15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
BSG Bleeds No More, April 7, 2007
The first two BATTLESTAR GALACTICA novels were unimpressive at best:
a novelization of the miniseries which added nothing to justify itself two years after the show aired, and
a novel which filled in backstory that didn't seem to mesh well with the show. SAGITTARIUS IS BLEEDING by Peter David is the first BSG novel to take on the task of meshing with the series, and does so admirably.
The novel picks up after President Roslin was cured of cancer in "Epiphanies", and explores the aftermath of that episode. David takes the opportunity to look into just what the cure means to Roslin. In the show, the cure is taken as given; here we get an in-depth exploration of the ramifications of it on her character, and on Sharon Valerii who provided it.
In the process, David also explores one of the more noticeable dropped plots from the series: that of Boxey. A character from the original show, not seen after the first season, we get to see how he's coping with the changes in his life after his rescuer turned out to be a Cylon.
But even for someone who's not interested in exploring these tidbits from the series, SAGITTARIUS IS BLEEDING is an excellent BATTLESTAR GALACTICA adventure. Peter David gets the characters and the universe right, giving us an adventure that is enjoyable on its own terms as well as having deeper meaning for those intimately familiar with the TV show.
I'm not sure what this means for the future of the BATTLESTAR GALACTICA novel line. I went into this book expecting it to be good because of Peter David's other work, in tie-ins and in his own settings. Hopefully SAGITTARIUS is a sign for the future, the shape of things to come.
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7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
worthy effort, March 8, 2007
The prior reviews nail it. It is nice to see an author create a new story for the BSG universe. I hate it when they have a sci-fi writer "cram" known characters into sci fi stories they had "lying" around - looking at you Star Wars authors :( . I almost had heart failure when "Boxey" (gone from the new BSG after the mini-series) was going to be a Major part of the story but he pulls it off. The author knows the BSG characters, the dialogue of the show, and most of the back story. The exchange between Helo and Kara toward the end about getting in an air duct was laugh out loud funny. He also makes you think about various topics that make of much of the BSG debate - treatment of a prisoner, what is human, what is worth giving up to achieve security, etc.
The author does seem to have some continuity errors- as far as I remember Baltar's initial cylon detector worked fine but they keep saying that it does not, I think Billy was off the show by this time but I would need to check my DVD, and there was some other "myth" errors but with a show that is always changing (ask starbuck/kara about that one after a recent episode ;) still not a bad effort. You may need to have at least watch the mini-series and some of the show to understand what is happening = fans of the show will enjoy the book much more than a non-fan.
If you are a fan of the show 4 stars because the joy of getting an "extra episode" is so much fun but if just a casual reader of sci-fi maybe 2 or 3 and you may be lost. If you have not rented / bought the DVDs and you consider yourself a Sci Fi fan shame on you and get it done. :)
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7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
A Near Miss..., October 19, 2006
I am a fan of Peter David's writing (particularly his "Babylon 5" novels) and of the new "Battlestar Galactica." I think "Sagittarius Is Bleeding" is the best novel about the "new" Galactica crew so far. But there isn't much competition for that honor. As a fan, though, I didn't feel that this novel was up to David's usual standards or the very high standards seen in most of the episodes of the new BSG.
The novel is set in the latter half of season 2 of the new "Battlestar Galactica," after the death of Pegasus' Commander Fisk (in "Black Market") but before the death of Pegasus' Commander Garner (in "The Captain's Hand"). A group calling themselves the Midguardians, whose religion is based in what we call Norse mythology, want seperate status as a colony. They petition their representative, Tom Zarek, to speak to the President on their behalf. Then a lawyer, also a Midguardian, attempts to represent the pregnant Cylon (Sharon "Boomer" Valerii) in Galactica's brig and obtain her freedom.
I found some inconsistencies and outright errors in the text (which may be the editor's fault more than anyone else's). For example, Baltar's Cylon detector is referred to by Number Six as being a sham. Yet that same detector clearly identified Cylon Sharon in season one. I thought some of the characterizations were dead on--like President Roslin--and others--like Doctor Baltar--were a bit heavy-handed and overdone. I agree with some of the other reviewers that this novel takes a very long time to get to the point and is often repetitive along the way.
"Sagittarius Is Bleeding" also makes two large dents in the continuity of the show. The first regards someone else "seeing" the vision of Number Six that torments/arouses Dr. Baltar. Since the creators of the show haven't revealed exactly why Baltar sees her, having someone else comfirm her presence as something other than a delusion is not a good idea. The second regards the (rather lame) ending, where it is implied that a certain character is actually a Cylon. While this person may eventually be revealed as a Cylon on the show (though I can't imagine why), it seems premature to do so in a tie-in novel.
I was not thrilled about the return of Boxey. I'm aware he was much beloved in the original series, but I wasn't sad to see him disappear after the first couple of episodes in season one of the new BSG. I'm not a fan of kids in sci-fi in general. Having them in a gritty drama like what BSG has become seems to be asking for trouble.
I'd say one of the best scenes in the novel is Sharon "obtaining information" from her lawyer when things with the Midguardians reach a boiling point. We don't get to see the Cylons cut loose very often, especially one as "human" as Sharon seems to be.
Watch for a fun allusion by Admiral Adama to the character Edward James Olmos (who plays Adama on the TV show) played in the sci-fi classic "Blade Runner."
Tom Zarek (since he's played by Richard Hatch, the "original" Apollo) will always be a popular character in the show's mythology. He has appeared in both original "new" BSG novels so far. In this case, he acts much as we have seen him--as a shady yet charismatic leader with enough decency to keep him from being an outright villain. And, speaking of villains, D'anna Biers (the Cylon played by Lucy Lawless) makes a welcome appearance as an instigator who nearly dooms the fleet without the help of the distraction provided by the Midguardians.
Despite the problems I see in it, I think that David's novel deals with some important issues in the BSG universe. For example, the questions about the "side effects" from the miraculous blood transfusion (from Sharon's Cylon-human hybrid baby) that saved President Roslin's life. The "human rights" questions about Sharon's "secret" confinement aboard Galactica were also important to address. A scene near the end of the novel between Roslin and Sharon (in a dangerous yet idyllic setting) was long overdue in regards to dicussing the transfusion.
Sadly, the plot involving the Midguardians is the weakest area of the novel. The Midguardians and their conspiracy isn't a terrible idea, but it's one that never seems to gel with the existing plotlines from the TV show that David delves into. Without the Midguardians, a much shorter and better novel would have resulted.
"Sagittarius Is Bleeding" is not a bad novel. There are good scenes and plotlines in it. Yet there are enough bad (or at least unnecessary) scenes and plotlines to somewhat bury the good ones. This novel was a decent read and didn't disappoint me the way "The Cylons' Secret" did. But I suspect people who are avid fans of the show won't find "Sagittarius Is Bleeding" anywhere near as satisfying as the series itself. Then again, those who find the TV show too grim and dark might prefer this lighter fare.
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