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Watch Dogs: Legion #1
Day Zero: A Watch Dogs: Legion Novel
A secretive resistance movement is the last line of defense in this heart-pounding prequel to 2020’s most-anticipated video game release, Ubisoft’s Watch Legion
Bike messenger and wannabe troublemaker Olly Soames is the newest recruit to DedSec’s Resistance movement, but when a stranger is shot dead in front of him, he realizes that danger is closer than he thinks…
Sarah Lincoln is an aggressive young politician with questionable methods and big ambitions, and when a string of murders unfolds in her borough, it may be the opportunity she has been looking for to make a name for herself…
Ex-MMA fighter turned leg-breaker Ro Hayes is in deep with the vicious Clan Kelley, the most brutal organized crime firm in the city’s underworld, and her survival rests on uncovering a dead man’s secrets…
And for Danny, Ro’s estranged brother and former soldier, his new career with private military contractor Albion is leading him down a very dark path, toward choices he may never be able to take back…
Four lives are drawn into a murderous conspiracy that threatens to destroy Dedsec and plunge the city of London into chaos. Something very bad is going down in London town…
Bike messenger and wannabe troublemaker Olly Soames is the newest recruit to DedSec’s Resistance movement, but when a stranger is shot dead in front of him, he realizes that danger is closer than he thinks…
Sarah Lincoln is an aggressive young politician with questionable methods and big ambitions, and when a string of murders unfolds in her borough, it may be the opportunity she has been looking for to make a name for herself…
Ex-MMA fighter turned leg-breaker Ro Hayes is in deep with the vicious Clan Kelley, the most brutal organized crime firm in the city’s underworld, and her survival rests on uncovering a dead man’s secrets…
And for Danny, Ro’s estranged brother and former soldier, his new career with private military contractor Albion is leading him down a very dark path, toward choices he may never be able to take back…
Four lives are drawn into a murderous conspiracy that threatens to destroy Dedsec and plunge the city of London into chaos. Something very bad is going down in London town…
384 pages, Paperback
First published October 13, 2020
24 people are currently reading
185 people want to read
About the author
James Swallow
307 books1,074 followersJames Swallow is a New York Times, Sunday Times and Amazon #1 bestselling author and scriptwriter, a BAFTA nominee, a former journalist and the award-winning writer of over sixty-five books, along with scripts for video games, comics, radio and television.
DARK HORIZON, his latest stand-alone thriller, is out now from Mountain Leopard Press, and OUTLAW, the 6th action-packed Marc Dane novel, is published by Bonnier.
Along with the Marc Dane thrillers, his writing includes, the Sundowners steampunk Westerns and fiction from the worlds of Star Trek, Tom Clancy, 24, Warhammer 40000, Doctor Who, Deus Ex, Stargate, 2000AD and many more.
For information on new releases & more, sign up to the Readers’ Club here: www.bit.ly/JamesSwallow
Visit James's website at http://www.jswallow.com/ for more, including ROUGH AIR, a free eBook novella in the Marc Dane series.
You can also follow James on Bluesky at @jmswallow.bsky.social, Twitter at @jmswallow, Mastodon at @jmswallow@mstdn.social and jmswallow.tumblr.com at Tumblr.
DARK HORIZON, his latest stand-alone thriller, is out now from Mountain Leopard Press, and OUTLAW, the 6th action-packed Marc Dane novel, is published by Bonnier.
Along with the Marc Dane thrillers, his writing includes, the Sundowners steampunk Westerns and fiction from the worlds of Star Trek, Tom Clancy, 24, Warhammer 40000, Doctor Who, Deus Ex, Stargate, 2000AD and many more.
For information on new releases & more, sign up to the Readers’ Club here: www.bit.ly/JamesSwallow
Visit James's website at http://www.jswallow.com/ for more, including ROUGH AIR, a free eBook novella in the Marc Dane series.
You can also follow James on Bluesky at @jmswallow.bsky.social, Twitter at @jmswallow, Mastodon at @jmswallow@mstdn.social and jmswallow.tumblr.com at Tumblr.
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September 20, 2021
Watchdogs: Legion: Day Zero by James Swallow & Josh Reynolds is a video game prequel tie-in novel based on Ubisoft’s game “Watchdogs: Legion”.
Watchdogs: Day Zero is set a year before the events of Watchdogs: Legion, and describes how the situation seen in the game’s prologue level occurred. The book covers a work week or five days, and ends with the devastating bombings that appeared in the video game. The tyrannical defense service Albion and its omnipotence in the game are even less so in London at the beginning of the book. The story allows you to slip into the role of six different people, whose storylines become entangled with each other over time.
The novel begins with young Olly Soames, a member of the DedSec Resistance movement who witnessed a murder in central London. After a long time another person dies the same way. However, there is no trace of the killer responsible. These crimes are causing turmoil within the metropolis, and there are glorious days due to the economic crisis of the past. The Albanian paramilitary security service, led by Nigel Goss and his right-hand man Sergeant Faulkner, sees itself as increasingly responsible for the city and increasingly interfering in the work of the police. Sarah Lincoln, a young aggressive politician who wants to prevent herself from expanding the responsibilities of a self-appointed executive, suspects a major conspiracy. None of the parties involved know yet: the clock is ticking.
