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Official Minecraft Novels #7
Minecraft: The Mountain: An Official Minecraft Novel
The next official Minecraft novel from Max Brooks, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of World War Z, Devolution, and Minecraft: The Island!
In the next exciting Minecraft novel from Max Brooks, the stranded hero from Minecraft: The Island fights to get back home--and, for the first time in this unfamiliar world, encounters another person.
In the next exciting Minecraft novel from Max Brooks, the stranded hero from Minecraft: The Island fights to get back home--and, for the first time in this unfamiliar world, encounters another person.
265 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 2, 2021
486 people are currently reading
972 people want to read
About the author
Max Brooks
102 books7,690 followersMax Brooks is The New York Times bestselling author of The Zombie Survival Guide and World War Z. He has been called ”the Studs Terkel of zombie journalism.“
Brooks is the son of director Mel Brooks and the late actress Anne Bancroft. He is a 1994 graduate of Pitzer College. His wife, Michelle, is a screenwriter, and the couple have a son, Henry.
Brooks is the son of director Mel Brooks and the late actress Anne Bancroft. He is a 1994 graduate of Pitzer College. His wife, Michelle, is a screenwriter, and the couple have a son, Henry.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 107 reviews
March 10, 2021
The dumb Guy is not so dumb anymore...
March 29, 2021
It started off a little dull, but picked up midway through. I liked the inclusion of the Nether and the 1.16 updates. I also like that the book mirrored a typical playthrough starting with solo and progressing to multi-player.
On a side note, I thought Sean Astin did a fine job as narrator of the audiobook, but I never stopped missing Jack Black.
On a side note, I thought Sean Astin did a fine job as narrator of the audiobook, but I never stopped missing Jack Black.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 7, 2024
I'm like three years Minecraft-free, but man, reading this book really tempts me to revisit some of my worlds and check out the updates I've missed. But I'm going to stay strong for now . . .
Still, I found this an enjoyable visit. There are some strong if elementary life lessons about friendship as the unnamed protagonist from the first novel, Minecraft: The Island, gets a name and a chance to make an ally in this world of monsters and other life-threatening dangers.
And the third book, Minecraft: The Village: An Official Minecraft Novel is already available, so I'm just waiting out a hold at the library.
Still, I found this an enjoyable visit. There are some strong if elementary life lessons about friendship as the unnamed protagonist from the first novel, Minecraft: The Island, gets a name and a chance to make an ally in this world of monsters and other life-threatening dangers.
And the third book, Minecraft: The Village: An Official Minecraft Novel is already available, so I'm just waiting out a hold at the library.
March 9, 2022
Ready for the next one. As a Minecraft fan, I am very thankful that Max Brooks actually understands the mechanics of the video game. It is interesting to see it play out in writing.
December 25, 2022
3.5 rounded up. Why are these Minecraft books all so good?
March 29, 2021
4 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum https://bibliosanctum.com/2021/03/28/...
Ever since the publication of The Island by Max Brooks, there have been many more Minecraft novels released in the official series of novels based on the video game, each exploring a different aspect of the world. While so far they have all been standalone stories, in The Mountain, readers can actually look forward to being reunited with the intrepid adventurer protagonist who was introduced in the very first book!
Upon learning about this, I just knew there was no way I going to want to miss this follow-up. To recap, at the end of The Island, we saw our unnamed hero sail off into the distance, leaving behind the mysterious island on which he was stranded in the hopes of finding his way home. The Mountain pretty much begins this next chapter of his journey, opening with our protagonist stumbling upon a completely new world.
Obviously, this being a book based on the world of Minecraft, our protagonist just can’t help but explore his surroundings, despite his eagerness to move on. To his shock and delight, during his sojourn, he encounters another castaway. All this time, he had thought he was all alone, but the appearance of Summer changes everything. Like him, she has been surviving off the land, using only her wits—and doing far better than he had been, apparently. Our protagonist learns a lot from Summer and lets her convince him to stay and help her finish a building project before striking off together to find answers. Still, after a while he begins to grow restless once more, wondering at the truth behind this strange blocky world, and a nagging part of him also can’t help but suspect that his new friend might not be telling him everything.
