiority complex. They're kind of like Klingons in the sense that it seems their entire society is dedicated to creating war. If they can't achieve the rank of warrior then they are put elsewhere. Sometimes they die in the training process. The lab bred recruits will still hold themselves above others as being "trueborns" while others are just "freebirths". To the point where they use the word "freebirth" as a swear. It was all very interesting information, even down to discussing the different ways varying castes used language. Within this sibko we are primarily concerned with the story of Cadet Aiden, so you get to see the world through his eyes. He’s a bit unusual because he takes the time to reflect and think about things a little bit deeper, this is considered unclanlike for a warrior.
While the information about the training methods and society were interesting, I just felt like the novel never really picked up, until the final training sequence. After that this novel quickly took off, but now we're over halfway through page count wise, and I can’t write about it because it will give too much away. I merely warn other readers that if you choose to read this book it may not start immediately with the action or intrigue someone might want. This is not uncommon with the start of a trilogy, so the second novel may delve right into the action and I might find that one a faster read. Character development certainly isn’t a bad thing, but it felt a little dry from time to time and I’ve read some books that spent hundreds of pages on development, but it was just masterfully written. In any event this is a novel to stick with, because it makes it well worth the wait!
This was one of the first BattleTech books I ever read, mainly due to a massive misunderstanding of which book comes first. The BattleTech books were not organized into a cohesive series on Goodreads back then and Sarna.net was something I didn't even know about it. That being said, this is the first BattleTech novel published by Roc, but it is NOT the first BattleTech book. This is the 13th BattleTech book! The way Roc advertises this makes it seem like it's the first and it's really not and if you read this first, it's rather confusing. The sad part is, now that I've read it during the correct spot, it still really wasn't any better.
Way of the Clans introduces us to a new author for BattleTech, Robert Thurston and compared to the likes of William H. Keith Jr., Michael Stackpole, or Robert N. Charrette, he can't really compete. On the heels of the Blood of Kerensky Trilogy by Michael Stackpole, Way of the Clans really is kind of a let down for me. It felt so dry compared to the other novels I had read.
I think the main point of this trilogy was to introduce deeper into the world of the Clans. We got a taste of their ideas with the Wolf Clan and Clan Jade Falcon was there for the Inner Sphere invasion, but they are not a large player in the main stories of that first trilogy Blood of Kerensky. So, here Thurston will introduce us in much more detail to the world of Jade Falcon. One thing he does is basically start at the beginning with a sibko reporting for Warrior training. A lot of the words used during Stackpole's novels are given much deeper meaning as their explanation shows up in this novel. The sad part is, it's a little dry for the most part, to the point where the sourcebooks of the game can come off as a bit more exciting. In reading this it seemed like it was a blending of Soviet and Indian societal structures. There’s a really involved caste system that made me think of the structures in Indian hierarchical society, but everything else felt patently Russian in nature.
The sibko, which are the genetically designed children, are expected to become part of the highest class of society, the warrior caste. You follow them through all the grueling training and get great insight into how the warrior caste develops its superiority complex. They're kind of like Klingons in the sense that it seems their entire society is dedicated to creating war. If they can't achieve the rank of warrior then they are put elsewhere. Sometimes they die in the training process. The lab bred recruits will still hold themselves above others as being "trueborns" while others are just "freebirths". To the point where they use the word "freebirth" as a swear. It was all very interesting information, even down to discussing the different ways varying castes used language. Within this sibko we are primarily concerned with the story of Cadet Aiden, so you get to see the world through his eyes. He’s a bit unusual because he takes the time to reflect and think about things a little bit deeper, this is considered unclanlike for a warrior.
While the information about the training methods and society were interesting, I just felt like the novel never really picked up, until the final training sequence. After that this novel quickly took off, but now we're over halfway through page count wise, and I can’t write about it because it will give too much away. I merely warn other readers that if you choose to read this book it may not start immediately with the action or intrigue someone might want. This is not uncommon with the start of a trilogy, so the second novel may delve right into the action and I might find that one a faster read. Character development certainly isn’t a bad thing, but it felt a little dry from time to time and I’ve read some books that spent hundreds of pages on development, but it was just masterfully written. In any event this is a novel to stick with, because it makes it well worth the wait!
