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Transformers Aligned continuity
Transformers: The Covenant of Primus
Transformers: The Covenant of Primus delves into the depths of Transformers mythology to reveal the backstory that’s previously only been hinted at.
Encased in an interlocking Autobot emblem that when pulled open emits Transformer sounds, this tome is a gift to humans from Alpha Trion, one of the ancient Thirteen Primes—the first of the Transformers. Little is known about Alpha Trion, and the rest of the Thirteen Primes have been shrouded in mystery—until now. Transformers: The Covenant of Primus reveals the stories of these ancient heroes for the first time. It chronicles the saga of Optimus Prime and Megatron and covers the full history of the Transformers. Never-before-seen illustrations depict battles, portraits of the Thirteen Primes, and detailed scenes of the Transformers’ world. Offering insight into their origins, the Golden Age of exploration, the great civil war between the Autobots and Decepticons, and much more, this book is the definitive in-world history of the Transformers.
Product Features:
Autobot shield case with three-part interlocking manual opening system and three classic Transformers audio effects
Hardcover book with newly commissioned cover art, 20 newly commissioned illustrations, and many never-before-seen images from the Hasbro archive
Encased in an interlocking Autobot emblem that when pulled open emits Transformer sounds, this tome is a gift to humans from Alpha Trion, one of the ancient Thirteen Primes—the first of the Transformers. Little is known about Alpha Trion, and the rest of the Thirteen Primes have been shrouded in mystery—until now. Transformers: The Covenant of Primus reveals the stories of these ancient heroes for the first time. It chronicles the saga of Optimus Prime and Megatron and covers the full history of the Transformers. Never-before-seen illustrations depict battles, portraits of the Thirteen Primes, and detailed scenes of the Transformers’ world. Offering insight into their origins, the Golden Age of exploration, the great civil war between the Autobots and Decepticons, and much more, this book is the definitive in-world history of the Transformers.
Product Features:
Autobot shield case with three-part interlocking manual opening system and three classic Transformers audio effects
Hardcover book with newly commissioned cover art, 20 newly commissioned illustrations, and many never-before-seen images from the Hasbro archive
176 pages, Hardcover
First published December 10, 2013
21 people are currently reading
256 people want to read
About the author
Justina Robson
66 books287 followersJustina is from Leeds, a city in Yorkshire in the north of England. She always wanted to write and always did. Other things sometimes got in the way and sometimes still do...but not too much.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
May 30, 2023
That was like reading the bible for me.. I love Transformers and its Lore, and this was quite an amazing and funny read!
May 4, 2024
I still prefer the Ninja Turtles. Jason Aaron is writing the TMNT starting at issue 151, which is being renumbered to issue #1.
March 13, 2025
It was nice to get to read a compilation of different storylines in one ,props to the writing team to get this all together, since aligned, prime, and even IDW seem to be mentioned.
I would've wanted more of a personal P.O.V. of Orion Pax since he's such a troubled character in between his discovering hopes and relationship twoard Megatronus in early days. I liked the introduction of him as the thirteenth prime since the readers could figure it out who it was from the principles and actions only! But I kinda dislike the fact that he was a Prime since birth.. I think this may be because of the real life parallels of the Primes and the Monarch regiments in the past with the "chosen by god" idea , but as Trion explained , they were only the first and had their own personalities and flaws, the Primes weren't beings above all (Someone please tell this to Prima/j)
The parallels between Megatron/D-16 and Megatronus were a bit sad (the fighting of their inherentrage and the fact that Megatron had created his own sword to kill optimus just like Megatronus killed Solus), and the part enfatizing the importance of a chosen name and the legacy it carried was cool, I wish we could've had more of that too!
In between the Primes , this book let me wondering about were did the ones that survived their own civil war ended up and I was glad they kind of answered this after but at the same time let I open to expand. (Like, for example , the Amalgamous Prime dissappeareance and how this lead to the creation of the mutacons or where the little bots that formed Nexus were)
Of course, even if the read was overall interesting and showed us a lot of things , at times it felt a little bit slow and I would've liked more the political welfare were better explored! We don't see much on D16 side (just a mini story) until the very end, which made a little bit hard to emphasize with his change of heart since most we knew about him in the book was from Trions perspective.
