news@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
("Typhoon News User") wrote in message news:<6VmYc.11517=
0$Np3.4995367@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>...
> In another post, Enfilade mentioned a trilogy of Transformers novels pu=
t out
> by ibooks - Hardwired, Annihilation, and Fusion.
>=20
> First off, these were true words-only novels, were they not?
Yes they were, averaging between 200-300 pages each.
Not graphic
> novels? I don't remember any reviews of these novels here on ATTCM (or
> RTTM).
>=20
> So, can anybody tell me how good (or bad) these novels were, or point m=
e to
> some reviews of them online? Are they worth picking up.
It figures this'd get asked when my trilogy is at a friends house, so
unfortunately I can't give a highly accurate review, but here goes:
1. HARDWIRED is the worst of the lot. There's a lot of rather
unprofessional looking grammar errors and typos. Now, this alone can
be forgiveable (some of White Wolf's stuff comes to mind--more editing
is always good for professionalism...) but the story was also a bit
lacking. First up, the author, Scott Ciencin, seemed to go overboard
with the ability to make an "Adult" TF novel. Lots of cursing, lots
of death, and reference to some agent chick seducing Spike. I can
deal just fine with cursing, death and *** when it, for example, shows
someone's character or creates tragedy or advances the plot. IN this
cases it was gratuitous, added simply because it could be.... The
storyline focuses on some very powerful aliens called the Keepers who
are threatening Earth and Cybertron both, and who can possess
people/mechanisms. And there's a TF-wor****pping human cult called the
Followers with an agenda of their own. It kinda makes me wonder, WHAT
THE HELL HAPPENED TO DECEPTICONS VS AUTOBOTS?! I mean, isn't that a
worthy story all on its own without bringing up superpowered
quintessons on crack?!
I'm forced to grudgingly admit that the scene between Starscream and
the former priest was very interesting, though.
2. ANNIHILATION brought in a new author, David Cian, who mercifully
undid most of the damage that HARDWIRED had done. The most annoying
characters died, but did so meaningfully. The gratuitous innuendo was
dropped. Megatron and Prime are forced to work together, with a
clever twist--Megatron's demand in return for his cooperation is
something that'll hurt the Autobots very much, and at the end of the
book he looks like he's in position to take out the Autobots for good.
3. FUSION is, IMHO, the best of the lot and a good read. The aliens
are threatening to return, but with their power greatly lessened
they're considerably more interesting as antagonists. And Megatron
sees no reason to cooperate with the Autobots any more. Megatron was
fairly well written in this story, IMHO. There is a /very
interesting/ betrayal by the US President in this story, setting up
what might be the possibility of a continuation in which humans are
doing their best to doublecross All Transformers. A character I
thought of as a cliche turns out having more to him than I'd
bargained, and I ended up rather liking him by the end of it. Another
character doesn't die soon enough for my liking... but overall, I'd
say this one is worth reading. The challenge is to force yourself
through HARDWIRED first.
I'd say get them...I got mine in the States, some at Borders, some at
Waldenbooks. They still should be available, in the Adult Sci Fi
section along with other licensed titles like Star Wars, Star Trek,
etc.
Or do a search for them on amazon.com and read some more reviews.
>=20
> And are there any other non-graphic Transformers novels I should know a=
bout?
Classic? Not to my knowledge...not until the anthology comse out this
November, anyway.
--Enfilade
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