| Title | : | Mass Effect: Revelation (Mass Effect, #1) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | - |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 323 |
| Publication | : | First published May 1, 2007 |
On the edge of colonized space, ship commander and Alliance war hero David Anderson investigates the remains of a top secret military research station; smoking ruins littered with bodies and unanswered questions. Who attacked this post and for what purpose? And where is Kahlee Sanders, the young scientist who mysteriously vanished from the base hours before her colleagues were slaughtered?
Sanders is now the prime suspect, but finding her creates more problems for Anderson than it solves. Partnered with a rogue alien agent he can't trust and pursued by an assassin he can't escape, Anderson battles impossible odds on uncharted worlds to uncover a sinister conspiracy . . . one he won't live to tell about. Or so the enemy thinks.
Mass Effect: Revelation (Mass Effect, #1) Reviews
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Mass Effect: Revelation (Mass Effect #1), Drew Karpyshyn
Mass Effect: Revelation is a science fiction novel by Drew Karpyshyn. Published in 2007. The book serves to fill in much of the background details of the game, such as locations and the internal politics of the Council's races, as well as characters. A considerable amount of the plot revolves around the galaxy's views on artificial intelligence, as this appears to be a major plot point in the game. The book tells of a young Alliance lieutenant David Anderson and his efforts to find a survivor of an attack on a top-secret Alliance base, lieutenant Kahlee Sanders. As the book progresses it is revealed the base was attacked purposely by the Blue Suns mercenary group, who were hired by the leading scientist on the base. A turian spectre, Saren is assigned to help Anderson and find clues as to where the missing scientist is. Eventually they find the scientist, but Saren escapes with the information the scientist was researching to an ancient alien ship which he plans to use for his own evil deeds as portrayed as the main plot in the game Mass Effect.
تاریخ نخستین خوانش: روز بیستم ماه نوامبری سال 2019 میلادی
عنوان: افشاگری 1: دنیای اثر جرمی (مکاشفه)؛ نویسنده: درو کارپیشین؛ مترجم: نوش‌آفرین رجبی؛ تهران: کتابسرای تندیس، 1398؛ در 288 ص؛ شابک: 9786001825712؛ موضوع: داستانهای نویسندگان کانادایی - سده 21 م
سده ی بیست و دوم میلادی انسانها ورای منظومه شمسی رفته اند و دوستان و دشمنان تازه ای در کهکشان راه شیری پیدا کرده اند. در این میان کاهلی سندرز درگیر ماجرایی میشود و دیوید اندرسون به یاری او میشتابد. این دو باید به یادی فردی فضایی به نام سارِن دنیا را از خطر بزرگی نجات دهند. این داستان پیش از اتفاقات «بازی اثر جرمی یک» رخ میدهد. کتاب «اثر جرمی (افشاگری یک)» مربوط به سه گانه «مس افکت» است. «درو کارپیشین» نویسنده ی این کتاب همچنین نویسنده ی بازیهای «اثر جرمی» بوده است. شایان ذکر است اتفاقاتی که در این کتاب و سه کتاب پس از آن، رخ میدهند مربوط به دوران پیش از بازی اول هستند، و برای درک بسیاری از اتفاقات بازیها خواندن این کتاب ضروری است. دنیایی که نویسنده به تصویر کشیده دنیایی علمی تخیلی مشابه جنگ ستارگان، پیشتازان فضا و مانند اینهاست. این دنیاها شامل نژادهایی فضایی، تکنولوژی های پیشرفته و داستانهای مربوط به سیاراتی است که در سده 22 میلادی کشف شده اند. ا. شربیانی -
Haiku Review:
I think I wrote this
Story in the seventh grade.
It stunk back then, too. -
I probably don't need to say that this book is only for Mass Effect fans, but I'll say it anyways. I doubt anyone who isn't already a fan of Mass Effect could get really invested here.
This book could be subtitled The Complete History of Why Anderson and Saren Hate Each Other's Guts. Yes, it's the full story of Anderson's failed Spectre attempt, and exactly how Saren screwed it up. It is interested to see a pre-Sovreign Saren, and see exactly how ruthless and morally bankrupt he already was. There wasn't far to go for him. It was also good to see a slightly younger Anderson in action. The storyline itself is fast-paced and, for the most part, engaging. There is one character who gets stuck with the Idiot Ball .
At times, the author (who did indeed write for the game) would get caught up in giving us loads and loads of background information. There are huge chunks of exposition in here. This is what makes the book fans only: only a fan would care to read through such detailed explanations. On the other hand, a fan has likely read these or similar descriptions in in the in-game journal entries. Lots of it was familiar to me, but I didn't particularly care. For an exposition dump, it was done rather well, and I'm personally pretty invested in this setting already.
For Mass Effect fans, this is a must-read. There's a lot of backstory revealed here, and it adds a ton of context to what we see happening in the games. -
Part 2 of my long term cross-media project.
Original title:
Mass Effect: Revelation
This video game tie-in is a prequel to the first Mass Effect game.
In 2148 humanity discovers a cache of very advanced technology on Mars. The Protheans, the ancient species that developed said technology, vanished fifty thousand years ago. The reasons for their disappearance unknown.
They left behind the mass relays, star gates that allow instantaneous intergalactic travel. We don’t understand the technology behind it, so we are not capable of building our own. But thanks to what we found on Mars we are able to use the existing mass relays.
And off to the stars we are.
We are a little late to the party, though. Several other species discovered the Prothean’s technology centuries or even millenia ago. And in 2157 First Contact War between humans and one of those other species (the turians) occurs. Those events are background info that is mostly to be found in the prologue of the book.
The main story of this novel takes place in 2165. The First Contact War is long past and humanity is the newest member of the greater galactic community, that contains a wealth of different species.
The center of political power is a gigantic space station, the Citadel, which had also been constructed by the Protheans. Lots of different species work and live together on the Citadel and it also serves as the Capital of the Citadel Council whose main task is to maintain law and order and to settle disputes between governments.
As humanity seeks to climb to a position of power within the community we ignore some of the rules set forth by the Citadel Council and conduct some experiments on dangerous (and banned) technology at a science facility on Sidon.
Things go horribly wrong of course and Lieutenant David Anderson and his crew pick up an S.O.S. signal from Sidon while on a cruise near the planet. As they arrive on Sidon they soon realize that the facility had been attacked. Though it is unclear by whom. And Anderson and his crew also know nothing of the experiments that took place there.
They can’t do much to salvage the situation, but Anderson gets assigned by the Alliance to investigate the incident.
Kahlee Sanders, one of the scientists, left Sidon one day prior to the attack. And that makes her a suspect. She’s on the run.
The Citadel Counsil meanwhile sends his own man to have a look at what the humans were doing on Sidon, the turian Spectre Saren Arterius. Spectre stands for Special Tactics and Reconnaissance. And as an entrusted agent of the Council Saren stands above the law and is allowed to do whatever he deems necessary to resolve the situation. And Saren is not one for holding back."I have two rules to follow," Saren explained. "The first is: never kill someone without a reason."
"And the second?" Anderson asked, suspicious.
"You can always find a reason to kill someone."
A game of cat-and-mouse ensues as Saren and Anderson are not the only ones in search of the scientist. Whoever was behind the attacks on the science facility needs to cover up their tracks and they send a killer after Kahlee Sanders. And then there’s also the question of the tech the humans were working on, as all the involved parties have an interest in that too.
The plot is fast-paced and full of action and also some violence. Especially Saren does not take any prisoners. With his uncompromising bad-assery he is the standout character of this book.
The two main human characters fall a little flat, though. Both were interesting enough in the beginning. But soon romantic attraction sets in and becomes the main motivation for Anderson, which makes him appear a little unprofessional. At the same time it demotes Kahlee to the role of love interest. That whole dynamic became kinda boring.
I’m also not sure I’m supposed to like Saren and despise the role of humanity in this book, considering I’m about to become part of the Alliance in the Mass Effect game. On the other hand, the observations of human behaviour through the eyes of the other species is actually something that gives this novel a little more depth. Not that much though.
The first time around this book worked a little better for me, as the game was still fresh in my mind and I picked up on more of the references. As a prequel to the game series – written by the same author, btw – it mainly sets out to fill in the gaps and set up the characters of David Anderson and Saren Arterius for later events.
