Battletech Reading List

Author:
Decision at Thunder Rift William H. Keith, Jr. September 1986,
September 1992
Book one of The Saga of the Gray Death Legion. Grayson Death Carlyle is the young son of the commander of Carlyle’s Commandos, a mercenary unit employed by the Lyran Commonwealth. When the Commandos are destroyed in a sneak attack on the planet Trell I, Grayson must help the people of Trell repel the invading forces while trying to live up to his father’s legacy and the pay back the person who killed his father.
The Sword and the Dagger Ardath Mayhar April 1987 Ardan Sortek discovers a plot to replace Hanse Davion, First Prince of the Federated Suns, with a double under the control of Maximilian Liao, Chancellor of the rival Capellan Confederation.
Mercenary’s Star William H. Keith, Jr. 1987,
November 1992
Book two of The Saga of the Gray Death Legion. The fledgling Gray Death Legion, formed in the fighting on Trell I, takes on their first assignment: train the inhabitants of Verthandi to fight their Draconis Combine overlords.
The Price of Glory William H. Keith, Jr. 1987,
January 1993
Book three of The Saga of the Gray Death Legion. Grayson, now leader of the Legion, accepts a contract to work for the Free Worlds League, but falls prey to a double cross and is unjustly accused of a terrible crime because he finds a cache and a Pre-Successions War Star League base. He has to figure out how to survive the double cross for himself and the men under his command.
Warrior: En Garde Michael A. Stackpole June 1988,
April 1998
Book one of The Warrior Trilogy. Justin Xiang Allard is exiled from the Federated Suns and makes his way to Solaris VII where he pledges himself to the service of the Capellan Confederation. Melissa Steiner, heir to the throne of the Lyran Commonwealth, is kidnapped and Daniel Allard and the Kell Hounds mercenary unit mount a rescue.
Warrior: Riposte Michael A. Stackpole August 1988,
June 1998
Book two of The Warrior Trilogy. Tensions surround the marriage of Hanse Davion and Melissa Steiner on Terra, culminating in the onset of the Fourth Succession War. Morgan Kell, co-founder of the Kell Hounds mercenary unit, is recalled from his self-imposed exile to lead the group into war.
Wolves on the Border Robert N. Charrette 1988,
May 1996
Wolf’s Dragoons, a high-profile mercenary unit in the employ of the Draconis Combine, becomes the target of a plot by a devious warlord to permanently secure their services. The unit’s friend and Combine liaison Minobu Tetsuhara is caught between duty and friendship as war looms.
Warrior: Coupé Michael A. Stackpole April 1989,
November 1998
Book three of The Warrior Trilogy. The Fourth Succession War continues and Justin Allard, now a high-ranking member of Capellan intelligence, tries to repel Davion invaders and deal with a possible spy. Morgan Kell and his Kell Hounds approach a showdown with Yorinaga Kurita.
Heir to the Dragon Robert N. Charrette August 1989,
September 1996
During the tumult of the Fourth Succession War and the War of 3039, Theodore Kurita, ambitious son of the conservative Draconis Combine Coordinator, navigates treachery in the court and dangers on the battlefield.
Lethal Heritage Michael A. Stackpole 1989,
September 1995
Book one of The Blood of Kerensky Trilogy. A new generation of characters makes its debut in this series. Victor Steiner-Davion, heir to the throne of the Federated Commonwealth, is fresh from the academy and posted to the back end of nowhere. Kai Allard-Liao, son of the great Justin Xiang Allard and Candace Liao, fears he can never live up to the tremendous legacy of his parents. Shin Yodama is a yakuza soldier in the army of the Draconis Combine, assigned to safeguard the grandson of Coordinator Takashi Kurita. Phelan Kell has followed in his father Morgan’s footsteps and serves in the mercenary Kell Hounds. All four of these young men must face dangers both internal and external when a mysterious invader from beyond the Periphery threatens everything they know and love.
Blood Legacy Michael A. Stackpole December 1990,
November 1995
Book two of The Blood of Kerensky Trilogy. The Clans have been stopped temporarily through the sacrifice of a young pilot. Jaime Wolf, commander of the mysterious and elite Wolf’s Dragoons mercenary unit, takes the opportunity to reveal the origin of this new menace: they are the descendants of the Star League Defense Force, which left the Inner Sphereover two hundred years ago after the collapse of the League. The Dragoons, themselves former Clanners, intend to train the heirs of the Successor States to fight and defeat the Clans, if old prejudices and hatreds don’t tear the Inner Sphere apart first. The first real test of this new-found sense of cooperation is the defense of Luthien, capital world of the Draconis Combine. But just what is the ultimate objective of the Clans?
Lost Destiny Michael A. Stackpole September 1991,
December 1995
Book three of The Blood of Kerensky Trilogy. The man once known as Phelan Kell has risen through the ranks in Clan Wolf and now stands to win a coveted Bloodname, the highest honor the Clans can bestow. Kai Allard-Liao is missing and presumed dead in the wake of a Clan Jade Falconattack. Victor Steiner-Davion must mount a rescue of a man who once would have been considered his mortal enemy: Hohiro Kurita. And behind it all, ComStar lurks, ready to betray their Clan allies for the chance to fulfill their destiny as the saviors of humanity.
Way of the Clans Robert Thurston August 1991 Book one of The Jade Phoenix Trilogy. Cadet Aidan of Clan Jade Falcon dreams of one day being a Warrior and contributing his genetic material to his Clan’s breeding program. But first he has to make it out of the sibko, not an easy task when he has to compete against his fellow cadets and endure the scorn of Falconer Joanna.
Bloodname Robert Thurston October 1991 Book two of The Jade Phoenix Trilogy. Aidan is a Warrior, though his path to this role was not one he ever would have imagined. Masquerading as a freeborn named Jorge, he has to hide his true self for fear of his Clan’s reaction. When an opportunity to prove his value comes, Aidan leaps to take advantage of the glory he wins and claim his rightful place among the trueborn Warriors of Clan Jade Falcon.
Falcon Guard Robert Thurston December 1991 Book three of The Jade Phoenix Trilogy. Star Colonel Aidan Pryde has achieved many of the dreams he once had for himself. But the path he took to reach his goals has made him a pariah within the ranks of Clan Jade Falcon, begrudgingly accepted because of the need for as many Warriors as possible to feed the progress of the Clans’ invasion of the Inner Sphere. When ComStarchallenges the Clans to one final decisive battle on the planet Tukayyid, Aidan gets one last shot at redemption.
Wolf Pack Robert N. Charrette April 1992 Wolf’s Dragoons have seen and done it all. With their true identity and purpose revealed during the Clan invasion, they have begun to rebuild both their reputation and their forces. However, an overly-ambitious former Clanner and the insecure scion of Jaime Wolf’s own family threaten to undo everything the Dragoons have achieved in their half-century as mercenaries. Jaime Wolf and his Dragoons must decide once and for all if they belong to the Clans or the Inner Sphere… or perhaps are something different from either.
Natural Selection Michael A. Stackpole July 1992 Raiders equipped with Clan weaponry are hitting worlds along the Clan Occupation Zone/Federated Commonwealth border. Archon-Prince Designate Victor Steiner-Davion and Khan Phelan Ward of Clan Wolf agree to jointly defeat the raiders despite their differences. Melissa Steiner is assassinated by a bomb blast, adding to the tension of the raids.
Ideal War Christopher Kubasik March 1993 Paul Masters is a MechWarrior of House Marik, closely associated with Captain-General Thomas Marik. When Thomas gives him a copy of Le Morte d’Arthur, he becomes part of the newly formed Knights of the Inner Sphere. He is then dispatched to Gibson, where he falls into a political trap between the noble ruler, the rebellious locals, and the Word of Blake, all fighting a Vietnam-like counter insurgency, complete with body counts. The mounting fighting brings in Captain-General Marik, leading him to invade and settle the argument. The rebels bring in nuclear weapons at the climax and Masters is installed as the noble ruler.
Main Event James D. Long May 1993 The Black Thorns, a newly minted Mercenary Company, accepts a garrison contract on the backwater world of Borghese after brutal fighting on the world of Galatea. What seems like a normal tour of duty is punctuated by political infighting and a Clan invasion. Will their charismatic leader lead them to victory against the Clans, or will he lose his command again?
Blood of Heroes Andrew Keith July 1993 Melissa Steiner’s assassination ignited the fires of civil war, and now secessionist factions clamor for rebellion against the Federated Commonwealth, The rebels’ plans hinge on gaining control of the Skye March, and thus controlling the crucial Terran Corridor. Throughout the March, civil and military leaders plot to take up arms against Prince Victor Steiner-Davion. The final piece of the plan requires the secessionist forces to gain access to the planet Glengarry and the mercenary group that calls it home: the Gray Death Legion.
Far Country Peter Rice October 1993 A DEST (Draconis Elite Strike Team) group, accompanied by a small mercenary group, make a misjump from Kurita space and land on a planet inhabited by 500-year-old colonists and a mysterious alien lifeform. Amidst their battles to survive and return to the inner sphere, they form a bond with highly intelligent birds who see them as the fulfillment of their own prophecy.
Assumption of Risk Michael A. Stackpole 1993 Kai Allard-Liao has returned to the world that made his father famous, the gaming planet of Solaris VII. But being the Gaming World’s Champion is the least of his worries as conflicts abound, from the arrival of a former lover to the assassination plot of a political leader.
D.R.T. James D. Long May 1994 The Black Thorns, fresh from their victory at Borghese (but lacking funds) take a high-profile contract on the world of Wolcott, a Draconis Combine world deep within the holdings of Clan Nova Cat and Clan Smoke Jaguar. Prompted by their fiscal desperation, they take on a risky contract that will lead them deep into the Clans. Can they make it out alive, or will they be swallowed by a superior Clan force?
Close Quarters Victor Milán September 1994 First of the Camacho’s Caballeros novels. Hired to provide protection for Chandrasekhar Kurita’s business holdings on Hachiman, Camacho’s Cablleros and Cassie Suthorn begin to feel out a plot to take down the high-ranking noble. When an alliance between his foes threatens Chandrasekhar’s interests, Cassie and the Caballeros face a tough battle between their friends in the Ninth Ghost Regiment and Ninyu Kerai Indrahar, the spymaster manipulating the whole conflict.
Bred for War Michael A. Stackpole January 1995 Covers the origins and the fighting of the Refusal War fought between Clan Wolf and Clan Jade Falcon in 3057. Also covers that forming of the Lyran Alliance and the brief war between the Capellan Confederation, Free Worlds League, and the Federated Commonwealth.
I Am Jade Falcon Robert Thurston May 1995 Star Commander Joanna and Khan Natasha Kerensky face off on the planet Twycross during the Refusal War between the Jade Falcons and the Wolves. For Natasha Kerensky, it is an opportunity to bog down the Falcons while elements of the Wolves flee to the Inner Sphere. For Joanna, it may be her last opportunity to die in battle before being transferred back to the clan homeworlds.
Highlander Gambit Blaine Lee Pardoe June 1995 During the Fourth Succession War, the famed Northwind Highlanders were granted their homeworld by the Federated Suns in return for breaking ties with their employer, the Capellan Confederation. Now thirty years later, an elite Death Commando and descendant of a Highlander is ordered by his ruler to sacrifice everything he is and everything he has to destroy the bonds between the Federated Commonwealth and the Highlanders, even if it means the Highlanders’ destruction.
Tactics of Duty William H. Keith, Jr. August 1995 Alexander Carlyle, the son of Lori Kalmar and Grayson Death Carlyle, and Davis McCall, a veteran legionnaire and native Caledonian, unexpectedly find themselves key players in a popular revolt on Caledonia against a cruel and despised Davion-backed governor. When the Gray Death Legion is called upon to put down this very rebellion, they all find themselves pawns in a deadly game of manipulation and betrayal.
Star Lord Donald G. Phillips February 1996 An heir to the Usurper Stefan Amaris appears deep in the periphery, and it is up to a crack team of Free Worlds League troops to infiltrate his operation and assassinate the would-be Star Lord.
Malicious Intent Michael A. Stackpole March 1996 Set right after the refusal war between Clan Jade Falcon and Clan Wolf, this novel focuses on Clan Jade Falcon’s attack on Coventry, which has the unintended side effect of uniting disparate elements of the Inner Sphere. Vlad of Clan Wolf attempts to rebuild his clan with political intrigue. Time Period covered – December 3057 to June 3058James Swallow reviewed Malicious Intent for Arcanemagazine, rating it a 7 out of 10 overall.[9] Swallow comments that “It seems Stackpole had a list of all the important political happenings in 3058 and has shoe-horned them all into this book. What you get is a ringside seat at the return from the dead of the Wolf Clan, the Jade Falcon Clan’s invasion toward Tharkad, ComStar’s loss of Terra, the start of a grand House-wide alliance, and some interesting hints about future events, including a Clan/House pact cemented by lust and mutual interest. Epic.”[9]
Hearts of Chaos Victor Milán June 1996 Camacho’s Caballeros are sent to the planet Towne, where hints of a plot against the Combine continue to surface. Once there, they find the planet split between support for the local Davionists, and the desire for stability among the Draconis Combine. Behind the Combine troops, however, lie the Kokoryu-Kai, a mysterious organization that wants to overthrow the Coordinator of the Combine.
Operation Excalibur William H. Keith, Jr. August 1996 The Gray Death Legion detaches themselves from the planet Glengarry, and takes service with their erstwhile enemy, the rebellious governor of Hesperus. Under the guise of turncoats, they play a dangerous game of brinkmanship that culminates in a battle among the ‘Mech factory itself. Can they bring Hesperus back into the Lyran Alliance, or will they destroy the factory they swore to protect?
Black Dragon Victor Milán November 1996 On the Coordinator’s Birthday, Camacho’s Caballeros are invited to Luthien to be honored for their work on the planet Towne. However, while they wait for their honors, Cassie Suthorn begins to unravel a plot to kill the coordinator. With Ninyu Kerai Indrahar’s help, she finds the Kuroyu-kai plotting a nefarious scheme to kill the Coordinator with his own bodyguards. If they interfere, the Caballeros could be branded murderers, but if they don’t, the future of the Combine could be in jeopardy.
Impetus of War Blaine Lee Pardoe December 1996 The Draconis Combine hires out the famous Northwind Highlanders for a daring mission into clan space. ‘Cat’ Stirling and Loren Jaffrey take the Stirling Fusiliers to the planet of Wayside V deep behind clan lines for a strike on the Smoke Jaguar’s supply lines.
Double-Blind Loren L. Coleman April 1997 Using fast and furious hit-and-run tactics, Marcus GioAvanti and mercenaries have earned a tough reputation throughout the Inner Sphere. But the Inner Sphere isn’t where their newest job is taking them—because their latest employer resides in that remote and mysterious region of space known as the Periphery. Marcus and his Angels will have to face the real force behind the hostilities—the religious cult known as Word of Blake.
Binding Force Loren L. Coleman July 1997 February 3058 – The year of the Horse. The Capellan Confederation is trying to “pacify” the Chaos March – starting with the Sarna Supremacy. House Hiritsu is assigned to take Sarna, but the House Master is assassinated at the time they arrive into the system. Aris Sung – a young mechwarrior – fights his way through the campaign, trying to find the killer of the House Master, survive the war – and prove that the will of the House Master is the will of the House.
Exodus Road Blaine Lee Pardoe August 1997 Book one of The Twilight of the Clans series. The Smoke Jaguars are one of the most powerful Clans, yet are the most savage and demanding on their people. When one mechwarrior Trent feels that his clan has betrayed him, a captured ComStar agent convinces him to travel the Exodus road not once, but twice, and returns with a prize worthy of the Inner Sphere: Huntress, the Capitol of Clan Smoke Jaguar!.
Grave Covenant Michael A. Stackpole September 1997 Book two of The Twilight of the Clans series. The states of the Inner Sphere have reformed the Star League, and begin the campaign to destroy Clan Smoke Jaguar, while the Clans plan to continue the invasion. Within the clans, however, warden and crusader tensions may doom a resumption before it starts. Can Lincoln Osis lead the Smoke Jaguars to victory, or will they be annihilated, tooth and claw?
