Chaos Walking Trilogy, Patrick Ness

To continue on this 'series' of my favourite books and series, I have decided on a trilogy I only discovered in the last year, and is one of the few gems I discovered through university - Patrick Ness' Chaos Walking trilogy.


I have to admit that when I first picked up this book, I was dubious. The first book of the trilogy was listed in one of my final year of university’s unit modules reading lists. The module was Writing for Children and while I was interested in a new aspect of writing, I had my doubts over most, if not all, of the books I was told I needed to read.

Some of those doubts, I can say, were valid. This one, however, was not.

The Knife of Never Letting Go is the first of the three books but the only required by my reading list. It follows the story of Todd, a young man on the verge of becoming a man in a town filled only with men. We are introduced to one of the biggest aspects of the story straight away – no one’s thoughts are their own. You can read them whenever close to someone or those thoughts are strong enough to cross great distances, usually in a heightened emotional state. This already seems to remove the ability to lie as the truth will run in your mind even if not spoken out loud and the reader will be forced to confront some questions that will surface often throughout the trilogy.

While most certainly a fantasy novel, there are some elements of science-fiction that creep in, mostly through the second protagonist, Viola. Her story unfolds slowly and in later books we are able to witness events through her eyes as her path deviates from Todd’s. There is a third narrative element, from an indigenous life form encountered by Todd that brings the severity of the issues to light again by the time we reach the third and final book.

It took me some time to get used to the language throughout the first book. It runs in a first person narrative and there is a lot of slang and errors in spelling that are all deliberate (and as an English student and writer, they drove me insane) but they give you a strong sense of who Todd is and even though he has some very ugly sides to his personality that Ness seems to emphasise, we do bond with him quickly. He is full of potential and the overwhelming desire to support and nurture that potential is drawn out of the reader at every point we might be close to deciding we really don’t like the kid.

It didn’t take me long to find and read the following two books. They are just as gripping as the first, if not more so because of the multiple narratives. In The Knife of Never Letting Go we follow the story through the eyes of Todd only but Viola’s account of things begins in The Ask and the Answer while Monsters of Men brings the third and final narrative which completes the story. In many ways, this narrative could be ignored completely and we would still have a thrilling story full of twists and shocks and arguments but the one thing that a first person narrative could be lacking is the overall view of the situation. We are limited to the views, thoughts and understandings of the character(s) we can see through. The third element is Ness’ answer to that and gives an imminent sense of doom and destruction, of morality, justice and revenge. More than that, I won’t say so that it doesn’t spoil it for you!

Overall, these are great books. Originally aimed at a teenage audience, I think there is a lot older readers can take from this, even if it simply enjoying the narrative changes and the twist of having no secrets from anyone. There are frequent uses of strong language; nowhere near to the same extent or used in the same context as in Brent Weeks’ books, but worth keeping in mind. These are large books but don’t let that put you off, they are very gripping and you’ll never want to stop reading.

I have taken extra care to hide details of the plot, as it will spoil a lot of the shocks and surprises to come, so please forgive me if parts seem vague. Unlike Weeks’ books, the suspense is different here – more to do with the original mystery on your first reading than the tense, dark and gritty situations presented to us in The Night Angel Trilogy.

The Night Angel Trilogy, Brent Weeks

So, I’m 100 pages into the last book of Stephen King’s Dark Tower series and I have realised that not only are they brilliant books, but they have probably become my favourite series of books, over Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings and Sergei Lukyanenko’s The Night Watch quadrilogy. I haven’t read A Song of Fire and Ice yet but I’m expecting great things from it. Whether it can knock King from my top spot, I’m not. Anyhow, I thought it was time to review some of the more notable books/series that I’ve come across and I haven’t touched literature much in this blog yet.

First up, is Brent Weeks’ The Night Angel Trilogy.

When I first picked up the first book of the trilogy, The Way of Shadows, I honestly wasn’t expecting much. At the time, I was looking for a book that would tide me over until what I really wanted was released. It had been reviewed at the local bookstore and it intrigued me, so I bought a copy.

I was told then that it was a fast read, and that put me off somewhat. While I didn’t want an epic, I didn’t want to finish reading it in a couple of days. I was assured then and there that if I liked the fantasy genre, especially dark, gritty and brutal fantasy, that I wouldn’t be disappointed. I definitely wasn’t.

It’s not a short novel but it gripped me from the very first page. Weeks pulls the reader straight into his world and the graphic details immerse you in that world. The descriptions are so vivid and they’re things the reader can connect to, you could almost convince yourself you were there, watching everything unfold rather than simply reading it. That is a sign of a good writer.

A few days later, I returned to the store and bought the other two books. They are also short reads but thoroughly enjoyable. There was no disappointment other than the story ending. As with any good story, you can never be satisfied and always want more. It’s an open ending, allowing you to make your own mind up about what comes next, where the characters go.

