Rene Auberjonois Books

I was looking forward to reading the book. We surely do need a female messiah :) but I was hard-pressed to suspend disbelief at how overwhelmingly her messiahhood(?) was accepted, esp. after background information was revealed about her origins and in light of her sex.
Jehovah's Witnesses get a mention albeit an unflattering (and unaccurate) one. JW leadership are pretty closed-lipped about predicting things assertively these days and are not publicity seekers. ie the president of the governing body does not seek tv interviews and if he did, his 'pronouncement' would be rather tame and generic (and released through public relations).

Muslims get pretty positive treatment as accepting Jeza. Except, Muhammed (SAW) is traditionally considered the Seal of the Prophets- the last one- no more- no new revelations. Sure, she'd get a few followers, but the majority? At one point the author mentions they seem to accept her as begotten daughter (or prophetess at least). Yikes! Big time shirk (associating someone with God)there.
Towrds the end her detractors suggest she's the antichrist. Finally! I was surprised this didn't get thrown out a lot earlier in the storyline.
How long was the storyline anyway? The novel has her emulating the life of Jesus. So, was it 3 yrs? I didn't get a sense of three years of her presence in the novel. Nor did she really gather any disciples to really speak of, except the news guy through whom we experience the story.

This book came highly recommended to me, and by the virtue of the glowing reviews here on Amazon, I thought this story would be riveting, interesting, and worth the time it would take to read it. Unfortunately, that's not what happened as I trudged through to the end of this book.

This book is already quite dated - we miraculously survived the turning of the new millenium without so much as a cosmic peep, and much more horrific things have happened since that time. The story takes us through the events leading up to January 1, 2000, with a fantastic explosion, a mysterious, covert experiment, and an even more mysterious young woman who may or may not be the messiah. What ensues is chaos as the world begins to divide itself into the "we believe she's the messiah" and "we think it's a hoax" camps of thought.

First, I like that the author brings in the media frenzy that would undoubtedly occur with this type of event. However, the fact that it took what felt like about 5 minutes for everyone in the world to take a side on the messiah issue was far too forced and unbelievable. In short, although I can read almost anything and find something to like about it, I was bored by this story. The characters were very one-dimensional, the action seemed forced, and I never read anything that had me on the edge of my seat. In fact, if this book had not been recommended to me by a fellow book lover, I doubt I would have finished it at all.

Based on all the positive reviews of this book here on Amazon, I can concede that this simply was not the right kind of story for me. However, I can forgive almost anything while I'm reading a book (poor editing, bad grammar, inconsistencies, etc.), but I can't forgive a story that doesn't pique my interest at least slightly, and this particular book was a chore to read.

Due to a recommendation, I was under a totally different impression of the book's "goal." Apocolyptic thrillers are some of my favorite fiction novels. Before I go forward in my review let me state " I am NOT Catholic" and I DO have some problems with certain aspects of organized religion.
This book is no better then The Davinci Code in undermining Christianity with it New Age agenda against the evil, evil Catholic Church. The Author fails to realize there are good in bad in all things, not just the Catholic church and religion. The Good an Bad does not make the foundation (Christ!) UNTRUE
As a Christian I found the Jeza character blatantly offensive in having her mimick Christ in prophecy yet illogically does not present Jesus' message as truth. What is the author trying to do here?
Truth is all relative, there is no such thing as sin or judgment or right or wrong. So (of course!) there is no need for a Saviour..
The author FAILS MISERABLY at his attempt to use Bible Prophecy in this book. He clearly twist and omits those things which do not line up with his agenda. If you are going to use Bible prophecy as your guide. Know what you are talking about!!
The author clearly does not.
After I finished this book I put this "work" in its' rightful place....
The TRASH

After reading this book, I have a better understanding of the impact a Messiah would have on the religious organization. When Jesus scattered the money changers, he was rocking their income boat. Would it be any different today if the Messiah returned? Would they welcome him/her or try to discredit and destroy such a threat to the statis quo? I hate to say it, but I think he'd have a real hard sell...if he performed miracles, it would be called a trick, sham, or the work of an Anti-Christ. A very disturbing and tantalizing read....I highly recommend!