I enjoyed it and recommend it *specially *if you like the Tranformers Prime universe! But it's a good read if you care about the universe overall
4/5 stars ^^
I would've wanted more of a personal P.O.V. of Orion Pax since he's such a troubled character in between his discovering hopes and relationship twoard Megatronus in early days. I liked the introduction of him as the thirteenth prime since the readers could figure it out who it was from the principles and actions only! But I kinda dislike the fact that he was a Prime since birth.. I think this may be because of the real life parallels of the Primes and the Monarch regiments in the past with the "chosen by god" idea , but as Trion explained , they were only the first and had their own personalities and flaws, the Primes weren't beings above all (Someone please tell this to Prima/j)
The parallels between Megatron/D-16 and Megatronus were a bit sad (the fighting of their inherentrage and the fact that Megatron had created his own sword to kill optimus just like Megatronus killed Solus), and the part enfatizing the importance of a chosen name and the legacy it carried was cool, I wish we could've had more of that too!
In between the Primes , this book let me wondering about were did the ones that survived their own civil war ended up and I was glad they kind of answered this after but at the same time let I open to expand. (Like, for example , the Amalgamous Prime dissappeareance and how this lead to the creation of the mutacons or where the little bots that formed Nexus were)
Of course, even if the read was overall interesting and showed us a lot of things , at times it felt a little bit slow and I would've liked more the political welfare were better explored! We don't see much on D16 side (just a mini story) until the very end, which made a little bit hard to emphasize with his change of heart since most we knew about him in the book was from Trions perspective.
I enjoyed it and recommend it *specially *if you like the Tranformers Prime universe! But it's a good read if you care about the universe overall
4/5 stars ^^
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 28, 2025
So many things I could say about this book. It is a slog to get through. Phew.
It is not well-written in the slightest. Bluestreak and Prowl's last moment together did make me tear up though.
They are supposed to be a collection of writings from Alpha Trion, but then we get the personal and intimate thoughts of some bots? So was the Covenant just able to capture those things for some odd reason?
The timeskips are wonky and there are a lot of plot holes. None of the characters have a complex personality. They seem so cut and dry: lifeless.
All in all, this book left me with a lot more questions than answers. This is definitely not required reading to understand the aligned continuity. Reading through the Transformers wikis instead will make it easier to understand and save you time.
I also wasn't a biggest fan of the artstyle. Some of the art was cool but then some of the other pieces seemed confusing and disorienting. Like if this book came out in 2025 I would question if some of the artwork was created by A.I.
It is not well-written in the slightest. Bluestreak and Prowl's last moment together did make me tear up though.
They are supposed to be a collection of writings from Alpha Trion, but then we get the personal and intimate thoughts of some bots? So was the Covenant just able to capture those things for some odd reason?
The timeskips are wonky and there are a lot of plot holes. None of the characters have a complex personality. They seem so cut and dry: lifeless.
All in all, this book left me with a lot more questions than answers. This is definitely not required reading to understand the aligned continuity. Reading through the Transformers wikis instead will make it easier to understand and save you time.
I also wasn't a biggest fan of the artstyle. Some of the art was cool but then some of the other pieces seemed confusing and disorienting. Like if this book came out in 2025 I would question if some of the artwork was created by A.I.
