Take a photo of a barcode or cover
ezzydesu's reviews
253 reviews
Death Stranding - Death Stranding: The Official Novelization - Volume 1 by Hitori Nojima
adventurous
challenging
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.0
I have received this review copy for free. My opinions are my own.
Content warinings: Use of premature baby as equipment, loss of child, involuntarily taking of blood, use of blood and other bodily fluids in a weapon (on-page use of first, mention of second), graphic description of a nail hanging off and being removed from toe, graphic mentions of blood, bombings of cities (remembered), suicide (on page, brief, done in self-sacrifice), death (references and on-page), terrorism (mentioned and remembered)
This game novelization is the first novella in the two-part novelization of the popular game Death Stranding. If I have to be honest, it is my least favourite game novelization/companion novel so far quality wise. It was heavily carried by the already well written and well established story and worldbuilding created for the video game, as without that this book would simply not hold up.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book as the story and world are just so unique and even though it wasn’t perfect, or perhaps because of it, reading this novella made me even more excited to play the game some time as I just want to experience the story in full with visuals and gameplay. I consider this a huge plus, because even though this novelization was flawed, it didn’t ruin my experience with the story (which is really good), rather it has me wanting more if it.
An important thing I want to touch upon is the writing, which felt a bit dry and unengaging to me. It felt like the book was somewhere halfway between a script written in prose and a rather condensed summary of the game. Most of the book was a bit ”he did this, he said that, she did that, she said this.”; describing what is happening without actually making a story out of all of it. There were certain scenes that were written beautifully, where the emotions, thoughts and experiences of the characters were leading instead of just actions, which shows that the author is quite capable of writing something good, but it seems struggle appeared when the characters just did something without much else to it and having to translate that to prose.
One thing I kept in mind is that this novelization was originally written in Japanese by Hitori Nojima, also known as Kenji Yano, and then translated to English by Carley Radford. With translations there is always something that gets lost in the process from the original prose as not all languages flow the same way or have the same phrases and words to properly express everything when writing a translation. Japanese and English are completely different languages and it’s incredibly hard to properly phrase the beauty and poetry of certain Japanese words and phrases in English, which is a rather forward language. The roughness of the writing could have been caused by the translation finding a middle ground between proper translation and proper English flow.
The next I want to address is the characters and their development. The majority of the main cast aside from Sam Porter Bridges aren’t very well introduced and remain a little vague throughout the book. There was a glossary at the start with a short description of certain notable characters, but that description remained kind of vague and having to put it into context yourself when reading about the characters didn’t always work. It would have been nice to have some more introduction and background woven in the story itself together with more explanation as to who they are in the story and what they mean in it. In video games, you can leave characters rather vague as there are visual cues such as general design, body language and visual context that explain the characters and build them up, so I understand the word-for-word character introduction might not exist in the game. But with a book, the reader only knows what is written, so unless the author literally writes the context, there is none.
I kept finding myself scrolling back to the start of the book to read the character glossary another time, because I was just confused by the characters and often certain characters didn’t feel like different characters, just ones with different names, until much later into the story. It was really apparent the novelization is missing a lot of context to these characters that might otherwise have been presented visually or through gameplay that is simply not present in the translation to prose.
Regardless of the flaws I presented, I enjoyed reading this first volume of the Death Stranding novelization. It works and it isn’t a bad novelization by any means, just not the best and not my favourite. If you are by any means intrigued by the premise or interested in the game, but can’t play (yet), this is an excellent way of consuming the story and the way it’s told might very well be the perfect recap for those who have played the game and want to revisit the story without a full replay.
I look forward to reading the second volume and see where Sam’s journey is heading and after that, get myself a copy of the game to dive into this adventure another time in the original format.
