Home :: Books :: Science Fiction & Fantasy  

Arts & Photography
Audio CDs
Audiocassettes
Biographies & Memoirs
Business & Investing
Children's Books
Christianity
Comics & Graphic Novels
Computers & Internet
Cooking, Food & Wine
Entertainment
Gay & Lesbian
Health, Mind & Body
History
Home & Garden
Horror
Literature & Fiction
Mystery & Thrillers
Nonfiction
Outdoors & Nature
Parenting & Families
Professional & Technical
Reference
Religion & Spirituality
Romance
Science
Science Fiction & Fantasy

Sports
Teens
Travel
Women's Fiction
The Twilight of the Clans II: Grave Covenant (Battletech 34)

The Twilight of the Clans II: Grave Covenant (Battletech 34)

List Price: $5.99
Your Price:
Product Info Reviews

<< 1 2 3 >>

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Overall I found it to be a good read and it held my interest
Review: I thought the book Grave Covenant was gripping enough to consistently hold my attention. My only criticism (and I know that Battletech isn't exactly supposed to be realistic) would be that the politics displayed in the story and the alliances that were formed would be extremely difficult to establish, let alone maintain, in the societies of the Inner Sphere. One must remember that the last 300-400 years of Inner Sphere history was marked with hated rivalries and extremely bad blood. Traditional enemies cannot become allies overnight, even against a common enemy. The best example I can give is the relationship between the Draconis Combine and the Federated Commonwealth. These two realms have been hated rivals for centuries but I find it hard to believe that all the wounds have been healed in the span of just a few years. Overall, I found it to be an immensely enjoyable book but somehow, the new alliance to form the Star League developed a little too quickly for a realist.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Unbelievable
Review: I've enjoyed other BattleTech novels that Michael A. Stackpole has written. And to be fair, for what this book is, he does a decent job of it. He writes smoothly, and is able to keep a consistency with other BattleTech novels that have gone before. Given how long the Twilight of the Clans series is, I think it was fair enough to have a lengthy political build-up which explains all that follows. Action is better in a context, and there's a lot more of it in later books for all the action fans out there. So why the two-star rating? The problem I had was with the ideas in this book, not their execution.
1) Inner Sphere resources
In early BattleTech books, e.g. Decision at Thunder Rift, technology was rare, precious, and mysterious. Lostech was highly sought after. Production of new technology, or even continuing production of the old, was difficult. Yet now the Inner Sphere can produce as much as it likes of practically anything it likes. Technological resources are no longer scarce. The Inner Sphere has enough resources, of all kinds, to take on the Clans in Clan space. The undoing of this original premise of BattleTech at all, let alone in such a short time, is unbelievable.
2) Inner Sphere politics
Why, after all their animosity, would the Inner Sphere states be so quick to ally with each other and reform the Star League? This is another thing that happens too quickly.
3) Personal politics
Yes, we know the Inner Sphere is ruled by feudal lords. But do they have to be so completely unconcerned by the fate or wishes of their own people? All decisions are made by small cliques of characters who deal with each other because of personal friendships, rather than for political or economic reasons. If we must have the technological renaissance, why not a political and social renaissance as well?
4) Victor Steiner-Davion and the boys' club
I'm sick of Victor. Whatever he does, he is always wonderful. He can neglect his duties as a ruler while he is off trying to play the hero, the people on the planets he nominally rules can suffer any number of atrocities because of that neglect, he can lose as many battles as he likes, and every BattleTech author still treats him as a messiah figure. Why? And to top it all off, Victor's friends form a cosy clique of worthy rulers, on the basis of their ability to fight in a Mech and be friends with him. Meanwhile, Katrina, who has twice the talent and intelligence of her brother (he himself admitted that she is a much better ruler than he is), must be evil at every turn; while Omi, who would never aspire to rulership of any kind, is wonderful. I could almost believe that in this new incarnation of BattleTech, the editors have a problem with women in positions of power . . .
5) Genocide
Proposing to kill off anyone on the basis of their membership of a particular ethnic group is genocide. Proposing to wipe out Clan Smoke Jaguar is genocide. I still find it hard to believe that the editors of this series cannot see how morally flawed their books are becoming. But I forgot, Victor proposed the destruction of the Smoking Jags . . . so it must be okay.
