Manga/Graphic Novel/Video Game Novel Challenge 2013

So this year since I said that I would try to get to Level 3 of the Challenge That means I need to have at least 25 books read before the end of the year. That's at least 2 books a month. (and one extra one in at least one of those 12 months)   As a change from last year I'm gonna be putting the reviews up here as I get them done and then linking them in the monthly round-up at Mother/Gamer/Writer.  I also plan to try to remember my update my Challenge page at the end of the month. Want to see what the other people in the challenge are reading this month? Click here!

Mass Effect Revelation 

By: Drew Karpyshyn

Summery from Amazon:

Every advanced society in the galaxy relies on the technology of the Protheans, an ancient species that vanished fifty thousand years ago. After discovering a cache of Prothean technology on Mars in 2148, humanity is spreading to the stars; the newest interstellar species, struggling to carve out its place in the greater galactic community.

On the edge of colonized space, ship commander and Alliance war hero David Anderson investigates the remains of a top secret military research station; smoking ruins littered with bodies and unanswered questions. Who attacked this post and for what purpose? And where is Kahlee Sanders, the young scientist who mysteriously vanished from the base–hours before her colleagues were slaughtered?

Sanders is now the prime suspect, but finding her creates more problems for Anderson than it solves. Partnered with a rogue alien agent he can’t trust and pursued by an assassin he can’t escape, Anderson battles impossible odds on uncharted worlds to uncover a sinister conspiracy . . . one he won’t live to tell about. Or so the enemy thinks.

My Review:

As with other video game novels that I have read I have heard of Mass Effect but not actually played it.  I don’t know if that would make a difference to how I viewed Mass Effect Revelation.  I do know that I really enjoyed this one. 

I’m not always big on mysteries.  I’ve found in a lot that I’ve read lately there is always way too many red herrings or ‘what a twist’ endings.  A few in a book are fine….but when every page has one….yea it really starts to grate on ones nerves.  I can gladly say that this was not the case with Mass Effect.  It was straight forward.  There were twists and some false leads yes, but just the right amount. 

I really enjoyed discovering the Mass Effect universe as well.   As I said before I have heard of the game, but never played so it was all new to me.  I guess it also helped that the author is also the lead writer on the game itself, however I didn’t realize that ‘til the end of the book when I read it on the author bio.

I also liked the characters.  The main character Anderson was interesting and a great hero without being an ass.  I also really liked Kahlee, while she did need to be saved from a prehistoric looking assassin, she wasn’t weak or whiny. 

The story’s ending is perfectly set up to lead into another novel, not everything is neatly tied up in bows.  That being said the story didn’t just drop straight off a cliff and I think the ending, while a tease, was good for the book itself.   I would have preferred if there was some sort of promo somewhere in the book for the next one though.  Nothing major or anything, just a title to look for or something.  I mean they already had advertisements for the game in the back.  Just saying.  

I mainly would like to see what other books there are because as I said above I liked the characters and I would like to see what happens to them next.  I was also intrigued by the story line and the whole Mass Effect universe itself and would like to see where it is going. 

I definitely recommend this one.  While I can’t say if it mirrors the games or follows the same storyline etc. I can say that it is still a solid book on its own and definitely worth picking up.