Exodus (Hellgate, London, Book 1) (Bk. 1) by Mel Odom
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Book Reviews of Exodus (Hellgate, London, Book 1) (Bk. 1)
Book Review: ready for the 2nd
Summary: 4 Stars
to me the books start was a little slow, but i stuck with it and it payed off, the book started getting better and better and its ending hooked me on for the 2nd book. if you're the least bit interested in Hellgate London the game, pick this book up it's well worth it and it pumped me up even more for the gameBook Review: Suprisingly good
Summary: 4 Stars
Suprisingly good seeing as how the game is based on a video game. Cool concept, apocalyptic war humans vs demons.Book Review: London is burning...
Summary: 3 Stars
Hellgate: London: Exodus (that's a lot of colons in one title!) is the first in a promised trilogy of novels based on the Hellgate: London video game. I wouldn't normally read a book based on a video game, but the world sounded intriguing and the author was a name I recognized (from other video game based books, true). So I took the plunge. Am I happy I did? Read on.
Exodus opens eighteen years prior to the video game. For unknown reasons, a portal has just opened in London allowing extra-dimensional 'demons' to pour through. The city has been evacuated (for the most part) and the army's attempts to stop the invasion proved disastrous. Luckily they aren't alone. News reports filter out showing armored knights taking the fight to the demons. The Knights Templar knew the demon invasion would come some day and have been holing up underground for centuries, quietly funding research into advanced weapon technologies. There is a third side in the struggle, as it turns out the New Agers really were on to something. Once the demons arrive, they find their arcane powers have increased dramatically. These Cabalists have an agenda all their own; sometimes aiding the Templar, sometimes fighting them.
In to this mess steps Simon Cross, a prodigal Templar son. He starts the book as a tour guide in South Africa. Years before he turned his back on his upbringing and what he deemed the Templar's superstitious belief in 'monsters'.
After seeing news footage of the knights battling demon hordes in front of St. Paul's cathedral, he decides he'd better hoof it back to London and fast. This is an excellent set-up for the novel as we get to see this newly changed world through Simon's eyes, learning the lay of the land as he does.
This is all good goofy fun and Mel Odom has a real storytellers knack for pacing and plot. The book moves swiftly through it's four hundred and fifty pages. Introducing characters and situations to be followed up during the next two installments.
Unfortunately where he falls down is his actual writing style. Multiple times through the book he would use the same word repetitively in a sentence or paragraph. I lost count of the times I read something similar to the following: He backed up against the window, firing his weapon while he broke the window. Turning quickly he jumped out of the broken window.
Another thing about the writing is the lack of description. Terseness has its' place in a potboiler like this, but everything I've seen for Hellgate: London (including the cover of this book) is chock full of knights in elaborately decorated armor or demons with gnarled horns, sharp claws and sharper teeth. This book was crying out for at least some involved descriptive passages. As it was none of the armor was described in any real detail aside from perhaps the color pattern. Without looking through promo materials for the game I can only tell you what a couple of the demons look like. I would have liked to 'see' more.
The question is do the story-telling faults prevent me from enjoying the book? A little bit. I will pick up the sequels to see where it goes (edit: I never did). However if his writing doesn't grow on me over the next two books, I would not pick up another book based on Mel Odom being the author.
Book Review: Demons versus Templars in the wreckage of London
Summary: 3 Stars
I wasn't familiar with the Hellgate: London video game when I picked up Hellgate: London - Exodus, but I enjoy a good post-apocalyptic tale so I took a chance on this novel, the first in Mel Odom's trilogy. Besides, it has modern day knights battling demons. How could I resist?
It's 2020 and London is in ruins, overrun by demons that came pouring out of the Hellgate, a massive portal to their home dimension. In short order, the demons have destroyed the British military and have turned London into their own personal playground. Only the Templars, an ancient brotherhood of knights now equipped with high-tech battle suits and magic-enhanced weaponry, stand in their way. Further complicating things are the Cabalists, a group of people with special abilities who are trying to use the demons to enhance their own power, and a shadowy CIA-type outfit whose goals are not made clear. The main characters are Simon, a young Templar with his own ideas of how to serve the cause, Warren, a powerful but troubled loner who comes under the thrall/protection of a major demon, and Leah, a member of the secret CIA-type group.
The premise is interesting enough, and left a ton of potential for interesting developments. Unfortunately the book never seemed to take off. First off, key questions like where the Hellgate came from and what the international community's response to the crisis was, were never addressed. At minimum you'd expect a NATO blockade and UN-coordinated relief efforts, but instead the fate of London's citizens was left to privateers, scavengers and a handful of rogue Templars. Speaking of the Templars, they seemed to die at an astronomical rate. Was their order really large enough to sustain such losses? If so, I have a hard time seeing how it could have been kept secret. I suppose asking for logic in a book about magic and demons is pushing it a bit, but it was hard to overlook these omissions.
I also found it hard to get a feel for any of the characters. Simon in particular came across as one of those generic heroes you'd find in a Michael Bay movie. Warren was a bit more interesting, but his development was extremely predictable.
Hellgate: London - Exodus was a fast-paced and entertaining read, but it mostly seemed like a missed opportunity. It could have been a great post-apocalyptic saga, but instead seems like just another action/adventure story. Perhaps it will resonate more with fans of the game. I don't think I'll stick around for the rest of the trilogy.
Book Review: For sci-fi/fantasy/supernatural/game fans
Summary: 3 Stars
This book took me a long time to finish. Don't get me wrong, it's a good one. But it didn't really pull me in, it didn't "make" me read it from cover to cover in one day.
The premise is quiet simple. In London, a Hellgate opens. No one can get out of the town anymore, military can't do anything against the demons that invade the city. But there are the Templar who have been preparing for this invasion since the 14th century. Then there are the Cabalists who want to study the demons and rule them. And then there is the secret organisation who has its own goals.
The main characters are the Templar Simon and the demon-marked Warren who are antagonists from the moment they meet. Even though Simon tries to avoid killing Warren, Warren - to whom the demon Merihim lent his power - does whatever he can to kill of Simon. The story is told from their 3rd person POV that switches, usually from chapter to chapter.
What bored me and made me roll my eyes was the character of Leah. Sure, the other characters didn't know her, didn't suspect that there was anything funky about her but the reader who knew about the Lawrence Fishburn wannabe baddie from the secret organisation knew exactly what was going on from the moment she popped up on the scene. The author really could have been more subtle there...
Overall, a good book but not one that I would have to necessarily own.