Author Topic: Let's Slip the Dogs of War by Bryan Young  (Read 1282 times)

Wrangler

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Let's Slip the Dogs of War by Bryan Young
« on: 28 September 2024, 11:49:21 »
I finally got to my queue of books to read this gripping story from Mr. Young.

This was really good. For a novela, it felt like a real full novel to me. Just long enough that you had a full feeling of a complete story, while still being able to build up the characters in the conflict they were in.

I hadn't known Calamity Kell had pulled a Morgan Kell and splitting up Kell Hounds  in this case forming whole new mercenary the Ghost Dogs.

Fighting on Hammer against Marian Hegemony invasion in 3148. Both sides feeling the pressure the conflict,  nether the bad guy, soldiers pressed carry out their duty.

Great read!
"Men, fetch the Urbanmechs.  We have an interrogation to attend to." - jklantern
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Swankmotron

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Re: Let's Slip the Dogs of War by Bryan Young
« Reply #1 on: 29 September 2024, 15:02:19 »
I'm really glad you enjoyed it!

I really love trying to make both sides make sense and not make cartoons of one or the other. And this was a story I've been itching to tell for a long time. I really love the Ghost Dogs and hope you like their other adventures, both the one that has already come out and those that are yet to!

Arkansas Warrior

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Re: Let's Slip the Dogs of War by Bryan Young
« Reply #2 on: 29 September 2024, 19:47:48 »
Intriguing.  I really enjoyed the first Ghost Dogs story, but I’m also a long-time MH fan.  Gotta finish the latest Shrapnel first, but it’s next in my queue.
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Arkansas Warrior

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Re: Let's Slip the Dogs of War by Bryan Young
« Reply #3 on: 26 October 2024, 21:23:29 »
Ok, finally got around to this.  My major complaint is that it's too short, but I guess novellas can be written and published faster.  I just would like to have seen more than a couple of battles 'on-screen', as it were.  It seemed a bit condensed for an entire invasion of a world.  But that's not on you, to be sure.  Really powerful and unusual (for BT) use of loss, and the way soldiers respond to casualties, I really liked that.  BT sees a lot of cases of people dying in battle alongside friends and even family, but we rarely see it have the lasting repercussions on the psyche of those left behind that we get here, which made it all the more powerful, I thought.  I was worried, after the scene early on, that it was going to turn into a political allegory for...things I can't get into because of Rule 4, which would have been a negative on several levels, I think: first, because if a major plot point can't be discussed on the CBT Forums without everyone getting banned, how do we discuss the book?  But also, the previous BT novels that get heavily into political allegory (thinking mostly of Dagger Point and Ideal War) were fairly poorly received; I think people come to sci-fi in general, and BT in particular, to get away from that sort of thing; if we wanted political arguments we'd doomscroll social media.  So I was glad that it was mostly just that one scene.  As a Marian fan, I was a bit disappointed that they fell so easily into the "broadcast fake unit IDs on an old, easily broken code" trope, but they're the antagonists, they had to lose, and given the numbers disparity tricks were probably mandatory.  C'est la vie.


A question RE: the Ghost Dogs' organization: Why do all of their officers (except the XO) drive Wolfhounds?  I mean I know Dan Allard made the Wolfhound an iconic Kell Hounds mech all the way back in the Warrior Trilogy, but it seems like it would make them very vulnerable to decapitation, when the COs are in the lightest, most easily destroyed mechs the unit fields.  It seems an odd tactical choice, in-character.  "A philosophy consistent with their cultural values, but contrary to the principles of sound military organization", to borrow a saying from Kevin Killiany.


All in all, another in a long line of great small-unit merc stories.  As much as I like a good grand-narrative-advancing spine novel, these small tales of small units are probably my favorite BT.   Keep 'em coming.
Sunrise is Coming.

All Hail First Prince Melissa Davion, the Patron Saint of the Regimental Combat Team, who cowed Dainmar Liao, created the Model Army, and rescued Robinson!  May her light ever guide the sons of the Suns, May our daughters ever endeavour to emulate her!

Swankmotron

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Re: Let's Slip the Dogs of War by Bryan Young
« Reply #4 on: 27 October 2024, 16:17:31 »

A question RE: the Ghost Dogs' organization: Why do all of their officers (except the XO) drive Wolfhounds?  I mean I know Dan Allard made the Wolfhound an iconic Kell Hounds mech all the way back in the Warrior Trilogy, but it seems like it would make them very vulnerable to decapitation, when the COs are in the lightest, most easily destroyed mechs the unit fields.  It seems an odd tactical choice, in-character.  "A philosophy consistent with their cultural values, but contrary to the principles of sound military organization", to borrow a saying from Kevin Killiany.


So, there are a few reasons that I chose these for the command 'Mechs for the officers of the unit.

First, I liked the idea of this being a tradition for this particular unit. They're much more into subterfuge than stand up fights; if they're in a stand up fight, they're already on plan Z for how their unit works. Second, it's like a tradition for them. The Wolfhound represents a lot of what the Kell Hounds mean to them, so it's an iconic look of a ’Mech. Third is supply lines. The reason you see a lot of similar 'Mechs is because Ilsa is a good XO. It's easier to source parts for a ton of similar 'Mechs and keep spare parts handy for fewer of the same 'Mechs than if everyone in all three lances had their own favored 'Mechs, so keeping the command 'Mechs with the command consoles and equipment the same meant they could be a little more interchangeable.

