Spoilers Destiny: Lost Souls by David Mack Review Thread
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Re: Star Trek: Destiny: Lost Souls - Discuss/Grade
To the best of my knowledge Geoff Thorne has never had a killing spree on any world.
But I've only known the guy for 7 years or so, he could have had a whole other life before that.
To the best of my knowledge Geoff Thorne has never had a killing spree on any world.
But I've only known the guy for 7 years or so, he could have had a whole other life before that.
Re: Star Trek: Destiny: Lost Souls - Discuss/Grade
Another thing I thought of that I wanted to mention (and no, this time it does not involve fruit)
In fact, describing that scene as moving really sums up my feelings on the entire book. . . It was simply moving.
Another thing I thought of that I wanted to mention (and no, this time it does not involve fruit)
I thought the scene where Inyx reveals his true feelings for Hernandez, saying something to the effect of "she would make eternity worth living" (yes, I know I that is not what he said) was really moving. I really think it would be interesting to see more of a follow up on this besides Hernandez kissing him on his forehead.
In fact, describing that scene as moving really sums up my feelings on the entire book. . . It was simply moving.
Re: Star Trek: Destiny: Lost Souls - Discuss/Grade
Ok So I just wrapped up book three. I stated with book 1 over a week ago and I have to say, being on the road for this long the books were good companions. I found them all to be worthy travel companions. I liked how this book addressed the idea of where the borg came from and how they were eventually taken care of. In fact I think the events of this story, at least from what the borg were tyring to do, was long over due.
Thanks for the good read and for keeping me busy during my travels. Oh and I have a few days to burn while stuck in frigid Utah, anyone have any recommendations as to what to read?
Ok So I just wrapped up book three. I stated with book 1 over a week ago and I have to say, being on the road for this long the books were good companions. I found them all to be worthy travel companions. I liked how this book addressed the idea of where the borg came from and how they were eventually taken care of. In fact I think the events of this story, at least from what the borg were tyring to do, was long over due.
- Captain Bateson / Dr. Frasier Crane...the few lines were bloody hilarious and I so eaisly pictured Kelsey Grammer delivering those lines. It was one of those times where I caught my self laughing out loud to a book. Bravo for that alone.
- I would have liked a little more resolution to what was going on with Voyager. One minute its drifting dead in space, Chakotay is in ICU, and Tom Paris is effecting repair, but that's it. I would have assumed form reading the book that they would have been right there with the Titan, Enterprise, Aventine, and The Caeliar at the end, but it appeared to me that they were totally forgotten
- The ensemble casting was great IMO. I loved how the story seemed to touch on so many characters, if only for a sentence or two for some (see Bateson, Captain). Still there were others not mentioned that I missed, but oh well.
- Within the first few pages of book three (or was it within the final pages of book two) I had figured out that I was about to learn about the Borg origin. No points deduction from me. I chalk it up to my being super perceptive or the series was written with obvious fore shadowing because the conclusion would blow that away.
- Speaking of the conclusion, good twist on it. I thought that the Borg would be freed and given travel vouchers to get home with. Adding them to The Caeliar was a great move. I love the new mission of The Caeliar as well. To be honest I am glad that the borg are gone. Their presence and their abilities to me loomed around the neck of the ST universe like an albatross, placing massive constraints on the universe. I mean why didnt the borg just try to wipe everyone out sooner than this?
- Oh and since I have been lax in keeping up with published continuity...which book did Janeway get killed (and how) in and I thought Sisko came back some how...what ever happened with that
Thanks for the good read and for keeping me busy during my travels. Oh and I have a few days to burn while stuck in frigid Utah, anyone have any recommendations as to what to read?
Re: Star Trek: Destiny: Lost Souls - Discuss/Grade
Different Achernar. That one was/is in Federation space. There's another Achernar in Romulan space, seen in Star Charts (which is where I got it to use in Articles as the seat of the Romulan State).
Re: Star Trek: Destiny: Lost Souls - Discuss/Grade
)
The answer to your first question will be answered in Full Circle by Kirsten Beyer next spring, and the answer to your second would be answered by, respectively, the TNG novel Before Dishonor and the DS9 novels Unity, Worlds of DS9 Volume 2, Warpath, and Fearful Symmetry.
I recommend my own Articles of the Federation, which shows the first year of the Bacco Administration. (Which ends on a hopeful note, something I did not knowing what Dave was going to do to her during the first two months of her second year....
)
Re: Star Trek: Destiny: Lost Souls - Discuss/Grade
In response to your Janeway question in the spoiler section:
The book was Before Dishonor. The short version is, she went out to investigate the cube that Picard effectively neutralized in Resistance. That cube evolved, assimilated her, made her its new queen and was ultimately destroyed.
