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curatoriasol's review
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
I'll be honest, I'm actually not the biggest fan of Dragon Age, but I'm obsessed with a single character from it, so I feel obligated to read these.
I did get some mildly interesting lore, so it was worth reading, but I wasn't a big fan of the characters or the plot. Very generic.
I did get some mildly interesting lore, so it was worth reading, but I wasn't a big fan of the characters or the plot. Very generic.
ellisdex's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
not great, not terrible, gets points bc i love cole more than anything
nangears's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
ceruleanesk's review against another edition
4.0
I really liked this book a lot.
Of course, I'm an avid Dragon Age gamer and love all that is Dragon Age. However, when comparing this book to the ones which came before it, this one was much more well-written I feel.
I loved the story and the characters a lot. You really start to feel for them after readiing for some time, especially Rhys is a very likeable character.
If you're a DA fan like me and would like more of a background to the games; reading David Gaider's books is a must.
I'm very excited to be playing with Cole in the upcoming Dragon Age: Inquisition game; can't wait!
Of course, I'm an avid Dragon Age gamer and love all that is Dragon Age. However, when comparing this book to the ones which came before it, this one was much more well-written I feel.
I loved the story and the characters a lot. You really start to feel for them after readiing for some time, especially Rhys is a very likeable character.
If you're a DA fan like me and would like more of a background to the games; reading David Gaider's books is a must.
I'm very excited to be playing with Cole in the upcoming Dragon Age: Inquisition game; can't wait!
ladyfives's review against another edition
4.0
"Look at me," he asked her.
She blinked in confusion, but complied.
"No, look at me."
And she did. The girl looked at Cole, looked into him. He was going to kill her, and she knew it. He went through life, unnoticed and quickly forgotten by all, but to her, at that moment, he was the most important thing in the world. She knew what he was, now. Cole was her deliverance, a way out of a world filled with terror. He saw weary relief in her eyes, mixed with the fear. In those eyes he was anchored, and he felt real.
"Thank you," he breathed, and plunged the dagger into her chest.
So I'll fully blame my enjoyment of this on the fact that Cole is one of my favourite characters from anything, of all time. Weekes's writing in the game has this perfect balance of naive sweetness, unpredictable danger, and utter creepiness. Gaider's Cole doesn't speak in riddles and can't read minds & emotions (and doesn't have his big ol' hat), but he's still the boy that you can't help but want to protect even if he seems one wrong move away from hissing at you and slashing something important.
But wow was he hard to not protect here. I love that Gaider didn't shy away from emotions the whole time - even if it nearly tumbled into melodrama at some points - and Cole was free to be young and weak and broken and damn, all the crying. So much honesty with how much the mage situation sucks between Cole & Pharamond. Made my heart hurt. I feel awful that Cole had to leave the book thinking he was hated by Rhys, but that hurt's patched a bit by how I know no matter how many times I play Inquisition I'll always make sure things are fixed and somewhat better for Cole.
It was nice to meet Wynne, too, as I haven't yet reached her in Origins. Spoilers, I know. The mage vs templar politics were a bit of the same old, same old, especially coming off of DA2, but I appreciated this angle on them and how chaotic things really get even without an Anders to drive everyone to extremes. And neat angle with the mages Cole killed and his little sister, this idea of Cole holding on to things too tightly until he breaks them.
Ironically, it's Rhys and Evangeline that are falling out of my memory. Maybe it's enough to say that had I read this before Inquisition, knowing a companion was coming from this book, I definitely wouldn't be tricked for a moment into thinking it was either of them.
Anyways, Cole is great, adore him forever, miss the hat.
leonidskies's review against another edition
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
4.75
nelkenbabe's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
5.0
itadakinasu's review against another edition
2.0
Pros:
* provides depth into Cole's background
* fleshes out the world building of Orlais and the Chantry system
* cameos of familiar characters
* doesn't "up-the-ante" like other series tend to
Cons:
* rehashed character archetypes
* character behavior doesn't match their ages or experience
* character behavior frequently tests the limits of plausibility
* fight scenes involving magic are poorly written and repetitive
* character development happens off-page and isn't believable
All in all, I agree with another reviewer who said that Gaider should stick to writing for games and should avoid writing novels. In games, the characters can interact naturally in ways that sound stilted and juvenile in prose. The sarcastic tone that Dragon Age is known for doesn't translate well to writing. Also, in games, the time allotted for character development is much more limited and thus is subject to less scrutiny than in written works.
The plot is decent (if you can ignore the idiotic actions of what are supposed to be intelligent and experienced characters), but generally the Dragon Age books feel more like long codex entries than actual novels.
* provides depth into Cole's background
* fleshes out the world building of Orlais and the Chantry system
* cameos of familiar characters
* doesn't "up-the-ante" like other series tend to
Cons:
* rehashed character archetypes
* character behavior doesn't match their ages or experience
* character behavior frequently tests the limits of plausibility
* fight scenes involving magic are poorly written and repetitive
* character development happens off-page and isn't believable
All in all, I agree with another reviewer who said that Gaider should stick to writing for games and should avoid writing novels. In games, the characters can interact naturally in ways that sound stilted and juvenile in prose. The sarcastic tone that Dragon Age is known for doesn't translate well to writing. Also, in games, the time allotted for character development is much more limited and thus is subject to less scrutiny than in written works.
The plot is decent (if you can ignore the idiotic actions of what are supposed to be intelligent and experienced characters), but generally the Dragon Age books feel more like long codex entries than actual novels.
absurtiddy's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0