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Marlakh
Bene Gesserit ChapterHouse
Sanctuary Pact
39
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Posted - 2012.01.09 06:37:00 -
[1] - Quote
I'd like to provide a little review of "Eve: Templar One", starting with a big IMHO and TL:DR. And that I've avoided spoilers as much as possible.
Buy the book and read it, if you're interested. You owe yourself this much if you're an Eve fan.
It is well written and is Tony's best work so far (and sadly we will not see more Eve novels from him). It ties up a lot of loose ends, and while this may not seem like saying much given that it only the third Eve book published, it stands up there with the best of Eve fiction, and brings together all that we know of Eve's background in a very satisfying way. However, prior reading of The Empyrean Age is highly recommended for a full enjoyment of this book. For those who hang onto every offically published story as essential canon, you'll not be happier.
I've read many science fiction novels, from the "old school" Arthur C Clarke and Larry Niven's work, to cyberpunk age Stephen Baxter and William Gibson, and modern master pieces from Greg Bear and Ian M Banks. These authors and many others before us, together with key movies like Alien(s), Terminator, Blade Runner, 2001, and a healthy dosage of Star Wars and Star Trek, etc, have been the bedrock upon which the Eve universe has been built. On the basis of these works, there is nothing really fundamentally new in terms of scientific concepts that for Tony to work with, so do not expect anything new you've not read or seen before. However, within the constraints of the Eve IP, Tony has managed to weave together many elements of what we know and understand of Eve into a highly coherent and authoritative progression of her backstory. That the Empyrean Age was published out in 2009, laying the foundations for a continuing story, showed the amount of planning and foresight that the author had put in.
So, what does the book deliver? It is hard not to see it as a mere marketing tool for Dust 514, the first person shooter that will "revolutionise MMOs" this year, if I allow a bit of CCP marketing into the room. So it delivers first and foremost in this regard, by setting the stage for the proliferation of this "new" cloning technology for Dust mercernaries into New Eden, aided by the desire of all Empires to undo any slight relative advantage in the perpetual intergalactic arms race, and the uncertain wildcards of the independent nations, most prominently a certain breakaway Caldari privateer organisation. Battle scenes on the ground and space (and in between) offer a tantalising and hopefully soon to be realised glimpse of the conflicts that we ourselves can orchestrate on the surfaces and low orbits of the planets. Key elements of what would be essential in any FPS are described in vivid, almost voyeuristic detail. From drop ships, to the surface-to-orbit missile batteries, the Amarrian plasma rifles, to the Mechanized Torso-Actuated Chassis (MATC), cousins to Battlemechs, and the various gunships and assault vehicles populating the new frontiers of bloody, in-your-face gruesomeness, Tony paints a vivid picture of destruction that would please any would-be Dust Bunnies looking for the nearest box of Kleenex. May it all come true for us this summer. |
Marlakh
Bene Gesserit ChapterHouse
Sanctuary Pact
39
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Posted - 2012.01.09 06:38:00 -
[2] - Quote
And, hovering behind all this aggressively well-timed appetizers for our Dualshock 3 (tm) fingers like the nebulae of Eve space, is essentially, a continuation of the tale of the dark, transhuman future where us godlike capsuleers walk like giants in the playground of the petty Empires and their puny, mortal inhabitants. It may take a stretch of the imagination to believe that this uneasy peace between the Empires have continued for almost 9 years without outright, direct conflict. You may scoff at the well worn cliches that politicians and mega-corporation CEOs vie for power and prestige, while their strings are manipulated from the shadows by hidden forces, motivated by even stranger agenda. However, you'll also read about the all-too-human struggles of ordnary people, caught up in extraordinay circumstances. The lives that we, and the Empires, throw away on a daily basis, without even an awareness of, much less an afterthought as to the consequences of our actions. It is through this lowly dirt and grime that the book drags our minds through, where you can, in almost Matrix-like fashion, see the slowly blossoming spatter of blood between streams of hybrid cartridges, before the camera does a vertigo-inducing zoom out to the massive dreadnoughts disemboweling each other between swarms of drones, fighters and assault frigates.
