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Mass Effect: Andromeda Novels #1
Nexus Uprising
Titan Books will work with acclaimed video game developer BioWare to publish brand new novels set in the universe of MASS EFFECT™: ANDROMEDA. The action will weave into the new game, with storylines developed in close collaboration with the BioWare game team. The action takes place with the adventure of the game itself, setting up the story and events of the game adding depth and detail to the canonical MASS EFFECT saga.
451 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 21, 2017
310 people are currently reading
2280 people want to read
About the author
Jason M. Hough
26 books563 followersJason M. Hough (pronounced 'Huff') is the New York Times bestselling author of The Dire Earth Cycle and the near-future spy thriller Zero World. In a former life he was a 3D artist, animator, and game designer (Metal Fatigue, Aliens vs. Predator: Extinction, and many others). He has also worked in the fields of high-performance cluster computing and machine learning.
The Darwin Elevator began life in 2008 as a project for National Novel Writing Month. The book released on July 30th, 2013 and reached the New York Times Bestseller list the following week. Darwin was Jason’s first published fiction. The subsequent books in that trilogy were released that same summer, along with a prequel novella, The Dire Earth, in 2014.
Jason's latest novel, Zero World, released on August 18th, 2015 from Del Rey Spectra (US) and Titan Books (AUS/NZ). Publishers Weekly called it “a thrilling action rampage that confirms Hough as an important new voice in genre fiction.”
He lives near Seattle, Washington with his wife, two young sons, and a dog named Missbuster.
The Darwin Elevator began life in 2008 as a project for National Novel Writing Month. The book released on July 30th, 2013 and reached the New York Times Bestseller list the following week. Darwin was Jason’s first published fiction. The subsequent books in that trilogy were released that same summer, along with a prequel novella, The Dire Earth, in 2014.
Jason's latest novel, Zero World, released on August 18th, 2015 from Del Rey Spectra (US) and Titan Books (AUS/NZ). Publishers Weekly called it “a thrilling action rampage that confirms Hough as an important new voice in genre fiction.”
He lives near Seattle, Washington with his wife, two young sons, and a dog named Missbuster.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 276 reviews
May 10, 2017
I feel neutral about this one.
(Potential spoilers for both the book and game ahead)
As it says in the synopsis, this is a prequel to the events that took place upon the arrival of the Nexus in Andromeda. If I remember correctly from the game, these events took place around 12-14 months before Ark Hyperion shows up with (your) defrosted and thoroughly culture shocked Ryder.
In the game, the events chronicled through this book are vaguely mentioned by the directors of the Nexus (Kesh, Tann, Kandros, and Addison). All of them mention a rebellion that took place before Ryder's arrival, purportedly started and lead by former Security Director Sloane, but don't really give much more detail than that.
So for the curious, such as myself, we're stuck reading a 400+ page novel about it. Which was both interesting and about 400+ pages too long.
My problem with this story? It dragged.
Before I start with the complaining, I want to make it clear that the story (while filled with filler) was interesting and informative. It gives a player more background on who exactly is in control of the Nexus and a little more information about the Nexus itself and the trip out there. It helped influence certain decisions I've made in the game. The background is clear enough that a non-gamer, someone who just likes sci-fi for example, could easily pick it up and understand it.
BUT! It took almost 300 pages to get to the actual events that sparked the rebellion. The rest of the time the reader was forced to suffer through page after page of day to day life trying to keep the Nexus limping along.
I understand it was necessary, to a degree. The reader, both the gamer and someone who just decided to pick it up because it looked cool, had to understand what the crew was experiencing. A charismatic woman promised these people a new start in a new galaxy filled with "golden worlds", where humanity would get a chance to restart (and miss the oncoming Reaper invasion that everyone was still swearing was just a figment of Shepard's imagination). Only to arrive and have their ship ripped apart by a mysterious Scourge, be at the mercy of bureaucrats, and find out their golden worlds are actually planetary embodiments of Hell.
But did it really need to stretch for over 300 pages?
Did we really need a page by page description of Krogan clearing an area? Of a Turian fixing a system? Description after description of Tann's pacing and blinking? Page after page of Sloane's temper tantrums? Or repeated descriptions of how Krogan's walk, snort, and headbutt?
A lot and I mean a lot of bloat and extra fat could have/needed to be trimmed from this story...not unlike this review, actually.
(Potential spoilers for both the book and game ahead)
As it says in the synopsis, this is a prequel to the events that took place upon the arrival of the Nexus in Andromeda. If I remember correctly from the game, these events took place around 12-14 months before Ark Hyperion shows up with (your) defrosted and thoroughly culture shocked Ryder.
In the game, the events chronicled through this book are vaguely mentioned by the directors of the Nexus (Kesh, Tann, Kandros, and Addison). All of them mention a rebellion that took place before Ryder's arrival, purportedly started and lead by former Security Director Sloane, but don't really give much more detail than that.
So for the curious, such as myself, we're stuck reading a 400+ page novel about it. Which was both interesting and about 400+ pages too long.
My problem with this story? It dragged.
Before I start with the complaining, I want to make it clear that the story (while filled with filler) was interesting and informative. It gives a player more background on who exactly is in control of the Nexus and a little more information about the Nexus itself and the trip out there. It helped influence certain decisions I've made in the game. The background is clear enough that a non-gamer, someone who just likes sci-fi for example, could easily pick it up and understand it.
BUT! It took almost 300 pages to get to the actual events that sparked the rebellion. The rest of the time the reader was forced to suffer through page after page of day to day life trying to keep the Nexus limping along.
I understand it was necessary, to a degree. The reader, both the gamer and someone who just decided to pick it up because it looked cool, had to understand what the crew was experiencing. A charismatic woman promised these people a new start in a new galaxy filled with "golden worlds", where humanity would get a chance to restart (and miss the oncoming Reaper invasion that everyone was still swearing was just a figment of Shepard's imagination). Only to arrive and have their ship ripped apart by a mysterious Scourge, be at the mercy of bureaucrats, and find out their golden worlds are actually planetary embodiments of Hell.
But did it really need to stretch for over 300 pages?
Did we really need a page by page description of Krogan clearing an area? Of a Turian fixing a system? Description after description of Tann's pacing and blinking? Page after page of Sloane's temper tantrums? Or repeated descriptions of how Krogan's walk, snort, and headbutt?
A lot and I mean a lot of bloat and extra fat could have/needed to be trimmed from this story...not unlike this review, actually.
April 11, 2019
I admit I came into this knowing full well it was a franchise novel and I usually never go in for franchise novels. Maybe a few Star Treks here and there, a Doctor Who occasionally, and pretty much nothing else.
So why did I go this route?
Names. The heavy-hitting authors involved. Well, I've heard of Hough but I haven't read any of his work, but for the next two on the docket, N. K. Jemisin and Cat Valente, my admiration knows no bounds. So, yeah, I had to read these.
Oh, and I am one of those rare fans of the game. I love all of the games. I played this one to 100%. :)
Enough of that. How was this BOOK, Bradley? lol
Well, it was okay. Nothing seriously wrong with it, just kinda average. It's a prequel to the game and I enjoyed ferreting out the history and the developments at the home base, Nexus, and how they happened to go through a mutiny and sent off a ton of exiles into an inhospitable world.
This is the rest of the story.
Reasons, developments, survival on a mostly broken mothership, and a slew of badly-handled situations. In a nutshell. And it was okay. Not fantastic. Just... fine. No surprises going in, no surprises going out, and I found myself wondering if there was really a point. Yes, the story is fleshed out a lot more from the game, but all-in-all, I probably could have done without it.
Should I keep my expectations a little higher for the next two? Perhaps.
So why did I go this route?
Names. The heavy-hitting authors involved. Well, I've heard of Hough but I haven't read any of his work, but for the next two on the docket, N. K. Jemisin and Cat Valente, my admiration knows no bounds. So, yeah, I had to read these.
Oh, and I am one of those rare fans of the game. I love all of the games. I played this one to 100%. :)
Enough of that. How was this BOOK, Bradley? lol
Well, it was okay. Nothing seriously wrong with it, just kinda average. It's a prequel to the game and I enjoyed ferreting out the history and the developments at the home base, Nexus, and how they happened to go through a mutiny and sent off a ton of exiles into an inhospitable world.
This is the rest of the story.
Reasons, developments, survival on a mostly broken mothership, and a slew of badly-handled situations. In a nutshell. And it was okay. Not fantastic. Just... fine. No surprises going in, no surprises going out, and I found myself wondering if there was really a point. Yes, the story is fleshed out a lot more from the game, but all-in-all, I probably could have done without it.
Should I keep my expectations a little higher for the next two? Perhaps.
January 16, 2019
This took me 11 days to read even when it's not all that long, hurm. As a prequel, it covers one of the time periods I found most intriguing in Mass Effect: Andromeda: the origins of the Outcasts, and the Nexus' original disastrous arrival in the galaxy, the scarcity and chaos and hopelessness they underwent. I love few things more than seeing a society trapped in claustrophobic confines and needing to navigate survival together, even while circumstances are tightening the screws, a pot slowly heating up to a boil.
