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Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: Avatar #2
Avatar Book Two of Two
A new era begins in the annals of Deep Space Nine...As the story begun in Book One continues, the Federation prepares to launch a counterstrike against the Dominion. Searching for a way to prevent another galactic holocaust, Colonel Kira is forced to make a choice between being true to her faith and being true to her loyalties. Meanwhile, as the combined crews of Deep Space Nine and the USS Enterprise struggle to stop a treacherous plot from destroying both the station and the ship, the shocking truth behind a disturbing prophecy and a grisly murder is revealed. Dark secrets, divided allegiances, treachery and, ultimately, hope - AVATAR is Deep Space Nine at its multi-layered best.
234 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published May 1, 2001
About the author
S.D. Perry
72 books708 followersSD Perry (Stephani Danelle, by the way, though she prefers SD or Danelle) has been writing novelizations and tie-ins for most of her adult life. Best known for her work in the shared multiverses of Resident Evil, Star Trek, and Aliens, SD is a horror nerd and an introvert. Her father is acclaimed science fiction author Steve Perry. SD lives with her family in Portland, Oregon.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 86 reviews
January 6, 2016
The exciting conclusion to the introductory saga in the "Relaunch" Universe of Deep Space Nine!
This is the Book Two, in the story Avatar which opens the road to the expanded universe of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine after the ending of the TV series.
Since it was conceptualized as a two-book work, it's evident that while the first book has some initial action, you will find the really climatic moments on this second novel.
Colonel Kira Nerys shows that she is really in command of DS9, not just filling the shoes left by Benjamin Sisko, but performing her duties in her own style, not matter how awful the consequences can become. She isn't only have to worry about the fragile state of the station, but also she will have to fight battles with the peace of her soul and her religious beliefs in the balance.
Lieutenant Ro Laren has her hands full with an ongoing murder investigation, revealing a controvertial religious book and a rough interaction with her commanding officer (Kira Nerys), but the worse of all is to have to face again Captain Picard after her betrayal to his trust when she joined the Maquis Terrorists.
Commander Elias Vaughn knows that after his unexpected experience with a Bajoran Orb, his life needs a change, almost 70 years of his 101 years' life has been invested in a Starfleet career, but mostly in secret tactical operations. Now, he is ready to look for another goal, hopefully inside of Starfleet, but if that isn't possible, he is ready to do whatever necessary.
Lieutenant Ezri Dax knows for certain now that after an emergency on the USS Defiant (in the Book One), now she is ready to take a decision that it will impact on the rest of her life. She isn't only Ezri Tigan anymore, but neither she is only an echo of past eight lives of the symbiote inside of her, now she is able to become Ezri Dax, a whole new person, fully able to take her own choices.
Jake Sisko is doing whatever necessary to get his Dad back, but is it fool's errand? Will be able to trust his senses?
--O--
The Deep Space Nine station will have the support of the crew of the USS Enterprise-E, but don't get wrong, this is without a question a story of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.
A crew made of veterans in the lifestyle of the station along with newcomers, all of them will have a baptism of fire in a whole new era of the series, now in the format of canonical prose novels.
They are in the middle of a volatile zone, with the exclusive door to an almost unexplored space quadrant, the possibility of showing to the Jem'Hadar a whole new form of existing, but also dealing with local religious issues of delicate nature, and moreover in a crutial political moment in the history of Bajor.
Living every day... in the middle of the Final Frontier!!!
This is the Book Two, in the story Avatar which opens the road to the expanded universe of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine after the ending of the TV series.
Since it was conceptualized as a two-book work, it's evident that while the first book has some initial action, you will find the really climatic moments on this second novel.
Colonel Kira Nerys shows that she is really in command of DS9, not just filling the shoes left by Benjamin Sisko, but performing her duties in her own style, not matter how awful the consequences can become. She isn't only have to worry about the fragile state of the station, but also she will have to fight battles with the peace of her soul and her religious beliefs in the balance.
Lieutenant Ro Laren has her hands full with an ongoing murder investigation, revealing a controvertial religious book and a rough interaction with her commanding officer (Kira Nerys), but the worse of all is to have to face again Captain Picard after her betrayal to his trust when she joined the Maquis Terrorists.
Commander Elias Vaughn knows that after his unexpected experience with a Bajoran Orb, his life needs a change, almost 70 years of his 101 years' life has been invested in a Starfleet career, but mostly in secret tactical operations. Now, he is ready to look for another goal, hopefully inside of Starfleet, but if that isn't possible, he is ready to do whatever necessary.
Lieutenant Ezri Dax knows for certain now that after an emergency on the USS Defiant (in the Book One), now she is ready to take a decision that it will impact on the rest of her life. She isn't only Ezri Tigan anymore, but neither she is only an echo of past eight lives of the symbiote inside of her, now she is able to become Ezri Dax, a whole new person, fully able to take her own choices.
Jake Sisko is doing whatever necessary to get his Dad back, but is it fool's errand? Will be able to trust his senses?
--O--
The Deep Space Nine station will have the support of the crew of the USS Enterprise-E, but don't get wrong, this is without a question a story of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.
A crew made of veterans in the lifestyle of the station along with newcomers, all of them will have a baptism of fire in a whole new era of the series, now in the format of canonical prose novels.
They are in the middle of a volatile zone, with the exclusive door to an almost unexplored space quadrant, the possibility of showing to the Jem'Hadar a whole new form of existing, but also dealing with local religious issues of delicate nature, and moreover in a crutial political moment in the history of Bajor.
Living every day... in the middle of the Final Frontier!!!
August 6, 2021
This was a ride, in that it was fun but we didn't really go anywhere. The larger plot wandered off somewhere into the weeds, but I'm not mad at it -- though I would have loved us to spend a bit more time with Kas and her concerns, maybe lean more into the power dynamic between the emissary's wife and the Bajoran faithful. It felt like things got wrapped up real quick, though I do appreciate the acknowledgment that her relationship with Kira is likely to never recover.
My biggest issue with the book is the ensemble cast meant that we got snippets of everybody's story but not enough of any one person's interiority for me to develop a shit to give about them. The exceptions might be Ro Laren and Shar, and while their personal arcs had something like a conclusion, they were unsatisfying and also kind of dumb. And also not conclusions!
I'll be real, my eyes started to glaze over the Vaughn bits. I am told, for two books straight, that this dude is amazing and compassionate and brave and brilliant and at no point does he do anything to confirm these assertions. He's... he's there. Kinda smiling benignly in the background but serving no purpose. Like a garden gnome.
Finally, I feel like I was promised a certain amount of Jake, and was, dare I say it, cheated.
My biggest issue with the book is the ensemble cast meant that we got snippets of everybody's story but not enough of any one person's interiority for me to develop a shit to give about them. The exceptions might be Ro Laren and Shar, and while their personal arcs had something like a conclusion, they were unsatisfying and also kind of dumb. And also not conclusions!
I'll be real, my eyes started to glaze over the Vaughn bits. I am told, for two books straight, that this dude is amazing and compassionate and brave and brilliant and at no point does he do anything to confirm these assertions. He's... he's there. Kinda smiling benignly in the background but serving no purpose. Like a garden gnome.
Finally, I feel like I was promised a certain amount of Jake, and was, dare I say it, cheated.
October 7, 2016
AVATAR BOOK TWO is easily as good as book one. The drama, the action, the excitement, the suspense is all there and it builds up to an ear shattering and emotional crescendo like few Trek books ever have, or ever will. As I mentioned in my review of book one, the literary presentation of the TV Show's favourite characters are all perfect. The new ones - Elias Vaughn - as well as (SPOILERS) - are a stroke of pure genius, but Vaughn even more so. He has his own mysterious past that the reader knows very little about, and by book's end, you are bound to love him (platonically, of course) so much that you would do just about anything to learn all about it.
