BattleTech: Break-Away: The Proliferation Cycle #1

Battletech: Proliferation Cycle #1

by Ilsa J. Bick

THE UNTOLD STORY OF THE INVENTION OF THE BATTLEMECH...

Break-Away is the first of six novellas detailing the struggle to create the next awesome weapon to rule the battlefield—the BattleMech.

In the mid-25th century, factions of mankind are desperate to invent the next technological leap in warfare—a machine that would give each group an overwhelming advantage on the battlefield. And no one is more aware of the race to perfect this new machine than the leaders on Terra.

But during the final trials to find the first pilot for the Terran prototype, the contest is infiltrated by a deadly enemy who wants to ensure that no one survives. It's up to the last remaining Terran candidate—and a scientist struggling to make a breakthrough on the human-machine interface that will control this new war machine—to save Terra's BattleMech program from those who wish to destroy it.

Genres: Fiction, Science Fiction

76 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 20, 2019

About the author

Among other things, I was an English major in college and so I know that I'm supposed to write things like, "Ilsa J. Bick is ." Except I hate writing about myself in the third person like I'm not in the room. Helloooo, I'm right here . . . So let's just say that I'm a child psychiatrist (yeah, you read that right)as well as a film scholar, surgeon wannabe (meaning I did an internship in surgery and LOVED it and maybe shoulda stuck), former Air Force major—and an award-winning, best-selling author of short stories, e-books, and novels. Believe me, no one is more shocked about this than I . . . unless you talk to my mother.

Reviews

[Joe Pranaitis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Author Ilsa J. Bick brings us the opening chapter of the Prolferation Cycle. The creation of the first battle mech is upon us The Mackie. Someone knows about the mechs development and is hunting down its potential pilots. That someone called the Colonel works for someone who knows of the mechs creation and wants to make sure that it has the wrong person in the command couch. As this is going on the doctors working on the primates that are being used as the test beds for the control interface for the mech have been betrayed and one of the doctors wiped the computer records and attempted to kill the doctor that would show that the control interface would work with a human once it was installed in the mech. This is only the opening of this series and I'm looking forward to reading the next chapter. I highly recommend this novella to all mech and science fiction fans and to the Mobile Suite Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans fans too.

[Rocky Sunico · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a rough book to get through, which shows how much I rely on Mech combat to really define these books. The whole Proliferation Cycle of novellas is focused on the rise and propagation of the BattleMech across the Inner Sphere, and naturally, this first book doesn't get to have any mech combat yet.

But the decision to focus on this weird survival exercise for the potential prototype candidates didn't really provide an interesting angle for this story. We could have talked about the development of the mech itself or focused more on the doctor doing research related to the neurohelmet interface. Instead, it's a lot of people trying to outwit one another with the exercise becoming a deadly reality instead.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

Personal Stories Writ on a Interstellar Background
This is a classic tale of true love overcome by political expediency, wrapped up in a crazy revenge-seeker's arms, with a side of cold blooded killing and gruesomeness.

Two potential mech pilots, Major Amanda Cunningham and Charles Kincaid: HAF Certified Rock Star in competition for the coveted role of testing a new mech. And they are lovers. But he has to marry for political and family reasons, so she is spurned. Quick read but well written to convey the background emotion.

The side story of Dr. Carolyn Fletcher, chimp keeper and glock-shooter, was fun tie back outside of the testing grounds.

[Josh Murphy · Rating 2 out of 5]

"So You've Decided to Read Battletech" - Review 1

So I've decided to read Battletech. And since I was given the Proliferation Cycle series as part of the Battletech Kickstarter, I guess this is where I'm starting.

Review:

Wasn't into it. Then things picked up. Then I got into it. Then it was over. In the end, I can say I enjoyed most of my time with Break-Away. It's not great literature, but it's not trying to be. I had fun.

Assessment

Fine.

[David · Rating 2 out of 5]

I picked this novella up cheap, and I'm glad it was (cheap): I would have felt cheated if I'd paid full price for it.

It also has rather an unusual setting for a Battletech novel - right at the beginning, before the Battletechs are even a thing.

There's none at all in this novella, other than a couple of references to a top secret weapon that is being developed, with a small group of soldiers out on training exercises to see who would get to pilot said weapon.

SO, in short, a read-it-and-forget novella, kind of like eating a sweet between meals.

[Bam Margerraer · Rating 1 out of 5]

I am sorry but this is not a Battletech book and it is barely legible writing. The author does not seem to know how to write a sentence properly. There are many run ons, tangents, half statements that make it hard to read. I have read Battletech for years and this is not a good Battletech book or even a good book

[Sergey · Rating 2 out of 5]

Какое-то подобие BattleTech, написанное озабоченной женщиной..

[John Somers · Rating 3 out of 5]

11/20.