Fans new and returning will now embark on an epic adventure, where the race for the crown is only the beginning of your spectacular journey. Five decades have passed since the events of Fable II, and Albion has matured into an industrial revolution, but the fate of the kingdom is at peril. In Fable III, you will be called upon to rally and fight alongside your people, ascend to the seat of power, and experience the true meaning of love and loss. The choices and sacrifices you make while fanning the flames of revolution, and then as you rule as King or Queen or Albion, will lead to an ever evolving world of consequences that will be felt across your entire land. This sets the stage for unparalleled action and adventure that offers even more ways to fight and engage than ever before.

Throughout your journey, you will encounter a colorful cast of characters that fans have come to expect from the off-beat style and humor in the Fable games. After determining whether these characters are your friends or foes, you will either join them or fight against them in explosive combat, alone or with a friend on Xbox Live. In your quest to plant the seeds of revolution, seize power and rule over your kingdom, the choices you make will change the world around you, for the greater good or your own personal gain. Who will you become? A rebel without a cause, the tyrant you rebelled against, or the greatest ruler to ever live?

Fable: The Balverine Order (Ace Mass Market Paperback Original; October 5, 2010; $9.99) is a book based on the world-wide video game phenomenon.   This is the first novelization based on the Fable game franchise from Lionhead Studios and will include a special code to unlock an exclusive weapon in the forthcoming Fable III. 

Peter David, the New York Times bestselling author of numerous novels, and the creative mind behind many comics and television projects wrote Fable: The Balverine Order. 

Knowing players would be curious about an original novel set in the Fable world; Lionhead Studios provided something sure to intrigue readers of Fable: The Balverine Order even further: a special weapon for the Fable III game.   Players can download this weapon by redeeming the unique code included in each physical copy of the novel through their Xbox Live accounts, and then use the weapon while playing Fable III.  This weapon code will only be available inside copies of Fable: The Balverine Order. 

The action in Fable: The Balverine Order takes place between Fable II and Fable III.  The days of magic and adventure are fading away, giving way to the age of industry and science.  As the aged last Hero sits upon the throne of Albion, two friends—the privileged Thomas and his loyal servant, John—set out for the East in search of a legendary beast: the vicious, rarely-seen balverine.  But their desire for adventure may be their ultimate undoing—because their quarry has just found them.

Anne Sowards, Executive Editor at Ace Books says, “We are thrilled that Lionhead has made this weapon available as a bonus to readers of the book. It’s tremendously exciting, and certainly the first time we have ever participated in this kind of promotion.”

The team at Lionhead Studios also welcomed the unique opportunity to give players a deeper look inside the Fable universe. 

“Having a novel based on one of our games is a real first for Lionhead Studios” said Studio Head Peter Molyneux, “We are all very proud and pleased with the way the Fable story has evolved to become more powerful with every iteration. Fable: The Balverine Order is a great read in its own right and complements the skill and imagination our in house writing team has shown in creating the world of Albion and making the Fable story so compelling.”

Key Features:

• Be the hero and forge your own destiny. Storytelling comes to life as Fable III puts you and your hero in the center of an epic journey that traces your rise from revolutionary to ruler and beyond, along with all the action, drama and humor. Interacting with the world of Albion has never been easier or more rewarding. The Expressions system offers an ingenious new Dynamic Touch feature that allows your hero to reach out and embrace a loved one, or exact retribution against those who have betrayed you. Your hero, your faithful canine companion and even your weapons now also evolve to extremes mirroring your morality and personal style of combat. The emotional connections players will develop in the world of Fable III will lead to some of the most memorable moments ever experienced in a game.
• Where blockbuster action meets adventure. Your journey spans from the streets of a thriving and industrialized Albion to the surrounding battlefields. The pioneering one-button combat system allows players to easily combine different styles in their arsenal – hand-to-hand melee attacks, long-range precision shooting and wickedly catastrophic spells – to advance the one-button combat mechanic to a full scale, thrilling level that offers infinite ways to engage, experiment and compete.
• Choice and consequence. A core tenet of the Fable franchise, players are presented with infinite choices and consequences that impact the world around them. Good or evil, loved or loathed, career versus family, or just you and your faithful canine companion – live the life you have always dreamed. More so than ever before, your choices lead to far more profound outcomes that impact your every being. Whether it's deciding the outcome of minor squabbles or changing the direction of the entire kingdom, these key decisions will change the world forever.