Customer Reviews

Death Count (Star Trek, Book 62)

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Star Trek: Death Count is a book written about the original series by L.A. Graf. The book is a refreshing departure from the main three characters, (Kirk, Spock, McCoy), and with the main focus on Chekov along with Sulu and Uhura.

Graf works in intrigue, mystery and conflict into this book while Kirk, Spock and McCoy are shifted to the background. Chekov gets beaten up left to die but somehow maintains a workable solution to the hostilities. Andorian-Orion tensions rise and the Enterprise is sent to Sigma 1 to maintain peace. But, Chekov being the head of security, is the primary character in this novel and his character is called upon to shine in this book.

The Enterprise encounters malfunctions and missing equipment. There is a deadly transporter accident. A missing Andorian genius Mulav Haslev... sabotage, murders of Federation officials and suspicions begin to mount to a fever pitch as interplanetary war is coming closer to reality.

This book keeps your attention glued as the interplay of the characters are well thought out. With the outcome in doubt till the end, the reader is treated to a story told well as the crew of the Enterprise put the pieces of the puzzle together. As the author writes this adventure, the reader is given clues, but with the twists and turns, the reader gets an adventure that is captivating. Any time you have the Orions involved deciet is not very far behind, so, with this interplay with the Andorians the backdrop is set and the adventure begins.

With a saboteur loose on the Enterprise making this mystery-adventure both fascinating and substantial through the eyes of the characters who are not necessarily the main characters. This is an enjoyable story and a fast read

Out of all the Star Trek authors it is the L A Graf team that I enjoy reading the most. There are 2 reasons for this; 1)the high level of action in most of their books, 2)the focus on Chekov, Sulu and Uhura and the friendship between the three and their relationship with the senior officers (Kirk etc). I have enjoyed all of L A Graf's novels and this one is probably my favourite as it has heaps of drama and action and a pretty good plot. I certainly think the authors books are not to all Trek fans taste as they don't fous on the three traditional leads and many fans may see this as off-putting, however, I love the use and development of these characters and am always looking for new books to explore the experiences of the three junior officers.

Death Count is action heavy as mentioned with a fast-paced plot and some nasty moments for Chekov, who always does get into all sorts of mishaps in the novels. The authors obviously like putting Chekov in these dangerous situations and seeing how the stoic Russian comes through (always heroically but with a lot of angst along the way). Bring 'em on guys!

This is, without a doubt one of the best TOS books I have read in ages. My favorite thing about L.A. Graf's novels is the focus on Chekov, Sulu and Uhura, instead of Kirk, Spock and McCoy for a change. It has a great storyline, the characterisations are well done, and the touches of humor were excellent.

One thing though, why do they feel the need to beat Chekov up in all their books? C'mon guys, give the poor guy a break!

Death Count is an engaging book that is definitely a high point in the vast and varied Star Trek library. It's a standout for two reasons: an emphasis on action and suspense similar to what animates many of the best Trek episodes, and a prediliction to delve more into the 'lesser' characters in the Trek mythos; Chekov, Sulu, and Uhura. Sheer delight for fans of the original series, and not a bad introductory book for the casual reader.

This is a very good Star Trek story if you're looking for edge-of-your-seat action with a modicum of fine characterization, particularly of Sulu, Checov, and Uhura. If you want a slower-paced, more thought-provoking story with fewer points that require effort to suspend disbelief, this may not be what you're looking for. As usual, L.A. Graf does a fine job with the writing itself, and if the plot has a few holes in it, it still moves well.

This story, starring Chekov as the beat up hero security chief, is a fabulous tale of terror, death, and deceit. Also, there are many intricate plot twists, revealing the truth only at the very end. Graf is definitely one of the best Trek writers. I've read this book twice, and I continue to enjoy it. One of my favorite parts is when Chekov accidentally beats up a weasely Federation auditor. The ending had me perched on the edge of my seat. I highly recommend this book.

This Original Series story focuses on Checov, Uhura and Sulu rather than the usual main characters of Spok, Kirk, and McCoy. This alone makes it worth the read but in addition to this it is a genuinely good story. Amid and inspection routine that the crew is not all that happy about in the first place members of the inspection team start to die extremely brutal deaths. While no one is all that sad to see them go this will defiantly have an effect on their A+ rating so the crew begins to investigate. What unfolds is an interesting mystery that focuses on characters that usually do not get a lot of attention. This is a good book in the series and a really good book if you are a fan of the featured characters

Graf's Death Count gives us a tale that takes place sometime between Star Trek I and II, with a focus on Sulu, Uhura, and security chief Chekov. There are plenty of plot twists and turns, and a surprising amount of suspense given that we know that both Chekov and the Enterprise will survive whatever is hurled at them. Kirk, Spock, and McCoy are little more than background characters, a change which is both refreshing and disappointing (after all, it's not really a Trek book without at least *one* insult between Spock and McCoy!). Graf returns to the Uhura/Sulu/Chekov theme in Traitor Winds, a slighly better effort.

Nitpick of the day: The uniforms. The novel has to take place after Star Trek I, as Kirk's in command, Chekov's security chief, and Sulu is still helmsman. So, we should be seeing the gray/white duds from The Motion Picture. Yet the cover has everyone in the burgundy of Star Trek II-VI, and the text refers to "command gold" and "security red"! How very, very irritating . . . . .

One word: Chekov. Our favourite Ensign, now promoted to luiutenant and Chief of Security now has almost a whole book about him. It has tons of humor and the best plot line! We have a great scene with everyone at breakfast, which I thought made the book a whole lot better. It is a typical Trek Book, with lots of fistfights and bar scenes. Great Book. I Love it. It sort of reminds me of the Trouble with Tribbles but We've shunted Kirk out of the spotlight and replaced him with Pavel. Plus he gets hurt alot. Beat up by Orions, Left in a shuttlecraft doomed to explode after his best friends left him.... Did I mention it was a great book?

Good read and good time.
I liked it caught all the action of star trek for me and used the other crew members.