Blizzplanet Review – Diablo III: The Order

I just finished reading our review copy of Diablo III: The Order by Nate Kenyon, courtesy of Simon & Schuster, Inc. and Gallery Books.

The short review: “I’m totally in love with Diablo III: The Order”. Ok, I have a couple of rants that a few trolls might also point out: Tyrael’s voice never talks to Cain (not even in dreams), and a pivotal moment could have had someone like Archangel Auriel (Hope), Trang’Oul or even a necromancer slipping in into the story to guide Deckard Cain in his most darkest time, but in general this book is a [must-have] to all Diablo III fans.

Curiously, there aren’t really Diablo III single player spoilers; except for maybe the epilogue which ties-in with one of the Acts. Even so, the epilogue happens probably 10-12 years before Diablo III.

While these might be spoilers, I think they might serve as key information to those wondering what the book is about. Don’t worry, these only comprehend about the first 50 pages of the book. You decide whether the topic interests you enough to buy the book, or not.

The prologue starts with Aderes Cain telling the story of Jered Cain and the Horadrim (as they hunt and imprison Diablo and his brothers) to a group of children, including her 11-year-old son: Deckard Cain.

This prologue serves as a foreshadowing or primer to understand Deckard Cain’s regrets for wasting so much of his younger life ignoring the stories and scripts about the Horadrim and the demons.

A young Deckard Cain who grew bored of the stories, angry for the loss of his father to disease, who wanted to pursue adventures and dreams away from Tristram — a place where nothing happened, and where he feared he would spend all his life working at a shop like his father. Typical attitude of a young rebel living in a farm, far away from cities.

After the prologue, sadly we jump forward in time to 1272 (59 years later). Deckard Cain should be around age 70.

It’s been ten years since the defeat of Baal and the destruction of the Worldstone (at the end of Diablo II: Lord of Destruction).

Deckard Cain journeys with the Paladin Akarat to the Vizjerei secret repository to search for scrolls that might give him knowledge about the End Days. Cain faces a demon who talks a mix of truths and lies, knowledge which Cain later uses to his advantage after the demon is swiftly defeated.

Deckard Cain travels to Caldeum to visit Gillian the Barmaid (check out her background at our colleague wikia site). She’s a well-known character from Diablo I (voiced by Glynnis Talken, alias Sarah Kerrigan). Adria left Leah to her care, and Cain wanted to keep tabs on the girl.

There’s a flashback (via Cain’s dreaming) of the events of Diablo I: mentioning Aidan, Gillian, King Leoric and Lachdanan.

Gillian sends Cain to bookseller Kulloom. Among the scripts found by Cain at the Vizjerei secret repository were Zakarum, Bartuc, and Horadrim texts. Kulloom hints at having heard of a Horadrim group. This revelation amazes Cain, who thought he was the last Horadrim, and sets to pursue any hints that may lead him to find them.

Nate Kenyon fleshes out the growing bond that unites Deckard Cain and a very young Leah. It’s touching how Leah changes dramatically her initial rebellious behavior to a caring one for the old man.

There are two main plots: the search for the Horadrim group in Kurast, and the one bound by prophecy.

A monk named Mikulov has read the prophecies of the patriarchs of Yvgorod. He has gathered scrolls from several locations around Sanctuary. Scrolls which have something in common: a time juncture that triggers the upcoming End of Days prophecy: The first day of the month of Ratham, the month of the dead.

On the side of the demons, Belial has powerful servants in Sanctuary with the gift of vision and prophecy. Several paths lead to different futures. Different outcomes. However, it’s intriguing none of them foresaw Mikulov in any of the visions — a monk who has visions of the future, too. He’s a wild card. Unexpected. Mysterious. Undetected in visions of the large tapestry of destiny. Intriguing.

After learning so much about Mikulov, and what he’s capable of doing, after playing Diablo III beta — I’m inclined to create a Monk character as my first Diablo III retail character. Mikulov rocks! It seems it won’t be the last we will see of him. I’m inclined to think we’ll see him in future novels. As Richard A. Knaak’s Zayl the Necromancer, many fans will truly get fond of of Mikulov the Yvgorod monk as one of the heroes of Sanctuary.

The author uses the moments Deckard Cain goes to sleep to give readers a quick intro to the lore of the previous three Diablo games (Diablo I, Diablo II and Diablo II: Lord of Destruction) via flashbacks tormenting Deckard Cain in his dreams. He sleeps often throughout a span of seven days.

