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Mass Effect: Ascension (Mass Effect #2)

by Drew Karpyshyn

3.55 · rating details · 998 ratings · 82 reviews

When they vanished fifty thousand years ago, the Protheans left their advanced technology scattered throughout the galaxy. The chance discovery of a Prothean cache on Mars allows humanity to join those already reaping the rewards of the ancients’ high-tech wizardry. But for one rogue militia, the goal is not participation but domination.

Scientist Kahlee Sanders has left th...more

Mass Market Paperback, 336 pages

Published July 29th 2008 by Del Rey

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Jan 09, 2011

Zarkseven rated it

Shelves: video-games, science-fiction

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I feel immersed in all things Mass Effect lately. Aside from playing Mass Effect 2 on the Xbox 360 and playing Mass Effect Galaxy on my iPod Touch, I’ve been reading the Mass Effect: Ascension audiobook. Author Drew Karpyshyn was the lead writer on the first Mass Effect game, is co-lead writer on Mass Effect 2, and also wrote the first Mass Effect novel, Mass Effect: Revelation. I read and reviewed that novel. How does this one stack up?

LIKED

Side Universe. I like the sep...moreI feel immersed in all things Mass Effect lately. Aside from playing Mass Effect 2 on the Xbox 360 and playing Mass Effect Galaxy on my iPod Touch, I’ve been reading the Mass Effect: Ascension audiobook. Author Drew Karpyshyn was the lead writer on the first Mass Effect game, is co-lead writer on Mass Effect 2, and also wrote the first Mass Effect novel, Mass Effect: Revelation. I read and reviewed that novel. How does this one stack up?

LIKED

Side Universe. I like the separation of the plots of the games and the novels. It gives the novels a little more credence that they aren’t just tacked on money grabs, and gives Karpyshyn an opportunity to expand the universe. References to the events of the first Mass Effect game feel natural and not forced. (As a side note, references to this novel are found in Mass Effect 2 as well.)

Uncharted Territory. I enjoyed the attention given to the Quarians in the novel. Of the alien species in the Mass Effect universe, the Quarians are probably one of the more interesting ones. They created the Geth, who rebelled on them and drove them from their home world (and played a huge part in the first game). They live as part of a vast Migrant Fleet that roams the galaxy, and live most of their lives in environmental suits, giving them an aura of both mystery and suspicion that’s well suited for exploration. They do get a little attention in Mass Effect 2 during Tali’s loyalty mission, but their lifestyle was not really given the attention it is here. Also, the effects of the environmental suit on Gillian played perfectly into her story as well, like a natural fit. I hope other species get fleshed out a little more in the upcoming third novel.

NOT SO MUCH

Assumptions. (Spoilers) I was really distracted by the reaction of Kahlee to Gillian’s changes after they leave the Academy. My first though was that she was acting strangely due to unknown effects from the Cerberus medicines she was given, but that’s not even considered. But when there is some discussion about how her autistic tendencies are lessening and her biotic growth is improving, it’s immediately assumed that it’s because she is no longer affected by the Cerberus drug. It just seemed a little convenient that their assumptions were correct, as they didn’t seem like the right ones at that stage of the novel. Grayson also rightly assumes exactly where the group flees to from Omega.

Character Missteps. The lesser characters in the novel seemed a little one-dimensional. Jiro’s motivations seemed unclear. Nick, the student who mocks Gillian and gets tossed across the cafeteria for it, is given multiple scenes to establish his character, when he could have easily been introduced in the cafeteria scene to similar effect.

RECOMMEND?

I would not recommend this book to anyone unfamiliar with the Mass Effect universe. But it works well as a gap-bridger between the first two games, and it was nice to see references to some of the events of the story built into the game, like the introduction of Omega, or Talia’s antagonism towards Cerberus because of what they did on the flotilla. It’s not a long read, and if you are craving more Mass Effect, give it a shot. Don’t expect a literary masterpiece, but rather a solid tie-in novel.(less)

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Jan 01, 2010

Adam Radford rated it

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. This book is based off of the games Mass Effect. The book follows the tale of Gillian Grayson, a biotic child, and Cerberus, a paramilitary pro-human organisation. Biotic powers allow those gifted with them to generate mass effect fields and alter the universe around them. The "Ascension" project is a program that helps Biotic children acheive their full potential. Gillian Grayson is the most promising student in the program however she is borderline autistic. Her father is an agent of...more

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Feb 18, 2011

Peter rated it

Shelves: fiction, sci-fi

This second novel in the series maintains a lot of the action of the first. However, it has less political/diplomatic intrigue, and has a much more personal edge. This is because the plot heavily centres around a young autistic girl in the Alliance's Ascension programme, and on the challenges being faced by those who care for her.

