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Tomb Raider Universe
Tomb Raider The Ten Thousand Immortals
The new Tomb Raider novel will broaden the world and enriches the storyline re-introduced in the highly successful Tomb Raider video game. The first novel in a trilogy will continue the exploration of Lara Croft's origins as the "Tomb Raider," featuring an entirely new, fast-paced adventure.
352 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 20, 2014
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 119 reviews
April 1, 2015
Okay, so first, let me say this: I am a huge fan of the 2013 "Tomb Raider" and the new Lara Croft, so accoring to the book synopsis, I should enjoy "The Ten Tousand Immortals" for what it is - a next step in the adventures of my favorite heroine. That said, I also enjoy a good book and I understand that game tie-ins leave a lot to wish for. For all intents and purposes, I should have been prepared, shouldn't I?
Turnes out, I wasn't. "The Ten Tousand Immortals" is written so terribly, in such a bland, matter-of-fact style, that I only kept praying I could finish it as soon as possible. Honestly, I kept skipping the descriptions of Lara's routes along London or Paris becasue I didn't care in the least that she took a right turn into this street and a left turn into that street. I tried to imagine I was "reading" an action flick instead, but hell, that didn't help. Moreover, the insight into Lara's mind in kept to a bare minimum, mostly containing observations rather than actual thoughts, which did not help at all. Of course, if this in action-adventure book, then I can understand that the pace is quick and there are a lot of things that need to be described, but then again, some semblance of terror, or emotion, or fear, of adrenaline etc. etc. should be maintained. Here? Nothing of the sort, just pure, boring-as-hell facts.
What is worse, though, is that Lara herself seems to be a completely different person. Sure, she suffers from anxiety and panic attacks, which is understandable after Yamatai, but that doesn't go beyond "oh no, not another panic attack!" She's supposed to be a student of archeology, but she asks question a five-year-old could answer. She mentions her father a lot, but not a word on Roth or the others, except the plot-moving Sam. There's also a nice line about her not caring whether she killed someone or not - I mean, fine, she's killed a lot on Yamatai, but to just not bother whose life, or why, she's taking? It's not like she's surrounded by crazy armed islanders anymore...
She's completely shallow and it's such a shame that I don't know even how to tell you. The narrative perspective itself is another joke, with its shifting from person to person without any regard for a narrative plan, that the whole thing reads like a poorly written fanfic. I'm not familiar with Dan Abnett's previous works, but as my friend pointed out, nothing creative could come from a guy with such a long bibliography list. Well, nothing did.
And the plot! What a ridiculous excuse to use the brand! Really, Crystal Dynamics and the writers of "Tomb Raider" should be ashamed to have signed their names under this, for lack of a better word, product. "The Ten Tousand Immortals" is a terrible, terribe work of fiction and it fails miserably even in the one thing it was supposed to do - this not a next step, this a step way, way backwards.
Turnes out, I wasn't. "The Ten Tousand Immortals" is written so terribly, in such a bland, matter-of-fact style, that I only kept praying I could finish it as soon as possible. Honestly, I kept skipping the descriptions of Lara's routes along London or Paris becasue I didn't care in the least that she took a right turn into this street and a left turn into that street. I tried to imagine I was "reading" an action flick instead, but hell, that didn't help. Moreover, the insight into Lara's mind in kept to a bare minimum, mostly containing observations rather than actual thoughts, which did not help at all. Of course, if this in action-adventure book, then I can understand that the pace is quick and there are a lot of things that need to be described, but then again, some semblance of terror, or emotion, or fear, of adrenaline etc. etc. should be maintained. Here? Nothing of the sort, just pure, boring-as-hell facts.
What is worse, though, is that Lara herself seems to be a completely different person. Sure, she suffers from anxiety and panic attacks, which is understandable after Yamatai, but that doesn't go beyond "oh no, not another panic attack!" She's supposed to be a student of archeology, but she asks question a five-year-old could answer. She mentions her father a lot, but not a word on Roth or the others, except the plot-moving Sam. There's also a nice line about her not caring whether she killed someone or not - I mean, fine, she's killed a lot on Yamatai, but to just not bother whose life, or why, she's taking? It's not like she's surrounded by crazy armed islanders anymore...
She's completely shallow and it's such a shame that I don't know even how to tell you. The narrative perspective itself is another joke, with its shifting from person to person without any regard for a narrative plan, that the whole thing reads like a poorly written fanfic. I'm not familiar with Dan Abnett's previous works, but as my friend pointed out, nothing creative could come from a guy with such a long bibliography list. Well, nothing did.
And the plot! What a ridiculous excuse to use the brand! Really, Crystal Dynamics and the writers of "Tomb Raider" should be ashamed to have signed their names under this, for lack of a better word, product. "The Ten Tousand Immortals" is a terrible, terribe work of fiction and it fails miserably even in the one thing it was supposed to do - this not a next step, this a step way, way backwards.
June 21, 2019
"Yamatai aveva sancito la fine di tutto."
E invece è stata solo l'inizio. 😂
🎮 Avvertenza: sono una grandissima fan della nuova trilogia prequel di TR. 🎮
Ovviamente non potevo perdermi questo romanzo ambientato dopo gli eventi di Tomb Raider ma prima di Rise of the Tomb Raider, nonostante la paura di rimanere delusa mi abbia bloccata per mesi e mesi, lasciando il libro a fare la polvere sullo scaffale. Per mia fortuna gli autori hanno fatto un ottimo lavoro e ammetto che la premessa fatta dal team di Crystal Dynamics mi ha rincuorata un pochino ad inizio lettura.
Lara è ancora scossa dopo quello che è successo sull'isola maledetta di Yamatai ma, purtroppo per lei, l'incubo rappresentato dalla Regina del Sole Himiko non è ancora finito. Ho apprezzato tantissimo la presenza degli attacchi di panico all'interno del libro, perché Lara soffre ancora di disturbo da stress post-traumatico all'inizio di RotTR, quindi trovo che gli autori abbiano fatto davvero un buon lavoro da quel punto di vista.
Mi è piaciuto molto anche l'inserimento della Trinità all'interno della storia, ovviamente senza spoiler visto che tra la pubblicazione del libro (2014) e l'uscita del videogioco (2015) è passato poco più di un anno. Essendo la Trinità il nemico principale di Lara nel corso della sua crescita (chi ha giocato a RotTR sa di che parlo) ho particolarmente apprezzato questa piccola chicca.
Speravo che il libro mi potesse dare qualche indizio in più sul cambiamento del rapporto tra Lara e Sam, ma purtroppo le mie speranze sono state vane. Sam è sempre stata un personaggio secondario all'interno delle storie, quasi di sfondo essendo sempre lei quella che doveva essere salvata, eppure ci ho sperato fino alla fine. Semplicemente non mi piace il modo in cui il personaggio di Lara viene trattato all'inizio di RotTR, tutto qui.
In ogni caso, la storia parte spedita fin da subito, perché nonostante i primi capitoli siano piuttosto soft rispetto a tutti gli altri, il disturbo ansiogeno di Lara mi ha portata a tenere gli occhi aperti e a sospettare di tutti, esattamente com'è successo a lei. L'inserimento di pov multipli in terza persona ha reso la lettura ancora più intrigante ai miei occhi, soprattutto le parti riguardanti gli inseguimenti con i Diecimila Immortali, che hanno contribuito a mantenere la mia attenzione ai massimi livelli, insieme alla voglia di sapere come sarebbe andata a finire, come se la sarebbe cavata Lara. Perché ammettiamolo, si sa fin dall'inizio che non può succederle nulla di male (avrò anche letto il libro ad Agosto 2018, ma comunque in Italia è stato pubblicato a Gennaio 2016, mentre RotTR è uscito a Novembre 2015, come dicevo prima, quindi la situazione non sarebbe cambiata nemmeno se mi fossi fiondata in libreria il giorno della pubblicazione italiana).
Il ritmo è davvero serrato, soprattutto da metà libro in poi, quindi per me è stato difficilissimo staccarmi dalle pagine perché la voglia di sapere era troppa, nonostante fossi sicura che non mi avrebbe riservato grandi sorprese. Be', è saltato fuori che mi sbagliavo, perché gli autori sono riusciti a sorprendermi lo stesso.
L'unica cosa che mi ha un po' infastidita, ma è colpa della mia pignoleria, è stato l'utilizzo delle virgolette al posto delle caporali. Non so perché, ma è una cosa che negli ultimi anni ha iniziato ad irritarmi parecchio.
In conclusione, mi sento di consigliare la lettura di questo romanzo a chiunque si sia appassionato alla giovane e ancora un po' inesperta Lara Croft creata da Crystal Dynamics.
E invece è stata solo l'inizio. 😂
🎮 Avvertenza: sono una grandissima fan della nuova trilogia prequel di TR. 🎮
Ovviamente non potevo perdermi questo romanzo ambientato dopo gli eventi di Tomb Raider ma prima di Rise of the Tomb Raider, nonostante la paura di rimanere delusa mi abbia bloccata per mesi e mesi, lasciando il libro a fare la polvere sullo scaffale. Per mia fortuna gli autori hanno fatto un ottimo lavoro e ammetto che la premessa fatta dal team di Crystal Dynamics mi ha rincuorata un pochino ad inizio lettura.
Lara è ancora scossa dopo quello che è successo sull'isola maledetta di Yamatai ma, purtroppo per lei, l'incubo rappresentato dalla Regina del Sole Himiko non è ancora finito. Ho apprezzato tantissimo la presenza degli attacchi di panico all'interno del libro, perché Lara soffre ancora di disturbo da stress post-traumatico all'inizio di RotTR, quindi trovo che gli autori abbiano fatto davvero un buon lavoro da quel punto di vista.
Mi è piaciuto molto anche l'inserimento della Trinità all'interno della storia, ovviamente senza spoiler visto che tra la pubblicazione del libro (2014) e l'uscita del videogioco (2015) è passato poco più di un anno. Essendo la Trinità il nemico principale di Lara nel corso della sua crescita (chi ha giocato a RotTR sa di che parlo) ho particolarmente apprezzato questa piccola chicca.
Speravo che il libro mi potesse dare qualche indizio in più sul cambiamento del rapporto tra Lara e Sam, ma purtroppo le mie speranze sono state vane. Sam è sempre stata un personaggio secondario all'interno delle storie, quasi di sfondo essendo sempre lei quella che doveva essere salvata, eppure ci ho sperato fino alla fine. Semplicemente non mi piace il modo in cui il personaggio di Lara viene trattato all'inizio di RotTR, tutto qui.
In ogni caso, la storia parte spedita fin da subito, perché nonostante i primi capitoli siano piuttosto soft rispetto a tutti gli altri, il disturbo ansiogeno di Lara mi ha portata a tenere gli occhi aperti e a sospettare di tutti, esattamente com'è successo a lei. L'inserimento di pov multipli in terza persona ha reso la lettura ancora più intrigante ai miei occhi, soprattutto le parti riguardanti gli inseguimenti con i Diecimila Immortali, che hanno contribuito a mantenere la mia attenzione ai massimi livelli, insieme alla voglia di sapere come sarebbe andata a finire, come se la sarebbe cavata Lara. Perché ammettiamolo, si sa fin dall'inizio che non può succederle nulla di male (avrò anche letto il libro ad Agosto 2018, ma comunque in Italia è stato pubblicato a Gennaio 2016, mentre RotTR è uscito a Novembre 2015, come dicevo prima, quindi la situazione non sarebbe cambiata nemmeno se mi fossi fiondata in libreria il giorno della pubblicazione italiana).
Il ritmo è davvero serrato, soprattutto da metà libro in poi, quindi per me è stato difficilissimo staccarmi dalle pagine perché la voglia di sapere era troppa, nonostante fossi sicura che non mi avrebbe riservato grandi sorprese. Be', è saltato fuori che mi sbagliavo, perché gli autori sono riusciti a sorprendermi lo stesso.
L'unica cosa che mi ha un po' infastidita, ma è colpa della mia pignoleria, è stato l'utilizzo delle virgolette al posto delle caporali. Non so perché, ma è una cosa che negli ultimi anni ha iniziato ad irritarmi parecchio.
In conclusione, mi sento di consigliare la lettura di questo romanzo a chiunque si sia appassionato alla giovane e ancora un po' inesperta Lara Croft creata da Crystal Dynamics.
January 1, 2015
I'm about halfway through the book and I'm considering dropping it. I don't say that lightly because it bothers me to leave a book unfinished (I can only remember doing it once in my life with books I didn't enjoy), but the writing feels awkward and emotionless. Someone else's review said it reads like fanfiction, and I'd agree except that I've read fantastic Tomb Raider fanfiction that's immensely better than this (eg. Asynca). My expectations going into this weren't high, but I really wanted to like "The Ten Thousand Immortals". I'm just not feeling anything. It's disappointing that this is canon when I'm sure they could've found better writers to do the job. I might attempt to finish it to get a full perspective, but I don't know if I can justify spending much more time on this.
January 5, 2016
I really wanted to like this book, having been a long time TR fan. The 2013 TR reboot was one of the best games I'd ever played, and I was actually a little sad after it ended. Needless to say, when I heard there was going to be a continuation of the storyline in comic and novel form, I thought that was petty swell. I bought this book soon after it came out. However, due to some of the issues below, I finished it mainly out a sense of obligation rather than enjoyment.
This novel starts of promisingly enough. It is unfortunately, one of the better parts of the book, in my opinion, and is, ironically, the one part you an get for free when you download a sample. Lara has just returned from her harrowing adventure on the island of Yamatai and is suffering from numerous post traumatic stress disorder symptoms. She's anxious, paranoid, and can't focus. Once familiar London has become a battlefield of potential baddies lurking around every corner, waiting to dole out harm. Her friend, Sam, who herself was rescued from demonic possession on the island, isn't doing much better. She has been taken to the hospital in an apparent catatonic state, and Lara gets a call from a physician there asking for more information. The writers do a great job of conveying Lara's concern while dealing with her own frazzled mental state, and it's a nice nod to the inner turmoil that sometimes besets the adventurous after a harrowing life and death adventure, one we don't often see. It also helps make Lara a more human character.
After that, since nothing the doctors are doing can wake Sam up, Lara decides to do a little medical sleuthing herself, hoping that her knowledge of the ancient and arcane will provide a cure where modern medicine can not. You have to suspend belief a little, since she decides that her best choice of action at this point is to not wait for her best friend to wake up like a normal person but rather to go and potentially get herself killed finding ... wait for it ... the fabled golden fleece (of Jason and the Argonauts fame), which supposedly grants immortality. Lara gets clues about where to start her quest from a mysterious tome she calls "The Book," a collection of old notes and ideas she jotted down while doing past research, kind of like Henry Jones' diary in "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade." The novel seems to hint that she must have come across how to find the fleece's location in the past but, like Henry Jones, wrote it down so she wouldn't have to remember. With enough scouring, she sets off on her quest to de-catatonize Sam. Like I said, you have to suspend belief a little. TR has always been a little weak and convoluted when it comes to the plot, but it didn't really matter since you were playing a video game, and the story was secondary anyway.
And that's sort of what this book feels like, the plot of a video game. And it probably would have been fine for that, since there's a decent set up, and later chapters have plenty of globe hopping and waves of bad guys to fight. But what might have been okay as a video game doesn't work as well for a novel, where there should ideally be more than short descriptions of locations and fights. Aside from battle fever and fear, we don't get much insight into Lara's inner world beyond the first few chapters. Whereas the vague motivations of the bad guys (there are two opposing forces who both want the fleece and are willing to kill Lara for it) could have been secondary in a game, in a novel, you hope for a little more explanation.
One of the opposing forces, Trinity, ties into the second game coming this winter. They're also mentioned in the Dark Horse comic books. And that leads me to another question maybe someone here can answer. As far as I can tell, this book and the comics are both supposedly canon, meaning they take place in the same universe and supposedly the same time line. I was under the impression that this book takes place before the comic but after the game. Yet, in the comic, Sam again gets possessed by Himiko ... so did the golden fleece cure not work? Or does this book take place on an alternate time line? At the end of both book and comic series, I'm still confused.
