Spoilers PIC: Second Self by Una McCormack Review Thread

Does anyone know why the initial blurb focused on Rios and Agnes going on this mission with Raffi, but the most recent highlights Elnor? Not a complaint, since I love the guy and don't think he's gotten nearly enough exploration, but I am curious.

 

Check out our interview with the very talented Una McCormack, discussing this very book! https://scifibooks.club/blog/interview-with-una-mccormack/

 

The book is really good and thanks for posting your interview with Una McCormack. .Agnes is briefly mentioned in the book being on the goodwill tour with Soji.Elnor is getting a good story arc in the book.

 

None of the local B&N locations has it. But then again, I'm still in the middle of The Sound and the Furry (just finished "Joy in Mudville" [the Hokas play baseball].)

 

Hm. Mixed feelings.

As a Raffi fan, I'm feeling very well fed - McCormack did a great job of fleshing out Raffi's scars, struggles, and regrets, but also gave her a level of balance I don't think the primary canon ever actually affords her. And her dynamic with Picard is great; there's often a sense that, while she cares for him deeply, he's not *quite* a forgiven friend. Or at least not enough to be allowed to get away with any shenanigans unremarked, which is entirely satisfying to read. I also appreciated that Raffi's life was opened up a bit - that she does still have people from her past who'd consider her a friend, people who appreciate her accomplishments, and that her world is bigger than Picard, Rios, and Seven.

As an Elnor fan, I am utterly disappointed. Yet again. No deepening of previous backstory, little interiority, and the story kept insisting his weapon was a staff, not a sword, which was particularly jarring given how Elnor's two primary traits at this point were Absolute Candor and his being a swordsman. I went back through again to see if I missed a line somewhere about his having given up his tan qalaq or if there was mention of his just using the wooden scabbard as a staff since arriving on Earth (since decapitations would be even less approved of than usual), but there doesn't appear to be an explanation. It's always disappointing to read about a character that has so little firmly established about them, and see one of the few solid details seemingly flubbed. I did like the instances where McCormack had the character express frustrations about his situation that closely mirror the ones I have wrt to his overall treatment in this franchise, though.

As a Garak fan, I'm torn. As always, McCormack writes a wonderful Garak, appealingly clever and ever exasperating, while never letting any potential audience fondness for the character take away from the crawling discomfort of the monstrous acts in his past. But, more than anything, this felt like a Raffi and Garak story, and as much as I adore Garak and adore McCormack writing Garak (and adore McCormack *for* writing Garak ), he's not who I dropped in to read about. It's also a bit disheartening that Garak's story feels very much like a final send-off. Of course the novels are secondary canon and can be overridden at any time (not to mention that there's time travel involved), but the fact that TPTB approved Garak being sent back in time to the Occupation via orb hijinks and apparently dying there seems to indicate that there are no plans for him in the 25th century. So that's a bit of a bummer (though no fault of the author).

So. It has some aspects I liked, particularly where Raffi's concerned, but sad to say, I didn't come away having really enjoyed myself.

 

I thought the book was really good at filling Raffi's back story and the things about the dominion were well written. It was nice we got to see Garak again I certainly didn't expect some of the things Garak did in this book and the time travel either with the Bajoran orbs.I liked some of the scenes with Elnor too.

 

I would guess the initial blurb was based on an early outline and the book evolved in the writing. The final blurb’s reference to a message from a Romulan spy requesting aid, which survives from the initial blurb, doesn’t really fit the finished book either.

I voted Outstanding. I can see why some might be bothered that this is to some extent a DS9 novel with a Picard spin (in much the same way that The Dark Veil was a Titan novel with a Picard spin and Rogue Elements was a TOS novel with a Picard spin), but on the deepest thematic level it’s about the same things as the first season of Picard: reconciliation, penance, old men finding redemption and new life in unexpected ways. It’s also a taut espionage thriller and a strong character study of Raffi. The Picard novels have gone from strength to strength, and I hope that the end of the TV series won’t mean an end to them.

 

ditto I want more Picard books after the series ends next year.I like these characters and want to see more stories featuring them to continue..I like this book was an espionage thriller.It was nice to see Raffi using her skills as a spy to help the Cardassians and the Romulans and the Bajorans too.

 

I’m about half way through and loving it so far. I haven’t had as much time to read as I would have liked but I’ll be back fairly soon to post my review.

 

I was very much on the fence about this—love Una, think Picard is utterly terrible—so thanks for this. There's a good discount on Second Self at Blackwell's, so I'll pick it up.

 

I think Una said in the first Picard novel that Bajor did join the Federation.

 

IIRC there’s dialogue somewhere in this one that strongly implies Bajor is a Federation member; I’ll see if I can find it tonight.

Edit: I found it, but I was misreading it; the book is indeed ambiguous on whether Bajor is a Federation member.

I don’t think Picard is terrible exactly, but I do think it’s a frequently silly/shallow take on interesting themes, and what I like about the novels is that they do better than the show at taking those themes seriously.

 

About half way through. The historical sections were interesting. Garak seems be be in character.

 

So if I wanted follow up on the events of Season One, how much would I like this book?

 

My preorder copy has finally arrived! Yay!

I see that it's printed on toilet-quality paper :-) but I don't mind really...

 

At last a use for all my author copies.

 

Cannot tell the paper quality as I bought a Kindle version.