The Illusive Man features a number of times, but always at arm's length, much like in the second game in the series. The story also involves the quarians sign...more

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Jan 01, 2010

Matthew Ardill rated it

Recommends it for: fans of the game

Where the first book was a servicable read this felt like a short story that never truly found it's footing. I constantly asked my self "why should I care about these characters?" Kahlee from Revelations makes a return in an improbable turn that feels more like a device to link this story to it's predecessor. The Illusive Man a major player in the upcomming Mass Effect 2 game is expanded upon and the nature of Cerebus the shadowy villianious organization hinted at and glanced over i...more

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Aug 06, 2011

Sonny rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: sci-fi-fantasy

The novel's focus is a autistic biotic child, a shadowy organization with a shady reputation, and the vagabond Quarians of the Migrant Fleet in the aftermath of the first Mass Effect game. Gamers looking to learn more informarion about the Mass Effect universe will be disappointed. Yes, there are tidbits of back story and future plot points of the games which enhance your video game experience, but nothing too revealing. The novel is written by the same person who wrote the story line of the vid...more

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Jan 27, 2011

Adam Boudreau rated it

Shelves: science-fiction

After reading the first novel and playing the video game, I was pretty excited to see they were going to continue with the novels. I'm kind of hoping that Mass Effect will branch out to a much larger universe because there is simply so much potential! By that I mean, I hope Mass Effect will garner interest from other writers instead of just having Drew Karpyshyn writing everything. I'm certainly not saying that Drew is a poor author, but I wouldn't want his ideas to burn out and there is simply ...moreAfter reading the first novel and playing the video game, I was pretty excited to see they were going to continue with the novels. I'm kind of hoping that Mass Effect will branch out to a much larger universe because there is simply so much potential! By that I mean, I hope Mass Effect will garner interest from other writers instead of just having Drew Karpyshyn writing everything. I'm certainly not saying that Drew is a poor author, but I wouldn't want his ideas to burn out and there is simply too much to write about for one man! Mass Effect is a huge universe to explore and I personally want to see as much of it as possible, after all, I love exploration.

Okay onto the review. "Ascension" picks up where the video game ends, but unlike the first novel, it doesn't use any characters from the game. They merely mention the events and how the current characters feel about such things, so if you're expecting the novel to tie directly into events from the video game like the first novel you'll be disappointed. Personally, I'm elated, I like seeing Mass Effect branch out to new territory in the universe. That way the game can focus on the game story lines and the novels can deal with those repercussions and write about something else.

"Ascension" sees the return of Kahlee Sanders whom we met in "Revelation". She's pretty much our main character in this novel. Since her last work in AI research she has decided to go into the field of studying biotics and their amp technology. Needless to say this novel centers around biotics, humans that have been exposed to something called Element Zero and can now display telekinetic powers. While "Ascension" doesn't go into exact detail of how their powers work we do get to see how they are trained to use their powers and such. Kahlee is one of the lead scientists at the Grissom Academy where the children biotics have been brought. There's a special student among them named Gillian who happens to be autistic and requires a lot of extra care, but there's something special about her biotic powers as well. Little did they know that the eyes of a secret organization called Cerberus have been studying them as well and things go wrong concerning Gillian's special case. Kahlee with a few others need to flee the installation with Gillian to try and get to a safe location!

I don't want to give too much away, but the involvement of Cerberus isn't kept a secret from the reader, in fact it's mentioned in the prologue, so I don't feel I am ruining the story for anyone. You get to visit a couple other interesting locations in this novel aside from the Academy. You get to visit a chaotic world with all kinds of variant aliens called Omega. The place is virtually lawless and there is constant fighting between species, as you can tell a lot of conflicts take place here. The other place we get to visit, that was definitely the highlight of the novel for me, is the Quarians' Migrant Fleet. As you can expect there is a healthy dose of Quarian characters, but that's what made it really fascinating for me. We get to learn a good amount about their culture and politics amidst all the intrigue and action. This is the first time we get to see real insight into their culture and I'm hoping that this is the first in a long string of novels that develop the various races. I would especially like to read a book dealing with Turian history and their home world!

