Most of the driving books in the series, the ones that moved events in the game universe foreward, were written by Michael Stackpole. Due to monetary disputes with the old battletech license holder, Stackpole left the series. Loren Coleman was tapped to complete the last two books in the series. He had a unenviable task: picking up from a well loved writter, then having to bring closure to the story line. While the written voice is not Stackpoles, Coleman writes a sound and worthy conclusion to the series.

This book details the end of the FedCom civil war, in which the rightful heir to the FedCom throne defeats his younger sister (who usurped the throne through manipulation and matricide) for control of the realm. Without revealing the ending, it doesn't quite turn out that way.

What is most sad about the book is that it is an ending. We know that the universe is being fast forewarded 60 years after this book. (The franchise did this about ten years ago as well.) These characters that we have grown so fond of will never be the same, if they are still alive. The book ends with several twists and poigniant revelations, which leave you wondering what will happen next. Sure, it's a set up for the new series of books (in which some of the questions are answered,) but its sad to leave our old friends in that moment.

Because it's a battletech novel, I guess there had to be pages spent on mech's fighting, but they serve more as a distraction than anything else. The character of Katherine Steiner is stereotypically vain, selfish and greedy; less genuine than in other installments. The book could have used fewer fight scenes and more emphasis on characterization.


Thanks from the author   March 18, 2004
 6 out of 6 found this review helpful

I'd like to thank everyone who made my time as a BattleTech author an enjoyable one. I had a great deal of fun writing these stories. Hopefully you had as much reading them. Endgame is the last official -paperback- novel for Classic BattleTech, and I did my best to wrap up as many major plotlines as I could. Don't forget, however, that the stories coninue in the MechWarrior: Dark Age novel line (circa 3130) and the BattleCorps.com project which stays with the original and historical timelines. Let all your friends know that official BattleTech stories will continue!


The end?   September 4, 2002
 4 out of 4 found this review helpful

Having followed the Battletech storyline for over a decade, I must say that I'm sad to see the current plots end. However, Mechwarrior: Dark Age should brighten my spirits. This novel ends the FedCom civil war well. It appears that there was a word limit placed on this book, so alot of action takes place in a very short time. Regardless, Victor and his cadre of close friends must press on towards toppling Katherine. The main action mostly takes place on Tharkad and New Avalon, but all of the major storylines are brought to a conclusion. Some endings are rather abrupt, but adequate. Readers will see what happens to Agents Curaitis and Francesca as they try to find direct evidence of Katherine's involvent in Melissa Steiner's assasination, whether or not Ryan Steiner's, Melissa Steiner's, and Omi Kurita's assasin can pull off yet another escape, and, of course, who wins the FedCom civil war. The stage has been set for the new Mechwarrior series. Hopefully, we will see some of the characters from this generation pop up in the new series, maybe the children of our favorite main characters? Kudos to Randall Bills, Loren Coleman, Thomas Gressman, Chris Hartford, and Blaine Pardoe for finishing up the story in style.


ENDGAME   October 13, 2002
 1 out of 1 found this review helpful

As with other mechwarrior fans, the ending was swift. There seemed to be some story line missing as Katherines realm ended very quickly. The Thorin, were are you??? A two book ending would have filled in the missing finshing plots and angles and charcter self interests. The book in itself was good. Thanks to all the writers of the series, they did great. I became a book reader again due to the thrilling action packed pages of the Battletech universe. :-)


Endgame (Battletech, 56)   January 4, 2003
 1 out of 1 found this review helpful

I loved the Battletech Series while it was going... but this finally was anti-climactic at best. It did tie up most of the main political storylines... and most of the characters seemed true to their previous writings, of which ones were included anyway. Several key players were left out of the finally... or written as ghosts mentioned in passing but no real place in the book.
Even worse than that... The author began a new storeyline in the last few pages of this book... the last of the series. Yes, I know Wiz Kids picked up the contract to keep the same writers working on the new storyline... but it's several genrations later... there's no room for this ghostly storyline to grow.
In short, it felt like a hurry-up ending... following an old outline, without any real depth. About the only new development was the expansion of Peter and Isis as characters rather than shadows. I was happy to read it... and anyone else following the story will want to read it, but overal I felt cheated.