Knight's Year of Reading: How LucasArts and BioWare Made More Money Off Of Me

Didn't read as many books as I should've this year, but most of them were definitely quality...and most of them were by Matthew Stover. Don't think I need to go back over just how much I love that guy's books, what they mean to me, etc. Again, I'll say say this: I read SHATTERPOINT and REVENGE OF THE SITH and they inspired me to write two novels (280,000 words total). That's how much.

S'why I'm glad I got the opportunity to read three great books by the Grandmaster this year, and some other great books that I'd happily recommend to anyone. There were a few stinkers, but I'll get to those.

DRAGON AGE: THE STOLEN THRONE
by David Gaider
(3/5 Stars)

Most of the beginning of this year was spent dealing with the aftershocks of BioWare's two major releases, DRAGON AGE: ORIGINS and MASS EFFECT 2. I thoroughly enjoyed ME2, but DA:O might as well have been a religious experience for me, because I could not get enough of it. My way of dealing with all the excitement I was feeling was to buy Lead Writer of DA:O David Gaider's prequel novel, THE STOLEN THRONE.

Buch and I both read this book at the same time, and we were both pleasantly surprised. The lore was greatly expanded upon, Ferelden got a backstory worthy of retelling, and just brought a lot of things together, particularly in the way of Loghain and Maric's relationship. There were some great scenes, but A LOT of battles, some of them tedious to get through. But this was a great book. Can't quite recommend it to anyone who isn't a fan of DA, but there ya go.


STAR WARS: TRAITOR
by Matthew Stover
(5/5 Stars)

I had put off reading this one since it's technically the thirteenth book in a the NEW JEDI ORDER series. I felt some obligation to read the other books, but I'm glad I finally talked myself into picking it up. Wow. This isn't so much a Star Wars novel than it is an experience. Jacen Solo's trials in the Embrace of Pain are some of the most chilling scenes I've read in a book. Not only that, but it posed a few philosophical questions that really just rocked my universe.

I really recommend this book. Yes, it's the thirteenth book in a series, but there are only a few things that might make you scratch your head if you're not familiar with the timeline. This story is worth dealing those brief moments of bewilderment.


STAR WARS: LUKE SKYWALKER AND THE SHADOWS OF MINDOR
by MATTHEW STOVER
(5/5 Stars)

Every time I read a Stover book, there's that moment afterward where I just feel like he's written my favorite book. This is a book where Stover really takes advantage of that blank slate in the post-OT canon between RETURN OF THE JEDI and HEIR TO THE EMPIRE and exploits it for all its worth. It revolves around the Battle of Mindor, the incident that persuaded Luke to resign his title as General. Let me tell you, he did have his reasons.

This is one of the first books that really does its part in referencing the Prequel Trilogy, making the timeline more cohesive, bringing many threads together. Not only that, but Stover really celebrates what made the OT great, giving his own point of view on the nature of myths themselves along the way. This is one of my favorite books, if not my current favorite, specifically because there are so many layers to peel back here and examine.

People might be thrown off by the cheesy dialogue/narrative through the first part of the book, but...you know...that's Star Wars, and Stover does all he can to show you what you've been missing. Fraking love this book. Praying for a sequel.


STAR WARS: HEIR TO THE EMPIRE
by Timothy Zahn
(4/5 Stars)

The importance of the Thrawn Trilogy can't be understated. Zahn's books essentially created the Expanded Universe and guided the direction where these stories would continue on in the two decades since its publication. I'm not overhyping it, either. These are quality books. All of your favorite from the Original Trilogy are here, and they are perfectly characterized. And the adventure is true Star Wars.

Not to mention Thrawn, who is probably one of the best villains ever, in any medium. The reason I can't give this book 5 stars is because...well...you cannot read this book without reading the other two. You just can't. Look at this as 1/3rd of a bigger book, because that's essentially what it is.


STAR WARS: DARK FORCE RISING
by Timothy Zahn
(4/5 Stars)

Again...wow. This is a great story, and it continues on very well here, with a lot of twists and turns along the way. There's not much I can say without spoiling the story, but this continues the story of Luke and the Gang as they try and outmaneuver and outwit Grand Admiral Thrawn, and this is not an easy task. Great sequel but, once again, this is the second part of a larger story. THE LAST COMMAND is the last book, but I'm still making my way through it currently. Hopefully, I'll have it read soon!


THE BLACK PRISM
by Brent Weeks
(2/5 Stars)

Brent Weeks is a great person, and a great writer when he wants to be. It just really seems like he cranked this out really quickly, though, because it doesn't have the polish or depth that a fantasy novel of this size should. People who have read his NIGHT ANGEL TRILOGY will notice similarities in characterization, dialogue, and even story.

