Customer Reviews

String Theory, Book 1: Cohesion (Star Trek Voyager: String Theory) (Bk. 1)

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Kathryn Janeway has done it again. She's ordered Voyager off course to investigate an intriguing scientific anomaly, and landed herself and her crew in the middle of an alien species' survival crisis. This time the aliens are called Monorhans, and they're facing extinction because their star system exists in a region of space where the normal laws of physics don't apply. Just the sort of scientific and compassionate puzzle that Janeway - former science officer, explorer, and de facto Federation ambassador to the Delta Quadrant - can't possibly resist.

Jeffrey Lang is a new author for me, although he's written novels based on other Trek series. He has the Voyager characters absolutely nailed. As I read, I often burst out laughing because he'd gotten them so right. The plot is well presented, and the Monorhans - like all good Trek species - are alien enough to be interesting, but have enough in common with Humans so we can understand and empathize with them as individuals.

A terrific read! I hope the next installment of this series, which has a different author, will keep up to the high standard Mr. Lang sets in this opener.

I am always reluctant to read the first book in a trilogy if the second and third books aren't being released in quick succession immediately afterwards. Usually if I do, and it's a really good story, I'm left feeling a bit disappointed because I know I have to wait to find out where the story goes from here.

That wasn't the case with Cohesion. Not because the story wasn't good, it's great, and Cohesion definitely did leave me wanting to know what happens next. But at the same time, as I digested the final pages, I felt completely satisfied by the story and that's what impressed me most when I had finished reading Cohesion.

There is a lot to impress about the story told in Cohesion. The plot is interesting and well paced, the action vividly portrayed and the characterizations of the Voyager characters the best I've read since Jeri Taylor's novel Pathways.

The interaction between B'Elanna Torres and Seven of Nine, who are reluctantly forced to work together to survive, is very amusing and one of the highlights of the story. Lang also manages to address some of the inconsistencies in the way the characters were depicted in the television series, an accomplishment that fans of this series should find gratifying but luckily you don't need to be a fan of Voyager to enjoy Cohesion, just a reader who appreciates a really well told story.

Voyager novels, lately, have left a lot to be desired. The last slew of Voyager novels, part of the series' book relaunch, have had mixed reviews. Characterizations are off, there's not enough action, the focus is wrongly placed. Well, I was curious how this trilogy would turn out, espescially with writers like Jeffrey Lang who haven't penned a Voyager novel before this. I'm pleased to say I was surprised by how good this novel is. I want to say great, but there were a few rough points that kept it from being a five-star novel.

The front cover notes this three-part series as being a "tenth anniversary odyssey." Well, I didn't really get that impression from this novel. If you've seen the episodes "Night," "The Void" and your basic "planet it trouble, Janeway wants to help," then this novel may seem a bit less epic. Even with that, Lang does seem to work hard to put a new spin on things and the plot. I'd say this is a character-driven novel more so than an action-packed adventure. Which is great, we need that in Voyager. It takes place after the episode "Hope and Fear" and before "Night", and it focuses on B'Elanna Torres more so than any character. It also puts a spotlight on her tug-of-war relationship with Seven of Nine.

The characterizations are fairly accurate. I too, like another reviewer, felt Seven of Nine and a few of the things she said weren't very true to how she was on the television show. Yet, she and B'Elanna are put in a great situation that definately isn't like anything we saw on the television. Janeway is beginning to question herself, as we saw in the episode "Night." Perhaps the reasons for that is put out there for the readers to understand her shift in moods between "Hope and Fear" and "Night."

As for the aliens, I felt they were okay. I really wasn't interested in them but I do feel they're getting a good work-out. This is only the first book, so I'm sure they'll have their moment. Also, some of Voyager's underdeveloped characters got a good amount of time in the spotlight. Tuvok, Neelix, even Joe Carey all played a big part in this book. One character didn't dominate the action or attention, besides B'Elanna, but even that was done in moderation. The only character I felt was really off was Tom Paris. Lang's take on him was more like a juvenile. Yeah, he's not the most serious character, but I felt opening the book and having him thinking of mushrooms was a bit much.

If you've been disapointed by Voyager novels in the past, or youthink the Relaunch leaves the crew rather cold, read this book. It definately grabs your attention a few dozen pages in and leaves you wanting more. A great book that explores Janeway's actions, Torres and Seven's relationship and an alien race on the brink of extinction. Yes, definately worth your time and money.

While being a Star Trek fan for many years, I was never that big of a fan of Voyager. While I liked the characters somewhat, many of the stories just fell flat. Then the re-launch came, with stories that would take place after the ship made it home, and those turned out to be abysmal. Would I ever try a Voyager book again? Thankfully, it's still possible to write a book (or series of books) taking place during the series, and make them good. String Theory: Cohesion is one of those books. Part one of three, Jeffrey Lang has captured everything I liked about the television series while ignoring (or sometimes even explaining) what I didn't like about it. While a bit too "hard science" for my taste, Lang never loses himself in technobabble, something I really appreciate.