I bought this book after reading the reviews, which are quite strong, and being a skeptic, read this with a critical eye. Nevertheless, I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this novel. It held my suspense from the very beginning, is far more complex and intriguing than most suspense thrillers, and kept building as I went. By the time I was halfway through, I found myself thinking about it even when I wasn't reading it, to the point it became a near obsession. Like the best books, when I finished it, I was both thrilled and sad. Thrilled at a story that surpassed my expectations by far, sad for it to end. I'd like to read more from this author, and hope a sequel is in the offing. I can give THE LAST DAY my highest endorsement. An exceptional, intelligent, fascinating story.

This book is a highly creepy, highly thrilling adventure for Special Agent Aloysius Pendergast. I'd say it's a must-read. Coming from a small-town where cornfields rule the world, it was easy to get into the mindset of the book. If you haven't experienced cornfields first-hand, this book will make you think twice about ever setting foot in one.

Another high five for Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child and the engaging and fantastic Agent Pendergast. I just couldn't put the book down. An excellent read.

Having been a fan of Preston/Child books since day 1 I expected nothing less from them than a solid read, great suspense, good character developement and an enjoyable ride. I got all of that until the last 20-30 pages. Let's just say that the ending left a LOT of room for improvement. Not only did the ending feel rushed but it was also implausible. Here's a good trick for you to do. Read all but the ending and you'll get a classic Preston/Child book and then make up your own ending. I promise you that your's will be better than theirs was. Then read their ending and you'll see what I mean.

awesome book!! actually gave me goosebumps. writing was so vivid i could really put myself into the story. Pendergrast is so cool in every situation I actually found myself talking to him telling him to hurry up! Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child are a force to be reckoned with and I am an avid ,and to say the least, picky reader. So turn out the lights, put your back to a wall and enjoy.

Although A little slower than some of their books, if you enjoy Thrillers and Suspense, you won't be disappointed.

I've read most of their work and Pendergast is one of my favorite modern day literary characters, but this was one of their weaker efforts. It dragged in the middle and seemed to sidetrack a bit too much and lacked the punch I usually expect. The end was very good reading and a setup for their next book Dance of Death which I have already picked up and will start on right away.

Brimstone was a fabulous, easy to read tale that is exactly what we've all come to expect from Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child. I haven't read a Preston/Child book since Riptide and had forgotten how great their work is. Brimstone is a great tale that lets the supernatural-leaning part of your mind run wild with suspicions and a little bit of fear as the book reintroduces Agent Pendergast and Vincent DaGosta to us all over again.

Brimstone takes who from the frenzy of New York City to the charm of Italy. Our heroes are again pitted against some vile enemies as they attempt to solve two bizarre murders in New York and another in Italy. Brimstone allowed my imagination to run rampant as it led me skillfully through the story. With the back story always running, keeping my hooked, I have now picked up the books that follow Brimstone so that I can find out what happens.--That's it though, no more spoiler!

Brimstone is a great book, not only for fans of Preston/Child, but also for anyone who enjoys a good read and wants to get their head into a book and away from the world for a few hours.

Timothy Lassiter, author of Three Degrees of Separation and The Devil You Know

I took this book with me on a trip for a beach read. Being a Preston and Child fan, I looked forward to reading another Pendergast mystery. However, unusual for me, I had a hard time getting into this book. There was the initial hook of the first murder, but after that the book lost me for a bit and I found myself re-reading pages that I seemed to have skimmed over and not comprehended (I thought from boredom). But, I have to truthfully admit that the lure of the landscapes in Costa Rica probably played a large role in that boredom with a book! Once I knuckled down and paid attention to the storyline, it was a standard P&C effort, though in my opinion, not their best.

Another tale in the life of Special Agent Pendergast - and this time he's gotten quite annoying. In this book he really comes off as snotty and condescending, and his attitude towards Sergeant D'Agasta is borderline reprehensible. The basic storyline, however, was intriguing - until they started to throw in a lot of "side-stories" with the Reverend that really amounted to nothing but a bit a filler fluff to draw out the tension in the main storyline. The book would have been much better (albeit shorter) without this inclusion. I did like the fact that the book kept you guessing as to whether supernatural forces were truly at work, and was gratified that the answer, while fantastic and unlikely, was rooted in reality... of a sort. This book would have been much better as a shorter, more streamlined version of itself, but nevertheless was worth the read.

