BSG: Sagittarius is Bleeding

BSG: Sagittarius is Bleeding
Written by: Peter David
Paperback: 336 pages
Publisher: Tor Science Fiction
Language: English
June 2007, $6.99
Genre: TV Series Tie-In/Sci-Fi

President Laura Roslin bears a heavy burden. Since becoming the president of the twelve human colonies when the Cylons brutally attacked and destroyed all but a small remnant of humanity’s billions, she has been the voice of a civil authority, counterbalancing the military leadership of Commander Adama of the Battlestar Galactica. President Roslin has been a source of inspiration to the tens of thousands who survive on Galactica and the other colonial ships. They look to her for honesty, integrity, and courage. For fairness and an evenhanded rule. And most important, for the prophecy she has shared with them: Earth, the fabled home of the lost colony, can be found. She has seen this in a vision that has the power of truth.

Recently, though, her dreams have been darker, of a galaxy overrun by Cylons…Is she having visions of an inevitable future? Or are these terrible dreams caused by the powerful medication she’s been taking? More dangerous, the Midguardians, radicals who believe that the end of humanity is coming soon, have learned of Roslin’s dreams and taken them as a sign. Now the Midguardians prepare to act. President Roslin faces the most important decision of her life. Should she tell Commander Adama about the Midguardians and risk being imprisoned again as a traitor, or dare she keep her secret and possibly endanger the future of the entire fleet?

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If you couldn’t tell by now I am a Battlestar Galactica geek (I don’t know what gave it away) who has big girly crush on Miss Kara Thrace (so beautifully damaged I cannot help but adore her and her snarkiness) and most of the male cast (what can I say I am a girl and one who appreciates Lee Adama in a towel). Geekiness aside I picked up most of the re-imagined tie-ins, especially when you have months in between seasons. I need to get my fix somehow of course.

Set in the second half of Season 2 after Commander Fisk from the Pegasus is killed. Sharon is still pregnant with Hera and in the brig while Zarek is busy making trouble as per usual. Unfortunately, this one took me a few tries to not only get into but to finish. It wasn’t a horrible book, but it did have some noticeable problems for me. Some of the characterizations (Baltar in particular) are fairly off, there are some large continuity problems and it took forever to get to the meat of the story. But it does have some great moments. Roslin’s characterization was fairly good and I did like some of the questions posed with Sharon. In fact my favorite scene in the whole book was Sharon gaining information from a certain character and the inner monologue she has with herself.

Probably my biggest problem with the novel was the implications set by the ending. I could have done without his character in the first place, but to then imply that he was a Cylon just made me giggle like a schoolgirl. While my hopes of Kendra Shaw or Romo Lampkin as the fifth Cylon are big longshots, this character is even more absurd. Of course, there was also a point in the novel where Roslin sees “Head Six”. Moore and Co haven’t revealed why Baltar sees her in the first place, so for David to give a confirmation of her presence just doesn’t work. Now I realize this novel was written long before we know what we know now, but it ruined things just a bit for me.

As I said there are moments. David does a great job of questioning what effects Roslin may have had with Hera’s blood running through her veins other than the cancer remission. I like the exploration of human rights and defining a Cylon in the eyes of the law. The Midguardians were a good idea, but didn’t pan out the way I would have expected or liked.

Not bad for a BSG novel, but I expected much more. Unity, even with its small problems was a better read for me. Of course as a fan its worth the read, but I expect other fans may be a bit disappointed. I guess that means I will just have to watch the teaser clips during the Bond marathon on Sci-Fi to get my BSG fix for now.

2.75 out of 4 happy bibliosnark bookmarks