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Transformers Aligned continuity
Transformers: Exiles
The epic battles between Optimus Prime and Megatron have long thrilled Transformers fans. But these two giants weren’t always great leaders and bitter foes. This new novel continues the electrifying saga that started with Transformers: Exodus, unveiling the origins of the conflict—the explosive events that unfolded before Optimus and Megatron arrived Earthside, forever altering the destiny of their kind.
Once allies, Optimus and Megatron are now enemies in a civil war. To prevent Cybertron from falling into Megatron’s hands, Optimus jettisons the planet’s heart, the AllSpark, into space, then sets out to find it with Megatron hot on his heels. Optimus is determined to defeat Megatron, bring the AllSpark home, and restore Cybertron to its former glory.
But a saboteur lurks aboard Optimus’s spaceship, and ahead lie lost colonies, some of them hostile. Optimus needs help of the highest caliber, but from whom? Heroes such as Solus, Nexus, and Vector Prime are just names from make-believe stories of long ago. Or are they? Maybe it’s time for Optimus Prime to find out. Maybe it’s the only chance he has to vanquish mighty Megatron.
Once allies, Optimus and Megatron are now enemies in a civil war. To prevent Cybertron from falling into Megatron’s hands, Optimus jettisons the planet’s heart, the AllSpark, into space, then sets out to find it with Megatron hot on his heels. Optimus is determined to defeat Megatron, bring the AllSpark home, and restore Cybertron to its former glory.
But a saboteur lurks aboard Optimus’s spaceship, and ahead lie lost colonies, some of them hostile. Optimus needs help of the highest caliber, but from whom? Heroes such as Solus, Nexus, and Vector Prime are just names from make-believe stories of long ago. Or are they? Maybe it’s time for Optimus Prime to find out. Maybe it’s the only chance he has to vanquish mighty Megatron.
320 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2011
45 people are currently reading
642 people want to read
About the author
Alexander C. Irvine
189 books197 followersAlexander C. Irvine is an American fantasist and science fiction writer. He also writes under the pseudonym Alex Irvine. He first gained attention with his novel A Scattering of Jades and the stories that would form the collection Unintended Consequences. He has also published the Grail quest novel One King, One Soldier, and the World War II-era historical fantasy The Narrows.
In addition to his original works, Irvine has published Have Robot, Will Travel, a novel set in Isaac Asimov's positronic robot milieu; and Batman: Inferno, about the DC Comics superhero.
His academic background includes an M.A. in English from the University of Maine and a PhD from the University of Denver. He is an assistant professor of English at the University of Maine. He also worked for a time as a reporter at the Portland Phoenix.
In addition to his original works, Irvine has published Have Robot, Will Travel, a novel set in Isaac Asimov's positronic robot milieu; and Batman: Inferno, about the DC Comics superhero.
His academic background includes an M.A. in English from the University of Maine and a PhD from the University of Denver. He is an assistant professor of English at the University of Maine. He also worked for a time as a reporter at the Portland Phoenix.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews
September 23, 2012
The big problem involving Transformers Exiles is it doesn’t need to exist. For those not in the know, this book is a part of a continuity involving the War For Cybertron game and the ongoing Prime cartoon. The novel before this one, Exodus, was supposed to cover aspects not shown in the games such as the buildup towards the war and giving a bit more depth to the story, such as Megatron being RoboSpartacus. Unfortunately the author Alex Irvine didn’t bother to actually play WFC. As a result the war went in an entirely different direction, only partially linked into the game and had a completely different ending where all of the Autobots left Cybertron.
In Exiles Irvine seems to be making a real effort to link his novels into the Prime series and make up for his earlier mistakes. The problem due to the announcement of WFC’s sequel, Fall of Cybertron, which follows the Autobots’ guerilla war on the planet it’s likely this book will be completely non canon.
Even when Irvine is trying to solve continuity problems and link it into Prime just creates more flaws in the book. Bulkhead, who was not in the first book but is a main character in Prime, appears out of nowhere in the first chapter and stays with the characters until the end. He’s jarringly dropped into events with no warning and this is something which keeps happening throughout Exiles. Next to nothing is given any real introduction, things just seem to suddenly happen with little buildup and are accepted without question. This becomes almost hilarious when the Autobots show up on a colony cut off from Cybertron for millions of years, Velocitron, and its inhabitants immediately accept they’re from their long lost homeworld and bring them before their leader.
The big problem with this is something I’ve also seen Geoff Johns be criticized for in some of his Green Lantern comics: there is something big going on but Exiles does not convey the size of what is taking place. It never steps back to give descriptions to events or give major buildup and without that everything feels very small scale when looked at on their own, in spite of the big ideas in the book. And there are some seriously big ideas behind Exiles.
As well as the Autobots being on the run from the Decepticons as they hunt down the All-Spark, a lot of elements from other series turn up. To help solve a plot problem from the previous book Unicron is introduced to the plot and there is a serious look into what happened to the original transformers. Several even turn up, Vector and Nexus Prime, and the protagonists even come across the tomb of another Prime who was killed when one of their number turned traitor. These bits make the book readable but it is still visibly weighed down by its flaws, the biggest of which is the characters.
For all the fun Irving seems to have in writing about lost artifacts and ancient mysteries, he really drops the ball when it comes to characterisation. For a group which is supposed to be as bold and simplistically diverse as the transformers, all of them seem to blend into one another. You can read all of the dialogue as if it is from the same person and even when a chapter focuses entirely upon a single character’s thoughts it feels like it could be just about anyone in the book. Only a few stand out such as Megatron, but that’s only because they are exceptionally bloody minded or totally insane.
All in all this one is something fans should probably pass on. There are a few good bits here and there but the writing style and lack of characterisation seriously drags the book down. Whoever edited this one didn’t help and there are some seriously shoddy mistakes which take place from chapter to chapter. One blatant screw-up is when Optimus and one of his allies drive away from a monolith at the end of the fifth chapter, only to suddenly be back in front of it as if they’ve never left. For all the effort put into this one, it really feels like it should have been a comic rather than a text novel. At least then perhaps some of the flaws present in the writing might have been covered up by the artist.
If you want a good Transformers tale try looking into some of the Dreamwave comics or early IDW story arcs, because Exiles is painfully average at the best of times. It’s far better than anything in the Michael Bay film scripts, but that’s not saying much.
In Exiles Irvine seems to be making a real effort to link his novels into the Prime series and make up for his earlier mistakes. The problem due to the announcement of WFC’s sequel, Fall of Cybertron, which follows the Autobots’ guerilla war on the planet it’s likely this book will be completely non canon.
Even when Irvine is trying to solve continuity problems and link it into Prime just creates more flaws in the book. Bulkhead, who was not in the first book but is a main character in Prime, appears out of nowhere in the first chapter and stays with the characters until the end. He’s jarringly dropped into events with no warning and this is something which keeps happening throughout Exiles. Next to nothing is given any real introduction, things just seem to suddenly happen with little buildup and are accepted without question. This becomes almost hilarious when the Autobots show up on a colony cut off from Cybertron for millions of years, Velocitron, and its inhabitants immediately accept they’re from their long lost homeworld and bring them before their leader.
The big problem with this is something I’ve also seen Geoff Johns be criticized for in some of his Green Lantern comics: there is something big going on but Exiles does not convey the size of what is taking place. It never steps back to give descriptions to events or give major buildup and without that everything feels very small scale when looked at on their own, in spite of the big ideas in the book. And there are some seriously big ideas behind Exiles.
As well as the Autobots being on the run from the Decepticons as they hunt down the All-Spark, a lot of elements from other series turn up. To help solve a plot problem from the previous book Unicron is introduced to the plot and there is a serious look into what happened to the original transformers. Several even turn up, Vector and Nexus Prime, and the protagonists even come across the tomb of another Prime who was killed when one of their number turned traitor. These bits make the book readable but it is still visibly weighed down by its flaws, the biggest of which is the characters.