You'd think after reading the majority of the Preston/Child novels that I wouldn't hesitate to purchase Brimstone. But I did. For some reason I wasn't, at first, attracted to the solo Pendergast novels. The struck me more as mysteries than the usual Preston Child book. And now that I've read one, I can confirm that is true...but they've converted me to a mystery reader! Pendergasts character is so deeply enjoyable to read that I immediately went out and purchased all the other Pendergast novels I had been avoiding.

The story is fast-paced and the mystery at the core--ingenious. I think what struck me most about the novel was the richness of each character. Pendergast, D'Agosta, Fosco, etc. They really made the story come to life. The religious overtones also made the story much more interesting, from the devil gruesomely slaying people to the crowds of spectators turned religious zealots--they all contributed to a dark yet very entertaining read. Now, if only we can get Pendergast and D'Agosta fighting another brutish monster...then I'll be really happy.

-- Jeremy Robinson, author of Antarktos Rising - A Novel, The Didymus Contingency: A Time Travel Thriller and Raising The Past

Having not read the previous books, and only found out that other books should be read prior to this one, I think I missed out on a great oppirtunity for a good read. There were many parts that I thought needed more description, or background, but I am sure it was known to all who have read the books prior...knowing characters, etc.
I found the main character came in and everything 'fell into place' when I was still trying to figure out ... how did that happen so quickly?
Not a bad book, but not a standalone novel.

This book was an amazing ending to a trilogy that I loved! If you enjoy this genre these two authors will blow you away. Pendergast is one of my favorite fictional characters in literature today.

Although I liked it and found the science behind the eventually "Big Event" cool, I wish I had read the 1st 2 of the trilogy first, but I got it from the library and it was not clear from the cover this was the 3rd. It managed to stand alone well enough but the Constance long-childhood thing was very unclear and hinted at annoying. If a focus was going to put on it, then it should have been flatout stated. Despite that, it was a rewarding, quick and exciting read. For a suspense novel, there were very few holes...I can't think of any except a weird statement made about Nora by her husband that seemed like something bad editing failed to catch a change in characterization. Still, a fun story great for a rainy day or beach.

I'm not sure what's happening to this franchise, but I want it to stop. First of all, the story depends on a couple of blatantly absurd plot twists and character developments that required me to suspend my disbelief beyond the breaking point, and I just couldn't. Second, and I noticed this in the prequel to Book of the Dead, the books are starting to get bogged down under the weight of their own useless details. Someone's done a lot of research, that is clear, but in some spots this reads like an eighth-grade social studies report -- not one single useless detail on any subject is omitted, whether it's a street map, an exclusive brand name (often so little-known that it conveys nothing to most readers; a simple description of the item would have been both more useful and less pretentious), or the specs of a machine. Also annoying are the "conversations" about obscure objects or artists that sound as if they were lifted directly from a Wikipedia or encyclopedia entry. Last, I was completely blown away by the Mac notebook ads in here (what else would you call a lengthy paragraph that serves no purpose whatsoever except to recite the virtues of a Mac notebook as opposed to a PC?). Are we at the point where companies can buy ad space in books now?

This is book 3 in the 'Pendergast trilogy,' and you should read Brimstone and Dance of Death first. Taken as an aggregate it's a very engrossing, entertaining read (taken seperately they tend to leave you hanging - at least the first two books did, so you might as well get all three at once!).

The whole series is full of interesting characters and bizarre situations, and while some plot points are utterly predictable, there are still enough twists and turns that keep you guessing. The action is well written and pulls you in wonderfully, and the narrator (I listened on tape) did an amazing job.

Good as a stand alone thriller/suspense/crime fiction read. Even better if you have read the previous Agent Pendergast novels.

The last book (Brimstone) left you dangling, and this one picks up the thread. Surprisingly, Special Agent Pendergast does a complete 180 in this story. No longer the annoying, egotistical know-it-all, he turns into someone almost human. There is a lot of action, even a slight touch of humor, but the overriding story is dark and fast paced. A great plot with a *sigh* dangling end... Now I'll just have to wait for the next book, as these have turned into a true series! I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys action and suspense.

Also, unlike the previous Pendergast novels, you should read this trilogy (Brimstone, Dance of Death, and Book of the Dead) in strict order.

Well, I'm 120 pages into it, & so far, it's a snore fest compared to "Book Of The Dead". Unfortunately, I came late to the party & started out the Pendergast series with "BOTD", so now I'm working my way backward, as it were. Just finished "Brimstone", which I loved-gave me a little more insight into some of the characters......which was what I'd hoped "Dance Of Death" would do, but as I said-120 pages into it & ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!
Well, maybe it's going to get better soon.

I have "Relic", "Reliquary",[which I wish I knew how to pronounce!], & "Wheel Of Darkness" on order-they should be here any day now, by which time I'll have finished "DOD". As I said-I'm doing this totally backwards, but these guys have me totally hooked on Pendergast, even more so his 'evil twin' Diogenes, so I'll keep going til they stop!

My husband and I first read "The Book of the Dead" by Preston and Child. We became completely captivated by their character Special Agent Pendergast, FBI. This character shines in the book "Dance of Death." "Dance of Death" is finely written to hold your interest till the very last page. Thank you Preston and Child. Let's have more books with the Pendergast character. Sarah Jonker-Burke

Preston and Child team up for another book featuring their rather oddball antagonist Pendergast, or at least in this case, Pendergast's extended family and friends. Pendergast has gone missing from the previous escapade, and is presumed to be dead. His erstwhile sidekick, D'Agosta, is trying to continue with his life and his lovelife with Captain Laura Hayward when a surprising murder takes place that perplexes the NYPD. This murder of a good man with no enemies is tied quickly to a murder in New Orleans. The only tie between the two men is Pendergast. When an FBI agent who mentored Pendergast in the FBI is murdered, then all hell breaks lose.

D'Agosta has to choose between protecting those who knew Pendergast and his relationship with Hayward. Others with ties to Pendergast including a reporter for a major NY newspaper, and people who work in the American Museum of Natural History, must also participate in recent murderous events whether willingly or unwillingly.

Preston and Child have created an unusual and unforgettable character in Agent Pendergast. The places and people involved with him are from different parts of society, but they all have something in common besides Pendergast...they are often very smart and very literate. This makes for an enjoyable read for those who like mysteries, but like their mysteries to be smart (like the Sherlock Holme mysteries by Conan Doyle).

These books are addictive, and like the title says...almost impossible to put down once started!

Karen Sadler

A solid Batman story, it only suffers from the fact that it has The Riddler shoehorned in as a second villain, when it does not seem to be necessary at all. This cramps the room for the other characters, who aren't too bad at all. Alfred is Alfred, Chase Meridian is intriguing as a psychiatrist, and the hot headed teenaged acrobat Robin isn't too horrible.

Batman here is having problems with these two new people in his life, and his mental state becomes fragile.

I Love Batman he is my Favorite D.C. Superhero. This book is alot better than the movie more detailes about the villians & Heros. This is one of the lighter batman books not so much suspence but a lot of action.



If You Liked This Book Read Batman, Batman Returns & Batman & Robin

This book blows away the movie. I could not put this book down. I'm serious; read it.

Well, the movie was not up to par with the two first classic Tim Burton Bat-flicks, but the book is good. The film was hardly a serious approach. Fluffy, with Carrey extremelly silly and unfunny and with Tommy Lee Jones simply One-Dimensional. However, in this book, as absurd it may sound, Edward Nygma (Carrey's character) is presented as a sad person, who is frustrated by his ruthless boss and wants to payback as the Riddler. As for Tommy Lee Jones' character (Two-Face), he is presented as a tragic figure who is not a true villain but a victim of the circumstances. All in all, the book although follows the script of the film, it is a lot better, and makes me think that the reason that this film sucked was not its scriptwriter but its director.

