Customer Reviews

The War of the Prophets (Star Trek Deep Space Nine, Millennium Book 2 of 3)

5 star:		(21)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Well, so far, the Reeves-Stevens clan is definitely making me re-think my aversion to Star Trek books, mentioned in my review of "The Fall of Terok Nor". This second chapter of the "Millenium" trilogy is also a winner.

One of the most interesting things about the DS9 TV show was its ability to include the topics of faith, religion, spirituality and mysticism in the Star Trek universe, topics that were rarely touched upon in the original series and Next Generation. This book's primary focus is on those topics, which puts a fascinating spin on the events that unfold.

The second book brings on the titular "War of the Prophets", as the crew of the crippled Defiant, after witnessing the destruction of Deep Space Nine by a *second* wormhole at the end of the first book, finds itself in a distopian future (25 years ahead of the "real" Star Trek universe), with a Bajoran/Romulan-led Jihad consuming the entire galaxy. Starfleet is in tatters, humans, Klingons, Cardassians, and Founders are all but extinct. The leader of the Bajoran Ascendancy, Kai Weyoun (! ), is claiming he is the Emissary to the True Prophets (the Pah-Wraiths), and that Sisko's appearance heralds nothing less than the end of the universe itself. In the meantime, Captain Nog and Admiral Jean Luc Picard race against time and apocalypse, embarking on an extremely dangerous plan to change the past without destroying the present ... or the future.

Whew! This book had a LOT to keep track of, with no less than four major plotlines interweaving with each other, as well as numerous side plots or character asides to keep things interesting. Yet the story never gets unwieldy, even though I felt I was being propelled at warp speeds through the action.

Once again, certain characterizations are spot-on. Jake and Garak shine again, and Gul Dukat was pretty horrifying, but the authors really have got the obsequious (and now galactic messiah/warlord) Weyoun down cold. I miss seeing that smarmy little Vorta every week! :) However, again, Kira serves little more purpose than to provide strident counter-point to the less-than-spiritual Bajoran Commander Rees, which is a shame, given the fact that in this future, her people have become every bit as despotic as the Cardassians she fought to drive from her homeworld in the series. A couple of characters, most notably Picard and some of the Voyager crew, feel like they were little more than pointless cameos, though I reserve final comment on their use until the third volume.

The book ends with an even more jaw-dropping cliffhanger than the first volume. With the two wormholes in the Bajor system now joined, it seems the true "war of the Prophets" will be fought on a battlefield where time literally has no meaning. The final volume of this so far outstanding series has a lot to live up to, and if it does, this trilogy should go down as one of the best.

After reading the first 2 books of this 3 book set, I can't wait for the 3rd and final book! This is a marvel at combining all of our usual suspects in book one - The Fall of Terok Nor and then changing all of the rules in a wild and new universe in book two - The War of the Prophets. We see how people and ideals can change in a relatively short period of time for our DS9 stars and for others in the Star Trek universe. I have always hoped there would be books of this depth, length and crossover while reading every book that comes out every month. These make you think, dream and hope, while never following a set easy ending. I loved the way all of the characters interact, follow their usual ways, but bring a little more to the table than normal. I hope more authors follow this plan and are given the latitude by their publishers, whether it is DS9, STNG, or Voyager (which really needs to punched up like these book do for DS9). Thanks for the opportunity to comment. PHW

War of the Prophets is a GREAT book. Of course, the Fall of Terok Nor was a mystery, romance, religous look of a book. The War of the Prophets is a great, CROSSOVER type book. You have the Defiant crew trapped not in the past but 25 years in the future! Starfleet is involved in a religous war involving Bajor. The Enterprise-E destroyed and a new Enterprise still exist but without Picard for hes at Utopia Planita with Nog. Kassidy killed. The Founders, humans, and Klingons gone. The Borg have an alliance with the Federation due to Seven of Nine and the EMH; Voyager returned home and everyone from Voyager seems to be an Admiral; Seven, EMH, Janeway. This is a great book... all the DS9 regulars are in it. It even holds some truth in how Kai Winn departs... Dukat is in it too. With all these characters involved in one war effort to destroy Bajor, you will defently want to read it. Buy it!

Star Trek Deep Space Nine Millennium Book II of III The War of the Prophets

Simply put, Judith & Garfield Reeves-Stevens have with this trilogy written one of the best Star Trek Deep Space Nine stories in print up to the point of Millennium's release date(s). This is truly a story that will stand the test of time. In Book I, The Fall of Terok Nor, the authors set up a very well written and fluid premise that they've continued to expound upon here in The War of the Prophets. The concepts and ideas that the authors infused into this exceptional Star Trek Deep Space Nine story are nothing short of spectacular. It is quite refreshing to read a story written by authors who are also fans who watch the shows and keep up with the details, major or minor.

