Customer Reviews

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: Terok Nor: Day of the Vipers

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is an excellent novel that's very well written. It fills a gap most of us who have watched DS9 have wondered about for years. Reading it is a lot like watching one of those old black and white horror movies. You know the monster is coming and you know what's going to happen is going to be bad and the characters have no idea. The threat of the Occupation lingers so heavily over the book and adds another level of intensity. It's also interesting to see a pre-Occupation Bajor and how the Bajorans existed before their world was basically shattered. I can't wait to see how this series ends. Very well done.

I'd recommend picking up A Stitch in Time by Andrew J. Robinson for a bit of background reading about the Oralian Way as well.

Deep Space Nine is my favourite series of all time, and the Cardassians have become my favourite aliens (sorry Vulcans!). I found the situation of a military based society having to come to a peaceful coexistence (and even being aided by, in the later years) with the very people whom they had occupied and exploited to be endlessly fascinating and insightful in our own culture (this is what Trek has always done, and what many non Trekkers have missed when they deride the series). This book answers all of the questions about the early years of the occupation of Bajor: why it happened, what were the Cardassians' motives towards Bajor and its people and how they changed, the social unrest in Bajor over their caste system prior to the occupation, the evolution of the future Gul Dukat and his career, how many Cardassians opposed the enslavement of the Bajorans, and how a peaceful people like those of Bajor can be transformed into a bloody guerrilla. Everything that DS9 had left you wanting to know more about in concern to the Bajorian Occupation, the cultures of the Cardassian and Bajorian peoples, and the hopes of both for the future are covered here. This is a well written, awesome book that even the most discriminating Star Trek fan will enjoy. I can't wait for the next two in the trilogy!

Looking back at its seven year run, it is simply impossible to imagine Deep Space Nine without the Bajoran Occupation. The Cardassian Union's annexation of the planet and its aftermath was the catalyst for the arrival of Sisko and Starfleet, for the discovery of the Bajoran Wormhole, and for the eventual outbreak of the Dominion War. But its' status as the series' catalyst meant that it was ultimately and perhaps unfortunately, just that: back-story. When we first stepped onto the station in "Emissary", the Occupation had just ended and we would see the immediate aftermath in those early seasons, particularly the Circle trilogy. Similarly, we saw flashbacks in later episodes like "Necessary Evil" and "Things Past" and in novels like "Double Helix: Vectors" and "A Stitch in Time".

But we never saw the initial stages of the Occupation and the circumstances that led to Cardassia annexing Bajor. Again, this was not a problem because the Occupation itself was DS9's catalyst, not the events that led to it. But for those like myself who love to explore the nuances and threads of the tapestry, this was an unexplored area of Trek history that deserved attention. I'd always hoped that The Lost Era would eventually explore this key period. In 2008, Pocket Books granted my wish with a new trilogy of novels dubbed Star Trek: Terok Nor.

Author James Swallow kicks off the trilogy with "Day of the Vipers", which begins in 2318 and runs through 2328. The Cardassian Union is simultaneously fighting off civil unrest and seeking to bring new resources into the fold. Likewise, Bajor is on the rise and in turn is eager to expand its own sphere of influence outwards into the Alpha Quadrant at large. Thus, first contact is made and the stage is set as political, military, and religious elements on both sides kick into motion a chain of events that will seal the fate of Bajor for the next half century.

Swallow's cast is a combination of original characters and one-note/recurring TNG & DS9 characters, from Kubus Oak ("The Collaborator") to Kotan Pa'Dar ("Cardassians"). The most familiar character is, of course, a young Skrain Dukat. Swallow's characterization of Dukat is especially fascinating and welcomed. The familiar elements of DS9's arch-foe are present - the charm, the arrogance, the cruelty - but this is a younger Dukat who is still rising through the ranks. It is a Dukat who does not yet command the political and military clout that we see in "Emissary" and in flashbacks to the Occupation. It's interesting to see that Dukat's involvement with Bajor dates back to the start and to also see the beginnings of his obsession with the planet.

In addition, Swallow's attention to detail is excellent as he explores two of DS9's key cultures at this critical juncture in their respective histories. This is a Cardassia that has not yet entered into its border wars with the Federation, let alone made first contact with the Federation. It is a Cardassia that is not quite as secure as early DS9 portrayed it. Likewise, this is a Bajor that we never saw on the series: a Bajor pure and whole, where the D'Jarra caste system is still intact, and where the people possess a curiosity rather than hatred of their interstellar neighbors. As a longtime DS9 fan, it was strange to read the early chapters and see Bajor circa 2318. It's even more tragic as we see how close Bajor almost came to dodging the bullet and avoiding the Occupation altogether. We know the outcome, yet you hope that it will play differently.

This book explains how the Cardassians came to Bajor and eventually annexed the planet. The Cardassians' plan was crafty from the start - they came under the pretense of peace and mutual understanding, but were secretly planning a takeover the whole time.

The story focuses on people with varied backgrounds. Cardassian characters include Dukat (on the cover), other military personnel with varying degrees of competence, and a priest. Bajorans of interest include a mid-level Bajoran politician, a lawman, and a priest. The different backgrounds help describe the overall situation as the Bajoran way of life is uprooted.

The path from first contact to occupation is filled with deceit, political maneuvering, and oppression, with Bajorans responding in a variety of ways as their peaceful world begins to fall apart. Ultimately the far-reaching Cardassian plan is executed, and Bajor is annexed.

Emotionally this book is on the down side since the themes are negative, but that didn't prevent me from enjoying the book. I particularly enjoyed how the Cardassians used the Bajoran faith as a tool for their ends and succeeded so well.

Have you ever wondered about the Cardassian occupation of Bajor? Did you ever question how it began, pondered over the mystery of this lost chapter in Star Trek history? Well, now you have an answer. Okay, it's a novel, and thus it doesn't satisfy the stringent regulations required to pass for canon. But in all honesty, this book is good enough to be the real deal, so until evidence to the contrary comes about, that's exactly how I'll be treating it.

The list of characters at the beginning of the book lets you hop right in and start reading. It's extraordinarily helpful because unlike most other Trek novels, this one is not based around a crew that we have gotten to know on screen, so many of the people we meet are brand new. At the back of the book is an appendix that clarifies places and terms. It even draws connections between the book and specific episodes from the on-screen Star Trek universe.

James Swallow does an excellent job painting the delicate tapestry that is Bajor, a devout world that sways in the tenuous waters of a people governed by faith and trusting in politics. Swallow then beautifully crafts a story that tells of how the Cardassians come to Bajor and decompose Bajoran society from the inside out until nothing remains but chaos--ordered only by merciless Cardassian rule. All of the insidious plotting was so tantalizingly thought out, all of the guile and shadow play were so carefully written, all of the characters, both heroes and villains, were so real and so dramatic that I felt absorbed by every page of the book.

However, you should be aware that this book may move slowly at times. It's no thriller. This novel is meant to inform as much as it is to entertain. It's nearly 500 pages long and takes us on a journey that spans 10 years. Also, while Day of the Vipers is superbly written, know that it is a relentlessly sorrowful tale with only a glimmer of happiness at the end.

All in all, I was very pleased with Star Trek: Terok Nor: Day of the Vipers. It's worthy of any Star Trek fan, especially those who have watched Deep Space Nine.

I was nervous when I first began to read this because yes, I wanted to know the background, but I was worried that the story wouldn't live up to the hype and imagination build around it from 7 years of DS9 episodes.
It wasn't everything I imagined about the occupation...IT WAS MORE! (Sorry to sound cliche) I couldn't have asked for a better background story - full of intrigue and amazing characters. All this while the reader KNOWS the ending (so it gets really sad).
Amazing. Just amazing.
P.S. The only problem with this book is that S.D. Perry (a great writer himself) doesn't live up to Swallow's writing. Reading books 2 and 3 are good, but not nearly as good as this one. S.D. Perry is a great Star Trek writer, but James Swallow has written something that I believe could stand on its own, even without knowing the series.

I'm still in the process of reading "Day of the Vipers: 2318-2328", which spins the tale of the beginning of Cardassia taking over Bajor. I'm up to chapter 5 but this book doesn't seem to grab my attention as much as other Deep Space Nine books have done. I'll be updating this review as soon as I finish reading it.

Update: December 7, 2009

I finally finished reading "Day of the Vipers" plus the other two books in the trilogy. The first half of "Day of the Vipers" was a bit of a dry read for me but the action started picking up toward the end of the first book. By the end, I was looking forward to reading "Night of the Wolves", the continuing story of Terok Nor.

This is MUST read for fans of Deep Space Nine and especially for those who want to see how it all went down with the Occupation. Most Bajorans are as naive as you'd think and the Cardassians are equally as ruthless and calculating. This is a slow build towards domination but we know how it all ends. It's how we get there that is magic for this book. Well conceived and a top choice for any serious Star Trek fiction fan! Welcome to the fold, James Swallow!

Deep Space Nine was always my favorite Trek series. One of the aspects I really liked was the richness of the story. It's clear Bajor and Cardassia had a long history even before Sisko arrives. The Terok Nor series tries to flesh out that history. Ultimately, I thought the first book - Day of the Vipers - was a pretty decent backstory. The Cardassian occupation of Bajor is more gradual and subtle, and hence more realistic, than fans probably expected. I think the book nails Dukat's character, as well as some of the Bajoran politicians who had been introduced in various episodes. At times thought the dialogue did come across as a bit stilted ("You're teasing me, Dukat."). Pa'Dar's character was definitely underutilized. However, the biggest disappointment was Darrah Mace, the Bajoran protagonist. He is supposed to be a sympathetic character, but often just comes across as a jerk, especially when he puts his job over his family. His wife is depicted as a nagging shrew. I hope he doesn't retune in the next books. Still, for DS9 fans this is as close to an official backstory as we'll get and it's definitely full of intrigue.

We all knew that this story was not going to end well, and that made it a rather difficult read for me; also, it started rather slowly (discounting the prologue which really was rather just confusing). Still, overall I have to say that the story was well-told and moving. It's a story that suffers from some of the same symptoms as the 3 Star Wars prequels; because they're prequels, we all know where the story is headed, and since that is "nowhere that we want it to go", it's not a fun read. It's one thing for a story to have an unhappy ending when there was some possibility along the way that that ending might have been averted; it's something else again when the reader KNOWS from the very beginning what the upcoming disaster is.