N5 is my first full-fledged intro to wargaming in general and Infinity specifically. I bought my first set of miniatures ever when I pre-ordered Operation Sandtrap. While twiddling my thumbs waiting for the shipment to arrive, I purchased N4's Raveneye at a LGS to start getting up to speed and then also ordered a used copy of the N4 Core Rules so that I'd have a hard copy of the rules (even if it's the previous version). Why do I bring these two items up since they aren't the N5 Lore Book? It's because I'm stealing redditor No-Responsibility411's description of Raveneye and applying it to both the N4 Core and N5 Lore Books: "I picked up the Raveneye [remove Raveneye and insert N5 Lore here] book, excited to get engrossed in the world of the game I'm really enjoying. But... it's really bad. It is rambling, dull, fanfiction quality, and I'm kinda sad about it :( ." (https://www.reddit.com/r/InfinityTheGame/comments/x1kbyu/does_infinity_have_any_good_novels_or_lore_books/?rdt=35739)
All three books, N4 Core, Raveneye, and N5 Lore, are identically formatted. It's as if a bunch of articles returned by an Internet search on various topics in the Infinity Realm were put to hard copy and bound. I found the formatting interesting when I first started but I couldn't get past the first couple of chapters before getting bored and putting the book aside. In fact, writing this review prompted me to open it up again for the first time since I tossed it four days after it arrived. I was so looking forward to reading the book and now I'm disgruntled that it didn't live up to my expectations.
Pros:
1. Awesome artwork! This is the biggest seller for me and is what brings the review's score up. It's too bad I wanted a lore book and not a coffee table book.
2. The format is interesting in small doses. The fact that everything is written as if it's from in-universe is a gimmick that adds some character to the lore, which is appreciated in small amounts.
Cons:
1. The fact that everything is written as if it's from in-universe is a gimmick that overstays its welcome! I don't want everything to be written like it's propaganda for the associated faction. As No-Responsibility411 posted (I'm repeating this because this is the driver for the score), "It is rambling, dull, fanfiction quality, and I'm kinda sad about it :(."
I'd rather read a history textbook than the N5 Lore book. Heck, if the N5 Lore book were written as a history textbook it would have been an improvement. Is it too late for that change?