Overall, and perhaps fitting for a novel about traveling, this is a book that would be good for a long plane or car ride. Stuck in a metal box, you need something to numb your brain in between thinking of your next pit stop, meal, or destination. This novel is kind of like the movies they usually show on buses - not great but better than staring at the road or listening to your neighbor yammering on about their medical problems.
This novel starts of promisingly enough. It is unfortunately, one of the better parts of the book, in my opinion, and is, ironically, the one part you an get for free when you download a sample. Lara has just returned from her harrowing adventure on the island of Yamatai and is suffering from numerous post traumatic stress disorder symptoms. She's anxious, paranoid, and can't focus. Once familiar London has become a battlefield of potential baddies lurking around every corner, waiting to dole out harm. Her friend, Sam, who herself was rescued from demonic possession on the island, isn't doing much better. She has been taken to the hospital in an apparent catatonic state, and Lara gets a call from a physician there asking for more information. The writers do a great job of conveying Lara's concern while dealing with her own frazzled mental state, and it's a nice nod to the inner turmoil that sometimes besets the adventurous after a harrowing life and death adventure, one we don't often see. It also helps make Lara a more human character.
After that, since nothing the doctors are doing can wake Sam up, Lara decides to do a little medical sleuthing herself, hoping that her knowledge of the ancient and arcane will provide a cure where modern medicine can not. You have to suspend belief a little, since she decides that her best choice of action at this point is to not wait for her best friend to wake up like a normal person but rather to go and potentially get herself killed finding ... wait for it ... the fabled golden fleece (of Jason and the Argonauts fame), which supposedly grants immortality. Lara gets clues about where to start her quest from a mysterious tome she calls "The Book," a collection of old notes and ideas she jotted down while doing past research, kind of like Henry Jones' diary in "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade." The novel seems to hint that she must have come across how to find the fleece's location in the past but, like Henry Jones, wrote it down so she wouldn't have to remember. With enough scouring, she sets off on her quest to de-catatonize Sam. Like I said, you have to suspend belief a little. TR has always been a little weak and convoluted when it comes to the plot, but it didn't really matter since you were playing a video game, and the story was secondary anyway.
And that's sort of what this book feels like, the plot of a video game. And it probably would have been fine for that, since there's a decent set up, and later chapters have plenty of globe hopping and waves of bad guys to fight. But what might have been okay as a video game doesn't work as well for a novel, where there should ideally be more than short descriptions of locations and fights. Aside from battle fever and fear, we don't get much insight into Lara's inner world beyond the first few chapters. Whereas the vague motivations of the bad guys (there are two opposing forces who both want the fleece and are willing to kill Lara for it) could have been secondary in a game, in a novel, you hope for a little more explanation.
One of the opposing forces, Trinity, ties into the second game coming this winter. They're also mentioned in the Dark Horse comic books. And that leads me to another question maybe someone here can answer. As far as I can tell, this book and the comics are both supposedly canon, meaning they take place in the same universe and supposedly the same time line. I was under the impression that this book takes place before the comic but after the game. Yet, in the comic, Sam again gets possessed by Himiko ... so did the golden fleece cure not work? Or does this book take place on an alternate time line? At the end of both book and comic series, I'm still confused.
Overall, and perhaps fitting for a novel about traveling, this is a book that would be good for a long plane or car ride. Stuck in a metal box, you need something to numb your brain in between thinking of your next pit stop, meal, or destination. This novel is kind of like the movies they usually show on buses - not great but better than staring at the road or listening to your neighbor yammering on about their medical problems.
January 1, 2015
Continuing where the 2013 Tomb Raider reboot game ended, this book picks up shortly after. It takes place before the canon comics as well. The basic plot is that Sam is showing signs of having developed problems related to the attempted possession by Himiko so Lara sets off to find the Golden Fleece in attempt to help.
I really wanted to like this novel. I am a huge fan of the games and the tie in comics weren't bad either. This book however leaves much to be desired. The basic premise is pretty good but the delivery is extremely lack luster.
The language feels like it was written for preteens. It reads like the novelization of a comic. Directions and scenes are painfully explained. This works in other media because you can see the scene but it falls flat in books as it destroys all pacing and sounds juvenile.
The printing is very odd and inconsistent with many chapters and even most pages ending on differing spacings/lines. It is extremely disconcerting and distracts from the story which I already had to force myself to focus on. By the end of the game Lara has come to believe in supernatural occurrences yet here she spends 90% of the novel trying to convince herself and the reader that the supernatural is not real, never was real and couldn't possibly be real. It simply doesn't fit the characterization from the game. A large chunk in the beginning is even devoted to her trying to figure out what could possibly be wrong with Sam which is just ridiculous. Considering that she is claiming to be an ancient Japanese woman named Himiko and they just came from an island where an ancient Japanese woman named Himiko tried to possess her it doesn't take a genius to follow this to the logical conclusion.
Another problem is that the main story is written third person limited following Lara only to suddenly switch to a different character's perspective midscene. Normally this isn't a problem as many books can jump perspective with few issues but in this one, the shift comes with no transition at all. There are no new chapters, no asterisks, not even any spaces between the paragraphs with perspective shifts. Normally using visual cues there is some way to tell if you are reading about a different character but here you could be halfway through a new paragraph before realizing from the context that we have jumped to looking through another's eyes. It then jumps back a paragraph or two down with again no transitions. It made many scenes confusing and rather hard to follow.
A further issue with the story is that things just seem to happen for the sake of conflict with no real effort made into connecting the events beyond needing something exciting to spice up the story. There are three villains introduced partway none of whom have anything to contribute to the plot or the progression and seemingly were only added because Lara needed an antagonist and her main adversary had fallen behind. The main driving point, the Fleece, doesn't even seem to be important by the end. Sam's problem just seemingly goes away with no intervention at all beyond a vague implication that a death may have been what really fixed things but even our hero isn't convinced.
After all the negative there are some positives. Most of the characterization from the game is still inherent in the characters and it works. The PTSD that Lara is experiencing is also rather well shown as are the anxiety attacks. While several have said that she is a stone cold killer after the events of the game I think that the PTSD inclusion actually stays true to the story already told and is realistic. The novel also makes good use of British English rather than American English which helps to keep things more grounded as well.
In closing, to me it's very sad that this is the Official Novel. I've read several fanfics, ("The Camera Love You" by Asynca is a perfect example), whose writing, storylines, and characterizations are leagues better. Reading the official version I had expected something that stood above the fan writings but I received this instead. I had hoped for so much more and was extremely disappointed.
I really wanted to like this novel. I am a huge fan of the games and the tie in comics weren't bad either. This book however leaves much to be desired. The basic premise is pretty good but the delivery is extremely lack luster.
The language feels like it was written for preteens. It reads like the novelization of a comic. Directions and scenes are painfully explained. This works in other media because you can see the scene but it falls flat in books as it destroys all pacing and sounds juvenile.
The printing is very odd and inconsistent with many chapters and even most pages ending on differing spacings/lines. It is extremely disconcerting and distracts from the story which I already had to force myself to focus on. By the end of the game Lara has come to believe in supernatural occurrences yet here she spends 90% of the novel trying to convince herself and the reader that the supernatural is not real, never was real and couldn't possibly be real. It simply doesn't fit the characterization from the game. A large chunk in the beginning is even devoted to her trying to figure out what could possibly be wrong with Sam which is just ridiculous. Considering that she is claiming to be an ancient Japanese woman named Himiko and they just came from an island where an ancient Japanese woman named Himiko tried to possess her it doesn't take a genius to follow this to the logical conclusion.
Another problem is that the main story is written third person limited following Lara only to suddenly switch to a different character's perspective midscene. Normally this isn't a problem as many books can jump perspective with few issues but in this one, the shift comes with no transition at all. There are no new chapters, no asterisks, not even any spaces between the paragraphs with perspective shifts. Normally using visual cues there is some way to tell if you are reading about a different character but here you could be halfway through a new paragraph before realizing from the context that we have jumped to looking through another's eyes. It then jumps back a paragraph or two down with again no transitions. It made many scenes confusing and rather hard to follow.