It can still be read without knowing the games. But don’t expect much more than an action-packed chapter out of much grander tale that’s only hinted at.
All in all an enjoyable read with some weaknesses on the character side and an ending that doesn’t resolve much, as we are only at the beginning.
Even though I decided to downgrade my rating on this one, the Mass Effect fever has already gotten hold of me once again and I’m looking forward to continue my journey.
Up next:
Mass Effect: He Who Laughs Best
Read so far:
Mass Effect: Evolution by Mac Walters (Comic)
Mass Effect: Revelation by Drew Karpyshyn (Novel)
The timeline for the whole series:
https://www.alltimelines.com/mass-eff... -
I am a fairly large fan of the Mass Effect game, but I have to admit that I certainly wasn't expecting Tolstoy (or insert any other good novelist here) when I got my hands on this book. It sold itself on a few things, that it was a prequel to the game. It would tell us how Saren came to hate humans so much, and why Captain Anderson failed as a Spectre.
If you're boggled already then that sort of shows you a little of how the book is. As a stand alone novel, it's a fairly throw away read set in a vaguely interesting world that we never really get to see in any depth. The characters are all pretty cardboard as the action nips along. The only real surprisingly development comes with Anderson's divorce from his wife.
If you already know the world of Mass Effect you're probably a little better off, but still have to wade through a lot of explanation as to what things are and why they are like that. And seriously, the reasons why Saren might hate humans, and why Anderson failed at being a Sceptre are pretty stock standard. There's not a lot of imagination with either revelation.
All in all a very quick read, and vaguely entertaining. -
If I had to give my review a title, it would be "WHAT HAPPENED?!" Yes, in capslock.
I really loved the first part of the book, the introduction of the various races, of the universe in general, of the characters, especially of Grissom and Anderson, the attack on Sidon and the attempted rescue mission - all that was amazing. But then, something happened. And suddenly, I disliked everybody in the book.
The humans conducted illegal research with such a sense of appropriateness, as if they had the right to do it and everybody else was in the wrong. Anderson turned into a love sick puppy, bumbling around with his heart on his sleeve, doing rookie mistakes. Kahlee turned out to be just another woman who screamed in very inappropriate moments, who whined and moaned despite the fact that she had gone through a rigorous training as we were told at the very end. And Saren? The diabolical maestro to top everybody else playing the game? Everything he did - one inexcusable mass murder after another - he got away with it despite glaring evidence of his inappropriate behavior. Bad, just bad.
So I have to ask again: "WHAT HAPPENED?!" -
It's quite easy to like this book if you approach it with the correct attitude. Yes, it is based on a video game franchise, and the downside is that readers will not really know how the story unfolds from here unless they play the game. It's a pity that the story of the first Mass Effect game has not been novelized as a sequel to Revelation. There is a sequel (
Mass Effect: Ascension), but it takes place after the events of the game. I would have loved to read a novel featuring Commander Shepard, and the story is so well done it wouldn't have hurt. On the other hand, it remains to be seen how this affects the overall story arc as I haven't yet read Ascension.
Anyway, as for Revelation itself. It is a prequel to the events that are set in motion in the first Mass Effect game, and it is quite an accessible Science Fiction novel. An amalgamation of light Space Opera and light Military Sci-Fi, this novel will likely appeal just as much to people who aren't normally readers of the genre. And that is perhaps the whole idea. The Mass Effect universe is extremely well realised and there is much to enjoy, to newcomers and regulars alike. Also, the writing is very competent.
It reads pretty fast, and doesn't get bogged down in too much detail. You could do worse than give this a try. Of course, if you have played the game and enjoyed it, this is mandatory reading. -
I'm starting to really like Drew Karpyshyn. After reading his first Star Wars: Darth Bane book and now this, I'm convinced this is a guy who can write a concise novel without rushing the story.
Revelation was a pretty short book, yet I was surprised at how much I was able to get out of it. There was some strong character building, great action sequences, and even some background information into the technology and inhabitants of the Mass Effect World.