And all this, Tony writes in a clear, succinct and economical manner. In the massive tapestry that is Eve, there is no room for wastage, no tolerance for threads that lead nowhere. The plot trundles along with Caldari-like efficiency, clone-jumping us in rapid succession from a sprawling city of an Empire's homeplanet, to a lonely research outpost in deep space, to the virtual dreams of a dead race. In the tradition of a well-planned fiction, disparate element are interwoven together in a climactic showdown that will satisfy even the most battle-worn capsuleer. Along the hectic pace, Tony finds time to inject some humour, even occasionally a nod to us, when an exasperated bridge officer tells her colleague, who has been moaning about his troubles and doubts to her, to HTFU.
Are there any aspects of this work that is bad? Perhaps, and I'm not a picky enough reader to pluck them out, pod fluid and all, to wriggle them wet and dripping for you. Those who are looking for a hard-core sci-fi novel will do better to look elsewhere. For those who've been reading the Dust dev blogs and wants to see more possible disclosures, this sadly will be a long winded and largely irrelevant introduction to the day you can rule the leader boards. But for those like me, who've been salivating for a good Eve fiction after the very long and dry spell of Chronicles, this will do nicely for now. As I concluded this book, the main emotion is actually one of sadness, as we know Tony Gonzles will no longer be working for CCP. Therefore, this story, and the open-ended threads that he has left behind, will hopefully be taken up by another content developer, someone who has very big shoes to fill. I hope that the main stories as encapsulated in these novels (yes, even the Burning Life) can continue under new stewardship.
This is Tony's finest work and a fitting finale for us. He will be missed. |
Gantz Tleilax
Tleilax Foundation
14
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Posted - 2012.01.09 06:46:00 -
[3] - Quote
Thank you for the review! |
Heian Galanodel
Black Thorne Corporation
Black Thorne Alliance
6
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Posted - 2012.01.09 07:13:00 -
[4] - Quote
Great job there Marlakh.  I love books and this post makes me wanna try out Templar One. Better check the other books first hehe.
Proud Member of the Black Thorne Alliance
We make BIG SHIPS. We also sell them. |
Halcyon Ingenium
Infomorph Research and Technology
124
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Posted - 2012.01.09 07:23:00 -
[5] - Quote
Thumbs up, would like again.
That which always was, and is, and will be everlasting fire,
the same for all, the cosmos, made neither by god nor man,
replenishes in measure as it burns away. -Heraclitus |
Myxx
Atropos Group
Blood Right
475
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Posted - 2012.01.09 08:09:00 -
[6] - Quote
I was going to wait for a little bit, but your review just made me give CCP and Tony more of my money.
Edit: Getting rid of Tony was a ****** idea. |
Akrasjel Lanate
Naquatech Conglomerate
489
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Posted - 2012.01.09 09:23:00 -
[7] - Quote
TL:DR waiting to get the book.
Should you add this - [SPOILER] in thread name  |
Nova Fox
Novafox Shipyards
2728
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Posted - 2012.01.09 09:29:00 -
[8] - Quote
Myxx wrote:I was going to wait for a little bit, but your review just made me give CCP and Tony more of my money.
Edit: Getting rid of Tony was a ****** idea.
If i remember right tony didnt get fired he moved onto other pastures of his own.
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Marlakh
Bene Gesserit ChapterHouse
Sanctuary Pact
43
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Posted - 2012.01.09 09:38:00 -
[9] - Quote
Akrasjel Lanate wrote:TL:DR waiting to get the book. Should you add this - [SPOILER] in thread name
The review contains nothing you don't already know from other sources, like the PS3 DUST 514 blogs. Hrrr... |
Ciar Meara
Virtus Vindice
469
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Posted - 2012.01.09 13:16:00 -
[10] - Quote
Pre-ordered it weeks ago, date still says 26 of January for release. Stupid internet.
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[img]http://go-dl1.eve-files.com/media/corp/janus/ceosig.jpg[/img]
[yellow]English only please. Zymurgist[/yellow] |
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stoicfaux
640
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Posted - 2012.01.09 13:56:00 -
[11] - Quote
Marlakh wrote:
It is well written and is Tony's best work so far (and sadly we will not see more Eve novels from him). It ties up a lot of loose ends
Does it tie up the Amarr Empress's schizophrenia, the Earth weapon, and the Jove attempt to travel the Eve wormhole?
You can tell me what is and isn't true when you pry the tinfoil from my cold, lifeless head.
