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BattleTech Universe #102
Battletech: Hour Of The Wolf.
MORE THAN A CENTURY IN THE MAKING…
Since the Clan Invasion of 3050 ended in failure, there have been those who have not forgotten Nicholas Kerensky’s ultimate goal: The conquering of Terra, and the rise of one clan above all others to become the ilClan, and rule over both the rest of the Clans and the Inner Sphere regardless of what the Great Houses may say about it…
THE BATTLE THAT WILL RESHAPE THE INNER SPHERE BEGINS…
Now, in 3151, two Clans make the final jump into the shattered remains of the Republic of the Sphere. Their target: the cradle of humankind…and the ultimate symbol of the Inner Sphere…Terra. But Clans Jade Falcon and Wolf will face a powerful, tenacious enemy in the remaining forces of the Republic, led by their resurrected leader, Devlin Stone. The impending battle will engulf the entire planet, and when it is over, only one shall stand supreme
Since the Clan Invasion of 3050 ended in failure, there have been those who have not forgotten Nicholas Kerensky’s ultimate goal: The conquering of Terra, and the rise of one clan above all others to become the ilClan, and rule over both the rest of the Clans and the Inner Sphere regardless of what the Great Houses may say about it…
THE BATTLE THAT WILL RESHAPE THE INNER SPHERE BEGINS…
Now, in 3151, two Clans make the final jump into the shattered remains of the Republic of the Sphere. Their target: the cradle of humankind…and the ultimate symbol of the Inner Sphere…Terra. But Clans Jade Falcon and Wolf will face a powerful, tenacious enemy in the remaining forces of the Republic, led by their resurrected leader, Devlin Stone. The impending battle will engulf the entire planet, and when it is over, only one shall stand supreme
- GenresScience FictionFiction
562 pages, ebook
Published January 1, 2021
34 people are currently reading
84 people want to read
About the author
Blaine Lee Pardoe
94 books116 followersBlaine Pardoe is a New York Times Bestselling and award winning author of numerous books in the science fiction, military non-fiction, true crime, paranormal, and business management genre's. He has appeared on a number of national television and radio shows to speak about his books. Pardoe has been a featured speaker at the US National Archives, the United States Navy Museum, and the New York Military Affairs Symposium. He was awarded the State History Award in 2011 by the Historical Society of Michigan and is a silver medal winner from the Military Writers Society of America in 2010. In 2013 he was awarded the Harritt Quimby Award as part of the induction ceremony at the Michigan Aviation Hall of Fame. Mr. Pardoe is also a member of the League of WWI Aviation Historians.
His books have even been mentioned on the floor of the U.S. Congress. His works have been printed in six languages and he is recognized world-wide for his historical and fiction works. He can be followed via Twitter (bpardoe870)
His books have even been mentioned on the floor of the U.S. Congress. His works have been printed in six languages and he is recognized world-wide for his historical and fiction works. He can be followed via Twitter (bpardoe870)
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
March 9, 2021
As a teenager and into my early 20's, Battletech was my favorite sci-fi universe. It was not a far stretch of my imagination to see huge, hulking battlemechs duking it out across a battlefield.
Then other sci-fi universes enticed me and Battletech became a nostalgic memory: books on a shelf and half painted models in a bin. And then, through the magic of the Internet, I found that Blaine Lee Pardoe was writing the introductory novel for the next phase of the Battletech universe.
The end of the main story of the book was a forgone conclusion. The ride to get there was, at moments, predicable. But what a ride to get there! Mech combat written where you can visualize PPC blasts vaporizing armor, sudden and unforseen tactics and their ripples, relatable characters that have personalities and details. This book is a diesel train running full throttle as the inaugural book to introduce the ilClan era.
Even with the winner of 'Hour of the Wolf' foretold, the very end of the book (with an additional surprise) sets up previously unasked questions that will define the ilClan era.
Then other sci-fi universes enticed me and Battletech became a nostalgic memory: books on a shelf and half painted models in a bin. And then, through the magic of the Internet, I found that Blaine Lee Pardoe was writing the introductory novel for the next phase of the Battletech universe.
The end of the main story of the book was a forgone conclusion. The ride to get there was, at moments, predicable. But what a ride to get there! Mech combat written where you can visualize PPC blasts vaporizing armor, sudden and unforseen tactics and their ripples, relatable characters that have personalities and details. This book is a diesel train running full throttle as the inaugural book to introduce the ilClan era.
Even with the winner of 'Hour of the Wolf' foretold, the very end of the book (with an additional surprise) sets up previously unasked questions that will define the ilClan era.
January 3, 2021
Another solid battletech book that puts a good, if flawed capstone, ending on a story line 20 years in the making. There was a lot to live up to here, and likely some fans will be frustrated that their favorites didn’t get the “screen time” they would have liked.
The good: Battletech fiction has left a lot of unknowns in the last few years, and Hour of the Wolf puts a nice bow on the majority of them. The Dark Ages are now behind us, and the author was clearly forward thinking to the upcoming story line. There’s some neat new mechs put into action. A certain character’s hubris is masterfully written - watching their slow decent into failure and defeating is fascinating.
The bad: My largest concern was that the second half of the book really only covers a few days time, then rushes to fill in some needed plot points in the last three chapters. At that time, a major character betrays their own intelligence and makes some pretty serious blunders, seemingly just to set up plot points for the future. Also, I find that the battle scenes often start to feel repetitive after reading the first few - less of a stab at the author and more at the genre, where a typical book has several large fight scenes.
The good: Battletech fiction has left a lot of unknowns in the last few years, and Hour of the Wolf puts a nice bow on the majority of them. The Dark Ages are now behind us, and the author was clearly forward thinking to the upcoming story line. There’s some neat new mechs put into action. A certain character’s hubris is masterfully written - watching their slow decent into failure and defeating is fascinating.
The bad: My largest concern was that the second half of the book really only covers a few days time, then rushes to fill in some needed plot points in the last three chapters. At that time, a major character betrays their own intelligence and makes some pretty serious blunders, seemingly just to set up plot points for the future. Also, I find that the battle scenes often start to feel repetitive after reading the first few - less of a stab at the author and more at the genre, where a typical book has several large fight scenes.
January 16, 2021
In the"Hour Of The Wolf" the Wolf Clan and the Jade Falcons have finally penetrated the Fortress Republic and after landing on Terra plan on fighting the forces of Devlin Stone and each other for the title of ilClan. If the Jade Falcons win their leader, Malvina Hazen, will enslave the entire Inner Sphere after burning most of it down. Alaric Wolf plans on reviving the Star League and uniting the Inner Sphere in a new era of prosperity with the Clans leading the other worlds. If Terra and the forces of Devlin Stone prevail the Republic of the Sphere will once again rise to power. The battle for Terra will be long and bloody but in the end, only one faction can be the victor. This book is a powerful cumulation of a long storyline many years in the making. It is a must-read for Battletech fans.
January 14, 2021
A great introduction into the new era of BattleTech, the ilClan. The book spends most of it’s time taking the reader through conflict after conflict and not much time on character development. Most of the characters already exist in other stories and the book assumes you’re familiar with them and their persona. It’s a nice easy read and enjoyable foray into giant machine combat.
As with most BattleTech stories, having a knowledge of the universe and terms commonly used makes it much easier to follow. There are quite a few references to previous events in the world of BattleTech without much explanation which might leave new readers to BattleTech a little confused. Or provide a new reader with follow up reading material!
As with most BattleTech stories, having a knowledge of the universe and terms commonly used makes it much easier to follow. There are quite a few references to previous events in the world of BattleTech without much explanation which might leave new readers to BattleTech a little confused. Or provide a new reader with follow up reading material!
September 11, 2022
This book might very well be among the best written Battletech novels if not the best.
