Customer Reviews

Star Trek: Enterprise: Kobayashi Maru

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

 

 

When Captain Jonathan Archer is ordered to border patrol against pirates, he soon grows bored and frustrated with the assignment. But Archer knows the Romulans are up to something. After an attack from the Klingons that the government disavows, Archer must investigate and discover the truth behind the Romulans' agenda. But when odds are stacked against Archer and the Enterprise, what will he choose to do in an unwinnable scenario?

Star Trek fans will automatically remember that back in his academy days, Kirk changed the rules of the Kobayashi Maru test in order to win the no-win scenario. Here is a look at what happened with that fateful circumstance and what leads up to the eventual Earth-Romulan War.

While Archer is off making tough choices that could affect the entire coalition, Commander Trip Tucker is deep undercover posing as a Romulan trying to make sure Warp 7 technology doesn't fall into the wrong hands. Of course, danger constantly surrounds everything Trip does. And this storyline is by far the most exciting. But T'Pol makes some out-of-character choices in a strange subplot that doesn't do much to forward the story, other than let you know there's still that spark between the two and that Trip is dedicated to his mission.

Kobayashi Maru has plenty of action, suspense, political intrigue, and drama to appease any Star Trek fan. But the exciting climax at the end of the novel is the legendary account that we've all been waiting to hear, where Archer must make the toughest decision of his career. And it was a situation that I found myself considering for quite a while after finishing the book!

This book takes a while to get going, and there are some problems for the avid ST book reader as far as characters, but that stuff can be easily dismissed because the book is an okay read. I still think the best Kobaishi Maru story is contained in New Frontier-Stone and Anvil. Anyway, with this name you would think you won't be able to put it down...but believe me, you will.

Personally, it's a book that leaves off where the most exciting part will happen in the sequel, and it's almost a shame. If the sequel is going to be as slow as this one, they should have combined the two, cut out about 30% of the boring parts of the book, and created one "page-turner".

As it is, I would wait until the sequel and read both back to back, and be done with them.

This book had so much potential, but was a terrific disappointment. The story itself was hard to read and not say, "sorry how can that have happened way back then?" I was able to keep reading, despite the problems with continuity between this and the original series. I kept thinking there would be some explanation that would make it all work out. The characters were not written very well and did things... well, out of character (and it really seems a stretch to introduce homosexual Klingons after all these years.)

Then the Kobayashi Maru moment finally arrives, and ... let down and the book ended. That's it. Major plotlines dropped completely in favor of a sequel I suppose but I was left with far more questions than answers. The fact that this book is called Kobayashi Maru left me with a bad taste in my mouth for the author. Only because there was nothing to it; it should have had a different title, and the name of the ship changed. I feel scammed because it was such a small part of the book and frankly out of place.

The adventures of the first starship Enterprise continue in the latest novel sequel to a TV series that ended too soon. And in the tradition of that series, a blank spot in the rest of the Star Trek universe has been filled in.

The Koybayashi Maru was first referred to in the beginning of the film "The Wrath of Khan" as part of a Starfleet cadet training exercise. A freighter in trouble lures the trainee crew into an ambush. This book brings us the original ambush.

The Romulans are preparing war against Earth and the new Coalition of Planets, the forerunner of the Federation. Their secret weapon is a device that allows them to take control of other ships, first Klingon, later others. Using captured Klingon ships, they are on the verge of provoking the Coalition into war with the Klingons, but for Jonathan Archer and his crew, who figure out the deception.

Meanwhile, the officially dead Trip Tucker is actually alive in Romulan space trying to stop their efforts to develop a much faster warp engine.

It's good have Trip back, and in true secret within secret spy style we still don't know if the apparent Vulcan renegade Sopek is a double agent or a triple agent.

And when you get to the end, you need to read the sequel as soon as possible...because the Romulan War (referred to in the original TV series) is here.

Sadly though, it seems the sequel, called simply "The Romulan War", won't be published until October next year. One wishes the publishers of Star Trek books could bunch their connected series a little better.

I kept waiting and waiting for this to get going. It did eventually, but never really grabbed me. Perhaps its because we know the fate of the Kobayashi Maru already...perhaps its because Martin and Mangels just aren't my favorite Trek authors. This is the third Star Trek Enterprise title of theirs that I have read, and there seems to be something missing still. I keep trying with them because the material is certainly there...they just can't seem to make it work fully and completely.

S P O I L E R S

This isn't to say that their works don't have anything good. There is plenty to celebrate here. I like the introspection of Archer throughout the novel. His is most interesting during his meeting with Hernandez, fighting Krell to the death, and at the end when he chooses to sacrifice the Maru.

Trip and T'pol getting it on in a shuttlecraft. Meh. I guess it sounded fun to include, but considering they had just watched an enemy base explode on the same planet moments before...it just doesn't seem "logical" to mess around in the same vicinity for long. The whole idea comes across like fan fiction.

Gay klingons. Hmmm...wasn't expecting that. But if you're going to include it, give some background for it, especially since its something we've never seen before. Its put in seemingly for mere shock value.

No grief shown by Mayweather over his entire family being lost (at least for the time being). Perhaps it will be explored in a future novel, but for Mayweather to showcase NOTHING is not realistic, granted he was on duty at the time.

I don't mean to sound like I am slamming this novel because I'm not. I DID like it, it just could have been so much more in depth in my opinion. It sets up the proposed Romulan War storyline pretty well, and maybe that is where we will get the ultimate payoff.

I wanted to review this book because I adored it, despite some flaws. I usually skip those anyway. I don't know how to discuss it without spoilers but I'll try. Although if you've read the other reviews, it may have been spoiled already. I'll start with the "bad" first even though I consider them minor points. I second the opinion that sometimes the reader is reminded too often about a continuity point here and there. Fans of the show know the series and after the initial connection is made, that's enough. Sometimes we're told in a wordy fashion about what's going on or where we are or what happened here before and it is a bit jarring after the first couple times and interferes with the flow. My reaction to the Klingon doctor was WHOA as in I just didn't see that coming. So kudos there. Was it important? No. It did spark some conversation about Klingons but what the hell. I enjoyed that. I think this is a definite improvement on The Good That Men Do. I liked that one, too. I would have put up with anything to get Trip back. (See? Fanboy. Guilty.) As for the romance angle, I love it. Trip and T'Pol are awesome together. I still see Connor and Jolene and I feel like they're my pals. The dialogue on the page is exactly how I imagine them delivering it and I love that. I also think Malcolm comes off very well, indeed. This is post-series so maybe they can make some changes and get away with it without hitting the reset button. Like getting rid of Mayweather. Loved everybody else in the Enterprise cast. Hated Mayweather. But overall this story is just BIGGER and that's what I like about it. I got emotionally involved and that hasn't happened for a long time. As this goes on, it gets more intense. Archer is put in a place that he just can't get out of. He does absolutely the right thing - the only thing he can. However, there will be repercussions. The back of my head says Kirk would have gotten out of it somehow but then I remember that he cheated! Had he been in this spot, I don't know what he would have done. Archer's "solution" is much more realistic and dramatic. This bit - and it's the main thrust of the book - is tight and crystal clear. I was very happy to see how the authors put this in place and then executed it flawlessly. Secondary characters really are distinct. I'm reading the next book now. It is a continuation so I don't know how it will go. I suspect badly. I want Trip back on the ship but I have this feeling... I loved the series and almost all the characters. More Enterprise is always good. This one just meant more to me on a visceral level. I thought it was the best Enterprise book yet. Maybe I'm just sentimental and miss those guys but I doubt it. If you like Enterprise, you should like this.

