A healthy dose of backstory before the main course
Written: Aug 17 '08
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Interesting story, great writing
Cons: doesn't move the story forward much, a bit cliched.
The Bottom Line: An interesting story, well-told. Just a little frustrating.
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| hist's Full Review: Olivia Woods - Fearful Symmetry |
It's been awhile since there's been a new book in the Star Trek: DS9 "relaunch" (that is, books that take place after the television series ended). Fearful Symmetry suffered delays as the original author either was released or decided not to carry through with her book. Olivia Woods was brought in to save the day, and we finally have our new book. Was it worth the wait? Yes, and no. Well-written and interesting, it barely nudges the overall story along, giving us back story instead. It's presented as a "flip book", with two covers and two stories back to back. Just a warning: this review contains some spoilers for previous Relaunch books.
Captain Kira and security chief Ro Laren are recovering from their injuries, from when they were attacked by the Jem'Hadar who they thought was their friend. But there's no time to rest as our heroes have to thwart the plans of the former Cardassian agent Illiana Ghemor, a woman who was surgically altered to look like Kira and become Kira during the occupation. She's gone insane and insists that she's Kira, and she plans on wiping out every alternate universe's version of Kira to make her the only one. One person who can help stop her? The Mirror-Universe version of Illiana, who was never surgically altered. Kira has to decide how much to trust Illiana, and just what they can do to stop her insane counterpart. Meanwhile, on the flipside, we discover just how Illiana came to be this mad, and it's a horrible story.
Sounds confusing, doesn't it? I can honestly say that, if you have no background in Star Trek whatsoever, don't even bother trying this book. It will confuse you like you wouldn't believe. However, if you are a fan of the show, and the continuing "re-launch", you'll find this book interesting but frustrating. Being a flip-book, each book is rather short (the Kira side clocks in at 137 pages and the Illiana side at 161 pages). Woods manages to pack a lot of story into both of these, but the movement forward in the main plot isn't very much. The editor of the line, Marco Palmieri, has explained the reasons for this, but while understandable, it's still kind of annoying.
How are the stories themselves? They're actually pretty interesting, though the Illiana story is a bit clichéd. Of course, she's manipulated into joining the Obsidian Order by having something bad happen to a loved one. Of course, she becomes a super-patriot because of it. However, when Woods delves into the details of the mission where she is to become Kira, and the aftermath of that, it's one of the most horrific sequences I've seen in a Trek book. Thankfully, Woods does this almost completely by implication rather than showing it to us, which actually makes it even more horrible. If you're a fan of the show, you'll never look at Gul Dukat in the same way again. It does, however, give a good explanation for why Illiana never showed up in the series.
The Kira story starts out with an interesting sequence regarding Sisko and an orb vision that shows what he will have to do to make the current situation right. It also reveals an interesting bit about the Mirror Sisko, and how Sisko's relationship with Bajor's Prophets transcends the various realities. Once we get back on the station, though, the plot is a bit more paint-by-numbers, and Kira has an orb vision that shows some of *her* past. It's almost all set-up, leading to the mission where two people have to go into the Mirror Universe to stop Illiana before she can carry out her plan.
Thankfully, what Woods has come up with is incredibly interesting, which helps mitigate how much the pace of the overall plot has slowed. Illiana's story actually makes a nice companion to the recent "Terok Nor" series, as we see the Bajoran occupation from yet another angle, through the eyes of a civilian back home on Cardassia. The interplay between Illiana and Entek is good, and I loved the scene where Dukat intervenes and Entek has to leave with his tail between his legs. This is a perfect way to set up Entek's antagonism toward Dukat as revealed in the television series.
The flip-book concept isn't really necessary for Fearful Symmetry, but it does do a good job of highlighting the "two Kiras", and has an awesome set of covers. Palmieri again has stated that the concept fitted the original idea better, before it was expanded, but it still fits the theme of these two stories. At least they didn't try to sell both of these as separate books.
Ultimately, Fearful Symmetry is more intriguing than annoying, but both factors do come into play here. It's good to get the backstory before we have the all-out conclusion coming up next year, and Woods manages to make it gripping as well. I continue to love these characters and what the authors have been doing with them, and that definitely includes Woods. I just can't wait to see her let herself go. If you've been following this series, this is a must-have. If you haven't been and you're a Trek fan, go back and read the previous ones and then you must have this too. If you're not a fan, stay far away.
Other Deep Space Nine continuation books:
Avatar
Section 31: Abyss
Demons of Air & Darkness
Mission Gamma: Twilight
Mission Gamma: This Gray Spirit
Mission Gamma: Cathedral
Mission Gamma: Lesser Evil
Rising Son
Unity
Worlds of Deep Space Nine: Cardassia & Andor
Worlds of Deep Space Nine: Bajor & Trill
Worlds of Deep Space Nine: Dominion & Ferenginar
Warpath
Fearful Symmetry
A Stitch in Time
Left Hand of Destiny: Book 1
Left Hand of Destiny: Book 2
Recommended:
Yes
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Member: David Roy
Location: Vancouver, BC
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