The Guild: The Official Companion by Felicia Day

The Guild: The Official Companion Reviews

• 
  Ashley

  It's hard to remember a time before The Guild, the little web show that could, brain-child of Felicia Day. Nowadays it's taken as a given that Felicia was extremely influential in the flourishing and legitimizing of online content (certainly shows like The Lizzie Bennet Diaries would never have existed, and even Dr. Horrible's Online Blog probably owes its existence to Day and The Guild (Joss Whedon is on record saying that The Guild gave him the idea to take his ideas to the internet). I watch a large amount of content on the web now, a lot of it on Felicia's YouTube Channel Geek & Sundry (which was purchased by Legendary Pictures last summer). Watching 'TV' from my phone as I wake up in the morning, pulling up the newest episode of Tabletop on the YouTube app on my Bluray player while I eat my dinner . . . these things all had their start here, with The Guild.
  
  Which also happens to be a delightful piece of comedic storytelling. Even without all that other stuff that's come after, The Guild remains a story about a bunch of antisocial gaming nerds coming together and being hilarious, written by an actress who was sick of getting pigeonholed as the quirky girl by traditional casting agents. The main thing she conveys in this book, and with her whole success story actually, is that she wanted to see herself and people like her represented on film, so she created something for herself. That it was successful is a huge testament not only to her talent and commitment, but also to the people who worked with her to bring The Guild to life.
  
  This is billed as the official companion to The Guild, but it's really more of an oral history. Felicia writes the introduction, but the rest is transcripted interviews with crew, cast members, and production staff. I liked the content that was there, but I was honestly looking for a bit more behind the scenes insight than we got. I think the oral history format actually works to the books' detriment, in that some of the stories were a bit long-winded and not as interesting as others. It was also copyedited pretty sloppily.
  
  Still, there was some really fascinating stuff in here and behind the scenes tidbits (I particularly enjoy the stories about how they got all the celeb cameos, especially in season five when the guildies went to a con). It was a bit unfair that they all kept mentioning a possible season seven. I'm pretty sure that's not going to happen, but when they all kept mentioning it, it only made me want it more.
  
  If any of you internet denizens have somehow still not seen The Guild, it's on Netflix, and you don't have to be a gamer to enjoy it. You might have to be a nerd, though. So nerds, you have no excuses! I shall be starting my own rewatch immediately.
• 
  Jane

  Though this book could have used a bit more proof reading (my guess was that they wanted it out on time for Comic-Con and rushed publication. Which I'm totally fine with.), I found it to be a really inspiring read. It was great to learn about the little show that could that evolved into the Internet phenom 'The Guild.'
  
  From a creative/creator stand point, I found it even more inspirational. It makes me want to start writing fiction again, it makes me want to throw caution to the wind and JUST DO IT, because who knows what greatness you'll be able to achieve if you do?
  
  Thoroughly enjoyable to get a behind the scenes look into a great webseries.
• 
  Grace

  I LOVE this show, so of course I’d love the book! #KnightsOfGood4eva
• 
  Nerdophiles

  
  
  
  Originally hosted at
  Nerdophiles and reviewed by Therese Lacson.
  
  WIN A COPY OF YOUR VERY OWN OVER AT OUR BLOG! GIVEAWAY ENDS OCTOBER 20TH, 2013.
  
  Title: The Guild: The Official Companion
  Author: Collaborative, Intro by Felicia Day
  Release Date: July 16, 2013
  Publisher: Titan Books
  Source: Titan Books
  Genre(s): Companion Book, Webisodes, Fantasy, Mockumentary
  
  Rating: ★★★★☆
  Review Spoilers: Low
  
  So for those who know me, they know that at sometimes I can be critical of nerds represented in media. Shows like World of Cosplay and books like Fangirl propel a rather negative view of nerds whether they want to or not. And yes, sometimes it’s a pretty honest view, but other times it’s incredibly one sided. It shows nerds as semi-mole people with thick coke bottle glasses unable to converse with others and unwilling to step out of their comfort zones. News flash, that’s not all that nerds are.
  
  Part of the reason I loved The Guild so much was because it showed different people playing a game that is pretty standardly “nerdy”. Written and produced by nerds, Felicia Day began the show years ago in 2006 and the road has been long but beautiful. What started as a small show done by a group of friends has blossomed into a phenomenon. A few months ago, I got this book by Titan Books, and I was totally excited to take a look at it. I didn’t feel I could give a good review without having caught myself up on the actual show and now that I have, let’s see what we have.
  
  The book itself is perfect for any dedicated Guild fan. It has got a superb amount of detail with wonderfully funny quotes from all of the actors. It breaks down by season, by character, by special scenes, and by production. Literally everything you could want to know, they included it. No holds barred. They talk about the fandom, their inspiration, their growth, their success, and even the endgame. This is all interlaced with some awesome images playing production photography along with art.
  
  Some of my favorite pages went over things that I loved about the show. They talked about the convention inspiration they got, which I felt was some of the best episodes as a frequent goer of large cons. They talked about the music videos, both songs I have on my iPhone and I listen to them often. They talked about Team Cawkes, I was a shipper from the beginning. As far as companion books go, this one has it all.
  
  You can check out some cool pics that I’ve snapped from the companion book, so you guys can take a look Nerdophiles.
  
  You can also enter to win a copy of this Companion Book for free! All you have to do is post in the comments of our review over at our blog. Just leave us a comment and tell us your favorite thing about the Guild! Make sure you use a working email when you comment so we can contact you if you win!
• 
  Nancy O'Toole

  I'm not normally into these Official Companion type books, but seeing how I really love The Guild, I thought it would be worth checking it out. Now that I've read it, I'm glad to report that this is true. Although I wouldn't consider this to be a must read for fans, if you find yourself exiting season 6 wanting more, then I would recommend checking this out.
  
  The Official Companion was put together by Titan Books but pretty much all of the content comes from interviews from the cast and crew. The book has a section devoted to each season, and each cast member, as well as memorable aspects of the series, such as the music videos and comic books. To be honest, I kind of wish they had organized this book a little better (for example, when you finish reading about season one, you don't just flip to stuff about season two. You have to go though several other sections first), but the way they have it set up is perfectly fine, and there's a table of contents in front to help guide you. The Official Companion is also filled with tons of great photographs, albeit ones of inconsistent quality. I guess this can be blamed on the fact that they didn't have the nicest cameras on the show for the first season or so.
  
  Some of the content inside was familiar to me, such as Felicia and Kim Evey's explanation of The Guild's very humble beginnings, but there was plenty of new information too. I enjoyed getting to learn more about how the show was made, from the script writing process to the props, and liked the sections that focused on the most memorable aspects of the show (such as that romance cover style poster done of Codex and Fawkes). One thing that permeates all these interviews is a genuine enthusiasm for the show. This started out as a passion project. Even when the show became profitable, that passion never really left, which is really satisfying as a fan to see.
  
  Reading this book made me nostalgic for The Guild, and sad that we probably won't be seeing any more seasons online (it sounds like Felicia wants to bring the show to television or something similar). As mentioned before, these companion books aren't really my thing, but I think they did a pretty good job with this one. I'd recommend checking it out from your library if you're a fan.
• 
  Robin Burks

  Learn all the behind-the-scenes secrets behind hit web series The Guild in The Official Companion.
  
  Being both a gamer and a geek, I am also an avid fan of hit web series The Guild. So when I was offered a review copy of new book The Guild: The Official Companion, my answer was an emphatic “yes!” I usually don’t go for these sort of books, but I’m really glad I got my hands on this one.
  
