Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy: No Guts, No Glory

by M.K. England

The official prequel novel to Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy, the hotly anticipated action-adventure game developed by Eidos-Montréal and published by Square Enix.

Star-Lord, Gamora, Drax the Destroyer, Rocket Racoon and Groot. They’re the Guardians of the Galaxy, turning a tidy profit as heroes for hire—or, they will be if Peter Quill can get his act together. After he botches the most critical part of their latest mission—getting paid—his newly assembled crew is close to ditching him for good. Now he needs a big payday, fast.

When an old acquaintance shows up offering a whole lot of units for a field trip to Peter’s past, it’s a no-brainer. Thirteen years ago, Peter fought the Chitauri alongside the Resistance on Mercury to prevent an invasion of Earth. Now it’s time to go back. The old Resistance base has a squatter, and it’s up to the Guardians to ‘gently escort’ them off the premises… and unmask a wartime traitor while they’re at it.

But war is heavy, man, and the Galactic War screwed up each of the Guardians in their own special ways. The brand-new team is barely hanging together, and the mission brings up all kinds of bad memories. It’s make or break time for the Guardians, and they do so love breaking things…

Just hopefully not each other.

Genres: Science Fiction, Marvel, Audiobook, Superheroes, Fiction, Space Opera, Fantasy

304 pages, Paperback

Published November 2, 2021

About the author

M. K. England grew up on the Space Coast of Florida watching shuttle launches from the backyard. These days, they live on a micro-farm in rural Virginia packed with video and board games, plants, D&D books, Star Wars memorabilia, and their preschooler's giant personality. They're probably covered in dirt right now. MK is the author of ten novels for kids, teens, and adults and a forthcoming interactive novel with Choice of Games. You can find them at mkengland.com.

For the latest news, you can subscribe to my irregular newsletter updates at mkengland.substack.com. I'm also on instagram (rarely, @mk_england) and on tumblr more informally (mkengland.tumblr.com)

(Just FYI, I don't accept friend requests because Amazon is weird about reviews but follow me on social media above and we can hang out there!)

Reviews

[M.K. England · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wrote this book! Just wanted to answer a few FAQs:

Q: Is this set in the MCU, 616, or some other Marvel continuity?
A: Nope! This book and the video game it ties into are in their own continuity. The writers at Eidos Montreal created their own unique take on the Guardians with inspiration from both the comics and the MCU. I'm a fan of both, and I hope it shows!

Q: Do I have to play the game for this book to make sense?
A: No, but you should anyway! The book stands alone just fine, though I did include lots of fun easter eggs that will pay off in the game. This book is set before the events of Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy action RPG from Eidos Montreal and Square Enix, and it leads right up to the start of the game.

Q: Are there any content warnings I should be aware of?
A: There are content warnings for this book (and all my others) on my website.

Getting to write the Guardians of the Galaxy was a total dream! If you have more questions, ask away and I'll do my best to answer.

[Montzalee Wittmann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy:
No Guts No Glory
By M.K.England

This book seems to be before the movies of the these crazy Guardian characters. It has the same personalities that each one of them we have come to know. We get a brief background of a couple of them during the story.
There is plenty of action, fighting, and blowing things up ( because Rocket is in the book!). I enjoyed the story because it provided a way to give a background to many, and to see where the were at that time. It was easy to picture this as one of their movies! Great fun!

[Maryam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actual Rating : 3.5

So, I am used to read Marvel Comics and watch movies, but this was my first ever novel in that space, and I enjoyed. I later realized that it is a prequel to the Guardians of the Galaxy video game.

It is nothing really new but if you enjoy comics and avenger themed movies, you would like it as well. The story is told in two different timelines. One 12 years ago when young Peter fought alongside, he Resistance on Mercury to prevent an invasion of Earth. The other timeline is present day, when Peter along with other Guardians are tasked with a new mission, go to Mercury station and escort squatter who is there off the base.

To me, old timeline had more appeal but nonetheless I enjoyed current events as well. In general I would recommend this to Marvel fans.

Thank you to #netgalley for the advanced reader copy.

[Bri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Dreamscape and NetGalley for the audiobook!