For all the fun Irving seems to have in writing about lost artifacts and ancient mysteries, he really drops the ball when it comes to characterisation. For a group which is supposed to be as bold and simplistically diverse as the transformers, all of them seem to blend into one another. You can read all of the dialogue as if it is from the same person and even when a chapter focuses entirely upon a single character’s thoughts it feels like it could be just about anyone in the book. Only a few stand out such as Megatron, but that’s only because they are exceptionally bloody minded or totally insane.
All in all this one is something fans should probably pass on. There are a few good bits here and there but the writing style and lack of characterisation seriously drags the book down. Whoever edited this one didn’t help and there are some seriously shoddy mistakes which take place from chapter to chapter. One blatant screw-up is when Optimus and one of his allies drive away from a monolith at the end of the fifth chapter, only to suddenly be back in front of it as if they’ve never left. For all the effort put into this one, it really feels like it should have been a comic rather than a text novel. At least then perhaps some of the flaws present in the writing might have been covered up by the artist.
If you want a good Transformers tale try looking into some of the Dreamwave comics or early IDW story arcs, because Exiles is painfully average at the best of times. It’s far better than anything in the Michael Bay film scripts, but that’s not saying much.
July 5, 2015
3.5, but these days I have become stingy when rating books. Transformers: Exiles is a fun book, which chronicles the path of Optimus Prime and his Autobots after they leave Cybertron. The insights from Optimus himself are the most interesting part of the novel, as we see how he really feels as the heroic leader - as every true leader, he doubts himself and has difficulties to accept that he is a true Prime, even when this is confirmed from the highest possible source. Sometimes I wonder how useful such books would be for future politicans, who too often think they are infallible. But, back to the book. I wanted to rate it higher, but there was simply not enough action to do so and sometimes the plot was confusing due to a problem, that plagued Irvine's writing in Exodus as well - too many names with too little description. Even a hardcore fan like myself will have difficulty to remember all bots in Transformers, it becomes even more difficult when you consider the fact that they have very alternative version of themselves in different series. Which one describes Alex Irvine? Who knows, he usually gives you only the name.
Still, although frustrated with the problems of the book, I did enjoy reading it, because hey, it's Transformers and it was about Optimus and guest starred cult characters like Blurr and Wreck-gar. So, overall, solid three stars.
Still, although frustrated with the problems of the book, I did enjoy reading it, because hey, it's Transformers and it was about Optimus and guest starred cult characters like Blurr and Wreck-gar. So, overall, solid three stars.
June 16, 2014
My first reaction to this when I finished it was, “Man, Alex Irvine held back compared to the first book,” but after sleeping on it a night, I can deem some logical sense that says, “Irvine had to follow Hasbro’s rules along storylines.” I don’t know how it works when an author is paid to write for a company like Hasbro but works through the middle-man publisher like Del Rey/Ballentine, but I try to find the facts before I blame the author for weaknesses in the novel. As of right now, I am undecided.
But like most books there is good and there is bad.
Irvine has strength in opening a character’s mind to the reader. We are in Optimus Prime’s point of view through the majority of this book and he does a fanTASTIC job at it. He doesn’t project Optimus as the legendary even stereotypical father-you’ve-always-wanted-on-the-front-of-a-cereal-box figure that all the super fans worship. Optimus isn’t timid either toward the idea of being a leader. He accepts his responsibility but finds that he has to put his trust in the mysterious Matrix even though it’s leadings may be dangerous. A gently valiant character that still has to learn what it means to be leader. Irvine does this perfectly every time a point of view changes (but I personally appreciate Alpha Trion’s perspective which included a nice scare and opposing banter from Shockwave). Also, the reinvention of some familiar characters like Wreck-Gar and Wheeljack turned out surprisingly well.
As for what I didn’t like about it…
I don’t know. I think it was the plot of them flying around space and trying to make it like Season 3 of G1. There is some great peril because of this setting, but I just wished that the emotional stuff was elaborated on like the friendship between Optimus and Jazz, Megatron’s vendetta against Optimus, or how dangerous Shockwave really is. These things were replaced with descriptions of space, too many thoughts on one’s destiny, and confusing additions of characters that were supposed to be important but held no foreshadowing so the impact was a fizzle instead of a boom.
There were some moments of genius, but unfortunately that doesn’t make a great story and doesn’t hold emotion long enough even for a Transformers fan like me. Hopefully the next book will stick to a continuous storyline and give us strong connections with the characters without delivering demanding “fan-service.” (And can someone tell me what the heck the pirates were about)?
But like most books there is good and there is bad.
Irvine has strength in opening a character’s mind to the reader. We are in Optimus Prime’s point of view through the majority of this book and he does a fanTASTIC job at it. He doesn’t project Optimus as the legendary even stereotypical father-you’ve-always-wanted-on-the-front-of-a-cereal-box figure that all the super fans worship. Optimus isn’t timid either toward the idea of being a leader. He accepts his responsibility but finds that he has to put his trust in the mysterious Matrix even though it’s leadings may be dangerous. A gently valiant character that still has to learn what it means to be leader. Irvine does this perfectly every time a point of view changes (but I personally appreciate Alpha Trion’s perspective which included a nice scare and opposing banter from Shockwave). Also, the reinvention of some familiar characters like Wreck-Gar and Wheeljack turned out surprisingly well.
As for what I didn’t like about it…
I don’t know. I think it was the plot of them flying around space and trying to make it like Season 3 of G1. There is some great peril because of this setting, but I just wished that the emotional stuff was elaborated on like the friendship between Optimus and Jazz, Megatron’s vendetta against Optimus, or how dangerous Shockwave really is. These things were replaced with descriptions of space, too many thoughts on one’s destiny, and confusing additions of characters that were supposed to be important but held no foreshadowing so the impact was a fizzle instead of a boom.
There were some moments of genius, but unfortunately that doesn’t make a great story and doesn’t hold emotion long enough even for a Transformers fan like me. Hopefully the next book will stick to a continuous storyline and give us strong connections with the characters without delivering demanding “fan-service.” (And can someone tell me what the heck the pirates were about)?
April 9, 2017
This review will contain spoilers regarding the previous book, Transformers: Exodus, as well as the related Transformers Prime television show.
Transformers: Exiles picks up shortly after the end of Exodus, with the Autobots onboard the Ark on the run from the Decepticon warship, the Nemesis. Planet Cybertron has more or less gone into a coma after millions of years of war, forcing the still battling factions to take to the stars. Exiles was supposed to cover the same story as the video games War for Cybertron and Fall of Cybertron, but author Alex Irvine pretty much rewrote the story in his own image instead. If you have played those games and not read Exodus, you may be a little lost picking up Exiles.
As a series, Transformers is no stranger to continuity errors and a gratuitous amount of retconning. Like the previous book, Exiles feels rushed. We have the Autobots and Decepticons flying across the galaxy discovering lost civilizations who are involved in battles and other conflicts of their own in a single book. It makes planet-wide conflicts feel like small skirmishes.
The book also goes into the history of the original Transformers, the Thirteen Primes, and their artifacts. But this is, to a degree, a moot point. Over the course of the book Optimus finds pieces of an artifact that seems to be the Star Saber, the sword used by the leader of the Thirteen. But anyone who watched Transformers Prime knows that will not be the case, because the Star Saber shows up there. Characterization is not very good either (also like in Exodus). Characters are given practically no physical description and most of them are stereotypical. Autobots act heroic while Decepticons act like maniacs, except for major characters like Megatron and Optimus. It makes most of the dialogue seem very plain.
Following suit from Exodus, there are several errors in the book as well. At one point, Optimus mentions ejecting the AllSpark from Cybertron so Megatron could not infect it with Dark Energon. But back in Exodus, Optimus ejected it before Megatron had any Dark Energon. At another point, a spaceship magically appears out of nowhere after a flying Transformer had transported the characters previously. Overall this books rates the same as Exodus, which is not really a good thing. Exiles tries to do too much too fast and needs some editing, but does add a few important bits to the lore of the series. For a genuinely good Transformers read, stick to the comics.