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Fidelium Mortis
Quantum Cats Syndicate
20
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Posted - 2012.01.09 16:18:00 -
[12] - Quote
I am almost done with the book as well. Overall it is pretty good. You really need to be familiar with the eve universe for it to be of much value. Also I felt that the Dust 514 tie-in was a bit forced at times and seemed conjured rather than an organic progression from the Empyrean Age. The intrigue and plot twists were good and very eve-like.
ICRS - Intergalactic Certified Rocket Surgeon |
Razin
The xDEATHx Squadron
Legion of xXDEATHXx
195
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Posted - 2012.01.09 16:55:00 -
[13] - Quote
Marlakh wrote:
It is well written and is Tony's best work so far (and sadly we will not see more Eve novels from him). It ties up a lot of loose ends
Is this novel as contrived and cliched as T. Gonzales' previous work? Does it feel like it was actually checked by an editor? Does it presume delayed Local in 0.0?
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Roc Wieler
Masuat'aa Matari
Ushra'Khan
13
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Posted - 2012.01.09 17:26:00 -
[14] - Quote
stoicfaux wrote:Marlakh wrote:
It is well written and is Tony's best work so far (and sadly we will not see more Eve novels from him). It ties up a lot of loose ends
Does it tie up the Amarr Empress's schizophrenia, the Earth weapon, and the Jove attempt to travel the Eve wormhole?
Yes, yes, and not really. |
Roc Wieler
Masuat'aa Matari
Ushra'Khan
13
|
Posted - 2012.01.09 17:28:00 -
[15] - Quote
Razin wrote:Marlakh wrote:
It is well written and is Tony's best work so far (and sadly we will not see more Eve novels from him). It ties up a lot of loose ends
Is this novel as contrived and cliched as T. Gonzales' previous work? Does it feel like it was actually checked by an editor? Does it presume delayed Local in 0.0?
There are very few spelling and grammer errors. It is a much more polished book.
To add my two isk, I read/write a lot of scifi, and as stated, while there is nothing spectacularly new in this book, it does give some nice insights into fundamental EVE lore.
I really hope CCP considers this canon as it comes from them, but who knows.
Anyway, was enjoyable.
I read the kindle version, which also had nice links to screenshots and QTVR of various ships, nebulae and other things. Wasn't expecting it. Was a nice touch.
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Jask Avan
Republic Military School
Minmatar Republic
80
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Posted - 2012.01.09 18:17:00 -
[16] - Quote
How does it compare to the previous books? (Better, worse, etc.)
Does it still have the overarching theme of 'Everything is horrible'? |
FeralShadow
CenGen Armament
28
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Posted - 2012.01.09 18:59:00 -
[17] - Quote
I REALLY HATE THIS BOOK
because it is not come to my mailbox yet.
I've been looking forward to it since Empyrean Age, and reading your review makes me want to run down the road yelling loudly and flailing my arms at any mail truck that drives past, screaming GIMMIE MY BOOK! |
Roc Wieler
Masuat'aa Matari
Ushra'Khan
13
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Posted - 2012.01.11 16:00:00 -
[18] - Quote
Jask Avan wrote:How does it compare to the previous books? (Better, worse, etc.)
Does it still have the overarching theme of 'Everything is horrible'?
It's better than the previous book, IMO, and yes, it's Eve, everything is horrible in this universe.
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Fearless M0F0
Incursion PWNAGE Asc
8
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Posted - 2012.01.11 18:32:00 -
[19] - Quote
I enjoyed the book too, nice touches like the way they took down that amarr dread 
I was glued to the last chapters, lots of action and twists close to what happens in big fleet fights  |
Roosterton
Shattered Star Exiles
SpaceMonkey's Alliance
239
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Posted - 2012.01.13 03:08:00 -
[20] - Quote
Posting to give my few cents about this book. He killed a lot of what was stupid with the Empyrean Age (namely, completely and utterly over-the-top sex scenes and unrealistic quantities of profanity) and tied up several previous loose ends in a satisfying manner. While there are a few canon inconsistencies, it doesn't detract from the experience of the book. I'd definitely recommend it for people who've read the Empyrean Age.
Also: Is it odd that my local Chapters book store had this within three days of it being released? I didn't think anyone else in B.C played EVE. 
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