Brotherhood

Assassin's Creed #2

by Oliver Bowden

I will journey to the black heart of a corrupt empire to root out my foes. But Rome wasn't built in a day and it won't be restored by a lone assassin. I am Ezio Auditore da Firenze. This is my Brotherhood...

Rome, once mighty, lies in ruins. The city swarms with suffering and degradation, her citizens living in the shadow of the ruthless Borgia family. Only one man can free the people from the Borgia tyranny- Ezio Auditore, the Master Assassin.

Ezio's quest will test him to his limits. Cesare Borgia, a man more villainous and dangerous than his father, the Pope, will not rest until he has conquered Italy. And in such treacherous times, conspiracy is everywhere, even within the ranks of the Brotherhood itself...

Genres: Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Historical, Video Games, Adventure, Science Fiction

521 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 2010

About the author

Anton Gill (aka Oliver Bowden) has been a full-time professional writer since 1984, and in the course of the last 27 years he has published 35 books. Gill was born in Ilford, Essex, the son of a German father and an English mother, and grew up in London. He is an acclaimed novelist and Renaissance historian currently living in Paris, France. Bowden has written novelizations of several of the Assassin's Creed console games.

Oliver Bowden is a pen-name (a pseudonym adopted by the author) in order to hide his true identity. However, his profession and location are accurate.

According to Bowden's interview with UbiWorkshop, he is an avid gamer and gains much of his inspiration for character development throughout the writing process from playing the Assassin's Creed series.

Gill ceased being Oliver Bowden some years back and the author Andrew Holmes (Sleb, 64 Clarke) has published the last six titles of the Assassin's Creed series (The Secret Crusade, Forsaken, Black Flag, Unity, Underworld, and Desert Oath) using this pen-name.

Reviews

[Ahmad Sharabiani · Rating 4 out of 5]

Assasin's Creed: Brotherhood (Assassin's Creed, #2), Oliver Bowden
Oliver Bowden is the pen-name of Anton Gill. Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood is the thrilling novelisation by Oliver Bowden based on the game series. 'I will journey to the black heart of a corrupt Empire to root out my foes. But Rome wasn't built in a day and it won't be restored by a lone assassin. I am Ezio Auditore da Firenze. This is my brotherhood.' Rome, once mighty, lies in ruins. The city swarms with suffering and degradation, her citizens living in the shadow of the ruthless Borgia family. Only one man can free the people from the Borgia tyranny - Ezio Auditore, the Master Assassin. Ezio's quest will test him to his limits. Cesare Borgia, a man more villainous and dangerous than his father the Pope, will not rest until he has conquered Italy. And in such treacherous times, conspiracy is everywhere, even within the ranks of the brotherhood itself... Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood is based on the phenomenally successful gaming series. Fans of the game will love these stories. Other titles in the series include Assassin's Creed: Renaissance, Assassin's Creed: Forsaken, Assassin's Creed: The Secret Crusade, and Assassin's Creed: Revelations.
تاریخ نخستین خوانش: شانزدهم ماه می سال 2014 میلادی
عنوان: فرقه اسسین ها: کتاب دوم - پیمان برادری ؛ نویسنده: اولیور (الیور) باودن؛ مترجم: امیر قربان؛ فرزین لازمی زاده؛ کیانا حاج‌دولت؛ خشایار خلیلیان؛تهران، آذرباد، 1391؛
کتاب نخست: رنسانس؛ کتاب دوم: پیمان برادری، مترجمین امیر قربان‌، فرزین لازمی‌زاده، کیانا حاج‌دولت، خشایار خلیلیان؛ کتاب سوم: نهضت مخفی، ترجمه بهنام حاجی‌زاده؛ کتاب چهار: مکاشفات؛ ترجمه بهنام حاجی‌زاده؛ کتاب پنج: جدا شده؛ ترجمه بهنام حاجی‌زاده؛ کتاب شش: پرچم سیاه، ترجمه محمدرضا قاسمی؛ کتاب هفت: اتحاد، ترجمه بهزاد ناصرفلاح؛ و کتاب هشتم ...؛
حتما بخوانید
ا. شربیانی

[Asif Alli · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book that far exceeds the games plot and story. It goes more in to detail and simply floods your mind with great thoughts. Its one of those books where they don't get to the point very quickly and you have to be patient with it. Do not skip pages, or even chapters if you find it boring. And unless you play the game, or have read the first book, It might not be that easy to understand like the powers of the apple and how it plays in the story. But everything else in the story is pretty easy to catch on. A simple villain and hero story, but that's how its supposed to be.If it was complex, like one of those sagas where you have to read the first one, then I would not have enjoyed this book as much as I did, because I did not read the first one. But I pretty much got the idea. This book is perfect for any assassin's creed fan, or for readers who just want a wild ride, because that is simply what this book is. Now,I must go, for I am on my way to barnes and nobles to buy the first book,so I fully enjoy the second one.

