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Gears of War #3
Anvil Gate
Continuing the saga of the bestselling game series! In the third of three official tie-in novels to the hugely successful videogame from Microsoft and Epic Games, Marcus Fenix and his Gears defend humanity’s final city from the Locust horde.
With the Locust Horde apparently destroyed, Jacinto’s survivors have begun to rebuild human society on the Locust stronghold. Raiding pirate gangs take a toll—but it’s nothing that Marcus Fenix and the Gears can’t handle. Then the nightmare they thought they’d left behind begins to stalk them again. Something far worse, something even the Locust dreaded, has emerged to spread across the planet, and not even this remote island haven is beyond its reach. Gears and Stranded must fight side by side to survive their deadliest enemy yet, falling back on the savage tactics of another bloody siege—Anvil Gate.
With the Locust Horde apparently destroyed, Jacinto’s survivors have begun to rebuild human society on the Locust stronghold. Raiding pirate gangs take a toll—but it’s nothing that Marcus Fenix and the Gears can’t handle. Then the nightmare they thought they’d left behind begins to stalk them again. Something far worse, something even the Locust dreaded, has emerged to spread across the planet, and not even this remote island haven is beyond its reach. Gears and Stranded must fight side by side to survive their deadliest enemy yet, falling back on the savage tactics of another bloody siege—Anvil Gate.
464 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2010
93 people are currently reading
1645 people want to read
About the author
Karen Traviss
128 books1,527 followers#1 New York Times best-selling novelist, scriptwriter and comics author Karen Traviss has received critical acclaim for her award-nominated Wess'har series, and her work on Halo, Gears of War, Batman, G.I. Joe, and other major franchises has earned her a broad range of fans. She's best known for military science fiction, but GOING GREY and BLACK RUN, the first books in her new techno-thriller series RINGER, are set in the real world of today. A former defence correspondent and TV and newspaper journalist, she lives in Wiltshire, England. She's currently working on SACRIFICIAL RED, the third book in the Ringer series, and HERE WE STAND, book three in the NOMAD series.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 80 reviews
January 21, 2018
Another video game adaptation about a war against giant intelligent bugs.
Doing the old three issue switch here, as we find a force that scare even the bugs.
Not great.
Doing the old three issue switch here, as we find a force that scare even the bugs.
Not great.
January 4, 2016
'Philosophical, moralistic choices and deep thinking in a Gears novel – who knew!'
Here we go with Karen Traviss third novel in the Gears of War series, Anvil Gate. It has a sort of daunting ring to it – the read itself wasn't, but blimey this one doesn't pull any punches. You may puke on the way while reading this, blood and guts aplenty.
I've seen death, I've seen the dead – reading about it doesn't really bother me. I'm sure that’s just not me, as a society we've become desensitised towards certain taboos – death, war, religion, violence, ethnicity etc. I’d throw ‘free thinking’ within that analogy, but then it means a slightly different thing to me – where are all the great thinkers of our age? There was a reason I went off a tangent here – the characters in Gears novels represent each of the ethos I've mentioned – Baird the free-thinker, Marcus violence, war and death. Dom really does come across some issue regarding his race and then there’s Hoffman, who surprisingly represents pretty much everything I've mentioned, the best and the worst. For a character in the game who really is a bit of an arse, Karen Traviss hopefully got some praise for writing in some real and raw characteristics that some writers are afraid to commit to their pages – taboo subjects. I’d argue that many writers want to be a commercial success (obviously), whether that’s their novel selling well, or a Twilight ‘I want to sale the film rights’ hope. The majority of the topics mentioned seem to either get skimmed over or ignored. This novel in no way does that – in some ways Anvil Gate sticks a finger up to the established carebears out there. Hey these are my own thoughts, I'm most likely wrong, but still it’s how I viewed this particular piece of fiction.
Damn it, I forgot about my tea *slurps*
Anvil Gate has a similar feel towards its structure, it places a heavy emphasis upon survival but also delves into the political vacuum that has been left by, well, no government. Still Chairman Prescott leads the COG, or so he thinks. What’s left of the Coalition of Ordered Governments (COG) has fractured into four separate entities; the citizens of Pelruan (citizens of the tiny island that was left untouched by the Locust hordes) who hate the UIR (Union of Independent Nations) and the Strandard (survivalists types – do anything to anything, sorts!) and COG. All attempt to make an uneasy alliance for the greater good, that being the survival of humanity. Should be fairly easy now the Locusts are all dead, right? Wrong! There’s a new dastardly foe afoot – no I'm not telling you who, sheez read the novel. Tensions run high in Anvil Gate more so than in any other of the books. The whole “The ends justify the means” become the posit of the day.
