Spoilers TNG: A Singular Destiny by Keith R.A. DeCandido review thread
- Thread starter Brendan Moody
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KRAD:
You've heard it many times in this thread, but I'll repeat it again: You did a fine job with A Singular Destiny, and I look forward to the continuation of this storyline the rest of this year and, especially, in 2010.
I was wondering if it'd be possible to shed some light on a few questions I have:
1. In the Destiny trilogy, I was left with the impression that it was pretty much the entire Alpha Quadrant that bore the brunt of the Borg invasion. Yet, in ASD, it seems that only the Federation and Klingons — along with some independent systems — suffered from the 7,000 plus Borg ships' attempt at genocide.
Did none of the Typhon Pact powers suffer losses at the hands of the Collective?
2. I'll be the first to admit that my familiarity with the geopolitical boundaries of the Alpha and Beta quadrants is sketchy at best, but does the Typhon Pact really surround the entire Federation? Not to mention the Klingons and other AQ/BQ powers, such as the Cardassian Union, Ferengi Alliance, etc.?
3. Does the Typhon Pact outgun the Federation and its allies? After all, only *half* of the Romulan people belong to it — the Romulan Star Empire, *not* the Imperial Romulan State — and I figure that it'd take the combined strength of the other Pact members (Tezenkethi, Gorn, Breen, etc.) to bring the entire amalagation up to the military strength/geopolitical reach of the formerly unified Romulan Star Empire. And that's assuming *none* of the Pact powers were impacted by the Borg invasion.
4. Judging from the Typhon Pact's initial actions (those prior to its *official* formation), I think there's a very real possibility of them being an overt foe of the Federation and its allies or, at the very least, openly antagonistic. To wit:
4a. The sabotage of the dilithium mining efforts. (Not officially linked, but still ...)
4b. The sabotage of the efforts to build atmospheric domes. (Not officially linked, but still ...)
4c. The invasion and occupation of two Klingon worlds by the Kinshasha.
And, yes, I know the Pact apologized for its actions against the Klingons, but the damage is still done, even though the Klingons retook Krios in the end. Also, the Tholian ambassador to the Federation made it pretty damn clear that the Pact was no friend to the UFP or its allies. After all, the recalling of ambassadors is usually a bad sign of things to come. Not to mention the ambassador's words "... we assure that you are the one surrounded by a heavily armed hostile power."
Frankly, I can't see much good coming out this at all for the UFP and its allies. In the best-case scenario, it basically puts the AQ/BQ back to how it was when the UFP faced off against the Klingons and Romulans, back in Kirk's day — a Cold War-esque set up. In the worst-case scenario, well, it probably involves more shooting and death.
When all is said and done, KRAD, rest assured that you've got my attention and I plan on following this development in Trek literature!
Gatekeeper
P.S. Hey, what are the odds we'll ever get a dead tree version of the Trek lit timeline? It'd help greatly in keeping track of characters and events.
You've heard it many times in this thread, but I'll repeat it again: You did a fine job with A Singular Destiny, and I look forward to the continuation of this storyline the rest of this year and, especially, in 2010.
I was wondering if it'd be possible to shed some light on a few questions I have:
1. In the Destiny trilogy, I was left with the impression that it was pretty much the entire Alpha Quadrant that bore the brunt of the Borg invasion. Yet, in ASD, it seems that only the Federation and Klingons — along with some independent systems — suffered from the 7,000 plus Borg ships' attempt at genocide.
Did none of the Typhon Pact powers suffer losses at the hands of the Collective?
2. I'll be the first to admit that my familiarity with the geopolitical boundaries of the Alpha and Beta quadrants is sketchy at best, but does the Typhon Pact really surround the entire Federation? Not to mention the Klingons and other AQ/BQ powers, such as the Cardassian Union, Ferengi Alliance, etc.?
3. Does the Typhon Pact outgun the Federation and its allies? After all, only *half* of the Romulan people belong to it — the Romulan Star Empire, *not* the Imperial Romulan State — and I figure that it'd take the combined strength of the other Pact members (Tezenkethi, Gorn, Breen, etc.) to bring the entire amalagation up to the military strength/geopolitical reach of the formerly unified Romulan Star Empire. And that's assuming *none* of the Pact powers were impacted by the Borg invasion.
4. Judging from the Typhon Pact's initial actions (those prior to its *official* formation), I think there's a very real possibility of them being an overt foe of the Federation and its allies or, at the very least, openly antagonistic. To wit:
4a. The sabotage of the dilithium mining efforts. (Not officially linked, but still ...)
4b. The sabotage of the efforts to build atmospheric domes. (Not officially linked, but still ...)
4c. The invasion and occupation of two Klingon worlds by the Kinshasha.
And, yes, I know the Pact apologized for its actions against the Klingons, but the damage is still done, even though the Klingons retook Krios in the end. Also, the Tholian ambassador to the Federation made it pretty damn clear that the Pact was no friend to the UFP or its allies. After all, the recalling of ambassadors is usually a bad sign of things to come. Not to mention the ambassador's words "... we assure that you are the one surrounded by a heavily armed hostile power."
Frankly, I can't see much good coming out this at all for the UFP and its allies. In the best-case scenario, it basically puts the AQ/BQ back to how it was when the UFP faced off against the Klingons and Romulans, back in Kirk's day — a Cold War-esque set up. In the worst-case scenario, well, it probably involves more shooting and death.
When all is said and done, KRAD, rest assured that you've got my attention and I plan on following this development in Trek literature!
Gatekeeper
P.S. Hey, what are the odds we'll ever get a dead tree version of the Trek lit timeline? It'd help greatly in keeping track of characters and events.
Well I have to say even through I'm still reading the book, I'm really enjoying it so far. I am a fan of Tom Clancy, so I'm glad that KRAD did a Trek book like this. We the fans needed something like this.
Anywho, I'm enjoying the various characters popping up all over the place. Glad to see that some of the SCE characters made an appearence and they are continuing to move on with the times. I'm also growing fond of Sonek Pran. I don't know why but just am. Hopefully he will pop up in one of the future books.
I will give my final review once I'm finished, since I'm now on Chapter 10.
Anywho, I'm enjoying the various characters popping up all over the place. Glad to see that some of the SCE characters made an appearence and they are continuing to move on with the times. I'm also growing fond of Sonek Pran. I don't know why but just am. Hopefully he will pop up in one of the future books.
I will give my final review once I'm finished, since I'm now on Chapter 10.
Thanks!
Sure they did. The Klingons, Federation, and two Romulan nations got the worst of it because they're the ones most proximate to the Azure Nebula, but everyone got hit. Sorry if I didn't make that clear.
Not literally, no. Metaphorically, yes.
It's probably about equal, though it's hard to say, with all the losses taken to the Borg.
Those aren't the Typhon Pact's initial actions, those are the Tholians and the Kinshaya's initial actions. By which I mean to say that the six members all have different reasons for joining. While there's a level of enlightened self-interest there -- and Tal'Aura in particular has an empire to feed -- the Tholians and the Kinshaya have very specific issues with the Federation and Klingons that they see the Pact as an opportunity to address. How long the rest of the Pact allows that is anyone's guess.
Again, thanks!
As JD said, we've gotten three. Not sure when we'll get another....
The impression I got in reading Lost Souls was that everyone got hit because everyone had ships at the Azure Nebula, but that the Borg armada never got much further "west" than the Alpha/Beta Quadrant border before they were lured back to the Caeliar ships by the Omega Particle.
KRAD hits a home run again. He makes us care about people we have not seen a lot as much as the character that we already love. Pran was a great new character. I thought that he was funny and hope to see him again. The Typhoon Pact seems ominous for the Federation. I like the idea of a cold war, instead of an out and out war. It is my hope that the universe can have a few years of no war. Really cannot wait to see the continuation of this story!
I haven't actually gotten to anything dealing with the Typhon Pact, so I don't know what they're like first hand. But based on you guys have said about them, I really hope that next years stuff is going to get rid of them, because it seems like they could be a really interesting new long term issue in a Borgless universe.
Having bought this as an e-book yesterday from Fictionwise (and, by the way, I haven't bought a paper novel in years, but have purchased many e-books, so if you author folks are wondering whether publishing electronically increases rather than cannibalizes the market, in my case, the answer is yep!) and finished it this a.m., I wanted to add my praise to the group's. I can't imagine this was an easy task; not only was this the first of the "stage setting" books between the end of the last big epic (I love the phrase "Mack's Mess"!), but KRAD took on the challenge of following up on Articles of the Federation's focus on the civilian implications of those events, rather than having a big flashy starship as the focus. Heck, the ship with the most "screen time" was a runabout, for goodness' sake! Even so, KRAD provided us with a complete and satisfying story, rich new characters (okay, I have a personal fondness for professorial types!), and nice drama at the end *without* making readers suffer through a cliffhanger. Finally, it's worth reading the Acknowledgments at the end, because they give a real sense not only of how deep the ST universe has become, but the number of separate pieces (covering television, film, novels and even promotional comics and DVD commentary!) KRAD was able to integrate into this efficient yet still sweeping novel. Thanks, Keith; now if only you could write and publish 'em as fast as I read 'em! {ProfJonathan}
{ProfJonathan}
Thanks for the kind words!
Oh, and those Power Records comics weren't "promotional" -- they were sold like anything else. I have very fond memories of reading/listening to The Crier in Emptiness (which I still own) as a kid, so when I was fishing about for various musical instruments to use, that was the first thing that came to mind (even before the ka'athyra, truth be told...).
And thanks for this, too. Being the child of librarians, it's always been important to me to cite my sources.
Oh, and those Power Records comics weren't "promotional" -- they were sold like anything else. I have very fond memories of reading/listening to The Crier in Emptiness (which I still own) as a kid, so when I was fishing about for various musical instruments to use, that was the first thing that came to mind (even before the ka'athyra, truth be told...).
From your mouth...
Really? So I went to look for it today... alas, there were none. =(
I don't think they've arrived over here... maybe.
BOOOO!!!
Finished the book last night. I very much enjoyed it--though something tragic that happened regarding Pran's personal life seemed a little 'forced' to me at the end. I have to say, the interstitial segments throughout the book suitably showed just far-reaching the Destiny devastation was.
One thing I enjoyed about those interstitials is that they showed (much like David Mack's "A Time to Kill/Heal" did) that even though it's the 24th century and there's all this amazing technology humans (and other sentients) are still vulnerable to some of the same 'frailties' that we are today.
Great book.
One thing I enjoyed about those interstitials is that they showed (much like David Mack's "A Time to Kill/Heal" did) that even though it's the 24th century and there's all this amazing technology humans (and other sentients) are still vulnerable to some of the same 'frailties' that we are today.
Great book.
A Singular Destiny = A Singular Treat!
The interstitial segments are especially effective in showing the scope of how the galaxy has been affected by the Borg attacks. Not only that, but they helped accelerate the pace for this reader. After reading a long chapter, I don't always want to read another 20-30 page chapter. The interstitials in ASD are short enough that I give in to the temptation to read onward, and then I end up wanting to read the chapters that are connected with them.
I most definitely had to take a few moments' pause before starting Chapter 8. I was feeling emotions that I hadn't felt since Nemesis.
I share some of the criticisms of Sonek Pran mentioned in this thread. There were times, especially when he first arrived on the Aventine, that he and the reactions to him seemed a little too good to be true.
I also wish that the Typhon Pact had not been leaked as part of a news story on this site. Its creation was executed very well in the pages of ASD, but it would have been better the first time without foreknowledge of that ending. I am curious as to why the writer of the teaser copy chose the word "awakens" in referring to the Typhon Pact. It seems like an odd word to use with respect to an alliance or coalition.
This has nothing to do with the contents of the story, but I disagree with the decision to have all of the chapters and interstitials start on the right-hand page. The 20 blank pages that resulted from that choice make it seem like someone was trying to pad the page count.
It's hard for me to pick individual things to highlight as being positive in this book, since it all fits so well into a gripping, entertaining package. Two bits I liked besides my nomination in the Psi Phi thread are "small, medium, large" and the conversation with Tezrene. I love the Tholians!
If I had to rate A Singular Destiny, it would be an 8/10. It's not the best ST or best KRAD story, but in my best Yogi Bear voice I declare it to be "better than the average book!"
Next up: Shards and Shadows
The interstitial segments are especially effective in showing the scope of how the galaxy has been affected by the Borg attacks. Not only that, but they helped accelerate the pace for this reader. After reading a long chapter, I don't always want to read another 20-30 page chapter. The interstitials in ASD are short enough that I give in to the temptation to read onward, and then I end up wanting to read the chapters that are connected with them.
I most definitely had to take a few moments' pause before starting Chapter 8. I was feeling emotions that I hadn't felt since Nemesis.
I share some of the criticisms of Sonek Pran mentioned in this thread. There were times, especially when he first arrived on the Aventine, that he and the reactions to him seemed a little too good to be true.
I also wish that the Typhon Pact had not been leaked as part of a news story on this site. Its creation was executed very well in the pages of ASD, but it would have been better the first time without foreknowledge of that ending. I am curious as to why the writer of the teaser copy chose the word "awakens" in referring to the Typhon Pact. It seems like an odd word to use with respect to an alliance or coalition.
This has nothing to do with the contents of the story, but I disagree with the decision to have all of the chapters and interstitials start on the right-hand page. The 20 blank pages that resulted from that choice make it seem like someone was trying to pad the page count.
It's hard for me to pick individual things to highlight as being positive in this book, since it all fits so well into a gripping, entertaining package. Two bits I liked besides my nomination in the Psi Phi thread are "small, medium, large" and the conversation with Tezrene. I love the Tholians!
If I had to rate A Singular Destiny, it would be an 8/10. It's not the best ST or best KRAD story, but in my best Yogi Bear voice I declare it to be "better than the average book!"
Next up: Shards and Shadows
If you're UK based, they're normally a month behind the States, so expect ASD to hit shelves midmonth (I've always found Waterstones seem to have them first of the bookshops)
I just finished a Singular Destiny a few days ago and thought it was well written and really like Soran Pren. And Ezri and her crew that are featured in this book and see how things continued after the Destiny series.To see the mystery of the Tyson Group unfold in the book. I hope Sonak Pren will be seen again in a future novel. Keith this book is a great cotinuation of the post Destiny series.
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