Content warinings: Use of premature baby as equipment, loss of child, involuntarily taking of blood, use of blood and other bodily fluids in a weapon (on-page use of first, mention of second), graphic description of a nail hanging off and being removed from toe, graphic mentions of blood, bombings of cities (remembered), suicide (on page, brief, done in self-sacrifice), death (references and on-page), terrorism (mentioned and remembered)
This game novelization is the first novella in the two-part novelization of the popular game Death Stranding. If I have to be honest, it is my least favourite game novelization/companion novel so far quality wise. It was heavily carried by the already well written and well established story and worldbuilding created for the video game, as without that this book would simply not hold up.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book as the story and world are just so unique and even though it wasn’t perfect, or perhaps because of it, reading this novella made me even more excited to play the game some time as I just want to experience the story in full with visuals and gameplay. I consider this a huge plus, because even though this novelization was flawed, it didn’t ruin my experience with the story (which is really good), rather it has me wanting more if it.
An important thing I want to touch upon is the writing, which felt a bit dry and unengaging to me. It felt like the book was somewhere halfway between a script written in prose and a rather condensed summary of the game. Most of the book was a bit ”he did this, he said that, she did that, she said this.”; describing what is happening without actually making a story out of all of it. There were certain scenes that were written beautifully, where the emotions, thoughts and experiences of the characters were leading instead of just actions, which shows that the author is quite capable of writing something good, but it seems struggle appeared when the characters just did something without much else to it and having to translate that to prose.
One thing I kept in mind is that this novelization was originally written in Japanese by Hitori Nojima, also known as Kenji Yano, and then translated to English by Carley Radford. With translations there is always something that gets lost in the process from the original prose as not all languages flow the same way or have the same phrases and words to properly express everything when writing a translation. Japanese and English are completely different languages and it’s incredibly hard to properly phrase the beauty and poetry of certain Japanese words and phrases in English, which is a rather forward language. The roughness of the writing could have been caused by the translation finding a middle ground between proper translation and proper English flow.
The next I want to address is the characters and their development. The majority of the main cast aside from Sam Porter Bridges aren’t very well introduced and remain a little vague throughout the book. There was a glossary at the start with a short description of certain notable characters, but that description remained kind of vague and having to put it into context yourself when reading about the characters didn’t always work. It would have been nice to have some more introduction and background woven in the story itself together with more explanation as to who they are in the story and what they mean in it. In video games, you can leave characters rather vague as there are visual cues such as general design, body language and visual context that explain the characters and build them up, so I understand the word-for-word character introduction might not exist in the game. But with a book, the reader only knows what is written, so unless the author literally writes the context, there is none.
I kept finding myself scrolling back to the start of the book to read the character glossary another time, because I was just confused by the characters and often certain characters didn’t feel like different characters, just ones with different names, until much later into the story. It was really apparent the novelization is missing a lot of context to these characters that might otherwise have been presented visually or through gameplay that is simply not present in the translation to prose.
Regardless of the flaws I presented, I enjoyed reading this first volume of the Death Stranding novelization. It works and it isn’t a bad novelization by any means, just not the best and not my favourite. If you are by any means intrigued by the premise or interested in the game, but can’t play (yet), this is an excellent way of consuming the story and the way it’s told might very well be the perfect recap for those who have played the game and want to revisit the story without a full replay.
I look forward to reading the second volume and see where Sam’s journey is heading and after that, get myself a copy of the game to dive into this adventure another time in the original format.
Content Warnings
Use of premature baby as equipment, loss of child, involuntarily taking of blood, use of blood and other bodily fluids in a weapon (on-page use of first, mention of second), graphic description of a nail hanging off and being removed from toe, graphic mentions of blood, bombings of cities (remembered), suicide (on page, brief, done in self-sacrifice), death (references and on-page), terrorism (mentioned and remembered)
Daughter of the Burning City by Amanda Foody
I got this book in July's Fairyloot and I'm so surprised by how good this story is! I'm not a carnaval/circus type, so was a bit hesitant to read it ad first, but I was so glad I did!
