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Rating: 
Summary: DS9 #9 Proud Helios - An interesting premise!
Review: "Proud Helios" represents only the first of two forays into the Star Trek universe for Melissa Scott which is kind of sad considering that her writing style was rather promising. I found "Proud Helios" to have a somewhat intriguing plot and the author carried a fairly decent pace throughout the novel. "Proud Helios" is one of the earlier Star Trek Deep Space Nine novels so when picking up this novel keep that in mind because when this novel was written and published, the series was still in its second and third seasons and as any fan of the show knows, character and plot wise, it was very much in a state of flux at that time.The cover art for "Proud Helios" is very typical for the time of its publishing, which doesn't really show much in imagination. The premise: Bajor depends quite heavily on the flow of traffic to the Gamma Quadrant through the wormhole and when that flow is suddenly interrupted by a mysterious ship using a cloaking device it is time for Commander Sisko to step in and stop it. This mysterious ship also starts attacking Cardassian ships as well, which brings about an unexpected alliance between Sisko and Gul Dukat. As this novel is one of the earlier Deep Space Nine novels and I recommend all of them, I will also recommend this novel more as one of those "completists" type novels for Trek fiction readers. {ssintrepid}
Rating:
Summary: DS9 #9 Proud Helios - An interesting premise!
Review: "Proud Helios" represents only the first of two forays into the Star Trek universe for Melissa Scott which is kind of sad considering that her writing style was rather promising. I found "Proud Helios" to have a somewhat intriguing plot and the author carried a fairly decent pace throughout the novel. "Proud Helios" is one of the earlier Star Trek Deep Space Nine novels so when picking up this novel keep that in mind because when this novel was written and published, the series was still in its second and third seasons and as any fan of the show knows, character and plot wise, it was very much in a state of flux at that time. The cover art for "Proud Helios" is very typical for the time of its publishing, which doesn't really show much in imagination. The premise: Bajor depends quite heavily on the flow of traffic to the Gamma Quadrant through the wormhole and when that flow is suddenly interrupted by a mysterious ship using a cloaking device it is time for Commander Sisko to step in and stop it. This mysterious ship also starts attacking Cardassian ships as well, which brings about an unexpected alliance between Sisko and Gul Dukat. As this novel is one of the earlier Deep Space Nine novels and I recommend all of them, I will also recommend this novel more as one of those "completists" type novels for Trek fiction readers. {ssintrepid}
Rating:
Summary: Unfocused
Review: I tried reading this book I really did but somehow I just never could get through it. I think the plot killed this book even though the author did his best to help it along. If you want a better DS9 book try reading "Antimatter" or "Fallen Heros" they are much better.
Rating:
Summary: Unfocused
Review: I tried reading this book I really did but somehow I just never could get through it. I think the plot killed this book even though the author did his best to help it along. If you want a better DS9 book try reading "Antimatter" or "Fallen Heros" they are much better.
Rating:
Summary: Extremely Good Trek
Review: Proud Helios is one of the better Trek books out there. It lacks any true depth, of course, and posits no new ideas or perspectives. It taxes the brain not at all. It is, however, a fine action story with extremely well-depicted secondary characters, a rarity in most Trek novels. In fact, the secondary characters, including the captain and engineer of the pirate ship Helios and a Cardassian commander forced to kow-tow to Gul Dukat, grab interest before any of the regular DS9 characters do. As for the regulars, after a few dozen pages of hokey introspection about each other, they emerge "true to life", with Kira and Odo in particular showing off their best traits (Kira shooting her mouth off without thinking, and Odo scowling at everything in sight). Scott's effort has earned my interest in other books she has written. The only serious caveat is to beware the infamous back of the book. The description given by the publisher is misleading; there is no Sisko/Dukat alliance, for example. Moreover, the back gives away a major plot point that does not occur until page 200 or so (in a 270 page book). So, don't read the back of the book, but pick it up, read it, and enjoy it as it is meant to be enjoyed - as mindless, harmless entertainment.
Rating:
Summary: Solidly entertaining action story.
Review: This book is a perfectly adequate action story, competently told and with slightly better than fair characterizations, but it is no more than that. If you enjoy DS9, read it for the pleasure of seeing your favorite characters in action, but don't expect any philosophical insights or epiphanies; they aren't there. Neither is the prose anything special; good, but nothing memorable.
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