Mass Effect - Andromeda: Nexus Uprising

First and foremost, the tone of the novel is inconsistent. It can't decide if it wants to take itself seriously as a sci-fi novel or be a piece of fan fiction set in the greater Mass Effect universe. There are quite a few attempts at humor that simply fall flat, and many of the adjectives feel out of place and unnecessary, including the cursing, as mentioned in another review. There is a time and place for cursing--in the middle of a paragraph of expository prose generally isn't it, unless you're Stephen King.

That said, the story is fine, and reading the novel does give context to a lot of what the NPCs in the early part of the game are talking about. So, it's useful in that regard, but certainly not necessary unless you are a completionist and want to know the entire story.

All in all, not as good as the trilogy by Drew Karpyshyn, but not a horrible read, either. If you want the backstory and can stand some average prose, this is a good buy. I plan to read it the one time and then set it on the shelf next to the other Mass Effect books.

A solid science fiction tale, and it REALLY boosts your enjoyment whilst playing Andromeda simultaneously. Recommended for all in the Mass Effect OT2, GPNZ family and all the rest of you Volus out there in the Traverse. Gets pretty lore heavy in parts and does a good job of explaining some of the deeper motivations for people leaving the Milky Way, your favourite *claim dismissed* being one such motivation. The Audible narrator is reminiscent of Dr T'soni, and is great for listening while at the Gym or in the Bathroom. 10 Tali Sweat Glands out of 10.

Excellent, excellent addition to Mass Effect mythology!

I was impressed as hell with this novel. I haven't read many "media adaptions/tie-ins" before, but (1) I love the deep world-building that the Mass Effect series has created, (2) I plan on playing the game starting next week, and (3) I've read Jason Hough's work before and it absolutely rocks (seriously, you're doing yourself a disservice if you haven't read the DARWIN ELEVATOR). So I thought it would be cool to get a "prequel" novel that introduces me to the Andromeda storyline.

I just finished the book last night, and loved it. The last 25% of the novel in particular is extraordinary. (I can't tell you about it, though, because that'd be a spoiler -- but I literally got goosebumps with the addition of a new character during the "endgame" chapters.) The characters are strong, and I'll be thrilled if they show up in the video game. The world-building is just as deep & visceral as I'd expect from a Mass Effect series, and the authors both have the writing chops to convey that intensity outside a game medium. The story really digs into the "oh crap" element of a ship of explorers who've left everything behind -- irrevocably -- to start afresh in a new part of the Universe, only to have everything start falling apart. These people spend most of the novel staying one step ahead of genuine & irreversible catastrophe, and the writers made me feel like I was a part of that urgency.

This is a great novel if you're familiar with Mass Effect. This is a great novel if you just like Sci-Fi.

Strong recommendation.

What I Liked:

Characters. My favorite character was Sloane Kelly, she was bad ass and it made me appreciate the character more so than the video game. It was interesting to follow all of the main council of the Nexus, Tann, Addison, Kesh, with the use of third-person perspective. I believe utilizing the third-person was perfect because the focus on action and it helps bring the reader in the world. It was interesting that the authors did multiple point of views from all of the different Mass Effect species.

Plot. I love the Mass Effect games and I would suggest reading this before playing the game. It gives depth and character building to the various characters you meet within the main story-line of Andromeda.

Action/World-Building. The whole novel brought me back to the world of Mass Effect and it felt like I was watching the game unfold again. It fit into the universe that the games created and expanded on the interactions between the different species. I'm not a huge action fan but I was not bored or put off by the action because it was well balanced with the character building.

What I Did Not Like:

Pacing/Structure. I struggled a bit with the middle of the novel. The beginning and ending were action packed and interesting while the middle dragged for me. I also wanted the character of Sloane Kelly to have more chapters compared to other not as important characters.

I recommend checking this out if you enjoy the Mass Effect games., it was a fun and interesting read. I will reading the others in this series and replaying the game!

Junk food for your brain. Read something with cultural or intellectual value. Before spending your time reading this you should probably read The Life of Fredrick Douglas and some books by Carl Sagan and a few thousand other books. Life is short, don't waste your brain.

Wow, this book was truly terrible. So glad I got it from the library rather than buying it. There's no reason to read this unless you're a ME: A fan (and by that I literally mean that game--if you're simply a Mass Effect fan, you can and should probably skip this) It's not like I expect much: these books are game tie-ins, but I do expect them to be, you know, at least mildly interesting, and a quick read? Instead, I'm barely able to finish this (and for the record, I like the game. Not my fave in the series, but I'm replaying it, so obviously I think it is good enough for that. I'm not an ME: A hater or I wouldn't have bothered trying to read this).

So many problems. First, all the characters are boring, even Sloane Kelly, and as far as I can see so far (still slogging through the damn book) she is nothing like her character in the game. We spend a lot of time in the point of view of two terribly uninteresting characters: Director Tann, and more occasionally, Addinson. Neither are remotely interesting. (In fact, the shifting POV is irritating as well). As another reviewer noted, most of the time it is meetings. Scenes go on far too long because we have to get their tedious thoughts too, and we're dragged through that too. Halfway through the book, and NOTHING has happened. At that point, I decided skimming was the best thing to do, because I couldn't handle more Tann meetings myself! Ha!

Seriously, Bioware, we could have got all this info. in a cutscene, and I would have been happier than having to read this mess. I know these books are a very niche market, but....this one is truly awful. (Don't be scared off by this one though: the second book in the series, written by NK Jemisin, is actually decent and more what I was expecting from this one, and I will read the third book, also written by a well-known fantasy writer, C. Valente).

Really answered all the questions about the uprising. And set the characters of the game up beautifully. Masterfully written. Love the book and love the game.Than you for writing it. Your genius in writing shows.

Honestly, the game was terrible, but the book was great. The story was enticing and it drew me in. I got to know the characters more intimately than I did in the game, which is really sad. The book should have been a supplement to the game, instead it was the whole other way around. If you liked the idea of Andromeda and really wanted to know more about the story and the lore, this is the best you can ask for.

An interesting look into Sloane's bg before the game. I would recommend reading this after a first play through. Would have been better if some of this stuff was revealed in game. Especially for the choice in kadara.

Piece of trash didnt even finish it stopped halfway.
Dietz's horrible 4th book was better than this just because it was funny how bad it was. Utter disappointment and complete garbage. I'd rather eat turian and asari bodily fluids than read this garbage.

A lack of focused prose causes what could have been an entertaining prequel to be a hard to follow yet still somehow overly simplistic tie-in. The characters constantly react in extremely unrealistic ways and have an awkwardly modern vernacular that hurts what little immersion there is to be found.

I got this book because I wanted to understand the backstory of the uprising on the Nexus in ME:A (because the game doesn't really tell you that much) and I really love the characters. Also really loved Sloane Kelly in this book (even though I didn't like her at first in the game). It's a little long, and at some points I stopped reading, but it reels you back in (I love when books do that lol)