The premise:

At the conclusion of Book I, The Fall of Terok Nor, Captain Sisko and crew inadvertently brought together the three Red Orbs of Jalbador causing the destruction of Deep Space Nine and the creation of a second, red wormhole or temple to open up in Bajoran space. In a desperate attempt to save as many lives as possible during the destruction of the station, Sisko orders Deep Space Nine abandoned. He finds himself; his senior staff, his son, Garak, Vash, Quark and Rom are all aboard the Defiant. While desperately trying to save as many lives as possible and get the Defiant away from the newly forming wormhole, his ship is fired upon by Leej Terrell, one of the few remaining Cardassians from the Obsidian Order who has been searching for the Red Orbs for years only to be foiled by Captain Sisko. The Defiant is forced into the event horizon of the newly formed wormhole and slung into the future...

Captain Sisko and crew find themselves being fired upon by Starfleet vessels seemingly opposed to one another, both looking for his allegiance. Part of his crew is transported away, while the other half including himself is captured with the Defiant by none other than Thomas Riker.

Captain Sisko now finds himself in the year 2400, right in the middle of the War of the Prophets where Weyoun is now Kai Weyoun and he's leading the way towards bringing the two Celestial Temples together, forcing the destruction of the universe. The only hope for the universe is Admiral Jean Luc Picard who is unfortunately addled by Irumodic Syndrome leaving his trusted aide de camp, Captain Nog to do the majority of the work.

What follows is truly another outstanding work of Star Trek fiction that continues the story of "Millennium" quite admirably! I highly recommend this and of course the first and third books along with the Millennium omnibus! {ssintrepid}

This is the second book of DS9's Millennium Trilogy, and I wish I could give it a six star rating, for I gave five stars to the first one. This novel is even more brilliant, albeit much darker.

It sends the Defiant and her crew 25 years in the future (from a sixth season point of view), a twisted future in that everything that could go wrong has gone wrong. It is a future so bleak, so hopeless, that its description is of a nightmarish quality that will force you to read on and on... more horrified and delighted with every page.

Imagine a universe without the Klingons. And virtually no humans left either (Earth was destroyed). Cardassians? They too are tragic victims of a holy war between what is left of Starfleet and the Ascendancy, a Bajoran/Romulan/Grigari Empire run by no one less than Kai Weyoun, Emissary to the Pah-wraiths.

In this timeline, there are actually two wormholes. Weyoun's plan is to merge the two, thereby achieving perfect and ultimate order; the destruction of the entire universe is merely a side-effect.

To stop that mad plan, Admiral Picard (95 years old and suffering from Irumodic syndrome) and his trusted Captain Nog are building the Phoenix, the largest starship ever conceived. Due to Admiral Seven (who negotiated a peace treaty between the Borg and the Federation) it is equipped with Borg transwarp technology.

The crew members of the Defiant are seperated at the very beginning of the novel; several of them (including Captain Sisko) become Weyoun's prisoners, while the remaining crewmen try to help Picard and Nog.

This book is full of surprises: we even meet our favorite lunatic Dukat and pay a brief visit to the Mirror Universe. And Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens were right when they said in a recent interview that the cliffhanger of the second book is the biggest one in Star Trek history.

This book is the perfect read for every DS9 fan. It really is the best Star Trek novel I have ever read. But be warned: unlike the Double Helix novels the Millennium Trilogy can not be read seperately, you'll have to read "The Fall of Terok Nor" first.

The Federation and Klingon Empire virtually destroyed? The Prime Directive suspended??? Cardassia gone? Earth destroyed? The Enterprise-E and F destroyed? (Will) Riker, Troi, LaForge, Kassidy, Paris, Janeway (yes!) and others dead in a fierce battle? You better believe it!! This future timeline is one where the survival of the universe is literally at stake. What would you do to prevent its doom? Do you bow down and pray, confident in your faith, or do you rely on science to fight for what you believe is right? Would you alter the timeline at risk of your nonexistence? Does the actual presence of supernatural beings make a non-believer a believer? These questions arise from the books pages. Seeing Jake and Arla question Bajoran faith is brilliant. All the philosophical/religious ideas of this trilogy can be transfered to our world. Fallen angels (pah-wraits), angels (Prophets), Heaven (the blue temple, or the One temple?), Hell (red temple, and/or the fire caves), it's all here with great theological arguments loosely scattered (by which I mean this is in no way a purely religious book (there is plenty of action!) but it invokes the strongest religious/philosophical reflection, something I greatly admired!).

The plot: As always, Picard comes up with a brilliant way to save the universe... but can it (will it, does it) work? As with the middle chapter of The Lord of the Rings and Star Wars trilogies, this 2nd of 3 books is dark. 2400 is a terrifying year to live in. Basically there is the war of all wars. On one side there are those who believe in the Bajoran Ascendancy, and their Pah-Wraith emissary Kai Weyoun, who believe that when the red and blue temples/wormholes (I love how different characters see the phenomena in either religious or scientific terms reflecting their outlook) merge, the one true temple will be restored, but only after a battle b/w the True and False Prophets (Sisko and Weyoun, or is it Dukat?). On the other side is the dying Federation, headed by an aged diseased Admiral Picard, who believe the 11 dimensional universe of linear time-space will end if the temples merge. What I really enjoyed about this book was wondering whether or not Weyoun and his followers were right. I didn't just dismiss it out-of-hand but read the arguments as the authors set them up, and found myself quite perplexed indeed! I mean why would someone actually want everything, INCLUDING oneself, to end? For a while I questioned why Sisko et al didn't look at Weyoun's viewpoint and figure out whether or not he was being honest. It seemed to me that they just dismissed him automatically, but I found that hard to do given how many people in the galaxy had gone to his side. I chalk this up to brilliant writing (or else my stupidity!). Maybe Sisko's arrogance (dare I say pride?) is reason why he might be the False Emissary! Or how about Sisko assaulting Weyoun, only for Weyoun to remain pacified... are you telling me Sisko is good? Why didn't the Prophets intervene during the Cardassian Occupation? Their inaction proved more devastating than any actions the pah-wraiths have done. These and other arguments had me second-guessing. You'll have to read it for yourself to see what Weyoun does at the end of the book and decide whether he IS the True Emissary. I also enjoyed Dukat's entry and learning that there are the Prophets, the Pah-Wraiths from the firecave (of which Dukat follows) who want to get back to the Temple and the Pah-Wraiths of the newly found Red Wormhole (whom Weyoun follows) who want to end linear existence and join all as one in nonlinear perfection and bliss (Heaven! who wouldnt want that? A scared, arrogant Federation perhaps?). I really enjoyed the technobabble of time travel and why this or that can or cannot work and what the possible results of this or that are. I wonder how learned in quantum physics the authors are, but it sounded to me like it all made sense! Now I know why I can't (or can!) go back in time and kill my grandfather!

As for details: Vash's mention of Q was most welcomed. It was a good way to eliminate any cheap way of letting Q save everything. Personally I wish there had been more Picard. And seeing Picard not to form was quite startling. It was great to see Captain Nog, a Ferengi who had thought he had lost all of his friends in the destruction of DS9 in book 1, attempt to save the Universe along side a delirious Picard. The only real thing that bottered me was the way Thomas Riker was used. They could have made him a lot more interesting and important... Also, keep an eye open for an appearance by the Doctor and Admiral Seven. I read this book in 3 days and immediately plunged into Inferno (book 3). Once again, reading the Prologue gave me goosebumps. Another time, indeed.

Just like the "Empire Strikes Back," the middle leg of the new DS9 trilogy proves to have a bit of a dark side. Trapped 25 years in the future with the Federation as we know it gone and the galaxy gone mad and in a war that could destroy the universe, the crew of DS9 is forced to find a way to put the time-lines right and head for home.

It's certainly an interesting trip and a page-turner. After part one was content to concentrate on the character we've come to know and love, this one is far more action oriented. Yes, there's still some nice character stuff, including how Nog will turn out, the fate of Weyon and even a surprise appearence by Gul Dukat and some Voyager crew. All-in-all, it's an interesting "what-if" scenario that slowly builds up to a climax that made it virtually impossible at times to put down.

Of course, being a trilogy, it ends on a cliffhanger--and it's quite a good one. I am anxious to get my hands on the next installment and see what happens next...

My only problems with the book are the means the authors use to separate the crew and then, bring them back together, which are at times trite and cliched. I also hesistated from giving it five stars because, quite frankly, the Reeves-Stevens have set up so much in the first 700-odd pages of this epic that I'm afraid the final chapter may let me down. I have my fingers crossed that it will turn out well.

That said, if you're missing quality Trek on TV (as DS9 always was!), then pick this one up. It's a interesting tale and definitely an enjoyable way to pass a few hours.

