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Black Flag is one of my favourite games ever, maybe even my favourite, and Edward Kenway is one of my favourite fictional characters of all time. I can’t help but compare this book to its game counterpart and I was fully aware it wouldn’t measure up to the game. However, some of the changes made in this book compared to the game were bizarre.
Initially I enjoyed learning more about Edward’s life before the events of the game for the first hundred or so pages of this book. I thought it was written well too — this is why this was a two star read for me and not a one star.
Unfortunately things then started to go south for me with the weird and unnecessary introduction of a revenge plot, with Edward finding out that the people who burned his and his parents’ house down were associated with the Templars, who he would later go to fight against. He was beat unconscious and thrown onto a ship to become a privateer — yes, he’d already made this decision, but in the game the fact that it was his decision alone was important in conveying his initial greed, a very important part of his character. At this point I started to enjoy reading this book less and less.
From there on, the book relies on the reader knowing the plot of the original game. Obviously a fifteen-ish hour game can’t be crammed into a book in its entirety without being much longer than this one, which already was over 450 pages but in all fairness felt shorter. What we end up getting, though, is a very shortened version of the game’s events. I’ve always loved Edward for the journey he takes — from a cocky, naive pirate to the wiser assassin we know by the end, who has learnt his lessons the hard way. We don’t reach this point by the end of the book, because while many of the more emotional and introspective moments of the game are included, we’re pretty much only given their dialogue, without much reflection from Edward. How much did his conversations with Mary Read and Anne Bonny mean to him here? In Edward’s letters to his daughter he writes of his admiration for Mary, but we don’t really see why.
The writing itself also gets lazy. How many times does Edward “engage” his blade? More times than we’re told how a character says any particular sentence, at least, as we’re usually just given lines of dialogue on its own.
Something I really hated about this book was how it handled its female characters. The nature of Edward’s relationship with Caroline is pretty reflective of the era in which the book is set, but there was absolutely no reason for Edward to notice Mary’s breasts on multiple occasions, nor for him to have any romantic feelings for Anne (which were mentioned once and then immediately forgotten about — was that added in the day before publishing or something?). His relationships with Mary and with Anne were purely platonic in the game and were still very important, with him sharing meaningful moments with both characters. It was insulting to the two women to have Edward see them in such a light, especially when he didn’t in the original game.
Another thing I was disappointed by was the almost complete lack of Adéwalé, a favourite of many including myself in the game. He’s a great character, already there for the author to use, and he was wasted! Again, Edward notes his admiration for Adé, but the reader hasn’t earned that sentiment as we aren’t actually privy to many of Edward and Adé’s conversations or what Adé does to be such a good companion to Edward, at least not without already being familiar with the game.
And don’t get me started on that ending. Edward Kenway, the man who lost so many of his friends due to the Templars’ plight, the man who goes on to become a legendary pirate and master assassin, takes a deal from a Templar? Okay, I could see him accepting a pardon on behalf of his crew, as he would have genuinely wanted the best for them by this point, but I don’t believe he would’ve given in that easily at least for his own sake. To top it off, this occurred in the last two pages of the book. It felt like the author felt the need to extent Edward’s story beyond the last cutscene, and again tacked this on at the last minute.
Despite a strong start, this book managed to undermine Edward’s character development as well as his relationships with several important and interesting characters. The game has such a strong plot and cast of characters, and somehow this book manages to both waste and ruin them. I’ll be pretending I never read this.
Initially I enjoyed learning more about Edward’s life before the events of the game for the first hundred or so pages of this book. I thought it was written well too — this is why this was a two star read for me and not a one star.
Unfortunately things then started to go south for me with the weird and unnecessary introduction of a revenge plot, with Edward finding out that the people who burned his and his parents’ house down were associated with the Templars, who he would later go to fight against. He was beat unconscious and thrown onto a ship to become a privateer — yes, he’d already made this decision, but in the game the fact that it was his decision alone was important in conveying his initial greed, a very important part of his character. At this point I started to enjoy reading this book less and less.
