Unity

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

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.

I cant recommend this book more strongly for DS9 fans in particular and for Star Trek fans in general. For those of us who missed DS9 when it left the air several years ago Editor Marco Palmieri has performed a minor miricle. He gathered a stable of excellent authors together and continued DS9 in novel form just as if it were an eighth season and improved on the series. Danelle Perry's Excellent two parter Avatar started the season and Unity completes the season. For those who missed some of the books or can't remember what transpired in them she provides a synopsis of the "season" up to Unity. The book, as Jackie Bundy says in her review, is mesmerizing. It is something one doesnt want to put down. It brings characters back into the fold and wraps up some of the threads that have been developing and opens up new possibilities for the "ninth" season of DS9. Did Unity live up to my expectations. No it didn't. IT EXCEEDED MY EXPECTATIONS. There was something for everyone in this book and it definately left me wanting more. Danelle Perry is an awesome writer and I look forward to seeing more DS9 stories by her. ...this series has been planned out and isnt just a bunch of authors randomly writing stories. There is a plan to what you see. This book is a must read.

"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.

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.