Like most novels in the video game tie-in genre, there were a few forced plot points that you just kinda have to make yourself go with. Despite that, I thought this was a great book, especially for lorehounds like myself, and it was a pleasure to read a game book that doesn't follow the typical "bunch of adventurers go on a quest" pattern. If you're interested in the story from the first Mass Effect game about how Anderson *almost* became a Spectre, Revelation has all the details. -
This is a great addition to the Mass Effect universe. The story revolved around David Anderson, Kahlee Sanders, and how SPECTRE Saren Arterius acquires a reaper artifact. This is set before the events of the first Mass Effect game. The three novels by Drew Karpyshyn are great complements to the MEU.
B -
The prose is prosaic, but I thought it did a very nice job of filling in some of the near past history of ME1. The action certainly sped along, and the worldbuilding was just as strong as in the game itself.
If all tie-in novels are this good, I may be in serious trouble. -
I have tried reading books based on popular video game series before, including World of Warcraft: Tides of Darkness by Aaron Rosenberg and Starcraft: Liberty's Crusade by Jeff Grubb. Both books were very poor. They're more concerned about maintaining a fast pace than developing characters and providing action set pieces than intriguing plot. It really is a shame because both of those books come from mythologies which are robust and interesting. I wasn't expecting A Canticle for Leibowitz when I read either one, but I was hopeful they wouldn't be written strictly for an audience which just hit puberty. When I finally decided to read Mass Effect: Revelation I did so with my previous experiences in mind and with hope the book would be a little bit better than the others which share a similar sub-genre.
The greatest praise I can give to Mass Effect: Revelation is that it's not terrible. I loved the Mass Effect series of games. Their storylines, their characters, and their lore rival some of the greatest science fiction tales ever created. I wanted to get back into the universe, and with the next game's release date still under wraps, and more than likely quite a ways off, reading Mass Effect: Revelation, which is a prequel to the original Mass Effect game, seemed like a perfect way to do it. The book doesn't in anyway match the game seriers's incredible experience, but it's a mildly entertaining addition to the overall universe nonetheless.
Like any prequel, Mass Effect: Revelation spends most of its time providing insights into characters the reading audience, who have most definitely played the games, already know about. Anderson, Sanders, Saren, these are names the readers will already be familiar with. Saren is the most compelling to read about it in the book, albeit mostly one-sided and uncomplicated. Anderson and Sanders follow unsurprising character tropes, and their relationship is largely uninteresting.
The story itself has the requisite science fiction mystery and mercenaries. Again, no real surprises to be found. The book's biggest asset isn't its story or characters but its setting. The Mass Effect universe, as I mentioned previously, is incredibly robust, which I love spending time in. As seems to often be the case for many books, there is a mad rush toward the end to bring the plot to a close. It felt like the author was working under a rigid deadline; I don’t know if that’s actually true.
There is no reason to read Mass Effect: Revelation unless you've played the game series and loved it. I enjoyed the book as much as I did mainly and mostly for that reason. I do think the book is better written than World of Warcraft: Tides of Darkness and Starcraft: Liberty's Crusade, but it doesn't exactly stand head and shoulders above them. I'm prone to read the other Mass Effect books which have been published in hopes they'll also not be terrible as I bide my time before the next Mass Effect game releases.
http://thethousanderclub.blogspot.com/ -
“Mass Effect: Revelation” is not only the first “Mass Effect” novel to be released, but also the first “Mass Effect”…well, ANYTHING (it was published 6 months prior to the release first game). As an introduction to this deep world and its various characters, factions, and mythology, it’s a solid first-dip, ably laying out the broad framework of the universe without overly bogging down the reader in minute or unnecessary details . Writer Drew Karpyshyn (who also wrote the game) does a good job of telling a story here that works on its own terms – complete with distinct themes and arcs – without ever feeling like it’s merely just acting as a prolonged promotion for the upcoming game. “Revelation” may not be the most EXCITING or page-turning kick-off to the “Mass Effect” universe…but it does more than enough to set the stage for future stories. And ultimately, that’s all it needed to do.
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Buddy read with
Sorina at
Buddies Books and Baubles.
Was
Mass Effect: Revelation a revelation?
