Showing posts with label Greg Cox. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Greg Cox. Show all posts

Wednesday, October 30, 2019

The Antares Maelstrom

Star Trek: The Original Series
The Antares Maelstrom by Greg Cox
Release date: August 13th 2019
Read August 14th 2019

Previous book (The Original Series): The Captain's Oath
Next book (The Original Series): The Motion Picture: 40th Anniversary Edition
Purchase:
Trade Paperback: Amazon.com | Amazon.ca | Amazon.co.uk
E-book (Kindle): Amazon.com | Amazon.ca | Amazon.co.uk

 Publisher's description:
The final frontier erupts into chaos as vast quantities of a rare energy source are discovered beneath the surface of Baldur-3, a remote planet beyond the outer fringes of Federation space. Now an old-fashioned "gold rush" is underway as a flood of would-be prospectors, from countless worlds and species, races toward the planet to stake their claim.

 The galactic stampede threatens the stability of neighboring planets and space stations, as widespread strife and sabotage and all-around pandemonium result in a desperate need for Starfleet assistance. Captain James T. Kirk and the crew of the Starship Enterprise are dispatched to deal with the escalating crisis... which lies on the other side of a famously perilous region of space known as the Antares Maelstrom.

My thoughts:

Click here to watch my video review of The Original Series: The Antares Maelstrom, or click play on the embedded video below!



Final thoughts:

A fun TOS story that makes numerous callbacks to original Star Trek episodes. Every member of the main cast is given an interesting part to play, and the story feels like a good old-fashioned TOS adventure. While some may bristle at the large number of plotlines the story juggles, I found myself enjoying each one. A great entry in the long-running TOS book line!

 More about The Antares Maelstrom:



Also by Greg Cox:

Next time on Trek Lit Reviews:

My next review is for the first book in the Star Trek: Destiny trilogy by David Mack: Gods of Night.


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Friday, November 4, 2016

Captain to Captain

Star Trek: Legacies
Book 1 of 3
Captain to Captain by Greg Cox
Release date: June 28th 2016
Read July 5th 2016

Previous book (The Original Series): Elusive Salvation
Next book (Legacies): Book 2: Best Defense
Mass-market paperback: Amazon.com | Amazon.ca | Amazon.co.uk
E-book (Kindle): Amazon.com | Amazon.ca | Amazon.co.uk

 Spoilers ahead for Captain to Captain!

 Publisher's description:
An epic new trilogy begins—a tie-in for the milestone fiftieth anniversary of Star Trek: The Original Series—that stretches from the earliest voyages of the Starship Enterprise to Captain Kirk’s historic five-year-mission…and from one universe to another!

 Hidden aboard the U.S.S. Enterprise is a secret that has been passed from captain to captain, from Robert April to Christopher Pike to James T. Kirk. Now the return of the enigmatic woman once known as Number One has brought that secret to light, and Kirk and his crew must risk everything to finish a mission that began with April so many years ago…

 Nearly two decades earlier, April and his crew first visited the planet Usilde, where they found both tragedy and a thorny moral dilemma. Today, the legacy of that fateful occasion will compel Kirk to embark on a risky voyage back to that forbidden world—which is now deep in territory claimed by the Klingon Empire!

My thoughts:

Part of the joy of reading Star Trek novels is the opportunity to learn more about characters who we only briefly got to know in an episode or two of the television series. Such was the case with the previous novel I reviewed, DS9: Force and Motion and its exploration of Benjamin Maxwell. That opportunity arises once again in this novel, Legacies, Book 1: Captain to Captain.

Una, known as "Number One," the enigmatic first officer of the Enterprise under Captain Pike, has long remained a mystery. Seen only in the original unaired pilot, "The Cage" (and then again in reused footage for the Original Series' only two-parter, "The Menagerie"), Number One struck me as a fascinating character about whom I would love to know more. Over the years, there have been a number of stories that go deeper into her character, most notably for me the Star Trek: Crew comic series by John Byrne. However, Captain to Captain explores her character more deeply than any other Star Trek novel has before.

Captain Una feels extreme guilt and and responsibility for the loss of a landing party under her command years ago under Captain Robert April.