Transformers: Exiles picks up shortly after the end of Exodus, with the Autobots onboard the Ark on the run from the Decepticon warship, the Nemesis. Planet Cybertron has more or less gone into a coma after millions of years of war, forcing the still battling factions to take to the stars. Exiles was supposed to cover the same story as the video games War for Cybertron and Fall of Cybertron, but author Alex Irvine pretty much rewrote the story in his own image instead. If you have played those games and not read Exodus, you may be a little lost picking up Exiles.
As a series, Transformers is no stranger to continuity errors and a gratuitous amount of retconning. Like the previous book, Exiles feels rushed. We have the Autobots and Decepticons flying across the galaxy discovering lost civilizations who are involved in battles and other conflicts of their own in a single book. It makes planet-wide conflicts feel like small skirmishes.
The book also goes into the history of the original Transformers, the Thirteen Primes, and their artifacts. But this is, to a degree, a moot point. Over the course of the book Optimus finds pieces of an artifact that seems to be the Star Saber, the sword used by the leader of the Thirteen. But anyone who watched Transformers Prime knows that will not be the case, because the Star Saber shows up there. Characterization is not very good either (also like in Exodus). Characters are given practically no physical description and most of them are stereotypical. Autobots act heroic while Decepticons act like maniacs, except for major characters like Megatron and Optimus. It makes most of the dialogue seem very plain.
Following suit from Exodus, there are several errors in the book as well. At one point, Optimus mentions ejecting the AllSpark from Cybertron so Megatron could not infect it with Dark Energon. But back in Exodus, Optimus ejected it before Megatron had any Dark Energon. At another point, a spaceship magically appears out of nowhere after a flying Transformer had transported the characters previously. Overall this books rates the same as Exodus, which is not really a good thing. Exiles tries to do too much too fast and needs some editing, but does add a few important bits to the lore of the series. For a genuinely good Transformers read, stick to the comics.
December 11, 2024
I've got a lot less to say about Exiles than I had for Exodus. Where Exodus was telling the story of the origin of the civil war, which could have taken up multiple books worth of pages, Exiles is much more just a one-off Transformers adventure. A romp through space. Transformers tourism, almost.
This feels like it could have fit into any Transformers canon, more or less. I know there was a vision for this to fit into the Aligned continuity, and it definitely can (with some errors here and there), but I kind of ignored that aspect of the story. I was much more into the slowly unrolling lore that we got and how the universe spanning Transformers cultures could have, and used to work. At that point, I wish we had spent more time on either Velocitron and Junkion, or even seen a third planet.
The ending plot point seemed a little rushed to me. Not really the Requiem Blaster, or the destruction of Junkion, that made for a pretty tense climax, but the introduction of the Star Seekers. The space pirates were alluded to, but felt a bit shoehorned in. I guess we'll see where their story goes in the next book.
All in all, still a good book, some weak points, some solid Transformers lore, some neat ideas. But I still think my ramble of a review for Exodus lays out a more interesting trilogy. Darn Hasbro, mandating this book gets tied into video games and mandating the next book, Retribution, gets tied in with a TV show.
This feels like it could have fit into any Transformers canon, more or less. I know there was a vision for this to fit into the Aligned continuity, and it definitely can (with some errors here and there), but I kind of ignored that aspect of the story. I was much more into the slowly unrolling lore that we got and how the universe spanning Transformers cultures could have, and used to work. At that point, I wish we had spent more time on either Velocitron and Junkion, or even seen a third planet.
The ending plot point seemed a little rushed to me. Not really the Requiem Blaster, or the destruction of Junkion, that made for a pretty tense climax, but the introduction of the Star Seekers. The space pirates were alluded to, but felt a bit shoehorned in. I guess we'll see where their story goes in the next book.
All in all, still a good book, some weak points, some solid Transformers lore, some neat ideas. But I still think my ramble of a review for Exodus lays out a more interesting trilogy. Darn Hasbro, mandating this book gets tied into video games and mandating the next book, Retribution, gets tied in with a TV show.
December 30, 2014
hallmark of a true leader - a listener and willing to accept suggestions:
Optimus Prime listened to Prowl’s report and, when Prowl was finished, added only a single word. “Recommendation?"
and here is how a boss (and his deputy) behaves:
Starscream took it from him, glanced over it, and passed it on to Megatron. “Don’t waste my time,” Megatron said. “What does it say?” Turning from Megatron to Thundercracker, Starscream said, “What does it say?"
now for the review - this book is entertaining. there are actions and amusing dialogues. looking forward to read the next book!
Optimus Prime listened to Prowl’s report and, when Prowl was finished, added only a single word. “Recommendation?"
and here is how a boss (and his deputy) behaves:
Starscream took it from him, glanced over it, and passed it on to Megatron. “Don’t waste my time,” Megatron said. “What does it say?” Turning from Megatron to Thundercracker, Starscream said, “What does it say?"
now for the review - this book is entertaining. there are actions and amusing dialogues. looking forward to read the next book!
August 25, 2018
I was pretty desperate for a book. I thought the story was neat enough. The best part is that limited optimus prime was a librarian!
October 26, 2017
Transformers: Exiles, by Alex Irving, is a book about a race of sentient robots taking refuge on planets in pursuit of the opposing side of a gruesome and devastating battle for control of their home planet, Cybertron. This book headlines the travels of the Autobots through several planets and further and even more damaging internal conflicts amongst their own and the inhabitants of the planets they’re abandoned on. Over 43 chapters and 386 pages, some of Cybertron’s greatest artifacts of their powerful and dominant ancestors, that hold some of the greatest powers of the universe in a single device or weapon. This only fuels the intense search for a permanent home to take refuge and to fight for control of the home planet once again with the power and confidence of the ancients their society praised highly. Not only did this create a larger and more complex issue on hand, the crew of the handful of autoboots left alive aren’t who they seem to be, and cause several issues of getting of the worlds much harder than it needed to be, with the lack of supplies to repair the ship to functional conditions, after several attacks and bombings occur. The leader, Optimus Prime, shares his lineage of power to the ancients, the Primes, created by their home planet, to defeat the dark and equal to side, Unicron. The blood of Unicron is used by the Decepticons to use against the Autobots, and give the enemy an unfair advantage of strength and endurance, with almost pure immortality in using it, but it had its own cost for the user. This proved to be a large issue for the Autobots, as they do not believe in its use in Primus (the home planet, and Unicron’s equal half of light and purity).
I liked this book a lot, for a few reasons. For one, I like Transformers, and I liked the prequel to this book, Transformers: Exodus. This book had suspense, and progressed through the storyline and progression of events fluidly. It was a science-fiction novel, which I also like a lot, but it shared similarities such as sentence structure and dialogue to something like The Great Gatsby or 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. The characters and their true motives are never said, but the reader is left to figure it out over time and leaves them with the task of forming an opinion. Events are always led up to and during with suspense and an unclear conclusion as to what’s going to happen, but lets the reader have a small insight as to what might happen, but not what is going to happen. This book also has parts that just lay everything that’s been happening or at least a little bit of insight in case the reader was clueless in the long and very descriptive paragraphs and dialogue, that don’t have much extra than the current events, rushing the reader with new ideas and concepts emerging from the book.
All in all, I liked this book, and I would most certainly recommend it to anyone who likes Transformers material, or likes a good sci-fi novel that is creative and out-of-this-world.
I liked this book a lot, for a few reasons. For one, I like Transformers, and I liked the prequel to this book, Transformers: Exodus. This book had suspense, and progressed through the storyline and progression of events fluidly. It was a science-fiction novel, which I also like a lot, but it shared similarities such as sentence structure and dialogue to something like The Great Gatsby or 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. The characters and their true motives are never said, but the reader is left to figure it out over time and leaves them with the task of forming an opinion. Events are always led up to and during with suspense and an unclear conclusion as to what’s going to happen, but lets the reader have a small insight as to what might happen, but not what is going to happen. This book also has parts that just lay everything that’s been happening or at least a little bit of insight in case the reader was clueless in the long and very descriptive paragraphs and dialogue, that don’t have much extra than the current events, rushing the reader with new ideas and concepts emerging from the book.
