So, on Saturday, I picked up my copy of Night Of The Wolves, and began to read. Couldn't do much reading Saturday, or Sunday for that matter. Most of the reading was done yesterday (Monday). I managed to finish the book on Monday, and all I can say is WOW! Somehow, I seem to pick up gems whenever I go book shopping. I read Day Of The Vipers in less than 24 hours as well, considering I had nothing to do on a bus but read, and I can say that so far, Terok Nor has failed to disappoint. I'll talk about Wolves, but refer to Vipers as needed, and yes, there are spoilers here, including spoilers for stories that happen post-finale because yes, there's a lot in here for the post-finale fiction lovers as well. (which would happen to be me)
The story in Wolves is not just one single story, but multiple told concurrently. The back cover description holds true throughout the entire book; the implication that there are multiple resistance cells, and the story will tell multiple stories, including the one of a young girl named Kira Nerys. (Although that's the lure; name dropping Kira but she doesn't show up until at least halfway through the book) The first part of the book tells the story of a young Lenaris Holem (the same one you see in Unity), and his return to grace after a mission went horribly wrong. It also tells the story of Opaka Sulan, and her struggle to embrace the thoughts of her heart. Being a Vedek, Opaka feels she ought to tow the line and continue the D'jarra caste-based system on Bajor, but her heart knows that the D'jarras keep Bajor from being truly united, so she ultimately rejects them, and with the help of her son, Fasil, and several others, Opaka finds the Orb of Prophecy and Change, ironically enough, in the cellar of her old house. As well, Dukat's story is told, as Terok Nor goes online, and his position as Bajor's prefect is established. The narrative is set after the events of Wrongs Darker Than Death or Night, as the attempt on Dukat's life, Meru's choice to leave her family, and her friendship with Luma Rahl are all mentioned. As well, there are several subplots, dealing with Natima Lang, Corat Damar, and others, including Bajoran Vedek Gar Osen (who we remember from Vipers as Letin Pasir, an Obsidian Order Agent stationed on Bajor). Osen successfully kills Kai Arin, and jockeys to take his place. Unfortunately, Pasir's offed by an unnamed agent of the Obsidian Order. (And, it's not mentioned anywhere, but with the key hint 'Sons of Tain', I'm 99% certain it's Elim Garak) As well, there includes the story of Ranjen Winn Adami, and although her appearance in the first part of Wolves is minimal, it's memorable, because even during the worst days of the Occupation, Winn's focus is solely on power and authority. "Four years, and I am still but a lowly ranjen." Lenaris picks up on it, but too bad we don't see anything else come from it...we all know Winn's fate. The prologue of the story's awesome as it deals with a Cardassian vessel in the Denorios Belt, and they find a mysterious container with an unknown life-form. The Cardassians pick it up, but we don't hear about it until the latter part of the story. (And we all know who this is)
The latter half of the story is paced a lot faster. Lenaris is still a focus as his story intersects somewhat with Kira's, as is Dukat, but now we focus on three other familiar characters: Kira Nerys, Ro Laren, and Odo. Kira's a young girl, just coming of age and working as a gopher for Shaakar's Resistance Cell. Ro Laren's a vagabond thief, pickpocket and a master of hacking into Cardassian systems, and finds herself crossing paths with Darrah Mace from Vipers and ends up on Valo II, and botches a mission that Keeve Falor believed would finally bring the Federation into the conflict with the Cardassians and Bajorans. Then there's Odo's journey of self-awareness under the tutelage of Doctor Mora. As well, the big plot point in the latter half of the book depicts the story of the liberation of Gallitep from the Cardassians, and cementing Kira's role as a resistance fighter. On Terok Nor, Kira Meru's fate is ultimately revealed, only after she learns of Dukat's child with Tora Naprem. As well, Dukat learns about the fate of Kira Nerys...not only has she joined the resistance, but was involved at Gallitep. Dukat's left speechless. Kira learns to separate herself emotionally from those that would be collaborators, and Ro journeys off on her own, that will ultimately find her in Starfleet.
