Mortal Kombat [Paperback]

Jeff Rovin (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1, 1995

Mortal Kombat has become one of the most successful home video games ever created. Now the bestselling author of GameMaster's Complete Video Game Guide has written an enthralling novel, based on this exciting video game experience. Soon to be a major motion picture. Original.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: Berkley (June 1, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 157297060X
• ISBN-13: 978-1572970601
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #10,105,017 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book, but not much like the game, October 23, 2003

By 

Midnight "Midnight" (Alabama, United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mortal Kombat (Paperback)

I thought this was a great book, but be warned, it's not like the game at all. There's not a lot of fighting, the characters are slightly changed and a few characters don't make an appearance.
Aside from that the book is very good. I think Jeff Rovin did a great job. The storyline is great and the characters are very well written.

Don't buy this book if Johnny Cage is your favorite character because you will be disappointed. Rayden, Kung Lao, Shang Tsung and Goro are the main characters in the story. Liu Kang, Sonya, Kano, Shao Khan, Scorpion, Sub Zero and Reptile are also in it, but their roles aren't the same as the typical Mortal Kombat fan might think.

If you're looking for a good read and don't care if it variates from the game I recommend this book. If you're looking for something that will mirror the game, don't bother.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fighting Between The Covers, May 3, 2004

By 

Joshua Koppel (Chicago, IL United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Mortal Kombat (Paperback)

I just read an entertaining book called MORTAL KOMBAT by Jeff Rovin. I was very pleased with Rovin's treatment of Lovecraft's Re-Animator, so I gave this on a try.

This is not a novelization of the movie, but the story before the game. This novel introduces all of the characters who star in the game. Their histories. The origin of and special powers they may possess. Other than having to work in the horrible title of Mortal Kombat (misspellings included) I found it to be a well-worked and plotted story.

Deeply rooted in Chinese legend and mythology, this is a story of gods and their mortal servants and supporters. Added to this culturally rich setting is just a tasteful pinch of insider humor from many sources. For example, one of the heroes hails from a small town called Jackiechan. While this reference is rather blatant, the others are more subtle and blend into the story better. There is little actual fighting in this story. Apparently Rovin felt there was enough in the game. The one thing that really separates it from the game is that the good guys go out of their way not to kill. If they did kill they would be no better than the bad guys (who are plotting and other dimensional invasion).

Like I said, this book is fun, fast-paced, entertaining and well written. It is definitely worth a look-see.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars At least I remember it was cool..., February 27, 2000

By 

Dralthi5 (Indianapolis, IN, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mortal Kombat (Paperback)

I bought this book a few years back, back when I was really into Mortal Kombat. The first movie had just been released, as well as the cartoon, and Mortal Kombat 3. I was excited when I saw this book, so I bought it. To be honest, I thought it was pretty cool, although I was confused by the various contradictions represented here. Scorpion, I thought, was a bad guy, only interested in revenge and not in stopping evil in general. I also thought Shang Tsung was a demon, not a human turned evil, but I could be wrong about that. Lastly, I thought Liu Kang was a Shaolin warrior and not a member of the White Lotus Society (? Sorry if I got it wrong!). Anyways, the story was pretty exciting, though it strayed too far from the previously established MK facts. Actually, I'm sorry I gave the book away.