Salvation

X-Men Mutant Empire #3

by Christopher Golden

Facing the loss of half their comrades with Magneto's latest successes in his creation of the Mutant Empire, the remaining X-Men are forced to team up with the U.S. government in an effort to reprogram the Sentinels.

Genres: Science Fiction, Marvel, X Men, Superheroes, Comics, Adventure, Fiction

288 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 1997

About the author

CHRISTOPHER GOLDEN is the New York Times bestselling, Bram Stoker Award-winning author of such novels as Road of Bones, Ararat, Snowblind, Of Saints and Shadows, and Red Hands. With Mike Mignola, he is the co-creator of the Outerverse comic book universe, including such series as Baltimore, Joe Golem: Occult Detective, and Lady Baltimore. As an editor, he has worked on the short story anthologies Seize the Night, Dark Cities, and The New Dead, among others, and he has also written and co-written comic books, video games, screenplays, and a network television pilot. Golden co-hosts the podcast Defenders Dialogue with horror author Brian Keene. In 2015 he founded the popular Merrimack Valley Halloween Book Festival. He was born and raised in Massachusetts, where he still lives with his family. His work has been nominated for the British Fantasy Award, the Eisner Award, and multiple Shirley Jackson Awards. For the Bram Stoker Awards, Golden has been nominated ten times in eight different categories. His original novels have been published in more than fifteen languages in countries around the world. Please visit him at www.christophergolden.com

Reviews

[Jay DeMoir · Rating 3 out of 5]

A decent conclusion

[Thee_ron_clark · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the third and final book in the Mutant Empire series, which I read as one novel.

The basic premise is that the X-Men are attempting to stop Magneto from starting a war between mutants and humans.

From his mutant stronghold in Manhatten, Magneto is gathering hundreds of mutants to his cause.

Outside of Manhatten, the military wait to be called to action.

An error causes an all-out conflict between the military and Magneto's forces while the X-Men attempt to bring order to the situation.

It wasn't a bad read. It wasn't childish in any manner (no more so than zombies and vampires I guess). I recommend it to fans of superheroes, The X-Men, Marvel comics, and pulp fiction.

[r. · Rating 4 out of 5]

If I read this trilogy again today, I would probably think it was completely disposable cash-in trash fiction composed mainly of melodrama and cheese.

BUT when I was about 14, I love the SHIT out of these three books. As in, read each one half a dozen times at least (and this final one probably twice as many times as that). And for that alone, I give it four stars.

It captivated my very adolescent sooooul.

[Mloy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great conclusion to the trilogy! :D

[Chris The Lizard from Planet X · Rating 4 out of 5]

The 3rd book in Christopher Golden’s X-Men Mutant Empire triology, "Salvation" wraps up the exciting series in true X-men fashion. Fast, decisive battles between heroes and foes, unexpected plot twists, government corruption, and fantastic surprises await the reader.

“Salvation" brings to a close the trilogy where Magneto, the X-men's arch-enemy, has taken control of New York City, now renamed Haven, as a free mutant state. Magneto, however, has even more grandiose plans: Haven is just the start of a world-spanning Mutant Empire. Only the X-men can stop him. In the previous 2 books, the X-men, faced against overwhelming odds, try to do that: most of the team is captured while the rest are on another mission. In book 3, they return, and attempt to not only rescue their team mates, but battle the forces of Magneto, which seem to grow by the hour. In the background, the US government considers the "final option" to the problem, leading to a ticking clock that can only end in oblivion.

In the previous books, Golden has orchastrated an elaborate tale of government corruption, mutant meglomania, and simple heroic measures that leaves the reader pleasantly surprised, breathless, and at times, shocked at what is perhaps a view of what the real world "could be" in terms of racial ideas and bigotry, evil versus good, and the human side of a person, be they mutant or human. It all comes to a climax in "Salvation".

Fast paced and full of action, "Salvation" leaves the reader (even if they are not familiar with the world of the X-men) feeling a sense of contiunity with the previous books, and for possible future books. Golden neatly and expertly portrays each character as they are known in the comics, giving a fair share of exposure time to the main characters. He also ties in what X-men fans know will happen in the future in the terms of Magneto's eventual state (For non-fans, Magneto's mind is eventually wiped by Xavier, leading eventually to the current "Onslaught" storyline).

Overall, X-Men: Salvation Is a must read for all hardcore X-men fans, and Marvel comic fans in general, I highly recommend the whole series.

[Brett · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am probably stating the obvious when I say this book is no masterpiece; I will say though that it is better than it needed to be. Salvation is the final book of the "Mutant Empire" trilogy featuring the X-Men. I read the first one of these when I was in high school. Lo, these decades later I have returned and finished the job.

These books that put comic characters into novel formats are weird creatures. They depend heavily on the reader being familiar with the characters already in order to understand the action of the book. Even though I was a comics nerd as a kid, there were some characters in the book that I had no recollection of, and it was very difficult for me to imagine what they were supposed to look like or how their powers were supposed to function. There is a reason that superhero stories are often told in graphic form; taking that aspect away makes it more difficult to relate the story in a coherent way.

Golden lays it on pretty heavily with the analogies between mutants in the story and real-life racism or homophobia. I have a fairly high tolerance for preachiness but even I was starting to be worn out by it towards the end of the book.

The strength of the book as compared to the previous volume is that now everyone is back on earth and we can ditch the boring storyline that had half the X-Men off the planet. The final escape/assault on the bad guys story is exciting enough reading, at least for a book of this kind that isn't really geared for mature readers. It was funny how frequently extreme violence was done to some bad guy character only to have it explicitly noted that they were merely knocked unconscious for the duration of the running time, but would ultimately no doubt recover.

Finishing this trilogy was essentially an exercise in nostalgia for me. I certainly would not recommend it as profitable to read today unless you have some of the same emotional attachment as me.

[Robert Giesenhagen · Rating 2 out of 5]

So what the fuck was the point of any of the Starjammer/Shiar stuff? It literally had no bearing on the story at all. It didn’t add extra tension as you were never worried that the others weren’t going to eventually show up and the Starjammers had no play in the endgame. What the fuck was the point?

Also, there are supposed to be hundreds, potentially thousands of mutants coming into or already in the city. Where are they, where are all the badass shitkicking mutants? Other than the Acolytes we get the fucking Blob, Pyro, Avalanche, the Toad and some random Marauders. That’s it. A bunch of nobodies and like 6 names. Also, the X-Men are numbered at 10, 11 if you count the Juggernaut. That’s it. 11 against thousands. And of course the X-Men wipe ass. It’s not believable. I’m sorry, I don’t give a shit how badass (lame) Wolverine is, it’s not fucking believable. They halfass attempted to bring in Havok & X-Factor but the X-Men number in hundreds counting all the reserves and tie-in teams. Shouldn’t this be an all hands on deck situation?

Lastly, this takes place in NYC. Every single Marvel hero operates in NYC. The Avengers, the Fantastic Four, Spider-Man, Daredevil etc, etc, etc…None of them were around? Absolutely none of them could be bothered? Fucking dumb.

I loved the setup to this story but there’s just way too many what the fucks to be great. Also, fuck Wolverine, he’s the dumbest character in the Marvel Universe.

[Ben Mariner · Rating 3 out of 5]

The final book in the Mutant Empire series. Again, this took me a long time to get through. Not sure why, but I kept struggling to want to make the time to sit down and read this one. I think my biggest issue was the fact that it was the third book. This could easily have been condensed into a single longer book instead of stretched out over three. They could have completely done away with the Shi'ar storyline and just focused on what was going on with Magneto. Since they didn't, I felt like it was dragging on a little.

That being said, it was still fairly enjoyable. Now that all of the X-Men were back on Earth, it was much more enjoyable to follow their adventures. I love the addition of the Juggernaut, because he's always been a kind of complex character and did some things that some people may not have expected in this book.

Overall, this was a pretty fun read, but nothing too spectacular. I've probably said this before, but if you like the X-Men, it's definitely worth picking up and giving it a once through.

[Craig · Rating 4 out of 5]

Golden's Mutant Empire trilogy is an excellent example of graphic characters being translated successfully into a prose format. His care for the work is evident as he explores peripheral characters that get short shrift in the comics, bringing them to life and showing how important they are to the big-name players and major story arcs. It's a very well-written story, not padded to fill a certain length as many of the similar comics trilogies of the day were, and would serve as an excellent starting point for anyone who wanted to know the X-universe before it became a film franchise. Each volume has very nice illustrations, too.

[Mary JL · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay, this is the climax of the "Mutant Empire" trilogy. Hopefully, you have read Books 1 and 2 or you will be totally lost.

The two teams of X-men unite for a action filled attack against Magneto and those mutants loyal to him. A good conclusion to the trilogy and I do not want to give spoilers, so I will say no more.

Although written in the 1990's, this trilogy hold up. In all three books, the various X-men are true to their characters, as previously established in the comics. Nothing incredibly new or earthshaking here--but a satisfying trilogy aimed at X-men fans.

[Anthony McDowell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful conclusion to the trilogy. With a comic book novel, obviously you know the good guys will win, but the journey to the climax is the real suspense. I was captivated to the very end, so top rated in my book. As I pointed out in the other two reviews, even though this is a trilogy, they are not stand alones, so be mindful of that. I found all three at a used bookstore for $1.50 each, and I feel I got my money's worth.

[Neil · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would probably rate this book a solid three stars. Maybe 2.9 - 3.1, even 3.2 if I were being generous, but rounded to 3 stars even. It moves at a fast pace. As it has been over twenty years since I last read it, I had forgotten most of what happened (I did remember bits of it, but not much), so there were plenty of "twists and turns" in it (well, enough to keep me interested in reading it). I don't know if it was because the second book was "so weak" or not, but I did feel this was a relatively satisfying conclusion to the trilogy (overall; that is not to say there are no problems with this book, either). It actually does have some "good character development," but not necessarily of the "main characters" (i.e. - the X-Men, Magneto, and the Acolytes). It has some good action in it; there is no suspense, however, because ultimately the reader knows the X-Men will triumph and none of the "important bad guys" will be seriously hurt, mortally wounded, or even killed.

Some of "the problems" that I had with the book had to do with the general plot of the story itself. For example, Magneto claims he intends to "take over the world" and create a "mutant empire" with normal humans as the servants to their new mutant overlords (little bit of paraphrasing, there). I still do not know how Magneto expects to be able to take over the whole world when he does not have enough mutants to do so, especially considering the “limited” number of mutants who actually joined him versus those who came to “Haven” looking for a new homeland where they would be accepted. The world is too big a place, and there were not enough mutants alive to be able to “conquer” it and hold it. Not only that, but he obviously never studied history enough to really learn from him. Humanity has a nasty tendency to destroy that which it cannot have or to prevent something from happening again. Rome destroyed Carthage by also seeding the land surrounding the city with salt to ensure it would never be populated again. The Russians practiced a "scorched earth" policy when it came to keeping the French from holding the land they took, followed by the Germans in WWII. The Germans also practiced a "scorched earth" policy when fleeing Russia. Xavier is the one to point out to Magneto that he truly does not understand humans because there are plenty of normal humans who would rather see the entire Earth destroyed than to either see it controlled by mutant humans or be subservient to mutant humans. Even if the US government would not launch a nuclear strike against NYC, the Russians and even the Chinese were said to have nukes targeted at NYC and either of them could launch enough missiles to take out the city and its new inhabitants. In the book, Magneto clearly did not consider this as a possibility, which is a bit shocking.

I was kinda annoyed that Caroline (mutant human) and Kevin (normal human) were the “red shirt casualties” for “the good guys” in the book (120-121). The author spent a "lot of time" before they died, trying to build up a “burgeoning relationship” between the two of them, and then kills them. I guess it was supposed to have some kind of “deep emotional” impact upon the reader, but it felt more like an attempt to get a “cheap emotional thrill/response” because of how they died. It was also annoying that Bobby Drake had ridden down in the elevator with Cargill earlier, was down there with them, but did not appear until after Cargill killed the two “redshirts.” What the heck was he doing that whole time? He was in the elevator with her (Cargill, earlier)! (Or, so it sounded like.) In any case, I also thought that was a sign of poor writing, to have Bobby show up “too late” (as opposed to “in the nick of time," which would also have been "to convenient") to save the two young potential lovebirds. He could have shown up at the same time with them and made sure Cargill was truly unconscious, and then joined Trish, Kevin, and Caroline in freeing the X-Men (122). OR!!!! He could have arrived before them, captured Cargill, and freed the other X-Men before Trish Tilby and Co. arrived (which would have been "the best scenario," in my mind)!

This was more of a "minor annoyance," since I always have felt that Bobby Drake (Iceman) has been underestimated from the get-go as an X-Men, but how can a man (person) who can “flash freeze the air” in someone’s nose or mouth (or even one’s chest!) be considered “the weakest link of the team” (212)? How can somebody who can flash freeze a person’s chest to the point of it shattering be considered “the weakest member” of the X-Men? By his own admission, Bobby Drake could easily kill people yet chooses not to do so. He has to maintain exact control to avoid such a thing happening. It’s crazy!

Finally, during the “final battle,” Magneto supposedly realizes he prefers Xavier’s dream (vision) of the future to his own (231). If that is the case (and since this storyline is supposed to fit into the comics, somehow), he either quickly forgets or changes his mind shortly after returning to Avalon. I do “get it,” in that Xavier’s dream represents “hope” whereas Magneto’s dream represents the opposite of hope (despair, I guess, because of what Magneto’s dream would mean).

Well, "finally" finally. I still find it annoying that the author ignores other teams who could have helped free NYC from Magneto's conquest. While I am glad that the Juggernaut served as a "white hat" and provided much-needed support, I still felt that leaving out all of the other super heroes was pretty weak on the author's part. It would have been better if he had given some kind of reason(s) as to why none of the other superheroes were not available to assist in retaking Manhattan. At the very least, Excalibur could have been brought in to assist! That would have made some kind of sense!

There were some moments that I liked, or thought were interesting. Amelia Vought’s role is interesting in these stories. She has been used in the prior books to point out flaws in Xavier, and she now is used to point out some flaws in Magneto (16) (the situation is that Magneto claims he will not tolerate bigots in his new society, but he clearly only refers to “human bigots” and not the mutant bigots who serve him as his Acolytes). The author has her making some interesting observations throughout the books (when she's not too busy spouting the "party line" of Magneto, that is). It is also a bit interesting how she does not have nearly the issues that Kurt Wagner has when transporting people around.

Chapter 3 was a fun chapter. It starts out with the Shi’ar X-Team throwing down with Marko Cain (Juggernaut) and ends with him joining their “team.” They saw him coming their way down the street and assumed he was on Magneto’s side and attack him without warning. Rogue is the first one to realize they jumped to conclusions and made a mistake in their assumption about him and what he was doing at that moment. (As it turns out, he had a date that lasted a couple of days, only to wake up and find Magneto in control of the city; he was on his way out when he encountered the X-Men.) It reminded me of a couple of moments in the comics, actually. The first was when Thor assumed Crusher Creel was up to no good at Thunderstrike’s gravesite and attacked him without warning. Thor tried to apologize when he realized his mistake, not knowing that Eric Masterson (Thunderstrike) had been working with Creel, trying to rehabilitate him and giving him the benefit of the doubt at times, unlike Thor and the other Avengers who automatically assume he is always up to no good. Creel obviously rejected Thor’s apology before leaving the cemetery. The second was when Titania and Creel were at the courthouse to get married. The fabulous She-Hulk thought they were attacking the courthouse, based on the number of super villains there as well, so she calls the Avenger in for backup. As it turns out, the Avengers are mortified to discover the “villains” are actually there to celebrate the wedding with Titania and Creel and have no ill intent in mind. Much to their chagrin, the Avengers are actually “in the wrong” this time and sheepishly leave the courthouse in ruins. So, it was interesting to read this chapter, especially with how it ended.

It was “fun” reading this “team-up” between the X-Men and the Juggernaut. He actually taught them a “thing or two” that helped them in their endeavor to free the Island of Manhattan from Magneto’s control, as he thought like a criminal whereas they did not, so he could see things from a different perspective. Also, this almost felt like a harbinger of sorts, as the Juggernaut actually served on the X-Men for a period of time and assisted them with some of their missions. He would then go on to Britain to help with Excalibur before returning to the States and eventually becoming a criminal again.

I liked the verbal tongue-lashing "speech" that Warren gives Magneto before the Sentinels come after Magneto (200). ”Oh, shut up! . . . If you’re going to kill us, then just do it. I’ve been listening to your posturing and watching you feed off this world’s fears for too long. You’re the worst kind of leader, Magneto. You ignore your press, but believe all your own PR. . . . Go ahead, then. Strike me down with the wrath of the god you want us all to think you are. But when I’m dead, ask yourself one question. If your goals are so noble, why do you always leave corpses in your wake?” Definitely one of the better moments in the book! (Right up there with the surprise of Juggernaut fighting as a “white hat” beside the X-Men for the sake of humanity.)

I was glad that Colonel Tomko gave Major Skolnick a “way out” so that the Major was not court-martialed for his actions (113-114). I realize the Colonel's interpretation of events was not the “correct sequence of events,” but the Major did “turn traitor, again” by supporting the effort to take back NYC from Magneto, AND he surrendered himself to the first highest ranking officer he came across. It in no way justifies what the Major did, how he betrayed his team like he did, but I still liked the “evolution” that Major Skolnick went through over the course of the second and third novel.

It was pretty crazy how Xavier was able to take Magneto to the Astral Plane, at which point Magneto thought he had killed all of the X-Men, only to discover how thoroughly Xavier had deceived him before getting his butt seriously kicked by the X-Men in the real world! That whole thing, though, with Wolverine trying to decide if he should kill Magneto or not, before deciding against it, was probably a "thing" Wolverine would have done, but it has happened enough in the comics that I doubt the reader was surprised that Wolverine would hold back at all and not go through with killing Magneto. So, that was kinda mixed for me, as the "thing" with Logan kind of "ruined the moment for me," as there was no doubt in my mind that Logan would not kill the X-Men's longtime foe and "enemy."

Regarding the "character development," I felt that Marko Cain actually had the "greatest character development" in the story, and I could see how it could be said to lay the foundation for his working with the X-Men for the short period of time he was on the team in the comics. The author describes how Cain had a sadistic streak that used to mark his work, how he acted and behaved, but how he had changed over time and was no longer the man he used to be. Sure, he was a career criminal, but he no longer had that sadistic streak that used to drive him "in the old days," the early days of his "career" (life) as the Juggernaut. He also undergoes some interesting internal growth as he fights on the side of the X-Men. Instead of lashing out without concern like he used to do, even after that sadistic side was "gone" (or, no longer controlling him), he tried to do a better job of controlling himself so that he "followed" the moral code of the X-Men as opposed to his own moral code (which had a lot more gray areas in it). I also liked how, once he made the decision to fight on the X-Men's side and assist them, he also looked out for them and watched their backs. So, yeah, it was a pretty interesting side of Cain Marko I really do not remember seeing in the comics until he joined the team for a short time. Also, his conversation towards the end of the battle with Rogue regarding "the fastball special" was a little amusing. It was interesting to see the interaction between these two characters throughout the story (as it was Rogue who stopped the attack on Juggernaut and then convinced the man to join them, to assist them). I did feel the author "depowered" him a bit regarding some of his fights with some of the opposing mutants to make it more of a "fair fight" (or equal contest) than it might have been (or should have been).

I also thought that Major Skolnick had some of the "best" character development in the story. Yes, he turned traitor, but it was due to internal struggles and Magneto's "Haven" being a nearly impossible lure for someone like himself (serving with honor in the US Armed Forces but having to hide he was a mutant human because of what it would have cost him). Magneto makes him promises, but over time the Major discovers that Magneto is unable to back up those promises. He also discovers that Magneto might claim to not be a bigot and will not tolerate bigotry, but all of Magneto's talk is entirely one-sided. He finally reaches the point where he has to make a choice (another choice) and decides that he is no longer going to work under a tyrant (and the accompanying anarchy) but work to restore "law and order" and hopefully regain some of his lost honor in the process. I felt he achieved that, especially with how he tried to take responsibility for his actions and submit to a higher authority. I also liked how he was "given grace and mercy" as opposed to "legal justice" and given the chance to continue making amends for his action(s), his betrayal.

I did feel like Gambit, Rogue, and maybe Bishop were expanded a bit further as characters. Maybe more Bishop and Gambit than Rogue, but I did like how their characters seemed to be utilized a bit more than I remember them maybe being used in the comics. I also thought the author did a "good job" regarding the abilities of Storm and Archangel. It felt like he had a good idea of how their powers worked and how to describe them using their powers in battle.

Overall, I enjoyed this book and this storyline. I am glad that I revisited it and reread it. Much to my surprise and delight, I found myself enjoying it far more than I thought I would.

[Alex · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really have to commend Golden on this trilogy. Noting felt rushed, under explained, or not easily understandable. Even though the world of the x-Men was already established when he started writing the trilogy, I think even someone that isn't very familiar with the world and the characters would have a good grasp on who everyone is and how everything works fairly easily.
As the last book of a trilogy, nothing about this finale ever felt rushed or underdone. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time and was never annoyed with the pacing. It was also very well written. There was just the right amount of description without it bogging down the story or the action.

[Ronald Wilcox · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review is for the trilogy as a whole rather than the individual third book. Magneto has taken over several
Sentinels from a hidden US base in Colorado and has started gathering more mutants who share his dream. Together the mutant gathering with the Sentinels take over New York City to create Haven, a Mutant Empire that Magneto will rule. The X-Men all work together to defeat the mutant army and Magneto and free NYC. There is, of course, a lot more to the story but this sums it up. Very good portrayals of both the protagonists and the villains.

[Ben · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars - Overall a good introduction to the X-Men as the author provides context to their adventures and lore throughout the plot. This makes it so much easier than trying to piece things together from old comics. HOWEVER, the way the narrative jumps between characters did keep me reading, but it kept me annoyed too! Tell me why there was a war happening on the streets and we had a random civilian sub plot? 😭

I digress, ultimately a chill read that I will not revisit but it’s nice to consume X-Men content.

[Ruby Ridge · Rating 5 out of 5]

So much better than the previous two in the trilogy, this was pure X-men with none of the padding. Padding like the Starjammers and all of the ridiculous "Oh, Scott"..."Oh, Jean" garbage from the previous novels. The action sequences were good and made even better by the presence of the Juggernaut - one of my favorite characters.
Christopher Golden keeps close to the original comic book flavor of the X-men whick is why I have forgiven the unsatisfying ending.

[Zane Gardner · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this series. There’s memories of the old X-men while being in 2023. The switch was hard to get used to at first but then I got over it. I always felt on edge just waiting for what would happen next. Right when you think you know something is about to happen, something else happens. I’m glad I had the opportunity to read all three books in this series.

[Chad · Rating 4 out of 5]

This final segment (and shortest) in the Mutant Empire series wraps up nicely. It was great to see how the different storylines from the previous two installments converge here. I found the pacing of this book to be good, too, as it never felt stop-and-go.

[Steve Hrycak · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick thoughts - I kinda didn’t want it to end almost EXACTLY how I pictured it would end, but alas it wasn’t so. Still enjoyed it for the most part, Golden’s a great writer for sure. And the woman that did the audiobook sounded all kinds of sexy. 🤷🏼‍♂️

[Randy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fitting end to the trilogy. I liked Golden's ability to show the humanity of the characters and how our humanity starts to break when pushed to the brink. Over all a great book and I recommend the trilogy for any X-Men fan.

[Indah Threez Lestari · Rating 3 out of 5]

336 - 2020

[Lori S. · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars The end of a kind of lackluster series. It was worth listening to, but I wasn't all that enthralled.

[Derrick · Rating 1 out of 5]

Long series, not sure.

[Abbi · Rating 4 out of 5]

There were some ups and downs which strangely mirror some of the current tense political situations. I enjoyed how the twists wrapped up, even though it wasn't a typical happy ending.

[Ferginator88 · Rating 3 out of 5]

A satisfying conclusion to the trilogy. It’s got everything an X-Men story should have. It was fun.

[Nisar Masoom · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't fancy Christopher Golden's X-Men: Codename Wolverine (1998) that much (which actually takes place after this trilogy) but his X-Men: Mutant Empire Trilogy (1997) was simply awesome! You'll like it if you're a comics fan but you'll love it if you're an admirer of the 90s X-Men Animated Series. I felt like I was watching an arc of the show when I was reading these three entertaining stories.

The plot was amazing, the characterisation was top-notch and the only difference that I had noted between these novels and the show was that the former were more adult-orientated as of course it wasn't a cartoon designed for kids.

There were two flaws that I found both with Book #2 Sanctuary and Book #3 Salvation. One was that there were too many characters. Secondly, there was an overabundance of side plots. I felt that these aspects would have been handled better in the graphic format.

Nevertheless, Christopher Golden's X-Men Mutant Empire Trilogy is a must-read especially for enthusiasts of the comics. It's just sad that the last two entries were not perfect like their predecessor, again, due to having an excessive number of individuals and an inordinate amount of subplots.

#1 Siege: 5 out of 5

#2 Sanctuary: 4 out of 5

#3 Salvation: 4 out of 5

You can read a copy of this review on my website here: https://www.literaryretreat.com/x-men...

[Joseph · Rating 4 out of 5]

Same as the other X-Men Mutant Empire reviews.