Avatar Book Two of Two (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine)

Book Description

RETURN TO THE EDGE OF THE FINAL FRONTIER.

As the Federation prepares to launch a counterstrike against the Dominion, Colonel Kira Nerys searches for a way to prevent another galactic holocaust. But when a newly discovered prophecy propels Jake Sisko on an impossible quest and threatens to plunge all of Bajor into chaos, Kira is forced to choose between being true to her faith...and being true to herself.

Meanwhile, as the combined crews of Deep Space 9™ and the Starship Enterprise™ struggle to stop a terrorist plot to destroy the station and the ship, lives change, new friendships are forged, and the shocking truth behind a grisly murder is revealed.

THE ASTONISHING RENEWAL OF THE EPIC ADVENTURE.

Customer Reviews:

Not bad, not great........2007-06-12

This book was well-wriiten, with interesting characters placed in interesting situations. Unfortunately, not only does it not have a beginning (as one might expect from a book labelled "Book 2 of 2") but it doesn't even have much of an ending (which is the LEAST that one can expect from a "2 of 2"). It seems that it is actually book 2 of...umm...some undefined number GREATER than 2. ("Book 2 of 2" should NOT end on a cliffhanger!)

Enjoyable, but ultimately frustrating.

awesome ending.......2007-06-06

This was a great ending to this 2 series storyline and I can't wait to read future stories. We are introduced to new characters and I finally feel that the series is off to a new beginning! excellent read! fantastic!

A New Season of DS9.......2007-02-12

I loved the Avatar books, they make an impressive addition to the DS9 universe. The characters are expanded, Ezri finally truly begins to come into her own after the continuing confusion, throughout the 7th season, due to her joining. Ro Laren is a welcome addition (I've always liked her character) and the recovery from the Dominion War provides a good backdrop for the story. These books, as well as their sequels, have proven that S.D. Perry is one of the best Star Trek authors.
This seems to be a "two-hour" kickoff for a new season of DS9. Not everything is tied up neatly, I'm hoping the "relaunch" of TNG is just as addictive. I just wish there were more stars with which to rate these books.

I made the same mistake as some people--I bought one book and the other sold out before I could get to it--save yourself some stress, buy them both together!

Really the launching of Season 8 DS9. No ending!.......2004-01-30

I loved the way this book ended. It did not wrap everything up in a neat little package, but rather ends with the words: The Beginning. Since that is what these books are. They are the beginning of the DS9 relaunch, and are set up as an introduction to new characters who have replaced those gone on (Worf, O'Brien, Garak and Rom make no appearances at all. Odo is talked about and briefly seen in action, and Sisko...well there's mystery surrounding that guy!).

Other people have had problems with the way the book ends, but I loved it. A reviewer said that Book 1 could have been the opening episode of DS9's eighth season, and I completely agree! Book 2 would be the continuation of the season premiere, and WHAT A CONTINUATION! Book 2 is much better than the necessary Book 1. All the new characters are well flushed out and relationships are solidified (Ro and Kira; Dax and Bashir; Vaughn and everyone; ch'Thane and Nog; etc.). The plot quickens and the truth behind Kitana'klan's statements is revealed... with a neat twist.

I can say for sure that I want to keep reading the rest of the "episodes" in the DS9 relaunch. The way they are set up (the other books that is) is that they flow from Avatar in a sequence so that there's great continuity! "Abyss", Bashir's section 31 romp continues where Avatar left off, and it's good to see that it doesn't bother reintroducing everyone, but assumes you've read Avatar and know the deal. For this reason, I love that Avatar does not get wrapped up, but leaves itself open for plenty more books (which were subsequently written). I especially like the manner in which the idea of exploring the Gamma Quadrant opens up.

Problems: One will have to ignore the Dominion Books (1&3) since it contradicts Ro and Picard's relationship. Personally I liked how it was dealt with in this book (and I liked how it clears up why Ro didn't got to a Federation penal colony). However, it cheapens the Dominion Books which saw some great action for Ro and Picard... so you be the judge if you can deal with the HUGE discrepancy.

