This post will include my review of the book Templar One by Tony Gonzales. It is another of his novels set within the EVE Universe and tied in to the EVE-Online MMORPG. Released January 3rd 2012.
The text below is taken from the blurb on the back of the book.
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“There will be neither compassion nor mercy; Nor peace, nor solace For those who bear witness to these Signs And still do not believe.” Book of Reclaiming 25:10 New Eden: the celestial battleground of a catastrophic war that has claimed countless lives. The immortal starship captains spearheading this epic conflict continue their unstoppable dominance, shaping the universe to their will and ensuring a bloody, everlasting stalemate. But a powerful empire is on the verge of a breakthrough that could end the war and secure their rule over mankind forever. For deep in a prison reclamation camp, a secret program is underway…one that will unlock dangerous secrets of New Eden’s past. It all begins with inmate 487980-A . . . Templar One. |
This is the second EVE releated book I have read by the same author, the first being “The Empyrean Age”, and I will start by saying I preferred this one to the other one. That said it took a while for the actual story to start and for the action to appear like it was heading in a consistent direction.
The opening 20 chapters were spent in outlining back story and introducing characters and I found myself wondering if there was any real plot behind all these scenes. Don’t get me wrong, I found the scenes interesting and as a fan of the EVE game I was very happy to learn more about the history of the EVE universe. About the Sleepers, the Jovians, and Empress Jamyl in particular.
But once the story got started it never let go. The action and politiking was relentless in the final parts of the novel and I cannot begin to imagine how many thousands of people were killed by the time I finished.
If you are a fan of the game and you are interested in the story behind the game then I thoroughly recommend this book. It is a good way to add an extra dimension to the gameplay without spoiling the online experience in any way. If you’re not playing EVE then this book may be little harder to get into. The names and places will be meaningless (and there are a LOT of them) and you may find it difficult to understand the signficance of the events in the story.
It’s a fun read but its probably not for everyone.
