10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
Not Trek, that's for sure, November 19, 2001
I'm not a Trekkie, Trekker, or whatever. I have not seen every episode of all the various series. That said I have enjoyed some of the books written about the Star Trek Universe. The trouble with a multi-authored series though is the uneveness one finds in the mix. From what I remember of the original series, (and Next Generation and the new series) is the sense of wonder, a feeling of joy and camaraderie between the main characters. The authors of this book suck that joy and wonder out of everything and write a soulless gloomy novel that bears no resemblance to the Star Trek phenomenon. It is a novel of despair with not one refreshing moment. To me, the novels should reflect the spirit of the series or it's just a bad science fiction novel with characters named after the members of the Trek universe.
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7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Below average slow moving story, August 9, 2003
This story moves along incredibly slow to the point of becoming boring. This was a book I couldn't wait to finish and put in the worst ST books pile. I enjoy unusual character developments, if it is done nicely. Here it wasn't. Spock completely disses Kirk in all respects to force the alien influence from him. No second-guessing or regrets from Spock. This not Spock! It ruins the rest of the story.
Not a good read...
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6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Dull and slow moving, March 14, 2006
The galaxy is in danger of being destroyed and the crew of the Enterprise is trying to prevent it. A race of beings is performing scientific experiments on humans and other creatures and James Kirk is one of their prime subjects. He is still under their influence, so his command judgment is suspect.
Savaj is an elderly Vulcan who is an Admiral in Star Fleet, a legend for many other accomplishments and also aboard the Enterprise. Kirk is relieved of his command with Spock taking over. There is a great deal of philosophical debate between Spock, Savaj and Kirk over whether the superior intellect of Vulcans means that they should never be subservient in the chain of command. To further demonstrate the inferiority of humans, Spock and Savaj engage in a series of Vulcan combat calisthenics and Kirk understands that his level of accomplishment is that of a mere child. A demonstration with Kirk is done in front of several of the crew, further humiliating Kirk.
Even though he has been relieved of his command and must obey Spock, Kirk sometimes fails to follow those orders, sometimes for benefit and other times with negative consequences. In the end, they learn that the danger to the galaxy is due to the callous way in which experiments have been carried out on living creatures. For centuries, humans have been torturing small animals in the name of medical research, but without regard to how much they have suffered.
Of course the solution is found and Kirk is restored to command of the Enterprise. Spock even concedes that Kirk is the superior commander. I found the book often dull, it moves much slower than almost all of the other Star Trek novels that I have read. While the philosophical arguments are interesting, they go on so long that my interest waned.
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