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BattleTech Universe #20
Assumption Of Risk
The bestsellingBattletech series continues. Machine against machine, rebel against Commonwealth forces--Assumption of Risk is the apocalyptic battle and slug-fest between two armies determined to annihilate each other. Original.
384 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 1993
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
April 21, 2023
Stackpole is definitely the best writer of this series. I enjoyed this story more than the others as there were more twists and more of the human element.
May 19, 2013
Assumption of Risk, by Michael Stackpole, continues the story of Victor Steiner-Davion and his ruling of the Federated Commonwealth. Victor is still hunting for who hired the assassin that killed his mother. Kai Allard-Liao is on Solaris trying to live up to his father's reputation.
Not sure why, but it was hard to get into this book. Perhaps because it seemed to be all politics with very little action. The pieces are all still moving around the board getting into position.
Not sure why, but it was hard to get into this book. Perhaps because it seemed to be all politics with very little action. The pieces are all still moving around the board getting into position.
January 23, 2024
The problem in this book is Kai Allard-Liao.
Assumption of Risk continues the Skye Rebellion/Assassination of Melissa Steiner plot arcs to the gladiatorial world of Solaris, and specifically centering on a title match that Kai A-L has a the champion of Solaris.
(Wait, when did that happen? Yeah, just go with it. Victor S-D is changed as well, now much more full of craftiness but with a tendency to overplay his hand, yet there the track was laid for that character development, even if I feel like there was a missing book or two to show it.)
Solaris, as split into its component segments, is sort of the Cold War Berlin, or perhaps even more like Vienna in The Third Man, making it great for politics and skullduggery. And it is great, intense with characters in good balance between soap opera and depth. Occasionally the plot struggles to keep that level of interest when it is just two people in a room talking about fictional economic policy. (The end of the book is an example of this. It is a great reveal, and I like how you can see all the dominos leading up tot it, but it amounts to burying the lede, decanting a killer plot into a 'as you know, Bob'.)
The influence of espionage thrillers is clear, from the gear porn to the mini dissertation on the science of firearms, which, ultimately, I think works, due to Stackpole shifting narration styles and providing more omniscient commentary.
The problem, however, is Kai. There is simply too much Kai. I do not mean this as a matter of taste, but in his Ninja Pirate Zombie Robot status. The Sesame Inn scene of the meeting of the Solaris stable masters is awesome, and a good example of not doing the aforementioned plot craw while explaining what is going on. Except that in Kai's position as stable head and champion, any drama that might be there in the conflict between what is good for the games and what's good for Kai is gone, because it is Kai in both roles.
A further more subtle example from the same scene is where it is established that he hires veterans where no one else does, because Kai is foremost a soldier, which leads to some contortions of world building, where Kai has to be the best of the best because he is champion of Solaris, but also the iconoclast in terms of being the only one who respects veterans to set him apart from the rest of the stables, which leads to the skill of Solaris fighters being described as the plot demands at any given time.
Oh, and he is the heir to the Compact.
I was honestly disappointed when . Things are weird there to begin with, given how she was written in as a straw pacifist, then written out with the sort of surprise and totality that made it seem like her actor had been arrested and she needed to be written out Right Then. But when that scene happens is when It spoke to the question that was bouncing around in my mind: where the hell was Candice in all of this and why did not she walk into the arena and drag Kai out by the ear before any of this nonsense could start?
There is a half-ass explanation at the end, which feels more like a retcon happening in the same book as the events, but it does not work. Unlike the other reveal, there is no path to follow to explain how we get here. And even assuming it was supported by the facts of the book to that point, it is a weaksauce choice to have Kai so totally recapitulate Justin.
There are two other scenes that I have major gripes with (tea with Omi and the walk up to Valhalla). The bad in this book is some of the worst there is, and someone should pointedly remove Stackpole's soapbox: he never goes anywhere interesting with it. But basically Stackpole takes one of the more interesting segments of the Inner Sphere and makes the most out of it. The mech fights are dull and infrequent, but almost because of that, it is some of the most thrilling reading that the series has so far offered.
Assumption of Risk continues the Skye Rebellion/Assassination of Melissa Steiner plot arcs to the gladiatorial world of Solaris, and specifically centering on a title match that Kai A-L has a the champion of Solaris.
(Wait, when did that happen? Yeah, just go with it. Victor S-D is changed as well, now much more full of craftiness but with a tendency to overplay his hand, yet there the track was laid for that character development, even if I feel like there was a missing book or two to show it.)
Solaris, as split into its component segments, is sort of the Cold War Berlin, or perhaps even more like Vienna in The Third Man, making it great for politics and skullduggery. And it is great, intense with characters in good balance between soap opera and depth. Occasionally the plot struggles to keep that level of interest when it is just two people in a room talking about fictional economic policy. (The end of the book is an example of this. It is a great reveal, and I like how you can see all the dominos leading up tot it, but it amounts to burying the lede, decanting a killer plot into a 'as you know, Bob'.)