There is not much to be criticized with the writing and storytelling - I would have just like to see a particular story arch expanded further and in way more detail … but I don‘t want to spoil anything
I would consider this book a must read for every BattleTech fan - However, I would strongly advise to read „Children of Kerensky“ beforehand. It‘s not mandatory but it flashes out the storylines of the important main characters.
There is not much to be criticized with the writing and storytelling - I would have just like to see a particular story arch expanded further and in way more detail … but I don‘t want to spoil anything
I would consider this book a must read for every BattleTech fan - However, I would strongly advise to read „Children of Kerensky“ beforehand. It‘s not mandatory but it flashes out the storylines of the important main characters.
January 5, 2021
Epic!
The buildup for this novel has been talked about in many circles and it does not disappoint. Clan Wolf, and Clan Jade Falcon, fight to reclaim Terra from the Republic of the Inner Sphere in order to claim the title of IlKhan.
The buildup for this novel has been talked about in many circles and it does not disappoint. Clan Wolf, and Clan Jade Falcon, fight to reclaim Terra from the Republic of the Inner Sphere in order to claim the title of IlKhan.
January 1, 2021
Appropriately Apocalyptic
The end of the Dark Age and the beginning of the Ilclan era. The massive scale of the invasion of Terra and the three-way battle between the Republic of the Sphere, Clan Wolf, and Clan Jade Falcon is something unprecedented in Battletech fiction. This story makes the Fourth Succession War look like a fight between street gangs. Blaine Pardoe delivers in this long-anticipated epic. Worth the wait and deserving of the hype.
The end of the Dark Age and the beginning of the Ilclan era. The massive scale of the invasion of Terra and the three-way battle between the Republic of the Sphere, Clan Wolf, and Clan Jade Falcon is something unprecedented in Battletech fiction. This story makes the Fourth Succession War look like a fight between street gangs. Blaine Pardoe delivers in this long-anticipated epic. Worth the wait and deserving of the hype.
February 14, 2021
Two dimensional characters? Check.
All main characters are unlikable? Check.
False flag attacks? Check.
Yep! It's a Battletech novel all right. That's why it got two stars instead of one. I've been reading this stuff for so long, I think I'm addicted to azure whips and dripping armor rivulets.
I have no idea how the author that wrote Betrayal of Ideals wrote this. What should have been one of the defining moments in the universe should have been at least mildly entertaining. Instead, we got a slog of a read.
None of the characters came across as vaguely likable or sympathetic. We've seen all of these characters in other sourcebooks and novels and they were at least vaguely relatable. Here, not so much. Repetitive internal monologues show nothing of the human characters....just reinforcements of their outward exposition. Just poorly fleshed out and unlikable. ( Yes, Malvina Hazen was pretty much a gibbering rage monster war criminal terrible excuse of a character. But really, we got it the first time, she sucks. )
The twists, such as they were, were predictable and telegraphed. The only one with any sort of impact was Alaric screwing over fan-favorite Wolf's Dragoons. Even that simply begs the question of why trash a marketing opportunity. Dragoons schwag sells.
At least I got to see Devlin Stone die.
All main characters are unlikable? Check.
False flag attacks? Check.
Yep! It's a Battletech novel all right. That's why it got two stars instead of one. I've been reading this stuff for so long, I think I'm addicted to azure whips and dripping armor rivulets.
I have no idea how the author that wrote Betrayal of Ideals wrote this. What should have been one of the defining moments in the universe should have been at least mildly entertaining. Instead, we got a slog of a read.
None of the characters came across as vaguely likable or sympathetic. We've seen all of these characters in other sourcebooks and novels and they were at least vaguely relatable. Here, not so much. Repetitive internal monologues show nothing of the human characters....just reinforcements of their outward exposition. Just poorly fleshed out and unlikable. ( Yes, Malvina Hazen was pretty much a gibbering rage monster war criminal terrible excuse of a character. But really, we got it the first time, she sucks. )
The twists, such as they were, were predictable and telegraphed. The only one with any sort of impact was Alaric screwing over fan-favorite Wolf's Dragoons. Even that simply begs the question of why trash a marketing opportunity. Dragoons schwag sells.
