Mass Effect: Ascension by Drew Karpyshyn Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of Mass Effect: Ascension
Book Review: Please put out a Kindle or Audible edition!
Summary: 5 Stars
I don't buy paper books or newpapers anymore and I sure would like to read this one. Please out this out on the Kindle or better yet, do an Audible edition so I can listent to it on my Kindle!
Book Review: Really good read!
Summary: 4 Stars
But for those wanting to continue where the game left off, you will not find it here. Any reference to the ending of the game is done in the first chapter and vague at that, not in detail as you see it since the game allows for multiple choices and events to occur depending how you played.
This book tells another story, but there is a returning character from the first book, which you end up wondering what ever happened to her after Revelation. The book revolves around the extremist band of Cerberus and their recent project. Readers who played the game and completed most of the side missions might have tangled with this group and may know of and what they are capable of.
I don't like to spoil stuff in reviews and like to keep them short. Ascension is a great read, and even though you might want to continue where the game dropped off with Shepard, it is worth you picking up and reading. I read it in 2 days because it really hooks you in with the plot and you can't help but wanting to devour it asap. If you liked Revelation, you will like Ascension, and if you only played the game and never read the novels, I recommend you do so.
Book Review: Satisfies
Summary: 4 Stars
Having read the previous mass effect book, I was hoping this one would be better. As someone who's gotten completely obsessed with the mass effect universe, this one didn't disappoint! The plot and character development were better, and there is more detail about the galaxy itself - particularly the quarian culture, Omega, and Cerberus as an organization.
I probably wouldn't recommend it if you don't know the games, but I felt it was a good addition to the games. It explains some of the things that come up in Mass Effect 2 (like why quarians don't like Cerberus).
Book Review: The games are better
Summary: 2 Stars
Not sure quite where to begin. I loved Mass Effect 1 and 2, the gameplay, the universe, the characters. Even after they dumbed down Mass Effect 2 to make it easier for console players I still enjoyed it more than the first. It's no Deus Ex, but it's a brilliantly done series.
This is where it gets a bit messy. I bought all three novels out at the moment (Revelation, Ascension, and Redemption), and while it's easy enough to read, it doesn't capture that same essence and feel of the worlds. Maybe it's something expressed in a video game that can't be done in a book, but the pacing is all wrong. We're given new characters to learn about and relate to the games, and it sticks to the details in universe but it's awkward and forced most of the time. The book will just straight up say things like "these are turians and they are like that" and "this is how biotics works." It's out of place, with little subtlety or immersion, and trying to explain action sequences and dramatize characters in text here is like hitting a brick wall made of old cheese.
I mean, I can see what the writer was trying to do: contain the Mass Effect story while having new readers or people who haven't played the game be able to understand it, and at the same time write so that any possible events in the game sound like they plausibly happened here, but it just doesn't work. Too cluttered, trying too hard to have everything, and it falls flat.
I personally would have preferred a "codex" type entry at the back where we can read up on things ourselves, but I'm not even sure that would save it. The story is mediocre compared to the games, the characters are so-so (even people like Aria seem bogged down), and overall it just feels like a side project, to be written off and dumped out because we have to get back to work on the game.
Bottom line: whether you like Mass Effect or not, I can't really recommend it. I say stick with the games, and spend the money you would have otherwise on, I don't know, Portal 2?
Book Review: Well Written and Suprisingly Touching
Summary: 5 Stars
It is pretty clear by this point that Drew Karphyshyn is in fact a very talented writer.
What I found I enjoyed most about this book was the character development. I began the book expecting sci-fi action (and I got that) but I was suprised by the extent to which I cared about the characters and their paths. I was especially touched by the portrayal of the girl at the center of the story, Gillian.
I would recommend most definitely.