This time around Baird takes front row seat, that being it’s written in first person perspective from his point of view. Traviss has a different take on Baird than the games. In the console games he is an arsehole to put it bluntly. In this book he is still an arse but becomes more likeable as the jack-of-all-trades loveable rouge sorta persona. I like that – throw in a bit of heroism and he turns into a tangible asset. His loyalty to Cole and Marcus really come to the fore here. Out of all of Delta Squad (Marcus, Dom, Cole and himself), Baird is mostly suited for this post war rebuilding era due to his scientific mind and engineering skills – it feels like he actually matters now.
Dom is still broken over his wife Maria and begins to make amends for his self-loathing by attaching himself to Marcus.
Bernie is still around, though more so in the background this time over, though she is rushed to bring forth the actually topic of this novel, that being the Siege of Anvil Gate. A 36 year past old conflict Colonel Hoffman was involved in – his choices still haunt him today. Hoffman and the elusive Anvil Gate, the "defining moment in his career" as we have read previously. I didn't find the flashbacks this time around nearly as compelling as they were in Aspho Fields but they were still interesting. Some of the decisions he makes aren't for the faint hearted.
The author really knows how to set up little clues along the way, little details that end up mattering a lot later on in the novel. We see the roots of the Hammer of Dawn in Adam Fenix’s (Marcus’s father) mind in this novel, we see the first possible hint at the Locust with Elaine and we see the first fractures of the COG here in the novel beginning with old grudges from the Pendulum Wars.
We also finally get to see the Lambent again, being absent in Jacinto's Remnant, we get a clear glimpse at how dangerous this new enemy is and how what little peace we had after Gears 2 is now gone as well. It’s a tough read at times, but it’s vastly improved from the previous novels in my opinion.
Here we go with Karen Traviss third novel in the Gears of War series, Anvil Gate. It has a sort of daunting ring to it – the read itself wasn't, but blimey this one doesn't pull any punches. You may puke on the way while reading this, blood and guts aplenty.
I've seen death, I've seen the dead – reading about it doesn't really bother me. I'm sure that’s just not me, as a society we've become desensitised towards certain taboos – death, war, religion, violence, ethnicity etc. I’d throw ‘free thinking’ within that analogy, but then it means a slightly different thing to me – where are all the great thinkers of our age? There was a reason I went off a tangent here – the characters in Gears novels represent each of the ethos I've mentioned – Baird the free-thinker, Marcus violence, war and death. Dom really does come across some issue regarding his race and then there’s Hoffman, who surprisingly represents pretty much everything I've mentioned, the best and the worst. For a character in the game who really is a bit of an arse, Karen Traviss hopefully got some praise for writing in some real and raw characteristics that some writers are afraid to commit to their pages – taboo subjects. I’d argue that many writers want to be a commercial success (obviously), whether that’s their novel selling well, or a Twilight ‘I want to sale the film rights’ hope. The majority of the topics mentioned seem to either get skimmed over or ignored. This novel in no way does that – in some ways Anvil Gate sticks a finger up to the established carebears out there. Hey these are my own thoughts, I'm most likely wrong, but still it’s how I viewed this particular piece of fiction.
Damn it, I forgot about my tea *slurps*
Anvil Gate has a similar feel towards its structure, it places a heavy emphasis upon survival but also delves into the political vacuum that has been left by, well, no government. Still Chairman Prescott leads the COG, or so he thinks. What’s left of the Coalition of Ordered Governments (COG) has fractured into four separate entities; the citizens of Pelruan (citizens of the tiny island that was left untouched by the Locust hordes) who hate the UIR (Union of Independent Nations) and the Strandard (survivalists types – do anything to anything, sorts!) and COG. All attempt to make an uneasy alliance for the greater good, that being the survival of humanity. Should be fairly easy now the Locusts are all dead, right? Wrong! There’s a new dastardly foe afoot – no I'm not telling you who, sheez read the novel. Tensions run high in Anvil Gate more so than in any other of the books. The whole “The ends justify the means” become the posit of the day.
This time around Baird takes front row seat, that being it’s written in first person perspective from his point of view. Traviss has a different take on Baird than the games. In the console games he is an arsehole to put it bluntly. In this book he is still an arse but becomes more likeable as the jack-of-all-trades loveable rouge sorta persona. I like that – throw in a bit of heroism and he turns into a tangible asset. His loyalty to Cole and Marcus really come to the fore here. Out of all of Delta Squad (Marcus, Dom, Cole and himself), Baird is mostly suited for this post war rebuilding era due to his scientific mind and engineering skills – it feels like he actually matters now.
Dom is still broken over his wife Maria and begins to make amends for his self-loathing by attaching himself to Marcus.
