Reviews

By Blood Betrayed by Mel Odom, Blaine Lee Pardoe

dewey_the_composer's review against another edition

adventurous fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

It's pulpy and that's to be expected. But the writing is way too transparent. The author spent too much time drilling into our head that Harley's sole motive was to figure out how his brother died and that's why he joined the Acers as a MechWarrior. It's a strained premise, I think, and was repeated over and over. 

And this is hardly a spoiler, but when your book is about finding a traitor, calling it "By Blood Betrayed" is really just a giveaway. Who's the only person related by blood in the book? The brothers. Who betrayed them? The brother. Making Harley kill his brother in the end was a neat twist. Which sounds macabre but the characters weren't characters. They were just tools for a plot to move forward. So it's hardly an inhumane thing for me to say.

Anyway, I like having the drama under the Mech battles even if it's completely contrived. Maybe I can make a Mech campaign with that underlying drama. 

brian's review against another edition

4.0

Part of the Mechwarrior series, it doesn't really have anything to do with events going on in the Battletech universe at the time of its setting.
This makes it a good read for someone new to the setting, or that just wants a decent standalone sci-fi novel.

The title is a dead giveaway, so the ending comes as no surprise, but there's good action backed up with fairly well written characters.