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Transformers Aligned continuity
Transformers: Retribution
For decades, Transformers fans across the globe have marveled at the mighty clashes of Megatron and Optimus Prime, and speculated about their arrival on planet Earth. Now, in Retribution, the prequel to the Transformers animated series, the epic odyssey of these two great warriors is finally revealed as Autobots and Decepticons battle one another . . . and the most diabolic foe they’ve ever encountered. Aboard the Ark, Optimus Prime leads his Autobots through deep space, searching for the AllSpark so vital to their home planet, Cybertron. Megatron’s not far behind, and his Decepticons are itching for war. But a mysterious planet conceals an enemy far more cunning and the Quintessons. Masters of tyranny, technology, and twisted double crosses, the Quintessons are out to enslave both Autobots and Decepticons. Their deadly bag of tricks includes time travel, fiendish trials, and a secret link all the way back to Cybertron, where Shockwave is wreaking havoc with supercomputer Vector Sigma. In the coming conflagration, Star Seekers, Wreckers, Alpha Trion, and Sharkticons all have their parts to play. For none can dodge the Quintesson juggernaut of evil, and none will escape the cataclysmic life-and-death battles that will catapult Autobots and Decepticons to Earth.
320 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 28, 2014
28 people are currently reading
448 people want to read
About the author
David J. Williams
50 books21 followersDescended from Australian convicts, David J. Williams nonetheless managed to be born in Hertfordshire, England, and subsequently moved to Washington D.C. just in time for Nixon’s impeachment. Graduating from Yale with a degree in history some time later, he narrowly escaped the life of a graduate student and ended up doing time in Corporate America, which drove him so crazy he started moonlighting on video games and (as he got even crazier) novels.
The Autumn Rain trilogy sold to Bantam Spectra in the summer of 2007; the release of THE MACHINERY OF LIGHT in May of 2010 completes the series.
The Autumn Rain trilogy sold to Bantam Spectra in the summer of 2007; the release of THE MACHINERY OF LIGHT in May of 2010 completes the series.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
April 17, 2017
Read this review (and others) at: https://literatureislife.com/2017/04/...
This review will contain some spoilers for the previous two books, Transformers: Exodus and Transformers: Exiles, as well as the related Transformers Prime television show and the video games War for Cybertron and Fall of Cybertron.
Transformers: Retribution brings a new author to this trilogy of books with David J. Williams and Mark Williams picking up where Alex Irvine left off. And it shows, it certainly shows. Retribution is a significant improvement over the last two installments, with clearer details and more attention paid to continuity. Despite that, having to continue the story from the mess that was Exodus and Exiles does prevent this story from doing as much as it could have stand-alone.
Picking up where Exiles left off, the Decepticons are in pursuit of the Autobots with the space pirates the Star Seekers after them both. The Star Seekers are one big issue with this book, as their story is left unresolved and they never popped up further down the continuity line in Prime. One other major issue with characters is the sudden appearance of the Aerialbots, a group of flying Autobots, on the Ark. The last book repeatedly showed Silverbolt as the only flying Autobot onboard, which constantly left the Autobots at a disadvantage against the flying Decepticon Seekers throughout the story. No explanation is given as to what the Aerialbots were busy with during Exiles.
All things considered, the transition from Irvine to the Williams went pretty smoothly. We were given lots of details that were nowhere to be found in the last two books, such as more descriptive action sequences and actual physical descriptions of the characters that Irvine never bothered with. Ultimately, having to clean up after Irvine was just too much for one book to do. If the Williams had more page space they probably could have done it, but even by the end of Retribution there is still a lot of time where who knows what happened between here and the start of Transformers Prime.
For die-hard Transformers fans, this book is recommended. While it is not the best, it is still part of the Aligned continuity family. Important bits of the lore that could still be relevant, as the Aligned universe is still being added to, are introduced here. Not to mention all the nods to the original Generation 1 series. But for general sci-fi fans or the casually interested, this trilogy can probably be skipped. Just play War for Cybertron and Fall of Cybertron instead.
This review will contain some spoilers for the previous two books, Transformers: Exodus and Transformers: Exiles, as well as the related Transformers Prime television show and the video games War for Cybertron and Fall of Cybertron.
Transformers: Retribution brings a new author to this trilogy of books with David J. Williams and Mark Williams picking up where Alex Irvine left off. And it shows, it certainly shows. Retribution is a significant improvement over the last two installments, with clearer details and more attention paid to continuity. Despite that, having to continue the story from the mess that was Exodus and Exiles does prevent this story from doing as much as it could have stand-alone.
Picking up where Exiles left off, the Decepticons are in pursuit of the Autobots with the space pirates the Star Seekers after them both. The Star Seekers are one big issue with this book, as their story is left unresolved and they never popped up further down the continuity line in Prime. One other major issue with characters is the sudden appearance of the Aerialbots, a group of flying Autobots, on the Ark. The last book repeatedly showed Silverbolt as the only flying Autobot onboard, which constantly left the Autobots at a disadvantage against the flying Decepticon Seekers throughout the story. No explanation is given as to what the Aerialbots were busy with during Exiles.
All things considered, the transition from Irvine to the Williams went pretty smoothly. We were given lots of details that were nowhere to be found in the last two books, such as more descriptive action sequences and actual physical descriptions of the characters that Irvine never bothered with. Ultimately, having to clean up after Irvine was just too much for one book to do. If the Williams had more page space they probably could have done it, but even by the end of Retribution there is still a lot of time where who knows what happened between here and the start of Transformers Prime.
For die-hard Transformers fans, this book is recommended. While it is not the best, it is still part of the Aligned continuity family. Important bits of the lore that could still be relevant, as the Aligned universe is still being added to, are introduced here. Not to mention all the nods to the original Generation 1 series. But for general sci-fi fans or the casually interested, this trilogy can probably be skipped. Just play War for Cybertron and Fall of Cybertron instead.
January 18, 2025
This books was a lot of fun. I'm not going to lie, I was a little nervous about an author switch this late in the game, but the Williams did a great job. I like how they switched us from the cliffhanger space fights to a whole new planet and threat. The setting change was good for me, I love space pirates, but Transformers in space don't have the most storytelling potential in my mind. Not a lot of transforming.
The new threat we face in this book is also a lot more intimidating than the Star Seekers. An ancient enemy from the Transformers past that fans will recognize, but the Transformers themselves have forgotten, and all their intrigue. Both the A and B plot are shaped by them. And here I thought we'd just be fighting pirates the whole book, instead we get a full planetary invasion and an Autobot/Decepticon teamup, which I'm always all about.
The only thing I was a little iffy on about the Williams writing was that in the first two books Alex Irvine uses more robotic phrases and metaphors than they do here. The Williams use a lot of human-centric phrases for measuring time and space, instead of "cycles" or whatever. Optimus also called his troops "people" and "men" instead of something like "Bots". Even stuff like "rat race" just say "Cyber-rat chase" make it corny, I don't care. But it's a minor issue. Another minor issue for me is that some characters just felt a little mischaracterized in the way they spoke to each other. Shockwave was also off for me. They kept describing him as grinning or looking shocked, but google "Transformers Shockwave" and tell me how that guy can emote. He's a cyclops with only one feature, a big yellow eye.
But overall I enjoyed this book, maybe even more than Exiles. The action was fun, the intrigue was there, it felt a little too long at points, but the Optimus Megatron teamup pretty much settled that for me. And boy howdy. If those two weren't flirting their entire time together at the end. Touching each other's lips, telling each other how good a team they'd make. It was beautiful lol. If I wrote a fourth book I'd make 'em kiss.