From there on, the book relies on the reader knowing the plot of the original game. Obviously a fifteen-ish hour game can’t be crammed into a book in its entirety without being much longer than this one, which already was over 450 pages but in all fairness felt shorter. What we end up getting, though, is a very shortened version of the game’s events. I’ve always loved Edward for the journey he takes — from a cocky, naive pirate to the wiser assassin we know by the end, who has learnt his lessons the hard way. We don’t reach this point by the end of the book, because while many of the more emotional and introspective moments of the game are included, we’re pretty much only given their dialogue, without much reflection from Edward. How much did his conversations with Mary Read and Anne Bonny mean to him here? In Edward’s letters to his daughter he writes of his admiration for Mary, but we don’t really see why.
The writing itself also gets lazy. How many times does Edward “engage” his blade? More times than we’re told how a character says any particular sentence, at least, as we’re usually just given lines of dialogue on its own.
Something I really hated about this book was how it handled its female characters. The nature of Edward’s relationship with Caroline is pretty reflective of the era in which the book is set, but there was absolutely no reason for Edward to notice Mary’s breasts on multiple occasions, nor for him to have any romantic feelings for Anne (which were mentioned once and then immediately forgotten about — was that added in the day before publishing or something?). His relationships with Mary and with Anne were purely platonic in the game and were still very important, with him sharing meaningful moments with both characters. It was insulting to the two women to have Edward see them in such a light, especially when he didn’t in the original game.
Another thing I was disappointed by was the almost complete lack of Adéwalé, a favourite of many including myself in the game. He’s a great character, already there for the author to use, and he was wasted! Again, Edward notes his admiration for Adé, but the reader hasn’t earned that sentiment as we aren’t actually privy to many of Edward and Adé’s conversations or what Adé does to be such a good companion to Edward, at least not without already being familiar with the game.
And don’t get me started on that ending. Edward Kenway, the man who lost so many of his friends due to the Templars’ plight, the man who goes on to become a legendary pirate and master assassin, takes a deal from a Templar? Okay, I could see him accepting a pardon on behalf of his crew, as he would have genuinely wanted the best for them by this point, but I don’t believe he would’ve given in that easily at least for his own sake. To top it off, this occurred in the last two pages of the book. It felt like the author felt the need to extent Edward’s story beyond the last cutscene, and again tacked this on at the last minute.
Despite a strong start, this book managed to undermine Edward’s character development as well as his relationships with several important and interesting characters. The game has such a strong plot and cast of characters, and somehow this book manages to both waste and ruin them. I’ll be pretending I never read this.
This book is good, the story is engaging and thr main character is compelling and charming, but it has 3 main problems: the repeated use of repetitions, the use of anachronism and contrivances/things just happening without much buildup.
It's not a bad read, I've seen way worse, but it could have been fleshed out better with less instances that felt like necessary story beats.
It's not a bad read, I've seen way worse, but it could have been fleshed out better with less instances that felt like necessary story beats.
adventurous
inspiring
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Black Flag is one of the best games in the franchise. Aside from the obvious joy of being a pirate, it also has a rather heartbreaking story, and it was interesting to play an AC game where the protagonist initially adopts the Creed as a means of pursuing their own goals only to later join the Brotherhood and appreciate the true meaning of the Creed.
So the book is a fun way to explore the story with more insight into the protagonist's thoughts and feelings, as well as more on the motivations and his backstory.
Because we don't get much about why Edward is in the Caribbean in the game; we don't find out how he became a fearsome pirate, or at least a skilled seafarer before the events of the game.
This book explores that a little more, including adding some extra reasons for why he despises the Templars almost immediately.
It translates the story from game to page quite effectively, though a shortcoming of these novelisations is that the pacing of the game sections often feels a little off. In some ways, this book was strongest in the sections that weren't retelling the game. I wonder if that's because the author was writing on the assumption that people reading the books would have played the games first.
Still, if you are a fan and want some extra insight into Edward's thoughts and feelings, as well as who he was before encountering Duncan Walpole, this is a good book to read.
Some inconsistencies from the games, though.
So the book is a fun way to explore the story with more insight into the protagonist's thoughts and feelings, as well as more on the motivations and his backstory.
Because we don't get much about why Edward is in the Caribbean in the game; we don't find out how he became a fearsome pirate, or at least a skilled seafarer before the events of the game.
This book explores that a little more, including adding some extra reasons for why he despises the Templars almost immediately.
It translates the story from game to page quite effectively, though a shortcoming of these novelisations is that the pacing of the game sections often feels a little off. In some ways, this book was strongest in the sections that weren't retelling the game. I wonder if that's because the author was writing on the assumption that people reading the books would have played the games first.