Howeverrrr, the original mutineers' motivations are hard to wrap my mind around, besides 'utterly stupid short-sighted tantrum/riot'. What in the world was their plan?? IF THEIR PLAN SUCCEEDED, THEY WOULD'VE ALL STARVED.
Also, I think Sloane's development into the violent despot she was in the video game is too rushed? It finally comes on like, the last couple pages of the book, but until that point, she'd been a fairly level-headed (albeit grumpy/sassy) leader that the reader can root for as a heroine. Which I think is probably just the unavoidable pitfall of giving her an entire POV book -- they had to make her likeable, more 'lovable hothead' than 'tyrant' -- but it still meant that the whole thing didn't ring quite true to me, and I had trouble reconciling it with game canon. Anyway, it was alright. I'm excited to move onto the next Andromeda novels, since they're written by Cat Valente and NK Jemisin(!).
Howeverrrr, the original mutineers' motivations are hard to wrap my mind around, besides 'utterly stupid short-sighted tantrum/riot'. What in the world was their plan?? IF THEIR PLAN SUCCEEDED, THEY WOULD'VE ALL STARVED.
Also, I think Sloane's development into the violent despot she was in the video game is too rushed? It finally comes on like, the last couple pages of the book, but until that point, she'd been a fairly level-headed (albeit grumpy/sassy) leader that the reader can root for as a heroine. Which I think is probably just the unavoidable pitfall of giving her an entire POV book -- they had to make her likeable, more 'lovable hothead' than 'tyrant' -- but it still meant that the whole thing didn't ring quite true to me, and I had trouble reconciling it with game canon. Anyway, it was alright. I'm excited to move onto the next Andromeda novels, since they're written by Cat Valente and NK Jemisin(!).
May 30, 2017
Let me preface this review by saying that I am a die hard Mass Effect Fan. I have played and completed all three original games, and bought this book to prepare myself for Andromeda (the game). I have read every single book in the Mass Effect (and Dragon Age) series and it pains me to say that this is the worst book out of every single one in the series.
It's a roughly 400 page book and the first 300 are an utter waste of time. The characters are totally unlikeable, the writing is simplistic, and nothing happens. It's astonishing how completely inept the entire crew of the Nexus is... isn't this suppose to be the Milky Way's best and brightest? The decisions they make in reaction to catastrophic events on the Nexus are totally unbelievable and ripped me out of the experience. On top of that, most of the characters are insufferable, in particular, Sloane Kelly. The book can't really decide if she is a protagonist or an antagonist, and depending on the chapter her allegiances and motivations change constantly. Her personality and writing is like sandpaper compounded by the fact that she has no re-deemable or likeable qualities. Her behaviours are childish and selfish, and it begs the question of how in gods name she ever managed to become the head security director for the entire Nexus. She's basically an irrational, angry, childish thug that you will learn to loathe whenever she's mentioned in the story... which is a lot.
The last 100 pages there is finally a little bit of action that is quickly glanced over followed by an ok ending.
It does set the stage for the game, but overall I would say this book is a waste of your time. I love the lore and universe that is Mass Effect, which is the only reason this book gets 2 stars instead of 1. My recommendation is to skip this exercise in monotony and play the actual game-- you'll undoubtedly get any backstory covered in this book through the codex.
It's a roughly 400 page book and the first 300 are an utter waste of time. The characters are totally unlikeable, the writing is simplistic, and nothing happens. It's astonishing how completely inept the entire crew of the Nexus is... isn't this suppose to be the Milky Way's best and brightest? The decisions they make in reaction to catastrophic events on the Nexus are totally unbelievable and ripped me out of the experience. On top of that, most of the characters are insufferable, in particular, Sloane Kelly. The book can't really decide if she is a protagonist or an antagonist, and depending on the chapter her allegiances and motivations change constantly. Her personality and writing is like sandpaper compounded by the fact that she has no re-deemable or likeable qualities. Her behaviours are childish and selfish, and it begs the question of how in gods name she ever managed to become the head security director for the entire Nexus. She's basically an irrational, angry, childish thug that you will learn to loathe whenever she's mentioned in the story... which is a lot.
The last 100 pages there is finally a little bit of action that is quickly glanced over followed by an ok ending.
It does set the stage for the game, but overall I would say this book is a waste of your time. I love the lore and universe that is Mass Effect, which is the only reason this book gets 2 stars instead of 1. My recommendation is to skip this exercise in monotony and play the actual game-- you'll undoubtedly get any backstory covered in this book through the codex.
August 5, 2020
"No more battle lines drawn between species. No more old vendettas, greedy piracy, no more Skyllian Blitzes. This time, they had a chance to do things right, starting with a station full of handpicked pioneers eager for the same dream."
Nexus Uprising is the official prequel novel to the 2017 Mass Effect: Andromeda game. Written by Jason M. Hough and K.C. Alexander, Nexus Uprising is the first in the Andromeda universe.
As a massive fan of Mass Effect, one of my all-time favorite franchises EVER, I must admit that I have yet to get into Andromeda. DON'T COME FOR ME! It's not only because of the problems surrounding the release of the troubled game, but also the fact that it was developed wicked fast and received mixed reviews. Besides all of that though, I just don't have the chance to game as much as I used to. Gaming isn't a major priority for me right now, unfortunately. However, I fucking LOVE Mass Effect with my whole entire being and I've been feeling the pull towards finally starting Andromeda. The reader that I am, I decided to jump into the tie-in novels first. I mean.. N.K. Jemisin? Cat Valente? YES PLEASE!
"This wasn't some kind of dream. This was a goddamn miracle."
The Andromeda Initiative is a project that was created to send colonists, scientists and explorers on a one-way trip to settle in the Andromeda Galaxy. It is supposed to be everything the Citadel wasn't.
The Nexus is a massive space station that was designed to be the main hub of the expedition before the colonists (humans, turians, krogans, salarians, asari) depart to their new home. Arks are starships that are led by a Pathfinder (individuals that are an elite blend of soldier/scientist/guide) tasked with exploring the golden worlds that were identified as the strongest options for settlement among the Andromeda Galaxy, starting the process of building new homes.
Aboard the Nexus, the volunteers are asleep in cryostasis chambers during the 600-year journey, so that they won't age. Except something goes wrong, because of course! The Nexus is hit by something and shit goes down. Literally.
Sloane Kelly, a human Alliance-trained soldier and Security Director of the mission, is abruptly awoken from stasis during what should have been a centuries-spanning sleep. Now she must figure out what the hell happened to cause this, while attempting to locate the founder. If she doesn't, it could be catastrophic.
Nexus Uprising has plenty of action, although the middle slows the story down considerably, because not a lot happens. Otherwise, the nearly 500 pages flew by and I devoured this within a day, which is rare for me. It's essentially a chicken nugget meal on the run! It does the job, but there isn't much in the way of actual nutrition.. er.. substance.
Nexus Uprising is the official prequel novel to the 2017 Mass Effect: Andromeda game. Written by Jason M. Hough and K.C. Alexander, Nexus Uprising is the first in the Andromeda universe.
As a massive fan of Mass Effect, one of my all-time favorite franchises EVER, I must admit that I have yet to get into Andromeda. DON'T COME FOR ME! It's not only because of the problems surrounding the release of the troubled game, but also the fact that it was developed wicked fast and received mixed reviews. Besides all of that though, I just don't have the chance to game as much as I used to. Gaming isn't a major priority for me right now, unfortunately. However, I fucking LOVE Mass Effect with my whole entire being and I've been feeling the pull towards finally starting Andromeda. The reader that I am, I decided to jump into the tie-in novels first. I mean.. N.K. Jemisin? Cat Valente? YES PLEASE!
"This wasn't some kind of dream. This was a goddamn miracle."
The Andromeda Initiative is a project that was created to send colonists, scientists and explorers on a one-way trip to settle in the Andromeda Galaxy. It is supposed to be everything the Citadel wasn't.
The Nexus is a massive space station that was designed to be the main hub of the expedition before the colonists (humans, turians, krogans, salarians, asari) depart to their new home. Arks are starships that are led by a Pathfinder (individuals that are an elite blend of soldier/scientist/guide) tasked with exploring the golden worlds that were identified as the strongest options for settlement among the Andromeda Galaxy, starting the process of building new homes.
Aboard the Nexus, the volunteers are asleep in cryostasis chambers during the 600-year journey, so that they won't age. Except something goes wrong, because of course! The Nexus is hit by something and shit goes down. Literally.
Sloane Kelly, a human Alliance-trained soldier and Security Director of the mission, is abruptly awoken from stasis during what should have been a centuries-spanning sleep. Now she must figure out what the hell happened to cause this, while attempting to locate the founder. If she doesn't, it could be catastrophic.
Nexus Uprising has plenty of action, although the middle slows the story down considerably, because not a lot happens. Otherwise, the nearly 500 pages flew by and I devoured this within a day, which is rare for me. It's essentially a chicken nugget meal on the run! It does the job, but there isn't much in the way of actual nutrition.. er.. substance.
April 19, 2017
Why wasn't the game written this well?
