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book_eddy's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
david_agranoff's review
3.0
I don't have much to add to my review of book one. They probably should have been one book. I assume that was the publisher not the author's fault.
jdhacker's review
adventurous
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
jecamp86's review against another edition
4.0
Terrific conclusion to this two parter that obviously opens doors for future books
alexbe2ab4's review
adventurous
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
wynwicket's review
4.0
Although it didn't stand up as a complete story in its own right -- it re-told the events of [b:Avatar Book One of Two|103188|Avatar Book One of Two (Star Trek Deep Space Nine)|S.D. Perry|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1347355894s/103188.jpg|2080722] from the perspective of other characters -- it did add some depth to the events of the previous book. The Jem'Hadar attack dragged on for a long time, but I've really come to like two of the new characters: Elias Vaughan, a former intelligence officer who has an epiphany after his encounter with an Orb and realizes he has seen enough of war. And Shar, a young Andorian officer, who struggles to fit in on DS9.
Good, if not great, and portentous of bigger things to come.
Good, if not great, and portentous of bigger things to come.
lefthandedmatt's review
5.0
The two books that make up the 'Avatar' duology should have been released as one novel, and I was glad to read that the author agrees with that. Together they tell one complete story, but when separated they feel very divided; the first book is all set up, the second is all payoff.
Kicking off the Deep Space Nine relaunch (stories set after the conclusion of the TV series) was a big undertaking. It's by far the richest and most complex Star Trek series in terms of characters and plot, and it broke the mould by being somewhat serialised. Any continuing tales had a lot of story threads to pick up.
So, it's delightful to realise just how well the 'Avatar' books work. They manage to continue the narrative we became so invested in while also setting things in a new direction. The familiar characters are written exceedingly well and capture the original performances, while the new additions are immediately fascinating and interesting people.
In that respect, it's a real shame that it was divided into two books. All of the first book is just teasing you, setting up things and moving quite slowly. There's nothing inherently wrong with that because it feels so good to just be a part of the life on board Deep Space Nine and see where everybody is at. But, I think it's a fair criticism to say that very little actually happens throughout it. In contrast, the second book is an absolute whirlwind of exciting action and twists which were all set up by the first.
I particular love that Ro Laren is added to the main "cast". She was always fascinating in her appearances on The Next Generation, and it's apt that she was originally going to be a character on DS9 but her role eventually became Kira Nerys instead. Having Ro and Kira together is great, because they are naturally set up to be at odds.
Commander Vaughan is also a good addition. He's appeared in several other previous novels (although they may have been written/published after this story) and I like that he's been scattered throughout the Trek novel-verse.
The book finishes with some really interesting hooks about what is to come. It continues the DS9 story in a fantastic fashion. I've read this and some of the following stories before, but it was so long ago that most of it has faded from my memory, so I can't wait to see where this all goes.
Kicking off the Deep Space Nine relaunch (stories set after the conclusion of the TV series) was a big undertaking. It's by far the richest and most complex Star Trek series in terms of characters and plot, and it broke the mould by being somewhat serialised. Any continuing tales had a lot of story threads to pick up.
So, it's delightful to realise just how well the 'Avatar' books work. They manage to continue the narrative we became so invested in while also setting things in a new direction. The familiar characters are written exceedingly well and capture the original performances, while the new additions are immediately fascinating and interesting people.
In that respect, it's a real shame that it was divided into two books. All of the first book is just teasing you, setting up things and moving quite slowly. There's nothing inherently wrong with that because it feels so good to just be a part of the life on board Deep Space Nine and see where everybody is at. But, I think it's a fair criticism to say that very little actually happens throughout it. In contrast, the second book is an absolute whirlwind of exciting action and twists which were all set up by the first.
I particular love that Ro Laren is added to the main "cast". She was always fascinating in her appearances on The Next Generation, and it's apt that she was originally going to be a character on DS9 but her role eventually became Kira Nerys instead. Having Ro and Kira together is great, because they are naturally set up to be at odds.
Commander Vaughan is also a good addition. He's appeared in several other previous novels (although they may have been written/published after this story) and I like that he's been scattered throughout the Trek novel-verse.
The book finishes with some really interesting hooks about what is to come. It continues the DS9 story in a fantastic fashion. I've read this and some of the following stories before, but it was so long ago that most of it has faded from my memory, so I can't wait to see where this all goes.