Vixen does Day of the Vipers or: I'm baaaack!!! Possible Spoilers

[Dancing Doctor]

Hey everyone! I've been gone from TrekBBS for a while (really hectic non-Trek life, and a lot of drama) but I'm back and I've finished my first Trek Lit novel in at least 2 months.

After finishing PAD's Before Dishonor, I was really wary about venturing into the new books. However, Day of the Vipers has changed that, and now I can't wait for the new books!

I thought it was an excellent beginning to the Occupation of Bajor. It was a little odd and also interesting (both in a very good way) seeing that it wasn't just "Cardassians invade, enslave Bajorans, end of story". I liked the way it built up, the slow encroachment and solidification of Cardassian power. I was interested in the depth of the actions, of the shifting power bases and the intrigues of some of the more unscrupulous members of Bajor's Chamber of Ministers. One of the things I *really* liked was seeing Nechayev!!!!

I'll go into more detail when I can, but overall I can't remember any complaints that I had. I did get a chill when Dukat was talking about how he'd be back.

Now I'm curious to see what happens to Rhan Ico and Kell...

 

[Dancing Doctor]

Okay, so I said more detail:

One thing that this book had going for it, IMO, was the fact that this really delved into the Cardassian psyche. Family, service to the state, paranoia, distrust...they all coalesced together to help flesh the Cardassians out even more.

It was interesting, seeing internal Bajoran politics. It caused some interesting trains of throught, especially when Kubus Oak began solidifying his power. The increased factionalization of the Chamber of Ministers and the effects of the power plays amongst the leaders was also highly interesting.

Using the captured Tzenkethi cruiser to cause the damage to Bajor was also brilliant, I thought.

I think the one thing that stood out for me was how none of the participants in this giant chess game with large ramifications were really "good" or "bad". Everyone was...well, I would say human but I suppose flawed or realistic would work just as well. The actions of a few Bajorans led to the collapse of their world. One could make an argument that the entirety of the Cardassian Union was actively looking to crush Bajor beneath its heel. However, even with Dukat ultimately looking out for himself, at the same time the experiences of his youth and the things he knows his people are experiencing also drive him. And the Federation had good intentions, but bound behind self-imposed "non-interference".

Overall, it was a highly enriching and page-turning experience.