Full disclosure: I have not played the game this is a prequel to. Going off just movie knowledge of the Guardians of the Galaxy, I was able to follow pretty well but there are details movie fans won’t readily know compared to the video game as this is a different universe than MCU. This did not hinder my enjoyment in anyway. On to the review!

This is such a fun romp with the Guardians. Humor, action, and lovely characters abound. The narration is wonderful and embodies the characters wonderfully. This book made me want to pick up the game, so I’d say it did it’s job quite well.
I will say given this is an off shoot of the game it is not kid friendly — there is quite a lot of adult content which I enjoyed and did not expect, but again, not kid friendly. Other than that I have no problem recommending this adventure.

[Braxton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun read, loved the interaction with the characters.

[Chris The Lizard from Planet X · Rating 2 out of 5]

Marvel’s Guardians of The Galaxy: No Guts, No Glory by M.K. England is a video game tie-in prequel novel based on the single player action adventure game “Marvel’s Guardians Of the Galaxy”.

The Novel hops back and forth from present day Peter Quill AKA Star Lord, who is already alongside all of the Guardians, and then goes back twelve years prior to Mercury where Peter fought alongside younger Nova Corps officer Ko-Rel. It was paced well enough to keep me reading and it was surprisingly a pretty quick read at that.

The story involving Peter and Ko-Rel on Mercury is definitely the better plot in my opinion however jumping back and forth between time periods does hurt any tension the battle on Mercury tries to have. (Granted it’s a prequel novel to a game that came out before it, so the two are going to make it out.) Which I suppose is fine since the battle on Mercury isn’t really about a final last stand against an overwhelming chitauri anyway, it’s more of a we have a traitor among us mystery which eventually ties into the current day Guardian’s adventure. The relationship between Peter and Ko-Rel is written well enough, you can understand the need they had for each other in face of the situation they find themselves, but it’s definitely not the most well paced romance ever, it’s super fast which can be said about most of the events in the book.

Jumping to the current day Peter with the Guardians, they are hired to go back to Mercury because apparently someone is squatting inside the old resistance base reactivating the place. The weakest parts of the novel is when the Guardians are at the base. It kind of turns into a three stooges act between the boys just to have Gamora shake her head at whatever dumb things they do as they wander around the Base. I won’t go on about the plot much more after this but the big reveal and everything building up to this point is very mediocre. The author tries to compel some kind of ptsd with the twist but it honestly falls flat which is difficult to describe without spoilers. I won’t be nitpicking at it to much other then It just hurts Ko-Rel’s character as apparently she decided to say screw it and leave all these loose ends with the traitor, knowing that this traitor was responsible for the deaths of the people and friends under her command. (Who most aren’t as mentally disciplined, dictated by their actions and comments, as what you would except from a space military.)

There isn’t a lot of action in it and the few scenes we get are almost offensively small compared to the adventure game it’s based on. We don’t get to really visit any incredible alien worlds or meet any weird species, like the recent game or MCU movies. humor between the group isn’t a strong point either as I don’t remember any of the jokes landing with me as much as the game’s did. Being a prequel I can assume this is the reason that the Guardians, other then Peter, didn’t really get fleshed out as much but they did meld nicely into the team we meet at the beginning of the game, although Drax is criminally underutilized in this book.

If you want more Ko-Rel and Peter for whatever reason or you need something casual to read it might be more towards your liking but if you’re reading this for more of the team or another grand Guardians of the Galaxy adventure (yes I know the game is suppose to be the adventure that puts them on the map) then it honestly isn’t going to offer much to you. Maybe it would have worked out much better if it just focused on the events of Mercury or maybe an origin story for how this version of the Guardians of the Galaxy actually met up.

Overall, It’s a solid 2 and a half stars out of 5. While I enjoyed it for what it was, in the grand scheme of all things it didn’t add to much to the stellar video game, so one can skip it entirely.

[Jay · Rating 4 out of 5]

No Guts, No Glory follows our heroes as they head to Mercury because someone is messing around on an old base there. The story jumps back and forth between the present day and the past with Peter's relationship with Ko-Rel.

I'll admit I spent far too much time trying to figure out where this book fit into the MCU timeline only to have England explain on Goodreads that it doesn't. D'oh.

I often think it must be easy to write established characters, but, in fact, it's probably pretty difficult. Here you have 5 separate characters whose unique voices are crafted by the actors who play them and not just by one author. To remain true to the fandom that's something an author needs to emulate. This is one thing I think England does really well. Peter Quill and Rocket were the two who stood out the most as sounding exactly like their on screen counterparts. Drax and Gamora were good, but not great, and well, Groot is Groot, so that must have been fun.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this ALC. Austin Rising was an awesome narrator and kudos to him for sounding EXACTLY like Quill and Rocket. I really recommend this book for fans of the Guardians franchise.

[Emma Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay, I loved this book. I was sceptically going into the book as game tie-ins aren’t always the best books in the world but this was fun and enjoyable.

This book follows the Guardians of the Galaxy, who are heroes for hire, that is if Peter can get the business off the ground. Which is proofing difficult seeing as his own teammates aren’t sold on the idea, never mind potential clients.

After their lost job, ended in being paid in something other than actual money, Peter needs to find them another (actual paying) job before the team gets fed up and leaves. Luckily an old friend gets in touch with a well paying job, one that will pay actual money. The catch is, the Guardians will have to go to a old resistance base on Mercury. The very base where Peter was for a brief time at the height of the Galactic War 12 years. The base has a squatter that needs to be evicted and while they are there the guardians might be able to find some information of who the traitor was 12 years. The person who was feeding the bad guys, Chitauri, information, leading to most of the squad sent their dead.

However, only Peter wants to accept the job. The war damaged all the Guardians severely. Rocket, got experimented on and used as a super solider. Groot’s entire race got wiped out. Gamora, the daughter of Thanos, left her fathers side and joined the resistance despite everyone not trusting her and Drax, lost his family and went on a murdering spree trying to get Thanos and his revenge.

This book follows two timelines, in the present day we follow the Guardians on their mission and watch them go through the base and Peter fight to keep the team together. We also follow the events on Mercury 12 years earlier. Where Peter is at the Mercury base with commander Ko-Rel and the events that changed Peter and everyone there.

My thoughts
I loved both timelines within this book, sometimes when I read a book with multiple timelines and events in, there’s usually one that I’m not 100% invested in and don’t want to spend my time reading. I didn’t have that problem with this book. I loved both timelines and wanted to know everything I could about both of them.

The Guardians were all excellent and well written. They each had distinct personalities. One worry, I had going into this book, was how well Groot would be written. I worried in writing Groot’s emotions would be hard to portray, but I feel like the author did an excellent job.

I have also started playing the game, and I can honestly say I feel like the book and game connect together well. You can tell the author has been given all the relevant information to make sure the book and game flow. I loved how the book had Peter do a ‘huddle up’ to give the team a pep talk. In doing so, he plays a song on his Walkman for some background noise. This was a great nod to the game, in which Peter does a huddle up, and you have to pick a dialogue option, to pep up your team, it then plays one of the many songs while you carry on fighting.

I also loved the other timeline, in which we see Ko-Rel and the other resistance fighters fighting to hold the base and do their part for the war. Again, having seen some of the game, it was great to see Ko-Rel and how her and Peter first met. Another great little nod, was the Chewie he gives her is also mentioned in the game.

I will say the story with Rocket and what he finds within the base honestly broke my heart! It’s so heartbreaking what he’s been through and was glad to see he managed to do something therapeutic and a f*** you to those that hurt him.

[Shilo Quetchenbach · Rating 2 out of 5]

I somehow missed the “official prequel to the blockbuster video game” on the cover of this. As I haven’t played the game, I think I am missing key details that would make me care more about the events within the book. Additionally, I haven’t seen the Guardians of the Galaxy and related Marvel movies (just the trailers) — which means I’m missing a LOT of key details and most importantly, the characters’ canon personalities and interactions. I requested this solely because I have loved everything MK England has written and I assumed I would love this as well, despite not being familiar with the franchise. I have read other books and fanfictions of franchises I am unfamiliar with and loved them in the past. However this… missed the mark for me.

