68 réponses à ce sujet

[Viz79]

You MUST read the novels - David Gaider has done a fantastic job and it will enrich your DA experience by far. I couldnt imagine playing the game without reading these first - it makes you fall in love with the world and adds a lot as you learn about the world and get close to some of the key characters.

[Fodder007]

I bought both this week. I'm 2 chapters in to The Stolen Throne and am hooked. They're very well written and I think they would be great as stand alone novels. Obviously what makes them even better is the lore, the background knowledge to the game that will help you understand the characters and story so much better. I'm already forming opinions of people that will be in DAO, later chapters in the books may change those opinions of course.



I say the novels are a must read for people who really want to get lost in the game and play it for many months ahead. If you're treating DAO as a game to pick up and play for a while and then put down for the next game that comes along then it's probably not worth bothering with the novels.

[Viz79]

Yeah but I can't believe there are people that are playing DA:O waiting for the 'next' game to come along because... this is 'the' next game I dont think there is any RPG anywhere in the horizon that looks like it will challenge player's attentions when focussed on DA:O, especially with its immense replayability and inevitable torrent of quality mods

[Psychoray]

Yes, the novels are most certainly worth reading. I've just arrived at chapter 14, and I have to say I REALLY enjoy reading this book.



The last books I've read are the following:



- Lord of The rings by Tolkien (All books)

- Otherland by Tad Williams (All books)

- Neuromancer, Count Zero, Mona Lisa Overdrive by William Gibson

- 1984 by George Orwell

- Sphere by Michael Crichton



And in my opinion The stolen throne is the best book I've read in a long time. Some people complain about the book/the sentences being hard to read. I've had no such problem.



Page 57 and 294 were truly great, If I were a girl I would have cried. I highly recommend this book and can't wait to start reading the Calling as soon as it's available in my country.

[seb__]

The Mass Effect books are good ones, too, imo.

[Fodder007]

I'm not sure why but the first two chapters of The Stolen Throne have reminded of Fyodor Dorstovesky's Crime and Punishment. And that's a compliment!

[Mistersunshine]

Haven't read the ME books, but David Gaider's two Dragon Age novels are really good. I'd definitely recommend them. In fact, I've already given them both to my buddy, who is not at all a Dragon Age fanboy like I am, and he likes them too.



Literary genius to be lauded by the intelligentsia for generations? Well, no. But I don't read fantasy novels for the stunningly masterful prose. I read them for the story, setting, and characters. And I think that in these respects, David Gaider's books clearly deliver.



The Stolen Throne starts off a bit weak, or perhaps just unremarkable. But it increases in depth and quality as it goes along, and by the last third or so of the novel, I found myself hooked, and caring about the characters and the plot. It had a powerful emotional climax which actually mattered to me.



The Calling is a superior book, from start to finish. It's surprisingly dark, and really showcases some of the ugliness of the setting. Almost has some Lovecraftian elements to it, as well as a solid feeling of underlying tragedy. The characterizations are very solid, and there is much to get attached to here.



If you're a Dragon Age fan at all, read the books for sure. Even if you're not, if you just like fantasy, and you're not a literary snob, they're still probably worth your time and money. I'd recommend them to most of the fantasy readers I know.

[briskojr]

If you want to brush up on some lore or just get a feel for the world then yeah A Stolen Throne is worth the read. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone who had no intention of playing the game. On it's own it's just not deep enough and the characters aren't entirely believable and somewhat cliche. I haven't picked up The Calling yet, intend to sometime this week but I keep putting it off.

[Templar Vilmon]

Reading The Stolen Throne now. It's not George RR Martin or Tolkien, but for a book based on a video game it's really well done. My only complaint is that the storyline so far focuses on the humans with little focus on Dalish or Dwarf characters.

[StephenCharles]

Wow so I just finished The Calling and I have to say the 2nd half of the book is waay better. I highly recommend reading The Calling. It makes me so much more excited to play the game (and I didn't think that was possible).

[xODD7BALLx]

BLACK RAVEN21 wrote...

  I'm kind of curious about the 2 Mass Effect and the 2 Dragon Age Novels from Bioware. But I don't want to buy them just because their from bioware. So i figure most of you guys have alreay read them and could give me your honest opinions. Thank you

I read both the novels for Mass Effect and they were wonderful, but for someone that hadnt played the game some of the anagrams could be frustrating but overall really freaking good.

The Dragon Age novels are from another author but I took a chance on them and holy crap I'm glad I did I'm still trying to decide which one was better of the two, but yeah really worth the read, I read both of them in like maybe 3 days just because I couldnt put them down.

[kaispan]

Sheylan wrote...
They are quite good, but I have to say, I have yet to meet a truly excellent book based on a video game. On that note... Has anyone read anything by Brandon Sanderson or Brent Weeks? Now those are some truly incredible new writers.

I'm going to add Jim Butcher's Codex Alera to that list--between those three authors I really had a great summer.


I think I will try reading the DA books; I am not as well versed on the lore as it seems everyone else is here, although it's not going to stop me from enjoying the game.

Modifié par kaispan, 26 octobre 2009 - 04:44 .

[Mayo_20]

I read both the Mass Effect books because I wanted more story from that game universe. I enjoy it more when I already have a mental picture for a lot of the stuff in the books (alien races, ships ect). I plan on reading the DA ones after I finish playing the game.

[Shattered Shield]

yes the books are good.....David gives great detail in his description of things....also he has no qualms about making a character ppl will love then killing them off. Honestly i picked up the first Dragonage book before I knew about the game and it made me want to find out more

[Fodder007]

I'm just up to Ch 15 of The Stolen Throne and it has me gripped. If your interested in Dragon Age at all then these books are a must-read.

[Vylan Antagonist]

I have both of Gaider's books, but I've only finished Stolen Throne at this point. So far, my impression is that his strength is the sort of witty banter generally seen in Joss Whedon shows like Buffy, Angel, and Firefly. His prose is informal and breezy, so it makes for a quick read. The characters are defined in fairly broad strokes; the grudging uber-competent hero who resents the male lead's romantic foil (think Wolverine), the relentlessly lovable goofball who unwittingly but unerringly wins over everyone with his decency and charm, and the tomboyish but beautiful warrior woman who is thought of as only a friend by the man she adores. Later on, maybe add in a jaded and world-weary ninja with a heart of gold and you have all the main players. The details of what they are doing (a fairly forgettable 'put the king back on the throne' plot) is emphasized less than the way they all interact and change one another.



As a companion piece to the game, it works nicely and reads pleasantly. The pace is brisk and many of the core precepts of the game world are mentioned. The dialog is cute and bodes well for the party interactions, particularly if they move in stages like these do.



As a standalone work, it would be unsatisfying for many of the same reasons it works well as a complement to the game; None of the central conceits of the world are satisfyingly explored or meaningfully resolved; They are instead left as revelations in the game. This definitely makes for a better experience playing the game (where the most important aspects of the Blight can take center stage throughout the 80+ hours of play instead of being spoiled in a book beforehand), but would probably be frustrating for someone picking it up unaware of the title's derivation (if that would ever happen).

[planetus]

Both the DA books are very good. They provide a lot of lore for the game world and some history and character development that may be insightful in the game. As for writing, they're not the best novels I've ever read by any means, but neither are they the worst. It's obvious these are David's first forrays into novel-writing, and his traditional medium of in-game story telling comes through in the feel (he describes a lot more of "what happens" than "what exists", if you know what I mean). Still, they're good reads and enjoyable stories.

[David Gaider]

SirGladiator wrote...
plus also the second DAO book has some thinly veiled attacks on the Bush administration (which while Im not a fan of them either, I find it rather inappropriate to slip things like that in there).

For the life of me I can't imagine what this is a reference to. The Blight, perhaps?

[Vylan Antagonist]

And then David just had to go and make it awkward by reminding us that he's a real person who reads these comments. [/wry].



I just want to emphasize that adjectives like informal and 'breezy' are not bad things at all in my opinion. I enjoyed reading the book enough to purchase the follow-up. I neither expect nor want Mailer's An American Dream in my game spin-off novels.



I will note that I kinda resented Loghain being the Best There Is At What He Does when what he does apparently encompasses strategy, tactics, woodscraft, swordplay, and archery, but that's probably more of a personal issue than any failing on the part of the author.

[LadyKarrakaz]

So far, I have just read the Stolen Throne, and I can tell you it is really worth it. It does not need the Dragon age setting to be a good book on its own really.

[caspertjuhh]

The mass effect novels are absolutely great, but the DA novels I cant buy here in the netherlands

[dweber77]

BLACK RAVEN21 wrote...

No fantasy master piece required i'm just look for some novels that are good reads and give me a little background info about those two IP's. Thanks for the opinions if you guys know of any other interest novels to read please let me know. The requirement is the if has a fairly intrerestinfg story, other than that anything is good. Oh any graphic novels too.

If you want a good fun read with a weird twist then check out A. Lee Martinez.  Three books to note are Gil's All Fright Diner, Monster and In the Company of Ogres.  I found All Fright and Ogres to be the better of the 3 but Monster was a fun good weird read. 

Next on Reading Rainbow...

[gadlaw]

Sheylan wrote...

StephenCharles wrote...

I'm reading the calling right now and it's better than I expected. It definitely doesn't compare to the fantasy greats such as Jordan, Martin, or Goodkind. But it does a fantastic job of describing the setting and really making the world come alive. It will for sure add to the gaming experience

I realy wish people would stop comparing Jordan to writers like this.

Yes Robert Jordan Was a "decent" writer. Calling him a "great" however, is more than he is due. Frankly I was ecstatic when I heard that Brandon Sanderson would be finishing the Wheel of Time. He is a faaaaar better writer than any book I've read from Jordan. (admitadly less prolific... but he hasn't had as much time).

I completely and wholehearted disagree. Jordan was and is far superior to Maritn or Goodkind both in depth and quality of his writing. Trying to read something by Goodkind right now and I 'm  wondering why it isn't over in the young readers fiction section of the bookstore.

[BoomWav]

I liked stolen throne. I'm forbidden to buy anything since my birthday's on sunday. I buy The Calling on monday .