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BattleTech Universe #4
Der Preis des Ruhms (Battletech, #3)
Die Gray Death Legion hat nach jahrelangen Feldzügen im Dienst des Hauses Marik eine Ruhepause auf ihrem Heimatplaneten verdient, doch bei ihrer Rückkehr finden sie ihre Basis zerstört vor und ihre Verwandten sind, soweit sie überlebt haben, in alle Winde zerstreut: die Legion ist verraten worden, und Carlyle bricht auf, um sich an seinem ehemaligen Herrn zu rächen.
422 pages, Taschenbuch
First published January 1, 1987
122 people are currently reading
300 people want to read
About the author
William H. Keith Jr.
125 books178 followersBill Keith was raised in the mountains of western Pennsylvania, and served in the Navy as a corpsman for many years. In addition to writing fiction and non-fiction works, he is an award-winning illustrator/artist.
He has also published under the psuedonyms:
Ian Douglas (SF series: Heritage, Legacy, Inheritance, Star Carrier, Andromedan Dark)
H. Jay Riker (SEALS:The Warrior Breed series)
Keith Douglass (Carrier and Seal Team 7 series)
Bill Keith
Keith William Andrews (Freedom's Rangers series)
Robert Cain (Cybernarc series)
He has also published under the psuedonyms:
Ian Douglas (SF series: Heritage, Legacy, Inheritance, Star Carrier, Andromedan Dark)
H. Jay Riker (SEALS:The Warrior Breed series)
Keith Douglass (Carrier and Seal Team 7 series)
Bill Keith
Keith William Andrews (Freedom's Rangers series)
Robert Cain (Cybernarc series)
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Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews
January 17, 2016
I thought this was a pretty solid book - definitely built on the previous installments in the trilogy, but it moves beyond some of the cliched plot points and elements we saw previously. While it still suffers from adequate character development, it still makes for an enjoyable read.
Grayson Carlyle and his mercenary company are betrayed and set-up as outlaws. They try to run to their home base, but find that local authorities have already destroyed it and taken their comrades and families captive, or killed them outright. Carlyle and his soldiers must fight for their very survival as they try to figure out why they were betrayed.
This provides for a very dramatic and exciting story with several good action sequences, but more than that, it is able to add to the very fabric that is the Battletech universe. We're introduced to House Marik for the first time as well as the mystical organization called COMSTAR. These have far-reaching potential that really starts to flush out the entire universe and introduce conflicts above and beyond that of one mercenary company.
Overall, this has been my favorite Battletech novel so far. Unwrapping the betrayal conspiracy was interesting and fun, and the detailed action made for some exciting moments. Definitely recommended for ALL Battletech fans!
Grayson Carlyle and his mercenary company are betrayed and set-up as outlaws. They try to run to their home base, but find that local authorities have already destroyed it and taken their comrades and families captive, or killed them outright. Carlyle and his soldiers must fight for their very survival as they try to figure out why they were betrayed.
This provides for a very dramatic and exciting story with several good action sequences, but more than that, it is able to add to the very fabric that is the Battletech universe. We're introduced to House Marik for the first time as well as the mystical organization called COMSTAR. These have far-reaching potential that really starts to flush out the entire universe and introduce conflicts above and beyond that of one mercenary company.
Overall, this has been my favorite Battletech novel so far. Unwrapping the betrayal conspiracy was interesting and fun, and the detailed action made for some exciting moments. Definitely recommended for ALL Battletech fans!
November 28, 2012
omg that cover art.
Anyways, rereading this series reminds me of how much I miss these books. Like all other "world books" (star wars, star trek, etc.) they probably aren't well matched for people who weren't partaking in the Battletech universe at some point in their life, but right now, for me, they are a nice bit of nostalgia.
This series in particular is quite good.
Anyways, rereading this series reminds me of how much I miss these books. Like all other "world books" (star wars, star trek, etc.) they probably aren't well matched for people who weren't partaking in the Battletech universe at some point in their life, but right now, for me, they are a nice bit of nostalgia.
This series in particular is quite good.
September 12, 2020
"The Price of Glory" is the third installment for the Gray Death Legion and this is by far the best book in the series. I thought this book was awesome. At the start of the book I thought William H. Keith Jr. was getting a bit overly predictable with his story format (to a certain degree he is), but then he throws this twist in around the 100 page area and the book just took off for me. After that I couldn't put the book down. The prior two books are good books for their style, but this one really captured the whole feel of the BattleTech universe really well.
