Rating: 
Summary: "Stellar!"
Review: One does not pick up "Star Trek" novels expecting to find great literature. We read them for plots which extend the television legacy, and are satisfied with action and dialogue that are at least congruent with what we have seen on television. For that reason, this installment of the "Gateways" series (and the three "Deep Space Nine" novels which precede it) are a welcome surprise. What makes these works stand out above other "Trek" novels is a very basic element: the writing. It is so lush and descriptive that images are brought to mind with a clarity and brilliance that rivals the images we have seen on the screen. These books are not merely an attempt to substitute for television episodes or films; they are great works in their own right. The other thing that makes this novel and its predecessors --"Avatar I," "Avatar II," and "Section 31: Abyss" -- so outstanding is the employment of internal monologue to truly engage the reader. We are not merely observers and listeners, but equal participants in the unfolding adventure. We share the fears, pain, joys, and triumphs of the characters as each faces her or his particular challenges. It is a privilege to experience "Star Trek" through the characters' eyes and minds, enabled by these gifted writers. A word of caution, however: Mr. Decandido has obviously read the preceding novels with great care, and was meticulous in his continuation of the events, and fleshing out of characters that were introduced in them. I am not certain that a reader who begins "Demons of Air and Darkness" without having read "Avatar I," "Avatar II," and "Abyss" will enjoy the full benefit of his work. My advice is to read the others first, in order, and then revel in this brilliantly crafted novel.
Rating:
Summary: victory is life
Review: The main plot revolves around a story to save an entire population of a planet from destruction due to theta radiation poisoning. The entire planet must be evacuated and its inhabitants must be treated. This places an enormous strain on DS9 and Starfleet. The theta radiation came from a Malon freighter that got into a firefight with a Hirogen starship. Coincidentaly, the gateways were activated recently which caused the deadly theta radiation to be dispersed into different areas. Another problem with the gateways is that they drain energy from planets, so they must be shut down somehow. Meanwhile, Quark is up to his usual self. He just can't seem to stay out of trouble, or is it that trouble aways seems to find him? One of the other plots revolve around Quark negotiating with the Iconians on behalf of the Orion Syndicate. The Iconians control the gateways and are in the process of auctioning them off. Negotiating with the Iconians on behalf of the Orions however is the least of Quark's problems. There aren't any dull moments in this entire book. Every chapter keeps our attention to the very end and encourages us to read other books in the series.
Rating:
Summary: victory is life
Review: The main plot revolves around a story to save an entire population of a planet from destruction due to theta radiation poisoning. The entire planet must be evacuated and its inhabitants must be treated. This places an enormous strain on DS9 and Starfleet. The theta radiation came from a Malon freighter that got into a firefight with a Hirogen starship. Coincidentaly, the gateways were activated recently which caused the deadly theta radiation to be dispersed into different areas. Another problem with the gateways is that they drain energy from planets, so they must be shut down somehow. Meanwhile, Quark is up to his usual self. He just can't seem to stay out of trouble, or is it that trouble aways seems to find him? One of the other plots revolve around Quark negotiating with the Iconians on behalf of the Orion Syndicate. The Iconians control the gateways and are in the process of auctioning them off. Negotiating with the Iconians on behalf of the Orions however is the least of Quark's problems. There aren't any dull moments in this entire book. Every chapter keeps our attention to the very end and encourages us to read other books in the series.
Rating: 
Summary: A Nice Plot, But The Writing Should Have Been Better
Review: The previous reviews did excellent jobs in covering the plot of this novel. I want to point out some things about the writing, though.
DeCandido is a good Star Trek writer. But he falls into the same trap that many other (and more mediocre) Trek novelists fall into -- making the characters little more than 20th century people living in the 23rd/24th centuries.
Trek novelists can produce great works -- witness Andrew Robinson's great "A Stitch In Time," or some of Diane Carey's books. They are true to the Trek universe without taking shortcuts in writing.
In "Demons," DeCandido takes the easy way out in writing much of the character's speech. For example, three pages in, the Malon, about whom little has been written or seen in previous Trek incarnations, and about whom much new thought could be given, speak like they are just a bunch of current-day (20th century) humans. Would they really say "dam*it?" And couldn't DeCandido come up with anything more novel than that?
Would an Orion slavegirl say "harebrained scheme?" Would she even know what a "hare" is?
Would a Starship captain refer to her ship as "wicked efficient?" She would if she grew up where I grew up, south of Boston, in the late 20th century. But I doubt that she did.
These are just three top-of-mind examples. Listen. The book was okay -- nothing spectacular, just typical Trek "these 12 characters that you all know and love are going to save the universe -- yes, the universe -- yet again." It's written like an extended DS:9 episode. And that's not necessarily a bad thing.
