Book recommendations: Overwatch edition #1

Good morning bookworms!
So, if you know anything about me (except that I love books and cake), you’ll know that I am low-key obsessed with Overwatch. Admittedly, my team in the Overwatch League (New York Excelsior – picked prior to Stage 1 last year as Gansey’s catchphrase is ‘Excelsior!’) isn’t doing too well with the new meta (which is really odd because surely Pine and Saebyeolbe should be back in fine form as DPS?!); however, this is not what I’m here to talk to you about today!
If you’re not aware, Overwatch is a team-based strategy game where each team has an objective, like ‘capture the flag’, but with shooting. The new rules state that each 6 player team must have 2 defence (tank), 2 attack (DPS), and 2 healer (support) characters to make up a team.
When the game first came out, there 24 players that you could choose from, roughly 8 of each. At the moment, there 31 characters to choose from, and my favourite thing about Overwatch is that each of the characters has their own backstory. And Blizzard have actually made animated short films for some of them!! *squeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!*
This is something I’ve been mulling over for quite some time now, because I have wanted to do a book recommendation post for characters, and what better way to share my love of Overwatch, than to give the characters some books to read, and share their backstories with YOU!

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8tjcm_kI0n0&w=560&h=315]

So, now you can see why my heart is so fragile, and Blizzard is amazing, let’s get to just FOUR character’s book recommendations! If you want to read more about them, just click on their names, and their profiles will pop up, and then click on ‘Story’ to learn more!

MEI (and Snowball)

BIOGRAPHY
Real Name: Mei-Ling Zhou
Age: 31
Occupation: Climatologist, Adventurer
Base of Operations: Xi’an, China (formerly)
Affiliation: Overwatch (formerly)
Role: DPS
Origin story above

BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS
Ok, Mei is used to being in the cold, so let’s start with Ice Wolves by Amie Kaufman, and Wintersong by S. Jae-Jones. Both of these are set in the freezing cold weather, so they’ll make Mei feel right at home.
Next up we need a book that deals with grief, because let’s face it, Mei’s story is so sad! I’m adding The House With Chicken Legs by Sophie Anderson. But also a book that has a strong character that overcomes the bad times (you know, for moral support): we’ll do The Last Namsara by Kristen Ciccarelli.
I also want to give Mei a book from my YARC list as her base of operations was in China, so I’m going with Girls of Paper and Fire by Natasha Ngan. This one has another kick-ass heroine in it, so Mei will feel right at home!
Finally, we’ll give her some great stories with a cute robotic sidekick, so that Snowball can get in on the action too. For this we’ll go with Cinder by Marissa Meyer.

TORBJÖRN

BIOGRAPHY
Real Name: Torbjörn Lindholm
Age: 57
Occupation: Weapons Designer
Base of Operations: Gothenburg, Sweden
Affiliation: Overwatch (formerly)
Role: DPS
Origin story (none)

BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS
Torbjorn is a tinkerer, so I feel like he would really like reading about Silas in LIFEL1K3 by Jay Kristoff (although the lifelikes taking over may hit a bit too close to home for him). He’d probably also enjoy reading about the tecknoguilders in Obernewtyn by Isobelle Carmody (misfits who have an affinity for old timer technologies).
He’s also a dwarf, so I feel like I’d be remiss if I didn’t recommend the Lord of the Rings trilogy by J. R. R. Tolkien. I feel like Gimli and Torbjörn could be brethren in another life. Torbjörn is also from Sweden, so I will recommend him The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson.
Finally, Torbjörn is one of the ‘good guys’ and he wants to do right by his team. His daughter, Brigette, has joined the squad, so we need some family friendly books too. For this I’m going with The Boy Who Steals Houses by C. G. Drews because I love the relationship between Moxie and Mr De Lainey, and Pawn of Prophecy by David Eddings for the family and also ‘squad goals’ (plus it’s a bit old school and has a male MC for our grumpy old man here).

MOIRA

BIOGRAPHY
Real Name: Moira O’Deorain
Age: 48
Occupation: Geneticist
Base of Operations: Dublin, Ireland; Oasis, Iraq
Affiliation: Talon; Blackwatch (formerly)
Role: Support
Origin story

BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS
Hmmm, our first ‘baddie’! (Blackwatch is essentially the Hydra to Overwatch’s SHIELD, and then most of their people moved to Talon.) To go with Moira’s geneticist background, I’m going to wish I knew a Poison Ivy book, but instead I’ll recommend Catwoman: Soulstealer by Sarah J. Maas.
I need some witchy books to throw in here as well, so let’s add The Price Guide to the Occult by Leslye Walton, and The Black Witch by Laurie Forrest.
I’ll also throw in my favourite book set in Dublin, which is Back After the Break by Anita Notaro; and also The Wrath and the Dawn by Renée Ahdieh because of it’s beautiful middle eastern style setting.
Now, fun fact about Moira is that she has two different coloured eyes, one red and one blue, so of course, I will be adding in my favourite bloodthirsty mermaid story: To Kill a Kingdom by Alexandra Christo as Lira, our MC has different coloured eyes.

ROADHOG

BIOGRAPHY
Real Name: Mako Rutledge
Age: 48
Occupation: Enforcer (formerly), Bodyguard
Base of Operations: Junkertown, Australia (formerly)
Affiliation: Junkers (formerly)
Role: Tank
Origin story (not really)

BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS
Honestly, I’m trying not to stereotype here, but Roadhog is the type of character that I’d make a smart-ass remark about being impressed if he could read. I would totally recommend that he watch Mad Max and I Know What You Did Last Summer, though. (That hook is seriously terrifying.) However, let’s pretend he can read and we shall continue.
OK, so books for “ruthless killers” would definitely include horrors… which I don’t read, so apologies if these miss the mark a bit! However, I’m going with The Snowman by Jo Nesbo, and American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis (*cough* also with movie options).
As he’s a former bodyguard I’ll add in the Private series by James Patterson, and (more for my amusement) I’m also adding In Bed With the Beast by Tara Sivec.
Finally, some Aussie authors… I’m definitely adding in Ice Station by Matthew Reilly, and finally, I’m doubling up here and giving Roadhog LIFEL1K3 by Jay Kristoff as well – the dystopian setting really suits his background.

What are some recommendations you would give to these characters?