Spoilers Destiny: Mere Mortals by David Mack Review Thread

[captcalhoun]

Re: Star Trek: Destiny Book 2: Mere Mortals - (SPOILERS)

Mere Mortals is an AWESOME book by an AWESOME author and i had an AWESOME time reading it. (including a late night last night as I read the AWESOME Hirogen boarding scene)

 

[Christopher]

Re: Star Trek: Destiny Book 2: Mere Mortals - (SPOILERS)

^^We're now accepting donations for a fund to buy captcalhoun some new adjectives for Christmas...

 

[captcalhoun]

Re: Star Trek: Destiny Book 2: Mere Mortals - (SPOILERS)

watch Kung Fu Panda

 

[JD]

Re: Star Trek: Destiny Book 2: Mere Mortals - (SPOILERS)

^I love that movie, but then again Panda's are my favorite animal and I've loved kung fu movies since I was like 12 so my liking it is pretty much a give.

 

[Marie1]

Re: Star Trek: Destiny Book 2: Mere Mortals - (SPOILERS)

Since this is a spoiler thread...

When Kedar (she's the Takaran, right?) put her hands on the Hirogen's face, why didn't she die? Are Takaran's resistant to more than wounds or was she just smart enough to watch where she put her hands?

 

[KRAD]

Re: Star Trek: Destiny Book 2: Mere Mortals - (SPOILERS)

Patrick Holm has reviewed Mere Mortals at Dreamwatch's "Total Sci-Fi" site.

Money quote:

Once again, Mack intersperses the large scale events with some smaller moments which bring a "human" touch to what could otherwise simply be an impersonal battle.

 

[Hartzilla2007]

Re: Star Trek: Destiny Book 2: Mere Mortals - (SPOILERS)

Just finished it like the first it was a great book just like book one. Though I do have some questions about the inconsistances between this miniseries and the ENT relaunch

aka

The Romulan War starting in 2256 instead of 2255 like in Kobayashimaru.

Hernandez being suprised by the Romulans ability to control other ship when Columbia incourntered this twice again in Kobayashimaru.

And the Vulcans saying timetravle is impossible to saying that you shouldn't.

Oh and the Coalition of Planets not existing in this miniseries and the pre-Federation group instead being the Earth Alliance.

These inconsistancies didn't stop me from enjoying the book but they did confuse me a little.

Well now on the the third and final book of the trilogy. Though I am suprised that the Borg didn't take the time to destroy Voyager in the most sadistic way imaginable just for all the times Janeway F#@ked up their plans. Though I guess the borg finally kicking Voyagers ass after all these years was revenge enough for them.

 

[Sci]

Re: Star Trek: Destiny Book 2: Mere Mortals - (SPOILERS)

Just finished it like the first it was a great book just like book one. Though I do have some questions about the inconsistances between this miniseries and the ENT relaunch

aka

The Romulan War starting in 2256 instead of 2255 like in Kobayashimaru.

Hernandez being suprised by the Romulans ability to control other ship when Columbia incourntered this twice again in Kobayashimaru.

Well, Kobayashi Maru is a bit unclear, actually, about who the Coalition is going to war with at the end, IIRC. It's possible that there's a brief Coalition-Klingon war in 2155 because the Romulans are successful in deflecting blame for their attacks before the Romulan War starts next year.

Oh and the Coalition of Planets not existing in this miniseries and the pre-Federation group instead being the Earth Alliance.

That's not necessarily an inconsistency. Who knows WHAT happens to the Coalition of Planets during the Romulan War? Maybe "the Earth Alliance" is an informal name for the Coalition. Or maybe the difference between the Earth Alliance and the Coalition of Planets is like the difference between NATO and the UN.

 

[Hartzilla2007]

Re: Star Trek: Destiny Book 2: Mere Mortals - (SPOILERS)

Just finished it like the first it was a great book just like book one. Though I do have some questions about the inconsistances between this miniseries and the ENT relaunch

aka

The Romulan War starting in 2256 instead of 2255 like in Kobayashimaru.

Hernandez being suprised by the Romulans ability to control other ship when Columbia incourntered this twice again in Kobayashimaru.

Well, Kobayashi Maru is a bit unclear, actually, about who the Coalition is going to war with at the end, IIRC. It's possible that there's a brief Coalition-Klingon war in 2155 because the Romulans are successful in deflecting blame for their attacks before the Romulan War starts next year.

I thought they made it clear

Spoiler: Kobayashimaru

that the Coalition believed the Romulans were resposible for the attacks on Alpha Centauri and the Kobayashimaru which are what led directly to the war.

Oh and the Coalition of Planets not existing in this miniseries and the pre-Federation group instead being the Earth Alliance.

That's not necessarily an inconsistency. Who knows WHAT happens to the Coalition of Planets during the Romulan War? Maybe "the Earth Alliance" is an informal name for the Coalition. Or maybe the difference between the Earth Alliance and the Coalition of Planets is like the difference between NATO and the UN.

But from what Hernandez says it sounds like Earth didn't have any allies before the war which contradicts the ENT relaunch.

 

[Thrawn]

Re: Star Trek: Destiny Book 2: Mere Mortals - (SPOILERS)

And book 2 done.

While I didn't enjoy this as much as book 1 (I thought some of the plots were kind of annoying blind alleys), I absolutely adored the flashback story. It's some of the best writing in Treklit so far.