As mentioned at the beginning, you will enjoy the story of the book from the perspective of six different people. DedSec member Olly Soames will be joined by young politician Sarah Lincoln and her aide Hannah Shaw, Albion employee Danny Hayes, her sister Roe Hayes and hitman Art Goyle. In the beginning a few people knew each other. But they eventually cross their paths because they all engage in the same thing, and eventually even run parallel in places. The plot is told in an exciting way, and is complicated pleasantly, without much difficulty, due to different perspectives. However, one should not expect any in-depth characters from a nearly four-hundred-page book, and after all, not even a hundred pages are dedicated to each person creating their background.
It is a shame that none of the characters in the game are used. As far as I know the protagonists are not part of the video game title. Only big names like Albion boss Nigel Goss, DedSec team members Dalton and Sabin get somewhat noticeable or get small appearances. You will not learn anything about the main enemy Zero Day, however he acts as the puller of the whole accidental catastrophe. With this extra product, one might have used the video game even more here in order to compensate a bit for its hugely critical, poorly developed story.
After all, there is a greater focus on crimes that then become part of a real conspiracy. It is interesting here that none of the parties emerged as heroes. Of course you see Albion more in the role of the villain, but DedSec acts with unjust methods and is not always ashamed of civilian victims. Please know how to be truthful and make the whole thing more real. In order to ease the deadly harsh situation, some passages in the novel are given to DedSec’s AI Bagley. One or the other smiles while browsing the sometimes very dry humor of artificial intelligence.
London is more distorted within the book than it is in the game. This can be explained by the fact that the novel takes place a year before the main campaign of the game. The game world is one of the greatest strengths of action adventure. It is not as solid in written form as it is on the screen. However, the general situation, permanent networking with each other and the constant abuse of this situation by hackers are well explained and create an uncomfortable feeling of oppression. With the current development, the paranoia of the individual main characters grows, which is well understood by the reader.
Overall, If you had fun with the Watch Dogs: Legion, and want to immerse yourself in it’s near future cyberpunk dystopian world, the novel should entertain you as well, if you are not afraid to read. It is a successful addition to the main plot of the game, which allows you to better understand the dystopia in practice.
Watchdogs: Day Zero is set a year before the events of Watchdogs: Legion, and describes how the situation seen in the game’s prologue level occurred. The book covers a work week or five days, and ends with the devastating bombings that appeared in the video game. The tyrannical defense service Albion and its omnipotence in the game are even less so in London at the beginning of the book. The story allows you to slip into the role of six different people, whose storylines become entangled with each other over time.
The novel begins with young Olly Soames, a member of the DedSec Resistance movement who witnessed a murder in central London. After a long time another person dies the same way. However, there is no trace of the killer responsible. These crimes are causing turmoil within the metropolis, and there are glorious days due to the economic crisis of the past. The Albanian paramilitary security service, led by Nigel Goss and his right-hand man Sergeant Faulkner, sees itself as increasingly responsible for the city and increasingly interfering in the work of the police. Sarah Lincoln, a young aggressive politician who wants to prevent herself from expanding the responsibilities of a self-appointed executive, suspects a major conspiracy. None of the parties involved know yet: the clock is ticking.
As mentioned at the beginning, you will enjoy the story of the book from the perspective of six different people. DedSec member Olly Soames will be joined by young politician Sarah Lincoln and her aide Hannah Shaw, Albion employee Danny Hayes, her sister Roe Hayes and hitman Art Goyle. In the beginning a few people knew each other. But they eventually cross their paths because they all engage in the same thing, and eventually even run parallel in places. The plot is told in an exciting way, and is complicated pleasantly, without much difficulty, due to different perspectives. However, one should not expect any in-depth characters from a nearly four-hundred-page book, and after all, not even a hundred pages are dedicated to each person creating their background.
It is a shame that none of the characters in the game are used. As far as I know the protagonists are not part of the video game title. Only big names like Albion boss Nigel Goss, DedSec team members Dalton and Sabin get somewhat noticeable or get small appearances. You will not learn anything about the main enemy Zero Day, however he acts as the puller of the whole accidental catastrophe. With this extra product, one might have used the video game even more here in order to compensate a bit for its hugely critical, poorly developed story.
After all, there is a greater focus on crimes that then become part of a real conspiracy. It is interesting here that none of the parties emerged as heroes. Of course you see Albion more in the role of the villain, but DedSec acts with unjust methods and is not always ashamed of civilian victims. Please know how to be truthful and make the whole thing more real. In order to ease the deadly harsh situation, some passages in the novel are given to DedSec’s AI Bagley. One or the other smiles while browsing the sometimes very dry humor of artificial intelligence.
London is more distorted within the book than it is in the game. This can be explained by the fact that the novel takes place a year before the main campaign of the game. The game world is one of the greatest strengths of action adventure. It is not as solid in written form as it is on the screen. However, the general situation, permanent networking with each other and the constant abuse of this situation by hackers are well explained and create an uncomfortable feeling of oppression. With the current development, the paranoia of the individual main characters grows, which is well understood by the reader.
Overall, If you had fun with the Watch Dogs: Legion, and want to immerse yourself in it’s near future cyberpunk dystopian world, the novel should entertain you as well, if you are not afraid to read. It is a successful addition to the main plot of the game, which allows you to better understand the dystopia in practice.
