Wonder if we'll find out what happened in the mean time, i can hardly imagine DS9 having about 4-5 uneventfull years... Captains Log: Nothing interesting has happened in 2 years, im getting suspicious, better set the self destruct just incase...
I just finished Tnes and really thought it was a complex well written story about Rugal and the events unfolding on Cardassia.I also like the fact we get to see other Cardassians who aren't in the military and see what their lives are like I like Penneyel and Rugal's friendship as it unfolds in the book.
I just read it... Very interesting story! Now, I should begin by saying that my view on things Cardassian can be a bit strange sometimes because I've been working on a Cardassian-centric fanfic for a long time and I must say, I did not realize how strong the feel of "my" Cardassia had become until I read this. Obviously I will refrain from any sharing of that, but it may be that's affecting my views. I also take a different interpretation of the character of Proka Migdal than the one that forms the very backbone of this novel--that said, there is so little time in canon to conclusively form an opinion that I am certainly willing to accept a divergent viewpoint and the consequences thereof for the purposes of reading TNES. Some have talked about the vignette-like nature of this book. But to me, that kind of fits where I personally think this story may have gotten its inspiration, and where the imagery and the characters kept taking me: Les Miserables. The students in the Torr Sector--I definitely felt like those geleta shops were like the places Marius haunted during the run-up to...a rebellion that ended with disillusionment, just like the Detapa Council's uprising. The other place where to me, anyway, the Les Mis feeling came on strong (but again, not at all in a bad way) was in the meeting with Tekeny Ghemor. Oh, my goodness--you NAILED the intense grief and kindness both. To me, I get strong shades of the way the older Jean Valjean is acted in the stage version. The feeling of his presence...it was a lot like the same thing that moved me to tears when I saw certain songs performed in Les Mis, with Valjean--particularly things like "Bring Him Home" and the "Finale." (Here they are for you guys to hear. Ignore the dumb videos in a few cases: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NbmVAfYTeKo http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Czd7JSdg0ms ) Lawrence Pressman really seemed to have brought himself into the role, and I could definitely see your scenes acted by him. And that he became such a rallying figure for the people of Cardassia...I can see it, no doubt. And what a horrible, horrible tragedy that Rejal did not choose him to head the military. So much hinged upon that turning point: one bad choice and it all came down. And maybe this is fitting, considering that a motif in TNES is a great epic work that means to Cardassian culture what epics like Les Mis are to us. And yet there's one heck of a contrast, too. Les Mis seemed to be very strongly about values like kindness and forgiveness, whereas the Cardassian work...well, I have a sneaking suspicion that it was anything but. There's a certain irony in that, to be sure. You also really nailed the quiet, gentle strength of Tora Ziyal, and as someone who liked her character, I really appreciated that. Contrary to what others have said, I thought the "soldier" plot made sense. I actually thought that having Rugal wear a soldier's armor for a time really completed the work of bringing home the point that the Cardassian people...even the military where the sickness was quite strong, there were still decent people. On that same note, I also appreciated seeing humanity's imperfections, and the sanctimoniousness they can sometimes get--AND that the outright hatred and bigotry are still there. I was SO galled by the treatment of the Cardassian civilians--and this from people who themselves had been herded into internment camps because of THEIR race! I could certainly see where Hulya's fear came from. Even though it felt a little bit too "neat" at times the way things tied up in the end, with Rugal having his own adopted child of another species (and one that bit a human's hand, at that!), it also made a lot of sense from a literary standpoint, and the reason I ultimately accepted it is that in a way, you've created what one hopes will be the new Cardassian "repetitive epic," one where love is allowed. And I have to say, that makes the title The Never-Ending Sacrifice take on a whole other meaning: that strong, proud, and selfless nature, given in love instead of fear, could be one indomitable force, even more than the might of Central Command and the Obsidian Order combined. And those forces, of course, were destroyed by their own hands just as surely as one obsessive, self-deluded Inspector Javert. So, to sum up...while sometimes it felt like a trip into an alternate universe given my own take on Cardassia, and while there were a few decisions that at times I didn't quite agree with, in its own right this work stands up VERY well and I found it an extremely rewarding read. Thank you very much indeed, Ms. McCormack, for a wonderful early birthday present, and I hope this review is acceptable.
I'm enjoying this look at Cardassia, and the culture and politics of the planet. I have to admit, though, that I'm not a big fan of Rugal. The book is great, though. I just got to the part where Gelet and Rugal begin the shri-tal ritual.
