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STARGATE ATLANTIS: Halcyon
 
 

STARGATE ATLANTIS: Halcyon [Kindle Edition]

James Swallow
4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)

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Product Description

Product Description

Might makes right…

In their ongoing quest for new allies, Atlantis’s flagship team travel to Halcyon, a grim industrial world where the Wraith are no longer feared — they are hunted.

Horrified by the brutality of Halcyon’s warlike people, Lieutenant Colonel John Sheppard soon becomes caught in the political machinations of Halcyon’s aristocracy. In a feudal society where strength means power, he realizes the nobles will stop at nothing to ensure victory over their rivals. Meanwhile, Dr. Rodney McKay enlists the aid of the ruler’s daughter to investigate a powerful Ancient structure, but McKay’s scientific brilliance has aroused the interest of the planet’s most powerful man — a man with a problem he desperately needs McKay to solve.

As Halcyon plunges into a catastrophe of its own making the team must join forces with the warlords — or die at the hands of their bitterest enemy…

HALCYON

“So, how we going play this, Sheppard? You let them bottle us up, and—”

“I’m working on it,” Sheppard replied, cutting Ronon off . “We miss our call-in and Atlantis will send out Lorne and a rescue team.”

“That’s not much of a plan.”

“Hey, I’m making this up as I go.”

Rodney snorted. “No change from normal there, then.”

“I see one,” said Bishop. “End of the street, he’s scoping us.”

“They won’t try to wait us out,” said Dex, “that’s not how they do it. They’ll rush us.” He sneered. “Wraith like the direct approach.”

“Couldn’t be more than a dozen of them clowns out there,” noted Hill, “even counting those we put down.”

Sheppard looked around. “Ammo check. Anyone low?” He got a chorus of negatives from everyone except Teyla. The Athosian woman was stock still, sighting down the length of her gun. “Teyla, you with us?”

She shuddered, and he saw the distant, fearful look in her eyes that he knew meant trouble. “John. There are more Wraith out there. A lot more. They know—”

Teyla’s words were drowned out in a howling chorus of blaster bolts as the aliens opened up on the stone building from all sides.

“Return fire!” barked Sheppard. “Targets of opportunity!”

Product details

  • Format: Kindle Edition
  • File Size: 551 KB
  • Print Length: 320 pages
  • Publisher: Fandemonium Books (8 Oct 2011)
  • Sold by: Amazon Media EU S.à r.l.
  • Language English
  • ASIN: B005U3U8HM
  • Text-to-Speech: Enabled
  • Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #111,346 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)
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James Swallow
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Customer Reviews

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
13 of 14 people found the following review helpful
Format:Mass Market Paperback
In many ways it is a typical scenario for the series and not only

because I have read it in the previous book, "The Chosen": Sheppard and

his team visit a world in which there is a privileged, arrogant and

partly decadent upper class and the majority of the population are very

poor, oppressed "commoners".

Of course that is a very rough description and there are infinite

possibilities how to make this scenario distinctive, interesting and

sometimes even surprising. James Swallow described both sides very well.

I expected bad things from Halcyon`s ruling class but the author

succeeded in surprising me a few times. Although I had a feeling from

early on that the ruler`s daughter is one of the few good exceptions of

the rule.

What makes this book interesting is the twist that the Wraith are the

hunted and enslaved. Contrary to "The Chosen", a book that "dehumanized"

them even so much by calling them "it", "Halcyon" is more sophisticated.

I actually felt torn. I was touched by the brutality the Wraith also

showed in this book but also felt revulsion at the brutal treatment they

had received. Fortunately the more recent Stargate Atlantis started to

show a more three dimensional portrayal of the Wraith and I am sure,

there is a lot we still don`t know about them. Can I really blame Wraith

who are badly starved and driven insane by the device, who have been

enslaved and used as weapons when they turn at their former masters when

they get the chance? Scar, their leader, was actually a very interesting

character, a villain but also a victim at the same time. This book is

not just a simple black and white story and I liked that very much.

Step by step, like Sheppard and his team, I learned more about what is

going on until the big secret was discovered. The author definitely

succeeded in surprising me and what happened on the Wraith ship was a

gripping read.

I didn`t expect a happy end for the people of Halcyon. It is nice that I

was wrong but the end felt too positive to me. The ruler evolved from a

ruthless ruler to a broken weakling to a man who suddenly discovers some

goodness in his heart, the error of his ways and a determination to die

doing some good. It was a bit too much out of a cliché book for my taste

and I actually cringed. That his daughter wasn`t such a bad person is

nothing I have a problem with but that she is willing to suddenly

embrace the poor underclass, introduce democracy and get rid of the

decadent, cruel wars between the nobles - again, that is nice but I am

not so sure if that is realistic. At least the author mentioned that

there are no guarantees about Halcyon`s future and that includes the

question if the Wraith will come back or not.

A big strength of this book are the characterizations of Sheppard and

his team. There is not much I can say about Sheppard and McKay: They are

definitely how I remember them from the series and I could see again why

I enjoy these characters so much.

I enjoyed the parts with Teyla and Ronon too, but this book offered some

surprises to me, this time definitely positive ones. Teyla has been

shown to be a sensitive, gentle woman but also a skilled fighter when

she has to be. These skills Teyla has shown so far wasn`t much more than

her stick fencing and using a gun. "Halcyon" shows Teyla`s gentle and

diplomatic side but for the first time also a ferocity, a ruthlessness

that surprised me. I found it very interesting and I also think, it

makes her character more three dimensional.

I am a big fan of the episode "Sateda" but I already liked the

introduction of Ronon. "Halcyon" takes place shortly after "Runner",

that means at a time when he just joined. I was surprised that the bond

between him and the rest of the team was already so strong. I enjoyed

that aspect a lot but had to wonder sometimes. After a while I decided

to just stop wondering and enjoy the interaction of these characters.

This book showed me again that Ronon is definitely much more interesting

than Ford ever was.

All in all, it is an entertaining read and I am very much looking

forward to the next book.

Baerbel Haddrell
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Excellent Read 2 May 2012
Format:Mass Market Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
Great read, thoroughly enjoyed this book. Good interaction between characters and the story flowed. Would highly recommend this book, just wish they would bring back the show. Looking forward to new and future publications of books in this series.
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Brilliant 8 Jan 2012
By Arty
Format:Kindle Edition
This book was brilliant- i have read most of the Stargate Atlantis books and all so far are living up to my imagination - i have read many of them twice including this book, i would recommend to any Stargate fan or Sci-fi fan of this book and the other. was a brilliant read
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