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Matthew Kirby
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Last Descendants (Last Descendants: An Assassin's Creed Novel Series #1) (Last Descendants: An Assassin's Creed Series) Kindle Edition

by Matthew J. Kirby (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 477 ratings
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An all-new series based on the hit Ubisoft(R) video game franchise "Assassin's Creed." Part historical fiction, part tie-in, this novel creates an all-new narrative fans of the video games will love.

Nothing in Owen's life has been right since his father died in prison, accused of a crime Owen is certain he didn't commit. Monroe, the IT guy at school, might finally bring Owen the means to clear his father's name by letting him use an Animus-a device that lets users explore genetic memories buried within their own DNA. During a simulation, Owen comes uncovers the existence of a powerful relic long considered a legend-the Trident of Eden. Now two secret organizations will stop at nothing to take possession of this artifact-the Brotherhood of Assassins and the Templar Order. It becomes clear the only way to save himself is to find the Trident first.Under the guidance of Monroe, Owen and a group of other teenagers go into a memory they all share within their DNA: the 1863 Draft Riots in New York City. Owen and his companions will find themselves tested on the violent streets of New York, and their experiences in the past will have far-reaching consequences in the present.
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  1. Reading age
    12 years and up
  2. Book 1 of 3
    Last Descendants
  3. Print length
    296 pages
  4. Language
    English
  5. Grade level
    7 - 9
  6. Lexile measure
    840L
  7. Publisher
    Scholastic Inc.
  8. Publication date
    August 30, 2016
  9. Page Flip
    Enabled
  10. Word Wise
    Enabled
  11. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  12. ISBN-10
    9780545855518
  13. ISBN-13
    978-0545855518
  14. See all details
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There are 3 books in this series.
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Bundle price: Kindle price
$19.79
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Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Gr 7 Up—Usually marketed toward adults, Ubisoft's popular Assassin's Creed video game franchise takes a stab at attracting young adult audiences with the first title in a planned series. Fans of the franchise will wonder what this title is doing in the youth section, while the target audience will rejoice that there is finally something for them in this thought-provoking historical fiction series. Just like the game, this volume follows the main characters into the Animus (think plugging into the Matrix), where they can relive parts of their ancestors' lives through their DNA. This new story begins by following high school friends Owen and Javier as they sneak out one night to explore an Animus in a shady bus with their school's IT guy, Monroe. He has manipulated the Animus in a way that will surprise seasoned fans and keep them hooked until the somewhat predictable cliff-hanger ending. True to the franchise, many characters are diverse in terms of culture, belief, and sexual orientation; however, their development is a bit flat and will hopefully be fleshed out in future installments. Newcomers to the series may be left puzzled at times, but fans of science fiction may be able to pick up on some of the technical lingo. VERDICT This will appeal to reluctant readers and gaming enthusiasts.—Amanda Schiavulli Finger Lakes Library System, NY

About the Author

Matthew J. Kirby is the critically acclaimed author of the middle-grade novels Icefall, which won the Edgar Award for Best Juvenile Mystery; and The Clockwork Three, which was named a Publishers Weekly Flying Start. He was born in Utah and grew up in Maryland, California, and Hawaii. Matthew is currently at work on his next novel.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B01BXFRUAI
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Scholastic Inc. (August 30, 2016)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ August 30, 2016
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 10644 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 296 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 477 ratings

About the author

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Matthew Kirby

Matthew Kirby

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Matthew J. Kirby was born in Utah, but with a father in the Navy he moved frequently. He attended three different elementary schools, three different high schools, and lived in Rhode Island, Maryland, California, and Hawaii. As an undergraduate at Utah State University, he majored in history. He then went on to earn M.S and Ed.S degrees in school psychology. He currently lives in Utah.

Customer reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars
477 global ratings

Customers say

Customers enjoyed the engaging story and found it fun to read. They found the characters easy to follow and the writing quality vivid. The book received positive reviews from customers, who felt it was worth the money.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

Select to learn more
Story qualityCharacter developmentWriting qualityValue for money
18 customers mention "Story quality"18 positive0 negative

Customers enjoyed the story. They found it engaging and fun to read, with an interesting take on the plot. The Draft Riots were exciting to read, with the story shifting to one character every few pages.

"...first of a new book series, this is a fantastic read that helps start a wonderful new story-arc, and I highly recommend it! I give this book a..." Read more

"...books and the mindets of the protagonists are both believable and enjoyable for us more senior fans of the AC world...." Read more

"...The trip(s) into the Animus were fun to read. The Draft Riots were exciting to read and with the story shifting to one character every chapter you..." Read more

"Very interesting story! I'm impressed. More of a teen style story. Not very mature but fun." Read more

5 customers mention "Character development"5 positive0 negative

Customers find the book has great characters and action. They find it easy to follow the many characters.

"...I recommend this if you are an ac fan. The books are heavily connected to the characters in the games and the story is interesting enough to keep..." Read more

"I am a fan of assassin's creed and I really enjoyed the book. Good characters, vivid descriptions and a plot that moves both in the present and the..." Read more

"...very fun to read, quick paced and easy to follow the many characters. it was so fun to see how the character's stories tied together...." Read more

"A great read if you are a fan of the Assassin's Creed series. New characters with an interesting new story. I can't wait to read the next one!" Read more

4 customers mention "Writing quality"4 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the writing quality. They find the characters and plot engaging, with vivid descriptions and attention to detail. The book is described as imaginative and well-written.

"...I found this interesting and showed that Kirby has a great attention to detail. The trip(s) into the Animus were fun to read...." Read more

"...Good characters, vivid descriptions and a plot that moves both in the present and the past. Looking forward to the next book." Read more

"Very imaginative and engaging! I have five grandchildren who are the right age to read M. Kirby's book and they are sooo excited...." Read more

"...Very very well written and I am very happy I got it as early as I did. Thank you Amazon again you have a very happy customer as always." Read more

3 customers mention "Value for money"3 positive0 negative

Customers find the book a good value for money. They say it's worth reading and a great book.

"I loved it! I finished reading it in two days and it was worth it...." Read more

"Great book. Don't miss it" Read more

"great book" Read more

Top reviews from the United States

Anthony Avina
5.0 out of 5 stars The beloved video game series reaches the YA genre with Matthew J. Kirby's stellar new novel, Last Descendants!
Reviewed in the United States on February 10, 2017
Verified Purchase
Last Descendants (Assassin's Creed: Last Descendants #1) by Matthew J. Kirby Book Review

I must admit something: I love video games. It's not the most shocking revelation, but I actually enjoy games for the same reason that I enjoy
books: great storytelling. One of my favorite stories in games is the continuing story of the Assassin's Creed universe, and that story has
now been driven into the Young Adult book world with Matthew J. Kirby's Last Descendants (Assassin's Creed: Last Descendants #1). Here is the
synopsis:

Nothing in Owen’s life has been right since his father died in prison, accused of a crime Owen is certain he didn't commit. Monroe, the IT guy
at school, might finally bring Owen the means to clear his father’s name by letting him use an Animus—a device that lets users explore the
genetic memories buried within their own DNA. The experience brings Owen more than he bargained for. During a simulation, Owen uncovers the
existence of an ancient and powerful relic long considered legend—the Trident of Eden. Now two secret organizations will stop at nothing to take
possession of this artifact—the Brotherhood of Assassins and the Templar Order. It soon becomes clear to Owen that the only way to save himself
is to find the Trident first.

Under the guidance of Monroe, Owen and a group of other teenagers go into a memory they all share within their DNA: the 1863 Draft Riots in
New York City. Owen and his companions will find themselves tested on the gritty streets of New York, and their experiences in the past will
have far-reaching consequences in the present.

I loved the transition of the series into the YA genre. Bringing together this random group of young teenagers gives the readers more of a connection
with the story of the AC universe, with each character coming from a difficult background and almost becoming the readers eyes and ears, as each
teenager is as much of an outsider to the war between the Assassins and the Templar Order. Learning about the war and the technology of the
animus, the teens go to a tumultuous time period to an era where their ancestors were at the forefront of the Civil War, showing the impact
the war had on a city divided such as New York, and the stakes of that war.

It's message of racism and divide between the country has clearly never been more real and has not had as deep as a connection as it does in
today's political and social scene, as our country faces a similar divide once more. The story does a great job of highlighting the struggles
each teen deals with, from racial or societal issues to questions of friendship, sexuality, disabilities and more. This is a book that is just as
multi-cultured as the video games themselves, and the deep use of the AC mythology was perfectly used in this new story. With this being the
first of a new book series, this is a fantastic read that helps start a wonderful new story-arc, and I highly recommend it! I give this book a
10/10, and hope you guys will pick up this book today!
One person found this helpful
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Alexandra Zahradnikova
5.0 out of 5 stars Great new approach to the AC universe
Reviewed in the United States on September 28, 2016
Verified Purchase
The modern day series of the Assassin's Creed novels caught me by a pleasant surprise.

First, the novel is written in third person and I enjoyed the firt person view of AC:Forsaken, Black Flag and Unity better than the third person of the novels depicting Altair's and Ezio's adventures and the last AC:Underworld. But this approach suited the novel better - enabling mixing the view of most of the characters, past and present, in a very cohesive and well flowing way. Although Owen is the main protagonist, having the POV of his ancestors as well as his companions made the story richer. I especially enjoyed the way personalities of the present and past day characters mingled and came out during the goings on.

Second, although the primary audience is the young adults - and so the characters of the book are what I would call older children, their personalities are shaped by their own experience, or that of the ancestors they got to take part in, so actually the language of the books and the mindets of the protagonists are both believable and enjoyable for us more senior fans of the AC world.

Third - this time there is no game associated with the novel. At first, especially after meeting Monroe, I hoped the book would tie to the AC:Initiates project. That, unfortunately, did not come to pass, but we came to get a glimpse of a known character. Still, lot of the story is taking part in modern day. It ties very subtly (well in the case of AC: Locus not so subtly) but still without flaw (at least one I could spot) - with other stories of the AC universe - especially the comic books.

And last, but not least, the introduction of the animus technology and the Memory corridor, and syncing and desyncing with the ancestors. I never really thought about these parts of the game too much, but the book includes them in the story in very fluent and natural way, making me think of how come I never speculated on these aspects of the game.

Overall I would highly suggest this novel to any fan of the series, especially one who cares more for the overall story than the actual slaying of the enemies. And for comic book fans I recomend to read this novel before starting the AC: Locus series, as they tie togerther, the Locus following in the story where the novel ended.
7 people found this helpful
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Conner
5.0 out of 5 stars New to Assassin's Creed or a 9 year fan, everyone will enjoy this
Reviewed in the United States on September 10, 2016
Verified Purchase
My expectations for this this book won't the highest when I ordered this book but this book surpassed them all and proved me wrong. It isn't hard to get pulled into this story and the characters. Kirby did a great job introducing the Animus and how re-living the memories of your ancestors works. I been playing the games since the beginning and never was there a way to really describe how it felt to be in the Animus or when exiting. I found this interesting and showed that Kirby has a great attention to detail. The trip(s) into the Animus were fun to read. The Draft Riots were exciting to read and with the story shifting to one character every chapter you got to see the whole riot and not a section. The amount of detail that is in the book to describe the journey that the characters traveled up and down Manhattan was not missed. I wish there was a better map so I could better follow their runs.
I enjoyed the characters and thought Kirby didn't over do the drama and fighting between them. While Owen could be said to be the main protagonist, the other 5 characters get equal time in the book.

I'm giving it 5 star because it exceeding my expectations and felt it was a solid story but I would like something added in the future.
-Longer story, maybe I read it fast but it felt short. I felt the ending could have been nicely expanded a bit.
-Hard Cover editions with a map with the routes that the characters traveled and historical notes of people, places, and events. This is what Assassin's Creed has always done, even the comics have a back section so you can read more on the history. You can keep an edition $10 but I would pay for a hardcover edition with these additions.
8 people found this helpful
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William Terrell
4.0 out of 5 stars Not very mature but fun.
Reviewed in the United States on February 28, 2018
Verified Purchase
Very interesting story! I'm impressed. More of a teen style story. Not very mature but fun.
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Top reviews from other countries

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Blaabear
5.0 out of 5 stars Book
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 21, 2023
Verified Purchase
Great condition and arrived earlier than expected
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JSan
5.0 out of 5 stars Great kids series!
Reviewed in Canada on February 19, 2021
Verified Purchase
Kids loved this series, both my 9 and 11 year olds really enjoyed them.
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Clarissa Schnabel
5.0 out of 5 stars Unerwartet gut!
Reviewed in Germany on January 14, 2020
Verified Purchase
Ich muß feststellen, daß sich Jugendbücher seit meiner Zeit massiv weiterentwickelt haben. „Last Descendants“ entschärft zwar ein bißchen – immerhin müssen, seiner eigenen Logik folgend, die meisten Charaktere überleben –, aber man kann nicht behaupten, daß es unblutig zur Sache geht. Unsere jugendlichen Helden stecken nun einmal in den Erinnerungen sehr erwachsener und teilweise sehr skrupelloser Vorfahren und werden selbst in den uralten Konflikt zwischen Assassinen und Templern verwickelt. Die gesamte Trilogie ist hochspannend und actionreich, und ja, es gibt Tote. Dabei aber auch durchaus tiefsinnig: Wer sind die Guten? Wer die Bösen? Keine Seite? Beide?

Wie so oft ist es der erste Band, der besonders besticht… trotz seiner furchtbar falschen Generationenrechnerei in Sachen Cormac-Clan. Letztere macht im Sinne der Thematik allerdings Sinn, also will ich sie mal zähneknirschend gelten lassen. Denn abseits der reinen Handlung mit wirklich interessanten Charakteren und einem wunderbar eingefangenen AC-Universum (man kann „Last Descendants“ wahrhaftig als Game vor seinem inneren Auge sehen – schade, daß das bislang nicht umgesetzt wurde!) hat die Geschichte ein klares Thema. Diverse Personen in „Last Descendants“ fühlen sich ihrem Erbe verpflichtet, zu einem Punkt, der sie fehleranfällig macht. Owen fühlt sich verpflichtet, die Unschuld seines Vaters zu beweisen, während seine Großeltern befürchten, daß er genau nach seinem Vater schlägt. Owens Vorfahre, Varius, versucht, dem Ruf seines Vaters gerecht zu werden. Cudgel Cormac glaubt das besonders große Erbe seines Großvaters antreten zu müssen. Und genau das erweist sich für sie alle als ein entscheidender Schwachpunkt…
Schwer inspiriert von „Gangs of New York“, nimmt „Last Descendants“ den Leser mit auf eine dramatische, aus verschiedenen Blickwinkeln erzählte Reise durch die Draft Riots von 1863.
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KageModelZX
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent spin on a modern series
Reviewed in Australia on May 31, 2017
Verified Purchase
Loved how this had a fully original storyline, with an interesting plot. I'm looking forward to reading more of these!
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Cliente de Amazon
5.0 out of 5 stars Compulsory for reading!
Reviewed in Spain on September 13, 2016
Verified Purchase
If you're a hardcore fan of this franchise, you'll appreciate some mentions at the present day story-line, as also in the past!
Totally canon story, it tells you a story that is hard to assume it has a "to be continued..."!
Most of the lack of modern day that we spotted in the past games, makes a big appearance in this novel, and from a new point of view!
Highly recommended.
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