Missed Opportunities: Seeing the TNG crew in action!!! Riker does virtually nothing, when so much could have been done, especially considering the Thomas Riker incident! Crusher does a good job filling in as CMO. Troi does a little. But a real disappointment was the lack of any Data dialogue with Bashir (common, seeing an android and genetically engineered human interact would have been brilliant) or even ch'Thane or Dax or others who are curious about Data.
The biggest mistake I think was the lack of seeing Geordi LaForge work on DS9's repairs! We learn that O'Brien has kept in touch with Geordi and told him all about DS9's screw ups... so how cool would it have been to see Geordi trying to tackle some of those problems... and seeing the Chief's innovations... and commenting on them and whatnot! That was definetely a missed opportunity.

But, ignoring what wasn't in the book, what was in it was excellent. It was good to see a Federation-Klingon-Romulan task force and hear them lectured from a Jem'Hadar supposedly sent from Odo... really good stuff.
The Avatar prophecy sort of gets shoved aside quickly, but resurfaces in an interesting way indeed! It was good to see the interaction between Ro, Kira, Vedek Yevir and Kassidy. Their heated debate was excellent and I was just screaming for someone to say what I was thinking when finally Kass lets it loose! Oh baby that was excellent! Good religious/spiritual (maybe philosophical?) and conformist/orthodox interplay!
Everything else was really interesting, and the scene at the central core was very intense!
It was good to see th'Chane's character explained a bit more, and you can tell a lot more will revolve around this young ensign in the future!
The job Perry does with setting up Vaughn as a guy you have to like deserves kudos. I love this guy already and keep hoping Sisko won't return so he can stay as XO! Seriously, he's THAT cool! He's only a Commander but with Admiral-type knowledge and secrets. I can't wait to hear some of them in later books!

Book 1 was good; Book 2 is much better! Although it would have been better to have the books in one set, it takes nothing away from them to have them alone. Though I absolutely recommend reading Book 1 before reading Book 2.

If you plan to read any of the DS9 relaunch books, I highly recommend reading Avatar first, for otherwise characters in the later novels won't be as flushed out as they are here. If you haven't read Garak's "A Stitch in Time" novel, which takes place after he returns to Cardassia in ruins, I highly recommend reading that novel first. Avatar makes quick mention of Bashir reading Garak's communique (which is the book).
Also, if you haven't read the Reeves-Stevenses' Millenium trilogy (available as 3 separate books, or in an Omnibus version) I highly recommend reading that as well. So far those two novels are the best of the DS9 series, though Avatar came close in many instances.

I look forward with enthusiasm to reading the rest of the DS9 relaunch novels. Look for my next review for Section 31: Abyss.

opens up more questions than answers.......2003-12-24

Eagarly reading this book to find answers to certain questions and plot resolutions, I was sorely mistaken. It advances some plots, but others are left dangling. One of the most disappointing things about the book was the fact that "Avatar" has not happened yet and the plot involving Jake has not gone anywhere. The mystery involving the mysterious Jemhadar soldier "Kitana'klan" was resolved to my satisfaction and opens up some interesting possibilities for future novels. There is one good fire fight and I'll add that S.D Perry describes them well.

Book Description

RETURN TO THE EDGE OF THE FINAL FRONTIER.

In the aftermath of a war that brought the Alpha Quadrant to the brink of destruction, Starbase Deep Space 9™ -- the galaxy's nexus of scientific and military intrigue -- is once more the flashpoint of impending Armageddon as a surprise attack cripples the station, killing hundreds and threatening the fragile new peace.

Colonel Kira Nerys and the survivors -- together with several controversial new officers -- are all who stand against the outbreak of a new war and a terrible doom tied to the unborn child of Captain Benjamin Sisko.

Elsewhere, Captain Jean-Luc Picard and the crew of the Starship Enterprise™ make a startling discovery...one that will affect the destiny of an entire civilization and forever change the lives of those aboard Deep Space 9.

