5 comments about Cycle of Hatred (World of Warcraft) (World of Warcraft).

1. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was an easy read, with a good plot. If you are looking for a book with a lot of World of Warcraft history, you won't find it in this book. What you will find is a good fantasy story set in the World of Warcraft universe involving "big name" characters.



2. I tried reading it twice...read for a bit and decided i didnt like it and put it back on my shelf, decided a few weeks later to try it out again...still couldn't finish it let alone get past where i stopped reading the first time (which wasn't far)..completely uninteresting...



3. I've read all of the Warcraft novels released thus far, played all the games, and spent 2 years playing World of Warcraft. Knowing all that coming into this book, I was left with feelings of disappointment when I finished.
   The book really brings nothing to the table concerning the major characters of Jaina and Thrall. As other reviewers have noted, they just don't seem like themselves in this book compared to how we've seen them characterized in the past. The main villain is hardly memorable and just seems to be thrown in as a plot device rather than fleshed out into something evil and interesting.
   The saving grace for this book is a deeper look into the history of the Guardians of Tirisfal and Aegwynn. Other than Jeff Grubb's The Last Guardian, there doesn't seem to be much out there on this chapter of Warcraft's history. Even that isn't enough to justify purchasing the book though.
   This book is only for hardcore fans who can tolerate a bad book, or for those who absolutely have to experience all things Warcraft. I'd recommend Richard Knaak's Warcraft novels if you're just looking at diving into Warcraft books.



4. As a semi-casual WoW player, I probably would never have picked this up, if I hadn't been absolutely book-less a few minutes before a 10-day at-sea cruise. I saw this book, and the War of the Ancients trilogy. The WotA books just looked, well, boring, and daunting. So I got this book.
   
   I'm so very glad I did. I enjoyed it immensely! The inaccuracies mentioned in other reviews, while existent, didn't really take away from the story, in my humble opinion.
   
   This book is really what sparked my love of Warcraft lore. I loved reading about the places and people that I'd visited and seen in the game, and even now, two-plus years after reading it, passages still stick in my mind as I gallop through Azeroth, four characters later.
   
   As a Warcraft newcomer, I felt that I got a better grasp and a better love of the virtual world my characters inhabited by reading this book.
   
   On a slightly unrelated note, I thought it was great how the publishers highlighted Jaina on the back cover of this book, thought it would have been nice if, you know, the front cover reflected the book's main focus at all. I suppose that the publishers felt that they needed a fight on the front to sell a book.
   
   Really, though, I've recommended this book to people who don't know or like WoW, and they've loved it, just as I did. In fact, this book is what convinced my cousin and my roommate to start playing WoW with me. They play Horde, but created Alliance alts just so I could show them Jaina.
   
   Yeah. It's that good of a book. Well, it's no Chaucer, and perhaps it's more of a marketing tool than a book, but it's enjoyable, none the less. :)



5. This was a good book, and well worth reading, but I didn't like it as much as the other Warcraft Novels.

5 comments about Complete Arcane: A Player's Guide to Arcane Magic for all Classes (Dungeons & Dragons d20 3.5 Fantasy Roleplaying).

1. Not too much in this book impressed me. I really like the Warlock class, anda lot of the new spells are brilliant (and compliment Complete Mage well, too), but all the spells were reprinted in Spell Compendium. The feats are pretty lackluster, the monsters are mostly by-products of the prestige classes, and the prestige classes aren't so special in their own right. So really, it's just the warlock then. Whatever, I got it with Christmas money.



2. This book is crazy overpowered. The Warlock class slowly makes itself invincible level by level. They've got too many hp's, too many save bonuses, too much armor, and they can imbue items w/o the item creation feats???????? WHAT???
   
   Warlocks make clerics look like sissies, and they're not nearly as broken as the prestige classes. This book is great for Players whose DM's have an annoying habit of killing or screwing over their players, but it's a headache for the DM since you have to plan every dungeon and battle around super overpowered casters with no weaknesses.
   
   Dual wand weild--a bard wand user can cast cure critical wounds and fireball every round...