April 2, 2022
If you don't know that Mass Effect: Andromeda is the latest (and sadly, perhaps last) installment in the Mass Effect video game series, perhaps you should stop reading this book review, go get yourself a copy of the Mass Effect trilogy, and play it. Seriously, it's the best video game franchise of all time. Then play Mass Effect: Andromeda, and then come back and read this book.
Nexus Uprising is a moderately interesting read if you're any of the following:
1. A die-hard Mass Effect fan who can't get enough Mass Effect in your life.
2. You want to know more about the rebellion and resulting exile that's hinted at when Ryder arrives at the Nexus in the game.
3. You want to know more about what makes former Nexus Security Director Sloane Kelly tick.
Sloane Kelly is the main character of the book, and some people said they didn't want to read a whole book about her, but you don't have to like her for it to be a worthwhile read. The Sloane Kelly you encounter in the game does not come across as a very nice person at all, and not even a decent person. But the book humanizes her quite a bit – to be sure, from page 1 she's got the cheerful disposition of a batarian and the people skills of a vorcha, but she's not really a bad person. Her heart is in the right place at all times, and she's trying to do her job, which is to keep people alive. In that sense, Nexus Uprising is a portrait of how an ordinary person who's just trying to do the right thing – and trying to figure out what that right thing is from minute to minute in a volatile situation – gets caught up in events beyond her control and ends up branded as a traitor and criminal.
Nexus Uprising is also very much a portrait of how things fall apart, and how much worse a bad situation can become when it's combined with poor leadership. As you know if you've played the game, things are grim when the Nexus arrives in Andromeda. Sloane awakens from cryo-stasis to find the ship adrift and badly damaged, and the original leadership – the people who maybe could have handled the situation with enough grace and aplomb to keep the people of the Nexus working as a team – are all dead.
Instead, they're stuck with Joran Tann, a bean-counter revenue officer who was officially 8th in line for the position of Nexus Director, and undoubtedly was only on the list at all because some project manager somewhere back in the Milky Way had to fill a list with names and never anticipated anything bad enough for names that far down to actually matter. The really sad thing about Tann is that he could have been a great asset to the Nexus leadership if he hadn't been so damn convinced that he really deserved to be “the” leader, and tried to play it for all it was worth. He has a genuine talent for data management and cost/benefit analysis that is only eclipsed by his unfortunate instinct for making the worst possible decision at every turn. If there's a real villain in this story, it's Tann, and if you found him to be somewhat annoying in the game... just you wait.
Then there's Foster Addison, a prickly, stiff-necked politician of the first degree whose first instinct is to defend her power and territory like a bulldog against all comers. Between Tann and Addison, the level of bureaucracy and informational politicking could be almost enough to start a mutiny on a healthy ship, let alone one in dire straits. And the third leg in this little triumvirate is Sloane. She's a shark in with a couple of snakes, she can barely stand either one of them (and the feeling appears to be mutual), and she has zero patience for all their meetings and agendas. Put these three in charge, wreck the ship, and make all the nearby planets uninhabitable, and see how long it takes for things to explode.
The book is not remotely high literature, and it's not even well-written pulp. But it is true to the game, and the characters and places come to life well enough. There are lots of familiar characters from the game, including Kandros, Kesh, Drack, Morda, Tann, Addison, and that sneaky bastard William Spender. I won't say it's a “fun” read, as the story is bleak to the point of being depressing, and it doesn't have a happy ending. I recommend reading it either after playing Mass Effect: Andromeda, or at least, after you're partway through the game, so you can at least console yourself with the knowledge that Ryder will eventually show up to save the day.
What it really doesn't answer, though, is how Sloane Kelly went from being a Security Director just trying to do the right thing to that trumped-up mini-warlord we meet in the game, sitting in her sad little throne room on that mountaintop on Kadara, running a mafia town, extracting tribute from all her subjects, and banishing them to the slums below if they don't pay up. The book simply ends with the would-be rebels and the disgruntled krogan both leaving the Nexus and heading in different directions. I didn't mind seeing the Sloane we meet on Kadara, mafiosa Sloane, come to a bad end.
Nexus Uprising is a moderately interesting read if you're any of the following:
1. A die-hard Mass Effect fan who can't get enough Mass Effect in your life.
2. You want to know more about the rebellion and resulting exile that's hinted at when Ryder arrives at the Nexus in the game.
3. You want to know more about what makes former Nexus Security Director Sloane Kelly tick.
Sloane Kelly is the main character of the book, and some people said they didn't want to read a whole book about her, but you don't have to like her for it to be a worthwhile read. The Sloane Kelly you encounter in the game does not come across as a very nice person at all, and not even a decent person. But the book humanizes her quite a bit – to be sure, from page 1 she's got the cheerful disposition of a batarian and the people skills of a vorcha, but she's not really a bad person. Her heart is in the right place at all times, and she's trying to do her job, which is to keep people alive. In that sense, Nexus Uprising is a portrait of how an ordinary person who's just trying to do the right thing – and trying to figure out what that right thing is from minute to minute in a volatile situation – gets caught up in events beyond her control and ends up branded as a traitor and criminal.
Nexus Uprising is also very much a portrait of how things fall apart, and how much worse a bad situation can become when it's combined with poor leadership. As you know if you've played the game, things are grim when the Nexus arrives in Andromeda. Sloane awakens from cryo-stasis to find the ship adrift and badly damaged, and the original leadership – the people who maybe could have handled the situation with enough grace and aplomb to keep the people of the Nexus working as a team – are all dead.
Instead, they're stuck with Joran Tann, a bean-counter revenue officer who was officially 8th in line for the position of Nexus Director, and undoubtedly was only on the list at all because some project manager somewhere back in the Milky Way had to fill a list with names and never anticipated anything bad enough for names that far down to actually matter. The really sad thing about Tann is that he could have been a great asset to the Nexus leadership if he hadn't been so damn convinced that he really deserved to be “the” leader, and tried to play it for all it was worth. He has a genuine talent for data management and cost/benefit analysis that is only eclipsed by his unfortunate instinct for making the worst possible decision at every turn. If there's a real villain in this story, it's Tann, and if you found him to be somewhat annoying in the game... just you wait.
Then there's Foster Addison, a prickly, stiff-necked politician of the first degree whose first instinct is to defend her power and territory like a bulldog against all comers. Between Tann and Addison, the level of bureaucracy and informational politicking could be almost enough to start a mutiny on a healthy ship, let alone one in dire straits. And the third leg in this little triumvirate is Sloane. She's a shark in with a couple of snakes, she can barely stand either one of them (and the feeling appears to be mutual), and she has zero patience for all their meetings and agendas. Put these three in charge, wreck the ship, and make all the nearby planets uninhabitable, and see how long it takes for things to explode.
The book is not remotely high literature, and it's not even well-written pulp. But it is true to the game, and the characters and places come to life well enough. There are lots of familiar characters from the game, including Kandros, Kesh, Drack, Morda, Tann, Addison, and that sneaky bastard William Spender. I won't say it's a “fun” read, as the story is bleak to the point of being depressing, and it doesn't have a happy ending. I recommend reading it either after playing Mass Effect: Andromeda, or at least, after you're partway through the game, so you can at least console yourself with the knowledge that Ryder will eventually show up to save the day.
What it really doesn't answer, though, is how Sloane Kelly went from being a Security Director just trying to do the right thing to that trumped-up mini-warlord we meet in the game, sitting in her sad little throne room on that mountaintop on Kadara, running a mafia town, extracting tribute from all her subjects, and banishing them to the slums below if they don't pay up. The book simply ends with the would-be rebels and the disgruntled krogan both leaving the Nexus and heading in different directions. I didn't mind seeing the Sloane we meet on Kadara, mafiosa Sloane, come to a bad end.
April 1, 2017
Mass Effect - Andromeda: Nexus Uprising had quite a bit riding on it for me and to my relief, it pretty much delivered. To say I was hyped for anything Mass Effect - Andromeda is an understatement. Mass Effect is one of my favourite video game series of all time and I am SO PUMPED for the new game (which I cannot play yet for various reasons, arghhhhh) so this book had to fulfil my high expectations of giving me the Mass Effect fix I so desperately craved ever since the new series was announced AND oh yeah, I actually really liked Jason Hough's Zero World, so NO PRESSURE.
That being said, Nexus Uprising is not a probably not the best place to start for anybody who has not placed the original trilogy of ME games - and you should have probably watched some of the Andromeda Initiative recruitment videos as well before delving into this. To recap, this story takes place a year before the plot in the ME:A game. The Andromeda Initiative is launched in 2185, before the events of Mass Effect 2 and continues 600 years later, one the Nexus space station/ship arrives at the Helios Cluster on the outskirts of the Andromeda galaxy. This actually has many implications for the plot - relations between salarians and krogans are pretty tense because the genophage is still in full effect when everybody set out for this voyage. But hey, there is a shiny new galaxy waiting where everybody can have a fresh start after 600 years of cyro-sleep, all fresh-faced and full of idealism, right? Right?