The writing is impeccably brilliant and matches the tone of the show perfectly. There is little to no humour in the book, but since when has war (or even the distant threat of it) ever been funny? Social justice issues are touched on, briefly, but not really resolved, but I guess there are countless future opportunities for this to be dealt with in typically Trek fashion. On a negative note, both volumes of this duology were a little on the short side, and also the ending is a little vague from the point of view of two characters – without giving anything away, what happens to Kira will *shock* you and I must admit to feelings of disappointment for the way the story ended for Jake.
Speaking of Kira, I believe the resolution to the AVATAR series leaves her as arguably the most tragic and lonely figure in Trek history. I cant justify this outlandish statement here obviously (SPOILERS) but I urge fans of the show to read these books and you will see what I mean. Apart from these two points, the climax to the story was brilliant. It was heart stopping excitement from go to woe, and resolved in a way that gave tribute to one of the station’s principal’s heroes. And it even gave some of the glory to one of the new character’s too.
Despite these misgivings, I still award the book full marks. Trek books don’t get any better than this. They might be longer, but I cant imagine how a literary continuation of the greatest science fiction saga of all time can be any better.
SD Perry, may you live long, and prosper. May the Prophets guide your path.
The writing is impeccably brilliant and matches the tone of the show perfectly. There is little to no humour in the book, but since when has war (or even the distant threat of it) ever been funny? Social justice issues are touched on, briefly, but not really resolved, but I guess there are countless future opportunities for this to be dealt with in typically Trek fashion. On a negative note, both volumes of this duology were a little on the short side, and also the ending is a little vague from the point of view of two characters – without giving anything away, what happens to Kira will *shock* you and I must admit to feelings of disappointment for the way the story ended for Jake.
Speaking of Kira, I believe the resolution to the AVATAR series leaves her as arguably the most tragic and lonely figure in Trek history. I cant justify this outlandish statement here obviously (SPOILERS) but I urge fans of the show to read these books and you will see what I mean. Apart from these two points, the climax to the story was brilliant. It was heart stopping excitement from go to woe, and resolved in a way that gave tribute to one of the station’s principal’s heroes. And it even gave some of the glory to one of the new character’s too.
Despite these misgivings, I still award the book full marks. Trek books don’t get any better than this. They might be longer, but I cant imagine how a literary continuation of the greatest science fiction saga of all time can be any better.
SD Perry, may you live long, and prosper. May the Prophets guide your path.
March 27, 2016
After an outstanding Part I, Part II of S.D. Perry's Avatar books does not disappoint. Again, every character is given their due, and new characters are seamlessly integrated into the cast we're familiar with. Perry skillfully weaves together plot lines that explore Bajoran faith and uneasy Federation/Dominion politics post-war into a truly gripping, suspenseful read. And she deftly develops character backgrounds and relationships in a way that will have you feeling all the feels if you're a DS9 fan.
June 2, 2021
Alright.
Let's start with what was great.
Nog.
NOG.
LIEUTENANT NOG!
Casually dropping "my dad's the Grand Nagus of Ferenginar" into conversation. I ADORE HIM. And how much he cares about his crewmates and the station. He was wonderfully in character.
Ro's continued growth and journey was also interesting. I loved her character in TNG and seeing her in my fav Star Trek show's world is wonderful and fascinating. The moment with Picard was...fine, if you're into that sort of thing. Le shrug. Personally I don't see her as being that in need of his absolution, but hey, whatever floats your boat. Her continued tension with Kira and the reasons behind it are excellent.
Taran'atar. My precious little murder boy. I want so many more scenes of his awkward self attempting to master small talk. Amazing. Adorable.
The Crisis in the Bajoran religion.
I like this. I want more of this. I'm messy bitch who loves drama. Give me alllll the Vedek Assembly shadiness.
While Vedek whasshisface isn't as diabolical as Kai Winn, he's an interesting player. I'm intrigued to see if he grows into the villain he wants to be.
Now on to the "eh" parts.
The Enterprise crew.
I'm confused as to what they're doing here??
Like, they were barely utilized? Crusher stepped in to be the substitute medical chief and Troi... wandered around and sensed emotional interactions that we already knew about? Picard was there to do a huge ceremonial gesture? Riker literally stayed on the Enterprise and did nothing.
There was very little point to this storyline other then the plot needing a starship to find an orb and bring it to DS9 and you probably know the Enterprise-D so we're giving you the Enterprise-D.
Vaughn.
I don't know who he is, but he's not my real dad.
Sisko is dad.
Ezri.
sigh. Will there ever be a day where I am not disappointed by Ezri? I was hoping, but today is not that day. There was potential to do something interesting, by leaning into her inexperience as a Trill host and the fact that she's basically living a life parallel with Jadzia. This chance did not come through.
Jake
I feel like Jake's stuff was just setting up for another story. It felt incomplete and out of place. I wish there was more connection to the plot.
Now on to the RAGE
Quark
Is it TOO MUCH to ask for a DS9 novel to not treat Quark like a punch line?
We were close.
We were so GODDAMN close and at the laaaaaaaaast second we stumbled and crashed.
Are we seriously meant to believe that Quark has so little common sense and sense of smell that he doesn't know when a cologne smells bad? SERIOUSLY? It's not funny. It's exhausting. I hate it.
Kira
Specifically Kira's treatment of Kassidy
The OPTICS of a white woman endangering a Black woman's pregnancy and peace of mind to one up someone in a "who believes in religion more" pissing contest is DISGUSTING. This ruined the ENTIRE novel for me. The worst part is that Kassidy is made to appear unfeeling to Kira's triumph of faith because she doesn't want to have her baby on Bajor AFTER Kira turned an already very public pregnancy into the catalyst for a possible religious schism.
There's also the ownership that Kira seems to feel towards Kassidy's child. How she feels that Kas, in trying to hide from the people who are offering to die/kill for her baby, is TAKING something from Bajor.
And that in the end Kassidy "comes to her senses" and agrees to have the baby on Bajor is...urgh. I hate it.
All in all this was an entertaining book but it could have been a lot more and after how strong the first one was I expected a bit more.
Let's start with what was great.
Nog.
NOG.
LIEUTENANT NOG!
Casually dropping "my dad's the Grand Nagus of Ferenginar" into conversation. I ADORE HIM. And how much he cares about his crewmates and the station. He was wonderfully in character.
Ro's continued growth and journey was also interesting. I loved her character in TNG and seeing her in my fav Star Trek show's world is wonderful and fascinating. The moment with Picard was...fine, if you're into that sort of thing. Le shrug. Personally I don't see her as being that in need of his absolution, but hey, whatever floats your boat. Her continued tension with Kira and the reasons behind it are excellent.
Taran'atar. My precious little murder boy. I want so many more scenes of his awkward self attempting to master small talk. Amazing. Adorable.
The Crisis in the Bajoran religion.
I like this. I want more of this. I'm messy bitch who loves drama. Give me alllll the Vedek Assembly shadiness.
While Vedek whasshisface isn't as diabolical as Kai Winn, he's an interesting player. I'm intrigued to see if he grows into the villain he wants to be.
Now on to the "eh" parts.
The Enterprise crew.
I'm confused as to what they're doing here??
Like, they were barely utilized? Crusher stepped in to be the substitute medical chief and Troi... wandered around and sensed emotional interactions that we already knew about? Picard was there to do a huge ceremonial gesture? Riker literally stayed on the Enterprise and did nothing.
There was very little point to this storyline other then the plot needing a starship to find an orb and bring it to DS9 and you probably know the Enterprise-D so we're giving you the Enterprise-D.
Vaughn.
I don't know who he is, but he's not my real dad.
Sisko is dad.
Ezri.
sigh. Will there ever be a day where I am not disappointed by Ezri? I was hoping, but today is not that day. There was potential to do something interesting, by leaning into her inexperience as a Trill host and the fact that she's basically living a life parallel with Jadzia. This chance did not come through.
Jake
I feel like Jake's stuff was just setting up for another story. It felt incomplete and out of place. I wish there was more connection to the plot.
Now on to the RAGE
Quark
Is it TOO MUCH to ask for a DS9 novel to not treat Quark like a punch line?
We were close.
We were so GODDAMN close and at the laaaaaaaaast second we stumbled and crashed.