This does serve to give the story a bit of a disjointed feel, with Kirk, Spock, and company only featuring at the beginning and end of the novel, with the middle given over to flashbacks showing a mission that Una led years earlier. During the course of this mission, then-Lieutenant Una lost a number of crewmembers, who were transported to an alien universe by a hostile species, the Jatohr.

The drama centers around the "transfer key," a Jatohr device that can instantaneously transport someone from our universe to the alien realm. The key has been secreted away in the captain's quarters of the Enterprise since the days of Robert April, the first captain of the Enterprise. The key has remained the secret of each captain and first officer until now, when Captain Una steals the key in an attempt to rescue the crewmembers she left behind years earlier.

Captain to Captain is certainly an interesting start to the Legacies trilogy, but it wasn't exactly what I was expecting. The focus of so much of the story on Robert April's days on the Enterprise and the spotlight on the character of Una surprised me, and it took some time to get used to.

The "transfer key" is the central plot device of this trilogy, a weapon that is very reminiscent of the Mirror Universe's "Tantalus Field," and may have similar origins.

As far as setups go, Captain to Captain does its job, laying the groundwork for the adventure yet to come. The central conceit of an artifact handed down from "captain to captain" doesn't really work for me; the logic of the situation tends to tall apart upon close examination. However, it is an adequate MacGuffin to get the plot in motion.

There are certainly some exciting parts in this novel: the Enterprise's chase of Captain Una as she makes off with the Transfer Key was a lot of fun, and did a lot to establish just how impressive this character is. Additionally, the cliffhanger ending does a great deal to make me excited for the next chapter in this series. As far as plot twists go, the final chapter is something I certainly did not see coming.


Final thoughts:

A little unfocused, Captain to Captain nonetheless does a competent job of setting up the Legacies trilogy. While the bulk of the story is not quite as attention-grabbing as the first book in a trilogy should be, this novel does redeem itself with a cliffhanger ending that has me hooked. Limited "screen time" for Kirk and company makes this a bit of an odd one for a 50th anniversary celebration of The Original Series, but I'm sure they will get ample attention in the follow-ups.

3/5 stars.

 More about Captain to Captain:


 Also by Greg Cox:

Next time on Trek Lit Reviews:

Next up, a review of the Deep Space Nine e-book exclusive by Paula M. Block & Terry J. Erdmann: Rules of Accusation!


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Thursday, March 10, 2016

Miasma

Star Trek: The Original Series
Miasma by Greg Cox
An e-book exclusive release
Release date: February 22nd 2016
Read February 23rd 2016

Previous book (The Original Series): Child of Two Worlds
Next book (The Original Series): The Latter Fire
Kindle: Amazon.com | Amazon.ca | Amazon.co.uk

 Spoilers ahead for Miasma!

 Publisher's description:
Star Trek continues its fiftieth anniversary celebration in 2016 with an all-new e-novella from New York Times bestselling author Greg Cox, set in the popular and blockbuster Original Series era!

 The Enterprise-A is transporting a party of diplomats when it picks up a mysterious alien signal emanating from a nearby world. The planet’s dense, impenetrable atmosphere makes it unclear if the beacon is a distress signal, an invitation—or a warning to stay away. Spock, Doctor McCoy, and Chekov are part of a team sent to investigate, but an unexpected catastrophe forces a crash landing. Now the landing party is stranded on a hostile world, unable to communicate with the Enterprise. While Captain Kirk and Saavik race to locate the lost crew, a badly wounded Spock struggles to keep McCoy and the others alive until they can be rescued, even if that means making an unthinkable sacrifice...

My thoughts:

To start this story off, Spock, McCoy, Chekov, and a few redshirts take a shuttle down to a planet shrouded in an oppressive, blinding fog. As the shuttle descends, the characters remember that they are in the movie era, and thus all wearing red shirts, so the shuttle crashes.

A shuttle mission to investigate a supposed distress call ends in disaster.

