Released in November 2009 alongside the release of Assassin's Creed II, a currently-French only comic spanning Desmond's time before Assassin's Creed, and into the second game itself. However, it is unlikely the story itself in Canon with in-game events, specifically with the opening scenes of Assassin's Creed II and characters such as Subject 16's appearance. The only released book at present is known as "Assassin's Creed vol. I: Desmond", which aludes to more books to come in the series; however nothing has been confirmed.
Plotline
The novel begins at a Psychiatric Hospital known as St. Erembert. Supervisors are rounding up patient at the end of the day, and notice somebody is missing; said person is shortly discovered dead. As a supervisor panics and calls for help, he is assaulted by a man who calls himself Subject 16. He then proceeds to climb over a wall and execute a Leap of Faith, and his fate is otherwise unknown until later into the novel.
The plot then moves onto an Assassin travelling to a town on horseback in what appears to be Roman times, introducing himself as "Aquilus, son of Lucius". He then proceeds to speak to the leader of the town about various matters, but is then stabbed in the gut and seemingly dies. The scene then moves to Desmond at Abstergo's labs, who was living the previous experience via the Animus as Vidic and various Abstergo executives watch. Lucy then interupts, insisting that Desmond should take a rest. The executives unwillingly oblige.
The executives then have a meeting inside the Conference Room, discussing things such as the Animus Project before moving onto discussing Subject 16; he is shown as a large, bald-headed man in medical-like garment upon the Animus. Things seem to be running smoothly, before he screams in terror and violently awakes from the Animus, ripping open his shirt and tracking his nails violently down his face. He assaults Lucy and Vidic, and it is apparantly "10 Minutes before security arrived and sedated him.". In these 10 minutes, 16 is seen writing atomic structures of elements and other such drawings on the floors from the blood pouring down his face. He is sedated and strapped down to the bed in the adjoining room, however, for reasons unknown, he was found naked and bleeding on the floor in the morning, the Cryptic Messages seen in both games having been drawn on the walls and floor. It is mentioned he lived though, as seen at the beginning of the novel.
Desmond is then seen awaking in said room, seemingly a short period of time after his capture by Abstergo; he is awakened by Lucy inserting a syringe of somekind into his arm. After a brief introduction and conversation, Lucy suggests Desmond gets some sleep. While sleeping, Desmond dreams of his capture by Abstergo; Lucy is seen at the bar ("L' Horizon") Desmond worked at, and is seen flirting and making conversation with him. After hours, they head back to an apartment and proceed to have drinks. However, Lucy has slipped a sedative into Desmond's and he proceeds to pass out. Desmond then awakes, and demands answers from Lucy and Vidic, however Vidic sedates him and he falls back into slumber. He is then taken back to the Animus, in which he relives Altair's assassination of Tamir during Assassin's Creed, a brief encounter with Malik (however seemingly before the events at Solomon's Temple, they share a friendship) and the final encounter with Al Mualim. Vidic views a hologram of the World Map seen in the ending of Assassin's Creed, is pleased, and then leaves after having a brief confrontation with Lucy. Desmond awakes, and is stunned to discover blood messages written all over the floors and walls of both the lab and his room. (However these messages look nothing like the ones seen in-game.)
The events of the beginning of Assassin's Creed II then occur; Lucy finds Desmond, enters him into the Animus for a few short minutes and they make their escape via the Parking Lot. When they arrive at the seemingly identical warehouse however, they are confronted by an ally known as Tom, with no sight nor mention of Shaun or Rebecca. They discuss plans, before a man in a leather jacket arrives, greeting them and announcing his escape from St. Erembert; Subject 16. Lucy addresses him as Michael, they argue over whether it should be him or Desmond deserving to be put into the Animus based on their heritage, which Michael claims to be superior much to the denial of Lucy and Tom. He finally produces a Hidden Blade and moves to attack Desmond, before being knocked-out by Lucy; who tells Tom to find somewhere for Michael where he can neither harm others nor himself. The scene then shifts to Desmond in an Animus almost identical to Abstergo's, in a dark smoky lab, surrounded by Lucy and various Scientists. He then enters Ezio's memories, and the novel ends.
Trivia
- It is very much doubted that this Novel is canon to the game at all. The biggest contradiction is that Subject 16 is alive; the official guidebooks for the game state that Abstergo's doctors
thumb|300px|right|Trailer for the Bande Desinée version of the novel "were too late to save him" after he cuts a vein to produce the messages seen by Desmond's Eagle Vision. Lucy seems to react extremely uncaring and annoyed by his presence later in the Novel, which contradicts greatly to the visible guilt and grief she shows about him during the games. As well as this, the progression into Assassin's Creed II's main events via the Modern Times's Assassins and Animus are entirely different.
- The Novel is only available in French-language in Canada, and possibly France. This would make sense, as the main development studio for the games in is Montreal, Canada.
- The book is available in bookstores at an RRP of $23.95 (Canadian Dollars), and also as an iPhone/iPod Touch application via the iTunes store.