For fans of Max Brooks, this is going to be completely different than what you’d expect from the mind that brought us World War Z. Intended for Middle Grade to Young Adult readers, The Mountain is an adorable adventure written as if you are actually in the world of Minecraft! While previous experience with the game is unnecessary to appreciate the story, it’d help if you’ve played the game as it’ll make it that much easier to visualize the people, the creatures, and the landscapes. If you came to this from The Island, expect a similar type of survival narrative that unfolds almost like a questline, following the characters as they overcome a series of increasingly difficult obstacles like environmental challenges and hostile enemies.
But of course, this book also brings plenty of changes and development. For one, our protagonist’s identity has been further defined, and he’s even given a name—Guy (hey, I never said it was going to be original). Furthermore, we have the introduction of Summer. Finally, the long and lonely days of having only animals to talk to are over! Guy and Summer become fast friends, learning so much from each other. Keeping in mind that these novels are written for children, I think for many young readers this relationship dynamic between our characters will also serve as a jumping off point for lessons on communication, cooperation, and respect. As well, a lot of their conversations are intended to encourage exploration and consideration for others’ opinions and ideas. Speaking as a parent, I was quite honestly impressed with the sincerity and straightforwardness of these messages, not to mention the fun and fresh-faced approach in which they were delivered.
So saying, I might be an adult but I had a blast with this book. Personally, I found the story of The Mountain better and more entertaining than The Island, and no doubt the addition of Summer had a lot to do with this, introducing human interaction into our protagonist’s life and an extra layer of meaning to his experiences. As long as you don’t expect anything too deep and or narratively complex, I think most readers will find just as much joy and fun in these books even if they aren’t Minecraft experts, but ultimately the target demographic is probably going to be gamers in the ages 8-12 range; those are the kids who will be geeking out over this book and adoring it to bits.
Ever since the publication of The Island by Max Brooks, there have been many more Minecraft novels released in the official series of novels based on the video game, each exploring a different aspect of the world. While so far they have all been standalone stories, in The Mountain, readers can actually look forward to being reunited with the intrepid adventurer protagonist who was introduced in the very first book!
Upon learning about this, I just knew there was no way I going to want to miss this follow-up. To recap, at the end of The Island, we saw our unnamed hero sail off into the distance, leaving behind the mysterious island on which he was stranded in the hopes of finding his way home. The Mountain pretty much begins this next chapter of his journey, opening with our protagonist stumbling upon a completely new world.
Obviously, this being a book based on the world of Minecraft, our protagonist just can’t help but explore his surroundings, despite his eagerness to move on. To his shock and delight, during his sojourn, he encounters another castaway. All this time, he had thought he was all alone, but the appearance of Summer changes everything. Like him, she has been surviving off the land, using only her wits—and doing far better than he had been, apparently. Our protagonist learns a lot from Summer and lets her convince him to stay and help her finish a building project before striking off together to find answers. Still, after a while he begins to grow restless once more, wondering at the truth behind this strange blocky world, and a nagging part of him also can’t help but suspect that his new friend might not be telling him everything.
For fans of Max Brooks, this is going to be completely different than what you’d expect from the mind that brought us World War Z. Intended for Middle Grade to Young Adult readers, The Mountain is an adorable adventure written as if you are actually in the world of Minecraft! While previous experience with the game is unnecessary to appreciate the story, it’d help if you’ve played the game as it’ll make it that much easier to visualize the people, the creatures, and the landscapes. If you came to this from The Island, expect a similar type of survival narrative that unfolds almost like a questline, following the characters as they overcome a series of increasingly difficult obstacles like environmental challenges and hostile enemies.
But of course, this book also brings plenty of changes and development. For one, our protagonist’s identity has been further defined, and he’s even given a name—Guy (hey, I never said it was going to be original). Furthermore, we have the introduction of Summer. Finally, the long and lonely days of having only animals to talk to are over! Guy and Summer become fast friends, learning so much from each other. Keeping in mind that these novels are written for children, I think for many young readers this relationship dynamic between our characters will also serve as a jumping off point for lessons on communication, cooperation, and respect. As well, a lot of their conversations are intended to encourage exploration and consideration for others’ opinions and ideas. Speaking as a parent, I was quite honestly impressed with the sincerity and straightforwardness of these messages, not to mention the fun and fresh-faced approach in which they were delivered.
