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Mortal Kombat
In fifth-century China, Kung Lao hides an amulet from the sorcerer Shang Tsung and the demon lord Shao Kahn, which a twentieth-century Kung Lao is forced to help find for a band of mercenaries working for Shang Tsung
293 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1995
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
May 15, 2021
I was very impressed with this book. I assumed any Mortal Kombat book would be a cheap retelling of the premise of the first Mortal Kombat game but in novel format, though this book proved to be much more than that.
The book tells the untold side of the Mortal Kombat tournament, generations before Mortal Kombat 1 (the game) takes place. The Great Kung Lao's story, one that is seldom told in the video game lore, is explained pretty nicely here and makes for quite an interesting read for longtime fans of the game.
Most of the book falls out of continuity with the video games at this point, but it was written in 1995, before many of the mainline Mortal Kombat games were released, so the lack of continuity is excusable. It was a unique experience reading this novel's backstories for well-established characters like Sub-Zero and Scorpion because they were so unique compared to their stories in the recent video games; it was as though I were reading about an alternate Mortal Kombat universe instead, but one totally worth checking out.
Despite these outdated backstories and characterizations of the now-famous characters of the video game franchise, the story told here is nevertheless a strong one and should be treated as its own thing, independent of any other source material, so as to avoid unfair comparisons between the video game stories and this book.
Overall, this was a fun book to read and is definitely a unique part of the Mortal Kombat franchise that any true fan of the video games would be remiss to pass up on.
And, please, DO NOT confuse this book with the Mortal Kombat movie novelization by Kevin Droney! That book is one of the worst things to desecrate the Mortal Kombat name since the trashfire that was Mortal Kombat (2021)! This is the better book by far and the only Mortal Kombat book as far as I'm concerned.
The book tells the untold side of the Mortal Kombat tournament, generations before Mortal Kombat 1 (the game) takes place. The Great Kung Lao's story, one that is seldom told in the video game lore, is explained pretty nicely here and makes for quite an interesting read for longtime fans of the game.
Most of the book falls out of continuity with the video games at this point, but it was written in 1995, before many of the mainline Mortal Kombat games were released, so the lack of continuity is excusable. It was a unique experience reading this novel's backstories for well-established characters like Sub-Zero and Scorpion because they were so unique compared to their stories in the recent video games; it was as though I were reading about an alternate Mortal Kombat universe instead, but one totally worth checking out.
Despite these outdated backstories and characterizations of the now-famous characters of the video game franchise, the story told here is nevertheless a strong one and should be treated as its own thing, independent of any other source material, so as to avoid unfair comparisons between the video game stories and this book.
Overall, this was a fun book to read and is definitely a unique part of the Mortal Kombat franchise that any true fan of the video games would be remiss to pass up on.
And, please, DO NOT confuse this book with the Mortal Kombat movie novelization by Kevin Droney! That book is one of the worst things to desecrate the Mortal Kombat name since the trashfire that was Mortal Kombat (2021)! This is the better book by far and the only Mortal Kombat book as far as I'm concerned.
June 30, 2023
As a Mortal Kombat junkie, this as been in my book collection for several years, serving as shelf candy. I finally decided to give it a go and was very entertained.
First, don't come to the book expecting any Canon story lines. Luckily, even the games are not Canon and the MK mythos is constantly being reinvented from entry to entry. It can be confusing. But it gives each entry in to the MK universe a chance to stand alone with out being bound by its own Canon. There for, this book stands as a fun adventure featuring most of the OG MK cast.
Sadly, my favorite character didn't even get a mention (Johnny Cage). However, this book gave us a great look in to ancestral Kung Lao and his journey. Presumably, the same Kung Lao from MK: Konquest. A character that has appeared in many mentions, like this book, and the show but is surprisingly lacking from the games.
The best part of this book is the idea of Goro arriving in a trench coat and bowler cap to recruit Kano to Shang Tsungs forces. I laughed hysterically at this idea.
The first half of the book, featuring the ancestral Kung Lao was by far the best part. And I believe the author has a profound respect from the myths and legends that he used to build the world.
With that said, the second half of the book gets a little ridiculous and repetitive. As the main fighters keep getting tangled in battle, but making no real progress until the climax.
All in all, I enjoyed this much more than I would have expected. If you keep your expectations grounded, I would recommend to any MK fan.