WRONG. Just after arriving in the Andromeda system and with all of the passengers still asleep, the Nexus is hit by an nebula later called the Scourge. Everything goes downhill from there, namely technology malfunctioning, a whole bunch of people dying in their pods, the entire Nexus being messed up, and oh yeah, the mission founder and entire leadership team being dead. The story is told by a variety of POV characters but probably the most important one is Sloane Kelly, a human Alliance-trained soldier and the Director of Security aboard the Nexus. Sloane awakes to fire and mayhem and things to not greatly improve from there..
Here is where the reason I did not give this five stars come in - one of the main reasons I adore the Mass Effect series is because of the exploration, elaborate lore of cultures and the many changes of scenery. Nexus Uprising was pretty bleak BUT I totally dig elaborate "we are supposed to travel to another galaxy but shit goes wrong" settings (I loved the first half of The Last Hour of Gann for this and if you have any similar recs, let me know) so this totally worked for me. However, having the entire story take place in a ruin of a spaceship without any change of scenery was a bit tedious at times. The dialogue was snappy, the characters were well-written and it was clear that the author duo of Hough and K C Alexander had definitely done their research/are fans of the series. There were so many references to the games, and as a die-hard fem!Shep player I especially loved the hints about turians and human women, hahahaha. Calix was a delight and totally filled the Garrus-shaped hole in my heart.. at least for a while *sob*.
Overall, this book was probably a 3.5 to 4 but I will give it four stars simply for the fact that it is one of the better tie-in materials and that it really made me want to play ME:A even more. It just worked for me.
I'll see you on the other side.
That being said, Nexus Uprising is not a probably not the best place to start for anybody who has not placed the original trilogy of ME games - and you should have probably watched some of the Andromeda Initiative recruitment videos as well before delving into this. To recap, this story takes place a year before the plot in the ME:A game. The Andromeda Initiative is launched in 2185, before the events of Mass Effect 2 and continues 600 years later, one the Nexus space station/ship arrives at the Helios Cluster on the outskirts of the Andromeda galaxy. This actually has many implications for the plot - relations between salarians and krogans are pretty tense because the genophage is still in full effect when everybody set out for this voyage. But hey, there is a shiny new galaxy waiting where everybody can have a fresh start after 600 years of cyro-sleep, all fresh-faced and full of idealism, right? Right?
WRONG. Just after arriving in the Andromeda system and with all of the passengers still asleep, the Nexus is hit by an nebula later called the Scourge. Everything goes downhill from there, namely technology malfunctioning, a whole bunch of people dying in their pods, the entire Nexus being messed up, and oh yeah, the mission founder and entire leadership team being dead. The story is told by a variety of POV characters but probably the most important one is Sloane Kelly, a human Alliance-trained soldier and the Director of Security aboard the Nexus. Sloane awakes to fire and mayhem and things to not greatly improve from there..
Here is where the reason I did not give this five stars come in - one of the main reasons I adore the Mass Effect series is because of the exploration, elaborate lore of cultures and the many changes of scenery. Nexus Uprising was pretty bleak BUT I totally dig elaborate "we are supposed to travel to another galaxy but shit goes wrong" settings (I loved the first half of The Last Hour of Gann for this and if you have any similar recs, let me know) so this totally worked for me. However, having the entire story take place in a ruin of a spaceship without any change of scenery was a bit tedious at times. The dialogue was snappy, the characters were well-written and it was clear that the author duo of Hough and K C Alexander had definitely done their research/are fans of the series. There were so many references to the games, and as a die-hard fem!Shep player I especially loved the hints about turians and human women, hahahaha. Calix was a delight and totally filled the Garrus-shaped hole in my heart.. at least for a while *sob*.
Overall, this book was probably a 3.5 to 4 but I will give it four stars simply for the fact that it is one of the better tie-in materials and that it really made me want to play ME:A even more. It just worked for me.
I'll see you on the other side.
April 13, 2017
This was perfect!
I haven't yet played the newest Mass Effect game as I learned the book was in the making. And, considering it's a prequel to Andromeda story arc, I thought it would add so much to the already rich universe.
It would be a crime not to read it first.
As it turned out, I was right!
I liked the story in the first three games very much, and am really looking forward to seeing what have they come up with now.
General standpoint that story is good was strongly opposed by some entitled 'fans' during the massive public outburst regarding the finale. How dare they tell the story in the way we don't like?!
Drama queens and special snowflakes :/
Didn't care, liked the story. So naturally, I couldn't wait to see what Hough and Alexander had in store for me now.
Both being far from established stars I had some fears, but seeing Fryda Wolff's name under 'narrator' made me grin a bit :)
She's awesome like a Nutella-filled crepe!
And they all worked nicely together.
Story will be very interesting to any Mass Effect fan. On the other hand, it will be a very good introduction to the universe for people who know nothing about it and just like good Sci-Fi.
For the short time, we follow decisions made after the ending of the first trilogy . Brave souls get together and engineer the Nexus, a technological marvel more impressive even than the old Citadel, and decide to make their way to Andromeda galaxy.
All the races are there, ready to make it a fresh start for everyone.
Plan is to spend 600 years in cryostasis, and wake up once they're at the destination. Get all the sections operational - life support, security, botanical, medical and whatnots - and complete the deployment of Nexus.
It will also be ready to receive brave Pathfinders in need of supplies. They will jump among stars and systems in search for food, resources and new planets capable of sustaining life.
But when some of people are suddenly jerked awake, and instead of medical team gently bringing them in they get earful of alarm sirens, things rapidly start looking bleak. Fire and smoke everywhere, life support failing, cryostasis chambers broken or... empty. A sabotage?
Have they even left the Milky Way at all? Have they arrived to Andromeda? How long have they been asleep? And what the hell is going on?!
I cannot really say more without spoiling the fun and enjoyment for you. If liked this description, I'm sure you'll pick it up.
And hurry! It's currently on sale on Audible UK! In US it's at full price of $25, but it gets almost 50% cheaper if you're a member. And if you are, you'll most likely pay with your credits :)
This was a solid 5* experience for me. I enjoyed both writing style and listening to Fryda's beautiful voice.
It's not a surprise that writers were, just like Mass Effect scriptwriters before, required to fill in the weekly quota of PC stuff, but it can be safely ignored.
I don't know if Electronic Arts forces this cringy political correctness due to their personal beliefs or out of the fear of backlash from social justice warriors, but it's irrelevant. It serves no practical purpose, and the later group will bash them for any random reason anyway, but it's there to stay.
Just ignoring it, like that weird uncle who likes wearing aunt's clothes when he thinks nobody is watching, is for the best.
As for the publishing quality, this is another masterpiece by Blackstone Audio.
My name is Commander Six, and this is my favorite shop on the Citadel!
I haven't yet played the newest Mass Effect game as I learned the book was in the making. And, considering it's a prequel to Andromeda story arc, I thought it would add so much to the already rich universe.
It would be a crime not to read it first.
As it turned out, I was right!
I liked the story in the first three games very much, and am really looking forward to seeing what have they come up with now.
General standpoint that story is good was strongly opposed by some entitled 'fans' during the massive public outburst regarding the finale. How dare they tell the story in the way we don't like?!
Drama queens and special snowflakes :/
Didn't care, liked the story. So naturally, I couldn't wait to see what Hough and Alexander had in store for me now.
Both being far from established stars I had some fears, but seeing Fryda Wolff's name under 'narrator' made me grin a bit :)
She's awesome like a Nutella-filled crepe!
And they all worked nicely together.
Story will be very interesting to any Mass Effect fan. On the other hand, it will be a very good introduction to the universe for people who know nothing about it and just like good Sci-Fi.
For the short time, we follow decisions made after the ending of the first trilogy . Brave souls get together and engineer the Nexus, a technological marvel more impressive even than the old Citadel, and decide to make their way to Andromeda galaxy.
All the races are there, ready to make it a fresh start for everyone.
Plan is to spend 600 years in cryostasis, and wake up once they're at the destination. Get all the sections operational - life support, security, botanical, medical and whatnots - and complete the deployment of Nexus.
It will also be ready to receive brave Pathfinders in need of supplies. They will jump among stars and systems in search for food, resources and new planets capable of sustaining life.
But when some of people are suddenly jerked awake, and instead of medical team gently bringing them in they get earful of alarm sirens, things rapidly start looking bleak. Fire and smoke everywhere, life support failing, cryostasis chambers broken or... empty. A sabotage?
Have they even left the Milky Way at all? Have they arrived to Andromeda? How long have they been asleep? And what the hell is going on?!
I cannot really say more without spoiling the fun and enjoyment for you. If liked this description, I'm sure you'll pick it up.
And hurry! It's currently on sale on Audible UK! In US it's at full price of $25, but it gets almost 50% cheaper if you're a member. And if you are, you'll most likely pay with your credits :)
This was a solid 5* experience for me. I enjoyed both writing style and listening to Fryda's beautiful voice.
It's not a surprise that writers were, just like Mass Effect scriptwriters before, required to fill in the weekly quota of PC stuff, but it can be safely ignored.
I don't know if Electronic Arts forces this cringy political correctness due to their personal beliefs or out of the fear of backlash from social justice warriors, but it's irrelevant. It serves no practical purpose, and the later group will bash them for any random reason anyway, but it's there to stay.
