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3.82 AVERAGE
3.82 AVERAGE
Dragon Age 4 teaser dropped today, so I'm back on my Dragon Age bullshit! Planning to re-read all of these books at some point in the near future.
Rating it 3-3.5 stars for now because while I remember enjoying it, my overall memory of this book (main plot info aside) is haaaazy as fuck.
Rating it 3-3.5 stars for now because while I remember enjoying it, my overall memory of this book (main plot info aside) is haaaazy as fuck.
This is the third Dragon Age novel, but unlike the other two, it takes place after both the games so far, dealing in part with the fallout from the events in the second game. There are new characters as well as some familiar faces, and an intriguing glimpse into the state of Thedas leading into the next Dragon Age game.
This is not a book I'd recommend to anyone not already a fan of the Dragon Age series, both books and games. For those who are, however, there is much to love. David Gaider weaves a compelling tale from seemingly small beginnings that grows into something much bigger. Things we thought we knew about various aspects of the Dragon Age universe are challenged, and the novel sets the stage for the next turbulent chapter of Thedas' history.
The new characters, around whom the novel centres, are well-drawn and for the most part sympathetic, and I found myself genuinely invested in their fates. As always, David Gaider's love of this world and the characters who's stories we follow through it shines through in his writing, and makes you want to love them just as much.
My only complaint is that, at least in the e-book edition I read, the proofing/editing was dire. There were many, many occasions where words had been incorrectly split into two (plea sure instead of pleasure, for instance), and some instances of incorrect case or grammar being used. There was even one place where a whole paragraph was repeated, slightly altered. This threw me out of the story on many occasions, and had I been enjoying the story less, I might have given up on it altogether. This shouldn't be seen as a criticism of the book itself, but rather of lazy production values on the part of the publisher. This unfortunately seems to be getting more common, which makes me sad.
This aside, however, I would recommend this novel to anyone who loves the Dragon Age universe. I would rate this lower than the first two Dragon Age novels, if only because the younger Loghain is one of my favourite characters in this world.
This is not a book I'd recommend to anyone not already a fan of the Dragon Age series, both books and games. For those who are, however, there is much to love. David Gaider weaves a compelling tale from seemingly small beginnings that grows into something much bigger. Things we thought we knew about various aspects of the Dragon Age universe are challenged, and the novel sets the stage for the next turbulent chapter of Thedas' history.
The new characters, around whom the novel centres, are well-drawn and for the most part sympathetic, and I found myself genuinely invested in their fates. As always, David Gaider's love of this world and the characters who's stories we follow through it shines through in his writing, and makes you want to love them just as much.
My only complaint is that, at least in the e-book edition I read, the proofing/editing was dire. There were many, many occasions where words had been incorrectly split into two (plea sure instead of pleasure, for instance), and some instances of incorrect case or grammar being used. There was even one place where a whole paragraph was repeated, slightly altered. This threw me out of the story on many occasions, and had I been enjoying the story less, I might have given up on it altogether. This shouldn't be seen as a criticism of the book itself, but rather of lazy production values on the part of the publisher. This unfortunately seems to be getting more common, which makes me sad.
This aside, however, I would recommend this novel to anyone who loves the Dragon Age universe. I would rate this lower than the first two Dragon Age novels, if only because the younger Loghain is one of my favourite characters in this world.
Best unfolding story in one of Gaider's books that I have read so far. Elements of surprise in the plot and subplots; descriptive without being boring; believable (for a fantasy! of course); and decent character development even! Looking over my shoulder as I read it each night, my spouse became interested. I finished with a sense of satisfaction over some of the big story's themes fleshed out, while still knowing some of the viewpoints were still open to alternate viewpoints by other characters in different timelines. Fun for this Dragon Age fan.
I picked this up because I didn't like Cole as much as I thought I would while playing DA:I, and because I wanted to know more about the story behind the "Locate Rhys and Evangeline" mission. This helped on that front, and I do like Cole a bit more, or at least find his story more compelling.
