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The Monster Librarian Presents:
Books Based on Video Games
Diablo III: The Order
by Nate Kenyon
Gallery Books, 2012
ISBN: 9781416550785
Available: Hardcover, Paperback, Kindle
Diablo III: The Order is the first book in the series which will accompany the best selling video game Diablo III. For this first book, the author has chosen to tell a story of Deckard Cain. Being a frail, old and flawed person, Deckard makes a wonderful choice to spin an adventure around. For those unfamiliar, Diablo is set in a world where the demons of hell have invaded our land, and heroes must fight them back. One of the many tools the hero can use is the scholar Deckard Cain, the last of the Horadrim, a group of scholars formed by the ArchAngel Tyrael.
In this adventure, Deckard must take the child Leah, and discover the town of Al Cut, before the Dark One finds the girl or the city. It’s prophesied that the dead shall rise from Al Cut, and Leah has a lot of magical power. Meanwhile, Deckard learns that a new order of Horadrim may have been formed. This is a well-written tale. I was absolutely absorbed from the first chapter. It’s not a fast moving book, but it does not plod. If you enjoy dark fantasy, this is a book you should definitely check out. Highly recommended for fans of Diablo III, readers of dark fantasy, and people who like demons.
Contains: Violence, Dark Imagery.
Reviewed by: Benjamin Franz
We have a take two review with reviewer Aaron Fletcher giving his take on Diablo III: The Order.
This is the tale of Deckard Cain, last surviving member of a mysterious and legendary order of magicians known as the Horadrim. The order was created by the archangel, Tyrael, with the sacred duty of protecting the world of Sanctuary from the three Demon Lords: Diablo, Lord of Terror; Mephisto, Lord of Hatred; and Baal, Lord of Destruction. Decades have passed with no signs of demons, and the Horadrim's ranks have faded to only one old man, Deckard Cain, keeper of the collected wisdom and history of the order. Rumors of a demonic invasion set to destroy the world surface. Tales of other Horadrim hiding amongst the shadows reach Deckard's ears, and he sets off to find them. In his charge is an eight year old girl named Leah, thought to be cursed; an ancient prophecy somehow connects her to the End of Days. Deckard must find his brothers and the answers before it is too late.
I have played the Diablo games and love them. In the games, Deckard Cain is the perpetual wise man of the games that players must go to for advice. Everyone has a past, so this was an interesting story. The author did a great job of weaving the characters from the game into the back story. The elements of the games came through really well. I felt that the style was a bit heavy on description. As a result, the story tended to bog down, and lost my attention. I can forgive this, though, as there is a lot to do in establishing the game world for the book. Editorially speaking, the worst offense for me was that the author tended to start sentences with the word, “but”, a habit I was taught to avoid years ago. Also, the author would link items in a list using “and” repeatedly, instead of simply using commas. Aside from these issues, the story was well written, with a suitably complicated plot line to go along with the games, and is worth reading. Recommended.
Contains: Gore
Reviewed by Aaron Fletcher
Borderlands
2: Unconquered by John Shirley*New Review
Pocket Books, 2012
ISBN-13: 978-1439198483
Available: New, Used, and e-book
John Shirley is the author of masterpieces in both Science fiction (City Come a Walkin’) and horror (Wetbones). In the last couple years he has taken a stab at several more well known movie and comic franchises in tie-in novels. I am a huge fan of his original novels so I have read most of his tie-in novels, which have included excellent novels in the Predator universe (Forever Midnight) and the world of Hellblazer (Warlord) to name a few.
Last year Shirley had big success with a popular prequel to the video game Bioshock so we shouldn't be surprised that Gearbox came to the original cyberpunk legend to expand their Borderlands universe, with a second Borderlands video game coming soon.
Borderlands 2: Unconquered, a science fiction adventure novel, is the result. In this book, Shirley sets up the events of the video game on a planet called Pandora, and delves into the origins of two of the game’s more important characters, Mordecai and Brick.
I have to admit that a lot of this novel went over my head as I have not played the game, nor did I realize when I picked this novel that it was a second in a series. Still, the action is well-done, and the characters are rich. It is not over-written, and nothing is excessively violent. Borderlands 2: Unconquered is a well written tie-in to a popular video franchise and should appeal to gamers and be on the shelf in the YA section of libraries.