The setting is a dark carnaval, always on the move through the fictive lands of the story. In this book, they are in the wealthy Up-Mountains, where they aren't very accepting towards the Down - mountains and outcasts in general which results in a sort of tension you can feel really good during the book. The world building and the descriptions of all the places in the book are clear, but not too detailed.
Sorina was displayed as a true 16 year old, including all the insecurities and wanting her dad to be proud of he. She was really relatable as a protagonist and her character was very well written. I really liked how the book didn't flood in characters and every one of them gets mentions throughout the book, so even the side characters have a decent character building. I grew quite attached to the main characters and the illusions so quite early on, that my heart really broke after every murder. Reading about the characters made me feel like they were persons instead of just a name. Really well done.
The plot was really mysterious, I trust and doubted everyone. I can say, without spoiling, the end was something I never saw coming! I was entertained from cover to cover and if there will ever be a sequel, I'm totally buying it!!
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Read other reviews on my blog:
https://ezziesbookshelf.wordpress.com
4.0
"It's not fair that the Up-Mountainers get to storm our Festival and then call us the criminals. They get drunk, and they buy drugs, and they pay for all sorts of sins and call us the sinners for giving them the business they want."
- Amanda Foody
I got this book in July's Fairyloot and I'm so surprised by how good this story is! I'm not a carnaval/circus type, so was a bit hesitant to read it ad first, but I was so glad I did!
The setting is a dark carnaval, always on the move through the fictive lands of the story. In this book, they are in the wealthy Up-Mountains, where they aren't very accepting towards the Down - mountains and outcasts in general which results in a sort of tension you can feel really good during the book. The world building and the descriptions of all the places in the book are clear, but not too detailed.
Sorina was displayed as a true 16 year old, including all the insecurities and wanting her dad to be proud of he. She was really relatable as a protagonist and her character was very well written. I really liked how the book didn't flood in characters and every one of them gets mentions throughout the book, so even the side characters have a decent character building. I grew quite attached to the main characters and the illusions so quite early on, that my heart really broke after every murder. Reading about the characters made me feel like they were persons instead of just a name. Really well done.
The plot was really mysterious, I trust and doubted everyone. I can say, without spoiling, the end was something I never saw coming! I was entertained from cover to cover and if there will ever be a sequel, I'm totally buying it!!
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Read other reviews on my blog:
https://ezziesbookshelf.wordpress.com
Death in the Sunset: A Modern Cthulhu Mythos Short Story by Guy Riessen
★★★★✩
I got this short story for free in the authors newsletter and decided to give it a shot and it is good! With only 4,624 words I read the entire thing while in the train. I never read short stories, but this one just tugged on my curiosity so I kept reading. In the end it payed off, even though I would have loved to learn more about what the shatz the things at the end were and what they wanted.
If you have any spare time and you like a thrill, just give this a shot. Guy Riessen doesn't have had the same exposure as lot of other writers yet, so he can use a read and a rating from everyone.
I am definitely going to check out more of his work in the future and review it for everyone to read.
Read other reviews on my blog:
https://ezziesbookshelf.wordpress.com
4.0
''My legs were shaking from more than the chill fog that was blowing gray eddies down Judah street.''
(Guy Riessen; Death in the Sunset)
★★★★✩
I got this short story for free in the authors newsletter and decided to give it a shot and it is good! With only 4,624 words I read the entire thing while in the train. I never read short stories, but this one just tugged on my curiosity so I kept reading. In the end it payed off, even though I would have loved to learn more about what the shatz the things at the end were and what they wanted.
If you have any spare time and you like a thrill, just give this a shot. Guy Riessen doesn't have had the same exposure as lot of other writers yet, so he can use a read and a rating from everyone.
I am definitely going to check out more of his work in the future and review it for everyone to read.
Read other reviews on my blog:
https://ezziesbookshelf.wordpress.com
World of Warcraft, Before the Storm by Christie Golden
★★★★★
(As this is a book tied to a video game going since 2004, the review might not entirely make sense to some people, but I will make my opinion about it clear enough.)
Wow, just... Wow. This was an amazing read! And that ending. I was speechless, absolutely speechless. I absolutely love Christie Golden her work and I knew this was going to be good, but it was so much better than expected. I had so many questions I was hoping to find answers to (and I did), but this novel left me with even more. As this is the prequel to the new World of Warcraft expansion, Battle For Azeroth, I had a suspicion which way the story was going to bend to cover the lore gap between the Horde and Alliance epilogue cinematics and the Siege of Lordaeron in the expansion trailer. But I truly didn't expect this turn of events!
The book starts, on the timeline, just before the moment of the epilogue cinematics and the story then unfolds to show us what happens after that, something many players wanted to know. I have been a Horde- player ever since I started playing this game and even though the Alliance POV was way more present, I am not disappointed. I actually liked reading more about the Alliance. It let me show the good and bad of both sides and I actually felt some compassion for the Alliance. The first time I felt that was when I read Jaina's story in Tides of War and both books really changed my perspective on both factions.
You don't have to read all the other Warcraft novels or be an absolute lore expert to read this book. General knowledge about both factions and their leaders, what happened in Lordaeron and what happened in the Legion expansion is more than enough to enjoy this novel and I would definitely recommend everyone who is planning to play Battle For Azeroth (or just enjoys the lore) to read this book. At this point, we simply don't know how much we will see of these events in-game and I think that even if we get them explained, it won't be as clear as reading about it in this book. It explains so much and I am really excited to learn what's next (which I will find out soon enough!)
Read other reviews on my blog:
https://ezziesbookshelf.wordpress.com
5.0
'You led the Army of the Light, Turalyon,' Anduin thought, and his heart lifted. 'But this is the army of hope.'
(Christie Golden, Before The Storm)
★★★★★
(As this is a book tied to a video game going since 2004, the review might not entirely make sense to some people, but I will make my opinion about it clear enough.)
Wow, just... Wow. This was an amazing read! And that ending. I was speechless, absolutely speechless. I absolutely love Christie Golden her work and I knew this was going to be good, but it was so much better than expected. I had so many questions I was hoping to find answers to (and I did), but this novel left me with even more. As this is the prequel to the new World of Warcraft expansion, Battle For Azeroth, I had a suspicion which way the story was going to bend to cover the lore gap between the Horde and Alliance epilogue cinematics and the Siege of Lordaeron in the expansion trailer. But I truly didn't expect this turn of events!
The book starts, on the timeline, just before the moment of the epilogue cinematics and the story then unfolds to show us what happens after that, something many players wanted to know. I have been a Horde- player ever since I started playing this game and even though the Alliance POV was way more present, I am not disappointed. I actually liked reading more about the Alliance. It let me show the good and bad of both sides and I actually felt some compassion for the Alliance. The first time I felt that was when I read Jaina's story in Tides of War and both books really changed my perspective on both factions.
You don't have to read all the other Warcraft novels or be an absolute lore expert to read this book. General knowledge about both factions and their leaders, what happened in Lordaeron and what happened in the Legion expansion is more than enough to enjoy this novel and I would definitely recommend everyone who is planning to play Battle For Azeroth (or just enjoys the lore) to read this book. At this point, we simply don't know how much we will see of these events in-game and I think that even if we get them explained, it won't be as clear as reading about it in this book. It explains so much and I am really excited to learn what's next (which I will find out soon enough!)
Read other reviews on my blog:
https://ezziesbookshelf.wordpress.com
The Novice by Taran Matharu
★★★★✩
This is the very first e-book I have finished, if you don't count the short story and sampler I read while still reading this. It is the first book in The Summoner series and it was a refreshing read. In my opinion, this was a less complex fantasy compared to other books I have read so far and it is a different kind of story than I am used to. I also liked to read a book with a male protagonist for a change as most YA writers go with female protagonists.