Are we seriously meant to believe that Quark has so little common sense and sense of smell that he doesn't know when a cologne smells bad? SERIOUSLY? It's not funny. It's exhausting. I hate it.
Kira
Specifically Kira's treatment of Kassidy
The OPTICS of a white woman endangering a Black woman's pregnancy and peace of mind to one up someone in a "who believes in religion more" pissing contest is DISGUSTING. This ruined the ENTIRE novel for me. The worst part is that Kassidy is made to appear unfeeling to Kira's triumph of faith because she doesn't want to have her baby on Bajor AFTER Kira turned an already very public pregnancy into the catalyst for a possible religious schism.
There's also the ownership that Kira seems to feel towards Kassidy's child. How she feels that Kas, in trying to hide from the people who are offering to die/kill for her baby, is TAKING something from Bajor.
And that in the end Kassidy "comes to her senses" and agrees to have the baby on Bajor is...urgh. I hate it.
All in all this was an entertaining book but it could have been a lot more and after how strong the first one was I expected a bit more.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 18, 2015
Wesentlich besser als Band 1 - vor allem, weil die Handlung so richtig in Fahrt ist. Es wäre wohl besser gewesen, die beiden eher dünnen Romane zu einem dicken Buch zusammen zu fassen.
Aber trotz allem ein sehr gelungener Start in die 8. Season DS9.
Aber trotz allem ein sehr gelungener Start in die 8. Season DS9.
September 20, 2015
These two books were great! I'm excited to get deeper into the DS9 relaunch. The new characters are great and so is seeing Ro again.
September 2, 2021
(This is part of my ongoing look at the 850+ novels comprising the "Star Trek Non-Canon Expanded Universe." For more on what exactly non-canon novels are and why they can be tricky to review, see my very first Star Trek write-up, for SD Perry's Section 31: Cloak; or see here for the master list of all Star Trek novels I've now reviewed.)
2021 reads, #73-74. Friends know that the entire reason I started reading Star Trek novels to begin with was because of a desire for more stories about Section 31, the CIA-type "dirty tricks" wing of the Federation that was originally invented by the clever nerds at the franchise's black sheep, the conceptually dark and deeply serialized Deep Space Nine, which originally ran on television from 1992 to 1999; and that after finishing the four-book series on the subject (all of them published in 2001 as a special "summer reading event" for fans), I then learned that an entire other trilogy was later written within the same milieu, including 2014's Disavowed, 2017's Control and 2019's Collateral Damage, all of them by David Mack, which I thought I would take on immediately after. But alas, just a chapter or two into Disavowed I realized that I had absolutely no freaking idea what was going on, the book referencing dozens of events and characters that I didn't remember in any way at all from the original TV show; and that's when I learned that there is actually a very specific series of books within Simon & Schuster's non-canon Star Trek literary universe that might for practical purposes be called "mini-canon," in that these roughly one hundred titles all follow a singular cohesive storyline that persistently exists from one book to the next, one overseen by Simon & Schuster executives so to make sure there are no plotline slip-ups, just that this storyline only "officially" begins on the day after the last day of the last episode of the TV show, and therefore has absolutely nothing to do with the "official canon" that the show itself represents.
See, the issue of what is or isn't "canon" among creative franchises has become a particularly thorny one in our current age, in that we now finally exist in a world where a growing amount of such franchises (think Marvel and DC, Star Trek and Star Wars) have become so huge and unwieldy, with so many story bits introduced over the decades by hundreds upon hundreds of unrelated creators, that the "official" story of what exactly is going on has become too impossibly huge to handle, leading to a growing amount of schisms and paradoxes and outright clashing details within what's supposed to be one giant fictional universe that all these stories live inside. For one notorious example, think about how the Klingons of the original 1960s Star Trek TV show looked like little more than particularly swarthy humans, while the Klingons of the much higher-budgeted '80s motion pictures have the ridged foreheads and dog-like teeth that we now commonly think of when we think of these aliens, despite the fact that these Klingons are actually supposed to be newer than the ones seen in the original series. So what supposedly happened in Star Trek's fictional history to cause such a radical change in their appearance? Well, turns out that several Star Trek novel authors have tackled this question themselves over the years, positing everything from genetic engineering gone wrong to a natural virus on the Klingon homeworld; but since many of these explanations directly contradict each other, and thus would lead to heated debates at next year's Coniconicon, Paramount declared that none of them were the official answer, and that in fact we wouldn't get an official one until all the way in 2005, during the episodes "Affliction" and "Divergence" from the much-maligned 9/11-era Star Trek show Enterprise. (The official answer? Spoiler alert: KHAAAAAAAAAAANNN!!!!!1!!)
These kinds of canon trip-ups can get diabolically convoluted at the mature stage of these kinds of ongoing franchises, and the companies in charge of them have tackled the problem in various ways. DC Comics, for example, famously did a complete reboot of their entire universe in 2011, declaring all former storylines null and void and allowing their creatives to build the company's iconic characters back up again from scratch, even if those stories sometimes clashed with what had gone on before; while Disney, after buying the Star Wars universe from George Lucas in 2012 for 6.3 gajillion dollars, simply killed the franchise's expanded universe altogether, especially apropos here since the studio was planning on enlarging their "official" universe to eventually be the size of most other franchises' non-canon universes. But Star Trek, as far as I can tell, has largely tried to find an uneasy balance between full embrace and full disavowal, greenlighting some series that don't have even a single thing to do with any of the original TV shows or movies (such as the popular Corps of Engineers titles, for example, in which a group of Indiana-Jones-type super-nerds fly around the universe helping with such thorny problems as boobytrapped alien space stations and pulling starships out of plasma clouds), while also churning out an endless series of stories that are all set within the initial runs of the various original television shows, as if we were watching an off-day adventure that happened on the starship on, like, a Tuesday in season 4 when the cameras weren't officially rolling.
This is why nothing is usually ever allowed to happen in non-canon novels that would somehow permanently affect the characters, effectively returning the stories back to television's "you can watch these in any order during syndication, it doesn't matter" roots (especially important in these kinds of situations, where so many new readers are going to be finding their way into these books through completely random titles found out of order at yard sales and used bookstores); but this is also one of the most notoriously negative aspects of non-canon novels' sketchy reputation, that they essentially feel like fan-service time-killers and not "real" literature, pleasant and breezy stories in which nothing's at stake and nothing ever truly happens, the entire universe set back to zero the moment you finish the last page. So it's to their big credit, then (or perhaps the credit of former Simon & Schuster executive Marco Palmieri, who seems to have been in charge of this line while he was there, and is now over at the great science-fiction publisher Tor), that the company ended up greenlighting the concept of these "relaunch" novels, in which the books in this series pretty much pretend that they're the missing eighth, ninth, tenth seasons and beyond of the original TV series, picking up where the show left off but now with the opportunity to kill off characters, destroy major settings, and all the other fun stuff you can do in "official canon" projects.
And destruction is indeed in mind here in this initial relaunch "duology" (which is Simon & Schuster's polite way of saying, "We don't want to release a 600-page Star Trek novel and scare everyone off, so here they are split into two"), by our old friend SD Perry of Section 31: Cloak, the very first Star Trek novel I ever read. Here Perry really relishes her role as the initial creator of a brand-new Star Trek status quo, giving us a story not just with the kind of sweeping scope of a full-length feature, but one that would literally take a six-part special streaming series at Netflix to fully tell in its entirety. It's an interesting set of choices she makes here, including leaving Odo back with his people at the Great Link (or at least for now), and unexpectedly filling his Chief of Security role back at the station with the Next Generation character Ro Laren, the first character to actually introduce the Bajoran race to Star Trek fans, way back in 1991, and who was initially supposed to play the Kira Nerys role when Paramount producers were first setting up the DS9 shooting schedule (an idea that was nixed after actor Michelle Forbes decided she didn't want to get bogged down by a seven-year commitment). Perry also introduces some fascinating new characters, including the franchise's first-ever regular Jem'Hadar, who were the villainous aliens' "muscle" in the original TV show and therefore never existed much beyond 2D sketchiness in that version, so makes them particularly ripe for conceptual expanding in these novels. She also embraces and stretches out some of the very last story developments that initially happened during the final episodes of the show, such as Dax's new host Ezri getting into a romantic relationship with the station's head doctor, Julian Bashir, or our favorite duplicitous Cardassian spy Elim Garak now officially being welcomed back to his homeworld as their new Federation ambassador. Plus she sets up lots of complicated problems that are sure to leave the characters busy for at least the next dozen books, including but not limited to the entire bottom half of the freaking space station essentially being rendered unusable, not to mention the "Avatar" religious prediction of the book's title, in which it's prophesied that the kid Ben Sisko had with Kasidy Yates, before entering the wormhole as the TV show's final climax, is destined to usher in a new golden age of peace and harmony on nearby Bajor, but only after ten thousand Bajorans are willing to commit suicide in order to bring about this new golden age.