...I said "What's that s.o.b. Weyoun doing wearing a Bajoran earring?" It seems that, 25 years into the DS9 future, he's the new Kai of Bajor's major religion. Winn would roll over in her grave, if it weren't for the fact that, all in all, they'd have made a pretty good couple. The sheer volume of sanctimony the pair would be capable would reach all the way to the Gamma Quadrant. But we also get here Mr. & Mrs. Worf as a warrior couple beyond compare (but I found myself saying "Huh? I thought Dukat whacked Jadzia."). Not to mention Nog as a veteran middle-aged captain who has more than justified Ben Sisko's support getting him into the Academy. It occurred to me years ago, though, that he could call into a radio station and dedicate an old 20th century Earth pop classic by War to his old friend Jake: "The Sisko kid, he was a friend of mine". But seriously, if you only buy this book, you'll be missing a lot of story fore-and-aft. No one volume of this trilogy is meant to be read as a story in and of itself any more than any one volume of "Lord Of the Rings". I'm not comparing this saga to that, mind you. But it stands head-and-shoulders over the usual run of Trek novel. Those of you who dismiss Trek fiction as lightweight, be advised. The Reeves-Stevens team have given us a tale that can't be written off that easily. Give it a try--it'll be worth the sixteen bucks (if you buy all three volumes here) it costs.

When I first began the Millenium trilogy, a scant two weeks ago I was a little disappointed. The first book has so much going on from so many vantage points that I didn't know how it related to either the overall premise or the forthcoming continuing novels. Boy was I surprised by Book II which at some points reminded me of Stephen King's The Stand where the DS9 crew is reduced to watching helplessly as their universe past/present/future crumbles at the hands of Kai Weyoun. Book III---Inferno goes even further because it tackles what is at the heart of understanding The Prophets, the Celestial Temple, Capt. Sisko's existence, the whole DS9 mythos which boils down to non-linear time. The concept of time having to be first explained to the Prophets and then their comprehending it enough so that they can teach/reveal/manipulate Sisko that what is always has been, what shall be is and that there is no what and that there always has been a thought that is staggering for a tv series/serial novel to accomplish. But the authors pull it off with an aplomb and yet a technical knowledge of physics and technobabble that makes it all comprehensible. It's good to see that the DS9 crew all experience different ideas of faith, belief in whether or not the Prophets are true "Gods" or merely interferring/insane aliens because it fosters a belief that all beliefs should be respected. One man's religion being anothers science. Even at the most desperate of times, Sisko and crew fight against the Pah-Wraiths destructive intent but never they're right to believe, a critical distinction. And the crew, particularly Sisko and to a heavy science bent Jadzia Dax and the surprising twist character of Commander Arla continuously question the Prophets, their pre-destined path for him and the world of Bajor that allows this final installment to securely lock with the two before into a terrific, wryly funny, dark, poignant story about faith and how the universe is bigger than any one crew. The DS9 crew (including Quark (who is both heroic and understandibly terrified, Nog (a boy/future Captain who risks literally everything to becming one of teh progenitors of all Bajoran faith with admiral Jean Luc Picard and the thief/vamp Vash, the hilariously dark Garak and Rom (who Garak secretly suspects is a master Ferengi scientist hiding as a dimwit)hurled through time, non-time, space, life and death have an intrinsic bond of group humanity/integrity/humor that makes them rival the original Star Trek Enterprise crew. A nice point about these novels is that it occurs a year in DS9 time before the final show so lots of plot points and foreshadowings are filled in to make the time spent with this crew even more rich to the serious fan. I am a serious Sisko fan, Avery Brooks fan, from way before DS9 but he embodies a captain, a father, a man, and to some degree though it isn't overtly stated, a Black man (the thought of Sisko being a discriminated against sci-fi writer of the early 20th century who is merely imagining/scrawling the DS9 adventures on a wall that Sisko's son, Jake will one day write as a book himself four hundred years in the future about a man in the 1950's who is a discriminated against Black sci-fi writer who writes about DS9 is chilling, non-linear and equisitely managed and bent and twisted and toyed with so that you actually leave with several fully co-existing, non-conflicting, non-linear beliefs about exactly what's going on. Forget STTNG, DS9 would be the hit Star Trek film Paramount is looking for! Makes you wonder what's going on with Voyager (Seven, Janeway and the Doctor pop up here too).

A lost Bajoran Orb of the Prophets promises to unlock another wormhole in the first two parts of this DS9 trilogy. Cardassians, Smugglers, and an Alternate Future (bleak). Oh My! In part one, lots of post occupation plotline, in book two, the Alt.Future Federation is in tatters, Picard is out to build the biggest starship ever seen, and Worf and Jadzia banter about their long life together. My first reaction to these books is; "What? Again?" My second is invariably; "Gee...what happens next?" Sigh...these books are as addictive as ever. (a third title yet to come...)