The Hunters Thomas S. Gressman December 1997 Book three of The Twilight of the Clans series. Task Force Serpent has the Eridani Light Horse, MacLeod’s Regiment of the Northwind Highlanders, 1st Kathil Ulhans, 11th Lyran Guards, ComGuards, Kingston’s Rangers, 1st Knights of the Inner Sphere, and two Special Forces teams. Not to mention its WarShips, and Space Craft. All commanded by Marshal of the Armies Morgan Hasek-Davion. Its mission is to reduce Huntress, homeworld of Clan Smoke Jaguar, to an agrarian planet. But how can these once-rival forces combine, and are their enemies lurking amongst them?
Freebirth Robert Thurston February 1998 Book four of The Twilight of the Clans series. Mechwarrior Diana is sponsored for an attempt to earn the Pryde bloodname, and Star Captain Joanna is assigned as her trainer, leaving them both bound for Ironhold. Meanwhile, Horse, now also a Star Captain, is dispatched to the Clan Jade Falconoutpost of Falcon’s Eyrie on the Smoke Jaguar homeworld of Huntress, on a special mission for Khan Martha Pryde. When there, he finds secret research by the scientist caste, and must fight to restore their clan’s honor. Little do they know that soon after they leave, a far greater force will arrive on Huntress…
Sword and Fire Thomas S. Gressman August 1998 Book five of The Twilight of the Clans series. Huntress, capitol of the Smoke Jaguars. After the death of Marshall Morgan Hasek-Davion, Ariana Winston, the General in charge of the Eridani Light Horse, is chosen to lead Task Force Serpent. As they wind their way among the stars, they finally reach their goal and begin the pacification. However, a new wave of Jaguars is on its way from the Inner Sphere, pushed out by Victor Steiner-Davion’s Operation Bulldog. Can they survive this new influx of clan troops, or has their task been doomed all along?
Shadows of War Thomas S. Gressman September 1998 Book six of The Twilight of the Clans series. Morgan Hasek-Davion is dead. Arianna Winston is leading a desperate defensive on Huntress while enraged Clan Smoke Jaguar troops flood the field. As the Serpent forces lose more and more men, death seems certain. But in the knick of time, Operation Bulldog arrives and eradicates the last of the Smoking Jaguars. But in the wake of their victory, Victor Steiner-Davion reveals the true goal of their fight: Strana Mechty, the homeworlds of the Clans, itself!
Prince of Havoc Michael A. Stackpole December 1998 Book seven of The Twilight of the Clans series. Victor Steiner-Davion leads his battered, but victorious forces to Strana Mechty, and begins the bidding process for the Clan invasion itself. The Inner Sphere mechwarriors fight for honor, for hope, and for their lives, and in the end emerge victorious. But Clan Wolf Khan Vlad Ward lets off a parting shot as the coalition forces leave his homeworld: the Inner Sphere may not be as stable as when they left.
Falcon Rising Robert Thurston March 1999 Book eight of The Twilight of the Clans series. After the Great Refusal, Khan Marthe Pryde of Clan Jade Falcon decides to sharpen the Clan’s talons in the Inner Sphere, and allows Freeborn Mechwarrior Diana, daughter of Aidan Pryde, to compete for a bloodname.
Threads of Ambition Loren L. Coleman May 1999 Book one of The Capellan Solution. Isis Marik, fiancé of Sun-Tzu Liao, is attacked in Capellan Space by a rogue St. Ives Compact unit. This gives Sun-Tzu the excuse he has been waiting for to go to war with the Compact. Despite their small numbers, the Compact forces put up the fight of their lives to maintain their freedom.
The Killing Fields Loren L. Coleman August 1999 Book two of The Capellan Solution. Sun-Tzu Liao’s “Xin Sheng” movement has picked up momentum with the occupation of many St. Ives Compact worlds, but as the fighting continues into a bloodier conflict both sides are left to wonder what they are fighting for.
Ghost of Winter Stephen Kenson October 1999 A MechWarrior series novel – Set on a snowy backwater planet where raiders have discovered that a cache of Clan second line mechs remains hidden. The nearly non-existent militia must not only find it first, but then figure out of a way to get the raiders off their planet.
