Alrighty, so last weeks review was bad. Even I know it was a rushed and nonsensical mess, so I am here to correct that mistake.
The problem (and I’ve been thinking about it all week) is that I thought I should review in the book order. That won’t work however because I like Guide (Todd for those who missed last week) and will rant about him for WAY too long.
Thus, until Atlantis actually gets to Pegasus again in the book it will make more sense to stick to one side or the other.
This week will be Guide and next week (possibly more depending on how long they end up) will be Shepard and crew and what they have to deal with all up until Guide makes his next appearance.
Sound good?
Excellent!
Stargate Atlantis Legacy: Homecoming
SGA #16
ISBN: 9781905586509
I have several more thoughts about Guide (you’re not surprised so don’t lie) that I didn’t get to cover last week, but a recap with additional thoughts should work to keep things from getting out of hand (probably I should just write a book about that Wraith and get it over with).
Todd is actually known as Guide and if you think about it, it makes a massive amount of sense.
From what we know, the Wraith don’t have names like us, but more of a feeling or sense of who or what each individual is (no one forgot they’re telepathic right?). Translated, we would get a name to call them, but in the eyes of the Wraith being called something at birth is ridiculous because you don’t know who that person will be so how could you know what to call them?
Guide isn’t really his name either, I don’t think (I’m almost positive later books talk about it), or it’s not his first name. Wraith live so long that their names would no doubt change as they did to reflect who they become.
Guide is an appropriate name for him now from what we can see of who he is, because he’s leading the way for others to follow in an alliance that’s beneficial to both Wraith and humans.
Since he’s so put out about being called Todd, I’m guessing he’s been going by Guide for some time now. Possibly since his Queen died and he had to lead the Hive without her but also possibly before that.
I brought up his kids last week too and considered why he only mentioned having two. To be fair, he only mentioned having two with Queen Snow, so it’s possible he had other kids with other female Wraith (I still don’t know if all female Wraith are Queens or not).
I feel like having an entire re-read of the series now…
Anyways, there are probably multiple reasons why we don’t see more Wraith children and one of the bigger ones would be to protect them. From other Wraith and definitely from the humans.
I covered my thoughts and feelings about his choosing to be without a Queen quite well last week so don’t feel that I need to go over it again…because there’s this thing that happens later in the book that will let me cover it again and more.
Yeah.
Its an ENTIRE thing that’s a little disturbing and vastly hilarious at the same time.
More on that later.
For now, we continue with what happens in the rest of chapter two.
While Guide is trying to keep his mind off starving, Shepard is talking to Dr. Beckett. Beckett isn’t happy with a ‘request’ from the IOA about handing Guide over to another group. The request is full of language and insinuations that if Guide cooperates with experiments they want to do, he may have better opportunities that Atlantis isn’t willing to give. If he doesn’t cooperate, well we all know he won’t really have a choice.
Beckett refuses to be part of it and needs Shepard’s help. Because Guide likes Shepard and respects him enough to listen to Beckett’s idea.
Stasis.
They have a chamber available and Beckett is pretty sure he can get it to work for Guide. It gets Guide out of a cell that he could conceivably escape from and keeps him from starving. A win-win.
Except they need to convince him that’s the best option.
Enter Shepard.
We get to see Shepard’s thoughts concerning Guide here and it’s really fantastic that the authors didn’t mind head-jumping to give us a broader view of our favorite characters. Not only how they think but their emotional state too.
Shepard catalogues the changes in Guide and can’t argue that he’s close to the edge already. A few barbs before getting to business, the assurance that he won’t be handing anyone else over to be fed on, and we come to a crucial point.
Guide is ready to ask Shepard for mercy before the end. To ask that Shepard kill him before he actually starves to death.
Shepard recognizes the moment (a look on Guide’s face) and refuses to let Guide say anything. Instead, he immediately mentions the stasis and Guide, amused, agrees and asks what the chances are of getting his clothes back.
He doesn’t promise of course, but Shepard comes through in the end and Guide is once more in his own clothes before heading to the stasis chamber.
Dr. Keller is there with Beckett (some time has passed of course and the book itself gives us other snippets of what’s going on) and she’s not keen on the idea. She isn’t sure if it’ll actually work for a Wraith and thinks that he’s being coerced.
Shepard isn’t about to let anyone stop them at this point though because he won’t let Guide be experimented on, can’t send him home and refuses to feed him.
Stasis is the only option.
Guide steps into the chamber, asks about the restraints being removed because why not, and settles in.
And that is that for this week peeps!
Guide will stay in stasis for a time before they need him and that interesting thing happens that I talked about earlier. The whole Queen thing?
Yeah. It’s gonna be good ya’ll.
Hope you enjoyed a more concise and none rushed review this week. Next week will be all about our favorite humans and the stuff they have to go through before heading back to Pegasus.
See you there!
The Dark Library 