Spoilers TNG: Takedown by John Jackson Miller Review Thread

[JD]

I started reading this over the weekend after I finished up The Light Fantastic.
The first couple chapters were one of the most intriguing openings to a Trek book I've come across in quite a while.

 

[JD]

Finished reading this yesterday, and I really enjoyed it.
I knew from hanging around on the boards that the Cytherians were responsible, but I still didn't know why they were doing it so I still found myself very curious about what was going on.
I was pretty happy with the resolution and reveal of what was going on, while it didn't reveal a ton about them, I did like getting to learn a bit more about the Cytherians.
Bretorius and Nerla were a lot of fun.
The Romaine Center was a really neat idea, I think it makes sense that a place like that would be necessary with all of the people constantly getting possessed or brainwashed by aliens.
It gets an outstanding vote from me.

 

[thribs]

Very good story. First I thought it was those it was those Iconian parasite worm things but I did have the Barclay incident at the back of my mind as well with the holadeck clue.
I do love the Aventine crew; with how lighthearted they all are. It truly works with Ezri which we all know is a cheerful, quirky lass. I even liked that Ensign chap, even though I have no idea how he graduated the academy with that attitude.
We need more books about them. And they need to fix the Ezri/Bashir relationship. It’s disgraceful what they did to both of them.

 

[JD]

Iconian parasite worm things?

 

[Markonian]

Iconian parasite worm things?

Bluegills.

 

[Jinn]

The parasites from TNG season 2.

 

[thribs]

Iconian parasite worm things?

The Goauld like aliens that nearly took over Starfleet command in a early TNG episode.

 

[JD]

They were already dealt with over a decade ago, and with non-Iconian backstory in the first part of the DS9 Relaunch.

 

[Jinn]

Well, someone from Cryptic didn't get that memo

(And yes I know that Cryptic and Pocket don't have to adhere to each others continuities, but I wanted to make that joke)

 

[thribs]

They were already dealt with over a decade ago, and with non-Iconian backstory in the first part of the DS9 Relaunch.

I’m not aware of that. I take it they’re werent that interesting compared to the STO version?

 

[Jinn]

I’m not aware of that. I take it they’re werent that interesting compared to the STO version?

Much more interesting, in fact.

 

[thribs]

Much more interesting, in fact.

Really? I was told that the DS9 novels aren’t that great. God knows why Ro Laren is now the captain. She should be dead, or in prison for being a filthy traitor.
Maquis scum!

 

[thribs]

But seriously, what happened at Wolf 357?

I know the writer said it was a mistake but it would be funny if he wrote a story about it.
Some very secret mission only a few know about.

 

[USS Firefly]

But seriously, what happened at Wolf 357?

That was the epic battle between the Tribbles against the Klingons

 

[Jinn]

Really? I was told that the DS9 novels aren’t that great. God knows why Ro Laren is now the captain. She should be dead, or in prison for being a filthy traitor.
Maquis scum!

That's the new DS9 novels. The original DS9 relaunch was amazing, some of the best TrekLit out there. They introduced new inetersting characters, had cool plots and Ro wasn't the co of the station but rather the security chief. Also, Elias Vaughn, awesomeness incarnate. Okay, that's a slight exaggeration. Maybe. Anyway, the original DS9 relaunch came to conclude in 2009 with The Soul Key. It was a mirror universe/alternate universes story and IMO not really good. Then followed a year without new DS9 stories until in late 2010 the Typhon Pact mini-series came to be and re-introduced us to the characters. Unfortunately they didn't continue in 2377 (where The Soul Key was set) but rather in 2382 and continued moving forward. By 2014, the next time an actual DS9 novel with the DS9 banner and all was published, the novel line had moved forward to 2385. To put that in perspective, the original DS9 relaunch that ended in 2009 had started in 2001 with the Avatar duology. Since then one year had passed in-universe. That's one year in eight RL years vs. more than six years in five RL years. Needless to say, a lot of stuff was glossed over and most characters have since moved on (Kira became a vedek, Sisko got reinstated as a Starfleet captain, Elias Vaughn was comatose and his daughter was just kinda there).

Long story short, the original DS9 relaunch is great, the Typhon pact books were still pretty good and everything after that written by David R. George III is pretty meh to outright boring.

Also, can you tell that I like talking about the DS9 relaunch?

 

[DimesDan]

Long story short, the original DS9 relaunch is great, the Typhon pact books were still pretty good and everything after that written by David R. George III is pretty meh to outright boring.

Pretty much this.

 

[Mage]

and everything after that written by David R. George III is pretty meh to outright boring.

In some opinions.....

 

[DS9forever]

There was a poll on here perhaps a year ago; DS9 was still voted the best series.

 

[Burning Hearts of Qo'nos]

There was a poll on here perhaps a year ago; DS9 was still voted the best series.

I think that poll might have been skewed by our undying love for the old DS9 books.

 

[thribs]

Interesting. I’ve got the first 2 Avatar books but I haven’t read them. I recently read the first Typhon Pact book where it looks like Bashir is the only one left and I just found that too depressing for me to go back and find out what happened for things to get so dire. I don’t know why they didn’t have him just go with Ezri on board the Aventine. I knew she was just the 2nd officer when she transferred but I’m sure once she got everyone out of the way and became captain she could have offered him a position.
What happened to Sisko is the only thing that interests me coming back. I wonder if Dukat will come back later on as well?