Author Topic: NEW RELEASE: "The Anvil" and "A Splinter of Hope" Novellas (Read 18679 times)

Cubby · « **on:** 29 July 2018, 19:44:58 »

Just finished the two new novellas, "The Anvil" and "A Splinter of Hope," and can't wait to discuss them? Fire away!

(Remember, spoiler rules apply--hide that text where necessary!)

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A Splinter of Hope: Violent expansion of the Capellan Confederation and the Draconis Combine has cost recently crowned First Prince Julian Davion both his mentor and countless Federated Suns worlds. To rally his people, he funnels the fires of justice into an ambitious yet risky campaign to retake a vital system: New Syrtis, the occupied capital of the Capellan March. However, the Capellan people have fought dearly for their prize and will do anything in their power to hold onto it. Will Julian’s gamble preserve the future of the Federated Suns, or is the invasion doomed before it even begins?

The Anvil: Khan Malvina Hazen of Clan Jade Falcon is known throughout the Inner Sphere as a merciless, bloodthirsty tyrant. The next target for her scorched-earth, take-no-prisoners tactics is the Lyran Commonwealth world of Coventry: a persistent stain on the Jade Falcons’ history. But not all Falcons follow Malvina’s lead. Ordered to take Coventry at any cost, Galaxy Commander Stephanie Chistu wishes to see her Clan victorious, but no victory is worth the Jade Falcons losing their very soul. To stand up to tyranny and find an honorable path forward for her Clan, she must balance the razor’s edge between duty and honor—or die trying.

bpardoe870 · « **Reply #1 on:** 29 July 2018, 20:38:54 »

Evil grin and chortle mode engaged...

Blaine "Buck" Pardoe

MrKiasu · « **Reply #2 on:** 29 July 2018, 20:40:17 »

Will these be available from the Catalyst store, or just those currently listed?

Cubby · « **Reply #3 on:** 29 July 2018, 20:40:54 »

Quote from: MrKiasu on 29 July 2018, 20:40:17

Will these be available from the Catalyst store, or just those currently listed?

Hm...should be. I'll check.

Bedwyr · « **Reply #4 on:** 29 July 2018, 20:44:27 »

Kindle books preordered.

Vulp · « **Reply #5 on:** 29 July 2018, 21:55:04 »

Any suggestions from those behind the scenes as to the reading order of these vs. Shattered Fortress? I read on Blaine's blog that "The Anvil" was based off a few paragraphs in the sourcebook. Does the Shattered Fortress summarize any plot points or reveal any dramatic turns better experienced narratively?

I am very excited about the return of new fiction and was thinking of reading the novellas first when they come out. Thanks to all who helped make this happen!

Kles · « **Reply #6 on:** 29 July 2018, 21:59:20 »

I finished reading The Anvil earlier (would have done that yesterday, but sadly no WiFi at work to download to my Nook). So glad to have fiction moving us forward again. I came in during the later stages of the Clan invasion and the fiction has always been a highlight for me.

Bosefius · « **Reply #7 on:** 30 July 2018, 00:02:01 »

Quote from: Vulp on 29 July 2018, 21:55:04

Any suggestions from those behind the scenes as to the reading order of these vs. Shattered Fortress? I read on Blaine's blog that "The Anvil" was based off a few paragraphs in the sourcebook. Does the Shattered Fortress summarize any plot points or reveal any dramatic turns better experienced narratively?

I am very excited about the return of new fiction and was thinking of reading the novellas first when they come out. Thanks to all who helped make this happen!

From what I've seen others say, read the novellas first.

Colt Ward · « **Reply #8 on:** 30 July 2018, 00:19:57 »

Cubby · « **Reply #9 on:** 30 July 2018, 04:54:01 »

Novellas first—and that’s probably a good rule going forward, if/when there’s a situation like this again, fiction and a related sourcebook releasing at about the same time.

Management has said many times that they want “fiction to drive the universe again.” What that means to the rest of us is that you may find more enjoyment in experiencing events “as they happen,” viscerally and through the eyes of the characters living them, and then consult the sourcebook to see how it all fits into the bigger picture.

This is a flip from recent years, where sourcebooks were the main—and really, only—momentum forward. For all the good work BattleCorps produced, in many cases the authors were doing the reverse of what I just described: taking a few paragraphs or even less than that from a sourcebook, and expanding it into a fiction story. No shade, I did that with “Permanent Losses.” But these novellas work differently.

Fat Guy · « **Reply #10 on:** 30 July 2018, 09:49:53 »

I liked that the seeds of [CENSORED] demise have been planted. ;)

abou · « **Reply #11 on:** 30 July 2018, 12:00:55 »

About halfway through The Anvil as that was available on B&N. It's good. Some of the dialogue is a bit much, but it fits the pulp action as always. Definitely some stuff I didn't see coming.

Deadborder · « **Reply #12 on:** 30 July 2018, 17:33:05 »

Nevermind; ignore this

Kitsune413 · « **Reply #13 on:** 31 July 2018, 23:56:36 »

Surprisingly Amazon released these right at midnight...

Happy reading trothkin.

Geont · « **Reply #14 on:** 01 August 2018, 00:05:21 »

Any info when I can get them on Drivethrurpg?

Zu-Sang · « **Reply #15 on:** 01 August 2018, 01:04:45 »

I have to say in my first speed-read of Splinter of Hope it's very good. Finally a presentation of the Battletech universe that is the grey I (personally) always imagined it to be.

If this continues the way it's going this will truly be a year for Battletechs resurgence. Bravo and well done all.

Kitsune413 · « **Reply #16 on:** 01 August 2018, 01:05:55 »

You can read the first two chapters on Barnes and Noble if you want something to hold you over.

As the smallest possible spoiler, Malvina Hazen wanting to touch absurdly hot things even with her prosthetic arm makes me think that she never bought off her slow learner trait from character creation...

Geont · « **Reply #17 on:** 01 August 2018, 02:03:06 »

Quote from: Kitsune413 on 01 August 2018, 01:05:55

You can read the first two chapters on Barnes and Noble if you want something to hold you over.

As the smallest possible spoiler, Malvina Hazen wanting to touch absurdly hot things even with her prosthetic arm makes me think that she never bought off her slow learner trait from character creation...

Well, I have read the samples... now I want more. XD

I don't know who introduced Malvina Hazen but I truly hate her and I am still waiting for her demise. The moment they novellas will be on DriveThru* I am buying both of them.

Kitsune413 · « **Reply #18 on:** 01 August 2018, 03:05:03 »

I'm probably misremembering but I think George R.R. Martin was her author.

Deadborder · « **Reply #19 on:** 01 August 2018, 05:20:41 »

Quote from: Kitsune413 on 01 August 2018, 03:05:03

I'm probably misremembering but I think George R.R. Martin was her author.

That is a very cruel and unfunny joke

RanFelsnerAFFS · « **Reply #20 on:** 01 August 2018, 05:21:27 »

Having both being delivered today, any reccomendation in reading order?

The Anvil before Splinter of Hope or vice versa?

Cubby · « **Reply #21 on:** 01 August 2018, 06:48:59 »

They’re independent stories, so it shouldn’t matter. For what’s it’s worth, though, the events of the novellas are basically simultaneous—“The Anvil” runs more or less concurrently with “Splinter.”

AmBeth · « **Reply #22 on:** 01 August 2018, 09:34:51 »

Got them both today, and loved them! So nice to see some new fiction.

No spoilers, but they clear up a couple of things that we were left wondering about after ER3045, unless I've missed a source book, (status of New Avalon I'm looking at you!).

Also refreshing to see deeper motivations and reasons that the longer fiction allows; Julian actually feels multi-faceted to me now :thumbsup:

Cubby · « **Reply #23 on:** 01 August 2018, 10:02:42 »

Quote from: AmBeth on 01 August 2018, 09:34:51

Julian actually feels multi-faceted to me now :thumbsup:

Definitely. He felt too heroically one-dimensional in the MW:DA novels. Then was given these Big, Interesting Things to Do in ER3145 and FM3145--but because they're sourcebooks, we obviously didn't get a first-hand view of his perspective as a character.

It's to Phil's credit that he could fuse the two concepts in a successful way. And the novella definitely benefited from its expansion from the original Campaign Ops fiction.

Tai Dai Cultist · « **Reply #24 on:** 01 August 2018, 10:23:55 »

I'm curious how "The Anvil" might have turned out as a full length novel instead of the shorter-length novella. I was a bit disappointed on two fronts: Malvina being one dimensional evil and the fifteen [spoilered]s.

With more room to work, Malvina could have been something more than just a peripheral force of nature. And it's hard to discuss the [spoilered] without spoiling the plot, but again with more room to work the "will she or won't she" could have actually been suspenseful. For example, just as I could have been thinking "oooh, NOW she's gonna bend!" the protagonist got a bail-out by the story rapidly coming to a close.

Then again maybe my complaints ultimately stem from being a Malvina fanboy and she wasn't exactly given sympathetic treatment in this book :D

abou · « **Reply #25 on:** 01 August 2018, 10:53:08 »

I was glad to see both of these come out on days that I happened to have off. They were nice to read through in one morning.

Having read A Splinter of Hope just now, I have to say that these two books certainly hammer home the point that no one is safe -- as if The Anvil already didn't do that. I never read the Dark Age novels and so being introduced to a lot of these characters is interesting.

What I think is most interesting are the results of Daoshen Liao's decisions -- even if the decision-making is off screen. An attack on New Syrtis is an attack on the Confederation, which itself is an extension of the Chancellor; who sees himself as a god. To attack a god invites not just retribution, but divine retribution. That can manifest as some horrendous consequences.

I will be curious to see what happens afterward as a result.

MarauderD · « **Reply #26 on:** 01 August 2018, 11:08:43 »

Question for the non-technologically savvy.

I don't have a kindle or a nook. I just want to read the dang thing on my iphone. Any recommendations where to buy and how to do so?

Thanks for helping a guy out!

abou · « **Reply #27 on:** 01 August 2018, 11:18:14 »

Both devices have respective apps that should allow you to view them on your phone. I know at least the Nook does.

Cubby · « **Reply #28 on:** 01 August 2018, 11:23:29 »

Quote from: MarauderD on 01 August 2018, 11:08:43

Question for the non-technologically savvy.

I don't have a kindle or a nook. I just want to read the dang thing on my iphone. Any recommendations where to buy and how to do so?

Thanks for helping a guy out!

Use iBooks. It's one of the pre-loaded apps that I know I ignored until literally an hour ago.

nckestrel · « **Reply #29 on:** 01 August 2018, 11:25:51 »

I use the kindle app on my iPhone.