June 19, 2023
Classic Battletech
This is what Battletech is and always should be.
Remember the classics, shun the new "Woke" authors poisoning the Blood of Kerensky.
Setting up many hours of great reading and Battletech history.
This is what Battletech is and always should be.
Remember the classics, shun the new "Woke" authors poisoning the Blood of Kerensky.
Setting up many hours of great reading and Battletech history.
February 11, 2016
Classic sci fi, you will like this if you are fan of Battletech. Looking forward to reading more and expanding my knowledge of this complex and in depth universe.
July 29, 2024
While I enjoyed the book, its plot, and general pacing, my issues with it are 2-fold.
1. It's more of a nitpick, probably 4 times a few passages are added in parenthesis that undercut an upcoming scene. Like I need the author (or editor) to point out that the main character is going to be upset a few pages later. It adds nothing and only spoils what the writing was about to do itself
2. The choice of protagonist is a missed opportunity. I've been reading every Battletech book by release order, and this is the first novel told from the point of the Clans. I was expecting some real Clan propaganda from these 3 books, and that's not what this book sets up. I'm no dirty Clanner. Frankly, I think they are backward savages who've only played at war while the Inner Sphere has been doing for real since Kerensky left. This protagonist suffers under the Clan system as I'd expect any of us would, and while that makes for a more relatable protagonist, we don't get that best case vision for what the Clan vision should be. We get more of a similar arc that we get from Phelan Wolf's character in the last trilogy. While probably harder to pull of I would have like to see a more traditional Clan Warrior doing whatever is normal for dirty clanners, and maybe challenge the Clans views on Eugenics, Freebirths, and Castes in the 3rd book, but we get it here off Jump Street.
TL;DR: Great book. I'm looking forward to the rest, but a little disappointed with the choice of safe Inner Sphere friendly protagonist and a few scene stealing notes in parentheses.
1. It's more of a nitpick, probably 4 times a few passages are added in parenthesis that undercut an upcoming scene. Like I need the author (or editor) to point out that the main character is going to be upset a few pages later. It adds nothing and only spoils what the writing was about to do itself
2. The choice of protagonist is a missed opportunity. I've been reading every Battletech book by release order, and this is the first novel told from the point of the Clans. I was expecting some real Clan propaganda from these 3 books, and that's not what this book sets up. I'm no dirty Clanner. Frankly, I think they are backward savages who've only played at war while the Inner Sphere has been doing for real since Kerensky left. This protagonist suffers under the Clan system as I'd expect any of us would, and while that makes for a more relatable protagonist, we don't get that best case vision for what the Clan vision should be. We get more of a similar arc that we get from Phelan Wolf's character in the last trilogy. While probably harder to pull of I would have like to see a more traditional Clan Warrior doing whatever is normal for dirty clanners, and maybe challenge the Clans views on Eugenics, Freebirths, and Castes in the 3rd book, but we get it here off Jump Street.
TL;DR: Great book. I'm looking forward to the rest, but a little disappointed with the choice of safe Inner Sphere friendly protagonist and a few scene stealing notes in parentheses.
June 17, 2020
Not the best BattleTech, but also not the worst BattleTech. Thurston does capture the spirit of the Clans, especially their martial spirit. The Spartan mentality (yes capital S, Sparta or think 300) is very much alive. In Sparta, boys are raised from a young age to become a hoplite. The training is brutal and rites of passages weed out the weak. They are also demeaning towards the helots and slaves; those are considered sub-human and target practice. Thurston has done a good job in recreating that culture in Clan Jade Falcon.
Aidan is supposed to be a great warrior and this is about his formative years. He meets several people who shape him and also his peers. What I have a hard time resonating when Thurston creates this apparent dichotomy between "sibko" loyalty and the new "unit" (the unit where you will serve) loyalty; the former is considered childish and the latter mature behavior. Although it is true that you do remember the people in your training platoon during Basic and might never ever see them again, and maybe you do run into them later, I don't think that's considered childish, especially when Aidan's trainers and even his peers force him to become callous enough to sever all emotional connections.