I liked it. A lot. No, it's not moving the DS9 relaunch forward. So what? I enjoyed it thoroughly. Blog review hidden because it goes on and on. Not for seven generations, but long enough. Spoiler: The Never-Ending Sacrifice GARAK I can't believe I'm eating lunch with a man who thinks The Never-Ending Sacrifice is dull. BASHIR I just thought it got a little redundant after a while. I mean... the author is supposed to be chronicling seven generations of a single family... but he tells the same story over and over again... All the characters live lives of selfless duty to the state... get old... and die. And then the next generation comes along and does it all over again. GARAK That's the whole point, Doctor. The repetitive epic is the most elegant form of Cardassian literature, and The Never-Ending Sacrifice is its greatest achievement. BASHIR But the characters never really come alive. I mean, there's more to life than serving the state. GARAK A Federation viewpoint if ever I heard one.Fortunately, Julian Bashir is not describing this book. Una McCormack's The Never-Ending Sacrifice is a great DS9 novel. There's two ways to explore a society in a novel: from an insider's perspective, or from an outsider's perspective. In Andrew J. Robinson's A Stitch in Time, we see Cardassia from the perspective of insider (if occasional exile) Elim Garak. Here, we see Cardassia from a very different perspective, that of Rugal, a young man born and raised on Bajor until his Cardassian father discovers he's still alive and risks his career and his position in Cardassian society to bring his son home (as seen in the episode "Cardassians"). Not that Rugal appreciates that at all; he sees himself as more Bajoran than Cardassian, and he distances himself from his newfound family and homeworld. Basically, Una McCormack's Never-Ending Sacrifice is a classic coming of age novel. Rugal finds himself in a very different place from the one in which he grew up, he has a lot to learn about culture and politics, and he goes through a lot of changes before he finds his place in the world. It's a common story type, used often in mainstream fiction. It's also often used in science fiction, because the coming of age in a strange land story allows a lot of opportunity for worldbuilding. We learn about the character's world as he or she does, so exposition is built into the structure. Rugal's story spans several years, from the second season of DS9 to the time of the relaunch novels. On Cardassia, he rejects the status that could be his as the son of an important man and leads us through parts of Cardassian society we never saw onscreen. Even though we know in broad strokes what happens to Cardassia -- Klingon invasion, the military and Obsidian order loss of power folowing their failed attack on the Founders, the brief rule of the Detapa Council, Dukat's deal with the Dominion, the war, Damar's resistance, the devastation of Cardassia -- Rugal allows us to see all of it from a different perspective, and a growing, maturing perspective at that. A coming of age story needs a believable and believably maturing protagonist, and McCormack fleshes Rugal out, from (understandably) petulant teenager to thoughtful young man. Unlike the characters Bashir describes, the characters in this book do come alive. The supporting cast, some new to the book (e.g., Penelya), some from episodes on TV (Kotan Pa'dar, Gul Dukat, Alon Ghemor, Tora Ziyal, and more), are also well drawn. Through his exploration of Cardassian society, from the ranks of the political elite to the garrets of revolutionary students to the slums of the underclass, Rugal experiences Cardassia and grows accordingly. Sometimes he's able to make his own way, at other times, he's at the mercy of the plots and schemes that pervade Cardassia. By the end of the book he's able to find his own direction, one that might have surprised his younger self. McCormack's Never-Ending Sacrifice is not much like the Cardassian repetitive epic of the same name (a book Rugal doesn't care for), but it does seem like a tale of never-ending sacrifice. Rugal loses his Bajoran adoptive parents and much more, and his parents, both adoptive and Cardassian, have plenty of sacrifices to make as well. Duty to the state is on everyone's mind -- not always by choice, but because the state expects it. Rugal's father Kodan finds his ways of serving the state, while Rugal balances service to the state with rejection of it. As a story, it's an intelligent and emotionally affecting work, with political suspense, romance, action, tragedy, and occasionally a little humour. It's proof, as if any more were needed, that a damn good Star Trek novel can be told about a character who appeared in only one episode. You don't have to be a DS9 fan to like it, though you'll get more out of it if you are. Whether you like stories with an epic sweep or intimate character studies, there's something here for you.
I have never really liked novels focused on a one-shot character, nor on an immersion in alien culture without the human touch-stones we're used to. Well, with the exception of the Klingon books by KRAD which I love. I can not state why I've never liked such books before. But I can state that "TNES" has broken me of such. I had a slightly tough time getting into the book, took me longer than the usual 10 pages to be absorbed, because of my past prejudice, but once I was absorbed? Wow. I haven't really enjoyed a novel this much in a long time. We get a lot of good quality stuff, don't get me wrong. But this went beyond my love for given characters and plots and old friends. This had basically none of that, was a totally independant story on a one-shot character from an episode I didn't much like, and... I loved it. I simply loved it. I will be dismayed if we do not see Rugal again. I truly will. I feel as connected to him now as I do any of the characters we've seen for every episode on screen. In other words... Bravo with this book! You knocked me out of a stubborn opinion pattern and made me re-think things and truly shocked and wowed me with a great story and great character piece. I want to see more of Rugal. No, I'm not saying lets sign him up for Starfleet. I think that might be just a bit predictable. I want to see him involved in our expanding Trek Lit universe though. I'd also love to see more books like this. That focus on a character, truly explores him or her, while keeping pace with known events in the trek universe and showing how they occurred from a totally original perspective over a considerable span of time. So often, even when we delve into a character, it's for a limited time. A single encounter or mission or as a sub-plot amongst many novels. Getting so much of one character over such a span is so rare, but I loved it. It was a concentrated dose of awesome. It was great! Also loved the ending. How that was resolved, and yet not done in the stereo-typical manner. But rather in a sedate, intelligent way, that I actually had given up hope of happening. Just... brilliant. All around brilliant.
The only bad thing about this book so far is that it makes me want to re-read 'A Stitch in Time' and the 'Terok Nor' trilogy and that'll push my unread books in my 'to be read' pile even farther into the future.
That reminds me... I'm still working my way through my DS9 DVDs. Though I saw all the episodes on TV at the time, a lot of them I haven't seen since, and I'm really enjoying the show all over again. In particular, I'm enjoying the character Michael Eddington. A Never-Ending Sacrifice-style novel about him could be really good. Lots of good dramatic material to work with.
Steve--So glad to see a long review from you! I was beginning to think for a bit that I'd scared everybody out of this thread with my filibuster!
Pity me, for I still don't have the book. That's why I haven't been able to give a review yet. I've only just gotten "The Soul Key".
I had to re-read the last paragraph or two of the book, because it kind of came out of nowhere. Was that really supposed to be Penelya just randomly standing there at the place they first met, like nothing happened? Or was this some kind of delusion? It appears that it is the former, but I don't know. I was a bit disappointed that Kotan died without us finding out what happened to him after Rugal left up until the Prime Massacres. Granted, the book is about Rugal, but Pa'Dar had a good amount of character development in the 'Terok Nor' series, where it was pretty established that he was the antithesis to Dukat.
yeah, I was sad to not 'see' any Kotan resolution. My assumption on Penelya is that Garak did his thing and found her.
Man, I totally should have realized this during the conversation they had at the Cardassian embassy on Earth, where he does indeed hint pretty loudly that she could still be around.
I picked this up when I was the States last month (as well as all the other current trek books from the last 8 months). I'm looking very forward to reading it. [Just finished "The Soul Key", which I really enjoyed. But that cover! Yuck!] Reading the back cover, I was wondering if they were setting Rugal (sp? I don't have the book with me) up to become a current DS9 cast member, seeing how other formerly important members have seemingly been moved to the back burner. I
This is going on my Amazon Xmas wish list. I'm nostolgic enough for DS9 that I can't resist a book with that title. But is it really written so that a human reader would find it repetitive and a bit intolerable? I'd be curious to read a book written as though it had to appeal to an audience with alien sensibilities.
Well, the review I posted upstream starts: GARAK I can't believe I'm eating lunch with a man who thinks The Never-Ending Sacrifice is dull. BASHIR I just thought it got a little redundant after a while. I mean... the author is supposed to be chronicling seven generations of a single family... but he tells the same story over and over again... All the characters live lives of selfless duty to the state... get old... and die. And then the next generation comes along and does it all over again. GARAK That's the whole point, Doctor. The repetitive epic is the most elegant form of Cardassian literature, and The Never-Ending Sacrifice is its greatest achievement. BASHIR But the characters never really come alive. I mean, there's more to life than serving the state. GARAK A Federation viewpoint if ever I heard one. Fortunately, Julian Bashir is not describing this book. Una McCormack's The Never-Ending Sacrifice is a great DS9 novel. I've read books that were clearly meant to appeal to alien sensibilities -- alien to me, at least. The Turner Diaries and the works of the Marquis de Sade, for example, are the products of what I would consider alien mindsets. Not enjoyable, certainly not anything I could approve of in any way, but educational. I suspect the Left Behind novels would provide a somewhat similar experience.