A further issue with the story is that things just seem to happen for the sake of conflict with no real effort made into connecting the events beyond needing something exciting to spice up the story. There are three villains introduced partway none of whom have anything to contribute to the plot or the progression and seemingly were only added because Lara needed an antagonist and her main adversary had fallen behind. The main driving point, the Fleece, doesn't even seem to be important by the end. Sam's problem just seemingly goes away with no intervention at all beyond a vague implication that a death may have been what really fixed things but even our hero isn't convinced.
After all the negative there are some positives. Most of the characterization from the game is still inherent in the characters and it works. The PTSD that Lara is experiencing is also rather well shown as are the anxiety attacks. While several have said that she is a stone cold killer after the events of the game I think that the PTSD inclusion actually stays true to the story already told and is realistic. The novel also makes good use of British English rather than American English which helps to keep things more grounded as well.
In closing, to me it's very sad that this is the Official Novel. I've read several fanfics, ("The Camera Love You" by Asynca is a perfect example), whose writing, storylines, and characterizations are leagues better. Reading the official version I had expected something that stood above the fan writings but I received this instead. I had hoped for so much more and was extremely disappointed.
October 24, 2014
Though it was just released, I read it and found it repetitive, boring, and the ending was dry, and it seemed odd. The book is an easy straight forward read, but there is too much telling, and there is not enough showing. A bit over telling about silly things that the reader could easily visualise without a blow by blow unnecessary detail. I think there should be a balance that I personally did not find in the writing. I feel it was just an okay read, but nothing great.
February 10, 2019
I'm a big fan of both TOMB RAIDER and Dan Abnett's writing. The reboot of Lara Croft has been something of a mixed bag, though I love the level of storytelling detail they've tried to bring to it even if it's not been followed up too successfully by RISE OF THE TOMB RAIDER and SHADOW OF THE TOMB RAIDER. I have read the comics by Rhianna Pratchett, Gail Simone, and others in hopes of continuing to enjoy Lara Croft's adventures.
So how is THE TEN THOUSAND IMMORTALS? Pretty good. It is a story about Lara's friend Sam growing sick with possession by Himiko (a plot used by the comics). Lara decides the only thing she can do to help Sam is to find the Golden Fleece and use it to remove Himiko. Along the way she'll fight a PMC controlled by a man named Ares. She also fights a diseased action film star plus a certain organization that will show up in Rise.
The book is overall very enjoyable but kind of jumps from one plot to another. I think this probably would have made a very good video game and maye a better one than we got. Certainly, Dan Abnett has the capacity to write a good video game. I also appreciated the somewhat surprising ending where our heroine doesn't achieve a complete victory.
Its certainly an entertaining read even if not absolutely necessary for a Lara Croft fan. Also, strangely she befriends two students named Xander and Willow. Even Dan Abnett lampshading it doesn't mean it's less strange.
So how is THE TEN THOUSAND IMMORTALS? Pretty good. It is a story about Lara's friend Sam growing sick with possession by Himiko (a plot used by the comics). Lara decides the only thing she can do to help Sam is to find the Golden Fleece and use it to remove Himiko. Along the way she'll fight a PMC controlled by a man named Ares. She also fights a diseased action film star plus a certain organization that will show up in Rise.
The book is overall very enjoyable but kind of jumps from one plot to another. I think this probably would have made a very good video game and maye a better one than we got. Certainly, Dan Abnett has the capacity to write a good video game. I also appreciated the somewhat surprising ending where our heroine doesn't achieve a complete victory.
Its certainly an entertaining read even if not absolutely necessary for a Lara Croft fan. Also, strangely she befriends two students named Xander and Willow. Even Dan Abnett lampshading it doesn't mean it's less strange.
April 17, 2025
This book gave me anxiety, lol. This is a very young Lara, taking place just after the video game and leading into the events of the comics. This was a fairly complicated plot with lots of enemy factions but it was exciting.
January 3, 2023
This girl can’t ever catch a break.
October 22, 2014
Despite it's flaws this was a pretty enjoyable book to read.
This takes place right after the new Tomb Raider game and before the events of new comic series.
As expected there was archeology, history and myth, and plenty of action to go around. Sam is in danger and Lara immediately sets off to try and find a way to help her. No matter how thin the trail may be at times, Lara is willing to go wherever she must to find something that will help.
Unfortunately the writing style can be pretty flat at times especially when it comes to Lara traveling. It's very cut and dry, getting straight to the point without offering much in the way of imagination. However for me at least it seemed to get better and a bit more detailed as the book went on. At least when she wasn't taking a train/the tube. Nothing profound but better then some parts.
The writing style also doesn't provide a tremendous amount of insight into Lara's character. Although there were some better moments when she's under stress or in danger where you get to see her reasoning and logic. It also doesn't give a huge amount of emotion to the secondary characters either. I couldn't help but feel that many of them weren't explained very well when it came to their thoughts and behaviors. The men in this book especially might likely come off as more annoying and patronizing then anything else.
Lara's panic attacks are also brought up and while it wasn't a major point in the story it's still good to see the issue of panic and anxiety attacks brought up in a popular entertainment series. Lots of people today deal with some form of anxiety and I think the author did a good job of describing Lara's behavior and feelings on the matter.
This is definitely a book for fans and while it's not a masterpiece of writing it's still a nice book and one that I think fans of the Tomb Raider series, whether old or new, will enjoy.
This takes place right after the new Tomb Raider game and before the events of new comic series.
As expected there was archeology, history and myth, and plenty of action to go around. Sam is in danger and Lara immediately sets off to try and find a way to help her. No matter how thin the trail may be at times, Lara is willing to go wherever she must to find something that will help.
Unfortunately the writing style can be pretty flat at times especially when it comes to Lara traveling. It's very cut and dry, getting straight to the point without offering much in the way of imagination. However for me at least it seemed to get better and a bit more detailed as the book went on. At least when she wasn't taking a train/the tube. Nothing profound but better then some parts.
The writing style also doesn't provide a tremendous amount of insight into Lara's character. Although there were some better moments when she's under stress or in danger where you get to see her reasoning and logic. It also doesn't give a huge amount of emotion to the secondary characters either. I couldn't help but feel that many of them weren't explained very well when it came to their thoughts and behaviors. The men in this book especially might likely come off as more annoying and patronizing then anything else.
Lara's panic attacks are also brought up and while it wasn't a major point in the story it's still good to see the issue of panic and anxiety attacks brought up in a popular entertainment series. Lots of people today deal with some form of anxiety and I think the author did a good job of describing Lara's behavior and feelings on the matter.
This is definitely a book for fans and while it's not a masterpiece of writing it's still a nice book and one that I think fans of the Tomb Raider series, whether old or new, will enjoy.
March 26, 2017
Terrible. Did not finish. The first chapter was so tedious, it turned me off. It's like reading a beginning screenwriter trying to become a novelist.
November 22, 2019
2.5 stars
Lara just didn’t seem like Lara. She was gullible, weak and mostly clueless. She was barely involved in combat and when she was, she had to be rescued. Not to mention the first time she picked up a weapon was on page 250.
The jumps in perspective were really sudden and there was nothing in the text (a heading, a big space, etc) to indicate that the story was following another character. It got confusing.
There were also two instances where the name “Tolkien” was misspelled which really grated with me.
This just didn’t feel like Tomb Raider to me. It was a very fast paced, quick read though.
Lara just didn’t seem like Lara. She was gullible, weak and mostly clueless. She was barely involved in combat and when she was, she had to be rescued. Not to mention the first time she picked up a weapon was on page 250.
The jumps in perspective were really sudden and there was nothing in the text (a heading, a big space, etc) to indicate that the story was following another character. It got confusing.
There were also two instances where the name “Tolkien” was misspelled which really grated with me.
This just didn’t feel like Tomb Raider to me. It was a very fast paced, quick read though.
March 17, 2017
La recensione sul blog ---> http://www.leggereromanticamente.com/...
October 12, 2016
Honestly, how did this even get published? The note in the beginning of the book about how this is canon was only salt in the wound.