Now I didn't rate this five stars like the first book so there must be a negative side to it. It was sort of a big one for me, but the Migrant Fleet kind of made up for it in the end. Basically I don't like the way this novel is organized. When the underground organization Cerberus enters the picture you know who all the double agents are right away. You don't find out as Kahlee finds out, you know well before hand. This is sort of frustrating because characters like Kahlee and Hendel act like they don't know anything about it and the reader knows why, but it's frustrating to go through the motions. It's just incredibly annoying when you have to read about a character suspecting something about the agent when you know for a fact their suspicions are true. You know for a fact they will eventually find out, you just intuitively know this because Kahlee is star and so far Drew hasn't really shown that he'll kill off a main character in a novel that quickly. Anyway, this makes for a sort of frustrating read in the beginning until the characters catch up with the readers knowledge, then it gets really good. I can see how this could be a huge turn off for some people, but the story was interesting enough for me to overlook these factors and keep reading. The worlds are just so fascinating that it does keep my interest. I loved reading about the academy and Omega enough to keep me engaged.

Other than that one negative side I thought this was a fun novel. I tore through this pretty quickly for me, and I'm usually kind of a slow reader. Once the action sequence kicks in, things go a lot faster and then you sort of forget about the negative flaw. If you liked the first book and the video game I would still recommend this. It's not as heavily dependent on the video game like the first novel, so you could easily read it stand alone right now. Even though Kahlee is a main character in "Revelation" the aspects of that story aren't as required, except for maybe knowing who her father is. Other than that it's a pretty descent science fiction read.(less)

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Sep 28, 2010

Daniel rated it

This book is set in between the events of Mass Effect 1 and Mass Effect 2. Over a decade has past between the first and second books in the Mass Effect franchise. The story is more personal in Ascension with the backgrounds established in Revelation being more fleshed out. Gamers who are interested in learning more about Cerberus will certainly be rewarded as the book revolves around a Cerberus project, which is not the Lazarus project. We will also get to see more of the Quarian society. E...more

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Nov 15, 2009

Paul rated it

Shelves: sci-fi

Unlike the first Mass Effect novel this is set after the events of the game and features Kahlee Sanders from the first novel. Its an enjoyable read, light read - just the sort of thing if you want to put your feet up for a day and do nothing. I really enjoyed this novel because it features the Quarians and their Migrant Fleet - two things I really wanted to know more about in game. As the first book echoed the back story for Captain Anderson, hopefully this book echo's some of the plot of the se...more

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Nov 28, 2009

William Johnson rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: since-joining-goodreads, 2009

Reprinted from my website Secure Immaturity:

When you step away from fiction for half a decade like I did and then immerse yourself back into it you realize how atrophied your brain comes to simple imagination. Whether we like it or not, the world has become obsessed with the visual medium. Why imagine something when someone can just show it to you. But even in the non-fiction reading world, where I have lived for most of the last five years, imagination is at a minimum and a premium:...more

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Jun 03, 2009

Rhiannon Floyd rated it

Shelves: kindle, own, science-fiction, novels

I expected this book to be somewhat similar to Revelation, both in the way it was written as well as the way Revelation added something to the overall Mass Effect story that was subtle, yet made you consider the game in a different way. Unfortunately, Ascension fell short for me.

The writing jumped from moment to moment, often repeating itself through the eyes of another character. There were far too many characters whose points of view we got to see, leaving me feeling like there was...more

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Aug 08, 2008

Terry rated it

Shelves: gaming

Some of the darkest episodes in Mass Effect dealt with Cerberus, a shadowy organization who conducted illicit research and were willing to slaughter Alliance soldiers to cover their tracks. In Mass Effect: Ascension we learn that Cerberus is headed by the Illusive Man and that their goal is to ensure humanity’s dominance over alien races. This includes boosting biotic abilities in humans by causing prenatal exposure to Element Zero through a series of staged accidents. The Illusive Man has hi...moreSome of the darkest episodes in Mass Effect dealt with Cerberus, a shadowy organization who conducted illicit research and were willing to slaughter Alliance soldiers to cover their tracks. In Mass Effect: Ascension we learn that Cerberus is headed by the Illusive Man and that their goal is to ensure humanity’s dominance over alien races. This includes boosting biotic abilities in humans by causing prenatal exposure to Element Zero through a series of staged accidents. The Illusive Man has high hopes for young Gillian Grayson.

Gillian is a student in the Ascension Project and while she tests off the charts, her autism affects her ability to focus her biotic powers. Although Dr. Kahlee Sanders (returning from Mass Effect: Revelation) and Security Chief Hendel Mitra keep a close eye on her, Gillian is exposed to an unknown chemical by a Cerberus agent which leads to a disastrous use of her powers. With the Jon Grissom Academy compromised, Sanders and Mitra are forced to go into hiding with Gillian – even if it means trusting her red sand-addicted father. But is there anywhere in Alliance space that is safe from Cerberus?

Underwhelming. That’s the only way I can describe Drew Karpyshyn’s second novel set in BioWare’s Mass Effect universe. As a standalone science fiction novel, Ascension is limited in scope and comes to an unsatisfying conclusion. As a Mass Effect book, it’s a mixed bag. It’s set after the events of the game, but the monumental events which took place have little ramification in the book. Which isn’t to say that the book isn’t worth reading (for Mass Effect enthusiasts) – just don’t expect to read the further adventures of Commander Shepard. Instead, you’ll find out more about the quarians, learn of the insidious Collectors, and you’ll visit Omega – the Citadel’s dark reflection.

After playing Mass Effect, I had more appreciation for Karpyshyn’s first book. The same could happen after I play Mass Effect 2, but that potential payoff is still a year away.
(less)

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Nov 12, 2011

Kyle rated it

Mass Effect Ascension is a decent story in the Mass Effect series. Ascension’s point of view shifts back and forth from the few main characters of the story in the same fashion as the preceding Mass Effect novel Revelation. The characters have less relation to the your character, Sheppard in the video games. This creates a small amount of disconnect with the characters in Ascension, until they become developed, which they do. I enjoyed learning about them and over the course of the story I cared...more

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Nov 29, 2011

Jose rated it

Shelves: sci-fi

Great story!
Only Kahlee returns from the first book but the story and the characters were very believable.

The story of a father who gives his daughter to a cause. But his belief on the cause may not be as strong as his love for his child...

Great details on the Quarian society, without revealing anything extraordinary but well set in the universe and the Mass Effect mythos.

Again, if you never played the game, maybe it wont be as interesting but it's a well writt...more

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Feb 04, 2012

Scott James rated it

Awesome book. Not much else to say about that other than for those who are fans of the mass effect universe must get ahold of this. Other than a riveting and thrilling story it also gives detailed information about various subjects like biotics, life and crime on Omega, and my favorite it shows the life of the Quarian species answering almost all the questions you would have about species. If your reading this review and thinking about reading the book stop and go get it. It is well worth it.

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Jan 14, 2009

Mcklear` rated it

This was a very good book based off the Mass Effect Video Game. If you have played the game then you will absolutly love what Drew does with the Mass effect Universe. The Game's story effects the characters in the book, but only in the sense that it is the recent history of the world. This is a great stand alone book about fresh new characters and can be enjoyed even if you have not played the game.

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Jul 06, 2011

Eddie rated it

Another fun read for Mass Effect fans. Story takes place in between ME1 & ME2 and returns a familiar character from the first novel ME:Revelation, Kahlee Sanders. Non-stop action from beginning to end & enjoyed how Karpyshyn, the author, focused more on character development & let's you see how the relationships of the characters play out. This story gives more insight and perspective on Cerberus and The Illusive Man, from ME2, as well. With little to no connection to Shepard from the video game...more

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Feb 27, 2009

John Cook rated it

Shelves: sci-fi

The second novel set in the Mass Effect universe. This book is even better than ME: Revelation. It's entertaining the whole way through. The ending was satisfying but it also left a few plot threads open for the second Mass Effect video game or for the next novel.

Even if you haven't played the game, this book is worth reading, especially if you are into science fiction.

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May 16, 2011

MMOGC rated it

Shelves: video-games, sci-fi

One thing I admire about Drew Karpyshyn and his books is his ability to make you sympathize with even the biggest jackwads. This is the guy who also wrote the Star Wars: Darth Bane books, and actually managed to make me cheer for that evil Sith Lord.

Same kinda deal here with the character of Paul Grayson -- a Cerberus agent, drug addict, and ruthless killer who follows the shady Illusive Man and follows all his crooked demands without question, including running dangerous experiments o...more

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Feb 03, 2011

CK Hicks rated it

These are fun books - light reading for a quick sci-fi fix. I do enjoy the overall setting, with biotics and underground organizations bringing a nice twist here and there. Overall, I rate this one as a decent story with good flow for more novels. I'll likely continue reading this series!

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Oct 26, 2010

Eileen Andrews rated it

I can't say this wasn't entertaining in the sense that I love the game and it put me back in the game. However, playing the game and reading are different experiences. I felt a lot was lacking in it as a story. Character motivations and strengths as well as pacing.
It's not going to stop me from reading the next, but don't expect it to change your life.

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Oct 02, 2009

Scott Polifka rated it

Recommends it for: people who love the Mass Effect game and universe

Another good book if you enjoy the Mass Effect universe. Very easy to read and very enjoyable. There are predictable plot twists and nothing about the book, as far as the writing goes, transcends the genre. But it looks to be a good segue to the next game.

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Aug 03, 2011

Rob rated it

· review of another edition

While I am usually reluctant to read video game books, and entered into this with some hesitation I was not disappointed. While I would still rather play the game series, this book managed to take some of the edge off of waiting for Mass Effect 3.

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Aug 25, 2010

Jocelyn rated it

Shelves: videogames

This book gets an okay from me. My love for the Mass Effect universe kept me engaged I think, but was too far removed from the games. I don't mind paralell stories, but I found it a little harder to be as excited as when I read the prequel.

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Aug 20, 2010

David rated it

This book was quite an amazing sequel to the first book/sequel to the game. I really wish it would involve the game's characters a lot more though; it would be nice to hear of Commander Shepard. I love the ending and it leaves a lot of questions for the third book in the trilogy! I will be starting that book today/tomorrow! I recommend this series to anyone who loves sci-fi/fantasy novels; the Mass Effect universe is a huge (literally) and rich lore filled universe!

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Jan 23, 2012

Mitchell rated it

This book wasn't too bad, and a nice change of pace after Moby Dick. This book was designed to set up ME2, much like ME: Revelations set up the first game, so we're not talking high literature here. But, for what it is, it was entertaining. It continued to whet my appetite for ME3.

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Jan 07, 2011

Beltsquid rated it

Mass Effect Ascension is a significant improvement over Revelation in terms of writing, but it's still not what I would call excellent. There's not much reason to read this unless you're really craving more from the Mass Effect universe.

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Aug 26, 2009

J.E. Turcotte rated it

I did enjoy this book and, having read the previous AND played the first game, I think that is because it moved the story along for me. That said, I came away feeling like not much happened... that it really just moved players around to new positions on the game board, so to speak.

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Oct 12, 2011

Melissa rated it

Another great addition to the series. Although this one seemed to drag a bit longer than the first, it was still full of high impact action and ended with a hook that will get the reader to continue the series.

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Aug 05, 2011

Zac added it

ugh. this book was really forced. there was a decent concepts to it, but i just couldn't handle how contrived some of the action was. very predictable. might be good for a kid's intro to reading sci-fi

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Dec 09, 2009

Todd rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: video-games

Not great, but considerably better than the first Mass Effect book. None of the awkwardly written and out-of-place sexual tension and generally better written. The story was average, but introduced some new characters and I'm curious to see if they will play a role in the next Mass Effect game.

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Reading Mass Effect Revlation right now, should i pick up Ascension after?	2	17	Oct 30, 2009 05:24pm

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About Drew Karpyshyn

Drew Karpyshyn is a Canadian author and game designer. After working at a credit union for some time, he eventually became a game developer. He joined BioWare towards the end of the Baldur's Gate series, and wrote the tie-in novel for Baldur's Gate II: Throne of Bhaal. He stayed with BioWare, where he worked on Neverwinter Nights, and became the Senior Writer on the critically acclaimed Star Wars:...more

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