History Literature / MassEffectRetribution

* CuffsOffRubWrists: Averted. [[spoiler:Kai Leng is ''bleeding'' by the time he manages to get out of his restraints from where Anderson tied him up.]]

* StuffedIntoTheFridge: [[spoiler:Liselle is murdered by Kai Leng in order to cast suspicion upon Grayson. Considering that she was Aria's daughter, Aria is pissed when she arrives at the crime scene.]]

* BoldlyComing: Grayson's relationship with Liselle. He enjoys it so much he even wonders at one point "How can (he) ever go back to humans?"
* {{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 ''VideoGame/MassEffect2'' will know that her description of the rule is [[PrecisionFStrike a bit more colorful]].
* ContinuityNod: 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.

* FakingAmnesia: 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. [[spoiler:As it turns out, he, Grayson, has been implanted with alien tech by Cerberus, allowing his body to be remote-controlled by the Reapers. The claim of amnesia was used by the Reapers to avoid the question as they were at that time unable to learn his name by reading his mind. It works horrifyingly well.]]

* HumorlessAliens: 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.

%% * MoreThanMindControl: [[spoiler: Part of what makes Reaper indoctrination so effective]].

* SadisticChoice: [[spoiler:Kai Leng]] gives [[spoiler:Anderson]] the choice of either [[spoiler:arresting him]] or [[spoiler:letting the fifteen-year-old Nick die from a gunshot wound to the stomach. Anderson tries to [[TakeAThirdOption Take a Third Option]] by shooting Leng in both legs then going to help Nick, but Leng barely escapes]].

* AndIMustScream: One of the main plot elements of the book is Reaper indoctrination.

* DrivenToSuicide: [[spoiler:Subverted. Grayson ''tries'' to do this, [[AndIMustScream but the Reapers won't let him]].]]

* FightingFromTheInside: Grayson

* HumanoidAbomination: [[spoiler:Grayson]], but not by choice.

* KarmaHoudini: [[spoiler:Kai Leng]]. Then again, [[spoiler:he appears in ''VideoGame/MassEffect3'' and gunning for [[PlayerCharacter Shepard]]. You ''know'' how that ends...]]
* MauveShirt: [[spoiler:Liselle]]
* MoreThanMindControl: [[spoiler: Part of what makes Reaper indoctrination so effective]].
* NakedPeopleAreFunny: Averted with Grayson, who is naked when [[spoiler:rescued by the turians from the Cereberus facility, especially due to BodyHorror]].

* TragicMonster: Grayson

* CuttingOffTheBranches: For the first time in the series (not counting the CanonDiscontinuity of Shepard's second death in ''VideoGame/MassEffect2''), no matter how the player makes it, Anderson in this book is an Admiral while Udina is Councilor.

'''''Mass Effect: Retribution''''' is a novel within the ''Franchise/MassEffect'' universe, written by then-lead writer Creator/DrewKarpyshyn.

* FantasticRacism: Kai Leng ''really'' doesn't like aliens. He regards[[WretchedHive Omega]] [[AssociationFallacy as the standard of what an alien-dominated galaxy would be like]] and seems to enjoy killing aliens.

* FantasticRacism: Kai Leng ''really'' doesn't like aliens.

* {{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}} (note that the way he killed it is not supposed to be possible InUniverse, meaning the writer did not do the research; in addition, it is in the largely-dismissed novel ''Deception''). 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 [[PlayerCharacter Shepard]] and Anderson, making him among the biggest human badasses since only they can even attempt to qualify to become an N7.

* DangerouslyGenreSavvy: [[spoiler:The Reaper/s controlling Grayson.]]

'''''Mass Effect: Retribution''''' is a novel within the ''Franchise/MassEffect'' universe.

*** Actually, dialogue from Zaeed Massini (a DLC character) mentions that it IS possible to kill a krogan, with a knife planted in a very specific area that can lead to a krogan's plate being ripped off.

* AndIMustScream: One of the main plot elements of the book is Reaper indoctrination. Of course this is in [[IncrediblyLamePun effect]].

** FridgeBrilliance: The Elcor are heavyworlders, evolving on a planet where the high gravity means a simple tumble can cause serious injury or death. Naturally, jokes based on the subject of knocking people over or throwing them around hit their DudeNotFunny button--it's not so much the case that Calyn is a humorless alien so much as Anderson sounds like he thinks [[ComedicSociopathy hurting people is funny]].

* DangerouslyGenreSavvy: [[spoiler: The Reaper/s controlling Grayson.]]

* DyingAsYourself: [[spoiler: After Grayson's body is too badly damaged, the Reapers release control and he seems to be this in his final moments.]]

* HumorlessAliens: 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.

* SadisticChoice: [[spoiler: Kai Leng]] gives [[spoiler: Anderson]] the choice of either [[spoiler: arresting him]] or [[spoiler: letting the fifteen-year-old Nick die from a gunshot wound to the stomach. Anderson tries to [[TakeAThirdOption Take a Third Option]] by shooting Leng in both legs then going to help Nick, but Leng barely escapes]].

* BodyHorror: [[spoiler:What happens to Grayson when he's implanted with Reaper tech.]]

* HotMom: [[spoiler:Aria, in retrospect.]]

** 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}} (note that the way he killed it is not supposed to be possible InUniverse, meaning the writer did not do the research). 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 [[PlayerCharacter Shepard]] and Anderson, making him among the biggest human badasses since only they can even attempt to qualify to become an N7.
*** Given that the book's author was the lead writer for the first two games, that's one heck of a research failure.

* KarmaHoudini: [[spoiler:Kai Leng]]. Then again, [[spoiler:he's supposed to appear in ''VideoGame/MassEffect3'' and gunning for [[PlayerCharacter Shepard]]. We ''know'' how that's going to end...]]

** 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}} (note that the way he killed it is not supposed to be possible InUniverse, meaning the writer did not do the research). 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 [[PlayerCharacter 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.

** 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}} (note that the way he killed it is [[DidNotDoTheResearch not really possible]]). 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 [[PlayerCharacter Shepard]] and Anderson.

** 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 [[PlayerCharacter Shepard]] and Anderson.

* FakingAmnesia: 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. [[spoiler:As it turns out, he, Grayson, has been implanted with alien tech by Cerberus, allowing his body to be remote-controlled by the [[CosmicHorror Reapers]]. The claim of amnesia was used by the Reapers to avoid the question as they were at that time unable to learn his name by reading his mind. It works horrifyingly well.]]

'''''Mass Effect: Retribution''''' is a novel within the ''VideoGame/MassEffect'' universe.