Review by Daivd Agranoff
Halo: Primordium by
Greg Bear
Tor Books, 2012
ISBN: 9780765323972
Available: Audio CD, Paperback, Kindle, Hardcover
Halo: Primordium by Greg Bear is the second book in The Forerunner Saga. It is best read by Halo fans, but others may enjoy it as well. For those not aware of the game’s storyline, here is a brief introduction. HALO explores the long running conflict of the Master Builder and his minions and slave races who unleashed THE FLOOD – a parasite which spreads across the universe. This has resulted in a lot of wars. The Forerunner Saga, of which this book is a part, focuses on some of the humans, and seeks to explain what happened to the Master Builder, the Librarian and other persons who were responsible for both the planet HALO and the flood.
This book is from the point of view of Chakas, and it’s fantastic. If you like the HALO series, you will love this book. I will suggest that you seriously consider reading HALO: Cryptum first, because this is the second book in the series, and if you start with it, you will be very lost. I listened to the audio CD of this book, and the narrator was very compelling. I highly recommend this work for teens and older, especially fans of HALO or hard science fiction/horror blends.
Contains: Violence, Terrifying imagery.
Reviewed by: Benjamin Franz
Diablo III: The Order
by Nate Kenyon
Gallery Books, 2012
ISBN: 9781416550785
Available: Hardcover, Paperback, Kindle
Diablo III: The Order is the first book in the series which will accompany the best selling video game Diablo III. For this first book, the author has chosen to tell a story of Deckard Cain. Being a frail, old and flawed person, Deckard makes a wonderful choice to spin an adventure around. For those unfamiliar, Diablo is set in a world where the demons of hell have invaded our land, and heroes must fight them back. One of the many tools the hero can use is the scholar Deckard Cain, the last of the Horadrim, a group of scholars formed by the ArchAngel Tyrael.
In this adventure, Deckard must take the child Leah, and discover the town of Al Cut, before the Dark One finds the girl or the city. It’s prophesied that the dead shall rise from Al Cut, and Leah has a lot of magical power. Meanwhile, Deckard learns that a new order of Horadrim may have been formed. This is a well-written tale. I was absolutely absorbed from the first chapter. It’s not a fast moving book, but it does not plod. If you enjoy dark fantasy, this is a book you should definitely check out. Highly recommended for fans of Diablo III, readers of dark fantasy, and people who like demons.
Contains: Violence, Dark Imagery.
Reviewed by: Benjamin Franz
StarCraft
Ghost: Specters by Nate Kenyon
Pocket Star; Original edition, 2011
ISBN-13: 978-1439109380
Available: New and Kindle
The Ghosts are powerful living weapons; the Ghost program represents the
apex of Terran technology and evolution. When Ghosts start disappearing, one
of the strongest and most powerful Ghosts, Nova Terra, is sent to
investigate. While exploring the site of the latest disappearance, Nova
is exposed to a mysterious gas that enhances her psionic powers, but also
releases unpleasant memories that she had repressed through the Ghost
program In her investigation she finds some of her allies are her enemies,
and her enemies her allies.
Specters is a well-crafted story that has plenty of action, twists and turns. There are moments of romance and intrigue ,which broadens the audience for the book in ways that one might not expect. There is enough background here that people who are not familiar with the game will still enjoy the book. Kenyon has written not just a good game-based book but a good science fiction book. To help readers new to StarCraft there is a timeline that shows major events in the StarCraft Universe. Highly Recommended
Contians: Violence
Related Media:
Books: Nova
(StarCraft Ghost) by Keith R.A. DeCandido
StarCraft: Ghost Academy Volume 1 by Fernando Heinz Furukawa and Keith
R.A. DeCandido
StarCraft: Ghost Academy Volume 2 by Fernando Heinz Furukawa and Keith
R.A. DeCandido
StarCraft: Ghost Academy Volume 3 (Starcraft (Tokyopop)) by Fernando Heinz Furukawa and Keith
R.A. DeCandido
Starcraft: I, Mengsk by Graham McNeil
Starcraft: Queen of Blades (Starcraft (Unnumbered)) by Aaron Rosenberg
Starcraft: Twilight (The Dark Templar Saga, Book 3) by Christie Golden
StarCraft II: Devils’ Due by Christie Golden
StarCraft II: Heaven’s Devils by William C. Dietz
Video Games:
StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm (Pre-order)
Starcraft II: Wings of Liberty
StarCraft Battle Chest (Starcraft 1)
World
of Warcraft: Wolfheart by Richard A Knaak*New Review
Gallery Books, 2011
ISBN: 978-1451605754
Available: Hardback, paperback, e-book
When approaching this book, the first thing I thought about was whether I needed any knowledge of World of Warcraft to enjoy the book. Thankfully, as I love Richard A. Knaak’s work, you do not, though it would certainly help. In most instances, if there is a term the reader might not know because they aren’t familiar with World of Warcraft, Knaak provides at least a sentence or two to explain, in a way that doesn’t detract from the main tale or flow of the story.
The book follows the Horde amassing of an army to overcome and destroy the Alliance. Three main characters take on the majority of the story, each well characterized and properly detailed. The action sequences are tight and well described while story build up is just as detailed and flowing. Appropriate for ages 13 and up.
Contains: Violence, blood, gore.
Reviewed by: Stephen Lerch
Gears
of War: Coalition's End by Karen Traviss
Gallery Books, 2011
ISBN-13: 978-1439183953
Available: New
Gears of War: Coalition’s End is a bridge book between the storylines of the video games Gears of War 2 and Gears of War 3, with Gears of War 3 due to be released in fall of 2011. In this book, the members of the Coalition with Delta Squad ends up on the island Vectes, thinking that they have found a safe haven from the Locust and the deadly Lambent. Delta Squad find all too quickly that the Lambent have found a way onto Vectes and seem to be evolving. The Coalition must determine if they can hold Vectes or again search for another safe location.
Coalition’s End is an engaging read with plenty of action and some great character development. Traviss delves into the background of some of Delta Squad’s members, endearing them to the reader and the action keeps one turning pages to see what happens next. There is an element of mystery as well, as everyone is trying to figure out the plans and motivations of Prescott, the chairman of the Coalition.
Gears of War: Coalition’s End is highly recommended. While the book is set in the Gears of War world, and having a basic understanding of the story helps, there is enough background in the book that it is possible to get a good idea of what is going on. The book is a solid science fiction tale that even non-game players will enjoy: a brief stop at the Wikipedia entry for the first two games can get someone up to speed rather quickly. This is the fourth Gears of War book, and there is a series of graphic novels as well. The first Gears of War game sold over five million copies and Gears of War 2 sold over four million copies, so there is a good chance that your library will have patrons who have played the game. The Gears of War game is for the XBOX 360 platform. Highly recommended
The Gears of War books are:
Gears of War: Anvil Gate by Karen Traviss released in 2010
Gears of War: Jacinto's
Remnant by Karen Traviss released 2009
Gears of War Aspho Fields by
Karen Traviss released in 2008
Gears of War Games:
Gears of War
Triple Pack
Gear of War 3 (To be released
9/20/11)
Gears of War special XBOX Bundle
Review by the
Monster Librarian
Contains: Violence and some minor gore
Thrall:
Twilight of the Aspects
by Christie Golden
Gallery Books, 2011
ISBN: 978-1416550884
Available: Hardcover, ebook, paperback
Thrall: Twilight of the Aspects continues the adventures of Thrall, a character Christie Golden created in the World of Warcraft universe some 10 years ago. In this book, we see how far Thrall has come, from being a bloodthirsty war chief to a healer, a spiritual orc dedicated to healing the world. This book comes in the wake of a big World of Warcraft event, ‘The Cataclysm’, in which the Black Dragon went insane and damaged the world of Azeroth badly. Thrall and his fellow mystics must heal the damage caused to Azeroth, but Thrall is not capable of it because there are too many issues within himself that he has not faced. What follows is an intimate adventure in which he wanders off to figure himself out, and along the way finds a big problem brewing with the other elemental forces, or aspects.
This is a very good book for the World of Warcraft crowd. If you’re not one of the millions of people across the world who play this game (and Dear Reader, I definitely am NOT), this is a very hard read to get through. However, World of Warcraft has a huge following, so if you belong to that, or you enjoy reading about magic or dragons, or fantasy adventures of a Dungeons and Dragons sort, you will greatly enjoy this book. Recommended for fantasy readers and World of Warcraft fans.
Contains: Violence, Profanity.
Reviewed by: Benjamin Franz
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