Belial, the Lord of Lies is omnipresent throughout the story without making much of a screen time. There are spies everywhere. Anything or anyone can be the eyes or ears of Belial in subtle ways.

This book sets a pivotal point for readers to understand the Deckard Cain we will see in Diablo III. The book, of course, delves more into his weaknesses, and his personal regrets than the game itself.

Deckard Cain is a man that carries a heavy burden upon his shoulders. He blames himself for the sins of the past. As a young boy, he refused the Horadrim teachings shared down by his mother. He felt them to be mere unfounded stories.

He blames himself for the death of everyone in Tristram, and thinks Aidan wouldn’t have died if he had focused his young years to learn more from the Horadrim scrolls concerning Diablo and the other Prime Evils. However, how much of his self-doubt is his? How much are [lies]?

Diablo III: The Order is a tragic story of great proportions. I have never seen Deckard Cain so powerless, desolated, lonely, desperate, hopeless. Nate Kenyon delivered as a writer in this book revealing to fans (on-your-face) several facets of Deckard Cain we never knew of him, while capturing that essence of him we have grown fond with over a decade in the previous games.

Deckard Cain has reached rock bottom at a delicate juncture. And the sad part is Cain is out of time. The story locomotions toward a spiraling countdown. Each chapter, and each step taken, each day passed leading toward the first day of the month of Ratham.

A day Belial has designated for the death of the 8-year-old Leah, and the rising of the death — an army of the Mage Clans who died in a lost city of Kehjistan.

We’ll learn something new about Deckard Cain’s past. It seeps in slowly throughout the story. In stages.

Three powerful things will be used for the final showdown against Belial’s servants: hope (as their strength), courage, and a Diablo II item long-thought to be lost.

It’s safe to read the book before finishing the Diablo III single player. No spoilers there, except for a hint at the epilogue — at the end of the book, which ties-in directly with one of the Acts.

The book will change everyone’s perception of Deckard Cain. We’ll now see his most intimate thoughts and memories. His weaknesses, and his strengths through the mind-eye of the author: Nate Kenyon.

Is Deckard Cain a failure? A coward? Or a Heroe? Fans will see him like never before on both sides of the spectrum. For a first work in the Diablo universe, Nate Kenyon is welcome among the hall of legends alongside Richard A. Knaak. Hope to see more Diablo novels from both authors. Dark and gritty enough for old Diablo book readers, and informative to new readers who missed previous Diablo video games.

Order Diablo III: The Order (Hardcover) now. Kindle edition can be downloaded here . Don’t have Kindle? Did you know you can read Kindle eBooks on your PC/Mac internet browser? Download the Kindle Reading app .

Share questions for Nate Kenyon at our following forum thread. (One copy of the book will be giveaway)

Description

For more than ten years, Diablo has been one of PC gaming’s iconic and blockbuster franchises, with millions of players experiencing to this day all the adventure and terror in the world of Sanctuary. Now, DIABLO III: THE ORDER (Gallery Books, May 15, 2012; $26.00) will tie-in with the long-awaited release of Blizzard Entertainment’s all-new game, Diablo III. This original novel reveals the untold story of Deckard Cain, one of Diablo’s most popular characters.

Now a much older man, Deckard Cain is on a mission to find the remnants of a rumored Horadric cell, and must call upon all of his knowledge and wit to teach and inspire those around him even as they face danger and death at every turn. Can he lead the return of a ragtag group of Horadrim and their ideals to Sanctuary … or will they die out with Cain himself?

About the Author

Nate Kenyon is the author of StarCraft: Ghost–SPECTRES. He is a Bram Stoker Award finalist and he has had stories published in Shroud Magazine, Permuted Press’s Monstrous Anthology, Horror World, Dead Lines, The Harrow, and Legends of the Mountain State 2, and has several others forthcoming. He is a member of the Horror Writers Association and International Thriller Writers.

Characters

Deckard Cain

Aderes Cain (Deckard’s mother)

Gillian (cameo: Diablo II character, Caldeum barmaid, adoptive mother of Leah)

Leah (Age 8 )

Kulloom (Caldeum bookseller)

Belial, Lord of Lies

Hyland

James (Caldeum blacksmith)

Mikulov (Ivgorod Monk)

Cyrus (owner of the Red Circle Inn in Lower Kurast)

Lord Brand

Garreth Rau (scholar, one of the finest bookmakers in Sanctuary, leader of the Horadrim cell)

Captain Hanos Jeronnan (cameo – Diablo: Legacy of Blood)

Egil (Horadrim member)

Lund (Horadrim member)

Farris (Horadrim member)

Cullen (Horadrim member)

Thomas (Horadrim member)

Jordan (Horadrim member)

Anuk Maahnor (Bartuc’s captain)

Flashback or Mentioned

Farnham (lost his daughter to The Butcher)

Pepin

King Leoric

Aidan

Lachdanan

Albrecht

The Butcher

Wirt

Griswold

Asheara (Diablo II character, Caldeum’s Iron Wolves mercenary leader)

Trang’Oul

Ratham (founder of the priests of Rathma)

Bartuc

Horazon

Amelia (Deckard Cain’s wife, died 35 years earlier)

Thomas Abbey (Captain, Khanduras Royal Guard)

Archangel Tyrael

Kara (Necromancer) — looking back, while this character is only mentioned by Captain Hanos Jeronnan, and never appears in the story, she’s a canon-character from Richard A. Knaak’s Legacy of Blood along with her companion: Norrec. The book doesn’t mention her last name: Kara Nightshadow .

. Norrec

Locations

Tristram (flashbacks)

Vizjerei Secret Repository (Bartuc followers’ runes and a closed portal to the Burning Hells)

Borderlands

Flating Sky Monastery (Ivgorod)

Kingsport (mentioned)

Lower Kurast

Gea Kul

Captain’s Table (Gea Kul Inn by Jeronnan)

The Black Tower (near the sea, Gea Kul)

Al Cut

Bestiary

Thresher

Sand Wasp

Unburied

Overseer

Fallen One

Feeder

Scavenger

Skeletons

Demons

Khazra (Goatmen)

Prologue: Memory

Prologue: Tristram, 1213

Part One: Gathering Shadows

Chapter 1 : Ruins of the Vizjerei Secret Repository, The Borderlands, 1272

: Ruins of the Vizjerei Secret Repository, The Borderlands, 1272 Chapter 2 : The Hidden Chamber

: The Hidden Chamber Chapter 3 : The City of Caldeum

: The City of Caldeum Chapter 4 : Gillian’s Residence, Caldeum

: Gillian’s Residence, Caldeum Chapter 5 : The Black Tower

: The Black Tower Chapter 6 : The Bookseller’s Tale

: The Bookseller’s Tale Chapter 7 : The Burning

: The Burning Chapter 8: One for the Madhouse

Part Two: Darkness Descending

Chapter 9 : The Cavern in the Hills

: The Cavern in the Hills Chapter 10 : Out of Caldeum

: Out of Caldeum Chapter 11 : Dreams of Tristram

: Dreams of Tristram Chapter 12 : The Walled Town

: The Walled Town Chapter 13 : Lord Brand’s Manor

: Lord Brand’s Manor Chapter 14 : A Stranger Comes

: A Stranger Comes Chapter 15 : The Graveyard

: The Graveyard Chapter 16 : The Hidden Room

: The Hidden Room Chapter 17 : The Road to Kurast

: The Road to Kurast Chapter 18 : Tristram’s End

: Tristram’s End Chapter 19 : The Red Circle

: The Red Circle Chapter 20 : The Docks

: The Docks Chapter 21 : The Feeder

: The Feeder Chapter 22: The Blood of Al Cut

Part Three: The Lord of Lies

Chapter 23 : The Road to Gea Kul

: The Road to Gea Kul Chapter 24 : The Horadric Chambers

: The Horadric Chambers Chapter 25 : The Camp

: The Camp Chapter 26 : The First Ones

: The First Ones Chapter 27 : Lund’s Bow

: Lund’s Bow Chapter 28 : The Possession

: The Possession Chapter 29 : The Warning

: The Warning Chapter 30 : Blood Ritual

: Blood Ritual Chapter 31 : A Plan Emerges

: A Plan Emerges Chapter 32 : The Tunnels

: The Tunnels Chapter 33 : Al Cut

: Al Cut Chapter 34 : The Courtyard

: The Courtyard Chapter 35 : The Ritual Chamber

: The Ritual Chamber Chapter 36 : The Walking Dead of Al Cut

: The Walking Dead of Al Cut Chapter 37 : Gea Kul, Resurrected

: Gea Kul, Resurrected Chapter 38: The Road Ahead

Epilogue