The 3.5-star Wheel of Darkness has all you'd expect from this series: interesting settings, good characters, and an involving mystery that requires Pendergast's unique array of talents. Setting most of the action in the closed world of an ocean liner works well, and we get interesting details on everything from shipboard operations to Tibetan art.
What drags this one, for me, a notch below the rest of the series is the effect of the supernatural elements on Pendergast. It was established in Still Life With Crows that, despite his fondness for Eastern mysticism, Pendergast absolutely rejects the existence of the supernatural. In this novel, when he comes face to face with an unquestionable supernatural event for the first time, it doesn't throw him nearly as much as it should. Despite his attempt to reconcile science and the supernatural in the last chapter, Pendergast has run into something that shatters a major component of his worldview, and he doesn't seem much affected by that.
Other than that, it's another first-class adventure, hard to put down as always. I look forward to the next installment. (I'd also like to see another Preston-Child collaboration where Pendergast is not center stage, or is absent altogether: all their stand-alone novels like Thunderhead have been excellent.)

Special Agent Pendergast is my favorite character throughout all the Preston and Child books I've read. It seems they took a different direction with his personality in this one. If you've read the others, you should realize that he doesn't quite seem like himself in this book. I missed him flashing his FBI badge at everyone, prying information out of unknowing suspects, and well, just being his clever self in general. He barely wore his black suit and never used the extra lock-picks in his pants. Additionally, the only new thing we learned about the special agent is that he is apparently very familiar with techniques of the Kama Sutra. I don't know how this information will play out in future novels, but hopefully not with Constance. There were still plenty of clever aspects, but this book just didn't seem on the same level as some of the others. I have also started to grow a strong aversion to Constance. There's something about her that I just don't like. Hopefully she will be a villain in the next book and be killed off like Diogenes. Even still, I can hardly wait for the next installment next summer.

don't get me wrong, the book is definitely worth a read (i managed to read through it in one go), but when you have read other Preston&Child novels, this one just lacks something. it is not as nerve wrecking, not as exciting, not as surprising. instead, i found myself a bit taken aback by the supernatural turn of events - it just didn't fit into the book.

Well I waited awhile for this book to finally come out in paperback. I've read everything from Preston and Child. They are undoubtedly the best out there and always provide a fun read. They remain consistently good and provide thrills, scares, lots of action, and all-out page turners. I was excited to finally read the book and it starts out well with a fast pace. It has a great mystery that develops into a superb cat-and-mouse pursuit with Pendergast and the villain. Pendergast is at the top of his game in this one and races against the clock to pursue the antagonist. I thought it would end up being one of the best novels but unfortunately the ending seems to be rushed and to me didn't really deliver. The final encounter with the formidable villain and Pendergast should've been so much better, but other than that it was still a great read that I breezed through.

Fairly early on in THE WHEEL OF DARKNESS authors Preston and Child make two major errors that leap off the page with a scream.

The two protagonists literally miss the boat--the ocean liner Britannica, which leaves the dock just as they arrive. Fortunately, they have enough influence to place a telephone call, have the ship back up, redock, and take them aboard. Somewhat later, the central character discovers card counters at work in the ship's casino. He reports this to the casino pit, which he describes as a closed room with television monitors that allow officers to watch the play at each table.

Now, ocean liners don't just back up and redock. It doesn't work that way, and in any case if you miss the boat but it is still in harbor you can always take a small boat to board the liner before it reaches open water. And no, the pit is actually a part of the gaming floor; what the book calls "the pit" is actually the survelliance room, and quite frankly any self-respecting survelliance officer would have spotted the card counters long, long before they took the bank.

There's lots more stuff like this in THE WHEEL OF DARKNESS, which might best described as Indiana Jones meets the Mandala of Doom: little things that are more distinctly fantasy than actual fact. And in truth when all is said and done, THE WHEEL OF DARKNESS has "premeditated bestseller" stamped all over it, very much as if the authors sat down with marketing gurus and came up with some basic rules, such as not using a lot of hard words and avoiding compound-complex sentences in the narrative.