I just wish that DeCandido -- and other many Trek authors -- would put a little more thought into how the characters speak in the books, and not try to make them little more than a bunch of 20th century stereotypes. The Trek novel universe would be better for it.
Rating:
Summary: Gateway gets better
Review: The series started out slowly fell off in the 2nd but the 3rd and now the 4th one have been very good. This one beats out the previous one but not by much. It contiues the Gateway series obviously but also continue the story from the Avatar books and from the Section 31 edition. The story is excellent and the characters very interesting. To me it had some nice surprises and they continue to show more of Vaughn and Shar's trouble. You also have a good tale about Quark and Kira with the JemHadar guy. Overall great book hopefully the next two are also good.
Rating: 
Summary: Best so far
Review: This was the best of the books in the Gateways series so far. The first one was okay, but the next two seemed choppy and did not engage me. Plus each author seems to treat the nature of the gateways differently. You'd think they could have made some effort at consistency. That said, I think this book outshines the others. The characterizations are true to life and the plot is well paced and kept my interest. I found a few things stretched believability, but no more than the series did. (They moved how many people how fast with how many ships? And the speeds they traveled--Voyager should have made it home in three months.) I also enjoyed the interactions of the new characters with the old, but my favorite so far is Taran'atar. He is a complex character, elevating the Jem'Hadar above robotic beings into the people that were only hinted at in DS9. It's unfortunate that you have to slog through the other books of the series to get to this one, but it's worth it.
Rating:
Summary: Dynamite!
Review: Warning. Once you pick up this book you will find it hard to put down. Exciting, fast moving with wonderful characterizations and a fantastic story. Definately the stand out in the Gateways series so far. And if you are not reading the others you can still enjoy this great DS9 adventure. For those who've been reading the relaunch novels this story follows right on the heels of "Abyss" Been wondering what's up with Shar? Been anxious to learn more about Vaughn? Well "Demons of Air and Darkness" fills in more of the pieces and does a great job of advancing all the characters while still telling a great stand alone story. The book is full of surprises that I don't want to give away but for anyone looking for a great read full of adventure and great characters I highly recommend this book.
Rating:
Summary: Let's get complicated! And let's do it WELL!
Review: Would someone just bang me in the eye when I start griping about the Trek "series" books *before* I even crack one cover? I've got to say without doubt the "Gateways" series has been the best so far. While it's not *that* important for you to read them in the order they are numbered, I have found doing so could help to keep sense of the goings-on. However, since I am *not* reading them in order, I have also found you can still make sense of things, especially if you're familiar with the Big Picture That Is Star Trek. But if you've been needing lessons on how to keep a thousand plot threads in the air at the same time, just ask Keith R.A. DeCandido! Thanks to the Gateways and a boatload of cleverness, he's all over the galaxy in this novel, and it's a good thing the chapters tell the locations, or otherwise you'd need to make notes. This novel abounds with fine characterizations of the people we love the most (Kira, Nog, Quark, Bashir, Dax, Laren, Yates), a few new ones (Shar, Vaughn, Taran'atar), several we love to hate (Hirogen, Orion, Malon), and a whole host of people on the outside edges that I hope we'll learn more about. Grand adventure awaits, with some mystery and downright confusion thrown in for good measure. Read the book. One daring aside: If you're *really* interested in the re-launch of DS9, don't start with this book. Go back and start with the two "Avatar" books, then read the DS9 installment of the Section 31 series, titled "Abyss," and THEN read this one. I guarantee you won't be disappointed.
Rating:
Summary: Let's get complicated! And let's do it WELL!
Review: Would someone just bang me in the eye when I start griping about the Trek "series" books *before* I even crack one cover? I've got to say without doubt the "Gateways" series has been the best so far. While it's not *that* important for you to read them in the order they are numbered, I have found doing so could help to keep sense of the goings-on. However, since I am *not* reading them in order, I have also found you can still make sense of things, especially if you're familiar with the Big Picture That Is Star Trek. But if you've been needing lessons on how to keep a thousand plot threads in the air at the same time, just ask Keith R.A. DeCandido! Thanks to the Gateways and a boatload of cleverness, he's all over the galaxy in this novel, and it's a good thing the chapters tell the locations, or otherwise you'd need to make notes. This novel abounds with fine characterizations of the people we love the most (Kira, Nog, Quark, Bashir, Dax, Laren, Yates), a few new ones (Shar, Vaughn, Taran'atar), several we love to hate (Hirogen, Orion, Malon), and a whole host of people on the outside edges that I hope we'll learn more about. Grand adventure awaits, with some mystery and downright confusion thrown in for good measure. Read the book. One daring aside: If you're *really* interested in the re-launch of DS9, don't start with this book. Go back and start with the two "Avatar" books, then read the DS9 installment of the Section 31 series, titled "Abyss," and THEN read this one. I guarantee you won't be disappointed.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent DS9 Relaunch book furthers each character.