Roar of Honor Blaine Lee Pardoe October 1999 A MechWarrior series novel about a conflict between Clan Ghost Bear and Clan Wolf.
By Blood Betrayed Blaine Lee Pardoe,
Mel Odom
November 1999 A MechWarrior series book focusing around a backwater planet in the Rim Collection and a young MechWarrior’s quest to find his brother’s betrayer.
Dagger Point Thomas S. Gressman April 2000 SLDF’s Eridani Light Horse has been dispatched to St. Ives Compact on a peacekeeping mission only to find a world where its people have turned completely hostile towards them.
Illusions of Victory Loren L. Coleman May 2000 A novel of the FedCom Civil War centering around a Solaris VII fighter. Time Period covered – 10 August 3062 to 31 August 3062 (Prelude is September 3059)
Measure of a Hero Blaine Lee Pardoe July 2000 First Archer Christifori novel, concerns the FedCom Civil War. Time Period covered – October 3062 to February 3063 (Prologue is April 3060)
Path of Glory Randall N. Bills December 2000 A novel about an alliance between Clan Nova Cat and the Draconis Combine at the beginning of the FedCom Civil War.
Flashpoint Loren L. Coleman April 2001 A novel of the FedCom Civil War. Time Period covered – 8 October 3062 to 10 December 3062 (Prelude is March 3060)
Test of Vengeance Bryan Nystul June 2001 A book centering around Clan Ghost Bear and an elemental’s attempt to rise in rank within the clan.
Patriots and Tyrants Loren L. Coleman September 2001 The Federated Commonwealth & Lyran Alliance begin to collide into beginnings of what will become the FedCom Civil War. Victor Steiner-Davion can no longer ignore the troubles in his former realm.
Call of Duty Blaine Lee Pardoe October 2001 Second Archer Christifori novel. A novel of the FedCom Civil War. Where Archer and his Avengers must confront legendary mercenary unit, Snord’s Irregulars, and convince them to join Victor’s army on eve of their contract expiring.
Initiation to War Robert N. Charrette November 2001 A MechWarrior series novel – Epsilon Eridani is being raided by pirates. The federated government is helpless to aide. Now, the local counties governments call for volunteers to man Battalion of Battlemechs to fend off the enemy. However, who really is the enemy?
The Dying Time Thomas S. Gressman January 2002 A MechWarrior series novel – Grayson Death Carlyle was the young son of the commander of Carlyle’s Commandos, a mercenary unit employed by the Lyran Commonwealth. Now he goes on his death bed, after years of radiation and unimaginable wounds from the Mech cockpit. His wife takes up the reins as the Death Legion embark on their greatest challenge since their birth. The Gray Death Legion return to Hesperus but this time to protect the facility during the raveges of the FedCom Civil War, once Sky Separatist launch a major assault, their survival, even as Katharine’s most beloved merc unit comes into question.
Imminent Crisis Randall N. Bills March 2002 A MechWarrior series novel – A novel of the FedCom Civil War set around the Capellan March capital and its internal struggles. Duke Haesk directs his 8th Syrtis Fusiliers & its allied forces attempt to fight off regiments of Katrina Steiner-Davion’s FedCom loyalist army from taking over Syrtis.
Storms of Fate Loren L. Coleman April 2002 First Prince Victor Steiner-Davion, continues his campaign to win the FedCom Civil War and fight Katrina (Katherine) Steiner-Davion’s loyalist troops.
Operation Audacity Blaine Lee Pardoe June 2002 Third Archer Christifori novel. During the FedCom Civil War, Clan Jade Falcon attacks and seizes planets in the Lyran Alliance. Prince Victor Steiner-Davion sends Major General Archer Christifori to check the Clan advance by taking Clan worlds behind those recently captured. Time Period covered – 23 May 3064 to 27 February 3065
Endgame Loren L. Coleman August 2002 Prince Victor Steiner-Davion and his allies attempt to crush the Loyalists under Victor’s sister, Katrina and bring an end to the FedCom Civil War.