The story is a bit slow to start, concerning special agent Pendergast and his ward Constance, who visit a Tibetan monastery only to be told that an artifact has been stolen: an item that has the capacity to put an end to humanity once and for all. Pendergast agrees to locate and return the item, which he ultimately discovers on an ocean liner bound for the United States. It is, not to put too fine a point on it, the mandala from hell, and before Pendergast and Constance manage to locate it quite a lot of that hell begins to break loose.

Although it really is too ify in terms of details and feels excessively premeditated, THE WHEEL OF DARKNESS really is a fun book, the sort of thing you scarf down in one or two sittings. But like many books of its kind, it doesn't linger. You read it, enjoy it, and when the book is over you never think twice about it again. Recommended as mindless entertainment.

GFT, Amazon Reviewer

Khan Noonian Singh, a character expertly portrayed by Ricardo Montalban on Star Trek (The Space Seed) has appeared in 1 movie and at least 3 novels. Khan and a small group of genetically enhanced humans decide that they should rule earth. In this story, we see Kahn at the height of his power back in the 1990's. Due to the efforts of Gary Seven (Assignment Earth) and Roberta Lincoln, who foil his attempts to create chaos, Kahn's empire collapses and his effort to rule the earth fails.

The STTOS bookends, in which Kirk and McCoy interact with a colony of genetically enhanced people, lend nothing to the history. They do however provide a device for an evaluation of DNA tinkering and what is really important about mankind.

The person who is unfamiliar with Khan might enjoy experiencing this part of the Star Trek Universe chronologically.



Star Trek episode #55 "Assignment Earth" (DVD TV ) (b/g for The Eugenics Wars)
The Eugenics Wars Vol I: The Rise and Fall of Khan Noonien Singh (Book: Greg Cox)
The Eugenics Wars Vol II: The Rise and Fall of Khan Noonien Singh (Book: Greg Cox)
Star Trek Enterprise episode 80 "Borderland" (DVD TV)
Star Trek Enterprise episode 81 "Cold Station 12" (DVD TV)
Star Trek Enterprise episode 82 "The Augments" (DVD TV)
Star Trek episode #22 "Space Seed" (DVD TV )
To Reign In Hell: The Exile of Kahn Noonien Singh(Book: Greg Cox)
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (DVD Movie)
Star Trek III: The Search For Spock (DVD Movie)
Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (DVD Movie)

Let me start by saying I am a fan of Star Trek. I've seen the moives and most of the shows (all series). I have not read any of the Star Trek books, before now at least.

"Wrath of Khan" is one of my all-time favorite movies and "Space Seed" is one of the better Star Trek TV episodes. So when I saw there were some books about the Eugenics Wars and Khan I was intrigued. And, after reading them, rather disappointed.

The books were written well enough. They are fast paced and easy to read. The back story with Kirk and the Enterprise are actually enjoyable and my favorite part of these books. Greg Cox shows time and time again, and again, and again, and again, he knows his Star Trek. And that is part of the problem.

It seems in every chapter there is some reference to something Star Trek but not directly related to Khan. And, in every other chapter, he seems to connect the current event in the book to some event in either one of the TV series or movies. It gets old, fast. It is like he has to keep reminding us he knows his Star Trek. Whenever I pondered Khan in the past, I never once thought of zombies, the Borg, or immortals. Here, I seem to encounter these odd ball things more then Khan.

This leads to another thing that bothers me - the focus of the book. It is not Khan, as one might expect. But it is really Ms Kennedy and Seven (and the cat) that the books focus on. Khan is there, of course, and the plot does deal with him and his schemes. But he is relegated to a single dimension character - a villain only worthy of one of the Brosnan James Bond films.

And that is what these books are like - bad spy novels with space death rays, micro spy gadgets, and teleporters. And it is more like the Eugenics COLD War. I understand that Space Seed had set the Eugenics Wars in the 1990s and that poses a problem. But I would rather have read an alternate history or somehow explained that the dating of the Eugenics was incorrect. Granted, Cox does a good job of mixing in real world events, but the story still ends up flat.

Going into this, I was hoping for story that could develop Khan's character instead of turning him into a shallow one. I had hoped Cox could do what Lucus couldn't do with Darth Vadar and that is come up with a compelling story for one of the archetypical villains of post modern sci-fi. But he didn't.

And though I dislike the books, there seems to be a good number of positive reviews of the books. I found them to be misleading. It is possible these reviewers did actually like the novels. And after reading the books, I think I can present a little test for other people to see if they would like the books. Here it is: If you liked the Star Trek episode with Seven and this *cat* and you think that style of episode fits well with Khan, you will like this book. If you used a laser etcher to remove the Seven episode from the DVD that contains it, you will not like this book.

Sorry... but... I'm lying. This book is PATHETIC! REALLY! I know I put 5 stars, but this is to warn thoes who only look at the 5 star ratings. For anyone who wishes to read about the exciting exploits of Khan... look elsewhere.

Essentially, 1/2 of this book is devoted to Khan and the other half to almost completely unrelated plots surrounding two lame characters re-hashed from previous novels: Agent Gary Sevan and Roberta. Much like the previous book, most of the action revolves around these two cardboard-quality "super spys" with the actions of Khan serving as a kind of supporting "character" in a supporting story line. Much like the previous "novel" (and I do use that term loosely!), Kahn is just the "super villian" who Seven and Roberta are charged to depose.

More or less... this book reads like a cheapened (and unimaginative) James Bond book where Seven and Roberta are Bond-like and Khan is the super villian. Given that Seven and Roberta could not be added and rehashed in this novel if it were written (even closely) according to Trek-cannon, the novel was forced to take on a spy-vs.-spy approach. For thoes of you wishing to see Khan's great rise and fall (as suggested in the reviews, cover page, etc.), FORGET IT!!! This story is RARELY even told from the perspective of KHAN!!!... the supposed main character! Mostly, it is drivel!!!

please Please PLEASE DO **NOT** BUY THIS BOOK!!!

You will only be dispointed at the flimsly "plot", the cheesey and campy wording, the over-abundance of past Trekie refernces (no doubt to remind you that you are suppose to reading a "Trek" base "novel"), the over use of non-related "supporting" characters, and the near absence of the "main" character Khan. This book is almost pure rehash and pure rubbish!

First of all, Gregg Cox's creativity in building this story is excellent. In my opinion, he is one of the best writers in the Star Wars/ Star Trek genre. This is a great story, but Cox tries too hard to make the Eugenics Wars look like a "covert" war that happened concurrently with things that REALLY happened in our non-scifi history. This critically kills the whole scifi imagination of the reader - other than genetic engineering, there's no REAL sci-fi science happening. Gene Roddenberry and the original writers of Star Trek back in the 60's envisioned that by 1997 (the year of Khan's exile), we would be technologically advanced to the point of at least ALREADY traveling the solar system. Even though they missed the mark, the entire Star Trek genre is predicated on the idea that by 1997, we were well on our way to becoming a space-faring race. Cox's "historically correct" depiction of earth in the 1990s (Windows 95 and all) gravely injures what Roddenberry's Star Trek Timeline tried to create, thus rendering Khan's existence and reign unbelievable. Without high-technology, none of Cox's story is very belieavable. Think about it! How could Khan's mother create hundreds of genetically engineered babies in the 70's before PC's were invented, then by 1997 with more powerful PC's nobody else could re-create her technology (not even Khan himself according to Cox)?? Again, excellent writing, but Cox should have stuck to the advanced civilization concept that Roddenberry's bunch started out with. Though the read was worth the money, I'm dissappointed because I learned nothing about Star Trek history from this story.

I liked this book, because it found a way to fit the Eugenics Wars into our timeline. It also provided several links to other instalations of Star Trek. The phaser Chekov left behind in Star Trek IV and the Ferengi shuttle at Roswell from the DS9 episode "Little Green Men" are all mentioned, as well as the protagonists being Gary Seven, Isis, and Roberta Lincoln from the original series episode, "Assignment: Earth". Plus, of course, references to "Space Seed" and Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. Reccomended to Star Trek fans.

If you're one of those fans of Deep Space Nine who enjoy that series' tendancy to supply a healthy dollop of psuedo-mysticism along with the usual Star Trek psuedoscience, you'll doubtless love this book. It was well-written, the characters were handled well, the plot moved nicely, and so forth.

If, on the other hand, (like me) you find the credibility granted the Bajoran mysticism and mumbo-jumbo (including Sisko's status as the "Emissary") to be at best minorly irritating, then this is definitely NOT the book for you. The basic concept was just a little too silly for words.

One has to be warped to read this boring wordy hardcover. I'm glad I only paid $3 bucks for it (2.99 too much in my opinion). The only good parts were the moments with Odo and Quark. Other than that it was a waste!! zzzzzzz..thats all you will do if you read this tedious, wordy novel. Boring boring boring !!!!!! No wonder it's thrown in discount bins around the galaxy. Live long and prosper but dont read this book!!

Believe the title. The reason "Warped" didn't sell very well was that the author fundamentally misread the DS9 characters and feel. If you want to see stronger work from K. W. Jeter, read the Boba Fett books. The same cynical, violent outlook that works so well in that Star Wars story just seems creepy here. It's like all the Star Trek characters you know and care about have been replaced with twisted dopplegangers of themselves.

This is a paranoid book. Corridors are dark and oppressively silent. Much of the action takes place at night. A string of bizarre and violent murders upset the calm of the station. Political unrest stirs Bajor. There is even a ghost! Oh, and somebody's been tinkering with the holosuites, which now twist their users into violent and sociopathic behavior. It's a premise that deserves a stand-alone novel instead of trying to squeeze it into the rubber suit of DS9.

If you like dark books, and can avoid plot holes without mental distress, this is a decently-written story. However, big DS9 fans should avoid this one.

I don't understand why everyone keeps saying that this book is so bad. I picked it up, and couldn't put it down. Sure, it got a little overinvolved with some technological details at points, but it's not bad.

The only reason I will give it only four stars is because the author made one slight mistake. As I am writing a book about Federation starships, the author used both the runabouts Mekong and Ganges. Well, during my research, I learned that the Mekong is the runabout that was assigned to Deep Space 9 after the Ganges was destroyed. Just a little annoyance with me that the author did not research the information first.

Overall, a good pick. I highly recommend you pick it up to read.

As a general rule I do not normally like to completely run an author's work into the ground, so in this case my intent is to be as fair as possible with reference to this title. It was not thoroughly surprising to see "Warped" be the second and final Star Trek novel by KW Jeter, who I know to be a very popular author in other genres. Between this and his first DS9 novel "Bloodletter," an astute fan of the series can quickly catch on that the author just didn't seem to grasp the characters or the overall theme of the series very well.

Although no one but those at Pocket Books can say for certain, I believe that the reason that this was the only hardback Star Trek Deep Space Nine release up until DS9's "Unity," which is due out this year, is because "Warped" did so poorly in sales due to it's slow pace and lack of familiarity to the actual series. I find this to be a sad fact as well, considering the novels that came out later that so richly deserved a hardback release!

The cover art for this novel is standard fare for the time it was published, not exceptionally imaginative.

The premise:

Attempting to capitalize on the outstanding second season trilogy episodes of "The Homecoming," "The Circle" and "The Siege," the author brings into play these aspects, playing on the political strife in the newly formed Bajoran provisional government. A series of murders occurs on the station and Commander Sisko finds himself dealing with a new religious faction that wishes to force the Federation away from Bajor.

Odo soon traces the mysterious murders on the station to a dangerous new form of holosuite technology which has also affected Commander Sisko's son, Jake. Sisko must now deal with this new religious faction and the very real possibility of murder coming his way from any direction, to include his own son.

I've also owned the audio tape for this novel for several years; read by Rene Auberjonois, it can be an "okay" distraction for three hours while driving down the highway. Of course, Rene Auberjonois' reading is excellent for what he was reading.

Overall, the premise to this story is an extraordinarily intriguing one; it's in the execution of the story where it falls flat. I would only recommend this title as a collectors or completist's type find. {ssintrepid}