Bernie is still around, though more so in the background this time over, though she is rushed to bring forth the actually topic of this novel, that being the Siege of Anvil Gate. A 36 year past old conflict Colonel Hoffman was involved in – his choices still haunt him today. Hoffman and the elusive Anvil Gate, the "defining moment in his career" as we have read previously. I didn't find the flashbacks this time around nearly as compelling as they were in Aspho Fields but they were still interesting. Some of the decisions he makes aren't for the faint hearted.
The author really knows how to set up little clues along the way, little details that end up mattering a lot later on in the novel. We see the roots of the Hammer of Dawn in Adam Fenix’s (Marcus’s father) mind in this novel, we see the first possible hint at the Locust with Elaine and we see the first fractures of the COG here in the novel beginning with old grudges from the Pendulum Wars.
We also finally get to see the Lambent again, being absent in Jacinto's Remnant, we get a clear glimpse at how dangerous this new enemy is and how what little peace we had after Gears 2 is now gone as well. It’s a tough read at times, but it’s vastly improved from the previous novels in my opinion.
August 27, 2012
Review from Badelynge
The third book in the Gears of War series by Karen Traviss follows on directly from events at the end of the last book Jacinto's Remnant and is still building up to the finale of the video game Gears of War 3. Delta Squad and remaining Cog Forces have settled alongside the inhabitants of a sheltered naval outpost at Vectes. They maintain an uneasy truce with a group of Indie refugees who hold a valuable source of Imulsion. The two sides struggle to bury an enmity that burned for generations during the Pendulum Wars. Bands of Stranded pirates nibble at the order that both sides crave. And if that wasn't enough, boats are going missing or found bereft of crew, mysterious holes punched through the hull.
For all you lovers of Damon Baird (there must be someone out there...don't all holler at once) you'll love this one as Traviss has a good go at poking around in Baird's uber-cynical smarty pants noggin.
Possibly less effective are the flashbacks featuring a young Adam Phoenix pining over lost reliquaries while fighting in an urban hell of war theatre. In the same timeline a young Hoffman commands the defence of Anvil Gate and resorts to questionable though pragmatic tactics that will haunt him forever. I did love the story of Bai Tak, the Pesanga volunteer with his team of grinning machete wielding hill men. You'll remember him from the Aspho Fields flashbacks in book one. The main timeline moves along a bit more with the CoG learning how to combat Lambent and that data disc from Gears 3 finally turns up to wallop an even bigger wedge between Hoffman and Prescott.As ever the characterisation is superb, with great dialogue alongside more introspective examinations of the main players and the effects of war on human morality. Oh and there's a fair bit of backs to the wall Gear on Glowie action... and with Lambent involved that means plenty BOOOOOM!!!! Enjoyable stuff.
The third book in the Gears of War series by Karen Traviss follows on directly from events at the end of the last book Jacinto's Remnant and is still building up to the finale of the video game Gears of War 3. Delta Squad and remaining Cog Forces have settled alongside the inhabitants of a sheltered naval outpost at Vectes. They maintain an uneasy truce with a group of Indie refugees who hold a valuable source of Imulsion. The two sides struggle to bury an enmity that burned for generations during the Pendulum Wars. Bands of Stranded pirates nibble at the order that both sides crave. And if that wasn't enough, boats are going missing or found bereft of crew, mysterious holes punched through the hull.
For all you lovers of Damon Baird (there must be someone out there...don't all holler at once) you'll love this one as Traviss has a good go at poking around in Baird's uber-cynical smarty pants noggin.
Possibly less effective are the flashbacks featuring a young Adam Phoenix pining over lost reliquaries while fighting in an urban hell of war theatre. In the same timeline a young Hoffman commands the defence of Anvil Gate and resorts to questionable though pragmatic tactics that will haunt him forever. I did love the story of Bai Tak, the Pesanga volunteer with his team of grinning machete wielding hill men. You'll remember him from the Aspho Fields flashbacks in book one. The main timeline moves along a bit more with the CoG learning how to combat Lambent and that data disc from Gears 3 finally turns up to wallop an even bigger wedge between Hoffman and Prescott.As ever the characterisation is superb, with great dialogue alongside more introspective examinations of the main players and the effects of war on human morality. Oh and there's a fair bit of backs to the wall Gear on Glowie action... and with Lambent involved that means plenty BOOOOOM!!!! Enjoyable stuff.
June 8, 2024
(Synopsis) - With the Locust Horde apparently destroyed, Jacinto’s survivors have begun to rebuild human society on the Locust stronghold. Raiding pirate gangs take a toll but it’s nothing that Marcus Fenix and the Gears can’t handle. Then the nightmare they thought they’d left behind begins to stalk them again. Something far worse, something even the Locust dreaded, has emerged to spread across the planet, and not even this remote island haven is beyond its reach.