So all in all, an extremely satisfying start to this new relaunch series, which as far as I can tell encompasses some 40 to 50 novels when it all is said and done, and complexly ties in to yet other persistent plotlines from other series within the Simon & Schuster Star Trek non-canon novels, such as the franchise-spanning "Typhon Pact" event of 2011-12 and its follow-up "The Fall" series from 2013. (Also not clear is whether novels in this relaunch plotline are still being currently published or not; the Wikipedia page has no more of them listed after 2017, although that could always be because the Wikipedia page hasn't been updated since 2017, while what you would think would be an exhaustive section of the Simon & Schuster website devoted to this subject doesn't even include a full list of all the titles that already exist, much less any information about any of them or what future titles will bring. I've CC:ed author Perry to this review over at her Twitter page, so with any luck maybe she'll jump on here with a comment and get us up to speed on what exactly is going on with these relaunch novels, as well as correct any misinformation I might have here about how they came about. I think we'd all find it fascinating to know, for example, how much of these novel plots are determined by the editor at Simon & Schuster, and how much is made up by each author.) A lot of reading ahead of me over the next year; but given how pleasant I've found these books so far, it's a challenge I look forward to.
2021 reads, #73-74. Friends know that the entire reason I started reading Star Trek novels to begin with was because of a desire for more stories about Section 31, the CIA-type "dirty tricks" wing of the Federation that was originally invented by the clever nerds at the franchise's black sheep, the conceptually dark and deeply serialized Deep Space Nine, which originally ran on television from 1992 to 1999; and that after finishing the four-book series on the subject (all of them published in 2001 as a special "summer reading event" for fans), I then learned that an entire other trilogy was later written within the same milieu, including 2014's Disavowed, 2017's Control and 2019's Collateral Damage, all of them by David Mack, which I thought I would take on immediately after. But alas, just a chapter or two into Disavowed I realized that I had absolutely no freaking idea what was going on, the book referencing dozens of events and characters that I didn't remember in any way at all from the original TV show; and that's when I learned that there is actually a very specific series of books within Simon & Schuster's non-canon Star Trek literary universe that might for practical purposes be called "mini-canon," in that these roughly one hundred titles all follow a singular cohesive storyline that persistently exists from one book to the next, one overseen by Simon & Schuster executives so to make sure there are no plotline slip-ups, just that this storyline only "officially" begins on the day after the last day of the last episode of the TV show, and therefore has absolutely nothing to do with the "official canon" that the show itself represents.
See, the issue of what is or isn't "canon" among creative franchises has become a particularly thorny one in our current age, in that we now finally exist in a world where a growing amount of such franchises (think Marvel and DC, Star Trek and Star Wars) have become so huge and unwieldy, with so many story bits introduced over the decades by hundreds upon hundreds of unrelated creators, that the "official" story of what exactly is going on has become too impossibly huge to handle, leading to a growing amount of schisms and paradoxes and outright clashing details within what's supposed to be one giant fictional universe that all these stories live inside. For one notorious example, think about how the Klingons of the original 1960s Star Trek TV show looked like little more than particularly swarthy humans, while the Klingons of the much higher-budgeted '80s motion pictures have the ridged foreheads and dog-like teeth that we now commonly think of when we think of these aliens, despite the fact that these Klingons are actually supposed to be newer than the ones seen in the original series. So what supposedly happened in Star Trek's fictional history to cause such a radical change in their appearance? Well, turns out that several Star Trek novel authors have tackled this question themselves over the years, positing everything from genetic engineering gone wrong to a natural virus on the Klingon homeworld; but since many of these explanations directly contradict each other, and thus would lead to heated debates at next year's Coniconicon, Paramount declared that none of them were the official answer, and that in fact we wouldn't get an official one until all the way in 2005, during the episodes "Affliction" and "Divergence" from the much-maligned 9/11-era Star Trek show Enterprise. (The official answer? Spoiler alert: KHAAAAAAAAAAANNN!!!!!1!!)
These kinds of canon trip-ups can get diabolically convoluted at the mature stage of these kinds of ongoing franchises, and the companies in charge of them have tackled the problem in various ways. DC Comics, for example, famously did a complete reboot of their entire universe in 2011, declaring all former storylines null and void and allowing their creatives to build the company's iconic characters back up again from scratch, even if those stories sometimes clashed with what had gone on before; while Disney, after buying the Star Wars universe from George Lucas in 2012 for 6.3 gajillion dollars, simply killed the franchise's expanded universe altogether, especially apropos here since the studio was planning on enlarging their "official" universe to eventually be the size of most other franchises' non-canon universes. But Star Trek, as far as I can tell, has largely tried to find an uneasy balance between full embrace and full disavowal, greenlighting some series that don't have even a single thing to do with any of the original TV shows or movies (such as the popular Corps of Engineers titles, for example, in which a group of Indiana-Jones-type super-nerds fly around the universe helping with such thorny problems as boobytrapped alien space stations and pulling starships out of plasma clouds), while also churning out an endless series of stories that are all set within the initial runs of the various original television shows, as if we were watching an off-day adventure that happened on the starship on, like, a Tuesday in season 4 when the cameras weren't officially rolling.
This is why nothing is usually ever allowed to happen in non-canon novels that would somehow permanently affect the characters, effectively returning the stories back to television's "you can watch these in any order during syndication, it doesn't matter" roots (especially important in these kinds of situations, where so many new readers are going to be finding their way into these books through completely random titles found out of order at yard sales and used bookstores); but this is also one of the most notoriously negative aspects of non-canon novels' sketchy reputation, that they essentially feel like fan-service time-killers and not "real" literature, pleasant and breezy stories in which nothing's at stake and nothing ever truly happens, the entire universe set back to zero the moment you finish the last page. So it's to their big credit, then (or perhaps the credit of former Simon & Schuster executive Marco Palmieri, who seems to have been in charge of this line while he was there, and is now over at the great science-fiction publisher Tor), that the company ended up greenlighting the concept of these "relaunch" novels, in which the books in this series pretty much pretend that they're the missing eighth, ninth, tenth seasons and beyond of the original TV series, picking up where the show left off but now with the opportunity to kill off characters, destroy major settings, and all the other fun stuff you can do in "official canon" projects.