Just ignoring it, like that weird uncle who likes wearing aunt's clothes when he thinks nobody is watching, is for the best.
As for the publishing quality, this is another masterpiece by Blackstone Audio.
My name is Commander Six, and this is my favorite shop on the Citadel!
December 15, 2017
Well first I'd like to say I love the mass effect universe and even though I played all 3 games I feel like I missed out on the extra lore because I never read the accompanying novels that went along with the games but in the background but now it's in a new galaxy and a brand new chance for me to get into this world and read the novels and know all the new lore
so on with the review I really liked the this book after playing the game and with all the story plot holes that the game came with and head scratching moments that we where all left with this novel really answered one question I had, which was what really happened during the rebellion and why Salone Kelly was hated they touch on it in the game but not enough for me. in the game you can read the codex and get a brief understanding of the rebellion but not the specifics of what really took place and this book really answers that question.
and this book really clears it up granted it's longer than it needs to of been but it answered a lot of questions and I felt more connected to salone. so now when I talk to her in game I understand her hate towards the nexus and I honestly think she shouldn't of been exiled and should of been aloud to stay after all when you read the book you will find that she was only really doing her job and working with what she had at the time and situation but that's opinion other people who read this book might think differently and feel that she got what she deserved.
but overall i really liked and enjoyed this book and would highly recommend it to other mass effect fans especially those that lost hope in mass effect after playing the game this book will work as a comfort answer some questions they might have and show that in some way bioware actually cared about the world they built and it gives me small hope for the future.
so on with the review I really liked the this book after playing the game and with all the story plot holes that the game came with and head scratching moments that we where all left with this novel really answered one question I had, which was what really happened during the rebellion and why Salone Kelly was hated they touch on it in the game but not enough for me. in the game you can read the codex and get a brief understanding of the rebellion but not the specifics of what really took place and this book really answers that question.
and this book really clears it up granted it's longer than it needs to of been but it answered a lot of questions and I felt more connected to salone. so now when I talk to her in game I understand her hate towards the nexus and I honestly think she shouldn't of been exiled and should of been aloud to stay after all when you read the book you will find that she was only really doing her job and working with what she had at the time and situation but that's opinion other people who read this book might think differently and feel that she got what she deserved.
but overall i really liked and enjoyed this book and would highly recommend it to other mass effect fans especially those that lost hope in mass effect after playing the game this book will work as a comfort answer some questions they might have and show that in some way bioware actually cared about the world they built and it gives me small hope for the future.
May 5, 2017
I have been a fan of the Mass Effect franchise from the start, played the OT and all the associated books and read this after beating Andromeda. Frankly I'm disappointed with the focus of this book. There was a mutiny...and they left. That is the driving plot of the book and it's just very weak in my opinion. Nexus Uprising suffers from having the main source of conflict being between characters but none are particularly compelling or interesting. Most chapters dictate the meanderings of characters trying to parse through the struggle of survival but that is about it, most of the time it is someone complaining about something, almost nothing of importance occurs and the tension between them comes off as immature. While there is nothing unrealistic about this it just did not make for good reading.
Even if the characters had been more compelling they are not given enough opportunity to demonstrate themselves due to lack of engaging plot. I hope the rest of the series takes place post-game and away from the Nexus. Hopefully some new characters in an environment they can respond to will make the rest of the trilogy more interesting.
Even if the characters had been more compelling they are not given enough opportunity to demonstrate themselves due to lack of engaging plot. I hope the rest of the series takes place post-game and away from the Nexus. Hopefully some new characters in an environment they can respond to will make the rest of the trilogy more interesting.
April 1, 2017
Mass Effect : Nexus Uprising is the first of Mass Effect : Andromeda novel series that span around several of the characters and their stories prior to the events in the game. That said, you are not required to play the game itself to appreciate the story as it is but by itself, the content will reveal more of what will happen after the moment you wake up as one of the Ryder sibling. If you never played Mass Effect trilogy, you might feel a bit underwhelmed and confused if you are unfamiliar with the terms, the alien races, the politics and a lot of issues and sentiments through its conclusion which will be further expanded in the game. So.. accept that you will be spoiled either way and before you read more, I recommend you to go through the video series of Andromeda Initiative to properly get the feel before you read another word from this review.
Andromeda Initiative is a collective multi-species super ambitious collaboration to colonize Andromeda Galaxy. The narrative of Nexus Uprising began with the launch of Andromeda Initiative in in 2185 (after the events of Mass Effect 2) and the story continues 600 years later once the Nexus, a massive flagship and space station that rivaled Citadel station, arrived inside the Helius Cluster at the edge of the galaxy. As the title implies, the novel laid out the story of an uprising that occurred on Nexus station that happened a year before ME: A.
You are introduced to the story through multiple characters. Notably, Sloan Kelly, a former Alliance soldier and a veteran of Skyllian Blitz, who held the position as a Security Director aboard the Nexus who after 600 years was forced out of cryostasis after the Nexus suffered heavy damage that took the lives of most of senior leaders of the Initiative including Jien Garson, the Director of Andromeda Initiative. To contain the ship, she had to wake up several people including Jarun Tann, a shrewd Salarian and Deputy Assistant for Revenue Management of the Initiative who took up the mantel as the Director of Andremeda Initiative and Calix Corvannis, a life-support technician and a Turian engineer. Sloan also found Nakmor Kesh, a Krogan engineer and the superintendant who oversee the initial construction of Nexus and also a member of Clan Nakmor.
As the Nexus leaders began to coordinate efforts to repair the Nexus and determine the station's viability with the rest of awaken inhabitants, they came to a rude awakening when they realized the attacks were done by a mysterious life-destroying nebula which they named as The Scourge which also ravaged the surrounding initial promised lands in which the Initiative had determined to be livable for their colonizing effort. However, this knowledge was kept a secret by the leaders that discontent began to emerge among the civilians and workers which grew to an uprising. With this in mind, the story is heavy with frustrating drama and politics and multiple people with very poor people skills that grew to an epic clusterfrak proportion that seem to come out of nowhere. Naturally, death and destruction commence. Just like the original trilogy.
Overall, I do think Nexus Uprising is a fresh reintroduction to Mass Effect franchise and written by someone who is thankfully familiar with the franchise and the lore and the politics and prejudices between the species despite their attempts at leaving everything behind. Considering I wanted to learn more about some of the characters particularly Sloan Kelly who became defacto leader of the Exiles and the leadership of Nexus, so the limited character-driven narrative really set the tone for this novel so you won't get terribly underwhelmed when you play the game.
Admittedly, I hated multiple point of views since it was an easy way for writers to use unnecessary narrative characters to pad out the word count so at times I find my attention wander with characters that I couldn't find myself remotely attach to. Fortunately, there were enough Krogan in the story (and less Asari) to make me stay with the story including a small mention of a certain Krogan Battlemaster of Urdnot Clan. The novel also briefly introduce Nakmor Drack, Kesh's grandfather and the future krogan squadmate for one of Ryder's siblings and the conclusion set the story of the events in ME:A.
To my delight, Nexus Uprising is quite science-y and cerebral (which can be a turn off to those who wanted a lighter reading) and I find myself loving some of minute details about how everyone is subtly reminded that they're living in a glass container and simply waiting for a fuse to lit up and about to explode. Like the original series, the novel does have the spirit of the mutiny arc in Battlestar Galactica but the escalation was done in a progressive tone that felt inevitable. So, by the end of it, I do enjoy the story and characters even if they're not all very likable. I find the relationships and character is what drove the narrative rather than the worldbuilding itself (which is another turn off to those expecting something like half the novel being filled with endless redundant paint-drying descriptions which can be prone to continuity error which thankfully is subverted in this book) which is also very Mass Effect-ey. Naturally, I am looking forward to the next offering of Mass Effect : Andromeda novel series.
Andromeda Initiative is a collective multi-species super ambitious collaboration to colonize Andromeda Galaxy. The narrative of Nexus Uprising began with the launch of Andromeda Initiative in in 2185 (after the events of Mass Effect 2) and the story continues 600 years later once the Nexus, a massive flagship and space station that rivaled Citadel station, arrived inside the Helius Cluster at the edge of the galaxy. As the title implies, the novel laid out the story of an uprising that occurred on Nexus station that happened a year before ME: A.
You are introduced to the story through multiple characters. Notably, Sloan Kelly, a former Alliance soldier and a veteran of Skyllian Blitz, who held the position as a Security Director aboard the Nexus who after 600 years was forced out of cryostasis after the Nexus suffered heavy damage that took the lives of most of senior leaders of the Initiative including Jien Garson, the Director of Andromeda Initiative. To contain the ship, she had to wake up several people including Jarun Tann, a shrewd Salarian and Deputy Assistant for Revenue Management of the Initiative who took up the mantel as the Director of Andremeda Initiative and Calix Corvannis, a life-support technician and a Turian engineer. Sloan also found Nakmor Kesh, a Krogan engineer and the superintendant who oversee the initial construction of Nexus and also a member of Clan Nakmor.
As the Nexus leaders began to coordinate efforts to repair the Nexus and determine the station's viability with the rest of awaken inhabitants, they came to a rude awakening when they realized the attacks were done by a mysterious life-destroying nebula which they named as The Scourge which also ravaged the surrounding initial promised lands in which the Initiative had determined to be livable for their colonizing effort. However, this knowledge was kept a secret by the leaders that discontent began to emerge among the civilians and workers which grew to an uprising. With this in mind, the story is heavy with frustrating drama and politics and multiple people with very poor people skills that grew to an epic clusterfrak proportion that seem to come out of nowhere. Naturally, death and destruction commence. Just like the original trilogy.
Overall, I do think Nexus Uprising is a fresh reintroduction to Mass Effect franchise and written by someone who is thankfully familiar with the franchise and the lore and the politics and prejudices between the species despite their attempts at leaving everything behind. Considering I wanted to learn more about some of the characters particularly Sloan Kelly who became defacto leader of the Exiles and the leadership of Nexus, so the limited character-driven narrative really set the tone for this novel so you won't get terribly underwhelmed when you play the game.
Admittedly, I hated multiple point of views since it was an easy way for writers to use unnecessary narrative characters to pad out the word count so at times I find my attention wander with characters that I couldn't find myself remotely attach to. Fortunately, there were enough Krogan in the story (and less Asari) to make me stay with the story including a small mention of a certain Krogan Battlemaster of Urdnot Clan. The novel also briefly introduce Nakmor Drack, Kesh's grandfather and the future krogan squadmate for one of Ryder's siblings and the conclusion set the story of the events in ME:A.
To my delight, Nexus Uprising is quite science-y and cerebral (which can be a turn off to those who wanted a lighter reading) and I find myself loving some of minute details about how everyone is subtly reminded that they're living in a glass container and simply waiting for a fuse to lit up and about to explode. Like the original series, the novel does have the spirit of the mutiny arc in Battlestar Galactica but the escalation was done in a progressive tone that felt inevitable. So, by the end of it, I do enjoy the story and characters even if they're not all very likable. I find the relationships and character is what drove the narrative rather than the worldbuilding itself (which is another turn off to those expecting something like half the novel being filled with endless redundant paint-drying descriptions which can be prone to continuity error which thankfully is subverted in this book) which is also very Mass Effect-ey. Naturally, I am looking forward to the next offering of Mass Effect : Andromeda novel series.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
dnf
March 21, 2018Добре че има ревюта със спойлери, за да не трябва да чета цялата тази аматьорски написана книга, за да получа отговори за единственото нещо, което предизвика любопитството ми за първите стотина страници.
December 22, 2018
I’m very generous with my “star” ratings, but this book was terrible and I won’t hold back. Filler after filler paragraphs, endless descriptions of nothing, it was like staring into the void. This book should’ve been, what, 100 pages? The “good stuff” (Im using “good stuff” loosely here) didn’t start until I got to 40% of it.
Not worth reading , imo, there’s not enough extra info and the plot is not interesting enough to care. The main characters are husks of themselves, the author didn’t know what to say about them and kept repeating the same facts over and over. If you want to read some quality mass effect Andromeda books, go read initiation and Annihilation: amazing books. Skip this one, keep your money.
Not worth reading , imo, there’s not enough extra info and the plot is not interesting enough to care. The main characters are husks of themselves, the author didn’t know what to say about them and kept repeating the same facts over and over. If you want to read some quality mass effect Andromeda books, go read initiation and Annihilation: amazing books. Skip this one, keep your money.
December 31, 2017
Look, we all know Bioware had more than a few hiccups with Andromeda. In my opinion, it's not a bad game, but there's a lack of smoothness to their storytelling that we got accustomed to in the original Mass Effect trilogy. This book is incredible and ought to be required reading pre-game. It fills in a lot of the sloppy gaps and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. I couldn't put it down, even though there were certain things I knew were inevitable. Getting in the brains of Director Tann, Foster Addison, and Sloane Kelly was enthralling. (Extra heart-eyes for Nakmor Kesh too!)
I'll enjoy my second play-through of Andromeda a hell of a lot more thanks to this book, which is what I hoped!
I'll enjoy my second play-through of Andromeda a hell of a lot more thanks to this book, which is what I hoped!
March 27, 2017
This book is interesting and fills in a lot of details prior to the events of the game but it is marred by some pretty average writing and uneven pacing. For long stretches the book felt like it wasn't going anywhere but it still managed to keep me interested as I wanted to see where the characters motivations would get them. The story isn't bad, but then it ain't great, and as the same with the game there is a good story here, it just needed a bit more polish.
December 1, 2017
It was ok, but not my taste really. Also the characters did not seem much realistic to me.
June 1, 2022
onde eu me meto, meu deus... esses livros derivados de sagas maiores sempre são potencialmente perigosos pq tem muita coisa meia boca nesse meio (os de Star Wars q o digam), e esse prequel de ME:A foi exatamente isso. o ponto legal é ver todos esses acontecimentos q impactam o jogo de uma maneira fortíssima se desenrolando em detalhes. me deu muita vontade de iniciar uma nova run nele. a escrita até q tem personalidade, mas este é um longo livro sobre consertos na nave....... a verdadeira insurreição só chega ao final. a enrolação foi tão grande q fiquei irritado em diversos momentos, não conseguindo nem focar no audiobook enquanto lavava a louça. eu até pararia por aqui com esses livros de ME, porém confesso q tenho muita curiosidade pra ler o q a NK Jemisin escreveu. não é possível q a gata tenha mandado mal nesse universo.
April 12, 2017
I must say this was a good read. As a fan of the previous Mass Effect books, I was excited at the prospect of getting to read another one. Andromeda the Game, may have it's issues but if your interested in seeing how an indealistic adventure to colonize a new galaxy got to it's out of hand state at the beginning of the game then this book will be worth your time. The only issue I take with it is that the dialogue feels slightly off sometimes, and people seem to be always drinking in their chapters. It happens like every other chapter. Otherwise, I recommend this book to anyone who wants to get deeper into the Mass Effect universe.
May 19, 2017
This one was...meh. Not bad, not good, the middle seemed to drag. Still, it satisfied my ME fix and I'm looking forward to the game. ^_^
November 14, 2018
Nexus Uprising serves as a prequel to the video game Mass Effect: Andromeda, taking us to the time before your character, Ryder, arrives in the ark to find the space station badly damaged and behind schedule. We get a glimpse into what exactly happened to the people aboard and why there is so much for you to “clean” up when you get there. There may be some spoilers for the game in the following review, I will not mention any major plot points, however, some characters’ and events within the book directly lead to plot points in the game.
Right off the bat, I was intrigued with Nexus Uprising. I am a Bioware fangirl and I adore Mass Effect, however, the real draw for me was the fact that we’d be getting a chance to see Sloane Kelly BEFORE she becomes who she is within the game. The story itself spans several different characters, giving you a lot of insight into each one of them and their motivations. I think this is a pretty successful prequel novel. While it doesn’t feel fundamental to the storyline, because you can piece together some of this with the in-game dialogue and ‘lore’, it does feel like I gain a lot of new information that broadens the overall story’s scope. The story is slow to build and we get to see the Nexus the moment the first pods open, where the trouble begins immediately and people not prepared to lead are thrust forward to make decisions.
While playing the game I had mixed feelings about pretty much everyone in this book excluding a few (Kesh – Love, Tann- HATE, Spender – HATE), but Nexus Uprising really fleshes out how they became the people we interacted with. I appreciated getting to know more about Sloane, who is painted as a badass but dangerous person in the game. She is still a badass and more than a little dangerous if need be in NU, but she has a focus on getting things done the correct way. I love a woman who can talk her way out of a problem but can also punch her way out when she has to. Tann is still the same little spineless twerp we all get subjected to in the game, but we see his appointment to the director and his turning points along the way. Addison is the one that doesn’t seem to get a lot of character arc development, she does grow more spine throughout everything but she remains the same, which isn’t to say she’s a bland character more that her inevitable strength and determination to see things to the end is something that develops early on in the story.
I was extremely frustrated in the game when I found out about the rebellion and the consequential divide between the crew, and while that frustration hasn’t gone away I do understand why it occurred. A new galaxy fraught with unexpected issues and the danger of their own home failing them, it pushes people to limits that hadn’t previously expected to see. On top of the issues, we also have old scars that still linger even after 600 light years are placed between them and it’s origin. We have classism and inherent racism that most try to overcome in some way, though more than few fail. It kind of makes you all wonder, just what the hell all these people were thinking when they signed up to leave the Milky Way and head to Andromeda.
A small note on the audiobook, it is read by Fryda Wolff who provides the voice for the female Ryder in the game. She really does an excellent job with the range of voices and really taps into each of the races little mannerisms really well.
Overall I think that if you enjoyed the game, then this is one to check out for sure! It provides some much-needed context for the situations surrounding Tann, Spender, Clan Nakmor, and Sloane, and really solidifies what makes the ME series so strong; the relationships built between allies and enemies.
