Mass Effect: Retribution

Mass Effect: Retribution is a novel within the Mass Effect universe.


 * And I Must Scream: One of the main plot elements of the book is Reaper indoctrination. Of course this is in effect.
 * Badass
 * Kai Leng. The man can wipe out squads of heavily armed opponents using nothing but a knife and a pistol. He was recruited into Cerberus because he was able to kill a krogan, a species with incredible physical strength and regenerative abilities, with a Knife Nut. It should be noted that, until he killed said krogan and was subsequently recruited by Cerberus, he had served as an N7 special forces operative, just like Shepard and Anderson.
 * For those unaware, N7 is a designation for special forces in the Alliance military, and only the biggest human badasses can even attempt to qualify to become an N7.
 * Body Horror:
 * Bowdlerise: A minor example. The narration states that the number one rule of Omega is "Don't cross Aria T'loak". Everyone who's played Mass Effect 2 will know that her description of the rule is a bit more colorful.
 * Continuity Nod: The friendly elcor ambassador from the first game, Calyn, makes a brief appearance while having lunch with Anderson. He's still complaining about the volus ambassador Din Korlak.
 * Cuffs Off, Rub Wrists: Averted.
 * Cutting Off the Branches: For the first time in the series (not counting the Canon Discontinuity of Shepard's second death in Mass Effect 2), no matter how the player makes it, Anderson in this book is an Admiral while Udina is Councilor.
 * Driven to Suicide:
 * Faking Amnesia: When a rescue squad recovers a kidnapped character and asks for his name, he is unable to answer and claims that amnesia is the cause.
 * Fantastic Racism: Kai Leng really doesn't like aliens.
 * Fighting From the Inside: Grayson
 * Guns Akimbo: Thanks to is able to effectively and accurately dual-wield assault rifles.
 * Hot Mom:
 * Humanoid Abomination:, but not by choice.
 * Humorless Aliens: Anderson, while having lunch with Calyn, jokes about attacking Din Korlak (Calyn's office mate, about whom he had been complaining) and "watching the butterball roll out the door". Calyn finds this joke disturbing, and notes that he's unsettled by humanity's sense of humour.
 * Karma Houdini: . Then again,
 * Mauve Shirt:
 * Raging Stiffie: Happens to poor not thirty pages into the book, who probably advances one trope and narrowly subverts another while he's at it.
 * Stuffed Into the Fridge:
 * Token Romance: Subverting the one in Mass Effect Revelation; Kahlee and Anderson are still close despite not having worked together after twenty-one years.
 * Tragic Monster: Grayson