BATTLETECH: Redemption Rights, Spoiler Review

[@jmannthemarine2407]

You expect me to believe that there is infighting in the league, next you're gonna tell me the flea isn't the greatest light mech to grace the IS.

[@BigRed40TECH]

The flea isn't a mech, silly jman. It's a GOD. O.O

[@cygryl]

The flea is but a humble placeholder to the real God of War. The creme of the crop, the showstopper, the end all, be all that is. The UrbanMech.

[@CountSpartula]

Correct. Its the Wolfhound :)

[@MisterSpoon69]

After having read the book again I think Hack's plan not only has the ability to destroy the Wolf empire, but also the other inner sphere clans as well.

[@ALPHAOMEGA1500]

Weird, that this author is going about rebuilding two totally destroyed. But well beloved merc. groups. One the Grey Death Legion and Two, the Wolf's Dragoon's.

[@verysilentmouse]

Yeah I binged this last night too I think the other thing the book did well was throw back to the other Dragoons books in the use of the honour names

[@OptimusJedi]

Just finished the book today and enjoyed it. I do have some criticisms though that I want to mention. First I’ll just say I’m still relatively new to Battletech and this is about my eighth novel or so in this universe. So far I’ve really loved the Gray Death Legion series but the Warrior series has fallen flat for me. “Redemption Rites” starts off really strong and I immediately was invested in the Dragoons, Colonel Kincaid and their quest for vengeance. Pretty quickly though, Star Colonel Othar shines as the most interesting character as he’s been given an impossible task and has human emotions about being abandoned. He also seems to have more “screen time” than Kincaid (I didn’t count the pages though so it might just be he’s that well characterized). So now the criticisms: wow is this a breakneck pace of a story. We’re flashing forward in weeks and months like nothing and stopping at worlds all over the place. The only solid location is Gienah so it’s the only place we get any familiarity with. Then there are so many ancillary characters who we see through their eyes it just takes away from the main characters. We barely get to know anyone and then the story is over. The book really would have benefited from more time with the main characters and less jumping from on Clan Warrior to a Dragoon infantry to a couple of constables on spotter duty. We even stop off for Nikol Marik listening to, in her own words, a BORING meeting! Nothing comes of it either! It’s just there wasting pages! Finally there’s the character of Haya. I’m hesitating to call her a Mary-Sue but only because I might have PTSD from Rey (Star Wars). I know next to nothing about her other than she’s apparently good at everything and everyone likes her. She literally says “Retreat, hell! We just got here” and that’s a plot point in the book that gets hammered. *sigh* Everyone in the book seems to think it’s so quaint too which I can’t help but see the author in that. Like he read a WWI history book for the first time or was one of the seven people who watched “Battle: LA”. Imagine a character unironically saying “Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead!” Or “Nuts!” 10-12 times in a sci-fi story and all the characters around them giggling about it. Even Starship Troopers at least modified “C’mon you sons of bitches, do you want to live forever!” It might sound like I’m hating on the book but I did enjoy it and I am looking forward to more Wolf’s Dragoons. I’m also looking forward to more Star Colonel Othar as he comes out in my eyes as the best and most interesting character. It’s a solid base hit. Can’t wait for more ilClan Era in general as it’s the first era I feel like I’m a part of in the BT universe.

[@BigRed40TECH]

I do prefer Colonel Kincaid to Haya. I think they just needed a character for frontline duty and that's what built up that portrayal tbh.

[@Thud-pq8rl]

I've never been a big fan of the Dragoons since the Misery book. Once the mystery was stripped away they lost a bit of luster. But this, this sounds like a good story.

[@stmtom2811]

This is the book that got me into the books for the new era. Really good!

[@robcowboy2713]

Clearly the Wolf Empire forgot the motto of Comstar: PAY YOUR BILLS, FUCKO

[@PaganPilot]

Honestly doubting the wolves will end up ruling the ilcan league w/o consolidating Jags and Falcons, maybe the bears will make move. They already have a blueprint for clan/is society with Rasalhauge Dominion

[@BigRed40TECH]

They don't have a very nice "perspective" on the Ghost Bears in the book btw. The Wolves think they're "Not clanners" essentially.

[@kathilmechworks4895]

This weekends read should be interesting

[@dantauche7917]

Really enjoyed this thank you!!

[@evynkalinowski9231]

What was the moral of the story? Never piss of the Wolf’s Dragoons.

[@NotBCT]

Not a fan of the Space Furries, nor their Space Furry Lite offshoot, but it does bring a smile to my face to see them at each other's throats. I will say that this book addresses and lampshades the many, MANY tactical errors that Space Furry Lite committed previously (we'll not get into criticism of that hack who imagines himself an award-winning author who thinks he did a good job wrapping up The Dork Age) in a nice manner, and removes all the Idiot Ball handlers off the board (Bru-bru, Crew-crew, and Yiff-in-Hell Kerensky). The STRONK BLACK FEMALE SPACE WEEB OF THE DRAGOONS is okay. She's not portrayed as TEH BESTEST EVAR like many current-year STRONK FEMALE CHARACTER WHO DON'T NEED NO MAN, but the plot armor is strong with this one. Her habit of getting white dudes shot out from underneath her is troubling, but at least she feels bad about it, unlike most current-year STRONK FEMALE CHARACTER. If she turns out to be Alphabet, she may as well be an SM Stirling character. Hack is a nut-job, but is he OUR nut-job? If he continues to cornhole Wolves like a Yiff-orgy on meth, then yes, he's OUR nut-job. Othar gets sympathy despite being a Space Furry, because he's a hapless middle-manager who gets chucked into a dumpster fire because upper management decides to take a hookers-and-blow "retreat" in the Caymans and aren't answering calls or e-mails. Never thought I'd feel anything but antipathy to a Space Furry, but that's just how good this novel can be at times.

[@maskalumni6037]

Great review. Any plans to review No substitute for Victory the other recent ilClan book?

[@BigRed40TECH]

I intend to cover other books as they come out. :)

[@SethGlenn]

@@BigRed40TECH I think he's asking because those books are already out, and we're the beginning of the ilclan era novels starting with Hour of the Wolf.

[@BigRed40TECH]

@@SethGlenn Yep. But they've been out for a while too. Without going into too much detail, I'm unlikely to cover them in the near future, but I will be covering new releases as they come out.

[@Demolitiondude]

Judas is far from redemption in any form.

[@captaingeneralconch]

1st ]plus gimme gimme gimme