When I started reading this book, the story and setting were really different than I originally thought as I went in pretty blindly and the blurb didn't reveal much either. I really enjoyed the story though, it was very well written and the amount of detail was amazing. I also liked how the author stayed true to some common lore about some creatures (For example that dwarves are good blacksmiths and live underground) as I really value that as a fantasy fanatic.
I will definitely read more from this series, I already bought the second book, The Inquisition, and I definitely recommend this book to others. It isn't Sarah J. Maas or Leigh Bardugo, but still a very enjoyable read and the author deserves credit for that.
Taking everything into account, this was a very good read, with smooth writing. I liked the storyline and I think most of the people who read my blog or like fantasy in general will enjoy it aswell.
Read other reviews on my blog:
https://ezziesbookshelf.wordpress.com
4.0
''Fight dirty, and go for the face. Gentlemen's rules are for gentlemen.''
(Taran Matharu; The Novice)
★★★★✩
This is the very first e-book I have finished, if you don't count the short story and sampler I read while still reading this. It is the first book in The Summoner series and it was a refreshing read. In my opinion, this was a less complex fantasy compared to other books I have read so far and it is a different kind of story than I am used to. I also liked to read a book with a male protagonist for a change as most YA writers go with female protagonists.
When I started reading this book, the story and setting were really different than I originally thought as I went in pretty blindly and the blurb didn't reveal much either. I really enjoyed the story though, it was very well written and the amount of detail was amazing. I also liked how the author stayed true to some common lore about some creatures (For example that dwarves are good blacksmiths and live underground) as I really value that as a fantasy fanatic.
I will definitely read more from this series, I already bought the second book, The Inquisition, and I definitely recommend this book to others. It isn't Sarah J. Maas or Leigh Bardugo, but still a very enjoyable read and the author deserves credit for that.
Taking everything into account, this was a very good read, with smooth writing. I liked the storyline and I think most of the people who read my blog or like fantasy in general will enjoy it aswell.
Read other reviews on my blog:
https://ezziesbookshelf.wordpress.com
Stars Wake by Leda C. Muir
★★★★✩
I have been following Leda on YouTube and Twitter since 2012 or so. When I heard she was writing a fantasy novel, I was over the Moon (Pun intended)! I was so excited to read this and the story was so much better than expected. The characters, the world building and the general lore of Amniven, the realm this story takes place, was just impressive for a debut. Leda's writing is really descriptive, which helped a lot to get a good picture of the characters. Another thing I really liked is how Leda drew chapter headers and also included dates, written in dating canon to the story, with most chapters to keep track of the timeline. The story had a nice pacing and each character had proper introduction and backstory. I felt like I really bonded with the characters, they felt so real and each and every one of them had such a unique personality, which is amazing. I felt genuine sympathy and compassion towards the bunch and with each event the display of character's emotional arc was very realistic. The story itself is amazing all the same. It has elements I recognise from other fantasy stories/tales and even games, but stitched together with a very unique and personal twist which makes it a wonderful story.
I gave it 4 stars instead of five as there were some bumps in the story. It was nothing I haven't seen in a debut before, but worth to note. I sometimes got confused who was talking as the different POV's weren't written as most authors do and once in a while there were sentences I had to reread to understand. You can easily read over these things and they won't make you enjoy the book less. Leda does have a real talent for writing, but still needs to learn. I do want to credit her for publishing this book on her own with only help from friends and without help of a big publishing company.
If you love elves, magic, dragons and fantasy in general, I would really recommend this book. It is the first book in the Mooncallers series and the second book, Mooncallers: Shadows Burn is coming soon! Leda said the story of the sequel will be better and more complex and I do not doubt that even a little bit. The cover isn't revealed yet, but she is planning on doing that later this month, probably on Twitter.
Read other reviews on my blog:
https://ezziesbookshelf.wordpress.com
4.0
''Leaves may grow and fall away,
but roots forever will remain.''
-Anonymous
(Leda C. Muir; Mooncallers: Stars Wake)
★★★★✩
I have been following Leda on YouTube and Twitter since 2012 or so. When I heard she was writing a fantasy novel, I was over the Moon (Pun intended)! I was so excited to read this and the story was so much better than expected. The characters, the world building and the general lore of Amniven, the realm this story takes place, was just impressive for a debut. Leda's writing is really descriptive, which helped a lot to get a good picture of the characters. Another thing I really liked is how Leda drew chapter headers and also included dates, written in dating canon to the story, with most chapters to keep track of the timeline. The story had a nice pacing and each character had proper introduction and backstory. I felt like I really bonded with the characters, they felt so real and each and every one of them had such a unique personality, which is amazing. I felt genuine sympathy and compassion towards the bunch and with each event the display of character's emotional arc was very realistic. The story itself is amazing all the same. It has elements I recognise from other fantasy stories/tales and even games, but stitched together with a very unique and personal twist which makes it a wonderful story.
I gave it 4 stars instead of five as there were some bumps in the story. It was nothing I haven't seen in a debut before, but worth to note. I sometimes got confused who was talking as the different POV's weren't written as most authors do and once in a while there were sentences I had to reread to understand. You can easily read over these things and they won't make you enjoy the book less. Leda does have a real talent for writing, but still needs to learn. I do want to credit her for publishing this book on her own with only help from friends and without help of a big publishing company.
If you love elves, magic, dragons and fantasy in general, I would really recommend this book. It is the first book in the Mooncallers series and the second book, Mooncallers: Shadows Burn is coming soon! Leda said the story of the sequel will be better and more complex and I do not doubt that even a little bit. The cover isn't revealed yet, but she is planning on doing that later this month, probably on Twitter.
Read other reviews on my blog:
https://ezziesbookshelf.wordpress.com
A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab
★★★★★
Do you ever read a book that is so good and giving it five stars just doesn't feel right compared to other books you rated the same? This is one of those. There were so many aspects in this book, both in the story and writing, that made it such an exceptional read, which I, looking with a more critical eye, missed in other books. From now on, I will be more critical with this book as a comparing point.
This is one of V.E. Schwab's adult fantasy novels and I think the main difference is that this style is darker and more complicated than regular YA fantasy. I was looking for exactly that. The main characters aren't even that much older than most YA characters, so I can still relate with them on age level, but I was ready for something else beside sweet stories about faeries or Harry Potter magic.
Most books start with some worldbuilding and introduce you to (major) characters before the real plot will start. Usually, it takes to one fourth or one third of a book before that is really over and the plot will start and the pace increases. This wasn't the case for A Darker Shade of Magic. The book does start with an introduction to the world and characters, however it is very brief, as the start of the unfolding of the plot begins really quick after. From that moment on further introductions, which happen through most of the story, entwine with the plot and aren't followed up by eachother. I would describe the pacing of this book as 'snowballing', which means that things start slow, but the pacing increases and continues to do so, but so does the significance of what is happening. Events begin simple, but grow out to be more thrilling and exciting and knowing what side POV's told you keeps you hooked throughout the entirety of the book. It was enthralling and I had trouble putting the book down. I read it in less than a week, which is really quick for me. A true page turner.
I totally recommend this book to anyone who loves fantasy, but is looking for something else, something a bit darker. This book was even better than people made me believe when they recommended it to me. I think I can add V.E./Victoria Schwab to my list of favourite authors. I do have to confess that I ordered the other two books in the trilogy before I was truly done reading this one. I just couldn't stand the idea to have to wait to find out what will happen next. I have so many questions. Until the sequel arrives at my doorstep, I can only wonder.
A special thanks to the Big Green Bookshop with their #buyastrangerabook action and the stranger who actually bought me this book, as this book was quite low on my to-buy-list and I am glad I got to read it now.
Read other reviews on my blog:
https://ezziesbookshelf.wordpress.com
5.0
“Sure I do,” countered Lila cheerfully. “There’s Dull London, Kell London, Creepy London, and Dead London,” she recited, ticking them off on her fingers. “See? I’m a fast learner.”
- Delilah Bard
(V.E. Schwab; A Darker Shade of Magic)
★★★★★
Do you ever read a book that is so good and giving it five stars just doesn't feel right compared to other books you rated the same? This is one of those. There were so many aspects in this book, both in the story and writing, that made it such an exceptional read, which I, looking with a more critical eye, missed in other books. From now on, I will be more critical with this book as a comparing point.
This is one of V.E. Schwab's adult fantasy novels and I think the main difference is that this style is darker and more complicated than regular YA fantasy. I was looking for exactly that. The main characters aren't even that much older than most YA characters, so I can still relate with them on age level, but I was ready for something else beside sweet stories about faeries or Harry Potter magic.
Most books start with some worldbuilding and introduce you to (major) characters before the real plot will start. Usually, it takes to one fourth or one third of a book before that is really over and the plot will start and the pace increases. This wasn't the case for A Darker Shade of Magic. The book does start with an introduction to the world and characters, however it is very brief, as the start of the unfolding of the plot begins really quick after. From that moment on further introductions, which happen through most of the story, entwine with the plot and aren't followed up by eachother. I would describe the pacing of this book as 'snowballing', which means that things start slow, but the pacing increases and continues to do so, but so does the significance of what is happening. Events begin simple, but grow out to be more thrilling and exciting and knowing what side POV's told you keeps you hooked throughout the entirety of the book. It was enthralling and I had trouble putting the book down. I read it in less than a week, which is really quick for me. A true page turner.
I totally recommend this book to anyone who loves fantasy, but is looking for something else, something a bit darker. This book was even better than people made me believe when they recommended it to me. I think I can add V.E./Victoria Schwab to my list of favourite authors. I do have to confess that I ordered the other two books in the trilogy before I was truly done reading this one. I just couldn't stand the idea to have to wait to find out what will happen next. I have so many questions. Until the sequel arrives at my doorstep, I can only wonder.
A special thanks to the Big Green Bookshop with their #buyastrangerabook action and the stranger who actually bought me this book, as this book was quite low on my to-buy-list and I am glad I got to read it now.
Read other reviews on my blog:
https://ezziesbookshelf.wordpress.com
Warcraft: Durotan by Christie Golden
5.0
I loved this book from begin to end. I watched the movie Warcraft: The Beginning over a year ago and I've been playing the game for almost two years now.
The story takes place on the planet Draenor. The story is non-canon to the game lore, but still pretty similar. The novel pictures the life of Durotan since he were a boy until right before the events of the Dark Portal (It's seen as a 0 point in the calendar, like the birth of Jesus in our world.)
Unlike the novel Illidan, another Warcraft novel from another writer, this story sucked me up and it almost felt like I was in Durotan's skin. All the sentences and dialogues flowed into eachother so naturally. All the feelings, not only from the main characters, but the entire clan, were worded as if every character was equally valued. By reading the book, I felt part of the clan and I was genuinely sad when I finished the last page, as if I said goodbye to my family and friends.
I would both recommend this book and other books from Christie Golden.
Read other reviews on my blog:
https://ezziesbookshelf.wordpress.com
The story takes place on the planet Draenor. The story is non-canon to the game lore, but still pretty similar. The novel pictures the life of Durotan since he were a boy until right before the events of the Dark Portal (It's seen as a 0 point in the calendar, like the birth of Jesus in our world.)
Unlike the novel Illidan, another Warcraft novel from another writer, this story sucked me up and it almost felt like I was in Durotan's skin. All the sentences and dialogues flowed into eachother so naturally. All the feelings, not only from the main characters, but the entire clan, were worded as if every character was equally valued. By reading the book, I felt part of the clan and I was genuinely sad when I finished the last page, as if I said goodbye to my family and friends.
I would both recommend this book and other books from Christie Golden.
Read other reviews on my blog:
https://ezziesbookshelf.wordpress.com