Review: Mercenary’s Star

After having read Decision at Thunder Rift, let me present you my review of the second book from the first trilogy of books set in the BATTLETECH universe: Mercenary’s Star.

Mercenary’s Star follows the Gray Death Legion’s first contract: supporting a rebellion against the Draconis Combine on planet Verthandi. They face a courageous, albeit inexperienced population of rebellious farmers, political intrigue, and tough battles involving agricultural! ‘Mechs. It’s about fighting to survive and build their reputation as a company of mercenaries. But it’s also about freedom, feelings and character growth. Not too much of course.

To a classic BATTLETECH player, Mercenary’s Star offers a solid dose of what makes the universe compelling. Here’s a brief review from my perspective as a Classic BATTLETECH tabletop gamer.

Classic BATTLETECH Feel

The book captures the gritty, war-torn atmosphere of the Succession Wars era. It delves into the realities of mercenary life, where survival depends on skill, luck, and hard choices. This resonates strongly with players who appreciate the tabletop game’s focus on tactical combat and resource management.

The portrayal of ‘Mech combat is well-written. The action sequences, evoke the intense and stressful feeling of piloting these massive war machines. There’s a lot of sweating, bleeding and dying going on! Again, I sensed strong 80s vibes while reading this book. Also the stark contrast between Grayson’s veteran mercenaries and the rookies they are training plays out very nicely during combat against the Kuritan garrison troops. Albeit all the coolness going on here, don’t expect a masterpiece of Science-Fiction literature. It’s definitely not.

Gray Death Legion Lore

Mercenary’s Star is a key part of the Gray Death Legion saga, a fan-favorite storyline. It expands on the development of Grayson Carlyle and his unit, providing valuable background for those invested in the lore.

For players who enjoy the narrative aspect of BATTLETECH, this book offers a deeper understanding of a pivotal mercenary company. Especially now, that the franchise’s Mercenaries line of expansions recently came out.

World-Building

The book contributes to the rich tapestry of the BATTLETECH universe, exploring the politics and conflicts of the Inner Sphere. Again, the planet, Verthandi, is well described, and the book also comes with two maps.

As did the previous story, this one helps to provide context to the back stories that the tabletop game is based upon. In my opinion, there’s even enough meat and inspiration between these covers to develop your own rich gaming campaign.

Points to consider

Like many older trivial sci-fi novels, some elements may feel dated to today’s readers. Some may even find some interactions and scenes a bit dull, but I personally think that’s part of its retro charm, especially to me as an 80s kid.

As was the first part of the trilogy, Decision at Thunder Rift, Mercenary’s Star is definitely an entertaining, light-hearted read for fans of classic BattleTech seeking to immerse themselves in the universe’s lore and experience the thrill of mercenary combat, and I hope my review was useful to you. I, personally enjoyed the story, and I will definitely read the final book in the Gray Death trilogy: The Price of Glory.