After Legacy of the Force, I swore I'd never read another Traviss book again. The veneration of the warrior culture; the brotherhood of soldiers; even Traviss's love of the tribal warrior (this time around, it's the Pesangas) . . . Traviss loves these themes. And they don't really fit in with the Star Wars universe. But they do work wonders for another universe: the Gears of War setting.The Gears universe fits Traviss MUCH better, because it's a brutal kind of place, a grim and gritty and violent place. It's a setting that venerates the warrior even as it remarks on the pointlessness of unending war. The tropes and themes that felt out of place in trying to create the "honorable Mandalorian" (when Mandalorians are mecenaries and guns-for-hire) work wonders for the "honorable Gear" who really is the last line of defense between humanity and destruction.That isn't to say that this is a nihilistic book; there's a strong undercurrent of "hope in the face of overwhelming odds" that runs throughout the novel.I didn't love the book, primarily because the "then and now" narrative felt a little disjointed. Marcus's actions in the Battle of Aspho Fields felt a little glossed over, which was disappointing since our first introduction to that character in the first game is "wow, are you THE Marcus Fenix? The one who fought at Aspho Fields?"So, overall, a very solid, if not exceptional work. I think the fact that this was Traviss's first time out in the Gears universe contributed to that; her later books, such as Coalition's End, really start to come out of the shadow of the franchise. I was drawn to this book mainly because I love the games. I was so glad to find that this book had lived up to my expectations on how it would be. The games were fast paced and intense as was the book. I am so happy that you get to find out more about Marcus Fenix and Dom Santiago's relationship and how the battle of Aspho made them in to who we so famously know. The banter between Barid and Bernie and how they all came to know each other was written in very true to the game way. The detail in which described the battles, the grubs, the scenery, was written in such a fashion that you could picture everything in your mind and see how everything would be. (That does help if you have played the games). I do hope that the 2nd book doesn't fall flat which I have seen many books do, however I am looking forward to continue the books so I can find out more about the characters that I have come to love. 5* rating and Highly recommend to friends If you love the gears of war games then I suggest you read the books.
What do You think about Aspho Fields (2008)?
Good read! Provides a lot of back-story to the game world.
—Carmi
Great book, gives readers a good back ground to the games
—AmandaAtencio
This book was so well written. I want more!!!!
—AmberDee