We will see what happens in the next book.
Aidan is supposed to be a great warrior and this is about his formative years. He meets several people who shape him and also his peers. What I have a hard time resonating when Thurston creates this apparent dichotomy between "sibko" loyalty and the new "unit" (the unit where you will serve) loyalty; the former is considered childish and the latter mature behavior. Although it is true that you do remember the people in your training platoon during Basic and might never ever see them again, and maybe you do run into them later, I don't think that's considered childish, especially when Aidan's trainers and even his peers force him to become callous enough to sever all emotional connections.
We will see what happens in the next book.
August 9, 2021
Having currently started a (slow) re-reading of some of the sci-fi of my youth, it was interesting re-visiting this and realizing some of the stuff I missed the first time around. Compared to some of the authors I enjoy now this certainly drags a bit and you can feel the elements of the "adapted for the page" in the way various elements of the universe get explained ad naseum, but a lot of it is skimmable and the actual meat of the story is generally compelling, if cliched in its 101 take on sci-fi "not technically racism" societal metaphors. What I did appreciate this time around though was some of the weirder elements of the Battletech universe that this book introduces. Who knew the Clans were so into incest? Given the often generic, homogenized nature of many modern mainstream sci-fi universes it's kind of refreshing getting those kind of oddball details. I don't think I'd actually recommend this to anyone who wasn't already somewhat invested in the Battletech/Mech Warrior lore, it's a more than passable casual read.
March 23, 2021
Book 1 of the Jade Phoenix Trilogy, book 13 of the BattleTech series. Now for a switch, this book is early Chronologically than most of the previous novels, based on 20 Years in a Sibko and where Aidan ends up in Book 3, Falcon Guard age wise. This novel details the training Sibko's go through and documents Aidan's and Marthe's testing - as well as the aftermath.
Good introduction into the Clan Way of thinking and approach to raising their Warrior Class.
Good introduction into the Clan Way of thinking and approach to raising their Warrior Class.
September 4, 2022
3.5 stars
If you are interested in the battle tech universe it offers a fun expansion into the clan society.
I think it would have been more interesting to create a story where the protagonist is actually a part of the clan society rather than an individual so separate from clan society who holds more relatable concerns. If the author could have got reader buy in for a protagonist who is energetically engaged in an alien society it would have been a more interesting read.
If you are interested in the battle tech universe it offers a fun expansion into the clan society.
I think it would have been more interesting to create a story where the protagonist is actually a part of the clan society rather than an individual so separate from clan society who holds more relatable concerns. If the author could have got reader buy in for a protagonist who is energetically engaged in an alien society it would have been a more interesting read.
June 12, 2020
Fans of Battletech and the Clans will love this book.
Excellent writing and pacing help propel this Battletech book to the forefront. I read this book- in paperback form, many years ago. Picking it up again in the digital format has brought many great memories from my childhood and Battletech gaming days.
Excellent writing and pacing help propel this Battletech book to the forefront. I read this book- in paperback form, many years ago. Picking it up again in the digital format has brought many great memories from my childhood and Battletech gaming days.
August 8, 2022
Went back to reread this since this was one of my sci-fi entrypoints as a kid. I was hoping it would hold up as at least solid as an adult - and it did! While not the best sci-fi I've ever read, it's solid and fun and will always be endearing to me as one of the early books that helped me become an avid reader.
June 3, 2024
Painful in Places
This book could have been about 20% shorter which would have made it 100% better.
There were too many pages of Clan philosophy and ramblings of Ter Roshak that really bogged down the pace of the story.
I don’t think I have flipped past that many pages in a book ever.
This book could have been about 20% shorter which would have made it 100% better.
There were too many pages of Clan philosophy and ramblings of Ter Roshak that really bogged down the pace of the story.
I don’t think I have flipped past that many pages in a book ever.
June 17, 2024
This book blew my mind when I first read it nearly two decades ago. Okay, maybe three. It's essentially a coming-of-age story for the trueborn, Aiden, a genetic clone of two heroes of the Jade Flacon Clan. Aiden trains to enter the warrior caste of Clan Jade Falcon, finding tyrants and lovers alike.