The book is a bit of a slow build that frankly isn't written that well at all. It's about on par with Blizzard's "Diablo" and "World of Warcraft" books, which is not glowing praise by any means, although "Asunder" has the benefit of including Shale and Wynne interacting, which is lovely. Shale brightens anything she's in, and the book's perhaps only saving grace is that it almost perfectly captures her personality (both stars are for Shale, but she unfortunately cannot save the book). What I mean overall is that I had a low bar for "video game related book" already, and on the scale of what I've read... this probably hits around the lower middle for quality?
The plot itself perhaps suffers from being a mix of badly written originality with some of the same centrist nonsense ("everyone is the same, what is the point of trying to change the status quo because everyone who does so is always awwwful see I'm a 'progressive' but actually I think we're better off with nothing changing and actual progressives are as bad as conservatives") and plot fumbles from DAII. It was at the point where I was missing the centrism nonsense because they'd gotten into trying to justify the nonsense of DAII's climax that I knew something was deeply wrong.
None of the protagonists are particularly compelling. Cole is interesting, but his sections are largely boring. The relationship between Rhys and Wynne is the only one (outside Wynne and Shale) that's at all enjoyable to observe, and it's so bumpy and barely present that it's not really something worth holding on for. Leliana pops up, and Divine Justinia is great.
Also: the cover for the apparently regular version for this is so bad? I actually accidentally discovered that it's apparently supposed to be Lord Seeker Lambert, who is one of the primary antagonists. Just a profile image of his face where he looks kind of like a zombie in armor he doesn't wear for most of the book, and he isn't a POV character for most of it, either, and the one time he is, he's not wearing his helmet (at least for most of that section). This tells me nothing about the book, and honestly why not draw Cole? Or Rhys? Like I'm used to bad covers, particularly for video game adaptations, but please, please, there are so many good cover artists out there, PLEASE HIRE THEM! Not that the deluxe edition is much better. I mean art-wise it's at least not ugly to look at, but it's kind of plain, and says nothing about the content of the book.
Overall, if you want a relatively meh backstory on Cole, this is for you. Otherwise, reading the game wiki is probably fine. If you want more "Dragon Age", "Until We Sleep" is a nice story. The art is a roller coaster of quality, but well, most of the story is good, and it's got a great cast.
The book is a bit of a slow build that frankly isn't written that well at all. It's about on par with Blizzard's "Diablo" and "World of Warcraft" books, which is not glowing praise by any means, although "Asunder" has the benefit of including Shale and Wynne interacting, which is lovely. Shale brightens anything she's in, and the book's perhaps only saving grace is that it almost perfectly captures her personality (both stars are for Shale, but she unfortunately cannot save the book). What I mean overall is that I had a low bar for "video game related book" already, and on the scale of what I've read... this probably hits around the lower middle for quality?
The plot itself perhaps suffers from being a mix of badly written originality with some of the same centrist nonsense ("everyone is the same, what is the point of trying to change the status quo because everyone who does so is always awwwful see I'm a 'progressive' but actually I think we're better off with nothing changing and actual progressives are as bad as conservatives") and plot fumbles from DAII. It was at the point where I was missing the centrism nonsense because they'd gotten into trying to justify the nonsense of DAII's climax that I knew something was deeply wrong.
None of the protagonists are particularly compelling. Cole is interesting, but his sections are largely boring. The relationship between Rhys and Wynne is the only one (outside Wynne and Shale) that's at all enjoyable to observe, and it's so bumpy and barely present that it's not really something worth holding on for. Leliana pops up, and Divine Justinia is great.
Also: the cover for the apparently regular version for this is so bad? I actually accidentally discovered that it's apparently supposed to be Lord Seeker Lambert, who is one of the primary antagonists. Just a profile image of his face where he looks kind of like a zombie in armor he doesn't wear for most of the book, and he isn't a POV character for most of it, either, and the one time he is, he's not wearing his helmet (at least for most of that section). This tells me nothing about the book, and honestly why not draw Cole? Or Rhys? Like I'm used to bad covers, particularly for video game adaptations, but please, please, there are so many good cover artists out there, PLEASE HIRE THEM! Not that the deluxe edition is much better. I mean art-wise it's at least not ugly to look at, but it's kind of plain, and says nothing about the content of the book.