December 17, 2018
An interesting attempt to combine together the best lore from every Transformers continuity, owing the most to the G1 cartoon, the Marvel G1 and G2 comics, and the IDW comics, but also including a number of new ideas woven into the mix (such as the specific details of the original 13). The result is a solidly entertaining read that only begins to lose steam once it's tied into official media (the War for Cybertron and Fall of Cybertron games; the Exodus novel; and the Transformers Prime TV series). While it definitely feels like the amalgam of multiple continuities that it is at times, it's still very well done. The best bits are the various character vignettes and short stories set at various points in the timeline. Continuity purists might be dissatisfied, and not every new or revised idea is perfect (I preferred Orion Pax being just a regular 'bot, for example), but I think most fans would enjoy this work, especially more casual ones. (B+)
November 29, 2025
It's commonly presumed that Transformers is a serious where big ahh robots fight and there is no real story and for some time being this was the truth, but if you've read this book it completely changes that in a huge way .
It takes the world building of Transformers and pieces it together with the emotional depth of a Fyodor Dostevsky book , it has the right amount of everything needed and it's truly a fantastic prelude to the Animated Series (Transformers Prime) which I loved as child and still do.
So thanks to all those who took part in this and helped create a better experience of Transformers as a true series.
It takes the world building of Transformers and pieces it together with the emotional depth of a Fyodor Dostevsky book , it has the right amount of everything needed and it's truly a fantastic prelude to the Animated Series (Transformers Prime) which I loved as child and still do.
So thanks to all those who took part in this and helped create a better experience of Transformers as a true series.
July 22, 2017
Amazing attempt to reform the canon of the entire Transformers storyline.
It gives a good sense of depth and plot to our beloved childhood toy line.
There should be an ebook version of this so you don't have to overpay for the plastic case cover (although it does look good on my wall).
It gives a good sense of depth and plot to our beloved childhood toy line.
There should be an ebook version of this so you don't have to overpay for the plastic case cover (although it does look good on my wall).
May 1, 2021
Such an awesome book that gives huge insight to the history of Cybertron! A fun read!
September 1, 2024
I'm just putting this at 5 because it finally made a cohesive timeline for Transformers-- or, at least, the main universe
Read
March 2, 2025started off strong, kind of fell off when it had to tie in to the games/novels/shows (which isn’t exactly the author’s fault, Aligned is a mess). I’m depressed now
March 19, 2025
“Journeys end in lovers meeting” this is crazy
April 4, 2025
I really like the story and evolution of thirteen in this book
Skipped through parts that had nothing to do with him especially the predacons
Skipped through parts that had nothing to do with him especially the predacons
March 1, 2017
I thought this would be a pretty awesome book, like really when I learned about it I ran to Amazon and was like, add to cart! And I wasn't really let down, the story great! I loved reading such a connected story, that also was canon. It was great being able to have a peak into the past of Cybertron and lean more about the thirteen Primes or the Quintessons. I really loved the comparison to Primus and Unicron, I think that was one of the best parts. I wouldn't really recompensed this book to someone who isn't familiar with the Transfomers, because well, I think it would make scene but I think the experience would be better if there was some previous knowledge of the Transformers fandom. There were some things that I was disappointed with, like what happened the Thirteen! Oh my gosh I saw it coming from like two pages away! But hey what you think won't always line up with what happens. All and all an awesome book, being a Transformers fan I just had to get it, and I loved it.
March 9, 2014
Honestly, the big draw of this book is the packaging. It comes in a plastic case shaped like the Autobot logo. As you separate the pieces of the logo, the classic Transformers transformation sound is activated which reveals the book. I can't emphasize how cool this really is.
The concept of the Covenant of Primus was introduced during the 1990s Transformers: Beast Wars series. In the fiction, the Covenant was something like sacred Scripture to the Autobots which told in classical apocalyptic language of the final battle between the Maximals and Predacons (descendants of the original Transformers). However, this book has nothing to do with the Beast Wars series. On the contrary, it seems to fit neatly into the most recent "Transformers Prime" fiction.
The book is told from the point of view of Alpha Trion, one of the original 13 Transformers. He details the origin of the Transformers, their interactions with Unicron, the Quintessons and the beginning of the Autobot / Decepticon war. The book fleshes out a number of references in the animated series and makes an attempt to be the new "Bible" of Transformers fiction. Hasbro, some three years ago, decided to take all the disparate versions of Transformers and fold them as neatly as possible into a single continuity. Ironically, it seems likely that Hasbro has scrapped this idea shortly after the publication of this origin book!
