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Title: Mass Effect: Ascension
ISBN: 0345498526
Author:
Drew Karpyshyn
Publicate Date: 2008-07-29
Publish: 2008-07-29
List Price: $7.99
Average Customer Rating: 4.0
Format: Mass Market Paperback
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Amazon Lowest New Price: $4.02
Amazon Lowest Used Price: $3.96
Amazon Merchant Price: $7.99
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| Customer Review: |
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1: Amazing
Second book of the famous game, will resolve all the incognites appeared in the first?, you'll need it to know. It's easy and fast to read, makes you want to be more large!
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2: Generic and Barely Related
Maybe I got a different copy of the book than most people did, because all I got from "Mass Effect: Ascension" was a horribly generic and poorly written Sci-Fi tale that did little to advance the story of the Mass Effect universe. Either people are being paid for their reviews, or the audience for the Mass Effect books is a forgiving one.
Take one of the most junior mistakes in writing- using the word "said" too much in dialog. Not only will pages of dialog throw the word "said" around constantly, but every single line has to have some small additive from the characters. So as not to spoil anything this is only an example and not directly quoted: "'We have to go' he said, clenching his jaw"; "'Yes', she replied, letting out a long sigh"; "'You're right', the captain said, keying in the code"; and so on, ad nauseum. These are mistakes for a high school student to make, not a professional author.
This lack of quality is at play at all levels. The man behind the curtain for this book is "The Illusive Man" (which is a really awful name for a bad guy in the first place). The Illusive Man is the head of the Cerberus group- you learn this on Page 1 of the prologue, so I'm not spoiling anything. The Man is talked about at length for being incredibly ruthless and always finding his target and using any means necessary. And in the next scene, he's caring for a sleeping baby. Literally- page 66. The characterizations are constantly flailing all over the place in this manner. Kahlee Sanders, heroine in this and the novel before it, ranges from fragile mother figure to tough-as-nails ex-soldier and everything in-between to suit whatever scene she's in.
There are a few actual insights that are likely to affect the game, but they could easily be summed up on an index card. If you're looking for details to tide you over until you can play Mass Effect 2, I suggest you find the few real spoilers online rather than spending any money here.
I was able to recommend the first book, "Revelation", primarily because a few cool characters and the big promise from the upcoming game led me to be pretty forgiving of the otherwise generally second-rate writing. This book has a lesser supporting cast, and and doesn't do anything to pick up on the quality issue. The only reason I could recommend "Ascension" is if you're a budding author looking for an example of exactly how not to write a licensed novel- it would be hard to do any worse and still get paid.
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3: younger brother and I loved it
Great story leading up to the next mass effect. Mass effect created a great universe to explore and its great to have these books to fill in the back story.
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4: OK, but not on par with Revelation or other TOR books.
Mass Effect: Ascension
Let me preface this by saying that I read revelation, and played parts of the videogame on Xbox360. I was very drawn into the first book, and rushed out to play the game. I wasn't that into the game, and gave up after a few chapters/worlds.
This book, Ascension, was a decent book, but it didn't follow any recognizable story line established by the first book, or what I'd seen in the game. That aside, the book just didn't seem to flow very well. It started off very slow and hard to get into, but quickly picked up into one of the "I can't put this down it's so good!" books, but dropped from that terrace approx. 1/2 through the book, and never got that feeling again until the last few pages.
Overall, I'm left more confused about the Mass Effect story arcs than I was before hand.
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5: Book two begins after the game ends.
It has been twelve years since scientist Kahlee Sanders survived the Sidon massacre. And it was thirteen years ago that a toxic disaster exposed thousands of pregnant human females and their unborn children to a deadly cloud of element zero on the Yandoa colony. Some of the human children were born with biotic abilities. All of them are now at the Jon Grissom Academy, orbiting the planet Elysium. Sanders works with these kids in the Ascension Project. She helps them adjust to and harness their extraordinary powers.
Twelve-year-old Gillian "Gigi" Grayson is borderline autistic. Her mental condition makes her emotionally distant, yet she is still the program's most promising student. She has also become the favorite of Hendel Mitra's, chief of security. But unknown to Sanders and Hendel is that Gigi's father is part of Cerberus, a radical pro-human terrorist group led by one known only as the Illusive Man. When Grayson visits Gigi, it is to help Cerberus perform illegal experiments on her.
When the Cerberus plot is revealed, Grayson takes Gigi away. Sanders and Hendel convinces Grayson to take them with Gigi. Cerberus is hot on their trail as the trio search for a way to save Gigi. Help comes from a totally unexpected source.
**** If you are playing the MASS EFFECT computer game, know that this story takes place AFTER the game ends. If you have not played the game as yet, but plan to, wait until you finish the game before you begin reading this story. This story reveals spoilers by mentioning things that happen in the game.
You do not have to read the first book, REVELATION, to fully enjoy this story. Both seem to be stand-alone tales. Even though the main character, Kahlee Sanders, was a big part of the first story, the events have little, if anything, to do with this story's plot. You will never feel lost or confused. The author only mentions things new readers need to know, so you will not be bogged down with a lot of catching up narratives. From the beginning until the ending, this entire story oozes with danger and intrigue. Drama, drama, drama! ****
Reviewed by Detra Fitch of Huntress Reviews.
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