Product Description

A failed mission leaves O'Neill dealing with the fallout.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #298405 in Books
• Published on: 2006-10-25
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Mass Market Paperback
• 320 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9781905586004
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

Customer Reviews

A Slow Start, but Otherwise an Excellent Read!
I bought "Alliances" thinking it was the first in the new SG-1 series, since according to the product details, this book was published January 2006, prior to the other novels. However, the book itself is stamped with #8... and in the back are ads for the first seven books. Much to my relief, however, the book stood alone -- it did not matter that I hadn't read the rest of the series, it was still completely enjoyable.

For anyone wanting to read them in order:
#1. "Trial By Fire" by Sabine C. Bauer
#2. "Sacrifice Moon" by Julie Fortune
#3. "A Matter of Honor" (part 1 of 2) by Sally Mslcolm
#4. "City of the Gods" by Sonny Whitelaw
#5. "The Cost of Honor" (part 2 of 2) by Sally Malcolm
#6. "Siren Song" by Holly Scott and Jaimie Duncan
#7. "Survival of the Fittest" by Sabine C. Bauer
#8. "Alliances" by Karen Miller

The novel started out slow, and I found the initial plot setup rather contrived. The event that sets everything else in motion did not seem realistic to me. The characters were out of character, so to speak, and there were some inconsistencies. But, I realize that the author needed some way to have it necessary for SG-1 to be out of the way for a while.

In the beginning, there were many little things that drove me crazy... Like Jack calling Daniel's artifacts "doodads" *seven* times just in the first three pages. Or Daniel saying that Sam was "making love to the naquadah generator" with Jack soon confirming that she "was indeed making love to the naquadah generator"... a cute expression, except that they gave no indications that this was just a figure of speech, and Jack's saying, "No accounting for taste..." made it seem disturbingly literal. Plus, there were a few places where things contradicted themselves, usually on the same page or within a few pages, but these were mild and not critical issues.

Because of the uneven beginning, I was expecting to have to endure the rest of the novel, but happily, once the Tok'ra got involved, the plot started picking up. And when the undercover mission began, I was seriously hooked. I read the entire novel in about three hours! The author did an excellent job of capturing the characters' personalities, mannerisms, and interactions with each other. The storyline had plenty of variety to keep things interesting, with enough peace in-between disasters for you to catch your breath.

It is obvious that the book was written by a British author, even though she took pains to Americanize it. Every so often, a strange expression would appear, a word I'd never heard of, or a strangely spelled word. It happens often enough to remind you of the book's orgin, but the story itself is good enough that it shouldn't distract too much.

Overall, I was very pleased with the book. *Much* better than the original Stargate SG-1 novel by Ashley McConnell. I'm glad they decided to start over and release a new series! I give Four Stars only because of the trouble in the beginning, otherwise it's great! I am now looking forward to ordering the rest of the series.

Alliances-a great read for SG-1 fans
This book is a great pick up from what might have happened after the Euronda fiasco. It combines many threads from other episodes and ties them together neatly. The writer captures the personalities of the characters well, so well that you do not miss a beat in thinking this is the way O'Neill or Jackson or any of the other SG people would react to the events happening around them. You hate Kinsey,you have mixed feelings for the Tok'ra, horror at the existance of the slave farms and what SG-1 has to go through to in order to accomplish their mission. Its great read and I highly recommend it to Stargate fans!

Another Tok'ra mission that goes pear-shaped
The back cover of the book says, "All SG-1 wanted was technology to save Earth from the Goa'uld, but the mission to Euronda was a terrible failure. Now the dogs of Washington are baying for Jack O'Neill's blood - and Senator Robert Kinsey is leading the pack. When Jacob Carter asks General Hammond for SG-1's participation in a mission for the Tok'ra, it seems like the answer to O'Neill's dilemma. The secretive Tok'ra are running out of hosts, and Jacob believes he's found the answer - but it means O'Neill and his team must risk their lives infiltrating a Goa'uld slave breeding farm to recruit humans willing to join the Tok'ra. It's a risky proposition, especially since the fallout from Euronda has strained the team's bonds almost to breaking. If they can't find a way to put their differences behind them, they might not make it home alive..."

I found this book to be pretty fast paced, and the characterizations to be relatively good (certainly not perfect!). It was nice to read a story that includes Jacob Carter and also Martouf in addition to SG-1. You really do have to have seen the season four episode "The Other Side" to fully understand the angst that is explored by Daniel and Jack, and Daniel and Sam. This book takes place immediately after that episode. Other episode's events are referenced too, such as season three "Jolinar's Memories" and "The Devil You Know", so this book probably doesn't stand on its own very well. The mission is classic SG-1, so that aspect is very enjoyable. I enjoyed the book and found it hard to put down.