Spoilers TP: Paths Of Disharmony by Dayton Ward Review Thread

A week before the release date is usually about when these things hit, so fire away!

EDIT: Crap, just saw Nasat's thread. Mods: maybe merge? Sorry!

 

Re: Typhon Pact: Paths Of Disharmony Review Thread

^ nah, we'll keep this one for polls and spoiler free, and the other one for spoilers.

 

Re: Typhon Pact: Paths Of Disharmony Review Thread (spoiler free)

Got it about a week ago, but probably won't start to read it before the weekend.

 

Re: Typhon Pact: Paths Of Disharmony Review Thread

Works for me.

 

Re: Typhon Pact: Paths Of Disharmony Review Thread (spoiler free)

So I'm looking at Barnes & Noble looking for the eBook release, and it's saying that it's not available and isn't available for pre-order....do you think that it will be available in eBook format?

 

Re: Typhon Pact: Paths Of Disharmony Review Thread (spoiler free)

I voted above average and would give the book an 8.5/10. I posted some additional (spoilery) thoughts in the other thread.

I liked this book the most out of the four TP novels and would rank them as follows:

1. Paths of Disharmony (8.5/10)
2. Zero Sum Game (8/10)
3. Rough Beasts of Empire (5/10 (Sisko)), (8.5/10 (Spock))
4. Seize the Fire (4/10)

'Seize the Fire' was the only book I really didn't like, but as a whole I enjoyed this 'series'.

 

Re: Typhon Pact: Paths Of Disharmony Review Thread (spoiler free)

Anyone in Canada have this yet? Chapters doesn't seem yo have it yet....

 

Re: Typhon Pact: Paths Of Disharmony Review Thread (spoiler free)

I am generally unenthusiastic about relaunch Andorians, so I haven't decided whether or not I want to buy the book immediately or not. Judging from Ward's personal website and running review/commentary on TOS's third season with David Mack, he's an entertaining author...but all the same I hesitate at the 'place order' screen. Without too much detail, does the crew of the Enterprise-E get to shine? I am particularly fond of Chen.

 

Re: Typhon Pact: Paths Of Disharmony Review Thread (spoiler free)

as Thrawn suggested at the top - maybe it would be better to merge this thread with the "Blues" one?

 

Re: Typhon Pact: Paths Of Disharmony Review Thread (spoiler free)

It is brilliant so far. Just got it today and on chapter 5 all ready! I would rank them
POD
STF
ZSG
RBotE

 

Re: Typhon Pact: Paths Of Disharmony Review Thread (spoiler free)

Are Paths of Disharmony and Rough Beasts of Empire any better than the first two Typhon Pact novels? I found those really underwhelming.

 

Re: Typhon Pact: Paths Of Disharmony Review Thread (spoiler free)

Hmm. Halfway through POD I'd rank them

RBoE
ZSG
POD
STF

But obviously my feelings could change for a book I haven't finished yet.

 

Re: Typhon Pact: Paths Of Disharmony Review Thread (spoiler free)

Regarding Beasts, depending on who you ask, either REALLY YES (I think this) or REALLY NO. Controversial plot choices, to say the least; I loved it.

Can't comment on Paths yet, still reading.

 

Re: Typhon Pact: Paths Of Disharmony Review Thread (spoiler free)

Thanks. Getting a Kindle next weekend and it would seem wrong if the first book I get for it wasn't Star Trek.

 

Re: Typhon Pact: Paths Of Disharmony Review Thread (spoiler free)

It's available now at B&N.

 

Re: Typhon Pact: Paths Of Disharmony Review Thread (spoiler free)

Got it this weekend, just finished.

I'd rate it above average, and of the Pact books it's tied for #1, IMHO. This and Rough Beasts of empire were my faves, with Zero Sum Game #2 and Seize the Fire a distant third.

 

Re: Typhon Pact: Paths Of Disharmony Review Thread (spoiler free)

This was the best book of the series for me. I felt all of the characters were completely well-written and in character (which was not the case with RBOTE). This was an awesome book from start to finish. I really liked the way it delved into Andorians and shed light on the Tholians and what they have been up too. This book makes me want to read more (again not something RBOTE did). So I highly recommend this book and can't wait to see the Enterprise in action in the next book.

 

Re: Typhon Pact: Paths Of Disharmony Review Thread (spoiler free)

Forgive me for reviving this thread, but I just finished Paths. It was a difficult book for me, slow going, and it only really got interesting about 300 pages in. For a long while I wondered why this book was in the Typhon Pact series instead of books focusing on the TP members who already hadn't gotten books.

But the TP does play a role in events down the stretch and ultimately had perhaps the biggest impact that the TP has had thus far in any of the books; still haven't read Seize the Fire.

I especially liked that Geordi's romantic life finally improved, though at times I felt he was marginalized as an engineer and a senior officer; playing back up to new characters or getting snapped at by Choudhury. That was my major quibble with the characterizations in the book; the rest were fine enough. I also like that the story picked up on the threads from the DS9 books on Shar and Andor, though it also had me wondering why the TNG books are the best place for this. Outside of Doctor Crusher's expertise, this mission could've been handled by Aventine, or more of a DS9-flavored cast.

Overall, I think the ending saved this book for me. For long periods it felt aimless. I don't know, but maybe it's something about Dayton Ward's writing that doesn't do it for me. It took me a long time to finish the first of his Vanguard books, and that experience has cooled me on the books (even though I've bought most of them and hopefully will read them in the near future), and with Paths, I similarly struggled.

My TP rankings thus far:

Zero Sum Game (winner almost by default)
Paths of Disharmony
Rough Beasts of Empire

After reading the some of the reviews about Seize the Fire, I am reluctant to pick that one up again.

 

Re: Typhon Pact: Paths Of Disharmony Review Thread (spoiler free)

^
Well, we got some of that in Losing the Peace. Perhaps the Enterprise, with Worf and his ties to Martok/Klingons, etc. (Picard too), would've worked better in a Kinshaya-focused novel. I believe that Christopher's e-book is about the Kinshaya and featuring the TNG cast. I think that would've been a better fit.

With Shar being part of the DS9 relaunch and the DS9 books setting the groundwork for what happened in Paths, it just felt more natural to me to have those characters fit. It wasn't like Picard bought all that much diplomatic skill to the events in Path and perhaps bringing Bashir back onboard Aventine was a good enough substitute for Beverly.

Of course that would've screwed up Zero Sum Game, or had some complaining that the Aventine was getting too much exposure, so I guess you can't win for losing.