(Review) - Where to begin with this review, I have never struggled to talk about a book, you give me anything book I've read and i can confidently talk about it to anyone. But this series has always stumped me, because a book like this so far in the series can only be appreciated and understood by hardcore fans of the games otherwise where can I begin to explain it. So I'll keep it simple and assume if your reading this then your a fan so. This book continues to fill in the gaps between the events of Gears of war 2 and before gears of war 3. But also continues the story of the last tie in book jacintos Remnant that set up the remains of the COG and the UIR restarting again on a small naval island just when chaos strikes again with stranded and a new nightmare threat, you also get to during the events of the pendulum wars, specifically the siege of Anvil Gate and how hoffman dealt with those events, will use them to combat this new threat. Honestly all this extra lore and story is so fascinating and interesting to me, so much so i can only recommend this book to the hardcore fans, I still think you enjoy the games without these books, i definitely did but if your hankering for more gears of war then these books are your best bet they are terrific, I love them.
5/5 Stars GoodReads ⭐⭐⭐⭐🌟
100/100 GingerPoints 🔥🔥
(Review) - Where to begin with this review, I have never struggled to talk about a book, you give me anything book I've read and i can confidently talk about it to anyone. But this series has always stumped me, because a book like this so far in the series can only be appreciated and understood by hardcore fans of the games otherwise where can I begin to explain it. So I'll keep it simple and assume if your reading this then your a fan so. This book continues to fill in the gaps between the events of Gears of war 2 and before gears of war 3. But also continues the story of the last tie in book jacintos Remnant that set up the remains of the COG and the UIR restarting again on a small naval island just when chaos strikes again with stranded and a new nightmare threat, you also get to during the events of the pendulum wars, specifically the siege of Anvil Gate and how hoffman dealt with those events, will use them to combat this new threat. Honestly all this extra lore and story is so fascinating and interesting to me, so much so i can only recommend this book to the hardcore fans, I still think you enjoy the games without these books, i definitely did but if your hankering for more gears of war then these books are your best bet they are terrific, I love them.
5/5 Stars GoodReads ⭐⭐⭐⭐🌟
100/100 GingerPoints 🔥🔥
August 28, 2025
Not my fav part of this series as I’m not really THAT invested in knowing what happened at Anvil Gate. Honestly, for something so “hyped” up, I was surprised by how few chapters there were about it. I genuinely think Adam’s chapter should have been replaced with an additional Hoffman chapter to help build up the siege…. I just didn’t feel like we got much from Adam’s time in Shavad except some insight into Marcus’s childhood and Helena’s rise through the ranks.
Outside of the Anvil Gate flashbacks, the main juice of the book comes from the discovery of the polyps and the subsequent attacks on Vectes. We also get Baird POV in this book, swapping him in for Cole, and BOY is this guy annoying to read through sometimes. I know it’s all part of Baird’s shtick of just not knowing when to shut up and he does have his moments where he’s funny, but his opening chapter is honestly, so cringey to read lol. There’s also this interesting dynamic that Traviss tries to explore between Baird and Dom which I appreciate on some level, but didn’t feel like it went anywhere except to further point out that they are both different people with different perspectives. Dom comes away with some understanding of Baird but I don’t know if Baird really learns anything from it except he should be quiet sometimes.
The best thing about this book? Hoffman and Bernie. They are cute and I love them more on reread than I did when I originally read it. Who doesn’t like a good, old people romance?
Outside of the Anvil Gate flashbacks, the main juice of the book comes from the discovery of the polyps and the subsequent attacks on Vectes. We also get Baird POV in this book, swapping him in for Cole, and BOY is this guy annoying to read through sometimes. I know it’s all part of Baird’s shtick of just not knowing when to shut up and he does have his moments where he’s funny, but his opening chapter is honestly, so cringey to read lol. There’s also this interesting dynamic that Traviss tries to explore between Baird and Dom which I appreciate on some level, but didn’t feel like it went anywhere except to further point out that they are both different people with different perspectives. Dom comes away with some understanding of Baird but I don’t know if Baird really learns anything from it except he should be quiet sometimes.
The best thing about this book? Hoffman and Bernie. They are cute and I love them more on reread than I did when I originally read it. Who doesn’t like a good, old people romance?
November 20, 2016
Anvil Gate sees Delta and the rest of the COG on Vectes beginning island life, but as the series suggests, it wouldn't be Gears of War without a monstrous enemy to ruin their day.
I read this after playing Gears of War 3, so this book filled in a lot of the blanks very well. I never tire of Traviss' writing; she manages to convey each character's distinctive personality to the point where I believe I really am inside their heads. I love the Gears of War series, and with each book the characters are fleshed out more and more, Traviss' writing makes me appreciate the games further and vice versa.
