Thursday, March 28, 2013

The Stuff of Dreams

Star Trek: The Next Generation: The Stuff of Dreams by James Swallow
Release date: March 25th, 2013
Read March 26th 2013

 Previous book (The Next Generation): Cold Equations, Book III: The Body Electric
Next book (24th Century Continuity): The Fall: Revelation and Dust


Click to purchase The Stuff of Dreams from Amazon.com! (e-book only)

Spoilers ahead for The Stuff of Dreams!

 About the book:

Simon and Schuster have not provided a "back cover blurb" this time around, so my brief summary will have to suffice:

The Stuff of Dreams features a return to the Nexus, the mysterious space-time anomaly from the feature film Star Trek: Generations. Soran's machinations during that film have altered the course of the ribbon to such a degree that its orbit is significantly different from its previous route. It will soon enter Kinshaya space, one of the member states of the somewhat antagonistic Typhon Pact. On the scene is the starship Newton, and when the Enterprise joins her, the Newton's captain outlines his plan: destroy the Nexus before it can make its way into Kinshaya space and fall under the control of a potentially hostile nation. While Picard disagrees with this course of action, he goes along with it, seeing the greater good that it serves. However, things soon go awry when a saboteur derails the mission and the Kinshaya insert themselves into the goings-on.

My thoughts:
The Nexus: an enigma, and a damned annoying plot device at times!

The Nexus has long been one of the most vexing plot devices in Trek. Its appearance in Generations was used, for the most part, as a way of bringing Captain Kirk into contact with Captain Picard with seemingly not a lot of thought as to the true power of the phenomenon. The writers gave it far too much power, in my opinion. In that film, Guinan tells Picard that when he leaves the Nexus, he can go "anywhere, anytime." While that ability is used to face-palmingly little effect in Generations, The Stuff of Dreams handles the Nexus's effects much more intelligently. One character really does use the Nexus to go somewhere very far removed from the current situation in a way that I would expect that ability to be used.

Soran's echo's appearance is very
welcome in this novella.
Of course, if one writes a story about the Nexus featuring Captain Picard, he or she would be very remiss if the story didn't feature Picard re-entering the Nexus at some point. The Stuff of Dreams delivers on this point. Through Picard, we witness the power and enticement of this strange pocket universe which feels like being "inside joy," as Guinan described it. For me, Picard's experiences during this second trip into the Nexus were the highlight of this novella. His encounter with Soran's echo, in particular, was very revealing and gave layers to that character which were evident but not fully explored in Generations.

One of my recurring complaints with regards to ebook novellas is that the shorter form makes them feel rushed or incomplete. Not so with The Stuff of Dreams. Swallow has crafted a story that fits the format perfectly. Nothing is too rushed or left unsaid. The story has a very clear beginning, middle, and end, and it is paced perfectly.

 Final thoughts:

A quick, fun read that adds a lot to the mythos of the Nexus and Picard's experiences from Star Trek: Generations. One thing that I kind of appreciated was that this story kept the origins of the Nexus obscured. A number of the characters ruminate on the reason for the Nexus, but nothing concrete is revealed. I believe that oftentimes, Star Trek is guilty of "over-explaining" things, and in this instance, the fact that the origin and purpose of the Nexus remain a mystery is a good thing. One more thing about the story for which I was also thankful is the lack of an appearance by James T. Kirk's Nexus "echo." I went into the story expecting that it might happen and was pleasantly surprised when it didn't. It wouldn't have added anything to the story, and I'm glad that Mr. Swallow resisted the temptation to include such an appearance.

More about The Stuff of Dreams:

Also by James Swallow:

My next read:

Computer troubles have delayed my publishing of my review of John M. Ford's How Much for Just the Planet?, but I'm hoping to have those issues resolved soon. Currently, I'm reading Greg Cox's latest novel, new this month, The Original Series: The Weight of Worlds.