I liked the plot all right, but I didn’t really care about any of the characters. Additionally, it was confusing with the way it was structured. It is divided into sections that alternate between the present and the past, 12 years earlier. I listened to the audio, which made it very difficult to flip back and check whether I was in the present or the past. I think the confusion stemmed mostly mostly from the fact that both feature Peter getting into scrapes, fighting for his life, etc but with a different set of crewmates each time. The characters weren’t distinct enough for me to easily tell which scenario I was in sometimes, especially with similar battle scenes and running from the enemy scenes in each. Also they were all — especially Peter AKA Star Lord — a little annoying. He was very much a bumbling fool who is eternally optimistic and somehow always comes out on top while everything and everyone around him falls to pieces and I’m not really a fan of that character type.

I was into it, but not really, I guess? Like I cared enough to keep listening, but not enough to choose to listen over doing/reading other things. I actually listened to half of this and then put it down for eight months and by the time I decided to give it a second chance, I’d forgotten enough details that I had to start over from the beginning. This should have made it easier to tell whether I was in the present or past in any given scene, but they still blurred together for me. I realized eventually that I was having trouble distinguishing between Gamora (present) and Ko-Rel (past) in their interactions with Peter. At 80% in I can’t really tell you the point of it all. Things keep happening but they don’t make any impact on me. I’m in the midst of the plot twist / confrontation with the enemy and I think I’m going to put it down again because I have other things to read that will hopefully hold my attention more.

I think this would go over well with fans of the movies and games franchises as well as those who like an emphasis on space action/battle scenes and not so much character development.

The narrator was fairly good and did a decent job giving the characters different voices (except for some of his female voices which were difficult to tell apart, possibly contributing to my confusion.) I found his voice a bit on the annoying side, though I don’t know how much of it was his voice and how much of it was his voicing of Peter as the POV character (who I also found annoying). He also tended toward the dramatic, but that’s understandable given the amount of battles and narrow escapes and arguments between the (very dysfunctional) characters.

*Thanks to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media (Marvel) for providing an audio arc for review.

[Mel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley and Dreamscape Media for an advanced copy of this audiobook in exchange for my honest review!

3.5/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

This book acts as a prequel for the video game with the same name. The author did clarify on goodreads that this book is not set in the MCU or 616 continuity, but is in its own unique continuity. AKA we are in a different dimension of the multiverse where Starlord is still listening to cassette tapes and ends up with the same crew, but all have a slightly different backstory. Mainly, Starlord was kidnapped by Chitauri during a war, Drax allegedly has already killed Thanos, and Gamorra joined the resistance and fought against the Chitauri after leaving Thanos.

This book takes place in "present day" 12 years after the war with the Guardians of the Galaxy, and in the "past" during the war with Starlord joining up with the Navy, led by Ko-rel, to hold a base in Mercury. The past timeline was definitely what made this book. I loved Ko-rel and found her loss, processing of emotions while actively on combat, and resilience to be both enduring and realistic. I was very invested in her. The actual Guardiabs of the Galaxy in the present were fine, but the plot just wasn't exciting. You get the witty banter and disfunction you know and love. Drax is asking what different words mean and makes fun of Starlord, Rocket is feisty and most definitely not a racoon, Groot is sweet and enduring, Gamora is a badass but still atoning for her past sins, and Starlord is a lovable idealist and complete train wreck sometimes.

I do appreciate the author putting content warnings on their website and encourage others to check them out. I personally found the sections on losing a child to be haunting and much darker than I expected from a Guardians of the Galaxy book.

I did enjoy the narrator. All the voices were distinct and I especially liked Rocket and Groot.

Overall, it's a fun book but lacks depth in the present day plotline.

[Mel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy: No Guts, No Glory

3.5/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

This book acts as a prequel for the video game with the same name. The author did clarify on goodreads that this book is not set in the MCU or 616 continuity, but is in its own unique continuity. AKA we are in a different dimension of the multiverse where Starlord is still listening to cassette tapes and ends up with the same crew, but all have a slightly different backstory. Mainly, Starlord was kidnapped by Chitauri during a war, Drax has already killed Thanos (allegedly), and Gamorra joined the resistance and fought against the Chitauri after leaving Thanos.

This book takes place in "present day" 12 years after the war with the Guardians of the Galaxy, and in the "past" during the war with Starlord joining up with the Navy, led by Ko-rel, to hold a base in Mercury. The past timeline was definitely what made this book. I loved Ko-rel and found her loss, processing of emotions while actively on combat, and resilience to be both enduring and realistic. I was very invested in her. The actual Guardiabs of the Galaxy in the present were fine, but the plot just wasn't exciting. You get the witty banter and disfunction you know and love. Drax is asking what different words mean and makes fun of Starlord, Rocket is feisty and most definitely not a racoon, Groot is sweet and enduring, Gamora is a badass but still atoning for her past sins, and Starlord is a lovable idealist and complete train wreck sometimes.

I do appreciate the author putting content warnings on their website and encourage others to check them out. I personally found the sections on losing a child to be haunting and much darker than I expected from a Guardians of the Galaxy book.

I did enjoy the narrator. All the voices were distinct and I especially liked Rocket and Groot.

Overall, it's a fun book but lacks depth in the present day plotline.

[Sabrina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book! No Guts, No Glory gave me everything a misfit superhero gang space adventure could ever have! The action scenes were clean and easy to follow; the humor was witty and very on brand for all the characters; and it ties really well into the video game. I've only reached chapter 2 or 3 of the game, but the easter eggs I recognized were great! Equally, the narrator Austin Rising did a fantastic job. His narration was engaging and nuanced appropriately when switching points of view (I particularly enjoyed Rocket). I had a fun time with this read! My thanks to Dreamscape Media and Netgalley for the copy, and my thanks to M.K. England and Austin Rising for the experience!

[Nathalie ✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Video game tie-ins are usually hit-or-miss, especially when featuring the same characters. Stakes can't be too high, and we can't develop any of the characters too much as you don't want any big changes to happen here instead of in the main game.

I was a big fan of the video game! Their interpretation of the characters is my favorite interpretation of the Guardians of the Galaxy. Especially Peter Quill. This book serves as a direct prequel to the game so we get more of the interactions that made the game so great, and more Ko-Rel! Weirdly I was more invested in the flashbacks involving Ko-Rel and Peter.

I would never say no to more of these characters (especially as a sequel to the game is highly unlikely at this point) so I really enjoyed this.

[Chrystopher’s Archive · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was fun and entertaining.

England perfectly captures the frictions, bantering, and squabbles that make the Guardians such an enjoyable team-as-found-family to root for while also achieving a more progressive and deeper character exploration than in the recent films.

Told in a split timeline, we really get to see the growth that Peter has experienced but even more surprisingly, we get to see where he wants to be and how he knows he has more to learn and experience to get there.

This is a prequel to a video game and doesn’t share a continuity with the films, but is easy to access whether you’ve seen the films or not. I’m excited to pick up the game next time I have some extra cash.

The narration also adds to the fun, with a very intuitive reading voice that matches both the funny parts and the serious, emotional parts.

Definitely worth a listen.

[Anne Plat (Freckles) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Am I terrible at keeping track of different timelines? Yes. Is this good? Also yes

[Pat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perhaps the most entertaining Marvel novel I have ever listened to.

[Lauren Stoolfire · Rating 4 out of 5]

M.K. England does a great job of capturing the voices of the Guardians of the Galaxy and I hope they do another one of these books.

[Grace · Rating 4 out of 5]

peter quill i love youuuuu bleh

[Cardboardist · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a solid average.

The dialogue (with Marvel quips and sass) was exactly what you’d expect from Marvel. A few times some interactions felt a bit cringey.

The story is very average, I’m guessing this directly sets up the game (which I intend to play) and I suppose I’ll enjoy the previous set up. There wasn’t a particular twist or anything, just an entirely average story that moves along. I didn’t really feel that it especially made an impact or anything in the end, either for myself or the characters.

Overall, if you plan on playing the game, you could consider picking up the book, just expect to not be blown away by anything in particular here.

[JJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Guardians of the Galaxy: No Guts, No Glory does just about everything that a good prequel novel should do. It sheds light on characters and events from Eidos Montreal's Guardians of the Galaxy game, it captures their voices accurately, it feels like it belongs in the same universe, it entertains all the way through, and it could even stand on its own.

The 2021 Guardians of the Galaxy game surprised me by telling a strong story with compelling characters in an interesting universe -- Guardians of the Galaxy is a massively popular entertainment franchise, but the surprise came from this story being entirely original. Not set in the main Marvel universe or the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the game tells its own story in its own universe with its own history and relationships -- and manages to make something great in its own right.

The backstory, even more so than the game's story itself, is what grabbed me about this new take on the Guardians. Without spoilers, it sets up a very different status quo than what many people are familiar with and puts the events of the game after some incredibly major things that are still reverberating throughout the universe. No Guts, No Glory provides a look deeper into a sliver of that backstory, jumping between Star-Lord's first encounter with Ko-Rel's resistance fighters on Mercury and a job the Guardians took shortly before the events of the game that takes them back to Mercury.

This is one of many threads from the game that seemed worthy of pulling on, and I'm glad that it's given time to shine here (as opposed to the book trying to cover every bit of backstory from the game). Star-Lord, Ko-Rel, and the rest of the characters all ring true to their game counterparts -- with Ko-Rel benefitting the most from the increased spotlight on her. She comes off as sympathetic, important, capable without being distractingly perfect, and worthy of the role she plays in Star-Lord's life in the game.

With the focus on her and Star-Lord's relationship for approximately half the novel, the rest of the Guardians don't really get their time to shine. They interact, they bicker, and they all get their moment and something important to do -- but if you wanted to pick this book up because you're a big Drax fan or something like that, you probably won't find what you're looking for here.

The experience of reading No Guts, No Glory is a positive one, with only minor quibbles. Beyond feeling like it's true to characters and plots from the game, the writing style is also pitch-perfect -- capturing the casual charm and confidence that makes Guardians of the Galaxy so popular not just in the dialogue but in the narration as well. It makes for an easy, breezy read most of the time, and just feels right.

However, there are a few moments that feel a bit off. There were two times near the climax where it seemed like the author didn't adequately acknowledge something they just wrote (once someone is restrained but then immediately is in range of and pulls a knife on someone; another time two characters run into some enemies, hide, and then get past the enemies in a way that didn't seem fully explained). They're acknowledged enough that I don't think the author totally forgot about them or anything like that, but they were rough enough to cause gaps in my visualization of the proceedings. There's also a scene with robots that are described as being similar to something used for BDSM. I'm not a prude, but it just means that if your kid or teenager is reading and doesn't already know what BDSM is, they'll probably look it up and find out. And finally, the final chapter that leads into the game misspells the name of a planet from the game, Seknarf Nine, as Sekarf Nine.

Those issues detract only slightly from the experience reading this novel, however. Overall, No Guts, No Glory was far better than I hoped for -- it's a great tie-in that helps flesh out the story of the game. And if you're just a Guardians of the Galaxy fan looking for a one-off book with a different take on the characters, you could do far worse than this even if you never touch the game.

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this advance listener copy.

Description from NetGalley:
Star-Lord, Gamora, Drax the Destroyer, Rocket Raccoon, and Groot. They’re the Guardians of the Galaxy, turning a tidy profit as heroes for hire—or they will be if Peter Quill can get his act together. After he botches the most critical part of their latest mission—getting paid—his newly assembled crew is close to ditching him for good. Now he needs a big payday, fast.
When an old acquaintance shows up offering a whole lot of units for a field trip to Peter’s past, it’s a no-brainer. Thirteen years ago, Peter fought the Chitauri alongside the Resistance on Mercury to prevent an invasion of Earth. Now it’s time to go back. The old Resistance base has a squatter, and it’s up to the Guardians to “gently escort” them off the premises… and unmask a wartime traitor while they’re at it.
But war is heavy, man, and the Galactic War screwed up each of the Guardians in their own special ways. The brand-new team is barely hanging together, and the mission brings up all kinds of bad memories. It’s make or break time for the Guardians, and they do so love breaking things…
Just hopefully not each other.
I LOVE Marvel. I LOVE the Guardians of the Galaxy movies. So I was super excited to see there was an audiobook for this book. I have the game that this is a prequel to but have yet to play it. After listening to the book, I put in the “to play next” spot.
The narrator, Austin Rising, does a great job doing different voices that sound authentic to the characters. He also does a good job with what M. K. England has constructed for this similar to the movies but definitely a different world. England is drawing more from the comics, but the book doesn’t leave a reader like me, who has not read those particular comics yet, behind. The story is fast paced in both of the timelines going on. I was definitely invested in both; however, I found myself favoring one timeline over the other. Because of the dual timelines this is definitely more of a Star Lord story as opposed to a book about the Guardians as a whole in my opinion.
Overall: 3.5/5

[Teresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley, Marvel, M.K. England, and Austin Rising (narrator) for the opportunity to read and listen to the audiobook of Guardians of the Galaxy: No Guts, No Glory in exchange for an honest review.

This book takes place before the events of the new Marvel Guardians of the Galaxy video game and ends right where the game begins. You do not have to play the game to enjoy this book, though it really adds a lot of depth to the characters and the reader may notice a few Easter Eggs woven in if they have played the game. The same could be said vice versa: those who read the book first and find themselves interested in playing the game will notice some references within the story. Oh that Chewbacca toy... The audiobook is short and fun to listen to, but not exactly simple. It keeps the heightened essence of the world these characters live in as well as the world-based lingo and jargon that those unfamiliar might have a hard time following along with.

In this novel, the Guardians are more newly established, consiting of Star-Lord, Drax, Gamora, Rocket, and Groot. As heroes for hire, they always seek new jobs to help turn a profit. Of course, not all jobs go right, and the very first mission of the book ends with the wrong kind of currancy, a more edible than monetary one... As the Guardians are still getting a baring for each other, they start to want to leave Star-Lord behind for the many mistakes he seems to keep making, but of course he has a plan to make money fast (and to make up for the previous mishap[s]).

The new job that star-Lord takes on for the crew involves an old aquaintance from his previous involvement in the Mercury-Earth war (not official title). The book goes between the present predicament of removing a possible war villain out of an old base to the time when Star-Lord was actively in the war, reflecting on his time as a soldier. There are also a number of flashback moments in which the reader sees his time with Yondu and the Ravagers as well.

The alternating time-lines to tell events is creative and reflects the same way the game goes back and forth with Star-Lord's past and the present. The relationship between the Guardian's is full of wit and humor, though of course at times there are true moments of anger mixed in as well. The narrator does a decent job portraying the characters and giving them a voice. This is a fun listen perfect for fans of Guardians of the Galaxy, whether it be the comics, movies, or the game (but especially the game). A great listen: quick, fun, and quirky. Highly recommend.

[Cindy Farrell · Rating 4 out of 5]

The best part about reading this books was imagining all the characters names and little ticks. Obviously we are big fans of the movies (we have 4 cats named after characters from the Guardians of the Galaxy). Usually I'm not big on film adaptations. BUT I loved this one. I haven't read the comics, so I'm not sure if that would have changed my opinion.
In this book, the Guardians get hired to clear out traps on an abandoned military base on Mercury. Peter had been to the base 12 years beforehand, so the Point of view switches between present day and 12 years ago. The war that was being fought 12 years ago brings up all sorts of bad memories for the Guardians and they all give you a little glimpse into their past. Definitely a fun read. I'll be on the lookout for more of these books!
As Always, if you are sensitive, please look into the trigger warnings before reading this book. On to the next!

[Thomas · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a good book, definitely worth reading before you play the game. The story was good and felt like an extension of the game.

I wasn't a fan of the delivery method, it is split into present day and past its chapters swapping between the two every time. Whilst it works with the story, I believe it robs either story of momentum. I felt frustrated with each swap and I haven't seen this type of continuous flashbacks in stories before and I would surprised to see again at least to this degree.

The separate stories before were good, but not as good as the games story, but it included some lovely easter eggs.

The characters definitely feel just like they were taken from the game, and just as enjoyable.

