Omnihanded Entertainmet News | Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell Novels Will Keep You Busy Until The Netflix Series

It’s been a while since we saw a new entry in the Splinter Cell series, but fans can look forward to the return of Sam Fisher when he sneaks onto Netflix with a fresh animated series on October 14. Liev Schreiber (Ray Donovan, Logan) will voice the Third Echelon operative for its eight-episode run, and if you’re excited about the upcoming series, but have already played through the stealth-action video game series, consider checking out the classic Tom Clancy Splinter Cell novels that both the video games and the new Netflix animated series are based on. Better yet, many of the books are discounted at Amazon, making now the ideal time to dive into the espionage thriller series.

Like many other books, video games, or TV series bearing the late author’s name, Tom Clancy never actually wrote any of the Splinter Cell books. Instead, they’re written by David Michaels, Peter Telep, and other popular authors who follow a similar format to Clancy’s earlier works.

If you’re just getting started, it makes sense to start with the first book, aptly titled Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell, which is on sale for just $8.94 (was $10). The book introduces Third Echelon, Fisher, and the many people on his team who help him survive out in the field. Fans of the Splinter Cell video games will recognize the tense military espionage action and Sam Fisher’s morbid sense of humor. From there, the Splinter Cell book series includes eight more novels, for a total of nine (so far). The direct follow-up Splinter Cell: Operation Barracuda, while book three, Splinter Cell: Checkmate, and book four, Splinter Cell: Fallout, introduce new storylines.

While the first few books are largely original stories that only lightly touch on the video games, several of the later novels tie into or outright retell the events of several games in the series–including Splinter Cell: Conviction and Splinter Cell: Endgame, which serve as the basis for the game also titled Splinter Cell: Conviction. Then Splinter Cell: Blacklist Aftermath details events that take place after the last game, Splinter Cell: Blacklist, making it a great choice for fans who’ve been waiting for Ubisoft to resurrect the dormant series. Blacklist Aftermath is the most expensive physical edition book in the series at $25.86, but you can grab the Kindle version for just $7.

Fans will also be excited to know that there are even more novels set after the events of the video games. 2022’s Splinter Cell: Firewall and its sequel, Splinter Cell: Dragonfire, see Fisher return once again, this time training his daughter, Sarah, as the next generation of super-spy, and both team up against new threats. The two latest books are available as Kindle-exclusive ebooks on Amazon. In fact, for those who prefer ebooks, the rest of the series is also available on Kindle. You’ll find the full list of Splinter Cell books available at Amazon below.

Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell Novels

Splinter Cell (paperback) — $8.94 (~~$10~~) | Kindle — $5
Operation Barracuda (paperback) — $7 ($8) | Kindle — $5 ($8)
Checkmate (paperback) — $10 | Kindle — $5 (~~$10~~)
Fallout (paperback) — $10 (~~$11~~) | Kindle — $5 (~~$11~~)
Conviction (paperback) — $10 | Kindle — $10
Endgame (paperback) — $11 | Kindle — $5 (~~$11~~)
Blacklist Aftermath (paperback) — $25.86 | $7 on Kindle
Firewall (Kindle) — $10
Dragonfire (Kindle) — $10

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How to Unlock End to Dumbest Slumber

In order to tackle the Soundest of Sleepers prophecy in Hades 2, you have to complete three incantations. To access them, you first need to speak to Hypnos whenever you’re in the Crossroads. You need to gift him two bottles of Nectar and collect at least one Poppy, which is obtained by gathering Poppy Seeds and planting them in your garden at the Crossroads. The main NPC that you need to speak to is Medea in Ephyra, which is the first region when you’re attempting a surface run.

Medea is your go-to NPC for this questline.

Completing these steps will unlock the End to Deepest Slumber incantation, which can be accessed from the cauldron. You’ll need one Molly, two Mandrake, and three Poppy flowers to complete it. Once that’s done, you’ll gain a Dream Vapor. Go ahead and gift it to Hypnos, and this will start a dream sequence.

During early access, the Olympic Update added the End to Dearest Slumber incantation. It has the same requirements as the previous one (albeit with an additional Mandrake), and you’ll once again enter Hypnos’ dream sequence. Sadly, this won’t be enough to wake him up, as there’s a third and final incantation.

As with everything in Hades 2, it might take you a few runs to actually see progress with conversations. Make sure to always be speaking to Medea when she’s available in Ephyra, and she’ll eventually unlock the incantations for you. Also, we have a guide covering all material sources in Hades 2 in case you need some help in that regard.

How to Get Soot for the End to Dumbest Slumber Incantation

Once you’ve completed both End to Deepest Slumber and End to Dearest Slumber, you’ll gain access to End to Dumbest Slumber. This requires two Poppy flowers, one Shaderot, and one Soot. The problem is that there’s no indication of where to find Soot.

In short, if you’re wondering how to get Soot in Hades 2, you first need to beat the main story. Without spoiling too much, you must have seen the game’s credits once. Then, you have to do a couple of underworld runs and, when you’re rummaging through the last region before the final boss, make sure to visit the NPC room when it becomes available. It took me three runs until the room appeared, but this may differ on your end. Then, gift at least one Nectar bottle to said NPC.

You won’t be able to get your hands on Soot until you hit the game’s credits.

After speaking to said NPC, they will (quite unceremoniously) give you Soot, as well as a Keepsake. Once you’re back at the Crossroads, go ahead and tackle the incantation. All that is left to do is to gift Hypnos a Dream Vapor and watch another dream sequence. This will conclude the End to Dumbest Slumber incantation, which in turn will finally wake up Hypnos in Hades 2.

Now, go ahead and claim your reward from the Fated List of Minor Prophecies. You’ll receive two Nightmares for your trouble, which is a rare material. If you’re wondering what to use it for, we have an extensive guides hub to answer all of your Hades 2 questions.