Pays no respect to previous stories

It's not a bad story, but it's like they gave the author loose details about Gears 3 and 4 plot points and that was about it. Everyone seems out of character and completely different in some aspects. Everyone kept calling Baird, Damon, even though it's well established that no one really calls him that at all.

I think Marcus took the biggest hit as he was someone who bottled up everything kinda and then you have this person in this who borderline can't stop talking about his feelings for Anya.

I went into it not expecting a whole lot after the last two gears stories, but this one certainly can't hold a candle to Karen Travis stuff, stuff Stackpole dosn't even mention or come close to referencing.

Marcus and Hoffmans relationship wasn't completely bridged by the end of Travis trilogy, but it was on a constructive course where as this story makes it seem like they're borderline enemies still almost.

I guess long story short, independently it's not a bad story. But knowing the whole story overall and the characters, this does not fit at all nor does it really pay respect to the material that's come before it.

9 people found this helpful

You can tell they're broke. Poor effort all around

Narrator sucks. Gruff Marcus becomes proud househusband Marcus. Hoffman is a monotone senile old man. Marcus cries a lot. welcome to Gears leaving Gears of War in the past

3 people found this helpful

Have you met Marcus Fenix?

I was so excited to find a new release that brings back our beloved Delta Squad into the central story once again, but unfortunately the only Wonderful thing about this book is, that the narrator is the same Voice Actor as the one who played Anya Stroud in the games (she also did the narration in the equally disappointing Ascendance & Bloodlines) her voice acting to me is the embodiment of Anya , having heard it throughout the series. So it feels good to hear her voice again as Anya, not as Kait diaz or whomever.

But this story, the characterization of Marcus Fenix is sooo alien to the Marcus Fenix we know from the games and the original books by Karen Traviss. Everyone was pretty much like themselves, but Marcus Fenix felt like someone else, it was hard to accept it in some situations.

The climax did not amount to anything, just more breadcrumbs to follow… pretty much just a transition into another book that should fill in another timeline. Nothing pivotal.

I feel sorry for all of us fans of the original stories and games.

2 people found this helpful

Terrible

WORSE. GEARS OF WAR. BOOK. EVER!!! This is by no means gears of war. It’s a cheesy unclimatic romantic wanna-be chick flick. Nothing about this book represents the games or the comics. It’s horrible and such a huge let down for fans. I’ve played every game went thew every comic every novel and so on and this is just stupid. The coalition and the author should be ashamed of themselves. The new games are bad enough and now they’ve come for the books. It’s just horrible all around. If you like the series and the first 5 books don’t waste your time on this. The characters you know and love are simple gone. I’m honestly heartbroken over all this. The series is dead officially.

1 person found this helpful

just another amazing gears of war book!!!!

love the books adds so much information to the gears universe. can't wait for the next book. go delta squad!!!!

The story good but failed on the presentation

while this book is exactly what I want, the time between Gears of War 3 and 4, i was just fairly disappointed in the presentation. the personalities of the characters had changed which took me out of the moment. and while I love what Nan McNamara has done voice acting other books, I feel it lives the mood too much for the Gears of War franchise. I would still recommend the book to any diehard Gears of War fans like myself just to get more of the lore. I was just a little dissatisfied.

New and Intresting but just ok

The story is not terrible to say the least but the story doesn’t come without it’s flaws. Marcus Fenix feels completely out of character with where he stands in the overall universe now that the book tries to present. However it is understandable that a lot of characters now that their lives aren’t constantly on the line due to the Locust Horde constantly trying to kill them every five minutes it would be kind of hard to come to grips that civilian life after even fighting for so long isn’t easy.

Marcus I can say positively he’s trying his best to live a normal life for the sake of the woman he loves Anya. From playing the games and reading the comics it’s been strongly hinted at that these two would run off every now and again to do things privately whether to just spend time or to actually make love Marcus is trying really hard for her sake to live a normal life. To see what everybody is doing now is a nice touch seeing as how gears of war four threw us right in the middle 25 years later right after gears of war three and that all of a sudden we have a whole new threat shortly after encountering the robots “DEE-BEES” being the new threat for at least the majority of the beginning of the game.

It was good to see how the DEE-BEE Industries kind of started up with Damon Baird at the helm. It was also nice touch to see just how the new and improved cog formed seeing as how even though they aren’t going by the same name their ideals and viewpoints are still mostly intact. It was good to see Augustus Cole be shown trying to help rebuild society by returning home even if it was only briefly mentioned let alone showed. But he was trying to help mankind out in his own way was a very nice touch.

The only real gripe I have about the audiobook in general is that it does portray new characters that are never before mentioned or seen and I never brought up again in any of the games or comics they tried to make a power move while rebuilding society. And that in order to even put the events in motion we had to bring back the locust even if it was very briefly and in a way that doesn’t make a whole lot of sense.

Mind control being done by crude devices being surgically attached to the back of the locust head. And the fact the ending of the game gears of war three put a lot of emphasis and I do mean a lot of emphasis on Adam Fenixs countermeasure having killed everything related to the lambent horde and the locust Horde. To think that maybe some of the locust that didn’t have bodies fully infected with the parasite it’s kind of hard to imagine.

But if you can get past with the games and the comics have already established with lore. This does make for a rather exciting story if you need something to listen to with a gears of war paint job.

it's about what you could expect.

I'm struggling with this book. I struggled with the last 2 books as well.I don't believe the Narrator was a good choice for this book. it felt confusing honestly. I was listening to a Gears but but was thinking about the hunger games the whole time.
I hate to sound like a broken Record. but David Colache really did a great job and it's hard to listen to a Gears book without him.

the characters themselves was almost unrecognizable, Marcus was made of stone. even as a kids he was like that, but now he's so in his own thoughts and talking to Anya like a school child with a crush. I know the characters but the seem to have a split personality in this book you periodically catch the characters you know, then they switch back to someone unrecognizable.

it's a ok book if you haven't listened to the Karen Travis books before this. if you have well it's like being given a wet blanket after sleeping in a comfy bed.


it's feels like a anime rendition of Gears not that it's a bad thing but this book is just filler no meat. just to sell some product. and try to keep a little interest in the lore alive.

Interesting

It’s so pleasing to me to see different sides to our favorite characters after the war is over. Hopefully they integrated some of what happened to the newer games yet to come. I would’ve liked it to be longer and explain how Anya got pregnant or why she couldn’t have kids to begin with.

Bring it !

They fracked my tomatoes up , Show me the origin of Marcus Phoenix and his Tomato seedlings . Also learn about new affair and the rise of a new cog . Characters will be reunited for clips and pleasantries and a little bit of grub killer but this was basically a story for the die hard mythology and immersion in the “ gearsverse “ . Damon will always be missed . Delta for life Also I miss my Yu our union of independent republic. “Borisnia “ In the previous novels by the end of the collation Unveiled a broken nations of the union of independent republic so I didn’t surrender to the cog are really a bright spot in the humanities desperation. How do you mean now become start jealous but is there anything worth saving well yeah where the usual or three game starts this is been hey Jonathan versus review and update stay tune for further comments and opinions based on the Jonathan versus the thing that you’re most concerned about Jonathan’s opinion continue continue continue continue. See you in the Jonathan verse you