If you've already read Exodus and Exiles, read Retribution. You won't regret it.
The new threat we face in this book is also a lot more intimidating than the Star Seekers. An ancient enemy from the Transformers past that fans will recognize, but the Transformers themselves have forgotten, and all their intrigue. Both the A and B plot are shaped by them. And here I thought we'd just be fighting pirates the whole book, instead we get a full planetary invasion and an Autobot/Decepticon teamup, which I'm always all about.
The only thing I was a little iffy on about the Williams writing was that in the first two books Alex Irvine uses more robotic phrases and metaphors than they do here. The Williams use a lot of human-centric phrases for measuring time and space, instead of "cycles" or whatever. Optimus also called his troops "people" and "men" instead of something like "Bots". Even stuff like "rat race" just say "Cyber-rat chase" make it corny, I don't care. But it's a minor issue. Another minor issue for me is that some characters just felt a little mischaracterized in the way they spoke to each other. Shockwave was also off for me. They kept describing him as grinning or looking shocked, but google "Transformers Shockwave" and tell me how that guy can emote. He's a cyclops with only one feature, a big yellow eye.
But overall I enjoyed this book, maybe even more than Exiles. The action was fun, the intrigue was there, it felt a little too long at points, but the Optimus Megatron teamup pretty much settled that for me. And boy howdy. If those two weren't flirting their entire time together at the end. Touching each other's lips, telling each other how good a team they'd make. It was beautiful lol. If I wrote a fourth book I'd make 'em kiss.
If you've already read Exodus and Exiles, read Retribution. You won't regret it.
July 3, 2015
I'm really enjoying the series.
June 30, 2023
Author mixed up names a couple times and there was a part about Shockwave's face which was strange to me. Well written and the pacing was good.
June 23, 2015
This book started out really well and was then plagued by editing errors (some of which improved it) and strangely wasted potential.
First, the good. It was very exciting. Each action section is well-paced and there were a lot of them! It was nice to see so many characters and teams involved, on and off of Cybertron. I liked the plot on Cybertron better myself, since I am a huge fan of the Wreckers, and I love seeing Shockwave rise to new heights of crazy. The other plot, which linked up in a cool way, was good too, but there were some great things set up in the last novel, Exiles, that I feel these writers were just not that interested in, and were scarcely addressed, and rushed through. I would like to maybe see a comic book or something that deals with some of it....
There were tons of really huge surprises and twists, some of which were pretty cool. If you like general Transformers lore, there are some nice things in this book.
Now the bad. Oh my stars! So many earth based similes and metaphors! Comparing explosions to flowers, or schemes to dense forests, or any Sharkticon to a fish or actual shark, makes no sense in a book that is written in limited third person from the perspective of Cybertronians! They have no idea what those things are! I thought one of the coolest things about the first two novels was how utterly alien and robotic, yet identifiable, Cybertronian speech, culture, and psychology were. It was a pleasure to read. Most of the descriptions in this book were just grating. For example, in Exodus, bots change from alt-mode to bot mode, proto-form, or bipedal mode. In Retribution, they change to "humanoid" form. What the scrap is a human? None of the characters have ever seen one at this point!
The editing was also quite slap-dash. Most of it was run of the mill stylistic stuff, like repeated phrases too close together, or characters completely changing the way they speak halfway through the book. At other times, characters would randomly be in scenes on the wrong spaceship or even the wrong planet! However, at one point a character who met with a gruesome fate is shown doing things later, so I'm gonna say that wasn't an error. No take backs! He's ok!
From a storytelling perspective, I think there were some useless scenes and even arcs. There was a feeling of just adding strangeness and action for its own sake only to have it undone later, largely consequence free. Many of the conflict almost resolved themselves, undermining the stakes and actions of some of the other characters. It needed to be tightened up a lot, either cutting some of the developments, or resolving them in ways that gave the characters more agency. It may have been due to trying to do too much, because while the book was very exciting, there was little down time to build suspense or to let things sink in, on the reader or the characters.
This book is an entertaining addition to the current Transformers continuity, but it is by no means a can't-miss part of the story. Unlike the first two novels, no elements in the overall storyline are changed at the end - there was a lot of upheaval only to leave everything pretty much how it started, only with Cybertron a bit more beat up.
First, the good. It was very exciting. Each action section is well-paced and there were a lot of them! It was nice to see so many characters and teams involved, on and off of Cybertron. I liked the plot on Cybertron better myself, since I am a huge fan of the Wreckers, and I love seeing Shockwave rise to new heights of crazy. The other plot, which linked up in a cool way, was good too, but there were some great things set up in the last novel, Exiles, that I feel these writers were just not that interested in, and were scarcely addressed, and rushed through. I would like to maybe see a comic book or something that deals with some of it....
There were tons of really huge surprises and twists, some of which were pretty cool. If you like general Transformers lore, there are some nice things in this book.
Now the bad. Oh my stars! So many earth based similes and metaphors! Comparing explosions to flowers, or schemes to dense forests, or any Sharkticon to a fish or actual shark, makes no sense in a book that is written in limited third person from the perspective of Cybertronians! They have no idea what those things are! I thought one of the coolest things about the first two novels was how utterly alien and robotic, yet identifiable, Cybertronian speech, culture, and psychology were. It was a pleasure to read. Most of the descriptions in this book were just grating. For example, in Exodus, bots change from alt-mode to bot mode, proto-form, or bipedal mode. In Retribution, they change to "humanoid" form. What the scrap is a human? None of the characters have ever seen one at this point!
The editing was also quite slap-dash. Most of it was run of the mill stylistic stuff, like repeated phrases too close together, or characters completely changing the way they speak halfway through the book. At other times, characters would randomly be in scenes on the wrong spaceship or even the wrong planet! However, at one point a character who met with a gruesome fate is shown doing things later, so I'm gonna say that wasn't an error. No take backs! He's ok!
From a storytelling perspective, I think there were some useless scenes and even arcs. There was a feeling of just adding strangeness and action for its own sake only to have it undone later, largely consequence free. Many of the conflict almost resolved themselves, undermining the stakes and actions of some of the other characters. It needed to be tightened up a lot, either cutting some of the developments, or resolving them in ways that gave the characters more agency. It may have been due to trying to do too much, because while the book was very exciting, there was little down time to build suspense or to let things sink in, on the reader or the characters.
This book is an entertaining addition to the current Transformers continuity, but it is by no means a can't-miss part of the story. Unlike the first two novels, no elements in the overall storyline are changed at the end - there was a lot of upheaval only to leave everything pretty much how it started, only with Cybertron a bit more beat up.
April 16, 2021
Authors David J. Williams and Mark S. Williams bring us the conclusion to the war for Cybertron trilogy. As the book opens Megatron and the Nemesis are heading right into the middle of a fight with the pirates who've laid a trap for them since they left the planet Junkeion. Megatron who is obsessed with finding Optimus Prime and the rest of the Autobots makes short work of the pirates. While this is going on The Ark under the command of Optimus Prime find a world covered in nothing but oceans but on that world is a Representative the long lost enemy of the Cybertronians. While back on Cybertron Alpha Trion has been captured by Shockwave and has been taken to the ancient computer Vector Sigma. Ultra Magnus who leads the small commando group known as the Wreckers makes it known to them that it is their mission to find Alpha Trion and rescue him. While half a galaxy away Optimus Prime and Megatron fight the old foe and making sure that they know that the Cybertronions will now keep them in mind as they continue their search for the Allspark. This is a great book and I highly recommend it to all Transformers and science fiction fans.
March 21, 2014
the was really good
September 16, 2016
”I know how much it pains you to admit that I’m right about anything.”
“That’s not true,” Optimus said. “You were right about the old caste system. You were right when you said every Cybertronian has a right to chart his own destiny.”
“So in that case why did we ever go to war?”
“You know why, Megatron. Because you think that all destinies aren’t created equal. That the strong should rule the weak.”
“It’s not a matter of should, librarian. It’s just what happens naturally.”
--A quiet moment between Optimus and Megatron, Chapter 36.
There are many amazing quotes and moments in this third prequel installment for the Transformers prequel book line, but the one above has to be my favorite for what it represents and what was brought to light in Retribution.
Heads up, I’m a HUGE Transformers fan so this is an in-depth analysis to this book along with the justification that I somehow forgot to give after reading the first two.
With no sign of another Transformers book on the horizon it’s understandable why this one took up a majority of its plot in one location and ended the way it did. I had thought that this one would end with the characters finding their way to Earth somehow so it could be directly connected with Ghosts of Yesterday. But David and Mark Williams had this end in a way that could go on to the movie prequels as well as have it open for another book-prequel if Del Rey ends up making that decision—and…also be a prequel to Transformers Prime somehow.
Characters
Getting this out of the way. The very strange and unique method for the characters in these prequel novels started with Exodus and for some hyperactive reason I can’t remember why I didn’t explain it, so, I’m doing it now.
These novels do something I’ve never heard of before. Instead of sticking with a single universe—i.e. Bay movies or Transformers Prime—they take every single Transformers character from every Transformers series, ever, and mix and match different version into these prequels. For example, it’s easy to say Optimus and Megatron in this are from Prime because of their origins explained in Exodus as well as the front cover of this third book, but Kup is referenced to be from the Bayverse being that he loves smoking “cy-gars” which is something only the Michael Bay-movie version of Kup did as opposed to the G1 and IDW versions. Kup, Megatron, and Optimus = out of the way. Here’s a list of characters and their references in these prequel novels.
The characters not listed are either not really affiliated or significant with a particular series, or not in the books at all.
Bumblebee: Is either from the Michael Bay movies, War for/Fall of Cybertron games, or Prime since he cannot speak.
Jazz: He’s Optimus’ oldest friend in these books so maybe he’s from the IDW comics since that’s the only series I can think of where he’s close with Optimus.
Wheeljack: A member of the Wreckers working under Ultra Magnus, so that would make him the Prime version.
Prowl: Described as being a “master of stealth and precision” making him the Transformers Animated version since he’s a cyber ninja in the show. All other Prowl’s are police cars or jerks.
Rodimus: Uses a rocket bow in these books aligning him with Animated but his arrogant personality fits G1 or IDW universes.
Bulkhead: Has the Prime personality but is not with Ultra Magnus as a Wrecker.
Ratchet: G1 version since he’s not described as an “old” bot which is his personification in IDW, Prime, Animated, and the games.
Soundwave: I’m guessing he’s the Bay movie version because of his diabolical personality that he lacks in any other form of medium—he enjoys torturing others, for crying out loud!
Shockwave: Is definitely from G1 with the exact same personality as that of the old show. Although this Shockwave does like to experiment on things, he’s neither the evil scientist from IDW and Fall of Cybertron or the cold, calculated bot from Prime.
Starscream: This version could be from Prime or War for/Fall of Cybertron. He’s too brave to be the coward from G1, he lacks the remorse that he has in the IDW comics, he’s not slimy enough to be from Animated, and he’s not mopey enough to be from Armada. In Exodus there is mention that Starscream is affiliated with Trypticon station—which is from the games. But there’s no mention of Starscream’s past in Prime so in this case it could be either/or—or both since that’s a complete possibility.
It’s confusing what series these prequel books are meant for with all these mixed up characters, and the book descriptions don’t help. The front cover of Exodus says “The official history of the War for Cybertron.” The first thing I think of is the game named the same thing. But the origins of Megatron and Optimus are too finitely accurate to Prime. I thought the description for this book ended my internal debating as it says, “…Transformers Retribution, the prequel to the Transformers animated series…” That could mean any of the series since they are all animated—excluding the movies—but the front cover of Retribution shows the unmistakingly familiar faces of Optimus and Megatron from Prime, so it would make sense to automatically assume that’s the writers’ angle.
Small references bring the books closer to War for/Fall of Cybertron like Zeta Prime being a vital character in Exodus, which he was one in the games while there is no mention of him in Prime. But then there are characters like Ratbat that holds a position as council member in Exodus and in this book that relates him directly to the IDW universe. Very interesting method of world building. I’m determined to know who’s decision it as to do this before I die. Putting it on the bucket list.
Plot and Format Construction
I won’t spend too much time on the actual plotline other than a majority of the book is Autobots go on the planet Aquatron after fleeing the Decepticons and find an ancient enemy from the part of their past that they’ve completely forgotten. Quintessons are NOT a spoiler since they are mentioned in the book’s description, so don’t get mad at me because I’m talking about them.
If you’re familiar at all with the Quintessons, this book really makes you think about their role in the G1 universe. Characters such as “the Curator” play a major piece in the book and it talks a lot about the Quintesson’s original role, their intentions, and their thoughts on their so-called creations: Cybertronians. This also commits the amazing argument between Primus being their creator and the Quintessons being their creators. Instead of choosing either G1 or Prime universes as a foundation for the Quintessons in these books, it chooses both and evokes the issue of religious beliefs versus scientific evidence; Primus is Cybertron’s God and the Quintessons blow everyone’s minds when they go against that belief and say they are Cybertronians’ true creators. I was all up in that sh*t.
The Williams brothers do an amazing job using contrast in page breaks and points-of-views to show the dramatic difference between Optimus and Megatron, Autobot and Decepticon. You’d have to read it to understand, but the formatting on the actual pages of this book paint a stunning representation of why Autobots and Decepticons are at war without actually saying it.
Really well done action scenes that are trailer worthy including one of the best Optimus vs. Megatron pit fights I’ve ever read (comic or novel format). Especially since it is reinforced with the referencing of their previous bond in brotherhood.
Which brings me to the best part of this whole book.
Truth
Not only does Transformers attract the audience it has by being “cool” but it has a wide array of colorful characters that are easy to fall in love with. I often see the online fan community have generally positive reactions to specifically the characters of Transformers as opposed to the overall plot.
I thoroughly enjoyed Exodus when I read it—all of it interested me as it revealed Cybertron’s politics, the beginning of the war, and what the planet was like before the uprising. But my favorite part about it was the bond that Orion Pax and Megatronus shared showing that they used to be friends both politically and emotionally. They were fond of each other and it showed how before the war they agreed to disagree on some political viewpoints. It made it all the more painful when Megatron started the war and Optimus was forced to put his beliefs over Megatron’s motives.
Retribution brings those conflicted feelings back! Unlike the previous novel, Exiles, this one refers many times to who Optimus and Megatron were in Exodus and faces the thin possibility that the relationship they used to have as brothers still exists. They are forced to work together not once, not twice, not three times, but four different times in the book—which is exactly what I wanted to see!! The opposition brought to light between Optimus and Megatron in this book uses the two leaders’ difficult past to represent the very struggle between Autobot and Decepticon. They are the reason the whole war started. I know Megatron started it by committing terrorist attacks on Cybertron, but ever since the G1 series came out in the ‘80’s the world sees the oppositions of the Cybertronian war between Optimus and Megatron. If Optimus dies, the Decepticons win; if Megatron dies, the Autobots win. Mmmmm!! There’s not much I can say without giving away the feels that fans may experience while reading this book, but I can say that moments like the excerpt at the beginning of this review do happen in Retribution and it tears my heart up because right when you think they’re going to agree on something Megatron has to be the devil and stab someone in the back.
