Gears of War: Anvil Gate: Gears of War, Book 3

Karen Traviss continues her novels of the Gears of War franchise with Anvil Gate, a book that clearly is setting everything up for the sure to be explosive book and the third game in Gears of War (which Traviss is writing)This book was similar to Jacinto's remnant with an emphasis on survival but also had a lot more political intrigue as we see that what remains of the COG are fractured into four places: the citizens of Pelruan who are against the Independents and the Stranded, the remnants of Jacinto who are still battle shocked that they will follow Prescott wherever he goes, the Independants who have joined the COG our of necessity and have their own problems with the Stranded while keeping their own army in tact, and finally the Stranded who have taken amnesty but aren't exactly friendly neighbors.Tensions run high in this book where "The ends justify the means" becomes a philosophy but is still brought in to question, when are you going too far?Baird takes a front row seat in this novel, him being one of the primary characters. It's interesting how Traviss portrays him. In the game Baird is an ass. In the book he is still an ass but a likable one as we get to see just who he is. HIs loyalty to Marcus and more importantly his friendship with Cole. Out of all of Delta Squad, Baird is most ideally suited for this post war rebuilding era because of his skill as an engineer, finally he feels like he matters. It's interesting to look at his character from that angle.Dom is still shattered over Maria but is beginning to mend, what is clear though is he is now attached to Marcus even more since Marcus is "all he has left". In Dom we see a broken man, in so many pieces that it may not be possible to put them all together.Bernie is still around but her character is more of a companion this time around, being there to help Hoffman and the others sort out their messes. She is still fun (and has a dog!) while still dealing with her new reputation that has happened because of the events surrounding Jacinto's Remnant.Hoffman also gets more development this time around as we finally read about the elusive Anvil Gate, the "defining moment in his career" as we have read previously. I didn't find the flashbacks this time around nearly as compelling as they were in Aspho Fields but they were still interesting and the present time more than made up for the flashbacks.The interesting part of the flashbacks to Anvil Gate was finally getting into Adam Fenix's head. As any Gears fan will know Adam is alive in the final game so it is great to see the roots of his character being planted now.That is what I love about Traviss' novels. The author really knows how to set up little clues along the way, little details that end up mattering a lot later on in the novel. We see the roots of the HAmmer of Dawn in Adam's mind in this novel, we see the first possible hint at the Locust with Elaine, we see the first fractures of the COG here in the novel beginning with old grudges from the Pendulum Wars.We also finally get to see the Lambent again, being absent in Jacinto's Remnant, we get a clear glimpse at how dangerous this new enemy is and how what little peace we had after Gears 2 is now gone as well.Like I said, this book is setting the stage for the final chapters in the Gears series, bread crumbs along the way to our final destination. It is an entertaining and interesting read as well as a necessity for any Gears fan

I'm not sure what else to say other than this was a Great series! The jumping around within the series was a little distracting but nothing that should deter anyone from reading them. I must say I am a huge fan of the Gears of War series, both game and books but the books really delve into the characters and their life storyline. Karen Traviss is an excellent writer and I really didn't want to see an end to the series. These books really make you feel like Epic Games did a really poor job with their storyline compared to the in depth detail Traviss included in the series. I also find it a plus that she stuck with what little storyline Epic Games did giver her. Not to give anything away but Anyone who really enjoyed the game should definitely give this series a read.Great job Karen Traviss!

Karen Traviss has always had a hand in crafting the apocalyptic tale of Gears of War, both storyboarding for the games themselves and fleshing them out in her books such as this one. One of the greatest mysteries of the Gears universe, at least from the gamer-only perspective, is exactly what happened at Anvil Gate. Not only to we get that gruesome tale, but we also get to flesh out the characters to where they are not the clunking gorillas portrayed in the video games. A great tale that covers three different battles, including the emergence of the Lambent. A must read for any Gears fan, whether they read recreationally or not.

The Good: Ties all the loose ends of the story leading up to Gears 3, the mystery behind Anvil Gate is finally revealed, the day-to-day struggle to survive is grippingThe Bad: Not much action, Delta Squad takes a back seat, the ending has no meaning, no significant plot twistsThe siege on Anvil Gate has always been a mystery to Gears of War fans. Mainly because the Pendulum Wars are never talked about in the games. The Pendulum Wars was a 70 year war between the Coalition of Ordered Governments and the indies or independent nations. They didn't want to be ruled under the COG so they fought for it. The book jumps between just before the events of Gears of War 3 and a few decades prior as Colonel Hoffman during the siege of Anvil Gate. The recent events are the continuing survival of humanity, the search for more Immulsion, and the discovery of polyps and Lambent stalks (seen in Gears 3).I have to say that Anvil Gate doesn't really go anywhere. It's more descriptive narrative than anything else. There's not as much dialog as other Gears books and that's a shame. The book doesn't really focus on Delta Squad as much but mainly Hoffman and Baird. All the events seen in Gears 3 are told here in this book which is great insight. The constant shaky line between the COG and Gorasnaya (the COG's main enemy during the Pendulum Wars) is interesting to see as well as how they deal with the indies wreaking havoc and making things harder for everyone. I honestly can just say that Anvil Gate really shows you how hard it is to survive in the Gears universe. Not something the games can really portray. Sure it looks hard to survive, but the day to day stuff isn't really talked about.There really aren't any new characters if you have been reading all the Gears books, which is fine by me. The relationship between Hoffman and Mataki as well as the occasional quips of Dom thinking about Maria are interesting. We also get to see more about Marcus' childhood and how Anya Stroud's mother, Helena, and Marcus' dad, Adam, served together. It kind of brings all the little strands together and ties the knots. All the little questions that you get from playing the games are answered here in a nice cohesive tale.I just wish there was some more action and some more shocking twists. The story just kind of ends and is really just a tale that puts all the pieces together for you, nothing spectacular or complex, but non-Gears fans won't appreciate the novel at all. If you really love the Gears universe and want more insight on the Pendulum Wars (besides Aspho Fields) then give this a gander.

Have ordered two lots of this book on separate occasions, one for me and one as a gift. No damage to packaging/books and if you're a GOW fan you will ABSOLUTELY love them, I couldn't put them down!

The story is fantastic and getting to know the UIR better is truly fantastic. Trescu is a much better leader than Prescott

Gran producto, el empaque llego a tiempo, no estaba dañado, el libro viene todo en ingles, gran trama, explican mas a detalle que lo que paso en el videojuego, con historia, antes y después de la historia principal, recomendado ampliamente.

Alles bestens

I really enjoyed reading the book. The plot was engaging and the characters were believable. Another great addition to the gears universe.