A BOLD NEW BEGINNING FOR ONE OF THE MOST COMPELLING STAR TREK® SAGAS OF ALL.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent novel........2007-03-08

Set in the time period after the end of the series, this is a very fine Deep Space Nine novel, with excellent characterizations and a fine plot. As nearly as I can tell, this book and its sequel immediately precede "Demons of Air & Darkness", the Deep Space Nine entry in the "Gateways" miniseries; some of the characters that were seen in that novel, that I wasn't immediately familiar with, seem to have come to it from this book. It would be nice if such timelines were made immediately clear to people approaching the books at a late enough date not to have seen them when they came out; presumably, had I been keeping up at that time, I would have known that this series came out before that one did, but without knowing that the plots would overlap, just checking the copyright dates wouldn't have let me know to read them in sequence; MOST of the books do not overlap plots like that, especially since they're by different authors.

Also, my usual complaint with books of this sort: it ends on a cliffhanger, so is missing an ending, something I consider essential to giving a book five stars.

Absolutely, buy both books together!.......2007-02-12

4 Stars for Avatar? Did you read the same book I did? This was horrible! And Sexist!.......2006-09-08

To start off I loved all of the Trek series on tv. I think DS9 was my favorite because of the story arcs and what an excellent job the actors did with making the characters their own. I mean Shimmerman made a Ferengi likable. Vistor as Kira, Siddig as Bashir I loved the depth they brought to each part. Knowing how the series ended its a given that some new characters had to be brought in and I'm glad to see Kira is still the commander of DS9 in this book. However I was struck by an odd sense as I continued to read past the first 20 pages or so. This feeling only intensified as I read. There seemed to be particular emphasis on the leadership and skills of all the female characters while all of the male characters where lacking in some sort. It seemed as though the author had a sexist slant to both books. There were so many instances of it that it ruined the books for me. Kira is strong in the book as she should be and so is Ezri. It seemed the authored took pleasure in marginalizing all the male characters. Nog is portrayed as capable but immature and harboring ill feelings over the Jem'Hadar in holding on the station. Ya think? He lost a leg in battle with them and he doesn't trust them. No different than how O'Brien and Kira felt about the Cardassians, Picard and Sisko of the Borg, or Kirk of the Klingons. The author spends time on showing how Nogs fear consumes him. Ironically his fears are not misplaced as I found at the end of the book. One new character, and Andorian, lives under the shadow of his famous mother on the High Council. Bashir is described in one part as being a "silly Doctor". Ok, the same Bashir that survived a Dominion prison, was recruited because of his intellect by Section 31 and has to stand twice as far from the dart board from O'Brien because of his genetic enhancements? The same Bashir of the Abyss novel by David Weddle and Jeff Lang? Bashir may be naive with romance but he's not silly. If you read the account of him in the Avatar books he's a twit. He also adds nothing to the plot except as being used as a device to show what emotional trauma Ezri is going through. There is a point where Ezri says something rather callous and insensitive to Julian but for some reason he is the immature one. Ezri is growing after all(being newly joined), she's allowed to say anything she wants and get away with it. The author also likes to depict the female leads as looking through or completely ignoring input or comments for the males. The plot is bad too. I thought there would be some resolution at the end but there wasn't. I don't have a problem with strong female leads. I loved Captain Janeway, Colonel Kira, and Lt. Commander Dax in the series. And though the majority of the males were depicted as peons Picard is described as I remember from the series. And another new addition Commander Elias Vaughn fares well though he is over a hundred years old. I couldn't help but think how much better this book would have fit in the Xena universe with the sexism and low and behold the author wrote a novel based on the series. The addition of a Jem'Hadar is also interesting but there is no real development with the character until the next book The Abyss.

I thought the Avatar series was a waste of time and money. They were the first 2 ST novels I read. I was happy with next one, the Abyss. Though it probably will have little effect on sales I felt compelled to write this review. If I can just save one persons money I'll be happy.

Buy both books at the same time.......2004-11-09

I made the mistake of only purchasing Book 1 and had to wait before I could put another order to get book 2. As an avid DS9'er, I was thrilled to discover the series is continued in books and I was not disappointed. Quark lovers will definately enjoy this book.

Necessary for DS9 Relaunch. Really a Buildup for Book 2........2004-01-27

I found that much of this book was a buildup for Book 2. Not that that's a bad thing, but it was what I deem a "necessary introduction" for the DS9 Relaunch. The characterization is good, but not as complete or rounded as in the Reeves-Stevenses' Millenium trilogy (a must read!).

The book starts with a recap of important events from pre-DS9 (ie Occupation of Bajor, Orbs) to the finale where Odo, Worf (and Martok), Garak, O'Brien, Rom AND Sisko have all left DS9. I must say at first I wondered how a show (book, whatever) could proceed with a) Kira in charge; b) only Ezri, Bashir, Kira, Jake and Nog and Quark (who is spot on perfect btw) left from the original cast (oh and Yates). But surprisingly it works very well. The main reason for this is the introduction of some new characters. However, I deeply missed the interplays with Worf and especially Garak. And without O'Brien, Bashir is demeaned to the position of the relationship character with Ezri...

The best part about the book I found is the solid character development for the new characters, but also Ezri and to some degree Kira (though she's still arrogant).

Andorian Ensign ch'Thane is probably the most refreshing character. To delve into a new race is great fun, and Book 2 offers a lot more intrigue (and I'm assuming the Gamma books).

Elias Vaughn. This guy rocks, I can't wait to read more about him. This 101 year old Starfleet veteran is going through a change of mindset and his introspection is fascinating.

Lt. Ro Laren. She's there to take over Odo's position (which is funny cuz Kira loves Odo but dislikes Ro). Ro's arrivial bugged me for several reasons. Understand I think it is brilliant to have her on DS9, but she's very poorly introduced. First, the information in the two Avatar books contradicts the Dominion War books and totally discredits all the awesome work she did with Picard during that time.. which WOULD have made sense as to why she was instated on DS9. Instead, some lame excuse about terrorist attacks against Dominion is given, and despite the Federation's (or Starfleet's) qualms about Ro and requests NOT to let her on DS9, Bajor goes against their wishes (which *should* harm their chances at Federation membership but surprise, doesn't) and puts her there anyways, for no real reason. But ignoring that, Ro has always been one of those characters you just love to get more of, and she's her typical rebellious self here, and it's grand!

The Plot is very good. I especially like the idea surrounding the Jem'Hadar soldier. Jake loves his father as much as he did in "The Visitor", yet it seemed obvious to me that from his first reading of the Prophecy that he had probably misinterpretated it. If the author thought she was being sneaky, she was wrong. It was quite clear that Jake was being naive... or was he?

The attack on the station is quite wonderful, and provides the bulk of the action. The murder investigation is nowhere as indepth as that from the Millenium trilogy.
The religious talk is nowhere as deep as that from the Millenium trilogy, but is still interesting. It really picks up more in Book 2 where Ro loses it. It is good to see why Ro opposes the Bajoran faith (which IS well explained).

Also, don't let the cover fool you, this is a DS9 book, not a TNG book. Though Picard is in this book, he and the TNG crew do little, though Book 2 is a different story.

Book Description

I was born in a world ruled by gods.
This worked out well for me, as I am a god.
For centuries we were the rulers of our worlds.
But things changed.
Now, the stakes are high.
Let the games begin. . . .

Caught in an ancient rivalry not of their making, on an earth devoid of all other humans, a group of teens learns they are avatars of immortal gods, put on earth in a form that's only too mortal. Now they are bound to fight one another—and only one of them can survive.

Do they resist the forces controlling them and unite to save themselves and perhaps even return to their own time? Or can one of them win this battle and seize immortality and the life of a god?

Tui T. Sutherland ups the ante in this second volume of her witty and absorbing fantasy trilogy about life, immortality, and what it means to live among the gods—and to do their dirty work.

Average customer rating:

THE AVATAR TRILOGY - Book (1) One: Shadowdale; Book (2) Two: Tantras; Book (3) Three: Waterdeep
Richard Awlinson
Manufacturer: TSR Forgotten Realms
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000NRV8FQ

Average customer rating:

Star Trek Deep Space 9: Avatar Book One of Two (Star Trek Deep Space Nine)
S.D. Perry
Manufacturer: McGraw-Hill Education
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Average customer rating:

THE TWILIGHT BOOK: A Helping Hand; Trystings; My Breath Is Inside You; Hamlet: The Ghost's Story; Aunt Jude; Two of You; The Country of the Gull; The Avatar; Spaniard's Rock; The Saracen's Stick; Zazine Forsyth's Resurrection Affair; The Cucullati
James (editor) (Alex Hamilton; Janice Elliott; Steve Wilson; Giles Gordon; Jay Gilbert; James Hamilton-Paterson; Dominic Cooper; Salman Rushdie; Sarah Lawson; Fred Urquhart; Roger F. Dunkley; Frank Morley) Hale
Manufacturer: Gollancz
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Short Stories | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0575030216

Amazon.com

Lest you think that spirituality is relegated to the higher mind, Sweat Your Prayers is a reminder that our bodies are indeed cradles of the soul. Physical movement can be a potent medium for spiritual awakening, according to Gabrielle Roth, who has dedicated much of her life to teaching and exploring the holy rewards of dance. The soul has five natural rhythms, explains Roth: flowing, staccato, chaos, lyrical, and stillness. She teaches us how to identify our natural rhythms, but she also encourages us to practice dancing through all five rhythms in order to become more whole, evolved, and complete beings. Roth is also an acclaimed music producer who has released numerous compact discs that work as excellent dance companions to this energizing book.

Book Description

In Sweat Your Prayers, internationally acclaimed movement and theater artist Gabrielle Roth translates to the printed page the insights of her nearly forty years of teaching personal and spiritual development. Her workshops, attended by thousands around the world, teach us to realize our potential for ecstasy as we experience movement and ritual theater techniques. The book is a journey through five universal rhythms-flowing, staccato, chaos, lyrical, and stillness. These rhythms can free the body and spirit from ordinary consciousness and catalyze motion deep in the psyche. Each sacred rhythm is a teacher, a gateway to the soul. Flowing holds the feminine mysteries, staccato the masculine. In chaos, the challenge is to integrate these principles into the flow of one's personal energy, to find the magical blend of feminine and masculine energy that makes each person unique. Lyrical is the context of self-realization, the full expression of the soul. And in stillness, the mother of all rhythms, we find the emptiness of the uncluttered mind wherein we contemplate the mystery of it all. Practicing the rhythms frees the body and becomes a way to express the heart and clear the mind. Complete with personal stories and interactive exercises, Sweat Your Prayers reveals an ancient and contemporary method for unleashing a natural sense of movement, resulting in both personal power and presence of the soul.

Customer Reviews:

Amazing.......2005-10-28

This book helped to me recognize that life is a dance to me. It has given me tools to ground this flighty Gemini in a dance. The 5 rhythms are amazing to use dancing to electronic music (especially goa trance!) and recommended for all of us "new school" dancers that listen to electronic music as our way of life.

Wonderful.......2004-04-11

Everything I've ever felt about dance and movement she's put into words. Very clear, organized and insightful.

BOOM!!.......2002-02-15

Every single word is this book is packed w/Boom Bang, it had so much power, I couldn't sleep. This book just totally rocks, every sentence, makes you look @ what keeps you from dancing w/out the criminations or the guilties or your catholic religion. Read it, you'll sweat in your own escatsy fluids. Yeah!!

Dance for the Soul.......2001-12-24

Another artist making a literary crossover is Gabrielle Roth. She is probably best known for Gabrielle Roth and the Mirrors, her percussion, rhythmic music group. However, Ms. Roth is more involved with dance as a spiritual map. Ms. Roth has developed a five part rhythmic expression to transform music into dance, dance into emotion and from this emotion to a Spiritual experience.

