Showing posts with label James Swallow. Show all posts
Showing posts with label James Swallow. Show all posts

Saturday, December 29, 2018

Fear Itself

Star Trek: Discovery
Fear Itself by James Swallow
Release date: June 5th 2018
Read June 11th 2018

Previous book (Discovery): Drastic Measures
Next book (Discovery): The Way to the Stars
Purchase:
Trade Paperback: Amazon.com | Amazon.ca | Amazon.co.uk
E-book (Kindle): Amazon.com | Amazon.ca | Amazon.co.uk

 Publisher's description:
Lieutenant Saru is a Kelpien, a member of a prey species born on a world overrun by monstrous predators…and a being who very intimately understands the nature of fear. Challenged on all sides, he is determined to surpass his origins and succeed as a Starfleet officer aboard the U.S.S. Shenzhou. But when Saru breaks protocol in order to prove himself to his crewmates, what begins as a vital rescue mission to save a vessel in distress soon escalates out of control. Forced into a command role he may not be ready for, Saru is caught between his duty and the conflicting agendas of two antagonistic alien races. To survive, he will need to seek a path of peace against all odds, and risk compromising the very ideals he has sworn to uphold….

My thoughts:

Click here to watch my video review of Discovery: Fear Itself, or click play on the embedded video below!



Final thoughts:

An excellent novel digging into what makes one of the most popular Discovery characters tick. James Swallow gives us a fun and fascinating story that gets to the root of Saru's character, and show us that his fearful nature may not be exactly what we or his colleagues expect. 5/5.

 More about Fear Itself:


Also by James Swallow:

Next time on Trek Lit Reviews:

Next up is my wrap-up of the year in Trek Lit!


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Thursday, March 31, 2016

The Latter Fire

Star Trek: The Original Series
The Latter Fire by James Swallow
Release date: February 23rd 2016
Read March 4th 2016

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

 Spoilers ahead for The Latter Fire!

 Publisher's description:
An all-new novel from New York Times bestselling author James Swallow set in the popular universe of Star Trek: The Original Series!

 The five-year mission of the Starship Enterprise has brought the vessel and her crew to the forefront of an important first contact situation. Under the command of Captain James T. Kirk, the ship is heading to the planet Syhaar Prime in the Beta Quadrant—the home world of an alien civilization preparing to take its first steps on to the galactic stage. One year earlier, the Enterprise came across a badly damaged Syhaari explorer vessel drifting in deep space. In collaboration with the explorer’s captain, Kirk and his crew were able to restore the ship to full function and send it on its way. And now, as the Syhaari display rapid technological advances made over the past year, hard questions must be asked. Did the Enterprise crew leak advanced technology or information to the Syhaari during their first encounter, in total violation of the Prime Directive?

My thoughts:

James Swallow is an author who really "gets" Star Trek. Reading his stories make you appreciate the message behind some of the best tales that the Trek franchise has to offer. This latest TOS novel, The Latter Fire, is certainly no exception.

Fear is a consuming and pervasive force in our world. Fear of that which is different lies at the heart of countless misunderstandings and conflicts. In The Latter Fire, this idea is explored through a number of interactions throughout the story. The primary conflict in the story stems from an encounter between Syhaari explorers and an alien race called the Breg'hel. Tormid, the captain of a Syhaari ship, commits atrocities against the Breg'hel, murdering the entire complement of a Breg'hel vessel. Fearing the unknown, he panicked and let his base emotions take hold.

Understandably, the Breg'hel were furious. Due to the interconnected nature of their species, the Breg'hel couldn't conceive that the Syhaari weren't all responsible for the death of their people. Once again, a huge misunderstanding leads to conflict, predicated mainly on fear. I found this aspect of the story to be very timely, given what is happening in politics and world affairs today. Fear is behind so much of what we do and think that it leads to rash decisions and poor judgement on the part of decision makers, law makers, and the general public.

Preconceived notions and prejudice both play a major role in the story as well. This idea plays out in the novel through a number of situations, including the Federation Diplomatic Corps and Ambassador Xuur's preconception of Kirk and what he stands for. The aforementioned Breg'hel and their notion of the nature of the Syhaari could also be seen as a preconception that leads to misunderstanding. Until people have open minds and truly aim to learn about their neighbours and people with different ideas and ways of life, there will always be conflict. A theme in this story seems to be "challenge your preconceptions or they will challenge you."

Another thing that James Swallow does really well is world-building. In The Latter Fire, this talent particularly shines as he creates two fascinating cultures, along with a giant space-faring leviathan creature. The novel is filled with very Star Trek: TOS ideas, and was very reminiscent of some of the big spectacles in that series.

The "Leviathan" in The Latter Fire is reminiscent of some otherworldly ideas from TOS, such as the giant space amoeba from "The Immunity Syndrome."

 Final thoughts:

Communication, cooperation, and friendship; it is these ideals that Star Trek says should guide humanity into the stars. Fundamentally, this novel is about those ideas. It is Star Trek in the truest sense, and James Swallow captures the essence of "Roddenberry's philosophy," as it has become known. An excellent novel, and one of the best TOS 5-year mission stories I've read in some time.

 More about The Latter Fire:


 Also by James Swallow:

Next time on Trek Lit Reviews:

Another new release, this time the continuation of Christopher L. Bennett's Rise of the Federation series: Live By the Code.

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Tuesday, October 13, 2015

Sight Unseen

Star Trek: Titan
Sight Unseen by James Swallow
Release date: September 29th 2015
Read October 2nd 2015

Previous book (Titan): Absent Enemies
Next book (Titan): Fortune of War
MMPB: Amazon.com | Amazon.ca | Amazon.co.uk
Kindle: Amazon.com | Amazon.ca | Amazon.co.uk

 Spoilers ahead for Sight Unseen!

 From the back cover:
In the wake of political upheaval across the United Federation of Planets, Admiral William Riker and the crew of the USS Titan find themselves in uncertain waters as roles aboard the ship change to reflect a new mandate and a new mission. On orders from Starfleet, Titan sets out toward the edge of Federation space to tackle its latest assignment: to work with an alien species known as the Dinac, who are taking their first steps into the galaxy at large as a newly warp-capable civilization. 
But when disaster befalls the Dinac, the Titan crew discovers they have unknowingly drawn the attention of a deadly, merciless enemy; a nightmare from Riker's past lurking in the darkness. Friendships will be tested to the limit as familiar faces and new allies must risk everything in a fight against an unstoppable invader; or a horrific threat will be unleashed on the galaxy!

My thoughts:

When the Star Trek: Titan series began in 2005, it promised to be a new take on the Star Trek universe. Featuring a diverse crew from all manner of species, Titan would explore the frontiers, boldly going where no one had gone before. However, with the events of The Fall, Titan was recalled back to Sector 001. Riker was promoted to the rank of admiral and charged with investigating the conspiracy within the Federation, while Commander Vale was left in temporary command of Titan.

The USS Titan will stick a little closer to home in this novel and, presumably, going forward.

Christine Vale, seen here in IDW's
Hive comic, is now Titan's CO.
With this novel, Sight Unseen, we get a new start for the Titan and her crew. In many ways, this novel can be seen as the "season premiere" for another chapter in the Titan story. Admiral Riker is assigned to be "sector commander" for the area of space that Titan will be patrolling, and he has elected to keep his flag aboard the ship. Commander Vale is promoted to Captain and given command of Titan. While many would assume that Commander Tuvok would be promoted to first officer, he retains his post as Security Chief while a new XO is brought aboard: Dalit Sarai, an officer with a somewhat checkered past. First introduced in The Fall, Sarai aided President Pro Tempore Ishan Anjar in his attempt to stop Julian Bashir.

Another new character joins Titan as well: Ensign Ethan Kyzak, a Skagaran who grew up on North Star, seen in the Enterprise episode of the same name. The addition of Ensign Kyzak adds an interesting dynamic to the crew. Coming from North Star, a world founded by captured humans from the old west, Kyzak lends a sensibility to the crew not unlike the presence of Trip Tucker in Enterprise.

Ethan Kyzak is a Skagaran from North Star, the same species as this character, Draysik.

The Titan's first assignment in this new region of space is to rendezvous with the USS Whitetree and work with the Dinac. However, this mission is disrupted by the reappearance of the aliens from the TNG episode "Schisms," whom Starfleet have designated the "Solanae." They are once again kidnapping crewmembers and experimenting on them, this time en masse, having brought the crews of both the Whitetree and a Dinac vessel into their domain.

Sight Unseen was an absolutely engrossing adventure, sucking me in from page one. It was a treat to see the Titan and her menagerie of characters again. One of my favorites, Ensign Torvig, got his moment to shine, and all of the other major players such as Melora Pazlar, Ra-Havrei, Zurin Dakal, and Vale are adequately served by the story. Even the restored White-Blue is featured, one of the most unique characters on Titan. And that is saying something!

On full display here are some fundamentals of good Star Trek: the idea of coming together for the greater good; the fact that we are stronger when working in common cause rather than in opposition; great characters and an engaging story that never lets up. Several times in the novel I felt that the characters were in real jeopardy, and the crew does end up having to pay a painful price in the course of the story. Featuring James Swallow's trademark amazing storytelling, Sight Unseen was a terrifically fun read.

 Final thoughts:

A real page-turner that features everything that I love about Star Trek novels. There are a lot of stories out there in the wider Trek universe, but it is books like these that keep me buying Trek lit. I realize this has become a familiar refrain of late, but in my opinion this is the best of the Star Trek novels released so far this year. They just keep getting better!

If you are at all a fan of Titan or are a new fan looking for a good place to pick up the story, Sight Unseen should not be missed. Ushering in a new and promising chapter for Titan, this story has everything you could want in a Trek novel.

 More about Sight Unseen:

Also by James Swallow:

 Next time on Trek Lit Reviews:

Next week, look for my review of the third instalment in the Mere Anarchy series: Shadows of the Indignant by Dave Galanter.


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Thursday, October 2, 2014

Day of the Vipers

Star Trek: Terok Nor (A Saga of The Lost Era)
Day of the Vipers, 2318 - 2328 by James Swallow
Published April 2008
Read March 18th 2014

Previous book (The Lost Era): The Next Generation: The Buried Age
Next book (Terok Nor): Night of the Wolves
Purchase (MMPB): Amazon.com | Amazon.ca | Amazon.co.uk
Purchase (Kindle): Amazon.com | Amazon.ca | Amazon.co.uk

Spoilers ahead for Day of the Vipers and the Terok Nor miniseries!

 From the back cover:
A seemingly benign visitation to the bountiful world of Bajor from the resource-poor Cardassian Union is viewed with cautious optimism by some, trepidation by others, and a calculating gleam by unscrupulous opportunists. What begins as a gesture of compassion soon becomes something very different. Seen through the eyes of participants on both sides -- including those of a young officer named Skrain Dukat -- the personal, political, and religious tensions between the Bajorans and the Cardassians quickly spiral out of control, irrevocably shaping the futures of both worlds in an emotionally charged and unforgettable tale of treachery, tragedy, and hope.

My thoughts:

The Cardassian occupation of Bajor is a 60-year period of history that was explored at various times in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, and the aftermath of which is the setting of the series itself. In the course of several episodes (such as "Necessary Evil," "Things Past," and "Wrongs Darker Than Death or Night"), we have seen what Bajor and Terok Nor were like during the occupation, but what about before the Cardassians arrived? What was Bajor like, and what led to the beginning of the occupation? It is the answers to these questions that make Day of the Vipers so compelling.

Many episodes of Deep Space Nine have shown us flashbacks of Bajor during the occupation (such as this scene from "Ties of Blood and Water"), but how did the occupation begin? Day of the Vipers answers this question.

Dramatic irony is used throughout the story. As readers familiar with the occupation of Bajor, we know where this is all headed: to a very dark, disastrous place. However, the characters in the story aren't privy to that information, and their plight is made all the more tragic due to the inevitability of what is to come. At times, you just want to reach into the pages to grab characters by the lapels and scream, "don't you see what is happening?!?" It is frustrating to witness the mistakes and deceptions that led to the horrors of the Cardassian occupation.

The true tragedy is the fall of two worlds, Bajor and Cardassia. Like Bajor, Cardassia was once a verdant planet with a population that lived in peace with nature. However, Cardassia has forgotten this and is now a desolate wasteland, home to a people who are desperate. This desperation is visited upon the Bajorans, who can't conceive of a people who would take what is theirs because they have none of their own.

The occupation is not only the story of Bajor, but of Cardassia as well. The famine and hardships experienced by that world directly led to the occupation of Bajor, a resource-rich world that proved extremely tempting to the resource-poor Cardassians.

Reading a few on-line reviews of Day of the Vipers, I noticed that some readers seemed to have been put off by the slower pace of the novel. However, I felt that the pacing of the story was very fitting. The Cardassian occupation was not an event that happened all at once; rather, there was a slow build-up. The Cardassians didn't arrive and invade Bajor militarily en masse, but instead insinuated themselves into Bajoran government and day-to-day life. The build-up to the occupation was slow and methodical, culminating in a horrific "false flag" incident in which a Bajoran fleet was destroyed by Cardassians acting as allies, while pinning the blame for the attack on the Tzenkethi. The slow build-up was perfect for the monumental importance of these events.

 Final thoughts:

Day of the Vipers is an excellent beginning to the Terok Nor miniseries, setting up the horrors of the Cardassian occupation very well. At times quite dark and depressing (we all know where this story is headed), this novel nonetheless shows the resilience and pride of the Bajoran people. This is not the most accessible of Star Trek novels. I think that a casual fan of Star Trek would have a much harder time picking up this novel than a more conventional TOS or TNG novel. However, for ardent fans, Day of the Vipers introduces a pivotal piece of Star Trek history, and I would recommend this novel for any reader who loves Deep Space Nine and the rich, well-developed lore of that series.

 Also by James Swallow:

My next read:

Continuing my series of reviews of the Deep Space Nine relaunch novels, my next review will be for S.D. Perry's Rising Son. Look for that soon!


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Friday, November 29, 2013

The Poisoned Chalice

Star Trek: The Fall
The Poisoned Chalice by James Swallow
Release date: November 26th, 2013
Read November 27th 2013

Previous book (Titan): Fallen Gods
Previous book (The Fall): A Ceremony of Losses
Next book (The Fall): Peaceable Kingdoms

Purchase The Poisoned Chalice from Amazon.com | Amazon.ca | Amazon.co.uk

WARNING: Spoilers ahead for The Poisoned Chalice and The Fall!

 From the back cover:
One simple act, and the troubles of the United Federation of Planets have grown darker overnight. The mystery behind the heinous terrorist attack that has rocked the Federation to its core grows ever deeper, and William Riker finds himself beset by rumors and half-truths as the U.S.S. Titan is ordered back to Earth on emergency orders from the admiralty. Soon, Riker finds himself drawn into a game of political intrigue, bearing witness to members of Starfleet being detained—including people he considered friends—pending an investigation at the highest levels. And while Riker tries to navigate the corridors of power, Titan’s tactical officer, Tuvok, is given a series of clandestine orders that lead him into a gray world of secrets, lies, and deniable operations. Who can be trusted when the law falls silent and justice becomes a quest for revenge? For the crew of the U.S.S. Titan, the search for answers will become a battle for every ideal the Federation stands for. . . .

My thoughts:

How is it possible that the books of The Fall just keep getting better and better? The Crimson Shadow was simply outstanding, at a level that I thought would be impossible to match. Then comes A Ceremony of Losses, and I have to eat my words, as David Mack more than rose to the occasion. But that level of quality story-telling couldn't possibly be maintained, could it? It turns out that it can, as James Swallow hits another one out of the park with this month's The Poisoned Chalice.

The Poisoned Chalice continues the two main story threads that have come up so far in The Fall: the fall-out from the assassination of President Bacco, including the rise of the morally-ambiguous Ishan Anjar, and the solution to the Andorian reproductive crisis and the repercussions for Dr. Julian Bashir and his "co-conspirators." James Swallow deftly handles both threads extremely well, bringing them together in the end in a creative and entertaining way.

The events in the book can be seen as parallels to events and issues in the real world. While some of these parallels are fairly obvious, it is still worth examining them. For example, the members of the "Active Four" group encounter a "black site" maintained by an ally of the Federation, the Klingons. In many ways, this black site is reminiscent of Abu Ghraib or Guantanamo Bay. Similarly, the Ishan regime's methods of pinning a terrorist attack on the Typhon Pact instead of the true perpetrators brings to mind the initial justification for the attack and invasion of Iraq by the United States in 2004.

Earlier, I mentioned the group called "Active Four," a paramilitary unit activated by the President pro tem's chief of staff in order to capture or otherwise neutralize the President's assassins. This group consists of Nog, Tuvok, another member of Starfleet, a Federation "marine," and a few civilian mercenaries, including a familiar face we haven't seen in some time: William Riker's transporter twin "brother," Thomas Riker! I've long been curious as to his fate, and I'm overjoyed that James Swallow was able to use him here.

It was a pleasant surprise to see Thomas Riker playing a part in this novel!
The original characters created by Swallow are interesting enough, but what I truly enjoyed was his use of the regular characters. Nog and Tuvok are especially well-written, and I really enjoyed the interactions between the two of them. Similarly, Swallow has a great handle on the literature-only characters such as Admiral Akaar and the members of the Titan crew, including my favorite, Ensign Torvig Bu-Kar-Nguv (usually shortened to Ensign Torvig). I have previously not been a big fan of Titan's first officer, Commander Christine Vale, but this book has done a great deal to change my opinion of her. She receives a short-lived commission as commander of the U.S.S. Lionheart, and her actions and how she was written really redeemed the character in my eyes. Similarly, I've never been very impressed with Tuvok, but his role in this novel is very well-written, and I found myself really empathizing with him.

Tuvok has never been one of my favorite characters, but James Swallow has
written him in a very compelling way while still remaining true to his character.
As I've said above, I was blown away by this novel. However, if I were to search high and low for one small quibble, it would be the speed at which the Titan seems to have returned to Earth. Previously, she had been out in the far reaches of the Beta Quadrant exploring the fringes of known space. However, she made it back to Earth on what seems to be very short notice. However, as I said, this is a very minor quibble, and if this is the quality of the story we get, I'm okay with the assumption that they found a short-cut!

 Final thoughts:

Absolutely stellar. I thought that I had already figured out what the best Star Trek novel of 2013 would be. Now, I'm not so sure. James Swallow has advanced the story of The Fall in an extremely compelling way. I found myself staying awake into the wee hours saying "just one more chapter" over and over again. Well done. Dayton Ward certainly has his work cut out for him in the conclusion! I can't wait to see how this all turns out. 5 out of 5, would read again!

Further resources:

Also by James Swallow:

The Fall

Revelation and Dust by David R. George III
The Crimson Shadow by Una McCormack
A Ceremony of Losses by David Mack
The Poisoned Chalice by James Swallow
Peaceable Kingdoms by Dayton Ward

 My next read:

Look for a review of the third book in the Deep Space Nine relaunch, Section 31: Abyss by David Weddle and Jeffrey Lang in the coming week!

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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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Saturday, January 14, 2012

Synthesis

Star Trek: Titan - Synthesis by James Swallow
Published October 2009
Read January 13th, 2012

Previous book (Post-Nemesis continuity): TNG: Losing the Peace
Previous book (Titan): Over a Torrent Sea
Next book (Titan): Fallen Gods

Spoilers ahead for Synthesis and other books in the Star Trek: Titan series, as well as spoilers for the post-Nemesis and post-Destiny period of Trek Lit!


From the back cover:


The Starship Titan continues her outward voyage of discovery.  Ranging farther and farther from Federation space, Captain William Riker and the crew look forward to living Starfleet's mission: seeking out new life, discovering new civilizations.
Striking a "sandbank" -- a spatial distortion -- the Titan is knocked out of warp, her crew shaken up but uninjured.  Titan has stumbled across a battlefield, and floating in it, shattered and in pieces, are the remains of a ship.  Searching for survivors, they discover the ship never had a crew.  The away team removes the computer core, looking for answers.  Once the device is restored, it becomes clear this is not just a computer, but a thinking, reasoning artificial intelligence.
It identifies itself as SecondGen White-Blue, it comes from a civilization composed entirely of sentient computers.  Eons ago these artificial intelligences were charged to be the first line of defense against The Null -- a destructive force so all-consuming that generation upon generation have waged unending war trying to find a way to beat back this terror.  Captain Riker offers to assist them, but years of war have left the AIs distrustful and suspicious, especially of organics.
The tide of the battle is turning, The Null is winning.  Set free, it will destroy everything in this system and then, unchecked, spread its mindless destruction into the heart of the Federation.

About the Novel:

An investigation of a destroyed alien spacecraft leads the crew of the Titan to discover an alien civilization based completely on artificial technology.  Calling themselves the "Sentries," these alien robots are tasked with defending their system from an invading force from another dimension called "The Null."  While one of these robotic life-forms, named SecondGen White-Blue, insists on helping the crew of the Titan and opening diplomatic relations with the Federation, most of the others are divided on the issue, and see the starfleet crew as a dangerous threat and a distraction from their true task.

Meanwhile, when the Titan's computer comes into contact with the consciousness of SecondGen White-Blue, it begins to develop a consciousness of its own.  Using an avatar appearing as a memory out of Captain Riker's past, the main computer begins to assert itself, becoming nothing less than a living, sentient being.


My Thoughts:

The Star Trek: Titan series follows the exploits of Captain William T. Riker and his extremely diverse crew aboard the U.S.S. Titan.  Riker took command of the Titan at the end of the feature film Star Trek Nemesis, if you recall.  With a lot of the darkness and destruction featured in the current line of Star Trek novels, Titan is a refreshing taste of what Star Trek should be about: seeking new life and new civilizations and exploring the galaxy.  Titan is on an extended mission of exploration out beyond the borders of the Federation, following Starfleet's edict "to boldly go where no one has gone before."

Synthesis is an interesting story that examines the question "what is life?"  This issue has, of course, been explored in other Trek incarnations, most notably in the Next Generation episode "The Measure of a Man" and Voyager's "Author, Author."  Added to the mix is the recent Borg-apocalypse in the Alpha Quadrant, which has left the Starfleet crew jumpy about mechanized life-forms, or anything that reminds them about the cybernetic horde.  This contributes to a certain amount of distrust of Sentries, complicating matters when some of their actions seem to be provocative or malicious.  The Sentries themselves are an interesting race in and of themselves.  While one would expect a race of robotic life to be completely logical and single-minded, the Sentries are instead individualistic and emotional.

The story itself is interesting, if a little paint-by-numbers.  Complicating the plot is the emergence of an intelligent computer program within Titan's main computer, raising a lot of questions about what Starfleet computers are capable of, and the ethical implications of limiting their abilities.  The questions raised by this development are fascinating, but of course, in true Star Trek tradition, this is a problem that we will not have to deal with outside the confines of this one adventure!
Final Thoughts:

An interesting story, but a little plodding in some places.  Interesting ethical questions are raised, and while they should be universe-shattering in implication, the effects are confined to this one story and don't seem likely to be explored in a wider forum.  Interesting world-building and a new, unique life-form are the saving graces of the story.

Final score: 6/10.
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Thursday, October 20, 2011

Cast No Shadow

Star Trek: The Original Series: Cast No Shadow by James Swallow
Published July 2011
Read: October 20th, 2011

Previous book (The Original Series): The Children of Kings
Next book (The Original Series): A Choice of Catastrophes



Click the cover to purchase Cast No Shadow from Amazon.com!

Spoilers ahead for Cast No Shadow and, I suppose, Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country!



From the back cover:

Seven years have passed since a catastrophic explosion on the Klingon moon Praxis touched off a chain of events that would result in the assassination of the reformist High Chancellor Gorkon, and the eventual creation of the historic Khitomer Accords.  Now, as part of the ongoing efforts to undo the disastrous fallout from the destruction of Praxis and with the help of aid supplies from the United Federation of Planets, reconstruction is in progress, and after years of slow going hindered by political pressures and old prejudices, headway is at last being made.  But the peace process begun by the Khitomer Accords is still fragile just as the deadly plans of what is believed to be a hard-line Klingon isolationist group violently come to fruition. 
Yet the group thought responsible for the deadly attack has been dormant for decades, and its known modus operandi doesn't match up to the manner of the strike.  And further investigation leads to an unexpected revelation connected to the Gorkon conspiracy of 2293, and in particular one disgraced and very familiar Starfleet lieutenant...


About the Novel:

A massive explosion disrupts relief efforts in the Klingon Empire, and during the course of an investigation into the cause, Lieutenant J.G. Elias Vaughn discovers evidence that contradicts the official story.  Vaughn, of course, is known to readers of the Deep Space Nine relaunch series of novels.  His superior officer is unwilling to listen to him, so he goes above the heads of his superiors and brings his evidence to Commander Miller, an agent of Starfleet Intelligence who is traveling to Klingon territory to monitor the investigation.  Miller compels Lieutenant Vaughn to accompany him into Klingon space aboard the U.S.S. Excelsior, under the command of Captain Sulu.  En route, they stop to pick up another asset to their investigation: Starfleet traitor Valeris, carrying out a life-term in a Federation prison.  They believe that a code-word discovered in the evidence links the current case to the conspiracy to derail the Khitomer peace accords seven years prior.

When they arrive at the scene of the catastrophe, the Klingons are less than cooperative, and the Starfleet investigators find themselves side-lined.  However, with the help of a Klingon Intelligence operative named Kaj, Vaughn, Miller and Valeris find themselves racing all over Klingon space to root out the true perpetrators of the crime: rebels from the conquered planet Krios (featured in the TNG episodes "The Mind's Eye" and "The Perfect Mate").

Primarily, however, Cast No Shadow is story about Valeris: her mind-set, her past, and her motivations for her actions in The Undiscovered Country.  We see what became of the remnants of the Gorkon assassination conspiracy following the events of The Undiscovered Country, and witness the beginnings of the cooperation that will define the relationship between the United Federation of Planets and the Klingon Empire during the era of The Next Generation.

 My Thoughts:

For the most part, I enjoyed reading Cast No Shadow.  It was an interesting tale and it filled in some gaps in Star Trek history, which is one of my favorite functions of Trek literature.  The pacing and action are quite good, and I didn't feel like putting it down for any inordinate length of time.  The writing was crisp and easy to follow, and I enjoyed the characterizations of the new characters introduced by Swallow.  However, Cast No Shadow certainly wasn't without its flaws.


Valeris: From cold, calculated
believer in Vulcan logic to
clichéd childhood trauma victim.
One thing I enjoyed about Star Trek VI was the idea that Valeris, a perfectly calm and logical Vulcan, could come to the conclusion that assassination is a preferable course of action to peace between the Federation and the Klingons.  It is a disturbing thought that one could come to that decision using only cold, calculated logic.  Cast No Shadow, however, throws that idea out the window, instead explaining Valeris's actions through the effects of both childhood trauma and father issues.  Don't get me wrong: I don't read Star Trek novels in order to be wowed and amazed at the originality and ground-breaking nature of the prose!  However, childhood trauma and father issues being the root of disturbing and criminal behavior is a trope that has been explored to death.  I would definitely have enjoyed something a little more original, perhaps using Valeris's Vulcan nature in a way that is surprising or unique.

Another aspect that bothered me was the use of Spock so prominently on the cover.  While Spock does appear in the story, I would characterize his contribution to the plot as a cameo rather than a starring role.  I understand that Pocket Books is in the business of selling books, and that Spock on the cover would result in more sales than a secondary character like Valeris, but to me it felt a little like false advertising.

Finally, due to editorial shake-ups at Pocket Books, I feel that the Star Trek line has lost a little of the focus and cohesiveness it enjoyed for the past decade or two.  One series I absolutely loved was The Lost Era; a series of books that covered periods of Star Trek history outside the televised or movie eras.  Had Cast No Shadow been published a few years ago, I believe it would have been under the "Lost Era" banner; however, because there is a new editor in charge after the departure of Marco Palmieri, this novel finds itself kind of set adrift under the "Original Series" moniker.  This doesn't impact the enjoyment of the book, to be sure, but I do feel that it might have been a little more prominent if it were part of that much-loved series.

 Final Thoughts:

Cast No Shadow is an interesting story, and it fills in a few gaps in a period of Star Trek history that is interesting to explore.  It provides motivations for Valeris's actions in Star Trek VI, but a little unsatisfactorily in my opinion.  All in all, a somewhat by-the-numbers Trek adventure that I feel missed an opportunity to be much, much more.

Final rating: 5.5/10.


More about Cast No Shadow:

 Also by James Swallow:

 My next read:

I am still working on finishing my review of the next Star Trek: Vanguard novel, Precipice. Look for that soon!  I am also currently reading the Original Series novel, A Choice of Catastrophes by Michael Schuster and Steve Mollmann.
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