Tiberium Wars (novel)
From Command and Conquer Wiki
Command & Conquer: Tiberium Wars is a spin off novel by Keith R. A. DeCandido based on the popular RTS video game Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars by Electronic Arts. Although it covers the same timeframe as the game, the events of the game are only briefly referenced, with a few character cameos. The main characters of the book are a GDI soldier named Ricardo Vega, the son of a decorated GDI soldier Javier Vega, distant nephew of General Vega, and protagonist of Tiberium', a W3N news reporter named Annabella Wu, and Michael McNeil, the player character from Command & Conquer: Tiberian Sun.
[edit] Plot
The story is set simultaneously during the events of Tiberium Wars. Many game characters are either featured or mentioned such as Kane, Lieutenant Sandra Telfair, Gen. Jack Granger, and W3N reporter Cassandra Blair.
The first chapter of the story involves a summit at the Philadelphia Space Station, with almost all of the top GDI directors and officials aboard, as well as Dr. Mobius, GDI's top scientist from the first Command and Conquer game. Nod annihilates the station, killing all of those onboard, by firing a nuclear missile after disabling their defenses at Goddard Space Center. Part of the dialogue when Kane transmissions is broadcasted to the world is also the end of the chapter. "Rejoice, children of Nod, the blood of your oppressors will flow..."
The novel describes the actions of GDI's 22nd Infantry Division, led by Michael McNeil, who are decorated as heroes for their adventures, as well as describing the effects of Tiberium on the world with a trip to Atlanta by W3N reporter Annabella Wu. Atlanta is a "Yellow Zone" partially infested with Tiberium but still under GDI control. The story alternates between the experiences of Ricardo Vega and Annabella Wu during the conflict.
[edit] Sequel
A sequel for the book is apparently in the works, based on a page from amazon.de. It is reported to be based on the expansion, Kane's Wrath.
[edit] Reception
The novel has mostly poor reception from fans of the series due to it's out-of-character portrayals of the cast and strange plot twists. To quote a TV Tropes user; "The Command And Conquer: Tiberium Wars Novelization literally went flying across the room when this troper read it. Kane being depicted as a generic fanatic figurehead, Tiberium mutants as Scrin units, Nod being little more than Saturday-morning cartoon villains (complete with a Captain Planet-esque plot to dump Tiberium into the ocean!) GDI acting like brain-dead, gung-ho cowboys that would make the Starship Troopers movie Mobile Infantry seem like an army of Spetznaz, and the Scrin being tacked on to the last few chapters as a virtual afterthought....not to mention some of the most Mildly Military behavior imaginable, like a Private being promoted to Sergeant on his first day, a soldier switching to his sidearm instead of using a fully-loaded rifle to fire a long-range precision headshot, and the Humongous Mecha artillery platform being put to use on the front lines, where it steps on Nod troops rather than use its cannons."
