Reviews for Gears of War: Aspho Fields

The average rating for Gears of War: Aspho Fields based on 2 reviews is 3.5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2012-08-06 00:00:00 Edwin Ortez I was drawn to this by two things: firstly, the author is Karen Traviss, and secondly, I've read some very good things about it. It is based on a video game, but don't let that put you off. Aspho Fields didn't disappoint; I have no idea what the Gears of War game is like, but the story that Traviss tells here is pretty darn good. This is a prequel to the events in the game (apparently). In the light from the APC's instrument panel, [his] face looked like violence personified. The story so far: seems like humans (at some point) colonised a planet that had some nasties hidden beneath the surface. On what is referred to as Emergence Day said nasties attacked humanity and started the Locust War (which, by definition, means they basically destroyed everything in their path). And that's the gist of it: it's like Starship Troopers without spaceships. Except it also isn't, because the Locusts aren't insectile: they're humanoid and reptilian. The name "Locust" reflects behaviour and the amount of damage caused… There was only ugly and uglier to choose from when it came to Locust. The human soldiers here are called Gears and they have chainsaws as part of their arsenal. Yes, chainsaws… attached to their Lancers (big guns). Is this relevant? No, I'm only mentioning it to evoke comparisons with Warhammer 40K, for those who are in the know. Travis does a truly remarkable job in depicting the characters, and the Gear mindset; she certainly has the voice for this kind of thing. It ranks right up there with Redliners as one of the better ground based Military Science Fiction novels I've read. "With respect, who do you need to justify it to?" "The population. They're running on empty, like you." "Without an effective army, they'll be running on dead." This could easily be categorized as Post Apocalyptic fiction, with a dash of (contemporary) war films like Blackhawk Down and We Were Soldiers thrown in for good measure. Aspho Fields is actually an exceptionally good book, and I was surprised at the gravitas it brings to the table. Expect some high emotion. Highly recommended! This wasn't normal soldiering. This was personal vengeance. It seems fair to say that, even though this kind of thing isn't for everyone, the days of belittling tie-in fiction are long over. There are some well respected authors involved these days, such as Travis, and also the likes of Greg Bear (Halo: Cryptum) and Alastair Reynolds (Doctor Who: Harvest of Time). "Let's ruin their day," he growled, and opened fire. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm off to buy me some Gears of War action figures.

Review # 2 was written on 2018-01-09 00:00:00 Donna Budlong I'm not sure there has ever been a good novelization of a video game. If such things exist, this isn't one of them. Total rip off of Starship Troopers, with humans fighting giant superintelligent bugs and losing. This is a sort of prequel to the game itself, telling the tales of various space marines. Didn't grab me at all.