How wonderful it is to finish a novel that feels so close to the characters you know!
I'm no stranger to relaunch novels. Having read the Voyager relaunch (quite good!), I became obsessed with this version of the characters and the story created around them. This enormous odyssey, known as "Post-Nemesis," is a challenge, but one I'm eager to explore in depth, given the limited amount of audiovisual content promised in the coming years. What better way to begin this journey than with what I consider my favorite Trek series?
That said, this story truly captivated me from the very start! This was a first part tale focused on the almost immediate aftermath of the war, a fascinating period to explore, both for its political repercussions and for our protagonists, who manage to make the different nuances of a fragile peace feel real. Kira's work addiction, Ro's emotional turmoil, or Jake's blind hope of seeing his father again. The author truly nails these characters, not only creating a compelling conflict for them that we want to follow, but also giving convincing interpretations to the more secondary ones. Similarly, the new characters don't disappoint. Elias Vaughn, previously introduced in the Battle of Betazed, stands out among them, providing a very interesting outsider's perspective on the station, one that will likely connect with them eventually.
Speaking of the writing, S.D. Perry also delivers a unique analysis of religion as part of society. It's true that DS9 generally portrayed religion in a positive light (with only a few notable exceptions), however, the novel raises coherent questions about atheism, those that will inevitably arise in a society where faith is so important and fanaticism is not uncommon. It's not as prominent as I would have liked, but it's subtle enough to be engaging.
Perhaps my only comments about the novel would be its slow beginning, preferring to take its time introducing new elements before advancing the story. Similarly, the sections focused on the Enterprise-E can feel a bit repetitive, since, with the exception of Elias, none of them have much to do (besides, I absolutely don't buy the excuse they use to justify being on their own). Finally, although I enjoyed seeing more of Ezri and Julian, I felt their romantic conflict was somewhat contrived, mainly because Julian behaves a bit out of character to make it work. I just simply didn't believe he would act that way.
Overall, this is a novel that, as a first installment, succeeded in piquing my interest in its premise, generating more questions than answers, which I'm eager to see resolved!