It was, and it was not.
As a prequel to the game, it was about a young Anderson on a mission to investigate whatever little was left of an Alliance secret research station, about how Anderson first met Kahlee Sanders, intergalactic politics, the galaxy's point of view on the human species at that point in time and on AI, and it let's its reader accompany Saren through part of his life as a spectre.
While the book, and that was to be expected, came of course nowhere near the game experience, I felt entertained at all times and I learned a few interesting or fun facts about the whole Mass Effect universe and what it was like before the first game started, for example there were
►fun insights on the different species
Batarians had a habit of looking at you with all four orbs simultaneously, making it difficult for a binocular species to know which pair to focus on during conversation. The inability to maintain eye contact was disconcerting for most other species, and the batarians always tried to exploit this advantage in situations involving bargaining and negotiations and
►on the galactic time system
On human colonies and out on patrol the Alliance still used the familiar twenty-four-hour clock based on Terran Coordinated Universal Time, the protocol established in the late twentieth century to replace the archaic Greenwich Mean Time system. On the Citadel, however, everything operated on the galactic standard of a twenty-hour day. To further complicate things, each hour was divided into one hundred minutes of one hundred seconds … but each second was roughly half as long as the ones humans were used to. The net result was that the twenty-hour galactic standard day was about fifteen percent longer than the twenty-four-hour day as calculated by Terran Coordinated Universal Time.
Two characters stood out for me in the book apart from Anderson and Kahlee:
►One of them was Saren.
"I have two rules to follow," Saren explained. "The first is: never kill someone without a reason." "And the second?" Anderson asked, suspicious. "You can always find a reason to kill someone."
I felt like Karpyshyn (yes, I copy-pasted that name ) wasted some potential on Saren's part of the story.
I would have loved to read SOMETHING about him to make me feel conflicted about his whole character as a villain, something to make me feel bad for him if only for a moment, but there was only black and white.
Once it was mentioned that Saren had lost a brother in the first contact war as a reason why he hates humans. And that was it. If that was supposed to add more depth to his character, this didn't do it for me. I missed his personal reason(s) for having become what he has become, a tragic past for example. This had so much potential.
►The other one was Skarr.
I just have a thing for powerful assassins in stories, and I loved how even in a warehouse full of armed mercenaries pointing their weapons at him, rather than getting intimidated, he turned the whole situation to his profit through his guts and through his wits. I would have loved to read more about his life.
Now, I'll definitely also read the other books in this series, too - well worth it imo.
Recommended to fellow Mass Effect fans. -
Drew Karpyshyn’s purpose for writing the sci-fi thriller Mass Effect: Revelation is strictly to entertain and inform. Karpyshyn is the lead writer for the Mass Effect video game series, so the introduction of Revelation as prequel material garnered support for the novel from the already established fan base. However, the novel is so good they need not have bothered. The book is told with a third-person omniscient viewpoint, with dialogue falling into first-person with respect to the speaker. Karpyshyn clearly intends for the book to be an extension of the Mass Effect universe, as it seamlessly melds into the story. In the game, Cpt. David Anderson mentions his failed mission as a human SPECTRE candidate. In the novel, that mission is explored in greater detail. The book provides an interesting insight into the backstory of the game, which in Mass Effect, is crucial.
Author Karpyshyn pens a theme of struggle, growth, and truth. The protagonist and company repeatedly grapple with enemies, diplomacy, and each other. This thematic point acts as a reference in the game, where humanity is struggling to gain a foothold as a major power in the universe. Likewise, the diplomatic pieces of the novel show rash, passionate decisions met with brutal amounts to patience, resolve, and tact. This theme of choices and paths becomes more evident in the game as the protagonist navigates the storyline. Another way to view the novel is as a window into truth and deception, as Cpt. Anderson must champion a truth that is ultimately negated, losing his opportunity in the process. The ruthlessness of the SPECTRE working parallel to Anderson, Saren, drives the plot and provides a foil to Anderson.