Taking place between the fourth and fifth seasons, the Voyager crew has just been disappointed by the fake promise of the U.S.S. Dauntless, a ship that was supposedly from the Federation in order to get them home sooner, but was instead a ruse. Now, continuing their journey, they stumble on a species that shouldn't exist in an area of space that also shouldn't exist. They almost crash into a Monorhan ship, a refugee from a world that is getting closer and closer to oblivion. Voyager technology and expertise may delay or prevent extinction, so Captain Janeway sends Chief Engineer B'elanna Torres and ex-Borg Seven of Nine to the planet to help. But a strange energy wave catapults Voyager into a place beyond the fabric of space time, where radiation extreme oddities in both mental and physical behaviour. Meanwhile, Seven and Torres continue sniping at each other as they try to figure out what happened to Voyager, and what they can do to help before Monorhan authorities can capture them.

I'll get the minor problems out of the way first, as they won't take up much time. First, the editing job is a little rushed. Before (and shortly after) the disaster that takes place at the beginning of the book, each chapter is headed with "disaster minus 6 hours" and the like. However, these don't always match up with the pacing of the book. Janeway makes a comment about it being less than five hours since Harry Kim had mentioned the strange sensor readings, but that doesn't match the chapter heading when that actually happened. A minor annoyance, really, and something that is easily ignored.

Secondly, while Neelix is certainly in character, and I can see every thought that Lang gave to him coming from the television character himself, I found that it made him even more annoying than he was on the show. So kudos to Lang for capturing him so perfectly, but I feel even more like he should be shoved out an airlock now. I just found his thinking about his own importance to the crew, as Morale Officer more than as a chef, getting on my nerves. I guess that's a compliment to the author, though it did make me wish Lang hadn't used him.

Everything else in Cohesion is great, though. Lang has done what every media tie-in needs to do: captured the characters perfectly while putting his own stamp on them. I found Torres' hostility toward Seven completely believable, and Seven's annoyance with Torres' extreme emotionalism was perfect as well. The two of them don't get along well at all, and it's only their professionalism and concern for the fate of Voyager that holds them together. It was especially illuminating when they could see inside each other's mind, and we Seven sees first hand how B'elanna really feels. I especially liked Torres' resistance to stopping their voyage home to help out every downtrodden species they come across. Everybody else on Voyager is captured perfectly too, with the book having that fourth/fifth season feel to it.

Especially effective was a little narrative touch of Lang's. Chakotay and Kathryn Janeway have an interesting relationship, kind of an almost romantic but definitely friends one. Whenever Lang tells a scene from Chakotay's point of view and Janeway does something, he says "Kathryn sat on the chair" rather than "Janeway sat on the chair," which is the way Lang says it from anybody else's point of view. This was a really nice way of capturing that relationship without completely calling attention to it. Not only that, of course, but Chakotay's actions and thoughts throughout the novel ring true to this as well. He seems to be walking that line between friend (and prospective lover?) and first officer, gently chiding her when he thinks she needs to go rest.

Some people have criticized the "super-Janeway" that's in the book, who is able to pretty much do anything. I don't think I agree with that. While she does have her hands in a lot of the little problems going on in the book, this is no different than her portrayal in the series, and actually a bit toned down from that. She dips into some of the engineering problems (which has already been established as one of her specialties), but for the most part she lets her assistant engineers do their jobs without interference. One thing I definitely liked about her (and the rest of the crew's) portrayal is that, when a major accident happens, wiping out a large group of people, they grieve but they don't wallow in that grief, unlike A Time to Sow. They get on with things. They don't blame themselves, which I was expecting.

String Theory: Cohesion is an excellent book, both for the Voyager fan who thinks the re-launch is horrible, as well as for those who are a little nostalgic for the series itself. Even a non-fan may get some enjoyment out of it. An excellent start to the series.

David Roy

I may be a bit biased here because I LOVE Star Trek Voyager. I just finished reading this last night. The conflict between Seven and B'lanna was completely entertaining and sometimes I even laughed outloud. Iron sharpens iron. They work together beautifully even while wishing to choke each other. The aliens turned out to be fascinating. At first, I didn't care for the whole "planet of the apes" type creature, but the author developed their characters very skillfully and eventually won me over. Action Kate was grand as usual. Mr. Lang did a wonderful job.

This is my first J. Lang book, but I believe I will look for more from this creative author.

I was looking forward to this book as it focused on two of my favorite characters B'Elanna and Seven. However, I always had the impression that the author did not know the characters at all. This made for a very frustrating read. Some examples:

Seven says "wow" - try and picture that Voy fans, I mean my brain couldn't even do it without laughing

Everyone is called by there first names - now I am not just talking about Tuvok and Chakotay, New characters were introduced and then Janeway we would talking about how great it was that Bill was down in engineering, Ranks apparently disappear during a crisis

Tuvok gets excited about a bean burrito, especially the guacamole - have we watched the show and seen how Tuvok likes the bland plomeek soup? I don't know, but I feel that a burrito is not quite his style

And there was more, but I think you get my point. I just wish that the author had a better handle on the characters. I mean if you are going to meld two of them, shouldn't you have them down individually?

All this said, It was still a worthwile read for a voy book fan. I am sure that I will be suckered into buying the second one when it comes out.

Wonderful read. the relationship between B'Lanna and Seven becomes quite good and evoked a few chuckles, (even if nanoprobes were the reason). It was good to get back into Voyager itself. I was unhappy with the return to Earth. Next one continues on and hopefully is as good as this.

Jeffrey Lang demonstrates intimate knowledge of the Voyager characters and the Trek universe in his opening book of the String Theory series.

The story begins with Voyager making a course change after they detect a strange binary system which Captain Janeway, "a science geek of the first order" cannot resist investigating. Tragedy soon strikes as Voyager encounters a new species, the Monorhans, who inexplicably perish when crossing the threshold of their system. As the crew try to help the Monorhan homeworld, the ship gets trapped in an unusual layer of subspace flooded with poisonous/mind-altering radiation. Even more dire, B'Elanna Torres and Seven of Nine must learn to cooperate with each other on Monorha if they ever hope to save their crew and and the Monorhans.

Given the time period in which Cohesion unfolds (between seasons four and five), most readers know that B'Elanna and Seven are still butting heads quite frequently. However, circumstances force the two women to form a "mini collective." This neural connection provides ample amounts of humor as they begin swapping personalities: Seven encouragingly slaps someone on the back while B'Elanna complains of the inefficiency in verbal communication. Although their mini collective is reminiscent of comedies like "Freaky Friday," it also offers both B'Elanna and Seven an intimate glimpse into the other's soul. With such a deep connection, the two enemies can finally understand each other, and perhaps even learn to work together cohesively.

Bottom line, this book is a must-read for any Voyager or Star Trek fan. Not only does Lang tell an exciting and unique story, but he also stays true to the characters and the time frame. Cohesion is definitely worthy of being part of Voyager's 10th Anniversary Odyssey.

I haven't read other Voyager novels, so I can't compare Lang's offering to that of others, but this one seems very well done. As other reviewers have said, both the characters and the interaction between them was very true to form (with minor exceptions). The story line wasn't really unique, but interesting enough and it moved along at a good pace. What eventually occurred between B'Elanna and Seven was unique. Having them form a "Borg collective" of two in order to survive, and thus seeing them trading temperaments, speak as the other would normally, share each others thoughts and work perfectly together was interesting, funny and cleverly conceived. Apparently a couple of reviewers totally missed this major development, as they thought B'Elanna and Seven weren't themselves when in fact that was the whole idea! Seven saying "Wow" at one point and B'Elanna replying "Indeed' was just one example of many showing they had "traded" personas.

It strikes me that this story could have made an TV Voyager episode better than many others (a two-parter) or could yet make a good Voyager movie for the big screen!

Reading Lang's Book 1 makes you want to read Book 2 as soon as it is available. As others have expressed, I just hope that a different author doesn't ruin what is a very good beginning to this trilogy.

Star Trek: Voyager String Theory Book 1 Cohesion written by Jeffrey Langis a well-wrtten book with the characters in the Voyager series are the best wriiten characterizations yet. Cohesion is the first story in a trilogy that involves the String Theory title. The second book is Fusion and the third is Evolution written by Kirsten Beyer and Heather Jarman respectively. I waited to read this series until I had all three volume in front of me and then I read them straight though. Although each book is written as a stand alone title they subsequent books draw from the first book, Cohesion and they make perfect sense reading one right after the other.

Jeffrey Langs characterization are true Voyager and the interplay between B'Elanna Torres and Seven of Nine is a classic as they really get to know each other as they work on an away mission together. As there was no love lost between them, they get to know eack other very well as the story unfolds.

Kathryn Janeway in her quest to leave the Delta Quadrant comes across an interesting binary system and takes a detour to investigate this interesting star formation and this is where the story gets intrigingly interesting. As there is life there that shouldn't be there in the first place Janeway has to assist as one of the Monorhan space craft is disabled in space and hover on the brink of extinction.

The story is well-written and moves quickly as the action-adventure takes hold of the reader and you read on at a blistering pace. I found the book to be a very fast read with all of the interaction and interplay between the characters. There is plenty of suspense and action well-written in this book to keep the reader well satisfied.

There are pandemensional beings and a real-life struggle for survival written in this book. Cohesion is action-packed as well keeping the readers attention well to the end.

This is a solid five star Trek adventure that will keep the reader engrossed to the end , you won't be disappointed. This is a well-written first volley into the trilogy call String Theory.