Path of Glory (Battletech, 49) [Paperback]

Randall N. Bills (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 12, 2000 | Series: Battletech (Book 49)

When the Nova Cat Clan is forced to ally with the Inner Sphere it forces two MechWarriors from different worlds into a precarious friendship. For Zane and Yoshio, the line between ally and enemy will be drawn in blood...

• #49 in the popular series based on the bestselling role-playing and video games

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Roc (December 12, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0451458079
• ISBN-13: 978-0451458070
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.3 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,614,012 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A Solid, Yet Unexceptional Battletech Story, December 2, 2001

By 

Paul (New Orleans) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Path of Glory (Battletech, 49) (Paperback)

"Path of Glory" is a solid effort by first time author Bills. I rank it a tad higher than 3 stars, but round it down since it is closer to 3 than 4 stars. It is a good story that is hindered primarily by its brevity. The characters and the story are interesting, but the length of this novel limits the exposition and exploration that would have done a better justice to this story.

The bulk of this story takes place in 3062. It tells the story of Zane, a Mechwarrior in Clan Nova Cat. After the Star League Defense Force (SLDF) had traveled to the Clan Homeworlds, and challenged the Clans to a Trial of Refusal on the issue of the Clans' invasion of the Inner Sphere, Clan Nova Cat decided to side with the SLDF, and fought in the Trial as part of the SLDF. The Clans were incensed by this action, and voted to Abjure, cast out, the Nova Cats, giving them 30 days to leave Clan space. Some Clans didn't wait for the 30 days to expire before launching attacks on the Nova Cats.

As a result, the Nova Cats lost large numbers of warriors in battle, who fought hopeless rearguard actions, but were able to evacuate some of their civilian populations to the Nova Cat holdings in the Inner Sphere.

Zane feels betrayed by his leaders, first, for siding with the Inner Spere forces. Second, for agreeing to accept worlds from the Draconis Combine.

Zane has a counterpart, Palmer Yoshio, a Draconis Combine officer who feels betrayed, first, that his nation has let in the Nova Cats, and second, that his nation has not gone after the powerful Clan Ghost Bear, which still holds Combine territory.

"Path of Glory" tells the story of these two warriors, disparate, but similiar men, and their emotional and mental sorting out of their predicaments. It also features high level intrigue, and gives a nice glimpse into Clan Nova Cat, including a meeting with Minoru, a Nova Cat warrior, who was born in the Inner Spere with the the last name of Kurita. Oh yes, there's a good bit of action as well.

This is a solid story, with intriguing characters. Although it deserved and needed greater length to fully do this story and these characters justice, this a nice first effort by Mr. Bills.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One to pay attention to..., December 23, 2000

By 

Unga (Hilton Head, SC United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Path of Glory (Battletech, 49) (Paperback)

Randall N. Bills has replaced Bryan Nystul as the BattleTech line developer at FASA. Considering this, the novel is a must read. It may not be a core novel in the development of the BattleTech universe, but its worth grabbing if only to check out the new developer's perception of certain facets of the universe. His interpretations of things (such as clan honor, etc etc) will be canon soon enough...

As for the book itself, its not bad. It isn't a Stackapole book, but it is certainly better than the slop RoC has been sending down lately (Measue of a Hero and Starlord come to mind as particularly atrocious novels). Attention to character is important, glad to see that getting some consideration once again. Entertaining reading with a well paced plot and relevant characterizations. More writing of this quality and the Battletech line will be alive and vibrant again.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Decent addendum to the main fasa plot, April 9, 2002

By 

Jan-Thorsten Reszat (Germany) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Path of Glory (Battletech, 49) (Paperback)

This average btech novel mainly serves as throw in for some open questions after the Star League's successful attempt to bring a decisive end to the clan invasion of the inner sphere.
The issue dealt with focusses on Clan Nova Cat's search for a new home and a new identity within the Draconis Combine. At the same time Randall Bills uses his book to roughly describe the problems at hand for the current 1st Lord of the SL, Theodore Kurita. On one side is the impending civil war that threatens the Federated commonwealth; on the other side looms imminent desaster as the Combine is lead into a clash with the mighty Ghost Bear Dominion.
Considering all these ancillary conditions Bills manages quite well to weave a coherent story around his main protagonist Mechwarrior Zane. Yet, at the end, I cant deny the feeling that too many issues were left a bit short, and questions which arose during this novel were left unanswered. But, sadly, this has become a major problem for the majority of recent btech novels as too few books are being used to describe the political developments of over 25 involved factions in a short and recapulating manner, whereas at the same time, the original focus of btech, which is mech combat, also shouldnt fall too short.
Under these aspects Path of Glory needn't stand back behind most of the other btech novels since the end of the 'Blood of Kerensky' trilogy: There is a plot and people involved, there is some mech combat, there are several side infos for the main fasa plot, but in the end everything comes a tad short.
Bottom line: The interested btech reader, who wants every tiniest piece of info bout the general fasa story, might want this book to fill some gaps. But the average sci-fi reader, who's tempted to read some btech novel to get his routine dose of war machine combat, might want to look for some more detailed and exciting reading.