[Shaunak · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have one word for everyone, and that's "Awesome". The book is so much better than the game. In the game they only showed the basic idea of what the book is, but the book it shows us what we missed out in the game. I guess being a gamer might have its disadvantages, but if you already know the story from the game then there are no surprises left for you. No matter which assassins creed it is, it always leaves you in the end saying " What the @#$% happened?). Oliver Bowden has done a amazing job of putting a game into a book, maybe there might be a movie about this series as well. Just a bit shorter though.

[Dorin Lazăr · Rating 1 out of 5]

Oh, Christ, what a piece of crap.

I finished the first book and I wanted to make sure that there's some improvement in the second book. That was me hoping for some improvement.

So I started reading this book, and I was half impressed. A bit of character development? A bit of depth? It definitely looked like it!

Then it had to write about the side-quests - about going to the tailor, about helping a girl with the flowers and about taming a horse. And I realized that it's the same crap, just perhaps slightly better written. The script of the game - the best game of the franchise, mind you - done badly.

Avoid these books, really. Avoid them.

[Anzû · Rating 3 out of 5]

Watch before reading. Techno kitty demands it!



Despite the amazing trailer, Brotherhood is my least favourite game from the Assassin’s Creed franchise. This is mainly because the events are kind of boring and the villain, even though venomous and ruthless, needs lots of improving.

Imagine if the game is neutral how the book will be.

Yep, you got it!

But the positive thing is the fact that Oliver Bowden improved the story’s consistency (and his writing, for that matter). The events were blending together rather nicely, the characters seemed better contoured and Ezio was cooler than ever (or something close to that). All these aspects make Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood a decent read.

Oh, I just need to add that another tiny aspect. If you’re not a fan of the game you should probably avoid reading this book (and/or series). You won’t get sh*t.

Favourite quote (at least one of them)

[…] he went back to the wounded man, nearly slipping on the blood in which the slave trader was slithering. Bending down, Ezio cut one of the man’s hamstrings, keeping a hand over his mouth to stop him from howling. That should slow him up. For good. He pressed his mouth close to the man’s ear. “If you survive,” he said, “and get back to that pox-ridden louse you call your master, tell him all this was done with the compliments of Ezio Auditore. If not—requiescat in pace.”

[Kevin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Do you want to know to story of a master assassin?

This book is about the story of a master Assassin- Ezio Auditore. The novel is based on one of the most famous game, Assassins creed, more specifically, AC brotherhood. If you played the game before, you're going to understand the story a bit deeper. Because the books story simply tells more than the game itself. If you didn't play the game before, it's your best chance to understand Assassin's creed. But you won't understand a lot of things, so I still recommend you to read the previous books, since you have a lot of catching up to do. Both the story and it's characters are well written. The story starts with Ezio's successful assassination of a evil pope, and lots of problems came after it...

One thing I really like about this book, is how it keeps the original story just like in the game but simply tells more. And the events always keep you engaged, just like how the game keeps you engaged. However, the book also narrates all the violence and killing in great detail. I like it personally, but for people who dislike violence and blood, it's going to be a hard time reading the book. The author describes almost every kill in detail. And those words are so strong it actually forms a image in my mind. Again, it is in great detail.

I will recommend this book to all AC fans, game fans, or readers that likes action/adventure book. But I strong suggest people who can't take the blood and violence not to read the book, because there is a lot of killing and fighting scenes in the book.

[Liviu Szoke · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ceva mai bună decât volumul precedent, dar nu cu mult mai răsărită: mai alertă, mai bine închegată, mai bine scrisă, cu personaje parcă ceva mai bine conturate, cu scopuri ceva mai bine definite, chiar dacă se cunoaște că e doar o serie de misiuni de îndeplinit, cum e și normal, în cazul novelizării unui joc (pe care nu l-am jucat niciodată, ca să fim bine înțeleși). Elementul de fantasy este în continuare foarte discret (Mărul din Eden dat spre păstrare lui Ezio Auditore de către însăși Minerva - da, acea Minerva), însă avem de-a face din plin cu fantezia creatorilor jocului atunci când Ezio scapă, la limită, ce-i drept, din niște situații de-a dreptul imposibile (și să nu uităm că sunt implicate mai toate personalitățile acelei perioade, căci Renașterea, titlul primului volum, nu se referă neapărat la renașterea Ordinului Asasinilor, ci și la acea perioadă înfloritoare ce-a culminat cu secolele cincisprezece-șaisprezece: Leonardo da Vinci, Niccolo Machiavelli, Lucrezia Borgia, Cezare Borgia, Rodrigo Borgia, Michelangelo Buonarotti, Sandro Boticcelli și cred că mai sunt câțiva). Până voi apuca să scriu recenzia, pe care, am stabilit deja, o voi scrie după ce voi citi și cel de-al treilea volum (o recenzie în bloc, așadar), sper să mă lămuresc dacă pe la 1500 orașul Valencia făcea parte din regiunea spaniolă Catalunia.

[Shaikha Alahmad · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5

”I will journey to the black heart of a corrupt Empire to root out my foes. But Rome wasn't built in a day and it won't be restored by a lone assassin. I am Ezio Auditore da Firenze. This is my brotherhood.”

Much better than the first book! Ezio is officially my new favorite Assassin.🖤

[Christy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having read Assassin's Creed: Revelations last week, I immediately moved on to the second book in the series, Brotherhood. This immediately picks off where the last book ended, so I would strongly recommend reading it as the second part of the series. Very little time is wasted on recap; so to get the full picture you already need to know what's happened and who the characters are.

For me that was excellent, as I don't like spending time re-reading information in series if possible. We get straight into the action, as we follow Ezio, in the Italian Renaissance, as he continues to lead his organization, the Assassin's in the fight against the Borgia family and their allies - the Templars. The majority of the book takes part in Rome, a city I know well, and I love thinking about what it would have been like during this time period. With the addition of many simple Italian phrases, and actual historical figures from that timeline (with a fair bit of fictional liberty taken of course), it has a lot of atmosphere.

Ezio is also grappling with the mysterious Apple; a technology from a powerful people left to him, and once again I enjoyed the dash of fantasy/sci-fi with my historical action romp.

I have played most of the games; but this book continues in the vein of the first, far exceeding the book for action, storytelling and character development - everything really! Very enjoyable, although it was a fairly simple plot that didn't deviate much from the first book, looking forward to the third in the series as I think it'll be a bit different from here - can't say more, don't want to spoil anything!

[Amir Akbari · Rating 4 out of 5]

چارتا ستاره حقش نبود ولی خب چون دوسش دارم بهش ارفاق کردم
بر عکس جلد یک ک انگار کتابو از رو بازی نوشته بودن و مو نمیزد جلد دوم اطلاعات بیشتری رو نسبت ب بازی در اختیارتون قرار میده مخصوصا قسمتای پایانی کتاب ک تو بازی ب این مفصلی بهش اشاره نشده بود.
ولی خب خیلی ��اها اتفاقات فیلم هندی طوری تو داستان اتفاق میوفتاد ک ی مقدار ب شعور آدم توهین میشد😁
مثلا اتزیو وسط جنگ از خستگی بیهوش میشه دشمنا هم میگن عح مثکه خودش مرد بچه ها بعد ولش میکنن میرن😑😐
ولی بازم ک��اب دوس داشتنی ای هست واسه من❤️

[Lena · Rating 2 out of 5]

The previous book ended on such a high note and this immediately put you back in the trenches. It was an exhausting, joyless, campaign of diminishing returns. There is barely an ending and it is not a happy one.

Hopefully, a low point in the series.

[Kasia (kasikowykurz) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Czy można połapać się w książce na podstawie gry, w którą nigdy się nie grało? I tak i nie. Sam tytuł znam bardzo dobrze, ale kojarzę z niego niewiele, a przeczytanie tej książki stanowiły idealny pretekst, żeby mieć o czym rozmawiać. A przynajmniej sprawdziło się w przypadku pierwszej części. Przy drugiej wydaje mi się, że zbyt intensywnie szukałam powiązań z pierwszą częścią, przez to przez niemalże pół książki absolutnie nie miałam pojęcia, co się dzieje, za to przy drugiej części całkiem spoko się bawiłam.

Ponoć części gier łączą się tak sobie i chyba z książkami jest tak samo, bo nijak nie mogłam połączyć fabuł obu tomów, ale pierwszy tom czytałam w 2017 roku, więc chcąc nie chcąc sporo mogłam zapomnieć! Generalnie nie jest to mój gatunek. Nie bardzo lubię powieści, które chociaż w minimalny sposób można nazwać historycznymi, ale z drugiej strony bardzo podoba mi się motyw Asasynów i całej tej organizacji, więc trochę dylemacik.

Podejrzewam, że jednak głównym powodem, dlaczego tak niemrawo do niej podchodzę to właśnie to, że pogubiłam się w niej jakieś milion razy, ale mimo to dalej będą brnąć w tą serię, bo nie nie udało jej się mnie zniechęcić aż tak bardzo i jednak jestem ciekawa ciągu dalszego :D

[Dumitru Moraru · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ezio eșuează să-l omoare pe Borgia (Papa) și va plăti scump pentru asta. Pe lângă Borgia, apar alți 2 antagoniști, copiii lui, cu planuri de a stăpâni întreaga Italie. Ezio are datoria de a elibera Roma de sub influența lui Borgia și de a restabili ordinea cea de altădată. Chiar dacă a acumulat experiență cu anii, greșelile nu-l vor ocoli, arătând natura lui umană. Prima carte "Renașterea" m-a captivat mai mult decât aceasta.

[Maud · Rating 2 out of 5]

Yeah... This book didn't really work for me.

First of all, the plot felt so choppy! It was almost like we have this list of chores that Ezio does in the game and we have to put it in the book but instead of letting it flow... it just turns into a list of chores with a bit of an explanation... It didn't grab or interest me at all!

I also thought that this book had a lot of needless gore, definitely a lot more than in the first one. Almost on every page we have someone who is being stabbed in the eye and we have even had a case where someone got cut in the belly while running so his intestines fell out, he tripped over them and died... I can tell you that this is not happening in the game! I have not issue with gore but this just didn't serve a purpose and that annoys me.

Around the 60% point I just couldn't force myself anymore to read this so I picked up the audiobook, put it on 1.75x speed and that was the only reason that I was able to finish this. I didn't care about the characters or the plot, the plot was crazy choppy which didn't help with my reading experience at all and the gore just made me roll my eyes. I liked the first book and I like the games but this book was just bad.

[Arizel紫 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Awww...

The story started when Ezio was seventeen years old and ended at forty eight years old. Even so! I still love Ezio.

The first book was much closer to the game than this one. I noticed one pattern in the book.... Why the books are so close to the game at the first part and towards the end the story were so different from the game? Like in this book, I don't remember in the game when Cesare was in prison after a new Pope was elected. Also, when the now three main (old) character, Ezio, Machiavelli and Leonardo chased after Cezare and his conspirator all the way out of Rome. Anyway, maybe it's a good thing to add more story in the book and skipping the details in the game O_o

Leonardo was the funniest character. He looked like a puppy who lost his home when he wanted to embrace Ezio after Cezare forced him to betray Ezio.

Machiavelli came to become one of my favorite character towards the last part of the book. Thanks his intelligence. He was so persistent when he told Ezio to use the Apple and keeps telling hime to USE IT. XD NAKS

[Mike (the Paladin) · Rating 1 out of 5]

Okay...so the books are silly. I liked the first one pretty well but the low bar for actual plot and story sort of lost me in this one. maybe you'll like it if you're just looking for some quick distraction. I mean, it's a story based on a video game. The first one I found a little fun as the pacing and so on was just that. It was game like and not too serious. I think the opening attempt to "deepen" the story a little here was what put me to sleep.

I'd say if you want to glide a bit ignore the attempt to "serious-up" the story and read this as a break from thinking. The first I enjoyed. This one just bored me to distraction.

Maybe it's mood? I don't know but that's life I guess.

[Tannaz · Rating 5 out of 5]

ترجمه بر خلاف جلد اول، بسایر عالی و دلنشین. خود قصه هم که... مگر می شود اتزیو ادیتوره را دوست نداشت؟

[Charley Robson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I will say it once, I shall say it many times more: Ezio Auditore la Firenze - you are not Batman. Stop. Trying. To. Be. Batman.

Or, rather, people should stop trying to make him Batman. For it is of Batman - particularly the much-vaunted Christopher Nolan movies - that I am reminded by this book. It has something of a tone problem. While its predecessor Renaissance was cursed with an awkward, disjoined plot that left it stumbling around the field like a six-legged antelope with its knees screwed on the wrong way round, at least it had fun with its own predicament. Brotherhood seems like that same creature has caught a look at itself in a mirror and suffered an existential crisis that has given it the misguided belief that it needs to take itself more seriously.

Ezio, while a little hollow in the last book, is at times downright unpleasant in this one. He seems to be going through something of a second puberty as far as his rationality goes, and suffice to say I was not at all impressed with his poor behaviour toward his family and friends - undeservedly, save for Ezio needed somewhere to direct his man angst. There were whole chapters of this book that were just thuddingly unpleasant in a similar manner: needlessly grim and grumpy and full of squabbling, and some new dollops of gratuitous violence that really don't match up well with a story about ninja anarcho-philosophers zooming around Rome doing battle with the Pope.

That said, tone issue aside, this book is the stronger of the little duology: it benefits from having a more focussed plot, and while the Borgias are rendered with all the complexity of a pack of incestuous Captain Planet villains, they are at least convincingly threatening and compellingly despicable. Points also to the author for being mature in his approach to the surprisingly tragic turn in Ezio's love life, even if the character himself was less so.

There are still issues surrounding the book's existence as a retelling of a video game story - Ezio continues to be invincible at all turns, and many, many chapters toward the story's end could have been done away with completely to save a tree as well as the reader's sanity - but the more focussed and linear central story has reduced their effect somewhat. And I must say, I'm impressed at how compelling Mr Bowden managed to make his dramatisation of that awful, awful tower defence minigame.

So while I feel the book might empirically deserve a better score for tighter plot and stronger focus, the jarring tone and subsequent awkward characterisation knock it back down again. The reviewer taketh and the reviewer giveth away. I wonder, also, if this book deliberately made itself feel so conclusive as a jab at Ubisoft for making AC: Revelations in some way. I have to say, if that's the case, I don't entirely blame him.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to boot the game up and chuck Ezio into the Tiber for a bit until we remember how to have fun.

[Arnolds Kalniņš · Rating 4 out of 5]

Iepazinos ar Olivera Baudena vēsturiskās fantāzijas grāmatu "Slepkavu Reliģija", pirmo no 4 grāmatu sērijas. Izlasīt šo grāmatu man ieteica klasesbiedrs, uzsverot, ka tās stāsts esot unikāls un interesantuma ziņā pārspējot jebko, ko viņš ir lasījis. Man tas likās apšaubāmi, ņemot vērā savādo žanru salikumu, taču nolēmu pamēģināt. Par laimi, šaubas par grāmatas potenciālu pagaisa, izlasot ievadu.
Stāsts sākas 15. gadsimta Itālijas renesansē Itālijas pilsētā Florencē, kad karstasinīgs un viltīgs puisi Etsio Auditore ar savām acīm redz, kā par nepatiesiem noziegumiem tiek pakārts viņa mīlošais tēvs un abi brāļi. Vēlāk viņš uzzina, ka tā ir milzīga sazvērestība pret viņa ģimeni, pie kuras ir vainojams pāvests Aleksandrs VI, noziedzinieks, kas uzdodas par svēto, jo, kā izrādas, Etsio ģimene slepus pieder "Slepkavu" klanam, kas cīnās par taisnību un vienlīdzību, tādā veidā apdraudot pāvesta plānus. Uzzinot par situācijas nopietnību, Etsio pievienojas klanam, uzmeklējot savu tēvoci Mario, lai turpinātu sava tēva iesākto taku.
Šīs grāmatas valodas stils varētu būt nepieņemams daudziem lasītājiem, jo tajā vijas izsmalcinātums un sarežģītums, ar Itālu izteicienu piegaršu, kuru neizprašana un nozīmes meklēšana spēj izjaukt iepriekš radītu noskaņu, kuru, diemžēl, nav vienkārši "uzburt atpakaļ", taču izcilie salīdzinājumi un izprastie izteicieni, kas spēj saviļņot, ir šī upura vērti.
Kā jau minēju, šī grāmata ir ļoti interesants sajaukums starp vēsturi un fantāziju, jo stāstā ir izmantotas reālas, eksistējošas personas, kuras nodarbojas ar to pašu, ko reālajā dzīvē, taču ir izveidota kāda saistība ar sazvērestībām un slepkavu klanu, kas izveido pavisam citādu priekšstatu par personu reālo dzīves gājumu. Šādi personāži ir, piemēram, pāvests Aleksandrs VI, Nikolo Makiavelli, diplomāts no Mediči politiskās dinastijas, un Leonardo da Vinči, izcilais mākslinieks un zinātnieks.
Šī stāsta negaidītie pavērsieni, asie notikumi un varoņu lielie pārdzīvojumi liek cilvēkam padomāt par savu dzīvi, kā tā izskatās no malas, vai tā tiešām izskatās tik tumša un tukša, kāda tā varētu šķist, vai vaina ir sevī, nespēja saredzēt skaisto, priecāties par to, kas dots un novērtēt ik sekundi, kas ir atvēlēta.
Šīs stāsts bija unikāls piedzīvojums, kas lasītājam liek iejusties varoņa dzīvē un tās straujajos pavērsienos, pārvēršot katru lasīšanas vakaru par kaut ko īpašu. Noteikti ieteiktu to izlasīt jebkuram, kura interešu sfērā ietilpst renesanse, cilvēciskas emocijas un sava spēka apzināšanās.

[Kati · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book had a better overall plot than "Assassin's Creed: Reneissance", on the other hand, Ezio got dumber with age. I mean, I know that Rodrigo, Cesare and Lucrezia Borgia and Micheletto were real historical figures and the author couldn't have just killed them when he wanted, but he could've written it so that their survival wouldn't make Ezio look like an incompetent idiot. Also, I never really understood the whole Apple thing. It was a part of the game, I get it, but then the author should've made a good, intelligent use of it, not the way it was used in the book, just to see pretty but inexplicable pictures. The Apple barely helped Ezio at all, yet it insisted it helped enough and he shouldn't overuse it. Good idea, badly mangled.

[Dorian Jandreau · Rating 5 out of 5]

Was so happy to get back to this story. I have played Brotherhood not so long time ago, so I still remembered all story. And I remembered all the places I have visited in Rome in real life too. The book actually has more scenes and more stuff than the game. But I couldn't put this book down. I was taken into Ezio world since first page.
Just the last chapter made me cry..... Cesare was my favorite! I wanted to delete game when I had to kill him, now I had to READ the same scene... No... not my Cesare.... just not him... damn, you Ezio!

[Grace · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting addition to the Assassin’s Creed book series. Brotherhood follows Ezio's journey as he tries to rid Italy of the Borgia threat. I felt the ending dragged, but was overall a good read.

[Kuncapybara · Rating 3 out of 5]

ออกเเนวอ่านได้เรื่อยๆ ช่วงเเรกๆน่าเบื่อ ทำให้หยุดๆอ่านๆ ผ่านไปครึ่งเล่มเริ่มเข้าด้ายเข้าเข็ม พอใช้ได้ เเปปๆจบเลย ไม่เคยเล่นเกมก็อ่านรู้เรื่องครับ เเต่อาจจะงงๆหน่อยๆ ผมไม่ได้อ่านเล่มเเรกเลย เริ่มที่อ่านเล่มนี้เลยครับ

[♰denise♰ · Rating 4 out of 5]

~4⭐️~
I'm loving these book adaptations🤭

[Natalie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the first book in the series more, but this was still enjoyable. Ezio is great.

[Anne (ReadEatGameRepeat) · Rating 1 out of 5]

1 star - maybe? IDK - this book was a rollercoaster, but at the end just left me disinterested and with a bad aftertaste :/ Somewhere between 200 &250 pages I decided I kind of just wanted to get this read over with, which is unfortunate because upto page 100 I thought this had great potential. It's not necessarily a terrible book, the plot could be interesting, ever since buying the book on holiday in India many years ago I thought it would be an interesting read, it has short chapters, but that is also where the redeeming qualities end. The problem is that it isn't as interesting as I thought it would be.
One thing that greatly added to my dislike of the book was the constant references to other installments in the franchise, and I can't say if that's a choice by the author or something from the game. Since I haven't played the games or read any of the books in the series I just felt out of it 90% of the time. That being said the story was also somewhat predictable.
Another thing that really bothered me was the constant use of 'foreign language'. The book is set in Italy, I assumed they were speaking Italian the whole time (that was just written in English because that's the language the book/game was written in) - then out of no where they randomly put in these random Italian phrases and words - this would not be a bad thing if they confirmed the characters were mainly speaking in English, which the author never actually does. So there are just these random conversations in Italian (which you then have to go to the back of the book to get the direct translation of whatever is being said).
Also there are way to many characters to keep track of, which goes back to my earlier comment about references to previous installments.
The book is also Split into 3 parts Part 1 is 400 pages, part 2 is 20 pages, part 3 is 10 pages - There are really no climaxes or anything between the parts, there is really no reason for those part separations to be there

Also there are several problematic plot points that just made me enjoy the book less and less, like a prostitute getting chocked until she passes out and then raped, meanwhile Ezio justifies not doing anything by saying her eyes seemed to tell him she was in control of the situation - what even is this? like seriously what the hell is this crap?

[Tiakju · Rating 4 out of 5]

This Book grabbed my mind when i started reading it. Ezio sets his journey in Rome as he lost the 'Apple Of Eden' during the attack on Villa Auditore by the Borgia. Ezio soon finds himself at the heart of Roma, now known as Rome as he struggles to locate the Apple of Eden and as well as to take revenge on the Borgia. This book's action packed plot really hooks the reader on. Rome is a place which has fallen into ruin due to the corrupt rule of the Borgia papacy and the Templars. Ezio's stay in Rome slowly removes the Borgia influence on the City, and brings Rome out of Corruption and restores its former glory. On the way to crushing his nemisis, Cesare, he discovers the hidden secrets of the past. The structure of the story is based on a cause and effect system as When Ezio does something,another event will take place as the effect of his actions. A Quote from the story, "'I will journey to the black heart of a corrupt Empire to root out my foes. But Rome wasn't built in a day and it won't be restored by a lone assassin. I am Ezio Auditore da Firenze. This is my brotherhood"

[Erastes · Rating 2 out of 5]

a bit of an odd one, this. I knew the name of the book was the same as one of the AC games, but i wasn't expecting that it would follow the plot of the game. I assumed that it would be an extra part of the canon, as it were, like so many other franchises do, like star wars. But no. If you've played the game, and especially--like me--if you've played it many many times, there will be no surprises here, no sudden "oh no!" deaths etc etc.

The book fills in a good deal more than the book, extra meetings conversations etc but overral I found it boring because i hate knowing what's going to happen.

Add to that, it's not particularly well written. There's been some research done, that's clear but the style is quite simplistic. Perhaps because it's supposed to be squarely aimed at teenage boys despite the figures proving over and over that gaming is pretty well equal these days.

It reads like fan fiction, because that's what it is, and not the good kind, either.

[Mical · Rating 2 out of 5]

What can I say?

Oliver Bowden tells a good tale insofar as he tells the story more or less verbatim as it was expressed in the game series. But that's basically all that he does; re-tell the story the game series did with little elaboration and none of the sense of adventure, excitement or discovery.

It was, for me, an "okay" novel. Bowden's previous work, "Assassin's Creed: Renaissance" was dry and unmoving but I thought I'd give him another chance in this sequel. Honestly, it didn't move me. It told the story but in such a manner that I felt it dry. Like a juicy steak that had been left in an evaporator for an hour before being served.

It's not that he's a bad writer; but that this writing lacked the vital spark that lent the original story it's grandeur. A fair effort, but not to my liking.

[Autumn · Rating 5 out of 5]

During Italian Renaissance, Ezio Auditore, Master Assassin, seeks revenge for his Uncle, the name who raised him like he were his own. The man responsible for Ezio's Uncles Death is Rodrigo Borgia, also known as Pope Alexander VI. The devious Pope has a tight grip on control of Rome. He wants more though. He sends his son Ceasere out to do his biding, and to gain control over all of Italy. Ezio, along with the rest of the Brotherhood of Assassins, step in to take prevent an overall take over from the infamous Borgia Family. Through exciting battles and sly tactics, the Assassin's eventually come through. Ending abruptly, Assassin's Creed Brotherhood is only part of the Assassin's Creed Series. Following the story line of the games quite closely, Oliver Bowden captures the the essence of what a brotherhood of Assassin's might have been like, just as well as the games do.