Ascendance

Gears of War #6

by Jason M. Hough

The official prequel to the action video game Gears 5, beginning immediately after Gears of War 4 and leading directly into the new game.THE OFFICIAL BRIDGE TO GEARS 5Following Reyna Diaz's death at the hands of the Swarm, Kait seals her mother's tomb, swearing revenge. With her allies, including JD Fenix and Del Walker, she returns to New Ephyra to warn the Coalition of Ordered SWARM IS COMINGHowever, First Minister Jinn requires proof of the threat. She also demands their utter loyalty, driving a wedge between the allies. Joined by Marcus Fenix, Kait strikes out on her own while JD and Del embark on a sanctioned mission to prove that the threat is real. With the fate of humankind hanging in the balance, it's a race against time.

Genres: Science Fiction, Video Games, Novels, Fiction, Gaming

303 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 1, 2019

About the author

Jason M. Hough (pronounced 'Huff') is the New York Times bestselling author of The Dire Earth Cycle and the near-future spy thriller Zero World. In a former life he was a 3D artist, animator, and game designer (Metal Fatigue, Aliens vs. Predator: Extinction, and many others). He has also worked in the fields of high-performance cluster computing and machine learning.

The Darwin Elevator began life in 2008 as a project for National Novel Writing Month.  The book released on July 30th, 2013 and reached the New York Times Bestseller list the following week. Darwin was Jason’s first published fiction. The subsequent books in that trilogy were released that same summer, along with a prequel novella, The Dire Earth, in 2014.

Jason's latest novel, Zero World, released on August 18th, 2015 from Del Rey Spectra (US) and Titan Books (AUS/NZ). Publishers Weekly called it “a thrilling action rampage that confirms Hough as an important new voice in genre fiction.”

He lives near Seattle, Washington with his wife, two young sons, and a dog named Missbuster.

Reviews

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have waited years for a new Gears novel! I have to say I was skeptical about the writing as I dearly loved Karen Traviss, but I'll hand it to Jason M. Hough! I loved this prelude to Gears 5 and cannot wait to get my hands on the game to see where the story goes!

[Bobby s · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good.

It's not so heavy in adding lore, but the character moments were so effective and amazing. Baird and Marcus especially.

[Luke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Following Reyna Diaz's death at the hands of the Swarm (in Gears of War 4), Kait seals her mother's tomb and swears revenge. As she, JD, Del, Marcus, Cole, Samantha, and Baird lick their wounds and resupply, First Minister Jinn summons them to New Ephyra, promising that the "crimes" they committed will be forgiven. Before they can rejoin the Coalition, however, Jinn demands proof of their loyalty, and of the threat of the Swarm.

I wish this book had come out sooner towards the release of gears 4. For a long time after I played the game I felt like I had missed something I had replayed the games and i couldn't pin point what I was missing. And wondered why I didn't have a love for the new charecters like I did with the old group. There was a lot of plot hole that this book filled in it takes place right after the events of gears 4 and leads straight into gears 5. I grew my love for the new crew here the writing is perfect I could really hear the loud voice of cole train and the rough and rugged voice of Marcus Fenix or that could just be down to the fact I've played hours of the original trilogy either way the writing is great even in moments where there is no action taking place I was still interested. With only a small few times the writing became simple but they are more down to personal preference. As for the story like i siad it fills in the gaps of the events of the last game and moves on slowly to give you a perspective of the world and the issues of of lead character kait that is a lot to do with her familys origin I won't say anymore about the story because of spoilers but it's a fun rollercoaster ride. Overall I'd like to say I loved this book and I haven't read a gears of war novel since this one and now im thinking I might need to go back and read them. So i can highly recommended this book to any gears of war fan and I'd also like to say a huge thank you to titan books for sending me a copy of the book and making this reveiw possible I can't wait for the next novel.

5/5 Stars on GoodReads

100/100 GingerPoints

[Thurm · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as strong as the other books in the series. I am pretty sure the new author didn't have to read any of the old books or do much of anything other than play Gears 4 to come up with the story for this one. I like the new characters from the later games, but I was hoping that this book would make more references to events in the past, which it did not.

The editing was a little poor in some spots, and several phrases are repeated over and over throughout the book. "It felt like an hour, but was probably only a few seconds" is a standout. Overall, the writing is good, I just wish that the author had more of the source material to work with to help tie in this era with the one in previous books and games.

[Ostana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Full disclosure, Baird is my favorite character, and Delta squad of course. I've played the original trilogy and read all the books written by Karen Travis. The fact that this book has a lot of Baird in it is a major reason why I enjoyed this book so much, including Delta squad. The beginning of the book is my favorite part since all the major characters are all together. However, there were things I didn't like and I'll need to disclose some spoilers to explain why but I'll try to keep it minimal.

My major gripes with this book are two things. One, there was a lack of character development for Del and JD, and two, regarding one scene in particular that made Baird look like a jerk (to avoid cursing).

The best part of the book is the beginning in my opinion because we learn a few new things about the world of Sera since the last trilogy. Specifically, we get to see New Ephyra, we learn more about First Minister Jinn and her connection with Anya Stroud, and we get a good idea of how Jinn is running the place. The pace slows down though once the group parts ways back into the world outside the safety of New Ephyra.

The book jumps between Marcus/Kait, JD/Del, and Jinn/Baird/Sam who stay behind. The sections with JD and Del were mostly boring for me. It's funny because these sections are written from Del's point of view and there are a lot of them, and yet, we don't really learn more about his character or JD's. I was hoping to get some insight into his past or his friendship with JD. Instead, we mostly get standard banter between the two and nothing deeper than that. I'm not sure if that was done on purpose (maybe the author was told not to expand on them and to focus on Kait or something?), but I would have loved to learn more about Del and JD. Funny enough, I feel like we learned more about Jinn than these two and one is related to Marcus Fenix, the main protagonist of Gears of War.

My second major gripe involves a particular scene with Baird (warning for spoilers in this paragraph). In chapter 4 of Part 2, Baird, Sam, Cole and Jinn find out that Del and JD are stranded on a crater at the Locust Burial Site and things aren't looking good for them. Considering Baird's relationship to JD (we know that JD call's him Uncle Baird and that Baird thinks of JD as his son), and Baird's relationship with Marcus, most would think that Baird would be one of the first to suggest sending a rescue team to save them. He doesn't do this. Instead, his first thought is to use the Hammer of Dawn (which doesn't work) to obliterate the site and he says, "There's no getting off that tower. They're already dead." To paraphrase, he says he loves JD, but there's no hope. I know that Baird really wants to get the Hammer of Dawn working again, but I have a major problem with the thought of him disregarding the life of someone he loves so quickly just to win the debate with Jinn to let him get the Hammer of Dawn back online.

Baird was part of Delta Squad and worked closely with Marcus during the war. Delta Squad got out of some seriously bleak looking situations, and the audience who played the games know that no matter how bad things looked, Delta squad figured a way out. Hell, we all remember when they were SWALLOWED by the Riftworm and how Delta squad managed to cut their way out. They SURVIVED. Baird experienced this, and he's one of Marcus' closest friends. Even if things look like shit, Baird knows that JD is a Fenix and if anyone can figure out how to get out of trouble apart from Marcus, it's his son. At the very least, Baird should have requested to send a raven to pick them up. His first thought should be to save the man who he considers his son, a boy he watched grow up and made toys for as a child, or to at least brainstorm SOMETHING. I felt like Baird didn't even TRY to figure out a way to save them. He took one look and was like- well, there's nothing we can do. Let me get that weapon functional again, please! If this is really what Baird is like now, that really sucks. Baird has always been the "asshole" of the group, but I never felt he was heartless. Those who read Karen Travis' books also know that Baird is actually a nice guy despite his attitude. Has Baird changed so much now that he's rich and successful? Has he lost compassion for those closest to him that he considers family? Even Cole questioned Baird, asking him if he would really use the Hammer of Dawn on JD. Maybe Baird IS really like this now, but I have a hard time accepting that.

I actually agree that the Hammer of Dawn should be online, and I understand Baird's argument. Again, my problem is that I felt that Baird jumped on the idea of using the Hammer of Dawn without much consideration for JD. If he said "There's gotta be a way to save them" or "let's send a raven" before saying, "we should consider using the hammer of dawn", I would have been fine with this scene. I felt that he didn't even TRY to save them. To reiterate, Baird is my favorite character so I'm totally biased here, but the scene really upset me as I personally just have high expectations for this character. It also made me cringe later on when they reunited and JD went to hug Baird and called him "Uncle".

Most of the book was slow and just OK. It picked up a bit towards the end when everyone got back together. The only parts I would consider re-reading is the first few chapters where most of the world building was. I hope the next book is better with more details and character development. Karen Travis went into details about the characters, even minor ones like Birdie, and I loved that. If you're a gears fan who really likes the world of Sera and wants to delve deeper into the world apart from the video game, it's worth reading this book. However, don't expect much. I liked the book, but it's not one of my favorites.

[Andrew · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is enjoyable for any Gears fan. I liked the expand background of Kait and Oscar. The themes weren’t quite as dark as the earlier Karen Traviss novels. I have the same problem with the book as I do Gears 4: JD isn’t Marcus and Del isn’t Dom. Both are likable and have their moments however any two characters would have a hard time following Marcus and Dom.

[KrezziusMaximus · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wicked

[Austin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Need more Gears books from Jason M. Hough, ASAP.

[Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyed this read; however, it makes me wonder what direction the game will be going. Gears of War has always had strong female characters in supporting roles; this is the first time in its history that the main character is a female. Will it be able to live up to its past games? Being a female myself, seeing a character such as Kait become the main focal point of the next game is badass, as her family's history is the driving force behind the other four games - but - having grown with the other strong male characters - Marcus, Baird, Cole - it'll be a tough adjustment for me.

Nevertheless, this is a great prequel to the next Gears of War video game. It picks up where Gears of War 4 left off, just after the devastating attack on Kait's village. I am super excited to see what is revealed in the new Gears game!

[Ben-Roy Turner · Rating 3 out of 5]

Finally, I'm in the new era of Gears of War books, but I have to say that Karen Traviss is missed.

Now, don't get me wrong, Jason M. Hough didn't do a bad job, but Ascendance doesn't stand out compared to the five books it follows. They expanded the lore, and fleshed out the main cast and ancillary characters.

This book does do a great job of bridging the gap between Gears 4 and 5 though. If anything, it serves a purpose to expand some of the current character dynamics and the workings of the new COG era. But it all feels very baseline at best. This is extremely combat-heavy and probably would work better as a game, but as a book, feels like the character development is missing.

And if this is the only story available to us before Gears 6, then there are plenty of other threads still to be explored. Really, Ascendance is Kait and Marcus' story. With the back and forth between Baird and Jinn being the other juiciest revelation here. JD and Del deserved something better.

[Chris The Lizard from Planet X · Rating 4 out of 5]

Being the tie-in addict I am, I just had to read the prequel novel too Gears 5. Taking place in the immediate aftermath of Gears of War 4, Gears of War: Ascendance follows Corporal Kait Diaz as she grieves the loss of her mother in the Swarm War. Swearing revenge, she joins Marcus, JD, Del, Samantha, Cole, and Baird to the city of New Ephyra, where they have been summoned by First Minister Jinn. In exchange for a pardon for all the “crimes” they committed during the war, the Gears are asked to swear loyalty to the minister, as well as to bring proof of the new swarm threat.

But Kait, still bitter at all that has been done to her people, refuses. Instead, she decides to strike out on her own, returning to her ruined village after discovering that two children might have survived the devastation. Recognizing her pain and anger, Marcus Fenix decides to back her up, departing New Ephyra together as rogue agents on a rescue mission. Meanwhile, JD and Del, who have agreed to the minister’s offer and taken on new command positions, are on patrol to locate the swarm when they are cut off from the city and trapped by enemy forces.

Attacking the story from these two sides, Jason M. Hough delivers an exciting adventure leading into the new game that fans will no doubt adore. I have played all the Gears of War games, and even read all the previous novels by Karen Traviss. However, I was not at all concerned about the author change, knowing full well the capabilities of Mr. Hough who has written a couple of my favorite action sci-fi novels. He’s also no stranger to video game tie-ins, having written a novel for Mass Effect: Andromeda. Suffice to say, it pleases me to no end that he has once more brought his talents for writing heart-stopping action and battle sequences to Ascendance, which were made even more incredible because we’re dealing with some of the best foes ever designed in gaming—the Swarm.

That said, you would have to be intimately familiar with the Gears franchise to fully appreciate this novel. While it serves as a prequel to Gears 5, it also builds upon four games’ worth of story and characters and spoils the ending to Gears of War 4. The opening assumes that you have finished the game and learned of Reyna’s fate and the role Kait played in it. The rest of the plot—Kait’s renunciation of First Minister Jinn, her return to her village, the surprising allies she meets there, and so forth—is the fallout from those events. What this means is that unlike a lot of media tie-ins these days which are written as standalones, this one actually requires a fair amount of background knowledge.

But for those of us who love this world and its characters, it is a very special treat. This novel breathes new life into Kait and Marcus, JD and Del. Their personalities are given new layers and dimensions that we’ve never seen before, and it’s clear that Hough gets it; he understands the importance of tie-in novels to fans and why we seek them out. It’s not just about seeking more adventure, or more time in our favorite gaming universes (though that certainly doesn’t hurt). It’s about digging deeper and getting to know more about our characters and learning what makes them tick. While storytelling in video games is all the rage these days, the narrative style of a novel allows authors to explore certain areas that we can’t behind a controller, and Hough doesn’t waste a single opportunity to flesh out the characters.

And of course, I have no complaints about the action, which is the author’s forte after all. He has a very cinematic writing style, where you can easily picture what you read playing out on a big screen. With the events playing out in the story on two fronts, it meant that there was never a dull moment, and the pacing was relentless and constantly driving forward.

Overall, if you are a Gears fan, there is no question of whether or not you should read Gears of War: Ascendance. The answer is yes, and you should do it before playing Gears 5 if you want the full experience. So ready your chainsaw guns, everyone—because not only does this novel bridge the time between Gears of War 4 and the Gears 5 game, it’s also a good of a fun read. I hope this will mean more Gears of War novels in the future.

[JJ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gears of War: Ascendance feels like it fulfills its role capably, but doesn't do anything spectacular. It pitches itself as a bridge and prequel to the videogame Gears 5, and that's exactly what it does: It picks up very shortly after the ending of Gears of War 4 and puts its characters (Kait, JD, Del, Marcus, and the rest) into position for the events of the sequel.

Some of the actual events that take place as people are moved into position are interesting, but others are not. On the positive side, Ascendance is our first opportunity to slow down and take in more of the world-building details of this new Gears of War era. Some of the slow moments, where we learn more about what life is like for people both inside and outside of the city of New Ehpyra and what happened in the 25 years since Gears of War 3 are the best ones. Gears of War 4 felt like it was incredibly low-stakes at times, a very early in the conflict story -- stakes are expanded here, as we learn more about the dangers facing other parts of the continent. What takes place here feels at least as important to the Gears story as what happened in Gears of War 4. And characters like Kait, Baird, and Jinn get their time to shine and become more fully fleshed out.

Many other characters, however, are left on the sidelines. Marcus, Cole, JD, and Del all participate in the action but don't do much more than that. JD and Del didn't really stick out to me in Gears of War 4 either, and I'm disappointed that the trend continues. The book also becomes significantly more action-focused as it goes along, and the pace and structure of that action can be a bit hit-or-miss. JD + Del and Kait + Marcus are often teamed up and doing separate things from each other, but it's written in such a way that sometimes you'll learn something in one section that tells you how the other pair will get out of their current predicament -- and you'll still have to get through pages and pages of action before it happens.

There are also a few pet peeves of mine in Ascendance:

The book is split into acts, but the act structure doesn't really do much here -- the chapters would continue flowing right from one into another if the act breaks weren't included. The one thing the act breaks do is resetting the chapter count (so Act 1 has a Chapter 1, Act 2 has a Chapter 1, etc.). This might be defensible if the Acts were significantly more different from each other, but it just feels so unnecessary here.

The chapters each have titles as well, but they were so generic and unmemorable that I literally forgot every single one of them by the time I finished the chapter (which is saying something, because the chapters are pretty short!).

The title of the book, Ascendance, is incredibly generic and means nothing. Having just finished the book, I can confidently tell you that I have no idea who or what was supposed to have ascended.

Finally, there are a few typos here and there. The book isn't riddled with them, but there were enough to be distracting.

Overall, Gears of War: Ascendance feels like a paint-by-numbers tie-in novel. It bridges the gap between two games and fleshes out a bit of the world and characters but does nothing special or particularly memorable that would make it stand out among the sea of tie-ins.

[Sasch Stormcloak · Rating 5 out of 5]

Agreat Gears novel, clearly written by a true Gears fan and with lots of support from the powers that be behind the series.

The events connect nicely with all what we saw in Gears 4, and even build on tiny details such as names of people or places that were casually mentioned in the game at some point: Settlement 2, South Village, or the twins, just to mention a few examples. The novel as a whole also fits perfectly within the Gears universe and with what we know so far about Sera, its territories and cities, and clearly focuses on introducing us to the events we will experience in Gears 5. I’m betting the village mentioned by the end of the novel is the one we saw in the world premiere trailer from E32018. From the events in the novel it is also easy to take a guess at who the fallen person is that Kait is mourning about in the trailer.

There are other little details, easy to be missed, but that a true Gearhead will dearly appreciate: someone holding a fallen beam, someone else ducking under it, then that second person holding it for the first person to pass. A simple action, that immediately reminds you of the interactive cut scenes so common in the games. Accurate descriptions of well-known weaponry, armor, enemies and tactics also make you immediately remember that this is a Gears story we are talking about. Hell, there’s even a cool explanation of the logic behind active reloads!

Hugh has taken over from Karen Traviss’s previous novels in a fantastic way. I’m really hoping this is the first of a whole new series of Gears of War books. One focusing on Col. Hoffman and Hivebuster Team Scorpio would be awesome.

[Amy Walker - Trans-Scribe Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Gears of War series returns to consoles with the release of Gears of War 5, which continues the story of Kait Diaz and her mysterious connection to the Locust Horde and their Swarm descendants. However, before you dive into the game (or after, I can't tell you what to do), you might want to check out Titan Book's new release Gear of War: Ascendance, which fills in the gap between the fourth and fifth games.

Picking up straight were Gears of War 4 left off, readers rejoin the band of heroes on the mountainside where they found the mutated Reyna. Having killed her mother in order to save her, Kait and her friends bury her before being forced to flee to a safe location thanks to the Swarm still trying to hunt them down.

The group are eventually able to send a message to the COG, and are brought to the city of New Ephyra, where they brief First Minister Jinn on the new threat. A good portion of the start of the book is given over to these meetings and how the group interacts with the somewhat confrontational First Minister. Considering that Jinn has more of a presence in the fifth game, and that her relationship with them is a bigger thing it's great to see these early steps. We get to see her try to bring JD and Del onto her side, we understand a little more of her working relationship with Baird, and we see first hand how frosty her and Kait are towards each other.

Readers also get to see New Ephyra before the Swarm turn up too, and it's interesting to see how a COG city works in a time of peace. Getting to see how the government is using Baird's DB's as police, patrolling the streets and enforcing rules, with surveillance feeds going straight to the COG, it actually makes it a little more understandable why some humans chose to live as Outsiders. The allure of living in nature, away from an oppressive regime is one that I think most people would be able to identify with.

Sadly for the heroes of the story they don't get to spend much time in relative peace, and and thrust back into the action once again. JD and Del are sent to investigate a Locust burial site that the COG have lost contact with, whilst Kait and Marcus head to South Village, an outcast settlement near Kait's home where they hope to find survivors.

The two story-lines are both exciting, and could have easily been the focus of a book each, however, here readers jump between the two are the heroes are put into more and more dangerous situations. Whilst we know that none of them are going to die during these events (they are in the game that follows this book after all) there's still a shed load of tension as they're forced into more and more impossible seeming circumstances, and you're left wondering how they're going to get out alive. These stories are also intercut with scenes of Baird in New Ephyra, where he's not only trying to help both groups, but also trying to upgrade the DB's for the upcoming war with the Swarm.

Gears of War: Ascendance has taken a time frame between the games, where nothing big or important needed to happen, and threw a load of action and character moments into it. It helps to enrich the world of Sera, and really adds to Kait's growth from an Outsider to a member of the COG. Hopefully we'll get more books like this that will continue to fill in these small gaps. I'm hoping that we'll get some books that fills in the four month gap where Kait and Del went out saving Outsider colonies, and JD and Fahz go on missions together. More books like this will only help to improve the Gears of War universe.

[Michael Amann · Rating 3 out of 5]

“With All Due Respect, F*Ck You, Sir" - Marcus Fenix

Gears of War: Ascendance is the sixth Gears of War novel. It also is the first one I've been reading. It acts as an interquel between Gears of War 4 and Gears 5 (which released in September 2019), starting where Gears of War 4 left off and leading into the events of Gears 5.

The story sets in right after the events of Gears of War 4. Kait seals her mother's tomb, swearing revenge. With her allies including JD, Del, and Delta Squad, she returns to New Ephyra to warn the Coalition of Ordered Governments.

Despite my interest in the franchise, I had a hard time getting through this book. For my taste, the plot just didn't advance quick enough and the drawn-out battle scenes seem to make things take a lot longer than they should have. Still, a recommended title for any fans of Gears.

Should you read this book before playing Gears 5? It doesn't make much of a difference in my opinion. You do get a bit more background on various (beloved) characters featured in the game. Some of these you may not be able to fully appreciate if you're not a fan.

[David Lara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great bridge between Gears 4 and 5. A lot of character development with subtle details of the lore added sparingly. A few writing issues that would have made the reading enjoyably comparable to Traviss' writing style, but Hough does a wonderful job at capturing the essence of Gears of War in this new generation. I would gladly welcome another novel written by him especially if tweaks his writing a bit (stop using the full names of characters, please. The franchise has existed for over a decade, we know who they are).

Edit: I feel like I may have come off a bit strong in my initial post about Hough's writing style, specifically his use of names for the characters. To elaborate a bit, it is not frequent, nor is it abundant. However, it is inconsistent when the author switches between first names only to both first and last.

Overall, I stand by 4/5 rating because it is a fantastic edition to the Gears of War universe, especially when it serves as a bridge for two games. There are some minor gripes that are entirely specific and perhaps subjective as a veteran Gears of War fan, which I believe will be corrected in any subsequent novel.

[Anthony Dorsey · Rating 3 out of 5]

While this book is definitely a fun ride, it isn’t much more than that. The novel bridges the gap between Gears 4 and 5 by telling a story that could’ve just been an act in the game but got cut for time so they stretched it into 353 pages. It doesn’t really further any plot lines from the games besides showing how quickly the Swarm spread after 4 and how the main characters got to where they are at the start of 5. I would’ve much preferred the novel to have been split between flashbacks showing any of the 3 protagonists from 4 and 5 (Kait, JD, and Del) rather than it being split between the group split up in different hopeless situations while running low on ammo. I definitely liked how this book was written more than previous Gears books, I just wish what actually happened in this book mattered as much as or was as interesting as those previous books.

[Andrew William · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been looking forward to this book for so long, if it's been such a long time since we've received an amazing Gears of War Story. And while this one didn't really have a lot of Laura unlocked I did like the little pieces here and there at the book revealed about a few questions I've had since playing Gears of War 4. I cannot wait for the game to come out and to continue this amazing story in this incredible world. I will also admit that I was a little skeptical that Jason Hough would be able to do the Gears of War franchise Justice. Mostly because Karen Travis's work has always been impeccable, but I feel he did the franchise justice and I loved his writing. He captured the characters really well.

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Although this book is marketed as book 6 in the series, it should really be a separate series. We get a new set of characters, along with some old ones. This book is more companion to the games than part of a series. It references things that you'd only know about about you played the game before it. The ending raised my rating a half star because it got my heart rate up. For the rest, I had a hard time connecting to the characters here because everything is new. We spent the past 5 books, connecting to all the other characters and now we are thrown into the future - unknown how far - and expected to immediately know everything and bond with characters the same way. But the writing itself was good.

[Earl Lovings · Rating 5 out of 5]

For Gears of War fans, this is a great bridge from Gears of War 4 to Gears 5. Jason being brought on to take up the mantle of these iconic characters without practically missing a beat as far as their narrative tones, mindset, and interactions shows he's able to keep the train on the tracks for Gears of War books going forward. If you're a fan of the series, I highly recommend checking out this book, especially for the little nuggets and callbacks here and there that can be found while reading, plus the incredible point at the end. No spoilers from me! Take a Gears word for it, it's something that will leave you craving the game coming on September 10th!

[Mark · Rating 3 out of 5]

Being a huge fan of the original Gears trilogy and all the amazing novel work by Karen Traviss, I had high expectations for this prequel book to Gears 5. Unfortunately it did nothing to expand upon the amazing world of Sera and provided little characterization growth for our main protagonist Kait. As with Gears of War 4, the book was slow and boring. Even Anya Stroud herself could not have saved this falling King Raven. This new trilogy is forgetting what makes Gears great by letting the players “decide” the story, instead of driving home a narrative that’s both visceral and heartbreaking like its predecessor.

[Alex Orcutt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hough’s takeover of the series brought a drastic and much-needed change to its overall feel. I suddenly found myself far more engaged with the storyline, even though some unfulfilling gaps between the books still remained. The narrative became noticeably more cohesive, and while the exploration of the Locust remains somewhat shallow, we are finally offered a better glimpse into their world. Hough shifts the series from a largely personal, introspective focus to a desperate survival narrative, which for me was a refreshing and much needed change. At a point when I was seriously considering abandoning the series, this new direction reenergized my interest and motivated me to continue reading.

[Eric Leeson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read all the Gears of War books before I even touched any of the games. (I have rectified that oversight completely) I have enjoyed everything involved with this great story. The action, the characters, the villains; the plot has so many twists and turns it is a pleasure to have experienced it all. This book, like all the others, provided great background information for each game; bridged the gaps that I always like knowing. This book was no exception, I am now playing Gears 5 and I know things because of this book that make me enjoy it even more.

[Alyssa Allen · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was my least favorite book of all the Gears novels, which is rough because Aspho fields was pretty hard to get through at times. I played Gears 4 and 5 before reading this novel, and I have to say, I'm pretty disappointed in the lack of connection between the two games.

Without any spoilers, there's a lot this book doesn't explain, and I felt the characters themselves were very out-of-character for their videogame counterparts. To me, if it didn't have the character's names in it, I wouldn't have known it was a Gears novel at all.

[OnyxCrimsonBlur · Rating 3 out of 5]

To be perfectly honest, I just found this book okay. I didn't love it, but I didn't hate it either. It just didn't feel like all the previous Gears books and I feel like there wasn't quite enough detail. I miss Karen and I wish they would've tried harder to get her back to write the next books. Jason is a good enough author but it just was missing a lot. I hope they get Karen back to write the next books they have planned. Please oh please strike a deal.

[Paige · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book that leads into to Gears 5. I was a little worried when Karen Traviss didn't return after penning all the previous Gears books and Gears 2 and 3, but Jason has told a great story and I highly enjoyed it. I am curious about how the stories set after Gears 5 are going to be, cause if you finished the game you'll understand why. I recommend to any Gears fan and even new fans of the series, it's a great novel to kick off the newest chapter in the Gears series.

[Cameron Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set prior to Gears of War 5, Ascendance is an action-packed romp full of the kind of Gears action you'd expect from the game.

It introduces the Swarm and focuses on the politics and animosity of Cogs and Outsiders. I haven't played a GoW game for quite a while, but I absolutely loved them. This story reconnected me with the characters over an enjoyable light read--and I kind of want to go buy another XBox so I can play through again!

[Louis Fritz v · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this story making me dig deeply into the lore. Getting excited for Gears 5 as well. The only thing I was not fond was some of the deus ex machina means by which the groups survive (particularly one scene with Del and JD). Overall, still a great book and makes me excited to play the game.

[Suki Rickey · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a fun read and had a few errors. The overall plot is about Kait, with others around her. I was a little disappointed in the overall plot of the book. It was mostly about her and how she felt and what she did. The Swarm from the previous book has been somewhat explained in Ascendance. I look forward to the next book.

[Pierre Bourruel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eager to read how Hough would take on Travis work and was pleasantly surprised! Don't expect the whole military references that filled the last previous books but this novel will take you in a fast-paced adventure that a Gears fan will seek to bridge into the the new game. A (necessary?) fresh breath in this fantastic universe, a good book. Keep on the good work!