Dragon Age - Stolen Throne Book Review

Scifi and comic fansite Galactic Watercooler has a short review of David Gaider's game tie-in book, Dragon Age: The Stolen Throne. Here's the conclusion:

Even though it clocks in at over 400 pages, this is a quick and enjoyable read. Viewed as a video game tie-in, it’s miles ahead of the competition (and an amazing prequel to Dragon Age: Origins). Viewed as the start of a new fantasy series, it’s worthy of sharing shelf space with more well-known works in the genre. If you’re looking for a good fantasy read — or just want some background on the world of Dragon Age: Origins before the game hits the shelves this fall — Stolen Throne is well worth your time.http://www.worthplaying.com/article.php?sid=64707

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More information.

I agree, its is a good book, I like to see more

Wow, that was pretty nice. I hadn't seen that! Thanks!

Interesting, I might pick this up.

It really is a good read. I enjoyed it.

I'd like to hear PJ's review

How does it compare to the sample published earlier? I found that almost painfully bad.

Edit: Okay, GBG -- I just ordered it. You'll have my review... presently.

That book actual sell the game, a hole much more, that those "Trying to hard to be adult" advising and preview/news over flow dos.

Phonix said:

That book actual sell the game, a hole much more, that those "Trying to hard to be adult" advising and preview/news over flow dos.

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I doubt that.

I think you'll find the people who actually buy and read the book for a game to be in the extreme minority - or you can color me surprised.

There's a hilarious thread on the Codex about his book.

They simply love David.

Tan said:

There's a hilarious thread on the Codex about his book.

They simply love David.

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Thanks for reminding me why I do not go to that site.

I will certainly pick this up soon, but unfortunately it will be some time before I can read it (rather busy now). By the time I do, PJ or someone else will probably have a topic going, so I'll add my thoughts there.

Am I the only one who considers it expensive? I haven't bought paperbacks in a while (SciFi book club I pay like $10 for hard covers). Back when I did buy paperbacks, they were like $6 and had like 600 pages. This one is over $10 and it's only 400 pages, and the author is not even a recognized well-known one at that!

I rarely pick up game tie in books and when I have they are "meh!" at best and usually more like "BLEH!". I saw this one at the library and decided to give it a shot. I'm about half way through and while it's not great literature it is worth the read, so far at least.

BTW, this isn't meant to "damn with faint praise". I really do like it.

Wolfing, it is a "large format" paperback and sadly those cost more. And (ah hem) there's always the library...

Tan said:

There's a hilarious thread on the Codex about his book.

They simply love David.

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Ha! Cute.

What they do is equate me with Bioware, and they hate everything about Bioware. Oh well, that's fine. I'm glad some people are enjoying it anyhow, even if their tastes aren't as developed as those delicate aesthetes at the Codex.

Dgaider said:

What they do is equate me with Bioware, and they hate everything about Bioware.

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You could also put it the other way around.

What they do is equate Bioware with you, and they hate everything about you.

I don't think they hate Bioware, but more what it has chosen to stand for.

Personally, I think such feelings are totally misplaced - but I can sympathise with them, even if I don't agree.

Bioware has made great titles in the past, and just because they've gone and lost their creative integrity doesn't mean we should forget how much great stuff they used to do.

Dragon Age could be the game to prove this wrong, though, so I'm looking forward to it.

I'm gonna pick up that book of yours, because I find such things add tremendously to a game if done right. I remember enjoying the Stonekeep "novel" quite a bit and it really helped set the mood for the game.

FYI- I registered here just to post the below.

I will preface my review with a couple of points: I have been a pretty big booster for Dragon Age for a long time. I am a bit, I will admit, of a bioware fanboy. I also have read and own a fair amount of genre fluff/video game/board game tie-in novels. I cut my teeth on the old Weiss&Hickman Dragonlance novels. I have some of the worst fluff out there (see Halo novels, for example) and some of the best (a lot of the Warhammer 40k stuff, probably because it isn't shackled to any specific pr platform -that is, selling a specific video game-, are pretty ok). I'm not sure if it's fair to compare Gaider to a non-genre novelists or even someone like George RR Martin or the like so I'm going to try and avoid doing that as a main point of the review.

SO: If you are buying this for fluff alone, then you will be satisfied. The book is great pr for the game from a fluff perspective. It's horrid pr if you consider that its the product of one of the people behind a lot of the writing, story and world crafting. It is ridden with stylistic, literary and grammatical cliches. There are glaring grammatical errors. I am a pedant, especially when it comes to grammar and I definitely "ragequit" reading this quite a few times. To put it another way, had I not known this was a video game pr novel I would have a) probably not been able to finish it (and I almost always finish books), b) become seriously wary of reading anything put out by that publisher before reading a bit of it in the store and c) think that Mr. Gaider was 14 years old, or new to writing anything (maybe even new to the English language). I know that sounds harsh, but when you come to something, wanting to like it, hoping its great, the jolt and let down that follows when it not only fails to meet your expectations but, instead, seems determined to frustrate you at every turn, then it's hard not to be a bit emotional. Honestly, at times it was like this book wanted me to hate it.

All that said, I am picky and have what are probably abnormally high standards for even genre pr tie-ins. You may love this book. I think coming to it with your expectations adjusted (this ain't Gene Wolfe, much less Glenn Cook, much less something like Gaunt's Ghost.) is a great idea. EDIT- and just to temper the harshness above a bit more: David Gaider is not a novelist. Writing a book and making a good video game are two very different things. I liked the games he has worked on so far. I do a good job around the office, but I am a pretty crappy at playing the recorder. If my boss came to me tomorrow and decided the best way to "sell" the firm was to have me play my recorder, then I'd do my best, but... well... I am a crappy recorder player.

The other problem, I think, is that tie-in books are in a sort of nebulous area. They obviously can't be too artsy and they are almost certainly combed over (and over) by some pr guy who cares a lot less about plot pacing than about how well it hits each of the bullet points in his press release.

That makes it sound really worth it

I'll give it a chance anyhow. I don't expect much from such things.