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A review by ai42
Asunder by David Gaider
3.0
Reading Asunder felt like a breath of fresh air after The Stolen Throne and The Calling. No Grey Wardens, no Deep Roads... Well, we do end up in the Fade again and we get another dream sequence that somehow had different rules and logic than in the previous books or the games... But what can I say, it's the fucking Fade.
It was interesting and exciting to read because the templar-mage conflict IS the most important conflict in Thedas, and we get a look inside what happened before shit hit the fan during the conclave in Inquisition. In Inquisition, you're placed at the end of a long domino-effect, and Asunder fills in the gaps of exactly what events changed Thedas forever (Even I felt a little disoriented realizing there was no Circle anymore.) Things that are barely mentioned in DA3 (Cole's storyline, Pharamond's research about the Rite which actually led to the series of conclaves) now have an intricate past and I am so looking forward to playing through DAI again and being even more immersed in the universe.
So the concept is awesome, we have Wynne and her witty son and we get an exclusive insight into the concequences of Anders' attack, but...it was so hard to read. It was hard to get through the middle of the book because Gaider's writing is so extremely normal. Nothing about the writing fascinated me with beautiful prose, something the fantasy genre is perfect for. It's a literal grocery list of what the characters did each day. Story wise, a huge chunk of the book is a long quest with no clear goal other than Wynne needing to save a friend, her true purpose only being revealed during the last 100 pages. Nothing exciting happens (Except a fake-fade-archdemon fight which made no sense) and the stakes are so very low. It's very reminiscent of The Calling in the sense that that was also a big quest, except the stakes there were extremely high even with the little information we were given. There, we had Julian and Nicholas and Utha and Kell, characters I came to care for so so much because they were complex and had dynamics between them that were heart-warming and shattering at once.
The last 100 pages really pulled through at not only redeeming the story but also a lot of its characters. It's like everyone suddenly gained common sense at page 300. Except Rhys. He somehow got worse. While I loved him at the start for being opinionated and suave, he turned into a confused old man really quick.
As for romance... yuck. Templar-mage relations sure happen, but what the hell was that. There was NOTHING romantic between Evangeline and Rhys, yet he kept calling her ''honest'' and ''noble'' while having shown neither of those traits until much later. I think this is Gaider's perception of a straight man? Sees a woman he finds pretty and that's enough. To the point where he starts making shit up about values she doesn't display.
Evangeline was insufferable until the moment she tells Rhys she'll destroy his phylactery. She's an idealist, truly believing the templars exist to protect the mages, I'll give her that. I think it's just my anti-templar sentiment speaking. I was so reluctant to like her, but she redeemed herself at the end.
Adrian, ''the other woman'' was a cool character at first, a hot-headed rebel with clear motivations and a no-nonsense attitude towards Chantry oppression. Somehow at the end, her motivations just boiled down to her still being in love with Rhys and being desperate to keep them together? The whole jealous ex thing is not a good look, especially not on a seemingly complex character like Adrian.
As I mentioned earlier, the book's last 100 pages were SO. COOL. The reveal about Lambert's past, Fiona showing up and leading the mages toward rebellion, another murder mystery, Cole's reveal at the very end.. Wow.. THIS is why I love Dragon Age.
End score: SHALE CARRIED THIS BOOK ON HER BACK. Good thing she's made of stone because she would be in pain were she not.
It was interesting and exciting to read because the templar-mage conflict IS the most important conflict in Thedas, and we get a look inside what happened before shit hit the fan during the conclave in Inquisition. In Inquisition, you're placed at the end of a long domino-effect, and Asunder fills in the gaps of exactly what events changed Thedas forever (Even I felt a little disoriented realizing there was no Circle anymore.) Things that are barely mentioned in DA3 (Cole's storyline, Pharamond's research about the Rite which actually led to the series of conclaves) now have an intricate past and I am so looking forward to playing through DAI again and being even more immersed in the universe.
So the concept is awesome, we have Wynne and her witty son and we get an exclusive insight into the concequences of Anders' attack, but...it was so hard to read. It was hard to get through the middle of the book because Gaider's writing is so extremely normal. Nothing about the writing fascinated me with beautiful prose, something the fantasy genre is perfect for. It's a literal grocery list of what the characters did each day. Story wise, a huge chunk of the book is a long quest with no clear goal other than Wynne needing to save a friend, her true purpose only being revealed during the last 100 pages. Nothing exciting happens (Except a fake-fade-archdemon fight which made no sense) and the stakes are so very low. It's very reminiscent of The Calling in the sense that that was also a big quest, except the stakes there were extremely high even with the little information we were given. There, we had Julian and Nicholas and Utha and Kell, characters I came to care for so so much because they were complex and had dynamics between them that were heart-warming and shattering at once.
The last 100 pages really pulled through at not only redeeming the story but also a lot of its characters. It's like everyone suddenly gained common sense at page 300. Except Rhys. He somehow got worse. While I loved him at the start for being opinionated and suave, he turned into a confused old man really quick.
As for romance... yuck. Templar-mage relations sure happen, but what the hell was that. There was NOTHING romantic between Evangeline and Rhys, yet he kept calling her ''honest'' and ''noble'' while having shown neither of those traits until much later. I think this is Gaider's perception of a straight man? Sees a woman he finds pretty and that's enough. To the point where he starts making shit up about values she doesn't display.
Evangeline was insufferable until the moment she tells Rhys she'll destroy his phylactery. She's an idealist, truly believing the templars exist to protect the mages, I'll give her that. I think it's just my anti-templar sentiment speaking. I was so reluctant to like her, but she redeemed herself at the end.
Adrian, ''the other woman'' was a cool character at first, a hot-headed rebel with clear motivations and a no-nonsense attitude towards Chantry oppression. Somehow at the end, her motivations just boiled down to her still being in love with Rhys and being desperate to keep them together? The whole jealous ex thing is not a good look, especially not on a seemingly complex character like Adrian.
As I mentioned earlier, the book's last 100 pages were SO. COOL. The reveal about Lambert's past, Fiona showing up and leading the mages toward rebellion, another murder mystery, Cole's reveal at the very end.. Wow.. THIS is why I love Dragon Age.
End score: SHALE CARRIED THIS BOOK ON HER BACK. Good thing she's made of stone because she would be in pain were she not.