Gene Roddenberry's Andromeda: Destruction of Illusions

Oh, the beauty of the backstory, the prequel, the whatEVER you want to call it, especially when it comes to novel vs. television. It gives a writer a goodly amount of space to supply the characters with all the depth and strange habits that make for meaty personalities - something TV viewers might have to wait a long time to see, if they *ever* get to. And, as has been the case with pretty much every one of Keith DeCandido's novels, the man doesn't disappoint, providing us an excellent and plausible look at how it came to be that Beka Valentine should rescue Dylan Hunt in the pilot episode of "Gene Roddenberry's Andromeda." Of course, now I really wanna go back and watch that pilot again, armed with this new information. Nice job, oh Great Hairy One.

Author Keith R.A. DeCandido has even surpassed his Farscape novel House of Cards with this book... and I did not even think that was possible. He proves that he knows the characters of the series well enough to capture each individual's voice perfectly and manages to mix elements of the show only previously discussed. Whether it is Charlemagne Bolivar, Rev Bem, Seamus Harper or the Andromeda Ascendant herself, the characters are "spot-on" with how they are portrayed on the series. And even Vexpag is someone we grow to care about, even though you already know what is coming his way in terms of his fate. When Trance shows up... I had a huge smile on my face. This book is highly recommended, especially for those fans who enjoyed seasons one and two, and those who miss that quality from season three. This is bar-none one of the best media tie-in novels I have ever read. I look forward to more Andromeda work, particuarly from Keith.

This book is hard to put down.After watching the dreck being passed off by the TV show's 3rd year, this book comes as a welcome and surprising read. I don't expect a lot from sci-fi tie-ins, and I usually skip them. The Destruction of Illusions is really well written and renders the characters' dialog crisply.There are many wonderful scenes such as the commendation over a fallen mercenary; Tyr's humiliation by a Nietzschean field marshal; the "dog house" scene with Captain Valentine, Rev Bem, and Harper -- to name a few.

if you like the show you will like this book. it is not a rehash of an episode you have already seen. the author imagined what the crew were doing before they discovered the andromeda. the best part? dylan is frozen in time so he's not the focus of the novel as he is in most of the tv shows. the bad part? very little trance until the end, although she does play an important part. lots of beka, so if she is your favorite character you will be pleased. i would definitely like to see more andromeda original novels from this author.

Finished this book in one day and all I can say is GREAT! As a die-hard Classic Star Trek fan I was quick to dismiss Andromeda as the latest Trek "rip off". What I have discovered after watching the first selection of episodes on DVD (received as a gift), is that the show is witty, intelligent, smart and fun (something that Star Trek lacks today). This book is as fun to read as the show is fun to watch. It is a great intro to the series with dead on characterization and fresh back stories (especially for Beka and crew). The author did a great job referring to popular episodes and is some cases expanded upon them in subtle ways. This is a great read and reminds me of the early Star Trek novels of the 1970s and 1980s when authors had the freedom to expand upon another creators universe. Great job Mr. DeCandido! I look forward to your next visit to Andromeda!