Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: Terok Nor: Day of the Vipers [Mass Market Paperback]

This is an excellent novel that's very well written. It fills a gap most of us who have watched DS9 have wondered about for years. Reading it is a lot like watching one of those old black and white horror movies. You know the monster is coming and you know what's going to happen is going to be bad and the characters have no idea. The threat of the Occupation lingers so heavily over the book and adds another level of intensity. It's also interesting to see a pre-Occupation Bajor and how the Bajorans existed before their world was basically shattered. I can't wait to see how this series ends. Very well done.

I'd recommend picking up A Stitch in Time by Andrew J. Robinson for a bit of background reading about the Oralian Way as well.

Deep Space Nine is my favourite series of all time, and the Cardassians have become my favourite aliens (sorry Vulcans!). I found the situation of a military based society having to come to a peaceful coexistence (and even being aided by, in the later years) with the very people whom they had occupied and exploited to be endlessly fascinating and insightful in our own culture (this is what Trek has always done, and what many non Trekkers have missed when they deride the series). This book answers all of the questions about the early years of the occupation of Bajor: why it happened, what were the Cardassians' motives towards Bajor and its people and how they changed, the social unrest in Bajor over their caste system prior to the occupation, the evolution of the future Gul Dukat and his career, how many Cardassians opposed the enslavement of the Bajorans, and how a peaceful people like those of Bajor can be transformed into a bloody guerrilla. Everything that DS9 had left you wanting to know more about in concern to the Bajorian Occupation, the cultures of the Cardassian and Bajorian peoples, and the hopes of both for the future are covered here. This is a well written, awesome book that even the most discriminating Star Trek fan will enjoy. I can't wait for the next two in the trilogy!

Looking back at its seven year run, it is simply impossible to imagine Deep Space Nine without the Bajoran Occupation. The Cardassian Union's annexation of the planet and its aftermath was the catalyst for the arrival of Sisko and Starfleet, for the discovery of the Bajoran Wormhole, and for the eventual outbreak of the Dominion War. But its' status as the series' catalyst meant that it was ultimately and perhaps unfortunately, just that: back-story. When we first stepped onto the station in "Emissary", the Occupation had just ended and we would see the immediate aftermath in those early seasons, particularly the Circle trilogy. Similarly, we saw flashbacks in later episodes like "Necessary Evil" and "Things Past" and in novels like "Double Helix: Vectors" and "A Stitch in Time".

But we never saw the initial stages of the Occupation and the circumstances that led to Cardassia annexing Bajor. Again, this was not a problem because the Occupation itself was DS9's catalyst, not the events that led to it. But for those like myself who love to explore the nuances and threads of the tapestry, this was an unexplored area of Trek history that deserved attention. I'd always hoped that The Lost Era would eventually explore this key period. In 2008, Pocket Books granted my wish with a new trilogy of novels dubbed Star Trek: Terok Nor.

Author James Swallow kicks off the trilogy with "Day of the Vipers", which begins in 2318 and runs through 2328. The Cardassian Union is simultaneously fighting off civil unrest and seeking to bring new resources into the fold. Likewise, Bajor is on the rise and in turn is eager to expand its own sphere of influence outwards into the Alpha Quadrant at large. Thus, first contact is made and the stage is set as political, military, and religious elements on both sides kick into motion a chain of events that will seal the fate of Bajor for the next half century.

Swallow's cast is a combination of original characters and one-note/recurring TNG & DS9 characters, from Kubus Oak ("The Collaborator") to Kotan Pa'Dar ("Cardassians"). The most familiar character is, of course, a young Skrain Dukat. Swallow's characterization of Dukat is especially fascinating and welcomed. The familiar elements of DS9's arch-foe are present - the charm, the arrogance, the cruelty - but this is a younger Dukat who is still rising through the ranks. It is a Dukat who does not yet command the political and military clout that we see in "Emissary" and in flashbacks to the Occupation. It's interesting to see that Dukat's involvement with Bajor dates back to the start and to also see the beginnings of his obsession with the planet.

In addition, Swallow's attention to detail is excellent as he explores two of DS9's key cultures at this critical juncture in their respective histories. This is a Cardassia that has not yet entered into its border wars with the Federation, let alone made first contact with the Federation. It is a Cardassia that is not quite as secure as early DS9 portrayed it. Likewise, this is a Bajor that we never saw on the series: a Bajor pure and whole, where the D'Jarra caste system is still intact, and where the people possess a curiosity rather than hatred of their interstellar neighbors. As a longtime DS9 fan, it was strange to read the early chapters and see Bajor circa 2318. It's even more tragic as we see how close Bajor almost came to dodging the bullet and avoiding the Occupation altogether. We know the outcome, yet you hope that it will play differently.

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