Renaissance

Assassin's Creed, Book 1

By: Oliver Bowden

Narrated by: Gildart Jackson

Length: 12 hrs and 44 mins

Publisher's summary

Betrayed by the ruling families of Italy, Ezio Auditore embarks upon an epic quest for vengeance. To eradicate corruption and restore his family's honor, he will learn the art of the Assassins.

Along the way, Ezio will call upon the wisdom of such great minds as Leonardo da Vinci and Niccolò Machiavelli, knowing that survival is bound to the skills by which he must live. To his allies, he will become a force for change in his fight for freedom and justice. To his enemies, he will become a threat dedicated to the destruction of the tyrants abusing the people of Italy. So begins an epic story of power, revenge, and conspiracy.

©2010 Ubisoft Entertainment (P)2012 Tantor

Great story, Great Narration.

Would you consider the audio edition of Renaissance to be better than the print version?

I don't own printed books.

What other book might you compare Renaissance to and why?

Sadly, I can't think of anything. Which is good. I think of this as unique in a way.

Which character – as performed by Gildart Jackson – was your favorite?

All of them are excellent.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Anxious. Ode to no more credits!

Any additional comments?

This is a great adventure. The book is longer than I'm used too but the action is constant and driven. The action is always leading to something greater. The author thankfully drops all illusion of grandeur and moves from place to place with pertinent descriptions only. This is actually fantastic to me, I grow tired of authors who describe surroundings and laundry lists that bare no meaning to the characters overall actions or results. Overall thoughts are described in actions not long winded monologues. Fantastic!

The narrator is brilliant! I enjoyed all of his representations of characters and his ability to pronounce proper Italian names and places (granted I am not Italian and have never been to Italy) but his talent helped with the immersion process. I thoroughly enjoyed his work and will buy the other books in this series partly due to him.

The only negative I found and this could be nitpicking, is the mass of Italian places and random Italian words used in place of English. I only had one year of Italian in college and it didn't always help here. Also, there are so many places involved they should hand you a map of old Italy when you buy this book.

This was originally a video game. Excellent. Since I am blind I do not have the ability to enjoy it as such. However, this is a fantastic adventure story on it's own and I highly recommend it! I only wish they would make more books out of video game story lines, it beats listening to my friends playing them. Maybe they'lll do Bioshock next!

Twice the listen......much to enjoy!

Would you consider the audio edition of Renaissance to be better than the print version?

Unexpected delight of entertainment,the story, the voice the overall was just too cool!

What did you like best about this story?

It was so clear to imagine and I did! So glad there are more to this series...

Which scene was your favorite?

The quickness and precision of the acts of defending and violence of the Assassins.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

I liked the description of the weapons, their precision of use and the agility and quickness of the need to act and kill!

Any additional comments?

Too many to count....

wonderful book

can't wait to start the next one. hate a minimum placed on words for review

great book but several differences from the game

overall I really did love his book but there were some significant differences from the game I love the additions that the author made but there were some that just felt like he didn't have a proper understanding of what the games were or the already existing lore of the world and the pre-existing Canon nothing great just a few key details but overall it did manage to expand on the story not as well as the Assassin's Creed 1 book The Secret Crusades but I hope to see where it goes from here

Bowden's Assassin's Creed is One Awesome Ride!

What did you love best about Renaissance?

Renaissance open's up the world for the reader and really sets the scene for an epic ride through time and place. It is a captivating and exciting tale that is told so well you simply can picture it in your mind as you get lost in the tale.

What did you like best about this story?

There is so much to like about the whole package it is difficult to pick a favorite bit out. I think the rich characters and the rich descriptive writing style captivate the reader so well that all you can do is sit back and enjoy the ride.

Have you listened to any of Gildart Jackson’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Jackson is very talented in his narration, he brings the listener in and keeps them enthralled through the entire tale .. He is a natural story teller and a pleasure to listen to.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

No spoilers here .. you GOT TO OPEN THE PRESENT! Because I am telling you .. this package is a GIFT! ;)

Any additional comments?

Can't wait to listen to more!!!!

Enjoyable read

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I enjoyed how the video was incorporated into a book.

What did you like best about this story?

Same as above the story was simple, yet very enjoyable

What does Gildart Jackson bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

The various voice and the inflections in his voice bring the story to life.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

No

Any additional comments?

It a great book if you enjoyed the video game series.

Pretty good for being based on a video game

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

I don't know if my friends would enjoy this book. I loved watching my son play this video game and I always thought the story line was really good.

Did the narration match the pace of the story?

The narration was pretty good and I liked most of the voices that he did.

Could you see Renaissance being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?

I believe it is already scheduled to become a movie.

good book

Where does Renaissance rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

This book was so awesome...super excited to listen to the rest of the series.

Amazing

The story was great and listening to it I could feel like I was there

Alternate History, Machiavellian Plots, & SciFi??

Where does Renaissance rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Having ready a good number of books, this ranks fairly well. This tale is set against the rich history of the era of the Italian Merchant Princes, and if the story alone was simply historic, you'd walk away wanting to read more. It was an era of unobstructed larceny coupled with a sudden flood of wealth to fuel even the darkest ambitions. Family politics (Think mafia), clandestine societies, cults, and plans within plans within plans were the norm of this fantastic period in history. Now, couple this with a fantastic scifi premise, along with ancient artifacts, and you have a GREAT story. Of course, this is a series of books taken from the "Assassin's Creed" series, and there's always a concern about whether or not the plot, writing, substance, and flow is worthy of any good listener's (or reader's) time. Rest easy, this one is, and you'll be glad you've read it. I will NOT give the plot's detail away in this review, nor character studies, NOR key turing points in the story. That being said, I WILL definitely tell you that the assassin's guild concept is based on history, and bringing it to life is no casual thing. No it's not as deep as the DUNE novels (I love them, but let's save that kind of deep thinking right now for solving world peace.), but machiavellian plans within plans are this society's "cup of tea," and the author will thrust you into into this dark, foreboding, fascinating era with no regrets.

What other book might you compare Renaissance to and why?

This doesn't compare to many sci-fi or historical books, as it actually fits into an ALTERNATE REALITY genre. I'd compare not the style, but the scope, to Newt Gingrich's Gettysberg series, where the South eventual won the Civil War, but with more emotion and definitely more machiavellian in-fighting. Also, if you like Harry Turtledove's writings, his work may be a more apt comparison, but you'll decide this, once you've read the first audiobook in the series.

What three words best describe Gildart Jackson’s voice?

Jackson' s narrations are, by the way, quite enjoyable, and set the stage for the era. The dialects used seem extremely genuine, as I have a GOOD number of Italians and Sicilians on my wife's side of the family.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

There were too many excellent moments in this audiobook to focus on, without giving away key points to the story. That cripples a review, but so be it. I WILL say that it has the depth and emotional content expected of a good listen/read, and you'll walk away ready to move on to the next audiobook in the series.

Any additional comments?

Audiobook listeners, just like book readers, are both varied in opinion, yet passionate for a good listen/read that will hold their attention, leave them wanting more, and cause friendly but heated arguments around a dinner table. Well, this is one of those reads. If you like rich history, dramatic depth, a superb plot, and a scifi twist thrown in to move the story even further down the road, stop reading my review, and get this audiobook. Enjoy!