Fans of the Dragon Age series can be really happy lately. Thanks to the Insignis publishing house, the book Dragon Age: Empire of masks , about which we wrote, appeared on the Polish market . Moreover, new editions of the first titles in the series have been released, i.e. Lost Throne and Powołanie . We check how these refreshed titles fall out.
Page from Callendar
Before we move on to the rating of the titles, it’s worth mentioning a bit about the history of Dragon Age . An RPG game developed by the Canadian studio BioWare was released on November 3, 2009. It dominated the market very quickly and gained millions of players around the world. No wonder that its creators soon created numerous additions and new parts. David Gaider, who previously also worked on such titles as Baldur’s Gate II and Neverwinter Nights, was responsible for its script . It is he who is also the author of three books in this series, i.e. The Lost Throne , The Calling and the Split. Interestingly, the first of them appeared on the market exactly six months before the game’s premiere. Books were also available in Poland. After the circulation was exhausted, however, they were discontinued and were for some time almost unavailable. It wasn’t until a few months ago that the release of the Empire of Masks was resumed, and the first two Dragon Age episodes returned to store shelves.
Ahoy adventure!
The first title in the Dragon Age series is The Lost Throne . The events presented in it take place in front of those known from computer screens and do not connect with them in any special way. In it we meet Maric, the young prince of Ferelden, who has just lost his mother and the kingdom. Only a miracle made him escape alive and escape the rebels. On his way, he meets an outlaw named Loghain, who decides to help him regain the throne. For this, however, they must gather allies and get through various traps prepared for them by fate.
Action Dragon Age: Appointment takes place several years after the events of the first part. We meet Maric again in it, who this time is going to help the famous Gray Guardians. They must find one of their friends to prevent the Scourge. To this end, they assemble a team to traverse the Deep Roads. It includes tracker Kell, the dwarf Uta, the sorceress Fiona, the commander of the Genevieve group and Duncan, well known to all players. Will they manage to complete the mission?
Nothing new
David Gaider has created a fantastic script for Dragon Age: Origins . Every RPG fan will be grateful to him for that. Unfortunately, the author was less able to deal with books. For the Lost Thronehowever, one cannot complain very much. We are dealing here with a very classic novel set in a fantasy world. You will meet elves, dragons and dwarves here; there will be no shortage of magic and combat. The main character named Maric, like in a computer game, begins his adventure without experience and only luck makes him survive. With time, however, he gathers a team, gains polite and skill in using weapons. During this time, he also befriends a man named Loghain, who is initially harsh and wary of him. Along the way, they will face a lot of challenges, which are mainly based on swinging a sword or shooting a bow and killing more enemies. And it is precisely the fights that the writer focuses mainly on. And he is doing well. Dialogues are also good, and hence the relations between the characters. If, on the other hand, someone likes long descriptions of the world, they will not be found here. The plot of the romance is also presented “in the head”. HoweverThe Lost Throne is not too bad to read. Simple language and a lot of rushing action mean that the novel can be read in one day and have fun at the same time. And forget about her later.
Does everything have to make sense?
The second part of the Dragon Age series , the Calling, it is much worse than its predecessor. The author’s style has not changed in this case. The reader gets a lot of fights again, and few descriptions related to anything else. Duncan looks the best here, and Maric fares quite well again. Uta is also presented in an interesting way, and thanks to her sharp tongue, she can make the reader smile. The other members of the team, i.e. Kell, Genevieve, and most of all Fiona, are completely colorless and in many cases their role is limited to killing other opponents. The plot is not revealing in any way. Before a group of daredevils, a task is set to be performed. So they set off into a dangerous world, slashing their enemies left and right, and becoming more and more friends along the way. So we have classic fantasy again. With this, that some of the behaviors are completely pointless here. Why does the king suddenly jump off his throne and fight with his former enemies? There are no people for it? Why does the Gray Warden, aware of the danger, suddenly leave everything and disappear? And would we remember exactly the path we escaped from danger after several years? This and many other questions come to mind while readingDragon Age: Vocation .
There is no tragedy, but …
The novels in the Dragon Age series have always been aimed primarily at fans of the famous RPG. When it comes to The Lost Throne , apart from the setting, it has little to do with a computer game. Our heroes travel the world known from the screen, and that would be it. The title, on the other hand, is so well written that all fans of classic fantasy can easily reach for it. A supporting team, brave heroes and triumphant good – you will find it all on the following pages of the first part. The second one will be appreciated mainly by those who know better what the Scourge is and who Duncan was. Too many holes in the plot will make everyone feel unsatisfied and wasted potential.