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Friday, March 15, 2013

In the Name of Honor

Star Trek #97: In the Name of Honor by Dayton Ward
Published January 2002
Read December 7th 2012

Previous book (The Original Series - numbered novels): #96: Honor Blade

 Previous book (The Original Series - published order): The Eugenics Wars: The Rise and Fall of Khan Noonien Singh #1

Next book (The Original Series - published order): The Eugenics Wars: The Rise and Fall of Khan Noonien Singh #2
Click to purchase In the Name of Honor from Amazon.com!

Spoilers ahead for In the Name of Honor!

 From the back cover:
Delicate peace talks between the Federation and the Klingon Empire become complicated when Captain Kirk discovers that Starfleet prisoners of war are being held captive on a remote jungle planet.  Now, with the unexpected assistance of an old adversary, Kirk embarks on a daring rescue mission, knowing that if he fails, the Federation will deny all knowledge of his intentions.
But powerful forces within the Klingon government are determined to keep the shameful secret of the hostages' existence, even if it means obliterating every last trace of the prisoners - and anyone who comes to save them!

 My thoughts:

Over the past two years of writing for Treklit Reviews, I have come to appreciate the work of individual authors much more than when I was just a casual reader of Star Trek novels. With an on-going franchise like Star Trek, it seems that the tendency is to overlook the name of the author on the cover and simply see the large "Star Trek" at the top of the page and think you know all there is to know about the book. However, producing this blog and going a little more in-depth into the books themselves has led me to a greater appreciation of the styles of the individual writers. One particular author whose work I have consistently enjoyed is Dayton Ward, who often writes with fellow author Kevin Dilmore. Having enjoyed both his solo and joint efforts, particularly in the Vanguard series, I decided to look into his earlier work. To that end, I recently read In the Name of Honor, Dayton Ward's first full-length Trek novel.

Published in 2002, In the Name of Honor holds another distinction: it was the final Star Trek novel published under Pocket Books' old "numbered novel" scheme. This era marked a period of transition for Pocket Books, and in much the same way, the story of In the Name of Honor takes place during a time of transition for the Federation and our heroes.

Then-Ensign Garrovick, now Commander and first officer
of the USS Gagarin, and a prisoner of the Klingon Empire.
Set in the period between Star Trek V: The Final Frontier and Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, In the Name of Honor takes place during one of my favourite periods of Trek history. This time period seems to be very much unexplored, and I find it to be a very interesting time for the Federation. While peace talks take place between the Federation and the Klingon Empire, Captain Kirk learns that several Starfleet personnel are being held at a Klingon penal colony, survivors of an attack on the U.S.S. Gagarin. Among these survivors is first officer Commander Garrovik, who was once a young ensign aboard the Enterprise, and who is the son of Kirk's former commander and mentor. Along with long-time adversary Koloth and helmsman Commander Sulu, Kirk ventures undercover deep into Klingon territory to free the prisoners before the Empire can completely cover up their transgressions in this matter.

At the heart of In the Name of Honor is the conflict between the old-guard Klingons who wish to cover up their secrets and the Klingons who come onto the scene in the TNG era: the followers of Kahless who believe in honor and eschew the despicable, dishonorable practices of yore. I really enjoyed Ward's portrayal of the Klingons here, and the conflict between the two groups and the coming change is a topic that works well for stories about the Klingons in the TOS / film era.

One aspect of the story that didn't quite sit well with me was the 180 degree turn that Kirk's character took at the end of the novel. Throughout the book, he is learning that not all Klingons are bloodthirsty murderers, and through Koloth, he is discovering that many of them follow a code of honor. However, at the end, after witnessing the atrocities committed by a few Klingons, he decides that the entire race is beyond redemption. To be fair, this is more of a problem with Kirk's characterization in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country. The change in Kirk's outlook is jarring, but I suppose it was the best that Ward could do given where Kirk ends up in Star Trek VI. As much as I love that film, Kirk's attitude (and the attitudes of many of the cast) is completely at odds with how the character had been portrayed up to that point. Compare Kirk's "Let them die!" in The Undiscovered Country to his complete disbelief and abhorrence of the very idea of "race hatred" in the TOS episode "The Day of the Dove."

