50 in '11: #12

[sakon76]

Title: Transformers: Dark of the Moon
Author: Peter David
Length: 385 pages


Oh my dear sweet Primus, I have found the Grail! A Transformers novel that is actually good! Since I have all eight of the others (nine if you're willing to stretch a point for Legends, which is a short story collection) sitting on my bookshelf, I do not make this claim in idle jest. Until now, every Transformers novel ever written has not actually been a good read.

This book takes the movie and makes it a thousandfold better. There is characterization in here. There is humor. There is events actually sequentially making sense. Why oh why could this not have been the film I saw? I am 100% convinced that those of my friends who liked the movie were seeing it through the lens of this book; ie, what it could have, should have, been.

I will now commence prayers for every Transformers novel henceforth EVER to be written by Peter David.

Verdict: Recommended. HIGHLY.

Comments

[femme4jack.livejournal.com]

Yay!!! If it doesn't redeem the movie for you, I hope that it at least redeems the story line a bit.

I may have to read it again soon. You are probably right - many of us who enjoyed (not all) are watching through the lens of the book, and I can't say I regret that in the least.

[mmouse15.livejournal.com]

This could well be. I have the novelization, but haven't read it yet, so everything is raw right now.

I'm looking forward to reading it now, and shall do so very soon (as in, the next hour or two). Thanks for posting this review. I appreciate it.

[dragondancer515.livejournal.com]

\o/

Don't suppose I could get a list of those eight books? 8D;;; For . . . future reference. 9,9 You know, "one of these days..."

[lady_katana4544]

Definitely seconding this comment. :3 Cause yeah definitely a "one of these days" kind of thing.

[sakon76.livejournal.com]

Transformers:

Hardwired, by Scott Ciencin (2003)
Annihilation, by David Cian (2003)
Fusion, by David Cian (2003)
Legends, edited by David Cian (2004)
Ghosts of Yesterday, by Alan Dean Foster (2007)
The Movie novelization, by Alan Dean Foster (2007)
The Veiled Threat, by Alan Dean Foster (2009)
Revenge of the Fallen novelization, by Alan Dean Foster (2009)
Exodus, by Alex Irvine (2010)
Dark of the Moon novelization, by Peter David (2011)

The first three are a trilogy. Legends is a short story collection in various universes. Exodus is the only one that's a hardback.

[yuuzaiden.livejournal.com]

I've read all but the first 4, I was not impressed with Ghosts or Veiled threat, but Exodus was some of the most fun I've had reading a TF novel. I'll probably finishe Dark before I see the movie, but the bit about Hide has me stuck...
Thanks for posting the names now I know what to look for.

[tainry.livejournal.com]

Yes!
All right, well, I thought the slog through the space program at the beginning after Optimus' flashback was clunky. But it got better! And...I wasn't entirely convinced he had Optimus' "voice" down very well. But he does have Sam!!!! <3

I definitely saw the movie through the lens of the book, and yes, I agree a movie shouldn't have to stand on a book's shoulders like that, particularly when the movie is supposed to be the primary source. But. Yeah. I'm so glad I read first and watched second. ^^;

[sakon76.livejournal.com]

I snerked at the bit about a senator not wanting any space missions numbered thirteen because it would bring disaster. :) Particularly with Bee using a quote from Apollo 13 later in the book. And I liked the references to the Cuban Missile Crisis, the foreshadowing of Kennedy's assassination, and the argument over whether or not Neil Armstrong used the word "a" in his famous statement... but then I guess historical fiction is easy to write because the author knows what's going to happen, and can assume a certain level of mutual knowledge from his audience.

Have I mentioned...

[daikenpriestess.livejournal.com]

how much I adore Peter David? This is just another reason, which I shall soon have on my Kindle as well. ^_^

Thanks for the rec!