Falcon Rising

from all your reviews i think this a good book.i hope it is.:)

I've been into BattleTech for some time, but have only recently started up on the novels. I've read a few other Twilight of the Clans books and liked them, but this one was the cream of the crop. Sure, the 'Mech battles are a bit boring, but it was a good book. It is not ridiculous for one warrior to defeat three 'Mechs or the Black Widow, and the Clan culture is very interesting, if a bit alien. Of course, I'm a bit biased, being a Jade Falcon lover in a crowd of Inner Sphere book reviewers. To summarize my thoughts, if you like the Falcons or are neutral, but this book. If you hate them (you freak), stay away.

Whereas consensus here seemed to state that the plot was OK, but the characters were lacking, I think the reverse. The best part of the Battletech universe is not the tedious mech battles (which serve as a good backdrop), but the idea that each faction is complex. No one is a good guy or bad guy, its all a matter of perspective. What I like about Thurston's writing is that (for the most part) the characters aren't either Kai Allard good, or Katrina evil. The characters act in a fresh, unexpected and more lively manner than most other predictable Btech characters. I thought Freebirth was a great example of that, but it seemed to be jeered non-stop. The plot was fairly standard and cliche, but I did like the idea of the inter-clan scientist rebellion. The way I see it, leave it to Stackpole for the big plot twists and stuff and Thurston for fleshing in of details (no offense to the other fine authors).

This book was the best in the Twilight series. Thurston is my favorite BattleTech author anyway, and this was no exception. Finally some other author than the utterly boring and totally pro FedCom Stackpole is allowed to seriously affect BT history. Hopefully, FASA will allow Coleman and Pardoe the same, and ditch Stackpole and his papercard thin characters.In any case, the political maneuverings and battle descriptions were well done, and as usual, the characters complex and intresting.

This book depicts the resurgence of Clan Jade Falcon with great style and imagination. Thankfully Thurston dropped most of the battle scenes, and focused on the storyline instead. It'd be interesting to what happens next in the Battletech universe.