Despite the above paragraph, you have to remember this is a book written in the 80's and part of the first round of stories to expand on the new BattleTech game at the time. The BattleTech universe wasn't nearly as fleshed out as it would eventually become and I think some people are reviewing it through that lens a little bit. RoC's republishing of these early books didn't make matters any better by listing them after Thurston's series, which is patently out of order with the BattleTech timeline. This, singlehandedly, is one of the reasons I was so confused when I first tried to engage this series and only recently twenty some odd years later am I finally going all in as I've sorted out the publishing timeline!
In the prior BattleTech books we've gotten to know Carlyle and his team fairly well, so a lot of character development has been built up since then. This book is definitely not meant to be read as a stand alone, because even though Keith tries to recap elements of the first two books, you just can't fill it in with a couple paragraphs and do the stories justice. There are new people added into the Legion, but we never really get to know them, and I imagine they are really just canon fodder names for battles. Basically, the redshirts of a BattleTech book. In this regard BattleTech books are predictable, but as with any large franchised book series readers should kind of already walk in expecting this. I find it pretty rare for main characters to get killed off in series unless the author is ready to call it quits so no one can use their character. In that regard, sci-fi is generally fairly predictable... but I still love it.
The only thing that I will say has gotten terribly predictable is with Keith's format. The Legion is always the massive underdog fighting an overwhelming force. While I'm sure this makes for an exciting story, it does get a bit harried by the third time around, especially when it's not an ongoing fight. Instead an entirely new overwhelming force is created etc. and naturally the Legion prevails, as I expected them to do. It's not like Star Wars where there is an ongoing fight with an overwhelming force, which, to me, is a bit more reasonable in format because that's the point. But whenever Carlyle and crew prevail they walk away much much stronger than they were before, so Keith has to go find a different bigger force for him to fight...
However, despite this Keith setup a massive underlying intrigue story rife with political machinations that was far more exciting than in any of the other books. Sure, this aspect of BattleTech showed up in his other stories, but none of them were this big and just outright fascinating to read about. The smart thing Keith did was not make the Draconis Combine the enemy to be faced again. This time Carlyle is facing off in a different region of the world and the books start off with a campaign in Laio territory while the Legion is under contract with Marik forces. So, already the players are quite different and we get to delve a little bit deeper into the realms of BattleTech.
The coolest part about the whole story is the dealing with ComStar and the secretive Word of Blake. Their obsessions with old Star League tech made for a complex wrench thrown into the whole story and made it one of the more fascinating things to read about! The political intrigue subplot really made this book great in my opinion.
The Mech battles were well written, as they usually have been in Keith's books, so I have no complaints there. Carlyle's battle prowess seemed a lot more reasonable this time around, sure he's overly lucky in his survival, as we expect, but he's not constant headshot lucky like it felt like he was in the last book.
Personally, I think Keith's writing has steadily improved over the series and I think he did a great job laying the foundations to expand the stories of BattleTech. After this I'll be delving into a new author in this series, but I do know Keith wrote more books about the Gray Death later on and I'll experience those in time.
Despite the above paragraph, you have to remember this is a book written in the 80's and part of the first round of stories to expand on the new BattleTech game at the time. The BattleTech universe wasn't nearly as fleshed out as it would eventually become and I think some people are reviewing it through that lens a little bit. RoC's republishing of these early books didn't make matters any better by listing them after Thurston's series, which is patently out of order with the BattleTech timeline. This, singlehandedly, is one of the reasons I was so confused when I first tried to engage this series and only recently twenty some odd years later am I finally going all in as I've sorted out the publishing timeline!
In the prior BattleTech books we've gotten to know Carlyle and his team fairly well, so a lot of character development has been built up since then. This book is definitely not meant to be read as a stand alone, because even though Keith tries to recap elements of the first two books, you just can't fill it in with a couple paragraphs and do the stories justice. There are new people added into the Legion, but we never really get to know them, and I imagine they are really just canon fodder names for battles. Basically, the redshirts of a BattleTech book. In this regard BattleTech books are predictable, but as with any large franchised book series readers should kind of already walk in expecting this. I find it pretty rare for main characters to get killed off in series unless the author is ready to call it quits so no one can use their character. In that regard, sci-fi is generally fairly predictable... but I still love it.
The only thing that I will say has gotten terribly predictable is with Keith's format. The Legion is always the massive underdog fighting an overwhelming force. While I'm sure this makes for an exciting story, it does get a bit harried by the third time around, especially when it's not an ongoing fight. Instead an entirely new overwhelming force is created etc. and naturally the Legion prevails, as I expected them to do. It's not like Star Wars where there is an ongoing fight with an overwhelming force, which, to me, is a bit more reasonable in format because that's the point. But whenever Carlyle and crew prevail they walk away much much stronger than they were before, so Keith has to go find a different bigger force for him to fight...
