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 novelized version of the popular Ubisoft game Assassin's Creed II, except it is set only in the 15th century; and does not contain the present day events that happen during the game. The novel was released in the UK on the 26th of November, six days after the UK release of Assassin's Creed II. 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. I found the novel while browsing through Exclusive Books during my holiday, and I must say it is a really good read and recommended for anyone who likes the Assassin's Creed franchise. The novel stays pretty close to the story of the game with only minor differences here and there, but nothing that is big enough to distract from the overall story and at R180 a pretty good bargain. Not to mention that the book art is absolutely gorgeous.