The novel is out now. I have a copy. Review and thoughts coming soonish.
Transformers Exodus preview by Alex Irvine:
Last week, AllSpark had a link to the first 4 chapters of the new "Transformers" novel. (Apologies for not posting a link. But, with all of the Botcon related news, and my own schedule, I cannot take necessary time to sift through news and links.) Based on the first 4 chapters, and comments made by other fans, this novel is less about narrative or premise than it is about world building and establishing the status quo of Hasbro's new synoptic continuity. Elements from IDW, Dreamwave, the Unicron Trilogy and other eras are blended with far more grace than I had anticipated. This novel is not likely to knock my socks off, but it is thus far very readable.
Grade: pending
Dom
-will make time to read this book.
Exodus review thread
Re: Exodus review thread
Transformers: Exodus (by Alex Irvine)-
At this point, I think it is time for me to man up and change my own listing conventions. Colons tend to show up in titles more than dashes, meaning it makes more sense for me to use dashes when setting the title of a book off from the review. On the other hand, I like using colons to separate titles from reviews.
Yes, the above is padding. The simple fact is that I really have little enough to say about "Exodus" that has not been said before. The general concensus is that "Exodus" is less a story and more an effort at world building.
It is probably best to look at Exodus as either a long, (if frequently out of focus), establishing shot. As noted in DvD's review, (www.eyrie.org/~dvandom), there is plenty of name-dropping and nearly as many Easter Eggs.
There are also more than a few cringe-worthy sentences and some jaw-droppingly bad names for McGuffins, (This book has no small number of these, even by the standards of the genre).
Perhaps the worst part is that "Exodus" does a poor job or establishing much of anything clearly. A gaming manual could do that much. Hasbro's new and definitive continuity already has precedent for the kinds of contradictions and ambiguities that have long plagued the franchise.
Grade: F
The most useful parts of this book, (mostly bits of trivia), will likely be summed up in more formal reviews and on various newsboards. The less useful parts lack even aesthetic appeal.
At this point, I think it is time for me to man up and change my own listing conventions. Colons tend to show up in titles more than dashes, meaning it makes more sense for me to use dashes when setting the title of a book off from the review. On the other hand, I like using colons to separate titles from reviews.
Yes, the above is padding. The simple fact is that I really have little enough to say about "Exodus" that has not been said before. The general concensus is that "Exodus" is less a story and more an effort at world building.
It is probably best to look at Exodus as either a long, (if frequently out of focus), establishing shot. As noted in DvD's review, (www.eyrie.org/~dvandom), there is plenty of name-dropping and nearly as many Easter Eggs.
There are also more than a few cringe-worthy sentences and some jaw-droppingly bad names for McGuffins, (This book has no small number of these, even by the standards of the genre).
Perhaps the worst part is that "Exodus" does a poor job or establishing much of anything clearly. A gaming manual could do that much. Hasbro's new and definitive continuity already has precedent for the kinds of contradictions and ambiguities that have long plagued the franchise.
Grade: F
The most useful parts of this book, (mostly bits of trivia), will likely be summed up in more formal reviews and on various newsboards. The less useful parts lack even aesthetic appeal.
Re: Exodus review thread
Wow, a game guide would have more literary value eh? That's epically bad. I'll probably still read it anyway. 
Re: Exodus review thread
Seriously, skip it.
Even if you get a free copy, it is not worth the time it would take to read. It *might* be worth the time it would take to listen to as an audio book.
Dom
-no, seriously. Skip it.
Even if you get a free copy, it is not worth the time it would take to read. It *might* be worth the time it would take to listen to as an audio book.
Dom
-no, seriously. Skip it.
-
andersonh1
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Re: Exodus review thread
I'm interested in reading this, but I think I'll wait for the paperback. Maybe use my store credit at the local used bookstore to get a copy.
Re: Exodus review thread
Honestly, I would not even bother with a used copy unless it is free. Even then, monetizing the time spend reading would arguably still make it a wasted effort. There is nothing in this book that you cannot get from a wiki.
Dom
-hates to say it.
Dom
-hates to say it.
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Onslaught Six
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Re: Exodus review thread
Hell, having played the game, there's nothing you can't get 'from that.'
People spend so much time worrying about whether a figure is "mint" or not that they never stop to consider other flavours.BWprowl wrote:The internet having this many different words to describe nerdy folks is akin to the whole eskimos/ice situation, I would presume.
