Customer Reviews

Unity

5 star:		(32)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Due to two pregnancies (editor Marco Palmieri's wife and Perry herself), "Unity" was pushed back from its initial release of February. As such, fans of the relaunch have been eagerly awaiting the arrival of "Unity," which promises to deliver many of the answers fans have been waiting for. Indeed, it proves to wrap up old plot lines and create more, making for an extremely fast read (three hours); however, fans of Perry's previous work in the Trek universe already know of her fast-paced, well-written prose and deft characterization. One can almost hear the actors delivering their lines with customary inflection; from O'Brien to Kira to Opaka, the characters come alive on every page. If anything, the 330 or so pages are barely enough to contain the energy, development, and anticipation that build up through the entire novel.

At the center of "Unity" is, of course, the parasite crisis; Bajor and DS9 are under seige and the Bajoran sector is under lockdown. Cardassian warships surround both planet and station, a communications blackout in effect. Gul Macet, previously seen clawing at his throat when a parasite launches itself at the Dukat-esque Cardassian, is in charge of the Cardassian contingent. This is the scene that Vaughn and the crew of the "Defiant" find themselves entering.

Without revealing anything too much, "Unity" gives us more of the inner turmoil Vaughn finds himself facing after shooting the Borg-Ruriko in sickbay, the anger Prynn holds for Vaughn, the deep-seeded Trill desire for privacy in all matters internal, and, of course, Kira's Attainder.

Ro and Quark are given a lot of face time, and not just towards their romance; each have their own demons to face: if Bajor joins the Federation, Ro fears she will be turned over to Starfleet for prosecution and Quark fears he will be forced to leave DS9 for more profitable pastures. Taran'atar bonds with Wex, the stowaway whom Jake Sisko encountered when fulfilling his part of the Avatar prophecy. While not everyone is who they appear, one person holds true to her nature; the former Kai, Opaka Sulan.
It is she who finds a Bajor in spiritual crisis, telling Vedek Yevir it is not the texts Kira uploaded that have caused the split in faith; it is the Attainder the Vedek Assembly placed upon the colonel that has lead to Bajor fractured. The former Kai does not step up to retake her mantle, instead opting to allow spiritual politics to play out as they will, acting instead as a spirtiual counselor to the lost Elias Vaughn. She exposes him to the Orb of Unity, allowing for Vaughn to come face to face with the man he first encountered in the Badlands after opening the Orb of Memory. His role is significant to the novel, and while he is not completely healed at the conclusion of "Unity," the centenarian commander is well on his way, thanks to the Prophets.

Ultimately, we discover the fate of Sisko and Kasidy, see the true face of evil (read: parasite), and relish the return of the O'Brien's to the fore. We leave the novel with an Andor in a peril of its own creation and an Andorian alone, a Bajor redefined and a faith still fractured, a son coming to terms with his father's place in the universe, and, as the cover shows, a former Bajoran freedom-fighter trying out a new uniform. Sometimes frightening, sometimes funny, sometimes bittersweet, and always breathtaking, "Unity" establishes Perry as the chancellor of the relaunch, leaving the reader satisfied yet wanting more.
Oh, I almost forgot; "somewhere on Bajor...a child long awaited is born."

I waited a very long time for this book, and I must say it was worthy of the wait. S.D. Perry began the relaunch of DS9 with the "Avatar" duet, and since then, I've been avidly watching the series unfold.

First off, the book captured the ensemble feel of the show excellently - the main characters - including the new characters written into the storyline to replace characters gone or lost at the show's end - all shine in their own way with their own interesting stories. The new plot-arc of the invading parasitic aliens - as we've seen on screen in TNG, and read about in the superb "Lives of Dax," short story collection - continues with a great deal of suspense and solid prose work.

Best of all, the internal minds and emotional states of the characters are both valid and consistant. Shar, especially, gets a lot of work in this book, as does Lieutenant Ro, who is definitely at a loss as to what she should choose, now that Bajor might merge with the Federation and her job would become a Starfleet one.

Granted, the purchase of a Star Trek hardcover often makes me flinch (it's quite expensive), but this one was worth it - even if I did tear through it in a single evening.

The only part of the book I have a caveat for is the 'Benny' storyline - I never quite liked Sisko's insane asylum plotline in the series, and having Elias Vaughn go through something similar grated on me a little - though, if you enjoyed the various visions Sisko had at the hands of the prophets in the show, you'll likely enjoy this also.

Very well done.

'Nathan

At long last the arrival of Unity completed the storyline started in the DS9 final episode. The book promised to deliver the strings nicely tied and it does. What happens next? I will have to read the next book to find out.

As an avid fan of the television series, but generally not a fan of the Star Trek books, I must say that SD Perry and the other authors have done an absolutely magnificent job of reviving the series with intricate, complex plots and richly textured characters--I have been eagerly awaiting Unity's release for several months now. Unity is aptly titled--it is a spectacular conclusion to several stories that have been building over the course of several books, and supremely satisfying in its treatment of the characters and resolution of plotlines new and old. My one qualm with the novel is that at 300 pages, it seemed compressed--particularly towards the end. Perry deftly builds the anticipation and races us through a pulsing climax, but then she only has a very few pages left at the end to wrap up several storylines (and, unfortunately, she leaves--and it feels unintentional--some key threads untied. Perhaps for the next novel?). It was almost as if Pocket Books forced Perry to keep the novel relatively short. . .Even so, for those true DS9 fans, Unity, and all of the books that led up to it, are indeed DS9's "eighth season." Perry has captured everything we loved about the series. Can't wait for the next book.

