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Bionicle Legends #1
Island Of Doom
With the gang on the loose, can the Toa guard the secret?
When six powerful figures appear on an island in peril, they are welcomed by the villagers as Toa come to save them. But these newcomers have far more dangerous plans for the island and the Matoran who live there, as their pursuit of an incredible treasure threatens to unleash an ancient evil. Only the Toa Nuva can stop them -- or can they?
This title begins a three-year story arc featuring the return of the Toa Nuva from the Bionicle Chronicles books.
When six powerful figures appear on an island in peril, they are welcomed by the villagers as Toa come to save them. But these newcomers have far more dangerous plans for the island and the Matoran who live there, as their pursuit of an incredible treasure threatens to unleash an ancient evil. Only the Toa Nuva can stop them -- or can they?
This title begins a three-year story arc featuring the return of the Toa Nuva from the Bionicle Chronicles books.
128 pages, Paperback
First published February 1, 2006
6 people are currently reading
230 people want to read
About the author
Greg Farshtey
240 books88 followersGreg Farshtey is the author of the popular BIONICLE chapter books and Level 3 readers, as well as the long-running BIONICLE comic book series. His day job is Editor-in-Chief and head writer for the LEGO Club Magazine and the LEGO BrickMaster Magazine.
Greg has been writing since fourth grade. After earning a degree in Communications from the State University of New York at Geneseo, he worked as a reporter, sports editor, game designer and editor, and copywriter before joining LEGO Company in 2000. Before becoming involved with BIONICLE, he wrote game material for such diverse properties as Star Wars, Indiana Jones, and Tales From the Crypt.
Greg is the author of more than 30 novels and guidebooks, as well as the author or co-author of more than 35 game sourcebooks and adventures.
He lives in West Hartford, Connecticut.
For more information, please see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greg_Far...
Greg has been writing since fourth grade. After earning a degree in Communications from the State University of New York at Geneseo, he worked as a reporter, sports editor, game designer and editor, and copywriter before joining LEGO Company in 2000. Before becoming involved with BIONICLE, he wrote game material for such diverse properties as Star Wars, Indiana Jones, and Tales From the Crypt.
Greg is the author of more than 30 novels and guidebooks, as well as the author or co-author of more than 35 game sourcebooks and adventures.
He lives in West Hartford, Connecticut.
For more information, please see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greg_Far...
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
April 21, 2025
Yo yo piraka
Yo yo piraka
The gang’s on the loose
Nothin’ you can do
The beast’s on the move
The bully comin’ through
The trigger, tracer, drifter, the snake
The beast, the bully, all that makes piraka
(Ah)
Yo yo piraka
Yo yo piraka
The gang’s on the loose
Nothin’ you can do
The beast’s on the move
The bully comin’ through
The trigger, tracer, drifter, the snake
The beast, the bully, all that makes piraka
(Ah)
Yo yo piraka
April 17, 2020
Yo, yo, Piraka.
March 1, 2023
For a toy line, Bionicle has a surprisingly extensive story. Kicking off the Ignition arc, Island of Doom sets into motion the story of the toys that formed my childhood. It’s a quick read with some good “anyone can be a hero” message in it. While the writing is juvenile, the story itself is enjoyable with good action scenes that are fully reminiscent of playing with the toys this is based on.
January 23, 2020
This felt more like a bridge into a more interesting story. This would have been better if it was the first act of the major story arc in the Bionicle story, which you can argue that it technically is. Overall, it was okay.
May 3, 2020
I love classic bionicle. and the toa nuva versus the piraka made this book amazing. Old bionicle was such a great series for kids to read but even adults can enjoy it as well. Not to mention the toys that are good too.
January 28, 2018
Meh. Little Man, age 6, liked it. It's a story created off of a LEGO line. It's not a bad story, per say, but its a rather one-dimensional story.
October 5, 2018
Pretty good.
November 30, 2023
This one really makes the Piraka intimidating. The end fight where they wipe the floor with the Toa Nuva is also a great way to set up each Piraka's personality and abilities.
December 1, 2023
“But the others–do you think they will be all right?”
Vakama pondered for a long moment before answering. Then he said simply, “No, Takanuva. No, I do not.”
—
I will admit that I did not like this book as much in this re-read.
“Island of Doom” picks up the BIONICLE story with the 2006 plotline. The people of Mata Nui return to Metru Nui to rebuild, but Turaga Dume reveals to the Turaga and Toa that the Great Spirit is actually dying. To save him, the Toa will have to travel to Voya Nui and get the Mask of Life. But they’re not the only ones after the Mask–the villainous Piraka have already arrived on Voya Nui, enslaving the Matoran living there to help them dig for the Mask. And as experienced killers, they’re not overly scared of any Toa arriving to stop their plans.
The problem with the 2006 storyline, and with a LOT of BIONICLE, is that LEGO needs to sell new toys. Which means sets of existing heroes aren’t getting put on shelves, which means they have to introduce new or transform old characters. Basically, the Piraka need to be beaten by a new set of heroes, the Toa Inika, meaning the Toa Nuva CAN’T win here. So despite being experienced and more powerful than any other Toa, the Nuvas get their butts beaten by the Piraka (each of whom also has so many powers it’s ridiculous).
It’s the Worf Effect.
