Battletech 10: Main Event [Paperback]

James D. Long (Author)

Book Description

Series: Battletech | Publication Date: May 1, 1993

Eager to strike back at the Clans who destroyed his 'Mech and his career, former Com Guard soldier Jeremiah Rose recruits other soldiers from the arenas to create a new mercenary unit.

Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Roc; First Thus edition (May 1, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0451452453
• ISBN-13: 978-0451452450
• Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 4.4 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #375,863 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not what I had expected, December 2, 2004

By 

G. Swift "97jedi" (Southwestern Missouri) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Battletech 10: Main Event (Paperback)

Honestly, this novel might not even rate the three stars I have given it, but I was feeling generous.

This book reads a great deal like someone's home MechWarrior role-playing game. The main character starts out with nothing, and attempts to recruit his former neighbors and family members to his cause. The rejection leads him to Solaris VII, where he must fight to gain the materiel he needs for his personal vendetta. He is there but a few days before leaving for Outreach to find a contract for his new merc unit, and to recruit more personnel. Everything works out relatively neat and tidy. It just does not read like a good novel, with the convenience of events and the results.

Also, given the back cover text, I had expected more along the lines of a Solaris-set novel, but the story stays on that world for a comparatively short time. Much more time is spent on the world that the unit is contracted to defend. And the antagonism there again reads like something from a poorly-designed RPG campaign, with the local strife resulting in an action by that planet's leaders unlike any other in the Battletech universe. The story climaxes with combat against Clan invaders, with the occasional pointless death thrown in, I assume to highlight the random savagery of war, but seemingly tacked on as an afterthought.

I was really disappointed in this novel. Note, however, that the sequel is vastly superior and very much worth the read, while this one is sure to languish on my shelf without getting a second read.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars One of the better Battletech books, but the sequal is better, March 24, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Battletech 10: Main Event (Paperback)

Despite what some other reviewers will tell you, this one ranks right up their with Stackpole. Good character development, and tying together different elements of a character. The desensitization of war caused on Solaris is covered well, sometimes a bit too obviously. The battle is interesting, and the story of Turkyyaid shows a 'soldier's eye' view. The battle against the Clans is a little too easy towards the end, and I regret not telling a little more about Comstar. Some parts of the good old Order must be more nonsecular than others for him to be able to leave that easily. This is well-written, and is necessary to enjoy D.R.T., but the second one is better. I only wish their was a third Black Thorn story.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars What a Turkey!, June 12, 2002

By 

Tomato Addict (Waukesha, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Battletech 10: Main Event (Paperback)

I recommend you AVOID "Main Event" (James D. Long). This story is such a turkey I was cheering for the bad guys in hope that some miserable main characters would get bumped off (alas, no such luck). This book features some amusing editorial errors, such as multiple instances of energy weapons ejecting shell casings as they are fired. Those errors are far more entertaining than the characters or the storyline. Why, I wonder, did I make myself finish this book?