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

~ Keith R. A. DeCandido (Author) "SHIELDS ONE AND TWO are now down, shield three is buckling, and warp drive is down!..." (more)
Key Phrases: antimatter waste, shield enhancer, theta radiation, Europa Nova, Deep Space, Colonel Kira (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Once they moved from world to world in a single step, through innumerable doors that spanned the galaxy. They were masters of space, and to those who feared them, they were demons of air and darkness. But long ago they left their empire and their miraculous technology behind. Now someone has found the key to it, and all those doors have been flung open.

GATEWAYS
DEMONS OF AIR AND DARKNESS


A world near Deep Space 9, threatened with destruction from the distant Delta Quadrant, becomes the focus of a massive rescue effort as Colonel Kira Nerys, her crew, and some unexpected allies fight to avert disaster on a planetary scale. Meanwhile, as Lieutenant Nog and Ensign Thirishar ch'Thane search for a way to shut down the spatial portals forever, Quark becomes involved in a dangerous game that could determine, once and for all, who will control the Gateways.

About the Author

Keith R.A. Decandido is the author of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer novelization, The Xander Years Volume One, and is known to Star Trek fans as the author of Perchance to Dream, a Star Trek: The Next Generation comicbook miniseries published by Wildstorm. He is the editor of Marvel Comics' tie-in novels and of several science-fiction and fantasy anthologies.

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 292 pages
• Publisher: Star Trek (August 28, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0743418522
• ISBN-13: 978-0743418522
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.2 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.9 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #703,200 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyable DS9 Characters, but fragmented plot..., September 19, 2001

By	Jonathan Burgoine "bookseller" (Ottawa, Ontario Canada) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Dynamite!, August 28, 2001

By	Jacqueline Bundy (Calabasas, CA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A Nice Plot, But The Writing Should Have Been Better, October 11, 2004

By	David Pasquantonio (Millis, Mass., USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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.