Redemption Rites (Review)

Redemption Rites 

Redemption Rites covers the period immediately after the Ilclan trial (the events of which are covered in Hour of the Wolf and the Ilclan sourcebook) for Wolf's Dragoons. It also features into some events of the Empire Alone sourcebook. It clocks in at 363 pages and was written by Jason Schmetzer.

Synopsis: 

A severely damaged and depleted Wolf's Dragoons arrives in the Free Worlds League and undergoes a severe crisis of leadership once they've reunited with their dependents and the elements that weren't deployed to Terra. 

Striking an accord with League officials, the Dragoon leadership begins a two-stage plan to rearm and recover their lost strength while they punish the Wolf Empire for Alaric's actions on Terra.

Paired with this tale of old school vengeance is the bitter struggle of those left behind by Clan Wolf to hold the Empire. Championed by Star Colonel Othar, the Empire Touman struggles with shortages in personnel at the worst possible time.  

Adventurism from League member states attempts to reclaim their lost territory while the militaries of the League and the Lyran Commonwealth probe the Empire's defenses. Logistical challenges force Othar to make hard choices to protect their territory. There are too few warriors scattered around the Empire to graduate warrior cadets, and this bottleneck could end up being the death of the Empire.

Hard circumstances reveal unexpected heroes on both sides of this conflict. The Wolf Empire effectively has one singular chance to rebuild and defend their territory and this forces a much more cautious and measured approach to warfare than most clan officers prefer.  

Wolf's Dragoons revive a legend from their earliest days to carry their banner and drive their campaign of vengeance against the Wolf Empire. Their vengeance comes to a brutal crescendo against the Wolf Empire at its very heart. However, that campaign is only getting started as the book closes.

The Good:  

Excellent fresh faces and perspectives from several original characters. No one in this book (barring a couple of Falconers) qualifies as a black hat villain. Almost every decision makes sense in context and the shades of grey make the interplay that much richer. The battles are vivid and satisfyingly different.

The Bad:

I disliked the major gotcha plot twist at the end, but that's a personal taste choice. I also find it mildly insulting that the Dragoons would find a second world that no one else in the inner sphere knows about as their new super secret base, but it is a chestnut they only use once a century, so it will pass.

Overall:  

This is a story about failure. The Dragoons have to rebuild and recover from the abject failure that was the Terra campaign. Star Colonel Othar's failure is different, but cuts to the heart of what it is to be a clan warrior. He was the senior most officer that was left behind when his entire army departed to Terra. They deemed him unworthy of that greatest honor the clans could aspire to.  

The rest of the Wolf Empire Touman and the survivors of Wolf's Dragoons must rebuild from these failures and fulfill their purpose in life. Othar seeks to preserve his clan's realm and their way of life. The Dragoons purpose in life is to avenge their dead.  

These two goals can not exist in harmony.

It's an excellent read, 4.5 of 5 stars.