Blood Avatar: A Battletech Novel

A decent whodunnit novel. I would say 3.5 stars, but I'll round up today. As another reviewer wrote, "I'm surprised I enjoyed this novel." It was written fairly well and the suspenseful story really did pull me in. I still don't get how the detectives came to some of their conclusions, but what can you do? Strangely enough, the only thing I DIDN'T enjoy about the novel was how it was tied into the Mechwarrior universe. I think it would've been much better (and really wouldn't have required many changes, to be honest) as a stand-alone novel. On a side note, I found the sporadic and inconsistent use of profanity rather odd. I have no problem with profanity, but I don't see why the author chose to drop the F-bomb in one sentence, then have the same character use a silly euphemism (like "frack") the next. Oh well.

This book, and Ilsa Bick, are both extremely underrated in the BT/MW universe. The problems most people state are 1) overly complicated plot, 2) extreme violence, and 3) for this book only, no mech combat. I agree the plot is a bit convoluted and the violence is shockingly graphic, which I like since it IS a murder story and the violence keeps it from feeling childish. I have a feeling that this book will be extremely relevant to the overall story of the MW universe, though we will probably have to wait another year or so to see the connection. I see this whole book as one giant example of foreshadowing. It should give the true BT fan goosebumps. You know there has to be some connection you aren't seeing to some deeper, shadowed mystery. How is it as a detective novel? I couldn't stop reading it, right up until I was done. What more do you want?

This book was a little Angels and Demons, a little CSI, and a little Heat of the Night. It's kind of a departure from the norm in the series in that there are some deeper adult themes, and a lot more swearing etc. This book is not for the under 18 crowd. I am a diehard Battletech fan and this is one of the best books I have read in the series in a long time! Despite the lack of mechs, it was a real page turner. As a warning note, you really need to have a LOT of background in Battletech and Mechwarrior to REALLY get the full effect of the ending. All in all nicely done by the author, who from what I understand got flamed on the internet for not putting any mechs into the storyline. For all her detractors, I think this story just proves once and for all that the Battletech universe is rich enough to stand on it's own without the massive tinplated lizzies running around! Ahh but I do love those mechs!

It took me a month to decide to read the book after reading the introduction. I didn't enjoy her last book (Daughter of the Dragon), and these first few pages were even *more* violent and pointless. Luckily, the introduction had virtually no connection to the rest of the book... and the main reason it lost a star is because that's really pretty bad form. The story was interesting. It wasn't anything like most Battletech books. And much as the ending was convoluted, it did give a sort of satisfaction that perhaps this whole Dark Ages concept really is going somewhere... (This is, of course, 4 stars for the Battletech fan. Non-fans shouldn't bother.)

The MechWarrior Dark Age series latest book, "Blood Avatar," is one of the best books of the series so far. That being said, it is worthy and important to note that no 'Mech battles are featured in this book. Rather, this book is essentially a stand-alone volume that moves the overall plot of the series and sets the stage for future volumes. Subtle and intriguing hints are sprinkled throughout the book, giving tantalizing clues to what is driving events in the MechWarrior universe. The plot of the story centers around a backwater town on a backwater world, seemingly far from and unconnected to other events in the MechWarrior universe. A disgraced cop is assigned to investigate a murder of a tourist. However, clues start to build and mysteries multiply. The book ends up with numerous twists and turns, and unlike most MechWarrior books, nothing is for sure until the final page, and even then some questions and mysteries remain. For readers who have read "The DaVinci Code" and enjoyed it, they should find themselves pleasantly surprised and enjoy this book as well (given, of course, that they are also MechWarrior fans). There are some predictable elements, but the main plots of the book will be satisfyingly twisted. There are, of course, some minor problems with the book. Editing, like many others in the series, misses a few finer points for example, but are easily overlooked. The book also takes for granted that the reader has a fair working knowledge of the MechWarrior/Battletech universe beyond what has been presented in the Dark Age series to date. However, these are minor problems in a book that is one of the best page turners in the series. I can highly recommend the book to fans of the series, and recommend it well to fans of the classic Battletech series as well!