All in all, I liked this book, and I would most certainly recommend it to anyone who likes Transformers material, or likes a good sci-fi novel that is creative and out-of-this-world.
August 2, 2025
Okay, Finished with this one as well. These kinds of Books almost make me wish I had the Money to buy License these FAMOUS Intellectual Properties, just so I can write Crappy Books on them. Problem is, I actually KNOW how to Write Novels, so there's that.
Like I said before; the STORY is GOOD. And THIS Book is not NEARLY so Painful as a Christian Book I read that had a GOOD Story but INEXCUSABLY POOR Writing Fundamentals. You can see more specific Complaints drawn from the Book in a more Case-By-Case Scenario after this more Comprehensive Review, but the basic matter is that these Novels--this, Exodus, and even Retribution which is by TWO different Authors--suffer from a handful of Issues that could EASILY be Remedied with a little Time and Effort. Here they are, from Most to Least Offensive. (However, given my Professional Outlook on Writing--Ignoring my Fondness for Improper Capitalizations Randomly placed in Text, which I do NOT use in my own Books, BTW--they are ALL about the same Level of 'Offensive' to me. It's Inexcusable that for even HALF the Money, I could turn out a FAR BETTER Work in HALF the Time!
#1: Fundamental Writing Errors. And this Author covers it all. There's Inconsistent Characterization, Poor Characterization, Inconsistent Plot Lines, Plot Holes--and I'm NOT talking Plot Holes like all the Morons who think that Star Wars: Rogue Squadron, which is ANOTHER Poorly Written Work, had one in the form of a VERY NATURAL Process of Mechanical Engineering...the VENTING System in the Death Star...--and even a Gross Deus Ex Machina, in the form of a Certain 4-in-1 Prime... The Author even forgets Silverbolt's name TWICE, calling him "Sideswipe" when Sideswipe didn't even appear in THAT Vicinity at the time of the Events he was referencing! He can't even decide on what to call the Transformers in their "Robot" Mode. After beginning with the COOL Sounding and ACCURATE "Protoform," he shifts to a number of DIFFERENT Terms, as if he DIDN'T have the right word at first. then someone helped him find it, then he started Correcting the Draft from the Beginning, got Bored making Corrections, and just STOPPED not even halfway through! It becomes quite Painful to Read. And it PERMEATES BOTH of Irvine's Novels.
#2: Poor Overall Transformers Knowledge. The Author has committed a number of these, first not even being able to decide WHICH Transformers Universe he is writing for. He covers the ENTIRE Gamut--from G1 to Bayverse to IDW to Prime, and ANYTHING In-Between. You actually start off thinking it's the G1 Animated Series. He has a good ear for Megatron, Starscream, and Optimus Prime. He also does well with prowl...ASSUMING you accept it's Prowl from the IDW Universe, And Jazz as well. Others, not so much. One complaint I have from IDW to these Novels--and several other Media as well--is people simply don't know how to Portray Soundwave. They keep wanting to make him some Shakespearian Scholar, and he's NOT. The key to hitting a GOOD G1 Animated Soundwave is SPARCITY AND ECONOMY OF SPEECH. There's also the issue of whether Soundwave is an Optimistic Potential Traitor, like Starscream, or a Staunch Loyalist, like Ravage. (This ALSO appearing in NUMERIOUS Portrayals.) If you Except the scene from the Animated Transformers Movie in the Shuttle when he idly watches Starscream Dispatch Megatron's limp, yet STILL FUNCTIONAL, body into the Void of Space to Terminate as well as his Subsequent Role in the Fight for Leadership, then the G1 Soundwave was MOST Loyal to Megatron AND the Decepticon Cause. People seem to Forget this. Other characters aren't even 'there' in terms of Characterization. Hound was used as a Prop and simply Discarded. Wheeljack likewise. While both these Characters were well-portrayed, it ultimately meant NOTHING because they were never seen again.
#3: Liberties taken to 'Pop' the Story. The Author seems to think it would be EXCITING if he threw in a BUNCH of Obscure Transformers Artifacts and Personas just to give some Excitement to his story. I'm not totally against this, but it needs to be done PRUDENTLY. It was WAY too easy to obtain the Cyber Caliber and the Requiem Blaster, and they ended up serving more as Prop Pieces anyway, than as actual Artifacts that could tip the Scales of the War. Further, the idea of Trypticon Transforming into the Nemesis is just Freaking Absurd. After doing this, the Author not only had to dumb down Trypticon, he also had to make it so that Trypticon could be CONTAINED as a Threat to the Autobot Cause. The Idea that Trypticon was a FREAKING TRIPLE-CHANGER (Proto-Form, Space Station, Nemesis) is even MORE Absurd. This constrained the Plot and the Decepticon Methodology in ways that were unnatural and INEXCUSABLE. Lastly, on this Point, is Prime's favorite "Magic 8-Ball." The Matrix. I have ZERO issue that something like the Matrix should be Vague and Imprecise--much like the Covenant--but the LITERAL idea of it acting so that's it CRYSTAL CLEAR on SOME issues and HAZY and VAGUE on others is just piss-poor Plotting. (Not even covering the Fact that the Author keeps placing the Matrix in Prime's TORSO, FFS!)
Finally, this thing with the Primes "sort of, not sort of" being 'there' is just Absurd. And to think that BOTH Nexus and Nova Prime are like, "We could end this War NOW, and Megatron's Galaxy-Ending Tyranny, but we choose NOT to," is just STUPID. They must have been VERY SHALLOW Primes in their time, is all I have to say to THAT.
Below are some Chapter Specific Gaffes that I took down while Reading that weren't covered in this more Thorough Review. (Unlike the Author, I DELETED any Repetitions that I had Covered in the FINAL Copy.)
GROSS Repetition in Chapter 13. It occurs to Prime how 'Life' Similar to Cybertronian Life was Created and Evolved in the Absence of the AllSpark. He runs a short Narrative Internal Dialogue on this once--if not here, then just one or two Chapters Prior--and then, almost as if COMPLETELY Copied and Pasted, the damn near Identical Text appears toward the end of 14. Its almost as if the Segment appeared earlier in a Draft, and someone said to place it later, and the Author did...WITHOUT OMITTING THE EARLIER SEGMENT. As I said before, this just REEKS of Sloppy Writing Fundamentals. :/
..So in Chapter: 28, the Autobots are familiar with Earthen Style Clocks, all of a sudden Not a ONE of which would Exist on Cybertron, with the Cybertronians having Internal Chronomoters...
And...in Chapter: 36 calls the Mystical Weapon Granted Optimus Prime the "Cyber Caliber," but then confusedly refers to it as the "Omni Saber." OTL FML.. AND...also talks about how the NEMESIS--the Decepticon Ship--would use the Requiem Blaster, as if it was somehow Sentient, DESPITE Establishing earlier that in the Nemesis Mode, Trypticon's Sentience was ABATED.
"He settled into a ready posture as Megatron deployed his mighty ax." JFC. MEGATRON is NOT known for employing an Energon Axe from his arm. THAT would be PRIME. Nor do I believe Megatron has used an Axe in this series, but I have to Fact Check that. If so, it means the author is not only NOT Familiar with the Franchise...he's NOT Familiar with what he's ALREADY established in HIS VERSION of the Franchise! OTL FML...
"Megatron charged, and Optimus Prime met the crushing arc of his ax with the blaze of the Cyber Caliber." Author SURELY means "blade" of the cyber Caliber. (Yes, he's calling it that AGAIN. After ONCE calling it the Omni Saber.) While he's established the brilliance of light emitted from the Saber, he's not established any FLAME emitting from it...