November 15, 2020
I've played the first two Watch Dogs games and really enjoyed them, though I did prefer the narrative of the first game more as the second one felt a bit less engaging. But, I enjoyed the open world of the games, running around hacking into tech, collecting things around a huge map, and generally messing things up for big, evil corporations. I've been eagerly awaiting the release of Watch Dogs: Legion to get some more of this great franchise, though admittedly awaiting a second hand copy because I don't really want to support Ubisoft, one of those real life evil corporations.
Luckily, in the wait to play the new game I've had the chance to read the official prequel novel, Day Zero: A Watch Dogs Legion Novel. The book follows a handful of people across London as the private security firm Albion tries to get approval to take over for the police across the city. Opposing them are a number of politicians, as well as members of the underground hacker group Dedsec.
However, when a seemingly random man is shot dead at a political rally things in London begin to spiral out of control. A new courier for Dedsec, Olly, finds himself thrust into the centre of a conspiracy against Albion, and has to work alongside one of the organisations best to try and track down the killer. Meanwhile, one of the Albion troops, Danny, discovers that his sister Ro is working for one of the biggest criminal gangs in the city, something that puts them at odds with each other. The three of them end up being drawn together in a plot that's bigger than any of them could imagine, and one that sets the stage for sweeping changes in the nations capital.
A lot of the time with video game novel tie-in's you'll get a retelling of the events of the game, or possibly a sequel story that's quickly dismissed as not being canon when the next game in the series comes out. These books can be fun, but tend to have little impact to the universes they're set it. This book, however, feels a little different. I've not had the chance to play the game yet, but I've seen a lot of trailers and behind the scenes videos for it, and know that some of the characters that appear on the periphery of this story will be making appearances in the game, like Mary Kelley and Nigel Cass; it also benefits from being able to set up a lot of the background for the game, things which hopefully won't later be retconed away.
There are, however, a few characters in the book that I've not seen referenced in any of the promotion for the game, and these tend to be the characters that the readers get to follow. It could have been easy for the writers to pick a character like Sabine Brandt as the main protagonist, someone who would go on to play a big role in the game. The problem with doing something like that, however, would be that some readers would know that she's in the game, that she would have to survive the events of the book in order to appear later on in the timeline. By creating brand new characters for the novel Swallow and Reynolds are making it so that you're having to stay on your toes throughout, and are never sure if the heroes are going to make it out alive.
Sadly, the main characters are never really given a chance to really be focused on beyond what's strictly necessary for the story, and some like Olly come away feeling pretty underdeveloped as a result, especially when compared to Danny and Ro who do get quite a bit of their backstory given. However, the characters don't really come away feeling hugely important, instead it's the wold that is. Reynolds and Swallow are given the task of setting up the London that people will find in the game, to explain how things got to the point where armed militia are patrolling the streets. Yes, I'm sure that this will be gone into in the game, but getting to see it unfold in front of me in a book is so much better than having characters tell me about it in game, or having to piece it together by unlocking things in game.
I was hoping that the book was going to be a good read, having been familiar with the work that Swallow and Reynolds have done in other franchise, but was worried that this might be another throw away game tie-in, one that felt cheap,rushed, or inconsequential. Luckily, it was everything I was hoping it was going to be, and got me very excited to play the game. A brilliant introduction to the new game.
Luckily, in the wait to play the new game I've had the chance to read the official prequel novel, Day Zero: A Watch Dogs Legion Novel. The book follows a handful of people across London as the private security firm Albion tries to get approval to take over for the police across the city. Opposing them are a number of politicians, as well as members of the underground hacker group Dedsec.
However, when a seemingly random man is shot dead at a political rally things in London begin to spiral out of control. A new courier for Dedsec, Olly, finds himself thrust into the centre of a conspiracy against Albion, and has to work alongside one of the organisations best to try and track down the killer. Meanwhile, one of the Albion troops, Danny, discovers that his sister Ro is working for one of the biggest criminal gangs in the city, something that puts them at odds with each other. The three of them end up being drawn together in a plot that's bigger than any of them could imagine, and one that sets the stage for sweeping changes in the nations capital.
A lot of the time with video game novel tie-in's you'll get a retelling of the events of the game, or possibly a sequel story that's quickly dismissed as not being canon when the next game in the series comes out. These books can be fun, but tend to have little impact to the universes they're set it. This book, however, feels a little different. I've not had the chance to play the game yet, but I've seen a lot of trailers and behind the scenes videos for it, and know that some of the characters that appear on the periphery of this story will be making appearances in the game, like Mary Kelley and Nigel Cass; it also benefits from being able to set up a lot of the background for the game, things which hopefully won't later be retconed away.
There are, however, a few characters in the book that I've not seen referenced in any of the promotion for the game, and these tend to be the characters that the readers get to follow. It could have been easy for the writers to pick a character like Sabine Brandt as the main protagonist, someone who would go on to play a big role in the game. The problem with doing something like that, however, would be that some readers would know that she's in the game, that she would have to survive the events of the book in order to appear later on in the timeline. By creating brand new characters for the novel Swallow and Reynolds are making it so that you're having to stay on your toes throughout, and are never sure if the heroes are going to make it out alive.
Sadly, the main characters are never really given a chance to really be focused on beyond what's strictly necessary for the story, and some like Olly come away feeling pretty underdeveloped as a result, especially when compared to Danny and Ro who do get quite a bit of their backstory given. However, the characters don't really come away feeling hugely important, instead it's the wold that is. Reynolds and Swallow are given the task of setting up the London that people will find in the game, to explain how things got to the point where armed militia are patrolling the streets. Yes, I'm sure that this will be gone into in the game, but getting to see it unfold in front of me in a book is so much better than having characters tell me about it in game, or having to piece it together by unlocking things in game.
