Customer Reviews

Demons of Air and Darkness (Star Trek Deep Space Nine: Gateways, Book 4)

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I've been following the books that continue the story of DS9 past the point of the final episode in the TV Series, and I've been really enjoying them. For one, there's the more "Serial" nature to them: the new DS9 books don't always end with everything wrapped up that was introduced (indeed, Jake has been missing somewhere inside the wormhole for a few books now). For another, there's the lack of "reset" to the books: most of the Star Trek books can't change anything major, as the characters would show these changes thereafter in the series, whereas with the DS9 books, now that the series is over, this isn't the case.

All of that said, the plot in this book was very fragmented. I realize it is one of the books in a series, but standing alone, parts of it didn't even make sense: The Iconians have come back, is the premise, and they've opened up all their old doorways in space as almost an example to the quadrant over what they're selling to the highest bidder, but some Malon antimatter waste is coming through one of those gateways, ruining a planet nearby DS9.

So, the story is basically a rescue attempt from DS9. Unfortunately, the other plot wrinkles all suffer from a stutter: you have a lot of cliffhangers in the end of this book, and yet nearly nothing is resolved at all. I don't mind a "serial," but to give me nothing completed is something else. Also, given that a lot of the readers of the DS9 books aren't going to go pick up five other books just so that the DS9 book in this series makes sense, and you've got a problem with this one.

There was quite a bit of merit in the book: the exploration of what's going on with Dax was interesting, and you get quite a bit more character development from Shar, the new ensign science officer for DS9. Still, both of these didn't quite save the book entirely for me, and I was let down. If you do want to keep reading the DS9 books that are set after the series, this one is necessary, as Dax and Shar have some important revelations, but in and of itself, the novel doesn't stand alone, and you may find that to really enjoy it, you'll need the other books in the "Gateways" series.

'Nathan

Warning. Once you pick up this book you will find it hard to put down. Exciting, fast moving with wonderful characterizations and a fantastic story. Definately the stand out in the Gateways series so far. And if you are not reading the others you can still enjoy this great DS9 adventure. For those who've been reading the relaunch novels this story follows right on the heels of "Abyss" Been wondering what's up with Shar? Been anxious to learn more about Vaughn? Well "Demons of Air and Darkness" fills in more of the pieces and does a great job of advancing all the characters while still telling a great stand alone story. The book is full of surprises that I don't want to give away but for anyone looking for a great read full of adventure and great characters I highly recommend this book.

The previous reviews did excellent jobs in covering the plot of this novel. I want to point out some things about the writing, though.

DeCandido is a good Star Trek writer. But he falls into the same trap that many other (and more mediocre) Trek novelists fall into -- making the characters little more than 20th century people living in the 23rd/24th centuries.

Trek novelists can produce great works -- witness Andrew Robinson's great "A Stitch In Time," or some of Diane Carey's books. They are true to the Trek universe without taking shortcuts in writing.

In "Demons," DeCandido takes the easy way out in writing much of the character's speech. For example, three pages in, the Malon, about whom little has been written or seen in previous Trek incarnations, and about whom much new thought could be given, speak like they are just a bunch of current-day (20th century) humans. Would they really say "dam*it?" And couldn't DeCandido come up with anything more novel than that?

Would an Orion slavegirl say "harebrained scheme?" Would she even know what a "hare" is?

Would a Starship captain refer to her ship as "wicked efficient?" She would if she grew up where I grew up, south of Boston, in the late 20th century. But I doubt that she did.

These are just three top-of-mind examples. Listen. The book was okay -- nothing spectacular, just typical Trek "these 12 characters that you all know and love are going to save the universe -- yes, the universe -- yet again." It's written like an extended DS:9 episode. And that's not necessarily a bad thing.

I just wish that DeCandido -- and other many Trek authors -- would put a little more thought into how the characters speak in the books, and not try to make them little more than a bunch of 20th century stereotypes. The Trek novel universe would be better for it.

This was the best of the books in the Gateways series so far. The first one was okay, but the next two seemed choppy and did not engage me. Plus each author seems to treat the nature of the gateways differently. You'd think they could have made some effort at consistency.

That said, I think this book outshines the others. The characterizations are true to life and the plot is well paced and kept my interest. I found a few things stretched believability, but no more than the series did. (They moved how many people how fast with how many ships? And the speeds they traveled--Voyager should have made it home in three months.)

I also enjoyed the interactions of the new characters with the old, but my favorite so far is Taran'atar. He is a complex character, elevating the Jem'Hadar above robotic beings into the people that were only hinted at in DS9.

It's unfortunate that you have to slog through the other books of the series to get to this one, but it's worth it.

Would someone just bang me in the eye when I start griping about the Trek "series" books *before* I even crack one cover? I've got to say without doubt the "Gateways" series has been the best so far.

While it's not *that* important for you to read them in the order they are numbered, I have found doing so could help to keep sense of the goings-on. However, since I am *not* reading them in order, I have also found you can still make sense of things, especially if you're familiar with the Big Picture That Is Star Trek.

But if you've been needing lessons on how to keep a thousand plot threads in the air at the same time, just ask Keith R.A. DeCandido! Thanks to the Gateways and a boatload of cleverness, he's all over the galaxy in this novel, and it's a good thing the chapters tell the locations, or otherwise you'd need to make notes.

This novel abounds with fine characterizations of the people we love the most (Kira, Nog, Quark, Bashir, Dax, Laren, Yates), a few new ones (Shar, Vaughn, Taran'atar), several we love to hate (Hirogen, Orion, Malon), and a whole host of people on the outside edges that I hope we'll learn more about.

Grand adventure awaits, with some mystery and downright confusion thrown in for good measure. Read the book.

One daring aside: If you're *really* interested in the re-launch of DS9, don't start with this book. Go back and start with the two "Avatar" books, then read the DS9 installment of the Section 31 series, titled "Abyss," and THEN read this one. I guarantee you won't be disappointed.

If you have read any of my previous DS9 reborn reviews, you know that I have read all four of the new DS9 books.

In this episode, Antimatter waste has started polluting and poisoning the Human colony Europa Nova, A colony that has been in place for over 100 years. It's colonists have survived, flourished, even fended off the Dominion during the war, without the help of the Federation or any other government. The closest ships are at DS9.Kira, Bashir, and new characters Commander Vaughn and Jem'Hadar Taran'atar, accompanied by dozens of Starfleet, Bajoran, and civilian ships set out to evacuate the entire planet's population. In doing so, they discover the pollution's source, an Iconian "Gateway"(TNG:EPISODE:"Contagion")being used as an apparent dumping ground from the Delta Quadrant. Meanwhile, Quark is negotiating a deal for the Orion Syndicate for possession of the Gateway network from the Iconians.

Author Keith R.A. DeCandido has created a story better written than much of the series. Rather than merely assign lines to characters, DeCandido further expands our knowledge and understanding of Taran'atar and Elias Vaughn and the rest of the cast. We learn more of Ensign Ch'thane's secret, Kira strands herself in the Delta quadrant(permanently?)to keep her oath to Europa Nova's President. You will be left on the edge of your seat at the conclusion of each chapter, and he has formed suspenseful, exciting scenes that are easy to visualize. Although part of the Gateway "series" of books, it IS NOT necessary to read any of the five other books, to read this story. I -almost- would give it a 4 out of 5, as Simon&Schuster decided, as with the other 5 books, to conclude the stories in a hardcover book 7. The conclusion to this book is on page 83 in book 7.

Sometimes humorous, sometimes shocking, always intriguing! Buy this book now, and the other four new Deep Space Nine books. Read my other reviews on the other new DS9 books.

I can remember early on in the Deep Space Nine series when Ben Sisko felt uneasy about his son Jake hanging out with Ferengi teenager Nog--he was worried that Nog would serve as the conduit through which his uncle Quark's cutthroat mercantilism might infect Jake. Little did Sisko know that Jake would serve as the conduit through which his own values would rub off on Nog. We got our first evidence of that from Quark's frequent complaints to his nephew that he was "thinking more like a hew-mon every day". In the current Deep Space Nine timeline, Nog commands a runabout on a scouting mission in a way that will pave the way for future Ferengi serving in Starfleet--after all, look at the mark Worf made. But by and large, this story is about a culture which reactivates ancient technology to sell to the highest bidder. The dilemma is fairly obvious--everybody knows that no one culture should possess these Gateways--it's equivalent to rogue nations in the real world possessing nukes. But what about Kira? You'll have to see the book itself for that.

I really hate the words "to be continued"!

But I can handle them in a great series like this!

I remember the Iconians from the Original Star Trek, but never imagined they would turn up again in this way. This series is similar to the double Helix series, where each set of doctors thru each book gains a little more knowledge. In this series we learn about the "Iconions" and their gate-way technology for moving from one part of the universe to another, and posibily thru time as well.