Her book is a handbook to transform dance into a Spiritual expression. I loved her mix of personal experiences, stories, and humor to teach her five rhythms, what they mean and how to apply them. The path always leads to our own personal spiritual growth. She explores the five rhythms of flowing, staccato, chaos, lyrical and stillness. She blends the feminine with the masculine and melds this with trance and dance, lifting it to Spirituality.

The five rhythms dancing can be done with your group, or you can do it alone. You do not have to have lessons, or be expert, or graceful, just willing to let yourself go and explore your sense of rhythm and spirituality.

This is a wonderful instructional book, lots of feeling and sincerity on the part of Ms. Roth. I enjoyed her style of writing and her treatment of the subject shows a true commitment on her part. An excerpt from her opening chapter stuck in my head for a long while: "Energy moves in waves. Waves move in patterns. Patterns move in rhythms. A human being is just that, energy, waves, patterns, rhythms. Nothing more. Nothing less. A dance."

Rhythm and Soul EVERYWHERE.......2001-11-10

"When you finally commit yourself completely to a creative act, knots inside you will loosen." (p. 128)

We can sort spiritual paths and psychological techniques by how the approach the human body. Gabrielle Roth's book serves as a useful adjunct to those paths that honor the body, rather than ignoring or minimizing it. For the atheists and agnostics out there, this book can also be used at a psychological level, and does not necessitate belief in "prayer" as a sacrament. In the book Roth presents five archetypal rhythms that help break some of the self-destructive patterns of Western culture and re-unite the practitioner with his or her spirit.

Roth begins the book with a brief autobiography, which also serves to establish her bona fides for writing a work on the spiritual/psychological use of dance and movement. She challenges the Western dismemberment of flesh from soul, body from spirit, she reclaims the chthonic and carnal. "The soul can only be present when body and spirit are one; it cannot breathe, exist, or move disconnected from the body." (p. 4) This book is her testimony to how we can retrieve our souls through our bodies.

Roth introduces the idea of the dance as a spiritual practice. She gives examples from her own life, challenges a list of excuses (I hate my body ... I'm too old ... I'm too shy). Then she offers "the only dance lesson you'll ever need:" Everybody has to find their own way, in their own time/space constraints to practice. She reminds us that "life is rhythm" and we need only participate in that rhythm consciously to be dancing, to be re-weaving body and soul. She then offers five concepts to help prepare for doing the rhythms: 1) That the goal is to move, to experience, not to complete something; 2) Dance happens in space, between things, between people, between worlds; 3) Awareness is the key element of dance, by paying attention to the body in rhythm, we alter consciousness and manifest our souls; 4) Follow your breath, let your breath move you; 5) Choose music that speaks to you and makes you aware of the five rhythms that make up Roth's "Wave".

She presents the five basic rhythms (flowing, staccato, chaos, lyrical, and stillness) and links them to primal archetypes. She has created glyphs/symbols for these links, and invites the reader to create their own. Each of the five rhythms gets its own chapter, detailing ideas linking the rhythm to archetypes, body, soul, and heart. Roth explains well, providing compelling examples to illustrate her points. Each chapter has exercises ("To Do/Not Do") as well as a list of words that elicit the archetypes for Roth. Poetry and quotations sprinkle through each chapter.

Roth concludes with a chapter called "Waves" where she presents examples of the five rhythms that go beyond dance, examining among others experiences of the subway, relationships, and architecture. Some examples are hers, others come from friends and students. The book provides contact information for the author, as well as video and CD resources.

Roth does an entertaining job of describing a spiritual/psychological physical practice as well as a state of being that has tremendous potential to enhance life. I have worked with her rhythms at times in my life, and found this approach to be empowering. Other times I avoid the movement, the dance-and I'm not certain why. I have found this work quite helpful and recommend it to anybody who feels the need to better connect body and soul.

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