At least I got to see Devlin Stone die.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 4, 2021
It's always a bad sign when the title of the book spoils the ending.
The major problem this novel has is that this is supposed to be a massive, universe-changing, climactic battle, but the ending is never in doubt. Thus, the whole thing feels hollow and frankly a waste of time.
I was much kinder to this book when I originally read it, but reflecting on it I think I was being extremely generous mostly because it was a novel that progressed the story for the first time in many years and because I love Battletech - well, the universe, not so muc the novels.
Blaine Pardoe is a nice guy, and very supportive of and generous to his fans, but this is one of his weakest books. The only likeable characters are the tank crew, and even they are irritating in that they never fail at anything. The famous Hansen's Roughriders are only ever off-page and doing nothing of consequence, Malvina is cartoonishly horrible as always and Alaric very obviously will never falter once.
We're supposed to believe that the elite troops of the Republic of the Sphere cannot win a single battle defending the most important world in the Battletech universe. Devlin Stone is a massive idiot, the Ghost Bears are characteristically useless, and the whole "my plan was to lose all along!" twist was already a flop when the Word of Blake did that in the Jihad storyline. Battletech recycles plots and characters with distressing frequency and this is yet another example.
Battletech books are never "good" because like all shared universes they are formulaic and the tabletop setting where every faction is more or less equal clashes horribly with plotlines that favor one faction over all others. At this stage, the Wolves have beaten the Hells Horses, Free Worlds League, Lyran Commonwealth, Republic of the Sphere and the Jade Falcons, in a row, all under one leader. In no reasonable universe is one faction handily defeating 5 equal factions evidence of good storytelling.
Read it if you really want to see how a foregone conclusion plays out, but I would wait and see if further ilClan era books upend this one, since they will hopefully be more interesting.
The major problem this novel has is that this is supposed to be a massive, universe-changing, climactic battle, but the ending is never in doubt. Thus, the whole thing feels hollow and frankly a waste of time.
I was much kinder to this book when I originally read it, but reflecting on it I think I was being extremely generous mostly because it was a novel that progressed the story for the first time in many years and because I love Battletech - well, the universe, not so muc the novels.
Blaine Pardoe is a nice guy, and very supportive of and generous to his fans, but this is one of his weakest books. The only likeable characters are the tank crew, and even they are irritating in that they never fail at anything. The famous Hansen's Roughriders are only ever off-page and doing nothing of consequence, Malvina is cartoonishly horrible as always and Alaric very obviously will never falter once.
We're supposed to believe that the elite troops of the Republic of the Sphere cannot win a single battle defending the most important world in the Battletech universe. Devlin Stone is a massive idiot, the Ghost Bears are characteristically useless, and the whole "my plan was to lose all along!" twist was already a flop when the Word of Blake did that in the Jihad storyline. Battletech recycles plots and characters with distressing frequency and this is yet another example.
Battletech books are never "good" because like all shared universes they are formulaic and the tabletop setting where every faction is more or less equal clashes horribly with plotlines that favor one faction over all others. At this stage, the Wolves have beaten the Hells Horses, Free Worlds League, Lyran Commonwealth, Republic of the Sphere and the Jade Falcons, in a row, all under one leader. In no reasonable universe is one faction handily defeating 5 equal factions evidence of good storytelling.
Read it if you really want to see how a foregone conclusion plays out, but I would wait and see if further ilClan era books upend this one, since they will hopefully be more interesting.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 6, 2021
A New Age in BT
For all the messiness that the Jihad and Dark Ages eras gave us, there were some interesting ideas, many of which get pulled in and incorporated in this book, and in "Children of Kerensky".
I'll admit to having a sense of dread reading this entire book. I kept expecting favorite characters to die ignomious deaths for the sake of shock. That isn't so much because of the author's writing but because of George RR Martin and a certain lack of faith stemming from the period of "nukes fall, everyone dies" at the beginning of clicky-tech. And there are deaths, but nothing is done for simple shock.
