Star Trek: Vanguard: Harbinger - David Mack

Title: Harbinger
Author: David Mack
Genre: Sci-Fi
Published: 2005
Formats: Paperback/Ebook

Available at:
Amazon
The Book Depository
Amazon UK

Review:
“Harbinger” by David Mack is the first novel in the Vanguard series, a collection of novels set in the Star Trek Universe around the same time period as the Original Series. This series of novels does not utilise Enterprise or its regular crew beyond the odd cameo, instead it uses a whole new cast of characters and is set on Starbase 47 aka Vanguard.

Anyway, the events of this novel take placed just after the TOS Episode "Where No Man Has Gone Before" and features the Enterprise heading to Starbase 47 for repairs following the events contained in that episode. However the Commander of Vanguard and his crew have more to worry about than just assisting with the repair of the Enterprise as they have colonists to support, ships to prepare and two other spacefaring Empires right on their doorstep who may not appreciate the Federation’s presence.

I am going to come right and say that the most difficult aspect of reading this book was trying to appreciate all the new characters. As this is a whole new crew I didn’t know anything about any of them and it took me a bit of time to get them all straight in my head which did lead to some confusion. Also, the limited time given to each of them means you can’t fully appreciate who they really are yet. In the end however, I realised that I had just had to treat this as the pilot episode, it is mainly here to introduce you to these new characters and at least give you some basic appreciation for who they are. I fully expect future novels to enhance the characters and give them greater depth.

Despite the negatives highlighted above in regards to the large ensemble cast I have to say that Mack has created a group of characters who feel realistic with their flaws and imperfections quite clearly showcased. In addition, I appreciated their variety as we get to see civilian points of view in addition to Starfleet and even the Starfleet crew are varied with a legal officer included for example which felt rather different. I basically found myself warming to most of the characters quite quickly and I particularly enjoyed following the antics of Cervantes Quinn a trader/smuggler who despite his criminal leanings, had elements of compassion within his persona. A final thing that struck me as the various characters were introduced is that Mack has realised there is a multitude of ethnicities within humanity itself and has tried to include a nice prominent mix within the novel which was nice to see.

In regards to the story itself, well of course people are going to compare this with DS9 or Babylon 5 as the similarities are quite obvious. I really did feel the influence of these shows quite strongly with the frontier space station, flawed characters and an overall mystery which could result in various spacefaring empires going to war. The only issue is that the book itself doesn’t really contain a standalone story, there was lots of set up with some good plot twists and action sequences but there was no real heart to the novel itself. It wasn’t a big problem for me as I am jumping straight into the next novel but as a standalone book “Harbinger” itself didn’t really leave me feeling that satisfied.

Overall, this book has the feeling of being a setup for the series in that it introduces the characters and gives us a taster of some overall mystery that is going to be uncovered as the reader progresses through the other novels. It was without doubt a nice introduction but I do wish that there had been at least some sort of decent standalone plot element as there was no real satisfying conclusion to the novel itself. In the end, this initial glimpse of the characters and the overall story arc were more than enough to get me hooked on the series which is without doubt its aim, so on that front it is a success.

The Helpers - Suzanna E. Nelson

Title: The Helpers
Author: Suzanna E. Nelson
Genre: Thriller
Published: 2010
Formats: Hardback/Paperback/Ebook

Available at:
Amazon
The Book Depository
Amazon UK

Review:
“The Helpers” by Suzanna E. Nelson is an interesting and complex thriller which follows the attempts of a secret organisation’s attempts at maintaining control in the Democratic Republic of Congo. However, when an American reporter unexpectedly uncovers elements of their latest plot she is drawn into a dangerous game which puts her own life at risk.

Without doubt this is a fun thrill ride of a story with a complex plot that takes the reader across three continents and through a multitude of characters. The story does start off quite slowly but the pacing quickly ramps up and the plot begins to whip the reader from one element to the next. In the latter half of the novel I really enjoyed watching Lance, one of the French Intelligence agents travelling around the world trying to expose the villains as it was exciting, fast paced and entertaining.

In regards to the cast of characters, I really enjoyed seeing Nelson create a broad tableau of different people here who crossed various different national, racial, and gender lines. She also managed to avoid creating the usual archetypes seen in this type of thriller, there were no infallible spies or fearless reporters in this book. I basically found myself believing that these people could be real because most of them had their own flaws and hang-ups which were there for everyone to see.

There are some issues however with the novel which became pretty clear very early on. For example, the number of characters itself can make it quite hard to fully grasp what is going on as the narrative jumps between them all. I found that this along with the slow initial pacing to the novel meant I struggled initially to really get into the novel. The other major issue I had is that the conversation between the characters just didn’t flow naturally. It was all very formal and stilted which didn’t feel right in many of the situations we witnessed.

The only other stand out observation for me was in regards to the romance plotline. I just didn’t get it to be honest. I don’t know if this stemmed from the stilted dialogue I mentioned earlier but personally I didn’t see any natural or obvious sign of attraction to each other. They just appeared to talk together a few times and then suddenly decided they had feelings for each other. It almost felt like the author believed there should be some sort of romantic element to the story and forced it in.

Overall, this was an enjoyable and entertaining thriller which explores a part of the world I never normally read about. There are some weak elements to the novel in regards to the dialogue etc. but if you are after a complex conspiracy based thriller then you may find that this novel does a good job at passing the time.

2014 Eclectic Reader Challenge

Runs from January 1, 2014 - December 31, 2014
Hosted by Book'd Out

Last year I took part in Book'd Out's 2013 Eclectic Reader challenge and thoroughly enjoyed the experience as can be seen here. I read several books I probably would have never picked up if it wasn't for the challenge and I do think that it helped to widen by appetite for different genres of stories. Therefore, I am jumping at the chance of taking part in the 2014 Ecelectic Reader Challenge and look forward to seeing what enjoyable books I get to read this time.

The 12 categories that have been chosen by the hosting blog for the challenge are:

• Award Winning
• True Crime (Non Fiction)
• Romantic Comedy
• Alternative History
• Graphic Novel
• Cosy Mystery Fiction
• Gothic Fiction
• War/Military Fiction
• Anthology
• Medical Thriller Fiction
• Travel (Non Fiction)
• Published in 2014

There appears to be a nice range of stories included here and can't wait to get stuck in.

Star Trek Memories - William Shatner & Chris Kreski

Title: Star Trek Memories
Author: William Shatner & Chris Kreski
Genre: Biography
Published: 1994
Formats: Hardback/Paperback

Available at:
Amazon
The Book Depository
Amazon UK

Review:
“Star Trek Memories” written by William Shatner and Chris Kreski is not really an autobiography but is actually a recollection of the Original Series itself. It is written chronologically taking the reader from the initial creation of the series right through to its cancellation.

Shatner basically covers the three seasons of “Star Trek” detailing what he remembers about the episodes, guest stars and other escapades that occurred throughout the Original Series production run. However he doesn’t just rely on his own memories as he supports them via commentary gleaned from interviews he held with other cast and crew members. I liked this as it enabled him to provide some added details that he may have been unable to provide if he had just relied on his own memories.

Don’t let this fool you however; the book still does have a Shatner slant which can bother some people as the guy does have an ego and can be a bit of a ham, all of which does come across at times. Personally, I like Shatner’s sense of humour so I found myself enjoying his commentary and the manner in which he recollects the various events despite his ego. In fact, I was actually quite impressed by some of Shatner’s honesty in that he does admit early on that he was at times blinded by his own thoughts and didn’t really appreciate how his actions affected his crew mates.

One minor issue I did have with these memoirs is that there is a lot of time dedicated to the first season but as we move onto the second and then the third the amount of detail reduces. In fact, I think more time was spent detailing the campaign to save Star Trek for a third season than was actually spent going over the events of the season’s production. Whilst I understand he maybe wanted to concentrate more on the good than the bad, it did make the book feel a little bit lopsided.

A final point I wish to make is that whilst Shatner describes various events, technical details and production issues he doesn’t really capture the relationships between everyone. I felt that this was a shame as I knew a fair few of the known facts already and had been looking for a bit more about how the various cast and crew members interacted.

Overall, I found this to be a decent look back at the history of the television show which includes a look at the cast, crew and even some of the technical aspects. Yes it would have been nice to get a little bit of a deeper look at the relationships between people but in the end I suspect Shatner’s own strong viewpoints may have skewed this anyway.

Challenge Complete - 2013 Eclectic Reader Challenge

Objective:
To try and push my reading experiences even further afield into genres and book styles I may normally have avoided. Check out my pre challenge post here!

Aim:
Read 12 Novels that fulfil the requirements defined in a list of sub-genre detailed on the host blog.

Result:
I did it, and I have loved every minute of the journey!

I've read-

Translated fiction

The Last Wish by Andrzej Sapkowski

Historical Mystery

Dissolution by C.J. Sansom

Romantic Suspense

Open Season by Linda Howard

Made into a Movie

Matilda by Roald Dahl

New Adult

Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

Urban Fantasy

Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman

Dystopian

Farenheith 451 by Ray Bradbury

Memoir

I am Spock by Leonard Nimoy

LGBT

Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit by Jeanette Winterson

Action Adventure

Pirate Latitudes by Michael Crichton

Humour

Redshirts by John Scalzi

Published in 2013

Red Planet Blues by Robert J. Sawyer

I really enjoyed the quite extensive variety involved in this challenge. There were a few books I was a bit apprehensive about but still found everything enjoyable enough to read.

 
Summary:

This was the only challenege I took part in this year and I enjoyed the different styles and genre that it introduced to me. There is no doubt that I will be signing up again for 2014!

Oranges are Not the Only Fruit - Jeanette Winterson

Title: Oranges are Not the Only Fruit
Author: Jeanette Winterson
Genre: General Fiction
Published: 1985
Formats: Hardback/Paperback/Ebook

Available at:
Amazon
The Book Depository
Amazon UK

Review:
“Oranges are not the only Fruit” by Jeanette Winterson is the final book I read as part of a 2013 Eclectic Reader challenge. I ended up choosing this book to fulfil the LGBT requirement after my wife suggested it to me as she had enjoyed reading it when she was in her teens.

The story itself is semi-autobiographical and follows Jeanette as she grows up amongst a devout Pentecostal mother who is raising her to be a missionary and Jeanette herself believes from an early age that she is meant to serve God. However, as Jeanette grows into a teenager she begins to explore her sexuality with a close friend called Melanie which is discovered and demonised by the church community. Jeanette therefore struggles to come to terms with her own sexuality, her love for God and her relationship with a community she has grown up with.

To be honest, the sexual elements of the story didn’t really strike me as being overly important and it kind of took a backseat to the real thrust of the novel which was to criticise the rather strict and unyielding dogma of her family’s religious community. This criticism is all supported by the way in which we can witness the clash between different generations and Jeanette’s difficult journey to find some sort of truth and self-acceptance even though it goes against the way she was brought up.

In regards to the writing style, I found that the disjointed sentences, short paragraphs and quiry comments helped to drive home the feeling that I was following a young girl. The only issue I had was that this writing style continued as Jeannette grows into a sixteen year old rebel who has lesbian experiences at least twice. The cute, almost innocent feeling of the style which worked with Jeanette was a nine year old just didn’t feel right as she grew into an adolescent. Also, whilst some of the comments made by Jeanette were quite humorous and witty on the whole it did feel rather dry and lacking in any real emotional punch as if it was being told very factually.

One element of the novel I really couldn’t be bothered with was the way in which the story was interspersed with fantasy/fairy tale sequences which were rather surreal. When the first one appeared I found it rather strange but as they kept on coming I found myself finding them rather irritating and soon just skipped them altogether. I am sure that someone can tell me of a reasoning and deep meaning behind them but for me they just interfered with the real life tale of a young woman coming to terms with herself.

Overall, I did find this to be an interesting look at a young woman’s attempt to find herself in the face of a strict religious upbringing. Given the novels strong LGBT portrayal I was surprised that the sexual element was actually very subtle and was used to criticise the way in which a strict upbringing can affect a child to the point that they struggle to understand and accept themselves rather than just criticising an anti-homosexual viewpoint. This was definitely a new experience for me and I am glad my wife recommended it as it was enjoyable enough even if some of the writing style didn’t work for me.

Star Trek: S.C.E. #64: Distant Early Warning (What's Past Book 4) - Dayton Ward & Kevin Dilmore

Title: S.C.E. #64: Distant Early Warning (What's Past Book 4)
Author: Dayton Ward
Genre: Sci-Fi
Published: 2006
Formats: Ebook

Available at:
Amazon
Amazon UK

Review:
So “Distant Early Warning” by Dayton Ward and Kevin Dilmore is my first experience of the Starfleet Corps of Engineers Ebook series and I would it to be a rather interesting if rather quick experience. Whilst the majority of these books focus on the 24th Century, this book takes a look at the crew of the USS Lovell in the 23rd Century and appears to be a prequel to the Vanguard series of novels which I am about to start reading.

The year is 2265 and Starfleet has fast-tracked the construction of Starbase 47, also known as Vanguard although the reason for such a rush to get it built is being kept secret by Starfleet Command. Unfortunately, there are various technical problems plaguing the Starbase and so the USS Lovell is called in with its Starfleet Corps of Engineers team ready to help. However, it soon becomes obvious that this isn’t just teething troubles and there appears to be something much more mysterious causing the issues.

The first thing that did impress me about this story is that even though I haven’t read any SCE or Vanguard novels I found it to be accessible and understandable. With such a large collection of new characters and a limited page count I was pleasantly surprised by this as I was worried that I would struggle to follow it. The fact that the authors didn’t try and link the story into the regular 24th Century SCE crew also helped to ensure the ebook was fully concentrating on the plot and the characters of the 23rd Century.

The story itself was entertaining and attention grabbing although some elements of the plotting didn’t completely work for me. Basically, I was a little bit disappointed that the two main plot lines seemed to have no relevance to each other. I just didn’t understand why the authors felt the need to try and cram both elements into novella like this when there was no actual link between them. I suppose having both plot lines did keep the action and excitement levels up but I think I would rather have seen a bit more exploration of the characters.

Overall, this was an enjoyable novella that has given me a decent introduction to both the crew of the USS Lovell and Vanguard. The story itself had a fair amount of action alongside some intriguing mystery which helped to ensure that I completed it in no time at all. Now, I am just looking forward to picking up the first book in the Vanguard series and finding out more about the mysteries of the Taurus Reach.

The Night Eternal (The Strain Book 3) - Guillermo del Toro & Chuck Hogan

Title: The Night Eternal (The Strain Book 3)
Author: Guillermo del Toro & Chuck Hogan
Genre: Horror
Published: 2011
Formats: Hardback/Paperback/Ebook

Available at:
Amazon
The Book Depository
Amazon UK

Review:
“The Night Eternal” by Guillermo Del Toro and Chuck Hogan is the 3rd and final book in the Strain trilogy and follows on a couple of years after the evens of the second book in the series entitled “The Fall”. If you haven't read the previous books then I do advise that you avoid reading this review as some of my commentary is likely to include some spoilers.

Since the events detailed in “The Fall” humanity has suffered brutally with the world having fallen under the control of the Master and his vampire horde. Most of the remaining people have accepted their new life under the ash filled skies either as an underclass of society or as cattle held in camps where they are bred and bled as a food source for the vampires. A handful do still try to fight back such as Eph, Fet and Nora who were entrusted with a silver bound book called the Occido Lumen which supposedly contains the manner in which they could finally defeat the Master and perhaps give humanity some hope for the future. However, with the Master still hunting them and many humans helping him, their chances seem slim.

Once again the authors have packed some decent enjoyable action sequences into their book. However, these were interspersed amongst some slower paced and at times rather dull character driven elements. The problem here is that I have struggled to really engage with the characters and therefore anything focussed around them failed to really enthuse me. This wasn’t helped by some of the developments thrown into the book such as a new romance between Fet and Nora, Drug addicted Eph and more importantly his son Zack whose brain washing led me to really disliking him. I basically found myself not caring about any of the characters so their sacrifices and choices didn’t bother or interest me.

Whilst on the whole the characters were a let-down for me I did appreciate the exposure given to the mysterious Mr Quinlan who is revealed here to actually be a son of the Master. Whilst he wasn’t around much in terms in page quantity, this solemn and interesting character has an important role in the overall story and it was nice to see his own personal story revealed here and given some room to shine.

There are also some other nice touches to the book such as the dark, depressing and brutal world that the authors have created. Bleakness and a lack of hope pervade this book and to be honest I am not sure the ending could really be classed as a happy one either. This is then all supported by the Vampire creation story which is finally revealed in this book. I won’t go into much detail here as I don’t want to ruin in for anyone who hasn’t read the book yet but it was an interesting take on the mythology and I enjoyed the way in which it linked into biblical stories.

Overall, whilst I have enjoyed reading this book and the series in general I do think that this book has again highlighted one of the real flaws and that is the characters. They just aren’t engaging enough to carry the slower sections of the story and I think this has really reduced the overall impact of this novel in particular due to its elements of sacrifice. In the end, if you have made it this far in the series then you really should read it if only to see how it all began with the vampire creation story and how it all finally ends.

Star Trek 8 - James Blish

Title: Star Trek 8
Author: James Blish
Genre: Sci-Fi
Published: 1972
Formats: Paperback

Available at:
Amazon
Amazon UK

Review:
“Star Trek 8” by James Blish was the eighth collection of Original Series Star Trek series scripts adapted into short story form. One thing to note is that neither the various collections nor the stories contained are in any sort of chronological order so it has been an interesting experience for me in trying to decide what order I should read them as part of my chronological reading challenge.

This collection includes adaptations of the following episodes:

Spock's Brain (3rd Season)

The Enemy Within (1st Season)

Catspaw (2nd Season)

Where No Man Has Gone Before (1st Season)

Wolf in the Fold (2nd Season)

For the World Is Hollow and I Have Touched the Sky (3rd Season)

As you can see this collection contains 2 stories from each of the 3 original series seasons but I have ended up reading this collection as part of the 2265 period due to the inclusion of the pilot episode, “Where No Man Has Gone Before” which is referenced in several other books from this period.

In all honesty the stories themselves are probably only as good or as bad as they were when shown on the TV screen. There are some really enjoyable stories in this collection such as “Where No Man Has Gone Before” or “Wolf in the Fold” but there are also some real stinkers such as “Spock’s Brain” and “For the World Is Hollow and I Have Touched the Sky”.

One thing I noted is that the novelizations are very straight forward and workmanlike with hardly any added material. In addition Blish has been quite extreme in the way he has rigidly stuck to the scripts which results in very little insight into the characters beyond what is shown in the action and dialogue. Don’t get me wrong, the stories do capture what happened on the screen very well but dedicated fans of the show are unlikely to find anything in the stories to be engaging or suspenseful as there is quite simply nothing new. However, if you are someone who came to love Star Trek via the more modern series and have never really watched the Original Series this this collection does offer an enjoyable diversion and a nice way to quickly experience these classic stories.

Overall, these are very competent adaptions of some Original Series episodes although they are lacking anything new or insightful. I can imagine these were superb back in the days before DVD’s enabling people to watch episodes as many times as they wished but these days I don’t think they mean as much beyond offering a quick way for someone to explore the original episodes without sitting down and watching them.

Salvation (Altered Realities Book 2) - Weston Kincade

Title: Salvation (Altered Realities Book 2)
Author: Weston Kincade
Genre: Fantasy
Published: 2013
Formats: Ebook

Available at:
Amazon
Smashwords
Amazon UK

Review:
"Salvation" is the 2nd novel in Weston Kincade’s Sci-Fi/Fantasy series known as “Altered Realities”. If you haven't read the previous book then I do advise that you avoid reading this review as some of my commentary is likely to include some spoilers due to this novel

Anyway, the story follows on directly from “Invisible Dawn” with Madeline and her colleagues continuing to travel across multiple dimensions in their continued attempt to evade Leodenin, the PASTOR agent that has consistently been on their trail. However, Madeline soon realises that the only real way for them to escape is to take the fight to PASTOR itself and before long a daring plan to strike at the heart of PASTOR is put into motion.

As with the first novel, there is an enjoyable blend of Science Fiction and Fantasy throughout the story with alternate dimensions, vampires and psychic powers all being utilised in an entertaining manner. The fast paced action sequences also really keep the fun factor high which is complemented by some interesting and varied worlds.

I enjoyed the characters that were introduced in the previous novel and Kincade has continued to develop them well in this novel. We get to understand their thoughts and feeling on a deeper level and also get to learn more about them and the various powers they have. This helped ensure that there was a feeling of character growth within the novel as well as action and adventure.