Review: Wow! What a book! deCandido is my new favorite DS9 author. This book took me under two days to read because it was so amazingly written and developed. I then got the sequel "Horn and Ivory" and read that immediately. This story is excellently written. I had no problems visualizing any of it. The way the novel is broken down by chapter into different settings is ideal. The characterization once again is spot on perfect. I especially loved Quark's typical scheming role in everything... and how about that lovely Dabo girl of his, she was quite a surprise to me! I really enjoyed the simplicity of the plot. There is some great continuity with the Orion Malic first seen in "Abyss" proposing a deal to Quark. Turns out Quark is the negotiator for the Orion Syndicate. The Iconian gateways are opening throughout the galaxy, and radioactive refuse from the Delta Quadrant finds its way to a human colony of 3 million inhabitants. Thus, Starfleet and the Bajoran fleet set out on a rescue mission. Europa Nova, the colony, is where the bulk of the action is, and I must say I was very impressed with the storytelling. Never before had I read of such a complex evacuation. Seeing a Federation evac was just awesome! I never thought it could be so exciting, but I found it very captivating. What I loved about this book is how every character has something to do which is fitting to their character. Kira takes command of the rescue mission. Vaughn'ha! ch'Thane and Nog (who have taken over for Jadzia and O'Brien) are trying to scientifically deduce info about the Gateways. Bashir does an excellent job as the doctor. Ezri stays behind on DS9 to command it (she dropped her Blue for Red a few books ago and is starting to come into the command role more and more). And then there's Taran'atar who accompanies Kira. I love this Jem'Hadar so much! What a great idea for a new character. So what's bad? Lacking info about the Iconians is explained in the other Gateway books. It's recommended to read all of them so that you have a solid conclusion. But, as a stand-alone DS9 Relaunch novel I found the few holes that are apparent are not that big to deter from the overall strength of this book. This book can be read without having read the other Gateway books. Kira's conclusion lies in the seventh Gateway book, "What Lay Beyond". Those reading my review will now have the opportunity to buy the paperback version rather than succumb to the evil Ferengi scheme of getting the hardcover. What did I like? Wow! There's a lot!
-Ro and Quark's relationship is just super! It's reminiscent of Odo and Quark, yet different enough to be fun in a unique way. I highly enjoy their interplay... Ro is like a sexy yet stern version of Odo. She's just as on top of things as Odo was, and lets Quark know she's on to his schemes...yet she has a soft spot for his Ferengi charm and cuz he saved her life. Gaila makes an important appearance, tying up questions about his past. [It also explains what happened to the warring factions in a previous episode.] I love how Quark is still the same Ferengi. He even ponders the question as to whether he's just soft in his heart or whether he's been corrupted by Federation ideas... a question I always wondered about him myself!
-It's great to see Kira really becoming familiar with command. "Horn and Ivory" really sets in stone her command desires and her determination to do a good job.
-ch'Thane and Nog both have influential parents and their interplay is wonderful to watch. It's great to see Nog has found a new friend (Starfleet too!) during Jake's continued absence. We also learn more about ch'Thane's family role.
-Seeing Ezri in command of DS9 and personally dealing with some trivial problems of refugees was wonderful.
-The Starfleet relief effort for a non-Federation world was just awesome to witness. I loved all of it. The president of Europa Nova was great too.
-Setting up Quark's for a holo-meeting for Starfleet was cool. We get brief encounters with Picard and Calloun.
-Gul Macet! His resemblance to Dukat is well explained and caused me to laugh at how well the writers skirted the fact that the same actor played Dukat and Macet.
- Quark's typical scheming. Best parts!
-Kira's insights. She gets almost nostalgic for the days of the Resistance (a theme that dominates the "Horn and Ivory" sequel). More and more I'm surprised by how much I love her character. She's completely grown on me since her angry first season.
-A new continuing character is brought on, an Orion female slave named Treir!
-Vaughn and the hostage situation. Classic. Love that guy.
-The Hirogen are in the book, and it's awesome! You get to go inside the mind of this Hunter and that's a reason why I love DeCandido. You get insights into all the characters.
-Taran'atar. Getting inside HIS head was brilliant. Learning more about his beliefs via his relation to the Founders is great. Him and Kira make an interesting team.
-GARAK!!! whoooooa! His very brief appearance is something to clap for! The single best part of the book, which is reason to buy it alone, is the confrontation between Taran'atar and the Hirogen hunter. Wow! Classic! I could completely visualize the scene with all the fumes in the air and bodies lying around as they fought each other. Great scene. What impressed me most about the DS9 Relaunch books is how they manage to continue the development of past characters, while at the same time being accessible as stand alone books. This book is such an achievement. One does not need to read the previous books to like this one, but it is highly recommended. This book also tempts one to buy the other coinciding Gateway novels.
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