Prophecy & Change
Star Trek Deep Space Nine
By Various Authors 

     DS9 was a very special series. It combined the strong characterization, mix of adventure and humor tinged with a slight coziness that epitomizes Star Trek with a darker, grittier tale of war and all its horror, as well as feats of bravery and self-sacrifice. There is now a series of books that take place after the series, but for all those who still yearn for stories set during the show, here is a book of them.

     All these writers have the gift of being able to give a brief but effective tale with a minimum of words. There are new slants on favorite episodes, told from the point of view of a different character. Find out about Ziyal's last days and her friendship with Jake, what Garak is up to and how a rift between staunch friends Miles and Julian was healed. Read about Sisko's first brave act as Emissary, and have a laugh with DS9's light relief, the Ferengi.

     Do I have a favorite? Not really; nothing stood out for me in particular although I enjoyed reading about my own favorite character, Garak, in a sequel to A Stitch in Time. You need to have read this book in order to understand this particular tale, but all the other stories draw on the series rather than any other books. No new facets of any characters are revealed, and no new characters are created in here that might end up being featured in other books, but being able to view various key moments from other angles and get a glimpse into what might have happened between some vital episodes is very entertaining.