Customer Reviews

Crossroad (Star Trek, Book 71)

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Set aside the photon torpedos. Prepare to make a command decision. On the outer marches, the U.S.S. Enterprise encounters an aging black starship. A Constitution-class ship, but one not listed on the Star Fleet registry. It's skeleton crew, a cosmopolitan band, claims to be freedom fighters from the Federation's future. This is a future where Big Brother does more than watching. The situation deepens when another starship, of unknown design, arrives claming to represent the future Federation. They want the "terrorist," but are unable to force the issue, fearing harming an unnamed crew member aboard the Enterprise. A person who will create the future Federation. What's Kirk's decision? What would be your decision?

I liked this book for several reasons:

1. The skeleton crew of the aging starship are the most interesting characters in the series since the first and last appearance of Dr.Evan Wilson in Uhuru's Song.

2. We see the crew of the Enterprise acting like a crew. Teamwork on all levels. It's not just the bridge crew, Scott, and Bones.

3. The future "propulsion" source is an example, in a crude metaphorical sense, of how a weed is any plant people have not yet found a use for. Except this "plant" is holy terror to the Federation of Kirk's time.

4. The Enterprise crew member who will choose the path for the future will do so with good intentions. An example of unintended consequences.

To compare your taste with mine, these are some of my favorites: My Enemy, My Ally / Final Reflection / How Much for Just the Planet? / Uhuru's Song / Ice Trap / The Romulan Way / Killing Time

Not too surprising, given that Barbara Hambly is a known quantity as a superb writer. Still, this was just a wonderful novel, handling both established characters and one-shots perfectly, excellent and novel concepts and storyline, and smooth, compelling writing style. It was interesting to see the Enterprise be on the RECEIVING end of a temporal visit from the future for a change.

Sorry,Barbara,I usally LOVE your books,but this one is really poor. The ending is a mess,there is no character developement,no scene painting,and the book is downright boring.The only worthwhile part is the message to Kirk at the very end(which is very intreaging).

I've read lots, and i mean lots, of ST novels, and Barbara Hambly is one of my favorite ST authors. In Crossroad, she takes the well-used time-travel theme and builds a truly engrossing and ST-worthy story. My standards for ST novels are admitedly different (not lower, but different) from my standards for other genres, and that's because i want the familiarity and predictability of the ST universe---and respect for that universe----mixed with the depth and nuance that a truly good writer adds. And all without ovetaxing my brain or, conversely, assuming I'll read anything if it's about ST. Satisfying light reading is hard to write. Hambly has the knack.

I dunno about everybody else, but I honestly didn't think this book was all that bad. Though a bit convaluted and extremely hazy, it was a story worthy of every other Star Trek novel I've ever read. And I was pretty happy Barbara took time to develope and expand on Christine Chapel's character. Chris has always been one of my favorite characters on the original series and I liked that Barbara gave her character significance rather than commiseration.

All in all, it was not that bad. There are worse Star Trek novels out there.

The Enterprise crew, while on patrol near the mysterious Crossroads Nebula rescue the crew of a badly damaged vessel. The rescued crew turns out to be a very strangely mixed lot and the story they tell about who and what they are is obviously a pack of lies. The truth though turns out to be much stranger than Kirk or the rest of the crew could ever have imagined, and more dangerous. The strangers have come from the future, a future that the Enterprise crew is none to certain they want to be a part of. It seems that there has been a terrible plague, one that all be destroyed the Federation as the Enterprise crew knew it. In order to survive desperate measures were taken, ones that had caused rebels to fight against the current policies. Even more disturbing a second ship from the future arrives and the Enterprise finds itself drawn into the conflict, but they are not certain which side they really want to be on. The most distressing thing is that one of their own crew is responsible for bringing this future into being.

Usually the novels in this series are fun, easy reads, something to relax with, that could be read in odd spare minutes without losing the thread of the story. This one is the exception, there are many new characters introduced making it difficult to remember who is who if read in short bursts. The story, while interesting, is rather disturbing. This is definitely not for younger fans, unlike many novels in this series. On the plus side the familiar characters are handled well, and Christine Chapel is featured, something that happens far too infrequently in any of TOS novels.

All-in-all, this is an excellent time travel story with a ragtag group of time-travelers coming to Kirk & Co. from a very bleak future. The story was well written. The characterizations of Kirk & Co. were good and the focus that was placed on Nurse Chapel was a welcomed enlightenment of that character. The character of Ensign Lao was also very well done. I liked the Nemo/Nautilus reference.

Arios and his crew, their plight, and their descriptions of the future and how it unfolds (?) made an already compelling read even more so. The yagghorth were very interesting/horrifying. Kirk's continuing struggle over who to trust: Dylan Arios & Co. or Consilium Domina McKeenan added much to the suspense of the story. The treatment of the temporal paradox issue was well done.

The only weakness that I could point to (and it is a very small issue) involves the Yoon civilization. It was difficult for me to accept that members of what is described as a primitive society could so readily rise to the situation at hand the way that they did. IMHO it would have been better to portray the Yoons as a contemporary isolationist civilization possessed of their formidable psychic powers isolated from the mainstream both by the presence of the Crossroad Nebula and those selfsame powers - but that's just me.

An excellent effort by Barbara Hambly, I enjoyed it and afterwards found myself wondering about what happened with the rebellion, Arios & Co, Nemo and the "Nautilus," Varos, Karetha, Khethi and the "Savasci," Germaine McKennon and the Consilium. We need a sequel!

I am currently going back and reading some of the ST:TOS novels that I either never read or read so long ago that I have forgotten them. THis one is a time travel/conspiracy story which I'm a sucker for. I feel the book could have used some editing but it has many nice moments including some particularly good writing of Nurse Chapel. Also, throughout the book we are told someone on the Enterprise will do something in the future and when we find out who it is I was surprised-- I had guessed wrong. Last word: entertaining, worth reading.

I was intrigued by the thought of Kirk and crew getting a visit from the future, but from the start there was never a question in my mind who the protagonists and antagonists were. And although I can't quite put my finger on it, this felt like a non-Trek story to me. Maybe it was the creature needed for the dimensional drive, or the fact that the future Federation was so different from the one I was used to. Plus if they were from the 26th century, why did the rebels' ship have to be a slightly more advanced version of the old Constitution class? I felt the story dragged on too long, and I didn't bother to finish the epilogue.

This is GREAT!!! This book is a page turner that will keep you safely enveloped in your own little world as you shun friends and family. The plot was a well used concept in Star Trek, with a little twist -Kirk's present is the past, rather than the future. I liked the villan as well, very nasty. This book is a must read! (I know, I have three copies, in case of fire!)