This is the third in the "Invasion" mini-series, this time focusing on events at DS9. It seems a bit like an odd addition to the series, but that's not entirely a criticism. Indeed, being so very different from the first two volumes helps to set this one apart, and avoids repetition. That being said, with only a few very minor tweaks it could have been a completely standalone story, so I'm not entirely sure how well it has balanced being part of a mini-series. That said, I still enjoyed it. Bashir, especially, is done very well here, and his work as a doctor highlighted by his caretaker relationship to the Trill symbiont Dax (as opposed to the host Jadzia). I do enjoy Trek stories that focus on the doctors, and how their work intersects with often wider concerns, so points for that.

I honestly considered giving this four stars, but the fact is... I'm not sure I'd ever want to read it again, Bashir storyline notwithstanding. It's been an enormously slow read. Sometimes, when you read a book, the pacing is just right and you can skim through it, or linger in it, as the case may be. Here, I was constantly feeling bogged down, and I'm not sure why. I suspect it has something to do with the overuse of technobabble. I don't consume Trek for technobabble, I like it for the characters and sense of wonder and general optimism about the future, and technobabble stops that cold. As it did here, I think. Which is a bit of a shame.