And destruction is indeed in mind here in this initial relaunch "duology" (which is Simon & Schuster's polite way of saying, "We don't want to release a 600-page Star Trek novel and scare everyone off, so here they are split into two"), by our old friend SD Perry of Section 31: Cloak, the very first Star Trek novel I ever read. Here Perry really relishes her role as the initial creator of a brand-new Star Trek status quo, giving us a story not just with the kind of sweeping scope of a full-length feature, but one that would literally take a six-part special streaming series at Netflix to fully tell in its entirety. It's an interesting set of choices she makes here, including leaving Odo back with his people at the Great Link (or at least for now), and unexpectedly filling his Chief of Security role back at the station with the Next Generation character Ro Laren, the first character to actually introduce the Bajoran race to Star Trek fans, way back in 1991, and who was initially supposed to play the Kira Nerys role when Paramount producers were first setting up the DS9 shooting schedule (an idea that was nixed after actor Michelle Forbes decided she didn't want to get bogged down by a seven-year commitment). Perry also introduces some fascinating new characters, including the franchise's first-ever regular Jem'Hadar, who were the villainous aliens' "muscle" in the original TV show and therefore never existed much beyond 2D sketchiness in that version, so makes them particularly ripe for conceptual expanding in these novels. She also embraces and stretches out some of the very last story developments that initially happened during the final episodes of the show, such as Dax's new host Ezri getting into a romantic relationship with the station's head doctor, Julian Bashir, or our favorite duplicitous Cardassian spy Elim Garak now officially being welcomed back to his homeworld as their new Federation ambassador. Plus she sets up lots of complicated problems that are sure to leave the characters busy for at least the next dozen books, including but not limited to the entire bottom half of the freaking space station essentially being rendered unusable, not to mention the "Avatar" religious prediction of the book's title, in which it's prophesied that the kid Ben Sisko had with Kasidy Yates, before entering the wormhole as the TV show's final climax, is destined to usher in a new golden age of peace and harmony on nearby Bajor, but only after ten thousand Bajorans are willing to commit suicide in order to bring about this new golden age.
So all in all, an extremely satisfying start to this new relaunch series, which as far as I can tell encompasses some 40 to 50 novels when it all is said and done, and complexly ties in to yet other persistent plotlines from other series within the Simon & Schuster Star Trek non-canon novels, such as the franchise-spanning "Typhon Pact" event of 2011-12 and its follow-up "The Fall" series from 2013. (Also not clear is whether novels in this relaunch plotline are still being currently published or not; the Wikipedia page has no more of them listed after 2017, although that could always be because the Wikipedia page hasn't been updated since 2017, while what you would think would be an exhaustive section of the Simon & Schuster website devoted to this subject doesn't even include a full list of all the titles that already exist, much less any information about any of them or what future titles will bring. I've CC:ed author Perry to this review over at her Twitter page, so with any luck maybe she'll jump on here with a comment and get us up to speed on what exactly is going on with these relaunch novels, as well as correct any misinformation I might have here about how they came about. I think we'd all find it fascinating to know, for example, how much of these novel plots are determined by the editor at Simon & Schuster, and how much is made up by each author.) A lot of reading ahead of me over the next year; but given how pleasant I've found these books so far, it's a challenge I look forward to.
March 12, 2022
S.D. Perry finishes this two-parter with some mixed emotions from the reader. Some of the character arcs and plotlines are well tied up and paid off, while others leave a bit more to be desired. Overall, it serves as a decent story in Star Trek literature.
Certain characters stand out in this installment, particularly Colonel Kira Nerys and Commander Elias Vaughn, both of whom have separate spiritual journeys that lead them together. The discourse surrounding faith, religion, and politics is certainly one of S.D. Perry's best qualities, and it makes the book all the better for it.
What was set up as Jake Sisko's journey is largely abandoned in this book, as he shows up in the prologue and epilogue only. Perry and the whole team at Pocket Books was obviously looking ahead and thinking about the future of publishing, but they failed to properly handle this book's ending.
This book is substantially shorter than it's predecessor, and it shows. This book could have had roughly 50 pages more, devoted to more character development and to the Jake Sisko story, and this would have become a really good book and made the duology stronger. However, this book, while having some excellent moments, brings down the power of the duology as a whole.
The climax in this book pays off all of the major promises from book one(except Jake Sisko's), which at least means that Perry did her job from a story structure. It wasn't particularly thrilling, but rather felt like a par-for-the-course entry in the Star Trek literature.
By the way, the Ro Laren-Quark dynamic is hilarious and endlessly fascinating. I'll leave it at that...
Overall, this was an ok book, but nowhere near as exciting or well written as book one. I think the duology has a certain place in history for what it did for Star Trek books as a whole, but it's not an amazing piece of literature or fiction. I would give this book a 6 out of 10. Decent work S. D. Perry.
Certain characters stand out in this installment, particularly Colonel Kira Nerys and Commander Elias Vaughn, both of whom have separate spiritual journeys that lead them together. The discourse surrounding faith, religion, and politics is certainly one of S.D. Perry's best qualities, and it makes the book all the better for it.
What was set up as Jake Sisko's journey is largely abandoned in this book, as he shows up in the prologue and epilogue only. Perry and the whole team at Pocket Books was obviously looking ahead and thinking about the future of publishing, but they failed to properly handle this book's ending.
This book is substantially shorter than it's predecessor, and it shows. This book could have had roughly 50 pages more, devoted to more character development and to the Jake Sisko story, and this would have become a really good book and made the duology stronger. However, this book, while having some excellent moments, brings down the power of the duology as a whole.
The climax in this book pays off all of the major promises from book one(except Jake Sisko's), which at least means that Perry did her job from a story structure. It wasn't particularly thrilling, but rather felt like a par-for-the-course entry in the Star Trek literature.
By the way, the Ro Laren-Quark dynamic is hilarious and endlessly fascinating. I'll leave it at that...
Overall, this was an ok book, but nowhere near as exciting or well written as book one. I think the duology has a certain place in history for what it did for Star Trek books as a whole, but it's not an amazing piece of literature or fiction. I would give this book a 6 out of 10. Decent work S. D. Perry.
March 18, 2023
A solid end to a very solid continuation of the TV show. Written with a surprising amount of verve and understanding of the various characters, while also setting up future plotlines and characters of its own. I look forward to continuing with the relaunch series.
March 9, 2021
This was a fun conclusion to the (publication-based) beginning of the DS9 Relaunch. S.D. Perry presented a fun and focused DS9 story that did two very important things:
1. It eased us back into the DS9 universe. This was Perry's perhaps most important task in crafting this novel, as part of the duology. When DS9 ended, while "What We Leave Behind" proved to be a fun and worthwhile conclusion to seven seasons of phenomenal television, it also served as an opportunity for narrative expansion. Many fans, myself included, were excited to see what "could" come next, and Perry's task was to make certain that we wanted to come along for the ride. I think she was successful in promoting that.
2. It re-introduced us to a great cast and, more importantly, made us enjoy a new cast. Sure, we missed some power players in this novel. I hated to see that main characters like Sisko, Odo, O'Brien, and Garak weren't featured, though there were a couple minor appearances. At the same time, Perry was able to write Kira and Bashir well. Quark was fun, and Nog was brought back into the spotlight. Yates was struggling with her role both as a future mother and religious figure. We even got a memorable appearance from Vic Fontaine. Perry also had the opportunity to use Ezri Dax in an important manner. Dax was only featured on the last season of DS9. She never really had time to develop her sea (or space) legs. This book, and the ones following it, I assume, gave and will give us the opportunity to really explore her as a character. It was fun navigating her relationship with Julian, and seeing her move to the command track was an interesting choice that I'm looking forward to reading. The new cast was fun, too. Shar will be an interesting character, I'm sure, as well as the new Jem'Hadar soldier (I forgot his name). He reminded me of a type of early-TNG Data, wide-eyed and open to the world.
One of the best characters of the novel was Elias Vaughn, an aging (though young-looking) Starfleet Commander with an exceptionally high security clearance. Vaughn made no bones about calling an admiral by his first name, and Captain Picard was even enthralled by him. Perry incorporated enough mystery into his character to leave us wanting more. He will be an excellent choice for First Officer of DS9, and I look forward to reading about him.
The reason this novel gets a 4 out of 5, as opposed to the previous novel, is that the story just didn't do it for me. In the end, it played like a classic episode of DS9 with someone wanting to blow up the station. I've grown tired of these plot points, and while Perry handled it well, I would have preferred to see more focused on the subplot involving the Bajoran Avatar and the heretical religion unearthed at B'Hala. That was a cool plot, and an entire novel could be devoted to that.
The reason this novel still gets a 4, though, is because it established such a great introduction to the DS9 Relaunch, giving us a great overview and background of characters, and establishing a few mysteries at the end. What will Kira do stripped of her religion? Why was the ensign angered by Vaughn? And more importantly, what did Jake see in the Celestial Temple?
I've written more here than I usually do, but as the novel that sets the foundations for the DS9 Relaunch, I thought it was well-deserved. I can't wait to continue into the Relaunch. Great job, Mrs. Perry.
1. It eased us back into the DS9 universe. This was Perry's perhaps most important task in crafting this novel, as part of the duology. When DS9 ended, while "What We Leave Behind" proved to be a fun and worthwhile conclusion to seven seasons of phenomenal television, it also served as an opportunity for narrative expansion. Many fans, myself included, were excited to see what "could" come next, and Perry's task was to make certain that we wanted to come along for the ride. I think she was successful in promoting that.
2. It re-introduced us to a great cast and, more importantly, made us enjoy a new cast. Sure, we missed some power players in this novel. I hated to see that main characters like Sisko, Odo, O'Brien, and Garak weren't featured, though there were a couple minor appearances. At the same time, Perry was able to write Kira and Bashir well. Quark was fun, and Nog was brought back into the spotlight. Yates was struggling with her role both as a future mother and religious figure. We even got a memorable appearance from Vic Fontaine. Perry also had the opportunity to use Ezri Dax in an important manner. Dax was only featured on the last season of DS9. She never really had time to develop her sea (or space) legs. This book, and the ones following it, I assume, gave and will give us the opportunity to really explore her as a character. It was fun navigating her relationship with Julian, and seeing her move to the command track was an interesting choice that I'm looking forward to reading. The new cast was fun, too. Shar will be an interesting character, I'm sure, as well as the new Jem'Hadar soldier (I forgot his name). He reminded me of a type of early-TNG Data, wide-eyed and open to the world.
One of the best characters of the novel was Elias Vaughn, an aging (though young-looking) Starfleet Commander with an exceptionally high security clearance. Vaughn made no bones about calling an admiral by his first name, and Captain Picard was even enthralled by him. Perry incorporated enough mystery into his character to leave us wanting more. He will be an excellent choice for First Officer of DS9, and I look forward to reading about him.
The reason this novel gets a 4 out of 5, as opposed to the previous novel, is that the story just didn't do it for me. In the end, it played like a classic episode of DS9 with someone wanting to blow up the station. I've grown tired of these plot points, and while Perry handled it well, I would have preferred to see more focused on the subplot involving the Bajoran Avatar and the heretical religion unearthed at B'Hala. That was a cool plot, and an entire novel could be devoted to that.
The reason this novel still gets a 4, though, is because it established such a great introduction to the DS9 Relaunch, giving us a great overview and background of characters, and establishing a few mysteries at the end. What will Kira do stripped of her religion? Why was the ensign angered by Vaughn? And more importantly, what did Jake see in the Celestial Temple?
I've written more here than I usually do, but as the novel that sets the foundations for the DS9 Relaunch, I thought it was well-deserved. I can't wait to continue into the Relaunch. Great job, Mrs. Perry.
September 23, 2015
I got a bit bored with the story part-way through and could not finish it. This is not a fault of the story itself, rather it was not my style.
July 30, 2020
Do not read this book if you haven’t read Volume One and be prepared to read Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (Section 31) Abyss.
You may also wish to remind yourself of the last few episodes of the DS9 series and Star Trek: The Next Generation Series 4/Episode 21 - The Drumhead to recall who Simon Tarses is, although he is only briefly referenced. I’m sure their are acknowledgements of other episodes too, but I probably missed them.
I liked this book. Not as much as Volume 1, which promised great things, but it does the job as Star Trek books go.
I was disappointed that the book did not make better use of The Next Generation and DS9 characters teaming up and that the story could have been extraordinary, but what annoys me the most is the fact that I have had to buy a second book when this one could have quite easily been part of the first at only a couple of hundred pages more. It doesn’t really skip a beat from where the first left off and now I find having finished it, that I will need to read another to find out what happens. Fortunately I have the next book, because that was the one I was interested in reading in the first place, which forced me to read these two volumes in order to understand what was going on in that one. Confused? I know I am! I only hope that the answers I seek are all revealed in the next book, before I have to start selling organs to afford any others I might have to buy afterwards. I think it bad business to take advantage of such a loyal fan base in this fashion, knowing that they will buy anything that bears the franchises name. Fortunately I am not such an uber-fan that I need to own them all, but when I start a story my OCD insists it starts at the beginning and ends appropriately with all of the details nicely ticked off.
When you buy a Harry Potter book, you get an individual story that is part of something bigger, little gems in each book help to build the bigger picture, but you can read them separately and still enjoy them without having to be a massive fan.
It’s not a bad story, but it really does leave so many things up in the air? I wasn’t sure they were going to finish Jake’s story at all? But like the first book it is better without Ben Sisko and you don’t miss the others that are absent, perhaps with the exception of Mr Garak, who I got quite used to by the end of series 7.
Also I’m sure Ezri’s sudden realisation that she can be so much more will only benefit the series as she will hopefully grow to be like Jadzia or at least something better than she was. (Big shoes to fill though in fairness).
You may also wish to remind yourself of the last few episodes of the DS9 series and Star Trek: The Next Generation Series 4/Episode 21 - The Drumhead to recall who Simon Tarses is, although he is only briefly referenced. I’m sure their are acknowledgements of other episodes too, but I probably missed them.
I liked this book. Not as much as Volume 1, which promised great things, but it does the job as Star Trek books go.
I was disappointed that the book did not make better use of The Next Generation and DS9 characters teaming up and that the story could have been extraordinary, but what annoys me the most is the fact that I have had to buy a second book when this one could have quite easily been part of the first at only a couple of hundred pages more. It doesn’t really skip a beat from where the first left off and now I find having finished it, that I will need to read another to find out what happens. Fortunately I have the next book, because that was the one I was interested in reading in the first place, which forced me to read these two volumes in order to understand what was going on in that one. Confused? I know I am! I only hope that the answers I seek are all revealed in the next book, before I have to start selling organs to afford any others I might have to buy afterwards. I think it bad business to take advantage of such a loyal fan base in this fashion, knowing that they will buy anything that bears the franchises name. Fortunately I am not such an uber-fan that I need to own them all, but when I start a story my OCD insists it starts at the beginning and ends appropriately with all of the details nicely ticked off.
When you buy a Harry Potter book, you get an individual story that is part of something bigger, little gems in each book help to build the bigger picture, but you can read them separately and still enjoy them without having to be a massive fan.
It’s not a bad story, but it really does leave so many things up in the air? I wasn’t sure they were going to finish Jake’s story at all? But like the first book it is better without Ben Sisko and you don’t miss the others that are absent, perhaps with the exception of Mr Garak, who I got quite used to by the end of series 7.
Also I’m sure Ezri’s sudden realisation that she can be so much more will only benefit the series as she will hopefully grow to be like Jadzia or at least something better than she was. (Big shoes to fill though in fairness).
July 22, 2022
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine is my favorite series in the Star Trek universe. Other series may have individual episodes that are great, but the overall arc of DS9 has the most interesting characters and situations. During the Covid lockdown, I rewatched the series and was re-disappointed that there was never an eighth (or more) season or movies, and now that almost a quarter century has passed, there never will be. So I'm turning to the novelizations to get my DS9 fix. With nothing else to compare them to, I'm hoping that they are good enough to be considered canonical.
This first book, broken into two parts, picks up the series just months after the conclusion of season 7. Colonel Kira is in charge of the station, with fan favorite Ro Laren as chief of security. Many other familiar faces grace the book, including Julian Bashir, Ezri Dax, Quark, Nog, Jake Sisko, Kasidy Yates, and of course, Morn. Making guest appearances are the crew of the Starship Enterprise. Several new characters are introduced, notably Elias Vaughn, a Starfleet officer, Shar, an Andorian, and a mysterious Jem'Hadar soldier.
Perry handles all of these characters well and serves up two or three solid plot arcs that eventually converge. The total of over 500 pages that make up this two-part book go by quickly, with action, intrigue, and mystery. It's a very good continuation of the series, and I'm looking forward to reading more (if I can find them in used book stores). As far as I'm concerned, this is canon.