This book got off to a bit of a slow start, however that is understandable as it has to set a lot of things up. But the book picked up pace further in as the stakes grew higher, and it was definitely a fun read. I really enjoyed reading about the Anvil Gate siege and seeing further into the mind of Colonel Hoffman, it gave his character a lot more depth than previously shown. I also liked seeing more of Baird to give some background as to why he acts the way he does.
There wasn't a huge amount of action in the book, but when there was it was pretty awesome. To be honest though, what I've always loved about this book series is the interactions between the characters and the world building rather than the action, and Anvil Gate delivers perfectly in that respect.
It's not my favourite in the series so far, but I still thoroughly enjoyed it and can't wait to get started on the next one.
I read this after playing Gears of War 3, so this book filled in a lot of the blanks very well. I never tire of Traviss' writing; she manages to convey each character's distinctive personality to the point where I believe I really am inside their heads. I love the Gears of War series, and with each book the characters are fleshed out more and more, Traviss' writing makes me appreciate the games further and vice versa.
This book got off to a bit of a slow start, however that is understandable as it has to set a lot of things up. But the book picked up pace further in as the stakes grew higher, and it was definitely a fun read. I really enjoyed reading about the Anvil Gate siege and seeing further into the mind of Colonel Hoffman, it gave his character a lot more depth than previously shown. I also liked seeing more of Baird to give some background as to why he acts the way he does.
There wasn't a huge amount of action in the book, but when there was it was pretty awesome. To be honest though, what I've always loved about this book series is the interactions between the characters and the world building rather than the action, and Anvil Gate delivers perfectly in that respect.
It's not my favourite in the series so far, but I still thoroughly enjoyed it and can't wait to get started on the next one.
March 18, 2015
I loved it! The artwork was better than the first two books.
January 20, 2021
I love these so much, they’re great!
Again, I don’t play the games, I think these books stand very well on their own as good military science fiction, and if you’re not a gamer either I’d say do like me and keep going on these, they won’t disappoint.
This one started slow but I did love the bit of politics involved with the Stranded coming forward as the next competitors. The COG has never been stable and runs solely on ‘Survival of Humanity’ juice, though it treats their own relatively well, specially when those who serve pull their weight, it’s quite authoritarian and autocratic. This form of government is taking its toll on the population and families keep dying or being divided between the COG and other Stranded factions, causing tension and even some nativism. After the defeat of the Locust old wounds started to bleed again, and some of the characters we came to know are eager to settle those scores. At the same time the COG needs its own equivalent to our oil, Imulsion, and requires some uneasy alliances with other peoples experienced In its extraction and that also basically own the product.
However, humanity isn’t safe quite yet, and I like how the mystery is kept for quite a while, and once the new threat is identified we get to the action. This time we get most of Baird’s and Hoffman’s perspective. I’ve come to relate and like Baird, he’s just awesome and a bro in his asshole kind of way. It is also great to see how he works as the ‘smartest guy in the room’. Don’t expect much action until the very last chapters, be reminded this one builds and world builds and includes a parallel story that is very character driven. There are some chapters with Bernie and Dom but they are minimal. Mostly is Hoffman and Baird and I’m all for that. Sometimes I like seeing from Marcus point of views, but he’s at his best when quiet and mysterious. I’ve seen some gameplay and I even like book Marcus much better than game Marcus.
I loved the parallel story in, you guessed it, Anvil Gate. About 32 years before Emergence Day, Hoffman was to lead the defense of the city of Anvegad in Kaschkur against the UIR during the Pendulum Wars. I love the present day story, but this one was the highlight for me because it gave more insight into what makes Hoffman tick or break, and shows why he is the man capable of making the hardest of hard decisions. He’s a bastard, but he is our bastard. It was really gut wrenching and I felt my gut punched multiple times, but I also give compliments to Karen Travis for pulling this off, I’m loving her work on Gears of War.
One other thing I enjoy is reading about fighting what are essentially animal monsters (humans not included specifically here), but it’s still very down to earth. There are explosions but there is a lot of conventional forces and weaponry, and it’s fun seeing all those logistics and planing in a science fiction novel that isn’t on the hard-sci-fi side. Unlike the game, it’s nice to learn more how things work and how the minds of the people who live in this world work.
Maybe this was a review that would belong more in the very first book, but no matter how you find this review I hope it makes you consider taking a shot a Gears of War. The interactions between the characters can be enlightening, emotional and sometimes I even laugh, because Baird is one of those bastards that treats his comrades like crap but remains funny. His...special ’relationship’ with machines is also more explored.
It’s a great quarantine read by the way.
Gears of War is stereotyped as a bro thing, and I admit this hits close to home on that, I do treat these books kind of like gold, as good as I treat my non-fiction books. They have some conservatism in them I enjoy and am grateful for because they don’t linger on love triangles and dramas, though this does not mean characters are saints. It delves enough into real mental and physical consequences of war, family, life and honor, and at the same time everyone plays an important role in a very utilitarian way, making Gears of War for everyone interested in military science fiction. Karen Traviss delves well into the psyche of characters and that helps by a mile, and separates these novels from the cheap sci-fi you’d also typically expect from books related to games.
Order:
- Gears of War Ultimate Edition
- Aspho Fields
- Gears of War 2
- Jacinto’s Remnant
- Anvil Gate
- Coalition’s End
- Gears of War 3
Again, I don’t play the games, I think these books stand very well on their own as good military science fiction, and if you’re not a gamer either I’d say do like me and keep going on these, they won’t disappoint.
This one started slow but I did love the bit of politics involved with the Stranded coming forward as the next competitors. The COG has never been stable and runs solely on ‘Survival of Humanity’ juice, though it treats their own relatively well, specially when those who serve pull their weight, it’s quite authoritarian and autocratic. This form of government is taking its toll on the population and families keep dying or being divided between the COG and other Stranded factions, causing tension and even some nativism. After the defeat of the Locust old wounds started to bleed again, and some of the characters we came to know are eager to settle those scores. At the same time the COG needs its own equivalent to our oil, Imulsion, and requires some uneasy alliances with other peoples experienced In its extraction and that also basically own the product.
However, humanity isn’t safe quite yet, and I like how the mystery is kept for quite a while, and once the new threat is identified we get to the action. This time we get most of Baird’s and Hoffman’s perspective. I’ve come to relate and like Baird, he’s just awesome and a bro in his asshole kind of way. It is also great to see how he works as the ‘smartest guy in the room’. Don’t expect much action until the very last chapters, be reminded this one builds and world builds and includes a parallel story that is very character driven. There are some chapters with Bernie and Dom but they are minimal. Mostly is Hoffman and Baird and I’m all for that. Sometimes I like seeing from Marcus point of views, but he’s at his best when quiet and mysterious. I’ve seen some gameplay and I even like book Marcus much better than game Marcus.
I loved the parallel story in, you guessed it, Anvil Gate. About 32 years before Emergence Day, Hoffman was to lead the defense of the city of Anvegad in Kaschkur against the UIR during the Pendulum Wars. I love the present day story, but this one was the highlight for me because it gave more insight into what makes Hoffman tick or break, and shows why he is the man capable of making the hardest of hard decisions. He’s a bastard, but he is our bastard. It was really gut wrenching and I felt my gut punched multiple times, but I also give compliments to Karen Travis for pulling this off, I’m loving her work on Gears of War.
One other thing I enjoy is reading about fighting what are essentially animal monsters (humans not included specifically here), but it’s still very down to earth. There are explosions but there is a lot of conventional forces and weaponry, and it’s fun seeing all those logistics and planing in a science fiction novel that isn’t on the hard-sci-fi side. Unlike the game, it’s nice to learn more how things work and how the minds of the people who live in this world work.
Maybe this was a review that would belong more in the very first book, but no matter how you find this review I hope it makes you consider taking a shot a Gears of War. The interactions between the characters can be enlightening, emotional and sometimes I even laugh, because Baird is one of those bastards that treats his comrades like crap but remains funny. His...special ’relationship’ with machines is also more explored.
It’s a great quarantine read by the way.
Gears of War is stereotyped as a bro thing, and I admit this hits close to home on that, I do treat these books kind of like gold, as good as I treat my non-fiction books. They have some conservatism in them I enjoy and am grateful for because they don’t linger on love triangles and dramas, though this does not mean characters are saints. It delves enough into real mental and physical consequences of war, family, life and honor, and at the same time everyone plays an important role in a very utilitarian way, making Gears of War for everyone interested in military science fiction. Karen Traviss delves well into the psyche of characters and that helps by a mile, and separates these novels from the cheap sci-fi you’d also typically expect from books related to games.
Order:
- Gears of War Ultimate Edition
- Aspho Fields
- Gears of War 2
- Jacinto’s Remnant
- Anvil Gate
- Coalition’s End
- Gears of War 3
October 31, 2020
Gears: Anvil Gate sees Delta and the rest of the COG on Vectes beginning island life, but as the series suggests, it wouldn't be Gears of War without a monstrous enemy to ruin their day.
I read this after playing Gears of War 3, so this book filled in a lot of the blanks very well. I never tire of Traviss' writing; she manages to convey each character's distinctive personality to the point where I believe I really am inside their heads. I love the Gears of War series, and with each book the characters are fleshed out more and more, Traviss' writing makes me appreciate the games further and vice versa.
