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Empires of Eve: A History of the Great Empires of Eve Online Volume II
"Imagine the Star Wars universe is real, and you live in it." - The Atlantic
"It reads more like a sci-fi Game of Thrones with iconic leaders, shocking betrayals, and devastating battles." - The Verge
"I couldn’t recommend Empires of Eve more. It’s a special book. It’s something that will no doubt interest gamers, but is also written in such a way to draw in those who know nothing about EVE and even less about video games. It’s an exciting chronicle of something truly unique in the space of video games and deserves to be read by everyone possible." - Critically Sane
A direct sequel to the events of the non-fiction space opera Empires of A History of the Great Wars of EVE Online, Empires of Volume 2 picks up immediately following the first book's climactic conclusion at the end of EVE Online's 'Great War.'
Volume 2 is the story of the real players who took power in the wake of that climactic conflict and how they dealt with an influx of hundreds of thousands of new recruits as EVE Online entered a golden age.
Based on years of research and interviews with the actual people involved, Empires of Volume 2 is a book about real video game warfare and the fates of digital societies. It's the story of the next five years of EVE Online history up to the calamitous conclusion of EVE's second age at the infamous $300,000 'Bloodbath at B-R5RB' in 2014. Hardcover available through empiresofeve.com.
"It reads more like a sci-fi Game of Thrones with iconic leaders, shocking betrayals, and devastating battles." - The Verge
"I couldn’t recommend Empires of Eve more. It’s a special book. It’s something that will no doubt interest gamers, but is also written in such a way to draw in those who know nothing about EVE and even less about video games. It’s an exciting chronicle of something truly unique in the space of video games and deserves to be read by everyone possible." - Critically Sane
A direct sequel to the events of the non-fiction space opera Empires of A History of the Great Wars of EVE Online, Empires of Volume 2 picks up immediately following the first book's climactic conclusion at the end of EVE Online's 'Great War.'
Volume 2 is the story of the real players who took power in the wake of that climactic conflict and how they dealt with an influx of hundreds of thousands of new recruits as EVE Online entered a golden age.
Based on years of research and interviews with the actual people involved, Empires of Volume 2 is a book about real video game warfare and the fates of digital societies. It's the story of the next five years of EVE Online history up to the calamitous conclusion of EVE's second age at the infamous $300,000 'Bloodbath at B-R5RB' in 2014. Hardcover available through empiresofeve.com.
- GenresNonfictionHistoryGaming
131 pages, ebook
First published May 25, 2021
58 people are currently reading
131 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
August 15, 2022
I was there. And this makes me miss it. O7
July 18, 2024
Difficult book to rate. On one hand, it's interesting as a history of virtual events, and covers things well enough in broad strokes. On the other hand, having been around during some of the events described, you really get an insight into just how faulty recording of history can be. This isn't a dig at the author, I believe he did his best, but it is kind of mindblowing how much is skipped over in the name of "getting through things in time," or similar.
The book feels colored by the current state of things when it skips relatively lightly over just how despicable a lot of the people involved in the events acted, just because the factions may no longer be entirely like that.
As such, hard to rate. It isn't a bad book, it isn't even a bad high-level history book, but as it exists in such a small niche, I seriously doubt anyone else is ever going to release another EVE history book that'll detail the extent to which "us vs. them" tribal thinking drove people's actions earlier on in the game. If anything, this book deserves to be longer, in order to cover that. Just as the previous book did.
The book feels colored by the current state of things when it skips relatively lightly over just how despicable a lot of the people involved in the events acted, just because the factions may no longer be entirely like that.
As such, hard to rate. It isn't a bad book, it isn't even a bad high-level history book, but as it exists in such a small niche, I seriously doubt anyone else is ever going to release another EVE history book that'll detail the extent to which "us vs. them" tribal thinking drove people's actions earlier on in the game. If anything, this book deserves to be longer, in order to cover that. Just as the previous book did.
June 4, 2022
This one is also fun but it has a couple of points that make it a little less fun than the first one.
1) the company that makes the game is much more a character in this one. Which is necessary to tell the story but makes it feel less like "spaceship battles with real people that just happen to be virtual" than the first book
2) it makes it clear that the goons are really pretty terrible people. In the first book it's sort of hinted at but the book also frames them as underdogs so you kind of root for them. Here they are not underdogs and their cruelty is on full display.
1) the company that makes the game is much more a character in this one. Which is necessary to tell the story but makes it feel less like "spaceship battles with real people that just happen to be virtual" than the first book
2) it makes it clear that the goons are really pretty terrible people. In the first book it's sort of hinted at but the book also frames them as underdogs so you kind of root for them. Here they are not underdogs and their cruelty is on full display.
August 10, 2023
Just as good as the first one. I really hope the author will do a Volume III, because I'd really like to see the Casino War and Bee-itnam wars memorialized. It was quite the experience following the Bee-itnam war since my spouse fought for Goonswarm throughout. I'll never forget the Massacre at M2.
October 14, 2021
Reading this kind of historical writing is like sampling decadent chocolates. Groen's continued overview of EVE's turbulent seas manages to hit that all-important sweet spot of an engaging narrative mixed with real-world historical relevance. Though I could never imagine myself actually playing the MMO, the author still makes it easy to inhabit that world through his prose.
October 9, 2025
I remember being sucked into the first one a bit more but I still enjoyed learning more about the history of Eve. Might as well read the 3rd whenever it comes out.
Just wicked stuff, love shit like this.
Just wicked stuff, love shit like this.
September 11, 2021
Really great putting all these strands together in one book. It’s a bit messy, but so is eve. Shows author didn’t sacrifice accuracy for the sake of narrative.
Covers period from fall of BoB to Halloween war, or 2009-2014.
Amazing that so many key players still active years later.
Goons may not control the server, but they have been central to the larger narrative since the early days.
Covers period from fall of BoB to Halloween war, or 2009-2014.
Amazing that so many key players still active years later.
Goons may not control the server, but they have been central to the larger narrative since the early days.
October 17, 2022
Engaging and well written with keen insights about the meta game and the personalities that shaped the world of EVE.
December 25, 2023
I cannot praise these books enough. Fascinating look into the inner workings for a real life space world full of war, intrigue, and politics.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews