Still can't get over the werewolf look
So I bought the book, got delivered and read it during the sunday after Halloween to get in some spooky mood for the holiday. And I couldn't stop reading until it was over, even though I know how it ended, or maybe it helped me just pass through it without problem. Pretty much the same as the game, but with some differences. For example the first chapter as Gabriel begins to get info from Herr Doctor Klingmann, instead of sneaking back to the office to get the hunting license and use the walkie-talkie to fool Thomas you first pick up another workers walkie-talkie when they are distracted by something and then he followed Klingmann through Munich to the club and asked around for information before entering. Not much changed, although the license is brought up in chapter 3.
Chapter two works mostly like the game. No repairmen though, although it explains that Gabe called and left a message instead of sending a letter. Explaining the time frame. Not much here Chapter 3 is more interesting. They got rid of the cuckoo clock side quest, explained the dream sequence better, that there actually been two days since chapter one giving Grace some more time to get to Germany and do chapter two. And the ending where the werewolf stalks Gabriel near the Huber farm is described better, that it is a dead cat on the lawn instead of some other animal and how the wolf reacted to the medallion and so.
Chapter 4 is the same and covers the Ludwig II and even introduces a character not in the game, an old man who's father worked for Ludwig II that gave the family a golden ring containing a lock of hair. Also it flows a bit better instead of the rushed game. Also the book skips the subplot of Grace making up with Gerda by putting roses on Wolfgangs grave. Pretty much Werner Huber tell her instead of she finding it. Also, she actually have a german-english dictionary which makes it a bit easier to stomach as she translates some stuff and move along the plot instead of grinding it to a halt to find a translator.
Chapter 5 follows the game almost to a tee. And it is the highlight of the book as Gabriel uncovers what happened to the missing wolves, connecting the dots of other mysterious disappearances and following the hunting lodge to their cabin and cornering von Zell. Small differences is that at the meeting at Dorns exotic animals he didn't need to feed a tiger with whitewurst or bring 14 000 mark on him. And at the night raid together with Friedrich the reason they get separated is that they ride on horses and Gabe is thrown of after his horse panic at the wolf howls and already were separated from Friedrich since he had plugged his ears. Much better than walking away and not seeing to it that Friedrich noticed him going another way.
Then chapter 6 of the book is a mixtures of some parts from chapter 4 and 6 where Grace connecting the dots of Ludwig II turning into a werewolf, his attempt to stop the Black Wolf with a secret hidden Wagner opera and then trying to know who the Black Wolf is. The part that stuck out was that the english copy of Ludwigs diary that belonged to a english nobleman. In the game I think he just changed his heart and send it over, but here it is explained that something mysterious happened. The box containing the papers fell from it's place in the attic like if it was pushed by a mysterious force, a force both the game and book hints, although with this the book is better at establishing this. It ends pretty much when Grace picks up Gabriel at the Huber's farm after the bit have began changing him, and here the book tells us the part from Gabriel's view. First by allowing him to walk freely at the day, but showing us his changed behaviour. They also hold a seance I think was hinted at in the game, but here is played out as intended, where we follow Ludwig's last hours at Neuschwanstein as he hides the opera and plans and then how he killed himself. Then it pretty much skips the gathering part and instead focus on how it's supposed to work. The plan doesn't have to directly kill von Glower, it just be part of his death as the spirit realm supposedly believe in intent (aka the one hired an assassin is as guilty of murder as the assassin) and therefore could be freed from the curse if someone else due to the actions would kill him.
This leads into the final chapter at the opera. Where they explain the plan in full. The sound and crystals are supposed to turn von Glower into a werewolf so that guards could kill him. But it failed and instead it's the howls of Gabriel in wolf form that causes the change. Then it plays out the same mostly, maybe not mentioning the apparition in the fires, but they instead mentioned the burning foot that weakly tried to break out through the grate. And the epilogue is not as philosophical as in the game where it is hinted that Gabriel felt some temptation to turn into a werewolf, to go with his instincts. Instead it's mentioned that he is set on bringing von Glower down and we get a happy ending as Grace get's full time partner status.
Overall I liked it, doesn't work that well as a walkthrough, but the story is still interesting and I really enjoy the inner monologue to flesh out the story and scenes. Other parts was left like the mention of Sons of the Sun, other groups of shadow hunters and that the Ritters aren't the only ones. So the final question is, where is the Blood of the Sacred, Blood of the Damned novelisation?
Not a graphic novel, a real book?
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