Natasha R. (yukinakid) -
This book is a whole lot better writing-wise compared to the second of this series. Which actually doesn't mean a lot, since both were written fairly poorly. It's written in the alternate universe created in Star Trek: 2009 (in case you didn't notice the very obvious cover). I am unsure whether or not this occurred before or after Kirk had his adventure on the Enterprise. I want to say it's a year or so after he joined the Academy, before the events of the movie.
I liked the characterization in this book better than SA: "The Edge". The characters were slightly more dynamic, and Kirk's "girl" this time was likable and three dimensional. McCoy actually had more than a few pages in this book, and Uhura and Spock's "romance" was explored in the early stages of it. The problem was pretty neat for a biologist like myself and plausible as a good Sci-Fi novel should be. HOWEVER. This novel suffered from the same problem as the last novel which was: Researching problem, encounter problem, more research,... 30 pages until the end "SOLVED!" and that was it. All of a sudden the problem was solved. But it WASN'T solved. I understand that you need to have a future baddie to pit against our beloved Trek characters, but come on!! Lame! It's like the author didn't know how to finish it so he didn't!
Plus, this book and the one that comes after it, "The Edge", don't go together. This is supposed to be a series, at least get the canon right! Kirk and girl in this book are together at the end, but at the beginning of "The Edge", said girl doesn't exist. Uhura and Spock are intimate-ish in this book and in the next book it's like they haven't said more than two words to each other!! These authors clearly need to read one another's books before publishing a series. Take a hint from the many authors who coined "The 39 Clues". That flowed so much better!
Things I liked about this book: accurate (sorta) scientific knowledge, good Kirk characterization, interesting "villain", and good Kirk love interest.
Things that irked me: No real ending, how badly characterized McCoy was, the strained relationship of Spock and Uhura (both of whom were characterized poorly as well), and the fact that this novel was halting in how it flowed.
Pick it up only if you're a die hard Trekkie who can overlook horrible glaring mistakes in the AU verse.
I liked the characterization in this book better than SA: "The Edge". The characters were slightly more dynamic, and Kirk's "girl" this time was likable and three dimensional. McCoy actually had more than a few pages in this book, and Uhura and Spock's "romance" was explored in the early stages of it. The problem was pretty neat for a biologist like myself and plausible as a good Sci-Fi novel should be. HOWEVER. This novel suffered from the same problem as the last novel which was: Researching problem, encounter problem, more research,... 30 pages until the end "SOLVED!" and that was it. All of a sudden the problem was solved. But it WASN'T solved. I understand that you need to have a future baddie to pit against our beloved Trek characters, but come on!! Lame! It's like the author didn't know how to finish it so he didn't!
Plus, this book and the one that comes after it, "The Edge", don't go together. This is supposed to be a series, at least get the canon right! Kirk and girl in this book are together at the end, but at the beginning of "The Edge", said girl doesn't exist. Uhura and Spock are intimate-ish in this book and in the next book it's like they haven't said more than two words to each other!! These authors clearly need to read one another's books before publishing a series. Take a hint from the many authors who coined "The 39 Clues". That flowed so much better!
Things I liked about this book: accurate (sorta) scientific knowledge, good Kirk characterization, interesting "villain", and good Kirk love interest.
Things that irked me: No real ending, how badly characterized McCoy was, the strained relationship of Spock and Uhura (both of whom were characterized poorly as well), and the fact that this novel was halting in how it flowed.
Pick it up only if you're a die hard Trekkie who can overlook horrible glaring mistakes in the AU verse.
