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A review by danchuchie
Assassin's Creed: União by Oliver Bowden
3.0
BookClub: Me, Myself & I *
Month: September, 2024
Theme: Read a Book From a Favourite Author
* BookClub Me, Myself & I is just a "book club" where I pick up a prompt each month and I have to "force" myself to read a book that fits that prompt.
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Favourite character? Mr. Weatherall.
Synopsis:
The story begins a little bit before 1789, as Paris sees the darn of the French Revolution. The division between the rich and the poor are accentuated each year.
Arno and Élise, two young man and woman who have lost it all, are drawn into a centuries-old battle between the Assassins and the Templars.
Review:
First of all, I must comment once again how beautifully written and incorporated the historical events are with the fictional story. As always, it is done in such as seamlessly manner that it is not regarded as info-dumping. In this case, the incorporation of the French Revolution without making it the centre of the story but also without discard it as a side event that didn’t influence the story was amazing, truly well done and in congruence with the Assassin’s Creed series.
There is a lot of action, a lot of typical things that one would love in an Assassin’s Creed book, perfectly balanced with romance and political intrigue.
Before I start my reviewing of the characters, we have to remember, when criticising, that the book is written from a particular perspective – it’s not only first person POV, but it’s also a journal entry. It gives a partial, highly biased perspective and description of events.
Élise was both a character that I admire and that annoys me: she’s an entitled brat, tempestuous, often unaware of the consequences of her actions and, when she is aware, she’s just reckless and doesn’t particularly care. There’s often a lack of understanding or empathy, blended with a bit of arrogance from her social status and even an overvalue of her own skills and intelligence.
Do I hate her? No. It’s quite the opposite. I think she’s a perfectly flawed character, a sort of tragic hero or an anti-hero who attempts to be a hero but falls into the traps of their own lack of ability to change and improve oneself.
I’m confident if she were a man, she’d be adored amongst the fandom and revered as a tragic hero. But she’s a woman, so she’s often hated.
That doesn’t mean I agree or condone everything she says and/or does.
Although the ending was predictable, it was still sad. I wish there were more entries from Arno’s journal and not just a reflection on what he had just read from Élise’s journal.
With the Haytham’s sister’s storyline, a lot more could’ve been done to mend or shorten the bridge between Assassins and Templars but Élise gives it two seconds of thought every once in a while and then forgets about it.
Despite it there being a love story, there is little evidence that leads me believe Élise and Arno actually fell in love with each other when they were kids. We’re only told they played together, with barely any descriptions of what happens and then suddenly, we’re supposed to expect they actually loved each other? Bro.
Personally, in terms of plot and story-telling, this book might be weakest for me. It was not a bad book, by any chance, but it was a bit disappointing in some aspects.
Month: September, 2024
Theme: Read a Book From a Favourite Author
* BookClub Me, Myself & I is just a "book club" where I pick up a prompt each month and I have to "force" myself to read a book that fits that prompt.
------------------------------------------------
Favourite character? Mr. Weatherall.
Synopsis:
The story begins a little bit before 1789, as Paris sees the darn of the French Revolution. The division between the rich and the poor are accentuated each year.
Arno and Élise, two young man and woman who have lost it all, are drawn into a centuries-old battle between the Assassins and the Templars.
Review:
First of all, I must comment once again how beautifully written and incorporated the historical events are with the fictional story. As always, it is done in such as seamlessly manner that it is not regarded as info-dumping. In this case, the incorporation of the French Revolution without making it the centre of the story but also without discard it as a side event that didn’t influence the story was amazing, truly well done and in congruence with the Assassin’s Creed series.
There is a lot of action, a lot of typical things that one would love in an Assassin’s Creed book, perfectly balanced with romance and political intrigue.
Before I start my reviewing of the characters, we have to remember, when criticising, that the book is written from a particular perspective – it’s not only first person POV, but it’s also a journal entry. It gives a partial, highly biased perspective and description of events.
Élise was both a character that I admire and that annoys me: she’s an entitled brat, tempestuous, often unaware of the consequences of her actions and, when she is aware, she’s just reckless and doesn’t particularly care. There’s often a lack of understanding or empathy, blended with a bit of arrogance from her social status and even an overvalue of her own skills and intelligence.
Do I hate her? No. It’s quite the opposite. I think she’s a perfectly flawed character, a sort of tragic hero or an anti-hero who attempts to be a hero but falls into the traps of their own lack of ability to change and improve oneself.
I’m confident if she were a man, she’d be adored amongst the fandom and revered as a tragic hero. But she’s a woman, so she’s often hated.
That doesn’t mean I agree or condone everything she says and/or does.
Spoiler
She got mad at Arno for becoming an Assassin but she had years, likely a decade, to convert him into a Templar. She flat-out refused to do so because she didn’t want him to stop playing with her. Which is weird reasoning, because bringing him into the Templar would ensure he would still become friends with her.Spoiler
It’s her personality, her lack of growth and her inability of being impartial, of reasoning before acting that leads to her end. Élise could have gotten her revenge and become the grandmaster of the Templars if only she had used her head instead of her emotions and played the long game. She wanted instant and immediate revenge, leading her down a path of destructive and reckless actions which, ultimately, condemned her to her death. It was an unnecessary death (not in terms of plot, but in terms of character) and that’s what makes it tragic.Although the ending was predictable, it was still sad. I wish there were more entries from Arno’s journal and not just a reflection on what he had just read from Élise’s journal.
With the Haytham’s sister’s storyline, a lot more could’ve been done to mend or shorten the bridge between Assassins and Templars but Élise gives it two seconds of thought every once in a while and then forgets about it.
Despite it there being a love story, there is little evidence that leads me believe Élise and Arno actually fell in love with each other when they were kids. We’re only told they played together, with barely any descriptions of what happens and then suddenly, we’re supposed to expect they actually loved each other? Bro.
Personally, in terms of plot and story-telling, this book might be weakest for me. It was not a bad book, by any chance, but it was a bit disappointing in some aspects.