joshwoodzy wrote:

Blackout wrote: Hey Blackout, if I wanted to start reading some Battletech novels, what would be the first one you recommend I start with? I played Earthsiege the other day and I got the itch for some giant mech action.

Wow SUPER DELAY!

Uh here's the list of novel order. The smiley faces after the titles are my opinion of the book's merits. REPRINTS ARE CHEAPER AND MORE PLENTIFUL ON EBAY. DO NOT READ OUT OF ORDER unless you like confusion. this shit has been out of print for years even the new stuff, don't bother going to a book store like Borders or Barnes & Nobles if you are interested in finding this, BT is clearly used market only at this point, which makes me a sad panda.

1.1 Decision at Thunder Rift
1.2 The Sword and the Dagger no idea, rarest book of em all due to limited printing, hope you like paying 40+ bucks for a paperback. never read it.
1.3 Mercenary's Star
1.4 The Price of Glory
1.5 Warrior: En Garde (important for storyline, MEH writing)
1.6 Warrior: Riposte (important for storyline, MEH writing)
1.7 Wolves on the Border
1.8 Warrior: Coupé (important for storyline, MEH writing)
1.9 Heir to the Dragon
1.10 Lethal Heritage
1.11 Blood Legacy
1.12 Lost Destiny
1.13 Way of the Clans
1.14 Bloodname
1.15 Falcon Guard
1.16 Wolf Pack
1.17 Natural Selection
1.18 Decision at Thunder Rift (Reprint)
1.19 Mercenary's Star (Reprint)
1.20 The Price of Glory (Reprint)
1.21 Ideal War
1.22 Main Event
1.23 Blood of Heroes
1.24 Far Country (good book but way too off cannon to be a BT book)
1.25 Assumption of Risk
1.26 D.R.T.
1.27 Close Quarters (no idea, have it mint but have not read it yet, probably given the author's other books about this group)
1.28 I Am Jade Falcon
1.29 Highlander Gambit
1.30 Tactics of Duty
1.31 Lethal Heritage (Reprint)
1.32 Blood Legacy (Reprint)
1.33 Lost Destiny (Reprint)
1.34 Bred for War
1.35 Star Lord
1.36 Malicious Intent
1.37 Wolves on the Border (Reprint)
1.38 Hearts of Chaos
1.39 Operation Excalibur
1.40 Heir to the Dragon (Reprint)
1.41 Black Dragon
1.42 Impetus of War
1.43 Double-Blind
1.44 Binding Force
1.45 Exodus Road
1.46 Grave Covenant
1.47 The Hunters
1.48 Freebirth
1.49 Warrior: En Garde (Reprint)
1.50 Warrior: Riposte (Reprint)
1.51 Sword and Fire
1.52 Shadows of War
1.53 Warrior: Coupé (Reprint)
1.54 Prince of Havoc
1.55 Falcon Rising
1.56 Threads of Ambition
1.57 The Killing Fields
1.58 Ghost of Winter
1.59 Roar of Honor
1.60 By Blood Betrayed
1.61 Dagger Point
1.62 Measure of a Hero
1.63 Path of Glory
1.64 Illusions of Victory
1.65 Flashpoint
1.66 Test of Vengeance
1.67 Patriots and Tyrants
1.68 Call of Duty
1.69 Initiation to War
1.70 The Dying Time
1.71 Imminent Crisis
1.72 Storms of Fate
1.73 Operation Audacity
1.74 Endgame
1.75 The Legend of the Jade Phoenix (Omnibus reprint of Way Of The Clans, Bloodname, and Falcon Guard)
1.76 Shrapnel (super rare cannot afford, never read)
2 MechWarrior: Dark Age Novels
2.1 Ghost War
2.2 A Call to Arms
2.3 The Ruins of Power ? no idea still collection
2.4 A Silence in the Heavens ? no idea still collecting
2.5 Truth and Shadows ? no idea still collecting
2.6 Service for the Dead ? no idea still collecting
2.7 By Temptations and By War ? no idea still collecting
2.8 Fortress of Lies ? no idea still collecting
2.9 Patriot's Stand ? no idea still collecting
2.10 Flight of the Falcon ? no idea still collecting
2.11 Blood of the Isle ? no idea still collecting
2.12 Hunters of the Deep COULD NOT FINISH may be good probably not
2.13 The Scorpion Jar
2.14 Target of Opportunity ? no idea still collecting
2.15 Sword of Sedition ? no idea still collecting
2.16 Daughter of the Dragon never finished not great from what I took away from the beginning,
2.17 Heretic's Faith ? no idea still collecting
2.18 Fortress Republic ? no idea still collecting
2.19 Blood Avatar ? no idea still collecting
2.20 Trial by Chaos ? no idea still collecting
2.21 Principles of Desolation ? no idea still collecting
2.22 Wolf Hunters ? no idea still collecting
2.23 Surrender Your Dreams ? no idea still collecting
2.24 Dragon Rising ? no idea still collecting
2.25 Masters of War ? no idea still collecting
2.26 A Rending of Falcons ? no idea still collecting
2.27 Pandora's Gambit ? no idea still collecting
2.28 Fire at Will ? no idea still collecting
2.29 The Last Charge ? no idea still collecting
2.30 To Ride the Chimera ? no idea still collecting

All in all there are some good ones, some meh ones, and some BLECH ones, but they all fit together like a puzzle pretty well. Not the best writing though, it's pulpy sci fi to the max, so if you're for example a Larry Niven or an Isaac Asimov fan you will probably HATE Battlech fiction.

If you'd like to do some more research I'd recommend this http://www.sarna.net/wiki/List_of_BattleTech_novels, and don't forget that there is new fiction out there, Battlecorps sells a subscription service for short stories that pretty much kept the fluff side of the universe alive, http://www.sarna.net/wiki/BattleCorps if you want to read about the new website, http://www.battlecorps.com/BC2/index.html is the home for new fiction, they even put out two print amnibus novels http://www.sarna.net/wiki/The_Corps and http://www.amazon.com/BattleCorps-Anthology-Strike-Battletech-Unnumbered/dp/1934857815/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1315040202&sr=1-1

New novels are on super hiatus until the insanely complicated rights situation gets figured out but if you're interested I'd suggest you hang with Catalyst and Topps, they've done a a lot to keep the shit boat of copyright quagmire afloat where multiple companies have failed in the past. Hell they've done better than the last three copyright holders in my opinion.