Karpyshyn’s style is narrative, as he aims to tell a story. The novel reads well and easily, as the diction and language are modern. The author writes about single or close moments in time from multiple personas and points of view, classifying the novel as a thriller. Providing multiple angles on the story enables the reader to discover plots and traps before the characters do, creating an emotional connection to the characters. Karpyshyn also utilizes effective description and imagery, illustrating a lush and vibrant culture as the setting for parts of the novel while providing a dreary and dull locale in other parts.
I loved this book; I thought it was well written and told a story worthy of the Mass Effect name. I have only recently bought and played the first game, so I am quite new to the story. I immediately liked the game, and then immediately liked the book. My favorite parts were the pieces of foreshadowing present due to it being a prequel. I mildly disliked how the book ended, with a rapid series of events with a small resolution. Even though I had played the game before I read the book, I know I would have enjoyed the book as much regardless of the game. For science-fiction fans of the Star Wars and Halo books and universe, I strongly recommend Mass Effect: Revelation and the Mass Effect universe. -
I don't think this book will appeal to those who haven't played the Mass Effect video games. As it is, this book provides a good backstory to the events that unfold in Mass Effect. Those who choose to read this obviously shouldn't expect great literature; it's pulp science fiction. The pacing is good and the action keeps your attention. One could easily read the entire book in a few hours.
For those who are looking for a space opera told in several different media, I would recommend the Mass Effect series. Alone, this book isn't going to be very meaningful or engaging. It would be like reading a Star Wars novel without having seen the films. However, if you lose yourself in this universe, you will be rewarded with rich characters and a good story. The folks at BioWare know how to tell good stories; it's what they win awards for. This novel serves to enhance this particular storyline. BioWare allows you to delve as deep as you wish into their universes and this book exemplifies one of the many options they provide to accomplish that. -
Buddy read with
Layla at
Buddies Books and Baubles.
Layla wrote a
great review of the book, so I'll just keep mine short.
If I were to judge this book purely on a sci-fi genre merit, the story is lacking, and I did sometimes have the problem of not being able to connect the characters we saw on the page with the characters we experienced in the video game.
However, as I huge fan of the video games, I LOVED all the detail we got on the Mass Effect Universe. In fact, I wanted more. And yes, if colleges taught a course on the history of the ME Universe I would take it. I would even read a textbook of it! And ultimately that's what saved the book for me, the fact that it was part of the ME universe and the fact that we got to see some of the great characters that we loved from the games. -
It scratches my itch for Mass Effect, but little else. I was intrigued by the author's attempts to make the character of Anderson a more complicated and reflexive character by having him ruminate on his own (and also humanity's) gender bias, but ultimately, the character development is starved and falls flat. Despite the fact that Anderson kind of recognizes that he's objectifying Kahlee, in the context of the novel, that's exactly what she ends up being: a damsel in distress whose unconvincing romance only serves to provide character development for the central male protagonist. Nothing groundbreaking here.
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Mass Effect: Revelation by Drew Karpyshyn is a video game game tie-in novel based off BioWare’s 2007 Sci-fi RPG Mass Effect 1. The story laid out in Revelations falls somewhere between humanity passing through their first Mass Relay, an artifact belonging to the long since vanished alien race, The Protheans, and the beginning of the Mass Effect video game proper.
The novel's narrative focuses on David Andrews, a young, battle-tested Alliance marine, and Saren, the mysterious Taurian Spectre, as they separately investigate an assault on a secret Alliance research outpost, and how it links to a secret alien artifact that could threaten all life in the Galaxy.
I found this novel very easy reading, absorbing it's entirety in less than a week. The writing is fluid, descriptively sparse, and very much to the point. It almost reads as a pitch for an actual novel of greater length and detail, which I hope the game covers for. The dialog is good, both in action and intrigue, politics and punches. This bodes well for the game itself since the novel is penned by none other than the game's main writer, Drew Karpyshyn.
Overall, The book is very well paced, taking the reader in and out of the action without ever stumbling over itself to reestablish momentum. The fights are fighty, the intrigue and mystery are mysteriously intriguing, even when the book deals with the hard politics between the Alliance and the Citadel, it flows with ease, never confusing. Over all the book succeeds in everything it tries to accomplish in the shortest amount of time, though leaves me with even more questions and an even deeper desire to replay the ME games. -
Video game tie-in novels can be very hit or miss. I was pleasantly surprised by Mass Effect: Revelation as it was not only a great introduction to the Mass Effect universe, but it was also a pretty fun read.
