Assassin's Creed: Renaissance

"While I thought that I was learning to live, I have been learning how to die."

- Leonardo da Vinci

Assassin's Creed: Renaissance is a novel based on the Assassin's Creed series written by Oliver Bowden and published by Penguin Books. It is a novelised version of the game Assassin's Creed II; however, rather than spanning a vast period of time, it is set only in the 15th century with no mention of the game's present-day events. The novel was released in the United Kingdom on November 26, 2009, six days after the UK release of Assassin's Creed II, and was released in North America on February 23, 2010.

Plot

 * See Assassin's Creed II storyline

"'I will seek vengeance upon those who betrayed my family. I am Ezio Auditore da Firenze. I am an assassin...'"

Betrayed by the ruling families of Italy, a young man embarks upon an epic quest for vengeance. To eradicate corruption and restore his family's honor, he will learn the art of the assassin.

Along the way, Ezio will call upon the wisdom of such great minds as Leonardo da Vinci and Niccolò Machiavelli - knowing that survival is bound to the skills by which he must live.

To his allies, he will become a force for change - fighting for freedom and justice. To his enemies, he will become a threat dedicated to the destruction of the tyrants abusing the people of Italy.

So begins an epic story of power, revenge and conspiracy.

TRUTH WILL BE WRITTEN IN BLOOD

Differences and Extras
Despite being a textual version of the game, there are some mild differences present in the novel; there have also been things that were added into the book that were not included in the game.

Giovanni.


 * In the novel, Vieri de' Pazzi throws a rock at Ezio and it hits him in the forehead. In the game, it hits him on the right side of his lip.
 * During the first fight with Vieri de'Pazzi, Ezio is said to have a dagger with him including his allies and Vieri's thugs, though in the game Ezio gets his first weapon when he finds his father's assassin robe. Also the fight scene in the game takes place late at night, while in the game it's set in the afternoon.
 * When Ezio heads over to the pigeon coop to receive a note for his father, he finds some graffiti behind the coop that reads: "HE THAT INCREASETH KNOWLEDGE INCREASETH SORROW" and "WHERE IS THE PROPHET?" This was only mentioned in the novel.
 * In the novel, Cristina Vespucci's name is changed to Cristina Calfucci. The novel also provides a short account to how Ezio met Cristina.
 * Ezio heads over to Cristina's to spend the night after his father and brothers were taken to prison. In the game, the player is not given details; supposedly, went to his mother and sister's hideout. Other parts of the book includes him going to Cristina's house - where Cristina meets with him in her room - hours after his father and brothers are executed, to collect his pouch he left there; and before Ezio meets La Volpe, he sees her again where he helps her fiancé. Both events were also not in the game.
 * In the game, Ezio's father and brothers are executed simultaneously. In the novel, Petruccio is executed first shortly followed by the execution of Federico and then finally Giovanni.
 * Ezio gives his father and brothers a proper burial by placing them in torched boats set a-drift into the sea. In the game, Ezio only mentions they were given a proper burial.
 * In the game, Ezio receives Paola's training after he sees his mother and sister. In the book, he receives training before he sees them.
 * In the novel, Ezio's first hidden blade is attached to his right forearm instead of his left.
 * Also, Ezio's second hidden blade is a double bladed wrist weapon, not just a single blade.
 * Maria and Claudia Auditore stay in Mario's villa in the game, but in the novel, the two of them stay in a convent, where Claudia becomes a nun although she later changes her mind and stays at the villa.
 * In the novel, La Volpe's name is revealed to be Gilberto (although he wishes Ezio to call him 'La Volpe'). In the game, La Volpe's name is only his pseudonym (according to the database files) and no real name is mentioned.
 * In the game, during the trip to Venice with Leonardo da Vinci, Ezio drives the wagon while avoiding Borgia's men. In the novel, he rides a single horse and slays the five riders. Also in the novel, da Vinci has a group of wagon riders and bodyguards with him before the attack, all of whom run away at the first sign of trouble.
 * In the novel, the bullets for Ezio's hidden gun are provided by Leonardo instead of the blacksmiths.
 * The events that cover the Battle of Forli and the Bonfire of the Vanities are told in the novel. In the game, those two events were inaccessible due to corrupt memories and only available through downloadable contents.
 * Quite possibly the most drastic change during the novel is while in The Vault, when Ezio is speaking to Minerva, there is no mention of Desmond or the Modern Times Assassins; however, Minerva still mentions that Ezio anchors the one for whom the message is intended (Desmond), hence the message is still not meant for Ezio.
 * Dante's ex-wife's name is changed from Carlotta to Gloria in the novel.
 * Annetta was said to escape and go to the villa. This was not shown in the game.
 * In the game Ezio angerily stabs Alberti 5 times in the chest but in the novel he stabs him in the throat.
 * In the novel, its is said that when Ezio walks out of The Vault he sees Rodrigo Borgia face full a poison that he drank, for he believed that his life purpose was to get into the vault, since he drank the poison he dies in the Sistane Papal instead of living on like he does in the game.
 * In the novel Ezio finds many of codex pages from the dead remains of his enemies, he found one page in Vieri's pouch and another one in Francesco de Pazzi's. In the game Ezio finds most of the Codex Pages in banks.
 * In the novel it is revealed that Vieri also liked Chirstina and tried to kiss her by force until Ezio came to the scene and fought Vieri off.
 * In the novel Ezio respectfully kisses Jacopo de' Pazzi on the forehead before his death, also instead of ending his slow suffering by stabbing him in the throat like in the game Ezio mercifully stabs Jacopo's heart.
 * Unlike in the game, it is revealed in the novel that Mario is shown many times to be nervous at the fact that Ezio shares the knowledge of the Codex to Leonardo because he's not sure if anyone can be trusted with the information, still Ezio still goes to Leonardo to improve the hidden blade.
 * In the novel the hidden blade is more often referred to as the "codex blade."
 * In the novel, when the other Assassins put Ezio in their order, they are all whereing the iconic assassin hood, but in the game they are whereing what they normally where.

Terminology

 * "See Assassin's Creed: Renaissance/Terminology"

The novel uses Italian and Latin terminology, just like the game, but instead, releases the terms between numbered pages 509-516.

Release
The novel was released in the United Kingdom six days after the release of Assassin's Creed II on 26 November, 2009 and was released in the United States until 23 February, 2010. A Kindle Edition can be purchased from Amazon.com which was released November 26, 2009.

Pricing

 * United Kingdom
 * Amazon.co.uk: £3.49
 * Waterstones: £3.49
 * WH Smith: £3.49


 * United States
 * Amazon.com (Paperback): $9.99
 * Amazon.com (Kindle): $6.87