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Guild Wars #2
Edge of Destiny
Destiny Called - They Answered
In the dark recesses of Tyria, elder dragons have awoken from millennial slumbers. First came Primordus, which stirred in the Depths forcing the asura to flee to the surface. Half a century later, Jormag awoke and drove the norn from the frozen climes of the Northern Shiverpeaks, corrupting sons and brothers along the way. A generation later, Zhaitan arose in a cataclysmic event that reshaped a continent and flooded the capital of the human nation of Kryta.
The races of Tyria stand on the edge of destiny. Heroes have battled against dragon minions, only to be corrupted into service of the enemy. Armies have marched on the dragons and been swep aside. The dwarves sacrificed their entire race to defeat a single dragon champion. The age of mortals may soon be over.
This is a time for heroes. While the races of Tyria stand apart, six heroic individuals will come together to fight for their people: Eir, the norn huntress with the soul of an artist; Snaff, the asuran genius, and his ambitious assistant Zojja; Rytlock, the ferocious charr warrior in exile; Caithe, a deadly sylvari with deep secrets; and Logan, the valiant human guardian dealing with divided loyalties. Together they become Destiny’s Edge. Together they answer the call. But will it be enough?
In the dark recesses of Tyria, elder dragons have awoken from millennial slumbers. First came Primordus, which stirred in the Depths forcing the asura to flee to the surface. Half a century later, Jormag awoke and drove the norn from the frozen climes of the Northern Shiverpeaks, corrupting sons and brothers along the way. A generation later, Zhaitan arose in a cataclysmic event that reshaped a continent and flooded the capital of the human nation of Kryta.
The races of Tyria stand on the edge of destiny. Heroes have battled against dragon minions, only to be corrupted into service of the enemy. Armies have marched on the dragons and been swep aside. The dwarves sacrificed their entire race to defeat a single dragon champion. The age of mortals may soon be over.
This is a time for heroes. While the races of Tyria stand apart, six heroic individuals will come together to fight for their people: Eir, the norn huntress with the soul of an artist; Snaff, the asuran genius, and his ambitious assistant Zojja; Rytlock, the ferocious charr warrior in exile; Caithe, a deadly sylvari with deep secrets; and Logan, the valiant human guardian dealing with divided loyalties. Together they become Destiny’s Edge. Together they answer the call. But will it be enough?
352 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 28, 2010
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 183 reviews
April 22, 2012
It wasn't too easy rating this book. Ultimately, I have to compare it to Ghosts of Ascalon. While both books are standalones and written by different authors, they tell stories in between Guild Wars and Guild Wars 2.
For the first 50 or so pages I believed I'd enjoy Edge of Destiny over Ghosts of Ascalon. I liked the characters better, I also admittedly liked the premise of the book better. However, Edge of Destiny quickly tumbles from intriguing story lines and loveable characters to lackluster action without a sense of urgency, in which the same actions are repeated over and over again through the whole book. There only minimal character development, the characters constantly lack relatable reason or even emotion. The book lacks drama and suspense, edge-of-the-seat action and interpersonal relationships you care about. Even Logan's and Rytlock's budding friendship-against-all-odds is lackluster and handwaved, and in the end, I found myself not even caring when Logan defied all logic and reason near the end of the book. The plot is there, the potential is there, the lore is there, but it all falls down in the end. We spend page upon page witnessing our heroes beat their foes without any real danger to their own lives, and things just become utterly ridiculous by the point they are able to do away with a dragon champion, a large threat, within one single chapter.
Twice.
The book gets two stars for the lore it provides, and I feel I'm being generous with that. After I thoroughly enjoyed Ghosts of Ascalon, this was a letdown with a fantastic plot and great characters that weren't told properly.
For the first 50 or so pages I believed I'd enjoy Edge of Destiny over Ghosts of Ascalon. I liked the characters better, I also admittedly liked the premise of the book better. However, Edge of Destiny quickly tumbles from intriguing story lines and loveable characters to lackluster action without a sense of urgency, in which the same actions are repeated over and over again through the whole book. There only minimal character development, the characters constantly lack relatable reason or even emotion. The book lacks drama and suspense, edge-of-the-seat action and interpersonal relationships you care about. Even Logan's and Rytlock's budding friendship-against-all-odds is lackluster and handwaved, and in the end, I found myself not even caring when Logan defied all logic and reason near the end of the book. The plot is there, the potential is there, the lore is there, but it all falls down in the end. We spend page upon page witnessing our heroes beat their foes without any real danger to their own lives, and things just become utterly ridiculous by the point they are able to do away with a dragon champion, a large threat, within one single chapter.
Twice.
The book gets two stars for the lore it provides, and I feel I'm being generous with that. After I thoroughly enjoyed Ghosts of Ascalon, this was a letdown with a fantastic plot and great characters that weren't told properly.
July 5, 2013
This book… How can something start out so well only to go south so hard.
Roughly the first half of Edge of Destiny is sheer brilliance. The characters are lively, funny, and unique. We get to meet and understand each member of the guild with all their quirks and idiosyncrasies, and I absolutely fell in love with them.
The brotherly relationship between Rytlock and Logan was so endearing, as was the almost paternal relationship between Snaff and Zojja. They were all positively driven individuals, and I enjoyed every moment of watching them grow into a group of dragon champion-slayers, into heros.
Then, they fought another dragon champion. And another…
There was so much build up and preparation to fighting Jormag’s champion, and it made sense. The story felt like a natural progression to that moment, but then the Hero’s Journey ground out in a ditch alongside “the road of trails” as the group fought another champion and then another with much less care and thought put into the text. It drug out the story without really advancing anything or helping to develop the characters any further than they already had been by the time they defeated the first champion.
In all, the road of dragon champions takes up at least a quarter of the book and by all accounts is little more than padding.
The plot finally advances into the “meeting with the goddeess” (i.e. Glint). She’s a former dragon champion and Oracle who expresses unwavering confidence in the group’s ability to take down her master providing that exactly all seven of them work together.
Of course, with that very specific statement there’s no way any of them would walk off. Especially not a human who had previously protested fighting Glint because she was an ORACLE and a friend of HUMANITY –wait, Logan. Where are you going?
Ugh. Woman as tempress, it’s the next stage of the Hero’s journey, but Logan literally falls right into it. He receives a psychic message from his Queen that she needs his help, so he runs without question away from the people in front of him in dire need of assistance protecting one person and by extension the world, in order to save one person.
They failed. That’s not a spoiler to anyone who has played the game at any stage. Edge of Destiny failed and a new Elder Dragon was released upon the world.
They failed and all fell apart. Rytlock became angry at Logan’s betrayal and isolated himself to the Charr home fortress. Zojja became angry with Eir because her plan (really Logan’s absence) caused her master to die. Eir blames herself and retreats back to the norm home city. Logan blames himself (FOR GOOD REASON) and hides his guilt behind his duty to the queen. And Caithe is left wandering the desert alone looking for a means of defeating the Elder Dragons.
That’s it. The story ends there. There is no atonement with the father where the group pulls themselves back together, at least not within the novel itself. In that sense, it’s like half a story and not a very good one.
This story could have been fine if it ended after the defeat of Jormag’s champion. Everything up to that had good character ineractions and felt natural. In itself, it followed Joseph Cambell’s monomyth, and characters developed.
Taking the story longer just prolonged things and caused it to end on a sour note. Moreover, I don’t sympathize with how things fell apart.
As someone who played the games, I’ve seen how much Rytlock hates Logan for this, and he’s completely justified. In spite of his reasons, what Logan did caused not only the death of two of his friends but also endangered the entire world.
I’m sorry, but humanity would have survived without its monarch. Both the humans and the charr would be just as well off without Ebonhawk. The WORLD is not fine with another Elder Dragon corrupting it.
Worst of all, the reason that Logan abandoned his friends wasn’t presented as a moral conflict at all. His relationship –nay, his childish infatuation with the Queen reeks of poor execution. He loves her for no reason except that he loves her, and it turns him into an idiot.
And when the Queen mind melds with Logan, making him her champion bound to come whenever she calls, you just know the only reason she exists is to facilitate the hero’s failure –not because she is trying to sabotage them but rather because the author wasn’t subtle at all.
This story needs a third act. Logan was an idiot, but the real problem is that he’s not given the chance to redeem himself within this novel. I understand that the next stage of his character arc plays out in the video game, but that doesn’t make what happens here a good story.
I’m sorry, but this was a terrible book. If you’re going to read this at all, stop after the defeat of Jormag’s champion. You’re not missing much.
Roughly the first half of Edge of Destiny is sheer brilliance. The characters are lively, funny, and unique. We get to meet and understand each member of the guild with all their quirks and idiosyncrasies, and I absolutely fell in love with them.
The brotherly relationship between Rytlock and Logan was so endearing, as was the almost paternal relationship between Snaff and Zojja. They were all positively driven individuals, and I enjoyed every moment of watching them grow into a group of dragon champion-slayers, into heros.
Then, they fought another dragon champion. And another…
There was so much build up and preparation to fighting Jormag’s champion, and it made sense. The story felt like a natural progression to that moment, but then the Hero’s Journey ground out in a ditch alongside “the road of trails” as the group fought another champion and then another with much less care and thought put into the text. It drug out the story without really advancing anything or helping to develop the characters any further than they already had been by the time they defeated the first champion.
In all, the road of dragon champions takes up at least a quarter of the book and by all accounts is little more than padding.
The plot finally advances into the “meeting with the goddeess” (i.e. Glint). She’s a former dragon champion and Oracle who expresses unwavering confidence in the group’s ability to take down her master providing that exactly all seven of them work together.
Of course, with that very specific statement there’s no way any of them would walk off. Especially not a human who had previously protested fighting Glint because she was an ORACLE and a friend of HUMANITY –wait, Logan. Where are you going?
Ugh. Woman as tempress, it’s the next stage of the Hero’s journey, but Logan literally falls right into it. He receives a psychic message from his Queen that she needs his help, so he runs without question away from the people in front of him in dire need of assistance protecting one person and by extension the world, in order to save one person.
They failed. That’s not a spoiler to anyone who has played the game at any stage. Edge of Destiny failed and a new Elder Dragon was released upon the world.
They failed and all fell apart. Rytlock became angry at Logan’s betrayal and isolated himself to the Charr home fortress. Zojja became angry with Eir because her plan (really Logan’s absence) caused her master to die. Eir blames herself and retreats back to the norm home city. Logan blames himself (FOR GOOD REASON) and hides his guilt behind his duty to the queen. And Caithe is left wandering the desert alone looking for a means of defeating the Elder Dragons.
That’s it. The story ends there. There is no atonement with the father where the group pulls themselves back together, at least not within the novel itself. In that sense, it’s like half a story and not a very good one.
This story could have been fine if it ended after the defeat of Jormag’s champion. Everything up to that had good character ineractions and felt natural. In itself, it followed Joseph Cambell’s monomyth, and characters developed.
Taking the story longer just prolonged things and caused it to end on a sour note. Moreover, I don’t sympathize with how things fell apart.
As someone who played the games, I’ve seen how much Rytlock hates Logan for this, and he’s completely justified. In spite of his reasons, what Logan did caused not only the death of two of his friends but also endangered the entire world.
I’m sorry, but humanity would have survived without its monarch. Both the humans and the charr would be just as well off without Ebonhawk. The WORLD is not fine with another Elder Dragon corrupting it.
Worst of all, the reason that Logan abandoned his friends wasn’t presented as a moral conflict at all. His relationship –nay, his childish infatuation with the Queen reeks of poor execution. He loves her for no reason except that he loves her, and it turns him into an idiot.
And when the Queen mind melds with Logan, making him her champion bound to come whenever she calls, you just know the only reason she exists is to facilitate the hero’s failure –not because she is trying to sabotage them but rather because the author wasn’t subtle at all.
This story needs a third act. Logan was an idiot, but the real problem is that he’s not given the chance to redeem himself within this novel. I understand that the next stage of his character arc plays out in the video game, but that doesn’t make what happens here a good story.
I’m sorry, but this was a terrible book. If you’re going to read this at all, stop after the defeat of Jormag’s champion. You’re not missing much.
May 17, 2012
I've played Guild Wars for over 6 years now, I've completed most of the game and expansions, I believe I have a decent grasp of the universe and the goings on of it. I know about the events that changed Tyria, the continent on which the Guild Wars games are based, into what it is. J. Robert King takes what I know and ignores most of it. From time jumps of indeterminable amounts, "80s montage" moments, hollow and single-minded characters, a lack of depth in respect to the universe, a repetition of the words "Just then," and "hackles," and just plain lazy writing, Edge of Destiny seems like a quick paycheck from an author that doesn't seem all that interested in the source material or his own work.
Whether you've played Guild Wars or not, Edge of Destiny hurts to read.
The previous book of the series, Ghosts of Ascalon, made the readers care about the characters, giving them back stories and reasons for what they do. In Edge..., the characters are being led by their societal norms. They refuse to look past what they've been told and rarely show respect for each other. The side characters are forgettable with a few offering more than just padding. The overall storyline of the books plays out like an RPG: character gets quest, character completes quest, trouble arises where character is given another quest (at least its not Kill 10 Rats).
The only saving grace is the overall back story to some of the characters that are met in Guild Wars 2, even if it makes each of them sound like complete tools.
The ending is a quick one. Happening almost too suddenly and with the resolution being unsatisfying, just like the rest of the book. If you like Guild Wars, it could be considered required reading. But for an average reader who likes tales of other worlds, knights, magic, dragons, etc., then this was definitely not written for you.
Whether you've played Guild Wars or not, Edge of Destiny hurts to read.
The previous book of the series, Ghosts of Ascalon, made the readers care about the characters, giving them back stories and reasons for what they do. In Edge..., the characters are being led by their societal norms. They refuse to look past what they've been told and rarely show respect for each other. The side characters are forgettable with a few offering more than just padding. The overall storyline of the books plays out like an RPG: character gets quest, character completes quest, trouble arises where character is given another quest (at least its not Kill 10 Rats).
The only saving grace is the overall back story to some of the characters that are met in Guild Wars 2, even if it makes each of them sound like complete tools.
The ending is a quick one. Happening almost too suddenly and with the resolution being unsatisfying, just like the rest of the book. If you like Guild Wars, it could be considered required reading. But for an average reader who likes tales of other worlds, knights, magic, dragons, etc., then this was definitely not written for you.
September 20, 2011
Edge of Destiny
is the second book in the Guild Wars series, bridging the gap between the online-role-playing-game, Guild Wars and Guild Wars 2. It features a character from each playable race in the game in the main cast, and we are brought right into a world of conflict and tension between these races as they battle a greater evil; dragon. The characters are interesting, the settings are beautiful, and the battles are both fun to read and action-packed.
Sadly, Edge of Destiny is a terribly boring book.
I have been reading this for well over a month now, and I am not even halfway through the book. More than a few pages at a time seems like a chore, and no book should feel this way.
It does all the right things, and the battle scenes really keep the novel from being a trip through Tedium Town. Then, once we get by the first 1/4th of the book, it all gets lost. Despite all the beauty, the problem really is the lack of central character focus. We follow a part of 6 characters and there isn't reason given for those characters' actions. I do not know who Logan Thackeray really is, or what motivates him, and I don't care what happens to him.
I cannot finish this book. I do enjoy (and am a fan of) the game, but.. I really can't do this. This book cannot be saved.
Sadly, Edge of Destiny is a terribly boring book.
I have been reading this for well over a month now, and I am not even halfway through the book. More than a few pages at a time seems like a chore, and no book should feel this way.
It does all the right things, and the battle scenes really keep the novel from being a trip through Tedium Town. Then, once we get by the first 1/4th of the book, it all gets lost. Despite all the beauty, the problem really is the lack of central character focus. We follow a part of 6 characters and there isn't reason given for those characters' actions. I do not know who Logan Thackeray really is, or what motivates him, and I don't care what happens to him.
I cannot finish this book. I do enjoy (and am a fan of) the game, but.. I really can't do this. This book cannot be saved.
May 27, 2011
Definitely mixed feelings about this book. On the one hand, this book is less serious and less real compared to Ghosts of Ascalon. On the other hand, this book is more fun and definitely adds to the anticipation for the release of Guild Wars 2.
If you're a GW player, you'll find loads to love in this book. Lots of hints of what's to come. The whole thing reads like a GW play session, going out with regular guildies and taken on quests and missions.
If you're not, I suspect you'll find lots in this book that feels corny and eye-brow-raising. It almost feels cartoony. I think J. Robert King did that deliberately.
The banter and interaction between the party of heroes range from ridiculous to somewhat-inspiring. Ridiculous in a corny sense. There's actually very few lengthy narratives; all the major fights tend to get wrapped up pretty quickly - somewhat belief-defying considering how their foes are supposed to be really powerful. But then again, stretching out those "missions" would thicken the book considerably. Still, the finale fight was quite satisfying and nicely sets up the background on why the Edge of Destiny split up.
Overall, it was a really fun read. Can't wait for Guild Wars 2.
If you're a GW player, you'll find loads to love in this book. Lots of hints of what's to come. The whole thing reads like a GW play session, going out with regular guildies and taken on quests and missions.
If you're not, I suspect you'll find lots in this book that feels corny and eye-brow-raising. It almost feels cartoony. I think J. Robert King did that deliberately.
The banter and interaction between the party of heroes range from ridiculous to somewhat-inspiring. Ridiculous in a corny sense. There's actually very few lengthy narratives; all the major fights tend to get wrapped up pretty quickly - somewhat belief-defying considering how their foes are supposed to be really powerful. But then again, stretching out those "missions" would thicken the book considerably. Still, the finale fight was quite satisfying and nicely sets up the background on why the Edge of Destiny split up.
Overall, it was a really fun read. Can't wait for Guild Wars 2.
August 5, 2016
Edge of Destiny details the formation and falling out of the guild Destiny’s Edge. The members of Destiny’s Edge are to be reunited in Guild Wars 2 to fight the elder dragons, so for anyone planning on playing Guild Wars 2, who wants to be caught up on the storyline, it’s a good book to read.
But aside from filling the reader in on events in Tyria between Guild Wars and Guild Wars 2, this isn't a worthwhile read.
The descriptions of places, people, and actions were adequate, but the dialogue and character development were lacking. The characters had no personality.
The dialogue was too modern, too forced. I found it hard to identify one character from another based on dialogue several times throughout the novel.
Their triumphs are also unrealistic and over-dramatized. They defeated hundreds of enemies, venturing into the dragons' champions’ very lairs, and emerged with hardly a scratch? Yeah, right.
Also, if I have to read about heads getting "pulped" one more time… It’s like the writer was working with a very limited vocabulary…
But aside from filling the reader in on events in Tyria between Guild Wars and Guild Wars 2, this isn't a worthwhile read.
The descriptions of places, people, and actions were adequate, but the dialogue and character development were lacking. The characters had no personality.
The dialogue was too modern, too forced. I found it hard to identify one character from another based on dialogue several times throughout the novel.
Their triumphs are also unrealistic and over-dramatized. They defeated hundreds of enemies, venturing into the dragons' champions’ very lairs, and emerged with hardly a scratch? Yeah, right.