"Unity" draws together all the threads of the previous relaunch novels in a story that is in turn compelling, shocking, exciting, enlightening and uplifting. From beginning to end "Unity" is utterly mesmerizing.

If it's been some time since you read the previous novels you don't have to worry about feeling lost. The first thing you'll discover when you open the cover of "Unity" is a complete timeline that recounts the main events that have occurred since the final episode "What You Leave Behind" right up through the divergent endings of "Rising Son" and "Lesser Evil" when the U.S.S. Defiant is about to return to the station through the wormhole following their exploration of the Gamma Quadrant. After a brief prologue the story picks up right where it left off and upon returning those onboard the Defiant are immediately confronted with the reality of Bajor under siege by the parasites.

Given how complex the ongoing story has grown over through the various relaunch novels I had to admit that I had my doubts about whether or not "Unity" could live up to it's expectations but S.D. Perry delivers the goods. Her gripping narrative easily transports the reader right smack dab into the middle of the crisis while at the same time she manages to reverentially, and at times even tenderly, address the personal issues confronting the various characters. With real virtuosity "Unity" manages to be both the perfect ending and a new beginning all at the same time.

The three hundred pages that tell this tale fly by in the blink of an eye and there is an incredible amount packed into those pages. Reading "Unity" left me feeling unreservedly contented and completely satisfied.

I finished reading STAR TREK DS9:UNITY two days ago and it was great. It was good to see the old crew back in action. And was great to have Captain Sisko return. And it was definately great to have Odo return, even if for a visit. I just wish that they ended the Television Series differently Kira & Odo were definately made for each other and they both deserve some happiness, even if Odo is not a solid. But they didn't. I was hoping though that Odo was coming back to stay in the book. I was also glad to see Bajor finally join the Federation, even though it should have happened at the end of the series even if they needed a few more episodes to do it. And I am very pleased that Starfleet has rewarded Kira for her Loyalty by making her a Starfleet Captain.
But from what I understand, if it doesn't happen the T.V. shows or in the movies then it doesn't happen in the Star Trek Universe. Which I think is stupid, but all I can hope is that Paramount makes at least one STAR TREK DS9 MOVIE to fix all the mistakes it make at the end of series.

Those were the first words out of Kira mouth when she first met Ben Sisko, and it seemed only fitting that she say the same ones to him when Ben returned from the Temple.

Perry not only wrote a wonderful story about DS9, she made all the characters real. I couldn't put Unity down. It was like I was watching an entire season of DS9 in my head.

For all those trekkies out there who miss DS9, do yourself a favor and read Unity and all the other previous books detailing DS9 after the episode "what you leave behind". You will not regret it.

I can't wait to see what else is waiting for us with the upcoming worlds of DS9 novels. If it is half as good as Unity was, I will have a blast!

I won't bother repeating what others have already said...BUT this is REALLY a great book. As a result I am sitting here at my computer wirting my thoughts while waiting for the 2 "AVATAR" books and "Rising Son" to arrive from Amazon.com; This book is that good that I wanted to know what happened before- we get a little info at the beginning with "Linear Time", but I wanted MORE! Forget the nay sayers' put downs- Ms Perry has hit DS9 on the nose! Can't wait for more!

This book provided something that so many serial books do not: a sense of closure. At last we see the end of an episode. The rollercoaster ride, sudden twists and turns finally resolve themselves and leaves a feeling of satisfaction. However, as exciting as it was to read the book, a couple of things nagged at me. Firstly, I was a bit annoyed by the "Benny" connection with Vaughn. Perhaps it works for some, but to me the connection is so tenuous that it could break at any moment. I don't buy it. Secondly, talk about "deus ex machina;" Wex is Odo! Come on ,now! I have never seen such a weak and obvious plot device to wrap up a story. I suppose it works ok, but the character of Wex added a potential dimension that could have been developed into a more dynamic character for future episodes; a new direction for Jake, perhaps. Odo has no need to travel for weeks to return to the Alpha Quad. It also does not jive that the Jem Hadar ship in the Delta Quad that returned Jake, Opaka, and Wex to the Defiant could not have identified Odo as a Changeling. They after all did get a reading of the lost Founder aboard the Defiant. It works, but my goodness how overtly manufactured and contrived. However, overall, I did enjoy the series. Isn't that the point? and I got a good sense of closure from the book, and was left with a sense that the "saga continues." Well done!

DS9 first aired in 1993 and hooked me from the beginning. Its seven years put both the characters and the viewers through a lot. Then, in 1999, it was over. Fortunately, in 2001, Pocket Books restarted the series in book form, acknowledging the major changes made in the series finale, putting familiar faces in new positions, adding new characters, and carrying on the Deep Space Nine saga. After two and a half years and a number of superb novels, the saga reaches something of a climax in Unity. It's not the end of the series (for which I'm very glad), but a number of major plot lines are resolved.

Although there's a very helpful timeline summarizing the events in the previous novels, I don't recommend starting here. Too many events will lack the resonance they should have if you haven't read what's been building up over the course of the previous books. But if you have been reading the books and you haven't read this yet... what are you waiting for? Don't wait for the paperback. It's worth buying the hardcover.

If you were ever moved by past Star Trek stories like The Wrath of Khan, The Inner Light, All Good Things..., The Visitor, or What You Leave Behind, well, Unity packs the same kind of punch. Action, suspense, great character moments, major developments in the ongoing storyline... all here. Some developments that we've hoped for and expected happen, but never in a predictable way. And there's so much more yet to be told... some storylines aren't resolved, and others will be generated by the changes made here. Consider this the end of the first phase of the DS9 relaunch and the beginning of the second phase.