Without Question

[MoneyLovinOgre4Hire]

Got it this morning, finished it.  Thought it was a lot better than A Question of Survival, which was really brought down by both Star Colonel Hall (who, quite frankly, came across as being heavily incompetent at nearly everything thanks to his massive losing streak and really not having a valid reason to accept Jiyi's batchall).  And also because Without Question moved out to where it was establishing new events rather than just telling the story of things that had already been printed in Tamar Rising.

[Swankmotron]

Got it this morning, finished it.  Thought it was a lot better than A Question of Survival, which was really brought down by both Star Colonel Hall (who, quite frankly, came across as being heavily incompetent at nearly everything thanks to his massive losing streak and really not having a valid reason to accept Jiyi's batchall).  And also because Without Question moved out to where it was establishing new events rather than just telling the story of things that had already been printed in Tamar Rising.

I can't tell you how freeing and exciting it was to write events beyond the sourcebooks again.

I'm glad you enjoyed it!

[MoneyLovinOgre4Hire]

I also enjoyed the Fox Patrol cameo.  Honesty, I feel like Katie and Star Commander Alexis should be pen pals or something.

[Orwell84]

Finished it today and quite enjoyed it, enough to give it 5/5 on Goodreads. The Jade Falcons have never quite been my favourite Clan but from Aidan Pryde to Malvina Hazen there's rarely been a dull moment with them, and this novel continued that trend.

Liked both of the main characters and the overall story, even if one of them [spoiler]being blown up by Hasara's treachery[/spoiler] and the death of [spoiler]Tomasin[/spoiler] were sad moments. [spoiler]Nikita Malthus seizing power and re-instituting Mongol rule[/spoiler] had me on edge - thankfully that didn't take. Breaking new ground past Tamar Rising was also welcome, and I'm very curious as to [spoiler]who is in those two DropShips at the end.[/spoiler] Hope IKEO has the answer to that one.

Malvina's time at the helm was an interesting (if horrifying) era for the Clan, but IRL the Mongol era needed to end and this book does well at showing us the transition phase to a wiser and better Clan.

Bugsy and the mercs on Antares were an amusing addition, hope to see more of the Lone Wolves.

The [spoiler]re-naming of the state to Jade Falcon Free Zone[/spoiler] was a nice touch. Hopefully this and Chistu's other reforms will stick.

[Swankmotron]

Finished it today and quite enjoyed it, enough to give it 5/5 on Goodreads. The Jade Falcons have never quite been my favourite Clan but from Aidan Pryde to Malvina Hazen there's rarely been a dull moment with them, and this novel continued that trend.

Liked both of the main characters and the overall story, even if one of them [spoiler]being blown up by Hasara's treachery[/spoiler] and the death of [spoiler]Tomasin[/spoiler] were sad moments. [spoiler]Nikita Malthus seizing power and re-instituting Mongol rule[/spoiler] had me on edge - thankfully that didn't take. Breaking new ground past Tamar Rising was also welcome, and I'm very curious as to [spoiler]who is in those two DropShips at the end.[/spoiler] Hope IKEO has the answer to that one.

Malvina's time at the helm was an interesting (if horrifying) era for the Clan, but IRL the Mongol era needed to end and this book does well at showing us the transition phase to a wiser and better Clan.

Bugsy and the mercs on Antares were an amusing addition, hope to see more of the Lone Wolves.

The [spoiler]re-naming of the state to Jade Falcon Free Zone[/spoiler] was a nice touch. Hopefully this and Chistu's other reforms will stick.

I appreciate the kind words and the review. It's amazing how much Amazon and Goodreads reviews help.

I'm glad the tension [spoiler]of that Malthus situation[/spoiler] kept you on the edge of your seat. It was a lot of fun to write. But I think you're right. A lot of the point of this is for the Falcons to find their soul and center again after so many years of being unabashedly awful.

[Caesar Steiner for Archon]

A lot of the point of this is for the Falcons to find their soul and center again after so many years of being unabashedly awful.

Jiyi very much comes off like a good person who spent most of his life being taught wrong things. By the time he comes onto the scene, he's been outside that bubble for a while, but you can still see the way some of these things have a hold on him. In a way, a lot of the last section of the book is teaching him that if he can simply fix the problems he sees by decree, that someone else could (and does) come in and do the same to all the progress he makes. I really wanna see what he makes of this lesson and how he reacts when he realizes he's basically setting up the same system the Great Houses use.

[tassa_kay]

[spoiler]Jade Falcon Free Zone[/spoiler] has a certain ironic humor to it.

[Orwell84]

[spoiler]Jade Falcon Free Zone[/spoiler] has a certain ironic humor to it.

  didn't even think of that, nice pun if it was deliberate.

[JAMES_PRYDE]

didn't even think of that, nice pun if it was deliberate.

Yep, even I thought it was funny Tonge in cheek

Even though I am still of the opinion that it should be called "Jade Falcon Space" "Clan Jade Falcon Space", [spoiler]Or in the new co-governmental structures[/spoiler] "Jade Hegemony"

But the novel was excellent, all hands down, and yes very gripping in and while [spoiler]Jiyi was out of action[/spoiler] Actually nearing the end of those tense moments, I was kind of thinking [spoiler]you were going to pull a rabbit out of the hat [/spoiler]

Good direction you have taken us in too, good sir. End wrap up / Epilogue was good too, ranks and Bloodnames too. Finally new cannon too in general

Question though, [spoiler]Why any explosion near his cockpit anyway, could not a fancy pyro technics show be set up, as while he was out of action poor civvies suffered[/spoiler]

With a plot hole around Baxter. [spoiler]In the end of NSFV he was going round to nearby planets, as written in WQ, but in the former, he was also broadcasting news about Stephanie and her new Blackwatch, but not in WQ. Is this a cannon correction ? As I am aware that BLP wrote NSFV[/spoiler]

[spoiler]So planets we can add to our Space?Morges, Antares, "Jangso city" /A Place?[/spoiler]

Looking forward to more

Bargained Well and Done !

[Swankmotron]

Question though, [spoiler]Why any explosion near his cockpit anyway, could not a fancy pyro technics show be set up, as while he was out of action poor civvies suffered[/spoiler]

With a plot hole around Baxter. [spoiler]In the end of NSFV he was going round to nearby planets, as written in WQ, but in the former, he was also broadcasting news about Stephanie and her new Blackwatch, but not in WQ. Is this a cannon correction ? As I am aware that BLP wrote NSFV[/spoiler]

[spoiler]So planets we can add to our Space?Morges, Antares, "Jangso city" /A Place?[/spoiler]

Answers!

[spoiler]Why the Explosion? Hasara says he screwed that up and made the explosive more powerful than they were supposed to. Jiyi wasn't supposed to be out of commission, but it was to let people see her treachery so he could deal with her publicly in a different way. It didn't work out.

As for Baxter's signals, I thought narratively adhering to that wouldn't work and since he's off camera after he leaves, it's not something that anyone needs to worry about on Jerangle. Also, fact check didn't flag it. So, there we go.

And yes, those are part of the Jade Falcon Free Zone now.[/spoiler]

[JAMES_PRYDE]

Thanks for the response 

[Generic Clanner 24601]

I enjoyed it and left a review at Barnes and Nobles since that's where I get my electronic books (and I haven't touched my Amazon account in forever).

[spoiler]I figured Jiyi survived his cockpit explosion. I mean if Malthus survived her ending in her previous book (at least I kept telling myself that), I figured he'd be coming back, but I couldn't figure out how and finished the book as soon as I could. I was pleasantly surprised that Hasara turned out be loyal. I am curious if he also got a Bloodname and what is if he did. [/spoiler]

[Swankmotron]

I enjoyed it and left a review at Barnes and Nobles since that's where I get my electronic books (and I haven't touched my Amazon account in forever).

[spoiler]I figured Jiyi survived his cockpit explosion. I mean if Malthus survived her ending in her previous book (at least I kept telling myself that), I figured he'd be coming back, but I couldn't figure out how and finished the book as soon as I could. I was pleasantly surprised that Hasara turned out be loyal. I am curious if he also got a Bloodname and what is if he did. [/spoiler]

We'll see in the future!

[MoneyLovinOgre4Hire]

I guessed that [spoiler]Jiyi survived primarily based on the assumption that an attempt by the Falcons to go back to Mongol Doctrine wouldn't be allowed both in and out of universe.[/spoiler]

[Swankmotron]

I guessed that [spoiler]Jiyi survived primarily based on the assumption that an attempt by the Falcons to go back to Mongol Doctrine wouldn't be allowed both in and out of universe.[/spoiler]

It would be allowed out of universe. To be sure. I think there might be some misconceptions about how the last big story summit went, but everything and anything was on the table and we hashed out everything so we could point the universe in the best direction as we saw it. So, anything could have happened and it would have been given the go ahead if it were the best idea.

[Orwell84]

It would be allowed out of universe. To be sure. I think there might be some misconceptions about how the last big story summit went, but everything and anything was on the table and we hashed out everything so we could point the universe in the best direction as we saw it. So, anything could have happened and it would have been given the go ahead if it were the best idea.

I actually did kind of expect that [spoiler]Chistu had survived the bombing somehow[/spoiler] but [spoiler]him being really dead[/spoiler] would have made a good subversion of expectations so figured it could go either way. The reason why is what you wrote above.

[Caesar Steiner for Archon]

I figured he wasn't going to die just because I saw how much book was left, but I did appreciate that everything didn't go according to plan. It made the end of the book more interesting than just "a-ha! I have outsmarted you. Now, let me explain to you how it was that you were outsmarted!"

[MoneyLovinOgre4Hire]

Yeah, that was a nice touch.

[Generic Clanner 24601]

I figured he wasn't going to die just because I saw how much book was left, but I did appreciate that everything didn't go according to plan. It made the end of the book more interesting than just "a-ha! I have outsmarted you. Now, let me explain to you how it was that you were outsmarted!"

[spoiler]It was more, "Aha! I outsmarted you. Maybe not quite as much as I wish I had..."[/spoiler]

[Swankmotron]

[spoiler]It was more, "Aha! I outsmarted you. Maybe not quite as much as I wish I had..."[/spoiler]

What Jiyi lacks in high intelligence he makes up for with moxie.

[MoneyLovinOgre4Hire]

Reading through the novel a second time and noticing that though there's multiple characters piloting Turkinas in a variety of situations, everyone uses the Prime even if a different config would have been more suited for a given battle.

[Frabby]

Reading through the novel a second time and noticing that though there's multiple characters piloting Turkinas in a variety of situations, everyone uses the Prime even if a different config would have been more suited for a given battle.

It's an old BattleTech running gag that the defining aspect of OmniMechs is ignored in fiction and they are always straightjacketed in standard configurations because then you could sell record sheets in the 1990s instead of largely blank sheets with pod space. At the same time, every regular BattleMech has to have a gazillion variants and on top of that every named pilot has to have a customized ride. Or even a "customized Omni loadout", as if that could be a thing (looking at you, Natasha Kerensky!).
 

[MoneyLovinOgre4Hire]

Or in the case of Mike Stackpole, every omnimech always mounted pulse lasers and a Gauss Rifle.

[Swankmotron]

It's an old BattleTech running gag that the defining aspect of OmniMechs is ignored in fiction and they are always straightjacketed in standard configurations because then you could sell record sheets in the 1990s instead of largely blank sheets with pod space. At the same time, every regular BattleMech has to have a gazillion variants and on top of that every named pilot has to have a customized ride. Or even a "customized Omni loadout", as if that could be a thing (looking at you, Natasha Kerensky!).
 

There's two answers to this.

1 - There are thematic ties to Dawn and Alexis that made me want them to pilot the same sort of ’Mech with the same loadout.

2 - It's easier to keep track of one loadout for a ’Mech and keep it consistent through the story. And no matter how much I pore over the record sheets and Sarna entries, I always manage to mess SOMETHING up that fact check needs to come back and say, "You know that ’Mech doesn't have jumpjets, right?" or something. So it's a streamline for me. As I write more BattleTech, I'm positive I'll get more adventurous.

[MoneyLovinOgre4Hire]

Well, that's fair.  I can recall more than one novel where a character's mech switched loadout mid-battle.

[jimdigris]

Or in the case of Mike Stackpole, every omnimech always mounted pulse lasers and a Gauss Rifle.

What's not to love about pulse lasers and gauss rifles? 

[MoneyLovinOgre4Hire]

Well, when you've got characters who have custom Daishi configurations yet they never use them in fiction because they're always piloting the Daishi A regardless of the situation...

[Lyran Wolf]

Without Question was an enjoyable read.  I can definitely get behind these Falcons.

There is a bit of irony in the fact that these Falcons seem to be carrying the closest thing to the Warden torch we may see in the ilClan era.  The best praise I can give is that if you keep that up I may be forced to jump ship from my beloved (former) Exiles.  I've been wanting a clan to lean further into the Protector aspect, and the vestigial part of their ideology that says the warrior caste is there to protect the other castes, and to minimize the horrors of war.

Well done.

[Swankmotron]

Without Question was an enjoyable read.  I can definitely get behind these Falcons.

There is a bit of irony in the fact that these Falcons seem to be carrying the closest thing to the Warden torch we may see in the ilClan era.  The best praise I can give is that if you keep that up I may be forced to jump ship from my beloved (former) Exiles.  I've been wanting a clan to lean further into the Protector aspect, and the vestigial part of their ideology that says the warrior caste is there to protect the other castes, and to minimize the horrors of war.

Well done.

Glad to have you aboard!

[Arkansas Warrior]

I got an email Wednesday when I was deep into it that there was an updated version, what changed, precisely?  I really enjoyed it, by and large.  These are the Falcons I can come the closest to getting behind.  But I did notice some things that could have been typos that were kind of immersion breaking, where I'd have to stop and reread a paragraph or page trying to parse it.  Wasn't sure if I was just missing something, but that may be what was changed.


[spoiler]One thing that surely wasn't a typo was Jiyi calling Malthus a fascist in their final duel.  That struck me as very strange.  I mean, the Clans as a whole aren't much for pre-Star League history, but even assuming Jiyi is an erudite and well-read clanner (entirely likely), fascist just seems like a weird and irrelevant term of abuse for him to use.  I mean, the clans all have some fascist elements, but that's not really what makes the Mongols stand out from Jiyi's Falcons.  It *did* immediately put me in mind of the "Everyone I don't like is Hitler" meme, but...a clan Khan seeming to reference a 21st century meme is why it broke immersion for me.
[/spoiler]