With the demise of Megatron and the casting of his lifeless body into the sea, the threat from the Deceptacons has only slightly diminished. Across the planet both new Autobots and Deceptacons are falling to earth, with the human race trapped in this centuries old war. The humans and Autobots have joined forces to form NEST (Networked Elements: Supporters and Transformers) in an effort to stem the tide, but a face off is brewing which will scar both Autobot and human...

Transformers: The Veiled Threat is a prequel to the forthcoming movie. The book is written by that stalwart of movie tie-ins Alan Dean Foster.

The plot takes over from the first film following the defeat of Megatron. The book isn’t deep and meaningful, but Foster uses his considerable skill as a story teller to keep the narrative moving along at a brisk pace. Whereas the first film restricted the action to America, both this novel and the film expand the scope of the war to encompass the whole globe.

It’s a personal quirk that I just can’t get past the idea that what we are talking about here is toys. Foster does what he can to flesh out the characters, but it never really rings true. Perhaps I’m just asking too much of a story about toys that turn into trucks.

Still, Transformers fans will love it and in this case they are in the steady hands of a New York Times best selling author. So, if you can’t wait for the next film to be released you could do far worse that while away a sunny afternoon with this book.

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Charles Packer