Tied into next week's Assassin's Creed II, Ubisoft is looking to expand Ezio Auditore da Firenze's 15th-Century Italian playground through a new book titled Assassin's Creed: Renaissance. Written by Oliver Bowden and set to be published by Penguin books on November 26, the novel will follow the formative years of Ezio and -- along with the Lineage short films -- build upon the game's universe, the Guardian reports.

If you're looking for a sneak peek before the book clambers, dives and stabs its way to retail, the Guardian has put up a fairly long bit of prose from the upcoming tie-in. It deals with Ezio's mother and some paintings she commissioned from a rather famous painter. There's possible spoilers involved, so click over at your own risk.

Source - Book announcement
Source - A lengthy excerpt from the book

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