I very much enjoyed learning the reason Quark took a dabo girl with him to a degotiation, and the Jem-Hadar fight was great and well staged.

Of course, the big question that will not be answered for awhile..."Where is Kira?"............

I look forward to every new DS9 book because of the new characters - so far they have not only had great character development, but also great stories (too bad no one has breathed new life into the Next Generation books also!)This book does not disappoint. The story centers around the gateways that are popping up all over the galaxy through a race that was thought extinct. If you have read the other 3 books, then here you learn a bit more about the Iconians. It's a solid storyline, and worthy of your time. Now, just a moment to whine - Star Trek editors, please, please have more books that don't involve part twos, threes, fives, sevens, etc - I'm getting "to be continued" to death!

Demons of Air and Darkness is another adventure in the continuing saga of Star Trek: Deep Space 9. After the TV series ended, Pocket Books decided to continue the adventures of the station and some of its crew (other crewmembers had moved on in the final episode). The first two books (Avatar books one and two) were a wonderful beginning. I haven't read Section 31: Abyss yet, but I found this one in the library and decided to check it out. While not being as good as Avatar, it's still up there. It's well written, with just a bit too much Trek continuity for my taste to mar the quality.

Sounds a bit convoluted, doesn't it? Thankfully, Candido does a good job of juggling all of the different storylines. First, I should tell you that this book is actually Book 4 in the Gateways 7-part series that goes through all of the Trek book series. However, you do not need to have read any of the other books to know what's going on. All of the books are designed to stand on their own two feet, and this one does, except that you have to read book 7 to find out what ultimately happens to Kira. That was a bit annoying, since I now have to track that book down. But it is manageable.

Overall, this is another winner in the DS9 series. The characters are well-defined, with all of them getting their moment in the spotlight. The cool thing about a continuing series is that the characterization can be carried through subsequent books, and this one is no exception. Ever since Avatar, we have known that there is some tension between Ensign ch'Thane and his "mother" (for lack of a better term). This storyline is touched upon in this novel as well. Ch'Thane is a very interesting character, and the Andorian race (which ch'Thane is one) is fleshed out from what we have seen in the TV series. Evidently, the race is dying out, and his mother is very upset that he won't come home and start a family on Andor. He is, however, very happy in Starfleet and has no desire to go home. It doesn't make matters any easier that she is on the Federation council. It is all very interestingly done, and I look forward to further exploration of this fascinating species.

The bad thing, of course, about continuing series is that the characterization can be carried through to subsequent books. Thankfully, this doesn't become a problem in this one. The previous book was about Doctor Bashir and involved the Jem'Hadar named Taran'atar. He evidently learned a lot about humans and the Federation in that book, but anything important is summarized in this book, so it's not a problem. He's also an interesting character given a lot to do, especially when he joins Kira in the Delta Quadrant. He ends up getting into the fight of his life. Candido portrays all of this well, including the inner conflict that Taran'atar has during the fight. He is torn between protecting Kira and the joy of conflict. It was nice having the needed information from Abyss given in this one, so you don't have to track down the other one unless you truly want to.
The rest of the characters are excellently done as well. The writers and editors of this series have taken some of the best characters from the TV show, expanded on their characters, and added a host of new characters who you like to read about. The cast is perfectly done, and I can honestly say that there isn't a boring person in the bunch (though Dax comes close). Each person gets some good "screen time" in this novel, with only Ro Laren getting short shrift in the beginning (though she makes up for it in the end). They are all three-dimensional, and play their parts to the hilt.

Candido handles the multiple storylines very well. He cuts away at just the right moments, making all of the disparate stories interesting. You are never reading one section and saying to yourself "I wish he'd leave these losers and go back to Kira" or something like that. The only shortfall in this book is the abundance of continuity references to previous Trek television shows. I suppose that's par for the course in a sub-series of books which is about something that comes out of the TV series (like the Gateways concept is), but it still started to become annoying. There were references to many of the televised episodes, some of them that didn't really need referencing. Gul Macet from one of the Next Generation episodes, is in the book for no real reason, as it could have been any other Cardassian. At times, the book makes the Star Trek universe seem very small, though it's not nearly as bad as some other Trek books.

Still, if that's the only strike against this book, that's saying a lot. I'm really enjoying these post-television Deep Space 9 stories, and I plan on tracking down as many of them as I can. With an interesting cast of characters, intriguing plots and an ongoing storyline, you can't go wrong. Demons of Air and Darkness is yet another winner.

David Roy