This first book, broken into two parts, picks up the series just months after the conclusion of season 7. Colonel Kira is in charge of the station, with fan favorite Ro Laren as chief of security. Many other familiar faces grace the book, including Julian Bashir, Ezri Dax, Quark, Nog, Jake Sisko, Kasidy Yates, and of course, Morn. Making guest appearances are the crew of the Starship Enterprise. Several new characters are introduced, notably Elias Vaughn, a Starfleet officer, Shar, an Andorian, and a mysterious Jem'Hadar soldier.
Perry handles all of these characters well and serves up two or three solid plot arcs that eventually converge. The total of over 500 pages that make up this two-part book go by quickly, with action, intrigue, and mystery. It's a very good continuation of the series, and I'm looking forward to reading more (if I can find them in used book stores). As far as I'm concerned, this is canon.
February 22, 2017
The concluding part of the Avatar duology builds on the momentum established in Book One. The discovery of an ancient text which lies at the center of a murder investigation leads Ro to uncover some unsettling truths about Bajor's Vedek Assembly. Meanwhile, Deep Space Nine's new Jem'Hadar ambassador, Kitana'klan, tests the resolve of the crew and the Enterprise finally docks at the station just in time for an incident which threatens the safety of everybody onboard.
Only two books into the relaunch, and the tangled webs woven by different plotlines are already beginning to reflect the rich and deep storytelling that typified Deep Space Nine in its heyday. Two primary narratives compete for attention across the novel: the unraveling saga of the apostate prophetic book and its ramifications for Bajor, and Kitana'klan's betrayal and the fallout which threatens to destroy the station and claim the lives of everyone on board.
First to the Bajoran religion plot. This is the snowball which just keeps on getting bigger. I pegged Vedek Yevir as being a good contender for Kai Winn Mark II in the first book, and true to form, he doesn't disappoint. Yet I have to confess being lulled into a false sense of security for some portion of Book Two. With Yevir deciding that honesty is the best way to serve the Prophets, he reveals the extent of the Assembly's involvement in Reyla's death and that he wants to destroy the heretic Ohalu's book. Surely with such an acknowledgement of his sins, this guy has the moral compass necessary to be a force for good on Bajor? Wrong! With the unenviable position of trying to placate Yevir, Ro, Kasidy and her own conscience, Kira decides to upload the book onto the Bajoran comnet for the whole populace to access. The fallout which follows feels like a precursor for more significant events down the road: Yevir seizes on the opportunity to reinforce the Vedek Assembly's hold over Bajor, claiming that non-believers have no place in the society, and then adds insult to injury by having Kira "attained" - forbidden from practicing her faith, ever again!
On to the Jem'Hadar plot. While Kitana'klan's betrayal was somewhat telegraphed (clear descriptions of the guards' positions in the cargo bay as Bashir enters), the ferocity of it was nonetheless shocking. Things quickly spiral as the rogue Jem'Hadar heads down to DS9's fusion core in an attempt to sabotage it and destroy the station. Commander Vaughn's involvement here was a lot of fun: I enjoyed seeing the centenarian tactical officer show off his prowess with Kira, trying to corner the enemy before time runs out. Yet just when things seem hopeless, we are led to the big reveal: Taran'atar! Enter Odo's REAL Jem'Hadar ambassador, who quickly demonstrates his skills by taking out Kitana'klan and saving the station. A convenient get-out-clause? Sure. But what a way to introduce a new character!
While the scenes between Picard and Kira, and later Picard and Ro, were well written and believable, I felt that the Enterprise's presence again slowed down the story. When Kitana'klan almost kills Bashir, I was frustrated to find this particular scene retold from different character's perspectives, including... quite randomly... Riker's and Troi's, as they worry about each other in the middle of the tension. This really slowed down the narrative and felt totally unnecessary. A minor quibble, but worthy of note.
There's clearly a fair amount of setup going on here for future novels: Shar's mother is the Andorian representative for the Federation Council and he's still harboring his secret which causes him to smash a computer console. Then there's Ensign Tenmei, barely mentioned in both Avatar books, but apparently having a history with Vaughn. Sprinkled among such engaging major plots, I can't say I'm all that interested in either of these points just yet... time will tell.
Oh, and I almost forgot... Jake. Yet again, the young Sisko is sandwiched into the book at awkward intervals to show that he's still intent on finding his father in the wormhole. This is being stretched out a tad too much for my liking, but the ending, where his life seems to be in danger, holds promise for a new direction for the character.
Recommended to any and all Niners.
Only two books into the relaunch, and the tangled webs woven by different plotlines are already beginning to reflect the rich and deep storytelling that typified Deep Space Nine in its heyday. Two primary narratives compete for attention across the novel: the unraveling saga of the apostate prophetic book and its ramifications for Bajor, and Kitana'klan's betrayal and the fallout which threatens to destroy the station and claim the lives of everyone on board.
First to the Bajoran religion plot. This is the snowball which just keeps on getting bigger. I pegged Vedek Yevir as being a good contender for Kai Winn Mark II in the first book, and true to form, he doesn't disappoint. Yet I have to confess being lulled into a false sense of security for some portion of Book Two. With Yevir deciding that honesty is the best way to serve the Prophets, he reveals the extent of the Assembly's involvement in Reyla's death and that he wants to destroy the heretic Ohalu's book. Surely with such an acknowledgement of his sins, this guy has the moral compass necessary to be a force for good on Bajor? Wrong! With the unenviable position of trying to placate Yevir, Ro, Kasidy and her own conscience, Kira decides to upload the book onto the Bajoran comnet for the whole populace to access. The fallout which follows feels like a precursor for more significant events down the road: Yevir seizes on the opportunity to reinforce the Vedek Assembly's hold over Bajor, claiming that non-believers have no place in the society, and then adds insult to injury by having Kira "attained" - forbidden from practicing her faith, ever again!
On to the Jem'Hadar plot. While Kitana'klan's betrayal was somewhat telegraphed (clear descriptions of the guards' positions in the cargo bay as Bashir enters), the ferocity of it was nonetheless shocking. Things quickly spiral as the rogue Jem'Hadar heads down to DS9's fusion core in an attempt to sabotage it and destroy the station. Commander Vaughn's involvement here was a lot of fun: I enjoyed seeing the centenarian tactical officer show off his prowess with Kira, trying to corner the enemy before time runs out. Yet just when things seem hopeless, we are led to the big reveal: Taran'atar! Enter Odo's REAL Jem'Hadar ambassador, who quickly demonstrates his skills by taking out Kitana'klan and saving the station. A convenient get-out-clause? Sure. But what a way to introduce a new character!
While the scenes between Picard and Kira, and later Picard and Ro, were well written and believable, I felt that the Enterprise's presence again slowed down the story. When Kitana'klan almost kills Bashir, I was frustrated to find this particular scene retold from different character's perspectives, including... quite randomly... Riker's and Troi's, as they worry about each other in the middle of the tension. This really slowed down the narrative and felt totally unnecessary. A minor quibble, but worthy of note.
There's clearly a fair amount of setup going on here for future novels: Shar's mother is the Andorian representative for the Federation Council and he's still harboring his secret which causes him to smash a computer console. Then there's Ensign Tenmei, barely mentioned in both Avatar books, but apparently having a history with Vaughn. Sprinkled among such engaging major plots, I can't say I'm all that interested in either of these points just yet... time will tell.
Oh, and I almost forgot... Jake. Yet again, the young Sisko is sandwiched into the book at awkward intervals to show that he's still intent on finding his father in the wormhole. This is being stretched out a tad too much for my liking, but the ending, where his life seems to be in danger, holds promise for a new direction for the character.
Recommended to any and all Niners.
September 1, 2018
Satisfying conclusion. Great fun read when you're at the level of Trekkie where you've seen every episode of every season of every incarnation of Trek so many times... that you just want more... something new. It was great fun to join my favorite cast of characters (although slightly altered). Not to mention it was really fun to have the crew of the Enterprise-D/E join in on the action of this novel alongside the crew of DS9. I wanna say I enjoyed the first one more. This book seems to drag at certain points where I just want the story-line to develop already! But I dunno. I still enjoyed reading it a lot... much more than I expected to. (This being my first foray into Trek literature.)... But I enjoyed it so much that I think I will definitely will end up picking up the next book in the series... or maybe diving into a Voyager novel next. All in all, I was pleasantly surprised by this two-part story.
January 1, 2022
Damn! Things really heated up with this one.
Book Two used the table setting of Book One and delivered on the promises. There were a couple moments where I was truly scared for DS9 and the crew. I think Perry really nailed the characters and there were a number of scenes where I got emotional for the characters. I still think that these books are living in the shadow of the TV series a little too much however the additions of Ro and Vaughn are very welcome (Vaughn a little more, since the way Ro is written seems to always be "mad/rebellious"). Vaughn fits well with the DS9 world and I am looking forward to seeing him fit in with the crew. I also particularly liked the way Julian, Ezri, Jake and Nog were written. Those are characters I loved in the original series and it was really cool getting to know who they are now.
Up next is Julian's first S31 book! HYPED.
Book Two used the table setting of Book One and delivered on the promises. There were a couple moments where I was truly scared for DS9 and the crew. I think Perry really nailed the characters and there were a number of scenes where I got emotional for the characters. I still think that these books are living in the shadow of the TV series a little too much however the additions of Ro and Vaughn are very welcome (Vaughn a little more, since the way Ro is written seems to always be "mad/rebellious"). Vaughn fits well with the DS9 world and I am looking forward to seeing him fit in with the crew. I also particularly liked the way Julian, Ezri, Jake and Nog were written. Those are characters I loved in the original series and it was really cool getting to know who they are now.
Up next is Julian's first S31 book! HYPED.
April 23, 2023
Avatar #2 by S.D Perry
This was still a great book, but not as good as the first one. There is alot to unpack here, but I’m keep my thoughts short here. This book was a bit of a let down from the previous one. The first book really set up a scary mystery with the prophecy and I thought it was going to be Bajorans that would be the terrorists. Anyway, it turned out to be the Jem’Hadar which is fine I guess, but a little predictable. But overall this book is still a 7.5/10 and still has great character work for everyone, in particular with Kira and Vaughan. Probably my favorite moment was the video from Odo, as that was really touching. I look forward to reading the rest of the DS9 relaunch (I’ve already read Abyss, Lives of Dax, and a Stitch in Time) and I hope it’s as good as Beyer’s Voyager run.
This was still a great book, but not as good as the first one. There is alot to unpack here, but I’m keep my thoughts short here. This book was a bit of a let down from the previous one. The first book really set up a scary mystery with the prophecy and I thought it was going to be Bajorans that would be the terrorists. Anyway, it turned out to be the Jem’Hadar which is fine I guess, but a little predictable. But overall this book is still a 7.5/10 and still has great character work for everyone, in particular with Kira and Vaughan. Probably my favorite moment was the video from Odo, as that was really touching. I look forward to reading the rest of the DS9 relaunch (I’ve already read Abyss, Lives of Dax, and a Stitch in Time) and I hope it’s as good as Beyer’s Voyager run.
May 8, 2021
I probably should've taken my own advice and not continued this series. Not that it was bad, it just wasn't all that captivating, and didn't conclude anything for a book titled "two of two" as many other reviews have stated. The characters didn't improve much either, except maybe Ro and Vaughn, but then again I already liked them. It's clear a lot of people enjoyed this book/series, which is great, but based on these first two (of I don't know how many) it was clear the story was needlessly stretched out to cover more territory. I suspect that Perry initially wrote Avatar as one book and was later asked to split it into two, adding filler as needed. Not a strange request, if true of course. Doesn't make for great pacing or storytelling however.
May 14, 2021
Mit "Deep Space Nine: Offenbarung: Buch 2" schließt Autorin S.D. Perry nahtlos an den Vorgänger an und legt im zweiten Teil des Doppelbandes sogar, was die Spannung angeht, noch eine Schippe drauf: Auch an den Figuren wird konsequent weitergearbeitet - auch wenn eine nur für einen fiesen Cliffhanger am Schluss geparkt wird und einige andere für die kommenden Bände in Position geschoben werden. Ja, Mr. Vaughn, ich schiele in Ihre Ecke. Darüber hinaus: Kurz, knackig, feine Handlung. So kann es gerne weitergehen.
February 20, 2022
First a warning that, while I don't like to put spoilers in reviews, I will put a comment at the end of the review that is a partial spoiler.
The 2nd book finishes many of the threads that are in fact 1st book. It actually is more complex than it was, and we get a satisfying conclusion for much of the story line.
What I don't like is that it ended too abruptly, with several major issues not resolved. On top of that it added a new cliffhanger as well, without telling us what book will come next to resolve it!
The 2nd book finishes many of the threads that are in fact 1st book. It actually is more complex than it was, and we get a satisfying conclusion for much of the story line.
What I don't like is that it ended too abruptly, with several major issues not resolved. On top of that it added a new cliffhanger as well, without telling us what book will come next to resolve it!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 24, 2018
Fun read! I was shocked by what happened to one of the characters at the end. If you’re looking for the next books in the series, they are:
Abyss
Demons of Air and Darkness
What Lay Beyond: Horn and Ivory
…each of them is part of another series, but I assume they make it easy to skip through and finish this storyline without getting all completist.
Abyss
Demons of Air and Darkness
What Lay Beyond: Horn and Ivory
…each of them is part of another series, but I assume they make it easy to skip through and finish this storyline without getting all completist.
September 30, 2019
Für meinen Geschmack etwa zu fanatisch religiös gehalten. Gerade Kira, die in der Serie zwar nicht ungläubig, aber doch immer weltlich besonnen und nicht verblendet wirkte, wirkt hier teilweise sehr OOC. Und dann noch am Ende ein Cliffhanger, der offenbar auch noch nicht mal im nächsten Band aufgegriffen wird?
April 30, 2021
Had as much fun with this second Avatar book as the first, really enjoying how the characters come together and play off each other. A few story beats managed to keep me guessing, and I appreciated many of the payoffs and setups.
4.5/5 I'm excited to see what else season eight of one of my favorite shows has in store!
4.5/5 I'm excited to see what else season eight of one of my favorite shows has in store!
June 16, 2021
I liked this relaunch of DS9. A good solid story. Of course it leaves you hanging but that's ok.
DS9 and Voyager are my favorite in the Star Trek universe.
I liked seeing Ro back in the mix, even if she still seems a little lost at what her role in life is. It is exciting to see how everyone is coping since the last episode of DS9. Definitely recommend this series.
DS9 and Voyager are my favorite in the Star Trek universe.
I liked seeing Ro back in the mix, even if she still seems a little lost at what her role in life is. It is exciting to see how everyone is coping since the last episode of DS9. Definitely recommend this series.
July 21, 2022
Avatar is essentially the pilot episode for the new, post-TV series version of DS9, and as a pilot it works really well. The new additions to the cast are all interesting, a new status quo is established for the station, and drama abounds. Ro and Kira's relationship seems like it'll be really interesting, as well as the new direction for Ezri.
I'm excited to see where things build from here!
I'm excited to see where things build from here!
November 8, 2017
I thought this one was better than Avatar #1, insofar as I was seeing and hearing the characters and as I was reading. Nice to see Odo again, even if only by proxy. Definitely a decent read for die-hard DS9 fans.
June 5, 2021
Great read, can’t wait for the next one in the series!
Avatar was a great couple books, that leads to the return of Capt Benjamin Sisko…. This would have been a great kick off to season 8
Avatar was a great couple books, that leads to the return of Capt Benjamin Sisko…. This would have been a great kick off to season 8
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October 23, 2021This picks up nicely from where book one left off - good action and development and taken together, the two books function nicely as what could have been the season eight premiere, had there ever been one. I’m intrigued to see where this “season” will lead.
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