Also, if I have to read about heads getting "pulped" one more time… It’s like the writer was working with a very limited vocabulary…
September 13, 2019
At the start of this review, I'd like to give you some context. I kind of enjoy the video games Guild Wars and Guild Wars 2. Enough to have spent close to 9000 hours playing them in the past 14 years. I never read any of the books before but finally decided to see what they were all about and ordered all three. This was the first to arrive in the mail so I decided to read this one first.
As you can see from the number of stars I gave, I'm not a huge fan of this book. The first 250 pages of the book are pretty good. Characters are interesting and it gives the background for them I wished since the games don't go into their backstory so much. Some of the character moments and decisions feel a bit weird compared to their personalities later in the game, but this is expected when a huge number of different writers try to write the same characters over multiple years. I wish combat and descriptions of overall locations and characters were a bit more thorough and colorful but I'd give the first part of the book 3.5 stars. Most of the problems I have with the book are in the second half. The whole second half has horrible phasing problems, lacks any suspense, characters make idiotic decisions without any motivation and some stuff with the timeline of events makes no sense. If you like the game and want to know how Destiny's Edge meet and form, just read the first 250 pages and stop. You know everything actually important that will happen in the rest of the book if you have played the story of Guild Wars 2. Rest of the book is just poorly written filler.
A spoiler-filled rant below!
TLDR: I'm not a fan
As you can see from the number of stars I gave, I'm not a huge fan of this book. The first 250 pages of the book are pretty good. Characters are interesting and it gives the background for them I wished since the games don't go into their backstory so much. Some of the character moments and decisions feel a bit weird compared to their personalities later in the game, but this is expected when a huge number of different writers try to write the same characters over multiple years. I wish combat and descriptions of overall locations and characters were a bit more thorough and colorful but I'd give the first part of the book 3.5 stars. Most of the problems I have with the book are in the second half. The whole second half has horrible phasing problems, lacks any suspense, characters make idiotic decisions without any motivation and some stuff with the timeline of events makes no sense. If you like the game and want to know how Destiny's Edge meet and form, just read the first 250 pages and stop. You know everything actually important that will happen in the rest of the book if you have played the story of Guild Wars 2. Rest of the book is just poorly written filler.
A spoiler-filled rant below!
TLDR: I'm not a fan
December 19, 2020
I play Guild Wars 2, so learning more about the Tyria, the main heroes, and the various races, was satisfying. My favorite part of this novel was the first third, when the Norn/Asura and Human/Charr narratives were seperate. When these two seperate plots combined, the novel become episodic and formulaic: one villain after another was confronted. The final third of the novel is an epic battle that was a little drawn out for my tastes. The greatest strength of the novel is the characters: Logan Thackeray, the human warrior, although somewhat two-dimensional, was intriguing because he starts as a mercenary and becomes a kind of duty-bound knight/paladin. Eir the Norn Huntress and her wolf, Garm, were dynamic and intriguing. Eir felt compelled to fight due to the past failures of her countrymen. Snaff and Zojja, the Asurans, are Hobbit-like comic relief. Rytlock the Charr is a grump, but his complicated love/hate relationship with Logan was interesting. Caithe the Sylvari was mysterious and so more of her would have been great. All in all, an entertaining novel if you're into the game Guild Wars 2.
July 2, 2021
I read this because I was curious as I have played some Guild Wars 2. The story shows how Eir, Rytlock, Caithe, Logan, Zojja and Snaff become Destiny’s Edge all the way until after the fight with Kralkatorrik. These are things you have some familiarity with if you’ve played the game.
It was an easy and quick read, though I must admit I wanted more interiority from the characters.
As to the question whether the book is interesting for people who haven’t played the game…hard to tell, though I suspect it might not be, unless you are super curious about the game but can’t play it for some reason.
It was an easy and quick read, though I must admit I wanted more interiority from the characters.
As to the question whether the book is interesting for people who haven’t played the game…hard to tell, though I suspect it might not be, unless you are super curious about the game but can’t play it for some reason.
December 24, 2022
Sorry but I couldn't finish this. There are worlds between the writing of Ghosts of Ascalon and this book. As a GW2 veteran with a sylvari-fetish, reading this in the prolouge was a massive black flag: "Faolain threw back her shock of black hair".
And sadly it didn't improve from there. The characters and plot feel flat, rushed and jusy overall not very true to GW2 when compared to GoA.
Maybe I will come back one day to finish it just for the sake of it, but right now i won't bother.
And sadly it didn't improve from there. The characters and plot feel flat, rushed and jusy overall not very true to GW2 when compared to GoA.
Maybe I will come back one day to finish it just for the sake of it, but right now i won't bother.
March 19, 2023
It was really neat reading about the origin of Tyria's most famous guild, however don't go into this book expecting a satisfying conclusion - the story obviously finishes in the game so there is no real resolution. There are glaring flaws in the descriptions of some characters and events that showed there was minimal collaboration between the author & Arena Net but otherwise it was a fun, easy read.
March 3, 2018
Pretty good storyline in general. And also really great characters. Everyone is likeable, and relatable, even though this is an MMORPG adaptation. In an MMORPG, you don't actually connect with characters as much. But this story shows the other side of the whole game. I am waiting for the sequels and can't wait to play with the game after reading this. :D Great job for the author and the whole creative design branch! :D
This isn't another crappy book adaptation from video games, which is either too scripty or literally feels like only a game. THIS IS QUALITY WORK, PEOPLE! DEFINITELY RECOMMEND IT TO EVERYONE, NOT JUST FANS!
(GW rulez btw!)
This isn't another crappy book adaptation from video games, which is either too scripty or literally feels like only a game. THIS IS QUALITY WORK, PEOPLE! DEFINITELY RECOMMEND IT TO EVERYONE, NOT JUST FANS!
(GW rulez btw!)
April 25, 2019
It's a nice background story about the mentors in the Guild Wars 2 game. Easy to read, small fantasy story.
January 27, 2024
I didn’t enjoy this as much as the first Guild Wars book. It wasn’t bad by any means though. It just felt a bit ‘paint by numbers’.
My favourite parts were the section where they fought in an arena, and the relationship between Logan and Rytlock, for the most part. The latter of which is probably also my favourite character.
Parts of the book just felt rushed or underwhelming, and over within an instance. Certain characters felt pointless and as if the book could have been just as good, if not better, without.
By no means was it bad, though. I just felt that it didn’t flow as well as I’d have liked. I don’t mind the ending, even if it felt a bit defeating. I suppose that’s the point.
I will read the third in the series at some point. Again, neither of the guild wars books I have read are bad, I just preferred Ghosts Of Ascalon to this one.
My favourite parts were the section where they fought in an arena, and the relationship between Logan and Rytlock, for the most part. The latter of which is probably also my favourite character.
Parts of the book just felt rushed or underwhelming, and over within an instance. Certain characters felt pointless and as if the book could have been just as good, if not better, without.
By no means was it bad, though. I just felt that it didn’t flow as well as I’d have liked. I don’t mind the ending, even if it felt a bit defeating. I suppose that’s the point.
I will read the third in the series at some point. Again, neither of the guild wars books I have read are bad, I just preferred Ghosts Of Ascalon to this one.
November 10, 2013
Edge Of Destiny is set in the world of the MMORPG Guild Wars 2, and it can stand alone. However, unlike most fantasy franchise novels, this one is surprisingly light on exposition, probably too light as I doubt folks unfamiliar with the world of Tyria will get the full picture of what is happening here. The relationship between Caithe and Faolain, for example, may leave many scratching their heads, especially given that there is hardly any explanation about the Nightmare Court.
Anyway, this story is about the rise and fall of Destiny's Edge, a bunch of ragtag adventurers who come together to defeat several minions of the Elder Dragons before they aimed too high and one of them utterly failed the others in a tragic manner. If you are familiar with the game, you already know the ending, but let's pretend that we are all waiting in bated breath for the dramatic denouement.
I came into this book late, as it took me only in the middle of 2013 to discover Guild Wars 2. Curious about the lore of the setting, I picked this book up despite having come across scathing reviews of this book by fans of the game and the setting. Having read this book, I can see where they are coming from. This is easily the weakest book in the three published entries of the series. I feel, however, that the problem lies more in the pacing than the quality of the writing.
Okay, the writing isn't good. The author aims for humor at the oddest moments, and his efforts are uneven - the funny lines often come off as awkward and forced as often as they work. It's 50/50, like the work of a stand-up comedian who is only starting to find his rhythm, but the author has written many sandbox novels before for various fantasy franchises, so I don't know his excuse is. Then again, if I can be blunt, novels in fantasy franchise are not exactly well known for their quality narrative, so this book is par for the course. Unfortunately.
But the bigger problem here is that this story should not be funny. The dramatic denouement means me to relate to the characters and feel for them in order to work, but it's hard to take these characters seriously when the story has a Sunday morning cartoon feel to it. Worse, there are way too many things to cover in a story with so many pages, and while the pacing is fine at the start, by the late third of the story the author is rushing things up like he has a checklist to complete before he misses a train or something. The dramatic denouement comes out abruptly and is over in a matter of pages, leaving me to go, "Well, isn't that a spectacularly limp example of an anticlimax?"
Worst of all, the motivations of that character that trigger the team's downfall, Logan Thackeray, are so banal. He falls in love with Queen Jennah at first sight, which is fine if this "love" isn't so superficial. They barely even talk, other than through the occasional missive, and who knows, maybe that Jennah woman has a PA to write those letters to Logan. It's unfortunate that Logan comes off as a clueless asshole led by his little pee-pee, but it's even more unfortunate that Jennah comes off here as a manipulative woman who is just using him and, so Logan's ultimate betrayal of his buddies make him a despicable piece of ettin dung. Now, if this is the author's intention, to make Logan the biggest piece of turd in fantasy land since Kelemvor Lyonsbane, I'm all for it, but it's clear from playing the game that Logan and Jennah are supposed to be precious and amazing together, so yeah, the author screws up big time here.
The other members of Destiny's Edge fare only a little better, in that at least they are not hateful cardboard cut-outs like Logan here. Rytlock is all "charge first, talk later", Zojja is one-dimensionally bitchy, Caithe shows up only when the author remembers that she exists, and Eir is basically "that tall big chick with the wolf". The most memorable character is Snaff, which only makes him too good for the company of these cardboard cut-outs and what happens during the denouement even more painful to read.
Perhaps if this book has been split into three, the author would have had the opportunity to develop the story better. Perhaps, perhaps, perhaps. As it is, Edge Of Destiny can be an emotional read, but these emotions are uniformly negative in nature, and they arise despite the author's best intentions.
Anyway, this story is about the rise and fall of Destiny's Edge, a bunch of ragtag adventurers who come together to defeat several minions of the Elder Dragons before they aimed too high and one of them utterly failed the others in a tragic manner. If you are familiar with the game, you already know the ending, but let's pretend that we are all waiting in bated breath for the dramatic denouement.
I came into this book late, as it took me only in the middle of 2013 to discover Guild Wars 2. Curious about the lore of the setting, I picked this book up despite having come across scathing reviews of this book by fans of the game and the setting. Having read this book, I can see where they are coming from. This is easily the weakest book in the three published entries of the series. I feel, however, that the problem lies more in the pacing than the quality of the writing.
Okay, the writing isn't good. The author aims for humor at the oddest moments, and his efforts are uneven - the funny lines often come off as awkward and forced as often as they work. It's 50/50, like the work of a stand-up comedian who is only starting to find his rhythm, but the author has written many sandbox novels before for various fantasy franchises, so I don't know his excuse is. Then again, if I can be blunt, novels in fantasy franchise are not exactly well known for their quality narrative, so this book is par for the course. Unfortunately.
But the bigger problem here is that this story should not be funny. The dramatic denouement means me to relate to the characters and feel for them in order to work, but it's hard to take these characters seriously when the story has a Sunday morning cartoon feel to it. Worse, there are way too many things to cover in a story with so many pages, and while the pacing is fine at the start, by the late third of the story the author is rushing things up like he has a checklist to complete before he misses a train or something. The dramatic denouement comes out abruptly and is over in a matter of pages, leaving me to go, "Well, isn't that a spectacularly limp example of an anticlimax?"
Worst of all, the motivations of that character that trigger the team's downfall, Logan Thackeray, are so banal. He falls in love with Queen Jennah at first sight, which is fine if this "love" isn't so superficial. They barely even talk, other than through the occasional missive, and who knows, maybe that Jennah woman has a PA to write those letters to Logan. It's unfortunate that Logan comes off as a clueless asshole led by his little pee-pee, but it's even more unfortunate that Jennah comes off here as a manipulative woman who is just using him and, so Logan's ultimate betrayal of his buddies make him a despicable piece of ettin dung. Now, if this is the author's intention, to make Logan the biggest piece of turd in fantasy land since Kelemvor Lyonsbane, I'm all for it, but it's clear from playing the game that Logan and Jennah are supposed to be precious and amazing together, so yeah, the author screws up big time here.
The other members of Destiny's Edge fare only a little better, in that at least they are not hateful cardboard cut-outs like Logan here. Rytlock is all "charge first, talk later", Zojja is one-dimensionally bitchy, Caithe shows up only when the author remembers that she exists, and Eir is basically "that tall big chick with the wolf". The most memorable character is Snaff, which only makes him too good for the company of these cardboard cut-outs and what happens during the denouement even more painful to read.
Perhaps if this book has been split into three, the author would have had the opportunity to develop the story better. Perhaps, perhaps, perhaps. As it is, Edge Of Destiny can be an emotional read, but these emotions are uniformly negative in nature, and they arise despite the author's best intentions.
February 15, 2013
If you've been playing Guild Wars 2, as I have, then you know about Destiny's Edge. They're a major component of the game's storyline, a group of heroes who joined together to fight the agents of the Elder Dragons of the world. Elder Dragons in the Guild War universe are basically sentient, elemental forces that want to destroy everything. This group fought back against them, until something happened and they entirely broke apart. If you're like me, you're curious about what the full back-story there is. With Guild Wars: Edge of Destiny, J. Robert King attempts to fill that story in. Sadly, aside from giving basic details, he does this completely unsuccessfully.
The first part of the book splits its viewpoint amongst two groups. One consists of Eir, a norm craftsman who is sick of watching people die to the Elder Dragon who threw her people out of their homeland, and Snaff and Zojja, two Asura inventors who want to try something they've invented. Using this invention, they get close to killing off their foe before they are entirely vanquished. Given the wrath of the dragon killed dozens, the norns suggest the three of them not return until they have a plan that would be actually successful. Meanwhile, a human named Logan and a Char (think a sort of humanoid wolf-creature) named Rylocke are having out over disputed territory - the humans and the Char have long been at war, and the two of them find themselves fighting until they reach hostile territory for the both of them. They are joined by a Sylvari (a sort of plant-creature) named Caithe, out to see the world. Their particular travels end with them in a city, fighting as gladiators.
The book has all the tools that would be necessary for an awesome, epic read; it simply chooses to fumble them. The dialog in the book is, at times, painful - the writer seems more concerned about making particular scenes "funny" than emotionally engaging. One example of this comes fairly early, when Logan and Rytlock are both burning the dead bodies of their companions, and use that time to engage in witty banter. This lack of interest in emotional engagement continues into action scenes, which seem more about showing how clever a particular member of the party is than getting our attention or adding any sort of tension.
The worst of this comes at the moment of the breakup of the group - this is a critical moment; if the reader doesn't believe that this is believable or engaging, then they're not going to buy into the entire plot arc in the book or (potentially) in the game. And, as should be expected from the rest of the book, this scene falls flat. The betrayal that leads to the schism exists as a single thirty second act of betrayal that was basically telegraphed through the entire book, and a single comical mis-understanding. The entire thing happens in under a page.
In short, this was not a good book. If you are absolutely desperate to know what happened to Destiny's Edge, I suppose you should consider picking it up. If you are not, or you only want to read good fiction, than don't - this book doesn't even rise to the level of a good media tie-in, and should be avoided.
The first part of the book splits its viewpoint amongst two groups. One consists of Eir, a norm craftsman who is sick of watching people die to the Elder Dragon who threw her people out of their homeland, and Snaff and Zojja, two Asura inventors who want to try something they've invented. Using this invention, they get close to killing off their foe before they are entirely vanquished. Given the wrath of the dragon killed dozens, the norns suggest the three of them not return until they have a plan that would be actually successful. Meanwhile, a human named Logan and a Char (think a sort of humanoid wolf-creature) named Rylocke are having out over disputed territory - the humans and the Char have long been at war, and the two of them find themselves fighting until they reach hostile territory for the both of them. They are joined by a Sylvari (a sort of plant-creature) named Caithe, out to see the world. Their particular travels end with them in a city, fighting as gladiators.
The book has all the tools that would be necessary for an awesome, epic read; it simply chooses to fumble them. The dialog in the book is, at times, painful - the writer seems more concerned about making particular scenes "funny" than emotionally engaging. One example of this comes fairly early, when Logan and Rytlock are both burning the dead bodies of their companions, and use that time to engage in witty banter. This lack of interest in emotional engagement continues into action scenes, which seem more about showing how clever a particular member of the party is than getting our attention or adding any sort of tension.
The worst of this comes at the moment of the breakup of the group - this is a critical moment; if the reader doesn't believe that this is believable or engaging, then they're not going to buy into the entire plot arc in the book or (potentially) in the game. And, as should be expected from the rest of the book, this scene falls flat. The betrayal that leads to the schism exists as a single thirty second act of betrayal that was basically telegraphed through the entire book, and a single comical mis-understanding. The entire thing happens in under a page.
In short, this was not a good book. If you are absolutely desperate to know what happened to Destiny's Edge, I suppose you should consider picking it up. If you are not, or you only want to read good fiction, than don't - this book doesn't even rise to the level of a good media tie-in, and should be avoided.
March 12, 2016
Normally, two stars is the lowest rating I give to a book I actually finish, since if it's worse, I won't finish it. At 60 books a year and maybe 35 years left, I have just over two thousand books left in my life, and I don't want to waste time. However, I'll give nearly any book a second chance, and that's what I did with this. I'm a big fan of the game Guild Wars 2, and I really liked the idea of getting to know some of the heroic NPCs of the game. Well... I could have gotten all that I needed from the game itself.
A few reviewers said that the first 50 pages or so are good, and I agree. My first time attempting this, I stopped around page 70 or so. The set up of the book... when the characters come together, their early fights, the changes they make in themselves... are pretty well written. And then it's... We have to kill a dragon champion! It's big and bad and evil! It's going to... oh, nope, it's dead. Wait, there's ANOTHER dragon champion! This one is even bigger and badder and eviler and... nope, it's dead, too. Wait...
By the time they finally fought the big bad at the end of the book, there was really no progression of conflict. They went from winning each of their battles like they were gods, to losing, seemingly for no reason. Logan's actions at the end felt like Diabolus ex Machina, which might even be worse than Deus ex Machina in my mind. And there really wasn't any resolution at the end. They fought the dragon. They lost. That part might have been fine. But then the characters didn't change at all because of that. They split up and pouted and went back to how they were, only worse.
I spent about four hours reading this book. I could have completed a chapter in the Living World Season in the game that would have been enjoyable and had good resolution at the end. Not recommended. Mr King, I'll look for some of your books that were written in your own world, because I think a good part of the flaw in this was that you were constrained by a pre-existing universe. But I found this particular book utterly unenjoyable.
A few reviewers said that the first 50 pages or so are good, and I agree. My first time attempting this, I stopped around page 70 or so. The set up of the book... when the characters come together, their early fights, the changes they make in themselves... are pretty well written. And then it's... We have to kill a dragon champion! It's big and bad and evil! It's going to... oh, nope, it's dead. Wait, there's ANOTHER dragon champion! This one is even bigger and badder and eviler and... nope, it's dead, too. Wait...
By the time they finally fought the big bad at the end of the book, there was really no progression of conflict. They went from winning each of their battles like they were gods, to losing, seemingly for no reason. Logan's actions at the end felt like Diabolus ex Machina, which might even be worse than Deus ex Machina in my mind. And there really wasn't any resolution at the end. They fought the dragon. They lost. That part might have been fine. But then the characters didn't change at all because of that. They split up and pouted and went back to how they were, only worse.
I spent about four hours reading this book. I could have completed a chapter in the Living World Season in the game that would have been enjoyable and had good resolution at the end. Not recommended. Mr King, I'll look for some of your books that were written in your own world, because I think a good part of the flaw in this was that you were constrained by a pre-existing universe. But I found this particular book utterly unenjoyable.
July 27, 2014
I've played and enjoyed Guild Wars and picked this up prior to Guild Wars 2's release in order to explore how the setting had changed between games. While I found Ghosts of Ascalon(the first Guild Wars novel) to be alright, Edge of Destiny was a chore to get through.
Whenever I read a book based on a videogame, I go in with lowered expectations... I see them as marketing tools. Edge of Destiny was obviously written as such, and felt more videogame-y than most(ie: one character uses her profession's special attacks to sculpt statues).
The plot bounces around between locales, with no sense of pacing... It tries desperately to cram as many iconic Guild Wars places and characters as possible into the tale, but quickly bounds away from each one before you get comfortable with any of them. They are like cameos on a checklist that the author feels must be ticked off before the book ends.
But the real issue is the characters, and more specifically, their dialogue. It is so forced and artificial that it is painful to read. The quips traded between Logan and Rytlock(two members of different species who have a long-standing hatred for one another)is unnatural and forced, with no sense of believable flow to it. It's like they rehearsed their back-and-fourths for weeks, and then proudly perform them for an audience mid-fight.
Whenever I read a book based on a videogame, I go in with lowered expectations... I see them as marketing tools. Edge of Destiny was obviously written as such, and felt more videogame-y than most(ie: one character uses her profession's special attacks to sculpt statues).
The plot bounces around between locales, with no sense of pacing... It tries desperately to cram as many iconic Guild Wars places and characters as possible into the tale, but quickly bounds away from each one before you get comfortable with any of them. They are like cameos on a checklist that the author feels must be ticked off before the book ends.
But the real issue is the characters, and more specifically, their dialogue. It is so forced and artificial that it is painful to read. The quips traded between Logan and Rytlock(two members of different species who have a long-standing hatred for one another)is unnatural and forced, with no sense of believable flow to it. It's like they rehearsed their back-and-fourths for weeks, and then proudly perform them for an audience mid-fight.
August 28, 2020
I didn't hate, nor did I completely like it.
I did love the bonding and relationships between the main characters, it was wholesome and yes I did tear up about Snaff.
However, some of their quests, seems rushed and didn't serve much of a purpose. It seemed like a drag and I found myself skimming through the paragraphs when they fight, it didnt seem exciting.
Later on the second part of the series, I felt they forgotten about Caithe at some point in the quests, and decided to add a chapter focusing on her about some poison in her body by Faolain, and it was quickly wrapped up by well, nothing, just a plea, Faolain role meant nothing, it was pretty irrelevant!
And why would you look at your friend almost getting killed by the poisoned injected by Faolain and then immediately believe her when she said an upcoming danger was ahead? I would not believe someone who just tried to murder my friend! It was like, "OMG! stop trying to kill our friend you terrible person, but there is a dragon that is our enemy? Even though it helped so many races??? Yes person who tried to kill our friend, we believe you!! We are off to kill the dragon who saved humanity!"
WHAT??!!??
Overall, it was alright, I guess it couldn't come to par with how good Ghosts of Ascalon was. Still would recommend to read it though.
I did love the bonding and relationships between the main characters, it was wholesome and yes I did tear up about Snaff.
However, some of their quests, seems rushed and didn't serve much of a purpose. It seemed like a drag and I found myself skimming through the paragraphs when they fight, it didnt seem exciting.
Later on the second part of the series, I felt they forgotten about Caithe at some point in the quests, and decided to add a chapter focusing on her about some poison in her body by Faolain, and it was quickly wrapped up by well, nothing, just a plea, Faolain role meant nothing, it was pretty irrelevant!
And why would you look at your friend almost getting killed by the poisoned injected by Faolain and then immediately believe her when she said an upcoming danger was ahead? I would not believe someone who just tried to murder my friend! It was like, "OMG! stop trying to kill our friend you terrible person, but there is a dragon that is our enemy? Even though it helped so many races??? Yes person who tried to kill our friend, we believe you!! We are off to kill the dragon who saved humanity!"
WHAT??!!??
Overall, it was alright, I guess it couldn't come to par with how good Ghosts of Ascalon was. Still would recommend to read it though.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 15, 2021
This book wasn't very good, but I read on just to know the full story of Guild Wars 2.
Some thoughts:
+Snaff was a great character
+The relationships between the members of Destiny's Edge were really touching, the brotherhood between Rytlock and Logan, the father/daughter love between Snaff and Zojja
-I really hate Logan and Jennah's insta-love. He comes off as a complete doofus and she comes off as cold and manipulative. Their letters were super cringy and the dose of brainwashing from Jennah wasn't cool
-Eir didn't get much development, did she? She's definitely an interesting character but she was so stereotypically Norn it hurt.
-The last few chapters.. Logan leaves his friends to fail and possibly die but he evokes the name of Rytlock to a group of jailed Charr so they would join in his fight?! Rytlock could be dead at that very moment and Logan just uses his name so easily.
This book put me off on a lot of characters. I came in knowing that Logan left them at the end but I always figured he had a dire reason. He's just a lovesick, possibly brainwashed jackass...
Some thoughts:
+Snaff was a great character
+The relationships between the members of Destiny's Edge were really touching, the brotherhood between Rytlock and Logan, the father/daughter love between Snaff and Zojja
-I really hate Logan and Jennah's insta-love. He comes off as a complete doofus and she comes off as cold and manipulative. Their letters were super cringy and the dose of brainwashing from Jennah wasn't cool
-Eir didn't get much development, did she? She's definitely an interesting character but she was so stereotypically Norn it hurt.
-The last few chapters.. Logan leaves his friends to fail and possibly die but he evokes the name of Rytlock to a group of jailed Charr so they would join in his fight?! Rytlock could be dead at that very moment and Logan just uses his name so easily.
This book put me off on a lot of characters. I came in knowing that Logan left them at the end but I always figured he had a dire reason. He's just a lovesick, possibly brainwashed jackass...
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 27, 2013
The book gives a good background to the story behind the heroes in GW2. We learn about the each of the character's past, especially when Logan choose to answer his Queen's summon instead of the staying with the plan to slay Kralkatorrik.
The opening was well paced, and the author writes dialogues in a witty way that was very enjoyable to read. However, after between defeating the first champion and the encounter the Kralkatorrik, the fights with the other champions feel like filler. There was never a moment where I was drawn into the fight, because never did the heroes felt like they were in any danger. If I were a draw an MMO comparison, it would be like rather chapters of them just running through a regular dungeon. So, in summary, the opening was great, but the story tapered off towards to end.
The opening was well paced, and the author writes dialogues in a witty way that was very enjoyable to read. However, after between defeating the first champion and the encounter the Kralkatorrik, the fights with the other champions feel like filler. There was never a moment where I was drawn into the fight, because never did the heroes felt like they were in any danger. If I were a draw an MMO comparison, it would be like rather chapters of them just running through a regular dungeon. So, in summary, the opening was great, but the story tapered off towards to end.
February 2, 2014
This book starts off on a slow manner, sifting through different stories of the characters who will ultimately be brought together as a group. However this ends up being two groups then then merge into one group to head off to fight Dragonspawn (more Dragonspawn and oh more Dragonspawn) and ultimately a Dragon.
My thoughts.... whilst the expectation of the first novel was set, this was a disappointment. Too much repetition on what was done, the fights too easily won in the context of the storytelling. To know defeat more would be more realistic of how the Guildwars game was - not once do you turn up to a boss and kill him first time with no sweating or party loss.
Worth a read? I'd say yes, but if only to learn more about the world and character professions than the interplay of this ubergroup. I didn't get much more than that from this.
My thoughts.... whilst the expectation of the first novel was set, this was a disappointment. Too much repetition on what was done, the fights too easily won in the context of the storytelling. To know defeat more would be more realistic of how the Guildwars game was - not once do you turn up to a boss and kill him first time with no sweating or party loss.
Worth a read? I'd say yes, but if only to learn more about the world and character professions than the interplay of this ubergroup. I didn't get much more than that from this.
March 3, 2013
A shallow, superficial novel worthy of the reputation video game tie-ins have. After the pleasant surprise that was GHOSTS OF ASCALON, this was a disappointment. The plot boils down to a band of characters teaming up to fight monsters in a land plagued by Elder Dragons. Characters have one or two defining traits if they're lucky. Every other chapter seems to devolve into action scenes without any suspense since the characters are all supremely capable. It's like an eight year old mashing his action figures together. Author J. Robert King fares a tiny bit better in dialogue, since I have a rather juvenile sense of humor and I don't mind reading characters exchanging elementary school level barbs. Avoid.
October 19, 2013
That's... it? Are you frickin' kidding me?! So, Logan betrays his friends - without a moment of hesitation, I might add - it leads to two of them dying and to the survival of Kralkatorrik, and his reaction is, at least I stayed true to my queen? ARE YOU FRICKIN' KIDDING ME?! No redemption or punishment or even a lesson learned?
You know, I really hope that Rytlock takes the Blood Legion and wipes Divinity's Reach and the Seraph and especially Logan Thackeray off the face of Ascalon, because neither Logan, nor his precious Queen Jennah deserve anything better.
Books rarely piss me off but this one managed it thoroughly. The ending destroyed any pleasure I took from reading the book. God, what a frickin' mess!
You know, I really hope that Rytlock takes the Blood Legion and wipes Divinity's Reach and the Seraph and especially Logan Thackeray off the face of Ascalon, because neither Logan, nor his precious Queen Jennah deserve anything better.
Books rarely piss me off but this one managed it thoroughly. The ending destroyed any pleasure I took from reading the book. God, what a frickin' mess!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 12, 2020
I wanted to like this book more than I did. I kept hoping it would improve as I continued but to me the characters were inconsistent and didn't develop. If you play the game, you know some of these characters and they didn't feel true to who they are when you interact with them in GW2. The last 75 pages left me confused and annoyed... I know this is vague but I'm trying to write this without spoilers in case anyone wants a review that doesn't give away too much. As someone who has enjoyed the GW world since 2008, I'd say it's worth a read for commited fans but not anyone else.
January 22, 2016
Though set in the interesting Guild Wars universe, this book feels like the paint-by-numbers characters and plot are just excuses to string together a lot of long battle scenes. It doesn't do very much to add to or explore Guild Wars lore, which was very disappointing.
It compares very poorly with Guild Wars #1 _The Ghosts of Ascalon_, which was by a different author and concerns different characters. I gave up on this one about 2/3 of the way through.
It compares very poorly with Guild Wars #1 _The Ghosts of Ascalon_, which was by a different author and concerns different characters. I gave up on this one about 2/3 of the way through.
March 25, 2012
Despite being part of the same series as Ghosts of Ascalon, this book could not be more different. To put it succinctly, this book's style of story telling and use of language suggests that it was intended for a pre-teen audience. It was not an enjoyable read at all, even taking into account that it is simply game supporting fiction.
June 3, 2014
Wasn't as good as the first book. Wasted too much tell telling unnecessary battle anecdotes which ruined the final battle and last few scenes. Character portrayal was very poor. However, the beginning of the book proved for good writing, storytelling and entertainment. After midpoint, I lost interest.
December 19, 2014
i really hated giving this one star, but the author did not do this amazingly created world of Guild Wars justice. It felt very rushed, and i could care less about the characters. i love the GW game and world it has so much potential, but this book lacked greatly.
March 16, 2015
genuinely one of the worst things I've ever read. i rage quit this book countless times. if I didn't love Guild Wars 2 so much there's no way I would have finished it.
Snaff was the only bright spot. love him.
Snaff was the only bright spot. love him.
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