It makes it so much worse when you look at the conflict they face after these books whether in Prime or the Bay movies—or even in G1 because you know how it has to end up. Megatron will never stop at his conquest for domination and Optimus will not have that so they’re going to have a couple death battles against each other until one of them drops dead--please don’t remind me of how Prime Season 3 ended. I just can’t.
Add the concerned feels and drama with Optimus’ issues with the Matrix of Leadership in this book and I’d say it’s almost perfect. Almost.
Despite my love for the character conflict and what this book references it has its flaws. There’s constant repetition in word choice—especially with character catch phrases and terminology. Megatron calls Optimus “librarian” every time they speak and it get old real fast; my Kindle app says Megatron says it to Optimus 26 times. There are clichés including several “saved by the bell” moments before it’s too late for the Autobots. It’s almost like the Williams brothers inner little boys came out too much at some parts—did they have to end it with Optimus saying, “Roll out”? And the big one: Human terminology such as phrases humans use on a daily bases and words that have ethnicity from Earthen locations like “déjà vu.” Although it’s not explained why aliens who haven’t even seen organic life forms before use all these terms but a really creative explanation I like to use is that everything being read in these novels or everything we hear is translated from Cybertronian to English in ways that we can understand.
Conclusion
As a Transformers fan and sensitive writer, I really enjoyed reading this book. Seeing the clues and hints that the writers put in there that only Transformers junkies can find was super fun and made me think about all the different series and medium. It also helped me embrace the fact that there is more than one version of this series and these characters even more so than I already had.
In ways Retribution is better than Exodus but the combination of G1 Season 3 plot mixed with Bionicle-style plot—plus the amateur writing mistakes—really overpowered the bits of genius here. Overall not as good as Exodus, but definitely better than Exile. If you love Transformers, you’ll want to read this book. And if you’re unfamiliar with Transformers, I suggest starting with Exodus and working your way from there.
“That’s not true,” Optimus said. “You were right about the old caste system. You were right when you said every Cybertronian has a right to chart his own destiny.”
“So in that case why did we ever go to war?”
“You know why, Megatron. Because you think that all destinies aren’t created equal. That the strong should rule the weak.”
“It’s not a matter of should, librarian. It’s just what happens naturally.”
--A quiet moment between Optimus and Megatron, Chapter 36.
There are many amazing quotes and moments in this third prequel installment for the Transformers prequel book line, but the one above has to be my favorite for what it represents and what was brought to light in Retribution.
Heads up, I’m a HUGE Transformers fan so this is an in-depth analysis to this book along with the justification that I somehow forgot to give after reading the first two.
With no sign of another Transformers book on the horizon it’s understandable why this one took up a majority of its plot in one location and ended the way it did. I had thought that this one would end with the characters finding their way to Earth somehow so it could be directly connected with Ghosts of Yesterday. But David and Mark Williams had this end in a way that could go on to the movie prequels as well as have it open for another book-prequel if Del Rey ends up making that decision—and…also be a prequel to Transformers Prime somehow.
Characters
Getting this out of the way. The very strange and unique method for the characters in these prequel novels started with Exodus and for some hyperactive reason I can’t remember why I didn’t explain it, so, I’m doing it now.
These novels do something I’ve never heard of before. Instead of sticking with a single universe—i.e. Bay movies or Transformers Prime—they take every single Transformers character from every Transformers series, ever, and mix and match different version into these prequels. For example, it’s easy to say Optimus and Megatron in this are from Prime because of their origins explained in Exodus as well as the front cover of this third book, but Kup is referenced to be from the Bayverse being that he loves smoking “cy-gars” which is something only the Michael Bay-movie version of Kup did as opposed to the G1 and IDW versions. Kup, Megatron, and Optimus = out of the way. Here’s a list of characters and their references in these prequel novels.
The characters not listed are either not really affiliated or significant with a particular series, or not in the books at all.
Bumblebee: Is either from the Michael Bay movies, War for/Fall of Cybertron games, or Prime since he cannot speak.
Jazz: He’s Optimus’ oldest friend in these books so maybe he’s from the IDW comics since that’s the only series I can think of where he’s close with Optimus.
Wheeljack: A member of the Wreckers working under Ultra Magnus, so that would make him the Prime version.
Prowl: Described as being a “master of stealth and precision” making him the Transformers Animated version since he’s a cyber ninja in the show. All other Prowl’s are police cars or jerks.
Rodimus: Uses a rocket bow in these books aligning him with Animated but his arrogant personality fits G1 or IDW universes.
Bulkhead: Has the Prime personality but is not with Ultra Magnus as a Wrecker.
Ratchet: G1 version since he’s not described as an “old” bot which is his personification in IDW, Prime, Animated, and the games.
Soundwave: I’m guessing he’s the Bay movie version because of his diabolical personality that he lacks in any other form of medium—he enjoys torturing others, for crying out loud!
Shockwave: Is definitely from G1 with the exact same personality as that of the old show. Although this Shockwave does like to experiment on things, he’s neither the evil scientist from IDW and Fall of Cybertron or the cold, calculated bot from Prime.
Starscream: This version could be from Prime or War for/Fall of Cybertron. He’s too brave to be the coward from G1, he lacks the remorse that he has in the IDW comics, he’s not slimy enough to be from Animated, and he’s not mopey enough to be from Armada. In Exodus there is mention that Starscream is affiliated with Trypticon station—which is from the games. But there’s no mention of Starscream’s past in Prime so in this case it could be either/or—or both since that’s a complete possibility.
It’s confusing what series these prequel books are meant for with all these mixed up characters, and the book descriptions don’t help. The front cover of Exodus says “The official history of the War for Cybertron.” The first thing I think of is the game named the same thing. But the origins of Megatron and Optimus are too finitely accurate to Prime. I thought the description for this book ended my internal debating as it says, “…Transformers Retribution, the prequel to the Transformers animated series…” That could mean any of the series since they are all animated—excluding the movies—but the front cover of Retribution shows the unmistakingly familiar faces of Optimus and Megatron from Prime, so it would make sense to automatically assume that’s the writers’ angle.
Small references bring the books closer to War for/Fall of Cybertron like Zeta Prime being a vital character in Exodus, which he was one in the games while there is no mention of him in Prime. But then there are characters like Ratbat that holds a position as council member in Exodus and in this book that relates him directly to the IDW universe. Very interesting method of world building. I’m determined to know who’s decision it as to do this before I die. Putting it on the bucket list.
Plot and Format Construction
I won’t spend too much time on the actual plotline other than a majority of the book is Autobots go on the planet Aquatron after fleeing the Decepticons and find an ancient enemy from the part of their past that they’ve completely forgotten. Quintessons are NOT a spoiler since they are mentioned in the book’s description, so don’t get mad at me because I’m talking about them.
If you’re familiar at all with the Quintessons, this book really makes you think about their role in the G1 universe. Characters such as “the Curator” play a major piece in the book and it talks a lot about the Quintesson’s original role, their intentions, and their thoughts on their so-called creations: Cybertronians. This also commits the amazing argument between Primus being their creator and the Quintessons being their creators. Instead of choosing either G1 or Prime universes as a foundation for the Quintessons in these books, it chooses both and evokes the issue of religious beliefs versus scientific evidence; Primus is Cybertron’s God and the Quintessons blow everyone’s minds when they go against that belief and say they are Cybertronians’ true creators. I was all up in that sh*t.
The Williams brothers do an amazing job using contrast in page breaks and points-of-views to show the dramatic difference between Optimus and Megatron, Autobot and Decepticon. You’d have to read it to understand, but the formatting on the actual pages of this book paint a stunning representation of why Autobots and Decepticons are at war without actually saying it.
