Customer Reviews

Star Trek: The Original Series: Vulcan's Soul #3: Epiphany (Star Trek Vulcan's Soul) (v. 3)

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

 

 

The first two books got me. Read them non-stop. Imagine the origins of not only Romulans but of Remans with a hint to the Watraii! But you can guess where this book goes immediately (I won't spoil it here) and not much else gets developed. Still worth it to complete the picture but not as good as #1 & 2. This three book series could have been done in two. Guess it was a money thing to get three books worth of cash out of us. It worked.

This review is about the series as a whole. I enjoyed this series, especially the "flashbacks" to the struggle of the Exiles from Vulcan. As to the sections in the series present...well let's face it, Star Trek has been done before. However, in this series we learn a great deal about Vulcans...how the followers of Surak attempt to overcome the volatile, emotional nature of their kind. As war threatens to destroy the planet, scientist Karatek and others escape in space ships hoping for a fresh start on a new world. Alas, the rivalries and enmities continue even as the exiles endure a harrowing journey across space. They find a beautiful new planet--only to have their hopes smashed by the treachery of their own fellow Vulcan exiles.

It is true that there was much extraneous material in these novels and that it all dragged out for a little too long...however, by the end of the second book, the authors had me hooked. This story of racial betrayal and vengeance became almost biblical in its intensity. As the final confrontation unfolded between the Federation, Vulcans, Romulans, Klingons and Watraii... the action was positively "glorious" (as our battle-loving Klingons would say.)

So I was all ready to give this series 5 stars... until the last 2 or 3 chapters. What a letdown! The scene shifts away from the long-suffering Watraii and people of Remus...and moves to the petty intrigues of the Romulan politicians! As if I cared about them at all! How was justice done and recompense given? Whatever happened to those left on Remus? After building up this conflict for 3 books, delving deeply into the struggles and culture of the Sundered Vulcans, why was the resolution brushed aside so hastily?

Also, a scientific point bothered me: a tidally locked Planet, such as Mercury, has a fiery dayside and an icy darkside. But I thought that Remus was a moon of Romulus. If a moon is tidally locked, it will always turn one face toward its primary (Romulus). Still, as the moon circles the planet, its away side should get sunlight at certain times of the month. I do not think there would be a permanently icy "dark side" that never gets any sunlight. But then what do I know? I've never been in space...

I have NEVER quit reading a Star Trek book before the end until now. At page 150 I couldn't stand it any more. Three stories going on at the same time. Jumped all over the place and hard to follow. I would avoid this book at all costs. A waste of money in my opinion.