The Hero of Numbani (Overwatch #1)

Nicky Drayden

Jun 2020 · Sold by Scholastic Inc.

About this ebook

The world still needs heroes. Are you with us? Enter the first-ever original novel for Overwatch, the worldwide gaming sensation from Blizzard Entertainment!

In the technologically advanced African city of Numbani, in the not-so-distant future, humans live in harmony with humanoid robots known as omnics. But when a terrorist tries to shatter that unity, a hero named Efi Oladele rises! Efi has been making robots since she was little -- machines to better her community and improve people's lives. But after she witnesses Doomfist's catastrophic attack on the city's OR15 security bots, Efi feels the call to build something greater: a true guardian of Numbani.While Doomfist sows discord between humans and omnics, Efi engineers an intelligent and compassionate robot, Orisa, named after the powerful spirits who guide her people. Orisa has a lot to learn before she's ready to defeat Doomfist, but Efi has some learning to do, too, especially when it comes to building -- and being -- a hero. With Doomfist rallying his forces, and the military powerless to stop him, can Efi mold Orisa into the hero of Numbani before it's too late?This action-packed novel features the fan-favorite characters Efi, Orisa, Doomfist, and Lúcio in an all-new, original story straight from the minds of the Overwatch game team and critically acclaimed author Nicky Drayden!

Ratings and reviews

It was a lot of fun getting to know Efi and her friends and seeing the various shenanigans she gets up to with orisa is a delight to read. The conclusion to me feels a little undercooked and perhaps could've benefitted from an additional chapter or two at the end, but for the most part it was well paced. Some of the references, voice lines and throwaway techsplanations feel a little ham-fisted and superfluous, sometimes killing my immersion for a few seconds, but overall serve the greater lore of overwatch.

A sweet story about the origin of one of my favorite characters in Overwatch. It fit in well with the universe, but it didn't progress the lore as much as promised. A lot of the book was a sort of written version of Orisia's intro video with more depth. The new stuff felt too condensed at the end of the book. In the blink of an eye, it was over. Still an enjoyable read and I recommend it to Overwatch fans!

It's good lore. However, it does not move the story forward a bit from the stories and comics that we already know.

About the author

Nicky Drayden is a systems analyst who dabbles in prose when she’s not buried in code. She resides in Austin, Texas, where being weird is highly encouraged, if not required. Her award-winning novel The Prey of Gods is set in a futuristic South Africa brimming with demigods, robots, and hallucinogenic hijinks. See more of her work at nickydrayden.com or catch her on twitter @nickydrayden.