Really well done action scenes that are trailer worthy including one of the best Optimus vs. Megatron pit fights I’ve ever read (comic or novel format). Especially since it is reinforced with the referencing of their previous bond in brotherhood.
Which brings me to the best part of this whole book.
Truth
Not only does Transformers attract the audience it has by being “cool” but it has a wide array of colorful characters that are easy to fall in love with. I often see the online fan community have generally positive reactions to specifically the characters of Transformers as opposed to the overall plot.
I thoroughly enjoyed Exodus when I read it—all of it interested me as it revealed Cybertron’s politics, the beginning of the war, and what the planet was like before the uprising. But my favorite part about it was the bond that Orion Pax and Megatronus shared showing that they used to be friends both politically and emotionally. They were fond of each other and it showed how before the war they agreed to disagree on some political viewpoints. It made it all the more painful when Megatron started the war and Optimus was forced to put his beliefs over Megatron’s motives.
Retribution brings those conflicted feelings back! Unlike the previous novel, Exiles, this one refers many times to who Optimus and Megatron were in Exodus and faces the thin possibility that the relationship they used to have as brothers still exists. They are forced to work together not once, not twice, not three times, but four different times in the book—which is exactly what I wanted to see!! The opposition brought to light between Optimus and Megatron in this book uses the two leaders’ difficult past to represent the very struggle between Autobot and Decepticon. They are the reason the whole war started. I know Megatron started it by committing terrorist attacks on Cybertron, but ever since the G1 series came out in the ‘80’s the world sees the oppositions of the Cybertronian war between Optimus and Megatron. If Optimus dies, the Decepticons win; if Megatron dies, the Autobots win. Mmmmm!! There’s not much I can say without giving away the feels that fans may experience while reading this book, but I can say that moments like the excerpt at the beginning of this review do happen in Retribution and it tears my heart up because right when you think they’re going to agree on something Megatron has to be the devil and stab someone in the back.
It makes it so much worse when you look at the conflict they face after these books whether in Prime or the Bay movies—or even in G1 because you know how it has to end up. Megatron will never stop at his conquest for domination and Optimus will not have that so they’re going to have a couple death battles against each other until one of them drops dead--please don’t remind me of how Prime Season 3 ended. I just can’t.
Add the concerned feels and drama with Optimus’ issues with the Matrix of Leadership in this book and I’d say it’s almost perfect. Almost.
Despite my love for the character conflict and what this book references it has its flaws. There’s constant repetition in word choice—especially with character catch phrases and terminology. Megatron calls Optimus “librarian” every time they speak and it get old real fast; my Kindle app says Megatron says it to Optimus 26 times. There are clichés including several “saved by the bell” moments before it’s too late for the Autobots. It’s almost like the Williams brothers inner little boys came out too much at some parts—did they have to end it with Optimus saying, “Roll out”? And the big one: Human terminology such as phrases humans use on a daily bases and words that have ethnicity from Earthen locations like “déjà vu.” Although it’s not explained why aliens who haven’t even seen organic life forms before use all these terms but a really creative explanation I like to use is that everything being read in these novels or everything we hear is translated from Cybertronian to English in ways that we can understand.
Conclusion
As a Transformers fan and sensitive writer, I really enjoyed reading this book. Seeing the clues and hints that the writers put in there that only Transformers junkies can find was super fun and made me think about all the different series and medium. It also helped me embrace the fact that there is more than one version of this series and these characters even more so than I already had.
In ways Retribution is better than Exodus but the combination of G1 Season 3 plot mixed with Bionicle-style plot—plus the amateur writing mistakes—really overpowered the bits of genius here. Overall not as good as Exodus, but definitely better than Exile. If you love Transformers, you’ll want to read this book. And if you’re unfamiliar with Transformers, I suggest starting with Exodus and working your way from there.
December 15, 2017
WARNING: POTENTIAL SPOILERS AHEAD
Transformers Retribution is the third and final book in a series, preceded by Transformers exodus and Transformers exiles, and follows the story of the Autobots and the Decepticons as they make their final stretch through the galaxy towards a small, blue planet called Earth (Hey, I know that place!).
Having ejected the Allspark from Cybertron back in Exodus to keep it out of the hands of their enemies, and traversing the planets Junkion and Velocitron to reclaim it in order to restore their war torn world Cybertron, Optimus Prime and his Autobots are followed by the Decepticons in a race to claim the powerful super energy source lost in space.
The story begins right off, with the Decepticons searching the stars for the Autobots, having lost the signal of their ship, the Ark. They are lured into a trap and ambushed by the Cybertronian hating space pirates known as the Star Seekers, a huge battle ensues, with Megatron taking on Captain of the Tidal Wave, Thundertron. Megatron triumphs, and the Decepticon flagship, the Nemesis cripples the Star Seekers’ ship, allowing them to escape. Meanwhile the Autobots discover the traces of the Allspark lead to a mostly watery world known as Aquatron. The native robotic people, led by the Curator, a curious mustiached mechanoid; begin to make the Autobots welcome, and set out to help the Autobots find the Allspark. Soon the Decepticons arrive, and before the fighting can begin, the Curator states the two warring factions should put their differences aside and try for peace, adding that their admirable political skills could help the Cybertronians toward this peace with a treaty, the two sides eventually agree to the Curator’s idea.
However, all is not what it seems. Optimus soon begins to have waking nightmares and terrible, terrible visions, until he eventually stops feeling the guidance of the Matrix altogether. Worried about this might mean for not only his fellow Autobots, but for the entire Cybertronian race. Cut back to Cybertron, where Shockwave begins trying to harness Vector Sigma, the super computer within Cybertron’s core in order to crush the Autobot Wreckers, he realizes Vector Sigma is being controlled by an outside, sinister force. It is then revealed that the Curator and the people of Aquatron are followers of the Quintessons, the evil alien race who claim to have created the Transformer race themselves. And they want their slave force back. And the Autobots and Decepticons must team up to defeat this ancient foe.
While this book has a very different feel from the other two in the series, most likely due to the different author(s), it is still an excellent read and I would definitely recommend it, with twists and shocks at every turn.
Transformers Retribution is the third and final book in a series, preceded by Transformers exodus and Transformers exiles, and follows the story of the Autobots and the Decepticons as they make their final stretch through the galaxy towards a small, blue planet called Earth (Hey, I know that place!).
Having ejected the Allspark from Cybertron back in Exodus to keep it out of the hands of their enemies, and traversing the planets Junkion and Velocitron to reclaim it in order to restore their war torn world Cybertron, Optimus Prime and his Autobots are followed by the Decepticons in a race to claim the powerful super energy source lost in space.
The story begins right off, with the Decepticons searching the stars for the Autobots, having lost the signal of their ship, the Ark. They are lured into a trap and ambushed by the Cybertronian hating space pirates known as the Star Seekers, a huge battle ensues, with Megatron taking on Captain of the Tidal Wave, Thundertron. Megatron triumphs, and the Decepticon flagship, the Nemesis cripples the Star Seekers’ ship, allowing them to escape. Meanwhile the Autobots discover the traces of the Allspark lead to a mostly watery world known as Aquatron. The native robotic people, led by the Curator, a curious mustiached mechanoid; begin to make the Autobots welcome, and set out to help the Autobots find the Allspark. Soon the Decepticons arrive, and before the fighting can begin, the Curator states the two warring factions should put their differences aside and try for peace, adding that their admirable political skills could help the Cybertronians toward this peace with a treaty, the two sides eventually agree to the Curator’s idea.
However, all is not what it seems. Optimus soon begins to have waking nightmares and terrible, terrible visions, until he eventually stops feeling the guidance of the Matrix altogether. Worried about this might mean for not only his fellow Autobots, but for the entire Cybertronian race. Cut back to Cybertron, where Shockwave begins trying to harness Vector Sigma, the super computer within Cybertron’s core in order to crush the Autobot Wreckers, he realizes Vector Sigma is being controlled by an outside, sinister force. It is then revealed that the Curator and the people of Aquatron are followers of the Quintessons, the evil alien race who claim to have created the Transformer race themselves. And they want their slave force back. And the Autobots and Decepticons must team up to defeat this ancient foe.
While this book has a very different feel from the other two in the series, most likely due to the different author(s), it is still an excellent read and I would definitely recommend it, with twists and shocks at every turn.
August 14, 2025
Mild spoilers here. Be warned.
Finally finished reading. One third in, it wasn't very interesting, but it progressed more interestingly. There's a clear lack of narrative humor that was in Exiles, but the Decepticons (and Autobots) being faced with a bigger enemy was worth it.
And also another plus for it was the time unit. Irvine used cycles, and sometimes it was really ambiguous if he was referring to day, hour, or year. Using minutes, hours, day, and years here seemed like the best choice. I don't mind Cybertronian time units, but when no context was given to what this and that meant it only made things confusing, since every continuity's time units were different from one another. This was a nice change.
The introduction of Quintessons here is also handled well, perhaps. At least, I didn't know anything about them except that they're the bad-der guys when I jumped into the trilogy. Star Seekers were left unresolved tho :/
The novels have been informative so far but it's been tiring my mind, it's a miracle I didn't DNF it. The authors just wanted to tell us what was happening without going too deep into characters' reactions to everything around them—as if they were dragged by the plot, not the ones dragging it. How did Megatron react to being beaten up publicly? How did Optimus react to it? It may seem trivial, but it would let us have an insight to their principles, morality, personality, character, whatever you call it. But no, things just happen. And it was only Starscream who properly reacted to the crazier things, like the classic "Holy sh*t this guy is crazy" monologue about Megatron pulling a Megalodon.
There's a clear lack of distinction between characters and each of their personalities. Sometimes I can't differentiate who was talking. As well as the use of the word "said"—did no other dialogue tags exist in 2014??
Anyway, I'm just happy I finished reading this so I can continue my TF fanfic without looking like a fumbler for not knowing things.
But if you ask me if this is better—then I'll just say at least it's still better than Exodus. I like Exiles, and I like Retribution.
Finally finished reading. One third in, it wasn't very interesting, but it progressed more interestingly. There's a clear lack of narrative humor that was in Exiles, but the Decepticons (and Autobots) being faced with a bigger enemy was worth it.
And also another plus for it was the time unit. Irvine used cycles, and sometimes it was really ambiguous if he was referring to day, hour, or year. Using minutes, hours, day, and years here seemed like the best choice. I don't mind Cybertronian time units, but when no context was given to what this and that meant it only made things confusing, since every continuity's time units were different from one another. This was a nice change.
The introduction of Quintessons here is also handled well, perhaps. At least, I didn't know anything about them except that they're the bad-der guys when I jumped into the trilogy. Star Seekers were left unresolved tho :/
The novels have been informative so far but it's been tiring my mind, it's a miracle I didn't DNF it. The authors just wanted to tell us what was happening without going too deep into characters' reactions to everything around them—as if they were dragged by the plot, not the ones dragging it. How did Megatron react to being beaten up publicly? How did Optimus react to it? It may seem trivial, but it would let us have an insight to their principles, morality, personality, character, whatever you call it. But no, things just happen. And it was only Starscream who properly reacted to the crazier things, like the classic "Holy sh*t this guy is crazy" monologue about Megatron pulling a Megalodon.
There's a clear lack of distinction between characters and each of their personalities. Sometimes I can't differentiate who was talking. As well as the use of the word "said"—did no other dialogue tags exist in 2014??
Anyway, I'm just happy I finished reading this so I can continue my TF fanfic without looking like a fumbler for not knowing things.
But if you ask me if this is better—then I'll just say at least it's still better than Exodus. I like Exiles, and I like Retribution.
March 20, 2019
Transformers - Retribution kicks off with the Decepticons getting into a scuffle with pirates which of course gives a great excuse with various characters such as Wreck Gar and Starscream's merry band! :D The book shifts its focus from the Decepticons and Autobots, later on this also includes various Quintessons as well! :D This let us see all the plans and counter plans that all the sides are up to! :D This gives us a great perspective on events as the Decepticons, Autobots and Quintessons all compete for the top prizes! :D
At the same time over on Cybertron Alpha Trion is having a hard time with mad scientist Shockwave who is unaware of what his actions will bring! :D The gives Transformers Retribution a sinister edge to events, that and the Quintessons, all show the odds Prime are fighting against! :D Megatron and Prime battle it out, there eventual joining forces though seem perfectly natural! :D It is worth observing, as the characters do, that they make a great effective team! :D
The action scenes are brilliantly staged with all the action on the page! :D The characters themselves are given detailed descriptions as well! :D This makes for a brilliant bright feel to events as Prime, Megatron and gang all encounter one new landscape after another! :D This leads to a book that never stay static and Transformers - Retribution never lets up on that as it is always changing from one scene to the next! :D In addition all of the characters are given page time from Sideswipe, Starscream, Jazz and the rest so the POV is also always shifting giving the book a feel of pace! :D
The world building is excellent really giving us a epic picture of the changing events! :D This combined with the epic battles really brings everything popping off the page! :D Transformers - Retribution is brilliant with grandiose epic posturing, heroic and mysteries from the start and is full of adventure and action packed throughout! :D Brilliant stuff! :D Crisp High Five! :D Go and Get! :D
At the same time over on Cybertron Alpha Trion is having a hard time with mad scientist Shockwave who is unaware of what his actions will bring! :D The gives Transformers Retribution a sinister edge to events, that and the Quintessons, all show the odds Prime are fighting against! :D Megatron and Prime battle it out, there eventual joining forces though seem perfectly natural! :D It is worth observing, as the characters do, that they make a great effective team! :D
The action scenes are brilliantly staged with all the action on the page! :D The characters themselves are given detailed descriptions as well! :D This makes for a brilliant bright feel to events as Prime, Megatron and gang all encounter one new landscape after another! :D This leads to a book that never stay static and Transformers - Retribution never lets up on that as it is always changing from one scene to the next! :D In addition all of the characters are given page time from Sideswipe, Starscream, Jazz and the rest so the POV is also always shifting giving the book a feel of pace! :D
The world building is excellent really giving us a epic picture of the changing events! :D This combined with the epic battles really brings everything popping off the page! :D Transformers - Retribution is brilliant with grandiose epic posturing, heroic and mysteries from the start and is full of adventure and action packed throughout! :D Brilliant stuff! :D Crisp High Five! :D Go and Get! :D
October 27, 2025
I am disappointed.
I loved this book. it was so entertaining to read. It had me laughing, it had me smiling, it had me in "OH SHIT" moments. I genuinely loved it.
Yet here I am still disappointed.
I am disappointed because I was promised a book that would connect the previous book in the trilogy to the Transformers Prime show and it did not do that. At the end of this book we are in the exact same place we started it in.
I expected the continuation from the last book, of the chase with the pirates. I expect to see what happened to the Arc and everyone who was on it since it's not there in Prime, nor are most of the bots who play a large role in the books. I expected to see what led Megatron to leave Nemesis to seek the dark energon again. I expected to see the final destruction of Cybertron, what killed Alpha Trion, what caused Wheeljack and Ultra Magnus and other wreckers to leave Cybertron. I wanted to see the lead up to Arcee and Cliffjumper destroying Shockwaves lab and ending up on earth and the aftermath of it.
I wanted to see those because that's what we were essentially promised when this book was proclaimed a bridge between the previous book and the show. And we got none of that.
You may say that I'm overreacting and maybe I am, but I genuinely care about those stories, those characters. They are my childhood and so I can't help but be disappointed, because I LOVE this book. It's funny, it's entertaining, it's well written, it's sweet and heartwarming and so cool. and it's also disappointing
I loved this book. it was so entertaining to read. It had me laughing, it had me smiling, it had me in "OH SHIT" moments. I genuinely loved it.
Yet here I am still disappointed.
I am disappointed because I was promised a book that would connect the previous book in the trilogy to the Transformers Prime show and it did not do that. At the end of this book we are in the exact same place we started it in.
I expected the continuation from the last book, of the chase with the pirates. I expect to see what happened to the Arc and everyone who was on it since it's not there in Prime, nor are most of the bots who play a large role in the books. I expected to see what led Megatron to leave Nemesis to seek the dark energon again. I expected to see the final destruction of Cybertron, what killed Alpha Trion, what caused Wheeljack and Ultra Magnus and other wreckers to leave Cybertron. I wanted to see the lead up to Arcee and Cliffjumper destroying Shockwaves lab and ending up on earth and the aftermath of it.
I wanted to see those because that's what we were essentially promised when this book was proclaimed a bridge between the previous book and the show. And we got none of that.
You may say that I'm overreacting and maybe I am, but I genuinely care about those stories, those characters. They are my childhood and so I can't help but be disappointed, because I LOVE this book. It's funny, it's entertaining, it's well written, it's sweet and heartwarming and so cool. and it's also disappointing
August 30, 2019
Par Excellence! Final chapter of series 'Official History of the War for Cybertron' is over and it's simply the Best I have ever read.
From beginning, when Thundertron and Megatron punches to crush each other's metals, to the end when battle damage Optimus and Megatron emerges on the back of Leviacon and Alpha Trion shares his words with the hint of Planet Earth, everything is just too good to be true.
This has become the series of my life. Years ago I purchased this series but never got the chance to read it. Big mistake it was. Now I want to repeat the whole one more time.
This is surely the best part of this trilogy. Only drawback is that it's the final part so it's heavily dependent on Exodus and Exiles.
Writer took the whole story to a new level. A level which deserves to be on IMAX. I enjoyed Alex Irvine's writing in first two novels but this one is much simpler to read.
Characterization of two most debated and loved leaders is flaw less. Optimus gets the realization that he's not dependent of Matrix of Leadership to lead his crew and Megatron as always shows why the figher of pits of Kaon is most fearful.
IDK why, but I mostly prefer Megatron over Optimus. Surely I never support his way of achieving peace through tyranny and he also has gone too far from his original motive but his strengh, skill, raw power and never give up attitude is something that attractes me most.
Hopefully, I will start the whole series one more time soon enough.
From beginning, when Thundertron and Megatron punches to crush each other's metals, to the end when battle damage Optimus and Megatron emerges on the back of Leviacon and Alpha Trion shares his words with the hint of Planet Earth, everything is just too good to be true.
This has become the series of my life. Years ago I purchased this series but never got the chance to read it. Big mistake it was. Now I want to repeat the whole one more time.
This is surely the best part of this trilogy. Only drawback is that it's the final part so it's heavily dependent on Exodus and Exiles.
Writer took the whole story to a new level. A level which deserves to be on IMAX. I enjoyed Alex Irvine's writing in first two novels but this one is much simpler to read.
Characterization of two most debated and loved leaders is flaw less. Optimus gets the realization that he's not dependent of Matrix of Leadership to lead his crew and Megatron as always shows why the figher of pits of Kaon is most fearful.
IDK why, but I mostly prefer Megatron over Optimus. Surely I never support his way of achieving peace through tyranny and he also has gone too far from his original motive but his strengh, skill, raw power and never give up attitude is something that attractes me most.
Hopefully, I will start the whole series one more time soon enough.
May 18, 2020
When Transformers started as a television show in 1984, I was 12 years old, seeing sentient robots, laser weapons & later space travel, & hooked on it. I've since watched other Transformers incarnations & come to the conclusion most of the TV shows are marketed to children, & not the people who watched the original 30 + years ago.
This being the first Transformers novel I've ever read, I found it an interesting combination of the Generation 1 -G1- characters & other incarnations. I have no idea who the character of Hubcap is for example. This novel brought me to the realization that I want to read Sci Fi novels that aren't just robots, spaceships & battles, it showed me 3 dimensional versions of Megatron, Optimus Prime & the other characters that have been created since I started watching those cartoons in the 1980s.
The authors switch from the meters to miles & back again. Not only is it confusing for a reader, but why switch back & forth from one system to another? The book is still a Sci Fi battle, but adds to the mythology of the Transformers. Conclusion: It is much more satisfying watching a cartoon or live action version of the Transformers than reading a novel about them. I'll try another of this novel series if I can find it though.
This being the first Transformers novel I've ever read, I found it an interesting combination of the Generation 1 -G1- characters & other incarnations. I have no idea who the character of Hubcap is for example. This novel brought me to the realization that I want to read Sci Fi novels that aren't just robots, spaceships & battles, it showed me 3 dimensional versions of Megatron, Optimus Prime & the other characters that have been created since I started watching those cartoons in the 1980s.
The authors switch from the meters to miles & back again. Not only is it confusing for a reader, but why switch back & forth from one system to another? The book is still a Sci Fi battle, but adds to the mythology of the Transformers. Conclusion: It is much more satisfying watching a cartoon or live action version of the Transformers than reading a novel about them. I'll try another of this novel series if I can find it though.
May 21, 2025
Part of the Aligned Continuity prequel trilogy, all these books have a very special place in my geeky heart. And I read this a LONG time ago, and I forgot that I had goodreads to write reviews and rate books, so here it is.
But the complaint I had, and probably many others, was that this book lacked some substance and the many details from the two previous books (Transformers: Exodus and Transformers: Exile). Because comparing the storytelling to those two books in the trilogy, I can now see why so many say that the plot and said storytelling is simplified. Nothing wrong with simplicity, but with how much content on the dynamics between the alliances of the Autobots and Decepticons INCLUDING just the characters themselves, sort of disappointing?
Additionally, the author of Retribution is different than the previous two book, plenty of errors in the continuity of the book. You’re telling me Retribution is the prequel to Transformers Prime… I mean oh well.
There ARE a bunch of funny one-liners.
That’s it, no spoilers and just me complaining. Still 5/5.
But the complaint I had, and probably many others, was that this book lacked some substance and the many details from the two previous books (Transformers: Exodus and Transformers: Exile). Because comparing the storytelling to those two books in the trilogy, I can now see why so many say that the plot and said storytelling is simplified. Nothing wrong with simplicity, but with how much content on the dynamics between the alliances of the Autobots and Decepticons INCLUDING just the characters themselves, sort of disappointing?
Additionally, the author of Retribution is different than the previous two book, plenty of errors in the continuity of the book. You’re telling me Retribution is the prequel to Transformers Prime… I mean oh well.
There ARE a bunch of funny one-liners.
That’s it, no spoilers and just me complaining. Still 5/5.
June 3, 2019
Overall I really enjoyed the book, similar to Exiles and Exodus but maybe a bit easier reading (read it on a couple plane rides.) The personalities of the Transformers were more ‘G1 accurate’ in this book. The latter third dragged a bit for me (when they were on Aquatron) but the revelation of the true nature of the planet was cool; the clashes/team ups between Megatron and Optimus were a real highlight.
One of the few things that irked me were the over anthropomorphism of the Cybertronians; numerous Terran expressions they wouldn’t use, and turns of phrase like ‘Starscream cleared his throat.’ (No.)
The book is a prequel to Transformers the animated show (Prime?) but it also works for G1 and has some homage to the ‘86 movie. Would definitely recommend-read it later.
One of the few things that irked me were the over anthropomorphism of the Cybertronians; numerous Terran expressions they wouldn’t use, and turns of phrase like ‘Starscream cleared his throat.’ (No.)
The book is a prequel to Transformers the animated show (Prime?) but it also works for G1 and has some homage to the ‘86 movie. Would definitely recommend-read it later.
December 1, 2018
Good conclusion to the series, though it didn't quite get to the point in time in the Transformers story that I had expected, and it left a few questions open. Plenty of action and surprises kept the pages turning, solid read.
April 25, 2023
This is a good book, but really hard to get, I ended up reading it on a pdf on line. It finishes the series really well and offers an interesting framework about the friendship between both Prime and Megatron.
November 18, 2017
For fans of transformers prime, this is a recommendation.
August 25, 2018
This book was a very good read since I do love Transformers. But I wouldn’t call it my absolute favourite since it lacked some interaction with Bee and Optimus. Just my opinion.
December 25, 2020
Loooong, but not detrimentally so. Allows plenty of room for the characters to grow and for exciting action.
February 25, 2021
An absolutely amazing book, and an awesome end to this trilogy!
February 2, 2024
Must read for transformers fans I love how the authors twist the story.......
December 19, 2016
"Transformers: Retribution" is the 3rd and final installment of the trilogy preceeded by "Transformers: Exodus" and "Transformers: Exiles" with David and Mark Williams taking over the helm from Alex Irvine.
Last time we left them, the Decepticons were headed in the general direction of the AllSpark with the Autobots trailing not far behind. Not sure what happened since then, because the book opens up with the Decepticons LOOKING for the Autobots. The Star Seekers then took advantage of this, and ambushed the Decepticons (only to find out that they were outclassed).
Soon after, we find the Autobots and Decepticons on a strange uncharted planet called Aquatron where they are welcomed by a mysterious and cunning half-robot/half-fish denizen who goes by "The Curator". Little do they know, they have fallen into a trap that has been lying in wait for them for millions of years.
The story then jumps back and forth between Cybertron and Aquatron, and certain events will eventually tie these two planets, separated by billions of lightyears, together in an epic battle for survival.
The authors touch on themes like teamwork, tolerance, (burden of) leadership, slavery and free will. This is evident when we find the Autobots and Decepticons put aside their differences to fight a common foe. We also find Autobots or Decepticons rise to the occasion to lead their fellow 'bots, in the absence of their respective leaders. We also get to witness the repercussions of what happens when a people entrenched in slavery suddenly find freedom.
The transition from Irvine to Williams has it's pros and cons. It's not easy picking up where another author left off. Williams brought in more action/fight scenes and physical description of the characters and their quirks, but should've taken the time to read the first 2 novels to see how certain characters talked, thought and walked (think of Richard Harris's Dumbledore vs Michael Gambon's Dumbledor).
Also it would've been better if they didn't kill off major characters, only to write them back into the story like nothing happened.
Personally speaking, I'd classify this a "fan fiction". The characters are drawn from every other "universe" (e.g. Gen 1, Michael Bay, Prime, etc.) so you can't get a fix of which continuity they fall into and several main characters are killed off before they even reach Earth, which would not make any sense as there are stories that include them doing stuff on Earth.
To be honest, you're not missing much if you don't get to read it. If you don't have anything better to do, then this is a fun read to pass the time.
Last time we left them, the Decepticons were headed in the general direction of the AllSpark with the Autobots trailing not far behind. Not sure what happened since then, because the book opens up with the Decepticons LOOKING for the Autobots. The Star Seekers then took advantage of this, and ambushed the Decepticons (only to find out that they were outclassed).
Soon after, we find the Autobots and Decepticons on a strange uncharted planet called Aquatron where they are welcomed by a mysterious and cunning half-robot/half-fish denizen who goes by "The Curator". Little do they know, they have fallen into a trap that has been lying in wait for them for millions of years.
The story then jumps back and forth between Cybertron and Aquatron, and certain events will eventually tie these two planets, separated by billions of lightyears, together in an epic battle for survival.
The authors touch on themes like teamwork, tolerance, (burden of) leadership, slavery and free will. This is evident when we find the Autobots and Decepticons put aside their differences to fight a common foe. We also find Autobots or Decepticons rise to the occasion to lead their fellow 'bots, in the absence of their respective leaders. We also get to witness the repercussions of what happens when a people entrenched in slavery suddenly find freedom.
The transition from Irvine to Williams has it's pros and cons. It's not easy picking up where another author left off. Williams brought in more action/fight scenes and physical description of the characters and their quirks, but should've taken the time to read the first 2 novels to see how certain characters talked, thought and walked (think of Richard Harris's Dumbledore vs Michael Gambon's Dumbledor).
Also it would've been better if they didn't kill off major characters, only to write them back into the story like nothing happened.
Personally speaking, I'd classify this a "fan fiction". The characters are drawn from every other "universe" (e.g. Gen 1, Michael Bay, Prime, etc.) so you can't get a fix of which continuity they fall into and several main characters are killed off before they even reach Earth, which would not make any sense as there are stories that include them doing stuff on Earth.
To be honest, you're not missing much if you don't get to read it. If you don't have anything better to do, then this is a fun read to pass the time.
January 3, 2015
this is the third book of the current transformers series, the first two books were written by a different author. one can clearly differentiate the writing styles between alex irvine and the current author. irvine's narration makes more sense as in the transformers were depicted as less humanoid as compared to this book. in this book, they
quintesson imperium sounds rather like . as the plot thickens, the autobots and decepticons soon found themselves having to
looking forward to read the next one since there is a hint from
quintesson imperium sounds rather like . as the plot thickens, the autobots and decepticons soon found themselves having to
looking forward to read the next one since there is a hint from
July 13, 2015
I really did not think that I'd give more than four stars to this book, but it was really epic and very, very well done. The Quintesson plot added much needed variety in the classic Autobot vs Decepticon characters and new and powerful original characters were added to the story of Optimus and Megatron. The final third of the novel was frenetic. Respect to the authors of the book and The Transformers series!
January 22, 2015
A good read for Transformers fans. Nothing amazing, though. I liked how they delved into the '86 movie and used the Sharkticons, Quints, etc.. Some interesting parts, also a number of out-of-character moments (imo). Nevertheless, worth reading, if you have spare time and money. Otherwise, you're not missing much, to be honest!!
November 18, 2014
Not amazing. After all, it is a Transformer novel. However, the story wasn't completely predictable. I found a few errors, but let it slide...it is a transformer novel...
The characters are even more Prime and G1 mixed. This makes it hard to give them a good image or personality. If you like Transformer novels, it is as good as the others...
The characters are even more Prime and G1 mixed. This makes it hard to give them a good image or personality. If you like Transformer novels, it is as good as the others...
November 18, 2014
A stronger narrative than the prior two books in the series, and it looks like this one at least saw an editor as it is far less typo-ridden. Still a few continuity errors, but that happens when a series switches authors midstream.
April 17, 2014
The story was OK - however the writing was lacking. Younger readers or someone that wants to know everything about the world of transformers prime should read it. Casual adult fans may not find it worth their time.
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