On the surface, they soon come under attack by terrifying creatures: essentially giant leeches with legs! After one of the non-main characters is brutally killed, the landing party realizes that they have to get off the surface as soon as possible. With the shuttle in pieces, they set out to the source of the signal that brought them there in the hopes that the Enterprise crew will start there in an attempt to locate them. They soon discover that the mega-leeches are repelled by the smell of Spock's green blood, and set about weaponizing it by extracting it via hypospray and using it as an aerosolized weapon, essentially turning it into a "shark repellent." It is even copper-based like real shark repellent!

What first struck me about this story is how much it felt like an episode of the television series. I know this is an oft-repeated line here, but these e-book novellas are really great at evoking the feeling of watching an episode of Star Trek. The pacing and the length are perfect in this respect. In this case, the story feels like a never-aired episode of a non-existent series that takes place in the late movie era. This is one of my favorite periods in Trek history, made all the more interesting by the lack of stories set there.

The circumstances in Miasma are reminiscent of another doomed shuttle mission decades earlier...

In many ways, Miasma is reminiscent of the TOS episode "The Galileo Seven." The characters even comment on the fact that they are in a very similar situation. Where Miasma shines, however, is in juxtaposing these adventures by showing how far these characters have come and how much they have matured since that original adventure. Spock, rather than simply applying cold, hard logic, has come to appreciate the human perspective, making allowances for emotion and compassion. Similarly, McCoy reflects that his behavior in this instance is much more reserved and understanding of the pressures that Spock is under while commanding a difficult away mission.

Saavik features in this story in a unique way. 

One fascinating aspect of the story is the inclusion of Saavik. The DC run of Star Trek comics set during this period featured her character, and it is that situation that Greg Cox is emulating here. I loved the dynamic between her and Spock as she and Kirk search the planet for the doomed landing party. The exploration of the link between these two characters was a compelling one, with their experience on the Genesis planet in Star Trek III coming into play in an unexpected way. I also found it interesting that Greg Cox states that he alternated between visualising Kirstie Alley and Robin Curtis while writing Miasma; I had a similar experience while reading it. Some parts seemed to fit Alley's portrayal better, while I often found Curtis's Saavik coming to the fore in other parts.

 Final thoughts:

Miasma is a fascinating look at the late TOS movie era with characters who have a great deal of experience under their belts. I love the "elder statesman" feel of the TOS crew at this stage, with decades of service having tempered their dispositions and their outlooks. There are some great character moments in this novella, and the inclusion of Saavik was a welcome touch.

It's funny, I was reading Stephen King's The Shining for a book club I am a part of and had to pause to read Miasma. I remember thinking to myself that it would be a nice break from the terror in The Shining, which is definitely an intense story. However, the leech creatures in Miasma were nearly just as terrifying! So much for taking a break!

Thanks to the quick pacing and short length of Miasma, reading it in an afternoon is like sitting down to watch an episode of the television series. I recommend it for any fan of the movie-era of Star Trek!

 More about Miasma:

Also by Greg Cox:

Next time on Trek Lit Reviews:

Another new release! This time, The Original Series: The Latter Fire by New York Times bestselling author James Swallow!


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Sunday, December 27, 2015

Q-Strike

Star Trek: The Next Generation #49
The Q Continuum, Book 3 of 3
Q-Strike by Greg Cox
Published September 1998
Read December 21st 2015

Previous book (The Q Continuum): Q-Zone
Next book (TNG Numbered): #50: Dyson Sphere
Next book (TNG Published Order): Triangle: Imzadi II


Spoilers ahead for Q-Strike!

 From the back cover:
The mischievous creature who calls himself Q has subjected Captain Jean-Luc Picard and the crew of the Starship Enterprise to many of their strangest experiences. But little had been known of Q's curious existence or that of the advanced dimension from which he comes. But now Picard knows more than he ever dreamed about an ancient conflict whose consequences might spell the doom of the entire galaxy.

 The galactic barrier has fallen and Q's oldest enemy is free once more. Captain Picard and his crew find themselves in the middle of a cosmic war between vastly powerful entities. The future of the Federation may be at stake, but how can mere mortals turn the tide in such a superhuman battle? Picard has to find a way, or neither the Q Continuum nor the galaxy will survive.

My thoughts:

Here it is, the final review on Trek Lit Reviews in 2015! It's been a long road getting from there to here, to coin a phrase.