This book got off to a bit of a slow start, however that is understandable as it has to set a lot of things up. But the book picked up pace further in as the stakes grew higher, and it was definitely a fun read. I really enjoyed reading about the Anvil Gate siege and seeing further into the mind of Colonel Hoffman, it gave his character a lot more depth than previously shown. I also liked seeing more of Baird to give some background as to why he acts the way he does.
There wasn't a huge amount of action in the book, but when there was it was pretty awesome. To be honest though, what I've always loved about this book series is the interactions between the characters and the world building rather than the action, and Anvil Gate delivers perfectly in that respect.
It's not my favourite in the series so far, but I still thoroughly enjoyed it and can't wait to get started on the next one.
I read this after playing Gears of War 3, so this book filled in a lot of the blanks very well. I never tire of Traviss' writing; she manages to convey each character's distinctive personality to the point where I believe I really am inside their heads. I love the Gears of War series, and with each book the characters are fleshed out more and more, Traviss' writing makes me appreciate the games further and vice versa.
This book got off to a bit of a slow start, however that is understandable as it has to set a lot of things up. But the book picked up pace further in as the stakes grew higher, and it was definitely a fun read. I really enjoyed reading about the Anvil Gate siege and seeing further into the mind of Colonel Hoffman, it gave his character a lot more depth than previously shown. I also liked seeing more of Baird to give some background as to why he acts the way he does.
There wasn't a huge amount of action in the book, but when there was it was pretty awesome. To be honest though, what I've always loved about this book series is the interactions between the characters and the world building rather than the action, and Anvil Gate delivers perfectly in that respect.
It's not my favourite in the series so far, but I still thoroughly enjoyed it and can't wait to get started on the next one.
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March 12, 2025"Really liked it." - 4 out of 5 star rating.
An excellent dive into a new and very interesting science-fiction world.
As a prior service Army guy who served in both OIF and OEF, there is so much to this book/series that really hits close to home. From trips down memory lane to boot camp, harsh reality of war and really living in the moment fully knowing that each meal/mission - could be your last, leaving loved ones behind back in the rear,... just all of it. Really hits the heart strings on point here for me.
Then throw on top a dystopian sci-fi universe where people are calorie rationed, subterranean alien lifeforms that are pure nightmare fuel, and big hulking soldiers going into battle with chain-saw swords... yep - we have ourselves a winner here, lol.
This book offers interesting perspective on women in combat, aquatic alien life, and "glowies."
Tracking that there are 8 books total for Gears of War, but I think this shall be my stopping point.
Playing the original OG Gears of War 1, along side reading these first 3 books, I think I can officially claim to be a Gears fan. Certainly not a fanatic, but at least an entry level - and I am perfectly content with that.
An excellent dive into a new and very interesting science-fiction world.
As a prior service Army guy who served in both OIF and OEF, there is so much to this book/series that really hits close to home. From trips down memory lane to boot camp, harsh reality of war and really living in the moment fully knowing that each meal/mission - could be your last, leaving loved ones behind back in the rear,... just all of it. Really hits the heart strings on point here for me.
Then throw on top a dystopian sci-fi universe where people are calorie rationed, subterranean alien lifeforms that are pure nightmare fuel, and big hulking soldiers going into battle with chain-saw swords... yep - we have ourselves a winner here, lol.
This book offers interesting perspective on women in combat, aquatic alien life, and "glowies."
Tracking that there are 8 books total for Gears of War, but I think this shall be my stopping point.
Playing the original OG Gears of War 1, along side reading these first 3 books, I think I can officially claim to be a Gears fan. Certainly not a fanatic, but at least an entry level - and I am perfectly content with that.
February 26, 2019
Anvil Gate overall was a good book. There were some parts where I lost interest but the action scenes brought me back. This book picks up directly after the events of Jacinto's Remnant and Gears of War 2. The remaining COG have been pushed back to an island inhabited by people who aren't on friendly terms with the COG. The book follows the struggle the Stranded and the COG have to fight back the new enemy, the Lambent. While the events with the COG at Anvil gate are going on, Traviss uses flashbacks to tell the story of what happened in Anvil Gate when Hoffman was still a soldier. Though these flashbacks gave insight to some of the decisions made by Hoffman, I found them a chore to read. I felt like the main story line was so much more interesting that I would find myself reading very fast over these parts and not taking in every detail. That being said, I still believe this book was worth the read.
November 28, 2022
(Thanks to a holiday, I feel right off books for a while...)
More so than the other two that came before it, Anvil Gate clarifies that it is supplementary material to the main Gears of War franchise. There is some strong character building here, but as for the main plot, it kind of spins its wheels.
I don't blame Karen Travis for this though, she had to work around the juggernaut franchise and couldn't really push the narrative forward too much. A bunch of interesting threads between the Stranded and the UIR are opened, but never concluded. I was hoping for this to finish with it leading to directing into Gears of War 3, but maybe those expectations were a little high. The third game wouldn't be out for another year at the time...
That said, there are a bunch of moments that would've been best served in the actual games. Because by the time of Gears 3, everyone just knows what the Lambent are all about. I'm just happy Dizzy gets some big-time love here.
More so than the other two that came before it, Anvil Gate clarifies that it is supplementary material to the main Gears of War franchise. There is some strong character building here, but as for the main plot, it kind of spins its wheels.
I don't blame Karen Travis for this though, she had to work around the juggernaut franchise and couldn't really push the narrative forward too much. A bunch of interesting threads between the Stranded and the UIR are opened, but never concluded. I was hoping for this to finish with it leading to directing into Gears of War 3, but maybe those expectations were a little high. The third game wouldn't be out for another year at the time...
That said, there are a bunch of moments that would've been best served in the actual games. Because by the time of Gears 3, everyone just knows what the Lambent are all about. I'm just happy Dizzy gets some big-time love here.
May 14, 2023
These novels are split into two parts. Present day where we get a glimpse of life on Sera between the video game plots and a place in the past that fills in some history for our characters that adds depth to their present day story. The best part of these novels is learning about the rich history of this doomed planet and Anvil Gate doesn't disappoint. I am, however, getting exhausted at the present day struggle. Its more of the same in each book and the same is just a melancholic outlook with death, destruction, and no hope for the future. Regardless these are still very fun to read and enjoyable to any Gears of War fan.
December 14, 2019
This is more a middle chapter between two main story lines than a full novel. The atmosphere is the same and exploration of the characters pass and personalities is still excellent, but as a story nothing much happens than fighting.
But Travis is a great writer, because i really felt the terror and desperation of the characters, when they realize just how dangerous the emulsion monsters are.
As a novel in itself this is boring and weird, but as a part of a series a important part of the main story.
But Travis is a great writer, because i really felt the terror and desperation of the characters, when they realize just how dangerous the emulsion monsters are.
As a novel in itself this is boring and weird, but as a part of a series a important part of the main story.
April 26, 2018
Well the book itself wasn't half bad but i did feel like they could of added a little more to it just as they did for the drawings as Anvil gate get beat down by the Locoust the COG fight back which is the Main text of the book but the book itself was good and it can keep you up at night reading this but so far keep the good work as Cole train says Stay through the pain! - Cole train
November 21, 2022
The writing gets better and better as the books go on. In this book, Anvil Gate - book 3, there was an effective use of flashbacks. It wasn't just flashback for flashback sake. They served a purpose. Tho they could have still done better. The character development did improve, but I wanted more - but maybe I'm just a greedy reader.
July 26, 2023
For an author who usually is horrible in terms of writing about characters she did not create, back in the day Karen Traviss made Colonel Hoffman one of my favorite characters in this series because of this book. Siege of Anvil Gate was wild and I was happy the games subsequently alluded to this location/events.
November 29, 2021
another really good entry in the series
I really liked this and would recommend it to anyone who is a fan of the series or the games. I really wish the next two were available for the kindle but what can you do. I really hope the next one is as good as this was.
I really liked this and would recommend it to anyone who is a fan of the series or the games. I really wish the next two were available for the kindle but what can you do. I really hope the next one is as good as this was.
October 23, 2023
So far it's my least favourite written by Karen Traviss, but it is still a good read... Even though it took me a year to get through...
Ended with a big "cliffhanger" so you want to start reading the next book immediately.
Ended with a big "cliffhanger" so you want to start reading the next book immediately.
June 6, 2017
A world of continual fighting. Tiring
May 26, 2018
Third installment in the series and it’s every bit as entertaining as the previous two.
June 2, 2018
awesome game, but book is engaging funny and sad
May 24, 2019
I recommend this book to any Military Science Fiction fan or fan of the Gears of War videogame franchise. Worthy of a Hollywood movie.
October 12, 2020
Clearly pictures what happened with the gears after leaving Jacinto and before starting the third Gears of War game.
February 11, 2021
Mejores que los juegos, una historia que debes leer si te gusta el universo gears
January 2, 2022
Not a bad addition to the series, but not as great as the other books of her series. But if you enjoy Karen's work you should enjoy this read.
September 12, 2022
Good setup for the third game.
November 23, 2023
Continues Traviss' exploration of the Gears universe with more backstory. Great military sci-fi with a focus on characters and grey morality instead of shootouts. Only for fans of the games though.
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