Things that were awful about this book:
1.The writing:whew, those other reviews were so right that the writing in this book is absolute garbage. If Dan Abnett is a bestselling author, there's no reason we all shouldn't be published. There were so many repetitive sentences and situations that provided 90% of the filler in this book. Nearly every chapter was a variation of Lara going somewhere (in nauseating detail in case you want to recreate the journey for yourself), Lara scoping out people she thinks are following her, Lara getting or being given bottles of water (there were at least ten instances of her grabbing a bottle of water or sipping water- I know hydration is important but come on), and Lara talking to herself by asking herself dumb questions. There were no mysteries. There was no showing, only telling.
2.Lara herself:Who is this woman pretending to be the heroine from the 2013 reboot? She was an anxious mess all the time, she was painfully bad at figuring things out on her own, and for a supposed archaeological genius, she asked some really painfully dumb questions. And on that note, how did she get from "Oh, Sam is sick and thinks she's Himiko" to "Yeah, I need to jetset around Europe to get the Golden Fleece". The only thing connecting those two things was a notation in "The Book", and it was such a flimsy thing to go on. It was certainly not a reason to abandon your friend after she overdoses. Also, Lara kept befriending random foreign people and it was so annoying. Every single person she met in a random country would magically help her out and hide her even though she's this crazy British lady they've never seen before. What taxicab driver in their right mind would let someone pay them 10 euros to get chased around by murderers? Oh and Willow and that whole plot line can just go fly a kite. Way to be a creep, Lara, by hanging out with college kids and sleeping on their couches. Also, hey Lara, remember Roth, your father figure who died on Yamatai? Or hey remember anyone else who was with you? No, they don't even get mentioned. Sam hardly even gets mentioned.
3.The plot(?):This book hardly had a plot. The first 100 pages are Lara running around, taking the tube, being paranoid, and drinking water. Even after I was finished, I still have so many questions. Did Sam actually overdose because she was depressed? Why was Himiko tied to the Ten Thousand Immortals? Why did Sam get magically fixed even though Lara didn't get her the Golden Fleece? Is Lara immortal now because she has that lil gold nugget? Why was Sam turning into Himiko? The plot could have been good if the story had focused on Sam becoming Himiko, and then they had worked out the mystery together and banished her or something. Instead, Lara decided to chase after a mythological object instead of actually talking to her friend for more than ten minutes.
This book honestly felt like it was written by someone who had read the Wikipedia page for the first game, and not actually played any of it. The plot was so contrived that it was painful. Near the end, when I was praying for it to be over, I had forgotten that this was even supposed to be Lara Croft. There are some great video games books out there (Dragon Age, I'm lookin' at you, baby), but this was just insulting.
Things that were awful about this book:
1.The writing:whew, those other reviews were so right that the writing in this book is absolute garbage. If Dan Abnett is a bestselling author, there's no reason we all shouldn't be published. There were so many repetitive sentences and situations that provided 90% of the filler in this book. Nearly every chapter was a variation of Lara going somewhere (in nauseating detail in case you want to recreate the journey for yourself), Lara scoping out people she thinks are following her, Lara getting or being given bottles of water (there were at least ten instances of her grabbing a bottle of water or sipping water- I know hydration is important but come on), and Lara talking to herself by asking herself dumb questions. There were no mysteries. There was no showing, only telling.
2.Lara herself:Who is this woman pretending to be the heroine from the 2013 reboot? She was an anxious mess all the time, she was painfully bad at figuring things out on her own, and for a supposed archaeological genius, she asked some really painfully dumb questions. And on that note, how did she get from "Oh, Sam is sick and thinks she's Himiko" to "Yeah, I need to jetset around Europe to get the Golden Fleece". The only thing connecting those two things was a notation in "The Book", and it was such a flimsy thing to go on. It was certainly not a reason to abandon your friend after she overdoses. Also, Lara kept befriending random foreign people and it was so annoying. Every single person she met in a random country would magically help her out and hide her even though she's this crazy British lady they've never seen before. What taxicab driver in their right mind would let someone pay them 10 euros to get chased around by murderers? Oh and Willow and that whole plot line can just go fly a kite. Way to be a creep, Lara, by hanging out with college kids and sleeping on their couches. Also, hey Lara, remember Roth, your father figure who died on Yamatai? Or hey remember anyone else who was with you? No, they don't even get mentioned. Sam hardly even gets mentioned.
3.The plot(?):This book hardly had a plot. The first 100 pages are Lara running around, taking the tube, being paranoid, and drinking water. Even after I was finished, I still have so many questions. Did Sam actually overdose because she was depressed? Why was Himiko tied to the Ten Thousand Immortals? Why did Sam get magically fixed even though Lara didn't get her the Golden Fleece? Is Lara immortal now because she has that lil gold nugget? Why was Sam turning into Himiko? The plot could have been good if the story had focused on Sam becoming Himiko, and then they had worked out the mystery together and banished her or something. Instead, Lara decided to chase after a mythological object instead of actually talking to her friend for more than ten minutes.
This book honestly felt like it was written by someone who had read the Wikipedia page for the first game, and not actually played any of it. The plot was so contrived that it was painful. Near the end, when I was praying for it to be over, I had forgotten that this was even supposed to be Lara Croft. There are some great video games books out there (Dragon Age, I'm lookin' at you, baby), but this was just insulting.
June 22, 2015
The story overall was very exciting and interesting, and had a good representation of the current Lara Croft era. There were many moments that you won't want to put the book down, even though the beginning of the book felt a little dragged on concerning her anxiety issues because of Yamatai. My only true complaint is with the editing style of the book. There were too many "run-on" paragraphs, that is to say that paragraphs that should've been distinctly separated with spaces because of drastic changes in scenes, were kept close together and would leave you wondering, "why is she taking her sweater off, she is in the middle of the street!". Another complaint, though minor, is all the blank pages, at least in the version I have read, just so that each new chapter is on the right hand page. The text font is already larger than a normal paperback due to size, it just seems silly and a waste to leave a full blank side of no text, but this is just a little nitpick I have and not so important as the run-on paragraphs mentioned prior, which could confuse readers at points.
All in all, this book was a great little read for both action and Tomb Raider fans, and suggest it anyone who would like a good little adventure novel to indulge in.
All in all, this book was a great little read for both action and Tomb Raider fans, and suggest it anyone who would like a good little adventure novel to indulge in.
November 13, 2016
Normally, the advantage of a book is that you can gain insight into a character's feelings and "get inside their head" more so than you can when you are watching them on screen. Unfortunately, this book didn't take advantage of this at all, and this was the most disappointing thing about it. It essentially felt like I was reading a movie. There was very little insight into Lara's thoughts, and she barely demonstrated any emotions at all. Her character was really flat and at times she seemed very much out of character (someone dies in front of her, and all she can think about is her artifact) which was very disappointing. I'm hoping it's only because they want to save any major character development for the next game.
The main issue with the book is the writing. The premise and the story is pretty good (good enough that I'm ok with it being canon), but it was just executed and told really badly which made more than a few parts seem either cheesy or unbelievable which I don't think would have been the case if the writing had been better.
That being said, it was at least entertaining. If it had been a fan fiction, I would have thought it was better than most, but I have higher expectations from an actual book.
The main issue with the book is the writing. The premise and the story is pretty good (good enough that I'm ok with it being canon), but it was just executed and told really badly which made more than a few parts seem either cheesy or unbelievable which I don't think would have been the case if the writing had been better.
That being said, it was at least entertaining. If it had been a fan fiction, I would have thought it was better than most, but I have higher expectations from an actual book.
January 22, 2021
Disappointing, and I wrote my senior thesis on Lara Croft. I could get pass the Google Map directions of London, her continuous paranoia, and the narrative written as how Lara thinks and sees the world (which I don't think worked for this book) but when she was I can't. I threw the book across the room.
So we come from a game where Lara learns how to be independent, learns how to support herself when she needs help, and her successful "I can do this" attitude, to a book where she is an emotionless nervous wreck. Back to square 1. Did you play the game?
She couldn't even
I just recently starting collecting the comics, if this is the Lara I have to look forward to then you can forget it.
I made it to 100 pages.
So we come from a game where Lara learns how to be independent, learns how to support herself when she needs help, and her successful "I can do this" attitude, to a book where she is an emotionless nervous wreck. Back to square 1. Did you play the game?
She couldn't even
I just recently starting collecting the comics, if this is the Lara I have to look forward to then you can forget it.
I made it to 100 pages.