I was hoping that the book was going to be a good read, having been familiar with the work that Swallow and Reynolds have done in other franchise, but was worried that this might be another throw away game tie-in, one that felt cheap,rushed, or inconsequential. Luckily, it was everything I was hoping it was going to be, and got me very excited to play the game. A brilliant introduction to the new game.
October 28, 2020
I’ll admit it, I’m a casual gamer at best. I pootle around on my PS4* dipping in and out of titles as the mood takes me. It turns out I’m all about 3rd person open world gameplay; Uncharted, Assassin’s Creed, Tomb Raider, Horizon Zero Dawn, The Last of Us and Spiderman are all great fun and I go back to them again and again. It was only a few years ago that I discovered the Watch Dogs series and added it to my list of must have games. When I heard there was a prequel novel, Day Zero by James Swallow and Josh Reynolds, being released to tie-in with a third game in that franchise I was keen to learn more.
From the trailers of the game I’ve seen, I reckon the authors have totally nailed it when it comes to the book’s narrative tone. Explosions, gun battles, chases unfolding at breakneck pace; it’s all good clean fun.
The cast of characters are a motley bunch. We have a morally conflicted mercenary who is having more and more trouble discerning the difference between the good guys and the bad. Danny is used to following orders, but when those orders include treating friends and family like criminals have the authorities gone too far? Meanwhile Danny’s sister, Ro, is in deep with the local crime lords. Used to using her fists to solve problems, she finds herself involved in a conspiracy that Ro can’t punch her way out of.
The hacktivists who make up the London branch of DedSec attempt to rage against the corporate machine. They are always on the lookout for new talent and Olly Soames is their latest recruit. He has no problem with a bit of politically themed graffiti maybe even the odd cryptocurrency scam or two but Olly hasn’t made his mind up about moving things to the next level. Is he ready to take on a private army? The streets of London are at stake and Olly has to decide if he is prepared to go to war to save them.
There are also a host of mildly psychopathic West End gangsters who could be straight out of a Guy Ritchie film. The Gentlemen springs to mind immediately. I’m always happy when gangsters have suitably descriptive names as is the case here. Billy Bricks and Bloody Mary being prime examples.
The original Watch Dogs was set in Chicago. Watch Dogs 2 in San Francisco. For Watch Dogs: Legion, and this prequel novel, events move to London. Ever the melting pot, it is a perfect location for all the running about blowing stuff up. With the exception of autonomous murder drones and spider-bots buzzing around all over the place, it all sounds reassuringly like the London we all know and love.
As an aside, and I might be wrong, but I suspect there might even be the odd hint or two regarding gameplay in Legion for the eagle-eyed readers amongst you.
I suppose the ultimate objective of a tie-in novel is to interest the reader in the game or movie it is linked to. Day Zero does an excellent job of that. The authors have created a cheeky, cheery Cockney near-future tech thriller that acts as an ideal gateway to the game that is set to follow.
Day Zero is published by Aconyte and is available on Kindle now. The paperback edition is released on 12th November. It’s well worth checking out, especially if you are planning on immersing yourself in Watch Dogs: Legion when it is released.
*Hopefully soon to be replaced by a PS5.
From the trailers of the game I’ve seen, I reckon the authors have totally nailed it when it comes to the book’s narrative tone. Explosions, gun battles, chases unfolding at breakneck pace; it’s all good clean fun.
The cast of characters are a motley bunch. We have a morally conflicted mercenary who is having more and more trouble discerning the difference between the good guys and the bad. Danny is used to following orders, but when those orders include treating friends and family like criminals have the authorities gone too far? Meanwhile Danny’s sister, Ro, is in deep with the local crime lords. Used to using her fists to solve problems, she finds herself involved in a conspiracy that Ro can’t punch her way out of.
The hacktivists who make up the London branch of DedSec attempt to rage against the corporate machine. They are always on the lookout for new talent and Olly Soames is their latest recruit. He has no problem with a bit of politically themed graffiti maybe even the odd cryptocurrency scam or two but Olly hasn’t made his mind up about moving things to the next level. Is he ready to take on a private army? The streets of London are at stake and Olly has to decide if he is prepared to go to war to save them.
There are also a host of mildly psychopathic West End gangsters who could be straight out of a Guy Ritchie film. The Gentlemen springs to mind immediately. I’m always happy when gangsters have suitably descriptive names as is the case here. Billy Bricks and Bloody Mary being prime examples.
The original Watch Dogs was set in Chicago. Watch Dogs 2 in San Francisco. For Watch Dogs: Legion, and this prequel novel, events move to London. Ever the melting pot, it is a perfect location for all the running about blowing stuff up. With the exception of autonomous murder drones and spider-bots buzzing around all over the place, it all sounds reassuringly like the London we all know and love.
As an aside, and I might be wrong, but I suspect there might even be the odd hint or two regarding gameplay in Legion for the eagle-eyed readers amongst you.
I suppose the ultimate objective of a tie-in novel is to interest the reader in the game or movie it is linked to. Day Zero does an excellent job of that. The authors have created a cheeky, cheery Cockney near-future tech thriller that acts as an ideal gateway to the game that is set to follow.
