Kevin Killiany

Wolf Hunters is Kevin Killiany's first novel, but you wouldn't know it from reading it. (Admittedly, he's not new to fiction writing, or even to the BattleTech universe; he's been writing short fiction set in this universe for the past two years, released through BattleCorps.) In the novel, he does an excellent job of recapturing the characters developed by others (including Loren L. Coleman and Martin Delrio), even as he rebuilds them to fit the changing miniatures game.

Anastasia Kerensky has been perhaps the most maddeningly inconsistent character in the universe, with only Katie S-D giving her a run for her money. But in Wolf Hunters, Kevin Killiany embraced that inconsistency; his Anastasia runs the gamut, from hardline Clanner to indulgent Spheroid. And yet, she really doesn't; she puts on whatever face will get her what she needs: the survival of her Wolves.

The book details the evolution of the Steel Wolves of prior novels into the Wolf Hunters of the future. As is to be expected whenever a Clan unit undergoes change, there are objectors, which results in fights. Most of these are well-depicted; the very last one being the exception, in that it feels like significant parts of it were skipped over. The reader's still able to follow the plot; it just felt like the battle happened almost entirely offscreen, for whatever reason.

But the multitude of battles, ranging from infantry to 'Mechs to aerospace, aren't the point of the book. That would be Anastasia's journey—nay, the Steel Wolves' journey—as they transform themselves into the Wolf Hunters who will be appearing in future novels. And (leaving the process obscured) it's an enjoyable, believable ride. Characters old and new are presented sympathetically, leaving the reader wanting to root for all sides—and managing to satisfy the reader no matter which they pick, I think.

Kevin Killiany's book continues the trend of good novels the series has managed to keep for the past several years. Wolf Hunters left me looking forward both to the return of the Wolf Hunters, and to Killiany's return to the line.… (mer)