Overall, if you want a relatively meh backstory on Cole, this is for you. Otherwise, reading the game wiki is probably fine. If you want more "Dragon Age", "Until We Sleep" is a nice story. The art is a roller coaster of quality, but well, most of the story is good, and it's got a great cast.
Asunder is the backstory of Cole, Rhys, and Evangeline, characters from the game of DA: Inquisition. It also involves Wynne and Shale from DA: Origins as Wynne is Rhys's mother. It involves the mage rebellion against the Templars pre-Inquisition. Rhys is a mage and Evangeline a Templar who unite to find a killer in the White Spire, the home of the mages in Orlais. Meanwhile, Rhys has befriended Cole, a young man/spirit haunting the lower reaches of the White Spire. When Rhys is the one accused of the murders, Wynne shows up to help her son.
I love these characters, and it was great to get this backstory for them. Rhys and Evangeline aren't actually in the game but are referred to by Cole several times, and I've always wondered about them. And Wynne is a favorite party member for me. Mr. Gaider is a wonderful fantasy writer and he's woven a story that stands on its own even if you haven't played the games.
I love these characters, and it was great to get this backstory for them. Rhys and Evangeline aren't actually in the game but are referred to by Cole several times, and I've always wondered about them. And Wynne is a favorite party member for me. Mr. Gaider is a wonderful fantasy writer and he's woven a story that stands on its own even if you haven't played the games.
Such a great prequel to Inquisition, you'll learn a lot about Cole, Shale and Wynne.
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Wow!
I've been making my way through the Dragon Age novels because I'm a little obsessed with the world and just heard the new release date for Dragon Age 4 is late 2023, so I've got some time to kill before then. The first two books were okay, but not anything special as far as stand-alone novels go.
This one handles Cole's backstory and addresses the characters of Rhys and Evangeline who are alluded to in Dragon Age: Inquisition. Also, a reprise on Wynne and Shale from DA: Origins. Cole was never my favorite character in DAI because I just didn't care that much about his backstory. This book has completely changed my perspective. Same for Wynne, frankly.
As a story, it is compelling, interesting, and the pacing is fantastic. There are horror vibes. Tough questions. Weird and mysterious lore. And a slow-burn, not-so-bad romance.
Best of the books yet by far. Maybe because the Deep Roads were not even mentioned? I hate the Deep Roads.
I've been making my way through the Dragon Age novels because I'm a little obsessed with the world and just heard the new release date for Dragon Age 4 is late 2023, so I've got some time to kill before then. The first two books were okay, but not anything special as far as stand-alone novels go.
As a story, it is compelling, interesting, and the pacing is fantastic. There are horror vibes. Tough questions. Weird and mysterious lore. And a slow-burn, not-so-bad romance.
Best of the books yet by far. Maybe because the Deep Roads were not even mentioned? I hate the Deep Roads.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Gore, Violence, Death of parent, Murder
COLEEEEEEEEE.
I had to read this book after playing the game because I love him so much.
Book continued to fail to make me think the Mages were out of line. Shale was a happy surprise and bless her for existing. I wish she'd been in the new game.
Now I want to go back to playing it though because Coleeeeeee!
I had to read this book after playing the game because I love him so much.
Book continued to fail to make me think the Mages were out of line. Shale was a happy surprise and bless her for existing. I wish she'd been in the new game.
Now I want to go back to playing it though because Coleeeeeee!
OMG I loved this one! It was everything I wanted the previous Dragon Age books to be (but weren't). It looks like Gaider defintiely got his prose legs with this one! Also: SHAAAAAALE!! WYNNNNNEEEEE! And I am predicting we meet Rhys, Evangeline, and Adrian in DA3.
adventurous
dark
mysterious