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3.82 AVERAGE
3.82 AVERAGE
I went back and forth on this one because I really wanted to give it five stars but felt like I wasn't sure I enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed [b:The Calling|6940494|The Calling (Dragon Age, #2)|David Gaider|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1312062819s/6940494.jpg|7173260]. However, once I really thought about it I absolutely did, just in a different way.
This has so many epic fight scenes and Gaider's writing is masterful when it comes to those. I enjoyed getting an update on some of my Origin and DA2 peeps, REALLY enjoyed some of the new characters, and found the politics immensely interesting without being too much or bogging things down. This was wonderful!
This has so many epic fight scenes and Gaider's writing is masterful when it comes to those. I enjoyed getting an update on some of my Origin and DA2 peeps, REALLY enjoyed some of the new characters, and found the politics immensely interesting without being too much or bogging things down. This was wonderful!
adventurous
funny
medium-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
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This book was exactly what I expected - Dragon Age goodness with iffy writing. I loved the new characters - except Cole, though he grew on me - and I really really enjoyed getting to see Orlais. (I hope we go to Antiva for DA3!) the writing though really wasn't the greatest. I don't expect much with books like this, but there were points were the POV or sentence structure was so confusing I actually had to stop reading, go back and reread and then think for a while. HOWEVER, Gaider is such a strong character writer that the I was able to forget the other errors. Especially because I was able to get a Dragon Age fix when I'm not able to play the games.
This book works as a standalone novel within the Dragon Age series with readers not having to have read the earlier two books from Gaider, but this book's not for people just jumping into the Dragon Age world.
If you're familiar with the characters and setting from Dragon Age II and Inquisition, then this story's a treat. Maybe I just feel that way because Cole's my favorite character and this book fleshes out his backstory and personality in ways Inquisition didn't, or maybe it's because Gildart Jackson's voice made it so easy to immerse myself in the narration. Either way, this book's full of arrows to the chest (physical and emotional), surprisingly touching friendships, thrilling action sequences, complex but not overwhelming politics, and complicated characters that raise questions of what makes one action moral and another one immoral.
If you're familiar with the characters and setting from Dragon Age II and Inquisition, then this story's a treat. Maybe I just feel that way because Cole's my favorite character and this book fleshes out his backstory and personality in ways Inquisition didn't, or maybe it's because Gildart Jackson's voice made it so easy to immerse myself in the narration. Either way, this book's full of arrows to the chest (physical and emotional), surprisingly touching friendships, thrilling action sequences, complex but not overwhelming politics, and complicated characters that raise questions of what makes one action moral and another one immoral.
adventurous
dark
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Somehow I'd never got round to reading most of the supplementary in-world materials for Dragon Age, despite having played the series for the last decade and some change. I quite liked this one! A bit messy in spots, but it felt a lot less like a novelized video game script than the pre-DAO books.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-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
I hardly ever kept Cole in my party in DAI. He was sweet, weird, odd. I had loved finding out about him, and his story, and that was why I loved this book. It was a really good insight into who/what Cole is, and how he "works".
We get more of Wynne and Shale in this book, but far too little of Shale for my liking. Everything that came out of her mouth had me chuckling.
We get more of Wynne and Shale in this book, but far too little of Shale for my liking. Everything that came out of her mouth had me chuckling.
I think I liked this book more because it's been so long since Dragon Age: Inquisition came out, and I miss the characters something fierce. The story served as a welcome but unnecessary bridge between the second and third games. While I loved seeing old friends Wynne and Shale (who's as wonderfully sarcastic as ever) and we get a little backstory on Rhys and Evangeline, the highlight was Cole. He's such a tragic character--a spirit trying to figure out if he's "real"--and manages to be sympathetic and creepy at the same time.
The writing dragged a lot, and very little actually *happened* here, but I'm glad I read it.
The writing dragged a lot, and very little actually *happened* here, but I'm glad I read it.