The influence of espionage thrillers is clear, from the gear porn to the mini dissertation on the science of firearms, which, ultimately, I think works, due to Stackpole shifting narration styles and providing more omniscient commentary.
The problem, however, is Kai. There is simply too much Kai. I do not mean this as a matter of taste, but in his Ninja Pirate Zombie Robot status. The Sesame Inn scene of the meeting of the Solaris stable masters is awesome, and a good example of not doing the aforementioned plot craw while explaining what is going on. Except that in Kai's position as stable head and champion, any drama that might be there in the conflict between what is good for the games and what's good for Kai is gone, because it is Kai in both roles.
A further more subtle example from the same scene is where it is established that he hires veterans where no one else does, because Kai is foremost a soldier, which leads to some contortions of world building, where Kai has to be the best of the best because he is champion of Solaris, but also the iconoclast in terms of being the only one who respects veterans to set him apart from the rest of the stables, which leads to the skill of Solaris fighters being described as the plot demands at any given time.
Oh, and he is the heir to the Compact.
I was honestly disappointed when . Things are weird there to begin with, given how she was written in as a straw pacifist, then written out with the sort of surprise and totality that made it seem like her actor had been arrested and she needed to be written out Right Then. But when that scene happens is when It spoke to the question that was bouncing around in my mind: where the hell was Candice in all of this and why did not she walk into the arena and drag Kai out by the ear before any of this nonsense could start?
There is a half-ass explanation at the end, which feels more like a retcon happening in the same book as the events, but it does not work. Unlike the other reveal, there is no path to follow to explain how we get here. And even assuming it was supported by the facts of the book to that point, it is a weaksauce choice to have Kai so totally recapitulate Justin.
There are two other scenes that I have major gripes with (tea with Omi and the walk up to Valhalla). The bad in this book is some of the worst there is, and someone should pointedly remove Stackpole's soapbox: he never goes anywhere interesting with it. But basically Stackpole takes one of the more interesting segments of the Inner Sphere and makes the most out of it. The mech fights are dull and infrequent, but almost because of that, it is some of the most thrilling reading that the series has so far offered.
February 26, 2023
I enjoyed the book, mostly because I love the lore and the story behind BattleTech.
I will also say, it is a lot of politics, details, plots, there’s a lot of chess pieces moving, the tension between House Steiner and House Davion despite the merge (the Federated Commonwealth). There is a LOT, I will admit I fell asleep trying to read through it.
Great book, once you get passed all the moving chess pieces.
I will also say, it is a lot of politics, details, plots, there’s a lot of chess pieces moving, the tension between House Steiner and House Davion despite the merge (the Federated Commonwealth). There is a LOT, I will admit I fell asleep trying to read through it.
Great book, once you get passed all the moving chess pieces.
May 15, 2025
This is a rockin' good book, which deepens many of the political conflicts in the Inner Sphere, sets up a bunch more, and moves the plot forward in some substantial ways. Only gripe is that, like a lot of Stackpole books from this era, the conclusion is just a lot of people giving speeches to each other about what the resolution of this plot means for the future.
October 20, 2017
Used to read these in Middle School. Did not grab my attention as much now as then, but good enough. It's like an action-packed 90s in space with huge humanoid fighting machines.
October 12, 2017
Focusing mainly on Kai Allard Liao on Solaris, there's a lot of politics and not much mech action in this book. Michael Stackpole does a good job of still making it an interesting read.
Kai is running a mech stable on Solaris VII, sending funds to various charitable organisations to show he's not a bloodthirsty killer. His uncle wants him involved in a plan to start a war, and tries to get some leverage over him.
Other characters have their moments - Katherine/Katrina Steiner, Victor and their brother Peter all get good roles as they move into their positions for later story arcs.
Kai is running a mech stable on Solaris VII, sending funds to various charitable organisations to show he's not a bloodthirsty killer. His uncle wants him involved in a plan to start a war, and tries to get some leverage over him.
Other characters have their moments - Katherine/Katrina Steiner, Victor and their brother Peter all get good roles as they move into their positions for later story arcs.
April 12, 2015
Dentro del tono general de la serie Battletech creo que "Riesgos asumidos" es el peor libro de los escritos por Stackpole, muy lejos de las tres trilogías principales. Un libro de relleno que solo sirve para explicar la transformación de Galen Cox y el nuevo papel de Kai Allard-Liao.
Solo apto para fanáticos de la serie.
Solo apto para fanáticos de la serie.
October 28, 2016
Boy this book is boring. If you came to it looking for giant robot battles prepare to be disappointed. This is a book about poorly written political intrigue. With nonsensical characters and an assumption you know all sorts of backstory so you can be told about other backstory which may or may not actually matter to the story at hand...
August 1, 2009
This is one of the very best in the Battletech series.
August 19, 2012
a scoobysnak for breaks
May 18, 2021
BattleTech Book 21 - Kai Allard Liao on Solaris, Peter Steiner-Davion working to learn about himself, Victor Steiner-Davion gets revenge, and learns even more about Melissa Steiner's murder.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews