My thoughts:
Over the course of his
Star Trek writing career, Michael Jan Friedman has been responsible for nearly everything we know about the crew of the
U.S.S. Stargazer. While (of course) non-canon, his depictions of the
Stargazer crew which began in the
TNG novel
Reunion have informed my understanding of the pre-
Enterprise years of Captain Jean-Luc Picard's Starfleet career. Now that there is an entire series dedicated to the adventures of the
U.S.S. Stargazer under Picard's command,
The Valiant could be thought of as book two of that series, following on the heels of the de facto first
Stargazer novel,
Reunion.
The Valiant takes us to the early days of Picard's years on the
Stargazer, where he serves as the ship's second officer. While not yet a captain at the start of this novel,
The Valiant depicts the circumstances under which he ultimately assumes command.
 |
| The Valiant could be considered a novel in the Stargazer book series, as opposed to a TNG novel. |
The story involves a mission to the other side of the "Galactic Barrier," seen most famously in the second
TOS pilot "
Where No Man Has Gone Before." That episode began with the
Enterprise discovering the mission recorder buoy jettisoned from the
S.S. Valiant, destroyed shortly after it attempted to cross the barrier. It was assumed that all hands were lost in that incident, but Starfleet learns that there were survivors who eventually settled and populated a world near the barrier. Representatives from that world make contact with Starfleet and warn of an alien threat: the Nuyyad.
The
Stargazer is assigned to investigate this threat, along with a representative from the Kelvans, a species from the far-off Andromeda galaxy who have also settled near the galactic barrier thanks to assistance from Starfleet (see the
TOS episode "
By Any Other Name"). Also aboard is one of the representatives from the descendants of the
Valiant, an offshoot of humanity who have been affected by the passage through the barrier in a similar manner to Gary Mitchell, who infamously turned against Captain Kirk and the crew of the
Enterprise, proving the axiom that absolute power corrupts absolutely. Starfleet and the
Stargazer crew are understandably wary of this representative, fearing that she will prove as deadly as Mitchell.
 |
| The spectre of Gary Mitchell looms over this novel, making the Stargazer crew wary of the descendants of the S.S. Valiant survivors who also exhibit "superhuman" abilities. |
The Valiant continues the work started in
Reunion, familiarizing us with the characters of the
Stargazer and setting up a much different environment than Picard would later find himself in on the
Enterprise. Because
Reunion is set much later,
The Valiant is able to set up situations between characters that we see in that novel, and readers who have read
Reunion previously will find interesting connections that ultimately result in some dramatic irony because the outcomes are already known.
I found my expectations as a reader subverted somewhat by Michael Jan Friedman. There were a number of times I was sure I knew where the story was going only to find myself surprised by the events I was reading. The descendants of the
Valiant survivors were an interesting society, and reminded me somewhat of the people that Christopher L. Bennett created in his original novel
Only Superhuman. I like the idea of a race of humans who exhibit extraordinary powers, but don't go down the path of Gary Mitchell or the
Platonians.
Final thoughts:
Overall, a fascinating and satisfying novel that chronicles the events leading to Picard taking command of the
Stargazer. I enjoyed the character-building for the crewmembers of the
Stargazer that we see in other novels. I wasn't initially very interested in reading the
Stargazer novel series, but after revisiting
Reunion and reading
The Valiant for the first time, I think I would like to see more about these characters. 4/5.
Also by Michael Jan Friedman:
My next read:
