Spoilers TF: The Crimson Shadow by Una McCormack Review Thread

Discussion in 'Trek Literature' started by Sho, Sep 17, 2013.

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Rate The Crimson Shadow.

  1. Outstanding

    80 vote(s)
    67.8%
  2. Above Average

    30 vote(s)
    25.4%
  3. Average

    6 vote(s)
    5.1%
  4. Below Average

    2 vote(s)
    1.7%
  5. Poor

    0 vote(s)
    0.0%
  1. jaime

    jaime Vice Admiral Admiral

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    Re: TF: The Crimson Shadow by Una McCormack - Review Thread (Spoilers!

    Only thing I am not sure about (aside from the cover...apart from dropping the characters off at the beginning, it features not at all) is the recasting of the obsidian order as the good guys, though I suppose as a sort of political commentary for where organisations like the CIA or FBI can end up it's not impossible (it's pretty much said that the OO was set up a an anti mafia branch...but ends up more like a secret brotherhood by the present...) aside from that and the fact Picard is a support character in a book with his ship on th cover, it's a pretty awesome book, particularly when read alongside 'a stitch in time' and 'the never-ending sacrifice' it's interestingly fifties Berlin, but the idea of a book from within a culture warning of a cultures future, whilst being in a book from a culture.....twisty turns, and makes this series look to have a lot of social commentary in the trek tradition. This is very much a ds9 series so far though isn't it?
     
  2. VDCNI

    VDCNI Fleet Captain Fleet Captain

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    Re: TF: The Crimson Shadow by Una McCormack - Review Thread (Spoilers!

    It was more that the Order started for good reasons and then eventually became as bad as what it replaced.

    I don't think there is any doubt from the book that the characters still consider the Order to be a bad thing and that Cardassia is well rid of it.

    There is a big strain of power corrupts through the book and the Order is a key example of that.
     
  3. Relayer1

    Relayer1 Admiral Admiral

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    Re: TF: The Crimson Shadow by Una McCormack - Review Thread (Spoilers!

    I'm several weeks off reading this, but I'm gratified to see 100% of votes are for outstanding.

    Una does it again...
     
  4. Ronald Held

    Ronald Held Vice Admiral Admiral

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    Re: TF: The Crimson Shadow by Una McCormack - Review Thread (Spoilers!

    I saw my download, and should start it tomorrow.
     
  5. Mimi

    Mimi Lieutenant Commander Red Shirt

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    Re: TF: The Crimson Shadow by Una McCormack - Review Thread (Spoilers!

    Just finished the book! I'm a big fan of all the cardassian stories, and this is definitely one of my favorites. As I think I've mentioned, McCormack is my favorite trek writer, writing about my favorite trek character, in my favorite trek country. There's so much subtly about the way she writes for Cardassians, their culture, and what life has become from them.

    I'm sure more major spoilers are going to come out in the thread soon enough, but for the moment I'll just keep this to a vague reccomendation. This is an excellent, tense book that presents a good mystery and a lot of comepelling side characters. But its Garak's book completely. The people most likely to dislike this book are people who might not like his character.

    But for those that do? Its amazing. Garak has become such a compelling character, and his path towards redemption continues here. Its a book that benefits a lot from having read A Stitch in Time, so if for some reason you haven't, you might want to look that up first. I really look forward to seeing where they go next! More Cardassian stories!

    [Also, does anyone have the english name of the book that Garak receives at the end? I'd like to look it up!]
     
  6. VDCNI

    VDCNI Fleet Captain Fleet Captain

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    Re: TF: The Crimson Shadow by Una McCormack - Review Thread (Spoilers!

    It's The Master & Margarita
     
  7. Mimi

    Mimi Lieutenant Commander Red Shirt

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    Re: TF: The Crimson Shadow by Una McCormack - Review Thread (Spoilers!

    Thank you! I wasn't able to type out the russian characters.
     
  8. JWolf

    JWolf Commodore Commodore

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    Re: TF: The Crimson Shadow by Una McCormack - Review Thread (Spoilers!

    I am saving this one for next week. My wife and I are going on a 7-day Bahama cruise and I'll be reading this on the cruise.
     
  9. Elias Vaughn

    Elias Vaughn Captain Captain

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    Re: TF: The Crimson Shadow by Una McCormack - Review Thread (Spoilers!

    So DS9 is apparently where people go if they want to one day lead a nation - Rom, Odo, Garak...

    I don't know about you guys, but I think Prynn Tenmei is the president the Federation needs.
     
  10. Mimi

    Mimi Lieutenant Commander Red Shirt

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    Re: TF: The Crimson Shadow by Una McCormack - Review Thread (Spoilers!

    DS9 is just trying to replace all the other heads of state it killed. :[
     
  11. Julio Angel Ortiz

    Julio Angel Ortiz Fleet Captain Fleet Captain

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    Re: TF: The Crimson Shadow by Una McCormack - Review Thread (Spoilers!

    Prynn: change you can believe in.
     
  12. JoeZhang

    JoeZhang Vice Admiral Admiral

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    Re: TF: The Crimson Shadow by Una McCormack - Review Thread (Spoilers!

    A few chapters in and to be honest I don't want McCormack to write any more Star Trek franchise fiction, I'd rather she was too successful with her own work to have the time - the quality of her prose is in a different league to the workmanlike stuff we get from some of the tie-in writers.
     
  13. Brefugee

    Brefugee No longer living the Irish dream. Premium Member

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    Re: TF: The Crimson Shadow by Una McCormack - Review Thread (Spoilers!

    Is that a compliment?

    I plan on reading this once I've finished reading what I'm reading now and I'm hoping that this story is a lot better than the previous one.
     
  14. JoeZhang

    JoeZhang Vice Admiral Admiral

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    Re: TF: The Crimson Shadow by Una McCormack - Review Thread (Spoilers!

    Of course, I just think she has a writing style and sensibility that is frankly too good to be wasted on McFiction (as much as I enjoy McFiction and enjoy reading it in the same way I like the odd donner kebab).
     
  15. Brefugee

    Brefugee No longer living the Irish dream. Premium Member

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    Re: TF: The Crimson Shadow by Una McCormack - Review Thread (Spoilers!

    ^ I don't think I've seen you pay anyone a complement ever in this, or the other sections of the board.
     
  16. Christopher

    Christopher Writer Admiral

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    Re: TF: The Crimson Shadow by Una McCormack - Review Thread (Spoilers!

    It's misguided to assume that all tie-in fiction has to be "McFiction" just because it isn't original work. Sure, there has been a fair amount of tie-in fiction like that, but I think Trek Lit has proven over the past dozen years that it can be much more than that. It's a fallacy that creators have to lower their standards just because they're writing characters and worlds they didn't create themselves. I for one have always striven to approach my tie-in work with the same standards I'd bring to my original work, insofar as deadlines allow. After all, my tie-ins are potentially a promotion for my original work; I want people who read them to find my writing memorable enough that they'd seek out other fiction under my name. It would be self-defeating to approach them halfheartedly.
     
  17. Brefugee

    Brefugee No longer living the Irish dream. Premium Member

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    Re: TF: The Crimson Shadow by Una McCormack - Review Thread (Spoilers!

    I'm really not sure that's what Joe meant, I think he may have been referring to the overall quality of some stories being, well shite and TCS not being shite.
     
  18. Ronald Held

    Ronald Held Vice Admiral Admiral

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    Re: TF: The Crimson Shadow by Una McCormack - Review Thread (Spoilers!

    About a third in and just not that interesting. Maybe things will improve soon?
     
  19. Masiral

    Masiral Fleet Captain Fleet Captain

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    Re: TF: The Crimson Shadow by Una McCormack - Review Thread (Spoilers!

    Wow - I just finished it about 10 minutes ago, still processing. I pretty much picked it up and didn't set it down till the end - the story was so engaging. Such a great look at Cardassia, great look at Garak (the letters he wrote at the beginning of the chapters were a nice touch).

    I voted Outstanding. It was an improvement on Revelation and Dust, and I am really excited to see where The Fall takes us next.
     
  20. TerraUnam

    TerraUnam Commander Red Shirt

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    Re: TF: The Crimson Shadow by Una McCormack - Review Thread (Spoilers!

    Yes, in a "hit you over the head" sort of way.

    Much as I prefer plot over character, McCormack makes me like character. Sorry, but DRGIII is way too character-oriented an author for me.