By: J. M. Barlog, Cory Barlog
Narrated by: Alastair Duncan
Length: 9 hrs and 46 mins
Unabridged Audiobook
Release date: 08-28-18
Language: English
Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.
Genre: Fantasy, Greek & Roman Myth, Norse & Viking Myth
Rating: My Rating: 3.5 of 5.0 Overall; Story 3.0; Narration 4.0.
Publisher's Summary
The official novelization of the brand new game
His vengeance against the gods of Olympus years behind him, Kratos now lives as a man in the realm of Norse gods and monsters. It is in this harsh, unforgiving world that he must fight to survive...and teach his son to do the same.
This startling reimagining of God of War deconstructs the core elements that defined the series - satisfying combat, breathtaking scale, and a powerful narrative - and fuses them anew.
©2018 J. M. Barlog (P)2018 Blackstone Audio, Inc.
Review:
Kratos was a God of War but he left the world of the Gods so he could live as a 'mortal' man with his wife and son, Atreus. Kratos and Atreus are mourning the death of his wife, the boy’s mother. Now Kratos is preparing his son to take a trip to deliver his mother’s ashes in accordance with her last wishes. Kratos doesn’t want his son to know of his own bloody history and struggles with balancing his power with his wish to protect his son.
Atreus has received patient training from his mother and gruff direction and correction from his father. He wants to prove to his father that he can protect himself and won’t be a burden on the journey.
Neither father nor son realize the dangers they will face and all of the creatures and puzzles they have to conquer to get to the location where they will deliver the ashes. In addition, there are enemies seeking to kill Kratos. The battles and last minute escapes are many. Along the way they get help from an exiled witch and a ‘brother’, Mirmir, who plays a strange (heady) role in the journey and in narrating the story.
There is plenty of action in this novelization and I really enjoyed the deep, old Norse sounding accents. There is fairly common emotional difficulty in the father and son relationship, which is exacerbated by the father’s refusal to disclose his past. Sadly, I did not connect to the characters and was looking for something more from the plodding journey. Perhaps I just didn't remember the Greek, Roman and Norse Gods well enough. I didn’t understand the background of the characters for most of the book and I struggled getting to the end. This leads me to think that the story is best read/listened to by those who are familiar with the game.
Audio Notes: Alastair Duncan does a really good job with the character voices. I can’t say that I liked the pacing and energy as I just never warmed up to it. This is the first time I sped up the listening speed as I usually want to enjoy the listening experience. This one I just wanted to get through.
Source: February 2019 Audible Daily Deal $3.95. This qualifies for 2019Audiobook goal.
