"A Singular Destiny"...now THIS is more like it!

[darkwing_duck1]

I haven't been shy about crit-ing modern Treklit based on the bad experience I had with the Arnold Regime and the changes it forced on the tie-ins of the day. That, and the few I did pick up seemed rather hit and miss; "The Battle for Betazed" being an example of the later.

So I decided to give the Borg Invasion a go. I'd previously read "Losing the Peace", and generally enjoyed it, so I set out to acquire the key portions of that which led to it.

Well, my search was less than fruitful (another thread entirely), but I did score a copy of this one, and have started reading.

I'm only about 80 pages in or so and I must say this is excellent work! It has a great, Clancy-esque feel to it as it weaves multiple independent threads of characters and situations into a meta-narrative and gives us a very "nuts and bolts" view of day to day/moment to moment life in the post-Invasion Federation.

Liked the little "shout outs", like the mention of Sonya Gomez. Thought the sudden "Romulan worship" on the part of one planet's survivors was interesting (and unsettling).

And I like the "anything can happen" feel of it as well. I've become very aware (perhaps overly sensitive) to the "script immunity" factor in books that feature "canon" characters (though I do know that is not a 100% rule, cf Janeway), so I tend to prefer works like this and the Vanguard books with all new characters whom the writer is 100% free to have nearly ANYTHING happen to.

Well done, so far, Keith!

 

[KRAD]

^ Thanks muchly! Hope the rest of the book doesn't suck....

 

[ares93]

^ the rest of the book is bloody incredible. just read it for the second time. albeit not for recreation, but research. nonetheless, its a damn good book.

 

[KRAD]

^ Thankee kindly.

 

[darkwing_duck1]

170 pages in:

1) Loving the character of Sonek Pran. He's SOOO got that "Jack Ryan" vibe to him, only reinforced by his conversation with Dontatra where she upbraids him on his analysis of Alidar Jerok. I saw that homage coming half a parsec away (and I thought it was cool).

2) TWO characters now? Frak, KRAD, how did you get permission for that?

3) I don't mind spoilers...what happened on Trill to get a moratorium on joinings? Did the dirty little secret from DS9 finally get out or was it something even less savory?

4) Last on the list but BIG in my eyes: Rihannsu-isms!!!!! x 1 googleplex.

 

[Rush Limborg]

I actually haven't actually read ASD yet (or the vast majority of modern Trek-Lit, for that matter), for entertainment. I have gone over it intently for research.

It's darn good. Especially the fact that Ezri's characterization is well done--her chariming scene in the "jam session" in particuar.

Also, it's nice that she's developed a good working relationship with Empress Donatra....

 

[Angstromdweller]

2) TWO characters now? Frak, KRAD, how did you get permission for that?

May I ask what you are so surprised about?

 

[Turtletrekker]

^ My guess would be the small tease/spoiler for VOY Full Circle,...

Spoiler: tease

...which is not what is seems.

 

[Kelso]

^ the rest of the book is bloody incredible. just read it for the second time. albeit not for recreation, but research. nonetheless, its a damn good book.

I actually haven't actually read ASD yet (or the vast majority of modern Trek-Lit, for that matter), for entertainment. I have gone over it intently for research.

Just out of curiosity, what type of research requires you to read Star Trek novels?

 

[darkwing_duck1]

^ My guess would be the small tease/spoiler for VOY Full Circle,...

Spoiler: tease

...which is not what is seems.

So you are saying that information turns out to be inaccurate?

At any rate, finished it. Loved it! Things are definitely never going to be the same!

The only (niggling) problem I had was that I was disappointed with the concept that it took the Borg Invasion to mess things up this badly. Frankly, this is the level of devestation that is implied if you read between the lines of the various DS9 Dominion War eps.

 

[Turtletrekker]

^

Spoiler: ASD/Full Circle

That those names wound up on a list of Borg casualties is entirely accurate. Whether or not it's actually true, you would have to read Full Circle to find out.

Oh, all right, but only read this if you aren't going to read Full Circle...

Spoiler: Full Circle

B'Elanna faked her and her and Miral's deaths in order to to get the Klingon zealots who want her daughter dead to leave them alone.

 

[Rush Limborg]

^ the rest of the book is bloody incredible. just read it for the second time. albeit not for recreation, but research. nonetheless, its a damn good book.

I actually haven't actually read ASD yet (or the vast majority of modern Trek-Lit, for that matter), for entertainment. I have gone over it intently for research.

Just out of curiosity, what type of research requires you to read Star Trek novels?

For me? The kind of research in order to write for Trek.

 

[ares93]

^ the rest of the book is bloody incredible. just read it for the second time. albeit not for recreation, but research. nonetheless, its a damn good book.

I actually haven't actually read ASD yet (or the vast majority of modern Trek-Lit, for that matter), for entertainment. I have gone over it intently for research.

Just out of curiosity, what type of research requires you to read Star Trek novels?

For me? The kind of research in order to write for Trek.

same here, i try to mold my fanfics to match treklit events and such. and since my current one is post destiny, i reread all my destiny relevant books.
the major events are on memory-beta but its the little things you need to watch out for. those you need to read the book for. like the jam session, Rushbo mentioned.

 

[KRAD]

1) Loving the character of Sonek Pran. He's SOOO got that "Jack Ryan" vibe to him, only reinforced by his conversation with Dontatra where she upbraids him on his analysis of Alidar Jerok. I saw that homage coming half a parsec away (and I thought it was cool).

Yeah, both Hunt for Red October and Red Storm Rising were minor inspirations for ASD, and the riff on the "I know this book" scene from the former was a tip of the ol' fedora to that.

3) I don't mind spoilers...what happened on Trill to get a moratorium on joinings? Did the dirty little secret from DS9 finally get out or was it something even less savory?

That's basically it. It was covered in Unjoined by Mangels & Martin, the Trill portion of Worlds of DS9.

4) Last on the list but BIG in my eyes: Rihannsu-isms!!!!! x 1 googleplex.

*bows*

 

[darkwing_duck1]

So, KRAD, when will Sonek be back? By all means, keep writing like this and I'll be making an effort to keep reading!

 

[KRAD]

I'd love to write Sonek again, absolutely....

 

[Thestral]

3) I don't mind spoilers...what happened on Trill to get a moratorium on joinings? Did the dirty little secret from DS9 finally get out or was it something even less savory?

That's basically it. It was covered in Unjoined by Mangels & Martin, the Trill portion of Worlds of DS9.

Well... I'd say it's a little more complicated than that.

Spoiler: Spoilers for Unjoined

Even with the secret revealed, I'm not sure the moratorium would have been put in place. I think the 80% (or however much) percent of symbionts being massacred played as large a part in it.

 

[darkwing_duck1]

^How the heck did THAT happen?

 

[ares93]

^How the heck did THAT happen?

Spoiler: spoiler

domestic terrorism. the unjoined trills created some sort of pulse or signal that severed the connection between host and symbiont. it also had a lethal effect on symbionts. only the symbiont deep down in the pools survived.