However, despite this Keith setup a massive underlying intrigue story rife with political machinations that was far more exciting than in any of the other books. Sure, this aspect of BattleTech showed up in his other stories, but none of them were this big and just outright fascinating to read about. The smart thing Keith did was not make the Draconis Combine the enemy to be faced again. This time Carlyle is facing off in a different region of the world and the books start off with a campaign in Laio territory while the Legion is under contract with Marik forces. So, already the players are quite different and we get to delve a little bit deeper into the realms of BattleTech.
The coolest part about the whole story is the dealing with ComStar and the secretive Word of Blake. Their obsessions with old Star League tech made for a complex wrench thrown into the whole story and made it one of the more fascinating things to read about! The political intrigue subplot really made this book great in my opinion.
The Mech battles were well written, as they usually have been in Keith's books, so I have no complaints there. Carlyle's battle prowess seemed a lot more reasonable this time around, sure he's overly lucky in his survival, as we expect, but he's not constant headshot lucky like it felt like he was in the last book.
Personally, I think Keith's writing has steadily improved over the series and I think he did a great job laying the foundations to expand the stories of BattleTech. After this I'll be delving into a new author in this series, but I do know Keith wrote more books about the Gray Death later on and I'll experience those in time.
July 5, 2020
This is the third book in the Saga of the Gray Death Legion by William H. Keith Jr. a.k.a. Ian Douglas. This book is also part of the classic Battletech series. In this one, the Gray Death Legion has been betrayed! After taking a contract to subdue a planet for House Marik, the warriors of the Gray Death Legion return home to find their town in ruins, their families scattered, and their reputations destroyed. They are accused of destroying the planet they just left and killing millions of innocent civilians. They are declared outlaws and are being ruthlessly hunted on Helm which was given to them as a new base of operations and a home for their support staff and families. They will soon discover the hidden reasons they have been set up as they fight for their very existence. A great addition to the Gray Death Legion Saga.
June 21, 2024
I thoroughly enjoyed the first two books in the Gray Death Legion Saga (Decision at Thunder Rift and Mercenary's Star). This one leads up to a more involved ending that was very satisfying both in breadth and depth in regard to the overall universe of which is Battletech. (Yes, these books originated from a board game. However, the novels are intricate and rich with character, life, and story.) I understand some people skip right to the "Warrior" series (the next trilogy, this being the first in the universe), but I would highly recommend reading this set first. They read as more of an off-shoot adventure which is more personal in nature - filled with sacrifice, loss, and heroism. It gives life to the universe via empathy the author generates for the characters... with a glimpse of what's to come, of course. I believe these personal stories helped me become more entranced in what the rest of the Battletech world has to tell.
May 20, 2024
My favorite in the original trilogy of Great Death Legion books.
February 26, 2025
The ending felt somewhat rushed, but I had fun. I really enjoyed some of the twists, which I think were broadly set up well. The emotional payoffs from the first and second books were also fantastic.
August 31, 2025
Trashy sci-fi at its mediocrest… This one felt like it jumped around a lot and big parts of the story seemed to be missing. It was the first in this series to go a bit into the history of the world, with a bit about ComStar which was interesting.
December 30, 2018
Honestly, one of my favorite books in the past year. This series has always been a subject of interest to me, as I am an avid Battletech player (the board game). I really liked this book, as it was able to keep me very interested for the whole time while I was reading it, so much so that I finished it in a single day. I couldn't find anything about this book that I truly disliked or was disappointed in.
Probably my favorite part of this book, and the entire series, is how accurate the books are to the game, and how they can provide new insights into how certain aspects of the Battletech universe were formed. In my opinion, it is also interesting how the storyline changes and adjusts to show new things about the characters, how they live, love, and work. Additionally, I like how the stories throughout this series show other sides of the main houses, specifically **SPOILER ALERT** how Kurita can be not so evil, and how Comstar is actually not neutral whatsoever, but very close to becoming the 6th great house, furthering only their own goals and doing only what they wish, not caring about neutrality when something they want is in danger. **End of Spoilers**
Overall, my opinion is very high about this book, and therefore I would definitely recommend this to any fans of the Sci-Fi genre. Specifically recommended to Battletech Players, both the online game and the board game.
Probably my favorite part of this book, and the entire series, is how accurate the books are to the game, and how they can provide new insights into how certain aspects of the Battletech universe were formed. In my opinion, it is also interesting how the storyline changes and adjusts to show new things about the characters, how they live, love, and work. Additionally, I like how the stories throughout this series show other sides of the main houses, specifically **SPOILER ALERT** how Kurita can be not so evil, and how Comstar is actually not neutral whatsoever, but very close to becoming the 6th great house, furthering only their own goals and doing only what they wish, not caring about neutrality when something they want is in danger. **End of Spoilers**
Overall, my opinion is very high about this book, and therefore I would definitely recommend this to any fans of the Sci-Fi genre. Specifically recommended to Battletech Players, both the online game and the board game.
