Gears of War: Jacinto's Remnant Book

'Catastrophic moments bringing the best out of humanity - and the worst!'

For a game not known for having much of a story, Karen Traviss sure knows how to pull out the substance of the lore within the Gears universe. The jeist of the Gears franchise focuses on a genocidal war between humanity and the Locust horde, monsters which erupted from the below the surface of Sera. The war last for some fifteen years. Before that there was over sixty years of war with the Union of Independent States, better known as 'indies'. In terms of fictional lore, before the novels there was just what I've mentioned - Traviss' writing has helped to give more depth and feeling to the characters from Delta Squad and there embattled allies. Which is no bad thing as the video games are devoid of any type of characteristics other than a rooting-tooting-hoo-aah marine-esque experience.

Jancinto's Remnants is Karen Traviss' second novel encapsulating the Gears universe. Luckily it's a direct sequel to Gears of War 2 the video game, if you've not played the games, I'd suggest giving them ago - even just for the action - but if you want to have any idea what is going on in the novels then it's a must I'm afraid.

The book literally carries on the Gears 2 we find Bernie struggling to survive amidst the sinking of Jacinto (humanities last bastion of hope). The COG pull out of the city, many lives are lost to bring about the extinction of their monstrous nemeses, the Locust and there queen. Marcus and his friends believe the war is over, but what you believe is rarely the reality.

Karen Traviss really does excel at military sci-fi, if you've got your geek on I'd say she is a closely following Dan Abnett and the up-and-coming Guy Haley in this niche. She manages to inject some of the missing ingredients from the video games, raw human emotion and the will to win despite the odds. The author chops through the crap and gets down to it when it comes to developing each character individually. Baird the banting brainiac, Fenix the deep-thinking meat-head, Dom the lost and Cole for a bit of humorous relief. Throw in some of Karen's creations from the novel, Bernie, Sam Byrne and Anya Stroud, then you've got something that was lacking from the games, females - who tear it up in this story.

Hoffman, Dom and Marcus really are given centre stage in Jacinto's, the author takes us back to the Pendulum Wars. The prequel part of the novel helps bring about just how they all came together. Dom has lost his wife and now his grief is set to drag him down into a welter of disappear. At the end of Gears 2 he has to make a terrible choice which filters through in this novel.

There's no Plan C for the COG, they've already used the Hammer of Dawn to nuke Sera and then sunk Jacinto. They make for the nearest harbour port. They now have another common enemy, the Strandard, who are essentially survivalist humans who resort to the baser human needs. They are far from being bums, they've fought Locust, Gears and Lambant and are still around. It's rather appealing to me to see just how some people have survived this apocalyptic war.

Just like in Aspho Fields Traviss uses flashbacks/prequel moments to help contrast past and present events. Jacinto's Remnant details the challenges the COG now face by effectively becoming Strandard themselves - they still hope to rebuild civilization, but while doing so the real horror of what they wrought by using the Hammer of Dawn becomes even more startling.

One year after E-Day (Emergency Day), the Horde has been successful at exterminating humanity that entire nations begin to crumble, prepping the way for a last stand against the Grubs (Locusts). The COG itself is fragmented, unity begins to collapses which in turn causes a domino effect - government stops to function, logically supplying Gears and the citizens is nay on impossible.

Chairman Richard Prescott makes the decision to destroy Sera, calling it 'asset denial' - Hoffman calls it genocide, which it really is. Not just the Locust will die but also humanity itself. Jacinto Remnant focuses on the decisions leading up to the using of this doomsday weapons platform. Many of the flashbacks narrow down for the reader just why this decision was taken by high command. What we see is a serious of tense exchanges between, Hoffman, Prescott and Adam Fenix.

Many of the questions posed by the previous games and Aspho Fields are answered in this novel. In turn many of the relationships are expanded using some of the excellent novel-only characters who I have mentioned previously. Dizzy is even here - played Gears 2 find out what happened to him and his daughters!

has a lot going for it. Are there any drawbacks? Well only a few really. If you've not played the games then you're not going to have a clue what's going on. Other than that I'd say this novel shows a lot of depth and soul. The writing is sharp and doesn't deviate from its course. Science fiction grimdark at its best in my opinion.