Read it if you like Starship Troopers.
Read it if you like Old Man's War.
Read it if you like Starship Troopers.
Read it if you like Old Man's War.
March 29, 2020
It's exactly what it says on cover, essential book for anyone interested in the Clans and clan Jade Falcon in particular. Oh, and we also get to meet their almost-too-perfect hero, Aidan (Pryde) and tough-as-nails warrior Joanna. I liked it for the background, but the story was not bad either.
November 6, 2024
I can't say I loved this one. It was an interesting look at the Clan training cadres, but I didn't really like any of the characters. I'll probably continue on to the next book in the series just for the sake of curiosity, but I'm not sure if I'm gonna finish it.
September 7, 2017
This book actually managed to surprise me.
January 15, 2020
Meh. It was okay. I was a Mech Warrior fan from the early Activision days. Thought it would be a fun read while waiting for Jury Duty. It gave some backstory but needed to be faster paced.
November 3, 2021
Slow first couple chapters, but once I got past them, I couldn’t stop reading!!
June 11, 2023
3.5, rounded up to 4 for GRs rating system.
September 29, 2023
I read this many, many years ago and loved it. It's just a really fun read.
July 22, 2024
Great read!
Having read this book 30 years ago I was surprised just how great it was when I read it again.
Having read this book 30 years ago I was surprised just how great it was when I read it again.
September 9, 2024
Chilling introduction to Clan life from the inside. Liked the first 2/3 far better than the last part, which felt rushed once Aidan was booted from training.
October 7, 2025
I hate the way he writes women, but the book improves as it goes.
July 10, 2015
Battletech and the Orwellian present
29 June 2012
This is the first and only Battletech book that I ever read, and I am highly unlikely to read anymore of them, simply because I am not really interested in books that are little more than a spin-off from a roleplaying game (which is what this is, though Battletech is more of a wargame than a roleplaying game). I might have read more of them back in my dark days, if I was more intent on reading books, but now I am more interested in books that actually have some meaning behind them rather than some form of cash cow that suckers fans in to spending more of their hard earned money.
The Battletech universe is set 1000 years in the future where humanity has colonised the galaxy. However the empire has collapsed and has evolved into a group of five warring states with a fringe element on the outer edge. Earth is pretty much long forgotten, though still exists at the centre of the old empire. The numerous factions now fight with each other in an attempt to outdo the other and return to the glory days of the empire. However, in later editions, two of the warring clans formed an alliance, however the other clans still exist.
What seems to attract many to the Battletech universe is that people fight in huge bipedal vehicles called battlemechs. The highest honour is to be a mechwarrior, a pilot of one of these battlemechs. This seems to herald back to the 1930s where airplane pilots were considered heroes, though this is no longer the case. I doubt anybody could name any of the pilots that flew sorties over Iraq or Libya, but still everybody has heard of the Red Baron.
In a way it seems to be very Orwellian in development. The concept is that the world has devolved into three superpowers that wage a perpetual war with each other in the outlying regions. This is very similar to this universe where there is a perpetual war amongst the clans (though this is not correct terminology in the battletech universe as the clans exist outside the main sphere, the warring factions in the sphere are probably better termed as houses). Anyway, it is the concept that fighting a perpetual war is the best way to keep people under control. By having an external enemy we can direct people's hatred towards this external enemy and thus keep them under control. Anybody who thus criticises the government is seen to be in league with one of these enemies, and thus an enemy of the state, and deserves to be locked up.
In times of war, and revolution, the government can suspend the fundamental human rights we all have (such as Habeus Corpus, where one cannot be held in confinement for more that 24 hours without being charged with a crime) in the name of national security. In the end the concept of national security turns out to be a farce, as it just becomes a means of population control, and the best way to control the population is through war. While there may be very weak reasons for going to war, governments will look at exaggerating those threats (such as Bush's Mushroom Cloud) so as to bring the population on side, and thus go to war. It is even easier if there is an ongoing external threat, such as the Soviet Union. In a way it was better for the United States, in terms of population control, for the Soviet Union to have lasted much longer than it did, because once they are the lone superpower, and have no means of declaring war against everybody, the whole concept of population control becomes a mute point. That is why Islamic Fundamentalists have now taken the spotlight as the new enemy, as well as China.