September 4, 2019
A worthy end to the first Gray Death saga
I'm a longtime fan of Battletech. These books, while not literary masterpieces, are always worth a read. In this book, Grayson Death Carlyle and his still relatively young mercenary unit are accused of perpetrating a massacre and are branded as outlaws. As the twists of treachery and intrigue are slowly unfurled, the odds seem to stack higher and higher against Grayson and his people.
In the climax of the story, you see arguably some of the most human moments in this spectacular series. I highly recommend starting Battletech with this book and the two before it. If you're not hooked by the end of this one, then the series probably isn't for you. If you do enjoy it, though, you'll find more political intrigue, tactical maneuvering, and human conflict awaiting you in abundance.
I'm a longtime fan of Battletech. These books, while not literary masterpieces, are always worth a read. In this book, Grayson Death Carlyle and his still relatively young mercenary unit are accused of perpetrating a massacre and are branded as outlaws. As the twists of treachery and intrigue are slowly unfurled, the odds seem to stack higher and higher against Grayson and his people.
In the climax of the story, you see arguably some of the most human moments in this spectacular series. I highly recommend starting Battletech with this book and the two before it. If you're not hooked by the end of this one, then the series probably isn't for you. If you do enjoy it, though, you'll find more political intrigue, tactical maneuvering, and human conflict awaiting you in abundance.
March 1, 2013
The Price of Glory is the third in the Gray Death Legion series. Grayson Death Carlyle is fighting for Marik and has been given a landhold on the planet Helm. So they now have a permanent home. There are forces plotting though to discredit the Gray Death Legion and take control of Helm. Something is hidden on the planet that if found will change the universe forever.
The series is starting to become predictable. For Grayson the regiment is his home and his people are his family. All three of the series so far follows the same script. His people are threatened or killed and he fights back and wins against overwhelming odds. It would be good to have some variation in the story.
The series is starting to become predictable. For Grayson the regiment is his home and his people are his family. All three of the series so far follows the same script. His people are threatened or killed and he fights back and wins against overwhelming odds. It would be good to have some variation in the story.
August 17, 2020
I tried, but I couldn't do it. I've been reading some of these Battletech books because I loved (still love!) playing the computer, tabletop and role-playing games, and it's a nostalgia trip.
But the writing! It's so bad. So, so, so bad. I got 40% of the way through, set it aside for a long time, tried to pick it up again and couldn't make it through the chapter.
I'm not going to give up on Battletech books in general - heck, they just came out with some new ones. And they have a bunch of different authors. But I think William H. Keith Jr. is on my "don't even try" list now.
But the writing! It's so bad. So, so, so bad. I got 40% of the way through, set it aside for a long time, tried to pick it up again and couldn't make it through the chapter.
I'm not going to give up on Battletech books in general - heck, they just came out with some new ones. And they have a bunch of different authors. But I think William H. Keith Jr. is on my "don't even try" list now.
June 18, 2025
Wow! I breezed through this one! I think The Price of Glory is built up well from its previous two entries. While my biggest critique with the trilogy has been that the characterization has always been lacking, I felt that perhaps it wasn't the case, as upon this book's close, I felt sad to leave Grayson behind. Mind you, there are more books and lore regarding the Gray Death Legion, but still. I felt sad having closed this chapter in the Battletech universe.
This book was a great time. Everything about it felt refreshing. There were new enemies introduced. Old enemies and characters were brought back into the picture, which left for an incredibly satisfying storytelling. Keith, IMO, even improved on his romance writing. Of course, you get the Lori and Grayson duo (Grayori). But there was a chapter where we were able to see the perspective of one of Grayson's oldest mech pilots, Cray, and his feelings about his wife that were truly heartbreaking.
Which leads me to the next part of this review: this book is HEAVY. There are some crazy betrayals that take place that are gut-wrenchingly terrible. We are introduced that House Karita are not the only scum and villainy in this universe, and there are in fact other candidates to view for consideration. Grayson and his team have to deal with tremendous heartbreak and loss, and have to figure out how to pull out of a truly dire situation.
While Mercenary Star dealt with more back-and-forth guerrilla warfare, I liked how, in this book, the conflicts were developed around the conspiracy plot and the fighting, while still incredible, was more focused and drawn in. Everything in this book just felt more organized and thought out.
The mix of setting was a treat, but also the plot of the story made the stakes feel higher. What happens in The Price of Glory doesn't just impact The Gray Death Legion; it impacts the entire universe, and I loved feeling those stakes. It made it feel like the last two books truly built this crew to do something spectacular. Similar to that of Malcom Reynolds and his crew in Firefly.
If I have any major critiques of this book, is that I feel that it wrapped up far too quickly. (This is a common problem I've seen in every single book of this trilogy). I really think there should've been more time with this, especially considering that this is the end of the trilogy and I would've liked to have seen how their actions impacted the greater of universe and what the plans o the Legion were now after everything that had happened to them.
I feel it appropriate to now review the entire trilogy. I think that these books are an excellent introduction to the Battletech universe. Grayson Carlyle was a fun tactician and I loved reading how his mind thought of how to get his company out of their sticky situations. Keith really struggled with romance and character development, but shined in growing them in some sort of fashion that I remember them and felt that each of them grew in some sort of way that was adequate to my liking. His mech battles were awesome and a joy to read. I'd argue that his last book had the most intense stuff, but this is a close second in crazy battles that were very well descripted. I give this series a solid 3 1/2. Book one started out slow, Book two had some characters I just couldn't stand, and Book three stuck the landing well. I highly suggest this series to pulp readers as its gripping and fun and is an incredible universe. I'm excited to delve into more battle tech writing as I dive into Stackpole's writing. I'm excited to see what else there is in the universe!
This book was a great time. Everything about it felt refreshing. There were new enemies introduced. Old enemies and characters were brought back into the picture, which left for an incredibly satisfying storytelling. Keith, IMO, even improved on his romance writing. Of course, you get the Lori and Grayson duo (Grayori). But there was a chapter where we were able to see the perspective of one of Grayson's oldest mech pilots, Cray, and his feelings about his wife that were truly heartbreaking.
Which leads me to the next part of this review: this book is HEAVY. There are some crazy betrayals that take place that are gut-wrenchingly terrible. We are introduced that House Karita are not the only scum and villainy in this universe, and there are in fact other candidates to view for consideration. Grayson and his team have to deal with tremendous heartbreak and loss, and have to figure out how to pull out of a truly dire situation.
While Mercenary Star dealt with more back-and-forth guerrilla warfare, I liked how, in this book, the conflicts were developed around the conspiracy plot and the fighting, while still incredible, was more focused and drawn in. Everything in this book just felt more organized and thought out.
The mix of setting was a treat, but also the plot of the story made the stakes feel higher. What happens in The Price of Glory doesn't just impact The Gray Death Legion; it impacts the entire universe, and I loved feeling those stakes. It made it feel like the last two books truly built this crew to do something spectacular. Similar to that of Malcom Reynolds and his crew in Firefly.
If I have any major critiques of this book, is that I feel that it wrapped up far too quickly. (This is a common problem I've seen in every single book of this trilogy). I really think there should've been more time with this, especially considering that this is the end of the trilogy and I would've liked to have seen how their actions impacted the greater of universe and what the plans o the Legion were now after everything that had happened to them.
I feel it appropriate to now review the entire trilogy. I think that these books are an excellent introduction to the Battletech universe. Grayson Carlyle was a fun tactician and I loved reading how his mind thought of how to get his company out of their sticky situations. Keith really struggled with romance and character development, but shined in growing them in some sort of fashion that I remember them and felt that each of them grew in some sort of way that was adequate to my liking. His mech battles were awesome and a joy to read. I'd argue that his last book had the most intense stuff, but this is a close second in crazy battles that were very well descripted. I give this series a solid 3 1/2. Book one started out slow, Book two had some characters I just couldn't stand, and Book three stuck the landing well. I highly suggest this series to pulp readers as its gripping and fun and is an incredible universe. I'm excited to delve into more battle tech writing as I dive into Stackpole's writing. I'm excited to see what else there is in the universe!
January 16, 2023
Both a review of the book as well as my thoughts on the Gray Death Legion trilogy in general.
***As always some spoilers ahead***
Yet again we follow the exploits of Grayson Death Carlyle and he is now in charge of a legion..? Not bad for taking his third job.
After successfully completing a job in record time, the legion sets course to the planet they own. However, they are setup and things deteriorate from there. This is an interesting premise as this is not something that can be solved by shooting things, but that does not stop Grayson and the legion from shooting and stomping things with giant robots. To be fair, this is the best Gray Death Legion novel and the best Battletech novel out of the four I've read so far. Unfortunately that doesn't really say much.
The good: Finally blacks and whites are smudged a bit into shades of grey. There is a point where you think that maybe some more behind the scenes diplomacy and politics would take place. Some interesting battle scenarios that can be translated into tabletop game.