He's mentioned GRRM's books several times as his inspiration, and it definitely seems as though Mr. Weeks is trying to emulate him in terms of scope, multiple POVs, and really just being a dick to his characters. But Brent really shines when he sticks to one character, which is why I loved THE WAY OF SHADOWS as much as I did. When he tries introducing so many characters, so many bits of information, and so many conflicts at once...he loses me, and he lost me big time here. Don't think I'll be buying the second book in this series, unfortunately.


TEST OF METAL: A PLANESWALKER NOVEL
by Matthew Stover
(5/5 Stars)

After giving THE BLACK PRISM a try and not really caring for it, I almost thought there was something wrong with me. I thought maybe there was something about the fantasy genre that just wasn't gelling with me anymore. That instantly changed when I started reading this book. It reminded me why I've been sticking with this genre for so long, and why I'm glad that I have.

I didn't know anything about M:TG lore when I started reading this, but you really don't have to. I was very rarely lost, but you do benefit from knowing some of the events that occurred in the previous book, AGENTS OF ARTIFICE. Still, ToM is a fantastic, mind-bending read. Stover handles the concept of a multiverse with all the subtlety of an astrophysics professor on crack, mercilessly introducing you to concepts that will make your head hurt for long periods of time afterward. Don't even get me started on the fight scene that takes you forward, backward, and SIDEWAYS through time. God...

I'm going to have to fiercely recommend this book to anyone who likes to be mentally stimulated. You might just learn a few things about life, the universe, and everything in the process.


OLD MAN'S WAR
by John Scalzi
(4/5 Stars)

This is the best science fiction novel that I've read in a very long time. Deep, yet subtle. Grand, yet simplistic in its presentation. Scalzi tells the story of John Perry, an elderly man who has just turned 75, and has also just joined the military branch of a mysterious organization. After wandering in ignorance for some time, Perry finds himself with a new, combat-ready body, and in the middle of a horrendous intergalactic conflict.

Scalzi channels the classics of the genre, all the while weaving together a great story that doesn't overstay its welcome. In fact, it seems to check out before dinner is served, which is one of the only detracting factors of this novel; it ends far too quickly, it's almost surprising! I'm currently making my way through the sequel, THE GHOST BRIGADES and loving it. If you haven't given this a try, I really must insist that you do!


That's pretty much it! There are plenty (a ton) of other books that I tried and failed to read this year, but I don't really want to talk about them. Maybe later.

Here's what I'm going to be attempting next year!

-WISE MAN'S FEAR by Patrick Rothfuss

-HIS FATHER'S FIST by Matthew Stover (Still gotta read the rest of the series. Some fan I am.)

-Any other Stover releases afterward.

-THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO by Alexandre Dumas (Seriously, this thing's huge.}

-STAR WARS: THE LAST COMMAND by Timothy Zahn

-THE LAST COLONY by John Scalzi

-SHADOW'S SON by John Sprunk

-THE EYE OF THE WORLD by Robert Jordan

-Any Dragon Age novels that should be released. You know there will be.

Book Review: Test of Metal: A Planeswalker Novel by Matthew Stover

Note: Originally posted on Amazon.com (10/10/10)

This is the kind of book that I had been warned about: one where you'd read a page and have to meditate on what it was you'd just read. TEST OF METAL is that book, and I couldn't be happier for it.

I don't know much about the MTG universe; in fact, I only know what this book taught me. I was going into this blind, interested to see what the lore behind the game was all about. Well, color me interested, because I have nothing but praise to throw at this property. D&D spread across several planes of existence, with "planeswalkers" being the only people capable of traveling between them. It provides so many story possibilities, and it was a joy to experience.

But on to the story. It's all about the story here, because what you get is (not to delve too far into hyperbole) a masterpiece of fantasy fiction. To me, that is. There were just so many twists and turns through dimensions you didn't even know existed to bring this story together at a climax that made my jaw hit the floor. To even allude to it might spoil the surprise, so I'll just say that my brains were thoroughly scrambled.

TEST OF METAL picks up not too long after a planeswalker named Tezzeret was left brain-dead by his rival, Jace Beleren. He is brought back from the dead by a 25,000-year-old dragon, Nicol Bolas, for the sole purpose of finding a sphinx, Crucius the Mad: the creator of a very, very valuable mana-channeling metal called "ethereum." Tezzeret is left in the dark about many things, but the dragon gives him little choice in the matter. So, he reluctantly sets off into the town of his upbringing to look for the first clues that will eventually lead him on a mind-blowing journey through time and space.

If I had to compare this book to anything, the frame narrative is similar to THE NAME OF THE WIND initially. Most of the story is told in the first person by Tezzeret himself as a series of "flashbacks" due to someone probing around his mind. We follow him through his early years as a lowly scrapper of etherium and then on to the life-altering moment when he constructed his metal arm. There are very brief recaps of events that occurred in previous books, and then we're back on to the story proper.

The thing is, unlike THE NAME OF THE WIND, stuff actually happens here. A lot of it. The pacing is steady, the action is intense and gut-wrenching at times, and the raw concept for the entire structure of this book just floors me whenever I think about it. Because the story delves into the mechanics of a "time-traveling" ability called "clockworking," which kicks everything up to, and beyond, eleven.

Imagine, if you will, a fight that takes place across time, and not just in one direction. Because there isn't one direction; there are many. Every decision you make, and don't make, creates an alternate timeline: one that a clockworker of substantial power might be able to take advantage of. So now, you're not just witnessing a fight where one of the combatants might go back in time and change something, you're witnessing a fight where one combatant can jump around and hijack a timeline where his opponent made a bad decision, and use that to his advantage.

How do you even...?

Anyway, the logistics do my head in just recounting them. Suffice to say, I was in awe for most of the book. And not just because this is a Stover novel, but because this is a Stover novel that had more work put into it than is probably justified.

This book will deceive you (or some alteration of you) over and over, well into the fifth dimension. The characters are great to follow around, the universe is detailed and astounding to visualize, and my head still hurts from the story. Stover has knocked it out of the park with this one, just as he did with TRAITOR (Star Wars: The New Jedi Order, Book 13). He immersed himself into the universe to write this book, and I think it will owe him a debt of gratitude if he decides to continue Tezzeret's adventures (which I sincerely hope he does).

Because, to me, this is still the midpoint.

Test of Metal: A Planeswalker Novel

Back in high school, you either played Yu-Gi-Oh! or Magic: The Gathering. There was no in between...mostly because the fans polarized to different rooms on opposite ends of the campus. At the time, I threw my hat in with Yu-Gi-Oh! and I was very, very happy with my decision. It had a cheesy TV show to go along with it, and the trap cards were fun to use every single time. It just never got old.

One day, my friend invited me to the school's Games Club: an after school thing where a Gamecube was usually set up, a game of D&D was going, and everyone else played Magic. It was sort of like getting invited to defect, only without all the hyperbole. My friend even paid my $5-10 signup fee, so I went and checked it out.

Of course, beyond the signup fee, the price of admission was also a Magic: The Gathering starter deck. I can't remember what it was composed of, or what I had even bought. I don't even remember buying it, but I did use it several times. And honestly, I don't remember liking it. In fact, I think I was back with the Yu-Gi-Oh! gang by the end of the month. What I do remember is why I didn't particularly care for it: I just couldn't get my mind around the lore. It just didn't make sense.

The key to a successful card game is to have a world built around it, almost like the worldbuilding you have to do for a fantasy story. It makes players feel closer to the game. I could be wrong, but I don't think I am, the lore for Magic was limited to the little descriptions on the cards. It just didn't do it for me. Maybe there was some auxiliary leaflets or books sitting around somewhere, but I never saw them.

It seems that's changed dramatically. The lore is now a ready part of the game, to the point where I'm actually starting to pick up on it from my friends, and I don't even play. For the most part, though, I'm still in the dark. But I am willing to change that; this is a Wizards of the Coast property, which means that I'll probably get into it, just like I have with a lot of their other products. And on October 5th, they're giving me the perfect opportunity.

Test of Metal: A Planeswalker Novel by Matthew Stover will be released next week, and I am all for giving this property a shot. I can't even...speculate on what this book will be about, since I know that little about it. My friend immediately told me "OMG, this is gonna be about Tezzerat! Neat!" to which I responded with, "Oh...kay." I have no idea what this is going to be about, but Matthew Stover's writing it, so I'll give it a shot. A fair shot.

The God of War adaptation left a bad taste in my mouth that still yet lingers, but I still have faith. Stover has shown that he can pull off an amazing story in a universe that he hasn't written for before. Traitor was book 13 in a 19 book series. They threw him in the middle of it with a book that had to reference twelve other books and set the stage for seven more. He's more than capable, and the Magic Universe seems like it's right up his alley. Additionally, he won't have to deal with a co-author or Sony.

So, we'll see. I'm keeping an open mind, but we'll see.

Test of Metal: A Planeswalker Novel

Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk | BookDepository