Link to my YouTube video review
https://youtu.be/eOBi98GKznA
First, don't come to the book expecting any Canon story lines. Luckily, even the games are not Canon and the MK mythos is constantly being reinvented from entry to entry. It can be confusing. But it gives each entry in to the MK universe a chance to stand alone with out being bound by its own Canon. There for, this book stands as a fun adventure featuring most of the OG MK cast.
Sadly, my favorite character didn't even get a mention (Johnny Cage). However, this book gave us a great look in to ancestral Kung Lao and his journey. Presumably, the same Kung Lao from MK: Konquest. A character that has appeared in many mentions, like this book, and the show but is surprisingly lacking from the games.
The best part of this book is the idea of Goro arriving in a trench coat and bowler cap to recruit Kano to Shang Tsungs forces. I laughed hysterically at this idea.
The first half of the book, featuring the ancestral Kung Lao was by far the best part. And I believe the author has a profound respect from the myths and legends that he used to build the world.
With that said, the second half of the book gets a little ridiculous and repetitive. As the main fighters keep getting tangled in battle, but making no real progress until the climax.
All in all, I enjoyed this much more than I would have expected. If you keep your expectations grounded, I would recommend to any MK fan.
Link to my YouTube video review
https://youtu.be/eOBi98GKznA
October 13, 2021
I see that Jeff kinda gave up on writing half way in.
Still, one of the better video game novelizations.
—
To elaborate: jeff spent a lot of time in the exposition. His Kung Lao Elder story was written really well. Then for the next half of the story, it was as if he realized “oh shit I gotta bring in more familiar and fan popular characters” whereupon then he crowds in character after character with very minimal introduction.
Don’t do that, man.
Ya sure, fans would know Liu Kang and Kano and Sonya already and so /introductions/ are not necessary. But the joy of video game novels isn’t reading action stories about 3v3 fights on Shang Tsung’s island (heck, we can play the level IN GAME), the joy is when you get to learn more about individual character motivations and development that goes beyond what the game gives us.
I mean, Raiden is just all-around asshole, not much to be written abt him.
But Liu Kang! Kung Lao! SCORPION?! Cmon
I love the fact that Reptile shows up and all he gets is “outworlder ninja who spits acid”. Ok thanks. We know.
Goro is just a dumbass four-armed shokan with +100 strength. Hello?!!! I want to know why he submits to Shang Tsung when his first entrance was so belligerent and i-dont-listen-to-noone; then timeskip and bam hes Shang’s little puppy.
And, lmao, Shao Khan. Why this guy waiting for Shang Tsung (who’s proved himself to be fking useless) for three thousand years only to be let down ONCE AGAIN and his only response to Shang was “ok hold another MK tournament”. Bruh….
Sub-zero showed up for 20 pages then fucked off. So true bestie.
Sonya and her inconsequential “my fiance is dead bc of you” backstory, then roundhouse kicking some bricks. Apparently thats the extent of her character.
Kano, like the 2021 MK movie, carried a lot of the banters on his back. Its just that easy to write an asshole Australian mercenary eh. Reflections of the writers themselves lol.
I still think the DC comic MKX was the best MK story. (But that’s because i am biased for Mileena and Dvorah content)
Still, one of the better video game novelizations.
—
To elaborate: jeff spent a lot of time in the exposition. His Kung Lao Elder story was written really well. Then for the next half of the story, it was as if he realized “oh shit I gotta bring in more familiar and fan popular characters” whereupon then he crowds in character after character with very minimal introduction.
Don’t do that, man.
Ya sure, fans would know Liu Kang and Kano and Sonya already and so /introductions/ are not necessary. But the joy of video game novels isn’t reading action stories about 3v3 fights on Shang Tsung’s island (heck, we can play the level IN GAME), the joy is when you get to learn more about individual character motivations and development that goes beyond what the game gives us.
I mean, Raiden is just all-around asshole, not much to be written abt him.
But Liu Kang! Kung Lao! SCORPION?! Cmon
I love the fact that Reptile shows up and all he gets is “outworlder ninja who spits acid”. Ok thanks. We know.
Goro is just a dumbass four-armed shokan with +100 strength. Hello?!!! I want to know why he submits to Shang Tsung when his first entrance was so belligerent and i-dont-listen-to-noone; then timeskip and bam hes Shang’s little puppy.
And, lmao, Shao Khan. Why this guy waiting for Shang Tsung (who’s proved himself to be fking useless) for three thousand years only to be let down ONCE AGAIN and his only response to Shang was “ok hold another MK tournament”. Bruh….
Sub-zero showed up for 20 pages then fucked off. So true bestie.
Sonya and her inconsequential “my fiance is dead bc of you” backstory, then roundhouse kicking some bricks. Apparently thats the extent of her character.
Kano, like the 2021 MK movie, carried a lot of the banters on his back. Its just that easy to write an asshole Australian mercenary eh. Reflections of the writers themselves lol.
I still think the DC comic MKX was the best MK story. (But that’s because i am biased for Mileena and Dvorah content)
October 6, 2013
i play mortal kombat and i want to read this book but i dont know how to
October 1, 2020
I originally won a copy of this in a white elephant gift exchange and then put it in a local free library, and I had to rebuy it for my book group discussion. I pity the person who took it out and read it with hope in their heart.
I remember the original controversy about Mortal Kombat's bloody combat, which seems laughable now in an era when video game artists are getting PTSD from using real corpses as reference images, but I was never that familiar with it. I played it a couple times at a friend's house, never got into the background, and never saw the Mortal Kombat movie. Then my book group voted on this book, the novelization of the movie version of the game, and it started out pretty promising! The beginning has the creation of the world, then moves into China 1500 years ago where Kung Lao is chosen by the thunder god Rayden [sic] as his champion to fight in the Mortal Kombat tournament.
This is where the problems start. The book skips over Kung Lao winning the tournament a dozen times and later jumps 1500 years into the future, and then characters are repeatedly introduced one after the other so quickly that I thought I was looking at the character select screen while Techno Syndrome was playing. None of the characters really get any kind of personality except "evil" or "good" and all of them are tossing off one-liners which I assume are directly taken from the movie dialogue. It's when I got to this line:
There's a dilemma with media based on games, which is that the systems of rules that make a good game have nothing to do with making a good story but people assume the world works like the game does. This shows up a lot in the D&D novels, where the writer has to put the characters in realistic danger even if by the rules they're so high-level that they'd be nearly immune to attacks from average goblins or could survive a fall from orbit. Here there's an additional step of adaptation filtration--depicting the various special moves on the silver screen when one of Mortal Kombat's draws is that the game used motion-captured real people instead of sprites is an obvious choice, but when that's written down it just becomes an endless slog of a dozen people all punching and kicking each other, none of which I care about because I've barely spent any time with anyone other than Kung Lao and Shang Tsung, the two people who fight the least in the entire book.
On top of all that, the conflict just fizzles out at the end, with Shang Tsung effectively saying "Good show, but I'll get you next time, ohohohoho" and the other characters letting him and his flunkies live even though he's a centuries-old monster. It's clearly being set up for the sequel movie which I just learned existed about fifteen minutes ago, but it has one of the most annoying justifications ever, the classic, "We can't kill him because then we'll be like him!" I missed the part where Rayden, Liu Kang, and Kung Lao were setting up a bloodsport to throw open the gates between worlds so that the Lord of Outworld could conquer the Earth and plunge it into unending suffering and fear, but maybe the reveal was hidden in a one-liner somewhere.
One liners like:
I remember the original controversy about Mortal Kombat's bloody combat, which seems laughable now in an era when video game artists are getting PTSD from using real corpses as reference images, but I was never that familiar with it. I played it a couple times at a friend's house, never got into the background, and never saw the Mortal Kombat movie. Then my book group voted on this book, the novelization of the movie version of the game, and it started out pretty promising! The beginning has the creation of the world, then moves into China 1500 years ago where Kung Lao is chosen by the thunder god Rayden [sic] as his champion to fight in the Mortal Kombat tournament.
This is where the problems start. The book skips over Kung Lao winning the tournament a dozen times and later jumps 1500 years into the future, and then characters are repeatedly introduced one after the other so quickly that I thought I was looking at the character select screen while Techno Syndrome was playing. None of the characters really get any kind of personality except "evil" or "good" and all of them are tossing off one-liners which I assume are directly taken from the movie dialogue. It's when I got to this line:
"Just using a Torpedo and Throw combination," the Thunder God saidthat I stopped being able to take anything happening seriously. I'm sure if I were more familiar with the games, I would have recognized the descriptions of the moves.
There's a dilemma with media based on games, which is that the systems of rules that make a good game have nothing to do with making a good story but people assume the world works like the game does. This shows up a lot in the D&D novels, where the writer has to put the characters in realistic danger even if by the rules they're so high-level that they'd be nearly immune to attacks from average goblins or could survive a fall from orbit. Here there's an additional step of adaptation filtration--depicting the various special moves on the silver screen when one of Mortal Kombat's draws is that the game used motion-captured real people instead of sprites is an obvious choice, but when that's written down it just becomes an endless slog of a dozen people all punching and kicking each other, none of which I care about because I've barely spent any time with anyone other than Kung Lao and Shang Tsung, the two people who fight the least in the entire book.
On top of all that, the conflict just fizzles out at the end, with Shang Tsung effectively saying "Good show, but I'll get you next time, ohohohoho" and the other characters letting him and his flunkies live even though he's a centuries-old monster. It's clearly being set up for the sequel movie which I just learned existed about fifteen minutes ago, but it has one of the most annoying justifications ever, the classic, "We can't kill him because then we'll be like him!" I missed the part where Rayden, Liu Kang, and Kung Lao were setting up a bloodsport to throw open the gates between worlds so that the Lord of Outworld could conquer the Earth and plunge it into unending suffering and fear, but maybe the reveal was hidden in a one-liner somewhere.
One liners like:
"Sorry to cut out on you like this," she sneered, "But I’ve got a hot date." She ran one of the somber black-hooded figures through. "Get my point, laughing boy."I'm sure this is an okay movie. It's a bad book.
February 18, 2024
this book was not good lmao.
it diverts way too much from canon. i was talking about it to my brother since we're both fans of the videogames and we were laughing so much at how different the book is. like, just a few examples: scorpion's real name is tsui (??? what 😭), he's chinese, liu kang is in the special forces together with sonya.. i could go on and on. it just takes the characters whom i know and love and writes them inaccurately and out of character. i feel like this a reocurring phenomenon in videogame novelizations: they hire a guy who has never played the game, hand him a script/summary and wish him luck rather than just hiring a guy who knows the source material. it just feels cheap.
but even if we ignore the insane amount of inaccuracies regarding the source material, the book itself is just not good. it's too boring. there's wayyy too much buildup and little to no action. literally the only interesting part was the climax. the ending was also HORRIBLE to boot.
so yeah. i'm always skeptical about videogame novelizations and this one proved my beginning doubts of it not being good. it is a strong disservice to the mortal kombat games and is not a good book on its own either.
it diverts way too much from canon. i was talking about it to my brother since we're both fans of the videogames and we were laughing so much at how different the book is. like, just a few examples: scorpion's real name is tsui (??? what 😭), he's chinese, liu kang is in the special forces together with sonya.. i could go on and on. it just takes the characters whom i know and love and writes them inaccurately and out of character. i feel like this a reocurring phenomenon in videogame novelizations: they hire a guy who has never played the game, hand him a script/summary and wish him luck rather than just hiring a guy who knows the source material. it just feels cheap.
but even if we ignore the insane amount of inaccuracies regarding the source material, the book itself is just not good. it's too boring. there's wayyy too much buildup and little to no action. literally the only interesting part was the climax. the ending was also HORRIBLE to boot.
so yeah. i'm always skeptical about videogame novelizations and this one proved my beginning doubts of it not being good. it is a strong disservice to the mortal kombat games and is not a good book on its own either.
May 18, 2023
eponymous sentence:
p38: That second year was devoted to Kung Lao's indoctrination into the ways of the Order of Light, his first exposure to the collected writings of scholars and holy figures from different eras and from around the world, and his introduction to the daunting, exhilarating, mystical ordeal of Mortal Kombat--the great tournament held in the Shaolin Temple on the slopes of Mt. Takashi on the island of Shimura in the East China Seas.
spelling:
p36: It didn't seem as though it had been a decade and a half since he had first set eyes on Rayden--or, at least, the seven-foot-tall human shape the fearsome thunder god assumed when he descended from the clouds around Mt. Ifukube to move among mortals.
p115: One of them, a young boy, had one end of a noose around his beck and a submachine gun pointed in his direction.
p126:
His top two hnds reached for Rayden's neck, but the Thunder God dropped down, extended his legs straight before him, placed the bottoms of his feet against Goro's belly, and used the giant's own momentum to lift him up and flip him over.
ocr:
p83: The other villain&--
Raiden's name wasn't even spelled right.
p38: That second year was devoted to Kung Lao's indoctrination into the ways of the Order of Light, his first exposure to the collected writings of scholars and holy figures from different eras and from around the world, and his introduction to the daunting, exhilarating, mystical ordeal of Mortal Kombat--the great tournament held in the Shaolin Temple on the slopes of Mt. Takashi on the island of Shimura in the East China Seas.
spelling:
p36: It didn't seem as though it had been a decade and a half since he had first set eyes on Rayden--or, at least, the seven-foot-tall human shape the fearsome thunder god assumed when he descended from the clouds around Mt. Ifukube to move among mortals.
p115: One of them, a young boy, had one end of a noose around his beck and a submachine gun pointed in his direction.
p126:
His top two hnds reached for Rayden's neck, but the Thunder God dropped down, extended his legs straight before him, placed the bottoms of his feet against Goro's belly, and used the giant's own momentum to lift him up and flip him over.
ocr:
p83: The other villain&--
Raiden's name wasn't even spelled right.
January 4, 2019
This is the story I want to see adapted into a live-action MK film. Rovin's writing is colourful, playful, and his action scenes are the ultimate fan service. Brilliant!
May 1, 2013
It was a unique Mortal Kombat story that used the characters in a way you'll never see again in print. Overall I guess that makes it a bit special. :-P
July 24, 2018
Dont read this.
October 24, 2024
(FYI I tend to only review one book per series, unless I want to change my scoring by 0.50 or more of a star. -- I tend not to read reviews until after I read a book, so I go in with an open mind.)
I'm finally going through my physical tv, film etc. tie in library owned book list, to add more older basic reviews. If I liked a book enough to keep then they are at the least a 3 star.
I'm only adding one book per author and I'm not going to re-read every book to be more accurate, not when I have 1000s of new to me authors to try (I can't say no to free books....)
First time read the author's work?: Yes
Will you be reading more?: Yes
Would you recommend?: Yes
------------
How I rate Stars: 5* = I loved (must read all I can find by the author)
4* = I really enjoyed (got to read all the series and try other books by the author).
3* = I enjoyed (I will continue to read the series)
or
3* = Good book just not my thing (I realised I don't like the genre or picked up a kids book to review in error.)
All of the above scores means I would recommend them!
-
2* = it was okay (I might give the next book in the series a try, to see if that was better IMHO.)
1* = Disliked
Note: adding these basic 'reviews' after finding out that some people see the stars differently than I do - hoping this clarifies how I feel about the book. :-)
I'm finally going through my physical tv, film etc. tie in library owned book list, to add more older basic reviews. If I liked a book enough to keep then they are at the least a 3 star.
I'm only adding one book per author and I'm not going to re-read every book to be more accurate, not when I have 1000s of new to me authors to try (I can't say no to free books....)
First time read the author's work?: Yes
Will you be reading more?: Yes
Would you recommend?: Yes
------------
How I rate Stars: 5* = I loved (must read all I can find by the author)
4* = I really enjoyed (got to read all the series and try other books by the author).
3* = I enjoyed (I will continue to read the series)
or
3* = Good book just not my thing (I realised I don't like the genre or picked up a kids book to review in error.)
All of the above scores means I would recommend them!
-
2* = it was okay (I might give the next book in the series a try, to see if that was better IMHO.)
1* = Disliked
Note: adding these basic 'reviews' after finding out that some people see the stars differently than I do - hoping this clarifies how I feel about the book. :-)
September 25, 2025
If you are a fan of Mortal Kombat this is a good time (and no this is not the novelization of the movie)
Rovin makes an interesting and fun story out of the very bare bones mythology around these characters up to that point (only 2 games had been released). Every character except 3 are either in the book or mentioned. It's also a quick read which you would want out of this sort of thing.
Weirdly the Mortal Kombat tournament is not really int his book. One tournament is in the lead up chapter but the present day stuff with all the characters we know has nothing of the sort. They allude that a sequel book would be about a tournament but that never happened.
Also there is a lack of gore/fatalities. The characters do a lot of their signature moves in the battles which is fun but otherwise the battles are fairly tame. It's just sort of weird that Mortal Kombat, a video game known for it's blood and gore, would have a book that is so neutered in that regard.
Rovin makes an interesting and fun story out of the very bare bones mythology around these characters up to that point (only 2 games had been released). Every character except 3 are either in the book or mentioned. It's also a quick read which you would want out of this sort of thing.
Weirdly the Mortal Kombat tournament is not really int his book. One tournament is in the lead up chapter but the present day stuff with all the characters we know has nothing of the sort. They allude that a sequel book would be about a tournament but that never happened.
Also there is a lack of gore/fatalities. The characters do a lot of their signature moves in the battles which is fun but otherwise the battles are fairly tame. It's just sort of weird that Mortal Kombat, a video game known for it's blood and gore, would have a book that is so neutered in that regard.
April 4, 2019
As a huge fan of the video game series and its lore, this novel was below average quality. Events take place before the first tournament. Kung Lao seems to be the protagonist which is ironic since he wasn't featured in the first game, but I get why he was used as the main character, because he’s a descendant of the Great Kung Lao who’s often referenced and is said to have achieved victory in prior tournament(s). Other main characters include the first game’s roster and Shao Khan. I can’t particularly point fingers at the areas which I disliked. I didn’t like the overall theme and setting. It felt dull and slightly boring. I was hoping for something a lot more interactive and exciting and more reference to the series lore, but at least this one is better than other two MK novels.
May 4, 2021
A fun window into the earliest attempts at world-building, outside the game itself. Here, we get a loose backstory to the tournament as seen in the first game, with a few cameos from MK2. Although an official novelisation, later games were in no way beholden to the events that take place here, so this cannot be considered canon if you care about such things (and some of the characterisation seems way off, especially the wise-cracking Liu Kang). However, it has a fun 'Saturday Morning Cartoon' vibe, apart from the occasional bloody death.
My favourite bit was when Baraka plans to use Sonya Blade's blood to paint a picture of Shang Tsung's favourite pigeon, because THAT's not the sort of thing you'd expect in a Mortal Kombat book.
My favourite bit was when Baraka plans to use Sonya Blade's blood to paint a picture of Shang Tsung's favourite pigeon, because THAT's not the sort of thing you'd expect in a Mortal Kombat book.
December 24, 2022
This novel is basically a prequel to the 1st MK game. I've always loved Mortal Kombat. It is easily the most brutal video game there is, without a doubt. Then I also watched the movies. Those were awesome. Low budget, and lots of action.
Then I bought this book. The book itself is a very good book. It is very neat to hear the story of how Mortal Kombat was created. But there was one question I had during the entire book: Where is Liu Kang? The book follows the story on Kung Lao(you know, the guy with the hat) instead of Liu Kang? Kung Lao is cool, but I was very disappointed. So don't assume the book is bad. But Jeff Rovin got some things wrong with the characters. So just keep this in mind.
Then I bought this book. The book itself is a very good book. It is very neat to hear the story of how Mortal Kombat was created. But there was one question I had during the entire book: Where is Liu Kang? The book follows the story on Kung Lao(you know, the guy with the hat) instead of Liu Kang? Kung Lao is cool, but I was very disappointed. So don't assume the book is bad. But Jeff Rovin got some things wrong with the characters. So just keep this in mind.
December 2, 2022
Starts with some in-depth and pretty cool mythology and world building, but before long falls down a mountain of cliche, low stakes, and just general what-the-fuckery.
Want to listen to PixelLit's full talkthrough of this book? Subscribe anywhere podcasts are found or click below:
https://pixellitpod.com/mortal-kombat...
https://pixellitpod.com/mortal-kombat...
https://pixellitpod.com/mortal-kombat-3/
Want to listen to PixelLit's full talkthrough of this book? Subscribe anywhere podcasts are found or click below:
https://pixellitpod.com/mortal-kombat...
https://pixellitpod.com/mortal-kombat...
https://pixellitpod.com/mortal-kombat-3/
February 26, 2025
I read it for a book report back in 5th grade. I honestly don’t remember the book very well at all apart from the fact that it might’ve been pretty violent. I think it was a little too mature for me but i really don’t recall. I brought in a bunch of ninja action figures and a toy battle axe to class for my book report to kinda display the action and intensity of the book. That’s really all i remember.
October 25, 2018
I have fond memories of this title because I was about 12 years old when I read it. It may even be the first full length book I read that wasn't required by my English teacher. At this point it doesn't matter how well written it was because my memory tells me it was great! I shouldn't have to mention that I was obsessed with the video game, but I will and I have.
May 23, 2019
Book started off with some promise, not great, but it was an interesting interpretation, delving into Chinese mythology and folklore.
Then once all the characters got together, it all fell apart. Everything became super cheesy super fast, especially with all of the shoehorned references to game mechanics.
Then once all the characters got together, it all fell apart. Everything became super cheesy super fast, especially with all of the shoehorned references to game mechanics.
May 2, 2020
This is not a long book, but if you are a fan of Mortal Kombat, then you need to read this novel. The novel featured the main characters in Mortal Kombat. The story is jot that thrilling, but enough as a preliminary knowledge into the world of Mortal Kombat.
March 13, 2022
I'm a big fan of Mortal Kombat and went into this not knowing what it was going to be.
And I loved it. I loved that it wasn't a novelization of either movie and the story really added to the mythos of the MK universe. If you like Mortal Kombat, this is required reading.
And I loved it. I loved that it wasn't a novelization of either movie and the story really added to the mythos of the MK universe. If you like Mortal Kombat, this is required reading.
June 27, 2023
If you in the mood for spray cheese ultimate campiness - well, look no further
It the book good? No
Is the book decent? No. Just No.
But I wasn't expecting it to be and it got MANY an unexpected laugh.
Worth the scouring on the internet it took to find this little gem
It the book good? No
Is the book decent? No. Just No.
But I wasn't expecting it to be and it got MANY an unexpected laugh.
Worth the scouring on the internet it took to find this little gem
January 5, 2019
It's okay for what it is.
January 8, 2020
A story based on Kung Lao and the origins of the tournament versus a retelling of the game's iconic characters that you would expect to be told.
October 5, 2020
It started out promising, but fell apart quickly after the fast forwarding of 1500 years and the introduction to at least a dozen characters.
June 24, 2021
This book is too crazy with very strange happenings.
May 2, 2022
A hilarious romp through the world of mortal Kombat. Written before the game had much story, and boy it's a fun one.
June 13, 2022
two stars b/c the author did my boy hamachi dirty. justice for hamachi
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 1, 2016
***I purchased a copy of this book for my own enjoyment, and with no expectation of a review.***
I bought this book when it was first released, many moons ago. Thanks to a rekindled love affair with the most recent game I decided to give Rovin’s book a reread. Nostalgia at its finest.
This book is a proper novel, rather than a novelisation, and the writing reflects it. I'm not really sure what happens when authors turn a hand to novelising a movie or game. The writing always seems to fall flat, even from the best of authors. Thankfully, that's not the case here.
This story serves as a prequel, giving in-depth backstory to the origins of the tournament, and several of the main characters. The story starts with the first Kung Lao, following his participation in the tournament. Fast forward to the present, and we meet his descendant of the same name. Threads following Lui Kang, Kano, and Scorpion are woven in and tied neatly together.
There are variations from the game history, but nothing that set my teeth on edge. Games and comics, well you just expect deviations, great and small. That flexibility is part of the charm.
If you like action and adventure stories, or love the MK game franchise, you’re sure to enjoy Jeff Rovin’s Mortal Kombat novel.
I bought this book when it was first released, many moons ago. Thanks to a rekindled love affair with the most recent game I decided to give Rovin’s book a reread. Nostalgia at its finest.
This book is a proper novel, rather than a novelisation, and the writing reflects it. I'm not really sure what happens when authors turn a hand to novelising a movie or game. The writing always seems to fall flat, even from the best of authors. Thankfully, that's not the case here.
This story serves as a prequel, giving in-depth backstory to the origins of the tournament, and several of the main characters. The story starts with the first Kung Lao, following his participation in the tournament. Fast forward to the present, and we meet his descendant of the same name. Threads following Lui Kang, Kano, and Scorpion are woven in and tied neatly together.
There are variations from the game history, but nothing that set my teeth on edge. Games and comics, well you just expect deviations, great and small. That flexibility is part of the charm.
If you like action and adventure stories, or love the MK game franchise, you’re sure to enjoy Jeff Rovin’s Mortal Kombat novel.
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