Greg Farshtey is the author of the popular BIONICLE chapter books and Level 3 readers, as well as the long-running BIONICLE comic book series. His day job is Editor-in-Chief and head writer for the LEGO Club Magazine and the LEGO BrickMaster Magazine.
Greg has been writing since fourth grade. After earning a degree in Communications from the State University of New York at Geneseo, he worked as a reporter, sports editor, game designer and editor, and copywriter before joining LEGO Company in 2000. Before becoming involved with BIONICLE, he wrote game material for such diverse properties as Star Wars, Indiana Jones, and Tales From the Crypt.
Greg is the author of more than 30 novels and guidebooks, as well as the author or co-author of more than 35 game sourcebooks and adventures.
This is the definitive Bionicle novel. If you can only read one, read this one. After spending so long on Mata Nui, this book gives us the background for the universe into which the Toa Nuva and all the Matoran with which we’ve spent the last for years return. The insidious leader of the Dark Hunters, the Shadowed One, swears revenge on Makuta and his brotherhood for his terrible defeat. How Makuta won influence over Ahkmou. Most important is how destiny is inescapable and seeks to thwart evil. The revelation that Makuta influenced Lhikan in his choice for successors is shown to be only the half truth, as it was the Great Spirit’s will for Vakama and his team to become the defenders of the Matoran. And this gives Vakama what he needs to make the ultimate bluff. This is the most influential the Vahi has been in the story. A good tale of what a heart of steel can accomplish in the face of terrifying evil.
Makuta is an actual character in this one! If you care about the toa metru, this is required reading, right alongside A5: Voyage of Fear. This is one of the best books in the series so far.
Re-read my favourite Bionicle book from back in the day to find it's still probably my favourite Bionicle book 👍 Vakama has gone through his like 15 distinct phases of emotional immaturity in previous books and is now a great character I really enjoyed following through this story. Also, finally a book where Makuta gets to have real conversations that reveal things about how he thinks, instead of just spouting Vague Threatening Big Bad Dialogue. At the time this book came out I was blown away by how it really opens up the world to be more interesting and complicated than previously hinted at, and it still feels excitingly fresh.
the finale of the Toa Metru saga. This one gets weird with it. Makuta and Vakama tea up to steal back the Mask of Time from the Dark Hunters. pretty much every extraneous plot thread from the previous nine books gets wrapped up really nicely. I love the introduction of the Inika prophecy. This book rules.
Probably the best entry in the whole series, one that does a nice job wrapping up the entire storyline and setting up the other one. Vakama returns to Metru Nui to find the Mask of Time, only to discover that Makuta and the Shadowed One are both planning to take it as well. The return of Makuta was a great part of the story, and the formation of an uneasy alliance between Vakama and Makuta was really interesting to watch.
Although I have typically really enjoyed the Bioncile books and stories I have read/watched, this one (what I remember from when I read it a while back) I found to have Makuta to be too convenient of a character. His endless supply of powers and invincibility are too convenient and annoying. Makuta can literally do anything he wants to do. He can stop practically any attack and return it with extra force.
At the same time, however, it was cool to find out there was an extra part to the story of Vakama. He has his only very special adventure/mission in some very unusual circumstances (even for the Bionicle universe).
Also, I am no longer quite as young as I once was. My tastes my be changing.