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anteus7's review against another edition
4.0
I came to this series for N. K. Jemesin and stayed for Catherynne Valente. I might just have to pay more attention to game, comic, and movie tie-in books and stop being such a snob.
I like a good locked-room mystery that turns into horror on a huge scale. The room in this case is a mind-bogglingly huge spaceship, but that only gives the bad things more places to hide or get behind you.
Worth the read whether you know anything about the Mass Effect universe or not. Though an Elcor Shakespearian and how funny that is might be lost on the uninitiated.
I like a good locked-room mystery that turns into horror on a huge scale. The room in this case is a mind-bogglingly huge spaceship, but that only gives the bad things more places to hide or get behind you.
Worth the read whether you know anything about the Mass Effect universe or not. Though an Elcor Shakespearian and how funny that is might be lost on the uninitiated.
nmcannon's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
brisingr's review against another edition
5.0
(maybe i shouldn't have read about a virus while... the entire planet is dealing with a virus but) once i started, i couldn't stop. and it is so nice to be so sucked in by a story, so immediately! and what an incredible ending to this trilogy! i just adored going on this journey and learning all these characters, and i had a lot of fun attempting to solve mysteries and crimes alongside them (though they are miles ahead in the intelligence department, when compared to me)
i had fun!! it had that distinct mass effect feel to it, and you can tell it has the skill of a great writer (catherynne m. valente i adore you) and all the passion of a dedicated fan - because this was everything i could have wanted.
looking forward to what comes next in the mass effect universe, bc *that ending* wohoo <3
i had fun!! it had that distinct mass effect feel to it, and you can tell it has the skill of a great writer (catherynne m. valente i adore you) and all the passion of a dedicated fan - because this was everything i could have wanted.
looking forward to what comes next in the mass effect universe, bc *that ending* wohoo <3
redeyesinferno's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
informative
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
mcrowe's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
remescient's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
It's an interesting book. I think the editor should have been a little more ruthless and cut out some of the extraneous tangents that the narrator and characters would often go on, they would get very rambley but didn't actually do much to help build the world or characters. And I felt like the ending was fairly weak. But it was still fun to read a Mass Effect novel that focused on the alien cultures that are usually ignored in the main canon. I just think this book tried to do too much at once and some better editing and tighter writing would have served it better.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Terminal illness, Vomit, Medical content, Medical trauma, and Pandemic/Epidemic
l3irdl3rain's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
sad
fast-paced
4.5
I read the other Mass Effect Andromeda novels. They were okay, I enjoyed Nexus Uprising far more than Initiation.
This one is in a league of its own. Fast paced and exciting. It made me laugh out loud a couple times, which I wasn’t expecting. And it was sad and hopeful and so much fun.
This one is in a league of its own. Fast paced and exciting. It made me laugh out loud a couple times, which I wasn’t expecting. And it was sad and hopeful and so much fun.
marilynw's review against another edition
4.0
I'm a big fan of the Mass Effect and Dragon Age games so I read all the related books as soon as they come out. My four star rating is based on loving the games, having played them over and over, knowing the lore, and wanting more content in the games, and if not there, in books. I don't see how the books could be really enjoyed without the background of the games they are linked to but in the case of this prequel, for a series of games that I love to play, I was very happy to be able to indulge in more ME.
The first part of the book introduced us to the characters on a ship to Andromeda that had a big problem. We'd meet a character and then they would go into a long memory of the past that gave us an idea of what the character was like, and this could be pretty tedious at times. At the same time, we did need to care about the characters and I began to do that with several of them. The second, shorter part of the book, then provided the satisfactory "fixing the problem", as best as it could be fixed, with the limited resources and time that the ship leaders had to do so.
I do wish we'd get to see these characters in the next ME game but I'm not sure another ME will ever come out and even if it does, they may go a completely different direction. For all I know, this may be the last new ME content. I know we hear rumors of this or that, but I'll believe there will be another game when it actually comes out.
The first part of the book introduced us to the characters on a ship to Andromeda that had a big problem. We'd meet a character and then they would go into a long memory of the past that gave us an idea of what the character was like, and this could be pretty tedious at times. At the same time, we did need to care about the characters and I began to do that with several of them. The second, shorter part of the book, then provided the satisfactory "fixing the problem", as best as it could be fixed, with the limited resources and time that the ship leaders had to do so.
I do wish we'd get to see these characters in the next ME game but I'm not sure another ME will ever come out and even if it does, they may go a completely different direction. For all I know, this may be the last new ME content. I know we hear rumors of this or that, but I'll believe there will be another game when it actually comes out.
darcerenity's review
4.0
I just finished Mass Effect: Annihilation, and I firmly believe it is the best of the tie-in novels to date (with the arguable exception of the hardcover Hard in Hightown, which is really its own beast).
Many of the “background” races seen on the Citadel in the OT get a fair amount of spotlight in this book, and they are all written well, with distinctive interests and povs. There is a lot of humor that had me laughing and reading bits to my husband. There is also a touch of nostalgia and some surprisingly well-done pathos.
Some of the turns were completely unexpected and others were right on target given the races involved. The action was quick-paced and I was burning through pages to see just how absolute that title was going to be.
Many of the “background” races seen on the Citadel in the OT get a fair amount of spotlight in this book, and they are all written well, with distinctive interests and povs. There is a lot of humor that had me laughing and reading bits to my husband. There is also a touch of nostalgia and some surprisingly well-done pathos.
Some of the turns were completely unexpected and others were right on target given the races involved. The action was quick-paced and I was burning through pages to see just how absolute that title was going to be.