Patriot's Stand

BattleTech Universe #72

by Mike Moscoe

Under assault and ill-equipped, Alkalurops has come apart since the loss of its communications grid and the inability of The Republic to reestablish it. But in a universe of powerful players, a leader has to grab power fast if she's going to survive...

Grace O'Malley's people are valiantly making a stand against Loren Hanson's Roughriders, a band of mercenaries destroying everything in their path. Badly outnumbered, her forces need real BattleMechs operated by trained MechWarriors. And they're not going to be easy to afford, especially since the big mine owners refuse to offer any funds for planetary defense. But Grace will not surrender her homeland, no matter what the price.

Even though the ragtag locals are putting up a surprisingly good fight, Hanson remains confident he can defeat them. What he doesn't count on is an opponent determined to write her planet's history in the scorched wreckage of the battlefield...

Genres: Science Fiction, Fiction, Ebooks

296 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published April 6, 2004

About the author

Currently writes under the pseudonym Mike Shepherd

Reviews

[Simon · Rating 1 out of 5]

If you're going to write for a universe do research. How does one at this point not know the difference between a jumpship and a dropship. How'd that get past the editors? I was willing to say, Okay it is the ignorant character but it comes up 3 or 4 times in the book. Nope, this is on the author. Minor thing but one does not go into write for Star Wars and accidentally call Jedi a Sith Lord when they mean Jedi. This is not the reason for the 1 star. The story is clearly an interesting mix of Irish rebellion (making the main character and a swath of the focus planet Irish, aahh okay.) and The Magnificent Seven/Seven Samurai. Our main character is incredibly lucky and fortunate, fine this happens in real life. But if you're going to write an interesting narrative how about the character face some more problems. Example: Chapter where she doesn't take a sleeping pill so manages to stop a robbery. How much more interesting would it have been had the robber taken their cash and they'd have to struggle to overcome this problem and/or find who was behind the theft instead of saying off handed without evidence that "oh it was probably that bad man we dealt with once before leaving." Ugh. Fine, fine. I can get over this. The story still has some conflict to overcome although our heroine seems to always overcome easily. I was annoyed more so with the prevalence of every male character being sex crazed and/or chauvinistic throughout the Battletech universe. Rape seems to be a huge problem now in the Republic era. For some reason, even though female commanders are everywhere, men seem to be having issues with women giving orders? How about a warrior albino trueborn clanner from Nova Cats. Where they specifically genetically make their warriors from stock they allowed a genetic mutation like an albino. Could it happen, sure... I suppose if there is a history of really good albino warriors in that clan's stock. Maybe I missed this and this one is on me. Super glad he is also decided to become a mercenary. But then again Nova Cats are odd and probably at this point have no honour left and would be fine with it if their dream told them to. Fortunately nothing important happens in this novel so YOU can skip it. I have no idea why I kept going. My quest to read all of these books regardless of quality. Anyway, the pacing is okay. It drags a lot here and there and you have to fight to urge to skip over blocks of text(like this review). The characters are acceptable if you overlook the previous mentioned issues. Decent action. Read if you want to but there is better things out there.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the ninth book in the Mech Warrior Dark Age series. This series is a continuation of the BattleTech series. The books in this series, like the books in the original BattleTech series, are by various authors. This one is by Mike Moscoe a.k.a. Mike Shepherd. The Republic of the Sphere has known a long period of peace and prosperity. Then the interstellar communications network a.k.a. the HPG net is destroyed by terrorists and many planets in the Republic find themselves cut off from the rest of the galaxy with communications taking weeks or even months. Unrest leads to several factions on several planets trying to overthrow the local governments and seize power for themselves. In this one, a would-be dictator, named Santorini, sets his sights on the planet Alkalurops. After a pirate raid which he instigated, he tries to sell the local council on the idea of him and his supposed corporation providing security and jobs for the planet. He is turned down but he secretly plans on returning with his own force and a band of hired mercenaries to take over the planet. Meanwhile, Grace O'Malley has gone to the planet Galatea to try to hire mercenaries to train her homegrown militia to fight back. At first she has trouble finding anybody willing to help but finally she finds a group of highly trained people who for reasons of their own are willing to help. Even though things take a very grim turn when Santorini and his sadistic troops make planetfall, Grace and the people of Alkalurops will not surrender their world no matter what!
Another great book in this series and a must read for BattleTech fans and fans of Military Science Fiction.

[Sam · Rating 4 out of 5]

The A-Team meets Battletech.

[Markus Stenberg · Rating 2 out of 5]

Somewhat implausible all the way, and subject matter knowledge at times felt lacking.

[Grantcorp · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Patriot's Stand" shifts the focus from the interstellar map to a conflict brooding on the impossibly named planet Alkalurops. Here a group of farming pioneers have to defend themselves against a mercenary raiding party, contracted by an unknown third party. Desperate to ward off further attacks the feeble planet sends out an emissary to shop for a mercenary contract of their own. The massive cost of fielding a rental army of their own however, forces them to return home with only a small band of ragtag hired guns. Once the real invasion begins, the farmers have to equip themselves and their industrial mechs as best they can, drawing on local knowledge and the cunning of their hired help.

Overall the story is well told and although it features a cliché band of likeable misfits and peasants turned heroes as well as a hopelessly overplayed tyrant, I still fell for it. Basically the whole plot comes down to what you could call "The A-Team in Space".

If you are reading the books only to advance the Dark Age plotline you can safely skip this title as it changes nothing in regard to the main story arc.

[Donny Parker · Rating 2 out of 5]

Pretty much a rip off of the Irish war of independence. O'Malley (conveniently Irish name) is leading an under equipped militia (IRA) defending against a invading force of mercinaries called the rough riders (auxiliaries and RIC) hired by a powerful economic faction (Britain). Rough riders easily overwhelm the militia at first and recruits locals to help help garrison the planet. These recruited local forces commit many atrocities against civilians and because of there uniforms become known as black and reds (same as the English black and tans).

[Morgan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh.

[Michael Abberton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Probably really 3.5 stars