 Final thoughts:
Korax, another minor character from
TOS, features as the  commander of the
Klingon penal colony in this novel.
An exciting, action-packed, and well-written novel from Dayton Ward. I especially liked his take on the Klingons, and his writing lent them a diversity and depth that is sometimes lacking in other works. The turnaround for Kirk at the end, while necessary for the setup to Star Trek VI, felt a little off. Again, though, that is not the fault of the writer, but rather where the character is in the film. The scenes in the prison camp were particularly well-written, and I found myself empathizing with the minor characters who had been created for this story. I also enjoy seeing characters who had minor roles in televised Trek showing up in the novels and given a bit more to do, and In the Name of Honor uses a number of those characters very well. A truly solid novel, and one of the better TOS novels from this era that I've had the pleasure of reading!

More about In the Name of Honor:

Also by Dayton Ward:

My next read:

 Next on the catch-up list is a classic: John M. Ford's How Much For Just the Planet?. Coming soon!
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Tuesday, March 5, 2013

Devil's Bargain

Star Trek: The Original Series: Devil's Bargain by Tony Daniel
Release date: February 26th 2013
Read March 3rd 2013

 Previous book (The Original Series): Allegiance in Exile
Next book (The Original Series): The Weight of Worlds
Click to purchase Devil's Bargain from Amazon.com!

Spoilers ahead for Devil's Bargain!

 From the back cover:
Captain James T. Kirk and the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise are sent to evacuate the Omega sector frontier colony Vesbius - a pioneer settlement that is on the brink of an extinction-level event, threatening not only all of the colonists, but biological products that are vital to Starfleet. However, rescue efforts are being thwarted by the colonists themselves, who refuse to abandon Vesbius, claiming that their lives depend upon staying, while giving no reason why. It is after these irrational decisions that First Officer Spock makes a radical suggestion: Perhaps an unexpected ally could aid the colony and help complete the mission...

My thoughts:

Here it is, the second TOS entry in the 2013 Trek book lineup, a lineup which seems to be inundated with Original Series "5-year mission"-style stories. In an age where Star Trek novels are no longer constrained by the "put all the toys back on the shelf as you found them" rule, this type of story may seem a little out of place. However, while I generally prefer the stories that push the boundaries of what Trek is and has been, this type of retro, "old-school" Trek story is a fun return to the days of yore.

The Enterprise must save a planet
from an asteroid impact. Sure, it's
been done before, but the jeopardy
is well-presented here.
Tony Daniel, a newcomer to Trek lit, has crafted an interesting and compelling story here. On the one hand, we have a planet imperiled by an imminent asteroid collision. Not the most original concept in science fiction, and indeed, even in Trek, but the stakes and the drama are well-presented and compelling. The asteroid threatens the population of Vesbius, a colony that once belonged to the Federation, but seceded when they began to experiment with altering the human genome in contravention of Federation law. Now, their changed genome means that they are unable to leave the surface of Vesbius for extended periods, making an evacuation impossible. Believing that the Vesbians' plan to weather the impact in underground caves is a futile one, Captain Kirk and the crew of the Enterprise embark on a mission to Janus VI (see: "The Devil in the Dark"). There, they plan to enlist the aid of the Horta, creatures who are able to move through rock as easily as you or I move through air. The plan is to have the Horta slice up the asteroid so that the Enterprise can break it apart using phasers and tractor beams, and move the pieces of the asteroid so that they do not impact the planet. Complicating matters is a terrorist group called the Exos, who believe that the Vesbians should be modified further to allow them to evacuate.

Devil's Bargain is a competent entry in the world of Trek lit. Daniel has captured the characters' voices pretty well, while at the same time taking our characters out of their regular roles and pushing them to encounter new situations. These scenarios largely work. Especially interesting to read was Spock coming into his own as a strong "patriarchal" figure, in some ways coming to an understanding of Sarek's own behavior towards him. Kirk is also in fine form here, and Daniel has written the crusty Dr. McCoy to perfection.

