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I've ordered my copy of The Lost from Fandemonium Books and am looking forward to reading this one in the flesh!
I recommend ordering straight from the Fandemonium site, because Amazon (and other online book retailers) seems to have this thing about playing Silly Buggers with Fandemonium orders. Rather than wait several months for shipping, just buy it direct from Fandy and get it in the next couple of weeks!
This isn't a review, exactly; it's more of a ramble through a few of my favourite aspects of the book.
The Lost is probably my 2nd most favourite book out of the five I've seen drafted so far. Avengers (book 4) is in the lead because it's about two of my favourite female characters, but The Lost is in a tie with Secrets (book 5) - partly for arc-ness, and partly for both books' ability to kick you in the gut and leave you reeling from the revelations.
The opening scene in The Lost kicks off the major plot arcs of the series with a firm shove through the event horizon. It's the first punch in the gut in a whole series of them throughout the book. It's also very awesome. My reaction to it can be described in the following emoticon progression:
John's journey through the Valley of the Shadow of Death in the middle of the book is exquisite and painful - all the more because we've seen him driving himself to the ragged edge in the earlier parts: the fall has to come sooner or later, and when it does, it's brutal. Whumpers should love what happens to John here, as will John fans.
I admit, Rodney is my least-favourite character in the team, but his growth-arc in SGA: Legacy is amazing. I can't say more than that without spoiling his story, though! The Lost is definitely worth reading for Rodney. It's not an easy journey through the book and the series, but it's a good one, and one that I would have loved to see David Hewlett act out in person.
Then there's the Wraith. There's a lot more elaboration on Wraith society in this book, and this time Todd isn't the only one giving the exposition. A Wraith scientist - or 'cleverman' - whom Rodney encounters gives both Rodney and the readers insight into Wraith society as well as how they see Atlantis. Dealing with the Wraith as a people is a strong theme of the series - the idea that they're not just an insectile mind with humanoid appendages, but a society with a rich history and complex interactions and a secret that even they don't yet know.
Teyla, Ronon, and Keller all begin to develop their character arcs here, and if their development is subtle, they go places in later books (as compared to the show which threw out lots of chum but never once reeled in a decent sized fish - at least not for Teyla or Ronon).
Ronon's is the most obvious arc as, in the wake of his conversation with Carter in Homecoming, he starts taking on responsibility as 'Ronon Dex' and not just as 'a member of Sheppard's team'. However, we also get a feeling for who Jennifer Keller is when she's not 'Rodney's girlfriend' as well as how she's coping with Rodney's capture. This is the point where the pressure really starts to hit Jennifer, and where she holds up compared with where she struggles.
At this point in the series, Teyla's arc is still in its inception stages, but she has her moments all through the story, particularly as counterbalance to John and in conversations with Carson, Radek, and Woolsey. One thing I love is that we see Teyla deal with the repercussions of her actions - both in Homecoming and within The Lost, some of which affect not only her, but those around her.
As someone who liked Elizabeth but whose Stargate universe didn't revolve around her, one of the things I love about this series is that Elizabeth isn't forgotten or dismissed. She's still considered an important part of Atlantis' history - and the Wraith acknowledge her strength in the story that they tell about Atlantis (which, by the way, is another of my favourite parts of the book). And then there's the other appearance she makes...
Other than that, a multitude of minor characters have their moments and their say - Woolsey, Zelenka, Lorne, and Carter among them. They might only be players in the minor leagues, but there's such clear affection for them in the narrative, their specialties, and the things they bring to the expedition that it's clear that if there are obvious headliners characters for each book in the series, the secondary cast of hundreds is still around, still kicking, still contributing in little ways behind the scenes. I'm hoping they were able to leave in the 'lower levels' scene which isn't just a study in logistics, but also a glimpse into human nature and human society.
Ultimately, if Homecoming got the Legacy series up to speed, The Lost is where the series takes off. It takes a giant leap into the unknown and promptly drags the reader into the storyline, never letting go until the closing scene.
Clear the schedule for this one; because you won't want to put the book down once you've started!
