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
Test of Vengeance

Test of Vengeance

List Price: $5.99
Your Price: $5.99
Product Info Reviews

<< 1 2 >>

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: BattleTech joy to read.
Review: If you never read a BattleTech novel before this one is a good start. Bryan Nystul's first novel is a good one. The action is fast and never disappoints. For experienced BattleTech fans this book is a joy. The overview of the history of the Clans and the Inner Sphere maybe a little short for the new but it is not a major short coming. It is good to read a book from the perspective of an Elemental. For those who don't know imagine Arnold as he appeared in Conan make him 8 feet tall and the fighting skills displayed in the movie 'the Matrix' and you got you an Elemental. The Clan infantry grunts of the 32nd century.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A "guy book" by a naturally gifted writer
Review: John Gardner, the great creative writing instructor, said that once the "spell" is cast it must not be broken. This little novel passes that test! I had read through over half of it without realizing it! The pace is perfect. The characters, lifelike. Everything works. In the "About the Author," Nystul gives clues to his age. I think he is a generation Xer. What amazes me is that he could write so darn well for a "kid." Given, I found probably no more typos and little grammatical goofs than you could count on one hand, but that's forgivable all things considered! He is a natural storyteller, especially if you just want to indulge in macho action, but he even balances that with the kind of chick characters guys love. The worst criticism I might offer is based on my never having read anything in the "Battletech" series before. I had a little trouble keeping all the characters sorted out all the time. It's not a deep story, but it is continuously full of action yet not plodding. If you are a guy and just want a fun diversion, get it!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Elemental!
Review: Ok this is a book from Nystl whitch this is his first book. This book is the first and only to have main characters as elementals! This is also the first book that has Ghost Bear clan.this is a very goo dbook, Recomended for everyone.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Another BTech Clans-novel:
Review: The first thing I can say about this book is: Should not the final BTech novels focus on the Davion/Steiner Civil War?

The Clans were defeated in the Twilight of the Clans series, and while I can understand seeing the Nova Cats in "Path of Glory", getting the Clans into things while dealing with a nasty Civil War in over half of the Inner Sphere is a little mis-leading.

Still, the book is a good read, and it's a good book to keep in your BTech collection (I have all of them).

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Too many irons in one fire
Review: This attempt by Brian Nystul would have been a great book if he hadnt tried to do so much forshadowing. There is just too much going on that isnt connected with the story. This is one book that didnt need a tie in with the Davion civil war, or the quick piece with the Black Dragons (yes they're back or will be). Too much was attempted too soon. A longer build up to the war between the Draconis Combine and the Ghost Bears would have been nice as well. We've heard about this in other books, but a fully fleshed out text would have been better. When I put the book down it left me unfulfilled. Battletech fans...better pick this one up though. With the sale of the Battletech property from FASA, this and the next one might be the last we see for some time.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Mixed feelings
Review: This book definately isn't anywhere near other battletech novels dealing with the clans.

It may very well be 10 years into the truce that made the clan invasion come to a halt, and clanners had most likely had to adapt to living in the sphere (especially the ghost bears), but the way it's depicting in this book is causing unneccesary chills.

The clan language and culture is mangled beyond belief. Dialogs between clanners are written as friendly banter, with no regard to ranks or status. Personal honour and accomplishments are replaced by friendships and "helping your fellow peers in need".

Nystul should keep to designing games, and leave writing to people that know how it's done.

To anyone interested in clan society, I'd recommand reading the Jade Phoenix Trilogy by Robert Thurston instead.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A book with a lot of info
Review: This is a great book by a new author. It has info on all kinds of clan inventions like gnome battle armor made by clan hell's horses, salamander suits by fire mandrills. also there are new weapons including the Star adder produced heavy laser and coyote's "Super missles". The plot was good and included a lot on elementals as the main charcter is a newly promoted elemental. There was stuff about the combine strikes mentioned at the end of mechwarrior2 if you chose to "continue" after you beat the game and had applied the patch. The main charcter was annoyed by a c.o. that hated him like in exodus road. I liked it a lot and think it deserves a 4.8.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: At last The Elementals Reign!!!
Review: This is the first book by Bryan Nystul that i have had the pleasure of reading, he cleverly ties the adventures of a young Ghost Bear Elemental by the name of Jake Kabrinsky in with the current near-civil war of the Draconis Combine.
Jake Kabrinsky is a ristar Elemental of clan Ghost Bear, who in his earliest days makes enemies with one of the deadliest warriors in the clans, Khan Malavai Fletcher of clan Hells Horses!!
The fact that the Main story focuses around elementals ((there is only one star of mechs in the star)), just makes it that more action packed.
Well i do not wish to spoil it for you, so i will say nothing more, but if your a B-Tech, and especially a Clan fan, get this book!!

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: A good quick read finally a decent Battletech author
Review: While not a complete writer (like Michael Stackpole) a much better writer than Loren Colemen. This book is certainly warfare packed. It well should be, after all this book is about the elite clan infantry ... the elementals. Nystul really conveys the strength of the genetically engineered elementals, their unique battle armor and their ferocity in combat. A lot of action in this book. This guy really illustrates the elemental here. A worthwhile (and short) read.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: A good quick read finally a decent Battletech author
Review: While not a complete writer (like Michael Stackpole) a much better writer than Loren Colemen. This book is certainly warfare packed. It well should be, after all this book is about the elite clan infantry ... the elementals. Nystul really conveys the strength of the genetically engineered elementals, their unique battle armor and their ferocity in combat. A lot of action in this book. This guy really illustrates the elemental here. A worthwhile (and short) read.


<< 1 2 >>

© 2004, ReviewFocus or its affiliates