So saying, I might be an adult but I had a blast with this book. Personally, I found the story of The Mountain better and more entertaining than The Island, and no doubt the addition of Summer had a lot to do with this, introducing human interaction into our protagonist’s life and an extra layer of meaning to his experiences. As long as you don’t expect anything too deep and or narratively complex, I think most readers will find just as much joy and fun in these books even if they aren’t Minecraft experts, but ultimately the target demographic is probably going to be gamers in the ages 8-12 range; those are the kids who will be geeking out over this book and adoring it to bits.
January 7, 2022
minecraft 👍🏼
April 14, 2021
3.5/5 stars
Max Brooks’s first foray into Minecraft literature, The Island, was better than it had any right being. So naturally, I was excited to see what direction he’d take the follow-up, The Mountain, in. While The Island was a charming, unique take on a Minecraft story, The Mountain overstays its welcome a bit. The whole “protagonist finds himself in the world of Minecraft and is confused about everything” gimmick grows stale, even with Brooks’s attempt at spicing things up by introducing a new character, Summer, to act as a foil to Guy, the protagonist of the two books. The problem with The Mountain is that it’s too much like the first book. What felt quaint there feels tired here. It’s just another book that hints at this grander, more interesting idea (why have these people suddenly found themselves trapped in the Minecraft world, with barely any memories of their former lives?) instead of properly exploring it.
Now, to be fair, this book is blatantly aimed at an audience much younger than I am. And, in that context, there is a lot to like here. It’s a very quick read, with some clever, easy-to-digest prose and characters who feel nicely fleshed out. Those characters aren’t necessarily likable, though, with Guy’s never-ending inquiries growing grating when compared to Summer’s pragmatism. That being said, there’s a pretty wholesome moral about friendship, and the difficulties and the rewards that come from it. But these morals feel a bit blunter than those in the first book did. Still, the plot moves along at a nice pace and the book is filled with little easter eggs that should make longtime Minecraft fans very happy. It’s especially nice seeing Brooks continue to play around with the idea that Minecraft’s real-world updates would appear as sudden world changes to any character that lived within the world of the game.
Overall, I don’t think The Mountain is as good as The Island was, but it’s still an enjoyable read. Brooks’s humor shines through the prose, even though it’s been tapered down some to appeal to a younger-than-his-usual audience crowd. This installment feels like it’s treading water a bit, failing to further the overarching mystery any but excelling in expanding the world and developing its characters. Minecraft fans of all ages will likely have a lot of fun with this, though, as it remains a fairly unique take on the whole “videogame tie-in novel” craze. All in all, it’s a quick and solid read and it ends with a pretty wide open ending, allowing the possibility for a third installment that could start answering some questions.
Max Brooks’s first foray into Minecraft literature, The Island, was better than it had any right being. So naturally, I was excited to see what direction he’d take the follow-up, The Mountain, in. While The Island was a charming, unique take on a Minecraft story, The Mountain overstays its welcome a bit. The whole “protagonist finds himself in the world of Minecraft and is confused about everything” gimmick grows stale, even with Brooks’s attempt at spicing things up by introducing a new character, Summer, to act as a foil to Guy, the protagonist of the two books. The problem with The Mountain is that it’s too much like the first book. What felt quaint there feels tired here. It’s just another book that hints at this grander, more interesting idea (why have these people suddenly found themselves trapped in the Minecraft world, with barely any memories of their former lives?) instead of properly exploring it.
Now, to be fair, this book is blatantly aimed at an audience much younger than I am. And, in that context, there is a lot to like here. It’s a very quick read, with some clever, easy-to-digest prose and characters who feel nicely fleshed out. Those characters aren’t necessarily likable, though, with Guy’s never-ending inquiries growing grating when compared to Summer’s pragmatism. That being said, there’s a pretty wholesome moral about friendship, and the difficulties and the rewards that come from it. But these morals feel a bit blunter than those in the first book did. Still, the plot moves along at a nice pace and the book is filled with little easter eggs that should make longtime Minecraft fans very happy. It’s especially nice seeing Brooks continue to play around with the idea that Minecraft’s real-world updates would appear as sudden world changes to any character that lived within the world of the game.
Overall, I don’t think The Mountain is as good as The Island was, but it’s still an enjoyable read. Brooks’s humor shines through the prose, even though it’s been tapered down some to appeal to a younger-than-his-usual audience crowd. This installment feels like it’s treading water a bit, failing to further the overarching mystery any but excelling in expanding the world and developing its characters. Minecraft fans of all ages will likely have a lot of fun with this, though, as it remains a fairly unique take on the whole “videogame tie-in novel” craze. All in all, it’s a quick and solid read and it ends with a pretty wide open ending, allowing the possibility for a third installment that could start answering some questions.
February 21, 2025
It was a nice read, though not as great as the first book in this series. I'm not quite able to put my finger on it, but I feel this book strayed a bit away from the storytelling of the first book. Again, it's a nice read, but it just feels a little bit like a different story.
March 24, 2021
Different from Max Brooks's first Minecraft novel, but pretty good.
December 22, 2023
Whilst not as charming or meaningful as the previous entry, Minecraft: The Mountain is still an enjoyable experience. Two main themes are exploration of The Nether dimension and lessons in friendship.
March 3, 2022
Man that was another great read! I really enjoyed this second "book" of this guy's adventures--all the ups and downs and the intense adventures! I wonder what will happen next...
February 24, 2023
It starts out like nothing, but it gets cozier and better, I love the end!
March 6, 2023
It was good but not as good as the the first book (Minecraft the island)
September 12, 2025
My 7 year old loves this book! I listened with him, and it was pretty entertaining with great music/sound effects and good concepts of friendship.
January 9, 2024
I loved this! The way this takes place almost immediately after the last book, the way Guy (yay! He has a name now!) journeys to new places, and ESPECIALLY the way he and Summer interacts with each other! I was laughing in most of those first scenes they have together, since they’ve technically never seen another person before so the social awkwardness that takes place is spot on. This is something that I know isn’t easy to write but he still manages to write it well. The only real complaint I have about this book is it’s title. This might not be true but it feels as though the characters are only in the actual mountain for 40% of the book and in the Nether for the rest. Other than that, it’s just as good as the first book. Maybe even better!
November 2, 2022
I only gave this a try because I love the author’s other books. Max Brooks is a spectacular story teller, and this Minecraft novel is no exception. For a total noob at Minecraft, I found this hilarious. I’m easily more useless at the game than Guy and I really felt his panic at making a balls up of so many things, and being so proud of the smallest achievements. I listened to the the audiobook with sound effects and it pulled the story together perfectly. Definitely a winner for the nerds!!
August 7, 2022
This book was really good! This book I have to say was better than the first and now that Summer has jumped into the travel train it will be more fun! I wonder where this story will go next?
October 3, 2022
if you at all intrigued by the idea of a minecraft novel this will not disappoint. Brooks is brilliant.
December 21, 2022
This book is amazing, definitely worth reading.
September 9, 2023
Loved Sam er Guy er SEAN!
February 5, 2024
I um didn't technically read it, but I played the world download, lol...
February 20, 2024
Anthony and I read it together while he ate his breakfast before school and he really enjoyed it. We already bought the next book.
August 1, 2024
3.75/5 (rounded up to 4 stars)
I'm not going to take this book too seriously considering it's a children's book about Minecraft, but personally I prefer this book over the first one in the trilogy. Maybe it's the addition of a new character which makes it read much smoother, or the fact that I thought it was a lot more fun to read than The Island (I wasn't a big fan of the fact there was only one speaking character, if you don't count Moo or the other animals who were given voices by Guy). Summer was a great introduction, in my opinion. I loved her acting as a foil to Guy, with her witty attitude and strong-willed personality. And I started to loose interest around the halfway mark, but when it was revealed that Summer was hiding the fact she had chests full of glowstone from Guy, when she had promised that as soon as they finished lighting the Mountain Base before they moved onto greater things, I became so much more invested in the story. I was kinda craving a conflict between the two of them. Was sad to see that conflict go so quickly, but still enjoyed it nonetheless.
In all, it's not bad for what it is. Nothing groundbreaking, but not absolutely terrible for what's basically Minecraft fanfiction. Enjoyed Brooks' writing style as always! He does a great job characterizing Summer and Guy. Will definitely be reading The Village once I find a copy.
I'm not going to take this book too seriously considering it's a children's book about Minecraft, but personally I prefer this book over the first one in the trilogy. Maybe it's the addition of a new character which makes it read much smoother, or the fact that I thought it was a lot more fun to read than The Island (I wasn't a big fan of the fact there was only one speaking character, if you don't count Moo or the other animals who were given voices by Guy). Summer was a great introduction, in my opinion. I loved her acting as a foil to Guy, with her witty attitude and strong-willed personality. And I started to loose interest around the halfway mark, but when it was revealed that Summer was hiding the fact she had chests full of glowstone from Guy, when she had promised that as soon as they finished lighting the Mountain Base before they moved onto greater things, I became so much more invested in the story. I was kinda craving a conflict between the two of them. Was sad to see that conflict go so quickly, but still enjoyed it nonetheless.
In all, it's not bad for what it is. Nothing groundbreaking, but not absolutely terrible for what's basically Minecraft fanfiction. Enjoyed Brooks' writing style as always! He does a great job characterizing Summer and Guy. Will definitely be reading The Village once I find a copy.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 11, 2024
Esta es una continuación de la historia. Sigue la misma línea que el primer libro, con el mismo protagonista noble y simpático, pero ahora con más experiencia sobre cómo funciona el mundo.
La mayor diferencia con la novela anterior es que en esta encuentra a otra persona, que igual que él no sabe cómo llegó a ese mundo. La interacción entre ambos enriqueció mucho la historia, sus personalidades opuestas fueron un gran detalle para dar variedade y que no se estancara el desarrollo del protagonista.
Me gustó mucho cómo manejó el autor el tema de las actualizaciones del videojuego. Para quienes no saben, desde que se lanzó Minecraft ha habido adiciones de nuevos paisajes, herramientas, animales, monstruos, aún hasta el día de hoy. El autor recreó muy bien la sensación de despertar un día y encontrar que las cosas cambiaron y cómo se van describiendo dichos cambios.
El libro es entretenido y quizá demasiado sencillo. Es lógico porque el público objetivo seguramente son adolescentes y niños. Aun así lo disfruté mucho, es un descanso a las historias con demasiado drama y tragedias. Lo recomiendo si disfrutaste del primer libro y si jugaste o juegas Minecraft, sin importar la edad.
La mayor diferencia con la novela anterior es que en esta encuentra a otra persona, que igual que él no sabe cómo llegó a ese mundo. La interacción entre ambos enriqueció mucho la historia, sus personalidades opuestas fueron un gran detalle para dar variedade y que no se estancara el desarrollo del protagonista.
Me gustó mucho cómo manejó el autor el tema de las actualizaciones del videojuego. Para quienes no saben, desde que se lanzó Minecraft ha habido adiciones de nuevos paisajes, herramientas, animales, monstruos, aún hasta el día de hoy. El autor recreó muy bien la sensación de despertar un día y encontrar que las cosas cambiaron y cómo se van describiendo dichos cambios.
El libro es entretenido y quizá demasiado sencillo. Es lógico porque el público objetivo seguramente son adolescentes y niños. Aun así lo disfruté mucho, es un descanso a las historias con demasiado drama y tragedias. Lo recomiendo si disfrutaste del primer libro y si jugaste o juegas Minecraft, sin importar la edad.
April 2, 2024
I've got to pace myself. The silly, blocky nature of these books can get kind of ridiculous at times, but at their core the adventure and character building is really in Max Brook's realm of making the fantastic feel grounded in truth. I had fun with this one. At first, I was bummed to not have Jack Black reading the audio again, but having Sean Astin reading a story about friendship overcoming all odds in a fire doom place... is perfect. There's a tiny smattering of more world building from Brooks as well. Following the patch updates along the characters, it feels like he really is paying attention to what is accessible in game and gives little hints to why the story world is what it is. Where does Guy come from? You won't learn here, but I'm tempted to pick up the next book in this series right now for the next touches of it. ...But at the end of the day, it's a silly book about cubes made for middle readers. So I'll be back, def, just after a little break.
January 21, 2022
This book was so much fun to listen to! Sean Astin is a wonderful narrator. It's obvious that he's read books aloud to kiddos. He made everything just a bit more exciting. Little fans of Minecraft will adore this book!
That said, I'm not exactly a little Minecraft fan but I love the game and it's evident that Max Brooks has some appreciation as well. I've read books before where the authors were charged with writing about a pop culture thing they didn't care about and it was just ruined. This was the complete opposite of that. Whether he plays Minecraft, knows someone who does, or watches Minecraft YouTubers or streamers, he knows the mind of Minecraft gamers. With one complaint - who uses gold tools? They are terrible and break after a few uses. I'm being nitpicky there. I highly recommend this to anyone who's ever played Minecraft. It's very fun.
That said, I'm not exactly a little Minecraft fan but I love the game and it's evident that Max Brooks has some appreciation as well. I've read books before where the authors were charged with writing about a pop culture thing they didn't care about and it was just ruined. This was the complete opposite of that. Whether he plays Minecraft, knows someone who does, or watches Minecraft YouTubers or streamers, he knows the mind of Minecraft gamers. With one complaint - who uses gold tools? They are terrible and break after a few uses. I'm being nitpicky there. I highly recommend this to anyone who's ever played Minecraft. It's very fun.
August 29, 2024
I think this book is best enjoyed by people who actually play minecraft/watch minecraft content and is aimed at pre-teens. As I am one of these (not a pre-teen but I play minecraft) I really enjoyed it. I got it to listen to with my 11 year old son. I enjoyed it enough to re-listen to it on my own to get the parts I had missed. I like how it brings the realities of minecraft to life, including the updates. As a parent, I appreciate the life wisdom (lessons, fressons, etc.) that are included. I have found myself using some of these in real life, such as asking my son "what does panic do?" when he starts to panic and responding "drowns thought" really helps him calm down. These are all simple wisdoms but it is impactful for kids to hear them not just from their parents. I know that the series is a trilogy but surely it cannot end without Minecraft: The end? :D
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 8, 2023
3.5
The Mountain isn't quite as good as The Island (and that one was much better than it had any right being.)
Set in Mojang's Minecraft world, our main character finally gets a name, as well as a real friend Summer. While I still love how Brooks translates the game mechanics into the experience, he continues to dance around any real exploration of why the characters are stuck in a game. The story is fast-paced with the same lesson-based chapters as the first book, definitely aimed for a younger audience (my 9-year-old is the reason I read either.)
Curious to see if a third book ever joined s the series as it's definitely left wide open for continuation.
The Mountain isn't quite as good as The Island (and that one was much better than it had any right being.)
Set in Mojang's Minecraft world, our main character finally gets a name, as well as a real friend Summer. While I still love how Brooks translates the game mechanics into the experience, he continues to dance around any real exploration of why the characters are stuck in a game. The story is fast-paced with the same lesson-based chapters as the first book, definitely aimed for a younger audience (my 9-year-old is the reason I read either.)
Curious to see if a third book ever joined s the series as it's definitely left wide open for continuation.
August 23, 2025
This book made women seem much better at everything then everyone else, and that they are more powerful and stronger than them as well. If that was not enough, it was less capturing and lacking in details than book 1. It was supposed to replicate teamwork but instead replicates one woman doing everything and the man just gazing in awe and jealousy. “I wish I was as good as you Summer”.
He says this at least once in this book, or a sentence similar to it. Had potential but fell short of its successful sequel that it had hoped to be.
He says this at least once in this book, or a sentence similar to it. Had potential but fell short of its successful sequel that it had hoped to be.
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