This was a fun read although at times, the narrative seems to inexplicably jump from first person to third person. The artwork is stunning but doesn't really match the designs found in the Transformers Prime universe. Many of the characters look different from any form they had in the past which is a bit confusing.
Be warned that there are spoilers in this book for those who have not watched Transformers Prime, read Transformers Exodus, Transformers Exiles or Transformers Retribution.
The concept of the Covenant of Primus was introduced during the 1990s Transformers: Beast Wars series. In the fiction, the Covenant was something like sacred Scripture to the Autobots which told in classical apocalyptic language of the final battle between the Maximals and Predacons (descendants of the original Transformers). However, this book has nothing to do with the Beast Wars series. On the contrary, it seems to fit neatly into the most recent "Transformers Prime" fiction.
The book is told from the point of view of Alpha Trion, one of the original 13 Transformers. He details the origin of the Transformers, their interactions with Unicron, the Quintessons and the beginning of the Autobot / Decepticon war. The book fleshes out a number of references in the animated series and makes an attempt to be the new "Bible" of Transformers fiction. Hasbro, some three years ago, decided to take all the disparate versions of Transformers and fold them as neatly as possible into a single continuity. Ironically, it seems likely that Hasbro has scrapped this idea shortly after the publication of this origin book!
This was a fun read although at times, the narrative seems to inexplicably jump from first person to third person. The artwork is stunning but doesn't really match the designs found in the Transformers Prime universe. Many of the characters look different from any form they had in the past which is a bit confusing.
Be warned that there are spoilers in this book for those who have not watched Transformers Prime, read Transformers Exodus, Transformers Exiles or Transformers Retribution.
January 27, 2018
The art and packaging of this book are stupendous! It comes in a case shaped like an Autobot emblem, that transforms (with sound effects!) to open up and reveal the book inside. The stories of the original Primes are very interesting, though they weakened Solus Prime quite a bit, which was disappointing. I thinks it's kind of funny how each book and game that's supposed to be "definitive" in the aligned continuity actually makes it more confusing, but on its own, each is pretty good. What I mean is, the Covenant blatantly contradicts the backstory of almost every bot in Transformers: Exodus by making them all a lot older than they were in the novel, forcibly and, I think unnecessarily, shoehorning them into roles in Cybertron's history they could have used other bots for and kept everything more streamlined and epic feeling. I think the novel makes a lot more sense, but the Covenant is still worth reading for some of the early Cybertronian history. Overall it's poorly edited and reads like not-so-great fanfiction, and I didn't like the retconning they did. In a way it foreshortened and dulled the grand history hinted at in the novels, but the way I read them, I go with the version in the novels and use the Covenant to flesh out, rather than replace, some parts. Like I said, things make a lot less sense in this version. I would give it two stars, but the coolness of its packaging and art gave it a bonus star.
January 1, 2016
I really wanted to like this book. I thought the lore would have been interesting, I love mythology, etc.
But ultimately, the book was written poorly and had several grammatical errors, including changing perspectives rather abruptly. The book needed an editor to make the stories more concise.
It also had too much exposition. I understand that it was supposed to have been written in the form of a journal entry, but ultimately, the approach did not yield a captivating narrative.
But ultimately, the book was written poorly and had several grammatical errors, including changing perspectives rather abruptly. The book needed an editor to make the stories more concise.
It also had too much exposition. I understand that it was supposed to have been written in the form of a journal entry, but ultimately, the approach did not yield a captivating narrative.
June 9, 2015
I mainly bought this piece of kit for the cool Autobot face case, but the book held my interest. Certainly there were plenty of tie backs to the old school cartoon and the recent movies. I understand Paramount/Hasbro wants to turn the film franchise into a persistent world ala the Marvel Cinematic Universe, so maybe the info in the book will help me understand the background story.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews