Star Trek: Strange New Worlds: The High Country - John Jackson Miller

Title: The High Country
Author: John Jackson Miller
Published: 2023
Chronological Period: 2259

Available at:
Amazon

Review:

"The High Country" by John Jackson Miller is the first tie-in novel for the Star Trek: Strange New Worlds that first aired in 2022. This book primarily follows Pike, Una, Spock, and Uhura who all manage to get stranded on a planet where technology is severely inhibited. All four of them find themselves in rather different places, Pike is stuck in Wild West sort of town, Una finds herself in a forest area, Spock appears in the middle of an ocean and Uhura is transported into a field of lava. The story itself revolves around them all learning about the circumstances of the planet and trying to escape whilst keeping in mind the Prime Directive.

Firstly, I have to say the the author does a good job of presenting the crew in a manner which was recognisable from how they appeared on the series. If I had to be picky about the characters  then it was because they kept being referred to by multiple different names. For example, Number One is also called Una, Una Chin-Riley or just Chin-Riley throughout the novel which can slow you down as your mind catches up and remembers that is the same person. I appreciate, they are all acceptable names but I wish we could just stick with one.

The plot itself is pretty long and complicated, but is on the whole engaging and entertaining with some throwbacks to previous Star Trek incidents, including a core plot point linking back to Star Trek: Enterprise which was nice to see. The editing process for the book could have maybe removed some of the fat to tighten up the overall pacing but I rarely found myself getting bored to the point I wanted to put the book down.

Overall, an entertaining first novel for Strange New Worlds and I look forward to seeing what the next one with entail. Miller gets a lot of things right with the book, the characters feel right, the plot is interesting and the links into the wider continuity are nice to see. If you are fan of the series then I recommend that you go pick it up.

Star Trek: More Beautiful Than Death - David Mack

Title: More Beautiful Than Death
Author: David Mack
Published: 2020
Chronological Period: 2258

Available at:
Amazon

Review:

"More Beautiful Than Death" by David Mack is the second of two novels released in 2020 that were related to the JJ Abrams Star Trek universe rather than the prime universe. In this novel, Kirk and the crew of the Enterprise have to carry out a diplomatic mission to a planet that’s requested aid from the Federation. As the diplomatic group includes Spock's father, Ambassador Sarek things were never going to be easy but of course that is only the tip of the iceberg as the crew have to face multiple crises.

I have to start by saying that Mack does a good job at making this novel feel like it is set in the Abramaverse with a fast pacing, a good amount of action and with characters that actually came across like those from that Universe. He also utilised the relationship between Uhuru and Spock as an integral part of the narrative which meant the story wouldn't have worked in the Prime universe without some major changes. The previous novel I read which was set in this universe failed to really show the reader why it mattered that it wasn't set in the prime universe, but Mack manages to avoid that mistake.

Probably one of my limited gripes about the novel is that the characters sometimes acted in a rather  childish and immature manner, particularly in relation to the interactions with Sarek. Don't get me wrong, the rashness they displayed is partly why they came across more like the Enterprise crew we saw in the JJ Abrams movies but at the same time it felt like they hadn't grown at all as officers which didn't feel right to me. It wasn't a major issue but it did leave a slightly negative impression on me as I read the novel.

Overall, this was an enjoyable novel and it was nice to see a new adventure from that universe. The action and fast pacing along with the setting means this novel should really appeal to those who were introduced to Star Trek through the JJ Abrams movies. As noted earlier in the review, it would have been nice to see a bit more growth in the maturity of the characters but that may just be me nit-picking.

Star Trek: Discovery: Dead Endless - Dave Galanter

Title: Dead Endless
Author: Dave Galanter
Published: 2019
Chronological Period: 2258

Available at:
Amazon

Review:

"Dead Endless" by Dave Galanter is a Discovery novel which tells the story of what happened to Hugh Culber when he was trapped in the mycelial network after his death at the end of Season One. What makes this even more interesting however is that the novel is primarily set in an alternate universe and not either of the ones we are used to from the TV show. In this Universe, the Battle of the Binary Stars never took place and Burnham is captain of the Discovery and the story follows her and the crew as they responds to a startling distress call originating from within the mycelial network. However, upon arriving in the network they soon find themselves trapped when their mycelial fuel mysteriously goes missing. The crew are soon in a race again time to find some way to escape before they all perish.

When I first started reading the book, I didn't realise it was set in an alternate universe and you begin to wonder if Galanter paid any attention whatsoever to the TV series. There was so much different going on that I was quite perplexed but once it became clear that this wasn't set in the prime universe it all began to make a little bit more sense. I really hope no one else just put the book down before this became apparent as this really is a superbly enjoyable and engaging novel. Despite Culber being the only character present from the prime univerrse, the rest of the crew are pretty much the same as those from the show, they have just had their lives changed by there being no war with the Klingons. This meant that I was easily able to understand the way they were acting based on my knowledge of them already, espcially when Galanter has captured them all perfectly, especially Stamets and Culber who are the prime focus for the novel.

Ultimatly, this novel is about the relationship between Stamets and Culber and it does a great job in exploring this, even if the Stamets we are seeing isn't the one we are used to. Whilst this Stamets get to realise what he is missing, Culber get opportunity to rekindle a relationship he thought was lost. Although Galanter doesn't shy away from the complicated questions raised in relation to this being a strange and conflicted experience as he is beginning a romance with a man who is and yet isn't his partner. It is handled expertly and I really appreciated how the complicated and messy feelings around love and relationships was explored in such a novel manner.

Overall, this has to be one of my favourite Discovery novels, Galanter has used the novel to show us something we didn't see on the screen but has done it in a manner which doesn't impact canon at all. The use of the alternative universe to ensure he didn't uspet what was shown on the TV show was a very clever trick even if this was a bit confusing at first. I quite like Hugh Culber as a character so I was glad I got the chance to see what he went through and get more of an understanding of his relationship with Stamets.

Star Trek: The Unsettling Stars - Alan Dean Foster

Title: The Unsettling Stars
Author: Alan Dean Foster
Published: 2020
Chronological Period: 2258

Available at:
Amazon

Review:

In “The Unsettling Stars” Alan Dean Foster takes us back to the Kelvin Universe to a point in time soon after the events of the 2009 film with Captain Kirk and his crew dealing with their new responsibilities. The plot revolves around an encounter with a refugee ship from a previously unknown race known as the Perenoreans whom they rescue from an attack by three alien warships. Whilst Spock attempts to locate a potential planet for them to settle on the Enterprise crew soon finds the Perenoreans eager to help out in any way they can in order to repay them for their assistance. Once a potential system is located and agreement is reached with the species already living there the Perenoreans are just as eager to assist their new host species as they were the crew. But the Perenoreans’ determination to help their rescuers eventually leads to a conflict of cultures and a genuine threat to not only the Enterprise and their host planet’s culture, but to the entire Federation.

I was looking forward to this as I have always enjoyed the works of Alan Dean Foster, both his movie novelizations and his own original novels. I was also intrigued to see another novel in the Kelvin Universe, especially as I knew that this novel was one of many that were commissioned over a decade ago that I had never expected to see. Unfortunately, it ended up feeling just like a typical TOS styled novel. To be fair to Foster, he was limited in that outside of Kirk and Spock, there wasn’t really any real development of the other characters in the movie so the supporting crew feel a bit flat as Foster has clearly tried to stick within the limits of what was seen on the screen. It also didn’t really feel like it mattered if the plot was set in the Kelvin Universe or the Prime. Yes, we get a few throwbacks to what happened in the movie such as Vulcan being destroyed or how Kirk deals with being thrust into a Captain’s role so quickly but I don’t really think it added anything to make this feel that different from  what we see in Prime Universe novels.

I would like to add though that some of the basic premises of the novel were quite interesting. The use of a non-violent alien threat and the idea of slavery through advanced technology in particular had me intrigued and showed why the Prime Directive is such as important aspect of the Federation. I also appreciated that this novel was much more of a cerebral adventure that most of the onscreen events seen in the Kelvin Universe but maybe this was in part why it didn’t feel like it was particularly important that the plot was set in that Universe.

Overall, this was a reasonable Trek novel and Foster is still a competent and decent writer, but it just didn’t feel like it was anything special. I also don’t feel that it really mattered that this novel was set in the Kelvin Universe which is a shame but maybe I am looking for something that doesn’t exist. In the end, the Trek characters whilst shaped slightly differently by what happened in the Kelvin Universe are still fundamentally going to end up being similar on some level to how they turned out in the Prime Universe.

Star Trek: Discovery: Die Standing - John Jackson Miller

Title: Die Standing
Author: John Jackson Miller
Published: 2020
Chronological Period: 2257 (Overture: 2233 / 2255)

Available at:
Amazon

Review:

“Die Standing” by John Jackson Miller is a Star Trek Discovery novel which picks up just after the ending of the show’s first season. The novel follows the exploits of Emperor Philippa Georgiou, former ruler of the Terran Empire, from the mirror universe who has been stranded in the prime universe. In particular it showcases the various events which transpired from her being trapped on the Klingon home world of Qo’noS to her joining the ranks of Section 31. Her initial test run with Section 31 is chaotic as she uses it as an opportunity to escape, but due to an issue on the USS Farragut she gets a second chance on a mission to investigate a possible biological weapon, that will lead her to a pocket of the galaxy surrounded by mystery, where a trio of very different alien species trade internally via the help of a rather flamboyant human, who had a relationship with the now deceased prime Universe’s Captain Georgiou.

This was another enjoyable Discovery novel from Miller who manages to weave together a rather complicated and entertaining plot which pulls on events and characters from the Original Series, Discovery and DS9. What was interesting to me was that using an "anti-hero" protagonist like Phillipa Georgiou gave the novel a much darker vibe than Trek literature is normally known for and whilst some people may dislike this, I found it refreshingly different. My one word of caution about the novel’s plot however is that having a sound understanding of Star Trek’s various shows is required to fully appreciating the story and character work included within the novel. Yes, you can enjoy the novel without this as Miller makes sure that all the key elements are explained in sufficient detail to follow and enjoy the story, but when he starts throwing in the characters of Emony Dax and Sean Finnegan or shout outs to the USS Farragut incident then you know that this novel is most suitable for established Star Trek fans.

I have already touched on the novel’s protagonist being Phillipa Georgiou but I want to highlight how good a job Miller has done in capturing her and the arrogant, cunning and sarcastic personality seen on the show. It is important to note that Miller has done more than this, he has also tried to delve deeper into the character. The reader really gets to see how self-serving and twisted her motives and thought process actually are, but we also get to see some of her own self-examination as the story progresses. This helps in making Georgiou a much more compelling and intriguing character, taking her beyond a character that is just being seen as simply evil and ruthless.

Overall, this is another well written and entertaining novel from John Jackson Miller which features some interesting character-based elements, primarily focussed around the Mirror Universe version of  Georgiou. It is a wonderful piece of fiction which nicely ties up her story between Season One and Season Two of Discovery and leave's the reader hoping there might be more stories out there in the future showing her time in Section 31.

Star Trek: Discovery: The Enterprise War - John Jackson Miller

Title: The Enterprise War 
Author: John Jackson Miller
Published: 2019
Chronological Period: 2256 - 2257 (Prologue: 2236)

Available at:
Amazon

Review:

"The Enterprise War" by John Jackson Miller is Star Trek Discovery novel that pretty much has nothing to do with the USS Discovery itself. It provides the reader with an insight into the Starship Enterprise was up to during the Klingon War that occurred during the show's first season. The Enterprise has been sent to a remote nebula where travel is difficult and various other ships have vanished without a trace over the years. Despite war breaking out with the Klingons, Starfleet order the Enterprise to remain and continue exploring the nebula. Before long the Enterprise soon discovers there is a multi-generational war ongoing within the nebula which may turn out to be more dangerous than the one Starfleet is keeping them out of.

This was a fun book that started pretty slowly but once you have read through the first 100 pages or so it picks up quickly. John Jackson Miller has a writing style which was easy to read, intricate and has pulled together and interesting plot which includes a good mix of action, mystery and character interaction. The characters are realistically portrayed with flaws and doubts clearly visible to the reader which made it all the more enthralling to see them push past these issues in order to do their duty.

Personally speaking, it was nice to get an explanation of where the Enterprise was during the Klingon War although to be honest I am not sure I believe that Starfleet would have left the Enterprise out there exploring the nebula. In addition, the climax of the novel also gives a nice segue into season 2 of Discovery and shows how Spock ends up in the state that gets him committed to the mental facility. 

Overall this is a great read for all Star Trek fans and it shows that Pike's time on the Enterprise provides a lot of scope for some potential entertaining and engaging stories. It has made me look forward to seeing the new "Strange New Worlds" TV series even more now and hopefully we will get novels released in the future which give us more Pike Enterprise stories in line with this.

Star Trek: Discovery: The Way To The Stars - Una McCormack

Title: The Way To The Stars
Author: Una McCormack
Published: 2019
Chronological Period: 2249 - 2250 (Framing Story: 2257)

Available at:
Amazon

Review: 

The Way to the Stars by Una McCormack is Star Trek Discovery novel which includes a brief framing story set in 2257 as Sylvia Tilly prepares to enter the Command Training Programme.  The main element of the novel however is a coming-of-age story which takes the reader back to 2249 as Tilly turns sixteen and tries to deal with growing up and finding her way in life whilst also navigating the pressures faced from her powerful, domineering and successful mother. 

