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Assassin's Creed #9
Орденът на асасините: Произход. Пустинна клетва
Време беше.
Вдиша дълбоко, без да изпуска от поглед жертвата, и задържа ръка сякаш цяла вечност. Трябваше да освободи лъка, преди мускулите му да затреперят и да съсипят прицела. Трябваше да сложи край веднага.
Египет, 70 г. пр.н.е., безмилостен убиец следва своята мисия – да открие и унищожи последните останали членове на древния орден на Меджаите. Единствената му цел е да прекъсне рода им.
Закрилникът на спокойния град Сива неочаквано заминава. Това оставя у младия му син Байек чувство за дълг, който трябва да бъде изпълнен на всяка цена. Но внезапното отпътуване на баща му е свързано със събития от миналото, които повдигат много въпроси за собственото му бъдеще.
В търсене на отговори, Байек броди из размирните земи на Египет и се изправя срещу опасностите и мистериите, които следват пътя на Меджаите.
„Произход. Пустинна клетва” ни отвежда в мистериозния свят на „Орденът на асасините”. От серията досега са издадени: „Ренесанс”, „Братството”, „Тайният кръстоносен поход”, „Прозрение”, „Възмездие”, „Черният флаг“, „Единство” и „Подземен свят“.
Вдиша дълбоко, без да изпуска от поглед жертвата, и задържа ръка сякаш цяла вечност. Трябваше да освободи лъка, преди мускулите му да затреперят и да съсипят прицела. Трябваше да сложи край веднага.
Египет, 70 г. пр.н.е., безмилостен убиец следва своята мисия – да открие и унищожи последните останали членове на древния орден на Меджаите. Единствената му цел е да прекъсне рода им.
Закрилникът на спокойния град Сива неочаквано заминава. Това оставя у младия му син Байек чувство за дълг, който трябва да бъде изпълнен на всяка цена. Но внезапното отпътуване на баща му е свързано със събития от миналото, които повдигат много въпроси за собственото му бъдеще.
В търсене на отговори, Байек броди из размирните земи на Египет и се изправя срещу опасностите и мистериите, които следват пътя на Меджаите.
„Произход. Пустинна клетва” ни отвежда в мистериозния свят на „Орденът на асасините”. От серията досега са издадени: „Ренесанс”, „Братството”, „Тайният кръстоносен поход”, „Прозрение”, „Възмездие”, „Черният флаг“, „Единство” и „Подземен свят“.
288 pages, Paperback
First published November 2, 2017
239 people are currently reading
4660 people want to read
About the author
Oliver Bowden
78 books1,136 followers Anton Gill (aka Oliver Bowden) has been a full-time professional writer since 1984, and in the course of the last 27 years he has published 35 books. Gill was born in Ilford, Essex, the son of a German father and an English mother, and grew up in London. He is an acclaimed novelist and Renaissance historian currently living in Paris, France. Bowden has written novelizations of several of the Assassin's Creed console games.
Oliver Bowden is a pen-name (a pseudonym adopted by the author) in order to hide his true identity. However, his profession and location are accurate.
According to Bowden's interview with UbiWorkshop, he is an avid gamer and gains much of his inspiration for character development throughout the writing process from playing the Assassin's Creed series.
Gill ceased being Oliver Bowden some years back and the author Andrew Holmes (Sleb, 64 Clarke) has published the last six titles of the Assassin's Creed series (The Secret Crusade, Forsaken, Black Flag, Unity, Underworld, and Desert Oath) using this pen-name.
Oliver Bowden is a pen-name (a pseudonym adopted by the author) in order to hide his true identity. However, his profession and location are accurate.
According to Bowden's interview with UbiWorkshop, he is an avid gamer and gains much of his inspiration for character development throughout the writing process from playing the Assassin's Creed series.
Gill ceased being Oliver Bowden some years back and the author Andrew Holmes (Sleb, 64 Clarke) has published the last six titles of the Assassin's Creed series (The Secret Crusade, Forsaken, Black Flag, Unity, Underworld, and Desert Oath) using this pen-name.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 153 reviews
July 21, 2025
The very first Assassin's Creed game is my all-time favourite game, and I'm a fan of the franchise generally.
So, I was very much looking forward to reading this tie-in with one of the later games of the series.
Dull is the best word to describe Desert Oath, dull characters, dull plot, and dull writing. This made the book a slog to get through.
It's not something I thought I would ever say about anything connected to Assassin's Creed.
So, unless you're a massive fan of the franchise, I wouldn't bother.
Hey-ho ,you can't win them all.
So, I was very much looking forward to reading this tie-in with one of the later games of the series.
Dull is the best word to describe Desert Oath, dull characters, dull plot, and dull writing. This made the book a slog to get through.
It's not something I thought I would ever say about anything connected to Assassin's Creed.
So, unless you're a massive fan of the franchise, I wouldn't bother.
Hey-ho ,you can't win them all.
March 9, 2022
Vuoi iniziare a leggere i libri della serie Assassin's Creed scritti da Oliver Bowden, ma non sai cosa sono, da dove iniziare e soprattutto se fanno per te?
Eccomi! Sono qui per questo!
“Nulla è reale, tutto è lecito”
Assassin's Creed è da sempre una delle mie più grandi fissazioni.
Ispirata all'omonimo videogame, la serie firmata Oliver Bowden (pseudonimo di Anton Gill) conta ben nove romanzi. (Esistono altri romanzi nella stessa serie ma scritti da altri autori)
I romanzi della serie AC scritti da Gill sono i seguenti:
Assassin's Creed: Rinascimento (2009)
Assassin's Creed: Fratellanza (2011)
Assassin's Creed: Revelations (2011)
Assassin's Creed: La crociata segreta (2011)
Assassin's Creed: Forsaken (2012)
Assassin's Creed: Black Flag (2013)
Assassin's Creed: Unity (2014)
Assassin's Creed: Underworld (2015)
Assassin's Creed: Desert Oath (2017)
E non devono essere necessariamente letti in ordine. A eccezione dei primi tre, sono tutti quanti ambientati in epoche ed ere differenti e hanno come protagonisti personaggi differenti.
Per chi non lo sapesse gli "Assassini" sono i componenti di una setta pseudomilitare, conosciuta in tutto il mondo come Ordine degli Assassini, o Confraternita degli Assassini, nata in antichità con il principale scopo di garantire, sempre e comunque, la sopravvivenza del libero arbitrio. Per far questo, lavorano fin da piccoli seguendo un credo:
- frena la tua lama di fronte l'innocente;
- nasconditi in piena vista [...];
- non compromette la confraternita.
La confraternita è in eterna lotta con un'altra setta, i Templari, la cui particolarità predominante, in questo universo, è la costante ricerca di un modo per conquistare il mondo (alla "Mignolo e Prof" X'D).
Leggere i libri di questa serie, per me, è come un tornare a casa. E non potrebbe non essere così considerata la mole di ore che ho passato davanti la playstation.
I libri di Oliver Bowden sono a metà tra il romanzo storico e una narrazione di gioco.
Sebbene siano idealmente solo ispirati ai rispettivi capitoli game riescono a riportarti all’interno dell’esperienza virtuale con la mente. Niente più controller, niente più televisore. Ti catapultano all’interno della storia. Storie che hanno per lo più dinamiche semplici, ma non per questo meno piacevoli. Così come in un videogioco i personaggi secondari sono semplicemente PNG (personaggi non giocanti) e non hanno un vero e proprio spessore psicologico. Tutto quello che incontri serve ai fini della trama. I punti di snodo di questi romanzi vengono trattati quasi come quest. Finita la missione, la narrazione si conclude. I movimenti di camera tra una scena e un’altra sono cinematografici. E puoi percepirli come un continuo zoom in e zoom out.
Detto questo, se ami la storia e cerchi dei romanzi storici non troppo lunghi, con:
Capitoli molto brevi
Pochi personaggi
Mondo semplice (con dinamiche che si ripetono in luoghi ed ere differenti)
Trama appassionante nella sua semplicità
Una buona dose di azione
Descrizioni non troppo prolisse ma dettagliate in grado di farti immaginare e vivere la scena
Una scrittura accessibile a tutti
Molti dialoghi
Protagonisti interessanti
Allora questi libri fanno proprio al caso tuo!
Ma di che parla Assassin's Creed: Desert Oath?
Se hai giocato al gioco, ti basta sapere che questo è un prequel in cui avrai modo di assistere alla nascita di Bayek come medjai. Troverai Aya (la mia amata Aya). E vedrai i retroscena del passaggio di successione tra Sabu e Bayek. E basta? Ovviamente no, assisterai anche alla nascita dei Phylax... (sì, proprio quei cazzo di Phylax di livello minimo 20 limortacciloro).
Se non hai giocato al gioco, non fare caso alle tre righe qui sopra.
Egitto, 70 a.c. Bayek vive la sua vita da adolescente innamorato della bellissima (e fighissima) Aya, nel villaggio di Siwa. Bayek è figlio di Sabu. Sabu ha un segretoooo. Arriva un messaggero. Sabu parte senza dire il perché e lascia il villaggio di cui è protettore. Bayek dovrebbe andare a ricoprire il posto del padre, ma lui cosa fa? Parte anche lui alla ricerca del padre. E da qui succederanno un bel po’ di cose che lo porteranno un po’ in giro fino a ricongiungersi con Aya (che ovviamente non poteva di certo rimanere a Siwa) e scoprire la verità sul suo lignaggio e sul suo compito da protettore dell’Egitto.
Okay, raccontato così fa un po’ schifo, ma in realtà è molto semplice, scorrevole e appassionante. La narrazione dapprima molto tenta diventa sempre più frenetica.
Se amate i libri ambientati nell’antico Egitto, con capitoli molto brevi, pochi personaggi, una buona dose di azione, molti dialoghi, descrizioni non troppo prolisse ma dettagliate in grado di farti immaginare e vivere la scena, allora questo libro fa per te!
Eccomi! Sono qui per questo!
“Nulla è reale, tutto è lecito”
Assassin's Creed è da sempre una delle mie più grandi fissazioni.
Ispirata all'omonimo videogame, la serie firmata Oliver Bowden (pseudonimo di Anton Gill) conta ben nove romanzi. (Esistono altri romanzi nella stessa serie ma scritti da altri autori)
I romanzi della serie AC scritti da Gill sono i seguenti:
Assassin's Creed: Rinascimento (2009)
Assassin's Creed: Fratellanza (2011)
Assassin's Creed: Revelations (2011)
Assassin's Creed: La crociata segreta (2011)
Assassin's Creed: Forsaken (2012)
Assassin's Creed: Black Flag (2013)
Assassin's Creed: Unity (2014)
Assassin's Creed: Underworld (2015)
Assassin's Creed: Desert Oath (2017)
E non devono essere necessariamente letti in ordine. A eccezione dei primi tre, sono tutti quanti ambientati in epoche ed ere differenti e hanno come protagonisti personaggi differenti.
Per chi non lo sapesse gli "Assassini" sono i componenti di una setta pseudomilitare, conosciuta in tutto il mondo come Ordine degli Assassini, o Confraternita degli Assassini, nata in antichità con il principale scopo di garantire, sempre e comunque, la sopravvivenza del libero arbitrio. Per far questo, lavorano fin da piccoli seguendo un credo:
- frena la tua lama di fronte l'innocente;
- nasconditi in piena vista [...];
- non compromette la confraternita.
La confraternita è in eterna lotta con un'altra setta, i Templari, la cui particolarità predominante, in questo universo, è la costante ricerca di un modo per conquistare il mondo (alla "Mignolo e Prof" X'D).
Leggere i libri di questa serie, per me, è come un tornare a casa. E non potrebbe non essere così considerata la mole di ore che ho passato davanti la playstation.
I libri di Oliver Bowden sono a metà tra il romanzo storico e una narrazione di gioco.
Sebbene siano idealmente solo ispirati ai rispettivi capitoli game riescono a riportarti all’interno dell’esperienza virtuale con la mente. Niente più controller, niente più televisore. Ti catapultano all’interno della storia. Storie che hanno per lo più dinamiche semplici, ma non per questo meno piacevoli. Così come in un videogioco i personaggi secondari sono semplicemente PNG (personaggi non giocanti) e non hanno un vero e proprio spessore psicologico. Tutto quello che incontri serve ai fini della trama. I punti di snodo di questi romanzi vengono trattati quasi come quest. Finita la missione, la narrazione si conclude. I movimenti di camera tra una scena e un’altra sono cinematografici. E puoi percepirli come un continuo zoom in e zoom out.
Detto questo, se ami la storia e cerchi dei romanzi storici non troppo lunghi, con:
Capitoli molto brevi
Pochi personaggi
Mondo semplice (con dinamiche che si ripetono in luoghi ed ere differenti)
Trama appassionante nella sua semplicità
Una buona dose di azione
Descrizioni non troppo prolisse ma dettagliate in grado di farti immaginare e vivere la scena
Una scrittura accessibile a tutti
Molti dialoghi
Protagonisti interessanti
Allora questi libri fanno proprio al caso tuo!
Ma di che parla Assassin's Creed: Desert Oath?
Se hai giocato al gioco, ti basta sapere che questo è un prequel in cui avrai modo di assistere alla nascita di Bayek come medjai. Troverai Aya (la mia amata Aya). E vedrai i retroscena del passaggio di successione tra Sabu e Bayek. E basta? Ovviamente no, assisterai anche alla nascita dei Phylax... (sì, proprio quei cazzo di Phylax di livello minimo 20 limortacciloro).
Se non hai giocato al gioco, non fare caso alle tre righe qui sopra.
Egitto, 70 a.c. Bayek vive la sua vita da adolescente innamorato della bellissima (e fighissima) Aya, nel villaggio di Siwa. Bayek è figlio di Sabu. Sabu ha un segretoooo. Arriva un messaggero. Sabu parte senza dire il perché e lascia il villaggio di cui è protettore. Bayek dovrebbe andare a ricoprire il posto del padre, ma lui cosa fa? Parte anche lui alla ricerca del padre. E da qui succederanno un bel po’ di cose che lo porteranno un po’ in giro fino a ricongiungersi con Aya (che ovviamente non poteva di certo rimanere a Siwa) e scoprire la verità sul suo lignaggio e sul suo compito da protettore dell’Egitto.
Okay, raccontato così fa un po’ schifo, ma in realtà è molto semplice, scorrevole e appassionante. La narrazione dapprima molto tenta diventa sempre più frenetica.
Se amate i libri ambientati nell’antico Egitto, con capitoli molto brevi, pochi personaggi, una buona dose di azione, molti dialoghi, descrizioni non troppo prolisse ma dettagliate in grado di farti immaginare e vivere la scena, allora questo libro fa per te!
January 31, 2021
Mah... forse mi ero aspettata troppo.
Ho giocato ad Assassin's Creed I e II, quindi ero curiosa di scoprire la parte di Origins. Tanto più che mi avevano detto un gran bene di Bowden, quindi ero speranzosa.
Mah... forse pretendo troppo.
Però questo libro mi è sembrato "senza cuore". E non nel senso di crudele, perché la crudeltà genera comunque un'emozione forte. Ma nel senso che tutta la storia mi è passata davanti senza che ci fosse mai una vera passione, da parte di nessuno.
E poi la faccenda che mi ha dato davvero, ma davvero fastidio e che, dal momento che è venuta fuori nei primi capitoli, probabilmente mi ha rovinato l'intera lettura: possibile che né l'autore né l'editor si siano posti il problema di controllare l'età dei protagonisti e la collocazione temporale delle loro azioni passate e presenti? possibile che non abbiano fatto caso alle difformità e alla conseguente, totale mancanza di veridicità dei fatti narrati?
Senza parlare delle trame secondarie (vedi la storia di Menna) che non hanno nessun motivo di esistere e non si capisce perché ci si debba prendere la pena di seguire questo filone che si estingue senza aggiungere nulla alla vicenda centrale.