April 29, 2015
i know it seems like i didnt like the book since i took forever but i lovedddd it!! i just havent had much time to read lately cause of school.. but it was soo good!! it perfectly fit in between the two video games and made me even MORE excited for the new one to come out.. which i didnt think was possible to be honest.. but great great book Tomb Raider fans will love this book
December 17, 2016
Lots of plot holes, not written very well, and they managed to misspell "Tolkien" twice.
They should be able to do better with a strong character like Croft.
They should be able to do better with a strong character like Croft.
August 21, 2023
As a hardcore TR 2013 fan, I had been looking out for this book for a while. I loved the new game trilogy and I was invested in the plot. I think I actually cried at some of the game cut scenes. I also remember enjoying "Path of the Apocalypse" despite its basic plot and limited setting. However, this book is the first Tomb Raider story that I've found to be boring and that in itself is going to make me shed a little tear.
There are a lot of issues with this book. The worst of all is the writing, which is chopping and quite awful. There's a lot of repetition - Lara will say "Yes, thank you" or "I will" about five times in the same conversation. There are also chaotic POV changes without any markers. The plot is also messy and Lara doesn't read like Lara.
The archaeology talk in this book is dreadful. In this universe, Lara has a DEGREE in archaeology. The professor even tells her she should do a postgrad, and she's suppose to be smart. I have a degree in Archaeology myself (and I'll admit I have nowhere near the level of brain cells Lara Croft is supposed to have), and let me tell you, some of the questions Lara asks in this book were covered in my first year of university and should not be coming out of her mouth.
Like Lara girl, you KNOW the sea is a good place to find artifacts. You know about corrosion. You know not to use Wiki as a source of all things. Every time she does something or says something that indicates she doesn't have a basic understanding of her own damn subject I was literally closing the book. It is PAINFUL to have her be like this.
Also, imagine a world were you just call up a professor and then you meet up and have lunch with them the next day. Imagine not having to email them 293183y4823 times just for a yes/no answer, and just getting instance access to their office hours. I know she's the MC so she's suppose to have the power of getting the things she needs for the plot but this was just so badly done and random.
Lara also places her trust in a lot of strangers. She has 1 or 2 conversations with someone and then decides to be friends with them. This is happening in the same book where she's always looking over her shoulder and struggling with anxiety. It also doesn't really fit with her overall character - her development in "Shadow" is supposed to be her becoming more people-sey, but here she is just trusting anyone.
Overall, its just such a disappointing ramble of things happening to someone who is supposed to be our strong survivor, written in perhaps the worst possible way.
There are a lot of issues with this book. The worst of all is the writing, which is chopping and quite awful. There's a lot of repetition - Lara will say "Yes, thank you" or "I will" about five times in the same conversation. There are also chaotic POV changes without any markers. The plot is also messy and Lara doesn't read like Lara.
The archaeology talk in this book is dreadful. In this universe, Lara has a DEGREE in archaeology. The professor even tells her she should do a postgrad, and she's suppose to be smart. I have a degree in Archaeology myself (and I'll admit I have nowhere near the level of brain cells Lara Croft is supposed to have), and let me tell you, some of the questions Lara asks in this book were covered in my first year of university and should not be coming out of her mouth.
Like Lara girl, you KNOW the sea is a good place to find artifacts. You know about corrosion. You know not to use Wiki as a source of all things. Every time she does something or says something that indicates she doesn't have a basic understanding of her own damn subject I was literally closing the book. It is PAINFUL to have her be like this.
Also, imagine a world were you just call up a professor and then you meet up and have lunch with them the next day. Imagine not having to email them 293183y4823 times just for a yes/no answer, and just getting instance access to their office hours. I know she's the MC so she's suppose to have the power of getting the things she needs for the plot but this was just so badly done and random.
Lara also places her trust in a lot of strangers. She has 1 or 2 conversations with someone and then decides to be friends with them. This is happening in the same book where she's always looking over her shoulder and struggling with anxiety. It also doesn't really fit with her overall character - her development in "Shadow" is supposed to be her becoming more people-sey, but here she is just trusting anyone.
Overall, its just such a disappointing ramble of things happening to someone who is supposed to be our strong survivor, written in perhaps the worst possible way.
November 24, 2021
I REALLY wanted to like this book. I’ve played almost every tomb raider game, watched every movie, and have enjoyed several of the comics since the 2013 reboot. I was so excited there was a book bridging the time between Yamatai and Kitezh. I thought I was going to go on a journey with Lara as she underwent symptoms and treatment of what would be severe PTSD, loss, trauma, and debilitating physical pain (no way she didn’t get a life threatening infection from the rebar wound after wading through dead people water, am I right?). I can also say I very much look forward to hell her and Sam‘s friendship continued and developed, and if we would see any recurring cast throughout the book. More than anything, I was intrigued to see the character development of Lara going from naïve fresh out of college archaeologist, to battle hardened realistic Lara. Unfortunately, I’m sad to say that almost none of that occurred.
In my opinion, the writers or whoever made the plot, missed seizing the opportunity of an entire book to develop and embellish the characters (which I would think the whole point of a reboot like this would be, seeing how the producers wanted to showcase Lara’s transformation into the witty, icy-cool, I-eat-lead-for-breakfast icon of a woman that is the “tomb raider”. Nope. Instead , they utilized some 340 odd pages to introduced trinity as a villain in a plot I found far fetched and ridiculous, even for a tomb raider plot line! Many characters are only mentioned by name and make no appearances, Laura miraculously recovers with almost no medical attention (and more importantly, no explanation) for any of the many mental and physical injuries she received as a result of Yamatai. The whole plot is based off the writers trying to convince you that some thing very significant happened on Yamatai when Lara has no recollection of it, but everyone else does?!
TLDR; Plot holes so big I though this was a Myst linking book, some how there are solari off of Yamatai living in Japan (????), Lara has a healing factor, who’s sam, Jason and the argonauts, trinity bad, Lara good- that’s it. That’s the whole book. Save yourself some time and skip this one.
In my opinion, the writers or whoever made the plot, missed seizing the opportunity of an entire book to develop and embellish the characters (which I would think the whole point of a reboot like this would be, seeing how the producers wanted to showcase Lara’s transformation into the witty, icy-cool, I-eat-lead-for-breakfast icon of a woman that is the “tomb raider”. Nope. Instead , they utilized some 340 odd pages to introduced trinity as a villain in a plot I found far fetched and ridiculous, even for a tomb raider plot line! Many characters are only mentioned by name and make no appearances, Laura miraculously recovers with almost no medical attention (and more importantly, no explanation) for any of the many mental and physical injuries she received as a result of Yamatai. The whole plot is based off the writers trying to convince you that some thing very significant happened on Yamatai when Lara has no recollection of it, but everyone else does?!
TLDR; Plot holes so big I though this was a Myst linking book, some how there are solari off of Yamatai living in Japan (????), Lara has a healing factor, who’s sam, Jason and the argonauts, trinity bad, Lara good- that’s it. That’s the whole book. Save yourself some time and skip this one.
January 26, 2020
The Ten Thousand Immortals is a bit of a mixed bag, but overall worth it for fans of the rebooted Tomb Raider video game series.
This novel takes place close after the events of 2013's Tomb Raider game, and before the Dark Horse comic series. The introduction is very clear that The Ten Thousand Immortals is canon to that game series and that story development was done with input from the game developers. As such, the novel is somewhat limited in scope and ambition -- Abnett and Vincent knew where Lara Croft was at the end of the 2013 game, where she needed to get to before the comic series, and only had a little room to play with in between.
With those limitations in mind, I really enjoyed most of the story. It's a little more tightly contained in Europe than most Tomb Raider adventures I'm familiar with, and there is no actual tomb raiding involved. What there is, is a well-paced adventure that weaves ancient Greek mythology and secret societies effectively into the same world where the mythological events of the 2013 game actually took place. Lara is dealing with what she experienced throughout the novel, a good reminder that this new version of the character is more grounded and can't shrug traumatic things as easily as before.
Unfortunately, The Ten Thousand Immortals falls apart toward the end. I'll try to say this without spoilers, but the final few chapters are focused on a set-piece battle that is entirely confusing to follow. All sense of movement and direction are given in reference to real-world landmarks in the area and I, not being at all familiar with the area, had to consult Google maps to make any sense of it.
Combined with a few nagging typos and an utterly baffling decision to switch character perspectives line-to-line (without even the customary couple of line breaks in between), and this novel was much more frustrating to read than it needed to be. Which is a shame, because at its heart, The Ten Thousand Immortals is a good Tomb Raider story.
This novel takes place close after the events of 2013's Tomb Raider game, and before the Dark Horse comic series. The introduction is very clear that The Ten Thousand Immortals is canon to that game series and that story development was done with input from the game developers. As such, the novel is somewhat limited in scope and ambition -- Abnett and Vincent knew where Lara Croft was at the end of the 2013 game, where she needed to get to before the comic series, and only had a little room to play with in between.
With those limitations in mind, I really enjoyed most of the story. It's a little more tightly contained in Europe than most Tomb Raider adventures I'm familiar with, and there is no actual tomb raiding involved. What there is, is a well-paced adventure that weaves ancient Greek mythology and secret societies effectively into the same world where the mythological events of the 2013 game actually took place. Lara is dealing with what she experienced throughout the novel, a good reminder that this new version of the character is more grounded and can't shrug traumatic things as easily as before.
Unfortunately, The Ten Thousand Immortals falls apart toward the end. I'll try to say this without spoilers, but the final few chapters are focused on a set-piece battle that is entirely confusing to follow. All sense of movement and direction are given in reference to real-world landmarks in the area and I, not being at all familiar with the area, had to consult Google maps to make any sense of it.
Combined with a few nagging typos and an utterly baffling decision to switch character perspectives line-to-line (without even the customary couple of line breaks in between), and this novel was much more frustrating to read than it needed to be. Which is a shame, because at its heart, The Ten Thousand Immortals is a good Tomb Raider story.
August 22, 2018
This book was awful. I am a big fan of the Tomb Raider series, especially the reboot, so brought this book in the hope of exploring more of the lore and find out how Lara Croft develops after Yamati in the game's debut reboot. While you'll find a little about what happens, I suggest you reject buying this book and look it up via wikipedia instead.
Unfortunately Lara Croft's personality is not captured very well, and the writing is an absolute bore to sludge through, page after page, mostly due to the style of writing, poor grammar and obsessive thought flooding. The book 'tells, tells, tells' and doesn't show the great things that we love about Lara Croft, not gives us any juicy developments on the kinds of artifacts Lara Croft will inevitably find. Truly, you will read paragraphs on Lara doing research on the 'bad guys' in the story via several google searches, which is about as painful to read as you can imagine. There are not scenes where Lara is being 'cool'. Lara Croft has gained some anxiety from Yamati (which is very reasonable and potentially valid character development) yet even this is not fleshed out.
The plot is dry, uninteresting and will not encourage you to finish the book. I cannot believe also, how many grammatical and typing errors I found in this book, which is the fault of the editor(s), who you would think, would be concerned with maintaining a high quality for the Tomb Raider brand.
And if you want to know how great the ending is....
Don't buy it.
Unfortunately Lara Croft's personality is not captured very well, and the writing is an absolute bore to sludge through, page after page, mostly due to the style of writing, poor grammar and obsessive thought flooding. The book 'tells, tells, tells' and doesn't show the great things that we love about Lara Croft, not gives us any juicy developments on the kinds of artifacts Lara Croft will inevitably find. Truly, you will read paragraphs on Lara doing research on the 'bad guys' in the story via several google searches, which is about as painful to read as you can imagine. There are not scenes where Lara is being 'cool'. Lara Croft has gained some anxiety from Yamati (which is very reasonable and potentially valid character development) yet even this is not fleshed out.
The plot is dry, uninteresting and will not encourage you to finish the book. I cannot believe also, how many grammatical and typing errors I found in this book, which is the fault of the editor(s), who you would think, would be concerned with maintaining a high quality for the Tomb Raider brand.
And if you want to know how great the ending is....
Don't buy it.
January 6, 2019
Wasn't what I was expecting... well it was to some extent but not sure if it was me or the story. The story seemed a bit draggy in places, and Lara wasn't the strong go get them type hero I was accustomed too. Granted near the end she perked up, and yes people do grow into who they become but I wasn't expecting her to be so jumpy and on edge, and well.. fallible to human conditions like panic attacks. I think I was expecting her to be gung-ho, and kick butt'ing from the get go with an edgy story that kept me glued. What I found was a young woman who one moment was dithery then a few paragraphs later strong willed and focused. Basically split personality much? I probably could have got on board with Lara being like this if it gelled all the way through with her growing, as a character and emerging stronger, part from the panic attacks seemed to just be tossed in and seemed a bit random as if to give her some depth and fallibilities. This is one of the reasons it took me a while to get through this book, I just couldn't connect fully with the character.
Oh... yes there is a storyline in the book that is a follow on to the video game I think, which I haven't played. It's connected to what happened to her BFF Sam, and Lara has to battle through her panic attacks while trying to help her friend Sam. There are some really good moments in the book, so if you are a Lara fan then maybe you might like this, but be warned there are moments that you might think hold on Lara, get a grip! That a girl, you can do this.
Oh... yes there is a storyline in the book that is a follow on to the video game I think, which I haven't played. It's connected to what happened to her BFF Sam, and Lara has to battle through her panic attacks while trying to help her friend Sam. There are some really good moments in the book, so if you are a Lara fan then maybe you might like this, but be warned there are moments that you might think hold on Lara, get a grip! That a girl, you can do this.
March 19, 2018
Credo che questo sia il peggior libro che io abbia mai letto nella mia vita ahahaha
Parto dal fatto che io sono quel tipo di ragazzo che cerca di vedere sempre il meglio, il bello, in quello che legge/vede. Beh stavolta non ce l'ho fatta.
Questo libro è confusionario, con una caratterizzazione dei personaggi veramente pessima, cosa bruttissima per un personaggio come Lara Croft con un background così grande. Nemici e svolgimento degli eventi piatto, noioso, e tutto ciò non è esattamente la formula perfetta per un libro d'avventura, o che almeno dovrebbe esserlo.
Mi dispiace tanto dare una valutazione simile a questo libro perchè io amo Dan Abnett, però lo amo in ambito fumettistico. Ha scritto alcune tra le mie serie Marvel preferite e finchè si tratta di fumetti è veramente, ma veramente bravo. Qui, non so, si è come perso durante il percorso.
Il libro parte da dove finisce il videogame di Tomb Raider uscito, se non sbaglio, nel 2014 dove vengono narrate le origini di Lara Croft, di come lei inizia a scoprire tutta quella parte di mondo che prima le era nascosta, che fino ad allora era solo una supposizione di suo padre Richard Croft. Quindi insomma da un libro che continua gli eventi di un videogame simili ti aspetti leggermente di più, non dico il caso editoriale del decennio però insomma qualcosa di più.
Non pensavo sarei mai arrivato a dare una sola stella ad un libro ma a quanto pare c'è una prima volta per tutto. Stra mega sconsigliato.
Parto dal fatto che io sono quel tipo di ragazzo che cerca di vedere sempre il meglio, il bello, in quello che legge/vede. Beh stavolta non ce l'ho fatta.
Questo libro è confusionario, con una caratterizzazione dei personaggi veramente pessima, cosa bruttissima per un personaggio come Lara Croft con un background così grande. Nemici e svolgimento degli eventi piatto, noioso, e tutto ciò non è esattamente la formula perfetta per un libro d'avventura, o che almeno dovrebbe esserlo.
Mi dispiace tanto dare una valutazione simile a questo libro perchè io amo Dan Abnett, però lo amo in ambito fumettistico. Ha scritto alcune tra le mie serie Marvel preferite e finchè si tratta di fumetti è veramente, ma veramente bravo. Qui, non so, si è come perso durante il percorso.
Il libro parte da dove finisce il videogame di Tomb Raider uscito, se non sbaglio, nel 2014 dove vengono narrate le origini di Lara Croft, di come lei inizia a scoprire tutta quella parte di mondo che prima le era nascosta, che fino ad allora era solo una supposizione di suo padre Richard Croft. Quindi insomma da un libro che continua gli eventi di un videogame simili ti aspetti leggermente di più, non dico il caso editoriale del decennio però insomma qualcosa di più.