And yes, Sisko came back as of Unity and has been present in the DS9 relaunch books since then....Worlds of DS9 Bajor (maybe some others too, I can't remember), Warpath and Fearful Symmetry.
In response to your Janeway question in the spoiler section:
The book was Before Dishonor. The short version is, she went out to investigate the cube that Picard effectively neutralized in Resistance. That cube evolved, assimilated her, made her its new queen and was ultimately destroyed.
And yes, Sisko came back as of Unity and has been present in the DS9 relaunch books since then....Worlds of DS9 Bajor (maybe some others too, I can't remember), Warpath and Fearful Symmetry.
Re: Star Trek: Destiny: Lost Souls - Discuss/Grade
Damn it all, Keith.
Damn it all, Keith.
Re: Star Trek: Destiny: Lost Souls - Discuss/Grade
Funny, I was just thinking how surprisingly warm it had been here during the last week.
Funny, I was just thinking how surprisingly warm it had been here during the last week.
Re: Star Trek: Destiny: Lost Souls - Discuss/Grade
Err, huh? The Achernar in the Romulan map in Star Charts is Alpha Eridani, the real Achernar, and "Wolf in the Fold" did mention that Heliopolis City was on Alpha Eridani II (the name Achernar wasn't used in the episode).
Err, huh? The Achernar in the Romulan map in Star Charts is Alpha Eridani, the real Achernar, and "Wolf in the Fold" did mention that Heliopolis City was on Alpha Eridani II (the name Achernar wasn't used in the episode).
Re: Star Trek: Destiny: Lost Souls - Discuss/Grade
Got a review up here: http://julioangelortiz.livejournal.com/308005.html
The Morgan Bates scenes... I really thought he was going to die. "Bad grammar"... I couldn't help but chuckle that that.
The captain of the other ship (the one named after the samurai... can't remember right now)... had we seen him before?
Got a review up here: http://julioangelortiz.livejournal.com/308005.html
The Morgan Bates scenes... I really thought he was going to die. "Bad grammar"... I couldn't help but chuckle that that.
The captain of the other ship (the one named after the samurai... can't remember right now)... had we seen him before?
Re: Star Trek: Destiny: Lost Souls - Discuss/Grade
Gods of Night also made other allusions to Heal and its predecessor, A Time to Kill; e.g., the mention of the loss of the U.S.S. Amargosa.
Also, the incident in Gods of Night with the U.S.S. Ranger was a nod to my New Frontier short story, "Waiting for G'Doh..."
Yes, Captain Alex Terapane and his ship, the U.S.S. Musashi, appeared in the second book of my A Time to... duology, A Time to Heal.
Gods of Night also made other allusions to Heal and its predecessor, A Time to Kill; e.g., the mention of the loss of the U.S.S. Amargosa.
Also, the incident in Gods of Night with the U.S.S. Ranger was a nod to my New Frontier short story, "Waiting for G'Doh..."
Re: Star Trek: Destiny: Lost Souls - Discuss/Grade
^ Gracias, amigo!
^ Gracias, amigo!
Re: Star Trek: Destiny: Lost Souls - Discuss/Grade
Been there, done that, bought the t-shit (and thoroughly enjoyed it too). In fact I am currenlty recycling my book collection and read it again a few weeks ago.I recommend my own Articles of the Federation, which shows the first year of the Bacco Administration. (Which ends on a hopeful note, something I did not knowing what Dave was going to do to her during the first two months of her second year....
I'm from Florida. Unlike a certain Florida ex-pat author, if the temps dip below 76 I start to whine. Oh while Im up here, any hints of stuff I should do instead of dying of boredom in my hotel room?
Re: Star Trek: Destiny: Lost Souls - Discuss/Grade
QFT!Been there, done that, bought the t-shitI recommend my own Articles of the Federation, which shows the first year of the Bacco Administration. (Which ends on a hopeful note, something I did not knowing what Dave was going to do to her during the first two months of her second year....
Re: Star Trek: Destiny: Lost Souls - Discuss/Grade
A review... well... a response. I don't trust myself to write any sort of critical review the way I'm feeling right now. Before I get into spoilers, I want to share a story with anyone who isn't sure whether they want to read this trilogy or not. Now, I *am* an emotional person, but I've never experienced anything like this while reading a book.
I was reading a key sequence of the book on the subway. It was the sequence involving five planets. I was drawn into the book so intensely and so violently, I have no memory whatsoever what was going on in the real world. I got to the end of the sequence where there was some breathing room. I felt myself physically coming back into the real world from the Star Trek world I was experiencing. As this was happening, I heard someone near me say. "Wow. That was so cute". I looked up, and everyone I looked at was either staring at me, or darting their eyes away so that they wouldn't look like they were staring at me. I have no idea whatsoever what I did while I was reading to garner such attention. No clue. But I've never been the centre of attention on the subway before either consciously or unconsciously like that... that's how affected I was. Go read this book! It's one of a kind.
Alright, that's my emotional written outpouring. OH!
I almost forgot!
David - You got to talk to Geddy Lee? AWESOME! And he's reading/read the trilogy? (at least that's what I got from the acknowledgments...) AMAZING!
I can not WAIT to read all the follow-ups that are coming out over the next year. I'm watching the Star Trek world grow and change, and I love what I'm seeing, the directions things are going in. This is a world I know I'm going to continue to be amazed by as more and more adventures unfold.
A review... well... a response. I don't trust myself to write any sort of critical review the way I'm feeling right now. Before I get into spoilers, I want to share a story with anyone who isn't sure whether they want to read this trilogy or not. Now, I *am* an emotional person, but I've never experienced anything like this while reading a book.
I was reading a key sequence of the book on the subway. It was the sequence involving five planets. I was drawn into the book so intensely and so violently, I have no memory whatsoever what was going on in the real world. I got to the end of the sequence where there was some breathing room. I felt myself physically coming back into the real world from the Star Trek world I was experiencing. As this was happening, I heard someone near me say. "Wow. That was so cute". I looked up, and everyone I looked at was either staring at me, or darting their eyes away so that they wouldn't look like they were staring at me. I have no idea whatsoever what I did while I was reading to garner such attention. No clue. But I've never been the centre of attention on the subway before either consciously or unconsciously like that... that's how affected I was. Go read this book! It's one of a kind.
David, and everyone involved with this... Thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
As a lover of Star Trek, thank you.
As someone who loves kick-ass books in general, thank you.
As a guy hoping to devote his life to peacemaking and non-violent resistance, but has been experiencing serious doubts, thank you.
I don't think I'll be able to fully explain what reading this book over the past hours has meant to me, but I can try.
I don't even know where to start, really, just thinking about the whole emotional roller coaster this has been. I started this trilogy thinking it would be a great ride. But, once the Caeliar were introduced as these sort of ominous isolationist pacifists, I was fairly certain that the ending would involve our noble heroes convincing the Caeliar to put their pacifistic ideals aside to exterminate the implacable foe for which there is no other possible way of engaging and surviving. I was still looking forward to reading it, and thinking it would be awesome. But I thought it would be another 'might makes right' shindig.
I had been looking forward to 'Greater than the Sum' ever since I learned Bennett would be writing a book with the Borg, because I thought that would be how Christopher would tackle the Borg. That he'd find the creative peacemakers solution. When the ending to that was essentially destroying the Borg threat, I thought "Man, if Chris can't find a non-violent way of handling the Borg, no one can." Never in a million years did I think that Destiny would end with such a hopeful message for non-violent solutions.
"To find and protect cultures of peace and nonviolence." Wow. Wow.
I'm tingly all over. I've grown up with Star Trek, especially this newer time line. Star Trek's world, especially this time line and incarnation of it is more 'real' to me than any other but the real world I physically inhabit. So the devastation hit me hard. I didn't think Qonos or Vulcan or Andor (or Earth for that matter) would be totally devastated... but I didn't know for sure. And because of this childhood growing up with these characters, these worlds... I felt completely invested in them - and I knew there were going to be big changes, so I wasn't sure if these planets were 'safe' or not. And reading the segment of the five planets invasion... I felt physically transported from the real world into the Star Trek world. And like I wrote above, I have no idea what I did in this real world while I was inhabiting the Star trek world. All I know is that it was something that made everybody stare at me.
And to go from that experience to a resolution that affirmed everything that I believe is important about the world. A resolution that could face the Borg... the unstoppable force, the closest thing to a biblical Satan of the Star Trek world, and face it through redemption... I was reading the lead-up to this in a coffee shop, and I did my best not to make too much of a scene, but I allowed myself at least a bit of table pounding enthusiasm.
I know this is fiction... but fiction can be very powerful. Fiction can change the world.
I've read Star Trek books that made me happy and hopeful before. That have taken me in a time of questioning my commitment to nonviolence, and inspired me to continue in this path, to keep working at being an activist. Christopher Bennett is particularly good at this.
But this book has taken that to the Nth degree. It's been a combination of things... my own self-doubt about what I want to do with my life... my resignation towards a violent solution towards the Borg problem... feeling particularly emotionally vulnerable... but this trilogy, in particular this book, has really completely destroyed me and put me back together in a way that I didn't think books could. This book is definitely on the list of books that have changed *my* world.
Also, on a lighter note... I think I'm getting a little fanboy crush on Choudhury... If things don't work out between her and Worf... any writers keen on a dashing young peace activist named Ben crossing paths with the Enterprise and sweeping Jasminder off her feet? Anyone? Anyone?
Kidding aside, I can't wait to see where her relationship with Worf goes. Choudhury is easily my favourite Treklit character, and it was a HUGE relief for me seeing her survive.
And kudos on the tight structure! After book one, I really wondered about the point of the whole Aventine murder mystery. I didn't get why it was there, and felt a bit disappointed by it. Now I get it. The disappointment is gone. It really feels like absolutely every element was needed and used. Well done, sir.
As a lover of Star Trek, thank you.
As someone who loves kick-ass books in general, thank you.
As a guy hoping to devote his life to peacemaking and non-violent resistance, but has been experiencing serious doubts, thank you.
I don't think I'll be able to fully explain what reading this book over the past hours has meant to me, but I can try.
I don't even know where to start, really, just thinking about the whole emotional roller coaster this has been. I started this trilogy thinking it would be a great ride. But, once the Caeliar were introduced as these sort of ominous isolationist pacifists, I was fairly certain that the ending would involve our noble heroes convincing the Caeliar to put their pacifistic ideals aside to exterminate the implacable foe for which there is no other possible way of engaging and surviving. I was still looking forward to reading it, and thinking it would be awesome. But I thought it would be another 'might makes right' shindig.
I had been looking forward to 'Greater than the Sum' ever since I learned Bennett would be writing a book with the Borg, because I thought that would be how Christopher would tackle the Borg. That he'd find the creative peacemakers solution. When the ending to that was essentially destroying the Borg threat, I thought "Man, if Chris can't find a non-violent way of handling the Borg, no one can." Never in a million years did I think that Destiny would end with such a hopeful message for non-violent solutions.
"To find and protect cultures of peace and nonviolence." Wow. Wow.
I'm tingly all over. I've grown up with Star Trek, especially this newer time line. Star Trek's world, especially this time line and incarnation of it is more 'real' to me than any other but the real world I physically inhabit. So the devastation hit me hard. I didn't think Qonos or Vulcan or Andor (or Earth for that matter) would be totally devastated... but I didn't know for sure. And because of this childhood growing up with these characters, these worlds... I felt completely invested in them - and I knew there were going to be big changes, so I wasn't sure if these planets were 'safe' or not. And reading the segment of the five planets invasion... I felt physically transported from the real world into the Star Trek world. And like I wrote above, I have no idea what I did in this real world while I was inhabiting the Star trek world. All I know is that it was something that made everybody stare at me.
And to go from that experience to a resolution that affirmed everything that I believe is important about the world. A resolution that could face the Borg... the unstoppable force, the closest thing to a biblical Satan of the Star Trek world, and face it through redemption... I was reading the lead-up to this in a coffee shop, and I did my best not to make too much of a scene, but I allowed myself at least a bit of table pounding enthusiasm.
I know this is fiction... but fiction can be very powerful. Fiction can change the world.
I've read Star Trek books that made me happy and hopeful before. That have taken me in a time of questioning my commitment to nonviolence, and inspired me to continue in this path, to keep working at being an activist. Christopher Bennett is particularly good at this.
But this book has taken that to the Nth degree. It's been a combination of things... my own self-doubt about what I want to do with my life... my resignation towards a violent solution towards the Borg problem... feeling particularly emotionally vulnerable... but this trilogy, in particular this book, has really completely destroyed me and put me back together in a way that I didn't think books could. This book is definitely on the list of books that have changed *my* world.
Also, on a lighter note... I think I'm getting a little fanboy crush on Choudhury... If things don't work out between her and Worf... any writers keen on a dashing young peace activist named Ben crossing paths with the Enterprise and sweeping Jasminder off her feet? Anyone? Anyone?
Kidding aside, I can't wait to see where her relationship with Worf goes. Choudhury is easily my favourite Treklit character, and it was a HUGE relief for me seeing her survive.
And kudos on the tight structure! After book one, I really wondered about the point of the whole Aventine murder mystery. I didn't get why it was there, and felt a bit disappointed by it. Now I get it. The disappointment is gone. It really feels like absolutely every element was needed and used. Well done, sir.
Alright, that's my emotional written outpouring. OH!
I almost forgot!
David - You got to talk to Geddy Lee? AWESOME! And he's reading/read the trilogy? (at least that's what I got from the acknowledgments...) AMAZING!
I can not WAIT to read all the follow-ups that are coming out over the next year. I'm watching the Star Trek world grow and change, and I love what I'm seeing, the directions things are going in. This is a world I know I'm going to continue to be amazed by as more and more adventures unfold.
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