Nova (StarCraft Ghost) (Mass Market Paperback)

~ Blizzard Entertainment (Author), Keith R. A. DeCandido (Author)
Key Phrases: detective squad, hab fix, big hairless, Agent Kelerchian, Old Families, Nova Terra (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Four years after the end of the Brood War, Emperor Arcturus Mengsk has rebuilt much of the Terran Dominion and consolidated a new military force despite an ever-present alien threat. Within this boiling cauldron of strife and subversion, a young woman known only as Nova shows the potential to become Mengsk's most lethal and promising "Ghost" operative. Utilizing a combination of pure physical aptitude, innate psychic power, and advanced technology, Nova can strike anywhere with the utmost stealth. Like a phantom in the shadows, she exists only as a myth to the enemies of the Terran Dominion.

Yet Nova wasn't born a killer. She was once a privileged child of one of the Old Families of the Terran Confederacy, but her life changed forever when a rebel militia murdered her family. In her grief, Nova unleashed her devastating psychic powers, killing hundreds in a single, terrible moment. Now, on the run through the slums of Tarsonis, she is unable to trust anyone. Pursued by a special agent tasked with hunting down rogue telepaths, Nova must come to terms with both her burgeoning powers and her guilt -- before they consume her and destroy everything in her path....

About the Author

Keith R.A. DeCandido was born and raised in New York City to a family of librarians. He has written over two dozen novels, as well as short stories, nonfiction, eBooks, and comic books, most of them in various media universes, among them Star Trek, World of Warcraft, Starcraft, Marvel Comics, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Serenity, Resident Evil, Gene Roddenberry's Andromeda, Farscape, Xena, and Doctor Who. His original novel Dragon Precinct was published in 2004, and he's also edited several anthologies, among them the award-nominated Imaginings and two Star Trek anthologies. Keith is also a musician, having played percussion for the bands the Don't Quit Your Day Job Players, the Boogie Knights, and the Randy Bandits, as well as several solo acts. In what he laughingly calls his spare time, Keith follows the New York Yankees and practices kenshikai karate. He still lives in New York City with his girlfriend and two insane cats.

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Pocket Star (November 28, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0743471342
• ISBN-13: 978-0743471343
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #261,402 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Alas, poor Nova, if only they hadn't killed your game ..., August 22, 2007

By	Sicarius Plurimi "Sicarius" (New Orleans, LA) - See all my reviews

First and foremost, the criticisms that people are listing here that the novel ended strangely are (unfortunately) spot on. The reason for this is that this novel was originally intended to be a prequel to the video game StarCraft: Ghost, which was also set to follow the protagonist, Nova. If anyone is to blame for the awkward ending, it is Blizzard rather than DeCandido -- if you read the beginning of the book, you will even notice that there is an apology included from Blizzard that was pasted in at the last minute.

I have always imagined that Ghosts would be tragic characters. They are overwhelmed at a young age by external emotions and thoughts that they cannot control or understand, typically to such a point that they must drug themselves with "inhibitors" that render them as little more than pharmeceutical slaves to the highest military bidder. This is a depressing existence, and I feel that the mood is perfectly captured in this novel. Nova is a great character, and I deeply enjoyed reading about her genesis. The protagonist is very well developed in this story, and I did feel a distinct and emotional attachment to her. I cared about what happened, which is more than I can say for the characters in most other StarCraft novels.

With the exception of Hickman's Speed of Darkness, Grubb's Liberty's Crusade, and DeCandido's Nova, I would be amazed to find that any of the other StarCraft authors even went so far as to pass an introductory-level Creative Writing course. Stick to the three I just mentioned and you'll be okay ... fans of the series looking forward to StarCraft 2 should also read the Dark Templar series that begins with Firstborn.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Unique StarCraft read, February 16, 2008

By	Nerijus "Hell hath no fury like the family..." (Lithuania, Europe) - See all my reviews

After reading the complete waste of paper - "Queen of blades", this book has helped me to relax.

First of all, the author brings a very unique and gritty style that dominates in the whole story. No other StarCraft book features details about such domestic subjects or talks about sex as openly.(Even though there is just a bit of talk about it). Plus, most of the story is set in the "Gutter" - a poor, neglected part of planet-city Tarsonis. The drug addiction, poverty surely proves that these problems would not be solved so easily in the future as well, and the authentic character talk makes the atmosphere realistic.

However, there is a flaw I found in this story. It actually is a factual problem. I just hate the idea that a ghost would be able to kill the person just by his own thoughts. OK, maybe if he concentrates very, very much, but slay an entire building full of people? Plus, how could you jam a gun with your thoughts? This is ridiculous! If Ghosts are such X-Men why do they even bother carrying weapons! They could send one such individual, order him to kill an entire army and there simply would be no battles! Absolutely way too unrealistic, even beyond fiction levels!

And so, that makes this book an average read. I know why the game was cancelled, though. The creators probably just didn't have a point in creating a game where you could push a button(mind power)and kill all your enemies...

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Well worth the buy, February 11, 2007

By	Jonathan L. Matesic "MinionTM2" (Southampton, NY USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I went through the book very fast but I still enjoyed it. It gives you a good feel for the characters and I only hope that the future game storyline covers this as the history...I just wish it was longer.