Book Reviews By David Froude @~This issue, David reviews volumes 2 and 3 of the BattleTech @~novels, volume 1 of which he reviewed back in Issue 34. BattleTech : Legend of the Jade Phoenix : Volume 2 - Bloodname -------------------------------------------------------------- Author - Robert Thurston Science Fiction This is the second volume of the Jade Phoenix trilogy. The background of the Clans has been given in the review of the first volume. In the previous volume, Aiden had failed the Trial of Position, the ranking test for all Truebirth warriors of the Clan Jade Falcon. He was cast out, disgraced, with his rightful Bloodname denied him. The story continues where Aiden, masquerading as a Freebirth warrior, having won warrior status in the previous volume (as a Freebirth) is at an outpost of the Clan Jade Falcon on the planet Glory. The outpost is attacked by forces of the Clan Wolf for the genetic legacy of the Jade Phoenix Commander Kael Kershaw. Before battle commences, the Clan bidding process takes place which defines the number of warriors who will participate in the battle. Due to limited resources, Kershaw also includes the Freebirth warriors even though they are not expected to rate as any great asset in the fighting. Freeborns are despised by Trueborns (the true genetic clan warriors) and all types of abuse are rained on them. Aiden has to accept this abuse and not reveal his Trueborn background. The Freebirth's first mission is away from the battle to search for survivors from a space craft which has been included in the bidding as part of the Jade Phoenix forces but has been shot down by the Wolf Clan before any real action commences. Aiden's subsequent strategies and fighting acumen are well described in the battle for Glory and the further trials he undertakes to be able to claim the right to fight for his Bloodname in the Trial of Bloodright. Aiden will do anything to gain the Bloodname. With a Bloodname all past failures are forgiven and with it comes honour and respect. The Trial of Bloodright battles are against all odds, a seemingly insuperable task. As he is the hero of the story you expect him to win through, but will he? As in volume 1, sketches and brief information on the specifications of the Battletech machines used in the story are provided at the end of the book. This is an excellent story and more gripping than the previous book making the reader even more eager to get hold of the third book of the trilogy. Rating: Excellent. Very difficult to put the book down. * * * * * BattleTech : Legend of the Jade Phoenix : Volume 3 - Falcon Guard ------------------------------------------------------------------ Author - Robert Thurston Science Fiction This is the third volume of the Jade Phoenix trilogy. The central character, Aiden, has now won his Bloodname and is Aiden Pryde. Characters from the previous volumes still dog his steps or cross his path including Aiden's daughter Diana who had a limited part in the second volume. The Clans, heirs of the Star League Army, turn their eyes back upon their former home. Nothing will stop them from raising the Star League banner over Earth once again. For two years the Clan's Battlemech war machines have overwhelmed the armies of the corrupt Successor Lords of the Inner Sphere. Now at the gates of Earth the Clans must fight one final battle, a battle that will decide the fate of humanity for all time. At the start of the volume Aiden is on the undeveloped Inner Sphere world of Quarell. After mop-up action on this planet he becomes the leader of a disgraced Falcon Guards and is transferred to the planet Tukayyid where the "final" battles are to take place. Aiden Pryde is now a Star Colonel and the fate of the Clan Jade Falcon rests in his hands. Aiden Pryde represents all that is admirable in a Clan warrior, whether Trueborn or freeborn. He holds himself above mundane clan conflicts, administering his command with fairness, fights with more skill than any two warriors, and is imbued with the desire to succeed. These qualities have made him a superb Clan warrior, albeit one whose abilities have been underused due to the taint which has plagued his career. Also he is the only Trueborn Clan warrior who understands what it is to be Freeborn warrior. This insight has come from having lived so long disguised as a Freeborn. The successes of Aiden's campaigns until the aftermath of the final battle are covered in the volume. As in the previous volume, sketches and brief information on the specifications of the Battletech machines used in the story are provided at the end of the book. Also there is a map of the Inner Sphere Coreward Sector. This final book of the trilogy was written in 1991 and first published in the UK in 1992. Other books are also available in the Battletech series written by different authors. Like the previous volume, this is an excellent story and is a fitting completion to the trilogy. Rating: Excellent. Very difficult to put the book down. - o -