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The writing jars in a few places with repetition of the tired old myth that blue eyes and blond hair will inevitably disappear in the near future - demonstrating a misunderstanding, I think, of both cultural trends and how genetics actually works. Gave me a little more depth into the Mass Effect computer game series which I enjoy tremendously. A quick, easy read. (Check out [.]. The characters were mostly 2 dimensional but I never expected anything more. I was a little disappointed that the encounter between Anderson and Saren, which I expected to see developed out over the whole novel, takes place at breakneck speed over the last 30 or so pages of the book. for an appraisal of this myth).
This book is somewhere between 3 and 4 stars for me. In this book, we never really get that big a feel for the characters or their motivations. It serves the purpose to propel the story forward and is surely fun to read, but with little character development there is little weight to deaths and life threatening missions. I got the book mainly to get some backstory for events in Mass Effect, since I skipped straight to the sequel Mass Effect 2. That being said if I wasn't interested in the MAss Effect universe I wouldn't have purchased it. The book did give me some insight into the different races, councils, characters that I may meet in 2, but as a book it wasn't out of this world.I've read the Dragon Age Prequel novels, and I said the same thing that I'll say here: they seriously need to add abotu a 100 pages to their books. If you take the novel on it's own merits, as just a stand alone sci-fi novel, it's about average. Yes we know why they do something and a little back story is given, but hardly enough to really have true feelings as to what's happening.The action in the book is also just "OK".
This novel is a measly 300 pages, hardly enough time to give you a feel for the characters that they introduce in the story. It seems like a huge, sprawling series like Mass Effect and Dragon Age would be able to produce huge tomes of stories and characters. It really seems like all this could be solved with just some more pages of story.I'm prolly being a little too hard on the book, I read it through and through in a few days and I enjoyed it. If you want some backstory on Mass Effect, it's a good read and worth your time, otherwise i'd pass.
There are a few interesting bits such as the very destructive mission Anderson and Saren were both involved in (which is touched on in the game). Afterall, Karpyshyn is known for his work in a couple Star Wars books and he did write the story and lore for the Mass Effect video game, which is quite good in my opinion. There are some twists and turns that await, of course Saren, a Spectre who is above the law comes into the picture about halfway in.The idea behind this book isn't too bad, though it does seem cliched. Some of the writing is just - lacking. It's not a terrible book. As it turns out there is more going on with this base then what first meets the eye (go figure). Anderson is tasked with aiding a distress call from an alliance base.
Corruption and illegal activity end up being the sorce of the bases destruction and it seems as though a traitor has made it out alive. It is Andersons job to find the traitor before anything happens to them. As a fan of the Mass Effect video game I had somewhat high expectations going into this book. The game seems more adult-themed while the book seems geared towards the younger crowd. There were a number of times where my eyes rolled while reading. I guess the book just never really gripped me and the character development seemed a bit forced and shallow. If you have never played the game but plan on doing so then this is still a worthy read, just keep in mind that the game is quite a bit more engaging (don't let this book keep you from playing the excellent game). If you have played Mass Effect then this is a worthy read.
Unfortunately this book is a little bit of a let-down for me.Revelation is a prequel to the video game that surrounds Anderson and later on Saren. In the end it was interesting enough to keep me reading through to the end. If you have played the video game then you will likely know exactly how this story pans out (it is summarized in the game, afterall). Cliches don't really bother me, what put me off a bit is the writing style. Had I not played the game first I would have probably found this book less interesting. If you haven't played the game and never plan on doing so then I would skip this book.I give this book 3 stars if you love the Mass Effect universe, 2 stars if you don't plan on playing Mass Effect and were just planning on checking this book out.
This is a good read for anyone who likes sci-fi novels and is a fan of the Mass Effect video game. the story is simple and provides a lot of back-story (a lot of times more than needed) to the characters and provides an explanation to how humanity became intertwined with the galactic community. At times it is redundant if you have played the game and payed attention to the story there. A must read if you also like the Halo novelsHalo, Books 1-3 (The Flood; First Strike; The Fall of Reach)Ghosts of Onyx (Halo)Halo: Contact HarvestThe Cole Protocol (Halo)
Would have been a awesome book if it was just alittle more mature. Certainly helps with the Mass Effect story, explains alot. At times I felt alittle silly reading this, certainly seems to be written for the 10-15 year old crowd. If your a fan of the Mass Effect series, like myself, by the book. If you've never heard of the game Mass Effect, then don't bother, doesn't end to well inless you pick up the video game
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