Black Flag

Assassin's Creed #6

by Oliver Bowden

It’s the Golden Age of Piracy — a time when greed, ambition, and corruption overcome all loyalties — and a brash young captain, Edward Kenway, is making his name known for being one of the greatest pirates of his time.

In the brilliant new novel, Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag, discover the story of how Edward, a young privateer, became one of the world's most deadly pirates and was drawn into the centuries-old battle between the Templars and the Assassins.

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

453 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published October 1, 2013

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

[Beks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really great book, I've always been cautious with 'video game book's but this was surprisingly good too read. It sticks very closely to the game, even more so in its dialogue. Conversations are literally taken right out the game, which is great. Although I would say it does hop through the story quite quickly, but I like that it doesn't linger or drag out too long. I guess playing the game is going to seem a longer story than reading the book.
I see people mentioning that it only mentions him as an assassin at the end but this is pretty much the exact story of the game. and truth be said Kenway isn't really an assassin anyway, not like Ezio or Altair. which did disappoint me a little... but I won't get into that now.

Anyway it's a good read, it's very quick to get through everything and keeps you interested. I couldn't put it down, bravo to Oliver Bowden for studying the game storyline and creating such a great book on it.
Can't wait for the next Assassin tale.

[Gianfranco Mancini · Rating 5 out of 5]

Si stava già inclinando quando i miei uomini lo hanno agganciato e arrembato, arrampicandosi per la sua fiancata come topi nell'aria pesante dell'odore di polvere da sparo e nel sottofondo dei colpi di moschetto e delle sciabolate che già cominciavano a volare. Io ero in mezzo a loro come sempre, sciabola in una mano e lama segreta pronta a scattare, il coltellaccio per la mischia, i pugnali per i colpi di grazia.

Diciamo subito che, a parte una partitella occasionale a casa di alcuni parenti, non ho mai giocato alla serie di videogiochi di Assassin’s Creed ma, complici gli scorsi saldi invernali su Steam, alla fine ne ho fatto scorta, pur non avendo idea di se e quando ne troverò mai il tempo per giocarli prima o poi.



Vedendo che cosa avevano trovato uscendo di casa mi portai involontariamente la mano alla bocca: due pecore sgozzate, adagiate fianco a fianco sul terreno scuro di sangue. Erano state messe lì perché sapessimo che non erano
vittime di una volpe o di un cane selvatico. Perché sapessimo che quelle pecore erano state uccise per una ragione.
Un avvertimento. Una vendetta.

I romanzi ispirati al franchise erano comunque decisamente nelle mie corde, un gran bel misto di azione, avventura, romanzo storico che rasenta l’ucronia, ed un pizzico da fantasy, tanto per gradire, così li ho comprati tempo addietro in edizione economica per poi leggerli saltuariamente.



Si stavano dirigendo verso quella che sembrava una goletta attraccata a un molo, intorno alla quale si erano radunati degli uomini, Non era facile distinguere il vascello perche un telo appeso a poppa ne nascondeva il nome.
Ciononostante, quando vidi che era li che stavano andando, credetti d'aver capito di cosa si trattava. Pensai d'aver intuito le sue intenzioni.

Purtroppo i primi tre libri della saga non mi hanno impressionato particolarmente, ma fortunatamente dal quarto in poi le cose sono decisamente migliorate e questo Black Flag, anch’esso ispirato all’omonimo videogioco, si è rivelato essere a mani basse il più bello della serie a mio giudizio.



Io mi lasciai trasportare dall'immaginazione annegata nella birra.
Quando la guardai, scuoteva la testa. Lei non mi vedeva.
E l'indomani, quando fui di nuovo sobrio, non mi vidi più nemmeno io.

Siamo pur sempre dinanzi alla trasposizione su carta di una avventura videoludica, ma le vicende di Edward Kenway, giovane pecoraio gallese dal carattere ribelle e rissoso, ubriacone e donnaiolo, che non rassegnandosi al suo destino finirà per imbarcarsi spinto dall’amore per l’avventura e dall’avidità, diventando prima corsaro, poi pirata, e finalmente Assassino suo malgrado, si leggono davvero che é un piacere, tanto che le ultime duecento pagine sono volate via quasi senza interruzioni, ed alcune scene a dir poco memorabili, quali la gloriosa morte di Barbanera, l’esilarante processo alle piratesse Anne Bonny e Mary Read, e soprattutto l’intenso e straziante confronto finale tra Edward e sua madre, rimarranno a lungo con me.