The bad: This is a teenage power fantasy, from the get go even when the stakes are set high, not at any stage is there a believable setup making you think things are actually going sideways. Especially not when gray deaths mechs mow down opponent in seconds without taking a single hit. In every encounter it seems that the only really trained pilots are Grayson and the gang, while everyone else are a bunch of petty, fumbling, incompetent simpletons.
The ugly: Plot armour and red shirtedness abound and so do internal inconsistencies with repair times, travel times etc. The biggest sin this book commits is making the main antagonist become a fumbling idiot when the plot required him to.
This brings me to my thoughts on the whole trilogy. While each individual book got 3 stars I would only give 2 stars to the trilogy as a whole. This is a YA fiction that is not even trying to treat its readers intelligently.
The characters are cardboard cutouts, the antagonists are the the twirling moustache, irredeemably evil and inevitably incompetent. The protagonist is a genius in everything he does, from having literally zero combat experience and not a c-bill to his name, he forms a merc company with the government of a planet somehow just letting their best and brightest go taking all the mechs away...Also the best and brightest seem to have no attachment to their home at all. For his second job/book he takes on a whole planet with 7-8 mechs, organises resistance and wins before the year is out. Of course the third job/book gets him a whole legion and a stewardship of a planet, I mean why not.
By the third book, this formula gets really tedious, it was a slog to get through the first half of the book, thankfully it changed things up a little after that introducing some greys into the picture, but not enough to redeem the whole series.
In Summary:
Third book is better than the first two and you can read it as a stand alone novel, author provides about a 1-2 pages "run down so far" twice in the book. In my opinion you will derive more enjoyment out of it if you dont have to endure the other books in the series. If you are looking for a thought provoking military sci fi read "Star ship troopers" or "Forever War" cause this is not it. But its passable for a big stompy robot aficionados.
***As always some spoilers ahead***
Yet again we follow the exploits of Grayson Death Carlyle and he is now in charge of a legion..? Not bad for taking his third job.
After successfully completing a job in record time, the legion sets course to the planet they own. However, they are setup and things deteriorate from there. This is an interesting premise as this is not something that can be solved by shooting things, but that does not stop Grayson and the legion from shooting and stomping things with giant robots. To be fair, this is the best Gray Death Legion novel and the best Battletech novel out of the four I've read so far. Unfortunately that doesn't really say much.
The good: Finally blacks and whites are smudged a bit into shades of grey. There is a point where you think that maybe some more behind the scenes diplomacy and politics would take place. Some interesting battle scenarios that can be translated into tabletop game.
The bad: This is a teenage power fantasy, from the get go even when the stakes are set high, not at any stage is there a believable setup making you think things are actually going sideways. Especially not when gray deaths mechs mow down opponent in seconds without taking a single hit. In every encounter it seems that the only really trained pilots are Grayson and the gang, while everyone else are a bunch of petty, fumbling, incompetent simpletons.
The ugly: Plot armour and red shirtedness abound and so do internal inconsistencies with repair times, travel times etc. The biggest sin this book commits is making the main antagonist become a fumbling idiot when the plot required him to.
This brings me to my thoughts on the whole trilogy. While each individual book got 3 stars I would only give 2 stars to the trilogy as a whole. This is a YA fiction that is not even trying to treat its readers intelligently.
The characters are cardboard cutouts, the antagonists are the the twirling moustache, irredeemably evil and inevitably incompetent. The protagonist is a genius in everything he does, from having literally zero combat experience and not a c-bill to his name, he forms a merc company with the government of a planet somehow just letting their best and brightest go taking all the mechs away...Also the best and brightest seem to have no attachment to their home at all. For his second job/book he takes on a whole planet with 7-8 mechs, organises resistance and wins before the year is out. Of course the third job/book gets him a whole legion and a stewardship of a planet, I mean why not.
By the third book, this formula gets really tedious, it was a slog to get through the first half of the book, thankfully it changed things up a little after that introducing some greys into the picture, but not enough to redeem the whole series.
In Summary:
Third book is better than the first two and you can read it as a stand alone novel, author provides about a 1-2 pages "run down so far" twice in the book. In my opinion you will derive more enjoyment out of it if you dont have to endure the other books in the series. If you are looking for a thought provoking military sci fi read "Star ship troopers" or "Forever War" cause this is not it. But its passable for a big stompy robot aficionados.
August 21, 2023
It's like Rambo meets A Canticle for Leibowitz.
Grayson Death Carlyle and the Gray Death Legion, having completed their duties for House Marik, look forward to returning to their new home on the planet Helm. But before even arriving they discover that they are now marked as outlaws, and foes to all. What happened? And what does it have to do with their new home?
I sometimes hear this book described as the first that must be read for Battletech, but that is the usual mistake of thinking that metaplot importance is the same thing as general importance, or quality. People are so linear about things! And I liked it, but it is an incredibly downbeat book, which is a bold move structurally, the equal of making Lord of the Rings scouring of the Shire a book-length event.
What makes this book for me is the characterization of Grayson. While still every bit the action hero and badass tactician, the weariness of his position and his growth as a character is particularly on spotlight here. The book also continues to emphasize the role of others in Grayson's success and what constitutes his wisdom, and the scenes (and plot results) of Grayson learning politics and coming to grips with the motivations that started him doing things in the trilogy is great.
Of the trilogy, this is the one that feels the most like a war story, where there is the most of the sacred and profane of war, along with the weariness. The body count is high, though it tends to be characters introduced for that purpose. The weakness is the antagonists. While the final showdown is classic and well-executed, the principal opposition is somewhere between a madman and Inspector Javert. The book tries to make his motivations a surprise, and I do not think it works, though I had the advantage of knowing what would happen, so maybe it works better that way. But I do not think this is the case because of how much time the book spends in a sort of 'what's this mystery man doing?' mode with him or laying clues that you can follow, but only so much.
It is a weird place to end the series, but it is an ending about hope and the promise of what is to come, and the process of learning the importance of hope, as seen through a protagonist who has had to learn that the slow way. It is somewhat heady stuff for a game about selling little army men to geeks, but take your optimism where you find it, I say.
Grayson Death Carlyle and the Gray Death Legion, having completed their duties for House Marik, look forward to returning to their new home on the planet Helm. But before even arriving they discover that they are now marked as outlaws, and foes to all. What happened? And what does it have to do with their new home?
I sometimes hear this book described as the first that must be read for Battletech, but that is the usual mistake of thinking that metaplot importance is the same thing as general importance, or quality. People are so linear about things! And I liked it, but it is an incredibly downbeat book, which is a bold move structurally, the equal of making Lord of the Rings scouring of the Shire a book-length event.
What makes this book for me is the characterization of Grayson. While still every bit the action hero and badass tactician, the weariness of his position and his growth as a character is particularly on spotlight here. The book also continues to emphasize the role of others in Grayson's success and what constitutes his wisdom, and the scenes (and plot results) of Grayson learning politics and coming to grips with the motivations that started him doing things in the trilogy is great.
Of the trilogy, this is the one that feels the most like a war story, where there is the most of the sacred and profane of war, along with the weariness. The body count is high, though it tends to be characters introduced for that purpose. The weakness is the antagonists. While the final showdown is classic and well-executed, the principal opposition is somewhere between a madman and Inspector Javert. The book tries to make his motivations a surprise, and I do not think it works, though I had the advantage of knowing what would happen, so maybe it works better that way. But I do not think this is the case because of how much time the book spends in a sort of 'what's this mystery man doing?' mode with him or laying clues that you can follow, but only so much.
It is a weird place to end the series, but it is an ending about hope and the promise of what is to come, and the process of learning the importance of hope, as seen through a protagonist who has had to learn that the slow way. It is somewhat heady stuff for a game about selling little army men to geeks, but take your optimism where you find it, I say.
April 10, 2025
I think every time I finisha William Keith book I 'realize' (from the author bio) that he's also Ian Douglass, whose stuff I can't stand. What's strange is I generally enjoy his Battletech stuff - at least the nonbattle chapters - fairly well, but is that even true? I really liked the first of the Gray Death series, but I don't even remember the second one (they reference it in here & I was like, 'oh, right,' then promptly forgot again).
The basic plot is that some baddies murder a lot of people and arrange things so that the Gray Death legion are blamed for it. The book is them trying to figure out why people hate them, then trying to fix things or at least get a big score so that they can afford to run away from everything. Not a terrible setup, but I just found it kind of dull.
There's a character - I think his name is McCall - and Keith keeps writing him with a Scottish accent, and it drives me insane.
I think there're more books in the Gray Death series, or at least there are more books by Keith, and I'm fine with that. I don't hate these, I just feel like they get pretty repetitive and plodding at times. I can skim, but I'd rather not, y'know?
The basic plot is that some baddies murder a lot of people and arrange things so that the Gray Death legion are blamed for it. The book is them trying to figure out why people hate them, then trying to fix things or at least get a big score so that they can afford to run away from everything. Not a terrible setup, but I just found it kind of dull.
There's a character - I think his name is McCall - and Keith keeps writing him with a Scottish accent, and it drives me insane.
I think there're more books in the Gray Death series, or at least there are more books by Keith, and I'm fine with that. I don't hate these, I just feel like they get pretty repetitive and plodding at times. I can skim, but I'd rather not, y'know?
May 7, 2021
Delatiled and interesting world building.
Multi-layer conflict.
Unpredictability.
Characters are not very deep.
I have a love/weakness for the Battletech universe. I think about writing in it myself... and can imagine a complex and intriguing series like Game of Thrones if someone ever put talent and money into it. Keith does a good enough job of it that I enjoyed all three books, each a little more than the last and if there were more, I would buy them end enjoy them too. I was convinced the Scotsman would end up in a Highlander with a gauss cannon... but not to be.
Multi-layer conflict.
Unpredictability.
Characters are not very deep.
I have a love/weakness for the Battletech universe. I think about writing in it myself... and can imagine a complex and intriguing series like Game of Thrones if someone ever put talent and money into it. Keith does a good enough job of it that I enjoyed all three books, each a little more than the last and if there were more, I would buy them end enjoy them too. I was convinced the Scotsman would end up in a Highlander with a gauss cannon... but not to be.
September 5, 2022
A good solid ending to the first trilogy. Although each book does get progressively better, the story here is best described as decent rather than anything too complex. Elements are predictable, the conspiracy and foe is tame. The writing is, as one might expect, dated and the characters fairly one dimensional. But what the book does do is establish that the BT universe has the potential to be a rich one in ideas and story. Even if there are just hints it opens the door to more and from that perspective is a good read for anyone new and remains a foundation story.
June 3, 2023
I think William H. Keith's BattleTech novels have been the most pleasant surprise of 2023! Having read his Star Carrier series , I was wondering how his early tie-in work would stand up. While his characterizations are not as sophisticated as his later work (think British Combat comic books, complete with a variation of the 'Honorable Wermacht General' trope), a lot of the same themes are explored through the medium of expertly paved battle between mechanical juggernauts.
September 4, 2022
Middling. If I was a adolescent I probably would have loved it, but as an adult it's merely ok.
The protagonist isn't a brilliant commander or tactical genius, he just faces folks that make stupid decisions and is lucky.
Much like all the Battletech books, if you like giant stompy robuts, you'll probably enjoy this, but mileage may vary.
The protagonist isn't a brilliant commander or tactical genius, he just faces folks that make stupid decisions and is lucky.
Much like all the Battletech books, if you like giant stompy robuts, you'll probably enjoy this, but mileage may vary.
February 13, 2019
Solid "shoot-em-up" book, which should really be the main thing you're looking to get out of any Battletech book. I enjoyed it more than Mercenary's Star, but I think Decision at Thunder Rift is still my favorite of the trilogy.
September 6, 2020
The Gray Death Legion has been cast as outlaws and must overcome all odds. This story finishes the Saga of the Gray Death Legion and is well written. Characters continue to develop as they face new struggles. This book seems to have more battles and yet less battle details.
December 18, 2020
It's Battletech. It's a wargame IP (albeit with incredible depth of lore, units, factions, history etc) but hot damn if it doesn't read like Die Hard with mechs.
A fun read if you remember the buy-in is 80s shtick and stompy mechs.
A fun read if you remember the buy-in is 80s shtick and stompy mechs.
May 25, 2022
Wish this had an epilogue that was longer!
This is the best of the Gray Death Legion trilogy. Heroic last stand. Interesting villains, and a great introduction to the broader politics of battletech, all set in a pulpy tale of mechs, battle, and friendship. Thoroughly enjoyed the reread!
This is the best of the Gray Death Legion trilogy. Heroic last stand. Interesting villains, and a great introduction to the broader politics of battletech, all set in a pulpy tale of mechs, battle, and friendship. Thoroughly enjoyed the reread!
August 4, 2018
Another good Battletech story
Another good Battletech story about the mercenary unit Gray Death Legion. It gives good background on Comstar and the Word of Blake.
Another good Battletech story about the mercenary unit Gray Death Legion. It gives good background on Comstar and the Word of Blake.
January 12, 2021
This book is the conclusion of the Gray Death trilogy and gives an excellent send off to our mercenary group. This has been a great series and I wholeheartedly recommend it.
February 22, 2021
Book 4 of The BattleTech series and Book 3 of the Gray Death Legion origin Trilogy. This trilogy has less intrigue and is more of a Military Sci-Fi feel. Enjoyable read.
March 11, 2022
Somehow, there is intense suspense even though you know who the good guys and the bad guys are from the beginning! Great writing! Great pacing.
March 14, 2022
Great scifi military adventure.
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