I'd write a longer review, but I want to start the third one!

 

[Semah]

Re: Star Trek: Destiny Book 2: Mere Mortals - (SPOILERS)

Generally, in a trilogy, book 2 is the weakest of the 3. This is unequivocally not the case with Mere Mortals. So much that could have been handled with a lesser writer (Worf vs the Hirogen springs to mind) shines here. 'scuze me while I read book 3.

 

[DimesDan]

Re: Star Trek: Destiny Book 2: Mere Mortals - (SPOILERS)

Generally, in a trilogy, book 2 is the weakest of the 3. This is unequivocally not the case with Mere Mortals. So much that could have been handled with a lesser writer (Worf vs the Hirogen springs to mind) shines here. 'scuze me while I read book 3.

Although Mere Mortals was still a fraking good read, unlike Gods of Night and Lost Souls which I read in a day, I took over a week to read it and the Hernandez/Caeliar sections of the book, although having ultimatily, the most segnificant outcome to the storyline, it for me, just dragged. I even remember through one chapter hoping it was almost over but it had another twenty pages to go! So yes, for me Mere Mortals does suffer a small amount from being the middle child of the trilogy. But saying that, the plus points of the book far out weighed the negative points.

One moment that made me chuckle and remind me of Jayne from Firefly (going to his bunk in War Stories) and Crichton from Farscape (telling Braca to shoot his hand off and ruin his sex life in Kiss the Princess: I do, I think) was the Columbia crew discussing sex or lack there of and the suggestion of carrying out some DIY. Am I just making links where there are none as this would be a natural evolution of the women being away from any intimate contact or was it a not so direct refference?

 

[Claudia]

Re: Star Trek: Destiny Book 2: Mere Mortals - (SPOILERS)

Although Mere Mortals was still a fraking good read, unlike Gods of Night and Lost Souls which I read in a day, I took over a week to read it and the Hernandez/Caeliar sections of the book, although having ultimatily, the most segnificant outcome to the storyline, it for me, just dragged. I even remember through one chapter hoping it was almost over but it had another twenty pages to go! So yes, for me Mere Mortals does suffer a small amount from being the middle child of the trilogy. But saying that, the plus points of the book far out weighed the negative points.

Interesting.

Mere Mortals took me a long time reading as well - but unlike you, I enjoyed the Hernandez/Caeliar plot the most... everything else just seemed to drag on endlessly, especially the Hirogen fight. *g*

 

[Infern0]

Re: Star Trek: Destiny: Mere Mortals - SPOILER Thread

I hate Dax's disrespect of Picard in this book, but otherwise it is a good story.

 

[Jean-Luc Picard]

Re: Star Trek: Destiny: Mere Mortals - SPOILER Thread

Strong start so far. The opening scene with the Enterprise and the Aventine teaming up to defeat the Borg was excellently written. I find all the action scenes in this trilogy so compelling because I honestly don't think that anyone's safe. I can't wait to see who of the main cast(s) will be left standing by the end of "Lost Souls".

 

[Jean-Luc Picard]

Re: Star Trek: Destiny Book 2: Mere Mortals - (SPOILERS)

It's official - Nanietta Bacco is one of my favourite ST characters. She's up there with Vaughn me for me.

 

[KRAD]

Re: Star Trek: Destiny Book 2: Mere Mortals - (SPOILERS)

^ *beam*

Seriously, every time I see someone praise President Bacco, it gives me a warm and fuzzy feeling. The character was based on my late great-grandmother Grace DeBacco, whom I called "Nana." She was the matriarch of my mother's side of the family, siring ten children (of whom my maternal grandmother was the oldest) most born during the height of the Great Depression. My grandmother, great-aunts, and great-uncles are ten of the finest people you ever wanted to meet. Nana was one of the most amazing people I ever had the good fortune to encounter, much less be related to, and Nan Bacco was created as a tribute to her memory -- she died in 2003 at the age of 98, in her sleep, surrounded by all ten of her children.

So thank you, Jean-Luc Picard, and everyone else. And sorry for getting all mushy....

 

[Jean-Luc Picard]

Re: Star Trek: Destiny Book 2: Mere Mortals - (SPOILERS)

^ *beam*

Seriously, every time I see someone praise President Bacco, it gives me a warm and fuzzy feeling. The character was based on my late great-grandmother Grace DeBacco, whom I called "Nana." She was the matriarch of my mother's side of the family, siring ten children (of whom my maternal grandmother was the oldest) most born during the height of the Great Depression. My grandmother, great-aunts, and great-uncles are ten of the finest people you ever wanted to meet. Nana was one of the most amazing people I ever had the good fortune to encounter, much less be related to, and Nan Bacco was created as a tribute to her memory -- she died in 2003 at the age of 98, in her sleep, surrounded by all ten of her children.

So thank you, Jean-Luc Picard, and everyone else. And sorry for getting all mushy....

Amazing story, she sounds like a great woman - and you I'm sure you did her justice with Nan Bacco

 

[captcalhoun]

Re: Star Trek: Destiny Book 2: Mere Mortals - (SPOILERS)

Nan's my second favourite fictional political leader after the badassness of General Chancellor Martok.

 

[JD]

Re: Star Trek: Destiny Book 2: Mere Mortals - (SPOILERS)

^Agreed, she is pretty cool.