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 are also things added into the book that were not included in the game.

Characters

 * In the novel, La Volpe's name is revealed to be Gilberto, although he still wishes Ezio to call him "La Volpe." In the game, it is revealed that "La Volpe" is only his pseudonym (according to the database files) but no real name is mentioned.
 * In the novel, Dante Moro's ex-wife's name is changed from Carlotta to Gloria.
 * In the novel, Cristina Vespucci's name is changed to Cristina Calfucci.
 * In the novel, Mario Auditore has a thick beard and is stated to be twice Ezio's size. In the game, however, Mario has stubble and a small moustach and his build is around the same as Ezio's.
 * Leonardo DaVinci

Relationships

 * In the novel, a short account on how Ezio first met Cristina is provided.
 * In the novel, it is revealed that Vieri also liked Cristina and once tried to kiss her by force, until Ezio came to the scene and fought Vieri off. A similar scene is seen within Brotherhood though it showcase Ezio as a novice at being a playboy.
 * In the novel, 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 as to where Ezio spent the night.
 * Different parts of the book detail him visiting Cristina's house several other times, such as hours after his father and brothers are executed to collect a pouch he left there, and before Ezio meets La Volpe, wherein he helps her fiancé. These visits are also not in the game.
 * In the novel, Ezio's relationship with Rosa is explored in more detail; whereas in the game they merely flirt with each other. In the novel, it is confirmed that they are lovers.

Equipment

 * In the game, after becoming an Assassin, Ezio's outfit generally stays the same except for the cape. In the novel, Ezio frequently changes his clothes to blend in better, such as wearing monks' robes when going to the monastery, or wearing poor civilian clothes within the village outside Forlì.
 * In the novel, Ezio's first hidden blade is attached to his right forearm instead of his left.
 * In the novel, Ezio's second hidden blade is a double-bladed wrist weapon, not just a single blade as in the game.
 * In the novel, Ezio changes his hidden blade between the poison blade and the normal blade between missions; but in the game, when Ezio gets the poison blade, he can change it on the fly. This is most obvious when Ezio performs double assassinations.
 * In the novel, the bullets for Ezio's hidden gun are provided by Leonardo, instead of the blacksmiths.
 * In the novel, the hidden blade is more often referred to as the "Codex blade."
 * Unlike in the game, it is revealed in the novel that Mario is shown many times to be nervous of the fact that Ezio shares the knowledge of the Codex to Leonardo, because he is not sure if anyone can be trusted with it. Despite this, Ezio still goes to Leonardo to decode the pages and improve the hidden blade.
 * In the novel, Ezio finds many Codex pages on the dead remains of his enemies; such as retrieving one page from Vieri de' Pazzi's pouch and another one from Francesco de' Pazzi's. In the game, Ezio finds most of the Codex Pages in Templar banks.
 * In the novel, Leonardo discovers that the Codex hides a map, even without having all of the pages. In the game, Ezio is the one to find out by using his Eagle Vision.

Assassinations

 * In the game, Ezio angrily stabs Uberto Alberti multiple times in the chest, but in the novel, he stabs him in the throat.
 * In the novel, Ezio respectfully kisses Jacopo de' Pazzi on the forehead before his death. Instead of ending his slow suffering by stabbing him in the throat like in the game, Ezio instead stabs Jacopo's heart.
 * In the novel, Ezio cuts a cross mark onto some of the corpses of his targets, such as Silvio Barbarigo's and Dante Moro's, likely as a symbol of the Templars.

Other Events

 * 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, giving him the characteristic scar also shared with Altaïr and Desmond.
 * In the novel, during the first fight with Vieri, Ezio (including his allies and Vieri's thugs) is said to have a dagger with him; though in the game, Ezio gets his first weapon only when he finds his father's Assassin robe. Also, the fight scene in the novel takes place late at night, while in the game, it is set in the afternoon.
 * In the novel, when Ezio heads over to the pigeon coop to receive the 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 message is not mentioned in the game.
 * In the game, Ezio's father and brothers are executed simultaneously. In the novel, Petruccio is executed first, shortly followed by Federico, and then finally, Giovanni.
 * 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 gives his father and brothers their final rites by placing them in torched boats set adrift at sea. In Brotherhood, it is revealed the bodies were going to be dumped in the river so Ezio and Chirstina secretly took the bodies and gave a burial in a farmer's field.
 * 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 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, when the other Assassins allow Ezio to join their Order, they are all wearing the iconic Assassin hood; but in the game they are wearing what they normally wear.
 * The events that cover the Battle of Forlì and the Bonfire of the Vanities are told in the novel. In the game, the two events are only accessible through downloadable content.
 * In the novel, while Ezio is speaking to Minerva in The Vault, there is no mention of Desmond or the Modern Time Assassins. However, Minerva still mentions that Ezio only anchors the one for whom the message is intended, hence the message is still not meant for Ezio.
 * In the novel, Ezio walks out of The Vault to witness Rodrigo Borgia die after drinking poison, believing that he had failed his life's purpose of getting into the vault. In the game, Ezio spares his life, and the Pope is seen to be alive within Brotherhood.
 * In the novel, this final scene takes place in 1503, unlike in the game, which took place in 1499.
 * This scene is reverted in the new novel, wherein Ezio sees Rodrigo as he leaves, but when he comes back to check if Rodrigo is dead, he has gone; leaving only the Papal Cape behind.

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