Path of Glory (Battletech, 49)

Rating:
Summary: Decent addendum to the main fasa plot
Review: This average btech novel mainly serves as throw in for some open questions after the Star League's successful attempt to bring a decisive end to the clan invasion of the inner sphere.
The issue dealt with focusses on Clan Nova Cat's search for a new home and a new identity within the Draconis Combine. At the same time Randall Bills uses his book to roughly describe the problems at hand for the current 1st Lord of the SL, Theodore Kurita. On one side is the impending civil war that threatens the Federated commonwealth; on the other side looms imminent desaster as the Combine is lead into a clash with the mighty Ghost Bear Dominion.
Considering all these ancillary conditions Bills manages quite well to weave a coherent story around his main protagonist Mechwarrior Zane. Yet, at the end, I cant deny the feeling that too many issues were left a bit short, and questions which arose during this novel were left unanswered. But, sadly, this has become a major problem for the majority of recent btech novels as too few books are being used to describe the political developments of over 25 involved factions in a short and recapulating manner, whereas at the same time, the original focus of btech, which is mech combat, also shouldnt fall too short.
Under these aspects Path of Glory needn't stand back behind most of the other btech novels since the end of the 'Blood of Kerensky' trilogy: There is a plot and people involved, there is some mech combat, there are several side infos for the main fasa plot, but in the end everything comes a tad short.
Bottom line: The interested btech reader, who wants every tiniest piece of info bout the general fasa story, might want this book to fill some gaps. But the average sci-fi reader, who's tempted to read some btech novel to get his routine dose of war machine combat, might want to look for some more detailed and exciting reading.

Rating:
Summary: Disappointing
Review: This book was disappointing. The old writers used well defined characters and story lines. I was disappointed to learn of the Nova Cats sudden outcasting along with the sudden death of the main character. Fasa really needs to contact the old writers and get them back.

Rating:
Summary: Too little action
Review: Too little action and the Mech which the Hero(Mechwarrior Zane) pilots seemed like invincible with more armour than a Daishi. Also, how can a mech with a single PPC destroy so many others mech. Very little information about Clan Nova Cats and too much internal thinking and dialogue. I can't say this for other readers, but for me, it ain't tensing enough.