There are shades of Khan in the attitudes
and actions of some of the colonists of Vesbius.
When I first heard that this novel was going to be about the Horta, I was pretty excited. I love the exploration of these particular aliens because they are so different from the usual "forehead of the week" that Star Trek is sometimes known for. The openness and compassion of the Horta is juxtaposed with the bigotry and racism that is displayed by a number of the Vesbians in the novel. The theory, of course, is that the genetic tinkering bred superior feelings in a few of the Vesbians, in much the same way it did with Khan Noonien Singh and the Augments. One character displays open hostility towards Spock and is an adherent to a conspiracy theory in which the Vulcans are the true power in the Federation, and Humanity is led around on puppet strings by the Vulcan High Command. With this much overt racism towards a Vulcan, one can imagine how he feels about the Horta. My favorite scene in the novel comes when a young child expresses interest and curiosity about one of the Hortas and attempts to touch him. Her mother freaks out, and tears the child away. This is a perfect illustration of the idea that bigotry of many kinds is a learned behavior, and not something that usually comes naturally to children.

Spock and Horta: a winning combination!
I think my favorite character in this novel is the Horta known as "Slider Dan." Besides having a great name, it was fascinating following his journey as he became enraptured with the idea of space travel and his formation of the "Star Clan" of Horta. Given his desire to join Starfleet Academy, I kept hoping that he would be revealed as Naraht, the Horta crewmember that has appeared in a number of Trek novels and comics, including Diane Duane's My Enemy, My Ally and The Romulan Way, which she wrote with husband Peter Morwood.

 Final thoughts:

An enjoyable outing for Kirk and the crew. I particularly enjoyed the juxtaposition of the racism and bigotry of a few of the Vesbians with the willingness to offer aid displayed by the Horta. Some interesting parts for Spock to play in this one, as well as the excellent characterization of the Horta characters, especially "Slider Dan." The numerous continuity nods were also nice, and it's clear that Tony Daniel is someone who known his Trek. I'm definitely hoping to see more from this author in the future!

More about Devil's Bargain:

Also by Tony Daniel:

My next read:

In the coming weeks, I'm going to be making a concerted effort to finally get caught up on reviews. Up next is In the Name of Honor by Dayton Ward. Look for that soon!

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Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Last Full Measure

Star Trek: Enterprise: Last Full Measure by Michael A. Martin and Andy Mangels
Published April 2006
Read November 7th 2012

Previous book (Enterprise): Rosetta
Next book (Enterprise): The Good That Men Do
Purchase:
Mass-market paperback: Amazon.com | Amazon.ca | Amazon.co.uk
E-book (Kindle): Amazon.com | Amazon.ca | Amazon.co.uk

Spoilers ahead for Last Full Measure and Star Trek: Enterprise!

From the back cover:
Without warning or provocation, a Xindi weapon appears above Earth and unleashes a blast that kills millions across two continents. It is only the first such weapon; a second is being built, and this time it might very well destroy the entire planet. Desperately trying to save the Earth and her people, Starfleet must, in a heartbeat, change its mission from one of peaceful scientific exploration to one of military service. 
There is only one ship fast enough to stop construction of this new weapon: the Starship Enterprise. But its crew can't do it alone. Captain Jonathan Archer accepts aboard his ship a contingent of Military Assault Command Operations personnel: battle-hardened soldiers known as MACOs. 
Starfleet and the MACOs are two different services now sharing a common goal, but they are divided as to how to reach it. It is a culture clash that echoes across the centuries of military service. The men and women now aboard Enterprise know they must succeed in working together or the price will be paid in the blood of innocents. Failure is not an option.


My thoughts:
Last Full Measure is generally considered to be the first novel in the Enterprise "relaunch" series, although the story takes place during the course of the television series. According to the historian's note at the beginning of the novel, Last Full Measure takes place between "The Xindi" and "Anomaly," the first and second episodes of the third season.