I recommend ordering straight from the Fandemonium site, because Amazon (and other online book retailers) seems to have this thing about playing Silly Buggers with Fandemonium orders. Rather than wait several months for shipping, just buy it direct from Fandy and get it in the next couple of weeks!
This isn't a review, exactly; it's more of a ramble through a few of my favourite aspects of the book.
The Lost is probably my 2nd most favourite book out of the five I've seen drafted so far. Avengers (book 4) is in the lead because it's about two of my favourite female characters, but The Lost is in a tie with Secrets (book 5) - partly for arc-ness, and partly for both books' ability to kick you in the gut and leave you reeling from the revelations.
The opening scene in The Lost kicks off the major plot arcs of the series with a firm shove through the event horizon. It's the first punch in the gut in a whole series of them throughout the book. It's also very awesome. My reaction to it can be described in the following emoticon progression:
| ^_^ | o_o | o.o | o_O | O_O | /o\ |
John's journey through the Valley of the Shadow of Death in the middle of the book is exquisite and painful - all the more because we've seen him driving himself to the ragged edge in the earlier parts: the fall has to come sooner or later, and when it does, it's brutal. Whumpers should love what happens to John here, as will John fans.
I admit, Rodney is my least-favourite character in the team, but his growth-arc in SGA: Legacy is amazing. I can't say more than that without spoiling his story, though! The Lost is definitely worth reading for Rodney. It's not an easy journey through the book and the series, but it's a good one, and one that I would have loved to see David Hewlett act out in person.
Then there's the Wraith. There's a lot more elaboration on Wraith society in this book, and this time Todd isn't the only one giving the exposition. A Wraith scientist - or 'cleverman' - whom Rodney encounters gives both Rodney and the readers insight into Wraith society as well as how they see Atlantis. Dealing with the Wraith as a people is a strong theme of the series - the idea that they're not just an insectile mind with humanoid appendages, but a society with a rich history and complex interactions and a secret that even they don't yet know.
Teyla, Ronon, and Keller all begin to develop their character arcs here, and if their development is subtle, they go places in later books (as compared to the show which threw out lots of chum but never once reeled in a decent sized fish - at least not for Teyla or Ronon).
Ronon's is the most obvious arc as, in the wake of his conversation with Carter in Homecoming, he starts taking on responsibility as 'Ronon Dex' and not just as 'a member of Sheppard's team'. However, we also get a feeling for who Jennifer Keller is when she's not 'Rodney's girlfriend' as well as how she's coping with Rodney's capture. This is the point where the pressure really starts to hit Jennifer, and where she holds up compared with where she struggles.
At this point in the series, Teyla's arc is still in its inception stages, but she has her moments all through the story, particularly as counterbalance to John and in conversations with Carson, Radek, and Woolsey. One thing I love is that we see Teyla deal with the repercussions of her actions - both in Homecoming and within The Lost, some of which affect not only her, but those around her.
As someone who liked Elizabeth but whose Stargate universe didn't revolve around her, one of the things I love about this series is that Elizabeth isn't forgotten or dismissed. She's still considered an important part of Atlantis' history - and the Wraith acknowledge her strength in the story that they tell about Atlantis (which, by the way, is another of my favourite parts of the book). And then there's the other appearance she makes...
Other than that, a multitude of minor characters have their moments and their say - Woolsey, Zelenka, Lorne, and Carter among them. They might only be players in the minor leagues, but there's such clear affection for them in the narrative, their specialties, and the things they bring to the expedition that it's clear that if there are obvious headliners characters for each book in the series, the secondary cast of hundreds is still around, still kicking, still contributing in little ways behind the scenes. I'm hoping they were able to leave in the 'lower levels' scene which isn't just a study in logistics, but also a glimpse into human nature and human society.
Ultimately, if Homecoming got the Legacy series up to speed, The Lost is where the series takes off. It takes a giant leap into the unknown and promptly drags the reader into the storyline, never letting go until the closing scene.
Clear the schedule for this one; because you won't want to put the book down once you've started!
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