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

the accuracy was good

IT IS AMAZING BOTH WRITIN AND SAID I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS BOOK TO ANYONE WHO LIKES THE GAMES

Mostly fun, if very flawed.

If you've played the Assassin's Creed games, this is a moderately fun and entertaining book. However, be aware, this is pretty simplistic and light reading that very closely follows the video game story (for better and worse). There won't be a lot of surprises for fans of the game, and it also makes for some rather frequent segments that are painfully awkward and with mediocre at best dialogue. It also means that there are various random "mission" experiences and other scenes that don't entirely make sense and feel random (at best) or ridiculous (at worst). Even a video game with a good story is still a video game and tying the novel so closely really hamstrings it from being "good".

In the end, it's a rather enjoyable book for fans of the game. However, I couldn't help but feel like there was a real missed opportunity here. With better writing and a little more freedom and flexibility to explore the characters and story, this could have been an amazing novel. Instead, it basically just feels like someone played a video game, took notes, and called the result a book.

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!

Outstanding performance

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

I was curious enough to find out how it would end, so I did listen to the whole book.

Would you recommend Renaissance to your friends? Why or why not?

No. Story was kind of trite. Just an assassin killing people over and over Not much character development.

Excellent Read

I can see why the game is so popular the storyline is great. Loved it

Guilty Pleasure Part 1

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

I haven't read the print version.

What did you like best about this story?

It reminded me of the game that it was based on, and made me long to play it.

What about Gildart Jackson’s performance did you like?

Well he didn't sound bored with it. That's the best thing you can ask for a performer.

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

More happy feels, but nothing extreme.

Any additional comments?

Fans of Assassin's Creed who seeks a chance to relive the game in a more dramatic scene, get the Oliver Bowden books or their Audible counterparts.

Great part of the Assassin's Creed canon!

If you could sum up Renaissance in three words, what would they be?

Action-packed, historical, seamless

Who was your favorite character and why?

I liked Michaelangelo!

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

His tonality between characters was great!

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes

Any additional comments?

Was a nice addition to the larger Creed story.

Loved it!!

I loved every minute of this. That said, I'm still going to have to read the hard copy because of all the Italian names. it got very confusing at times. No one's fault; it is what it is.

Game to book

If you love AC2 you will like hearing the audio book! Just reminds me how good that game was.

An awesome book

This book brought to life the scenes and the action to the point where was unbelievable highly recommended