This week, we wrap up the Q Continuum trilogy with Q-Strike by Greg Cox. This has been a fun trilogy, with a lot of great insights into Q and his past. How does the third and final entry stack up? Read on to find out!

After Picard and Q's whirlwind tour of the past, we learn the final fate of 0 and his compatriots. 0 was banished from the Milky Way galaxy, and the infamous "galactic barrier" was constructed to keep 0 from re-entering. Meanwhile, the entity known as "The One" was banished to the center of the galaxy behind what came to be known as "the great barrier." Now, Lem Faal's experiment threatens to bring the barrier down and admit 0 into our unsuspecting galaxy. The Q Continuum was barely able to defeat 0 the first time around, and he may be more powerful than ever now.

I enjoyed the conclusion to this story, with all of the plot threads wrapping up nicely. The final fate of Lem Faal's relationship with his children was heartbreaking, and I found myself really feeling bad for his son, Milo. The ending to the Calamarain issue was also very satisfying, with a very "Star Trek" solution to the threat that they posed.

The Q family dynamic takes center stage in this story.

I found the exploration of the Q family dynamic to be a really fun aspect of this story as well. The idea of Q's family dynamics has always been a bit of an abstract concept, but when q is threatened in this story, we see the female Q's reaction just as any concerned mother's might be. In some ways, it really "humanized" the Q (an idea that I think they would find quite insulting).

"Humanized"?

I came away from this trilogy feeling that Greg Cox really gets what Trek is all about. His ability to weave disparate parts of continuity together into a cohesive whole really makes this story enjoyable to read.

If I had one complaint, it's that this trilogy should probably have been two books rather than three. I felt like each volume was a little too short to warrant having its own book. While there isn't much I would have considered cutting from the story, I still feel like the story could have been condensed into two volumes. Regardless, I found Q-Strike and the whole Q Continuum trilogy to be a very good read and a very worthy addition to any Star Trek reader's library.

More about Q-Strike:

 Also by Greg Cox:

My next read:

Watch for my yearly round-up of Trek reviews and news for 2015: It's the 2015 Trek Lit Year in Review!


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Monday, December 7, 2015

Child of Two Worlds

Star Trek: The Original Series
Child of Two Worlds by Greg Cox
Release date: November 24th 2015
Read December 3rd 2015

Previous book (The Original Series): Crisis of Consciousness
Next book (The Original Series): Miasma
MMPB: Amazon.com | Amazon.ca | Amazon.co.uk
Kindle: Amazon.com | Amazon.ca | Amazon.co.uk

Spoilers ahead for Child of Two Worlds!

 From the back cover:
An all-new Star Trek novel from New York Times bestselling author Greg Cox, taking place in the blockbuster Original Series era!

 The year is 2255, not long after the events of the Original Series episode “The Cage.” A young Spock is science officer on the U.S.S. Enterprise, under the command of Captain Christopher Pike, when an outbreak of deadly Rigelian fever threatens the crew. Reviewing the Starfleet medical database, Dr. Phillip Boyce comes up with a highly experimental and untested new treatment that might save the crew. Just one problem: it requires a rare mineral substance, ryetalyn, which is not easily obtained…except on a remote alien colony near the Klingon border. But borders are somewhat blurry in this part of galaxy. Pike will need to tread carefully in order to avoid provoking an armed conflict with the Klingons—or starting an all-out war.

My thoughts:

The Star Trek novels are a fantastic way to explore time periods that we don't get to see a lot of in the course of "canon" Trek. One such period is set before Kirk's five-year mission, while Captain Christopher Pike commanded the U.S.S. Enterprise. We've been offered glimpses in the past, most notably through the two-part episode "The Menagerie," which re-used footage from the aborted pilot "The Cage" to present an all-new adventure. Over the years, we have gotten a few novels featuring this captain and crew, including Once Burned by Margaret Wander Bonnano and The Rift by Peter David. It is always a treat for me when we get more adventures featuring Captain Pike, as I have always wondered what Star Trek would have been like had that first pilot been purchased by NBC.

The action in Child of Two Worlds takes place on the Enterprise as commanded by Christopher Pike in the first TOS pilot, "The Cage."