Mass Effect: Revelation couldn't stand on its own as a piece of science-fiction. While it gives a good introduction to some of the Mass Effect series' characters, its races, and Citadel politics, it doesn't do much world-building beyond that. It's a book created for people already interested in the series, and with that in mind, it does its job wonderfully. Having already played the series multiple times, reading Mass Effect: Revelation gave me a much deeper insight into the characters of Anderson and Saren.
Mass Effect: Revelation is a video game prequel and it does what it says on the tin. If you're interested in the world and lore of Mass Effect, then this is a really fun, well-written read. -
"I was invested in the story but it wasn't good."
"No one really had an arc?"
"Except the administrator: I'm good at my job! I'm not good at my job. I'm going to be better at my job."
"I really wanted to know why Saren became psychotic but he just was always psychotic I guess."
"It was really unnecessarily graphic in describing violence?"
"Yeah, not even the game is that violent."
(I mean, arguable, but yeah wow.) -
Great backstory on one of my favourite characters from the gaming trilogy, but also an intriguing view into the story of Saren! Great writing an dplot, just furthering my love of the series!
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3.5 stars
not as good as I had hoped but I will still try listening to the other two. I did enjoy that this is leading up to Seren and his bit with Sovereign. -
A prequel to the first Mass Effect game, focusing on the backstory of Captain -- then Lieutenant -- David Anderson, and the famous Turian Spectre Saren. For better or for worse, it reads a lot like a novelization of some Mass Effect DLC that was never made -- in the opening chapter, Anderson leads his squad in an assault on an industrial facility on a distant colony after receiving a distress call, and ends up fighting a bunch of mercenaries -- there's even at least one lengthy elevator ride. Kept me entertained.
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Your species must know its place. ~ Saren Arterius
I liked this book far more than I expected I would. I figured that it would simply be a recap of what I already know of the Mass Effect Universe from the games. I was pleasantly surprised to find that not only is this story totally original, but it is a fitting prequel featuring our beloved Anderson and the most hated Saren.
Shepard's right. Humanity is ready to do its part. United with the rest of the Council, we have the strength to overcome any obstacle. When the Reapers come, we must stand side by side. We must fight against them as one. And together we can drive them back into dark space! ~ Captain David Anderson
Revelation is a prequel to the ME we all know from the games and gives a great deal of insight into David Anderson. We learn what kind of man he was when he was younger and what motivated him. Additionally, this story answers questions that arise when playing the ME games such as:
1. What is that connection between Anderson and Kahlee Sanders (Grissom Academy) really all about?
2. What really went down between Anderson and Saren?
3. Was Saren always a racist freak? And why? How'd he become that way?
4. How did Anderson get chosen as a potential Spector and exactly what happened to nix that opportunity for him?
“Grissom chose to remain completely fair and unbiased: he told every single one of them to go to hell.” ~ Drew Karpyshyn, Mass Effect: Revelation
I read The Chronicles of Riddick a few months ago and while I liked the story (mostly due to the fact that I already like the movie despite the blatant plot issues - I know, I know) it was merely a retelling of movie, blow for blow and featured nothing truly original. I expected Revelations to be essentially the same. I was wrong. In addition, this was a fast paced, cleanly and smartly written book that I would recommend to anyone who likes action, thrillers, and mystery mixed in with the sci-fi space opera.
“the Sanctuary was reserved for the rich and elite--those with fortunes, not soldiers of fortune.” ~ Drew Karpyshyn, Mass Effect: Revelation
I'm unable to say with certainly however, if this book would have the same sense of ah-ha! familiarity for someone not well acquainted with the ME Universe. I would lean toward the idea that, yes, someone not in the know about ME could read this and still experience the full effect and enjoyment but there is a sense of lingering doubt in that regard. Each time an alien race was mentioned: Batarian, Geth, Salarian, Krogan... I didn't require the detailed explanation to "see" them in my mind. That said, the author does an awesome job of describing without over burdening the reader. -
"I have two rules I follow," Saren explained. "The first is: never kill someone without a reason."
"And the second?" Anderson asked, suspicious.
"You can always find a reason to kill someone."Right out of the starting gate, I need to make a statement: My overall rating is a bit biased, because Mass Effect is one of my favorite game franchises. If this was a totally new, totally unattached story, I would almost certainly have a few different opinions. That's not to say I would overlook issues in a book for the sake of pretending it's good. If it wasn't able to keep my attention, if it was written very poorly, if reading it felt like a chore, it would not get a free pass just for being Mass Effect. A truly bad book will be a bad book to me, no matter what brand it's attached to. This is not a bad book. A bit telling instead of showing at times, perhaps, and some parts are just a little underwhelming. In other words, it's pretty typical for a book based on a video game. Under different circumstances, maybe it would not be quite five stars, but for my circumstances, that's appropriate.
I love the premise of this novel. It takes an incident briefly mentioned in the first game, and gives you the whole story. It reveals the motive and some backstory of Saren, the antagonist from the first game, and it gives you a look into Anderson's early life, his career as a soldier, and how he met Kahlee Sanders. I love that it expands upon people and stories I already knew something about, without feeling tired or overdone. It enriches the game world for me, and not all video game novels manage that.
It can be extremely difficult to believably make the transition between these two very different story telling mediums. Mass Effect: Revelation manages to do this well. Even though it is unlikely you would read this book without having played the game, the author does not just assume that you will know the things he is talking about. He bothers to describe, he bothers to go into detail. And it flows with the rest of the story he is telling, never just abruptly stopping for an exposition dump. I might even go so far as to say you could read this book without having played the game it's based on, but you would probably not enjoy it as much.
Even for its flaws, it's one of the better video game novels I have read. It enriches the game world for me, and I definitely recommend it to fans of Mass Effect.
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Once I noticed the two Mass Effect books I just knew I had to read them. The game had an amazing storyline in my opinion and I wanted more! The first book, the one I'm reviewing, describes the past happenings before the video game. It explains right off the bat how Earth discovered the Prothean(an Alien race) technology on Mars and gained enough information to travel space because of the discovery. It also explains how we came to meet other alien races and form a galactic government, instead of forming a galactic war. After the small 'how the story got here' chapter it delves deeper into the past of Captain Anderson and Saren. Anderson is a character in the video game who helps you out while Saren is the main enemy. In the video game Anderson mention the past between him and Saren only in small detail when asked. In the book it explains everything, once I thought it wasn't referring to the story I heard in the game because it went so far back from that story. However, it was all solid and answered what I wanted to know. Great gun battles with amazing detail. Also had a Krogan(Battle hungry alien race) as a bad guy which was nice. The book, like other books, explained not only the story of Anderson but of other characters as well that had something to do in the story. It also explained a character named Kahlee Sander which is a new character added just for the novel(She is in the next book as well). Not only does it explain her relation to the story but also explains the relation of Saren and another character who serves as the main bad guy for the novel. All of these stories combine into one at the very end and nicely wrap everything up. I was entertained throughout the book and enjoyed this writer. I only hope the Mass Effect books will continue to come out just like the Halo books. I give this a 5/5 because I enjoyed the story, couldn't stop reading it, and didn't feel as if I wasted my time.
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I read this book the summer it came out because I was completely caught up in the Mass Effect pre-release whirlwind. One of my favorite things in science fiction that especially translates to games is the world building. And the people at BioWare have a reputation for building broad and cohesive worlds. I also knew going in that this was going to be a trashy video game summer read and in that respect it didn't dissapoint.
In the aknowledgments, Karpyshyn thanks his editor who "helped make my novel as good as it could possibly be in the face of some rather tight deadlines." That gives you an idea of what to expect. The world had been thought out extensively already by the creative team at BioWare, and this story conviently squeezed right in.
All in all, if you were going to read this book anyway, you are probably going to enjoy it on some level. It's not Tolstoy, but on the other hand, it's also not Tolstoy. If you liked Mass Effect and wanted to get some more background on Anderson and Saren than this is a whole lot better than fan fiction. Just don't expect to be Blown Away.
