Donna Smith

Author at Sentinel-at-Large http://members.tripod.com/DonnaSmith_2/thesentinelmain.htm.

Sentinel of Bajor (Sentinel/Star Trek: Deep Space Nine)

Reviewed by Kathryn A on 1st October 2001 (23)

I'm usually willing to take more of a chance on an unknown author if they've written a crossover, so when I saw this at Cascade Library, I went and read it. I'm glad I did; this was pretty good. It had a good plot, weaving in the Sentinel mythos with the Trek mythos pretty well -- at that, the choice of setting it on Deep Space 9 was a good one, considering the mysticism of the Bajoran religion. There were some awkward bits (it would have been much better if the author had resisted putting in explanatory notes in the middle of the narrative) and some things might have been better expanded, but there were also a couple of laugh-out-loud moments as well.
    "You want me to do what?"
    "Come on, Jim. It won't hurt. You light a few candles, clear your mind..."
    "Look, Sandburg. I'm not into that mystical mumbo jumbo."
    "It's just meditation techniques, not a religious ritual or anything. We've got to do this if we're going to find out who shot at Theryl. With your overdeveloped senses, I bet your sensory memory is phenomenal. It would have to be to process and store all the extra input you receive. If you got a good look at the assassin and just don't remember, you should be able to bring that image up with a little help. Meditation will give you focus. Lots of races meditate. You know, when I was studying on Vulcan, I met this priestess who could meditate for a week without taking a break to eat or drink. I tried to get her to show me how she did it, but I just couldn't get the hang of it. I think it was a Vulcan thing. But you know that on Delta IV..."
    "Sandburg? If I do this, will you be quiet?"
    "Sorry. I get carried away sometimes."
    Jim smirked. "Really? I hadn't noticed."