Era un gigante addormentato e nonostante mi lasciasse perplesso l'assoluta mancanza di attività, provai lo stesso suggestione al cospetto
di un vascello tanto altezzoso. Su quei ponti avrei servito. Nelle amache sottocoperta avrei dormito. Quelli erano gli alberi su cui mi sarei arrampicato. Stavo contemplando la mia nuova casa.

Un romanzo atipico della saga, dove il conflitto millenario tra Assassini e Templari rimane quasi sullo sfondo, messo in secondo piano dall’età dell’oro della pirateria, con tutto il suo appassionante carico di duelli, battaglie navali e granguignolesca violenza, che qualche volta rasenta quasi la più truculenta macelleria, con un protagonista a dir poco deprecabile che però migliora a poco a poco, per diventare alla fine un vero Assassino e, soprattutto, un uomo.



Sull'altra nave l'espressione degli uomini era cambiata. Un attimo prima ci guardavano con rancore, con ferocia, come se aspettassero il momento giusto per lanciare un astuto contrattacco. Come se noi fossimo un branco di farabutti e furfanti in procinto di essere spazzati via, da quei cani rognosi che eravamo.
Ora invece nei loro occhi c'era puro terrore: che dopo il capitano toccasse anche a loro.

In teoria un prequel del libro precedente, ma secondo me perfettamente godibile anche senza aver letto quelli precedenti, e che mi é piaciuto al punto da darvi quasi cinque stelle piene, nonostante la quasi totale assenza di descrizioni fisiche dei personaggi, al punto che ogni tanto andavo a cercarmi qualche spezzone del videogioco su YouTube, la solita interminabile serie di quest ed antagonisti del protagonista non proprio memorabili, e dulcis in fundo un paio di fastidiosi refusi, ma dopo tutto più che perdonabili in proporzione con il numero di pagine.



Ci fu una detonazione e nella sua fronte si aprì un foro.
Spalancò la bocca, cadde in ginocchio ferito e subito dopo stramazzò morto.
Quando riuscii a vedere di nuovo abbastanza bene, vidi Thatch che mi aiutava a rimettermi in piedi con una mano.
Nell'altra impugnava una pistola ancora calda.
«Ho un posto libero nel mio equipaggio, ragazzo», disse. «Lo vuoi prendere tu?»

Diciamo che sono quattro stelle di fatto, ma di pancia, gonfia, pelosa e piena di rum da quattro soldi, con un paio di pistole messe alla cintola, per quanto riguarda intrattenimento ed emozioni che questo libro mi ha regalato, ne darei anche cinque.



Io finalmente potei riprendere fiato e sostai lì dov'ero ansimante, accaldato in quella veste troppo pesante, ma soddisfatto d'essermi ben comportato. E quando Bonnet mi ringraziò dicendo: «Per la grazia di Dio, signore, voi mi avete salvato. Accogliete la mia infinita gratitudine!» non era Edward Kenway, il pecoraio di Bristol, l'uomo che stava ringraziando. Io ero rinato a nuova vita. Ora ero Duncan Walpole.

Ma sì, che siano cinque. Aye!



Colonna sonora consigliata:

Brian Tyler - Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag (Original Soundtrack)

Klaus Badelt, Hans Zimmer - Pirates Of The Caribbean (Original Soundtrack)

Craig Armstrong, The Tiger Lillies - Plunkett & Macleane (Original Soundtrack)



«Tu mi hai umiliato una volta e io ho incassato quella dura lezione e ne ho fatto tesoro per migliorare me stesso...» gli dissi. «Muori sapendo che a dispetto di tutti i nostri conflitti, hai contribuito a fare di un delinquente un
soldato.»
Lo finii ascoltando il flaccido suono liquido della mia lama che lo trafiggeva.

[Markus · Rating 2 out of 5]

Unpopular opinion apparently: Assassin's Creed: Black Flag is the worst game I've played in the series so far, and I found it so dreadfully tedious I decided to finish the story by reading the rest in the tie-in novel instead.

I've owned a copy of this book since it came out after receiving it as a thoughtful gift from an old friend, and have since neglected it due to a loss of interest in the series dating back to those very days. And so, when I decided to return to Assassin's Creed after a nearly 9-year absence, I started with Black Flag, having already bought the game years ago in a sale somewhere. Saying I lost interest in it would be inaccurate, as I never gained any in the first place. The book, although a noble attempt to salvage a clumsily told story while staying somewhat entertaining, falls unfortunately short of its goal.

In neither media is Black Flag a particularly good Assassin's Creed story (those exist!). But the biggest reason I enjoyed neither the game nor the book is not Assassin-related, but rather pirate-related. Because whether or not it is fair to judge a story by comparison to another that was released after it, both instances of Assassin's Creed: Black Flag are so astoundingly far surpassed by the TV series Black Sails, which tells what is essentially the same story, that there is essentially no narrative need for them anymore.

[Heidi (Heidi's Bookish Adventures) · Rating 2 out of 5]

These just seem to be getting worse as time goes on. We're definitely a long way from Renaissance which I thought was extremely enjoyable. I very much like Black Flag as a video game but this book was barely readable. The writing was amateur and the plot was boring. Stealth missions from the game felt awkward and clumsy in writing. Edward Kenway was not a likeable character. The whole thing fell flat. I've definitely read worse books than this, hence the two star rating but I didn't really enjoy it much.

[Monique Snyman · Rating 4 out of 5]

When it comes to books that are based on video games, I am reluctant and overly cautious. Let’s face it, Paul W.S. Anderson didn’t exactly stick to the game’s plot with the Resident Evil franchise, but at least it’s better than Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, which failed miserably in my opinion. Of course, those are movies based on games, but you get the idea, right? In the past, I’ve read quite a few books that were based on video games though (mostly the Magic: The Gathering books), and most of the time I was left feeling slightly deflated in the end. So when I got Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag by Oliver Bowden I rolled my eyes and sighed melodramatically, because I thought it would be pretty much the same as any other game-related novel. I was wrong.

Oliver Bowden, a veteran author and apparently a gamer too, has written six novelizations of the Assassin’s Creed game thus far (Black Flag being the newest one of the lot) and from what I gather, the books are quite close to following the game’s plot. Now, I’ve not played Assassin’s Creed, so I’m not really sure about whether this is true or not, but according to what I’ve read in Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag, I must admit that I’m curious about the game and the I would really like to get my hands on the other books in the series.

What I found particularly surprising was how quickly the book drew me in. The beautiful descriptions and action-packed scenes will definitely attract a lot of readers, but it’s the adventure that sold me at the end of the day. You see, when it’s all been done before it’s difficult to keep your readership entertained from the beginning to the end and stick to a predetermined plot, but somehow Oliver Bowden did it and he was able to gain a new reader in the process. In fact, I’m starting to think that with the right director, even the Assassin’s Creed film (which is currently in the works) may not be too shabby either. Not that I’m holding my breath just yet, but if the books are this good, maybe the film won’t let gamers down as much as we thought.

So, yes. Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag was definitely worth a read, but it’s hard for me to recommend it to people, because some gamers may enjoy it whereas others will probably hate it. However, if you’re in the mood for a good adventure and just a cool read, then maybe this will be right up your alley. Forget that the book is based on a game and just read it for the hell of it and you’ll enjoy it, that much I am certain of…

(review originally posted on www.killeraphrodite.com)

[Robert Palmer · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book was a serviceable adventure but it left a lot to be desired. In many places the judicial application of dilligent editing was required but failed to appear. Sentences--nearly identical ones--appeared just a paragraph or two below their doppelgangers. Also, the latter portion of the story skips by so fast that all of the character growth is force-fed rather than natural.

And, because this is a video game franchise tie-in, the author had to deal with somethings that don't translate well (or were missing from the source material) such as how a drunkedn pirate can pass himself off as a skilled assasin withno training what-so-ever.

I wanted this to be good but it fell below. Still, I finished it. That coutns for soemthing.

[C.T. Phipps · Rating 3 out of 5]

I recently read (and reviewed) Asassin's Creed: Forsaken and enjoyed the novel tremendously. While I was hoping for a review of Connor Kenway's adventures, what I got was even better with the complete history of Assassin-child turned Templar Haytham Kenway. Assassin's Creed: Black Flag is my favorite of the Assassin's Creed games and it was my hope that its novelization would expand upon Edward Kenway's life in the same way Forsaken expanded on his son's.

Sadly, this is not the case.

I wouldn't say Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag's novelization is bad, but it's certainly underwhelming. Edward Kenway is a multi-faceted character who undergoes a large number of changes both morally as well as spiritually throughout the titular game.

Unfortunately, the novelization simplifies these changes and introduces a number of unnecessary subplots and justifications which muddy an already excellent story. In short, Oliver Bowden's story does not add to the story of Edward Kenway but takes from it.

Which is terrible.

The novelization begins with Edward Kenway's origins in the town of Bristol. The novelization takes pains to establish Edward Kenway is "technically" English as opposed to Welsh--something I automatically reduced the book's total score for. Edward's status as a Welshman not only has historical resonance but is a major part of his characterization.

Furthermore, Oliver Bowden adds a completely unnecessary revenge element to Edward Kenway's backstory. This version of Black Flag's protagonist is opposed to the Templars before he even knows what one is. Finally, I felt the game's unromanticized and surprisingly real relationship between him and Caroline Scott was made needlessly sentimental.

Really, the book comes at Edward Kenway's life with an apologetic tone. It treats the protagonist of the game, which is unflinching about the fact he's a complete bastard, with a series of excuses and half-measures.

Edward Kenway, who practically jumped at the chance to become a privateer, is forced into it at literal swordpointin the book. Given Edward Kenway is on a road to redemption, it undermines his story arc by making it so there's very little for him to atone for.

There's some decent parts to the novel, particularly in the relationship of Edward Kenway to Mary Read and Anne Bonny but I can't say any other characters benefited. Edward's relationship to Ben Horningold is undermined and his partnership with Blackbeard is altered, making the protagonist more of a subordinate. It just doesn't feel like the game and that's tragic when the game was awesome.

I won't spoil the novelization's ending but I actually had to stop myself from throwing the book against a wall. Oliver Bowden undermines Edward Kenway's final decision in the game and ties the novelization with Forsaken in an extremely heavy-handed way. For those who are fans of both the video game and Forsaken, this is the worst of both worlds.

I suggest readers save their money.

5/10

[Benjamin Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m always wary of attempting a novel based on a video game, especially a game I thoroughly enjoyed playing and with which I spent a lot of hours. This one does a reasonably good job of capturing the story of Edward Kenway, accidental pirate and eventual assassin. Lots of swashbuckling adventure, as expected, but the author doesn’t shy away from the introspective nature of Kenway and the path that he finds himself on.

It’s important to note that this is only the story of Kenway and not the rest that involves the “modern day” aspects of the game. There is no Desmond Miles, or Abstergo Industries mentioned; just the raw historical story of Kenway and his adventures. Because of this, all of the Assassin’s Creed novels can be read independently from one another. But the lore is there, the Caribbean settings, the Observatory, the “sage” etc.

I thought it followed the game pretty well and it was great fun to revisit those times and see once again his old friends and enemies, (many of them historical figures) such as James Kidd, Edward “Blackbeard” Thatch, Charles Vane, Adewale, Anne Bonny, Calico Jack Rackham, Benjamin Hornigold, Woodes Rodgers, and Bartholomew Rogers.

I’m not sure I would have enjoyed the novel as much if I had not played the game. While I could easily visualize the people, places, etc., I can imagine some readers not getting a clear picture of so many characters and how they fit together. Nevertheless, I enjoyed reading this and am glad I took a chance on it.

[Amir Akbari · Rating 5 out of 5]

دقیقا مثل بازیش این قسمت هم جذاب و شیرین بود
تجربه دریانوردی با دزدان سرشناس کاراییب، ک واقعا منو ب تاریخ دزدان دریایی علاقمند کرد

[~ jj. (the literary overdose)✨ · Rating 3 out of 5]

friend rec

I am by no means a gamer… like the closest thing you’ll get from me is roughly 20 minutes of manual labour (ensuring my friends are living on a weed free island) on Animal Crossing on a random Thursday evening, IF I remember that I do in-fact own a switch. However, my friend lent me this book that he swears to the Gods is amazing because he finished the entire game and knows all the lore and while I won’t be making that sort of commitment anytime soon, I enjoy a good book and dare I say - a challenge too.

rtc - when finished

[Xime García · Rating 2 out of 5]

All of these books are really bad at standing-alone books. They don't stand alone at all. I don't recall a single moment Bowden stopped to describe any of the characters' appearances, as if 'the model of the videogame exists so there's no point in me describing any of them, go figure'. The book fails to convey the life at sea except for that small fragment at the beginning where Edward describes the smell below the deck. All events happen at full speed, none of the discoveries are slowed down so the protagonist can sink in the moment, characters like Mary Read are underused and called "the most extraordinary woman I've ever met" without showing us what extraordinary things she's done - and this is because we come from the game and we know she's awesome, so yeah. A lot of tell, not much of showing, dialogues are quite cringy and the Spanish translation I read leaves much to be desired.
And yet, I can't stop reading these godawful books. They help me relax and don't force me to think much in stressful days. It does add a little of Edward's story before and after the events of the game, it fleshes out a bit (just a bit) his relationship with Caroline and his parents, and it shows us that he'd been involved with Templars and Assassins even before his first encounter with Duncan Walpole. It's a companion book rather than a novelization/adaptation, because it does lack in those areas. I'd recommend it only to hardcore fans of this game, because it's the only way to enjoy it, otherwise it falls flat in every aspect that makes a story compelling and believable.

[ضحى الحداد · Rating 3 out of 5]

So this book was kind of a prequel to the previous book as it talks about Edward Kennway, Haytham's father and his years when he became a pirate and how did he become an Assassin in the end
it was a nice pirate book and it gave me the real feeling of becoming a pirate, it is a nasty business indeed, Edward has a grey moral compass and that what made him interesting to me .. but he hurt a lot of innocent people who really cared about him and I was really annoyed by that .. the ending was abrupt as if the writer was trying to finish the book as soon as possible
but in the end it was a nice sea adventure but I can't count it as a part of the Assassin's Creed world because we didn't see much of the Assassin's or the Templars

[Aaron Golding · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really liked the story, but I found this book so difficult to read.
The sentence structure was terrible, and the whole book was full of errors (repeated sentences; spelling mistakes; grammatical errors etc.), it's almost as if there was never any input from an editor.
It is safe to say that I will never read another book by Oliver Bowden/Anton Gill, based on the woeful writing of this novel.

[Grace · Rating 4 out of 5]

An exciting read which I enjoyed a lot more than I thought I would!

[MeskaKsiazka · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wrażenia po zrobieniu rereada mam dokładnie takie same jak po pierwszym przeczytaniu tej książki. Uwielbiam klimat piratów i wszystkiego co z nimi związane, a Czarna Bandera jest kwintesencją akurat takiego klimatu, dodając do tego cudownie napisane postacie otrzymujemy książkę praktycznie idealną.

Czytając książkę czytelnik czuje się jakby uczestniczył w przygodach Edwarda nie tylko przez książkę, ale także jakby rzeczywiście z nim pływał na "Kawce". Dzięki takiemu przedstawieniu postaci Edwarda Kenway'a czytelnik czuje się jakby znał go od wieków, był jego przyjacielem i towarzyszył mu w każdej jego przygodzie. Obok fantastycznej postacie Edwarda, możemy także wspomnieć o Edwardzie Thatchu zwanym Czarnobrodym, Stade Bonnet-cie zwanym Piratem Dżentelmenem czy Benjaminie Hornigoldzie piracie, a następnie łowcy piratów. Postacie w "Czarnej Banderze" są na bardzo wysokim poziomie, co jest ogromnym plusem dla książki.

Kolejnym elementem książki jest fantastyczny klimat pirackiej stolicy czyli Nassau oraz brudnego i prostego angielskiego miasteczka czyli Bristolu. Wszystko to okraszone dużą ilością karaibskiego klimatu, oraz wieloma fantastycznymi opisami bitew morskich.

Fabuła książki jest ciekawa i dość nieprzewidywalna (jak to piraci) za co plusik. Jednak rzeczą charakterystyczną dla "Czarnej Bandery" jest motyw przejścia i zmiany z chłopca z marzeniami, przez majtka i kwatermistrza który wreszcie zostaje kapitanem, aż wreszcie u końca swojej drogi widzimy człowieka który zrozumiał cel życia i postanowił swoje życie zmienić. Jest to piękna przygoda pokazująca zmianę jaka zachodzi w człowieku w trakcie jego życia. Brak mi tutaj trochę więcej Assassyna w Assassynie, jednak widzimy człowieka który się nim stał i jego przemianę mimo jego wcześniejszej ogromnej niechęci do tegoż środowiska.

Dla mnie jest to książka wyjątkowa i na zawsze będę miał ją głęboko w sercu, a ocena 5/5 gwiazdek jest całkowicie zasłużona dla tej książki i zawartej w niej fantastycznej historii oraz charyzmatycznych postaci.

Oczywiście ja uwielbiający szczegóły nie mogę zapomnieć o spisie postaci, za co jak zwykle plus.

[Almas · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ugh to think I'd be giving something related to Assassin's Creed only two stars. That book was written terribly - the writing style in general was pretty weak, not to mention that the book was filled with errors and inconsistencies. Certain changes, understandably, had to be made from the game in order for this to work as a book, but this was done poorly and disrupted the flow of the story. It was also much too fast paced for my liking, again probably an issue with the translation from game to book (although without considerably increasing the length of the book I can't really see how this could have been avoided).
The one good feature would be the plot (where the changes didn't punch it full of holes) but of course that's more due to the writers of the game than the writer of the book. I did however like the beginning chapters that showed us Edward's life prior to the game. On the other hand I thought the ending (post-game) was weak and didn't make a lot of sense Edward basically putting himself at the full mercy of the Templars - does he not even consider that at least one of these 'business associates' they have introduced him to could be a Templar??

[Aera · Rating 1 out of 5]

A painful book to read. Even the audiobook was painful, although the narrator at least tried to make it interesting.

Edward is an extremely unlikeable character. When he's not getting drunk/actually drunk/passed out, he's perving on women, being a total hypocrite, or 'engaging his blade' to stab people.

The writing itself was kind of sloppy, and there were many spelling and grammar mistakes. What I assume are boss battles in the game were poorly and briefly described action scenes in the book.

For those who have not played the Assassin's Creed games, this was a poor attempt at drawing people in, as Edward spends more time scoffing about the lunacy of this secret society than actually attempting to learn more about them and allowing the reader to understand what's going on. He doesn't seem to care, which makes the reader also not want to care.

[Subaru8mysox · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book felt like a chore to read. I enjoyed the parts that didn't overlap with the game. Overall it felt rushed.

I also don't generally enjoy this authors writing style. I tried reading some of the previous books, but couldn't get through them. The only one I enjoyed was Forsaken, and I have a feeling that was because it focused on Haytham and wasn't just a rehashing of the game. Not sure I will read another Assassins Creed book from this author.

[Crystal Bensley · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice novel to read after finishing the game as some story and characters get filled in and explained.

[Natalie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Black Flag is a great game, but the novelization got a little dry in spots. Not my favorite in the series, but it was still an enjoyable read.

[Caleb Likes Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m very impressed. Given that I’d enjoyed the couple of other Assassin’s Creed novelizations I’d read a fair amount, I expected to like this one; however, I didn’t expect to absolutely love it.

Black Flag is arguably my favorite game in the series, and this book truly does it justice. The story of Black Flag in general is a good one, and well presented here. The story itself is interesting, drawing heavily on what is in the game while also expanding on it by including some extra scenes. Not only that, but there are large portions of this book that, as far as I know, are wholly original or at least not present in the game. The story of the game is present from Part 2 to Part 4, with the first ~130 pages and last ~35 being almost fully new. These parts were not only my favorite sections of the book, but also make it truly succeed as a novelization—it tells the original story, but also adds significantly to it in order to enhance that story. These additions really show Edward’s progression as a character and add some emotional high points to the book. I also really enjoyed how Edward was presented here. He’s a great character in the game, but this book tells it entirely from his perspective as if he’s telling you the story, and he has a strong sense of voice and character through this. The action is written fantastically, and the other characters are well done.

There’s very little I disliked about this book. There were sections I found less engaging, mostly in the later portions, which were still good but just not incredible to me. The presence of the typical Assassin’s Creed elements are handled well, but are honestly my least favorite part of the story—that said, the way they impact Edward’s arc is fantastic, so it still works.

Overall, a great book and a fantastic adaptation. This was a wonderful way to re-experience this story. Highly recommend for fans of the game, or even those who’ve never played it but want to experience this series in book form.

Rating: 9.5/10

[Tracy Smyth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. Great characters. The story flowed and kept me interested.

[Beatriz · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5*

[Anna · Rating 2 out of 5]

"- żaden człowiek nie ma łatwego życia, Edwardzie. najbardziej cierpi ten, kto sam wyrządza najwięcej cierpienia.".

No nie za bardzo mi podeszła ta część, podobnie jak poprzednia.

[Nora Linnea · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ikke noe for meg

[Set Sytes · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was... fine. There's a fair bit of heavy lifting for that 3 star rating done by the fact it's a pirate novel (all too rare, and part of the reason I ended up writing them myself), and based on one of my favourite games. But it could have been significantly better. It doesn't expand on the game as a novelisation should, rather the opposite, it shrinks it to the cliff notes. It's a pretty basic book that feels at fault for having to strictly follow the game. The early, pre-pirate part of the book, and the final, post-game part, are ironically the better written, no doubt because the author had more freedom to expand and slow down/pace well instead of just rapidly ticking off game moments.

The book just races through everything because it's trying to fit so much in a short space (I wouldn't be surprised if the author was told not to let it get beyond a certain length, for maximum marketability) that nothing is really given the appropriate weight or detail, especially when it comes to atmosphere and scene setting. Maybe it's also basic because it's trying to appeal to the widest audience it can, including those gamers who aren't usual readers and might have low attention spans.

There's also a few annoying repetitions in the book that really should have been captured by an editor. Specific phrases or sentences that are virtually identical to a recently previous one.

So yeah, it's fine, does the job it set out to do, but the story and world are much better captured in the game itself. Maybe I shouldn't have hoped for more from a game novelisation, though. I'll probably still read the Forsaken book at some point, as that's supposed to be the best and I am a big fan of AC3 too, but I have no interest in reading any more.

[Tristan Rocha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it. Honestly, it was better than the game. All the books are. Oliver Bowden converts the admittedly enjoyable yet occasionally dull or repetitive games into a truly fantastic story. While some people love Assassin's Creed for the gameplay and stunning visuals and mechanics, I personally love it for the story it tells. In fact, I would be fine if there were no games and it was just the book series only.

Black Flag tells the story of Edward Kenway, a brash, arrogant merchant's son from Bristol with a taste for women and beer. His pugilistic tendencies have led him to many a tavern brawl, but he soon gets on the wrong side of a very powerful organization: the Templars. The night before he departs to become a privateer in the West Indies, the Templars launch an attack on his home, burning it to the ground and leaving his family in ruins. Little does he know that their control reaches across oceans, and he is pulled into the age-old battle between the Templars and an even more mysterious group known only as the Assassins. Along his journey full of twists and turns he meets famous pirates such as Calico Jack, Mary Read, and even Blackbeard.

[William Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a sea loving scalleywag myself all I can say is I LOVED IT!

I first was introduced to the video game as I watched my wife play the campaign and I was immediately intrigued. Reading the novel (since I am no good or have the patience to be good at video games) was the best thing I could do to dive into this world.

In that world I not only found the action packed legends of pirates, orders, and empires but found myself subject to a greater morality and life lesson that hits you like all great stories do!

This book had
✅ great characters
✅ great world building
✅ great action
✅ moral decisions that make reader think “what would I do in that situation”
✅ slight romance
✅ Would highly recommend

[edel · Rating 2 out of 5]

I could have just played the game if I wanted to. The book follows the game very closely, minus the beginning and the end. I definitely appreciated the bits that weren't in the game but they were few and far between. If you're expecting to learn a little bit more about Edward, reading the first few chapters seems enough. And if you have no problem doing so, you can skim through the book if you want to.

[Michalis · Rating 3 out of 5]

*Read with Cautiousness*


The book generally is really good as a story , but until part four (4) it feels like it's a story of pirate society and only the story of Edward as a pirate.The Assassin part of him becomes noted at the end of book with a really good plot. The whole last part makes the ending perfect for what the story has offered the reader at the 3 first parts.