I used to really like the set-up of BattleTech. This book was the beginning of the end for me.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: The crowning achievement of Michael A. Stackpole!
Review: I've read alot of novels by Mike Stackpole: almost all of his BattleTech Novels and some of his Star Wars: Rogue Squadron novels. I'd have to say this is his best novel ever. He ties all the loose ends from his previous novels, especially from Malicious Intent and Assumption of Risk. I started reading the afternoon I bought the novel, and the suspense kept me going till 10 PM the same night when I completed the book, hoping his next novel will spell doom for the Clans, and Katrina Steiner.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Begins to tie up the loose ends that followed Tukayyid
Review: In this book the loose ends that have been dangling since Tukayyid and the death of Hanse Davion and Melissa Steiner, finally start to be woven back in. Victor Davion starts to blend the subtlety of his father, the charisma of his mother and his own personal drive into a unique style of leadership. I particularly liked the election and "epiphany" of Sun Tzu Liao. My only complaint was that the next two books have jumped elsewhere. I WANT to see what happens next!! Gee, maybe that was the plan.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Good book, but not as good as his others
Review: Michael Stackpole has done an excellent job in continuing the Battletech universe. However, his last couple of books seem to be lacking the depth his earlier works display. Don't get me wrong, I thoroughly enjoyed this book (as well as Prince of Havoc). My only major criticism was that the story seemed too rushed. Also, I wish he would focus more on Katherine's betrayal. Still, Stackpole is still, in my opinion, the best Battletech author.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Stackpole comes through again!
Review: Of all of his battletech books that I have read, they never cease to amaze me. As for this one, it is set apart from the others by it's events, STUFF HAPPENS! Decisions are being made... I love Stackpole's cast of characters. I can never adjust to other authors characters; I'm too used to all of his! On a final note, WHY DID YOU STOP PHELAN?!?!? You should've let him do it!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Excellent read and well worth the wait.
Review: That reader from La Crosse Wisconsin doesn't know what he's talking about. Believe me, they don't come a lot better than Michael Stackpole. You complain about the political maneuvering? Well I hate to say it but that is part of what P-O-L-I-T-I-C-S is all about. If battles are not fought in chambers no one gets to fight battles, period. If you want the Twilight series to be nothing more than a nine-book slugfest then we might as well tell FASA right now to stop the series and just kill off all the Clans. (Which they seem to be hell-bent on doing, by the way) Once again Mr. Stackpole has shown us the depth of his knowledge and understanding of military tactics and politics. Mechs in his universe are merely the icing on the cake. Robert Thurston's style is plodding, monotonous and his plots somewhat superficial. It's a no-brainer, ladies and gentleman. Mr. Stackpole is and likely always will be, the best writer FASA could ever employ.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: An excellent stage setter
Review: This book does an excellent job for setting the stage of the vents that happen in the rest of the series. This should not be surprising to anyone who has read any of Stockpoles other books. Craeting the Universe of BattleTech is what he does. This book also does a great job of adding depth to the characters of the BT Universe. Its a must read!

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Endless Talk, No Action . . .
Review: This novel was a deep disappointment. It was not unexpected that political maneuvering among the princes of the star empires, such as the Steiner-Davions or the Kuritas, would be important in the opening chapters of the book, since such exposition usually sets the stage for the story. However, in Grave Covenant, the talk never stops and the action never starts. As of page 180, nothing has happened except endless conferences and endless political maneuvering. In the second major section of the book, I expected battles and action would begin. Still nothing happens. The only difference is that the endless talking occurs on a jumpship, not in palaces. I consider this book almost unreadable. It is deadly dull. I love the Battletech novels, but suggest that some of the others are better reads.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Great writing, but not enough action
Review: This was a good book with exellent writing. I loved how it tied up all the loose ends from previous novels and reformed the Star Leage. It also made a good jumping off point for Task Force Serpent. It is lacking in action, though.
Overall, a good book, good concepts, too little action.


<< 1 2 3 >>

© 2004, ReviewFocus or its affiliates