The Enterprise War

Star Trek: Discovery
The Enterprise War by John Jackson Miller
Release date: July 30^th 2019
Read August 4^th 2019

Previous book (Discovery): The Way to the Stars
Next book (Discovery): Dead Endless

Purchase:
Trade Paperback: Amazon.com | Amazon.ca | Amazon.co.uk
E-book (Kindle): Amazon.com | Amazon.ca | Amazon.co.uk

Publisher's description:

A shattered ship, a divided crew—trapped in the infernal nightmare of conflict!

Hearing of the outbreak of hostilities between the United Federation of Planets and the Klingon Empire, Captain Christopher Pike attempts to bring the U.S.S. Enterprise home to join in the fight. But in the hellish nebula known as the Pergamum, the stalwart commander instead finds an epic battle of his own, pitting ancient enemies against one another—with not just the Enterprise, but her crew as the spoils of war.

Lost and out of contact with Earth for an entire year, Pike and his trusted first officer, Number One, struggle to find and reunite the ship’s crew—all while Science Officer Spock confronts a mystery that puts even his exceptional skills to the test…with more than their own survival possibly riding on the outcome….

My thoughts:

Click here to watch my video review of Discovery: The Enterprise War, or click play on the embedded video below!

Final thoughts:

With The Enterprise War, the Star Trek: Discovery novels are five for five! John Jackson Miller has crafted an excellent story that fills in the gaps in the Discovery television series. It was fun to follow the adventures of the Enterprise for the year before season 2 and discover new insights into that season's storyline. Jackson nails the delivery of the characters, especially Captain Pike and Number One. The actors' voices are clearly heard when reading this novel. Top marks, definitely looking forward to Miller's next contribution to the Star Trek litverse!

More about The Enterprise War:

• TrekBBS Review and Discussion Thread
• Podcast: Literary Treks 278: His Losses Continue to "Mount" - Exclusive interview with author John Jackson Miller!

Also by John Jackson Miller:

• Star Trek: Titan: Absent Enemies (2014)
• Star Trek: The Next Generation: Takedown (2015)
• Star Trek: Prey, Book 1: Hell's Heart (2016)
• Star Trek: Prey, Book 2: The Jackal's Trick (2016)
• Star Trek: Prey, Book 3: The Hall of Heroes (2016)

Next time on Trek Lit Reviews:

My next review is for the second book in the old Lost Years saga: Star Trek #54: A Flag Full of Stars by Brad Ferguson.

The Hall of Heroes

Star Trek: Prey
Book 3 of 3
The Hall of Heroes by John Jackson Miller
Release date: November 29^th 2016
Read December 7^th 2016

Previous book (Prey): Book 2: The Jackal's Trick
Next book (The Next Generation): Headlong Flight

Mass-market paperback: Amazon.com | Amazon.ca | Amazon.co.uk
E-book (Kindle): Amazon.com | Amazon.ca | Amazon.co.uk

Spoilers ahead for The Hall of Heroes!

Publisher's description:

Continuing the milestone 50th anniversary celebration of Star Trek—an epic new trilogy that stretches from the events of The Original Series movie The Search for Spock to The Next Generation!

The Klingon Empire stands on the precipice. In the wake of violence from the cult known as the Unsung, paranoia threatens to break Chancellor Martok’s regime. Klingons increasingly call for a stronger hand to take control...one that Lord Korgh, master manipulator, is only too willing to offer.

But other forces are now in motion. Assisted by a wily agent, the Empire’s enemies secretly conspire to take full advantage of the situation. Aboard the USS Titan, Admiral William T. Riker realizes far more than the Federation’s alliance with the Klingons is in danger. With the Empire a wounded animal, it could either become an attacker—or a target.

Yet even as hostilities increase, Commander Worf returns to the USS Enterprise and Captain Jean-Luc Picard with a daring plan of his own. The preservation of both the Empire and the Federation alliance may hinge on an improbable savior leading a most unlikely force....

