Far Country (Battletech)

Rating:
Summary: Real Time Comparisons
Review: This book in my opinion is the most real of the battletech series. It compares well the main differences in our culture on Earth today. The exploitation of people considered lower then Western civilisation, The idealists who wish to change the way all this works, and of course the profit makers from the wars and divisions in our people. This book contains alot of messages about the flaws in our society and if given the chance to start again, would we make the right choices? Mr Rice does a good job telling a story and the characters (at least the main four) are developed well. Vost and Takuda make the two main comparisons in leadership interesting and insightful, One a merciless climber with only his own self intrests at heart and the other a long term thinking man with everyones intrests to bear. Quite like the Republicans and Democrats really. The battles in this book are generally kept short and sweet and the aggresion from the characters is focused more into political manoevering and back handed deals. This is especially true of the mecenaries. Overall a good story and a nice break away from the main battletech stories. The writer makes a point to remind the reader that there is no Clans, no Co-ordinator, no Com Star and no way back. To be fair it isnt really a true battletech book, especially if you have read the likes of Natural Selection, but it has the same general story of battletech summed up into one planet. The Enclaves would be the successor states, with their backward technology, poor social system and a lack of good resources and all fighting for a goal which will always be unavailable. DEST plus the mercs would almost be like the Clans with their new ideas, modern technology and social differences but also like the clans for ever infighting. Its these comparisons both to our real lives here on Earth and the situation in which the battletech Universe is at that make this book so enjoyable. I would easily recommend it to anyone who reads or doesnt read the battletech novels. A Very enjoyable story.

Rating:
Summary: Read something else
Review: This book is the nadir of Battletech authorship. To be fair, other authors, like Robert Thurston and Thomas Gressman, have certainly had shaky starts, but I don't look forward to another installment from Rice. The book had nothing to do with the Battletech Universe, the characters were one dimensional (barely), and the plot was rife with holes. It was like reading a first draft written in crayon.