Starcraft II: Heaven's Devils

It was officially announced - the release date for the much anticipated sequel to StarCraft. For years, unofficial release dates on pre-order websites kept getting pushed back. I had learned to stop getting my hopes up as each false date approached; but this time the announcement comes straight from the source. Soon, we will be swept away to the Koprulu sector to not only witness, but experience the events that will decide the fate of mankind and the two races incubated by the Xel'Naga. Now that it is so close, so real, I am watching the pot again, waiting for it to boil. It seems somehow farther off and I need something to satisfy the craving for just a few more weeks. The first single-player storyline, Wings of Liberty, will feature Terran hero Jim Raynor whom we met in the original game. What better way to prepare than to read this book about Jim's early military career and the events that shaped his character? With that said, this book is NOT a biography of Jim Raynor. While his story provides the main plot line, a good bit of this book goes to the exploits of Tychus Findlay and several sections are devoted to character development regarding the other members of the 321st as well as the bigger picture narrative that drives the Devils' chronicle. For the non-StarCraft-fan, William C. Dietz provides a realistic portrayal of military life, war, corruption and politics. For us StarCraft junkies, he fleshes out the Guild Wars and exposes the atrocious state the Confederacy was in even before the Zerg and Protoss showed up. The question is not whether you should buy this book - of course you should - the question is whether Blizzard should have put so many excerpts on the SCII official website. The answer is, no. As of this posting, they've got ten of them available. The most recent is plucked from chapter twenty-two, well into the story; and while they do their job of drawing you in, these snippets give you an unpleasant sense of déjà vu as you read through the book. If you haven't read the excerpts yet, don't; but either way, definitely read this book.

Heaven's Devils gives you a good feel for what it was like for Confeds during the Guild Wars. It also explains what the Guild Wars were about and goes into some detail regarding the functioning of the Terran Confederacy. Great stories about Jim Raynor's military career.

326 pages long and first printed by Gallery Books in April 2010, "Heaven's Devils", written by the talented William C. Dietz, is nothing short of an outstanding book. It details the entry of farmer James Raynor into the Terran Confederacy's Marine Corps, and the beginning of his career as one of the most famous Terrans in history. Not but so attached to farm life and eager to do his part for family and country, James Raynor enlists in the CMC after a visit by a Marine Gunnery Sergeant, who arrives in the already-famous Goliath. He goes out to boot camp an idealist, and remains one even after he starts learning, more and more, that things are not how the Confederate propaganda machine makes them out to be and just how horribly corrupt the Terran Confederacy is. The book switches between characters and introduces many besides Raynor, however. Among the most prominent are Hank Harnack, pyromaniac and enemy-turned-friend to Raynor, Ryk Kydd, a rich Old Family boy who is kidnapped and enlisted into the CMC under a false name, and Tychus Findlay, with all his wits and might. Mostly might. But Tychus, though far from the naive idealist Raynor is at first, soon comes to respect and even like Raynor. Though certainly rough around the edges and not a man likely to ever indulge in the writing of poetry, Tychus holds many of the same beliefs Raynor does. He is courageous under fire, a loyal friend, and not at all a fan of the corrupt Confederate military and government. At one time, while serving a prison sentence for stealing and selling military equipment, Tychus arranges the death of a vastly unpopular lieutenant. He later assists in the demise of the monstrously corrupt Colonel Vanderspool, a callous and self-serving man who regards men such as Tychus and Raynor, who actually believe in, you know, doing the right thing more often than not, as disposable tools. The neural resocialization process is discovered for the first time by Raynor, having been a mystery to even the more experienced Tychus, when he goes to a Kel-Morian base undercover in a prelude to the heroic raid that gave the 321st Colonial Rangers Battalion its name. The fat base commander, upon capturing Raynor, tells him of the resocializing the Confederacy forces on unrepentant criminals. He says little more than the name, and mentions his disgust that the Confederacy would do something so cruel. The raid commences, and Raynor is soon rescued, the prison camp evacuated, and the Kel-Morian counterattack crushed. The raid is a resounding success, and for a brief moment the newly-christened "Heaven's Devils" are hailed as the heroes they are. But the war goes on, and rather than be decorated as they should be, the 321st are slated to be resocialized. During a massive push to drive the Kel-Morians from a war-torn city, Tychus, Raynor, and the rest of the unit discover just what resocs are. They are bland, near-mindless drones. Men who will follow orders no matter what, who will throw their live

Heaven's Devils was given to me as a birthday gift. My sister (who picked out the book) knows that I've been an avid Starcraft fan since the game's original release in 1998, and also knows that I've been anxiously awaiting for Starcraft II to be released. The thought of buying this for myself hadn't crossed my mind, so when the time came to open presents, I was shocked to see this sitting in front of me. To be honest, I was a little apprehensive that I might not enjoy the book, because I hadn't read a Starcraft novel before, nor had I heard of William C. Dietz. However, after reading it from front to back, I can say that my initial thoughts weren't the correct ones. I enjoyed the book so much, I felt compelled to write a review. This book did not disappoint; infact quite the opposite. Part of me had always wondered who Jim Raynor really was, where he came from, and how he came to be. This book explains it, and also explains a whole lot about who Tychus Findlay is, and the type of character he is. Heaven's Devils was definitely a great read. It's a tad over 300 pages long, and I finished it in about 4 days, on and off, reading a little each day. Which says a lot, if you consider the fact that I'm a slow reader compared to the rest of the population. It was hard to put the book down and I couldn't wait to see how it ended. It had action and adventure, suspense, and some mystery. It was very descriptive. From the feelings and emotions of each individual character, to a great story line where I could imagine the scene unfold in my head as it took place. The book was very thorough, and it explained everything. It's not all combat and it's not all talk. The book had a great vibe, and it works very well. I'd go so far as to say that someone unfamiliar with the Starcraft universe could pick it up, give it a read and love it, and not feel like they're missing out on something. Parts of the book made you laugh, made you cheer, made you feel involved, and made you wish some things hadn't happened. I definitely recommend this book to any Starcraft fan, to anyone who is familiar the Blizzard universe, or even to anyone who isn't. You'll like it, I promise! Lets just say that I'm very happy with my birthday gift! :) *By the way, this book does contain violence, combat sequences, scarce profanity, drug usage, and mild (but brief) sexual references.*