Publisher: Del Rey
Author: Drew Karpyshyn
Release Date: 7/27/2010
Pages: 368
MSRP: $7.99 (Paperback, Digital)
For Fans Of: Mass Effect, Alien Genocide, Death
Recommended Audience: Young Adult
The Good: Excellent pacing, satisfying conclusion, nicely woven plot twists, perfect integration of the game universe
The Bad: A little on the short side, feels too similar to the last two books
The final book in the trilogy by the creator of the Mass Effect universe, Drew Karpyshyn, is just as great as the other two. Kahlee Sanders and Admiral David Anderson are trying to track down Paul Grayson who has become something more than human. The Illusive Man wants to stop the Reapers but is going about it the wrong way. The book has a great cat and mouse narrative and Drew’s way of writing will keep you turning the pages. The book has a lot of twists that seem predictable, but it takes a sudden turn and that’s why Drew’s writing is so brilliant. The story itself is very well paced and has a great final conclusion so fans won’t be disappointed.
Everything leading up to this book fits right into the story, and all the lore from Mass Effect fits right in so the book feels like Mass Effect. Never did I feel detached from the world nor did I feel the book was losing ground at all. Drew has a way of writing by sticking in the viewpoint of each character in each scene so the scene will seem like it’s missing pieces but by the end of the chapter, that whole scene comes together in one nicely flowing cohesive event. This is also why the game is brilliantly paced and works so well. It may seem more of the same for some people but I felt each book had a very unique story, but they flowed together nicely.
Fans of the last two books need this one but don’t bother picking this up until you read the last two or nothing will make sense here. This is exactly how video game books should be written. Smartly integrating new characters that run parallel to the game’s characters and story without leaving big gaps in the plot that can’t be filled by neither game or book. This series is one of my favorite video game novel translations and stands as a masterpiece in that niche.
