A Time to Harvest

Star Trek: The Next Generation
A Time to Harvest by Dayton Ward & Kevin Dilmore
Published April 2004
Read July 23^rd 2018

Previous book (The Next Generation): A Time to Sow
Next book (The Next Generation): A Time to Love

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

Spoilers ahead for A Time to Harvest!

From the back cover:

Still reeling from the disastrous events that have rocked all of Starfleet and tarnished the career of one of the Federation's most decorated captains, Picard and his crew must now endure the unthinkable: scandal, ostracism, and an uncertain future. But despite all that has occurred, none aboard the Enterprise have forgotten their duty as Starfleet officers… 

Assigned to assist the imperiled Dokaalan – a small colony of refugees who maintain a precarious existence in a rapidly disintegrating asteroid mining complex – the Enterprise crew must somehow aid this alien race in terraforming a nearby planet so that it might someday provide a new home for their kind. But violent acts of sabotage soon turn a humanitarian crisis into a deadly confrontation. To save the Dokaalan from extinction, Picard must uncover the presence of an old adversary – and prevent a disaster of catastrophic proportions!

My thoughts:

A Time to Harvest is the fourth book in the A Time To series, bridging the gap between Star Trek: Insurrection and Star Trek Nemesis. It is also the conclusion to a duology by Dayton Ward & Kevin Dilmore, consisting of this novel and the previous one, A Time to Sow.

In A Time to Sow, the crew of the Enterprise-E made first contact with the Dokaalan, survivors of a planetary cataclysm who have taken refuge in their system's asteroid belt. This species, with surprising amounts of ingenuity and resilience, has undertaken a project to terraform another planet in their system, Ijuuka. However, there are elements that have invaded Dokaalan society to subvert their plans and prevent the Dokaalans from realizing their dream of a new home. In this novel, we learn the identity of this alien force and their ultimate plans for Ijuuka.

It turns out that the antagonists are the Satarrans, who TNG fans might remember as the aliens who wiped the memories of the Enterprise crew and set them against their enemies, the Lysians, in the episode "Conundrum." In that episode, an undercover Satarran operative posed as Kieran MacDuff, the supposed first officer of the Enterprise. Similarly, Satarran operatives have infiltrated both the Enterprise and the Dokaalan government in this novel. In a typical case of "small universe syndrome," one of the infiltrators of the Enterprise turns out to be the brother of the operative who posed as MacDuff.

The primary antagonists in A Time to Harvest turn out to be the Satarrans, a species who co-opted the Enterprise crew to serve in their war against the Lysians in the TNG episode "Conundrum."

In their long war with the Lysians, the Satarrans' homeworld was heavily damaged and rendered incapable to supporting the Satarran civilization. The changes that were made to the Dokaalans' plans for Ijuuka were designed to change that planet's conditions to be more favorable to the Satarrans, and useless to the Dokaalans. Because the Dokaalan science minister, Creij, was replaced by a Satarran, they are in the perfect position to subvert the terraforming project. In fact, one of the Enterprise's attempts to aid the Dokaalan effort serves to accelerate the sabotage.

It is this subversion of the Enterprise crew's plan that leads to one of the only big problems I have with this novel. Why on earth (or Ijuuka) is the crew rushing this attempt to aid the Dokaalans? The plan is formulated by Data, who only just recently recovered from a nearly-fatal attack by a Satarran operative (and in fact, he is not fully recovered at all). Captain Picard knows that there are undercover operatives among his crew and among the Dokaalans, and they are aware (thanks to Deanna Troi's empathic sense) that something is hinky with the Dokaalans themselves. So why rush headlong into this plan that involves firing torpedoes loaded with material that will drastically change the atmosphere of Ijuuka without running more tests and delaying the process by, potentially, years? The Dokaalans have waited this long, after all! I know, I know, because then we wouldn't have a plot, but still! There's no need to rush!

That one issue aside, I very much enjoyed A Time to Harvest. In the previous duology of A Time to Be Born and A Time to Die, I felt that the first book was quite strong while the second kind of dropped the ball on the story. Thankfully, that doesn't happen here, and Ward and Dilmore stick the landing. In fact, the very end of the story, in which Picard demonstrates the high-minded ideals of the Federation by offering aid to the Satarrans despite what they have done to the Dokaalans was quite touching, and very much in the spirit of what I think Star Trek is all about. There are also some strong character moments as our crew wrestles with the thought that they may have done more harm than good for the Dokaalans, as well as dealing with the changes that are on the horizon as we get closer to Star Trek Nemesis.

Final thoughts:

A strong follow-up and conclusion of Ward and Dilmore's part in the A Time To series. Great world-building with the Dokaalans and their society, as well as an unexpected use of an adversary from back in the TNG on television days. Great character work with only a few minor nitpicks with regards to some of the actions undertaken by our heroes. Plus, a terrific re-affirmation of the ideals of Starfleet and the Federation, and for what Star Trek itself espouses. For the most part, A Time to Harvest was a great addition to this nine-book series and the Star Trek lit-verse as a whole. 4/5.

More about A Time to Harvest:

• Podcast: Literary Treks 238: Don't Be Afraid to Ask for Help

Also by Dayton Ward & Kevin Dilmore:

• Star Trek: S.C.E. #4: Interphase, Part One (2001)
• Star Trek: S.C.E. #5: Interphase, Part Two (2002)
• Star Trek: A Time to Sow (2004)
• Star Trek: Mere Anarchy, Book One: Things Fall Apart (2006)
• Star Trek: Vanguard: What Judgments Come (2011)
• Star Trek: Seekers #2: Point of Divergence (2014)
• Star Trek: Seekers #4: All That's Left (2015)
• Star Trek: Legacies: Book 3 of 3: Purgatory's Key (2016)

A Time To...

• A Time to Be Born by John Vornholt
• A Time to Die by John Vornholt
• A Time to Sow by Dayton Ward & Kevin Dilmore
• A Time to Harvest by Dayton Ward & Kevin Dilmore
• A Time to Love by Robert Greenberger
• A Time to Hate by Robert Greenberger
• A Time to Kill by David Mack
• A Time to Heal by David Mack
• A Time for War, A Time for Peace by Keith R.A. DeCandido

My next read:

Next is my long-overdue review of Voyager: The Farther Shore by Christie Golden, the follow-up to Homecoming!

A Time to Sow

Star Trek: The Next Generation
A Time to Sow by Dayton Ward & Kevin Dilmore
Published April 2004
Read June 25^th 2018

Previous book (The Next Generation): A Time to Die
Next book (The Next Generation): A Time to Harvest

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

Spoilers ahead for A Time to Sow and the rest of the A Time to... series!

From the back cover:

More than two centuries ago, the Dokaalan sent an unmanned probe into the void, bearing a distress call for anyone who could save their doomed world. But the message reached Federation space too late to save the planet or its people. Or so it was believed...

Generations later, Captain Jean-Luc Picard and the crew of the Enterprise-E are stunned to discover the last of the Dokaalan -- now only a colony fighting to stay alive in a decrepit asteroid mining complex. Although their home planet was destroyed long ago, the survivors hope to someday transform a nearby planet into a new home for their people. But bitter divisions exist among the Dokaalan, sowing the seeds of sabotage and terrorism -- and placing Picard and the Enterprise in the middle of an escalating crisis that can only lead to total destruction!

My thoughts:

A Time to Sow is the third book in the A Time To series, bridging the films Star Trek: Insurrection and Star Trek Nemesis, and the first book in a duology by Dayton Ward and Kevin Dilmore, made up of this novel and its followup, A Time to Harvest.

I had initially intended to read and review these novels some time ago, but the need to keep up with the reading for the Literary Treks podcast was too great. I only got around to the first two novels, A Time to Be Born and A Time to Die by John Vornholt before having to set them aside in favor of reading other Star Trek novels. Now, we are finally covering these novels on Literary Treks, and I can once again get back to them!

A Time to Sow starts with the Enterprise-E being assigned a "milk run," investigating a distress call from a probe first detected back in the 21st century, during Captain Jonathan Archer's first year as captain of the Enterprise NX-01. I appreciated the use of the Enterprise-era elements in this novel. I remember when Enterprise first aired, and the complaints of a small segment of "hardcore" Trek fans who felt that the new series didn't have a place in Star Trek canon (a sentiment, by the way, that is echoed by a similarly-small segment of fandom today with regards to Star Trek: Discovery). The fact that Ward and Dilmore used Enterprise elements in this story serves to further tie that series to the rest of Trek continuity, efforts that I hope continue in the novels yet to come when it comes to including Discovery elements as well. I like a fully-realized, cohesive universe!

A Time to Sow used elements from Enterprise, furthering the idea of a cohesive Star Trek universe linking all of the series, past and present.

Although the mission starts out as "low priority," it quickly becomes a first contact mission when, unexpectedly, survivors are found. The initial distress call had been sent when it became apparent that the Dokallans' homeworld would soon destroy itself, and it was determined by Starfleet and the Vulcan High Command that survivors would be extremely unlikely. However, a hardy group of survivors have made a home in the Dokallan system's asteroid belt, and against all odds have thrived there. Unfortunately, it soon becomes apparent that there are mysterious forces at work that are attempting to thwart the Dokallans' plans for the next phase of their civilization.

The tenacious asteroid-dwellers have undertaken an ambitious plan to terraform one of the other planets in their system, hoping to make it habitable for their civilization in the future. However, the Enterprise crew soon discovers that there are small variations being introduced into the Dokallans' plans; minute alterations that, over a long period of time, will make their new home useless to them. We learn that there is much more to the situation than meets the eye, and it is apparent that there are enemy agents among the Dokallans who are working towards their own goals. They soon are able to infiltrate the Enterprise as well, and manage to incapacitate Data.

Data is incapacitated by an enemy agent operating aboard the Enterprise.

If I have one major complaint about A Time to Sow, it's that it isn't a complete story and merely part one of two. However, that criteria is built into the entire A Time To series, so it doesn't seem like a completely fair complaint to lob at this novel. I suppose I'm just a little frustrated that not having a complete story makes this a difficult novel to review before having read the second part.

Quality-wise, however, A Time to Sow rises far above the previous novel. The characters are all on point, and I also really appreciated the world-building that went into the creation of the Dokallans and their unorthodox way of life. The individual characters among the Dokallan were quite interesting as well, raising them above the usual "alien of the week" fare. While I didn't really appreciate the lack of a complete story here, I can't fault the compelling cliffhanger we are given at the end. Alien agents in disguise aboard the Enterprise, having nearly succeeded in killing Data, while Geordi and Taurik run for their lives in a hazardous asteroid field? Sign me up for part two; I can't wait to see how this all concludes!

Final thoughts:

A big improvement over the first duology in the A Time To series. A Time to Sow sets us up nicely for part two with a fascinating alien race and a menacing threat that hides in plain sight. I found myself really curious about who exactly the "big bad" is, but unfortunately that will have to wait for book two of this duology, A Time to Harvest. Definitely a strong start here, however, with great character work and an exciting mystery.

More about A Time to Sow:

• Podcast: Literary Treks 235: Make It Sow!

Also by Dayton Ward & Kevin Dilmore:

• Star Trek: S.C.E. #4: Interphase, Part One (2001)
• Star Trek: S.C.E. #5: Interphase, Part Two (2002)
• Star Trek: A Time to Harvest (2004)
• Star Trek: Mere Anarchy, Book One: Things Fall Apart (2006)
• Star Trek: Vanguard: What Judgments Come (2011)
• Star Trek: Seekers #2: Point of Divergence (2014)
• Star Trek: Seekers #4: All That's Left (2015)
• Star Trek: Legacies, Book 3: Purgatory's Key (2016)

A Time To...

• A Time to Be Born by John Vornholt
• A Time to Die by John Vornholt
• A Time to Sow by Dayton Ward & Kevin Dilmore
• A Time to Harvest by Dayton Ward & Kevin Dilmore
• A Time to Love by Robert Greenberger
• A Time to Hate by Robert Greenberger
• A Time to Kill by David Mack
• A Time to Heal by David Mack
• A Time for War, A Time for Peace by Keith R.A. DeCandido

My next read:

Next on the list is an Enterprise novel: Surak's Soul by J.M. Dillard.

Purgatory's Key

Star Trek: Legacies
Book 3 of 3
Purgatory's Key by Dayton Ward & Kevin Dilmore
Release date: August 30^th 2016
Read September 21^st 2016

Previous book (Legacies): Book 2: Best Defense
Next book (The Original Series): The Face of the Unknown

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

Spoilers ahead for Purgatory's Key!

Publisher's description:

The conclusion to the epic trilogy that stretches from the earliest voyages of the Starship Enterprise to Captain Kirk’s historic five-year-mission—and from one universe to another—just in time for the milestone 50th anniversary of Star Trek: The Original Series!

Eighteen years ago, the Starship Enterprise thwarted an alien invasion from another universe, and Captain Robert April took possession of the interdimensional transfer device that made it possible. Since then, each captain of the Enterprise, from Christopher Pike to James T. Kirk, has guarded this secret with his life.

Now, Romulan agents have succeeded in stealing the device and using it to banish Ambassador Sarek and Councillor Gorkon to an unknown realm in the midst of their groundbreaking Federation-Klingon peace negotiations. With time running out as interstellar war looms in one universe—and alien forces marshal in another—will Captain Kirk and his crew preserve the tenuous peace and reclaim the key between the dimensions?

My thoughts:

A crew to rescue, an enemy to overcome, and the fundamental nature of a strange, otherworld reality is revealed. Just another day for the brave crew of the Starship Enterprise!

In many ways, Purgatory's Key had a simple task: wrap up the storylines that had been set up in the previous two books in the Legacies trilogy. Purgatory's Key could easily do that in a simple, 1-2-3 manner, but good Star Trek stories are seldom simple. The writing team of Dayton Ward and Kevin Dilmore have applied their usual skill to craft a story that concludes Legacies in an interesting and compelling manner.

For me, the most fascinating part of Purgatory's Key was the slow revelation of the nature of the alternate universe that people from our universe are banished to by way of the Jatohr transfer key. The idea of it being not so much a physical space and instead a sort of mindscape "waiting room" makes sense, given the effect over the environment that Captain Una is able to exert. I thought it was a fascinating development that tracks with the clues we have been given over the two previous books.

It was fun to see Gorkon as a Klingon warrior, rather than the diplomat and head of state seen in The Undiscovered Country.

Additionally, getting to spend time with Gorkon and Sarek in the alternate reality was a lot of fun. It was interesting to see how various people react to the strange environment of the other universe. Sarek tackles things from a purely analytical perspective, while Gorkon embraces his Klingon-ness and fights alongside the Usildar against the Jatohr. Seeing this side of Gorkon after only knowing him as a diplomat from his appearance in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country was a nice change of pace. Sarek's story had another interesting aspect: his telepathic link with his wife, Amanda. The way there were able to communicate was reminiscent of the bond shared between Trip and T'Pol, shown in the Enterprise episode "Affliction."

The strong bond between Sarek and Amanda plays a significant role in Purgatory's Key.

Ward and Dilmore have a great command of the voices of the main characters, and I thought their interactions were pitch-perfect, especially the dynamic between Kirk, Spock, and Bones. It was also nice to see that many of the often-forgotten crew are given lots to do. Chekov, Uhura, and Sulu all get their moments to shine in this story.

Another aspect of this story that I appreciated was the representation of both the Jatohr and and Usildar. Oftentimes in Star Trek, alien races are presented as monolithic cultures. Klingons are all warriors, Ferengi are all scheming capitalists, et cetera. However, this story does a good job of presenting the Jatohr as not just an enemy to overcome, but a multifaceted culture with individuals who have varied interests and goals. While the story could have taken the easy way out and given us an implacable "other" whom we must overcome, it instead gave us something deeper. This is another element that comes through in the best Star Trek stories.


Final thoughts:

A competent and mostly fun ending to the Legacies trilogy. There are a lot of high-minded concepts in this story that were fun to see play out. While I felt that some of the action and excitement from book two was missing in this third part, it was still on par with other Star Trek adventures that I have enjoyed. Again, not quite at the level of the second book, but certainly above the first book in the series. 4 out of 5 stars is my rating for Purgatory's Key!

More about Purgatory's Key:

• TrekBBS Discussion Thread
• Podcast: Literary Treks 163: Pinochle Buddies - Interview with Dayton Ward

Also by Dayton Ward & Kevin Dilmore:

• Star Trek: S.C.E. #4: Interphase, Part One (2001)
• Star Trek: S.C.E. #5: Interphase, Part Two (2002)
• Star Trek: A Time to Sow (2004)
• Star Trek: A Time to Harvest (2004)
• Star Trek: Mere Anarchy, Book One: Things Fall Apart (2006)
• Star Trek: Vanguard: What Judgments Come (2011)
• Star Trek: Seekers #2: Point of Divergence (2014)
• Star Trek: Seekers #4: All That's Left (2015)

Next time on Trek Lit Reviews:

A brand new adventure for the Department of Temporal Investigations: it's the e-book exclusive Time Lock by Christopher L. Bennett!

All That's Left

Star Trek: Seekers #4
All That's Left by Dayton Ward & Kevin Dilmore
Release date: October 27^th 2015
Read November 6^th 2015

Previous book (Seekers): #3: Long Shot
Next book (Seekers): #5:

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

Spoilers ahead for All That's Left!

From the back cover:

Initially charted by Starfleet probes dispatched to survey the Taurus Reach, the planet Cantrel V now plays host to a budding Federation colony, as well as a combined civilian/Starfleet exploration team. Ancient ruins of an unknown civilization scattered around the planet have raised the curiosity of archaeologists, anthropologists, historians, and other interested members of the Federation scientific community. Together, they are attempting to shed light on the beings that once called this world home. 

After a large, unidentified vessel arrives in orbit and launches a seemingly unprovoked orbital bombardment, the U.S.S. Endeavour responds to the colony's distress call. As they attempt to render assistance and investigate the mysterious ship, Captain Atish Khatami and her crew begin to unlock the astonishing secrets the planet has harbored for centuries. Does the survival of a newly-discovered yet endangered alien race pose a threat not only to Cantrel V, but to other inhabited worlds throughout the Taurus Reach and beyond?

My thoughts:

For this, the fourth entry in the young Seekers series, we return to the U.S.S. Endeavour with a new novel by Dayton Ward and Kevin Dilmore. Responding to a distress call from Cantrel V, the Endeavour and her crew get caught up in a centuries-old plot by a race of "parasites" called the Lrondi.

The idea of a parasite taking control of a humanoid host and the two living as a conjoined being is certainly not a new one, and Star Trek has tackled the issue several times itself, most notably through the Trill. However, the Lrondi as presented in this novel are unique, and truly terrifying to me: a species that "co-exists" with you, but seems to subtly influence you so that you are totally "okay" with going along with whatever they want. Some of the actions taken by someone who had been "collected" seemed to be willing, but there was enough influence and manipulation there to completely frighten me.

The whole "sentient parasite" concept has been done many times before, but is nonetheless a very frightening concept.

There is a lot in this novel to recommend it. While the plot takes a little while to kick into high gear, once it gets going, we get a fascinating adventure with a creepy psychological aspect to it. As with previous novels in the Seekers series, my favorite part is the characters. The Endeavour crew is always a pleasure to read about, and the side characters in this story really stand out as well. It was a lot of fun to see Commander Al-Khaled again! I'm just now reading the S.C.E. story Foundations, which is the introduction of this character, so the timing couldn't have been better.

Another surprise in All That's Left is the appearance of Ensign Tropp, a Denobulan crewmember who will presumably become the Dr. Tropp that is featured in the Next Generation novels as a doctor on the Enterprise-E. We already know from Enterprise's Dr. Phlox that Denobulans are very long-lived, so it makes sense to have Tropp in Starfleet already at this point. Why make up a new Denobulan character when you have a great one already? As far as I know, Tropp has not appeared this early in the chronology before, but if he has, I'm sure one of my intrepid readers will be quick to correct me!

A standout scene for me comes right at the end of the story, featuring two characters becoming closer due to their shared experiences with the Lrondi. Something about their connection really rang true for me, and it's little character moments like this that really make me appreciate Ward/Dilmore stories.

I have gushed about the amazing artwork of the Seekers novels before, but this one deserves a special mention. Rob Caswell has knocked it out of the park with the cover art for All That's Left. A gorgeous scene featuring the Endeavour crew attempting to gain entry to the mysterious alien ship is hands down my favorite Star Trek cover this year, possibly of all time. Beautiful!

Rob Caswell has posted the complete cover art without titles on his DeviantArt page - click here to see it in its entirety.

I'm curious, however, as to when we might next see a Seekers novel. David Mack, the other author involved in the series, has said that he has a rather lengthy break in his Trek novel writing in order to focus on his series of original novels (which look great, by the way; I hope you check them out!). If the Seekers format of alternating between Mack and Ward/Dilmore stories is the way they intend to continue to do them going forward, it may be some time before Seekers appears on the schedule again.


Final thoughts:

Another fascinating entry in the Seekers series. Although the story starts off a little slow, patience is rewarded as the story sucks the reader in. It will insinuate itself into your brain like some kind of mind-controling parasite as you find yourself pondering the implications of the plot long after you've put the book down. How much of the actions of the "collected" really were free will, and how much was simply the influence of the parasite? And... *gasp*... what if the Trill operate in a similar fashion? Is there really a way to know for sure? Creepy.

Four out of five is my ranking for All That's Left. If you're on board with the Seekers one-off story concept, you'll enjoy this as a classic "planet of the week" story.

More about All That's Left:

• TrekBBS Review and Discussion Thread
• Podcast: Literary Treks 129: SPECTRE Octopus

Also by Dayton Ward & Kevin Dilmore:

• Star Trek: S.C.E. #4: Interphase, Part One (2001)
• Star Trek: S.C.E. #5: Interphase, Part Two (2002)
• Star Trek: A Time to Sow (2004)
• Star Trek: A Time to Harvest (2004)
• Star Trek: Mere Anarchy, Book One: Things Fall Apart (2006)
• Star Trek: Vanguard: What Judgments Come (2011)
• Star Trek: Seekers #2: Point of Divergence (2014)
• Star Trek: Legacies, Book 3: Purgatory's Key (2016)

Next time on Trek Lit Reviews:

Book five in the TOS e-book series, Mere Anarchy: it's The Darkness Drops Again by Christopher L. Bennett!

Things Fall Apart

Star Trek
Mere Anarchy, Book One
Things Fall Apart by Dayton Ward & Kevin Dilmore
First Published September 2006
Re-published in the omnibus collection Mere Anarchy in March 2009
Read April 27^th 2015

Previous book (The Original Series): Burning Dreams
Next book (Mere Anarchy): The Centre Cannot Hold

Original e-book cover

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

Spoilers ahead for Things Fall Apart and the rest of the Mere Anarchy series!

From the back cover:

Mestiko: a world on the brink of interstellar space travel--and under covert Federation observation. When the Payav, Mestiko's dominant nation, learns of a rogue pulsar sweeping through their star system and threatening to destroy all life on their planet, the Federation is faced with a daunting choice: stand by and witness the extinction of a thriving civilization, or violate the Prime Directive and mount a desperate effort to protect the planet from total devastation.

The Starship Enterprise, newly under the command of James T. Kirk, is sent to aid the doomed planet. Kirk and his officers--Spock, Mitchell, Kelso, Scott, Sulu, and Dr. Piper--must use an experimental, untested technology to save the planet before it's too late!

My thoughts:

Before TNG's Slings and Arrows came a TOS e-book miniseries: Mere Anarchy. Following the fate of a newly warp-capable planet called Mestiko, Mere Anarchy takes place over the course of the entire run of the "original series" era of Star Trek, beginning with the early days of Kirk's original mission aboard the U.S.S. Enterprise. It is during that period, circa "Where No Man Has Gone Before," in which Things Fall Apart takes place.

Mestiko is a planet on the verge of scientific revolution as one of its nations has just discovered warp drive. However, the planet is facing an extinction level event, and the Federation must decide whether or not to intervene to save Mestiko. Ultimately, the Federation decides to try to save the population, and the Enterprise leads the mission to protect the planet. The crew's response to the crisis and Kirk's reaction in particular are very much keeping with his ethos at this stage in his life, and helps to set the pattern for how he will approach various challenges in the future.

The crew from "Where No Man Has Gone Before" (minus Dr. Dehner) features in this story.

I would imagine that one of the difficulties in writing a story that takes place in an era that hasn't had a lot of coverage would be making it feel genuine to that era. We had only one episode that took place during this time period featuring this particular crew, which means that the source material for writing this story would have been very limited. However, Ward and Dilmore succeed in recreating the feeling of that episode, whether it's through the particular relationships among the crew or through small touchstones such as references to "lateral power" and employing the slight tonal shift in language between "Where No Man Has Gone Before" and the rest of the series.

Final thoughts:

A fascinating setup for the stories to come in this series. Dayton Ward and Kevin Dilmore capture the tone of this particular slice of Trek history quite well, especially given the limited view of this period we've gotten in the past. I would be interested in seeing more stories featuring this crew, but who am I kidding, I love Bones too much to have him away from the rest of the crew for too long. Regardless, the authors kept my interest and made me genuinely care about the fate of the people of Mestiko. While this was an interesting tale, I'm excited to explore the repercussions of the events in this story in later incarnations of the TOS era.

More about Things Fall Apart:

• Podcast: Literary Treks 103: I Can Be Your Hero, Baby

Star Trek: Mere Anarchy:

• Things Fall Apart by Dayton Ward & Kevin Dilmore
• The Centre Cannot Hold by Mike W. Barr
• Shadows of the Indignant by Dave Galanter
• The Darkness Drops Again by Christopher L. Bennett
• The Blood-Dimmed Tide by Howard Weinstein
• Its Hour Come Round by Margaret Wander Bonanno

Also by Dayton Ward & Kevin Dilmore:

• Star Trek: S.C.E. #4: Interphase, Part One (2001)
• Star Trek: S.C.E. #5: Interphase, Part Two (2001)
• Star Trek: A Time to Sow (2004)
• Star Trek: A Time to Harvest (2004)
• Star Trek: Vanguard: What Judgments Come (2011)
• Star Trek: Seekers #2: Point of Divergence (2014)
• Star Trek: Seekers #4: All That's Left (2015)
• Star Trek: Legacies, Book 3: Purgatory's Key (2016)

My next read:

A classic TNG hardcover novel that I have had in my possession since I was a kid, but only now have finally read: Reunion by Michael Jan Friedman. Come join me as I get to know Picard's former crew from the Stargazer!

Seekers #2

Star Trek: Seekers #2
Point of Divergence by Dayton Ward & Kevin Dilmore
Story by Dayton Ward & Kevin Dilmore and David Mack
Release date: August 26^th 2014
Read September 5^th 2014

Previous book (Seekers): #1: Second Nature
Next book (Seekers): #3: Long Shot

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

Spoilers ahead for Seekers #1, #2, and the Vanguard series!

From the back cover:

The Taurus Reach. Once the conquered realm of a powerful alien species, this region remains largely shrouded in mystery even as it brims with potential for exploration and colonization. The Federation has sent in two of its finest starships on a quest to uncover the secrets it may yet hold...

The Tomol are a primitive civilization occupying a lone island on a remote world. Their culture is an enigma, centered on every member’s commitment to a painful, fiery self-sacrifice upon reaching maturity. But one of their clan has shunned this obligation, triggering a transformation into a new, powerful life form. Answering the distress call of the U.S.S. Sagittarius—which has crashed on the planet following a fierce battle with the Klingons—Captain Atish Khatami and the crew of the Starship Endeavour must now attempt a rescue mission…even as they are locked in battle with the evolving, increasingly malevolent Tomol who, if allowed to escape their home world, pose an imminent threat to the entire galaxy!

My thoughts:

Among my favorite aspects of Star Trek: Vanguard were the dual crews of the U.S.S. Sagittarius and the U.S.S. Endeavour. The Sagittarius, a small Archer-class scout, was quite unlike any other Starfleet vessel seen on Trek before. The other, the Endeavour, was a little more familiar: a Constitution-class heavy cruiser like the Enterprise. The Endeavour takes center seat in this, the second of the Seekers novels.

The U.S.S. Endeavour is the focus of Dayton Ward & Kevin Dilmore's entries in the Seekers series.

There is a great deal to like about this novel. The writing team of Ward and Dilmore is back writing Trek together again for the first time since Vanguard: What Judgments Come back in 2011. Together they have crafted a solid second entry in this fledgling series, topping off an exciting story with a conclusion that is ultimately quite satisfying.

Much like the previous novel, one area in which this book excels is with the character work. The relationships between the characters are a joy to read, particularly the interplay between Dr. Leone and nearly every other character. Also a treat was the captain to captain relationship that developed between Captain Khatami of the Endeavour and the Klingon Captain Kang. The grudging respect that Kang initially shows towards Khatami evolves into a true recognition of her skill and honor as a ship master, and I loved Kang's comparisons of Khatami and Kirk.

The legendary Kang is the Klingon foil to Captain Atish Khatami in Seekers #2: Point of Divergence.

The pacing of the novel is quite good, and I found that I finished it quite quickly. It was a little slower than book one, but still a very engaging and a fun read. While the action sequences aren't quite as nail-biting as the ones in Mack's Second Nature, I still found the story very gripping.

I very much enjoyed the twist with regards to the nature of the Tomol and the role that both the Shedai and the Preservers played in their history. The end of the novel and the resolution to the Tomol crisis had a very Star Trek feel to it, in the best sense of the term. Throughout both books, the Changed among the Tomol have been set up as an implacable foe with no discernible reason governing their actions. However, the final resolution shows that even the most fearsome enemy can be reasoned with, and that there is no such thing as absolute evil. As I mentioned above, it is a very Star Trek ending.

Blink and you'll miss it:

On page 214, keep an eye out for a reference to Fight Club. It's not exactly subtle, but it was still a pretty cool reference to catch.

Final thoughts:

As usual, a very fun, well-paced outing from the team of Dayton Ward & Kevin Dilmore. With the conclusion of this two-part story, the Sagittarius and the Endeavour are ready to head out on their dual missions of exploration in the Taurus Reach. If this story is any indication, I am very much going to enjoy following these crews on their voyage into the unknown. More Seekers, please!

Further resources:

• TrekBBS dicussion and review thread for Seekers #2
• PODCAST: Literary Treks 78: The Numbers On the Front Should Help - Discussion with Dayton Ward and Kevin Dilmore

Also by Dayton Ward & Kevin Dilmore:

• Star Trek: S.C.E. #4: Interphase, Part One (2001)
• Star Trek: S.C.E. #5: Interphase, Part Two (2001)
• Star Trek: A Time to Sow (2004)
• Star Trek: A Time to Harvest (2004)
• Star Trek: Mere Anarchy, Book 1: Things Fall Apart with Kevin Dilmore (2006)
• Star Trek: Vanguard: What Judgments Come (2011)
• Star Trek: Seekers #4: All That's Left (2015)
• Star Trek: Legacies, Book 3: Purgatory's Key (2016)

My next read:

Coming up: The new Deep Space Nine e-book novella by Paula M. Block and Terry J. Erdmann: Lust's Latinum Lost (and Found)!

Interphase, Part Two

Star Trek: S.C.E. #5
Interphase, Part Two of Two by Dayton Ward & Kevin Dilmore
Published March 2001
Re-released in print form as part of the S.C.E. compilation Miracle Workers in February 2002.
Read February 3^rd 2013

Previous ebook (S.C.E.): #4: Interphase, Part One of Two
Next ebook (S.C.E.): #6: Cold Fusion

Original e-book cover

Compilation of S.C.E. #5 - 8: Amazon.com | Amazon.ca | Amazon.co.uk

Spoilers ahead for Interphase, Part Two and the rest of the Corps of Engineers series!

From the back cover:

With Captain David Gold and an away team trapped on the other side of an interdimensional rift, Lieutenant Commander Kieran Duffy finds himself in command of the U.S.S. da Vinci just as the ship comes under attack by the Tholians. The enemy is armed with a new and improved version of their infamous energy web and the da Vinci is badly outnumbered, but fleeing the battle means abandoning the captain and others to an unknown fate outside this universe. There, marooned aboard a derelict vessel, Gold and his S.C.E. team struggle to keep the madness-inducing effects of the rift from driving them to suicide and murder before they can find a way to escape the realm of Interphase.

My thoughts:

The mission to recover the U.S.S. Defiant, lost for a century in spatial interphase, takes a dark turn when the daVinci is attacked by the Tholians. Responding the the discovery of a Tholian device aboard the Defiant, the Tholians' attack is designed to prevent a terrible secret from getting out. The Defiant is pulled back into the interphasic rift, and the boarding party is cut off from the rest of the crew aboard the daVinci.

Part two continues the fast-paced action and suspense of part one quite well. In this story, the crew lives up to their name as the away team must think their way out of their predicament in a manner that only engineers truly can.

The Tholians remain one of my favorite "antagonistic" races in Star Trek, and any opportunity to explore this mysterious species is welcome. They are used to good effect in Interphase, and their actions are "other-worldly" enough that they don't simply come across as another race of "bad guys." Their motivations and behavior are truly "alien," and difficult to comprehend.

Tholians: wholly alien

One thing that surprised me reading this story was the tie-in to the Vanguard series of novels. Of course, this story was written years before Vanguard came about, so the genius really is in that later series, but that is not the order in which I read them. The mysterious Tholian device being carried by the Defiant? We learn its true purpose in the course of the Vanguard novel series, and let me tell you, its purpose is pretty far from benign. The Tholians were right in their desire to not allow it to be discovered.

Hey, cool. This is my 100th Review!

Final thoughts:

As I mentioned in my review of part one, the events of this story are superseded by the "canon" version of the Defiant's ultimate fate, as seen in the Enterprise two-parter "In a Mirror, Darkly." This fact does not take away from this story whatsoever. Interphase is a fun and compelling "version" of the Defiant's story, and the unexpected tie-in to the Vanguard series was a fun thing to discover. This two-parter showcases what the Corps of Engineers series can truly be: exciting, imaginative, and a welcome addition to the world of Trek!

There is room in Star Trek for more than one ultimate fate of the Defiant!

Also by Dayton Ward and Kevin Dilmore:

• Star Trek: S.C.E. # 4: Interphase, Part One (2001)
• Star Trek: A Time to Sow (2004)
• Star Trek: A Time to Harvest (2004)
• Star Trek: Mere Anarchy, Book 1: Things Fall Apart with Kevin Dilmore (2006)
• Star Trek: Vanguard: What Judgments Come (2011)
• Star Trek: Seekers #2: Point of Divergence (2014)
• Star Trek: Seekers #4: All That's Left (2015)
• Star Trek: Legacies, Book 3: Purgatory's Key (2016)

My next read:

Next up is S.C.E. #6: Cold Fusion by Keith R.A. DeCandido.

Interphase, Part One

Star Trek: S.C.E. #4
Interphase, Part One of Two by Dayton Ward & Kevin Dilmore
Published February 2001
Read January 27^th 2013

Previous ebook (S.C.E.): #3: Hard Crash
Next ebook (S.C.E.): #5: Interphase, Part Two of Two

Originally published as an ebook. Later published as part of the S.C.E. compilation Have Tech, Will Travel in January 2002.

Compilation of the first four SCE stories

Original ebook cover

Click here to purchase the Star Trek: S.C.E. omnibus #1, Have Tech, Will Travel from Amazon.com!

Spoilers ahead for Interphase, Part One and the rest of the Corps of Engineers series!

From the back cover:

More than a century ago, the U.S.S. Defiant disappeared with all hands into an interspatial rift deep in Tholian territory. Now the derelict ship has been seen drifting in and out of ordinary space, and the Tholian authorities have reluctantly agreed to let Starfleet retrieve the Defiant from the rift. Perhaps, at long last, the lost ship can be brought home and its valiant crew paid their final respects. Captain David Gold and an S.C.E. team from the U.S.S. da Vinci succeed in boarding the Defiant, but their investigation soon uncovers a dangerous secret. For more than a hundred years, an ancient super-weapon has been hidden away within the scarred and lifeless starship, along with evidence of a long-forgotten atrocity -- evidence that could ignite a vast interstellar war!

My thoughts:

The U.S.S. Defiant, NCC-1764, trapped in interphase

"The Tholian Web" was one of my favourite Original Series episodes when I was a kid, and I found the mystery of "interphase" and the fate of the Starship Defiant to be very compelling. In Interphase, the S.C.E. crew aboard the U.S.S. da Vinci has a hand in deciding the ultimate fate of that tragic vessel. Lost in a rift for a century, the Defiant is discovered by the Tholians in their space. The da Vinci is assigned to the salvage operation, and heads into Tholian space to recover the lost starship. Captain Gold leads a team aboard the historic vessel in order to get it out of the interphasic rift, while the da Vinci holds position outside the rift, all under the watchful gaze of the Tholians.

Kieran Duffy, second officer of the da Vinci

For the most part, I enjoyed the first part of this two-part story. Each of the characters gets something interesting to do. We get to see Captain Gold in action, and through him we experience the reverence that people of this generation have for the twenty-third century and what (to them) are the pioneering days of space exploration for the Federation. Other characters, such as Dr. Lense and the Nasat crewmember, P8 Blue ("Pattie"), each get their chance to shine in the book. Of special note is Lt. Commander Duffy, who commands the bridge of the da Vinci for an extended period for the first time. I'm interested to see where his command goes in the next part of the story.

One character I'm not really warming up to yet is the chief of security, Lt. Commander Domenica Corsi. However, I believe that this is by design. Her abrupt manner makes the rest of the crew bristle, and to be perfectly frank, it makes me uncomfortable as well.

One bonus of using the S.C.E. series to tell the story of the Defiant is the fact that the series features a character who was present for the events of "The Tholian Web": Captain Montgomery Scott, the head of the Corps of Engineers. At the beginning of the book, he expresses a desire to be on-hand for the recovery, but alas, there is not enough time for him to accompany the mission. His first-hand knowledge of events of over a century ago provide for an interesting dynamic in the beginning of this story.

The cliffhanger ending was a good one, and it made me eager to go on to part two. I do find it odd that part one of this story is in Have Tech, Will Travel, but readers have to wait for the next volume, Miracle Workers, if they wish to read the second part. I personally would have preferred to have both stories collected in the same omnibus.

Final thoughts:

An interesting beginning to what I think will wind up being a very compelling story. The Tholians are engaging and enigmatic antagonists, and I enjoy seeing them used in Trek fiction. The cliffhanger ending works very well, and each of the featured characters are placed in positions where they are being tested, Duffy most of all. I'm eager to read the second half of the story and see where it all ends up. It is somewhat unfortunate that this story isn't compatible continuity-wise with the Enterprise two-parter "In a Mirror, Darkly." However, this isn't a roadblock to enjoying the story; each of the "versions" of the events surrounding the final fate of the Defiant can be enjoyed regardless of their incompatibility.

Thus ends the first four S.C.E. stories! I hope you enjoyed the week's reviews all posted in a row. I'll very likely do something similar when I get around to reviewing the next S.C.E. collection, Miracle Workers.

Also by Dayton Ward and Kevin Dilmore:

• Star Trek: S.C.E. #5: Interphase, Part Two of Two (2001)
• Star Trek: A Time to Sow (2004)
• Star Trek: A Time to Harvest (2004)
• Star Trek: Mere Anarchy, Book 1: Things Fall Apart with Kevin Dilmore (2006)
• Star Trek: Vanguard: What Judgments Come (2011)
• Star Trek: Seekers #2: Point of Divergence (2014)
• Star Trek: Seekers #4: All That's Left (2015)
• Star Trek: Legacies, Book 3: Purgatory's Key (2016)

My next read:

Next review will be for Alan Dean Foster's novelization of the new film, Star Trek Into Darkness. Coming soon!