  To start off with, the book is filled with gorgeous artwork and photos, featuring our favorite guildies Felicia Day, Sandeep Parikh, Jeff Lewis, Robin Thorsen, Amy Okuda and Vince Caso. Each actor has their own section and we find out how they were cast and what their experience on the show and with fans has been like. We also get some great in-depth looks at their characters and in-game costumes. Wil Wheaton, along with a few other guest stars, get a little bit of coverage in the book, as well.
  
  However, it is the section on the Fawkes-Codex painting that is my favorite. There’s a photo of the original posing that Day and Wheaton did for that piece and there’s the painting itself, so that the two can be compared.
  
  I also really liked all of the discussion about writing each season of the series. As a writer, I’m always curious about others’ techniques and where their ideas come from. We see how the writing becomes an actual episode and how all the details were put together to create the whole. The level of depth that the book goes into will make The Guild fans into even bigger fans.
  
  Finally, The Guild: The Official Companion reads like a love letter to the fans. They are mentioned constantly and never seem to be far from the cast and crew’s thoughts. And that’s the main reason to pick up this book. If you’re a fan of the show, it’s a must have for your collection. And even better, if you’re a cosplayer, there are some great photos of the in-game costumes for reference.
• 
  Molokov

  A must for big fans of The Guild and Felicia Day. Lots of lovely pictures (I never realised how /accurate/ Helen's Codex costume was until now! She got the look perfect) and huge amounts of behind the scenes info from the cast and crew.
  
  The Guild is the webseries that really kicked off the popularity of ALL webseries as a creative medium, and Felicia's own star has risen since she created it (although Dr Horrible did help quite a bit). As a huge fan of her work (and the show), this book filled me with great joy to read.
• 
  Patrick Scattergood

  I have to admit that I wasn't all that familiar with the show until after I got this book but it's so well written and interesting as well as incredibly funny that I can now count myself as a big fan of the show.
  
  There are photographs, behind the scenes stuff and some very in depth interviews that make it sound like the show is an absolute blast to make.
  
  For the full review please click the following link
  
  
  http://curiosityofasocialmisfit.blogs...
• 
  Jeff

  I never know what to expect from an "Official Companion" book. Most are mediocre and have little to add to the show. However, this one is different. The Guild's Companion book stands as an example of what all companion books should be like. It did what so many other such books fail to do - make me want to re-watch every episode. If you're a fan of The Guild, this book will not disappoint. If you're not a fan, it'll make you wish you were one. I can't think of any higher praise than that.
• 
  Tris

  Vzhledem k tomu, že zbožňuju The Guild, jsem nesmírně vděčná, že mi tahle knížka padla do rukou. Víc si mé geekovské srdíčko nemohlo přát. Felicia Day je úžasně kreativní osobou a mít tu možnost nahlédnout za oponu, jak celý tento web seriál začínal, vznikal a vyvíjel se a při tom si připomenout ty chvíle, kdy jsem se na něj dívala poprvé, nemohla tu "stupidní" zvonkohru dostat týdny z hlavy a těšila jsem se na každou novou epizodu... úžasné.
  
  Aww, so much feels.
• 
  Whitney

  I've missed The Guild since Season 6 ended, so this was a fun revisit to that wonderful place! This was a fun compilation of interviews from various people involved with The Guild and lots of awesome photos. It was cool to get little insights here and there about various aspects of the show. Definitely recommend this for fans of the series!
• 
  aaron

  this is the official companion to the web series the guild. this companion is absolutely great if you are a fan of the show! it has so many great interviews and cast stories and such from the show! i would highly recommend this to any uber-fan of the show...and to any geek! plus, let's face it, felicia day is awesome!
• 
  Catarina Fêo e Torres

  If you love The Guild, read this!
  If you're a fan of Felicia Day, read this!
  If you want to learn about web-series creation, read this!
  If you want to know more about creating stuff in general, read this!
  
  So, just read this! It's awesome!
  
• 
  Jamie

  Must have for any fan of 'The Guild'!