A review by fandom4ever
Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy: No Guts, No Glory by M.K. England

adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted mysterious tense fast-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? Yes

5.0

When I learned Eidos-Montreal’s fabulous video game, Guardians of the Galaxy, had a prequel novelization, I immediately had to get my hands on a copy. The game was so much fun with its amazing story, characterization, gameplay, and visuals I expected great things for Guardians of the Galaxy: No Guts, No Glory. And I was not disappointed. 

This book is excellent. The story draws from Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning’s 2008 Guardians of the Galaxy comics along with the Annihilation storyline, just as the game did. It goes back and forth between present day: with the newly formed but not yet truly a team, Guardians of the Galaxy, and 12 years prior: to wartime and the battle on Mercury against the Chitauri. Here we get all the backstory to what was mentioned in the game, including the story of Ko-Rel and her past with Peter. I really liked the running parallel stories of Peter and the Guardians on Mercury with Peter and the Resistance in the same base twelve years earlier. They played off each other very well and did not cause any spoilers. 

You don’t have to have played the game to pick up and understand this story. But if you have played it, things that were talked about in game will have greater understanding and there will be things that happen or are mentioned in the book that you’ll know how it ends up in game. 

I began to have my suspicions about who the traitor and the squatter could be about halfway through the book and I enjoyed the journey to the reveal immensely. The book ends leading right up to the game, with the team discussing Lady Hellbender and the Quarantine Zone. It was a fast-paced book that I couldn’t put down. Each of the Guardians are characterized as they should be, fitting right with their game and comic counterparts, and the other characters are equally as interesting. If you’ve played the video game or love the Guardians of the Galaxy, this book will not disappoint!