The B-plot of Last Full Measure brings
Corporal Chang and Ensign Mayweather
into conflict.
The story itself is certainly interesting. The Xindi, well aware that Earth has sent a ship into the Delphic Expanse to search for their superweapon, attempt to throw our heroes off the trail by luring them into a trap with the promise of discovering the construction site of the Xindi weapon. What follows is a fairly routine story in which Archer, Reed, and a squad of MACOs led by Major Hayes interrogate an alien businessman and use him to get close to the Xindi operation. They soon realize it's a fake, and must rely on each other's strengths to find a way out. Similarly, a B-plot involves Ensign Mayweather escourting another squad of MACOs led by Corporal Chang on a mission to gather intelligence on a Xindi fueling station. Chang decides to mount an operation to destroy the base, and Ensign Mayweather's appeals to him to err on the side of caution and report back to the Enterprise before taking any agressive actions fall on deaf ears. In the end, both missions end with a fatality each. A Starfleet ensign named Chandra is killed on Archer's mission, and a MACO, Private Eby, sacrifices himself for the good of the mission to destroy the fuel depot.

No "Sub-Commander," no
"Commander," just "T'Pol."
The action sequences are well-written by Martin and Mangels, and I was fascinated to see the outcome of both missions. However, there were a few inconsistencies that cropped up while reading this novel. First, if I recall correctly, the Enterprise episode "Anomaly" made a fairly big deal about Crewman Fuller being the first fatality that the Enterprise crew had experienced. However, this novel takes place shortly before that episode and features the deaths of two members of the crew. Another small error that annoyed my pedantic, nerd brain was the fact that T'Pol was repeatedly referred to as "Sub-Commander" in this novel. However, since it takes place during the third season, she should not have been referred to as such. Astute viewers will recall that T'Pol had resigned her commission with the Vulcan High Command by this point, and in fact held no rank whatsoever since she had yet to join Starfleet. Again, a small issue, but annoying nonetheless.

Structurally, the story is sound and the narrative is interesting. I enjoyed the tension between the Starfleet and MACO crews aboard the Enterprise, a theme that was only lightly touched on in the televised series, primarily through the characters of Lieutenant Reed and Major Hayes. There were a few times that I felt that the MACOs were written a little over-the-top, but for the most part the characters' voices came across well.

More than anything, Last Full Measure is a story about differing perspectives. The Starfleet crew and the MACO troops each bring their own experiences and stories to the mission at hand, and the primary conflict in the novel comes from the characters' attempts (and failures) to bridge the gaps between the Starfleet and MACO worlds. After having recently lived in South Korea for two years, I can understand the problems that come with people having differing perspectives and life experiences. Most of the ex-pat friends I made in Seoul were fellow English teachers, but I did form relationships with a few American GIs and their families. Sometimes our differing experiences and reasons for being in Seoul caused misunderstandings or failures to communicate, and more than anything it was interesting moving past those differences to build bridges of understanding. Me and the other ex-pat English teachers had traveled to Korea by choice, whereas that wasn't necessarily the case for members of the US military. Understanding the fundamental differences between why we were there helped to foster good relations. Similarly, the characters in Last Full Measure and season three of Enterprise struggle to come to the same understanding.

At the center of Last Full Measure is the conflict between differing ideologies and perspectives: the idealized, exploration-driven Starfleet, and the soldier's "shoot first" mentality of the MACO troopers.

Final thoughts:

An interesting and action-driven story, Last Full Measure was a fun read. However, the failure on the authors' parts to adhere to established Trek canon (character deaths, T'Pol's rank or lack thereof) were annoying and did take me out of the story somewhat. I understand that this is obsessive attention to detail, but I'm a Star Trek fan and this is a Star Trek novel; what do you expect? All of that said, Last Full Measure was worth reading, and the examination of the relationship between the Starfleet crew and the MACO soldiers was interesting. Also, this novel offers us the first hints that the events in the abomination of a final episode, "These Are the Voyages...," may not have been all that they seemed...
My next read:

Next on my slowly dwindling catch-up list is Dayton Ward's first Star Trek novel, In the Name of Honor. Look for a review of that one, as well as of the new release Devil's Bargain by Tony Daniel, coming soon!

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Sunday, February 24, 2013

Federation

Star Trek: Federation by Judith & Garfield Reeves-Stevens
Published November 1994
Read October 6th 2012

Previous book (The Original Series): #71: Crossroad
Next book (The Original Series): #72: The Better Man

Previous book (The Next Generation): #32: Requiem
Next book (The Next Generation): #33: Balance of Power
Click to purchase Federation from Amazon.com!
Spoilers ahead for Federation!

 From the back cover:
At last, the long-awaited novel featuring both famous crews of the starships Enterprise in an epic adventure that spans time and space.  Captain Kirk and the crew of the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701) are faced with their most challenging mission yet - rescuing renowned scientist Zefram Cochrane from captors who want to use his skills to conquer the galaxy.
Meanwhile, ninety-nine years in the future on the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-D), Picard must rescue an important and mysterious person whose safety is vital to the survival of the Federation.
As the two crews struggle to fulfill their missions, destiny draws them closer together until past and future merge - and the fate of each of the two legendary starships rest in the hands of the other vessel...

 My thoughts:

Federation is an incredibly ambitious novel in which the crews of The Original Series and The Next Generation come together, but not in a way that is at all expected. The story is presented in three different time periods, and I believe this review would be well served by covering each one in turn.

Zefram Cochrane, inventor of the warp drive,
is the primary protagonist of Federation. 
The first time period examined by this novel is that of the mid-21st century, during which time Earth is involved in a global world war III. Predating the release of Star Trek: First Contact, Federation tells the story of Zefram Cochrane, the inventor of the warp drive as seen in the various incarnations of Star Trek. Using Glenn Corbet's portrayal of the character in TOS's "Metamorphosis" as a template, the Cochrane we see in the pages of Federation is nothing like James Cromwell's performance in First Contact. As much as I enjoyed that film, I was very intrigued by Federation's version of this period of future history. World War III is very well fleshed out, and the antagonist, Colonel Adrik Thorsen, is one of the better Trek villains I've had the pleasure of reading about. A special treat was the inclusion of the enigmatic Mr. Brack, also known as Flint, Akharin, daVinci, and countless others, as the financial backer of Cochrane's warp experiments.

The Companion and her relationship with
Cochrane features heavily in this novel.
In the second time period, we follow the exploits of the USS Enterprise NCC-1701, shortly after the events of the episode "Journey to Babel." Despite the best efforts of Kirk, Spock, and McCoy, outside forces have learned about the presence of Cochrane alive and well in the 23rd century. His home is attacked, and Cochrane himself is captured. A familiar villain is revealed to be the person behind the capture of the renowned scientist, and the Enterprise crew must try to get him back. Of particular interest to me in this section was the distrust between Kirk and the Admiral who questions him about what really happened to the shuttle crew in "Metamorphosis," and our trio's attempts to maintain the secrecy of their encounter with Cochrane and the Companion. It was interesting to revisit those characters, and especially to learn more about the dual nature of the shared consciousness between Commissioner Hedford and the Companion.

The final period explored in Federation is that of the Enterprise-D, following the third season TNG episode "Sarek." Initially, the story centers around the retrieval of an artifact believed to have links to the menacing Borg threat. At first, this story didn't seem to have anything in common with the other two whatsoever. Of course, it is soon revealed that the artifact has links to the previous attempts to capture and co-opt Zefram Cochrane and his research, and soon the crew of The Next Generation find themselves embroiled in the same centuries-old conspiracy.

Of course, when one sees both Kirk and Picard on the cover of a novel, they want to see the ultimate crossover event! Federation manages to present the meeting of the generations in a very unique and surprising way, while still maintaining the integrity of the timeline. In Generations, everyone wanted to see the two Enterprises meeting in space, and Federation manages that feat. It is a truly inspired moment in the novel, and incredibly thrilling in its execution.

Final thoughts:

Many people list Federation as one of the best Star Trek novels of all time, and I'm hard-pressed to disagree. Epic in scope and rich in characterization and history, Federation was a true pleasure to read. One of the primary reasons I love Star Trek is its portrayal of a future in which humanity has moved beyond revenge and petty jealousy, and while Federation does feature the darker side of mankind, its message is ultimately optimistic in the true Star Trek fashion. As much as I love First Contact and, to a lesser extent, Generations, I think that Federation would have made an amazing film.

More about Federation:


Also by Judith & Garfield Reeves-Stevens:
My next read:

The next novel on my slowly-progressing "catch-up" list is the Star Trek: Enterprise novel Last Full Measure by Michael A. Martin and Andy Mangels. Also coming soon is the new release, Star Trek: The Original Series: Devil's Bargain by Tony Daniel. As soon as I get a copy and get it read, I'll be publishing a review!

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Thursday, February 7, 2013

The Best of Both Worlds - Special Release blu-ray




A bit more news from the non-book side of Trek. I don't normally post about the blu-ray releases, but this one is particularly exciting to me. On April 30th, CBS Home Entertainment is releasing a special edition blu-ray of the TNG two-parter "The Best of Both Worlds," combined into a feature-length release. I'm pretty excited about this one, especially after seeing the following trailer. The special features look very impressive!




You can pre-order "The Best of Both Worlds" blu-ray from Amazon.com by clicking here.

Also available from Amazon is the third season of The Next Generation on blu-ray. I've personally purchased the first and second seasons, and the quality of the remastering is really quite incredible. It does actually look as though the episodes were shot yesterday. You can pre-order season 3 by clicking here. The release date for this set is also April 30th.

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Tuesday, February 5, 2013

Allegiance in Exile

Star Trek: The Original Series: Allegiance in Exile by David R. George III
Release date: January 29th, 2013
Read February 4th 2013

 Previous book (The Original Series): That Which Divides
Next book (The Original Series): Devil's Bargain
Click to purchase Allegiance in Exile from Amazon.com!

Spoilers ahead for Allegiance in Exile!

 From the back cover:
A beautiful green world, rich in fertile soil and temperate climate . . . a textbook Class M planet that should be teeming with life. Scans show no life-signs, but there are refined metals, including those associated with a space-faring race . . . and a lone city. But where are all of the inhabitants? Captain James T. Kirk leads a landing party from the USS Enterprise, hoping to get some answers.
The away team discovers a city in ruins, covered by dust, utterly bereft of life. Tricorder readings indicate that this is no ancient metropolis—it has been deserted only for a year. And just beyond the citadel lies what appears to be an ancient spaceport . . . a graveyard of ships that have clearly been sabotaged.
With these ruins too far from either the Klingon or the Romulan Empires, the Enterprise crew can only wonder: Who could have done this? And could this unnamed threat now pose an imminent danger to the Federation?

My thoughts:

Allegiance in Exile is the first in a long line of TOS novels to be released during the first half of 2013. With only two exceptions (a TNG ebook novella, The Stuff of Dreams by James Swallow and the novelization of Into Darkness by Alan Dean Foster), it looks to be TOS-only until July's Enterprise novel by Christopher L. Bennett. There have been a few complaints by other Trek novel readers about this overabundance of stories set during Kirk's five-year mission, but if the other novels are anything like this one, those complaints should soon be silenced.

I have long been a fan of David R. George's Trek writing. A few years ago, I read his first novel in the Crucible series, McCoy: Provenance of Shadows, and was hooked. The writing was beautiful and poetic, and the book succeeded not only as a Star Trek novel, but as a really great piece of literature besides. Since then, I have always anticipated opening a new novel by this author. Allegiance in Exile is no exception. When I found out that David R. George III was writing a new TOS novel, I was stoked. He was once again going to write a story set in the era of Trek that introduced me to his writing in the first place! While Allegiance in Exile was not quite up to the wonderful standard set by that favourite novel of mine, it hit very close to the mark and was, in most respects, a terrific read.