My thoughts:

An Empire in disarray, relations between the Klingons and the Federation on a knife's edge, and a usurper who vows to make the Klingon Empire great again is attempting to seize power. And now, even foreign powers such as the Breen and the Kinshaya are getting involved! After an amazing set-up in books one and two, it all comes down to this. How does the final book in the Prey trilogy compare?

The alliance between the Federation and the Klingon Empire is once again put at risk thanks to the machinations of Korgh.

John Jackson Miller has set a difficult task before himself. Up to now, the Prey trilogy has been wonderfully fresh and intriguing, with plot twists and turns that haven't failed to surprise. Thankfully, in The Hall of Heroes, Miller sticks the landing, and even gets full marks from the judges, if you will indulge my tortured metaphor. Continuing the strong character work and tight plotting of books one and two, book three was an incredibly satisfying conclusion to the trilogy.

One character who is especially intriguing is Shift, seen in the first two books as the Orion assistant to Buxtus Cross. She would often be seen to adopt a guise along with Cross in order to lead the Unsung in their attacks on Klingons and other targets. However, with the death of Cross at the end of The Jackal's Trick, Shift's true allegiances are revealed. Working for the Breen, Shift has been deep undercover in Cross's "Truthcrafter" group, biding her time. I really loved this character. Shift's motivations for joining the Breen and their true egalitarian society make a lot of sense for an Orion woman who has spent her entire life being valued mainly for her appearance. With their full-body suits, all Breen look alike, and that sort of anonymity would be very tempting to someone like Shift.

The Breen, with their philosophy of conformity and egalitarianism, are very alluring to someone like Shift, who comes from a society where looks are all that matters.

As with many Klingon tales, redemption is a motif that plays out in Prey. The crimes of the Unsung are at least partially redeemed by their actions in The Hall of Heroes, and by their continued service after the end of the story. Also, Kahless himself experiences a form of redemption, after having languished in isolation for many years. He once again has a purpose to serve, and his role as Emperor is once again valued by him.

A great lesson imparted in this story is the idea that history should be remembered. The Unsung became such a huge problem partly because they were forgotten by the Empire. Being discommendated made them less than nothing in the eyes of the Empire, and therefore beneath their notice, allowing them to be corrupted by Korgh and his confederates. If the Klingons had felt it necessary to keep track of them, it's likely that these events would not have happened.

In the end, rather than seeing the end of the alliance between the Federation and the Klingon Empire, Prey becomes a celebration of it. While the Federation and the Empire are both very different, it is in those differences that they find strength. A beautiful cameo appearance by a character who had a direct hand in originally bringing the two powers together ties the story up nicely, and cements it as a perfect celebration of 50 years of Star Trek.


Final thoughts:

The end of the Prey trilogy, and the final part of this novel in particular, are supremely satisfying. I feel like it would be difficult to craft an ending that sufficiently matches the high notes of the previous two books, but John Jackson Miller has accomplished that and more. The Hall of Heroes is the highlight of an already great trilogy, a wonderful celebration of 50 years of Star Trek. These books were a lot of fun to read, and I look forward to seeing where both the shared continuity and John Jackson Miller's contributions to it will go from here!
5/5 stars!

More about The Hall of Heroes:

• TrekBBS Discussion Thread
• Podcast: Literary Treks 173: Whack-a-Mole - Exclusive interview with John Jackson Miller!

Also by John Jackson Miller:

• Star Trek: Titan: Absent Enemies (2014)
• Star Trek: The Next Generation: Takedown (2015)
• Star Trek: Prey, Book 1: Hell's Heart (2016)
• Star Trek: Prey, Book 2: The Jackal's Trick (2016)
• Star Trek: Discovery: The Enterprise War (2019)

Next time on Trek Lit Reviews:

Coming up tomorrow: my annual wrap-up of the year in Trek Lit! Keep an eye out for the 2016 Trek Lit Year in Review!

The Jackal's Trick

Star Trek: Prey
Book 2 of 3
The Jackal's Trick by John Jackson Miller
Release date: October 25^th 2016
Read November 9^th 2016

Previous book (Prey): Book 1: Hell's Heart
Next book (Prey): Book 3: The Hall of Heroes

Mass-market paperback: Amazon.com | Amazon.ca | Amazon.co.uk
E-book (Kindle): Amazon.com | Amazon.ca | Amazon.co.uk

Spoilers ahead for The Jackal's Trick!

Publisher's description:

Continuing the milestone 50th anniversary celebration of Star Trek—an epic new trilogy that stretches from the events of The Original Series movie The Search for Spock to The Next Generation!

The Klingon-Federation alliance is in peril as never before. Lord Korgh has seized control of the House of Kruge, executing a plot one hundred years in the making. The Klingon cult known as the Unsung rampages across the stars, striking from the shadows in their cloaked Birds-of-Prey. And the mysterious figure known as Buxtus Cross launches a scheme that will transform the Klingon Empire forever.

Into danger flies Admiral William T. Riker and the USS Titan, charged with protecting the peace forged nearly a century before during the Khitomer Accords. Aided by Captain Jean-Luc Picard and the USS Enterprise, Riker and his officers scour the stars, seeking to find the Unsung and uncover the truth behind the conspiracy before time runs out.

Yet even as Commander Worf departs on a deeply personal mission of honor, hidden sinister forces seek to turn the crisis to their advantage. And the conspirators’ plans threaten to spiral out of control, jeopardizing the very empire they aspire to rule.

My thoughts:

The Prey trilogy continues in book two, The Jackal's Trick! In this instalment, Galdor (recently revealed to be the treacherous Korgh) has seized the House of Kruge through dishonorable means. His troops, The Unsung, believe they are being led by the legendary Kruge himself. However, "Kruge" is actually a Betazoid con artist by the name of Buxtus Cross. Book one, Hell's Heart, was an examination of the history of Galdor/Korgh, while this book takes a look at what led Buxtus Cross to where he is now.

Cross was a former Starfleet officer who had murdered a fellow officer. Escaping from prison thanks to some skilled "truthcrafters," Cross now leads the troupe as they ply their schemes across the galaxy. "Truthcrafters" are basically con artists who use tricks and illusion to hoodwink unsuspecting victims. Think Ardra from the TNG episode "Devil's Due," who used cloaking technology, transporters, and holography to convince the people of Ventax that she was their version of Satan, returned to collect on an ancient debt. Cross, in his guise as Lord Kruge, has taken control of the Unsung in order to carry out Korgh's scheme. However, he has his own goals in mind as well.

The people manipulating the Unsung have created a cult of personality around their fake version of Lord Kruge.

One thing that stood out to me in The Jackal's Trick is the way in which the Unsung are manipulated. It has a very familiar feel to it. They have an unwavering belief in and support of Kruge, to an extent that is downright scary. It does, however, make a lot of sense. The Unsung are discommendated Klingons, which makes them among the most vulnerable in that society. People who have had everything taken from them can be very easily manipulated. Weakened or oppressed people have always been easy targets of a charismatic leader. Germany's disillusioned population after World War One fell under Hitler's sway, and cults will often target new arrivals to a city because they are cut off from family and may feel lonely and vulnerable. In fact, the Unsung feels very much like a cult. One Klingon in this book says to Worf that it "doesn't matter" that their leader may not truly be Kruge; he is nonetheless "saying the right things." This all seems eerily familiar, which makes it all the more terrifying.

One thing that John Jackson Miller excels at is writing exciting, beautifully visual scenes. There are a few in this book that certainly jump out. At one point, the Unsung are attacking a conference being held at H'Atoria. During the battle, just when you think the Starfleet forces are completely outmatched, Riker issues a coded order and Starfleet troops emerge from beneath the water in a brilliant counterattack. Not only is the sequence amazing to imagine, but it is reflective of part of the story being crafted in this trilogy. Throughout the narrative, Korgh and his schemes makes some headway, seeming to embarrass Starfleet and harm their standing in the Klingon Empire. However, at no point are they completely defeated, and the result is a sort of cat-and-mouse game in which both sides score their own victories from time to time. This makes for an exciting story in which you are never really sure what will happen next.

