Spoilers DS9: Ascendance by David R. George III Review Thread

[rfmcdpei]

The big long section between the prologue and the interlude had me on the edge of my seat, particularly near the end (and it also had me wishing for chapter breaks: I didn't care for the lack of chapter breaks in ADF's second HC novel, Bloodhype, and I don't care for the lack of chapter breaks in this opus).

Spoiler: The first mention of Algeron, and what happened there, . . .

. . . is a Chekhov's Gun

I do wonder how long George had this idea in mind.

Spoiler: On Algeron

He is the first person to specify that the Treaty of Algeron was named about a star system home to a heavily inhabited planet that had previously been destroyed by metaweapons, specifically isolytic subspace weapons.

But, yes. I knew that Bajor faced a serious challenge, but I did not know how serious. Iliana Ghemor was potentially the Fire, indeed.

 

[Jedi Ben]

Hmm.....

Well, it's great that this story got told - I wasn't sure if it would happen. Reason being is it was the DSN relaunch that got me into Trek lit, seeing the wheels come off that and then the time jump wasn't pleasant. So, having that gaping wound closed is great for the overall series.

As to the resolution itself, hard not to invoke spoilers so:

Spoiler: Ascendants

I'd forgotten what a bunch of complete bastards these guys were, but this seems to ramp it up a notch. They basically have been going around for centuries, exterminating at whim, including picking a fight with the Dominion! That they get mostly whacked by their own weaponry is quite fitting.

What I'm less won over by is the fate of the remainder, but I suppose it could be deemed eternal imprisonment. Let's face it, left corporeal they'll only start up the same crap again. Oh but they saw their gods? Yeah, right. How long until some of them decide these 'gods' are insufficiently martial and clearly more death is required to find the 'real' ones?

Spoiler: Taran'Atar

There's something quite fitting about his fate and I really liked it. His adjustment of the 'victory of life' line really demonstrated how far he had come, perhaps fulfilling Odo's hopes too.

Spoiler: Hanging Threads

So, what do we have?

Vic Fontaine - I can't help but suspect this'll feature in Force and Motion, as Lang's goon on anything involving holograms.

Sisko's Gamma trip - Has to be a series in the works for this.

Odo's return to the Dominion - Has to be addressed, but I'm hoping they defy expectations on this.

Altek - Surprising that he's staying in the present.

The Wormhole - Hmm, that moon is really just the start, isn't it?

Morn - A return to being Quark's eternal barfly?

Maybe that's overkill, but maybe not. I'd say this is one of the more ordered time travel stories. In a lot of ways it's very smart and, for me, it pays off what Sacraments of Fire set in motion.

 

[starri]

I found myself quite annoyed by the way the book treated religious belief and lack of the same.

Spoiler: Bajoran Faith and Self-Reflection

Cenn's crisis of faith is treated as the worst thing that could ever happen, and even removes him as a character from the DS9 universe, but Ro's turn from her agnosticism is somehow transcendently wonderful.

There's nothing wrong with having faith, but there's equally nothing wrong with not having it either.

 

[hbquikcomjamesl]

I would say that the matter of Cenn and Ro is very much a metaphor for how any given scientific discovery that contradicts orthodox dogma can inspire faith in a higher power just as easily as it can destroy faith that is rigid and inflexible (or reinforce a rigid, inflexible belief in the lack of a higher power). And I found the treatment refreshing, at least compared with other recent works that seemed to use ST as a platform for aggressive atheism in the style of Madalyn Murray O'Hair.

And note: atheism is not the absence of religion; rather, it is very much a religion in itself: it is a belief system, adhered to in the absence of conclusive evidence, regarding the existence of a higher power and the nature of the universe. As such, atheists are, under the First Amendment to the United States Constitution, every bit as entitled to religious freedom as anybody else, but they are also every bit as restricted from using the government to promote their beliefs.

 

[Idran]

I would say that the matter of Cenn and Ro is very much a metaphor for how any given scientific discovery that contradicts orthodox dogma can inspire faith in a higher power just as easily as it can destroy faith that is rigid and inflexible (or reinforce a rigid, inflexible belief in the lack of a higher power). And I found the treatment refreshing, at least compared with other recent works that seemed to use ST as a platform for aggressive atheism in the style of Madalyn Murray O'Hair.

And note: atheism is not the absence of religion; rather, it is very much a religion in itself: it is a belief system, adhered to in the absence of conclusive evidence, regarding the existence of a higher power and the nature of the universe. As such, atheists are, under the First Amendment to the United States Constitution, every bit as entitled to religious freedom as anybody else, but they are also every bit as restricted from using the government to promote their beliefs.

Not "as such"; while I won't comment on the definition of atheism, straightforward lack of belief or nonbelief has been considered for some time as equally protected under the establishment clause, just not the free exercise clause. See Engel v. Vitale (1962), Wallace vs. Jaffree (1985), Allegheny v. ACLU Pittsburgh (1989), and McCreary County v. ACLU (2005), for example. Wallace v. Jaffree is pretty straightforward about it, in fact:

Moreover, the individual freedom of conscience protected by the First Amendment embraces the right to select any religious faith or none at all.

But also I don't understand the relevance of the second part of that aside here? No one was talking about atheism as it relates to the US Government or the US Constitution.

 

[T'Ressa Dax]

I don't think I'm going to forgive DRGIII for that cliffhanger ending until the next book comes out. At least I've calmed down from wondering if he likes cliff hanging...

 

[Thrawn]

Definitely enjoyed this one. Not DRG3's best, perhaps, but a solid entry in a sprawling, ongoing storyline. Felt a lot like Full Circle in some ways - Sacraments and Ascendance have tied together all the missing gaps and references, and launched DS9 into entirely new stories no longer dealing with the past.

Nothing shocked me or totally blew me away, but I also have no real complaints - believable, interesting developments in many different stories, and a completely satisfying conclusion to the Ascendants storyline.

Above average.

 

[BritishSeaPower]

Still having an issue getting a physical copy of the book. I had it on order at a B&N and they still haven't gotten any in stock and none of the stores around me have it. It's very strange.

I'm a little bummed to hear about the tack that Cenn and Ro take. It was hinted at in Sacraments and I really found it disappointing but was hoping DRGIII was swerving the audience. I'm left scratching my head over some of the random character arcs we've gotten since RBoE. I'm still looking forward to this one, but this does really make me think about reading some other stuff before seeking it out.

 

[hbquikcomjamesl]

Cliffhanger? I thought it was more in the vein of Sam Gamgee's matter-of-fact "Well, I'm home" at the end of LotR.

 

[Mage]

Cliffhanger? I thought it was more in the vein of Sam Gamgee's matter-of-fact "Well, I'm home" at the end of LotR.

Actually, DRGIII has already anounced on his FB page he's doing a follow-up.

 

[nx1701g]

Still having an issue getting a physical copy of the book. I had it on order at a B&N and they still haven't gotten any in stock and none of the stores around me have it. It's very strange.

I know how you feel because I'm in the same boat.

I'm hoping to find a copy this weekend.

 

[Reanok]

I couldn't find Ascendance at my local Barnes & Noble last week either.So I ordered Ascendance from Amazon it came in the mail yesterday. My local store hasn't carried a lot of the newer Trek books lately. I saw Children of Two worlds but the other books were older Star trek titles .The Star wars books seems to be what they're got an abundance of displayed all over the place in their store right now.I'm looking forward to reading the new book and find out what happens next for Kira and her crew and Sisko too.

 

[Mage]

Now.....

That was certainly an interesting read. The resolution of the Ascendence storyline in 2378 was not something that was going to give us huge surprises, we knew what happened. The storytelling of it though, was very gripping.

As for the second part, set in the 'now'.... I am very happy with some things, understanding of others, and only one or two little things that didn't really feel right.

Spoiler: Thoughts about certain things....

Very happy with how the Ascendence was ultimatly wrapped up, and the Ascendence actually ascending. Taran'Atar being with them in a sort of gestalt is something that I actually think is a fitting ending for him, where he can be himself, but also part of something big, which seemed something he always needed.
Cenn.... I was never a very interesting character to me, but his crisis of faith shattering him so completely so fast... Still, I am ok with him being gone.
Ro and Altek.... Not a big fan. Just doesn't work for me. Altek is a bit to vanilla, and Ro doesn't seem like someone who likes vanilla.
What happened with Odo, and the huge sense of dread it gave at the ending of Sacraments, sort of seems like nothing more than a plot device. Not kinda sure how I feel about that.

Kira's return. This can lead to interesting new dynamics between characters. Will Altek recognize her from the past? Will she harbor feelings for him like her alter ego did? Will he feel torn between Ro and Kira? And if Kira feels something for Altek, how will that impact her relationship with Odo, since right now, Odo still thinks she's with the Prophets or dead, and Kira thinks he's in the Gamma Quadrant with the Founders.

Now, the only thing bugs the hell out of me..... We still no nothing more about the situation with Rebecca Sisko and her kidnapping, and Benjamin's part in the entire Ascendence story was really nothing, so I wonder if DRGIII will do more with this in future novels.

I'm happy that basicly the biggest arcs from the Missing Years are covered, and that the only cliffhanger is one set for the future, not that years we missed in DS9's Relaunch, except for one or two things.

Overall, very, very happy with novel, and looking very much forward to DRGIII next entry into DS9's saga.

 

[Markonian]

There's enough story left to do another past/flashback sequence in the next book - Rebecca's kidnapping, the career changes of Ro, Dax, Kira and Vaughn, plus Present!Kira's stay among the Ea'voq until she's synced with the cutting edge of the timeline.

So, was the timeline changed? I seem to remember that 'originally', people on Bajor died during the Ascendant attack, and IIRC the Betazoid councilor in Losing the Peace reminded people that the Alpha Quadrant/Bajoran sector worlds were still reeling from the Ascendant catastrophe, thus still in need of the aid which was going to be redirected to the Beta Quadrant holocaust.

 

[Reanok]

I just finished reading the first part of Ascendance. I thought it was well written. I liked seeing Sisko in his role as the Emmisary again . I'm looking forward to reading the rest of this book and find out what happens to the rest of The Ds9 characters storyarcs are continued from the previous novel.

 

[RunawayStarShip]

There's enough story left to do another past/flashback sequence in the next book - Rebecca's kidnapping, the career changes of Ro, Dax, Kira and Vaughn, plus Present!Kira's stay among the Ea'voq until she's synced with the cutting edge of the timeline.

So, was the timeline changed? I seem to remember that 'originally', people on Bajor died during the Ascendant attack, and IIRC the Betazoid councilor in Losing the Peace reminded people that the Alpha Quadrant/Bajoran sector worlds were still reeling from the Ascendant catastrophe, thus still in need of the aid which was going to be redirected to the Beta Quadrant holocaust.

That might still be a valid interpretation. Endalla was stripped of its biosphere, and who knows how damaging the other stray subspace tears were (and how many might have struck Bajor just by chance).

 

[Reanok]

I just finished this book and I have to say I voted Outstanding.I was totally surprised where the some of the character arcs lead for certain ds9 characters.. Since I can't seem to find the spoiler button to use here . I'll just say I liked how the Ascendants storyline was wrapped up and I'm curious as to what happens with how Odo and Kira's storyline continues in the next book.

 

[Avro Arrow]

^ Spoiler button is located under the plus sign:

HTH

 

[rfmcdpei]

That might still be a valid interpretation. Endalla was stripped of its biosphere, and who knows how damaging the other stray subspace tears were (and how many might have struck Bajor just by chance).

I would not know. I'd imagine that no tears struck Bajor, that the planetary shutdown was effective in preventing any of the tears from reaching the Bajoran surface. The way these tears seem to work, had a single one been drawn to the Bajoran surface, it would have propagated from there and still caused as much of a planetary catastrophe had more than one gotten there.

I can still imagine any number of second-order effects of the attack. A mass avulsion of subspace into close proximity of Bajor may well have generated some interesting radiation, for instance.

 

[Reanok]

Spoiler: ascendance spoilers

I wonder if Cenn will become some type of troublemaker or villain and be a danger to the Kai the way the storyline was set up it seems like a possibility

One thing I'm curious about is if there's going to be some type of problemsfor the Bajoran government and the Religious leaders.What with the events caused by the events with fake Moon Endalla not being real and the Prophets creating it is a mystery. and the Ohalaru scriptures being mentioned and the Bajorans being in an uproar there will some type of religious upheaval in an upcoming movel