29 June 2012
This is the first and only Battletech book that I ever read, and I am highly unlikely to read anymore of them, simply because I am not really interested in books that are little more than a spin-off from a roleplaying game (which is what this is, though Battletech is more of a wargame than a roleplaying game). I might have read more of them back in my dark days, if I was more intent on reading books, but now I am more interested in books that actually have some meaning behind them rather than some form of cash cow that suckers fans in to spending more of their hard earned money.
The Battletech universe is set 1000 years in the future where humanity has colonised the galaxy. However the empire has collapsed and has evolved into a group of five warring states with a fringe element on the outer edge. Earth is pretty much long forgotten, though still exists at the centre of the old empire. The numerous factions now fight with each other in an attempt to outdo the other and return to the glory days of the empire. However, in later editions, two of the warring clans formed an alliance, however the other clans still exist.
What seems to attract many to the Battletech universe is that people fight in huge bipedal vehicles called battlemechs. The highest honour is to be a mechwarrior, a pilot of one of these battlemechs. This seems to herald back to the 1930s where airplane pilots were considered heroes, though this is no longer the case. I doubt anybody could name any of the pilots that flew sorties over Iraq or Libya, but still everybody has heard of the Red Baron.
In a way it seems to be very Orwellian in development. The concept is that the world has devolved into three superpowers that wage a perpetual war with each other in the outlying regions. This is very similar to this universe where there is a perpetual war amongst the clans (though this is not correct terminology in the battletech universe as the clans exist outside the main sphere, the warring factions in the sphere are probably better termed as houses). Anyway, it is the concept that fighting a perpetual war is the best way to keep people under control. By having an external enemy we can direct people's hatred towards this external enemy and thus keep them under control. Anybody who thus criticises the government is seen to be in league with one of these enemies, and thus an enemy of the state, and deserves to be locked up.
In times of war, and revolution, the government can suspend the fundamental human rights we all have (such as Habeus Corpus, where one cannot be held in confinement for more that 24 hours without being charged with a crime) in the name of national security. In the end the concept of national security turns out to be a farce, as it just becomes a means of population control, and the best way to control the population is through war. While there may be very weak reasons for going to war, governments will look at exaggerating those threats (such as Bush's Mushroom Cloud) so as to bring the population on side, and thus go to war. It is even easier if there is an ongoing external threat, such as the Soviet Union. In a way it was better for the United States, in terms of population control, for the Soviet Union to have lasted much longer than it did, because once they are the lone superpower, and have no means of declaring war against everybody, the whole concept of population control becomes a mute point. That is why Islamic Fundamentalists have now taken the spotlight as the new enemy, as well as China.
November 22, 2025
-Edit-
After a re-read, I feel kinder towards the book, but not by much.
The protagonist, some guy in the Jade Falcon clan, begins his formal training as a mechwarrior. The novel is about his rise, and fall, and rise. He is very Mary Sue, but in a lampshaded sort of way, as if everyone else in the book decided that he has plot armor and acts accordingly.
There is a lot of things about the Clans that are plain stupid, and particularly with its emphasis on the superior warrior ethos there is a certain Poe's Law in effect where it is difficult to read whether an author is approaching the thing straight or crooked. This time I can see the reading of the book that is the latter, where the whole story plays out as a sort of tragedy.
I think that redemptive reading is difficult because the characters are so inaccessible. Some of this I put on the author, in that the writing here is weaker than others in the stable. Some of this I put on the audience, or rather the need to establish the "cool" of the Clans. And some of this I put on military sci-fi in general, which often does not know the best way to relate to actual military things and so tends to miss the point of armies, war, and soldiers.
Much of my initial bounce relies on the creepier parts of the Clan life. I think that the purpose is to make them out as alien and socially incomprehensible, but so much of that ends up a damp squib for me. I suppose the argument is that you need that sort of set-up for when the book shows the less idealized parts of the Clans. But whoo, that is a lot of something bad to get to something sorta okay.