The trilogy covers a lot of growth and emotion. There’s love, betrayal, sin, greed, immortality, magic, demons, morality and ethics. Some are obvious while others require more thought and deeper reading. In a more conventional story, our heroes would be the villains. There is a gradual shift in their attitudes as the world changes and our eyes are opened the wider plan and it is clear this story was not crafted on a whim. Some hard thought has been put into this, and the small threads that connect at various stages are planned. There are clues throughout as to what could or will happen, if you have the eye to see it. So gripped I was on my first reading of it, that I caught none of it.

There is a lot of strong language, so if you are offended easily, these may not be the books for you but it none of it feels out of place. The world we are shown is dark, violent, brutal and not always a pleasant place to be. This is a refreshing change from the more civilised worlds and fantasy stories that have been so popular in the past. Things don’t always work out, there aren’t always happy endings but life goes on. That’s an important aspect of this trilogy.

Everything operates in shades of grey throughout, there is very little presented to us in the white and black, good and bad. The reader has to decide for themselves how good a character really is and there is a lot to consider. Despite the depth and the bulk, nothing is wasted.

These are very enjoyable reads and Weeks has the gritty, dark fantasy story worked out. I can read these books over and over again with no hesitation and I’d advise anyone to give them a shot. It may not be your normal reading, but it will be an experience and an eye-opener. I look forward to reading his following books!

Guild Wars 2: So far

Well, it’s been over a week since those who pre-purchased the game have been able to log on and play properly. While the Beta Weekend Events and Stress Tests have been enjoyable and enlightening, they are nothing compared to the launch of the game. Knowing that your characters and progress will not be erased after a few hours or days is a much better feeling, no matter how early you got to play. So I decided to go through some aspects of the game. Enjoy!

Basics

Guild Wars 2 is an online MMORPG (Massive Multiplayer Online Role Playing game) with no monthly subscription fee. The original Guild Wars and follow ups were of the same genre and this latest instalment has taken the best parts of Guild Wars and combined it with proven elements of the best other MMO’s around. The world is huge, the choices vast and the story is tailored to you. The guild system allows you to play with friends from the previous games as well as new ones, and your account can be linked to multiple guilds although your characters can only represent one at a time.

Professions

There are eight professions to choose from, with some continuing on from Guild Wars and some new ones. Any future releases may well contain new professions as with the previous game. There are three armour types, heavy, medium and light and each profession can only use certain weapons. There are no secondary professions in this game. Your profession is chosen at the start and at present, there is no way to change it!

·         Warrior (heavy armour) – Continuing from GW1, the warrior is a staple of any RPG and provides a good damage source as well as blocking enemy attacks. They can use a wide array of melee weapons.

·         Guardian (heavy armour) – A new class that is a combination of warrior and healer. They can cast a lot of buffs on themselves and allies, making them extremely valuable but this is not a healer class!

·         Ranger (medium armour) – As opposed to GW1, a pet will always accompany you this time. Pets can be found throughout Tyria and different pets will fight in different ways. It is down to the player to utilise them the best way possible, both on land and underwater.

·         Thief (medium armour) – A new class that takes some influence from the Assassin from Guild Wars: Factions. You can sneak and shadowstep while dealing damage to the enemy’s blind spot.

·         Engineer (medium armour) - Another new class that focuses on mechanical inventions to turn the tide of battle, including turrets and specialised skill sets like grenades and flamethrowers. They can use all types of guns, unlike other classes.

·         Elementalist – (light armour) – One of the biggest damager dealers in both versions of the game. The biggest change is that you can change which element you use in battle, rather than always returning to an outpost. There is a recharge time on doing this but it can turn the tide in those tricky situations.

·         Necromancer (light armour) – Returning from GW1, the master of life beyond death is still a popular choice in Tyria. The number of minions may have been reduced but they are stronger and you have much more control than in the past.

·         Mesmer (light armour) – I was never a big fan of Mesmer’s in GW1; they were too indirect for my style of play. That has been taken into account and they can provide a steady constant source of damage through illusion skills, including a clone of yourself!

Races

There is a choice of five races in GW2, and each race have their own specific skills, regardless of which profession you choose. While there is no obvious advantage to race/profession combinations, it is something to consider when creating your character, beyond the aesthetic considerations.

·         Human – The basic and most obvious race for any player. In GW1, you could only be a human and they have a big part to play in the story. Two out of the six big cities are also in Human territory.

·         Charr – Any GW1 player will recognise one of the first enemies encounter in the original game. This time, they seem to be less evil but still occupy Ascalon and are no longer in a direct confrontation with the Humans.

·         Norn – These towering characters hail from the Shiverpeaks and dedicate themselves to one of four sacred animals, determining their beliefs and story. Introduced in Guild Wars: Eye of the North, they have become much more involved in what is going on in other parts of Tyria.

·         Asura – Introduced at the same time as the Norn, these smart and arrogant creatures have been forced to live on the surface of Tyria and have more interactions with other races, much to their annoyance. They have constructed portals to transport players to different parts of Tyria instantly. The Waypoints that can be found are also of Asuran design.

·         Sylvari – The newest race to emerge in Tyria. They are a cross of Human and plant and are mainly a peaceful race, but the rise of the undead and Elder Dragon has brought them to take action. They believe they were created to defeat this threat. All are brown from the Pale Tree and have all the memories needed when they awaken to complete whatever task they see in their ‘Dream.’

Story

While you only have five character slots to choose from, there are too many options for each race to make this feasible, if you want to experience every branch of the story on offer. There are three options to choose from during character creation and then more branches appear throughout the game. This allows you a more personal story that is matched towards the options you choose. You can buy more character slots but in reality, you will have to complete the story, delete the character and start over, choosing different options every time.

This is all a theory on how to do it, but most people will choose an option that involves friends and other players, following them through their stories to experience as many as possible, should that be their driving force in Guild Wars 2.

Skills

Instead of the eight skill slots available in GW1, there are now ten but they have specific uses to prevent builds being made to make the game too easy and reduce Player versus Player advantages.

·         Weapon skills – A two handed weapon will give you 5 skills. A one-handed weapon gives you 3, and an off-hand gives you 2. These skills depend on weapon and profession and are not changeable without changing weapons.

·         Healing skill – A dedicated skill to keep you alive. This has replaced the need for a healer class in the game.

·         Utility skills – These three skills are unlocked as you level up. They have skills that you can change to suit your specific needs, environment, weapon and playing style.

·         Elite skill – Unlock at level 30. Like GW1, only one Elite skill may be used at a time. They take a long time to recharge but are very valuable and can turn the tide of battle instantly.

Crafting

There are several crafting options in GW2. You can learn and use any of them at any time but only two can be active at any one time and the higher the skill, the more it costs to reactivate it. One good method is to find out which skills are good for your profession, or what you will use the most. You can also use other guild members to make things for you but the higher level items are said to be bound to the crafter so you may have to learn them all eventually.

Items are not exactly easy to come by but with some common sense and little exploring, you can find what you need. Gathering points can provide base materials such as metals, wood and some foods, but you will need to salvage items to get a good amount of other materials. The Trading post will be another option, should you be willing to part with your gold.

Different levels of the items are found in corresponding zones and higher level items. You cannot use higher level materials without using the lower level ones first, and the rarer crafting items do tend to improve certain stats on the items in question. There are a lot of guides online for this and more experience players can help you get to grips with this. It can be confusing at first.

Exploring

Each map zone is split into a different level range. No matter how strong your character becomes, each area in a map has its own level cap. A level 80 character in a starter area will still show up as a level 5 character and have the stats to go with it. It will not affect what weapons and armour you can use but those will be weakened as well. This means you can join low level characters in events or searching for materials without it being too easy.

In each map zone, there are a certain number of Waypoints (used to travel to various places for a fee), Renown quests (to gain karma, gold and experience), Points of Interest, Skill challenges and Vistas (special cut scenes for that map). To gain complete exploration of Tyria, every single one of these must be found and completed. This is quite a task, especially when you first play the game and realise the size of the world you have to explore.

Jump Puzzles

In the map zones and cities are jump puzzles, where characters can earn account medals and exploration points, as well as special loot and experience by completing various puzzles, usually involving a lot of jumping (and a lot of dying if you miss!). These are extremely fun and very annoying but when attempting with friends, can provide a lot of laughs. It’s something different that doesn’t always require fighting and can be a good distraction from other elements of the game.

I remember falling off one jump puzzle at the same place for over three hours! It was driving me crazy, giving my fellow guildies plenty of laughs and keeping me going much longer than I would have thought. I finished that level and found another straight after. I could have cried right there and then!

WvW

World versus World is the latest version Player versus Player. In this realm, players of one world/server will face off against another to earn bonuses for their world. Arena Net has taken measures to keep the worlds balanced as much as possible but this is a new way to fight other players in a way that affects everyone, raising the stakes substantially, should you have the courage to join them.

It’s definitely kept me busy since it went live and while there have been problems since launch; it has been one of the smoothest launches I’ve played, with all the issues being fixed as soon as possible. Thanks to Facebook and Twitter, players can keep up-to-date with any issues that do arise and while there will be plenty to come, there is more than enough to do right now that does work to keep the community at large happy.

The timing of the release is also good. Last week I quit smoking and I admit, I’ve used GW2 as a distraction from the cravings. It’s been a week since I quit and I’ve had no cigarettes at all. It’s not been easy but hopefully the game will keep me hooked until the desire to smoke decreases to almost minimal levels!