Still, if you are a fan and want some extra insight into Edward's thoughts and feelings, as well as who he was before encountering Duncan Walpole, this is a good book to read.
Some inconsistencies from the games, though.
The good part is all the curse words in italian xDD
And for me that, in fact, played the game this is nice :)
And for me that, in fact, played the game this is nice :)
I'm always a slut for pirates and this one was an amazingly well crafted, non-romanticized adventure <3
Loved it. Honestly, it was better than the game. All the books are. Oliver Bowden converts the admittedly enjoyable yet occasionally dull or repetitive games into a truly fantastic story. While some people love Assassin's Creed for the gameplay and stunning visuals and mechanics, I personally love it for the story it tells. In fact, I would be fine if there were no games and it was just the book series only.
Black Flag tells the story of Edward Kenway, a brash, arrogant merchant's son from Bristol with a taste for women and beer. His pugilistic tendencies have led him to many a tavern brawl, but he soon gets on the wrong side of a very powerful organization: the Templars. The night before he departs to become a privateer in the West Indies, the Templars launch an attack on his home, burning it to the ground and leaving his family in ruins. Little does he know that their control reaches across oceans, and he is pulled into the age-old battle between the Templars and an even more mysterious group known only as the Assassins. Along his journey full of twists and turns he meets famous pirates such as Calico Jack, Mary Read, and even Blackbeard.
Black Flag tells the story of Edward Kenway, a brash, arrogant merchant's son from Bristol with a taste for women and beer. His pugilistic tendencies have led him to many a tavern brawl, but he soon gets on the wrong side of a very powerful organization: the Templars. The night before he departs to become a privateer in the West Indies, the Templars launch an attack on his home, burning it to the ground and leaving his family in ruins. Little does he know that their control reaches across oceans, and he is pulled into the age-old battle between the Templars and an even more mysterious group known only as the Assassins. Along his journey full of twists and turns he meets famous pirates such as Calico Jack, Mary Read, and even Blackbeard.
adventurous
challenging
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
As someone who has not played the assassins creed games, I found that while this book lacked world development and had much more potential, it was still an enjoyable read with a good story. I think it would be a perfect companion to the game.
I’m always wary of attempting a novel based on a video game, especially a game I thoroughly enjoyed playing and with which I spent a lot of hours. This one does a reasonably good job of capturing the story of Edward Kenway, accidental pirate and eventual assassin. Lots of swashbuckling adventure, as expected, but the author doesn’t shy away from the introspective nature of Kenway and the path that he finds himself on.
It’s important to note that this is only the story of Kenway and not the rest that involves the “modern day” aspects of the game. There is no Desmond Miles, or Abstergo Industries mentioned; just the raw historical story of Kenway and his adventures. Because of this, all of the Assassin’s Creed novels can be read independently from one another. But the lore is there, the Caribbean settings, the Observatory, the “sage” etc.
I thought it followed the game pretty well and it was great fun to revisit those times and see once again his old friends and enemies, (many of them historical figures) such as James Kidd, Edward “Blackbeard” Thatch, Charles Vane, Adewale, Anne Bonny, Calico Jack Rackham, Benjamin Hornigold, Woodes Rodgers, and Bartholomew Rogers.
I’m not sure I would have enjoyed the novel as much if I had not played the game. While I could easily visualize the people, places, etc., I can imagine some readers not getting a clear picture of so many characters and how they fit together. Nevertheless, I enjoyed reading this and am glad I took a chance on it.
It’s important to note that this is only the story of Kenway and not the rest that involves the “modern day” aspects of the game. There is no Desmond Miles, or Abstergo Industries mentioned; just the raw historical story of Kenway and his adventures. Because of this, all of the Assassin’s Creed novels can be read independently from one another. But the lore is there, the Caribbean settings, the Observatory, the “sage” etc.
I thought it followed the game pretty well and it was great fun to revisit those times and see once again his old friends and enemies, (many of them historical figures) such as James Kidd, Edward “Blackbeard” Thatch, Charles Vane, Adewale, Anne Bonny, Calico Jack Rackham, Benjamin Hornigold, Woodes Rodgers, and Bartholomew Rogers.
I’m not sure I would have enjoyed the novel as much if I had not played the game. While I could easily visualize the people, places, etc., I can imagine some readers not getting a clear picture of so many characters and how they fit together. Nevertheless, I enjoyed reading this and am glad I took a chance on it.