Attack on Titan: Before the Fall (Novel)

Attack on Titan: Before the Fall (進撃の巨人 Before the fall) is the first of three light novels, in the Attack on Titan: Before the Fall (Novel Series). It is written by Ryō Suzukaze and illustrated by Thores Shibamoto. It has been licensed by Vertical and was released in English on September, 16, 2014, almost three years after its original Japanese release date of December, 2, 2011.

The novel along with the other Before the Fall novels would later be adapted into a manga series by Satoshi Shiki.

Plot
The story takes place 70 years before Hajime Isayama's original Attack on Titan manga and follows Angel Aaltonen, a member of the Survey Corps' weapons development. Angel is tired of seeing the corpses of Survey Corps members, and is working to design equipment that will allow humans to be able to kill Titans. Thus far, no one has been able to find out the weak point of the Titans, and so no one has managed to kill one. However, government conservatives think that fighting against Titans is unnecessary, and order the dissolution of the Survey Corps. But two new materials have been found and they might give them a chance against the Titans, if only Angel can get out beyond the walls and test his new equipment for himself.