STARGATE ATLANTIS Reliquary

The other reviewers have covered this book from the point of view of Stargate Atlantis fans (and also mentioned the huge wait you can expect for this book)-- but as someone who's a Martha Wells fan first and foremost, I wanted to add that her readers won't be disappointed by this book in any way! She does a wonderful job of catching the rhythm and voices of the characters from the show, but there is also the tight plotting and somewhat gothic feel that her readers are used to-- in particular the scenes in the abandoned, haunted city and being hunted in the underground labyrinth are reminiscent of scenes from the Ile Rien books-- but with Sheppard and McKay standing in (hilariously) for Gil and Ilias. In other words, she's brought all her strengths to this project, and even if you love Wells but don't watch this show regularly, I think Wells fans will find it an entertaining read & a worthwhile addition to their collections.

The author did a terrific job with the plotting and characters in this story. They feel, sound and, in our minds eye, look like the characters that we've become familiar with on the show, yet there was just enough additional detail so that familiarity wasn't necessary to understand what was going on or each character's place in the scheme of things. Well written - one to keep and read again.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I was pleasantly surprised at how accurately the writer managed to nail the characters! The writer of this book is also a fan! The story is a little slow to start and does lag a little at times, but it is like watching an episode of SGA in your head and having the joy of it going on for hours and hours while you read. I loved Mckay! Sometimes he had me laughing on the floor. And for those hardcore fanfiction writers/readers, there is also a fair amount of Shep whumping which is always kinda fun. I am not going to give away the plot although there are a few similarities to the episode Conversion. Wink! Wink! There is a wonderful sense of realism and grittiness which is often missing in the TV progam as sometimes I feel the sets and environments are lit too cheerfully or scenarios are wrapped up too neatly and don't always reflect the emotional challenges or situations the characters are enduring. This book takes us into that world of living in another galaxy, far from home. In short, I thoroughly enjoyed it! This book is a must for SG1 and SGA fans!!

Given the previous ventures into Stargate novelizations, I did not have very high expectations for this one. I thought, however, I'd give it a try. This is the first "Stargate: Atlantis" novel I've read, and I have to say I was very pleasantly surprised. The story itself reminded me a little too much of the Season 2 episode "Conversion" but I'm willing to let that slide--I don't know when this was originally written and published, so it could possibly pre-date the episode. Technically speaking, the writing was good, the pacing was good, the dialogue was good. There was not too much character development, but you can only do so much of that in this type of book. My biggest pet peeve with these types of novels is the constant jumping around of point-of-view. You can't avoid jumping points-of-view completely, but this novel did a really good job of keeping that to a minimum. The story is primarily written from Sheppard's point-of-view. If you enjoy the show, you'll enjoy this book. I look forward to reading the others ones, and I will definitely be on the lookout for more by this particular author.

I have read a lot of tv-based books and this one by Martha Wells is the best story of this kind that I have ever read. The author has to be a fan of the show or else she just really did her homework because, in my opinion, the characters are well written and their mannerisms are just as they are portrayed on television. The story is well thought-out and imaginative. And Ms. Wells has a wonderful descriptive style that allows the reader to easily visualize the world she has created for the characters. The book is interesting from the first chapter and the story moves along at a brisk pace while still allowing the clever interaction between characters that fans of the show enjoy. Someone who is not familiar with the tv show may not completely understand some of the unique elements that are integral to the Stargate Atlantis "universe", but the author explains many of the necessary elements as the story moves along and does so without stopping the momentum of the story line. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel--in fact, I couldn't put it down! A must read for any Stargate Atlantis fan!