Guild Wars 2: Edge of Destiny Review & Character Reactions

Spoiler Warning: This article is spoiler-free up until the indicated point. 

After I gave Ghosts of Ascalon a pretty harsh assessment, I’m happy to say that I very much enjoyed ArenaNet’s second go at the Guild Wars 2: Edge of Destiny book. I’d go as far as to say that it really blew Ghosts out of the water in terms of characters and action. It was a great read that introduced us to key characters who play a central role for the core Guild Wars 2 game, and for years after release.

Purchase Guild Wars 2 Edge of Destiny from Amazon

Guild Wars 2 Edge of Destiny Review

The characters felt more developed, going beyond simple caricatures of their races. In Ghosts of Ascalon, each person seemed a stereotyped  personification of their race. Here, they feel much more like individuals with quirks, talents, and habits that gave them substance. Their interactions with one another were also satisfying and believable. Although the dynamic between Logan and Rytlock sometimes teetered on ridiculous, it was also the primary source of humor which brought lightness to the story.

I felt there wasn’t much individual growth over the story other than from Caithe. However I think that’s because the focus wasn’t on them separately but rather as a team. It’s a story about Destiny’s Edge: How they came to be, what they meant to the world, and how their journey ends before the start of the story of Guild Wars 2. It was an important setup that gives the ending more significance, so there wasn’t much time to focus on them separately. I think this was a good choice.

A More Fulfilling Story

The story was entertaining, mixing the rise and fall of these heroes with important setup for the game. It fulfilled the latter much better than Ghosts of Ascalon did, in my opinion. The main antagonists were the very dragons we’re expected to challenge in the game. There were a few twists and a few frustrations. The ending had a definite wow-factor.

The action was relentless, but never overwhelming. We get a lot of build-up for the first big conflict which allows us to get to know the characters and their skills. This paved the way for the subsequent battles to be told in an increasingly swift manner without feeling like you missed anything.

All in all, I definitely enjoyed it. Once again we have to keep in mind the purpose of these books: they are to fill us in on the story of the game. We shouldn’t expect deep complexity since it needs to be accessible to people who may not be regular readers. But for what it is, Edge of Destiny provided an easy to read, enjoyable adventure that was well-written and dramatic. It provided many answers, raised even more questions, and prepared us for the challenges we’ll face when stepping up to the hero plate in Guild Wars 2.

To The Readers: What did you guys think? Better or worse than GoA?  Favorite characters / parts? How do you think this will affect the stories in GW2? Any other forum discussions / reviews I missed, let me know!

So now for the spoiler-ridden in-depth part, follow the jump

Edge of Destiny Characters & Races

Logan

Once again the human seems to have the least exciting personality and backstory throughout. But even so, Logan’s development really fits in with how we see him in Ghosts of Ascalon. It’s also a bit of irony that it is ultimately his brash action at the end that ruins everything.

With his little-brother complex and infatuation with Queen Jennah, Logan at time feels weak on his own. He is defined not by who he is as much as by the people in his life. The relationship with his brother Dylan is less than interesting and even a little cliché. But it’s important to understand Logan’s character, as he uses his resentment of Dylan as an excuse to be an outcast. He is funniest when he is bickering with Rytlock and the most heroic when fighting for Jennah.

Showing off in front of the queen and besting his older brother play a big part in showcasing Logan’s insecurities. I’m not at all surprised at his final decision to prioritize Jennah, but I don’t think he expected the consequences. From the perspective of the other characters, he abandoned them to save a love interest. Every single person in the story lost something important except for him. Instead of owning up to the impact of his actions,  he settles by inflicting a self-punishment by becoming the older brother he resented. It’s left him cold and empty, which is essentially how we find him at the start of Ghosts of Ascalon.

Queen Jennah

She’s a bit hard to pin-point. I almost forgot she was in Ghosts of Ascalon at all, but she played a more prevalent role here. This gave us more of a look at who she is as a character. She is mysterious, purposefully so, and this is un-surprising considering she’s a mesmer and a monarch. No better combination than illusion magic and politics to make for a very allusive and interesting character. I honestly can’t tell what is real and what isn’t when it comes to her, which makes her an interesting character.
Her relationship with Logan, for instance, is defined by a mix of flattery and idolization. Dylan seems convinced that she is using magic to mesmerize Logan, but I get the feeling she doesn’t even have to. He is so infatuated with her that all she really needs is shower him with attention and words and he’s completely at her whim. What her intentions are is really up in the air; but that’s exactly what makes her one of the better characters in the story.

