The Stolen Throne - David Gaider All right, fine, I admit it: I love this book. I'm not sure why, but I do. Gaider's writing is nice and clear and blunt, but nothing special. The plot isn't anything special, either--very typical fantasy fare. And the addition of a certain elf into their party, when I know everything about Dragon Age: Origins by heart and had never heard about her before, was more than a little irritating. Their disposal of her and their explanation for why no one knows about her seemed hurried, cheap, and lazy, a convenient way to make it seem to fit with the video game's rich background.

But as I say, I love it. Loghain is one of my favorite characters in any book/video game/movie/storyline of any type. I just adore him. Maric was also all right; he was a good, clueless but not entirely stupid hero who kind of grew on me against my better judgement. And aside from the aforementioned elf, this book generally connects very well with the video game's history.

Let me say this, then: I don't play Dragon Age: Origins for the game experience. I play it because I love the characters, the story, the pacing, and the general handling of the world. It's beautiful and excellent, and I've played through it more than a dozen times just to relive it again. So, it seems to be a constant among those who work with Dragon Age, that they produce good plotlines, awesome characters, and a healthy dose of violence and betrayal.

This is my favorite book I've read that happens to be related to a video game, and one of only two that merits five stars from me. It's one of those easy books that I've already reread four times in the four months since I bought it, and I see the trend continuing for a while.

I'd recommend it only if you're in love with Dragon Age as I am, though, otherwise there are better fantasy books out there for you.