Like I said before; the STORY is GOOD. And THIS Book is not NEARLY so Painful as a Christian Book I read that had a GOOD Story but INEXCUSABLY POOR Writing Fundamentals. You can see more specific Complaints drawn from the Book in a more Case-By-Case Scenario after this more Comprehensive Review, but the basic matter is that these Novels--this, Exodus, and even Retribution which is by TWO different Authors--suffer from a handful of Issues that could EASILY be Remedied with a little Time and Effort. Here they are, from Most to Least Offensive. (However, given my Professional Outlook on Writing--Ignoring my Fondness for Improper Capitalizations Randomly placed in Text, which I do NOT use in my own Books, BTW--they are ALL about the same Level of 'Offensive' to me. It's Inexcusable that for even HALF the Money, I could turn out a FAR BETTER Work in HALF the Time!
#1: Fundamental Writing Errors. And this Author covers it all. There's Inconsistent Characterization, Poor Characterization, Inconsistent Plot Lines, Plot Holes--and I'm NOT talking Plot Holes like all the Morons who think that Star Wars: Rogue Squadron, which is ANOTHER Poorly Written Work, had one in the form of a VERY NATURAL Process of Mechanical Engineering...the VENTING System in the Death Star...--and even a Gross Deus Ex Machina, in the form of a Certain 4-in-1 Prime... The Author even forgets Silverbolt's name TWICE, calling him "Sideswipe" when Sideswipe didn't even appear in THAT Vicinity at the time of the Events he was referencing! He can't even decide on what to call the Transformers in their "Robot" Mode. After beginning with the COOL Sounding and ACCURATE "Protoform," he shifts to a number of DIFFERENT Terms, as if he DIDN'T have the right word at first. then someone helped him find it, then he started Correcting the Draft from the Beginning, got Bored making Corrections, and just STOPPED not even halfway through! It becomes quite Painful to Read. And it PERMEATES BOTH of Irvine's Novels.
#2: Poor Overall Transformers Knowledge. The Author has committed a number of these, first not even being able to decide WHICH Transformers Universe he is writing for. He covers the ENTIRE Gamut--from G1 to Bayverse to IDW to Prime, and ANYTHING In-Between. You actually start off thinking it's the G1 Animated Series. He has a good ear for Megatron, Starscream, and Optimus Prime. He also does well with prowl...ASSUMING you accept it's Prowl from the IDW Universe, And Jazz as well. Others, not so much. One complaint I have from IDW to these Novels--and several other Media as well--is people simply don't know how to Portray Soundwave. They keep wanting to make him some Shakespearian Scholar, and he's NOT. The key to hitting a GOOD G1 Animated Soundwave is SPARCITY AND ECONOMY OF SPEECH. There's also the issue of whether Soundwave is an Optimistic Potential Traitor, like Starscream, or a Staunch Loyalist, like Ravage. (This ALSO appearing in NUMERIOUS Portrayals.) If you Except the scene from the Animated Transformers Movie in the Shuttle when he idly watches Starscream Dispatch Megatron's limp, yet STILL FUNCTIONAL, body into the Void of Space to Terminate as well as his Subsequent Role in the Fight for Leadership, then the G1 Soundwave was MOST Loyal to Megatron AND the Decepticon Cause. People seem to Forget this. Other characters aren't even 'there' in terms of Characterization. Hound was used as a Prop and simply Discarded. Wheeljack likewise. While both these Characters were well-portrayed, it ultimately meant NOTHING because they were never seen again.
#3: Liberties taken to 'Pop' the Story. The Author seems to think it would be EXCITING if he threw in a BUNCH of Obscure Transformers Artifacts and Personas just to give some Excitement to his story. I'm not totally against this, but it needs to be done PRUDENTLY. It was WAY too easy to obtain the Cyber Caliber and the Requiem Blaster, and they ended up serving more as Prop Pieces anyway, than as actual Artifacts that could tip the Scales of the War. Further, the idea of Trypticon Transforming into the Nemesis is just Freaking Absurd. After doing this, the Author not only had to dumb down Trypticon, he also had to make it so that Trypticon could be CONTAINED as a Threat to the Autobot Cause. The Idea that Trypticon was a FREAKING TRIPLE-CHANGER (Proto-Form, Space Station, Nemesis) is even MORE Absurd. This constrained the Plot and the Decepticon Methodology in ways that were unnatural and INEXCUSABLE. Lastly, on this Point, is Prime's favorite "Magic 8-Ball." The Matrix. I have ZERO issue that something like the Matrix should be Vague and Imprecise--much like the Covenant--but the LITERAL idea of it acting so that's it CRYSTAL CLEAR on SOME issues and HAZY and VAGUE on others is just piss-poor Plotting. (Not even covering the Fact that the Author keeps placing the Matrix in Prime's TORSO, FFS!)
Finally, this thing with the Primes "sort of, not sort of" being 'there' is just Absurd. And to think that BOTH Nexus and Nova Prime are like, "We could end this War NOW, and Megatron's Galaxy-Ending Tyranny, but we choose NOT to," is just STUPID. They must have been VERY SHALLOW Primes in their time, is all I have to say to THAT.
Below are some Chapter Specific Gaffes that I took down while Reading that weren't covered in this more Thorough Review. (Unlike the Author, I DELETED any Repetitions that I had Covered in the FINAL Copy.)
GROSS Repetition in Chapter 13. It occurs to Prime how 'Life' Similar to Cybertronian Life was Created and Evolved in the Absence of the AllSpark. He runs a short Narrative Internal Dialogue on this once--if not here, then just one or two Chapters Prior--and then, almost as if COMPLETELY Copied and Pasted, the damn near Identical Text appears toward the end of 14. Its almost as if the Segment appeared earlier in a Draft, and someone said to place it later, and the Author did...WITHOUT OMITTING THE EARLIER SEGMENT. As I said before, this just REEKS of Sloppy Writing Fundamentals. :/
..So in Chapter: 28, the Autobots are familiar with Earthen Style Clocks, all of a sudden Not a ONE of which would Exist on Cybertron, with the Cybertronians having Internal Chronomoters...
And...in Chapter: 36 calls the Mystical Weapon Granted Optimus Prime the "Cyber Caliber," but then confusedly refers to it as the "Omni Saber." OTL FML.. AND...also talks about how the NEMESIS--the Decepticon Ship--would use the Requiem Blaster, as if it was somehow Sentient, DESPITE Establishing earlier that in the Nemesis Mode, Trypticon's Sentience was ABATED.
"He settled into a ready posture as Megatron deployed his mighty ax." JFC. MEGATRON is NOT known for employing an Energon Axe from his arm. THAT would be PRIME. Nor do I believe Megatron has used an Axe in this series, but I have to Fact Check that. If so, it means the author is not only NOT Familiar with the Franchise...he's NOT Familiar with what he's ALREADY established in HIS VERSION of the Franchise! OTL FML...
"Megatron charged, and Optimus Prime met the crushing arc of his ax with the blaze of the Cyber Caliber." Author SURELY means "blade" of the cyber Caliber. (Yes, he's calling it that AGAIN. After ONCE calling it the Omni Saber.) While he's established the brilliance of light emitted from the Saber, he's not established any FLAME emitting from it...
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 13, 2019
That's 3.5 stars, actually. I couldn't give four because of Irvine's writing style: perfect for descriptions, no good for portraying emotions. The Transformers' raw emotions and feelings in this book (like the first) were told but not shown, so empathizing with the characters was hard, very hard. I had to reread several passages several times to fully understand what was going on emotion-wise (excepting Alpha Trion's chapters - those had more emotions and I enjoyed them!). Sometimes it felt more like a history book than a novel, and that's a pity, because overall Irvine's writing isn't bad and the story is well-balanced. Still... The bad portray of emotions left me somewhat disappointed. Even more so since I've been a big fan of the Transformers (and their 'humanity') for twenty-five years and I love these bots so much that I tend to get disappointed very easily. Still, I think Irvine's duology is a good read for Transformers fan who are a little more cerebral and appreciate fights and descriptions more than the 'humanity' of Cybertronians. Also, I appreciated the portrayal Cybertronian spirituality and the way it was developed across the two books.
June 1, 2012
this book was epic ewven though it didnt have cybertron or jetfire in it.the story takes place after the space bridge explodes. the autobots visit 2 autobot colonies Velocitron and Junkion. velicitron is mostly charecterized by speed and junkion is like the houses are made of damaged ship parts. the book reveals that not all of the thrirteen where killed by the fallen, such as solus prime and alpha trion. the fragments of prima's star sabre. megatron presues the autobots in a remodled trypticon called nemisis.
February 17, 2018
WARNING: POTENTIAL SPOILERS AHEAD:
Yes, I know all I read is Transformers. I know what I like, lol! Anyway, While Transformers Exodus is a classic and Retribution is the only book in this trilogy that I own, Exiles has got to be my personal favorite. This book is an awesome planet hopping adventure, and just a lot of fun!
The story starts out following the Autobots and Decepticons as they continue their quest the race through the galaxy to regain the life giving Allspark. The Autobots manage to lose the Decepticons and find one of the many long lost colony worlds, Velocitron (The lost colonies are the result of the ancient Nova Prime’s vision of expansion; planets inhabited by Cybertronians that had lost contact with the home world eons ago. The people of Velocitron had evolved to a species whose only waking concern was the pursuit of speed. Races were held daily, and all Velocitronians were constantly upgrading their mainframes to accommodate higher speeds. Soon a piece of a mysterious artifact emerges, giving Optimus multiple visions detailing the location of the other pieces of the artifact, leading Him and his crew to yet another colony world, the scrap planet known as Junkion. Its people, the Junkions, are more than eager to help the Autobots locate the other pieces. But then after the murder of multiple crew members and Junkions, it is discovered that a spy an imposter is among them, and they must find out who is the spy before it’s too late. And to make matters worse, the Decepticons are drawing closer and closer by the second, leaving the Autobots with a race against time…
While not the easiest plot to follow from a casual standpoint, if you commit to following the story, this book is a real treat that really makes you think. While I do enjoy reading every now and then, this is the first book in a long while that I’ve had a genuine FUN time reading. I really just couldn’t put it down. It’s a real page turner! Loaded with action, mystery, and thought provoking moments, this book is a must for any hard core (or casual, really) Transformers fan. With appearances of both beloved and obscure characters, the lost colonies, and at least two of the Thirteen, I would HIGHLY recommend this book to any looking for a good time.
Yes, I know all I read is Transformers. I know what I like, lol! Anyway, While Transformers Exodus is a classic and Retribution is the only book in this trilogy that I own, Exiles has got to be my personal favorite. This book is an awesome planet hopping adventure, and just a lot of fun!
The story starts out following the Autobots and Decepticons as they continue their quest the race through the galaxy to regain the life giving Allspark. The Autobots manage to lose the Decepticons and find one of the many long lost colony worlds, Velocitron (The lost colonies are the result of the ancient Nova Prime’s vision of expansion; planets inhabited by Cybertronians that had lost contact with the home world eons ago. The people of Velocitron had evolved to a species whose only waking concern was the pursuit of speed. Races were held daily, and all Velocitronians were constantly upgrading their mainframes to accommodate higher speeds. Soon a piece of a mysterious artifact emerges, giving Optimus multiple visions detailing the location of the other pieces of the artifact, leading Him and his crew to yet another colony world, the scrap planet known as Junkion. Its people, the Junkions, are more than eager to help the Autobots locate the other pieces. But then after the murder of multiple crew members and Junkions, it is discovered that a spy an imposter is among them, and they must find out who is the spy before it’s too late. And to make matters worse, the Decepticons are drawing closer and closer by the second, leaving the Autobots with a race against time…
While not the easiest plot to follow from a casual standpoint, if you commit to following the story, this book is a real treat that really makes you think. While I do enjoy reading every now and then, this is the first book in a long while that I’ve had a genuine FUN time reading. I really just couldn’t put it down. It’s a real page turner! Loaded with action, mystery, and thought provoking moments, this book is a must for any hard core (or casual, really) Transformers fan. With appearances of both beloved and obscure characters, the lost colonies, and at least two of the Thirteen, I would HIGHLY recommend this book to any looking for a good time.
January 4, 2023
ADVENTURES AFTER ESCAPING CYBERTRON
rating: ★★★.5
As Optimus Prime leaves Cybertron on the Ark with his Autobots by his side, they land on the planet Velocitron, meeting new bots along the way, along with some Junkions. The Autobots work to gain trust from the new bots they meet, and bots suggest there is a traitor in their ranks. With the Decepitcons searching around for Autobot signals, Megatron won't stop until he meets with Prime again to settle scores.
I enjoyed the first book in this series so much, and I was excited to go on to the second book. This took me a while to read and I felt like it was going a bit slow, but I really liked the insight we were given into Prime's mind. Alpha Trion continued to have his own parts at various points in the story, and the fact that he has continued to tell the story and have his own insight into what is happening sort of confuses me. I feel like he is somewhere right now, watching and knowing what is happening. When I read he sent Chaindrive, I was like "wait what??"
I knew that the bots went somewhere after they left Cybertron, but I was expecting maybe traveling space some more or maybe reaching Earth early, like in War for Cybertron where they fell to Earth while Beast Wars was happening. Overall, I liked this story, and I can't wait to read the third and final book to see what happens next.
rating: ★★★.5
As Optimus Prime leaves Cybertron on the Ark with his Autobots by his side, they land on the planet Velocitron, meeting new bots along the way, along with some Junkions. The Autobots work to gain trust from the new bots they meet, and bots suggest there is a traitor in their ranks. With the Decepitcons searching around for Autobot signals, Megatron won't stop until he meets with Prime again to settle scores.
I enjoyed the first book in this series so much, and I was excited to go on to the second book. This took me a while to read and I felt like it was going a bit slow, but I really liked the insight we were given into Prime's mind. Alpha Trion continued to have his own parts at various points in the story, and the fact that he has continued to tell the story and have his own insight into what is happening sort of confuses me. I feel like he is somewhere right now, watching and knowing what is happening. When I read he sent Chaindrive, I was like "wait what??"
I knew that the bots went somewhere after they left Cybertron, but I was expecting maybe traveling space some more or maybe reaching Earth early, like in War for Cybertron where they fell to Earth while Beast Wars was happening. Overall, I liked this story, and I can't wait to read the third and final book to see what happens next.
August 13, 2019
"I am Thundertron, scourge of Cybertronians, the mightiest freebooter on the spaceways. Never defeated, never asked for quarters, never given it."
WOW! I purchased this Transformers origin trilogy (Exodus, Exiles, Retribution) years back and never read them. I regret why I haven't read.
Exiles, written by Alex Irvine is second novel in the series after Exodus. Exodus has already become the greatest novel I have ever read and exiles follow suit.
It's about the journey of Optimus Prime with his Autonomous Robots in the wide unknown space in the search of All Spark while Megatron is following their trail.
I love the twists and turns and the secrets revealed. Never new there were shape shifters bots. The ending is awesome and I am mighty impressive by the work here on writing and details. It's like you can imagine these characters on screen. I don't understand why this isn't a movie yet.
Eagerly waiting to start final chapter in this series to read Megatron V Thundertron.
Mighty Recommended.
WOW! I purchased this Transformers origin trilogy (Exodus, Exiles, Retribution) years back and never read them. I regret why I haven't read.
Exiles, written by Alex Irvine is second novel in the series after Exodus. Exodus has already become the greatest novel I have ever read and exiles follow suit.
It's about the journey of Optimus Prime with his Autonomous Robots in the wide unknown space in the search of All Spark while Megatron is following their trail.
I love the twists and turns and the secrets revealed. Never new there were shape shifters bots. The ending is awesome and I am mighty impressive by the work here on writing and details. It's like you can imagine these characters on screen. I don't understand why this isn't a movie yet.
Eagerly waiting to start final chapter in this series to read Megatron V Thundertron.
Mighty Recommended.
January 6, 2024
Finding out more about Cybertron's past and witnessing the struggle between Optimus Prime and Megatron in greater detail was fantastic. Fantastic novel. yet seem like a piece of unfinished work. A few cybertronian colony worlds were entertaining to view, and the action was compelling and skillfully written.
January 11, 2021
Absolutely incredible book! Especially if you're a Transformer nerd such as myself.
It was awesome to learn more about Cybertron's history and to see Optimus Prime and Megatron's rivalry more in depth.
Excellent!
It was awesome to learn more about Cybertron's history and to see Optimus Prime and Megatron's rivalry more in depth.
Excellent!
November 6, 2025
this book isn't well written, and follows the same sort-of-expanded-outline format as the first. it does have some very funny moments though. Looks like I'll be willing to eat a lot of garbage for TF content.
August 2, 2017
The sequel is just as good as the first.
April 18, 2018
It's pretty good, fun little Easter eggs in it. Interesting stuff about the beginnings of the Transformers. Though it fell apart a little towards the end. Kinda had to slog through it.
November 2, 2018
Good continuation of the series, picks up where Exodus left off. Had some interesting nuggets of Transformers lore sprinkled throughout.
March 1, 2020
Monotonous. Poorly written. Flat narration. It's just too flat to be read for me. Skimmed through the last 100+ odd pages just to know the ending.
September 27, 2022
Loved this book following Exodus. More planets, different civilizations and more history.
August 14, 2025
The pacing was much better than Exodus and I had a more enjoyable time reading this than the prequel. Optimus's inner monologue was also hilarious at times.
January 11, 2017
The book, Transformers: Exiles, by Alex Irvine, is an outstanding book. It is told from the perspective of multiple characters in the book. Optimus Prime, One of the main characters, is on a quest to recover an ancient artifact of their species, the Allspark. It grants life to all Transformers. During his quest, he travels to two colony planets, Velocitron and Junkion. During their journey they are tailed by Megatron, who seeks to control the Allspark and rule the Universe. I loved this book. It gave an in depth view of each character, you could see their thoughts clearly. The text in the book is quite complex. The transitioning from one view to another was smooth. There are no bad things to be said about this book. The theme of the book is take the good times when you can. Optimus had many troubles on his journey. When he had no problems he could rejoice because of them.
July 29, 2016
I think the series is taking a turn for the worse.
We find Irvine up to his old habits again, not giving us a physical description of the characters that appear in the story. It may be true that the story is supposed to be in the same continuity of the TV series "Transformers: Prime" and the video games "Transformers: War for Cybertron, Transformers: Rise of the Dark Spark and Transformers: Fall of Cybertron", so those familiar with the characters already have an idea of what they look like... But what about those that aren't? I honestly had to look up half of these characters online just to have an idea of what they looked like. And then again, as mentioned in my last review of the previous book... You really can't consider it in the same continuity because the events are different, they only share similar aspects.
Then you have this slight change in Prime's character. So unsure of himself, acting as if he's still the neophyte he was back on Transformers: Exodus: The Official History of the War for Cybertron ... And even then, it wasn't as evident. Why ham it up here? Others would probably argue that "Hey! He's entitled to it. He can have doubts." But here's the thing, we have to remember that the war on Cybertron has been going on for EONS. Do you know how long that is? This is what honed Optimus Prime to be the decisive leader that he is. He does not doubt. He cannot afford to doubt. He has to be sure, because lives depend on it.
Last of the things I did not like was the inconsistency... In the first book, their "humanoid" form was called "proto-form" now it's called "bot-form".
Now let's see if I can try to find stuff to redeem the story... LOL!
Well, first of all... It's Transformers. LOL! And I did like the way that the book touched upon the myths and legends of the 13 Primes and the legendary weapons and seeing how there are still a few of them around. I also enjoyed reading about Alpha Trion's thoughts or entries into the covenant at the start of every part of the book.
Overall, I felt that this novel was lacking... But still a fun read.
We find Irvine up to his old habits again, not giving us a physical description of the characters that appear in the story. It may be true that the story is supposed to be in the same continuity of the TV series "Transformers: Prime" and the video games "Transformers: War for Cybertron, Transformers: Rise of the Dark Spark and Transformers: Fall of Cybertron", so those familiar with the characters already have an idea of what they look like... But what about those that aren't? I honestly had to look up half of these characters online just to have an idea of what they looked like. And then again, as mentioned in my last review of the previous book... You really can't consider it in the same continuity because the events are different, they only share similar aspects.
Then you have this slight change in Prime's character. So unsure of himself, acting as if he's still the neophyte he was back on Transformers: Exodus: The Official History of the War for Cybertron ... And even then, it wasn't as evident. Why ham it up here? Others would probably argue that "Hey! He's entitled to it. He can have doubts." But here's the thing, we have to remember that the war on Cybertron has been going on for EONS. Do you know how long that is? This is what honed Optimus Prime to be the decisive leader that he is. He does not doubt. He cannot afford to doubt. He has to be sure, because lives depend on it.
Last of the things I did not like was the inconsistency... In the first book, their "humanoid" form was called "proto-form" now it's called "bot-form".
Now let's see if I can try to find stuff to redeem the story... LOL!
Well, first of all... It's Transformers. LOL! And I did like the way that the book touched upon the myths and legends of the 13 Primes and the legendary weapons and seeing how there are still a few of them around. I also enjoyed reading about Alpha Trion's thoughts or entries into the covenant at the start of every part of the book.
Overall, I felt that this novel was lacking... But still a fun read.
May 20, 2015
Having enjoyed the first book in this series, it only felt natural to pick up the sequel. Exiles picks up where Exodus left off, with Optimus Prime having left Cybertron in search of the All Spark on the Ark with Megatron and the Nemesis close behind.
Plot wise, this book's a little all over the place. They're jumping from colony to colony, so the stories at first feel sort of episodic. They land on Velocitron, deal with the problem there. Go to Junkion, and deal with their problems. As it progresses, there's a bigger story going on underneath with the Original Thirteen Primes, and some stories about what's going on back home on Cybertron, as well as a search for some ancient artifacts. There's a lot going on.
If I had any complaint about the book, it'd probably be just how much information he tried to pack into one little 300 and some page book. In addition to the already sizable cast of already-known Transformers, the book introduces another ten to fifteen original characters just for this book. If I hadn't already known who most of the characters in this book are from years of being in the Transformers fandom (through multiple medias, series and universes), I would have been overwhelmed by the cast size.
Unfortunately, this also lended the book to many scenes that were pages of exposition or thought (often trying to explain who someone was, or what their motivations are if you didn't happen to know who this character was) which made the book drag a little.
It wasn't all tedious though. The book had quite a few good lines, and I particularly enjoyed the Alpha Trion interludes that happened every so often. Characters like Wreck Gar and Prowl stole the show. It was great seeing Makeshift get a rather large role (a character from another series in this universe who was limited to one episode, even though he had potential for more), and I rather liked Axer.
And I'll give props, the appearance of there at the end was pretty great. It drew together some things I had wondered about earlier in the book, and hey! The guy winked at Optimus, which is always a plus.
Overall, it's not bad. I already have the next book waiting for me, and I look forward to reading it when I have the time.
I'd check it out if you're a fan of the speedy bots of Velocitron (like Override) or love the Junkions. Otherwise, you didn't miss much if you plan to skip this one over and pick up the next book.
Plot wise, this book's a little all over the place. They're jumping from colony to colony, so the stories at first feel sort of episodic. They land on Velocitron, deal with the problem there. Go to Junkion, and deal with their problems. As it progresses, there's a bigger story going on underneath with the Original Thirteen Primes, and some stories about what's going on back home on Cybertron, as well as a search for some ancient artifacts. There's a lot going on.
If I had any complaint about the book, it'd probably be just how much information he tried to pack into one little 300 and some page book. In addition to the already sizable cast of already-known Transformers, the book introduces another ten to fifteen original characters just for this book. If I hadn't already known who most of the characters in this book are from years of being in the Transformers fandom (through multiple medias, series and universes), I would have been overwhelmed by the cast size.
Unfortunately, this also lended the book to many scenes that were pages of exposition or thought (often trying to explain who someone was, or what their motivations are if you didn't happen to know who this character was) which made the book drag a little.
It wasn't all tedious though. The book had quite a few good lines, and I particularly enjoyed the Alpha Trion interludes that happened every so often. Characters like Wreck Gar and Prowl stole the show. It was great seeing Makeshift get a rather large role (a character from another series in this universe who was limited to one episode, even though he had potential for more), and I rather liked Axer.
And I'll give props, the appearance of there at the end was pretty great. It drew together some things I had wondered about earlier in the book, and hey! The guy winked at Optimus, which is always a plus.
Overall, it's not bad. I already have the next book waiting for me, and I look forward to reading it when I have the time.
I'd check it out if you're a fan of the speedy bots of Velocitron (like Override) or love the Junkions. Otherwise, you didn't miss much if you plan to skip this one over and pick up the next book.
November 21, 2011
This book is by far one of the best books I have ever read, why? As a Transformers fan, I love to read about my favorite Autobots as they attempt to escape and hide from the Decepticons.
Once allies, Optimus Prime and Megatron are now enemies in a civil war. To prevent Cybertron from falling into Megatron's claws, Optimus jettisons the planet's 'heart', the AllSpark, into space, then sets out to find it with Megatron hot on his heels. Optimus is determined to defeat Megatron, bring the AllSpark home, and restore Cybertron to its former glory. But a traitor lurks aboard the Ark and head lie lost colonies, some of them hostile. Optimus needs help from the highest caliber, but from whom? Heroes suchs as Solus, Nexus, and Vector Prime have been simple names from stories of the past. Or are they? Maybe it's time for Optimus to find out. Afterall, this may be his only chance to defeat Megatron and restore peace. Question is, how is he going to do this?
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys fantasy and science fiction. Of course, they would have to read the first book, Transformers: Exodus, to understand the plot line. As for a rating, I would give this book 10/10. One, if you are a lover of Transformers, you have many characters who are present with their own voice and personality. Two, you have the action that takes place within the chapters of this amazing novel that grips you tight and doesn't want to let you go until you continue to read on. And three, if you want to see Megatron get his butt kicked by Optimus, there's that too. That's one of the reasons why I read Transformers. Plus, hearing about how Jazz makes such funny jokes tends to brighten my day as well.
All in all, this book is one like I would love to read to my friends, family, and even peers. My dad introduced me to science fiction and this book has it. I can't wait to see if there is going to be a third one because the ending leaves you hanging by a single thread.
Once allies, Optimus Prime and Megatron are now enemies in a civil war. To prevent Cybertron from falling into Megatron's claws, Optimus jettisons the planet's 'heart', the AllSpark, into space, then sets out to find it with Megatron hot on his heels. Optimus is determined to defeat Megatron, bring the AllSpark home, and restore Cybertron to its former glory. But a traitor lurks aboard the Ark and head lie lost colonies, some of them hostile. Optimus needs help from the highest caliber, but from whom? Heroes suchs as Solus, Nexus, and Vector Prime have been simple names from stories of the past. Or are they? Maybe it's time for Optimus to find out. Afterall, this may be his only chance to defeat Megatron and restore peace. Question is, how is he going to do this?
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys fantasy and science fiction. Of course, they would have to read the first book, Transformers: Exodus, to understand the plot line. As for a rating, I would give this book 10/10. One, if you are a lover of Transformers, you have many characters who are present with their own voice and personality. Two, you have the action that takes place within the chapters of this amazing novel that grips you tight and doesn't want to let you go until you continue to read on. And three, if you want to see Megatron get his butt kicked by Optimus, there's that too. That's one of the reasons why I read Transformers. Plus, hearing about how Jazz makes such funny jokes tends to brighten my day as well.
All in all, this book is one like I would love to read to my friends, family, and even peers. My dad introduced me to science fiction and this book has it. I can't wait to see if there is going to be a third one because the ending leaves you hanging by a single thread.
October 26, 2013
Pretty good. Not as good as Exodus, but still pretty good. There were many parts that seemed incomplete or maybe not quite polished. It was fun to see a couple of Cybertronian colony worlds, and the action was well-written and exciting. Parts felt repetitive, particularly some of Optimus's internal musings and Alpha Trion's stories. I like the backstory they reveal, but Alpha Trion particularly jumped in during action scenes in a way that did not build suspense, as I suspect was the intention. However, a number of interesting characters were introduced and incorporated rather well. The Velocitronians and Junkions are great, and even though the story moves very fast and they don't get that much time, I found myself caring a great deal about what happened to them.
Early on in the book I wished they had jumped back and forth between following the Autobots and the Decepticons, because I was curious about both sides. The action follows the Autobots exclusively for almost half the book. It was good stuff, but more than once I found myself flipping a few pages to see if Megatron or Starscream's names popped up. Once it started following the Decepticons too, the story seemed more like a race against time and it got more exciting. The second half of the book, and especially the last fourth, was a page turner, and it set up a sequel very well.
I do not mind that the exact situations and events in Exodus and Exile, and the games War for Cybertron and Fall of Cybertron, and the backstory revealed in Prime differ slightly. Each version is quite thrilling, and the slight differences make it seem more like a legend that has been told through thousands of years, which is kind of what this slice of Cybertronian history is supposed to be.
Early on in the book I wished they had jumped back and forth between following the Autobots and the Decepticons, because I was curious about both sides. The action follows the Autobots exclusively for almost half the book. It was good stuff, but more than once I found myself flipping a few pages to see if Megatron or Starscream's names popped up. Once it started following the Decepticons too, the story seemed more like a race against time and it got more exciting. The second half of the book, and especially the last fourth, was a page turner, and it set up a sequel very well.
I do not mind that the exact situations and events in Exodus and Exile, and the games War for Cybertron and Fall of Cybertron, and the backstory revealed in Prime differ slightly. Each version is quite thrilling, and the slight differences make it seem more like a legend that has been told through thousands of years, which is kind of what this slice of Cybertronian history is supposed to be.
February 26, 2014
Like Exodus before it, Transformers Exiles purports to cover the back story of what happened to Optimus Prime and Megatron before they arrived on Earth and the beginnings of the Transformers Prime cartoon.
It being Transformers media, there are continuity contradictions inherent to that premise.
Unlike Exodus, this book incorporates a synthesis of the mythologies of various other Transformers continuities, notably Cybertron, the Generation One cartoon and the concepts of the Thirteen, all given a Prime makeover. For the most part this works and makes for a more satisfying narrative than Exodus did.
There are still obvious editing issues that should have been caught, but significantly less of them.
It being Transformers media, there are continuity contradictions inherent to that premise.
Unlike Exodus, this book incorporates a synthesis of the mythologies of various other Transformers continuities, notably Cybertron, the Generation One cartoon and the concepts of the Thirteen, all given a Prime makeover. For the most part this works and makes for a more satisfying narrative than Exodus did.
There are still obvious editing issues that should have been caught, but significantly less of them.
August 13, 2016
Transformers: Exiles picks up right after Exodus with Optimus Prime on a search for the Allspark while being chased by Megatron and the Nemesis. This book takes us too two Cybrotronian worlds that we've seen in both the original series and in Transformers: Cybertron, this book also meshes over thirty years of transformers history into a story that keeps the reader wanting more, we meet Vector Prime and Nexus Prime and the hologram of Solus Prime all who treat Optimus as a comrade in arms. This book will is one to be recommended to any transformers fan or any one who wants to get into the Transformers story.
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