While I felt the last chapter felt a bit rushed, it didn't feel contrived, and definitely left plenty of room for the world to grow in interesting ways.
This is a fine first step into a hopefully glorious period for the game.
For all the messiness that the Jihad and Dark Ages eras gave us, there were some interesting ideas, many of which get pulled in and incorporated in this book, and in "Children of Kerensky".
I'll admit to having a sense of dread reading this entire book. I kept expecting favorite characters to die ignomious deaths for the sake of shock. That isn't so much because of the author's writing but because of George RR Martin and a certain lack of faith stemming from the period of "nukes fall, everyone dies" at the beginning of clicky-tech. And there are deaths, but nothing is done for simple shock.
While I felt the last chapter felt a bit rushed, it didn't feel contrived, and definitely left plenty of room for the world to grow in interesting ways.
This is a fine first step into a hopefully glorious period for the game.
January 10, 2021
A great read!
This book harkens back to what made me fall in love with the battletech universe all those years ago. Tons of political maneuvering, characters you love to hate, and of course, mech battles. I particularly enjoyed the emphasis placed on the non mech warriors. I can't recall a battle tech novel that had such a deep dive into aerospace or armor combat and its combatants. I truly great ending to this chapter of the clan story started way back in 3049 (or 92 depending on how you look at it). And the twist at the end was very satisfying! I really look forward to see where the stories go from here.
This book harkens back to what made me fall in love with the battletech universe all those years ago. Tons of political maneuvering, characters you love to hate, and of course, mech battles. I particularly enjoyed the emphasis placed on the non mech warriors. I can't recall a battle tech novel that had such a deep dive into aerospace or armor combat and its combatants. I truly great ending to this chapter of the clan story started way back in 3049 (or 92 depending on how you look at it). And the twist at the end was very satisfying! I really look forward to see where the stories go from here.
May 16, 2023
One of the best Battletech books to date. Read Children of Kerensky first, as that sets it up.
It's been over 300 years since Aleksandr Kerensky left the Inner Sphere and set the stage for the Clans to eventually come back to claim Terra.
Clan Wolf and Jade Falcon are set to defeat the forces of the Republic and then hash out between the two clans who will be the Ilclan.
A tremendous amount of Mech battles with a splash of aerospace thrown in for good measure is expertly laid out by the author.
It's been over 300 years since Aleksandr Kerensky left the Inner Sphere and set the stage for the Clans to eventually come back to claim Terra.
Clan Wolf and Jade Falcon are set to defeat the forces of the Republic and then hash out between the two clans who will be the Ilclan.
A tremendous amount of Mech battles with a splash of aerospace thrown in for good measure is expertly laid out by the author.
March 2, 2021
After several decades of churning out genre fiction, it must be difficult to come up with new and interesting takes on a setting. Not so for Pardoe, who simply keeps doing the same thing he was doing in the 90's with no effort spent toward improving or varying his style or content. An online commenter summed it up for me when they said "It isn't that the writing has gotten better or worse, it's simply that that you aren't twelve anymore."
January 6, 2021
Scene by scene it's well written but the overall story arc... well there isn't one. The protagonist wins and keeps on winning and even when they have a set back its clear that they've already got a plan in place to deal with that.
Not a single character shows any signs of growth or development and the defacto "hero" is an egotistical maniac.
Not a single character shows any signs of growth or development and the defacto "hero" is an egotistical maniac.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 31, 2023
Fast paced and action packed almost to a fault. The final battle for terra leaves you worn out from all the action. I love the Battletech universe and this story will get you caught up on the lore. The only gripe is that this book needs to slow down a bit and get some character work in. It is great to see a conclusion to the clan invasion after twenty plus years of novels.
February 12, 2021
Well Battletech fans have waited a long time for this one, and the book was well done, the Clan story line comes of age, finally. I have a few quibbles, especially about some of the details at the end - but no spoilers here! Plenty of room for future intrigue and battles.
