The Myst: The Book of Ti'ana

by Rand Miller and David Wingrove

Book Overview

Published to coincide with the release of the new Myst CD-ROM, an atmospheric fantasy tale chronicles the desperate struggle of TiAna, the grandmother of Atrus, against the evil schemes of Veovis, the... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0786889209
• ISBN13: 9780786889204
• Release Date: January 1996
• Publisher: Hachette Books
• Length: 528 Pages
• Weight: 0.65 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.3" x 4.2" x 6.8"
• Age Range: 18 years and up
• Grade Range: Postsecondary and higher

Customer Reviews

Intriguing and very hard to put down.

Did you ever wish you could step into the world of MYST without solving puzzles that vex your brain and try your patience? Well, now you can. This book is your window into the world of the people of D'ni through the eyes of an outsider, and it is quite a compelling journey at that. For fans of the MYST series of games, this is a treat to say the least. The descriptions of excavation work are technical but not so much so that you can't picture scenes in your head or know exactly what's going on. I love the sense of awe and wonder that is present as the heroine of the story makes her journey into this ancient culture and learns it's language, customs, traditions and so on. The descriptions of the various Ages are vivid but simple enough to be beautiful to your mind without being too wordy.One great thing about this book too is the pacing. There are plenty of scenes of working with the rocks, caverns, and so on, but the book never drags. Throw in a very engaging plot of the dangers of change to ancient customs and the re-emergence of an old nuisance to D'ni society, and you have a sure-fire recipe for a book that is a winner. There's even elements of a very clever who-dun-it thrown in for good measure.In short this book has it all. Vivid characters you can care for, crisp pacing, tension, awe, wonder, beauty, and a real emotional effect on the reader. Take a journy back in time to the world of Myst before the games. Step into a world of wonder that is so enticing that you may wish you never had to leave. You will definitely remember this story long after you close the book. It's only too bad that there isn't a linking panel in the book itself somewhere. Peace. :)

The Utopia of Books!

I loved this book SO much. Sadly enough, I thought that The Book of Atrus was going to help me to solve MYST, the game, so I read it. I don't care how I got hooked on the series, but now I absolutely LOVE it! I've read all three of the book numbers of times and I love them all! Ti'Ana is the best of them all though. The story is so compelling and interesting that you can't stop reading. It's so great. The books are out of order by the order written. Ti'Ana is the first book, then Atrus, then D'ni (pronounced duh-knee). Aitrus (not Atrus) is Atrus' grandfather. The Book of Atrus takes place a while after, when Gehn (Ti'Ana's and Aitrus' son) has a son that he comes back for named Atrus. Then the third book has an older Atrus. Read just one of these books and you'll be hooked. I'm just sad that the writers have stopped writing them...I think they should continue on....I LOVE THEM!

a wonderful book

This book, The Book of Ti'ana, is quite possibly the best book I have ever read, and I've read a lot of great books. I have read Ti'ana over twenty times (honestly) and it still leaves me breathless. The scope of vision is amazing, and the depth of feeling and theme is even more so. In this book, there is love and hatred and sacrifice, loyalty and betrayal, sadness and joy, tragedy and triumph. I know that sounds corny, but it's only true. I won't give away the plot, but what especially affected me is how a basically good man was tricked into becoming evil. Also, the love story of Anna and Aitrus (that's not giving anything away, you can read that on the back cover) was so sweet, wonderful, poetic, and bittersweet. Tears were streaming down my face by the final pages. And it wasn't like I finished it and started reading something else; I thought about it continuously for weeks afterward. The games are great, but you can love this book (and the other two myst books)even if you've never played the game. The Book of Atrus is awesome too, but i felt the Book of D'ni lacked the scope and feeling and imagination of the other two. What I'd like to see is a book about Gehn's growing up, how he became twisted after the twisting started in Ti'ana's book, and how anna and gehn started over... but I guess I'll have to wait for that. Wonderful book, guys: READ IT! You'll never forget it. =) }:I:{

Wonderful fantasy that everyone can enjoy!

This is the first book of the series that I read (missing The Book of Atrus) and I'm now into Book of D'ni. A reader doesn't have to know all about the games Myst or Riven to understand the goings on. I'm a 34 year-old mother of two and couldn't put this book down!

An excellent introduction to the back-story of MYST.

The Book of Ti'ana is the perfect introduction to the back-story of MYST for three reasons. First of all, it is the first of the three books chronologically (on the timeline, they read as the books of Ti'ana, Atrus, and D'ni), relating the story of Anna, the first human to contact D'ni, and her subsequent relationship with a D'ni lord. Secondly, it rarely mentions the characters in the MYST or RIVEN games, so those who have not played them will (hopefully) not get lost. Thirdly, it's really good. It's richly detailed, immersive, and exciting. And for those who have played the game, don't worry: you don't need to conquer any strange, arcane puzzels to complete this novel - it's a quick, smooth, and rewarding read. Of course, everything the Miller brothers touches seems to turn to gold, so it's not really surprising that it's so good. As for the other novels, I can't say, but based on the strength of The Book of Ti'ana, I'm buying The Book of Atrus from this fine e! -stablishment, and I'll be getting D'Ni as soon as it comes out on paperback.