Day Zero is published by Aconyte and is available on Kindle now. The paperback edition is released on 12th November. It’s well worth checking out, especially if you are planning on immersing yourself in Watch Dogs: Legion when it is released.
*Hopefully soon to be replaced by a PS5.
November 9, 2020
Trouble is brewing in an alternative but worryingly believable London, with organised crime rife, private military contractor Albion muscling in on the Met, and hacker collective DedSec leading an underground resistance. Tensions begin to escalate when a spate of shootings rock the East End, and players from all sides step up their efforts as a deeper mystery comes to light in the battle for control of the city.
As much as this is a smart, gripping thriller, it clearly comes from a sci-fi angle, with all the high-powered hacker tools and smart AI-personalities (think Iron Man’s Jarvis but with added sarcasm for DedSec’s AI Bagley). It’s also a love letter to a changing but still recognisable London, from the shifting of power to the geography of its streets and buildings. It certainly doesn’t feel like a tie-in novel; fans of Watch Dogs will see the connections, but there’s no need to know anything about the game when the plot, setting and characters are all so much fun and so clearly depicted. It does a great job of suggesting a future that might yet come to pass – if you’re so inclined, it’s easy to see this as a warning – but it’s also just a lot of fun, and ultimately proves to be an effective combination of Swallow’s sense for tight plotting and Reynolds’ enviable touch with dialogue and character.
Read the full review at https://www.trackofwords.com/2020/11/...
As much as this is a smart, gripping thriller, it clearly comes from a sci-fi angle, with all the high-powered hacker tools and smart AI-personalities (think Iron Man’s Jarvis but with added sarcasm for DedSec’s AI Bagley). It’s also a love letter to a changing but still recognisable London, from the shifting of power to the geography of its streets and buildings. It certainly doesn’t feel like a tie-in novel; fans of Watch Dogs will see the connections, but there’s no need to know anything about the game when the plot, setting and characters are all so much fun and so clearly depicted. It does a great job of suggesting a future that might yet come to pass – if you’re so inclined, it’s easy to see this as a warning – but it’s also just a lot of fun, and ultimately proves to be an effective combination of Swallow’s sense for tight plotting and Reynolds’ enviable touch with dialogue and character.
Read the full review at https://www.trackofwords.com/2020/11/...
October 16, 2020
This was better than it had any right to be as a plugin for a video game. I am hoping the book gains more traction and publicity closer to the release date, simply because it was a charm. Especially after the difficulty I had finding the book listing on Goodreads in order to add it to my netgalley shelf. For a dystopic action-suspense pick, it doesn't require explicit knowledge of the Watch Dogs universe, though I do recommend a level of baseline familiarity. Much of it is just context for familiar 'big brother is watching' situations. The characters all feel real and realized in the world, even if they don't get the utmost in the way of characterization over the plot of the book. That's also a feature that can be tied to how characters and teams are formed in the upcoming game, though I don't know if it was intentionally constructed this way. If so, brava, and if not then the characters come to the table with enough that you aren't left wanting. The plot only suffers from some minor pacing issues, which make me waffle between a 4 or 5 star ending opinion. All-in-all, super solid game world realization.
May 26, 2021
Considering I loved the game Watchdogs Legion, as soon as I saw this book I knew I had to read it. I'm so glad I did, the authors did an amazing job at bringing the futuristic City of London to life, and I really liked how we saw 4 different POV that eventually connected to come together as DedSec, a hacktivist group trying to improve society. I loved the plot, the pace and the relationships built. Overall it was a great read, I loved the ending!
October 3, 2020
I know this the prequel to a game I will never play but with 2 outstanding authors co-writing the tale then it was alway going to be good, I have no interest in the game but if they keep writing books I will keep buying them 😀
February 25, 2021
Excellent read. Ties in well with the game (wish I had read this before playing). The characters were interesting. There were some grammatical/editing errors but they were forgivable.
Over all. Really enjoyed it.
Over all. Really enjoyed it.
February 20, 2021
Now I want to replay watchdog's Legion.
Definitely one of the better game novels out there
Definitely one of the better game novels out there
May 23, 2022
After discovering Aconyte books back in 2021 I have been making my way through their backlog. I finally finished Watch Dogs: Legion Day Zero and it almost managed to make me prefer Watch Dogs: Legion, almost. The story kept me engaged and I was pretty certain I would enjoy this from the first page!
We follow four protagonists, although I did feel Olly got a bit more attention than the others at times, and their reaction and involvement in a murderous conspiracy that sees loyalties tested. I found it refreshing, as with most of Aconyte’s works, that the narrative took place before the events of the game rather than during meaning we don’t get a retelling of the game.
The characters were all enjoyable and well rounded but as with any novel that focuses on several protagonists you don’t always get a lot of time for them to develop or flourish. I would say though, that they are introduced and fleshed out very well for the time we get. On top of these the characters, both main and supporting, capture the essence of the game and each has their own flaws and weaknesses.
The story is action packed and fast paced with a bit of intrigue along the way. I still find it fascinating and worrying how some of the issues in the novel and games can be seen to become more and present today.
All in all I really enjoyed this novel and am looking forward to the future ones in this series. A definite must for fans of the games and cyber sci-fi.
We follow four protagonists, although I did feel Olly got a bit more attention than the others at times, and their reaction and involvement in a murderous conspiracy that sees loyalties tested. I found it refreshing, as with most of Aconyte’s works, that the narrative took place before the events of the game rather than during meaning we don’t get a retelling of the game.
The characters were all enjoyable and well rounded but as with any novel that focuses on several protagonists you don’t always get a lot of time for them to develop or flourish. I would say though, that they are introduced and fleshed out very well for the time we get. On top of these the characters, both main and supporting, capture the essence of the game and each has their own flaws and weaknesses.
The story is action packed and fast paced with a bit of intrigue along the way. I still find it fascinating and worrying how some of the issues in the novel and games can be seen to become more and present today.
All in all I really enjoyed this novel and am looking forward to the future ones in this series. A definite must for fans of the games and cyber sci-fi.
July 23, 2021
Die Warhammer-Bücher von Josh Reynolds finde ich grossartig und gehören zu meinen liebsten aus diesem Universum. Natürlich wurde ich mit der Zeit auch neugierig auf seine anderen Titel.
Dieses Buch hier war jedoch ein Reinfall. Als Fan von Reynolds sage ich einfach mal, dass er nicht viel zu diesem Werk beigetragen hat. Nur schon seine Kurzgeschichten haben mehr Tempo, mehr Inhalt und bessere Charaktere als das gesamte Day Zero-Buch.
Überhaupt ist der gesamte Aufbau dieses Titels kaum durchdacht. Es werden zu viele einzelne Handlungsstränge mit einzelnen Figuren einführt, wobei man die Charaktere sehr schlecht auseinanderhalten kann. Eigentlich sollte man Day Zero lesen können, ohne das Game zu kennen, aber ich glaube, das geht so nicht.
Da ich bereits von Anfang an Mühe hatte, mich in der Handlung zurecht zu finden, verlor ich immer mehr den Faden, und somit das Interesse. Obwohl viel explodiert und immer wieder Verfolgungsjagden stattfinden, langweilte ich mich bald nur noch.
Bei einem Warhammer-Buch von Josh Reynolds ist mir das noch nie geschehen. Ich werde definitiv noch einmal ein Nicht-Warhammer-Werk von ihm probieren, um zu sehen, ob das hier wirklich nur ein Beispiel von schlechter Zusammenarbeit war, aber erst einmal habe ich noch einen Warhammer-Reynolds zu lesen.
Dieses Buch hier war jedoch ein Reinfall. Als Fan von Reynolds sage ich einfach mal, dass er nicht viel zu diesem Werk beigetragen hat. Nur schon seine Kurzgeschichten haben mehr Tempo, mehr Inhalt und bessere Charaktere als das gesamte Day Zero-Buch.
Überhaupt ist der gesamte Aufbau dieses Titels kaum durchdacht. Es werden zu viele einzelne Handlungsstränge mit einzelnen Figuren einführt, wobei man die Charaktere sehr schlecht auseinanderhalten kann. Eigentlich sollte man Day Zero lesen können, ohne das Game zu kennen, aber ich glaube, das geht so nicht.
Da ich bereits von Anfang an Mühe hatte, mich in der Handlung zurecht zu finden, verlor ich immer mehr den Faden, und somit das Interesse. Obwohl viel explodiert und immer wieder Verfolgungsjagden stattfinden, langweilte ich mich bald nur noch.
Bei einem Warhammer-Buch von Josh Reynolds ist mir das noch nie geschehen. Ich werde definitiv noch einmal ein Nicht-Warhammer-Werk von ihm probieren, um zu sehen, ob das hier wirklich nur ein Beispiel von schlechter Zusammenarbeit war, aber erst einmal habe ich noch einen Warhammer-Reynolds zu lesen.
January 4, 2022
I received an advance reader copy of this book from Aconyte Books via Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.
This book is a prequel novel based on the Watchdog Legion video game. The book tells the story of a power struggle between various groups in the city of London in a dystopian future.
Robotic automation has replaced most forms of human labor, resulting in high unemployment and further concentration of wealth. A swarm of surveillance, communication, and delivery drones buzzes constantly in the skies over the city. Set against this background, several groups vie for power to control the city. Hackers, criminal gangs, politicians, security contractors, and technology firms are among the combatants. This book focuses on a handful of characters from the various entities as the plot leads to to coalesce into alliances as the clock counts down to an imminent crisis, but who is behind it and what might be done to stop it?
I gave Watchdogs Legion: Day Zero four stars. It gets bogged down sometimes with technological descriptions and explanations, but there are a lot of interesting characters and action as well.
This book is a prequel novel based on the Watchdog Legion video game. The book tells the story of a power struggle between various groups in the city of London in a dystopian future.
Robotic automation has replaced most forms of human labor, resulting in high unemployment and further concentration of wealth. A swarm of surveillance, communication, and delivery drones buzzes constantly in the skies over the city. Set against this background, several groups vie for power to control the city. Hackers, criminal gangs, politicians, security contractors, and technology firms are among the combatants. This book focuses on a handful of characters from the various entities as the plot leads to to coalesce into alliances as the clock counts down to an imminent crisis, but who is behind it and what might be done to stop it?
I gave Watchdogs Legion: Day Zero four stars. It gets bogged down sometimes with technological descriptions and explanations, but there are a lot of interesting characters and action as well.
July 21, 2022
I have been provided with an advance copy of the new Watch Dogs Legion novel Day Zero by Josh Reynolds and James Swallow, published by Aconyte Books, so here is the honest review I promised in exchange for the book.
So here is an important disclaimer which is always important to put out there first. I have a casual work contact with Asmodee to demonstrate board games for them in stores and at conventions. Asmodee being the parent company of Aconyte the publisher.
I am also friend with Josh on Facebook, however I am sure for him that’s more about connecting with fans rather than being one of my best buds, that said he is actually a really nice guy.
I am going to try my best to not let that cloud my judgement in this review, but I accept that subconsciously it might.
What is Watch Dogs
Watch Dogs is an action-adventure game franchise, published by Ubisoft, and there have been three games published since 2014, the most recent being Watch Dogs Legion, published in late 2020.
Watch Dogs feature protagonists who are hackers working against criminal underworlds, corrupt companies and rival hackers.
Watch Dogs Legion, takes place in a post Brexit London, in which Britain has rapidly declined, and a hacker collective known as DedSec works to clear their name after being blamed for a series of terrorist bombings.
Their main opponents are the PMC Albion, who they try to liberate London from, Clan Kelly, an east end crime family, and Zero Day, a cyber terrorism group.
The Story
Day Zero takes place a over a few days and features several characters who find themselves drawn into a murderous conspiracy, that they must get to the bottom of, or risk London falling into control of a private military contractor who have their own designs on the city.
Our cast of characters is Olly, a new DedSec recruit and bike messenger, Sarah, an ambitious young Labour MP who has an eye on the advancement of her own career, Danny, a former soldier, and now Albion employee, being lead down a dark path, and his sister, Ro, a former MMA fighter and enforcer with Clan Kelly.
A series of assassinations across the city drag our protagonists into a mystery and things are starting to spiral out of control, requiring the killer to be tracked down.
Conclusion
Ok I have yet to play the game, I did buy the Ultimate Edition when it was on sale after reading this novel, but I am aware that this is a prequel, and the game protagonists and antagonists only feature briefly.
But as I said I haven’t played it, so for me, its very much a cool intro to the universe, as I have yet to play the first two games either, but they are on my purchase list!
The book was very enjoyable to read, it took me a little longer than I would have like to read, but I have some personal stuff going on in my life right now which is reducing my reading abilities.
I personally think, this not being a retelling is actually a positive thing, because the plot didn’t feel like a video game plot, sometimes when tie-ins are a retelling, it just doesn’t work.
This book is a perfect meld of the two writers style, James Swallow, writes very tight, very ordered plots, and Josh Reynolds is a master of witty dialogue and unlike many books with two authors, you never really see where ones work begins and the others ends. It feels like the two authors have merged Tuvix style and created a work that takes the best of both of their talent.
My only criticism is that with so many characters, the development of those characters is not the best, and I would like to learn more about them. So I do hope that they return to the setting and what Olly, Ro and Danny in particular do next.
I find myself very excited to play Watch Dogs Legion, and I am very much considering buying the first two games first.
This is a very solid 4 out of 5 Stars.
So here is an important disclaimer which is always important to put out there first. I have a casual work contact with Asmodee to demonstrate board games for them in stores and at conventions. Asmodee being the parent company of Aconyte the publisher.
I am also friend with Josh on Facebook, however I am sure for him that’s more about connecting with fans rather than being one of my best buds, that said he is actually a really nice guy.
I am going to try my best to not let that cloud my judgement in this review, but I accept that subconsciously it might.
What is Watch Dogs
Watch Dogs is an action-adventure game franchise, published by Ubisoft, and there have been three games published since 2014, the most recent being Watch Dogs Legion, published in late 2020.
Watch Dogs feature protagonists who are hackers working against criminal underworlds, corrupt companies and rival hackers.
Watch Dogs Legion, takes place in a post Brexit London, in which Britain has rapidly declined, and a hacker collective known as DedSec works to clear their name after being blamed for a series of terrorist bombings.
Their main opponents are the PMC Albion, who they try to liberate London from, Clan Kelly, an east end crime family, and Zero Day, a cyber terrorism group.
The Story
Day Zero takes place a over a few days and features several characters who find themselves drawn into a murderous conspiracy, that they must get to the bottom of, or risk London falling into control of a private military contractor who have their own designs on the city.
Our cast of characters is Olly, a new DedSec recruit and bike messenger, Sarah, an ambitious young Labour MP who has an eye on the advancement of her own career, Danny, a former soldier, and now Albion employee, being lead down a dark path, and his sister, Ro, a former MMA fighter and enforcer with Clan Kelly.
A series of assassinations across the city drag our protagonists into a mystery and things are starting to spiral out of control, requiring the killer to be tracked down.
Conclusion
Ok I have yet to play the game, I did buy the Ultimate Edition when it was on sale after reading this novel, but I am aware that this is a prequel, and the game protagonists and antagonists only feature briefly.
But as I said I haven’t played it, so for me, its very much a cool intro to the universe, as I have yet to play the first two games either, but they are on my purchase list!
The book was very enjoyable to read, it took me a little longer than I would have like to read, but I have some personal stuff going on in my life right now which is reducing my reading abilities.
I personally think, this not being a retelling is actually a positive thing, because the plot didn’t feel like a video game plot, sometimes when tie-ins are a retelling, it just doesn’t work.
This book is a perfect meld of the two writers style, James Swallow, writes very tight, very ordered plots, and Josh Reynolds is a master of witty dialogue and unlike many books with two authors, you never really see where ones work begins and the others ends. It feels like the two authors have merged Tuvix style and created a work that takes the best of both of their talent.
My only criticism is that with so many characters, the development of those characters is not the best, and I would like to learn more about them. So I do hope that they return to the setting and what Olly, Ro and Danny in particular do next.
I find myself very excited to play Watch Dogs Legion, and I am very much considering buying the first two games first.
This is a very solid 4 out of 5 Stars.
July 4, 2025
A fast-paced, tech-heavy thriller that does a solid job of expanding the Watch Dogs universe. Set just before the events of Watch Dogs: Legion, it follows reporter-turned-hacker Michael “Nowt” and AI expert Caitlin Lau as they dig into a conspiracy that ultimately leads to the Zero Day attacks in London.
The book balances action and suspense well, with themes of surveillance, AI ethics, and digital warfare front and center. The tone is gritty and cynical, fitting the dystopian near-future setting. It reads like a cyberpunk crime novel with a foot firmly in modern anxieties: fake news, corrupt elites, and the power of data.
Some characters can feel a bit thin, and the writing isn’t especially deep, but it’s engaging and cinematic. If you’re a Watch Dogs fan, this fills in some important backstory and adds emotional weight to the game’s world.
Think of it as a high-stakes setup episode: it won’t change your life, but it’ll keep you turning pages.
The book balances action and suspense well, with themes of surveillance, AI ethics, and digital warfare front and center. The tone is gritty and cynical, fitting the dystopian near-future setting. It reads like a cyberpunk crime novel with a foot firmly in modern anxieties: fake news, corrupt elites, and the power of data.
Some characters can feel a bit thin, and the writing isn’t especially deep, but it’s engaging and cinematic. If you’re a Watch Dogs fan, this fills in some important backstory and adds emotional weight to the game’s world.
Think of it as a high-stakes setup episode: it won’t change your life, but it’ll keep you turning pages.
September 17, 2021
I am a huge fan of WATCH_DOGS and had mixed but mostly positive feelings towards WATCH_DOGS: LEGION. The whole concept of a cyberpunk dystopia made out of modern day London post-Brexit is something that intrigued me and I was actually curious about how it reached the point it did in the game.
The book shows a tense London but doesn't have much reference to Brexit with the tensions being more on poverty and rising crime. There's multiple characters showing the rising poverty and automation having destroyed the British economy. Nigel Cass, of course, wants to take over the city and institute martial law but this is before Zero Days gives him the impetuous. Indeed, the inability to spoil the main game results in a somewhat disjointed narrative.
It was fun for 90% of the book but the ending is very abrupt.
The book shows a tense London but doesn't have much reference to Brexit with the tensions being more on poverty and rising crime. There's multiple characters showing the rising poverty and automation having destroyed the British economy. Nigel Cass, of course, wants to take over the city and institute martial law but this is before Zero Days gives him the impetuous. Indeed, the inability to spoil the main game results in a somewhat disjointed narrative.
It was fun for 90% of the book but the ending is very abrupt.
March 2, 2023
I bought this book even though I have never played Watch Dogs Legion before and I regret absolutely nothing.
First of all, I love how the whole story happened within 5 days and how it’s structured.
The characters are so endlessly amazing, I adore all of the powerful women in this book and the diversity was just great.
The writing style (or its German translation) was so advanced, everything was well written and the vocabulary was so large. Made the story even better and satisfying to read.
The story itself was absolutely interesting. I love the different point of views, the variety of characters, the relationship between the characters. The book focused on politics in the futuristic London and it was positively thrilling.
I definitely recommend it, if you are into science fiction.
First of all, I love how the whole story happened within 5 days and how it’s structured.
The characters are so endlessly amazing, I adore all of the powerful women in this book and the diversity was just great.
The writing style (or its German translation) was so advanced, everything was well written and the vocabulary was so large. Made the story even better and satisfying to read.
The story itself was absolutely interesting. I love the different point of views, the variety of characters, the relationship between the characters. The book focused on politics in the futuristic London and it was positively thrilling.
I definitely recommend it, if you are into science fiction.
August 23, 2025
I like Watch Dogs and at this point, it's more about the possibility of Watch Dogs. This was more Watch Dogs: Legion in pretty much all its glory. While this had four central characters, they didn't feel notable. They weren't in the main game, as far as I know. The book was well-written enough, it just felt inconsequential and generic. But as a prequel, I guess the conclusion was foredrawn.
So anyway, my feelings on this book mirrors my opinion on Legion. So the author gets a +1 for consistently implementing WD:L in written form. But they may have been too busy trying to do that without asking: Should I?
So anyway, my feelings on this book mirrors my opinion on Legion. So the author gets a +1 for consistently implementing WD:L in written form. But they may have been too busy trying to do that without asking: Should I?
November 22, 2025
Boring and unimaginative, an entire world to play with yet we get nothing but tedium. The characters barely develop and are very hollow and unlikeable. The writing is solid, yet it just goes nowhere and does nothing.
July 3, 2022
This is a great intro into Watch Dogs Legion world.
February 2, 2024
Exciting world extension/back story of Legion's world and social political setting-premise. In addition it was a nice piece of cyberpunk writing, could be enjoyable for those who are not familiar with Watchdogs...and I did like how game elements (public recruiting, the drones etc) were incorporated "organically" into the narrative instead of feeling an "artificial limb". For those who played the game, yep you will see hints of the big +secret plot points from the main games despite only a few of the main game's cast appearing. Yes Bagley is a part of novel's cast being well Bagley.
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