A Question of Survival (Review)

 

A Question of Survival

Another entry from the Ilclan era, A Question of Survival focuses on the struggles of Khan Jiyi Chiusti to revitalize the remnants of his shattered clan in the aftermath of Terra.  

The counter point to all of this is the Rasalhague Dominion undertaking a historic vote demanded by the Illkhan. Will they or won't they join the reformed Star League?  

The flash point for all of this is the planet Quarell, and a most precious prize for both. Who will carry the day in this excellent novel by Bryan Young.  It clocks in at 347 exciting pages.  

Synopsis:

Khan Jiyi Chiustu's control of the Jade Falcons that didn't leave for Terra has solidified around the world of Sudeten. More military units are in production, but the Falcons face a serious shortage of warriors. Desperate measures spur ingenuity on the parts of many, and a Watch report draws his eyes to Quarell.

Star Colonel Emilio Hall is standing watch over a world gripped by anxiety. The Ilclan trial has ended, and the Dominion is voting world by world to determine whether they will join the Star League. This vote splits the world of Quarell down the middle, showing cracks in the foundation of the hybrid government.

Also brewing in this cauldron is a war game to test six sibkos of future Ghost Bear warriors in a series of trials and contests. This prize is precious to the Ghost Bears, but is a lifeline to the personnel deprived Jade Falcons. 

The Falcons declare a Trial of Possession for the sibkos, echoing the ancient clan traditions that bind the Falcons and the Bears together as Clans. Battle ensues, and the aftermath will echo through both clans.

The Good

The characterization of most people in this story is on point (with one, well two, glaring exceptions). The dichotomy of the traditionally hidebound Falcons adapting new tactics and ways and the progressive Bears who choose not to adapt is fascinating.

The Sibkin subplot is fascinating. We've seen sibkos before, but the struggle to find acceptance and understanding within this system is new. It is a journey of young adulthood that sometimes gets skipped in Battletech, but anchors the main plot and holds the story together.  

The Bad

Star Colonel Emilio Hall is emblematic of the Ghost Bear Touman for all the wrong reasons. He is a progressive thinker (for one of the clans), but he is very narrow in his thinking and misses several key points that cause suffering and grief to the Ghost Bears as a Touman and a family.  

Overall:

Absolutely smashing read. I have seen very few things that have ever made me want to root for the Jade Falcon clan, but this book did it. Change is sweeping the Inner Sphere, and this story shows a microcosm of that change. Survival is a very real question for this story and you will have to read it to find out.  

5 stars