Customer Reviews

Endgame (Battletech, No. 56)

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I'd like to thank everyone who made my time as a BattleTech author an enjoyable one. I had a great deal of fun writing these stories. Hopefully you had as much reading them. Endgame is the last official -paperback- novel for Classic BattleTech, and I did my best to wrap up as many major plotlines as I could. Don't forget, however, that the stories coninue in the MechWarrior: Dark Age novel line (circa 3130) and the BattleCorps.com project which stays with the original and historical timelines. Let all your friends know that official BattleTech stories will continue!

This book is the last of the series which began about ten years ago with the Michael Stackpole's trilogy entitled the Return of Kerensky. It brings to a close the story arc which began with the unification of two great star empires (the Federated Suns and the Lyran Commonwealth); continued with the invasion of the Clans (a factionalized military society descendant from an exodus from human occupied space two hundred years prior); and ended with the final breakup of the Federated Suns and the Lyran commonwealth through civil war. The story is told through following the lives, loves and trials of the scions of the various Great Houses (the feudal dynasties which govern known space) as they emerge from late adolescence and assume leadership of their respective realms.

Most of the driving books in the series, the ones that moved events in the game universe foreward, were written by Michael Stackpole. Due to monetary disputes with the old battletech license holder, Stackpole left the series. Loren Coleman was tapped to complete the last two books in the series. He had a unenviable task: picking up from a well loved writter, then having to bring closure to the story line. While the written voice is not Stackpoles, Coleman writes a sound and worthy conclusion to the series.

This book details the end of the FedCom civil war, in which the rightful heir to the FedCom throne defeats his younger sister (who usurped the throne through manipulation and matricide) for control of the realm. Without revealing the ending, it doesn't quite turn out that way.

What is most sad about the book is that it is an ending. We know that the universe is being fast forewarded 60 years after this book. (The franchise did this about ten years ago as well.) These characters that we have grown so fond of will never be the same, if they are still alive. The book ends with several twists and poigniant revelations, which leave you wondering what will happen next. Sure, it's a set up for the new series of books (in which some of the questions are answered,) but its sad to leave our old friends in that moment.

Because it's a battletech novel, I guess there had to be pages spent on mech's fighting, but they serve more as a distraction than anything else. The character of Katherine Steiner is stereotypically vain, selfish and greedy; less genuine than in other installments. The book could have used fewer fight scenes and more emphasis on characterization.

Having followed the Battletech storyline for over a decade, I must say that I'm sad to see the current plots end. However, Mechwarrior: Dark Age should brighten my spirits. This novel ends the FedCom civil war well. It appears that there was a word limit placed on this book, so alot of action takes place in a very short time. Regardless, Victor and his cadre of close friends must press on towards toppling Katherine. The main action mostly takes place on Tharkad and New Avalon, but all of the major storylines are brought to a conclusion. Some endings are rather abrupt, but adequate. Readers will see what happens to Agents Curaitis and Francesca as they try to find direct evidence of Katherine's involvent in Melissa Steiner's assasination, whether or not Ryan Steiner's, Melissa Steiner's, and Omi Kurita's assasin can pull off yet another escape, and, of course, who wins the FedCom civil war. The stage has been set for the new Mechwarrior series. Hopefully, we will see some of the characters from this generation pop up in the new series, maybe the children of our favorite main characters? Kudos to Randall Bills, Loren Coleman, Thomas Gressman, Chris Hartford, and Blaine Pardoe for finishing up the story in style.

I loved the Battletech Series while it was going... but this finally was anti-climactic at best. It did tie up most of the main political storylines... and most of the characters seemed true to their previous writings, of which ones were included anyway. Several key players were left out of the finally... or written as ghosts mentioned in passing but no real place in the book.
Even worse than that... The author began a new storeyline in the last few pages of this book... the last of the series. Yes, I know Wiz Kids picked up the contract to keep the same writers working on the new storyline... but it's several genrations later... there's no room for this ghostly storyline to grow.
In short, it felt like a hurry-up ending... following an old outline, without any real depth. About the only new development was the expansion of Peter and Isis as characters rather than shadows. I was happy to read it... and anyone else following the story will want to read it, but overal I felt cheated.

As with other mechwarrior fans, the ending was swift. There seemed to be some story line missing as Katherines realm ended very quickly. The Thorin, were are you??? A two book ending would have filled in the missing finshing plots and angles and charcter self interests. The book in itself was good. Thanks to all the writers of the series, they did great. I became a book reader again due to the thrilling action packed pages of the Battletech universe. :-)

First of all let me say I bought this book the day it came out. After time it still has not lost it's luster on me. Endgame is the final of the FedCom Civil War story-line and takes place (mostly) on New Avalon. Victor Steiner-Davion is taking the war to his sister Katherine and is determined to depose her. To do it he has built a coalition of peoples all willing to give their lives to stop the tyrannical rule. To be constrained by a page count, and told to finish a story-line completely Loren L. Coleman was given a very difficult task. He did not disappoint going to bat and finishing everything up. While doing this he also had to set things up for the Jihad to come, as well as the Dark Age series that was about to be launched. In all of this, in one chapter Coleman brought about what has been in my mind one of the greatest space battles ever. To read that one chapter was alone worth the cost of this book and to know that it continues and finishes everything makes the reading very fun. I highly recommend this book...but only after you have read everything else!

I would say that this was an overall great book, I agree with others that it seemed rush but it did give me closure with the end of a series that I have been reading for a decade. I'm really going to miss this and I have to say one part in the book has haunted me in my sleep. Let's just say the little big space maneuver and the short quote that came with it had a major effect.

I'm sorry to see this series end. I know they are going to advance the timeline when the new game appears, but it won't be the same. And he left such nice openings for further plot development too. I agree with another reviewer. Where was the first thorin? Plus it moved too fast. Should have been two books.

To me, Endgame seemed unbelievably short for the final showdown of the FedCom Civil War. However, Coleman continues to surprise me, with his clear and concise editing. My only gripe is a certain flaw in the storyline: What happened to Colonel Christifori and the First Thorin? Throughout the Civil War, Christifori's character was built upon, until the final snapping point where he wanted to be there when "the axe fell".
The axe has fallen all right. So where did Archer go? He was my personal favorite of the new characters introduced in the civil war. To see him disappear without a trace saddened me. Still, my compliments to each of the authors for a brilliant saga.

This book was excelent. Coleman really outdid himself in this one. Although the end has come, it's been a fun journey. I'll try Dark Age, but I'll miss the old characters. *Christopher Pierce sounds important, doesn't he?*