Si salva solo il tema, che scorre sottotraccia, dello scontro tra il vecchio e il nuovo, tra la tradizione e il cambiamento, ben incarnato non tanto dai personaggi, ma dalle città nella loro complessa interezza, dalla Tebe decadente e dalla moderna Alessandria, che si fronteggiano e si contendono l'anima del loro popolo.
Bowden, spero che mi abbiano detto il vero su Renaissance e Brotherhood... in quel caso, ci rivedremo ancora, altrimenti adios!
Ho giocato ad Assassin's Creed I e II, quindi ero curiosa di scoprire la parte di Origins. Tanto più che mi avevano detto un gran bene di Bowden, quindi ero speranzosa.
Mah... forse pretendo troppo.
Però questo libro mi è sembrato "senza cuore". E non nel senso di crudele, perché la crudeltà genera comunque un'emozione forte. Ma nel senso che tutta la storia mi è passata davanti senza che ci fosse mai una vera passione, da parte di nessuno.
E poi la faccenda che mi ha dato davvero, ma davvero fastidio e che, dal momento che è venuta fuori nei primi capitoli, probabilmente mi ha rovinato l'intera lettura: possibile che né l'autore né l'editor si siano posti il problema di controllare l'età dei protagonisti e la collocazione temporale delle loro azioni passate e presenti? possibile che non abbiano fatto caso alle difformità e alla conseguente, totale mancanza di veridicità dei fatti narrati?
Senza parlare delle trame secondarie (vedi la storia di Menna) che non hanno nessun motivo di esistere e non si capisce perché ci si debba prendere la pena di seguire questo filone che si estingue senza aggiungere nulla alla vicenda centrale.
Si salva solo il tema, che scorre sottotraccia, dello scontro tra il vecchio e il nuovo, tra la tradizione e il cambiamento, ben incarnato non tanto dai personaggi, ma dalle città nella loro complessa interezza, dalla Tebe decadente e dalla moderna Alessandria, che si fronteggiano e si contendono l'anima del loro popolo.
Bowden, spero che mi abbiano detto il vero su Renaissance e Brotherhood... in quel caso, ci rivedremo ancora, altrimenti adios!
January 2, 2021
I have never played the video games but I loved the movie and it inspired me to read the series. I was hoping for Nietzsche meets Ninja and got a YA action adventure.
That was my bad, I wanted to read them in chronological order. The description plainly stated the MC was a teenager. I’m going to try the next book soon.
To be clear if I was twelve it would have been riveting... but I’m not so three stars.
November 19, 2017
Desert Oath started out slow. It took some time to really get to know the characters and tell which one was which.
Eventually. I figured it all out and soon I was rooting for Bayek and Aya, while wishing Bion would fall on his own sword.
The only thing I hated was the ending. It was appropriately bittersweet, but I would have preferred to read the gory details of Bayek's revenge instead of the short assurance of it.
Eventually. I figured it all out and soon I was rooting for Bayek and Aya, while wishing Bion would fall on his own sword.
The only thing I hated was the ending. It was appropriately bittersweet, but I would have preferred to read the gory details of Bayek's revenge instead of the short assurance of it.
July 15, 2019
تو نمی دونی یه ایده رو بکشی.
October 24, 2025
"Juramento do Deserto" funciona como prelúdio oficial de Assassin’s Creed Origins, servindo como uma ponte entre o mundo literário e o universo do jogo.
A história nos leva ao Egito Antigo antes da fundação da Irmandade dos Assassinos, apresentando um jovem Bayek de Siuá, ainda guiado pelos ideais do pai, Sabu, um respeitado Medjai.
O livro mostra um Bayek mais humano e introspectivo, diferente do guerreiro experiente que conhecemos em Origins. Aqui, ele ainda está aprendendo a entender o próprio papel no mundo, e a perda do pai se torna o estopim para sua jornada pelo deserto, uma busca que mistura dever, justiça e amadurecimento.
Oliver Bowden descreve com maestria o Egito, seus costumes, crenças e paisagens. A imersão é tão forte que parece que sentimos o calor da areia e o peso das decisões que Bayek precisa tomar. É uma narrativa mais lenta e reflexiva, com foco na construção emocional e moral do protagonista, e menos nas cenas de ação típicas da franquia.
Enquanto Assassin’s Creed Origins apresenta um Bayek já formado, movido pela dor e quase cego pela vingança após a morte do filho, o livro mostra como ele se tornou esse homem. No game, a ação e a grandiosidade do Egito são o destaque; no livro, o que brilha é o interior de Bayek, sua visão sobre justiça e o que significa ser um Medjai.
O jogo mergulha no confronto entre liberdade e opressão, já com a influência direta da Ordem dos Anciãos, enquanto o livro mostra as origens dessa luta e como Bayek começa a perceber a corrupção por trás do poder.
Em resumo, Juramento do Deserto complementa Origins de forma brilhante. O livro aprofunda o personagem e o universo, e o jogo transforma tudo isso em uma experiência grandiosa e visual. Ler o livro depois de jogar é como entender as raízes do símbolo da lâmina oculta, a origem da fé na liberdade e da luta contra o controle.
Posso afirmar que meu hiperfoco em Assassin’s Creed está rendendo ótimas leituras e ótimas experiências com os games. Muitos amigos me recomendaram o Origins pela história e pela fotografia do jogo, e realmente é algo impecável. Recomendo demais a leitura desse livro antes ou após encarar o game.
A história nos leva ao Egito Antigo antes da fundação da Irmandade dos Assassinos, apresentando um jovem Bayek de Siuá, ainda guiado pelos ideais do pai, Sabu, um respeitado Medjai.