Honestly everyone acts kind of dumb. The Toa Nuva spend several minutes beating down on Reidak, not getting that he’s not staying down, instead of, like, cutting of his oxygen or containing him like they should. Tahu’s swordfight with Zaktan is Awesome, but he should just burninate the guy. And from the villains’ side, the Piraka decide to take the valuables off of the unconscious Toa Nuva and throw them in the volcano instead of quickly slitting their throats, which is much more realistic and gives them no time to wake up and escape.
The Piraka are way too powerful, the Toa Nuva should not be this dumb, and everyone’s way too dramatic. The Voya Nui Resistance comes off as pretty cool, though.
That being said, I remember this book when it first came out, and all the great lines that are in it came back to me as I was re-reading. GregF is still pretty darn good at dialogue. Pretty much everything that the Piraka say could be some sort of meme; they’re wonderfully over-the-top villains when it comes to personality.
And, like, hey, there’s a lot of action here. The Toa versus the Piraka is the big one, but there’s also the Piraka fighting each other, and the Piraka fighting the Matoran who are resisting them.
Also! There’s so much that’s set up here, and I remember fans on BZPower going NUTS trying to figure out what it all meant, and where it was all going. And unlike something like “Force Awakens,” the Plot Points raised here actually WERE pointing towards something in the future.
[Not that it’s perfect continuity–Avak’s explanation of his backstory is completely contradictory, and GregF had to awkwardly come up with some sort of explanation as to why he would lie about it.]
After “Time Trap,” this is when BIONICLE starts picking up a lot of steam. It feels like a full, action-packed thrill ride, with bigger villain personalities and memorable fight scenes. It’s also when it starts getting completely incomprehensible if you haven’t read the books (the firsts comic of 2006 has Zaktan holding Tahu’s mask with no explanation). It’s a mixed bag, and I’m wondering how the rest of the storyline will feel on this re-read.
Vakama pondered for a long moment before answering. Then he said simply, “No, Takanuva. No, I do not.”
—
I will admit that I did not like this book as much in this re-read.
“Island of Doom” picks up the BIONICLE story with the 2006 plotline. The people of Mata Nui return to Metru Nui to rebuild, but Turaga Dume reveals to the Turaga and Toa that the Great Spirit is actually dying. To save him, the Toa will have to travel to Voya Nui and get the Mask of Life. But they’re not the only ones after the Mask–the villainous Piraka have already arrived on Voya Nui, enslaving the Matoran living there to help them dig for the Mask. And as experienced killers, they’re not overly scared of any Toa arriving to stop their plans.
The problem with the 2006 storyline, and with a LOT of BIONICLE, is that LEGO needs to sell new toys. Which means sets of existing heroes aren’t getting put on shelves, which means they have to introduce new or transform old characters. Basically, the Piraka need to be beaten by a new set of heroes, the Toa Inika, meaning the Toa Nuva CAN’T win here. So despite being experienced and more powerful than any other Toa, the Nuvas get their butts beaten by the Piraka (each of whom also has so many powers it’s ridiculous).
It’s the Worf Effect.
Honestly everyone acts kind of dumb. The Toa Nuva spend several minutes beating down on Reidak, not getting that he’s not staying down, instead of, like, cutting of his oxygen or containing him like they should. Tahu’s swordfight with Zaktan is Awesome, but he should just burninate the guy. And from the villains’ side, the Piraka decide to take the valuables off of the unconscious Toa Nuva and throw them in the volcano instead of quickly slitting their throats, which is much more realistic and gives them no time to wake up and escape.
The Piraka are way too powerful, the Toa Nuva should not be this dumb, and everyone’s way too dramatic. The Voya Nui Resistance comes off as pretty cool, though.
That being said, I remember this book when it first came out, and all the great lines that are in it came back to me as I was re-reading. GregF is still pretty darn good at dialogue. Pretty much everything that the Piraka say could be some sort of meme; they’re wonderfully over-the-top villains when it comes to personality.
And, like, hey, there’s a lot of action here. The Toa versus the Piraka is the big one, but there’s also the Piraka fighting each other, and the Piraka fighting the Matoran who are resisting them.
Also! There’s so much that’s set up here, and I remember fans on BZPower going NUTS trying to figure out what it all meant, and where it was all going. And unlike something like “Force Awakens,” the Plot Points raised here actually WERE pointing towards something in the future.
[Not that it’s perfect continuity–Avak’s explanation of his backstory is completely contradictory, and GregF had to awkwardly come up with some sort of explanation as to why he would lie about it.]
After “Time Trap,” this is when BIONICLE starts picking up a lot of steam. It feels like a full, action-packed thrill ride, with bigger villain personalities and memorable fight scenes. It’s also when it starts getting completely incomprehensible if you haven’t read the books (the firsts comic of 2006 has Zaktan holding Tahu’s mask with no explanation). It’s a mixed bag, and I’m wondering how the rest of the storyline will feel on this re-read.
March 13, 2015
Another action-packed Bionicle Tale, with the introduction of the Piraka, a loosely allied gang of villains motivated by selfish ambitions rather than grand Makuta-style plans. The return of the Toa Metru was interesting to watch, and their fate provides a nice twist to the story, even if it seems a bit over the top.
July 5, 2008
Did the Piraka really think they could try to make themselves look like Toa??? Wow. Anyway one of the better ones.
January 26, 2011
A really good book.
April 19, 2008
NOTHING NOTHING
February 20, 2012
Favorite series in elementary school
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews