A Call to Arms (MechWarrior: Dark Age #2) [Paperback]

Loren Coleman (Author)

Book Description

Series: Mech Warrior: Dark Age | Publication Date: February 4, 2003

MechWarrior-aspirant Raul Ortega finds himself called to battle when warring factions-who have seceded from the Republic-wage war on his home world to obtain one of the few working interstellar communication nets.

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Roc; First Thus edition (February 4, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0451459121
• ISBN-13: 978-0451459121
• Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 4.4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,175,333 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Believe It Or Not Coleman Does Well !, February 8, 2003

By 

D. Konig "NYCWD" (New York, NY USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Call to Arms (MechWarrior: Dark Age #2) (Paperback)

Certainly a lot of past B-Tech readers of Coleman's works groaned as I did when hearing he would be authoring the second book of Mechwarrior:Dark Age. Yes... he still uses the same words too frequently, but his narrative has improved tremendously... so much in fact, that I wonder if he really wrote it?

A Call To Arms, being the second book in the new Mechwarrior line has something for both the old and the new. While the beginning pages contain the standard "this is the universe under inter-stellar communications blackout" it then rockets past there with things both new and familiar. New mechs such as the Jupiter and Legionaire debut here in their first lengthy battles, while classics such as the Timberwolf and Blackhawk retain their sense of history.

The strategy of the commanders plays a big part in this book as battle after battle unfolds definately intriguing the tactician in all of us. Players of the MWDA Collectable Miniature Game get to meet Yulri Wolf, a prize in the March Campaign, as well as seeing a favorite from Ghost War and the redemption offer making a cameo appearance.

Most importantly for all the true believers out there is that the new Black Widow has arrived... full force I might add. *HINT* Read the Wolf's Dragoons books.

This book is a definite read for B-Tech and MWDA fans out there... the foreshadowing tells us that there will be many more nasty fights ahead in this universe as there were in the 50 or so Classic B-Tech books.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Coleman returns with a bang, February 14, 2003

By 

J. Chovan "bronx" (San Bernardino, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Call to Arms (MechWarrior: Dark Age #2) (Paperback)

I really enjoyed this book. Coleman returns to the MechWarrior Universe with another well-conceived story. Reservist Raul Ortega finds himself defending the Republic and his home from the predations of the Steel Wolves and the Swordsworn. In doing so, Raul goes from a Customs Official to full-fledged MechWarrior in style. As mentioned in another review, the Jupiter and Legionairre BattleMechs debut as well as a Tundra Wolf and Hatchetman. What I really enjoyed, though was how the book kept to the essense of the new game in that infantry, vehicles, and modified Industrial Mechs played a larger role in the battles. Clearly, this book is anticipating the new additions to the MW: Dark Age game coming soon in the Fire for Effect expansion.

The characters were well-written as well. Raul is a good character, though somewhat stereotypical of the MechWarrior Universe (nice guy who believes in honor and defending his beliefs, etc.), but I really enjoyed Tassa Kay (if you are familiar with the old Battletech Game, you should be able to figure out her secret fairly quickly) as a foil of stalwart Raul. Eric Sandoval and Star Colonel Torrent make for good "bad guys" and the reader can see the Republic being torn asunder by factionalism.

Overall, a good book. I am looking forward to more mayhem in the Battletech Universe. For those interested, a prequel to this novel can be found online at wizkidsgames.com under their fiction link. It details more of Eric Sandoval and how he came to be sent to Achernar.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Balance of Action and Intrigue, July 16, 2003

By 

Patrick J. Callahan (La Crosse, WI USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: A Call to Arms (MechWarrior: Dark Age #2) (Paperback)

This book is one of the very best BattleTech novels I've read. It combines a nice balance of "palace intrigue" and guns-blazing action.

We follow the strategies of the Steel Wolf clan's commander, Torrent, who is trying to take over the planet for his clan. Also, the conflict is heated further by the meddlings of a kind of private army called the "Swordsworn." These Swordsworn pretend to be defending the Republic, but they have a hidden agenda that is self-serving, and a raw grab for power. Then last, there is the planet's native government, trying to defend against these factions.

All these intrigues explode into conflict, and they result in hot action at a number of points in the book. But as in many of these books, bullets alone cannot solve the problem. Raul and the planet's defenders have to unravel the skein of entangled betrayals and loyalties. In the end, strategy and craftiness by Raul and his friends prevail where bullets alone have failed.

Another fascinating character is Tassa Kay, a beautiful and mysterious woman who flirts with Raul repeatedly. She is also a master mechwarrior. Her Ruyken mech is a fascinating ride for a fascinating pilot. Bring her back in future novels, please!

The book's protagonist, Raul, is a kind of futuristic "Horatio Alger" -- the poor "loser" who makes good and prevails. Raul is a failure who has "washed out" from military cadet training. But with the onset of a war, and because of several extraordinary happenings, he winds up piloting one of the planet's few battlemechs. And piloting it very well-- turns out that Raul is a "natural" -- a gifted mechwarrior.

Every aspect of this book deserves praise. The descriptions, the characters -- who seem sympathetic and real -- and the plotting. As for the "Dark Age" setting of the current battletech books-- I am still groping to understand it, but am willing to give it a chance. I do wish the editors would include more graphics such as drawings or maps. The maps that are supplied seem wrong somehow. One cannot find some of the very planets that are key to the story. Are these old graphics that were dragged out of someone's drawer, rather than commission new graphics?

There are some "dumb" errors in dates. Some of the chapter heading dates substitute "May" for "March," which is what they should read. There are a few other inconsistencies or errors of detail that suggest the copy editing is pretty thin at the publisher's. However, these books are not Shakespeare-- they are intended to meet a popular demand and probably go through the publishing cycle pretty rapidly. So we can live with it.

Some of us have read a number of Loren L. Coleman novels during the years that BattleTech novels have been coming out. We have seen him go from a green rookie writer toward greater experience. At this point, he is really getting good. Keep it up, Mr. Coleman!

All in all, folks, purchase of this book is money well spent.

Patrick J. Callahan