Customer Reviews

Section 31: Shadow (Star Trek Voyager)

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Well, if it's summer time, that must mean Pocket Books is once again ready to foist another Trek crossover, multi-book Trek series upon us. Last year's New Earth was good at first, sagged in the middle only to be redeemed in the end. This year, the Section 31 set kicks off with a series of novels examining the secret organization and its affect on the four shows. On paper it sounds interesting and like it has some real potential.

First off (from what I've read you can read these in any order without really losing anything), there is the Voyager novel. The plot features a pretty standard civilization in danger and only Voyager can save them plot coupled with an attempt by Section 31 to do off with Seven of Nine. The main plot of the civlization in peril is a bit of a yawn at times--there are some nice characters but overall the dramatic thrust never materializes enough to be interesting--especially when it descends into cliches of the aliens not trusting Voyager and taking hostages. The more interesting plot is just why Section 31 considers Seven of Nine a threat and is out to irradicate her. It's interesting to read that the organization can reach out as far as the Delta Quadrant and how it does is interesting. However, the investigation into who is attacking Seven goes on a bit too long and some of the regular characters make unintelligent choices for the sake of prolonging the suspense of who is attacking Seven and why. Also, Sevens' characterization is bit off--she seems a bit too arrogant and unlikeable. She has these qualities in the show, but she becomes a two-dimensional character at times in this storyline. Of course, the two plots intersect each other at certain points in the book. To give away any details might take away some of the surprise, so I won't do that.

All in all, this book has potential, not all of it realized. I think the TNG and DS9 books have the most potential in the series. VOY suffers from the same things the show does--being cut off from the Alpha Quadrant means there's little or not consequences to the story or any type of meaningful follow up to the actions and events shown here.

The premise of this short series of related Star Trek novels is an offshoot of a storyline that first manifested in ST: Deep Space Nine. The concept is that the ethical and altruistic Federation has a secret service equivalent to the Romulan Tal Shiar or the Cardassian Union's Obsidian Order. An amoral covert organization of espionage, sabotage and assassination designed to deal with dangers and problems that are not easily solved within Starfleet an Federation parameters of law and conduct.

Personally I find the whole "Section 31" concept to be antithetical to the reasons I have enjoyed the various Star Trek incarnations over the years. Gene Rodenberry would probably be appalled... With that said, I must say that I enjoyed this ST: Voyager novel immensely, and the Section 31 influence was perhaps the lightest here of all the books in this series. It is especially enjoyable having a novel that so well reflects the characters as they were portrayed in the TV series, with Seven of Nine and Captain Janeway being particularly well developed. The authors are to be commended on a tale well told.

I've been reading some of the other reviews, and I gotta tell ya, I'm wondering just what it *is* people expect from Star Trek! I'm not saying my bar is set low - though I AM easily entertained, which is something else entirely - I'm just saying some folks have a tendency to nitpick *quite* unnecessarily. This story is by no means the be-all and end-all of Trek tales, but it IS a decent read - nevermind that bitchin' picture of Seven-of-Nine on the cover! (Okay, so I buy for the covers as well as the story - this is wrong?) I will admit I have the distinct impression the Section 31 thing is just a trumped-up Paramount ploy to sell books and merchandise, but I'm not going to fault them for that, since it's probably true. The "aliens in trouble" plot was pretty basic (but the aliens themselves were *purple,* an added bonus that B'Elanna got a unique kick out of) and so was the whole Section 31 plot to kill Seven, but still, I didn't find it an unacceptable story. And the biggest bonus of all, Dean and Kristine name those rotten alien experimenters from "Scientic Method." After all they did to the crew, it's about TIME they got a name. Hey, I'm calling that name canon. Where's the harm in that?

Star Trek Voyager was a great television series, with the most memorable characters since The Next Generation series. The novelization of Voyager provides entertainment for grateful Voyager/Star Trek fans. Section 31 is the second Voyager novel I have read.

The story is about Seven and how someone or something is trying to kill her. As she and Janeway try to get to the bottom of this, the second plot involves a planet-sized, Noah's Ark-type ship full of a race called Rhawns. The Rhawns are trying to escape the collision of their suns and save their race and their people. Janeway has to help these people, but trust and science issues get in the way - and time is ticking away.

The first three-quarters of the book is immensely intriguing, but the final quarter does not finish all the storylines, or tie them together neatly. I felt some interesting characters were just cut off. Nevertheless, this is a worthy effort that is mainly true to the characters and the show.