3. This is one of the best supplemets out there. THe best addtion is the worlock class. The feats have a wide range of uses for spellcasters and no spell casters alike. the spells arnt that great but elemental monolith is a great one. Prestige classes are varied and yet again all classes can benifit by taking a level or two of a spell casting class. It is the esentinal tool box fr your arcanist. buy it now.



4. If you bought Tome and Blood before Wizards decided to change 3.0 to 3.5, you already own Complete Mage, pretty much. The feats are the same, the artwork is the same, the only add ons are culled from other books and magazines, basically a reprint all around. The book has the Warlock in it, a class where you can do ranged touch attacks with spell-like augmentations at will in an energy type that has no ER to counter it. Neat. In a sick, out-of-balance way. Run one of these at equal level against a party of 10th or higher and watch them cry when the EXP is so low. I would think facing a 20th level lich with a few minions would be desirable over dealing with a 16th level Warlock with the same minions!
   
   Not the worse buy you could make if you don't have Tome and Blood, the Feats are really good, but certainly not worth the price tag. If you can get it for $10 on EBay you'll be better off.



5. this and the complete mage are both pretty alright books if you have the extra oney to spend. i completely recomend the spell compendium though, much better work. this book is like the 2nd edition AD&D complete wizard updated and split up into two books (this and the complete mage) neither of which are great. don't get me wrong, I am glad it sits on my shelf, but it sits on my shelf more than i use it. it has some decent feats and prestige classes. get it cheap from a seller if possible.

3 comments about The Veiled Prophet (Diablo: The Sin War, Book 3).

1. The third book of the serie and the third book that i have the chance to read about diablo.Love , drama, and lots of action scenes this book repeat the sucess of the other two books.Totally awesome!!!



2. A fitting end to the series and an awesome backstory to the game. If you have an very good and active imagination, reading this book can give you shivers! It is higher in gore compared to the first two but you certainly wont be able to put this book down.
   This book was far better than the 2nd in my opinion... It really nice to see the main protogonist mature. I actually found him less annoying in this book comapred the first two. It seems like Knaak really has a facination with necromancers! Trust me its true, I've read his other books on Diablo and they always have a witty necro in them. Not that I'm complaining as I myself play Diablo2 using a necro.
   I hope he writes more on the main character (Zayl and Humbart) from the other books (Moon of the spider & Kingdom of Shadow)
   
   Peter



3. I just finished this book last week. After reading the first two, I couldn't wait to get my hands on this story. The part that really interested me was the theological aspects that were greatly intertwined within the story, especially the part of the Nephilim (Edyrem). I must say that I did not predict this ending to the story, I sort of suspected it because of the story-line in the video games, but I had no idea it would be like this.
   
   This conclusion is much more profound and far more action packed than the previous two. There is still a fair degree of intrigue, especially when they're in Khejan, so Knaak keeps that writing style up pretty consistently.
   
   I was honestly half expecting him to play up more of the religious end and draw more from historical theology, such as he did with Angels. He sort of included the hierarchical structure of Heaven with the Angiris council at the end, but I half expected a true form of a Seraph to show up.
   
   The part I most enjoyed in this series was the development of the Necromancer character. My philosophies identified most with Trag'oul and his teachings, so I really got into that character. The way this tale is written it seems the author also seems to agree the most with that philosophy. I was also surprised to see the author take this stance in a widley read series. He essentially teaches that any extreme of good or evil is a very bad thing and only results in a circular war with no real victor. Considering how much this country, the U.S., takes it's politically correct diatribes, I'm surprised there weren't any outspoken people towards this. At least I haven't encountered any, yet. I suppose the demographic of people reading Diablo don't really pertain to such extremists. But the extremists tend to get into everything these days and there seems to be an obvious split, which can probably be reconicled with balance.

2 comments about Persuasive Games: The Expressive Power of Videogames.

1. Ian Bogost really practices what he preaches. The way he builds and reconfigures ideas and concepts, he effectively illustrates how procedural rhetoric can be done textually as well as through games. This book (along with his earlier _Unit Operations_) shows Bogost doing some of the most substantive thinking in the game studies field.