Overall I would recommend this only if you haven't played the game yet and wouldn't mind adding a little more depth to those characters.

[Anns Bibliotherapy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really interesting fun read, well listen. I wasn't sure how much Gusrdians of the Galaxy history I would need to know to understand or enjoy this book but the author did a fantastic job with flash backs, different time spans, and giving enough information that Eben if you haven't seen the movies you could still really enjoy this story.
The story itself was something I could see playing out in my mind which is a true compliment to both the author and the Narrator. I truly enjoyed this audiobook and will be listening to more in the future.
I can not say enough how wonderful this Narrator was, he felt like a character more than just a voice reading the dialog, amazing job there.
If I could give this one 4.5 stars I would.

[Thom · Rating 2 out of 5]

Note: I received an advanced reader copy of this book from the publisher for the purpose of reviewing with the lowest amount of bias.

The characters match their game counterparts, but the book is paced out in a way that prevented me from getting a firm grasp on what was happening and why I was supposed to be emotionally invested in it. The time keeps hopping back and forth but with the same characters, so it is difficult to keep track of what situation the heroes were in at any given time.

I listened to the audiobook version: I did not like the narrator though. His Gamora voice and his Kor-El voice hardly sounded any different and his switching between character voices wasn't very smooth.

[Thom · Rating 2 out of 5]

Note: I received an advanced reader copy of this book from the publisher for the purpose of reviewing with the lowest amount of bias.

The characters match their game counterparts, but the book is paced out in a way that prevented me from getting a firm grasp on what was happening and why I was supposed to be emotionally invested in it. The time keeps hopping back and forth but with the same characters, so it is difficult to keep track of what situation the heroes were in at any given time.

I listened to the audiobook version: I did not like the narrator though. His Gamora voice and his Kor-El voice hardly sounded any different and his switching between character voices wasn't very smooth.

[Randi (Rampant Reading Reviews) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an advanced audio copy of Guardians of the Galaxy: No Guts, No Glory through Netgalley so I could share my review with you!

Guardians of the Galaxy: No Guts, No Glory is the official prequel for the Guardians of the Galaxy video game, but playing the game is by no means a requirement to enjoy the story! I personally have not played the game yet, but this book made me want to!

The Guardians of the Galaxy are Heroes for Hire. Or, they would be, if they could actually get someone to hire them. After their last job failed to payout, The Guardians are getting desperate for work. So, when they’re offered a seemingly simple job removing a squatter from an old Resistance base, they jump at the chance to make some quick cash. But this mission has ties to each of The Guardian’s pasts that will have consequences greater than they could’ve imagined.

You can get your copy of Guardians of the Galaxy: No Guts, No Glory from your favorite audiobook retailer!

M.K. England is one of my favorite sci-fi authors around, so when they announced that they would be writing this Guardians of the Galaxy novel, I honestly freaked out. I was right to be excited because this book was an outstanding tribute to my favorite Guardians. England wrote the Guardians perfectly, embodying their humor and wit on every page. I tore through this book in record time, because I just couldn’t stop reading! M.K. England and The Guardians of the Galaxy are a match made in heaven!

The narration on this audiobook was spot-on! I cannot believe how wonderfully Austin Rising captured the incredibly distinct character voices. With a franchise like Guardians of the Galaxy, the bar was set high for both the storytelling and the narration quality, and this audiobook nailed it on both counts! Listening to this book felt like watching one of my favorite Marvel movies over again for the first time!

My Recommendation-
Whether or not you have played the Guardians of the Galaxy video game I would strongly recommend reading this prequel novel. Perfect for fans of high-stakes sci-fi packed with humor, I would recommend this book for fans of The Guardians in any media!

[E Loveless · Rating 3 out of 5]

I only read this because I intended to play the game. Ultimately, I'm glad I did. The story isn't anything to write home about but it does sell this more mature version of Star-Lord than the MCU did. This guy's a war-vet and while he's still a goofball at times, he knows how to get work done. The story is a simple one, the main romance, even more simple but it was still a decent ride and I think it made me enjoy the following game more.

P.S. The game is great and you should all play it if you haven't.