MechWarrior: Dark Age Novel 4: A Silence In The Heavens [Mass Market Paperback]

Martin Delrio (Author)

Book Description

Series: Mechwarrior | Publication Date: June 3, 2003

Since the fall of the interstellar communications grid, Countess Tara Campbell has been leading the Repbulic-loyal Highlanders and protecting the world of Northwind as best she can. Paladin Ezekiel Crow's arrival in anticipation of harder times ahead is a mixed blessing for Campbell. But when the Steel Wolves arrive with a bold new leader and an ambitious plan for conquest, Campbell's happy for any help Crow may offer... no matter what secrets he may carry. Book one in The Proving Grounds trilogy, A Silence in the Heavens by Martin Delrio is the fourth novel based on the MechWarrior: Dark Age collectable miniatures game and is published by Roc, an imprint of Penguin Putnam, Inc. Delrio has also written novels set in the Spider-Man, Prince Valiant, and Mortal Kombat universes; this is his first MechWarrior: Dark Age novel.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: WizKids; 2nd print edition (June 3, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0451459326
• ISBN-13: 978-0451459329
• Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 4.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.1 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,379,918 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #65 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Science Fiction > Series

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars BattleTech needs to be cleand-up..., July 24, 2003

By 

"caseykerensky" - See all my reviews

This review is from: MechWarrior: Dark Age Novel 4: A Silence In The Heavens (Mass Market Paperback)

Being a fan of BattleTech for over 10 years, I must say I've seen my share of good and bad novels, soucre books, games, etc... I was not very happy with the new Dark Age setting, as somet things just dont make too much sense (I am still struggling with the fact that some Clans - or maybe all - actually GAVE UP their mechs). I think there is a lack of consistency in this series - and this book. If A. Kerensky is such a good MW, she should have ripped the Paladin apart. Second, the Clans are depicted as rather naive - being tricked very easily. This may have been the case when they first invaded, but even in Classical Btech they learned lessons!! Did they actually FORGET everything? After living in the IS for decades, one would think they'd learn something about the people they live with.

The story itself is not bad, but the action is little ridiculus.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Skillful writing, good balance, July 21, 2003

By 

Patrick J. Callahan (La Crosse, WI USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: MechWarrior: Dark Age Novel 4: A Silence In The Heavens (Mass Market Paperback)

Having just read several of the "Mechwarrior: Dark Age" novels in the past few weeks, this one stands out as a journeyman piece of writing. It is certainly ahead of amateurish efforts like "the Ruins of Power." In DelRio's novel the descriptions are fresh and show a flair for fresh images, the characters are genuinely interesting and make sense, with sensible and believable motivations, and the books' "straight-ahead" plot draws us forward to learn the fate of Northwind.

In case anyone cares, the title is taken from a line in Shakespeare's Hamlet. Much of the book's fascination comes with the clash of two well-drawn woman characters-- Anastasia Kerensky, who is also known as Tassa Kay, and Tara Campbell, the beautiful Dutchess of Northwind. The character of Tassa Kay comes forward from another "Mechwarrior: Dark Age" novel entitled "Call to Duty." She was the most interesting character in that novel, and she loses little of her luster here. Tassa/Anastasia is a warrior, but also a rather hot number with a flair for passionate, extracurricular love affairs.

Since I really enjoyed this book, I will very much look forward to the second and third volumes of the trilogy. Yup, that's right-- this is the first book of a 3-volume trilogy.

Probably the trilogy structure accounts for one of the greatest faults of "A Silence in the Heavens," which is the lame, unsatisfying ending. It is more a hiatus than a true ending, since the writer is priming us for the second novel.

It probably should be mentioned that the book well balances "palace intrigue" against battle action. Two major battles are portrayed in detail as the author skillfully incorporates several points of view -- an infantryman's view, a tank commander's view, a mechwarrior's view, and the supreme commander's view. Some readers have complained about particular BattleTech novels as being starved for action scenes-- they will surely be satisfied with "A Silence in the Heavens."

A good book. I eagerly await the remaining volumes of this trilogy.

Patrick Callahan

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A Silence In The Heavens Is Anything But Silent, June 13, 2003

By 

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

This review is from: MechWarrior: Dark Age Novel 4: A Silence In The Heavens (Mass Market Paperback)

Any book line with such a long history and a fanatical following of readers will have problems involving new writers who continue to fail to read and recognize the origins of their new stories.

A Silence in The Heavens is far better than the previous book Ruins of Power, however, this book seems to be more of a stand alone novel than the first of a trilogy. While the Mech battles are fast and furious, the storyline gets bogged down in the repetition of character description (Ok, we know Tara Campbell was a media darling as a child... must it be mentioned EVERY time someone meets her?) and political powerplays.

The book also lacked the true feel of a story arc within the Clans (As if no mechwarrior has a nickname for their mech, everything was Ryoken II and Blade Mech and Hatchetman, etc. Extremely alienating). It lacked the amount of respect owed these great warriors, and made one of the most pivotal and defining moments thus far in this new galaxy into a mere four page side note.

On the plus side, this book provided the first glimpses of bigger things to come, foreshadowing Liao involvement in the universe through the jaded memories of Paladin Ezekiel Crow. The description and character development of the Paladin provided more of a glimpse into the Republic of the Sphere, while also creating a sublime and secondary story-arc that can be continued in the future novels.

While this book is a far cry from the horros of Ruins of Power... it remains below Ghost War and A Call To Arms in the Mechwarrior Universe... but the trilogy still has the potential to be a stellar success.