Mass Effect: Andromeda (book series)

Last updated

Mass Effect: Andromeda
MEAndromeda.jpg
The cover to Nexus Uprising, the first book in the trilogy
AuthorJason M. Hough and K. C. Alexander (Nexus Uprising)
N. K. Jemisin and Mac Walters (Initiation)
Catherynne M. Valente (Annihilation)
CountryCanada/United States
LanguageEnglish
Series Mass Effect
Genre Science fiction, space opera
Publisher Titan Books
Publication date
March 21, 2017 (Nexus Uprising)
November 28, 2017 (Initiation)
November 6, 2018 (Annihilation)
Media typePrint (Paperback), E-book, Audiobook

The Mass Effect: Andromeda book series consists of a trilogy of science fiction novels based on the Mass Effect series of video games. [1] The books in the series are Nexus Uprising (2017), Initiation (2017), and Annihilation (2018). All three books are released in paperback, e-book, and audiobook. The audiobook formats of Nexus Uprising and Initiation are narrated by Fryda Wolff, the voice of Sara Ryder, [2] [3] while the Annihilation audiobook is narrated by Tom Taylorson, the voice of Scott Ryder. [4]

Contents

The books serve as tie-in prequel and sequel stories to the video game Mass Effect: Andromeda by BioWare. [5] All three novels in the series received generally favorable reviews, with many reviewers regarding the series to be superior to the game in terms of characterization and writing. Initiation and Annihilation in particular had a very positive reception, with some critics praising the involvement of their respective authors, N. K. Jemisin and Catherynne M. Valente, who are notable novelists in their own right.

Background

In June 2016, Titan Books announced that it would publish a series of four novels which will become part of the overarching Mass Effect series. [6] The focus would be on key characters from Mass Effect: Andromeda game and "answer the many questions fans have been asking". The publishing company also revealed that the first novel, to be written by author N. K. Jemisin, would be released in August 2016. [5] The second and third novels were slated for release in March 2017 and September 2017 respectively and did not have author credits at the time of the June 2016 announcement. [5] The fourth and final was to be penned by Mac Walters, the creative director of the Mass Effect series and lead writer of Mass Effect 3. [5]

Titan Books made a further announcement in December 2016 and confirmed that there would be three tie-in novels for Mass Effect: Andromeda instead four. [7] The publisher said that the novels take place concurrently with events in Mass Effect: Andromeda and feature storylines developed in close collaboration between the publisher and BioWare game development team. [7] The first book was subtitled Nexus Uprising, written by Jason M. Hough and K.C. Alexander, which would be released on March 28, 2017. The second book was subtitled Annihilation by Catherynne M. Valente and slated for a summer 2017 release, while Initiation by N.K. Jemesin, which was initially expected to be the first novel in the series, arriving in fall 2017. [6]

Walters explained in an interview with Eurogamer that as part of BioWare's joint venture with Titan Books, he was supposed to pen a fourth book which bridges to a potential Mass Effect movie adaptation. [8] The planned fourth novel was effectively canceled, as Walters' duties as creative director of Andromeda eventually took precedence, and development has stalled for the Mass Effect film. [8] He explained that BioWare's position was to adopt a wait and see approach, in order to ascertain whether people "will want to see more of Andromeda before they want more of a bridge to a possible future movie", and that the trilogy of novels should serve as a good indication of fan demand for the series. [8]

Following the launch of Mass Effect: Andromeda, the release dates for both Initiation and Annihilation were delayed. Initiation would be released in November 2017, and Annihilation was slated for release in June 2018. [9] Following BioWare's announcement that Andromeda would not receive any single-player DLC in August 2018, Annihilation would serve to conclude loose story threads from the game's ending sequence, which includes addressing the fate of the quarian-led ark ship. [9] [10]

Synopsis

Setting and characters

Titan Books' outline for the Mass Effect Andromeda book series in its April 2016 Fiction Rights Guide stated that while the earlier installments of Mass Effect focused on the defense of the Milky Way galaxy against the sentient synthetic-organic starships known as the Reapers, Andromeda is set in a new region of space with "a dramatic new direction" and a "new and deadly enemy.” [6] The various races of the Milky Way galaxy, including the turians, salarians, asari, human, and other races plan to set up new colonies in the Andromeda Galaxy as part of the Andromeda Initiative. Some time between the events of Mass Effect 2 and Mass Effect 3, the Initiative built and launched a massive space station called the Nexus along with tens of thousands of colonists placed in cryo-sleep on a one-way, 600-year journey to Heleus Cluster located in Andromeda.

The Nexus is intended to be a center of government and diplomacy, a living area, as well as a base of operations for the new galactic community in Andromeda. However, the Nexus station sustains critical damage upon arrival, with most of the Initiative's leadership killed as a result. Producer Fabrice Condominas commented on the human ark ship Hyperion sustaining damage from a dark energy phenomenon called "The Scourge" as seen in preview trailers for the game, explaining that this is central to the story of how things did not go as planned for the colonists who arrive in Andromeda, as well as a tease of the fate of the other arks. [8] He noted that the various colonist factions got spread out and do not know what happened to each other, and he encouraged players to read the novels which will explore these story threads in further detail. [8]

Each novel details the events which led up to the fourth main series game, released on March 21, 2017: Nexus Uprising reveals how Sloane Kelly went from the head of security for the Andromeda Initiative to become an outlaw warlord in the game; [8] Initiation details Cora Harper's backstory and her recruitment by the human ark Pathfinder Alec Ryder into the Andromeda Initiative; [11] and Annihilation explores the fate of the quarian ark ship, the Keelah Si'yah, which is en route to the Andromeda galaxy and carrying a load of 20,000 colonists from various species. [11]

Nexus Uprising

The first novel sets up the background details of certain factors at the point when the Hyperion reaches the Nexus in the game, where they find the space station largely inoperable, the founder of the Initiative Jien Garson is dead, and that several colonies set up by the Initiative have failed. Its subtitle Nexus Uprising refers to the rebellion by a faction of colonists against the remnants of the Andromeda Initiative's leadership. The narrative covers events from the time the Nexus reached the Andromeda galaxy to the moment of the rebel exile, and revolves around Sloane Kelly, who is responsible for leading security forces on the Nexus and attempts to maintain order following the initial disaster. The story details the gradual falling out between her and the Initiative's surviving leaders, culminating in her departure from the Nexus along with her supporters before the events of Mass Effect: Andromeda.

Initiation

The second novel details the backstory for Cora Harper, a secondary character in Andromeda. Initiation begins with the conclusion of her service with an asari commando unit and return to the human Systems Alliance. She finds herself uncomfortable in the presence of other humans, which is partly due to her longtime association with the asari and their society. Alec Ryder recruits Cora for the human ark ship he leads and offers her a new direction in life on behalf of the Andromeda Initiative. The narrative for Initiation follows her story before she sets off with the Hyperion for a new life in the Andromeda galaxy.

Annihilation

The third novel follow the journey of the quarian-led ark ship, Keelah Si'yah, which is carrying colonists from various Milky Way species which were not part of the other four ark ships seen in Andromeda. While en route to its destination, a disease outbreak is discovered among some of the colonists placed in cryo-sleep. Its story features several non-human characters, including the drell maintenance crew member Anax Therion, the elcor scientist Yorrik, and Senna'Nir vas Keelah Si'yah, the quarian First Officer of the Keelah Si'yah.

Release and reception

Andrew Liptak from The Verge responded with enthusiasm to Titan Books' December 2016 announcement about the involvement of Jemisin and Valente with the book series, claiming that it felt "like Isaac Asimov or Arthur C. Clarke coming down from the mountain to write a Star Wars novel". [12] Liptak noted that Jemisin won the 2015 Hugo Award for Best Novel for The Fifth Season while Valente is a multi-award-winning author who won acclaim for her Fairyland series, and that these "authors could add a new flavor to the next Mass Effect novels". [12]

Nexus Uprising met with varying reviews. Matt Heywood was of the view that as a tie-in novel, Nexus Uprising competently added more understanding to the plot of Andromeda, as it fleshes out the events that took place prior to the events of the game. While he considered it a mandatory read for players, he felt that it is also an entertaining sci-fi book for science fiction enthusiasts who are unfamiliar or indifferent to the video game series. [13] Keri Honea from Playstation Lifestyle thoroughly enjoyed the book, and expressed a bewilderment as to "why the game wasn’t written half this well". [14] Brendan Lowry from Windows Central said he liked the book due to its unique premise, noting that "this survival type of story is something that hasn't really been explored with Mass Effect before". He considered Nexus Uprising to be a good prequel to the video game, and also explains why the Nexus ended up in its run down state when encountered in the game. [15] Sci-Fi & Scary scored the novel 3 out of 5 Stars, concluding that it was a good book which fell short of greatness, and the authors did a solid effort of making the extensive cast of characters "distinct from each other". [16] Black Girl Nerds scored the novel 3.5 out of 5 Stars, praising it as a worthwhile read but criticized the dull, slow pace of the middle chapters as its main weakness. [17] Jacek "Pottero” Stankiewicz from the Polish website Nerdheim scored the book 6 out of 10. [18]

Liz Bourke from Tor.com praised the authors of Initiation for writing a fun book which has the feel of the original Mass Effect trilogy, noting that it is more light-hearted in tone than co-author Jemisin’s original solo work. [19] She praised the novel for being "fast-paced and full of action", and that it successfully maintains its tension throughout the narrative. [19] Bourke found the novel's version of Cora Harper to be a recognizable version of the video game character, but one who's more fully-fleshed-out. [19] She compared the Andromeda book series favorably to previous novel tie-ins, which she considered have failed to live up to the standards of excellence set by the original trilogy. [19] Luke K from Critical Gamer found Initiation to be much more enjoyable then the game it is supposed to serve as a tie-in prequel to, noting that the reader does not need to be familiar with any other works from the Mass Effect franchise to understand or appreciate the novel. He considered the novel to be "definitive proof that a story told in this universe without player agency can most certainly work", and that Cora comes across as a likeable protagonist though her video game iteration is noted as a divisive character among players. [20] Merrin from Speculative Chic praised Initiation as an unusual tie-in novel which is well-written and engaging, and opined that Jemisin was more competent at fleshing out character motivations and backstory then the game's writers. She was impressed by Jemisin's ability to add depth to Cora's characterization, and address plot holes from Mass Effect 3 and Andromeda within the constraints of a shorter novel. [21]

Liz Bourke from Tor.com praised Annihilation as a "fast, tense, deeply enjoyable novel in a space opera setting", and its author for having a "deft touch with characterisation, giving us people who aren’t types, but who have interesting relationships to whole cultures that in the games are mostly glimpsed only in passing". [22] She commented that Valente "expertly manipulates pacing and tension", so that the narrative's combination of "buddy-cop dynamics, murder mystery, investigative thriller, and unfolding disaster story comes together into a smooth and riveting whole". [22] She felt the "conclusion to the plague problem feels a little rushed, but the character work is on point and full of feeling", and that Valente should write more material in the Mass Effect universe. [22] Patrick Sklar from TheGamer scored the book 4.5 out of 5 stars, noting that the narrative's three story arcs are all wrapped up neatly by the author and that each conclusion was satisfying to various degrees. He singled out Yorrik as an "absolute delight" given his amusing speech patterns, and considered him to be the best elcor character the franchise has ever seen. [23] He concluded that it will satisfy fans of the Mass Effect franchise but is not easily recommendable as an entrance for newcomers to the lore of the series. [23] Julian Benson from PCGamesN commented that "all the missing races being off on a different ship bears more than a passing resemblance to a story from The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy: Golgafrinchan Ark Fleet Ship B". [10]

Related Research Articles

Hyperion may refer to:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">BioWare</span> Canadian video game developer

BioWare is a Canadian video game developer based in Edmonton, Alberta. It was founded in 1995 by newly graduated medical doctors Ray Muzyka, Greg Zeschuk and Augustine Yip, alongside Trent Oster, Brent Oster, and Marcel Zeschuk. Since 2007, the company has been owned by American publisher Electronic Arts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Catherynne M. Valente</span> American writer

Catherynne M. Valente is an American fiction writer, poet, and literary critic. For her speculative fiction novels she has won the annual James Tiptree, Andre Norton, and Mythopoeic Fantasy awards. Her short fiction has appeared in Clarkesworld Magazine, the anthologies Salon Fantastique and Paper Cities, along with numerous "Year's Best" volumes. Her critical work has appeared in the International Journal of the Humanities as well as in numerous essay collections.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Drew Karpyshyn</span> Canadian novelist and video game designer

Drew Karpyshyn is a Canadian video game scenario writer, scriptwriter and novelist. He served as a senior writer for BioWare's Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic and lead writer for the first two Mass Effect video games. He left BioWare in 2012 to focus on his Chaos Born novels, and returned to it three years later in 2015. On March 9, 2018, he announced he was leaving BioWare once again to pursue his independent work.

<i>Mass Effect: Revelation</i> 2007 science fiction novel

Mass Effect: Revelation is a science fiction novel by Drew Karpyshyn, who was the lead writer of the Mass Effect series. Published in 2007 by Del Rey Books, it is the first novel set in the Mass Effect universe, and the prequel to the Mass Effect video game by BioWare.

Asari (<i>Mass Effect</i>) Fictional species in the Mass Effect series

The asari are a fictional extraterrestrial humanoid species in the Mass Effect multimedia franchise developed by BioWare and published by Electronic Arts. Introduced in the 2007 novel Mass Effect: Revelation, the asari are a sapient homeotherm species who are naturally inclined towards biotics, the ability to manipulate dark energy and alter the mass of objects through the use of electrical impulses from the brain, which produce various psychic abilities such as telekinesis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Quarian</span> Fictional species in the Mass Effect series

The quarians are a fictional extraterrestrial humanoid species in the Mass Effect multimedia franchise developed by BioWare and published by Electronic Arts. The quarians and their backstory are introduced in the first Mass Effect through the companion character Tali'Zorah, with quarian society as a whole playing a more prominent role in its sequels.

<i>Mass Effect 3</i> 2012 video game

Mass Effect 3 is a 2012 action role-playing video game developed by BioWare and published by Electronic Arts. The third major entry in the Mass Effect series and the final installment of the original trilogy, it was released in March 2012 for Microsoft Windows, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3. A Wii U version of the game, entitled Mass Effect 3: Special Edition, was later released in November 2012. The game is set within the Milky Way galaxy in 2186, where galactic civilization is invaded by a highly advanced machine race of synthetic-organic starships known as Reapers. It concludes the story of Commander Shepard, an elite human soldier who is tasked with forging alliances between species for the war. It was the first title in Mass Effect series without involvement by Microsoft Game Studios.

Mass Effect is a military science fiction media franchise created by Casey Hudson. The franchise depicts a distant future where humanity and several alien civilizations have colonized the galaxy using technology left behind by advanced precursor civilizations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">N. K. Jemisin</span> American science fiction and fantasy writer

Nora Keita Jemisin is an American science fiction and fantasy writer. Her fiction includes a wide range of themes, notably cultural conflict and oppression. Her debut novel, The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, and the subsequent books in her Inheritance Trilogy received critical acclaim. She has won several awards for her work, including the Locus Award. The three books of her Broken Earth series made her the first author to win the Hugo Award for Best Novel in three consecutive years, as well as the first to win for all three novels in a trilogy. She won a fourth Hugo Award, for Best Novelette, in 2020 for Emergency Skin. Jemisin was a recipient of the MacArthur Fellows Program Genius Grant in 2020.

<i>Mass Effect: Deception</i> 2012 novel by William C. Dietz

Mass Effect: Deception is a novel by writer William C. Dietz set in the Mass Effect universe. Published in 2012 by Del Rey Books, it is the fourth novel set in the Mass Effect universe, and continues the story of the previous three novels. Deception is notable for the negative reception from fans of the Mass Effect series, which prompted significant coverage from media outlets. In response to the negative reception, BioWare announced in February 2012 that they intended to revise the novel's content for future editions of Deception. No rewrite has been announced or published ever since.

Tali'Zorah, or Tali in short, is a character in BioWare's Mass Effect franchise, who serves as a party member in all three games in the Mass Effect trilogy. She is of the quarian alien race. Within the series, she is a skilled technician and the daughter of Rael'Zorah, a member of the quarian judicial review Admiralty Board. Ash "Liz" Sroka voices Tali in each of her appearances. Outside of the trilogy, Tali appears in Mass Effect: Homeworlds, a comic series with individual issues on each of several Mass Effect 3 squadmates.

Turian (<i>Mass Effect</i>) Fictional species in the Mass Effect series

The turians are a fictional extraterrestrial humanoid species in the Mass Effect multimedia franchise developed by BioWare and published by Electronic Arts. Turians are the first alien species to have come into contact with humanity within series lore, which inadvertently sparked a brief but vicious period of conflict which is eventually de-escalated due to the intervention of the Citadel Council, a multispecies governing body based on the Citadel space station. The aftermath of the so-called First Contact War as well as the underlying tensions between humanity and the turians form a recurring narrative theme in the Mass Effect series, which began with the franchise's debut work, the 2007 novel Mass Effect: Revelation. Turians are conceived as an avian humanoid species with an exoskeleton, whose biology is radically different from that of humanity and several other species, and are culturally rooted in a stratocratic society. Turian characters have appeared in most Mass Effect games and media with several playing major storyline roles, such as Garrus Vakarian, Saren Arterius, Nyreen Kandros, Vetra Nyx and Tiran Kandros. In addition, the turians are playable characters in the multiplayer modes for Mass Effect 3 and Mass Effect: Andromeda.

<i>Mass Effect: Andromeda</i> 2017 video game

Mass Effect: Andromeda is a 2017 action role-playing video game developed by BioWare and published by Electronic Arts. It is the fourth major entry in the Mass Effect series and was released in March 2017 for PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One. The game is set within the Andromeda Galaxy during the 29th century, where humanity is planning to populate new home worlds as part of a strategy called the Andromeda Initiative. The player assumes the role of either Scott or Sara Ryder, an inexperienced military recruit who joins the Initiative and wakes up in Andromeda following a 634-year sleeper ship journey. Events transpire that result in Ryder becoming humanity's Pathfinder, who is tasked with finding a new home world for humanity while also dealing with an antagonistic alien species known as the Kett, and uncovering the secrets of a mysterious synthetic intelligence species known as the Remnant.

In 2018, the following events occurred in science fiction.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Krogan</span> Fictional species in the Mass Effect series

The Krogan are a fictional extraterrestrial humanoid species in the Mass Effect multimedia franchise developed by BioWare and published by Electronic Arts. A member of the species is first introduced in the 2007 novel Mass Effect: Revelation. The Krogan are typically depicted as large reptilian bipedal humanoids who are physically tenacious, favor mercenary work, and thrive on conflict and violence. The Krogan are native to the planet Tuchanka, which is presented as a post-apocalyptic wasteland as a result of the Krogan's global thermonuclear civil war in the distant past. The Krogan are presented as having a complicated relationship with the rest of the Milky Way galactic civilizations, especially the Salarians; a past conflict led to the other interstellar species unleashing a genetically engineered biological weapon called the Genophage on the Krogan, drastically reducing their population and potentially driving the species to a slow and inevitable extinction.

Universe of <i>Mass Effect</i> Fictional universe of a video game series

The Mass Effect media franchise, developed by BioWare and published by Electronic Arts, is set in the distant future where various extraterrestrial species coexist with humanity. The developers created extensive background lore for the universe of Mass Effect and its alien species, with detailed explanations documenting the complex relationships between the universe's various factions and the setting's phenomena from a scientific perspective. The developers were inspired and influenced by numerous fantasy and science fiction works, as well as real world cultural and scientific concepts. Dark energy, a form of energy theorized to massively affect the universe, forms a key part of the franchise's concept and background.

Citadel <i>(Mass Effect)</i> Fictional space station

The Citadel is a fictional space station and megastructure in the Mass Effect franchise of video games developed by BioWare. An ancient station supposedly constructed by the long-dead Protheans, it serves as the hub of interstellar politics and society in the Milky Way galaxy due to its status as the capital of the Citadel Council, the dominant galactic polity within the Mass Effect universe. The Citadel was praised by critics for its design, lore, and the diversity of its inhabitants enhancing the game world.

References

  1. ↑ "Mass Effect: Andromeda Book Series". Amazon . Retrieved April 25, 2020.
  2. ↑ Hough, Jason M.; Alexander, K. C. (March 21, 2017). Mass Effect - Andromeda: Nexus Uprising. ISBN   978-1785651564.
  3. ↑ Jemisin, N. K.; Walters, Mac (November 28, 2017). Mass Effect: Initiation (Mass Effect: Andromeda). ISBN   978-1785651601.
  4. ↑ Valente, Catherynne M. (November 6, 2018). Mass Effect: Annihilation. ISBN   978-1785651588.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Steven Messner (June 28, 2016). "Mass Effect Novels To Bridge Gap Between Andromeda". Rock, Paper, Shotgun . Retrieved May 4, 2020.
  6. 1 2 3 Andy Chalk (June 29, 2016). "Four Mass Effect novels will lead into the story of Andromeda". PC Gamer . Retrieved May 4, 2020.
  7. 1 2 Andy Chalk (December 9, 2016). "A trilogy of Mass Effect: Andromeda novels is coming next year". PC Gamer . Retrieved May 4, 2020.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Tom Phillips (December 9, 2016). "BioWare talks Mass Effect Andromeda squadmates, cut content and that missing release date". Eurogamer . Retrieved May 4, 2020.
  9. 1 2 Owen S. Good (October 29, 2016). "Mass Effect: Andromeda ties off loose ends with a new novel". Polygon . Retrieved May 4, 2020.
  10. 1 2 Julian Benson. "Mass Effect Andromeda book tells you where the quarians got to". PCGamesN . Retrieved May 4, 2020.
  11. 1 2 Tom Phillips (October 27, 2016). "Mass Effect Andromeda will let you save the quarians via a tie-in novel". Eurogamer . Retrieved May 4, 2020.
  12. 1 2 Andrew Liptak (December 8, 2016). "These authors could add a new flavor to the next Mass Effect novels". The Verge . Retrieved May 4, 2020.
  13. ↑ Matt Heywood (March 28, 2017). "Mass Effect: Andromeda – Nexus Uprising Book Review". Entertainment Buddha. Archived from the original on March 29, 2017. Retrieved May 4, 2020.
  14. ↑ Keri Honea (September 20, 2018). "A Little Look at Lore: Mass Effect Andromeda: Nexus Uprising". Playstation Lifestyle. Retrieved April 16, 2020.
  15. ↑ Brendan Lowry (September 18, 2017). "The 8 best Mass Effect books you can't miss". Windows Central. Retrieved March 28, 2020.
  16. ↑ Lilyn G (October 6, 2018). "Mass Effect – Andromeda: Nexus Uprising by Hough & Alexander #BookReview". Sci-Fi & Scary. Retrieved April 16, 2020.
  17. ↑ "BGN Book Review: 'Mass Effect Andromeda – Nexus Uprising'". Black_Girl_Nerds. May 5, 2017. Retrieved April 16, 2020.
  18. ↑ Jacek "Pottero” Stankiewicz (May 8, 2017). "Recenzja książki Mass Effect: Andromeda – Nexus. Początek" (in Polish). Nerdheim. Retrieved April 16, 2020.
  19. 1 2 3 4 Liz Bourke (November 30, 2017). "Space Espionage — Mass Effect: Initiation by N.K. Jemisin and Mac Walters". Tor.com. Retrieved May 4, 2020.
  20. ↑ Luke K (February 5, 2018). "Mass Effect Andromeda: Initiation – book review". Criticalgamer.co.uk. Retrieved May 4, 2020.
  21. ↑ Merrin (January 9, 2018). "The Origins of a Human Huntress or, a Review of Mass Effect: Initiation". Speculative Chic. Retrieved May 4, 2020.
  22. 1 2 3 Liz Bourke (November 7, 2018). "High-Stakes Space Opera: Mass Effect: Annihilation by Catherynne M. Valente". Tor.com. Retrieved May 4, 2020.
  23. 1 2 Patrick Sklar (November 14, 2018). "Mass Effect: Annihilation Review: Tie-In Novel Celebrates The Aliens We Missed In Andromeda". TheGamer. Retrieved May 4, 2020.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.