Right off the bat, I was intrigued with Nexus Uprising. I am a Bioware fangirl and I adore Mass Effect, however, the real draw for me was the fact that we’d be getting a chance to see Sloane Kelly BEFORE she becomes who she is within the game. The story itself spans several different characters, giving you a lot of insight into each one of them and their motivations. I think this is a pretty successful prequel novel. While it doesn’t feel fundamental to the storyline, because you can piece together some of this with the in-game dialogue and ‘lore’, it does feel like I gain a lot of new information that broadens the overall story’s scope. The story is slow to build and we get to see the Nexus the moment the first pods open, where the trouble begins immediately and people not prepared to lead are thrust forward to make decisions.
While playing the game I had mixed feelings about pretty much everyone in this book excluding a few (Kesh – Love, Tann- HATE, Spender – HATE), but Nexus Uprising really fleshes out how they became the people we interacted with. I appreciated getting to know more about Sloane, who is painted as a badass but dangerous person in the game. She is still a badass and more than a little dangerous if need be in NU, but she has a focus on getting things done the correct way. I love a woman who can talk her way out of a problem but can also punch her way out when she has to. Tann is still the same little spineless twerp we all get subjected to in the game, but we see his appointment to the director and his turning points along the way. Addison is the one that doesn’t seem to get a lot of character arc development, she does grow more spine throughout everything but she remains the same, which isn’t to say she’s a bland character more that her inevitable strength and determination to see things to the end is something that develops early on in the story.
I was extremely frustrated in the game when I found out about the rebellion and the consequential divide between the crew, and while that frustration hasn’t gone away I do understand why it occurred. A new galaxy fraught with unexpected issues and the danger of their own home failing them, it pushes people to limits that hadn’t previously expected to see. On top of the issues, we also have old scars that still linger even after 600 light years are placed between them and it’s origin. We have classism and inherent racism that most try to overcome in some way, though more than few fail. It kind of makes you all wonder, just what the hell all these people were thinking when they signed up to leave the Milky Way and head to Andromeda.
A small note on the audiobook, it is read by Fryda Wolff who provides the voice for the female Ryder in the game. She really does an excellent job with the range of voices and really taps into each of the races little mannerisms really well.
Overall I think that if you enjoyed the game, then this is one to check out for sure! It provides some much-needed context for the situations surrounding Tann, Spender, Clan Nakmor, and Sloane, and really solidifies what makes the ME series so strong; the relationships built between allies and enemies.
July 13, 2017
2.5 at best. 🤷🏾♀️ But I like the narrator very much.
November 7, 2021
- Doesn't add anything substantial to the story of the game. Game: "there was some conflict and they kinda left". Book: "there is some conflict and they're kinda leaving"
- Said conflict: if you expect actual reasons and developed story, don't.
- Sloane: I wanted to know why she did what she did. Book: "it kinda happened". I KID YOU NOT. Illogical plot twist as if the author suddenly remembered that she was supposed to switch sides. Makes no sense whatsoever.
- Tann and Addison: now that's some waterproof character development. Meaning, none.
- I have no idea how tf the Nexus managed to survive for one year mostly intact under this leadership.
- Btw: I also thought these people were supposed to be maybe not the best, but among the "pretty good" that Milky Way had to offer.
Summing up: I didn't expect much. I expected a substandard but pleasant adventure romp. What I got was some meandering word vomit, characters that didn't make sense, and nothing that would add to the story of the game. If anything, it makes it look even worse.
- Said conflict: if you expect actual reasons and developed story, don't.
- Sloane: I wanted to know why she did what she did. Book: "it kinda happened". I KID YOU NOT. Illogical plot twist as if the author suddenly remembered that she was supposed to switch sides. Makes no sense whatsoever.
- Tann and Addison: now that's some waterproof character development. Meaning, none.
- I have no idea how tf the Nexus managed to survive for one year mostly intact under this leadership.
- Btw: I also thought these people were supposed to be maybe not the best, but among the "pretty good" that Milky Way had to offer.
Summing up: I didn't expect much. I expected a substandard but pleasant adventure romp. What I got was some meandering word vomit, characters that didn't make sense, and nothing that would add to the story of the game. If anything, it makes it look even worse.
February 7, 2019
As much as I'm a Mass Effect fan and enjoyed previous books in the franchise especially Drew Karpyshyn this book was a drag to read and so uninteresting and poorly written .
The characters are totally unlikable and annoying especially the protagonist Sloane Kelly .It amazing how may plot holes or things that are so unrealistic or how completely inept the entire crew of the Nexus are for a so called best of the milky-way galaxy and having the most advanced tech the way they act is like a bunch of kids and reactions and way they act are totally unbelievable
Unsure how much the Bioware team had input into this novel , but hope the other books in the Andromeda series and better than this one and the author given more freedom to write interesting stories / characters
The characters are totally unlikable and annoying especially the protagonist Sloane Kelly .It amazing how may plot holes or things that are so unrealistic or how completely inept the entire crew of the Nexus are for a so called best of the milky-way galaxy and having the most advanced tech the way they act is like a bunch of kids and reactions and way they act are totally unbelievable
Unsure how much the Bioware team had input into this novel , but hope the other books in the Andromeda series and better than this one and the author given more freedom to write interesting stories / characters
March 29, 2017
Loved this, Bioware have always done a fantastic job of the Mass Effect expanded universe and here they've put out a prequel novel that fills in a lot of fascinating back story and character and reading it in between sessions on the game really fed into my excitement to play and vice versa. The comics, anime and novels that tie into ME have always been a real thrill for me, long may it continue!
April 19, 2017
This was a difficult book to get into, as definitely only for fans of Mass Effect: Andromeda. Or, more specifically, fans of MEA who want to know why it feels like the AI brought 20,000 human sociopaths.
The last 1/4 of the book was where all of the action and development happened. Before then, it was pretty slow. My attention waned a few times, but I'm glad I stuck with the book.
The last 1/4 of the book was where all of the action and development happened. Before then, it was pretty slow. My attention waned a few times, but I'm glad I stuck with the book.
April 23, 2017
Join the Initiative, she said. It'll be great, she said.
The Andromeda Initiative is the massively ambitious brainchild of one Jien Garson, an entrepeneur with lots of money and a wanderlust. The result? A 600 year journey aboard the Nexus from the Milky Way to the Andromeda Galaxy. Buuuut it turns out the brochures didn't warn about all the wild and crazy things that could happen to a galaxy while everyone is sleeping for six centuries.
When the Nexus arrives in the Andromeda Galaxy, things are the opposite of good and Security Director Sloane Kelly is rudely awakened from cryosleep to find everything in disarray. Worse still, most of the Initiative's leadership has been killed, including the enigmatic Garson. No one left has any of the pluck and gumption that can hold this mission together, even though the defacto leadership tries their best to do so.
Players of BioWare's latest scifi adventure, Mass Effect Andromeda, are well aware of bad things that went on prior to our Pathfinder's arrival in the Andromeda Galaxy, but there is little information in-game about the uprising that led to many people being exiled. Now's our chance to fill in the blanks. But be warned. If you're expecting fast-paced adventure, this is not where you'll find it. For some, the book might seem slow, but mutiny doesn't happen over night.
The story begins with the Nexus' horrific encounter with what comes to be known as the Scourge, a deadly energy field that tears through the ship seemingly without rhyme or reason. When Kelly awakes, she finds herself fighting to survive. She is quickly joined by Superintendent Nakmor Kesh, the krogan engineer who knows the Nexus inside and out. Security. Engineering. That's a pretty good start to trying to get things under control, but with Jien Garson dead, they are forced to turned to Colonial Director Foster Addison and the accounting guy, Jarun Tann as the only other sources of leaders. As can be seen in-game, none of these people get along very well for various reasons, but surely, with survival and the mission at the forefront in all their minds, they can set aside differences to get things done?
Unfortunately, it is those differences, and the continued threat of the Scourge, that ultimately lead to the uprising -- though not in terms as simple as the people turning on their leaders. As I said, the book's pacing is slow, but I appreciate the time it takes to dig into the heads of the main characters and understand their role in the failure of the mission. Because, while they all will blame one another, they each know where they failed the mission too.
And the moral of the story is that none of this would have happened if Jien Garson had survived.
Of course, that's just speculation, but it is interesting to see how much weight the book puts on Garson's ability to convince tens of thousands of people to work together to begin this mission, and the belief that without her, it could not possibly succeed.
Overall, this book does not necessarily provide further insight into the uprising than can be gleaned from the wiki page, but for me, delving more deeply into gaming lore is all about better understanding character motivations. It's less about the how we got here than the why. With that in mind, I am not at all disappointed. In fact, it's been a long time since I've been so engaged in a book that I stayed up late to finish it, but when I got half way through, I simply had to know more. And by the end, I came out a little more heartbroken and sympathetic towards the people who tried so hard and got so far, but in the end, did it really matter? I guess only my Pathfinder will be able to tell...
www.bibliosanctum.com
The Andromeda Initiative is the massively ambitious brainchild of one Jien Garson, an entrepeneur with lots of money and a wanderlust. The result? A 600 year journey aboard the Nexus from the Milky Way to the Andromeda Galaxy. Buuuut it turns out the brochures didn't warn about all the wild and crazy things that could happen to a galaxy while everyone is sleeping for six centuries.
When the Nexus arrives in the Andromeda Galaxy, things are the opposite of good and Security Director Sloane Kelly is rudely awakened from cryosleep to find everything in disarray. Worse still, most of the Initiative's leadership has been killed, including the enigmatic Garson. No one left has any of the pluck and gumption that can hold this mission together, even though the defacto leadership tries their best to do so.
Players of BioWare's latest scifi adventure, Mass Effect Andromeda, are well aware of bad things that went on prior to our Pathfinder's arrival in the Andromeda Galaxy, but there is little information in-game about the uprising that led to many people being exiled. Now's our chance to fill in the blanks. But be warned. If you're expecting fast-paced adventure, this is not where you'll find it. For some, the book might seem slow, but mutiny doesn't happen over night.
The story begins with the Nexus' horrific encounter with what comes to be known as the Scourge, a deadly energy field that tears through the ship seemingly without rhyme or reason. When Kelly awakes, she finds herself fighting to survive. She is quickly joined by Superintendent Nakmor Kesh, the krogan engineer who knows the Nexus inside and out. Security. Engineering. That's a pretty good start to trying to get things under control, but with Jien Garson dead, they are forced to turned to Colonial Director Foster Addison and the accounting guy, Jarun Tann as the only other sources of leaders. As can be seen in-game, none of these people get along very well for various reasons, but surely, with survival and the mission at the forefront in all their minds, they can set aside differences to get things done?
Unfortunately, it is those differences, and the continued threat of the Scourge, that ultimately lead to the uprising -- though not in terms as simple as the people turning on their leaders. As I said, the book's pacing is slow, but I appreciate the time it takes to dig into the heads of the main characters and understand their role in the failure of the mission. Because, while they all will blame one another, they each know where they failed the mission too.
And the moral of the story is that none of this would have happened if Jien Garson had survived.
Of course, that's just speculation, but it is interesting to see how much weight the book puts on Garson's ability to convince tens of thousands of people to work together to begin this mission, and the belief that without her, it could not possibly succeed.
Overall, this book does not necessarily provide further insight into the uprising than can be gleaned from the wiki page, but for me, delving more deeply into gaming lore is all about better understanding character motivations. It's less about the how we got here than the why. With that in mind, I am not at all disappointed. In fact, it's been a long time since I've been so engaged in a book that I stayed up late to finish it, but when I got half way through, I simply had to know more. And by the end, I came out a little more heartbroken and sympathetic towards the people who tried so hard and got so far, but in the end, did it really matter? I guess only my Pathfinder will be able to tell...
www.bibliosanctum.com
September 21, 2019
So, I've been anticipating this book ever since I found out it centered on Sloane Kelly. For those not in the know, Sloane Kelly is the de-facto leader of a colony of rebels in Mass Effect Andromeda. She's ruthless, mean, and strangely competent in her leadership (not necessarily a -good- leader, but there's no anarchy, right?) Mass Effect: Nexus Uprising is her origin story.
Spoiler alert: I loved it. Sloane makes for a hilarious protagonist and the antagonist is deliciously obtuse and powerful in his bureaucracy. Nexus Uprising is a bit of a slow burn, but I had problems setting the book down just a few chapters in. Lots of political intrigue if you're into that.
The only reason I didn't give this book five stars was the slow beginning. Things were a little too quaint for 1-2 chapters. I would have preferred it started like the game--when stuff hit the fan. Another fan (heh) suggested that the ending didn't really explain how a security director became essentially a mob boss of an outlaw colony. I would disagree. Yes, this book leaves a lot to your imagination, but I think the closing scene of Sloane and exiles points in the direction she's going in her leadership.
Should you read this book? Yes, if you like Sloane Kelly. Yes, if you liked ME:A. Maybe even yes if you didn't like either. Honestly, Nexus Uprising serves as a reminder of why I found the game so frustrating: a beautiful cast of characters never gets the chance to shine through a poorly executed plot and game mechanics. Maybe reading this will help add some flesh to the skeletal story.
Spoiler alert: I loved it. Sloane makes for a hilarious protagonist and the antagonist is deliciously obtuse and powerful in his bureaucracy. Nexus Uprising is a bit of a slow burn, but I had problems setting the book down just a few chapters in. Lots of political intrigue if you're into that.
The only reason I didn't give this book five stars was the slow beginning. Things were a little too quaint for 1-2 chapters. I would have preferred it started like the game--when stuff hit the fan. Another fan (heh) suggested that the ending didn't really explain how a security director became essentially a mob boss of an outlaw colony. I would disagree. Yes, this book leaves a lot to your imagination, but I think the closing scene of Sloane and exiles points in the direction she's going in her leadership.
Should you read this book? Yes, if you like Sloane Kelly. Yes, if you liked ME:A. Maybe even yes if you didn't like either. Honestly, Nexus Uprising serves as a reminder of why I found the game so frustrating: a beautiful cast of characters never gets the chance to shine through a poorly executed plot and game mechanics. Maybe reading this will help add some flesh to the skeletal story.
July 16, 2022
I almost gave this book a low rating. Its pace was super slow, almost excruciatingly slow at times. This is why I think this book is good on audio because you can do things while listening to it. The story and the characters grew on me, plus I liked the ending, so I give it a higher rating.
I own the game, but my current system doesn't support it, so I haven't played it. However, you don't need to play the game to understand this story. There is also a lot of online material and videos of the game if you want to know more.
In the game, you play as a pathfinder on the Hyperion, which is a part of the Andromeda Initiative. The Andromeda Initiative is a multi-species project where several large ships (or stations) traveled to Andromeda with people in stasis. The trip took about 600 years, and all the information on habitable planets was outdated by the time they arrived.
In Nexus Uprising, the perspective is from the characters of one of these ships: The Nexus. You see the story mainly through the ship's security director. This ship arrives in Andromeda, possibly at a different time and location from where it was supposed to be.
There are no pathfinders and seemingly none of the other Initiative ships around. The story seems to indicate that some of the inhabitants were awakened early after hitting the "scourge" which destroys part of the Nexus. They may have been the first ship to arrive, perhaps years before any others (though the book doesn't actually mention that).
The rest of the story has to do with trying to find leadership and getting the Nexus back and running. The Uprising, as mentioned in the title, takes place at the end.
I own the game, but my current system doesn't support it, so I haven't played it. However, you don't need to play the game to understand this story. There is also a lot of online material and videos of the game if you want to know more.
In the game, you play as a pathfinder on the Hyperion, which is a part of the Andromeda Initiative. The Andromeda Initiative is a multi-species project where several large ships (or stations) traveled to Andromeda with people in stasis. The trip took about 600 years, and all the information on habitable planets was outdated by the time they arrived.
In Nexus Uprising, the perspective is from the characters of one of these ships: The Nexus. You see the story mainly through the ship's security director. This ship arrives in Andromeda, possibly at a different time and location from where it was supposed to be.
There are no pathfinders and seemingly none of the other Initiative ships around. The story seems to indicate that some of the inhabitants were awakened early after hitting the "scourge" which destroys part of the Nexus. They may have been the first ship to arrive, perhaps years before any others (though the book doesn't actually mention that).
The rest of the story has to do with trying to find leadership and getting the Nexus back and running. The Uprising, as mentioned in the title, takes place at the end.
September 13, 2017
I tried one of the Mass Effect novels in the past and didn't like it very much. But after the success of the Dragon Age novels, and loving Mass Effect Andromeda more than expected I decided to give Nexus Uprising a chance. The uprising is something that is mentioned a lot in the game, so I wanted to know more about it.
And this is a cool story.
I loved learning more about the Nexus and the problems it had. I loved it even more that I got to know more about some of the characters you meet in the game. Tann, Addison, Kesh, and Sloane Kelly all play a part in this story. I really liked seeing in their heads, and to discover what events sparked the mutiny on the Nexus.
I will confess I already formed my own opinions on most of the characters and already picked a side, but it was fun to discover the truth and to see how it matched up with my own ideas about the uprising and the characters. It certainly made that I was even more sure about one of my choices in the game.
I think this book can be read without having played any of the Mass Effect games, there might be a few things you don't understand, but the overall story is easy to follow. I do think that people who played the game will get the most enjoyment out of it though, and I can recommend this book to any fan of Mass Effect.
I already pre-ordered the next book in the series, I can tell you.
And this is a cool story.
I loved learning more about the Nexus and the problems it had. I loved it even more that I got to know more about some of the characters you meet in the game. Tann, Addison, Kesh, and Sloane Kelly all play a part in this story. I really liked seeing in their heads, and to discover what events sparked the mutiny on the Nexus.
I will confess I already formed my own opinions on most of the characters and already picked a side, but it was fun to discover the truth and to see how it matched up with my own ideas about the uprising and the characters. It certainly made that I was even more sure about one of my choices in the game.
I think this book can be read without having played any of the Mass Effect games, there might be a few things you don't understand, but the overall story is easy to follow. I do think that people who played the game will get the most enjoyment out of it though, and I can recommend this book to any fan of Mass Effect.
I already pre-ordered the next book in the series, I can tell you.
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