But in comparison, there are other books with deeper flaws. It is still pretty bad, but I now find the characterization passable enough to manage my way through. It does the single chapter POV character that I like, and there is enough dimension added late in the book to make it a fuller picture.
-/edit-
It's like the first half of Full Metal Jacket mixed with "freeuse" porn category.
It's like fanfic of Xenophon's Constitution of the Spartans, except everyone talks like Forrest Gump.
It's like the wattpad of a school shooter, with incest and third person/first person POV shifts.
It's like William Graham Sumner wrote about not fighting in a giant robot, but learning about what someone had to learn about in order to fight in a giant robot.
I was going to use this to complain about the That's Not How Societies Work here, but it is worse than that, because I think that, by the end, I think that it is meant to be operating as a critique, like in some of the other Clans-based fiction, but it is one of those critiques that relies upon an affirmation of its target: think a defense of abortion from the pro-murder lobby.
This is not okay. This is what makes me wish I was a popular booktuber or something, so that I could make reading the remainder of the trilogy a patreon goal, because, well, fucking yikes. If this keeps up I am absolutely not making it to the end of the Mechwarrior corpus.
After a re-read, I feel kinder towards the book, but not by much.
The protagonist, some guy in the Jade Falcon clan, begins his formal training as a mechwarrior. The novel is about his rise, and fall, and rise. He is very Mary Sue, but in a lampshaded sort of way, as if everyone else in the book decided that he has plot armor and acts accordingly.
There is a lot of things about the Clans that are plain stupid, and particularly with its emphasis on the superior warrior ethos there is a certain Poe's Law in effect where it is difficult to read whether an author is approaching the thing straight or crooked. This time I can see the reading of the book that is the latter, where the whole story plays out as a sort of tragedy.
I think that redemptive reading is difficult because the characters are so inaccessible. Some of this I put on the author, in that the writing here is weaker than others in the stable. Some of this I put on the audience, or rather the need to establish the "cool" of the Clans. And some of this I put on military sci-fi in general, which often does not know the best way to relate to actual military things and so tends to miss the point of armies, war, and soldiers.
Much of my initial bounce relies on the creepier parts of the Clan life. I think that the purpose is to make them out as alien and socially incomprehensible, but so much of that ends up a damp squib for me. I suppose the argument is that you need that sort of set-up for when the book shows the less idealized parts of the Clans. But whoo, that is a lot of something bad to get to something sorta okay.
But in comparison, there are other books with deeper flaws. It is still pretty bad, but I now find the characterization passable enough to manage my way through. It does the single chapter POV character that I like, and there is enough dimension added late in the book to make it a fuller picture.
-/edit-
It's like the first half of Full Metal Jacket mixed with "freeuse" porn category.
It's like fanfic of Xenophon's Constitution of the Spartans, except everyone talks like Forrest Gump.
It's like the wattpad of a school shooter, with incest and third person/first person POV shifts.
It's like William Graham Sumner wrote about not fighting in a giant robot, but learning about what someone had to learn about in order to fight in a giant robot.
I was going to use this to complain about the That's Not How Societies Work here, but it is worse than that, because I think that, by the end, I think that it is meant to be operating as a critique, like in some of the other Clans-based fiction, but it is one of those critiques that relies upon an affirmation of its target: think a defense of abortion from the pro-murder lobby.
This is not okay. This is what makes me wish I was a popular booktuber or something, so that I could make reading the remainder of the trilogy a patreon goal, because, well, fucking yikes. If this keeps up I am absolutely not making it to the end of the Mechwarrior corpus.
May 21, 2018
I honestly don't remember a ton about these books. At the time (back in Middle School) we were playing Battletech regularly and these stories fleshed out a bit of the world beyond the paper maps and plastic mechs.
A mix of military novel, samurai tale, and twisting political narrative with betrayals and intrigues.
I'll add them to my ever growing "To-reread" list to hopefully give them a more thorough review.
A mix of military novel, samurai tale, and twisting political narrative with betrayals and intrigues.
I'll add them to my ever growing "To-reread" list to hopefully give them a more thorough review.
February 24, 2023
Good Pulp SciFi.
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