O livro mostra um Bayek mais humano e introspectivo, diferente do guerreiro experiente que conhecemos em Origins. Aqui, ele ainda está aprendendo a entender o próprio papel no mundo, e a perda do pai se torna o estopim para sua jornada pelo deserto, uma busca que mistura dever, justiça e amadurecimento.
Oliver Bowden descreve com maestria o Egito, seus costumes, crenças e paisagens. A imersão é tão forte que parece que sentimos o calor da areia e o peso das decisões que Bayek precisa tomar. É uma narrativa mais lenta e reflexiva, com foco na construção emocional e moral do protagonista, e menos nas cenas de ação típicas da franquia.
Enquanto Assassin’s Creed Origins apresenta um Bayek já formado, movido pela dor e quase cego pela vingança após a morte do filho, o livro mostra como ele se tornou esse homem. No game, a ação e a grandiosidade do Egito são o destaque; no livro, o que brilha é o interior de Bayek, sua visão sobre justiça e o que significa ser um Medjai.
O jogo mergulha no confronto entre liberdade e opressão, já com a influência direta da Ordem dos Anciãos, enquanto o livro mostra as origens dessa luta e como Bayek começa a perceber a corrupção por trás do poder.
Em resumo, Juramento do Deserto complementa Origins de forma brilhante. O livro aprofunda o personagem e o universo, e o jogo transforma tudo isso em uma experiência grandiosa e visual. Ler o livro depois de jogar é como entender as raízes do símbolo da lâmina oculta, a origem da fé na liberdade e da luta contra o controle.
Posso afirmar que meu hiperfoco em Assassin’s Creed está rendendo ótimas leituras e ótimas experiências com os games. Muitos amigos me recomendaram o Origins pela história e pela fotografia do jogo, e realmente é algo impecável. Recomendo demais a leitura desse livro antes ou após encarar o game.
January 18, 2021
Bez szału, ale ujdzie, spodziewałam się znacznie więcej po tej części. Postaci oraz historia mogłyby być lepiej dopracowane.
December 6, 2017
A nice, light, action filled read that keeps you guessing what’ll happen next. Not terrifically strong on character development, but that’s ok. This is, after all, based off of a video game, so I went in not expecting killer literature here. If you’re looking for a read much like your typical action movie, this is the one for you! Looking forward to reading other books in the Assassin’s Creed series by this same author!
October 26, 2017
brilliant
a definite must read if interested in the assassins creed story arc. well written and a good backstory going into the game.
a definite must read if interested in the assassins creed story arc. well written and a good backstory going into the game.
March 15, 2018
This is my first time ever reading a book based on a game .. and I love this game and I played it most of my teenage years
I liked this adventure more than I expected .. Bayak is a nice protagonist and he have that sense of loyalty that I like .. he is a Medjay and there is an assasin after him .. how will he survive and complete his destiny ?, now I want to know who does the series follow .. is it Khemu his son ? hmmm I can't wait to begin the series
I liked the cities and the fighting scenes, but I wish if there was more roof jumping ( just my personal preference )
also Aya is a very strong character and I liked her .. sadly I didn't like her with Bayak, so I'm glad that we won't be following their story anymore hopefully :)
I liked this adventure more than I expected .. Bayak is a nice protagonist and he have that sense of loyalty that I like .. he is a Medjay and there is an assasin after him .. how will he survive and complete his destiny ?, now I want to know who does the series follow .. is it Khemu his son ? hmmm I can't wait to begin the series
I liked the cities and the fighting scenes, but I wish if there was more roof jumping ( just my personal preference )
also Aya is a very strong character and I liked her .. sadly I didn't like her with Bayak, so I'm glad that we won't be following their story anymore hopefully :)
October 30, 2018
Es hat mich wirklich gut unterhalten und mir auch viel Spaß gemacht. Nur leider kann es vom Schreibstil und Aufbau nicht mit belletristischen Titeln mithalten, aber für zwischendurch und wenn man die AC-Spiele mag ein tolles Buch. <3
April 18, 2025
Man, I felt like I was reading someone’s first attempt at writing a book, what happened! And I enjoyed the author’s previous books in this series so much, I’m so confused why this one was an exception.
I’m perhaps harsh to rate it only one star but I can’t think of a single thing I had enjoyed or was amazed by it in this story, the only saving grace was that it was relatively short and easy to read. I expected so much more! I have a couple books left to read in this series, hopefully they’ll give me a different experience.
I’m perhaps harsh to rate it only one star but I can’t think of a single thing I had enjoyed or was amazed by it in this story, the only saving grace was that it was relatively short and easy to read. I expected so much more! I have a couple books left to read in this series, hopefully they’ll give me a different experience.
December 22, 2017
5 stars
Oliver Bowden you've done it again.
His AC books are just fantastic. I am a big big AC fan but I'm also a harsh critic too ~ I expect excellence. And again this novel delivers.
The world building is spot on. It really does evoke the desert and the ancient time period it portrays. The scenery just jumps off the page and goes hand in hand with the game. I suggest playing the game first before reading it but you don't have to. It works really well as a standalone. I really live how that's the way it is with books in the AC series. They complement the game perfectly and add so much more to the story.
The characters are great. Bayek and Aya are the central.ones and are very strong and interesting characters. They have a very strong bond but are often pulled in different directions. The villain, Bion, was also excellent and a worthy adversary. The secondary characters though are also strong as well.
The plot is good and shows Bayeks journey to being a Medjay which is a key backstory to what happens in the game. The pacing is good and the story flows really well.
Another excellent addition to the AC books and a must read for fans of the games. You don't have to be though as it can easily standalone. Be warned though that reading it certainly leads to wanting to know more about this series. It made me want to.play the game more but then I don't need much of an excuse.
Highly recommended.
Oliver Bowden you've done it again.
His AC books are just fantastic. I am a big big AC fan but I'm also a harsh critic too ~ I expect excellence. And again this novel delivers.
The world building is spot on. It really does evoke the desert and the ancient time period it portrays. The scenery just jumps off the page and goes hand in hand with the game. I suggest playing the game first before reading it but you don't have to. It works really well as a standalone. I really live how that's the way it is with books in the AC series. They complement the game perfectly and add so much more to the story.
The characters are great. Bayek and Aya are the central.ones and are very strong and interesting characters. They have a very strong bond but are often pulled in different directions. The villain, Bion, was also excellent and a worthy adversary. The secondary characters though are also strong as well.
The plot is good and shows Bayeks journey to being a Medjay which is a key backstory to what happens in the game. The pacing is good and the story flows really well.
Another excellent addition to the AC books and a must read for fans of the games. You don't have to be though as it can easily standalone. Be warned though that reading it certainly leads to wanting to know more about this series. It made me want to.play the game more but then I don't need much of an excuse.
Highly recommended.
April 27, 2021
Primer libro que leo de Oliver Bowden. Al parecer él es el escritor oficial de la mayor parte de la saga de AC. Y si bien no puedo decir que su libro alcance la categoría magistral del “Grimdark", creo que es un buen escritor de aventuras violentas. Por otra parte, Assassin's Creed Origins Desert Oath, me pareció un libro muy entretenido de fácil y rápida lectura. Con cada capítulo dividido de 3 a 5 páginas, se avanza muy rápido.
Al ser la precuela oficial del juego, parece también estar escrito casi como el argumento para otro videojuego. Y así, funciona súper bien. No hay que olvidar que es una novela inspirada en un juego dedicado a la sangre y a la muerte, por lo que hay escenas bastante explícitas. Lo único que me dejó con una leve sensación de "Bah..." fue que en algunos momentos cruciales para la historia, sentí que las soluciones habían bordeado el "Deus ex machina". No es que los protagonistas no pudieran solucionar las cosas por ellos mismos, pero se volvió un poquito predecible al final el efecto. Solo por eso le voy a quitar una estrella. Totalmente recomendado a los que les guste leer aventuras y viajes del héroe.
Al ser la precuela oficial del juego, parece también estar escrito casi como el argumento para otro videojuego. Y así, funciona súper bien. No hay que olvidar que es una novela inspirada en un juego dedicado a la sangre y a la muerte, por lo que hay escenas bastante explícitas. Lo único que me dejó con una leve sensación de "Bah..." fue que en algunos momentos cruciales para la historia, sentí que las soluciones habían bordeado el "Deus ex machina". No es que los protagonistas no pudieran solucionar las cosas por ellos mismos, pero se volvió un poquito predecible al final el efecto. Solo por eso le voy a quitar una estrella. Totalmente recomendado a los que les guste leer aventuras y viajes del héroe.
May 8, 2020
Libro perfecto sobre todo para aquellos que hemos jugado al videojuego ya que nos amplia la historia de Bayek y nos hace conocer sus inicios, al igual que los de Aya, otro de los personajes jugables del juego.
Nos plantamos en Siwa, cuando Bayek tiene 15 años y su padre es el protector del pueblo. Un día su padre se marcha sin dar muchas explicaciones y Nuestro protagonista decide ir en su busca. En el camino se jugará la vida, hará nuevas amistades, reforzará relaciones y descubrirá el secreto que guarda su padre y al que Bayek está destinado.
Una historia de muy fácil lectura, amena y que te transportará al Antiguo Egipto.
Nos plantamos en Siwa, cuando Bayek tiene 15 años y su padre es el protector del pueblo. Un día su padre se marcha sin dar muchas explicaciones y Nuestro protagonista decide ir en su busca. En el camino se jugará la vida, hará nuevas amistades, reforzará relaciones y descubrirá el secreto que guarda su padre y al que Bayek está destinado.
Una historia de muy fácil lectura, amena y que te transportará al Antiguo Egipto.
January 17, 2023
i won't pretend this book is particularly good, but did i read it just because i enjoy the games a lot? yeah. and i liked bayek and aya so i wanted to read this. the writing was probably my biggest issue, and it's not like the plot is great either but it gives a bit more background to the characters (on the other hand you know how it's ultimately gonna end 'cause it's a prequel but well). am i still planning to keep reading this series though? yeah. yeah i am.
December 29, 2017
3 Stars.
A simple novel that gives a bit more backstory to Aya and Bayek.
A simple novel that gives a bit more backstory to Aya and Bayek.
February 1, 2023
"Belief wasn't something you carried in your blood."
As a big fan of Assassin's Creed: Origins, I was very excited to read this. Although I was expecting a deeper dive into Bayek's mind and story, I still enjoyed the easy to read and action-filled switching of points of view (even if it confused me at the beginning, especially with the time jumps). To put it simply, this book served its purpose: it is a simple action-packed backstory to a video game character and ultimately tells us how Bayek came to be the great Medjay he is. I usually would criticize how simple it was, but for what it is, it's good and enjoyable. This was a great telling of the events that led to Bayek of Siwa being last of his kind. There are some nice nods to the events of the game, like Bayek's dream where he kills Tuta instead of Paneb being a parallel to what happens later on with Khemu - his own son. The only things that bothered me while reading were the easily avoidable super short chapters (although they made it a very easy read) and halfway through and onward, the unavoidable spelling errors. The version of the book that I read had some very evident mistakes, even one where Menna's name was in place of Khensa's during the chase scene.
As a big fan of Assassin's Creed: Origins, I was very excited to read this. Although I was expecting a deeper dive into Bayek's mind and story, I still enjoyed the easy to read and action-filled switching of points of view (even if it confused me at the beginning, especially with the time jumps). To put it simply, this book served its purpose: it is a simple action-packed backstory to a video game character and ultimately tells us how Bayek came to be the great Medjay he is. I usually would criticize how simple it was, but for what it is, it's good and enjoyable. This was a great telling of the events that led to Bayek of Siwa being last of his kind. There are some nice nods to the events of the game, like Bayek's dream where he kills Tuta instead of Paneb being a parallel to what happens later on with Khemu - his own son. The only things that bothered me while reading were the easily avoidable super short chapters (although they made it a very easy read) and halfway through and onward, the unavoidable spelling errors. The version of the book that I read had some very evident mistakes, even one where Menna's name was in place of Khensa's during the chase scene.
February 25, 2018
As a huge fan of the Assassin's Creed franchise, I've always loved the extras that come in their respective books. But this one in particular did not live up to my expectation. To begin with, it lacked character development. The main antagonist is a character is outstanding, however no background or history was explained as to what made him a ruthless assassin. Furthermore, I was hoping for somewhat a connection between the antagonist and one of the protagonists. It would have been a nice twist but it proved to be another disappointment. Did not enjoy this one as much as I enjoyed the other books of this series
February 22, 2023
I wasn't sure what to expect when I started this. I love watching my husband play the assassins creed games, but what are the books like? Well. This one was well written and kept me engrossed. I loved reading about Bayek when he was young. And Aya! Ah, to have her gumption.
I'd say the only things that I wasn't very keen on, was the occasional swear word (wasn't surprised by them tho), and the bit of sexual content. That was very mild, if I remember correctly. It's been a few weeks since I finished reading it.
As usual, the presence of such things, takes a star off my rating.
But. The writing was quite good. The story was great, and I do want to read more of the series.
I'd say the only things that I wasn't very keen on, was the occasional swear word (wasn't surprised by them tho), and the bit of sexual content. That was very mild, if I remember correctly. It's been a few weeks since I finished reading it.
As usual, the presence of such things, takes a star off my rating.
But. The writing was quite good. The story was great, and I do want to read more of the series.
April 10, 2019
Being a fan of anything and everything Assassin's Creed, I did enjoy Oliver Bowden's and Andrew Holmes's contribution to the book series. I liked that we got to meet Bayek during the time period prior to Origins, and get to find out a bit more of the backstory. Whereas I did enjoy the book, I do have to admit it started rather slowly and had too many plotholes, or I may have given it a five-star rating instead of four. In spite of this, I would recommend this book to fans of the series.
October 10, 2022
Was a little worried I wouldn't like this book, since I wasn't a big fan of Origins when I first played it (replaying it now and enjoying it a lot more.) and not a total fan of Bayek. While this gives a deeper understanding of Bayek and how he is, it definitely reaffirms my hatred for Aya. She still went through all that shit and treated Bayek like shit and made him second guess everyone and everything.
December 18, 2023
Probably a 3.5. The stakes couldn’t have been higher for the protagonist but it didn’t actually read that way. A decent book all the same, it just lacked some of the urgency that I’m used to from Bowden.
August 21, 2022
Light reading, more so than I initially expected, but fun and pleasant for lore-searching fans of the game.
July 28, 2022
3.5/5
August 27, 2022
I love the game so I loved getting the backstory of the characters we come across during the game.
June 20, 2025
Daha assassino yokken medjayler vardı.
Ama o alıştığım hikaye sonunda biz assassiniz biz karanlıkta çalışırız gibi bir mesajı yoktu. Onu aradım.
Prequel olarak güzel kitaptı. Fakat chapterin başında hangi karakterde olduğu belli etse daha iyi olurdu minimum 5 karakter gözünden bakıyor kitap 1-2 paragraf neredeyim ben yaşadım.
3,5tan 3 aldı o yüzden
Ama o alıştığım hikaye sonunda biz assassiniz biz karanlıkta çalışırız gibi bir mesajı yoktu. Onu aradım.
Prequel olarak güzel kitaptı. Fakat chapterin başında hangi karakterde olduğu belli etse daha iyi olurdu minimum 5 karakter gözünden bakıyor kitap 1-2 paragraf neredeyim ben yaşadım.
3,5tan 3 aldı o yüzden
November 14, 2017
Marketing, as a discipline, came about to highlight how a particular product or service stood out from the crowd of me-too competitors. There's an excellent satirical piece on the evolution of marketing by a good friend and fellow writer, Suresh Chandrasekaran, that goes by the name of A Dog Eat Dog-food World. I've even reviewed it here, in case you're interested in knowing what my thoughts on the book were (I agreed wholeheartedly with his pseudo-history of marketing). But why talk about marketing and its evolution and some obscure writer and his book when this book, Desert Oath: The Official Prequel to Assassin’s Creed Origins, has nothing whatsoever to do with the concept of marketing and all to do with assassins and ancient Egypt and secret societies and their quests for power and dominance?
Because this book does a very bad job of it.
Let me cut straight to the chase. Despite being a fan of the game (I love how Altair just rolls off one's tongue, how saying Ezio Auditore da Firenze makes me feel a bit Italian), I have never read an Assassin's Creed book before. Having read Desert Oath, I am not likely to, ever again. The reason for that is painfully simple - I hated every moment of reading this.
No, wait. I am jumping to conclusions. I did not hate every moment of reading this. There was a clever and interesting antagonist in play, there was a buildup of intrigue that most AC games have. Some bits quite well done, even if the writing by and large was very juvenile. Metaphors were all over the place, the hit-you-in-the-gut supposedly clever bits quite meh, there were tropes and cliche by the bucketload, but I am not one to pick unnecessary nits if I enjoy reading a book (lol, not really though). And even though the book was nothing spectacular, I still kind of enjoyed reading the book till about three pages from completion, which was when it really hit me in the gut.
I'd been scammed. Swindled. Ripped off of. Fooled. Cheated. By a fecking marketing gimmick.
Because, you see, apart from the protagonist, Bayek, who is the lead character in the most recent AC game, and his wife, Aya, who might be in the game one way or another, and the name itself (the title is indicative of the lengths the author went to ensure that people don't mistake it for anything but Assassin's Creed), there was nothing in the book that I realised as distinctively 'OMG! Some really cool Assassin's Creed stuff!'. The words - the Medjay, The Order of The Ancients, the Gods, the Future, Glorious Ancient Past - were all there alright, but they were all that was. The Medjay were supposed to protect 'a way of life', but I'll be damned if the book told me what that bloody way was, or why I was supposed to care for it so much. The Order of The Ancients was mentioned multiple times, but apart from Raia and the scholar that he murders, there seemed to be no one else in this most secretive of cabals, no information of how it operated. The book showed nothing of Alexandria, didn't explore even a toenail worth of its famed Library. I saw no pyramids, no glimpse of ancient Egyptian culture. Siwa was a placeholder, as was Thebes; they could have been replaced by any generic town (Thebes by a once-glorious, now-rundown city; Siwa by a smallish, mildly important town where everyone knows everyone and lives in harmony) in any country and it wouldn't have made a whit of difference to the storyline.
Nothing. Nada. Zilch.
You know you've got a generic storyline when its plot is completely unaffected by the changes you make to its setting and characters. I regret the money I spent on buying this shit. Very not recommended, especially if you're a dedicated AC fan.
Because this book does a very bad job of it.
Let me cut straight to the chase. Despite being a fan of the game (I love how Altair just rolls off one's tongue, how saying Ezio Auditore da Firenze makes me feel a bit Italian), I have never read an Assassin's Creed book before. Having read Desert Oath, I am not likely to, ever again. The reason for that is painfully simple - I hated every moment of reading this.
No, wait. I am jumping to conclusions. I did not hate every moment of reading this. There was a clever and interesting antagonist in play, there was a buildup of intrigue that most AC games have. Some bits quite well done, even if the writing by and large was very juvenile. Metaphors were all over the place, the hit-you-in-the-gut supposedly clever bits quite meh, there were tropes and cliche by the bucketload, but I am not one to pick unnecessary nits if I enjoy reading a book (lol, not really though). And even though the book was nothing spectacular, I still kind of enjoyed reading the book till about three pages from completion, which was when it really hit me in the gut.
I'd been scammed. Swindled. Ripped off of. Fooled. Cheated. By a fecking marketing gimmick.
Because, you see, apart from the protagonist, Bayek, who is the lead character in the most recent AC game, and his wife, Aya, who might be in the game one way or another, and the name itself (the title is indicative of the lengths the author went to ensure that people don't mistake it for anything but Assassin's Creed), there was nothing in the book that I realised as distinctively 'OMG! Some really cool Assassin's Creed stuff!'. The words - the Medjay, The Order of The Ancients, the Gods, the Future, Glorious Ancient Past - were all there alright, but they were all that was. The Medjay were supposed to protect 'a way of life', but I'll be damned if the book told me what that bloody way was, or why I was supposed to care for it so much. The Order of The Ancients was mentioned multiple times, but apart from Raia and the scholar that he murders, there seemed to be no one else in this most secretive of cabals, no information of how it operated. The book showed nothing of Alexandria, didn't explore even a toenail worth of its famed Library. I saw no pyramids, no glimpse of ancient Egyptian culture. Siwa was a placeholder, as was Thebes; they could have been replaced by any generic town (Thebes by a once-glorious, now-rundown city; Siwa by a smallish, mildly important town where everyone knows everyone and lives in harmony) in any country and it wouldn't have made a whit of difference to the storyline.
Nothing. Nada. Zilch.
You know you've got a generic storyline when its plot is completely unaffected by the changes you make to its setting and characters. I regret the money I spent on buying this shit. Very not recommended, especially if you're a dedicated AC fan.
November 21, 2017
This book took my breath. It has everything. It is told mostly from Bayek’s POV, but there are other characters too, and you can literally feel the difference between their personalities and their feelings. Many wow moments and heart-breaking events followed almost every chapter. In one part, I had tear in my eye. Love it.
But one thing I can’t stand... we weren’t introduced to Senu!
But one thing I can’t stand... we weren’t introduced to Senu!
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