I was more than hesitant to read "Kobayashi Maru" after "The Good That Men Do," a book hardly anything like I'd expect from `Enterprise,' but I'm glad I Martin and Mangels another go. "Maru's" story centers on the increasing hostilities between the Romulan Star Empire and the Coalition of Planets, which is told in a brisk secession of action filled chapters that rarely stall. The weakest points of the novel are those superfluous character details that have nothing to do with the Romulan-Earth war, such as T'Pol's former Intelligence career or remembrance of Trip's gay brother, and the ridiculously out of character soap opera dramas. Like "The Good That Men Do," Archer and his crew shift from excessive cuddliness to emotional bickering. When Archer and T'Pol aren't brooding and being lonely, they're emoting with anyone in proximity; it's not what you'd expect from the television show, but it's bearable. These faults are less pronounced than in "The Good That Man Do" and tend to be more forgivable when balanced against "Maru's" exciting storytelling. A great read for anyone hungering for a new "Enterprise" adventure, but otherwise not a particularly special Trek novel.

I liked the TV series a lot although it was not scientifically as 'accurate' as the other series attempted to be. I kept hoping for a good book or two to follow, but this one is just really bad. It is not accurate as to the details in the series last few ending episodes and is really just not a good book at all. The Trip storyline is okay and fills in some open ended storylines from series, but all the rest of the B storyline is just wrong, unneccesary in killing off some characters and looks to have been written just to fill up the extra pages to make it to novel size.

Better written and more refined than Martin & Mangels' previous Enterprise novel (The Good That Men Do), Kobayashi Maru is a tale of epic proportions.

The newly formed Coalition of Planets, comprised of Earth, Vulcan, Andoria, and Tellar, faces attacks from a mysterious enemy, and Captain Archer and the Starship Enterprise must find the truth behind these incursions. Many familiar faces from the TV series are featured in this novel: Captain Erika Hernandez of the Starship Columbia assists Archer's crew in fending off invaders, while Ambassadors Soval of Vulcan and Gral of Tellar debate with Minister Samuels about the impending war, and later, Archer travels to the Klingon homeworld Qo'noS and fights General Krell in a bat'leth duel. Internal struggles also plague the Enterprise crew as a defiant T'Pol struggles with her emotional attachment to Trip, who is behind enemy lines working as a spy. The characterizations in Kobayashi Maru are excellent, and the plot teems with exciting dialogue, battles, and covert operations.

On the negative side, the book tends to do too much explaining, reminding the reader of unnecessary facts, often repetitively. At first, this provides the reader with a solid visualization of the scene, but after a while it gets tedious and in the way of moving the plot forward, especially when excess amounts of description separates dialogue in what should be a fairly fluid conversation.

This book is an excellent and intriguing lead-in to the Romulan War, the next novel in the line of Star Trek: Enterprise books. It's a good read, but the same story could have been accomplished in about a hundred less pages. Also, Trekkies will recognize the name "Kobayashi Maru," and without spoiling too much, I will simply say this book is aptly titled.

This story is set in the "Enterprise" universe, shortly after where the series ended. The Coalition of Planets (Earth, Vulcan, Tellar, Andoria) is trying to maintain peace in the sector, but the Romulans are about, attacking space shipping and generally preparing for war against the Coalition. Captain Jonathan Archer of the Enterprise knows that the Romulans mean to make war, but most of the Coalition refuses to recognize the Romulans for what they are. Essentially this novel is the prelude to the outbreak of the Earth-Romulan War so often referred to in The Original Series.

This novel is entertaining and hews very closely to the storyline of the "Enterprise" series. Which means that there are inconsistencies with The Original Series. But no worries, this is good entertainment for Trek fans. Be warned that this novel ends on a cliffhanger, and appears to be the first installment of a trilogy which will cover the entire Earth-Romulan War period in the Trek universe.

The Kindle version is formatted well, and enjoyable to read.

Good Trek entertainment. RJB.