I have to say that at times the novel felt like something you would find on your bookstores YA shelves which probably isn’t surprising as most YA novels tend to focus as this one does on characters in their late teens undertaking some form of personal growth as they transition into adulthood. However, don’t let this put you off if your usual view on a YA book is to assume it will be to juvenile for an adult reader as McCormack writing is of a high standard. In addition, her character portrayal of Tilly was top notch and the way she interreacted and acted felt 100% on the button. The story is set mainly from Tilly’s point of view which really helps the reader emphasise with her and understand why the wishes of others have in part driven her to be the way she is.

One warning I want to give to anyone who plans to pick this up is that it is very much a character-driven story with a light hearted plot and relatively low stakes. Don’t pick this up looking for a pulpy star trek action adventure as you will be disappointed. In fact, the parts of the book where McCormack tried to include a bit of danger and action felt rushed and a bit out of place to me.

Overall, this novel works in relation to it being a good quality coming-of-age story that whilst being best suited for a YA audience, it is written to such a high standard that adults should find it enjoyable as well. If you a fan of the character Tilly then I think you will love this book as McCormack has captured her expertly and this book is without doubt an excellent tribute to her.

Star Trek 10 - James Blish

Title: Star Trek 10
Author: James Blish
Published: 1974
Chronological Period: 2266 - 2268

Review:
“Star Trek 10” is the tenth collection of Star Trek Original Series episode novelizations written by James Blish. The six episodes included in this collection are cover all three seasons and are as follows:

The Alternative Factor (Season 1)
The Empath (Season 3)
The Galileo Seven (Season 1)
Is There in Truth No Beauty? (Season 3)
A Private Little War (Season 2)
The Omega Glory (Season 2)

As always with these novelizations, Blish has done a more than competent job in converting the episodes into this form but there isn’t really anything new or additional. This book contains stories from all three seasons and the quality of the stories drops of as the seasons progressed. Basically, if you have seen and enjoyed the relevant episode then you will more than likely enjoy the novelization included in this collection.

Overall, there isn’t much else for me to say except that if you have never seen the episodes before then the stories should still entertain you. However, there are a lot better Star Trek novels out there from the original series period so unless you are a completionist I wouldn’t bother. The only other people I could recommend this to are those who have seen and loved the episodes included here.

Star Trek: Discovery: Fear Itself - David Mack

Title: Fear Itself
Author: James Swallow
Published: 2018
Chronological Period: 2252

Available at:
Amazon

Review:

“Fear Itself” by James Swallow is a Star Trek Discovery novel set several years before the events of the television series. Whilst the USS Shenzhou is investigating damage to an observation buoy, they discover an alien ship that has experienced critical damage. The crew attempts to assist the vessel with Lieutenant Saru joining the away team and uncovers an intriguing mystery, one which Saru just can’t leave alone. In addition, over hanging these events are the Tholians whose presence nearby threatens to endanger everyone.

Whilst the Discovery series has moved on from when this book was written and we now know a lot more about Saru’s past and his character it was still an enjoyable insight on his earlier years in Starfleet. Seeing Saru overcome his natural Kelpian tendencies was an interesting read and provided the reader with a greater understanding of how Saru made it to command rank. Swallow also uses this novel to further explore the relationship between Saru and Burnham with the type if bickering between them as seen on Season One of the series being fully on show here. I think this was very well done and really added some layers to their relationship.

On the whole Swallow has done a great job in nailing the characters, or at least nailing them in line with how they appeared in Season One. When I was reading the novel I could clearly see the same characters I was seeing on the tv screen. I particularly loved seeing more of the prime version of Captain Phillipa Georgiou who showed all the qualities we glimpsed in her short time on screen.

Overall this was an enjoyable Star Trek novel that captured the characters perfectly and did a great job in proving some more depth and layers to them. Whilst I haven’t delved too much into the story itself it is focused on immigration and refugees and how a species is reacting to this. It is something which of course has been touched on before by Star Trek but Swallow has done a good job in presenting it here in an entertaining and engaging manner, helped by using it to show Saru’s growth.

Star Trek: Ghost-Walker - Barbara Hambly

Title: Ghost-Walker
Author: Barbara Hambly
Published: 1991
Chronological Period: 2268

Available at:
Amazon
Amazon UK

Review:
In "Ghost-Walker" by Barbara Hambly follows the crew of the Enterprise as they visit the planet Elcidar Beta III as the Federation look to ratify its inhabitants (Midgwins) as sentient beings. When Kirk returned from the planet having seemingly persuaded the Midgwins that they are there to help he begins to act in a strange manner. I can't say much more than this without giving away the story but you can be assured that you find out what is wrong with Kirk very quickly!

Whilst the writing itself was quite good, I just didn't like the plot at all and the twist about what is wrong with Kirk is actually revealed far too quickly. That in itself isn't always an issue with a novel but Hambly doesn't build any real tension out of it. The story just plods along for quite a while with the reader knowing what is wrong whilst the crew is unable to realise the issue. Simply put, I found it rather boring and would rather have discovered the truth at the same time as the crew.

Overall whilst Hambly is without doubt a decent writer and the plot does feel like something I have come to expect from Trek, I just didn't like the execution. I struggled to work through the book which didn't keep me entertained due to the pondering pace.

Star Trek: He Walked Among Us - Norman Spinrad

Title: He Walked Among Us
Author: Norman Spinrad
Published: 2012
Chronological Period: 2268

Review:
“He Walked Among Us” was an unused screenplay written by Norman Spinrad in 1967 which was rediscovered by him in 2012 when a fan asked him to sign a rather faded copy of the manuscript. For a short period of time Spinrad released it on Amazon and other online retailers but due to legal discussions with CBS the script was soon pulled and is now unfortunately no longer available and hasn’t been for quite a long time. What is really confusing about the whole thing is that Spinrad actually released a novel unrelated to Star Trek with the same name. I have no idea how many poor souls have accidentally bought the wrong thing!

However, I did get a copy at the time so thought I would still review it as it was for a short period part of the Star Trek literature world! Anyway, the premise of the story is pretty standard for the Original Series with a renegade citizen of the Federation installing himself as a god over a primitive civilization. This ruler named Theodore Bayne has managed to increase food production and brought peace but some of his decrees have caused social unrest and malnourishment. This leads to the crew of the Enterprise trying to remove Theodore but it isn’t that easy to do without causing the society to completely collapse.

The formatting of the ebook itself wasn’t that great which wasn’t much of a surprise due to it basically being developed from a scan of the original document. However, the story itself was actually very interesting with some pretty intelligent and intriguing dialogue. I suspect it could have been one of the best episodes of the series and in a way I am glad that Spinrad supposedly managed to persuade the production team to ditch the script entirely rather than turn it into a more comic storyline.

Maybe one day the script will be re-released in a more polished manner or even turned into an actual episode but for now I’m afraid that only the lucky few like me who grabbed it during the few months it was available will get to enjoy what was an enjoyable Trek adventure.

Star Trek: How Much For Just The Planet? - John M. Ford

Title: How Much For Just The Planet?
Author: John M. Ford
Published: 1987
Chronological Period: 2268

Available at:
Amazon
Amazon UK

Review:
“How Much for Just the Planet” is the second and final Star Trek novel penned by John M. Ford. After reading his other novel, “The Final Reflection” I was really looking forward to this as that novel was one of the best Trek novels I have read so far even if it did contradict what is now accepted as Trek Lore. Unfortunately, as you will discover from reading my review, I ended up being thoroughly disappointed.

The plot follows Captain Kirk and some Klingons who arrive at the planet Direidi to try and secure the planet's dilithium supply. Due to the Organian Peace Treaty both the Federation and Klingon Empire most use diplomacy in order to persuade the rather eccentric colonists who live on the planet to let them have mining rights. The colonists however have their own plan on how to deal with these two antagonistic groups which leads to some rather absurd situations.

The novel is quite simply a silly romp in the Trek Universe, there are people just bursting into song, moments of slapstick and multiple references to Gilbert & Sullivan or classic movies. I am sure if these references mean something to you and you like slapstick comedy like The Three Stooges etc. then you may find it enjoyable but I just found it to be ridiculous rather than funny.

The other issue I had with the novel was that the plot was just too convoluted and there was too much going on for me to keep track of. Maybe I could have managed it if the novel also wasn’t full of absurdity but trying to keep on track of everything in amongst the singing, and chaos was very off putting.

In summary I think that a more focused plot and maybe a level of restraint being put on the attempted comic moments would have probably helped me enjoy this novel much more. Don’t get me wrong, there are some funny moments which did have me smiling but overall it just didn’t work for me, probably because I am not really a fan the reference material which was being utilised. I still think that people should probably read this book however because it is so very different from a regular Trek novel and it is nice to see someone attempt a bit of originality.

Star Trek: Dreams of the Raven - Carmen Carter

Title: Dreams of the Raven
Author: Carmen Carter
Published: 1987
Chronological Period: 2268

Available at:
Amazon
Amazon UK

Review:
“Dreams of the Raven” by Carmen Carter is an Original Series Star Trek novel which is primarily focused around the character of Dr. McCoy. The overall plot follows the crew of the USS Enterprise as they attempts to deal with a new and dangerous species who are seemingly able to take control of ships and their crews with relative ease. Unfortunately, the crew aren’t helped by a head injury to Dr. McCoy which has resulted in him losing all his memories from his time in Starfleet. Devoid of all his experiences, he is more of a hindrance than a help as the crew tries to battle the new foe!

The first thing to mention about the plot is that the cause of McCoy’s amnesia is rather silly and quite unimaginative. The concept of his reversion to a younger self however was an interesting one which did keep me intrigued. It was particularly nice seeing how the effect of past experiences could change someone as was evident with McCoy and how he now acted without those experiences. However, I do think that the author maybe went a bit too far at times as some of McCoy’s core personality traits were altered beyond what I felt was realistic. Of course, it could be argued that this was potentially just another aspect of his head injury.

The plot elements around the alien threat itself were rather standard and uninspiring. It wasn’t that long ago that I finished the book but I am already struggling to remember anything of note about these aspects of the plot. Overall, this is probably best described as another average Original Series novel. The amnesia plot is a bit trite in set-up and conclusion but it was nice to see a book dedicated to McCoy and the concept of how the memory loss affected him was interesting. The rest of the story isn’t really anything memorable but it isn’t the worst Star Trek novel I have read.

Star Trek: Discovery: Drastic Measures - Dayton Ward

Title: Drastic Measures
Author: Dayton Ward
Published: 2018
Chronological Period: 2246

Available at:
Amazon
Amazon UK
The Book Depository

Review:
“Drastic Measures” by Dayton Ward is the second Star Trek: Discovery novel that has been released. The story actually takes place many years prior to the Discovery series but does feature two of its main characters, Gabriel Lorca and Philippa Georgiou. These two Starfleet officers get involved in events as they unfold on the planet Tarsus IV which is suffering from a fungal plague that is ravaging the colony food supplies. Fans of Star Trek should of course be aware of what unfolds on Tarsus IV regarding the colony Governor, Kodos and his decision to murder 4000 colonists in a misguided attempt to save the rest. The novel shows us these events and the aftermath of how Starfleet attempts to hunt him down.

Whilst the events on Tarsus IV have been covered various times in the past it was still interesting to read this latest attempt at taking what we know from the Original Series and bringing it all together. Of course, most readers will know how the overall plot ends but it was still a satisfying read with enough twists to keep me entertained. A particular point which I appreciated was the attempt which Ward makes to provide some insight into the thoughts of Kodos himself and how those around him came to rationalise what they were doing.

In regards to the characters, the portrayals were generally acceptable. It is difficult to really compare Lorca to what we saw on the TV screen as this is the Prime Universe version which we don’t really know that much about. However, his rather stiff persona and stifled emotions, supported by loyalty to his colleagues did seem to work. In regards to Georgiou, well her heroism is quite clear but I didn’t see much of her humour or playfulness on show during the novel. The only other character to comment on is the young Jim Kirk who unsurprisingly makes an appearance and is just as brave as you would expect when you know who he grows up to be.

Overall, I thought the story was well-written and undertook an interesting exploration of an important piece of Trek lore. In all honesty, I am not sure this was really a Discovery novel as it felt more like a prequel to the Original Series and the author has just used two Discovery characters in order to link the two. This isn’t really an issue but readers should be aware that due to this there isn’t any real expansion on what we know about the Discovery and its crew.

Star Trek: Discovery: Desperate Hours - David Mack

Title: Desperate Hours
Author: David Mack
Published: 2017
Chronological Period: 2255

Available at:
Amazon
Amazon UK
The Book Depository

Review:
“Desperate Hours” by David Mack is the first novel written as a tie-in to the new Star Trek: Discovery TV series. The story is set a year prior to the event’s which occurred during the Star Trek: Discovery pilot episode and follows the crew of the USS Shenzhou who have to assist the people of a colony who have awoken some rather dangerous technology which was hidden in the ocean. This mission is further complicated when the USS Enterprise under the command of Captain Pike also arrives with orders to destroy this technology no matter the cost.

The plot is quite standard for Star Trek in that it explores the moral dilemma of duty versus ethics. One thing to note is that there is plenty of action present to keep the pace moving but unfortunately there is no tension involved as the reader knows there is no real threat to characters. Therefore some elements of action, especially those involving Burnham and Spock on the alien spacecraft did begin to feel a bit repetitive at times.

One thing Mack has done well however is capture the characters from the new series quite well. Despite the lack of data so far available, the characters did seem to fit with what has been shown on the TV screen so far. In addition, the background provided into Burnham and Saru was very interesting to follow and has helped me actually appreciate both characters much better. It is this type of thing I like in my Trek novels, the chance to actually expand and enhance what we know from the series.

The bit I am particularly intrigued about from the book however is the relationship between Spock and Burnham. Some of the interactions between the two of them were quite interesting to see and it was nice seeing Spock and Burnham both realise through each other that the relationships with Amanda and Sarek were more complicated than they had first assumed. I am curious to see if anything shown here is expanded upon in future novels or alluded to on the TV Series.

Overall, this was a very competent first tie-in novel for the new series although the plot itself was pretty standard stuff. The main reason to read this book is to enhance your understanding of the characters and learn more about the relationships between them all.

Star Trek: Enterprise: Rise of the Federation: Patterns of Interference - Christopher L. Bennett

Title: Rise of the Federation: Patterns of Interference
Author: Christopher L. Bennett
Published: 2017
Chronological Period: 2166

Available at:
Amazon
Amazon UK
The Book Depository

Review:
“Patterns of Interference” by Christopher L. Bennett is the fifth novel in the “Birth of the Federation” series which continues the adventures of the crew from Star Trek Enterprise. This book was probably the weakest in this series which is a shame as up until now I had been finding the series to be incredibly enjoyable.

The novel is set in the first few months of 2166 as the federation continues to deal with multiple issues. The main plot point however is in relation to the planet Sauria and the dictator, Maltuvis who is determined to undermine the Federation in order to cement his own power. Into this dangerous situation comes Tucker who is determined to undermine Maltuvis's authority in a manner which could also bring down Section 31 as well. This is supported by various other plotlines such as Hoshi and the crew of the Endeavor on the world Birnam who are dealing with what could be a sentient race of Dryads. In addition, we also get to see the growth in relationship between Malcolm Reed & Caroline Paris

I suppose the reason why this book disappointed me in comparison to the earlier books is that it simply felt like a filler and it feels like Bennett is sometimes struggling to give some characters interesting things to do. I worry that the series appears to be turning into “The Adventures of Trip” rather than properly progressing all the characters and delving into some of the open plot points from the series.

What Bennett does do well is that he once again showcases his understanding of the characters in the Enterprise universe and his skill at bringing them to the page. I just didn’t feel as entertained as I had with the previous entries in the series although this doesn’t make “Patterns of Interference” a bad book, it just makes it an average book.

Overall, this is still a reasonably solid Trek novel but it just didn’t capture my attention to the same extent as the previous novels. I am hoping that in the next book we will see some of these plots get closed down and maybe give less page time to Trip!

Star Trek 12 - James Blish & J.A. Lawrence

Title: Star Trek 12
Author: James Blish & J.A. Lawrence
Published: 1977
Chronological Period: 2266 - 2268

Available at:
Amazon
Amazon UK

Review:
“Star Trek 12” was the final collection of Star Trek Original Series episode novelizations written by James Blish as he passed away whilst writing it. The collection was therefore completed by his wife, J.A. Lawrence who would go on to adapt the only remaining episodes in "Mudd's Angels". The five episodes included in this collection are cover all three seasons and are as follows:

Patterns of Force (Season 2)
The Gamesters of Triskelion (Season 2)
And the Children Shall Lead (Season 3)
The Corbomite Maneuver (Season 1)
Shore Leave (Season 1)

So I am at the point where I just want to copy my reviews from previous Blish novelisations as most of the commentary is the same. Basically, if you enjoyed the TV episode then you will enjoy the novelisation and if you didn't like the episode then you won't like the novelisation. Blish and Lawrence are competent in their job of converting the episodes into written form but they don't really add anything new to change the underlying strengths or weaknesses of the individual stories.

As I suspect most people considering this book will have seen these episodes already I won't bother summarising them here. The writing itself is good but I would only really recommend this collection to a Trek lit completionist at it doesn't offer anything new and if you don't know the stories then you would be better off actually watching the TV show episodes.

Star Trek: Double, Double - Michael Jan Friedman

Title: Double, Double
Author: Michael Jan Friedman
Published: 1989
Chronological Period: 2267

Available at:
Amazon
Amazon UK

Review:
“Double, Double” was Michael Jan Friedman’s first ever Star Trek novel and acts as a sequel to the Original Series episode "What Are Little Girls Made Of?”. The story is based on the premise that Kirk has decides to gloss over the events which occurred on Exo III and doesn’t carry out a full investigation in order to protect Nurse Chapel. However, another android returns to the planet and when it finds its creator dead, it decides to continue his work. The android finds the template of Kirk still in the machine and creates another android using it. This android Kirk is full of confidence and ventures forth to takeover a starship and then to control the galaxy.

This is one of the better written Trek novels with a well-paced story and a decent amount of detail. In addition, the story itself was rather engaging with Friedman doing an excellent job of continuing the established story from the TV series. The characters are also handled well although I did have an initial issue with Kirk which is detailed below.

Basically, the issue with Kirk I had was due to him not telling Starfleet everything that happened on Exo III. The reason given that he is protecting Nurse Chapel just seemed very inconsistent and flimsy. I found it hard to believe that Kirk would risk not telling Starfleet about everything considering the risk posed by the machine. It doesn’t spoil the overall telling of the story but me feeling rather incredulous at the set up wasn’t the best way to start a novel.

Overall, I did enjoy the novel although I will admit that I do have a soft spot for stories which continue threads started via the original show so maybe I would have enjoyed it even if it was terrible! Thankfully it isn’t and despite the weak initial premise, the writing and pacing are more than adequate and the story is entertaining.

Star Trek 7 - James Blish

Title: Star Trek 7
Author: James Blish
Published: 1972
Chronological Period: 2267 - 2268

Available at:
Amazon
Amazon UK

Review:
“Star Trek 7” by James Blish is the seventh collection of Star Trek Original Series episode novelizations. The six episodes included in this collection are from both Season Two and Season Three and are as follows:

Who Mourns for Adonais? (Season 2)
The Changeling (Season 2)
The Paradise (Season 3)
Metamorphosis (Season 2)
The Deadly Years (Season 2)
Elaan of Troyius (Season 3)

Unsurprisingly, I found that the stories based around the Season 2 episodes were better than the ones from Season 3. This is because the standard of Blish’s adaptations tend to scale in relation to source material which began to deteriorate by Season 3. Other than that, it is all very by the book with Blish continuing his competent work in converting the scripts into short stories.

The stories included in this collection are on the average side in comparison with some other episodes from the Original Series but there are a couple of interesting inclusions that I want to highlight. Firstly, there is the story “Metamorphosis” which introduces the character Zefram Cochrane into Trek Lore. Secondly there is “The Changeling” which is basically the basis for Star Trek: The Motion Picture.

Overall, there isn’t much else for me to say unless I wanted to summarise all the stories which I think is probably a waste of time as most people who are thinking of reading this collection will know them anyway. The writing itself is competent although the stories themselves aren’t anything that special, but this isn’t the fault of Blish. I probably would only recommend this collection to a completionist which is probably what I will be doing for all my future reviews of these collections.

Star Trek: Uhura's Song - Janet Kagan

Title: Uhura's Song
Author: Janet Kagan
Published: 1985
Chronological Period: 2267

Available at:
Amazon
Amazon UK

Review:
"Uhura's Song" by Janet Kagan is an Original Series novel set on the planet Eeiauo where the Enteprise is attempting to help the planet’s feline inhabitants battle a plague. Things soon become worse however when the disease jumps the species barrier and begins to spread to other planets. Before long it becomes clear that a song Uhura learnt from an Eeiauoan diplomat in her early career may hold the secrets needed to stopping the disease as it hints at a cure in the Eeiauoan past. The Enterprise’s crew therefore work hard to try and unravel the truths hidden in the song.

Kagan’s writing and pacing are spot on and I have to say that the standard is much higher than quite a few other Trek novels I have read. Her excellent writing is supplemented by the creation of a wonderfully complicated new alien culture. I thoroughly enjoyed seeing how the cultural differences affected how the Federation and the Eeiauoans interacted with each other. The ability to properly develop a one off alien species is without doubt one of the real advantages that the novels can have over the TV series and this is a prime example.

It was also great to see Uhura use her linguistic skills and emotional intellect to make a significant impact on the outcome of the story. I suppose, the title of the book should have given away her importance but it was still good to see her get some proper character development. Her interactions with Spock were particularly wonderful to see and really helped showcase her character.

Whilst it was good to see Uhura get an important role in the story, she was overshadowed by another character which annoyed me. Namely the far too perfect, Dr. Evan Wilson. Seriously… she is beautiful and feisty enough to entice Kirk, smart and intellectual so she can challenge Spock, able to compete with Sulu at swordplay and is a wizard with the computer. It was all too much for me, especially when I am not sure was even needed as everything she did could have been handled by various different crew members.

Overall, this is a thoroughly enjoyable novel and much better than the previous two Trek novels I read by Robert E. Vardeman. It really was a pleasure to read this and if it wasn’t for my annoyance with Dr. Evan Wilson it probably would have been up there as one of my favourite Trek novels to date. In the end though, I would advise any Trek fan to go give this book a read, just for the joy of seeing Uhura in all her glory.