Non pensavo sarei mai arrivato a dare una sola stella ad un libro ma a quanto pare c'è una prima volta per tutto. Stra mega sconsigliato.
August 20, 2022
First and foremost, the fact that this has a foreword by the crystal dynamics team goes to show that they cared for the way this book executed the idea of Lara Croft.
This event happen after Lara’s visit to Yamatai. Sam is sick and doctors can’t help her. This is something spiritual happening. This lead Lara to go on a hunt in the realm of archeology to find something that can heal Sam.
Pro: Relatable when it comes to her developing anxiety and an extremely watchful eye on those around her after the events of Yamatai.
Pro: Feels very much like the game
Con: They detailed her every move when she entered a train about who’s wearing what and who looks suspicious or not repeatedly a couple of chapters and it got annoying
Con: I didn’t like how after a fight or something drastic, it didn’t faced Lara she would just continue on with what she’s doing. We gotta remember this is still a young Lara and so much is happening. Based on her having anxiety attacks and all for someone who just witnessed two archeologist who became dear to her die, it was as if it didn’t happen. There weren’t any emotional connection to their deaths.
Over all the story and pacing was good but not great. But it does ties into the game pretty nice.
This event happen after Lara’s visit to Yamatai. Sam is sick and doctors can’t help her. This is something spiritual happening. This lead Lara to go on a hunt in the realm of archeology to find something that can heal Sam.
Pro: Relatable when it comes to her developing anxiety and an extremely watchful eye on those around her after the events of Yamatai.
Pro: Feels very much like the game
Con: They detailed her every move when she entered a train about who’s wearing what and who looks suspicious or not repeatedly a couple of chapters and it got annoying
Con: I didn’t like how after a fight or something drastic, it didn’t faced Lara she would just continue on with what she’s doing. We gotta remember this is still a young Lara and so much is happening. Based on her having anxiety attacks and all for someone who just witnessed two archeologist who became dear to her die, it was as if it didn’t happen. There weren’t any emotional connection to their deaths.
Over all the story and pacing was good but not great. But it does ties into the game pretty nice.
December 20, 2025
My Tomb Raider obsession resurgence brought me here and all I can say is: what?
First of all, this book would have been 100 pages shorter if it was properly edited, because why are there pages and pages of pointless descriptions of Lara just 🌟walking🌟. And if not that, then it's repetitive descriptions of what we JUST read, over and over and over!! On top of that, long action sequences which were confusing and unnecessary!! Yes!!! I know this is Tomb Raider, there's action everywhere!!! But this was not well written and it slowed the narrative!! AND ON TOP OF THAT!!! SO MUCH HEAD-HOPPING WITHOUT A SECTION BREAK OR ANYTHING!!!!
All the characters were one dimensional and forgettable!! And then the author has the audacity to pointed it out like that was going to fix things!! For reference, in Chapter 18: "They were two-dimensional creatures with no redeeming qualities." 😑😑 Write the whole review for me why don't you.
The overall plot was underwhelming. I want ask what the point of this book was, but then again, I chose to read it so I won't ask.
In conclusion, goodbye.
First of all, this book would have been 100 pages shorter if it was properly edited, because why are there pages and pages of pointless descriptions of Lara just 🌟walking🌟. And if not that, then it's repetitive descriptions of what we JUST read, over and over and over!! On top of that, long action sequences which were confusing and unnecessary!! Yes!!! I know this is Tomb Raider, there's action everywhere!!! But this was not well written and it slowed the narrative!! AND ON TOP OF THAT!!! SO MUCH HEAD-HOPPING WITHOUT A SECTION BREAK OR ANYTHING!!!!
All the characters were one dimensional and forgettable!! And then the author has the audacity to pointed it out like that was going to fix things!! For reference, in Chapter 18: "They were two-dimensional creatures with no redeeming qualities." 😑😑 Write the whole review for me why don't you.
The overall plot was underwhelming. I want ask what the point of this book was, but then again, I chose to read it so I won't ask.
In conclusion, goodbye.
November 30, 2023
Chronique complète :
https://sunread26.wordpress.com/2020/...
Extrait :
Replaçons nous dans le contexte, Lara revient de l’île japonaise Yamatai avec ses amis Jonah et Sam (le reste de l’équipage étant décédé, notamment son père spirituel), détruite émotionnellement et psychologiquement par cette épreuve, qui commence à la changer, elle revient à Londres où elle loge désormais dans un appartement. Le livre démarre bien en résumant, au travers d’une crise d’anxiété de Lara, le premier jeu Tomb Raider et ses enjeux en 2 pages, de quoi ne pas dérouter les lecteurs n’ayant pas joué au jeu équivalent (même si cela reste recommander pour mieux saisir les événements qui vont suivre).
Encore une fois, Lara va devoir sauver son amie Sam, qui subie les séquelles de Yamatai, au travers d’une course folle à travers le monde et de trahison. Je ne veux pas vous spoiler donc je n’en dirais pas plus !
https://sunread26.wordpress.com/2020/...
Extrait :
Replaçons nous dans le contexte, Lara revient de l’île japonaise Yamatai avec ses amis Jonah et Sam (le reste de l’équipage étant décédé, notamment son père spirituel), détruite émotionnellement et psychologiquement par cette épreuve, qui commence à la changer, elle revient à Londres où elle loge désormais dans un appartement. Le livre démarre bien en résumant, au travers d’une crise d’anxiété de Lara, le premier jeu Tomb Raider et ses enjeux en 2 pages, de quoi ne pas dérouter les lecteurs n’ayant pas joué au jeu équivalent (même si cela reste recommander pour mieux saisir les événements qui vont suivre).
Encore une fois, Lara va devoir sauver son amie Sam, qui subie les séquelles de Yamatai, au travers d’une course folle à travers le monde et de trahison. Je ne veux pas vous spoiler donc je n’en dirais pas plus !
June 12, 2020
the writing seemed rather mediocre & amateurish to me. like the author just sorta slapped together a franchise story & moved on to the next project. POVs changed randomly between paragraphs, which is off-putting from a reader perspective.
the thing with Fife & his men was just weird & seemed wholly unnecessary. also, Kennard is supposed to be a man who’s very good at his job & accounts for all things, but he didn’t notice the extremely suspicious, out of place dudes in suits taking pics while he was chatting with Lara? sure. that makes sense.
Lara being referred to as “the girl” was frankly insulting. and the conclusion left much to be desired. it just seemed kinda slapdash & vague. literally nothing is ever answered or explained or in anyway truly concluded. it just sorta ends & I guess I’m supposed to be satisfied with that?
the thing with Fife & his men was just weird & seemed wholly unnecessary. also, Kennard is supposed to be a man who’s very good at his job & accounts for all things, but he didn’t notice the extremely suspicious, out of place dudes in suits taking pics while he was chatting with Lara? sure. that makes sense.
Lara being referred to as “the girl” was frankly insulting. and the conclusion left much to be desired. it just seemed kinda slapdash & vague. literally nothing is ever answered or explained or in anyway truly concluded. it just sorta ends & I guess I’m supposed to be satisfied with that?
July 19, 2018
It was a good read, fairly quick to get through, and a nice in between story that deals with what has happened between the first 2 games and also Lara coming to terms with what happened. Is also fun to have a story set in universe that doesn't consist predominately with Lara mowing down legions of enemies.
It was a nice sneaky introduction to the Trinity organisation whom appear heavily in Rise of the Tomb Raider. And it was also good to see Lara dealing with an adventure that isn't in some highly exotic local.
Of course there are some throwaway characters that don't add a great deal to the overall plot. And some plot lines that don't always jell with the story as a whole.
But if you enjoy the games you will probably enjoy this book too.
It was a nice sneaky introduction to the Trinity organisation whom appear heavily in Rise of the Tomb Raider. And it was also good to see Lara dealing with an adventure that isn't in some highly exotic local.
Of course there are some throwaway characters that don't add a great deal to the overall plot. And some plot lines that don't always jell with the story as a whole.
But if you enjoy the games you will probably enjoy this book too.
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