At least that was my thinking for the history of the unit. When I read up on the Wolfhounds, the unit they were prior to becoming the Ghost Dogs, they were "most self-sufficient unit of the Kell Hounds" and that made me really think they would probably have a lot of identical 'Mechs to cut down on a lot of those supply line issues and more common 'Mechs to make parts easy to obtain.

Also, I think the Wolfhound looks really striking and iconic on the covers, so I thought it would be good in that regard. And they're available in plastic. Since I started writing and have had people complain (in a loving way) that not all of the Fox Patrol 'Mechs are available in plastic, I've started to be a little more conscious of trying to include more of the "hero" 'Mechs in my stories that a little bit easier for folks to get their hands on.

And I feel like--if it's not in the two Ghost Dog stories so far, it must be in one of the ones I've written that might not have come out yet--Hank thinks at one point about all the commanders that set themselves up in Assault 'Mechs because they don't fight with their heads, they fight with their armor. And the Ghost Dogs are supposed to be thinking with their heads. And if the commander is the one in the lighter ’Mech, they're going to be thinking a LOT harder for everyone.

Maybe not the best answers, but that's generally what I was thinking.

Arkansas Warrior

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Re: Let's Slip the Dogs of War by Bryan Young
« Reply #5 on: 27 October 2024, 19:14:51 »
Wait, I didn’t realise this unit predated your two stories (so far.  I look forward to more!).  Where else do they show up?


Edit: Also, that makes a lot of sense.  It did occur to me that Wolfhounds are a good choice logistically, but I was thinking of them not needing ammo, not about parts commonality and the like.
« Last Edit: 27 October 2024, 19:21:02 by Arkansas Warrior »
Sunrise is Coming.

All Hail First Prince Melissa Davion, the Patron Saint of the Regimental Combat Team, who cowed Dainmar Liao, created the Model Army, and rescued Robinson!  May her light ever guide the sons of the Suns, May our daughters ever endeavour to emulate her!

Swankmotron

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Re: Let's Slip the Dogs of War by Bryan Young
« Reply #6 on: 28 October 2024, 08:20:05 »
Well, they haven't appeared in any other stories I've written, but the Wolfhounds existed as a Kell Hound unit in the lore prior to this, and have been mentioned as the "most self-sufficient Kell Hounds unit" and there's spare mentions of them here or there in sourcebooks and such. So they were a pre-existing Kell Hounds unit that got sent to ground by Callandre.

There are definitely more stories coming with them. I've written at least three; a short story, a novella, and a really long novel, so we'll see when they all come out. And if folks like them, I'd love to write more.

Wrangler

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Re: Let's Slip the Dogs of War by Bryan Young
« Reply #7 on: 28 October 2024, 14:33:43 »
Does their Ghost Dog's insignia have colors?  I don't think I remember what livery was but insignia colors would be interesting.
"Men, fetch the Urbanmechs.  We have an interrogation to attend to." - jklantern
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Swankmotron

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Re: Let's Slip the Dogs of War by Bryan Young
« Reply #8 on: 29 October 2024, 07:33:42 »
Their livery is the same pattern as the Kell Hounds, but pink and light gray instead of red and black, and then they've added some light blue highlights. I hadn't offered colors for the insignia. I figured the designers, if they got around to making one if the Ghost Dogs became popular enough, would have wiggle room to determine what the colors were.

Caesar Steiner for Archon

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Re: Let's Slip the Dogs of War by Bryan Young
« Reply #9 on: 01 November 2024, 16:54:43 »
The Wolfhound represents a lot of what the Kell Hounds mean to them, so it's an iconic look of a ’Mech.

It actually just occurred to me now that the Wolfhound and the Kell Hounds second regiment have the same origin story: Katrina Steiner wrote someone a check and said "get it done."


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Wrangler

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Re: Let's Slip the Dogs of War by Bryan Young
« Reply #10 on: 03 November 2024, 12:09:22 »
Third Regiment was Blue Blazers mercenary unit became the 2nd battalion during the  but ultimate 2nd Regiment, the Scrapping Pack. by 3050s.   

Crescent Hawks merged with hounds as well, but they broke off by Dark Age.   Do we know which regiment the Ghost Hounds came from?  Or we need wait?  :grin:
"Men, fetch the Urbanmechs.  We have an interrogation to attend to." - jklantern
"How do you defeat a Dragau? Shoot the damn thing. Lots." - Jellico 
"No, it's a "Most Awesome Blues Brothers scene Reenactment EVER" waiting to happen." VotW Destrier - Weirdo  
"It's 200 LY to Sian, we got a full load of shells, a half a platoon of Grenadiers, it's exploding outside, and we're wearing flak jackets." VoTW Destrier - Misterpants
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MoneyLovinOgre4Hire

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Re: Let's Slip the Dogs of War by Bryan Young
« Reply #11 on: 04 November 2024, 00:59:24 »
Was hoping for more War Dogs.
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