Now, that said, there's even MORE in this story, including the journey of a young Cardassian woman and the resurgence of the Oralian Way, the workings of the Obsidian Order, and a guarantee that in Dawn Of The Eagles, we will get to see more of Enabran Tain and Elim Garak.
A lot is cemented in this story, including two pieces of information that are relevant to the post-finale fiction, in particular, Fragments And Omens and Fearful Symmetry. The first deals with the Orb Fragment. In Wolves, we learn that a former Kai by the name of Dava took a piece of a Tear of the Prophets and fashioned it onto a bracelet for himself. Opaka doubts the validity of the legend, but unfortunately, we learn it's all too true later on, and then, the big one: Dukat and Kira... when Dukat learned that Kira had joined the resistance, he wasn't 'angry' per se...the book describes him as concerned, considering he did everything Meru asked of him in relation to the children. The image invoked was that of a 'stepfather', who loved Meru's children as his own...it's kind of sick and twisted, but it makes sense, considering Dukat's own frame of mind. Later, when he sees that Kira's at Gallitep, the only thing he could say was, "Nerys." So, what's one to do? It's clear that Dukat does not want to kill Kira, just as he didn't want to kill Meru, but it was also clear that Dukat couldn't have Nerys running around being a terrorist either...and I'm going to speculate on something here, and we'll have to wait for Dawn Of The Eagles and Fearful Symmetry to see if I'm right. I SPECULATE that Dukat's original intention of compromising the mission to have Kira swapped with Iliana was more out of a selfish desire to have Kira close to him....he loved her. As well, another theory is that replacing Kira with Iliana, and making Ghemor look like Kira was another selfish desire to not just have Kira close to him, but to have one that was loyal to him. With that said, the only thing we don't know yet is why the op was scrapped, and betrayed from within. I have another theory, and it involves the whole Dukat vs. Garak feud and Dukat vs. The Obsidian Order. When Garak killed Pasir, he lamented on the waste of such find medicine (i.e: the extensive cosmetic and genetic surgery required to turn Pasir into Osen). This I believed to be a foreshadow for Second Skin and ultimately Fearful Symmetry. Iliana Ghemor was known to be an agent of the Obsidian Order, and if she volunteered for a benign mission to Bajor to infiltrate the Resistance, then that's one thing. And, if Iliana was chosen to look like Kira because the Order saw that Kira Nerys was a good target (and, since Dukat had a history with the Kira family, it'd only make sense for the Order to put the screws to Dukat that way), then that's logical too. But then factor in Dukat to the whole equation, and you just have a huge mess. (like this paragraph...one giant mess that somehow does make sense) Ultimately, we have to wait and see what becomes of the whole thing, but surely, there's something there. The authors have Dukat nailed to a science...he's twisted and evil in one sense, he's benign in another, and he has delusions of grandeur in another sense...the highlight of Dukat in this book for me was when to make ends meet, he proposes a treaty with the Federation because they have access to better equipment...it's contrary to the entire character of Dukat, believing in Cardassian superiority, especially given his attitude to the Federation in Vipers, and also shows the tragic flaw of the Cardassian Union as a whole: the Cardassians believe themselves to be superior, but yet lack brains to see that they're not all that superior as they make themselves out to be, and even when they kind of get it, they miss the point altogether. It's fitting that in this second installment of Terok Nor, we see again the foreshadowing of the destruction of Cardassia. Again, they miss the foresight. They believe that something 'else' will cause their destruction... it's a pity that their destruction comes at their own hands, and they fail to realize it.
Another great gem from this book was 'When Kira met Odo'...or rather, when Odo met Kira, yet Kira didn't know about it. How even from youth, Odo was fascinated with her, and wished she hadn't gone away. The way the authors describe Odo in an almost childlike sense made me go, "awww...that's cute." We learn Odo's fascination with Kira was akin to that of a high school crush that never went away.
To conclude my ramblings, I rather enjoyed this book. The characters were spot on, the imagery was great, and it was like watching Deep Space Nine all over again. I look forward to Dawn of the Eagles, the concluding part of this three-part story. Great work!
The story in Wolves is not just one single story, but multiple told concurrently. The back cover description holds true throughout the entire book; the implication that there are multiple resistance cells, and the story will tell multiple stories, including the one of a young girl named Kira Nerys. (Although that's the lure; name dropping Kira but she doesn't show up until at least halfway through the book) The first part of the book tells the story of a young Lenaris Holem (the same one you see in Unity), and his return to grace after a mission went horribly wrong. It also tells the story of Opaka Sulan, and her struggle to embrace the thoughts of her heart. Being a Vedek, Opaka feels she ought to tow the line and continue the D'jarra caste-based system on Bajor, but her heart knows that the D'jarras keep Bajor from being truly united, so she ultimately rejects them, and with the help of her son, Fasil, and several others, Opaka finds the Orb of Prophecy and Change, ironically enough, in the cellar of her old house. As well, Dukat's story is told, as Terok Nor goes online, and his position as Bajor's prefect is established. The narrative is set after the events of Wrongs Darker Than Death or Night, as the attempt on Dukat's life, Meru's choice to leave her family, and her friendship with Luma Rahl are all mentioned. As well, there are several subplots, dealing with Natima Lang, Corat Damar, and others, including Bajoran Vedek Gar Osen (who we remember from Vipers as Letin Pasir, an Obsidian Order Agent stationed on Bajor). Osen successfully kills Kai Arin, and jockeys to take his place. Unfortunately, Pasir's offed by an unnamed agent of the Obsidian Order. (And, it's not mentioned anywhere, but with the key hint 'Sons of Tain', I'm 99% certain it's Elim Garak) As well, there includes the story of Ranjen Winn Adami, and although her appearance in the first part of Wolves is minimal, it's memorable, because even during the worst days of the Occupation, Winn's focus is solely on power and authority. "Four years, and I am still but a lowly ranjen." Lenaris picks up on it, but too bad we don't see anything else come from it...we all know Winn's fate. The prologue of the story's awesome as it deals with a Cardassian vessel in the Denorios Belt, and they find a mysterious container with an unknown life-form. The Cardassians pick it up, but we don't hear about it until the latter part of the story. (And we all know who this is)
The latter half of the story is paced a lot faster. Lenaris is still a focus as his story intersects somewhat with Kira's, as is Dukat, but now we focus on three other familiar characters: Kira Nerys, Ro Laren, and Odo. Kira's a young girl, just coming of age and working as a gopher for Shaakar's Resistance Cell. Ro Laren's a vagabond thief, pickpocket and a master of hacking into Cardassian systems, and finds herself crossing paths with Darrah Mace from Vipers and ends up on Valo II, and botches a mission that Keeve Falor believed would finally bring the Federation into the conflict with the Cardassians and Bajorans. Then there's Odo's journey of self-awareness under the tutelage of Doctor Mora. As well, the big plot point in the latter half of the book depicts the story of the liberation of Gallitep from the Cardassians, and cementing Kira's role as a resistance fighter. On Terok Nor, Kira Meru's fate is ultimately revealed, only after she learns of Dukat's child with Tora Naprem. As well, Dukat learns about the fate of Kira Nerys...not only has she joined the resistance, but was involved at Gallitep. Dukat's left speechless. Kira learns to separate herself emotionally from those that would be collaborators, and Ro journeys off on her own, that will ultimately find her in Starfleet.
Now, that said, there's even MORE in this story, including the journey of a young Cardassian woman and the resurgence of the Oralian Way, the workings of the Obsidian Order, and a guarantee that in Dawn Of The Eagles, we will get to see more of Enabran Tain and Elim Garak.
A lot is cemented in this story, including two pieces of information that are relevant to the post-finale fiction, in particular, Fragments And Omens and Fearful Symmetry. The first deals with the Orb Fragment. In Wolves, we learn that a former Kai by the name of Dava took a piece of a Tear of the Prophets and fashioned it onto a bracelet for himself. Opaka doubts the validity of the legend, but unfortunately, we learn it's all too true later on, and then, the big one: Dukat and Kira... when Dukat learned that Kira had joined the resistance, he wasn't 'angry' per se...the book describes him as concerned, considering he did everything Meru asked of him in relation to the children. The image invoked was that of a 'stepfather', who loved Meru's children as his own...it's kind of sick and twisted, but it makes sense, considering Dukat's own frame of mind. Later, when he sees that Kira's at Gallitep, the only thing he could say was, "Nerys." So, what's one to do? It's clear that Dukat does not want to kill Kira, just as he didn't want to kill Meru, but it was also clear that Dukat couldn't have Nerys running around being a terrorist either...and I'm going to speculate on something here, and we'll have to wait for Dawn Of The Eagles and Fearful Symmetry to see if I'm right. I SPECULATE that Dukat's original intention of compromising the mission to have Kira swapped with Iliana was more out of a selfish desire to have Kira close to him....he loved her. As well, another theory is that replacing Kira with Iliana, and making Ghemor look like Kira was another selfish desire to not just have Kira close to him, but to have one that was loyal to him. With that said, the only thing we don't know yet is why the op was scrapped, and betrayed from within. I have another theory, and it involves the whole Dukat vs. Garak feud and Dukat vs. The Obsidian Order. When Garak killed Pasir, he lamented on the waste of such find medicine (i.e: the extensive cosmetic and genetic surgery required to turn Pasir into Osen). This I believed to be a foreshadow for Second Skin and ultimately Fearful Symmetry. Iliana Ghemor was known to be an agent of the Obsidian Order, and if she volunteered for a benign mission to Bajor to infiltrate the Resistance, then that's one thing. And, if Iliana was chosen to look like Kira because the Order saw that Kira Nerys was a good target (and, since Dukat had a history with the Kira family, it'd only make sense for the Order to put the screws to Dukat that way), then that's logical too. But then factor in Dukat to the whole equation, and you just have a huge mess. (like this paragraph...one giant mess that somehow does make sense) Ultimately, we have to wait and see what becomes of the whole thing, but surely, there's something there. The authors have Dukat nailed to a science...he's twisted and evil in one sense, he's benign in another, and he has delusions of grandeur in another sense...the highlight of Dukat in this book for me was when to make ends meet, he proposes a treaty with the Federation because they have access to better equipment...it's contrary to the entire character of Dukat, believing in Cardassian superiority, especially given his attitude to the Federation in Vipers, and also shows the tragic flaw of the Cardassian Union as a whole: the Cardassians believe themselves to be superior, but yet lack brains to see that they're not all that superior as they make themselves out to be, and even when they kind of get it, they miss the point altogether. It's fitting that in this second installment of Terok Nor, we see again the foreshadowing of the destruction of Cardassia. Again, they miss the foresight. They believe that something 'else' will cause their destruction... it's a pity that their destruction comes at their own hands, and they fail to realize it.
Another great gem from this book was 'When Kira met Odo'...or rather, when Odo met Kira, yet Kira didn't know about it. How even from youth, Odo was fascinated with her, and wished she hadn't gone away. The way the authors describe Odo in an almost childlike sense made me go, "awww...that's cute." We learn Odo's fascination with Kira was akin to that of a high school crush that never went away.
To conclude my ramblings, I rather enjoyed this book. The characters were spot on, the imagery was great, and it was like watching Deep Space Nine all over again. I look forward to Dawn of the Eagles, the concluding part of this three-part story. Great work!
Have to stay somewhat spoiler free this week while I read it.
That's an odd idiom. It makes it sound like it was trying to disappoint.