Rytlock

This charmer served as the primary source of humor in Edge of Destiny, having the most lighthearted personality. He was the butt of many jokes and the source of some of the best wit and one-liners in the entire book. All the funny things that happen to him, between not being able to swim, getting sea-sick, and being awkwardly tossed about by golems, and his animated reactions make him the most entertaining character. It’s an interesting contrast to Ember and Almorra, the main Charr in the previous book. While they all share that charr temper and over-confidence, Ember was serious and dutiful where Rytlock was rebellious and free-spirited.
It’s obvious from the get-go that Rytlock is a deviation from the charr as we’ve known them up until this time in Tyria’s history in terms of personality, since he’s a bit of a rogue and was allegedly “kicked out” of the Blood Legion and his warband for being, well…annoying.
I think Rytlock’s relationship with Logan was interesting. The source of much of the humor in EoD is the borderline flirtatious antics between the two. It’s chalked up to brotherhood, something the Charr take very seriously, and something I think Logan really needed.

Caithe

The sylvari continue to spark mystery, and Caithe brought with her an entire cauldron of new questions about not only their society and culture but inter-personal relationships. In particular, I was fascinated with her interactions with Faolin. We didn’t know much about relationships for Slyvari since they are much different than that of other creatures. They clearly love[d] each other very deeply, and Caithe sincerely cares for her. She is upset to the point of tears over Faolin, something that seemed surprising coming from Slyvari who were still learning about emotions and what they mean.
She seems much more developed than Killeen was in Ghosts, a story that takes place four years after. In the end, she is the one who desperately tried to hold the team together, paying visits to and spending time with them since they broke up. And yet she didn’t seem to mourn the loss of Logan or Snaff, not in the traditional sense. It’s hard to gauge whether she was truly upset or just finding it illogical. They had a group with so much potential break up over distress and betrayal, concepts she may not yet understand fully. She still very much as the child-like mentality, though, finding it difficult to deal with confusion and torn emotions (like her rejection of Faolin). And I thought the scene where she asked Rytlock “What does that mean?” open desperately upon his departure was particularly powerful, especially because of his silence.

Eir

Simply put, she is wonderful. She really does make a great leader and it’s great to see a strong female in that role. She’s resourceful, determined, iron-willed and most importantly willing to adapt based on other people’s input. Although she is a little humorless, she still is thoughtful and has her witty moments. I love that she’s an artistic soul, too (a little biased, as a creative myself). Everything she does is executed with the meticulous planning and attention to detail that any artist would with their work. She has a very strong need to succeed, probably driven by the death of her father. She is also cynical due to the Norn’s reckless attempt to fight Jormag’s champion without thinking. This is probably why she took their failure at the end so to heart.

Snaff and Zojja

Major points go to the Asura this round! Snaff and Zojja are some of the funniest and most lovable characters in Guild Wars yet. They are like a married couple (which seemingly isn’t too far from the truth) constantly bickering  but still pretty openly affectionate in their weird asuran ways. Zojja’s antics can get a little aggravating, but it’s obvious her heart is in the right place. Still, she seemed a little spoiled and so her dramatic “nothing matters anymore” reaction to Snaff’s death isn’t surprising.
Snaff was great. He was a lot of fun and in a weird way seemed almost the wise elder in the group. He was brilliant and powerful but oddly humble (for an asura). It felt obvious from early on he was going to be the one to die, with at least four different points of foreshadowing. I think it’s also important his death was borderline not a heroic sacrifice. It was tragic, unexpected, and unwanted ending to Edge of Destiny. Snaff didn’t want to die, but he was unfortunately the victim.

Final Thoughts on Edge of Desitny

Overall, Edge of Destiny stands out as a significant improvement over Ghosts of Ascalon. With stronger character development and an engaging, action-packed storyline that sets the stage for Guild Wars 2. Though some characters like Logan remain somewhat predictable, others—like Rytlock and Caithe—bring depth and intrigue that keep the narrative fresh and exciting. The book excels at balancing individual quirks with team dynamics. This ultimately leaves us with both answers and new mysteries to unravel. For fans of the game, it’s a solid read that enriches the lore and deepens the emotional stakes of the world we’re a part of.

If you enjoyed this review of Guild Wars 2: Edge of Destiny check out some more of our gaming book reviews here at Variant Ventures.