Heir to the Dragon

BattleTech Universe #9

by Robert N. Charrette

Theodore Kurita is heir apparent to the Draconis Combine, one of the most powerful realms of the Inner Sphere. But the Draconis Combine has never been a place of smooth transitions. Historically, a Kurita proves himself fit to lead by a successful bid for power - political or... otherwise.

His perilous journey to power is a twenty-year odyssey of lethal encounters and narrow escapes. And at the end awaits the most dangerous foe of all, the man whom Theodore must one day depose - his own father.

Genres: Science Fiction, Fiction, Ebooks, Audiobook, Science Fiction Fantasy, Role Playing Games

384 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1989

About the author

Credited on some German editions as "Robert N. Charette".

Reviews

[Olethros · Rating 3 out of 5]

-Intriga familiar y política, sociedades secretas y mechs.-

Género. Ciencia ficción.

Lo que nos cuenta. En el libro Heredero del dragón (publicación original: Heir to the Dragon, 1989), y tras un inesperado encuentro con una sociedad secreta, Theodore Kurita se gradúa el primero de su clase en la Escuela de Sabiduría del Dragón y se convierte en un MechWarrior al servicio de la Casa Kurita y del Condominio Draconis, del cual es heredero. Recibirá un Mech muy especial y servirá en el Distrito Militar de Raslhague, donde además de combates descubrirá que hay intrigas muy finas de distinto calibre y detrás de las que, en algún caso, puede haber alguien muy cercano. Novela independiente dentro de la serie Battletech pero que se puede situar entre el final de la trilogía El sol y la espada y el comienzo de la trilogía La sangre de Kerensky.

¿Quiere saber más de este libro, sin spoilers? Visite:

http://librosdeolethros.blogspot.com/...

[Adam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Probably more of a 3.5

After finishing Wolves on the Border I was excited to dive into Charrette's next book "Heir to the Dragon". However, I don't think this book was as good as the prior. It suffers from being an almost too ambitious story, which was a flaw that "Wolves on the Border" had as well, but it wasn't as bad, because the timeline was more condensed. However, I still think "Wolves on the Border" could have been two very excellent novels instead of just one.

"Heir to the Dragon," if you can't guess from the title, is the story of Theodore Kurita's rise to power. Therein lies the greatness of the book and a bit of it's downfall. Theodore's story is awesome and I think Charrette did an excellent job fleshing out his character and his close friends throughout the book. The real problem with the story is Charrette tries to tell a long story way too fast. He tries to tell Theodore's story from birth up until the current era in BattleTech. Chapter's are sometimes three to five pages in length, but will suddenly skip months and years. There are chapters where I feel like there's a cliff hanger, and it's just never really resolved, because we jumped two years!

The feud between Takashi and Theodore is well established though. The book maintains the running theme of the expectations of the father and the rebellion of the son. There was a time where Takashi relegated his son to the Legion of Vega, a misfits 'Mech command, but Theodore won their hearts. I wanted to see more of him working with this group, because they were an interesting group within the realms of the Draconis Combine. But I felt rushed into the Fourth Succession war where all of a sudden the region was being invaded by Steiner forces! Sure, the 'Mech battles were epic and well written, but I missed the pre-amble and felt like I truly wanted to care more about the Vega troops.

From here we watch Theodore grow as a commander and try to circumvent his father's orders and instead win the hearts of loyal troops to Theodore in order secure a more tactically sound position in battles. For this rise of Theodore's power Charrette did slow things down a bit and I felt it was much more fleshed out... and all the more enjoyable because of it! There are even sections where he fills in some unanswered questions from "Wolves on the Border". I was also pleased to see Michi take a major role in this novel, with two people that have left the Dragoons to follow Michi on his quest to avenge Minobu. However, we never really learn where the Dragoons went. Did they go to Davion? Wolf's whereabouts is left entirely unknown.

Eventually we get to the famed war of 3039 where the Dragon fought off a joint Davion and Steiner invasion into their realm. We have major revelations concerning ComStar during this time, like the fact that it is confirmed from the Warrior Trilogy that ComStar has been keeping a Star League era cache of 'Mechs secret and has been training their own armed forces. In fact their forces are quite formidable, to the point where they were loaned to the Combine in exchange to free Rasalhague making it possible for Theodore to find victory in the war of 3039. Unfortunately, very little time is spent on this massive war and I felt that, perhaps, a full novel should have been devoted to it. Apparently the lack of 3039 detail was not lost on the developers because in a later sourcebook they gave even more detail in Classic Battletech: Historicals War of 3039.

So, in the end, the book was great. It was a pretty wild ride and extremely enjoyable. But I really wish this had been it's own trilogy. It could have easily been on par with Stackpole's Warrior Trilogy. This is also the last novel in the first series of books before BattleTech has a major change to it's era. After this they skip to the Clan Invasion of 3050. So, after this I've decided to read the sourcebook Battletech: 20 Year Update which brings all regions up to date for the next era. If you're really into the lore of the series I'd recommend picking that up as well, because some major things happen with the transition from Federated Sun and Lyran Commonwealth to the massive Federated Commonwealth.

[Brian Turner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Follows the career of Theodore Kurita, heir to the Draconis Combine.
Covers quite a long time span (3018 - 3040), so there's the Fourth Succession War to contend with as well as trying to modernise the DCMS behind his tradition-bound father's back.

Some of the chapters are quite short, and you need to look at the dates on each chapter to know if the events are following on directly from the previous one or if several years have passed.

The characters are done well, and some familiar Battletech events are slotted in to the view from Theodore's side as they happen around him.

[Johnny Bennett · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the vast expanse of the BattleTech universe, "Heir to the Dragon" by Robert N. Charrette stands out as a compelling narrative that skillfully weaves action, light romance, and political intrigue. This novel traces the tumultuous journey of Theodore Kurita, heir apparent to the Draconis Combine, a formidable realm within the Inner Sphere. Set against a backdrop of ceaseless power struggles, Theodore's path to leadership is fraught with lethal encounters, betrayals, and a relentless quest for survival.

Spanning two decades, Charrette's narrative is an odyssey that captures the essence of a warrior destined to lead, and possibly confront, the most formidable adversary of all—his own father. This familial tension adds a poignant layer to the story, enriching the political and military machinations that define the Draconis Combine.

Often cited as one of the best novels within the BattleTech series, "Heir to the Dragon" excels in delivering a narrative that is both accessible to newcomers and deeply satisfying for long-time fans. The novel cleverly integrates elements from previous entries in the series, providing a series of narrative hooks that enrich the reader's engagement with the broader lore of the universe.

The pacing of the book is brisk, with the narrative segmented into a series of vignettes that span various phases of Theodore's life. This structure keeps the momentum high and allows for a rich exploration of the character's evolution amidst the backdrop of interstellar conflict. The action sequences are particularly well-crafted, capturing the thrill and strategic depth of mech battles that are a hallmark of the BattleTech series.

Perfect for both teenagers and adults who revel in tales of giant robots and intergalactic warfare, "Heir to the Dragon" manages to be accessible without diluting the complexity of its world-building. Mild content warnings apply, but nothing in the narrative is excessively objectionable, making it a suitable entry point into this storied universe.

Robert N. Charrette's "Heir to the Dragon" is a robust addition to the BattleTech series, offering a rich blend of action, strategy, and personal drama that captures the imagination and solidifies its standing within the genre.

[Clint the Cool Guy · Rating 1 out of 5]

I got 32% through it, and just can’t read this anymore. In fact, I’ve found that I’ve been unable to finish any of Robert N. Charrette’s Battletech books. They are all super dry and boring.

The problem with this book is the author spends so much time telling instead of showing. Many chapters, the book skips ahead a year or more. Then you’ll get a long info dump about what happened in between the chapters. Sometimes the author just does this directly. Other times, he does it through the extremely annoying technique of expeditionary dialogue between characters.

And then when he does show stuff, it leaves you wondering why he showed it. Unknown people plotting Takashi Kurita’s death, for example. Much time is spent on this. Why? We don’t know who these people are, or have any reason to care about them. Only we are told that Takashi is a “tyrant”. Why? He is not shown in any way to be a tyrant. But the author doesn’t give you any reason to care whether Takashi is killed or not, so it doesn’t even matter.

That’s another problem. We get introduced to a lot of random characters, but the author never gives you a reason to care about any of them. Only Theodore is fleshed out somewhat. The others are all interchangeable no names, performing random pseudo-Japanese ceremonies.

I gave it my best, and read the whole thing long ago. But I’m just not interested in what happens next in this book. Theodore could get captured by the clans or cooked with an inferno rocket for all I care. He’s not a compelling character, and there are much better sci-fi books out there to read. Not recommended.

[Nathan Willard · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have absolutely no recollection of reading this book 30 years ago, but that seems incredibly unlikely. In the Battletech world, this follows Theodore Kurita's rise to become the effective head of the Draconis Combine over his increasingly-unstable father, Coordinator Takashi Kurita. Told in a somewhat epic style, we get snippets of his life and motivations from his exile with the Legion of Vega, to his early successes in the Fourth Succession War, recruitment of the yakuza, and rebuilding of the DCMS into an effective opponent of Hanse Davion by the war of 3039.

I have memories of being deeply curious about a number of events in this book that I'd assumed had happened offscreen (like the entire war of 3039!), so really can't imagine how I had read it. But I at least knew The Sword and the Dagger existed and that I hadn't read it (because it was hard to get). So, a mystery!

Anyway, the writing tends to drag a bit, but the insight into societal reformation was good, as was the methods by which Theodore gained influence. There were some conflicts I didn't fully understand and that didn't seem to pay off.