Lt. Sulu is given much to do in this novel. Focusing on the
secondary characters is a strength of novels, and something
the television show was rarely able to do.
One of the strengths that George brings to his writing is a stunning verisimilitude. The characters all feel very real, with conflicts and dilemmas that echo real life. For example, in a previous novel of his, Typhon Pact: The Rough Beasts of Empire, George presents a dilemma in the life of Benjamin Sisko, one that seemingly has no easy answer. Many fans were outspoken opponents of how his character was written, but I rather enjoyed it. Sisko seemed like a real person who sometimes makes mistakes. Similarly, in Allegiance in Exile, Sulu undergoes an extremely tragic event, and makes a few rash decisions based on his reaction to the events. While seeing Sulu make these mistakes saddened me, I understood that the circumstances that drove him to take these actions were extraordinary. Many people seem to fall into the trap of holding their heroes to too-high a standard, and are very critical when one of them stumbles. To me, however, these circumstances are realistic. Nobody is perfect, and even the characters we love and idolize will make mistakes. It's all a part of being human (or Vulcan, or Cardassian, or whatever).

The relationship between Kirk and Sulu is explored in
Allegiance in Exile, and, like the real-life relationship
between Shatner and Takei, things don't always go smoothly.
Sulu has always been one of my favourite characters in Star Trek, due in no small part to George Takei's portrayal of him. As with most of the characters in TOS beside the "big three," Sulu was relegated to the background in most cases. However, in Trek's later years, he got his chance to shine. I was really happy to see that he has a lot to do in this novel, and his relation-
ships with the people around him are very much center-stage here. Interestingly enough, his relationship with Captain Kirk at times mirrored the real-life dysfunctional relations between William Shatner and George Takei. While this state of conflict seemed contrary to what we know of the characters' professional relationship on the show, David R. George was able to weave this narrative in a way that made the conflict make a lot of sense. I found myself empathizing with everyone involved in the dilemma faced by the characters, a sign that the author was truly able to capture the realism required to make this story work.

The Enterprise makes first contact with
colonists who are originally from this
world, which features heavily in later
years of Star Trek.
From a technical standpoint, Allegiance in Exile is a very well-written novel. I enjoyed that the point-of-view characters tended to be people other than the main cast members of Kirk, Spock, and McCoy. Instead, we see most of the story from the perspective of Sulu and a young archaeology and anthropology officer, Ensign Trinh. The book is divided into three parts and spans nearly the entire final year of Captain Kirk's five-year mission of exploration as the Enterprise pushes out into a region of unexplored space beyond the Federation's borders. There are several great nods to continuity, including an appearance by Admiral Lori Ciana, Kirk's partner during the Lost Years-era. Also, there is an important first contact featured in this novel, with a species that will become very important in later generations of Star Trek. I don't want to spoil this reveal to people who have not read the novel, but suffice it to say that this civilization features prominently in later incarnations of Star Trek on television. In addition, we gain a bit of surprise insight into a few elements of an era that has recently been "skipped over" in Trek novels, continuity nods that were very much welcome.

 Final thoughts:

While somewhat less "epic" than his earlier foray into The Original Series, Allegiance in Exile gets a hearty "recommend" from me. As usual, George nails the characterizations of the regular characters we've come to love, and the characters he introduces are fully realized and compelling. A quick read, I was able to complete Allegiance in Exile in a single day. It was fun to revisit the TOS era, and I'm looking forward to future novels by this author. If you haven't had a chance yet, please check out the Crucible trilogy of novels, especially the first one which focuses on McCoy, Provenance of Shadows. If you are not a fan of David R. George III after reading that novel, then there really isn't anything I can do for you!

More about Allegiance in Exile:

Also by David R. George III:

My next read:

I had been hoping to complete my review of the Reeves-Stevens' novel Federation before this review, but life got in the way. Look for my review of that novel soon.

In addition to the various new releases in the coming months, I've decided to focus my Trek reading a bit more. After a few more "catch-up" reviews of books I read last year, I'm planning to do reviews for two series, one of which I've never read before, and one which will be a re-read. Look for reviews of the novellas that comprise the Corps of Engineers series in the coming months, as well as reviews of the TNG-era novels that mark the beginning of the current "novelverse" continuity. First up in that area of focus is the A Time To... series of TNG novels that told the story leading up to the feature film Star Trek Nemesis.


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