January 7, 2021
Stunting
A great start to a new era in battletech lore. A must read for any fan of the battletech universe.
A great start to a new era in battletech lore. A must read for any fan of the battletech universe.
January 12, 2021
Fantastic end to the Republic
Once i started reading, I couldn't put the book down. A fitting end to the last 15+ years of the dark age.
Once i started reading, I couldn't put the book down. A fitting end to the last 15+ years of the dark age.
September 11, 2021
A truly amaxing read and a fitting end to the series. Can't wait for the next one.
October 26, 2021
Twist and turns, valor and venom,
The begin and the end of history for the Bartlett universe, once again and empire falls and another rises who will be the king.
The begin and the end of history for the Bartlett universe, once again and empire falls and another rises who will be the king.
October 30, 2022
Well, I guess the less bad fascists won?
December 10, 2024
I haven't read these books since my youth. I really enjoyed this and blaine pardoe is a great writer. The ending was great. Highly recommend
November 9, 2025
my 10 year old self would be crushed i only skimmed this for the meta narrative
January 5, 2021
Great book
The wrong people won
But I'm biased in my support.
Can't leave any spoilers, but well worth the read. Get it now.
The wrong people won
But I'm biased in my support.
Can't leave any spoilers, but well worth the read. Get it now.
December 5, 2024
Very intense, but at times somewhat condensed/compressed story of Clan Wolf finally taking Terra. I liked most of the storie’s arcs/dynamics. Malvina Hazen was a bit too anecdotally evil. The only thing that confused me a bit was Alaric Ward’s final. After all he’s been through, his reaction to what defeated and dying Devlin Stone had to say was a bit below his position and experience. My reaction was “come on, man, so what?”. Otherwise, it was a great read for a BT fan like myself.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 3, 2021
Read it because you have to. That about sums up Hour of the Wolf. It does what it sets out to do, it reveals the events that unfold around the battle for Terra. You can argue the events all you want, they needed to occur and the universe needed to move forward. This book accomplishes that. Aside from that, it does little else. There is no character development, you won't feel for any of the characters, they are simply templates used to move the plot forward. It's basically 600 pages of commentary on 'Mech combat. If that's your jam, this is your book. If you're a Battletech fan, you need to read this book to understand events, but it is going to be a grind to get through.
March 1, 2023
Avoid Hour of the Wolf. Just read the IlClan sourcebook for what tries to be a better take on the fall of Terra to the Wolves.
This is a total clunker of a book. It takes an era-starting event and manages to make it boring and poorly written. The entire book is a walkover fight because BLP didn't like the Republic and wouldn't give them a single win (his words). The battles don't make sense which is a pretty big miss for a Battletech book, alongside the general purpose clunk, the randomly making all the opponents total dumbasses, and the weird "Alaric is good at leading in war even if I can't be bothered to figure out anything clever for him to actually do" thing the book has going on.
Save time and check out the sourcebook, then skip ahead to A Question of Survival and Redemption Rites, which are both excellent reads.
This is a total clunker of a book. It takes an era-starting event and manages to make it boring and poorly written. The entire book is a walkover fight because BLP didn't like the Republic and wouldn't give them a single win (his words). The battles don't make sense which is a pretty big miss for a Battletech book, alongside the general purpose clunk, the randomly making all the opponents total dumbasses, and the weird "Alaric is good at leading in war even if I can't be bothered to figure out anything clever for him to actually do" thing the book has going on.
Save time and check out the sourcebook, then skip ahead to A Question of Survival and Redemption Rites, which are both excellent reads.
July 10, 2021
An excellent conclusion to everything that came before. It addresses every plot point of the Dark Age saga that still needed address in a satisfying way. The through line from Forever Faithful also evoked some genuine emotion. There is also some definite food for thought. Finally, the situation that is set up for the next phase of the universe is ripe and exciting. Well done!
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews