The official companion novel to the videogame Fable® Legends
Deep in Albion’s darkest age, long before once upon a time . . . Heroes are thought to be gone from the land. So why have the bards begun singing of them once more? For Fable newcomers and dedicated fans alike, Blood of Heroes delves into a never-before-glimpsed era, telling the tale of a band of adventurers who come together to defend a kingdom in desperate need.
The city of Brightlodge is awash with Heroes from every corner of Albion, all eager for their next quest. When someone tries to burn down the Cock and Bard inn, four Heroes find themselves hastily thrown together, chasing outlaws through sewers, storming a riverboat full of smugglers, and placing their trust in a most unlikely ally. As the beginnings of a deadly plot are revealed, it becomes clear that Heroes have truly arrived—and so have villains.
What connects the recent events in Brightlodge to rumors about a malicious ghost and a spate of unsolved deaths in the nearby mining town of Grayrock? Unless Albion’s bravest Heroes can find the answer, the dawn of a new age could be extinguished before it even begins.
Jim C. Hines began his writing career with a trilogy about the irrepressible Jig the goblin, which actor and author Wil Wheaton described as "too f***ing cool for words." He went on to deconstruct fairy tales in his four-book Princess series, made all the world's literature a grimoire in the Magic ex Libris series, and explored the heroic side of spacecraft sanitation in his Janitors of the Post Apocalypse trilogy. His short fiction has appeared in more than fifty magazines and anthologies. Jim has been outspoken about topics like sexism and harassment, and was the editor of the Invisible series—three collections of personal essays about representation in sf/f. He received the Hugo Award for Best Fan Writer in 2012. Jim currently lives in mid-Michigan.
Once again nefarious villains have come to threaten Albion and a new crop of heroes have risen to thwart them. After an inn is lit on fire in Brightlodge, four heroes seek to bring those responsible to justice. Another group of four heroes seek to find the answers to mysterious deaths in Grayrock. While on their quests the eight heroes find a more potentially devastating threat that only they can hope to stop.
Fable: Blood of Heroes is a story with average characters, dialogue, and storyline. The characters largely feel like flat variations of better known counterparts in other media. The dialogue and storyline had a young adult feel to it and perhaps that is exactly what the author was going for, but it left me wanting more.
Blood of Heroes is the companion novel to the video game Fable Legends. Unfortunately for me I read this book before Fable Legends was even released and I can't help but feel I was missing some of the substance I would have gained by playing the game as well.
The overall story had some elements that with some tweaking I could envision myself enjoying, but unfortunately I didn't really care for any part of it.
2 out of 5 stars
I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Being a bit of a sucker for video game novels (or well, okay, video games in general…) I had to accept this one from the wonderful Titan Books when it was offered. The Fable series is a fantastic one, allowing the player to take control of a hero and decide the destiny of Albion, as well as their very own fate. However, this concept is lost in the transition from game to book.
I can’t fault the book for its readability though. I felt like no time had passed and suddenly I was 50 pages in. The Fable series of video games is known for its sense of humour, which was incorporated into the book, but sometimes it felt just a little too silly.
The story begins by introducing the reader to four Heroes. Then suddenly, a good 100 pages in, four more Heroes appear with no real introduction – the book just suddenly switches to their POVs. The link between the two groups is not immediate, and when finally shown feels very weak. With eight points of view, this felt like far too many, especially because they were pretty much indistinguishable from the other. No single hero stood out, and they felt a little ‘cookie cutter’ – perhaps though, they suffer from being based on video game characters that perhaps have less room for development.
Ultimately, whilst I enjoyed Hines’ writing style – and am still very interested in reading his Libriomancer series – I found the story to be rather unstructured and the characters lacking. Perhaps more of a book for only the biggest of Fable fans.
I received a copy of this book for free from the publisher, Titan Books, in exchange for an honest review. Originally posted on my former blog, Rinn Reads.
I always meant to read a Hines book. This was not his world. Instead it was based in a game called fables. Truth be told I have not heard of that game, I am not a gamer (though I do like games) so I cannot say a lot about that. What I do know is that he obviously brings the humour I have heard so much into this story. I so need to read his original works too.
Right. So this is country called Albion, the king is a ghost. The new king is young, and rather foolish. Heroes are not even remembered in legend, but they are back! Yes some folks seem to be born heroes. And they all come to the king's city.
First we have 4 heroes trying to find out why a tavern was set on fire, then they hunt smugglers and redcaps.
4 other heroes goes to a mining town where a witch is killing people. Are these things connected? What is going on in Albion?
Female heroes! Just as kick-ass as the male ones. And no on looks twice at them, I loved that. Winter, Glory, they were all cool. As for the males, well I liked Leach cos he was a freaky thing that liked to dissect things.
These are heroes that are weird, who thinks only of saving people, who is not all that nice underneath. All heroes saving the world their way.
The humour was the best thing. It was always there, it was never in your face. A funny fantasy book.
I actually played the game the book is based on (Fable Legends) between 2015-2016, the game was unfortunately cancelled before release but I played the Closed Beta for a year, so I got a great chance to play as all of the characters that are in the book.
I also read the book before the game was announced as cancelled. I participated in a fan-fiction writing contest linked to the game and I received a free copy of the book as a prize, but obviously since it has been years since that has no relevance on my review, I just felt I had to defend it against people that didn't get a chance to experience the fantastic game and its characters.
I have to say that Jim C. Hines nailed all of the characters. Their personalities were spot on, and they interacted in ways that I never saw in the game.
The story itself is told through the perspectives of different Heroes. There are numerous Heroes in the book/game, but I felt all of them had uniquely different personalities and outlooks on their given mission. The Fable humour is apparent throughout, and the story is very well written.
It is a great shame that readers of the book suffer if they didn't play the game, as there are numerous characters to keep track of, but I still feel that people would enjoy the story even if you didn't get to play Fable Legends. It is still Fable through and through, with witty humour and unique silliness that anyone can enjoy.
Not bad for a video game novel. Fun, silly, and very clearly designed to introduce readers to the mechanics of a now cancelled video game rather than tell an inherently interesting story. Didn't hate it, didn't love it, although I am a bit bummed that the game never came out, so i suppose that means the novel did its job
I really wanted to love this one. I absolutely love the Fable franchise and I enjoy Jim C. Hines's writing. However, this one was a bit disappointing to me. The characters were not very developed in my opinion, and that may have to do with the fact that there were so many POVs. You never really followed any character long enough to feel truly connected to them. I also had a hard time visualizing some of the characters, which could get a bit frustrating. I kind of wonder if this would have been a non-issue if the game hadn't been ultimately canceled because I'd have spent time with those characters elsewhere.
The mini-prologues in each section which followed the villain were slightly odd as well. It dispelled a bit of the mystery element in the other chapters as the Heroes were trying to figure out what was going on and how to defeat everything.
There's kind of a major plothole too, with Yog transforming Ben back to his human form as they merely entered the area of Grayrock, whereas her husband was sitting next to her for an extended period of time and she seemed unable (or perhaps unwilling?) to transform him back to his human form. If it was because she was unwilling, that was not exactly portrayed through the story, because she seemed to be glad to be reunited with him, or if not glad, at least contented. Of course, I suppose keeping him a doll made her later actions simpler for her.
Blue, the confusing and somehow lovable anti-villain/minion of a Red Cap, was probably one of the best characters in the entire book, just because of the depth of his character. This is, of course, due to Yog's intrusion in his personality by making him one of her riders, but allows for the reader to understand the viewpoint of a Red Cap as much as they had one at all. However, I felt the need to look up what a Red Cap in the game itself was meant to look and act like because again, it didn't feel entirely fleshed out in the book.
I kind of had to push myself through it, though it got much easier to get through toward the end, when I finally could read without having to remind myself which Hero was which. I enjoyed the writing itself-I love Hines's style and humor. The story itself--though a variation of the Baba Yaga folklore and therefore a bit predictable in some ways--was enjoyable. I only wish that there was a bit more connection to the characters and setting.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
What I loved about this book is that the story had depth and had good resolve and had good enemies and twists and loved each character. I liked that I felt even though it wasn’t a huge book that loads of things had happened and the story flowed well. The Enemies had substance and I liked that it felt like you were playing but reading a Fable main mission whilst other bits where going on at the same time !!
I thought it was hard to get into at first and I understand there where many characters in the book itself. Each chapter was named after a character so I expected it to be in their perspective and it was in 3rd person still which was a little confusing.It could of been separated in parts like part one part for the first group of 4 hero’s then had chapter titles then part 2 for the next set of hero’s then part three when they all started to merge. That’s me just being really picky. I felt that this book missed so much more opportunities to be more silly (it did have some) . It is Fable at the end of the day, more swearing or stupid things to go on which I found Peter David and Christine Golden really channel into in their books BUT I did enjoy this read and it really filled the huge gap in my heart where they never released the game that should of been linked.
Again great read ! ☺️☺️☺️
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
TL;DR: A funny but ultimately hollow story, missing the game it was supposed to accompany.
I felt torn on how many stars to give this. It captured Fable’s essence well but lacked depth. I believe this is largely due to the fact that this is a companion novel to a cancelled game. I’ve played Fable 1-3 but still felt as though I was missing world building and context; the book assumes you’re playing alongside / have played before reading, and that you’re familiar with this game’s world.
Additionally I felt that there were too many protagonists to follow: 8 heroes and only 320 pages to spend with them. Again, this fits with the game Fable Legends as it was advertised as an up to four player game, and the book follows two groups of four.
I was excited to get a glimpse at the game that was supposed to be, and enjoyed the writing and humour of the book. Unfortunately I was left wanting more - but maybe that’s on me.
My 20th book read of the year. This book, written akin to the now cancelled Fable Legends is an interesting and well written tale of eight heroes and one pretty nasty villain. The author does a good job of balancing these nine characters which is a tough task to say the least. Though I suspect some of that might have been some editing on the game studio's behalf that got it to that point. My only negative would be the chapter names. I'm just not a fan of using character names for titles especially after everyone has been introduced. Still a good book and worth ending 2017 on.
I wanted to see the two groups of heroes interact more. I thought Shroud and Rook would either be best buds or bitter foes. What I really wanted was a story about the hero from the first game, which was my favorite, but this story seems to be a prequel to that. Hines isnt the most descriptive writer, but he isnt confusing either. If you’ve never played Fable before, you won’t be lost since this has a very loose connection to the game.
Fun read, exploring more of the world of Fable which is one of my favorite video games. I enjoyed all the characters, especially Leech, Winter and Tipple who were my favorites. It's the shame that the video game that the book was a prequel to was cancelled, I would of enjoyed playing as these characters. But I am glad for the old art of the game, helped gave a description of what all the heroes looked like!
I’ve generally decided to stop reviewing books that are merely ok and don’t compel me to show what my thoughts are on a book, but this book really disappointed me due to my love of the original game trilogy. I was mostly bored, but it held my interest enough for 2 stars. I got it at a used book store for $2, so I can’t really complain.
I give it a solid 3.5 stars. Whimsical, entertaining, and fits snuggly into the Fable universe. Lots of interesting lore, engaging characters, and plenty of action.
If you're a gamer who enjoys fantasy RPGs and/or a lover of the Fable series, this book might be right up your alley.
Disclosure: I received a copy of this book to review through Netgalley.
For those of you who also read the video game reviews on my website www.travelsinmedia.nl know that I love the Fable series on the Xbox 360. When I heard there was also a book coming out of the newest game in the franchise my interest was triggered right away. Without further delay, I present to you my review of Fable: Blood of Heroes.
The story is about an evil crone named Yog. Back in the day when the grass was green and her teeth weren't metal spikes, she was a beautiful woman and feared by many. Due a terrible curse her power has been reduced to a small flicker of what it used to be and now is the time for her to reclaim her former glory and take back what is hers. However, if there are villains, there must be heroes! The book follows eight heroes on their quest to find out what is going on, and how to stop the unfortunate events happening to the city of Brightlodge. The chapters are divided by point of view and four of the heroes are even featured on the cover:
Rook: The badass with the crossbow. Tipple: An idiot with amazing strength. Inga: A girl with barely any skills of her own, but uses a magical shield to fight. Leech: A creepy dude who likes death.
The other four heroes have exactly the same amount of chapters -one of them even accomplishing the biggest event in the book- but they aren't pictured anywhere. Strange decision, but it is a beautiful cover nonetheless. Unfortunately none of the heroes have unique personalities, unless you count in their annoying complaints towards each other. The other characters they meet are just as bland, which does a great injustice to the video game series that features great non-playable characters.
There are hardly any unexpected twists in Blood of Heroes. It is perhaps more exciting for children, but too shallow for an adult audience. Also the ''boss battle'' was too quick and lame. Yog achieved what she strived for all along: getting her power back. But after that she was easily defeated. Instead of making it more exciting, it feels very rushed. The ending was unsatisfying, but I was actually glad that I finally finished reading this book.
Conclusion While I enjoyed every Fable video game released to date, I did not like this book at all. The humour and the funny side-characters are the ingredients that makes Fable enjoyable to me. Sadly, both are lacking in Blood of Heroes. It tries to be everything the video games series is, but it fails to deliver on almost all points.
I received this copy for free from Netgalley and was not compensated for this review. Thank you!
The length of time that has passed between finishing this book and writing this review isn’t indicative of my dislike; I’m just lazy. C:
I’m a fan of the Fable series and I previously read Jim C. Hines’ Jig the Goblin books as well as his Princess series. When I saw that Hines had written a book for Fable I had to pick it up.
The book had a very “Fable-ish” feel to it. The humor, character and pacing of the series felt pretty consistent with what the games had given me. The heroes aren’t all goodness and light; some of them are creepy or just plain misunderstood. They all have distinct personalities, with a good mix of male and female heroes. The humor and action gets intense without getting gory, sex-filled or offensive and manages to be about as tame as the games would have you come to expect.
I was glad that there were a lot of heroes interacting with the (often times oafish and silly) regular townies, because that was one of my favorite things about Fable that was gone by the end of the first game. There used to be so many heroes! Then it got so darn lonely. It was good to have a big company of main characters, because this also seems to be the selling point of the upcoming game.
My only complaint is that I was mildly confused when we switched settings between the two sets of heroes in two different locations. I just felt like it dragged a bit there, and it took me a bit to settle into a new group.
At any rate I really enjoyed this, because Hines seemed like a perfect fit for the series. It ended up being the right amount of humorous and dangerous by turns, just like the games I love.
This book was almost exactly what I thought it would be. Heroes and action mixed with a lot of fantasy and references to towns and creatures that exist in the XBOX game series, Fable. I really enjoyed those games in the past and loved being transferred back into the world of Albion via literature. I even listened to the 'start menu' song from the game while reading this. I always found it to be slightly haunting while still being whimsical like a music box. I've never read anything from Jim C. Hines before but I wasn't disappointed. He brought a lot of action to the world with his 8 heroes; Glory, Winter, Tipple, Sterling, Rook, Inga, Shroud, and Leech. My only problem was keeping track of who was doing what. With that many main characters all in the same place and in the same scenes it really is hard to picture what is going on. I feel like I didn't have a good enough idea of who each character was. Shroud and Leech seemed too similar. Rook really just seemed like a name thrown in there amongst the others. The only one that really stood out to me was Winter and she was self explanatory. Overall, I enjoyed it.
Disclosure: I received a temporary copy of this book to review through Netgalley.
Ich habe Fable nicht gespielt, das Buch war dennoch sehr unterhaltsam. Acht sehr art-typische Helden bekämpfen gut ausgerüstete Hühner. Ahja, und eine mächtige böse Hexe.
Mittendrin ein Redcap, der nur Unfug anstellen will. Das schreibt Hines sehr gut, also werde ich mir seine Goblin Quest mal anschauen müssen.
Ansonsten leichte Unterhaltung, man fliegt nur so durch das Buch.
This was a fun read! Very much in a similar tone to Jim Hines' goblin books. The characters were simultaneously stereotypical and unique, which was really fun. I enjoyed the female heroes as well as the male heroes, and Yog was a very fun adversary. I really enjoyed this book.
Being a Hero isn’t easy. Many times it’s painful, as this group of Heroes know from experience. But does that stop them? No spoilers. Read this and find out.
Fable on the XBOX was probably the first RPG I've ever played. I've spent countless hours on it as well as Fable 2 and 3, 3 being my favorite since you start off as a Princess (or Prince). I thought I'd give the book a try. Honestly, I absolutely loved it! The heroes all had their own quirks and individual personalities, the fight scenes were super descriptive and exciting, and there were even some parts where I'm like "omg like in the game!!". But yeah, definitely getting the next two books! Can't wait!!