The think I really appreciated with this novel is that Kincade gives us a much better ending than what was seen in “Invisible Dawn”. Yes it is still open ended to an extent but at least the overall story of this book was concluded in a manner which left me satisfied enough but still wanting more which wasn’t something I could say when I finished the previous novel.

Overall, I felt this book continued the enjoyable and action packed story that was started in “Invisible Dawn”. As with its predecessor it was difficult to put down, but this time I felt much more satisfied when I finish the book. If you have read and enjoyed the previous novel then I am happy to say that you shouldn’t be disappointed when you read this.

The Tombs of Atuan (Earthsea Book 2) - Ursula K. Le Guin

Title: The Tombs of Atuan (Earthsea Book 2)
Author: Ursula K. Le Guin
Genre: Fantasy
Published: 1970
Formats: Hardback/Paperback/Ebook

Available at:
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The Book Depository
Amazon UK

Review:
“The Tombs of Atuan” is the second novel in Ursula K. Le Guin's classic YA fantasy series known as the Earthsea cycle. As with the first book in the series I found this novel to be okay but there was nothing that really wowed me within its pages. It did attempt to remedy one of the major issues I had with the first book in regards to trying to cram too much story into too few pages. However, this was done by cutting back the overall scope and adventure of the story rather than by trying to increase the page count which is a bit of a shame.

In regards to the story, it is based around a young priestess who was taken from her family as a child and brought up to serve the nameless ones as head priestess at the Tombs of Atuan. However, when an interloper breaks into the tombs, she finds herself unable to order his death as she should have. Instead, she speaks to the man, discovering he is a wizard from foreign lands and slowly but surely he helps her release the truth about the nameless ones she serves.

As mentioned earlier, the scope of this story is nothing like the epic tale told in the first novel and this has some positives and negatives. For example, it enables Le Guin to really delve into the characters and the world more, I really appreciated the way in which she spent time detailing and describing the places, people and culture around the tombs. However, the feeling of action and adventure was missing, it was much more claustrophobic and cerebral a story which was entertaining enough but it just wasn’t as much fun to read.

Another thing that I am also unsure about is the decision that Le Guin took to move the overall Earthsea story to a different place and viewpoint. Yes, it was an interesting and enjoyable attempt to further explore the world but I would also have enjoyed seeing more development in the life of Sparrowhawk himself. I felt that the relegation of him to a side character who appears in the latter half of the book made it a little bit more difficult to get into the novel than it needed to be.

Overall, it was an interesting and enjoyable enough story that really helped to build a more detailed picture of some aspects of Earthsea. What I would really love to see Le Guin do in in the future is merge this detailed look at characters and world alongside the epic and enjoyable adventure she showed us in the first Earthsea novel. I am going to keep working through the series because either way I am curious to know what type of novel she decided to create next.

The Fall (The Strain Book 2) - Guillermo del Toro & Chuck Hogan

Title: The Fall (The Strain Book 2)
Author: Guillermo del Toro & Chuck Hogan
Genre: Horror
Published: 2010
Formats: Hardback/Paperback/Ebook

Available at:
Amazon
The Book Depository
Amazon UK

Review:
“The Fall” by Guillermo Del Toro and Chuck Hogan is the 2nd book in the Strain trilogy and follows on directly from the first book in the series entitled “The Strain”. If you haven't read the previous book then I do advise that you avoid reading this review as some of my commentary is likely to include some spoilers, especially in relation to the plot.

Eph Goodweather and his human allies are now holed up in New York watching the Master and his brood continue to grow in strength as they turn more people into vampires. The infection has grown so out of control that other groups of vampires have now joined the fight in an attempt to stem the Master’s power. However, there is still some hope for humanity as a fabled book has turned up for auction that may hold secrets that could lead to their salvation. And so Eph, Setrakian and the others must find a way to survive the steadily worsening city but also get a hold of the book, even though the Master himself is also aware of it.

As with the previous book in the series I found “The Fall” to be an enjoyable action packed book that takes look at the darker side of vampires and doesn’t try and sugar coat anything. However, it still didn’t strike me as being very original and it felt at times like Del Toro and Hogan and gone over many other vampire stories and just taken the sections they liked and merged it all together. In addition, the first half of the novel didn’t really add much to the overall narrative and I was worried it was going to fall into the trap of many other middle novels in which we don’t actually get much progression. Luckily the 2nd half of the novel did pick up the pace and I soon found myself really wanting to know what was going to happen next.

