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brendalovesbooks's review
Stargate Atlantis is one of my all-time favorite shows. That being said, there were still episodes of the show that I thought were boring and didn't care for. This novel is like one of those episodes. Except that it was lasting a lot longer than the 40 or so minutes than an episode would last, so I gave up on it.
This one was co-written by two authors, and you could really tell. The style seemed to change back and forth, and that bothered me a bit. So all in all, this one just didn't have a lot going for it. Hopefully the next SGA novel will be better.
This one was co-written by two authors, and you could really tell. The style seemed to change back and forth, and that bothered me a bit. So all in all, this one just didn't have a lot going for it. Hopefully the next SGA novel will be better.
morkandmandy's review
4.0
I'm not sure if I like these so much because I love the show, either way, fun!
halcyon_rising's review
4.0
*posts 15-year-old review*
This book starts with the description of a scene we know from the series: Major John Sheppard has to make a big decision: Either he continues running away from his past, on Earth, or he does it in the Pegasus Galaxy. He flips a coin, and fate says it wants him to stay on Earth. Then he flips it again.
F.A.R.T.-1, or was it S.H.I.T.-1, goes on a mission to Dalera, a planet that seems to have a defense system against Wraith attacks in place. Naturally, team Sheppard needs to check it out. At first, there's a fake alarm being sound, announcing a Wraith attack that's not really happening (the defense system was spooked by the technology the Lanteans brought with them, I think). But of course, since it's a Wraith book, and stuff can go, and therefore will go, quite wrong in this society that exists out of a lot of very poor people, merchants, fishers, and "The Chosen", who remain locked up in their Enclave, you just know it will go wrong.
How? Simple. The Wraith are really attacking after all.
The problem? Not enough of "The Chosen", people with the Ancient Gene from Dalera, remain behind to transport the people of Dalera to the Citadel, a sort of stronghold that should protect them from the attacks.
The team offers to go back to Atlantis and get the ATA-treatment for some people, so there'll be enough persons to help protect everybody from the Wraith, but of course the society itself breaks at that moment. Betrayals happen, people with the Gene die by the hands of other people, who are sick and tired of their system, and in the middle is our team.
After getting away from those rebels, and after finding out that there's a lot of "Genes" in the population of Dalera, they set up some plans to rescue the villagers from the Wraith, face death several times, get miraculously good breaks - just like on the show! - and after getting the people to stop killing each other, and getting rid of the Wraith (which lasts a very large portion of the book), they are told that they aren't really welcome on Dalera any more, since their safety can't be secured, even though they saved the day.
Dalera goes back to its usual business, to their ridiculous faith in Dalera, and will probably have learned nothing from the entire ordeal. Or so Atlantis believes.
Conclusion: Very battle heavy book, and very much worth buying, if you like Stargate Atlantis. The reason why the Wraith were attacking was a very cool one, but I'm not going to mention that in here. Just read the book for yourself! ^^
Spoiler
Time line: After The Storm/The Eye.This book starts with the description of a scene we know from the series: Major John Sheppard has to make a big decision: Either he continues running away from his past, on Earth, or he does it in the Pegasus Galaxy. He flips a coin, and fate says it wants him to stay on Earth. Then he flips it again.
F.A.R.T.-1, or was it S.H.I.T.-1, goes on a mission to Dalera, a planet that seems to have a defense system against Wraith attacks in place. Naturally, team Sheppard needs to check it out. At first, there's a fake alarm being sound, announcing a Wraith attack that's not really happening (the defense system was spooked by the technology the Lanteans brought with them, I think). But of course, since it's a Wraith book, and stuff can go, and therefore will go, quite wrong in this society that exists out of a lot of very poor people, merchants, fishers, and "The Chosen", who remain locked up in their Enclave, you just know it will go wrong.
How? Simple. The Wraith are really attacking after all.
The problem? Not enough of "The Chosen", people with the Ancient Gene from Dalera, remain behind to transport the people of Dalera to the Citadel, a sort of stronghold that should protect them from the attacks.
The team offers to go back to Atlantis and get the ATA-treatment for some people, so there'll be enough persons to help protect everybody from the Wraith, but of course the society itself breaks at that moment. Betrayals happen, people with the Gene die by the hands of other people, who are sick and tired of their system, and in the middle is our team.
After getting away from those rebels, and after finding out that there's a lot of "Genes" in the population of Dalera, they set up some plans to rescue the villagers from the Wraith, face death several times, get miraculously good breaks - just like on the show! - and after getting the people to stop killing each other, and getting rid of the Wraith (which lasts a very large portion of the book), they are told that they aren't really welcome on Dalera any more, since their safety can't be secured, even though they saved the day.
Dalera goes back to its usual business, to their ridiculous faith in Dalera, and will probably have learned nothing from the entire ordeal. Or so Atlantis believes.
Conclusion: Very battle heavy book, and very much worth buying, if you like Stargate Atlantis. The reason why the Wraith were attacking was a very cool one, but I'm not going to mention that in here. Just read the book for yourself! ^^
thereadingwren's review
3.0
3/5
I feel like this was kind of a mess. Everything you could ever imagine happening in an action movie happened in this book, and not in the good way. Every chapter ended on a cliffhanger which got tedious REAL QUICK! The amount of tension was actually boring because it became almost a gimmick and lost all the intensity.
The characterizations were pretty good, Rodney especially was great in this. It's super cool how some of the actors actually contributed to the novel in terms of their characterization. I just really did love the characters in this, it was only the plot that let it down.
Still excited to read the rest of the series.
I feel like this was kind of a mess. Everything you could ever imagine happening in an action movie happened in this book, and not in the good way. Every chapter ended on a cliffhanger which got tedious REAL QUICK! The amount of tension was actually boring because it became almost a gimmick and lost all the intensity.
The characterizations were pretty good, Rodney especially was great in this. It's super cool how some of the actors actually contributed to the novel in terms of their characterization. I just really did love the characters in this, it was only the plot that let it down.
Still excited to read the rest of the series.
elentarien's review
3.0
I actually fairly enjoyed this one. Quite a bit of action and while I didn't care for so much tension between the team members. . .it was sort of inevitable. Also, while things were tense, it never felt like they were going to 'split up'. More like they were just annoyed at each other, and stressed by the situation.
The plot is not a 'funny' or 'feel good' plot. Its a bit heavy-handed on the political/religious theme, and yet I could see it. Its surprising they don't hit more situations like this.
The big thing I did not care for, is the whole 'its our fault' theme that ran so long with the team. THey kept blaming themselves, despite evidence they just had bad timing, right through the end. Yet, as the reader, I did not see any way that it was 'their fault'. They might have made it a little worse than it might have been just by bringing something new into the mix. . .but they did not know, and couldn't know when people were not being straight with them. And in the end they did a LOT to help the people of Dalera. For all they were thanked.
I did find Rodney excessively arrogant in this one. . .but at the same time he's shown flare ups of it in the shows too, and he did eat a bit of humble pie through the whole thing so he wasn't terrible about it either.
So, yeah, a bit heavy handed, but all in all an interesting story and a good addition to the SGA pile.
The plot is not a 'funny' or 'feel good' plot. Its a bit heavy-handed on the political/religious theme, and yet I could see it. Its surprising they don't hit more situations like this.
The big thing I did not care for, is the whole 'its our fault' theme that ran so long with the team. THey kept blaming themselves, despite evidence they just had bad timing, right through the end. Yet, as the reader, I did not see any way that it was 'their fault'. They might have made it a little worse than it might have been just by bringing something new into the mix. . .but they did not know, and couldn't know when people were not being straight with them. And in the end they did a LOT to help the people of Dalera. For all they were thanked.
I did find Rodney excessively arrogant in this one. . .but at the same time he's shown flare ups of it in the shows too, and he did eat a bit of humble pie through the whole thing so he wasn't terrible about it either.
So, yeah, a bit heavy handed, but all in all an interesting story and a good addition to the SGA pile.
clack's review
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Another good Stargate book - though not for lovers of the McKay of SGA. His personality is unbearable in the opening chapters and, whilst he makes strides in correcting his attitude during the plot, the authors revert him back to being insufferable at the end. A blip in an otherwise good battle-oriented Stargate tale.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Classism and War
Moderate: Rape and Death
Minor: Death and Sexual assault
Impoverished society, skeletal and malnourished childrenredatt's review against another edition
3.0
Summary: Major Sheppard and Dr McKay were born to rule. Or maybe it was it serve ... ? Anyway, they turn out to be members of the Chosen and they throw Daleran society into crisis somewhat earlier than it would otherwise have been thrown into crisis (much angsting is enjoyed by all), causing many frustrations to boil over because like many menfolk they have trouble locating, understanding and properly stimulating the clitoris. I'm actually half-serious ...//
This tie-in novel, which was quite ploty* and which I did quite enjoy, is prefaced with a little map that looks rather like a diagram of a vagina. In fact, I'm pretty sure it was actually a diagram of a vagina cleverly veiled in euphemism. They might have labelled the all important spot the Enclave, but only blind virgin would be fooled into thinking it anything other than a clitoris located above the vaginal opening (Citadel), beneath the mons veneris (Black Hill) and between the protective fold of the vulva (the four parts of the city walls).
This is probably only to be expected when Ancient women found their own eponymous cities and societies. And yes, in case you are wondering, by the end of the tale Dalera is well and truly breached.
This tie-in novel, which was quite ploty* and which I did quite enjoy, is prefaced with a little map that looks rather like a diagram of a vagina. In fact, I'm pretty sure it was actually a diagram of a vagina cleverly veiled in euphemism. They might have labelled the all important spot the Enclave, but only blind virgin would be fooled into thinking it anything other than a clitoris located above the vaginal opening (Citadel), beneath the mons veneris (Black Hill) and between the protective fold of the vulva (the four parts of the city walls).
This is probably only to be expected when Ancient women found their own eponymous cities and societies. And yes, in case you are wondering, by the end of the tale Dalera is well and truly breached.
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