2. Although Ian Bogost clearly has a vested interest, as a game designer and critic, in the ability of games to communicate powerful, evocative messages, Persuasive Games seriously challenges some pervasive assumptions behind games, reception and interactivity-- taking a run at how games communicate all the wonderful (or terrible) things they are assumed to communicate. Bogost makes several rather clever moves in this book, including linking the development of a 'procedural rhetoric' to the theorization of visual rhetoric-- of course games use both, but such nitpicking isn't the point of this book. Persuasive Games isn't an instruction manual for making compelling games, but it will start to the kinds of discussions we need to make more compelling games possible.

4 comments about Game Development Essentials: Game Project Management: Game Project Management (Game Development Essentials).

1. The book is great for an introductory course on game development and has a lot of info about how a game was (it talks a lot about the past and how it was done bofore) and how it is now developed, from the early stages up to the final ones. It covers many aspects that a project manager needs to know that are specific for the gaming industry, so it is great to get the "big picture" of the gaming industry... but it lacks some depth in some aspects that are covered "very quick", that's why i substract a star. It also has a lot of nice "tips" from great game developers, that's a nice plus.



2. I'm currently a student at the University of Baltimore, and our teacher required this book as our main text, its a very nice book. The information is laid out to make sense. Each chapter starts by telling you what the main points of the chapter is, so you can jump right into the section that you specifically want. Its also not a big book, its thin but filled with great information. Its also very light to read, it has pictures, and small paragraphs, and in each section there is one page paragraph or two written by those who are in the industry, giving advise from their real world experience about the particular topic the chapter is on.
   I never thought I would ever say this, but my summary homework for this book is actually fun to do. =)
   Enjoy.



3. My second review...YAY....:D. Anyway, i bought this book for my Intro to game development class and it did pay off. I was reading though it and it really gives you an idea of what all types of games there are, who made them, and in depth explanation of them. Really good book for learning about games and game management.
   
   Now to shipping....:D
   Amazon has probably one of the fastest shipping out of all the companies that i have visited. And also for the money, they are good. So don't be afraid of buying from them. They really a good company!



4. This is a good overview for people who are familiar with project management but haven't worked in the Computer Game Industry before. The focus is on console games, but the book does references the MMO industry as well.

2 comments about THE WORLD ENDS WITH YOU Official Strategy Guide (Official Strategy Guides (Bradygames)).

1. I love having lists of items for RPGs and this guide provides plenty. Details for clothing and buttons are very well laid out. The guide also provides a walkthrough for hte game but I have not used that enough to give a good opinion. If you like having details for items in RPGs then this is a great accessory to a terrific game.



2. The guide is decent and helps you get through the game The World Ends With You. Includes an easy to follow walk-through as well as appendices to useful information about Threads, Noise database, Pin guide. Gives you information about the extra missions after you clear the game. I found the Pin guide most useful.
   
   This guide is not with out a few flaws such as incorrect information about pin evolutions and stating repeatedly that certain pins come from "big" noise when it should have said "pig". Not a big deal though the guide in it's entirety is helpful and the flaws are easily spotted and don't affect your ability to play the game well.
   
   I should also mention that the walk-through is only partially spoiler free. There are a few times when reading the walk-through will spoil a few story elements but it does keep some of the more important spoilers a secret.

5 comments about Mass Effect (Prima Official Game Guide).

1. I have to agree, this publication have typo errors, uneven sized fonts, unacceptable wrongly inserted words/phrases, missing sections etc.
   
   The reason I bought this was because they bundled it together with the art book (which would cost more if bought separately).
   
   Doing such sloppy work and knowing people will buy this because of the Mass Effect name, Prima should be ashamed of themselves (or is that a word not in their vocabulary)



2. This book has everything you need to save the universe from Saren. Everything. Walkthrough includes bot Paragon and Renagade choices. A must have really.



3. I dont understand why people waste their hard earned money on Game Guides...i mean not only can you find strategy on the internet but in the case of Mass Effect it is a pretty straight forward game. I've beaten the game on Hardcore mode and I'm working on Insanity and I have used no game guide at all. Stop wasting your money and just play the game



4. 
   You've seen all the reviews above. So I'll be brief. This is a guide on what all the who's and what's and fiddly bits are in the game. The 1st few chapters are a perfect primer for getting your head around the game mechanics and concepts. Especially if you are a person with a busy schedule (and or family) whom can't spend hours on end in front of the screen. You don't have to use the walk-through, but it's nice to get you out of sticky spots.
   
   Definitely recommend this as a buy!



5. Of course I purchased the Xbox game guide and I have the PC version of the game, but otherwise, it was a good guide.

5 comments about Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords (Prima Official Game Guide).

1. This guide was a HUGE help for me while playing the game. It provides a walkthrough with tips on how to defeat tough opponents, a guide to all items, and information on how to gain/lose influence with your party members, and what conversation choices will affect your Force alignment. I found this review to be a great help, although it's definitely not a necessity.



2. great. tells you all the tip and take advantage of all the character.



3. While this strategy guide can come in handy when you can't do the math for the computer puzzles, it fails to give an accurate description of where and what do to and see. The character guides and information is weak and often useless. If you played through the game once, the guide offers no additional use in changing your gameplay.



4. The game guide was in excellent condition, brand new even though it was no longer in print, and the poster was in brand new condition as well. It arrived quickly and the family is now enjoying it!



5. I wanted the one for the PC , but this one would have do just fine. very helpful

2 comments about Diablo Archive.

1. This is the best Kindle deal out there for the Diablo book series. The first original 4 Diablo books in one package. Exciting fantasy fiction novels from three different authors.



2. This is a paperback compilation of 4 books from the Diablo universe. For those of you who have not played the Diablo games, these books are pretty much D&D like stories with emphasis on demons and magic.
   
   I enjoyed this book overall, but I was mildly disappointed that there were not more references made to the games. A cameo from one of the games' characters ,here and there, would have been nice. Still, it is well written with good detail .

5 comments about Final Fantasy VIII Official Strategy Guide.

1. fast shipping, perfect condition, all around great, happy with my purchase. I know generic comment but I can't think of any other way to describe it



2. I found this book to be an improvement on the FF7 book. The directions are easier to follow, and it includes a lot of important information. I would have liked the names of the Cards to be easier to read - dark font on a dark background is too hard to reference for anything - and the beastialityairy was too hard to decipher. But that's a small point when you compare it to the failure to continue with the total coverage in the FF9 book. This book told me what I needed to know about the little things that I missed - the weapons, the GFs, the magazines (not enough room), and locations like the Islands or the Deep Sea Research Center. It was tremendously helpful. Still is.



3. As a long-time fan of the Final Fantasy series, it was with great joy that I intended to give a copy of Final Fantasy VIII to my niece. Given the intermittent access that she has to the PS2 at home, the strategy guide was a needed piece for the gift, else she completely lose her place between sessions. Imagine my horror when, a week before her birthday, the copy I had was destroyed in a terrible coffee accident...
   
   As guides go it's thorough and detailed; the included bestiary becomes of great use in the later game, when elemental weaknesses can be the key to victory. The maps are solid and clear and the step-by-step nature of the book makes it ideal for session-based play. She was thrilled with the gift, and I was thrilled with the promptness of its arrival.



4. "Okay....now what the heck do I do"? - a common question by those of us who are not "naturals" at games such as this. The graphics are fantastic - clear and detailed and the game play (though a little challenging) is relatively smooth but you are left with questions; as in "How the heck did that happen"? "Now what"? this guide will help you over those spots where you think you are going to be stuck forever. A wee bit technical at times but packed full with good information and tips, this guide will usually dig you out of the hole you have buried yourself into when you are on the play game level that I am.



5. This item is a great asset to any gamers collection. With great detail and tips, i would recommend it to any FFVII Gamer.