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Fall from Grace

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Fall from Grace
Product information
Type Novel
Author Chris Hartford
Pages 205
Publication information
Publisher BattleCorps
First published 15 October—19 December 2008
Content
Era Star League era
Timeline 9 July 2571—9 April 2617

Fall from Grace is a novel by Chris Hartford that was published online on BattleCorps in 2008 as a ten-part serial.

Previously, a German translation had been published as a print novel with some differences (see German novel below).

Plot summary


Part 1

published on 15 October 2008
“ “It was the dawn of a new era of humanity, the establishment of the first Star League. Through years of preparation and sacrifice, the leaders of the major human powers had come to together under one government. Changes were sweeping throughout known space, bringing unknown challenges to the next generation.” ”

Part 2

published on 22 October 2008
“ Part Two takes us through Frieda's journey at Princeton, amid the back drop of the growing Reunification War. Come with us and see if Lambert Allison gets his in the end. ”

Part 3

published on 29 October 2008
“ Rhean Marik soon discovers that the political landscape of Princeton, was pale imitation of the one she would face in life. And then there was Canopus... ”

Part 4

published on 6 November 2008
“ Being the heir to the Captain-Generalcy is not without its trials and tribulations. Rhean Marik must learn to navigate the inner workings of the Star League now, before she is thrust deep into the fires of running her nation. Fortunately she is a shark at pool. ”

Part 5

published on 12 November 2008
“ The Golden Century, a time of the greatest peace and prosperity of the Star League. All was perfect and everyone was at peace... Yeah right, convince Tanya Kerensky of that. ”

Part 6

published on 19 November 2008
“ Meeting the man of your dreams, and then meeting his beautiful wife... A song never summed up Rhean's life more then when she fell astray of the charming and witty leader of the Federated Suns. ”

Part 7

published on 26 November 2008
“ Hello Rhean Marik, my name is Murphy and I really love your family. Here let me do this, oh and this, and then this. Had enough yet? Rhean Marik must watch as time marches forward, tearing from her those she holds dear and close. And then she gets a personal dose of good old Murphy. ”

Part 8

published on 4 December 2008
“ No one ever expected her to take office, and when she did they all assumed it would be nothing but seat warming for her nephew. We all know what assumptions make of you and me... ”

Part 9

published on 11 December 2008
“ Is the cure better than the sickness? A question Rhean had to ask herself once the cure lead to even greater, 'complications'. Be careful what you wish for, the hidden costs might be fatal. ”

Part 10

published on 19 December 2008
“ Stripped of power and prepared for exile, Rhean finds she must prepare for execution instead. The conspiracy runs deep, but so do her friends. The question is, which is better? ”

Featured Characters

Featured places

Featured BattleTech

German novel

InUngnadeCover.jpg
In Ungnade
(apocryphal German 'Fall from Grace' translation)
Product information
Type Novel
Author Chris Hartford
Pages 304
Cover Artwork Swen Papenbrock
Publication information
Publisher Fantasy Productions
Product code 31016
First published April 2007
ISBN-10 3890644759
ISBN-13 978-3890644752
MSRP 9.00 €
Content
Era Star League era
Timeline 9 July 2571—9 April 2617

Even before it was first published in English, a German translation of the novel was published by FanPro as the 13th of their German-only line of Classic BattleTech novels in April 2007 titled In Ungnade, which literally translates as "(Fallen) In(to) Disgrace".

From the back cover (translated from German)

“ The vision of the Cameron and Marik families has become a reality: the unification of mankind—even though not everybody wants to participate. And where diplomacy fails, bloody battles must bring the recalcitrant periphery nations into the common house, though even then the question remains if the subsequent shaky peace is really the better solution.
Rhean Marik, a relative of the ruling Captain-General of the Free Worlds League, has been trained from childhood to prevail on the field of diplomacy as well as on the field of battle. But when fate catapults her to the helm of the Free Worlds League she realizes that both battlefields' reality is much deadlier than her training taught her. Mortal enemies become good friends and allies become embittered enemies, and the pitfalls of intrigue lurk everywhere at the Star League court. A fateful encounter turns her world upside down, and doom looms not only over Rhean, but over the Free Worlds League as well.
Can Rhean achieve a balance between the aims of the Free Worlds League and the Star League? Can she prevent the demise of one or both organisations, and can she stop the powers that threaten to destroy both from within? 		”

Differences between "Fall from Grace" and "In Ungnade"

Fall from Grace, as published on BattleCorps, is different from the earlier edition that was translated as "In Ungnade" because of fact-checking and continuity concerns. According to the author, "Chapter 11 got a fair re-working to fit with established continuity but the rest was mainly tweaks and small-scale corrections."[1]

Canonicity

Being published in German only, In Ungnade does not meet the criteria for Canon in the BattleTech universe and would normally be considered apocryphal. However, the subsequent release of the English-language Fall from Grace, in a revised edition no less, renders the earlier German edition outdated and trumps it canon-wise.

Thus, Fall from Grace is fully canonical while In Ungnade is not.

References

  1. ↑ As stated by himself in this posting on the BattleTech forum

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