The story itself is a fascinating tale about a young woman who finds herself torn between two cultures. A Cyprian, who at a young age was captured by the Klingons, has been taken from her adoptive Klingon family by her biological sister and recovered by the Enterprise. Now, the planet of her birth is demanding her return and reunion with her biological family. Complicating matters is the fact that the Enterprise crew has been infected with Rigellian fever, and the Cyprians control the supply of ryetalyn, a compound that would cure the fatal disease (see: "Requiem for Methuselah"). They, of course, are refusing to turn it over until and unless Captain Pike returns Merata to them.

Child of Two Worlds features Spock at an earlier point in his life, learning to live and work with humans aboard the Enterprise.

Greg Cox does a wonderful job in pairing Spock and Merata. Both of them are the titular "child of two worlds," and Spock is uniquely sympathetic to Merata's plight. The exploration of their two natures means that the reader learns more about Spock through what Merata is going through. It is an interesting pairing that highlights a great deal about Spock's character. Additionally, Spock is written very well by Mr. Cox. At this point in his life, Spock is still uncertain of his place in either Vulcan or human society. His younger nature comes across very well in the pages of Child of Two Worlds.

In some ways, this story is reminiscent of the TNG episode "Suddenly Human," in which a young human boy was captured by the Talarians and raised in their culture. His grandmother, an elderly Starfleet admiral, desperately wants him returned. In the case of Child of Two Worlds, the role of the grandmother is replaced by an entire planet, and their desire to see Merata returned coupled with a tense political situation lends a very interesting angle to the story.

Merata's situation is reminiscent of Jono in the TNG episode "Suddenly Human."

Finally, Greg Cox very effectively places this story firmly in the time period by using terminology that was used in "The Cage." "Lasers" instead of phasers, for instance, or "hyperdrive" instead of "warp drive." Number One is used quite effectively as well, and she gets to show off her formidable leadership skills while leading the landing party on the surface of Cypria. Cox is even able to account for the seeming anachronism of hardcopy printouts on the bridge of the Enterprise, chalking it up to a charming eccentricity on the part of Captain Pike.

A character I've always been fascinated with is Majel Barrett's "Number One," who is thankfully used very effectively in Child of Two Worlds.

 Final thoughts:

An excellent addition to Spock's backstory, and small tidbits such as the origin of anesthezine intruder control systems make this novel a really fun read. The central dilemma is handled well, and the conclusion is a satisfying one. Child of Two Worlds makes very good use of continuity, something for which Greg Cox is well known. I would really enjoy seeing more stories set in this era with further exploration of Pike and his crew.

 More about Child of Two Worlds:

Also by Greg Cox:

Next time on Trek Lit Reviews:

Star Trek: Mere Anarchy, book five: The Blood-Dimmed Tide by Howard Weinstein!

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Sunday, November 22, 2015

Q-Zone

Star Trek: The Next Generation #48
The Q Continuum, Book 2 of 3
Q-Zone by Greg Cox
Published August 1998
Read November 12th 2015

Previous book (The Q Continuum): Q-Space
Next book (The Q Continuum): Q-Strike



 Spoilers ahead for Q-Zone!

 From the back cover:
The puckish super-being called Q has bedeviled Captain Jean-Luc Picard and the crew of the Starship Enterprise since their first encounter at Farpoint Station. But little was known of Q's enigmatic past or that of the transcendent plane where he sometimes dwells. Now Picard must discover Q's secrets -- for the sake of all that exists.

 While the Enterprise struggles to survive an alien onslaught, Captain Picard has been kidnapped by Q and taken on an astounding journey back through time to that immeasurably distant moment when the Continuum faced its greatest threat. But far more is at stake than simply the mysteries of the past, for an ancient menace is stirring once more, endangering the future of the galaxy, and neither Q nor Starfleet may be able to stop it!

My thoughts:

The Q Continuum trilogy continues in book two, Q-Zone. When last we left off, Q had spirited Picard away for a whirlwind tour of Q's past and his dealings with an enigmatic and clearly hostile entity, 0. In the second part, we see more of that backstory through Picard's eyes.

Using the Guardian of Forever, 0 brings some compatriots of his into our universe to help him wreak havoc. Under the guise of "testing" them, 0 torments and ultimately destroys the mighty Tkon Empire, an ancient body that controlled much of the galaxy thousands of years ago. Much like 0's treatment of the ancient Calamarain, the "test" is merely a facade for the torture of lifeforms that he sees as below him.

Data researches the 600,000 year old Tkon Empire in the episode "The Last Outpost."

We are also introduced to 0's partners in crime, who are some familiar "faces" to fans of Star Trek. The Gorgon, infamous from his appearance in the truly awful TOS episode "And the Children Shall Lead," is a being who incites youth to rebel against their older generations. An entity whose name is unpronounceable and is referred to in the text as "(*)" is an energy creature that feeds on hatred, violent thoughts, and warfare. Trek fans may remember it from the TOS episode "Day of the Dove." Finally, there is an entity who refers to himself only as "The One," and demands absolute fealty and subservience on pain of torture and death of biblical proportions. We have met this entity before in Star Trek V: The Final Frontier.

0's partners in crime, all of whom we have met before.

The "flashback" parts of the book featuring the young Q and his "turn to the dark side" with 0 were very interesting, and one cannot help but feel the frustration that comes with seeing someone fall in with a bad crowd. Q, like any other disaffected youth, succumbs to peer pressure and manipulation by 0 and his band of criminals, eventually turning away from his people and all that they supposedly represent. This part of the story was very well done, and the heartbreaking finale for the Tkon Empire was truly a moving moment.

Meanwhile, back on the Enterprise, the ship continues to be assaulted by the Calamarain. This part of the story doesn't advance a great deal, with the ship avoiding the Calamarain by taking refuge within the galactic barrier. While inside the barrier, the mysterious energies that affected Gary Mitchell in TOS's "Where No Man Has Gone Before" take control of the Betazoid scientist Lem Fal. The entity behind this sinister effect has a familiar feel to him...

 Final thoughts:

Again, like the last installment, it is difficult to judge the story when it not yet complete. The action is at faster pace than the first volume, which is welcome, and the events that end with the destruction of the Tkon Empire were a lot of fun to read. Greg Cox does very well with his world-building for the Tkon, and the fact that they are so well fleshed-out makes the Empire's eventual fall that much more tragic. I'm excited to get to the conclusion of this story soon. Look for my review of part three in the near future!

More on Q-Zone:
Also by Greg Cox:

Next time on Trek Lit Reviews:

Oaths, the 16th e-book in the S.C.E. series. Look for my review next week!


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Monday, October 26, 2015

Q-Space

Star Trek: The Next Generation #47
The Q Continuum, Book 1 of 3
Q-Space by Greg Cox
Published August 1998
Read August 21st 2014

Previous book (TNG Published Order): Planet X
Previous book (TNG Numbered): #46: To Storm Heaven
Next book (TNG Numbered): #48: The Q Continuum, Book 2 of 3: Q-Zone



 Spoilers ahead for Q-Space!

 From the back cover:
The unpredictable cosmic entity known only as Q has plagued Captain Jean-Luc Picard and the crew of the Starship Enterprise since their very first voyage together. But little is known of Q's mysterious past or that of the unearthly realm from which he hails. Now Picard must learn Q's secrets -- or all of reality may perish!

 Ever since its discovery, the great galactic barrier has impeded humanity's exploration of the universe beyond the Milky Way. Now a brilliant Federation scientist may have found a way to breach the barrier, and the Enterprise is going to put it to the test. The last thing Picard needs is a return visit from an omnipotent troublemaker so, naturally, Q appears.

 But Q has more in mind than his usual pranks, and while the Enterprise struggles to defeat a powerful inhuman foe, Captain Picard must embark on a fantastic odyssey into the history of the Q Continuum itself, with the fate of the galaxy hanging in the balance.

My thoughts:

I have long been a fan of Greg Cox's Star Trek novels. Although I haven't had the opportunity to review them for this site (yet!), I loved his Eugenics Wars novels, chronicling the rise and fall of Khan on Earth. Years ago, when I first read the Q Continuum trilogy, I loved them just as much. So, all these years later, how do they hold up?

This first novel, Q-Space, shows a lot of promise. First, there is the enticing mystery of the "galactic barrier," an energy field surrounding the Milky Way galaxy, effectively sealing us in. The Enterprise is en route to carry out an experiment in which the Enterprise will breach the barrier. The experiment is the brain child of Dr. Lem Faal, a Betazoid dying of a degenerative illness who hopes to live long enough to see his life's work come to fruition.

The Enterprise-E takes part in an experiment to breach the galactic barrier, first introduced in the Original Series episode "Where No Man Has Gone Before."

Before the Enterprise can carry out the experiment, Q shows up (along with his wife, Q, and their son, q), imploring Picard to stop the experiment and turn back. Naturally, our intrepid captain demands an explanation, and the ever-petulant Q balks. With Q refusing to offer any kind of explanation, Picard orders the Enterprise forward to the barrier, where another familiar "face" greets them: the Calamarain, a gaseous collection of entities (first seen in the TNG episode "Deja Q").

The Calamarain.

While the Calamarain threaten the Enterprise, Q whisks Picard away, ostensibly to explain to him why the experiment must be halted. What follows is a whirlwind tour of Q's "youth" and his encounter with a strange entity known only as "0," a being seemingly from another reality with powers that are similar to Q's, but with a menace to him that seems very ominous.

Q-Space is a fascinating beginning to this trilogy, showing Q to have a vulnerability we have never seen before. Seeing him in his youth is an interesting perspective on the entity, and I look forward to seeing where his and Picard's journey take them.

Throughout the novel, there are hints of a dark menace lurking on the outside of the barrier. The implication is that the barrier exists not to keep us in, but rather to keep something terrible out. The origins and identity of this menace are not shown in this volume, but are mysteries that we will have to wait for the next books to reveal.

 Final thoughts:

While this is a fun and interesting beginning to this story, that is all it is: a beginning. It is difficult to judge the story thus far as it is frustratingly incomplete. What is Q trying to tell Picard? Why are the Calamarain being so belligerant towards the Enterprise? What is the menace that lurks outside the galactic barrier? As we learn more about 0 and his relationship with the young Q, hopefully these questions and more will be answered.

More about Q-Space:



 Also by Greg Cox:

Next time on Trek Lit Reviews:

Next week: #15 in the S.C.E. series: Past Life by Robert Greenberger.


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Thursday, December 4, 2014

Foul Deeds Will Rise

Star Trek: The Original Series
Foul Deeds Will Rise by Greg Cox
Release date: November 25th 2014
Read November 28th 2014

Previous book (The Original Series): The More Things Change (e-book)
Next book (The Original Series): Savage Trade

MMPB: Amazon.com | Amazon.ca | Amazon.co.uk
Kindle: Amazon.com | Amazon.ca | Amazon.co.uk

 Spoilers ahead for Foul Deeds Will Rise!

 From the back cover:
2288. The U.S.S Enterprise-A is on a vital peacekeeping mission in a remote solar system beyond the boundaries of the Federation, where two warring planets—Pavak and Oyolo—are attempting to end years of bitter conflict. Crucial peace talks are being conducted aboard the Enterprise, even as Starfleet weapons inspectors oversee the disarmament process. Losses and atrocities on both sides have left plenty of hard feelings behind, so Captain James T. Kirk has his work cut out for him, even as he unexpectedly runs into a disturbing figure from his past: Lenore Karidian.
Twenty years ago, the deadly daughter of Kodos the Executioner tried to kill Kirk, but she has since been declared sane and rehabilitated. Kirk wants to give her the benefit of the doubt and a second chance at life, but when a mysterious assassination threatens the already fragile peace process, all clues point toward Lenore–and the future of two worlds hangs in the balance.

Notable Quote:
"What we want is the truth," he said emphatically. "Nothing more, nothing less." 
"But truth is often just a matter of appearances. All the world's a stage, remember, and all we men and women merely players." She kept staring at her raised hands. "If I am typecast as a killer, what does it matter who I truly am behind the greasepaint ... or what parts I might have foolishly dreamed of playing?"
- Lenore Karidian, questioned about a murder, responds to Captain Kirk's inquiry.


My thoughts:

Can a murderer be rehabilitated? To what extent do past actions have an impact on future behavior? Or, more specifically, what impact do those actions have on the perceptions of others when it comes to behavior? These questions and more are examined in Greg Cox's Foul Deeds Will Rise.

Lenore Karidian, convicted murderer, now supposedly rehabilitated.
Lenore Karidian, the daughter of the infamous Kodos the Executioner (see "The Conscience of the King," TOS), is working as a Federation aid worker on the devastated world of Oyolo in the midst of peace talks between that planet and neighboring Pavak. Captain Kirk invites Lenore aboard the Enterprise in an attempt to put past demons to rest, but when the Pavakian representative is discovered to have been killed, Lenore becomes a prime suspect. Given her past murders of seven innocent people, as well as her attempted murders of Lt. Kevin Riley and Captain Kirk himself, it is somewhat understandable that she becomes a target of inquiry.

This is the one area in which the logic of the novel kind of falls apart for me. I have a hard time accepting that Captain Kirk would so quickly invite Karidian aboard. While hindsight is 20/20, and there is no way Kirk would have known that the murders would happen, I still believe that allowing Lenore aboard the Enterprise was very irresponsible. Perhaps I'm simply not as "good" or forgiving as Captain Kirk. Even if Lenore is not responsible for the murders, her mere presence serves as a distraction in the investigation, diverting attention away from other possible suspects. I found myself agreeing with Kevin Riley, now a Federation ambassador: allowing Lenore Karidian aboard the Enterprise while the sensitive negotiations were taking place was a mistake.

Kevin Riley, now a Federation Ambassador, has grown far beyond the young, green Lieutenant from The Original Series' first season.

This minor nitpick aside, Foul Deeds Will Rise was very enjoyable on several levels. Whereas most TOS novels are set during the classic five-year mission, this one is set two decades later, in the period between Star Trek V: The Final Frontier and Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country. Greg Cox, the ever-impressive font of Trek continuity knowledge, continues his tradition of making numerous small references to events in the lives of the Enterprise crew. Setting the story during this period serves to widen the pool from which his references can be drawn. Additionally, setting the novel in this period lends a feeling of freshness to the story. Not many stories use this time period, and a change from the norm is always welcome.

Star Trek's late movie era has a particular look and feel that Foul Deeds Will Rise managed to capture quite well. For one thing, the crew is much more seasoned and at-ease with each other. Greg Cox managed to write the interactions among Kirk's crew in a manner that made this story feel right at home in the period around The Final Frontier.

Greg Cox uses a number of literary devices to very good effect in his novels. One such device is known as "Chekhov's Gun." The name comes from a quote by playwright Anton Chekhov, who said, "If you say in the first chapter that there is a rifle hanging on the wall, in the second or third chapter it absolutely must go off. If it's not going to be fired, it shouldn't be hanging there." In Foul Deeds Will Rise, there is a very apparent "Chekhov's gun," and it turns out to be "Chekov's Sneeze." Watch for Pavel Chekov's allergic reaction to be a seemingly minor inconvenience that turns out to have a much larger impact on the plot!

Speaking of Chekov, it was a lot of fun to see him in his role as chief of security in this novel. Although he supposedly had this role in the films, we never really got a chance to see him shine in the job. The closest we got was Star Trek VI, in which he investigates the assassination of Klingon Chancellor Gorkon. However, the entire crew was involved in that investigation. In Foul Deeds Will Rise, we get a more detailed look at how Chekov has really grown into his role as security chief.

In Foul Deeds Will Rise, we see Chekov acting in his role as Chief of Security of the Enterprise.

Final thoughts:

Foul Deeds Will Rise was a fun read, with plenty of action, suspense, and the high quality of storytelling we've come to expect from Greg Cox. Making ample use of the back catalog of Star Trek stories and tropes, Foul Deeds Will Rise is one of the better Original Series novels to be published in some time. My final rating for this novel is four stars out of five. A lot of fun to read, and one that deserves a place on your bookshelf!

 More about Foul Deeds Will Rise:

Also by Greg Cox:

My next read:

Next week features my review of an older Next Generation novel: Intellivore by the supremely talented Diane Duane!


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