Admiral Riker and his flagship, the Titan, put in an appearance in the Prey trilogy.

Also fun to see is Riker and the Titan getting some more "screen time." The crossover aspect of these event trilogies are always a highlight, and it's great to see the various crews working together to solve a problem. With the Aventine set to show up in book three, Prey is looking like a more epic story all the time. While maybe not on the level of Destiny, it's still good to see these larger stories being undertaken by the novels.

As with Hell's Heart, The Jackal's Trick ends on a completely unexpected note. In this second book, we learned a lot about Buxtus Cross and what makes him tick, but in book three, it seems as though there is yet another mastermind behind what has been happening. Her story is yet to come...


Final thoughts:

Another strong entry in this exciting trilogy! I'm really getting into the story of Korgh, and once again, Miller has crafted a tale with plot twists that I didn't see coming at all. After reading a few hundred Trek novels in my life, I would not have thought it possible, but there you go. Setting up an exciting conclusion for book three, this trilogy just keeps getting better and better.
4.5/5 stars.

More about The Jackal's Trick:

• TrekBBS Discussion Thread
• Podcast: Literary Treks 169: Delusions of Grandeur

Also by John Jackson Miller:

• Star Trek: Titan: Absent Enemies (2014)
• Star Trek: The Next Generation: Takedown (2015)
• Star Trek: Prey, Book 1: Hell's Heart (2016)
• Star Trek: Prey, Book 3: The Hall of Heroes (2016)
• Star Trek: Discovery: The Enterprise War (2019)

Next time on Trek Lit Reviews:

The Prey trilogy concludes in Book 3: The Hall of Heroes by John Jackson Miller!

Hell's Heart

Star Trek: Prey
Book 1 of 3
Hell's Heart by John Jackson Miller
Release date: September 27^th 2016
Read October 14^th 2016

Previous book (The Next Generation): Armageddon's Arrow
Next book (Prey): Book 2: The Jackal's Trick

Mass-market paperback: Amazon.com | Amazon.ca | Amazon.co.uk
E-book (Kindle): Amazon.com | Amazon.ca | Amazon.co.uk

Spoilers ahead for Hell's Heart!

Publisher's description:

Continuing the milestone 50th anniversary celebration of Star Trek—an epic new trilogy that stretches from the events of The Original Series movie The Search for Spock to The Next Generation!

When Klingon commander Kruge died in combat against James T. Kirk on the Genesis planet back in 2285, he left behind a powerful house in disarray—and a series of ticking time bombs: the Phantom Wing, a secret squadron of advanced Birds-of-Prey; a cabal of loyal officers intent on securing his heritage; and young Korgh, his thwarted would-be heir, willing to wait a Klingon lifetime to enact his vengeance.

Now, one hundred years later, while on a diplomatic mission for the United Federation of Planets, Captain Jean-Luc Picard and the crew of the USS Enterprise are snared in the aged Korgh’s trap—and thrust directly in the middle of an ancient conflict. But as Commander Worf soon learns, Korgh may be after far bigger game than anyone imagines, confronting the Federation-Klingon alliance with a crisis unlike any it has ever seen!

My thoughts:

The Star Trek universe has an extremely rich history, featuring heroes of villains of many different stripes. One of the strengths of the Trek novelverse is its ability to draw upon the multitude of previous adventures, pulling on a thread here and there and teasing out a compelling story about a character or situation that was previous only given a limited amount of screen time. One such villain is Commander Kruge, the main baddie from Star Trek III: The Search for Spock. However, I suppose it makes sense that we never got more about this character. After all, he was killed by Admiral Kirk at the climax of that film. Or was he...?

The legacy of Klingon Commander Kruge plays a big role in the Prey trilogy.

While Kruge was apparently killed on the Genesis Planet, his legacy has endured well into the 24th century. Leaving behind a house initially in disarray, the nobles of the House of Kruge have banded together to rule the house as a group. However, a young Klingon named Korgh, who fancied himself Kruge's true heir, began a century-long plot to lead the wealthy House of Kruge. Now, as the Empire prepares to enter into negotiations with the Federation and a number of other powers for the establishment of a free-flight corridor through Klingon space, Korgh begins to enact his plot.

The story itself is divided into three acts. The first act introduces the main players in the 24th century: the nobles of the House of Kruge, as well as the caretaker for the house: an elderly Klingon by the name of Galdor. Act two involves a flashback to the 23rd century, following the events of The Search for Spock. This part of the story features the Enterprise-A under Captain Kirk and their encounter with a group of dishonored Klingons, fallout from the death of Kruge. They are allowed to take refuge in a nebula called Klach D'kel Brakt, or as the Federation calls it, the Briar Patch.

The Unsung operate from a planet located within the Briar Patch, seen in Star Trek: Insurrection.

In act three, these dishonored Klingons enact the plan, having come under the control of Korgh. Calling themselves the "Unsung," they use a fleet of birds-of-prey called the "Phantom Wing" to carry out attacks on behalf of Korgh. Most of their action is seen through the eyes of Valandris, one of the Unsung who turns out to be a truly fascinating character. While her life as a dishonored Klingon is the only one she has known, it seems as though there may be cracks in her conviction to follow the cause of the Unsung.

Like his previous stories in the Trek universe, Miller has created some truly interesting characters. They all feel real, with a depth that is sometimes lacking in one-off secondary characters. The machinations of Korgh are a definite highlight, and I found myself unable to guess what would happen next. The story is anything but predictable. While Korgh's plan may seem fairly simple, it is clear that there are wheels within wheels, and we are in for quite the ride throughout the rest of this trilogy.

Given the long life of the Klingons involved and the length of time this plan has been in motion, the Prey trilogy serves as an excellent celebration of Star Trek's 50th anniversary, with a story that spans a century and includes both the original and Next Generation crews. Not to mention the fact that the Klingons are a fan-favorite, and this story dives deep into Klingon lore. Fans of everyone's favorite lumpy-headed honor-bound warriors will find a lot to love in this story!


Final thoughts:

An exciting kick-off to what is sure to be a great trilogy in the Trek novelverse! If you found yourself somewhat underwhelmed by the Legacies trilogy, be sure to pick this one up. This is definitely shaping up to be an exciting trilogy, and a fun way to celebrate the 50th anniversary. Not everything is as it seems with regards to the characters in this story, and if the rest of the trilogy is anything like this first book, we are in for a lot of exciting twists and turns in our quest for the conclusion of Prey.
4/5 stars.

More about Hell's Heart:

• TrekBBS Discussion Thread
• Podcast: Literary Treks 165: The Wrath of the Phantom Klingon

Also by John Jackson Miller:

• Star Trek: Titan: Absent Enemies (2014)
• Star Trek: The Next Generation: Takedown (2015)
• Star Trek: Prey, Book 2: The Jackal's Trick (2016)
• Star Trek: Prey, Book 3: The Hall of Heroes (2016)
• Star Trek: Discovery: The Enterprise War (2019)

Next time on Trek Lit Reviews:

The Prey trilogy continues in Book 2: The Jackal's Trick by John Jackson Miller!

Takedown

Star Trek: The Next Generation
Takedown by John Jackson Miller
Release date: January 27^th 2015
Read January 31^st 2015

Previous book (The Next Generation): Q Are Cordially Uninvited...
Next book (The Next Generation): Armageddon's Arrow

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

Spoilers ahead for Takedown and the current post-The Fall novel continuity!

From the back cover:

When renegade Federation starships begin wreaking destruction across the Alpha Quadrant, Captain Jean-Luc Picard and the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise are shocked to discover that the mastermind behind this sudden threat is none other than Picard’s protégé and friend: Admiral William T. Riker. The newly minted admiral is on board the U.S.S. Aventine as part of a special assignment, even as the mystery deepens behind his involvement in the growing crisis. But the Aventine is helmed by Captain Ezri Dax—someone who is no stranger to breaking Starfleet regulations—and her starship is by far the faster vessel . . . and Riker cannot yield even to his former mentor. It’s a battle of tactical geniuses and a race against time as Picard struggles to find answers before the quadrant’s great powers violently retaliate against the Federation. . .

My thoughts:

John Jackson Miller made his Star Trek literature debut last year with the e-book novella Absent Enemies, featuring Admiral Riker and the Titan crew. As I noted in my review of that story, I had very much enjoyed his Star Wars novel Kenobi, and looked forward to his take on the Trek universe. I enjoyed the novella for the most part, with the small exception of feeling that he didn't have the characters' voices quite "right." That minor quibble, however, has been completely rectified with Takedown.

Miller has a terrific grasp on the voices of the main characters, with old standbys like Picard and Riker coming across perfectly. And indeed, the secondary original characters that Miller introduces in this novel are a lot of fun to read about as well.

Captain Ezri Dax and the
Aventine feature in Takedown.

This is probably the closest we've come to Captain Ezri Dax of the Aventine having a novel of her own, and Miller proves that such a story can be truly great! I've come to really enjoy reading about her and her crew ever since their introduction in David Mack's Destiny trilogy. Takedown has renewed my interest in seeing more of Dax and her ship in future stories.

The premise of Takedown is an enticing one: Picard and Riker going head to head in a battle of wits and tactics. While the story itself turns out to be much more complicated than that, we do get some interesting scenes seeing these two tactical minds facing off. Miller channels his love and knowledge of Trek into some great plot twists and reveals, making Takedown a fun roller coaster of a story.

While I did enjoy his earlier work, Absent Enemies, I felt that some parts were a little too "silly" or uncharacteristic of Star Trek. However, with Takedown, Miller has struck a perfect balance. The story is rich and compelling, while still having a lightness to it that made it a lot of fun. Many of the current slate of Trek authors will include small winks and nods, such as in-jokes or subtle references that are amusing, but most don't have the perfectly irreverent tone that Miller has managed with Takedown. In this way, Miller's tone in very evocative of that of one of my favorite Trek authors, Peter David. Take, for example, this description of an inept Romulan senator, Bretorius, who turned into one of my favorite characters by the end of the book:

Unfortunately, Bertorius had found mediocrity too high a bar. He had advanced in the fleet the old-fashioned way: he'd stuck around so long they had to give him a command, or muster him out. He'd commanded a vessel that had managed to miss every major engagement the Romulan Star Empire had participated in during his tenure. The critical battle of the Dominion War was waged without Bretorius's ship, when his entire crew came down with food poisoning after an ill-advised prebattle celebration. And during the time that Shinzon was courting allies in the Imperial Fleet for his eventual coup, Bretorius was never contacted once. It wasn't that Bretorius wanted to overthrow the government, but it would've been nice to have been asked.

The risk is that the story will devolve into complete silliness (as has happened with a few of Peter David's works), but that never happens here.

Final thoughts:

A fun and exciting entry into the post-The Fall continuity of Trek novels. It was great to see the continuity touchstones that John Jackson Miller used to craft this story, including the reintroduction of a species from TNG that I've always been curious about (I won't include that particular spoiler here as I feel it guts the story to know it in advance). A definite improvement over Miller's previous foray into Trek literature, and hopefully a portent of many more great stories to come!

Further resources:

• TrekBBS Review and Discussion thread for Takedown
• Podcast: Literary Treks 92: Good Thing Riker Doesn't Listen to Amy Winehouse - Interview with John Jackson Miller

Also by John Jackson Miller:

• Star Trek: Titan: Absent Enemies (2014)
• Star Trek: Prey, Book 1: Hell's Heart (2016)
• Star Trek: Prey, Book 2: The Jackal's Trick (2016)
• Star Trek: Prey, Book 3: The Hall of Heroes (2016)
• Star Trek: Discovery: The Enterprise War (2019)

My next read:

Next up is my review of A Sea of Troubles, the first book in the TNG e-book series, Slings and Arrows.

Absent Enemies

Star Trek: Titan
Absent Enemies by John Jackson Miller
E-book exclusive
Release date: February 24^th, 2014
Read February 24^th 2014

Previous book (Titan characters): The Fall: Peaceable Kingdoms
Next book (Titan): Sight Unseen

Purchase (e-book only!) from Amazon.com | Amazon.ca | Amazon.co.uk

Spoilers ahead for Absent Enemies, the outcome of The Fall, and the Titan series!

From the back cover:

Newly promoted Admiral William Riker and the crew of the U.S.S. Titan are ordered to race to Garadius IV—a planet Riker knows all too well from an unsuccessful peace mission when he was still first officer of the U.S.S. Enterprise. But this time, he finds a mysterious new situation: one with the potential to imperil the entire Federation. One of the warring parties has simply vanished…

My thoughts:

First of all, a warm welcome to John Jackson Miller to the Trek universe! After having read his recent Star Wars novel, Kenobi, I've been very excited about his first foray into the world of Star Trek writing. How did Absent Enemies turn out? Read on!

As the first follow-up to The Fall, Absent Enemies presents a very different Riker and Titan than we have come to know in the novel series. No longer a captain, but an admiral, Riker finds himself having to adapt to this new role. Some of the best parts of this novella feature him realizing that he is in danger of becoming the overbearing and self-righteous admiral or Federation official that so often plagued missions aboard the Enterprise. Perhaps my favorite recurring bit is when Riker says "This is outrageous!" in exactly the way that the aforementioned Federation interloper would, rather than taking action the way a Starfleet captain would. Riker, upon realizing this, would scold himself for becoming something he hates.

The story itself is an interesting diversion from the usual inter-connected quadrant-spanning political tales of late. The stakes are lower than usual, and the overall tone of the story is closer to an episode of the television series than full-size novels tend to be. Much like last year's The Stuff of Dreams by James Swallow, Miller has effectively used the size of this novella to his advantage. The temptation might be to tell a huge story but then trim it down to fit the format. Instead, Miller has crafted the perfect tale to fit the parameters of this novella. The end result feels like it should: a small adventure that is easily consumable in an evening.

The flashback to the voyages of the Enterprise-D was very welcome. In some circles, there has been a desire to see stories set aboard the Enterprise, Deep Space Nine, and Voyager that take place during the timeframe of the respective television series. Although the flashback takes place in a very small part of a small story, it was very nice to see the crew back together again. I also enjoyed the connection to the TNG episode “The Next Phase.” In particular, I have to give points to Miller for his valiant attempts to explain the scientific implausibilities in that episode!

In "The Next Phase," how were Laforge and Ro able to pass through walls but remain standing without falling through the floor? And how could they breathe? Kudos to John Jackson Miller for attempting to explain these questions!

If I have only one complaint, it's that at certain points in the story, the voices of the characters seemed a little off. In the flashback portions in particular, characters such as Picard or Troi didn't quite sound like themselves. However, it is a very minor quibble, and for the most part I found Absent Enemies to be a very enjoyable story!


Final thoughts:

A tightly-plotted and fun little story that is very much in the spirit of classic Star Trek. A good start for John Jackson Miller's Star Trek adventures. And it has been reported that Miller will be writing a full-length Trek novel to be released in 2015. After reading Absent Enemies, I am very much looking forward to more from him!

Further resources:

• TrekBBS review and discussion thread for Absent Enemies
• Podcast: Literary Treks 52: That Cold War Feeling - John Jackson Miller discusses Absent Enemies
• Author notes and annotations by John Jackson Miller

Also by John Jackson Miller:

• Star Trek: The Next Generation: Takedown (2015)
• Star Trek: Prey, Book 1: Hell's Heart (2016)
• Star Trek: Prey, Book 2: The Jackal's Trick (2016)
• Star Trek: Prey, Book 3: The Hall of Heroes (2016)
• Star Trek: Discovery: The Enterprise War (2019)

My next read:

Next up will be my review of Greg Cox's new novel, No Time Like the Past, featuring an exciting crossover between the original Star Trek and Star Trek: Voyager!