Island of Doom , the first book in the BIONICLE ® Legends series, is itself doomed from the start. Any book that has its first two pages dedicated to listing the characters within it is definitely in for some troubles, but squeezing these twenty-eight characters into a slim book of 124 pages is a recipe for disaster. That said, author Greg Farshtey continues to flex his writing muscles impressively and make the most of what little space he has been given.
In a plot that would give a volcanologist fits, the TOA NUVA (not including TAKANUVA) travel to the floating island of Voya Nui to retrieve the “Mask of Life”. Unfortunately for them, six former Dark Hunters who now call themselves “PIRAKA” (an obscene term for “thief and murderer”), are also after the mask. To make matters worse, the PIRAKA arrived at the island first.
The narrative is split between the islands of Metru Nui and Voya Nui. Jumping back and forth between the two islands is not too bad, but the story continues to bifurcate as the action heats up on Voya Nui. In addition to the TOA NUVA and the PIRAKA, much of the story includes the MATORAN of Voya Nui.
Because half of the characters in this book are completely new, I personally would have preferred a more straight-forward narrative. But fans of the fast-paced action style of the previous BIONICLE books will not be disappointed. In summary, Island of Doom is an essential introduction to the island of Voya Nui and those who set foot upon it at least until the comic comes out.
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