What is it like being the son of a prophet?
Written: Jul 12 '03 (Updated Aug 17 '08)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Interesting main characters, little wasted space, good writing
Cons: a few "nothing" characters, a bit of pointlessness at the end
The Bottom Line: The bottom line went on a long journey and hasn't come back yet.
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| hist's Full Review: |
Rising Son, by S.D. Perry, is part of the post-television continuity of the series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. Not only that, but it runs parallel with all of the other books except Avatar, the first one. It explains what happened to Jake Sisko after he disappeared into the wormhole during that book, and his experiences as he tries to get home (or tries to decide whether or not he even wants to go home). It’s a very intriguing character study of young Jake and it includes an interesting plot as well. We’ve been waiting months and months to find out what happened to Jake, and it was well worth the wait.
The Story
In Avatar, Jake Sisko stumbled upon a Bajoran prophecy that seemed to indicate that he would find his missing father, Captain Benjamin Sisko (who had disappeared at the end of the television series) by going into the wormhole that links the Alpha and Gamma Quadrants of space. He would go in, find him somehow, and then come home, all before Benjamin’s new wife gave birth to their first child.
But events didn’t turn out like he had planned. Jake finds himself almost dead in a powerless ship, flung far away from where he started. After recording his last thoughts and waiting to freeze to death (or asphyxiate), a ship finds him. This ship is the Even Odds, and it is a retrieval ship. It goes around the Gamma Quadrant looking for salvage or doing missions for other customers that require their own special brand of expertise. The captain, Dezavrim (Dez), sees in Jake something of himself when he was Jake’s age. In Jake, he sees a chance to be a father like his father wasn’t to him. He misinterprets some of Jake’s complaints about Benjamin (the fact that he became so embroiled in the Dominion War and Bajoran religion that he didn’t always have time for Jake), and decides that he can give Jake a better life if he can convince Jake to stay with the ship rather than go home. Jake finds himself sorely tempted as he gains the acceptance of the crew and becomes friends with them. He starts to feel at home, and he seriously reconsiders whether there is anything for him back in the Alpha Quadrant.
But then Bajoran prophecy interferes again, as a figure from Bajor’s past, one Jake thought long dead, returns, clarifying the prophecy that sent Jake these many light years and snaring him again. Torn between his love of his new friends, his duty to Bajor and his father’s ideals, and a growing disillusionment with the methods of his new “family,” Jake doesn’t know what to do. But will any decision be taken out of his hands?
What Did I Think?
If you’re a fan of Deep Space 9, especially the post-television continuity, this is a must-own book for you. I’ve only read a couple of the newer books, but I’ve wondered when the Jake story would be told, and I’m glad they waited until the tenth anniversary of the show to tell it. Perry writes a very satisfying book, with interesting characters and a good story to go with it. I enjoyed reading about Jake and the touch decisions he has to make in it. Perry really portrayed well the tug-of-war between Jake’s new friends and his ideals. The crew is not the most honest bunch around, and they make some of their living by doing illegal things. They don’t do things out of the goodness of their hearts and helping people is only a priority if they are getting paid. This goes completely against how Jake was brought up and he finds himself doubting. Should he stay with these people who have accepted him? Should he build his own life, away from the Federation and from being “Ben Sisko’s son?” Is sacrificing his ideals worth it? And then when the prophecy rears its ugly head again, Jake is even more torn. It seems like, even this far away from home, Ben Sisko is reaching out to grab him and pull him in. Jake’s final decision looks more and more obvious as things progress (Dez can’t understand why Jake is having a problem with the way they do things, and thinks he needs to grow up), but it’s still heart-wrenching to see him go through it. I think this would be a marvelous vehicle for Cirroc Lofton (the actor who played Jake) if a TV movie ever got made (not that it will happen of course). I think that’s the highest compliment to the book.
Dez is an good contrast to Jake. He desperately wants Jake to like him, to give Jake the opportunity that he never had with his own father. He is baffled by Jake’s ethical code that has a problem with the way he does things. He finally decides to pretend that they will become a more altruistic crew while Jake becomes further immersed in the crew’s life. Then, when Jake is unable to get himself out, he’ll force Jake to realize that what they do is not a bad thing. While you don’t like what Dez does, you can understand it and almost sympathize with him. It makes him a sad character in a way, and as you watch Jake agonize, you know that there is no real good or bad side in this conflict. There are only a couple of times where the character doesn’t ring true, as he goes just that little bit further to convince Jake and seems to go over the top. It’s not often, though, and Dez turns out to be a fascinating character to read about.
The crew of the Even Odds is an eclectic bunch, with a few familiar Alpha Quadrant races (2 Ferengi and a Cardassian) and one Gamma Quadrant race we’re familiar with (the Wadi). Thus, Perry can wrap her other, unfamiliar characters in a sheet of familiarity that Trek fans can handle. I’m a bit disappointed in that aspect, but Perry does a good enough job with them that it’s not a bad thing. The Caradassian is fairly non-descript, though he does learn some things during the course of the story. The Ferengi are stereotypical, but it’s the new races that are so very interesting. The best of the bunch is Stessie, a joined being with numerous different facets. Only one can talk, but all the facets have their own personality even as they are part of the whole. While this sort of thing has been done before (even in Trek), Perry imbues the character with an interesting personality that makes her (it?) a wonderful piece of work. The other crew members aren’t really that interesting, fulfilling their roles admirably but not doing much else. Facity, the Wadi first officer and Dez’s lover, provides an interesting viewpoint as she watches the interplay between Jake and Dez, but I didn’t find much of interest in her personally. She serves almost as a spectator, viewing the game between the two of them and commenting on it.
The writing is standout for a Star Trek book, with no real waste or padding visible in the book. The only pointless point of the story is the ending, where a surprise personality from the television series meets up with them, adding a slight bit of tension but then quickly dissipating it. The story also ends with a “To Be Continued,” but in itself it is fairly self-contained. If you’re just interested in what happened to Jake, you will find that out and don’t have to continue further if you don’t want to (but what DS9 book fan will not want to continue?). Some may think the book has a few too many coincidences, but when you get into Bajoran religion and the prophecies, you get reasons for why this sort of thing occurs. Overall, there were no “yeah, right” moments in the book.
The book is well-written enough that if you’re not a fan, you would probably still enjoy it. If you are a fan, though, you should check it out. The book is marvelous and it is a fine addition to the DS9 library of books. Bring on Unity!
Other Deep Space Nine continuation books:
Avatar
Section 31: Abyss
Demons of Air & Darkness
Mission Gamma: Twilight
Mission Gamma: This Gray Spirit
Mission Gamma: Cathedral
Mission Gamma: Lesser Evil
Rising Son
Unity
Worlds of Deep Space Nine: Cardassia & Andor
Worlds of Deep Space Nine: Bajor & Trill
Worlds of Deep Space Nine: Dominion & Ferenginar
Warpath
Fearful Symmetry
A Stitch in Time
Left Hand of Destiny: Book 1
Left Hand of Destiny: Book 2
Recommended:
Yes
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Member: David Roy
Location: Vancouver, BC
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