[Heiki Eesmaa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Badly structured, which a lot of other reviews mention as well. My guess is that the author was very limited by other products in the franchise and 'had' to write about particular moments. All in all the motivations of main characters remain unclear. Is it that the Kurita warrior culture has led their faction into downfall? Takashi's pitting sub-factions and warlords against one another has led to a waste of resources, including the whole Wolf's Dragoons contract and affair, so now the realm is in danger of invasion? My best guess.

I read it because I was hoping more about Wolf's Dragoons after the previous book about them. There's really very little except a few shared characters and mentions. Charrette is a fairly good franchise writer so it's not a pain to read, but you'll easily find a better book.

[James T · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed Charette’s Shadowrun books so I checked out the other game universe he’s written in. It’s ok. The book has an interesting mixture of Dune and Shogun as its inspirations but with giant mechs. Ultimately, the mechs are under utilized and there is a lot more politicking and dialogue than Mech combat. The chapters are very brisk. It’s decent, at times exciting but at other times felt like a chore. It often felt like important parts were left unwritten while some of the chapters felt superfluous.

2.5/5

[Justin · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you want a quick history of Theodore Kurita before the big events of the 3050's this is it. Getting an understanding of all of the different players in the Draconis Combine can be tricky and this book touches on a lot of how the Coordinator and his family developed into the characters most readers are familiar with.

It does skip around a few years and hints at events from other books but overall it was a good introduction to House Kurita and Inner Sphere politics.

[Mirage · Rating 5 out of 5]

Una fantástica historia sobre el nacimiento y entrenamiento de Theodore Kurita para llegar al poder en el Condominio Draconis. Una historia que todo fan de la saga disfrutará enormemente, narrando las historias en las que este personaje desarrollo sus increíbles habilidades de mando hasta llegar a un punto que obviamente se convierte en un "continuará" como siempre ocurre en el universo Battletech. Una gran lectura que probablemente algún día repita.

[Kavinay · Rating 4 out of 5]

The bad guys in Battletech are just always more fascinating than the factions the developers actually encouraged us to empathize with.

Charrette and Thurston are basically the best writers of BT fiction. My only knock on this book that Book 2 and on starts to get really fragmented with a vast array of other Inner Sphere plot threads being touched upon.

[Michael T Bradley · Rating 2 out of 5]

Another one I listened to via heavily abridged audio book. I remember a lot of family strife and nobody really standing out, characterwise. Not terrible, but not something I'll seek out in full-length.

[Dave · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good

[Andrew Richey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Definitely in the top percentile of "books that accurately describe the top speed of Inner Sphere battlemechs in kph"

[Joel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting world building and some compelling characters made this a 'good enough' read for me, but it all feels a bit too sketched and brief to land as well as I'd like.

[Nick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book 9 of the BattleTech series, covers a good part of Theodore Kurita's life and events that shaped him and his armies. Good companion to Wolves of the Border.

[Chris Ainsworth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pulpy and fun, less mech adventures than the others, but an enjoyable read. Thank you, internet people, for sorting through the piles of Battletech books to recommend the best of the lot.

[Andrew · Rating 2 out of 5]

BOOOOORING

[Freya · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best one yet.

[Craig E · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent read, gives depth to the Dragon!

The personal perspective of how Theadore Kurita rises to lead the Combine is addictive, smart, and loyalty to his mentor is inspiring.

[Haakmed · Rating 3 out of 5]

To many time skips with little intro to know that they happened. Understood the objective but could have done with better transitions.

[Andrés Pérez Camarasa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Same as the last one, smaller stories, character stories, but not deep enough to be of real interest outside of the fandom.
It feels like the down time of a bigger story, wich it is.
Three stars because I'm still a fan of the series, but a subpar book nevertheless

[Eric Lawson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Heir To The Dragon covers roughly forty years in the life of Theodore Kurita, the heir to the position of Coordinator in the Draconis Combine. Estranged from his father, Takashi Kurita, Theodore has a difficult life trying to reform the Draconis Combine military.

Trying to cram roughly forty years in a few hundred pages is a difficult task. This book is a good attempt but ultimately it fails. The story jumps around, at times only a few pages covers many years of action. It is still a good companion to Wolves on the Border, a story that runs in parallel to this one.

[Rocky Sunico · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another Charette exploration of the history of the Draconis combine. Not as fun as Wolves on the Border, but still a great story. Charrette's passion for Japanese culture seems to mirror my own, I suppose.

A great story still and very complex - the author has a knack for capturing the diverse political wheels routinely crafted by the Houses of the Inner Sphere very well and he certainly has a good feel for their motivations and quirks.

[Bill]

I registered a book at BookCrossing.com!
http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/12395997

[Eamonn Bke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very enjoyable!