Shadow is the fourth installment in the `Section 31' Star Trek book series. This book involves the crew of the starship Voyager. You may wonder how Section 31, the covert `self-appointed protectors of the Federation', can possibly reach its claws to a starship on the other side of the galaxy? That, of course, is part of the mystery.
What begins as a leisurely stop to observe a unique astronomical phenomenon - the colliding of two stars - soon turns deadly. A series of freak accidents finds captain Janeway concluding that someone on her ship is trying to kill Seven of Nine.
This leads to some fine character studies of Voyager personnel. The former Borg drone, Seven, struggles for survival knowing at every turn she could fall victim to another assassination attempt. Tuvok, the Vulcan security officer, races with time to unmask the killer - a killer with an intellect to match his own.
And to all this add the plight of a pre-warp culture trying to escape a doomed solar system in a giant space ship carrying the last survivors of a planet that no longer exists.

I enjoyed this book because it proved once again that actions can actually affect people in opposite sides of the galaxy. The charcters seemed real, especially Seven of Nine whom I've never read a Voyager book with her in it before. It was suprising how long Section 31 was operating on Voyager and you never would've guessed the link between them. Very well written, showing both the best and worst traits of the Federation 5 stars and a must read.

I have been reading some people's review here and some here seem to enjoy it a lot. But unfortunately I thought of all the Section 31 books this was the weakest. They have 3 stories going on throughout the novel. I think it would have been better if they had combined the Emperor story with the mother trying to help her daughter out story. The plot to kill 7 of 9 is alright but nothing spectacular. What I found kinda of funny and interesting were the logs left behind by the would be killer. The way she bashes Janeway reminds me a lot of the BBS in TrekNation. They have lots of fans that hate Voyager. It seems like they wrote that part of the novel. I would have enjoyed more of an active role for section 31 in this novel. Also Chakotay and Paris are left with almost nothing to say in this novel which is a shame. I enjoy the Paris character a lot but here he is told to shut up a lot. Also the Doctor doesn't have much to say either. He is another good character. Anyway those are the reasons why the novel fails for me.

I'd actually rate this book 3.5 but I round up. I was very interested in the book from the beginning but was initially disappointed when the culprit was revealed. In retrospect, the culprit was rather well done: a Section 31 operative acting on her own initiative (thank you, Smith and Rusch, for not using a "previously unrevealed method" of Alpha to Delta Quadrant communication possessed only by Section 31) who was killed before fully implementing her plan. Seven's arrogance and abrasiveness would be an expected part of her transition from Borg to human. I particularly like Tuvok's detective work and continual self-evaluation. I think the authors were very successful in presenting Tuvok's Vulcan personality.

The second in the "Section 31" series, I probably would have given "Shadow" two stars, had it not, near the end, picked up with a very unique idea for the "villain" of the story, and taken a turn for the better, plot wise.

The plot, as I've said, starts out a little frustrating, but definately picks up mid-to-end of the book. But the characterization of a lot of the characters seems a little off on first glance. Now, certainly, there are clues that this book takes place not-too-far into the development of Seven's character (it happens at some point during the time of Tom Paris' demotion to Ensign), but Seven comes across especially harsh. This isn't so horrible a thing - I imagine writing Seven must be a much more monumental task than even writing a Vulcan - but at times I found myself disliking her, which isn't something that happened during the run of the series.

The involvement of Section 31 in Voyager is given a very plausible run - an agent was assigned, we learn at the very beginning, to help the "Maquis" situation turn out the way that Section 31 wanted it to. This is not a plot of a Section 31 Officer who is still in contact with the Federation (as I'd previously worried, prior to buying the book).

Give it a shot if you like the Section 31 idea, but it's a good read regardless, just a little weak at the beginning.

This ST-Voyager book involves Section 31 a secret organization within Starfleet itself, covert and mysterious guardians of the Federation. Seven of Nine finds a series of accidents and mishaps plaguing her and Captain Janeway makes the connection that there maybe a plot afoot to kill Seven of Nine.

This book has really good character interaction between Seven and Janeway, also Seven and Torres. We see good charater fleshing out in this book. As the book starts, I found that watching paint dry could happen before the real meat of the book comes to fruition. But the pace of the book picks up and comes to full stride toward the ending.

The Voyager crew comes to the aid of a civilization fleeing their world due to a binary star system colision and won't make it clear when the disaster occurs. As this sub-plot evolves the main plot becomes more involved and lethal.

All in all, this is a good book and once you get to reading it, you'll be fascinated by the intrigue.

NO LAW, NO CONSCIENCE, NO STOPPING THEM

This is intriguing reading with a mystery and is written with a tegumentary style.