One issue I had with the first novel was that it seemed intent on putting vampirism across in a very scientific manner and I found that this didn’t fit in with some elements such as why vampires couldn’t cross bodies of water. This is actually dealt with in this book as the authors opened up the paranormal elements of being a vampire. Therefore the minor issues I had previously disappear now as I am no longer just trying to look at it from a scientific viewpoint.

My opinion on the characters is split, because whilst some of the characters continued to develop and interest me, others just plain got annoying and continue to act like cardboard cut-outs. On the positive front this is Setrakian, the old vampire hunter who we learn even more about and who continues to interest and actually reaches out to the reader on some emotional levels. However, Eph himself continues to be uninteresting and I really couldn’t care much about him at all, he just seems to be lacking charisma. I suppose, perhaps the authors were trying to show the depression that had crept into Eph’s life but it just put me off reading about him.

Overall, whilst the review may seem quite negative in tone, I did still enjoy the book; I just kept thinking it could have been so much more. It is also a book of two halves, the first section really just reiterating what was revealed in “The Strain” before we finally get into the second section and witness the more exciting new adventure. To be honest, if you liked the first novel then you should be at least happy with this instalment in the series as it does continue in the same vein.

No Good Deed (Kelly & Umber Book 1) - Bill Blais

Title: No Good Deed (Kelly & Umber Book 1)
Author: Bill Blais
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Published: 2012
Formats: Ebook

Available at:
Amazon
Smashwords
Amazon UK

Review:
“No Good Deed” by Bill Blais is the first in a series of Urban Fantasy novels entitled the Kelly & Umber series. The story follows Kelly McGinnis, a typical suburban mother who accidently discovering the existence of demons when she interrupts what she initially believes to be a case of police brutality. When she manages to defeat the demon through a fair dose of luck, she begins to wonder if what she saw really happened. However, she soon gets approached by a group of people who have been fighting demons and wish to now offer her a job on their team. And so Kelly embarks on a life in which she must face monsters that she never knew could really exists.

As you can see the plot above sounds pretty standard for an Urban Fantasy novel and on the whole I can’t say it varied too much from what I expected. However, this doesn’t mean it isn’t enjoyable and it doesn’t mean there aren’t some interesting aspects present. For example I really liked the novel’s pacing as it moved along at a good rate and the action packed elements kept me turning the pages to find out what would happen next. In addition, I think Blais has worked hard to detail and describe the various demons, it was nice to see such depth and I found it easy to envision what he was writing about.

Then there is Kelly herself who I really enjoyed reading about because she was one of the more interesting and different elements to the novel. She isn’t the usual young, good looking, popular heroic character that you will see in many other books, instead she is a middle aged, overweight and unfit mother who you would never expect to be out trying to save the world. I just appreciated getting to see a protagonist like this and I can imagine many readers enjoying getting to see someone who may be more like them than many other characters out there.

I did have some issues however, the first of which is the believability of it all. I know that you need to suspend your disbelief when reading speculative fiction but I did find it a little hard to accept that just because Kelly managed to kill a demon a group of skilled, veteran fighting would suddenly believe that she would be good for the team. Then there is her family, who just came across as being a little bit too wonderful and sweet. It felt to me like they had been set up in a way to ensure Kelly could do everything she needed to without an issue. As a parent myself I found it rather unbelievable how easy it was for her to arrange everything she needed too without any real issues.

Overall, as long as you accept the minor believability issues with Kelly’s life and how she gets involved in demon hunting then this is an entertaining urban fantasy novel. Kelly herself is an interesting character that many readers should be able to relate to on some level which helps to enhance the story. The demon hunting team plot line isn’t anything that original but it should still be enjoyable for many fans of the Urban Fantasy genre.

I am Spock - Leonard Nimoy

Title: I am Spock
Author: Leonard Nimoy
Genre: Autobiography
Published: 1995
Formats: Hardback/Paperback

Available at:
Amazon
Amazon UK

Review:
“I am Spock” is an autobiography written by Leonard Nimoy, an actor who is still best known for his portrayal of Spock on Star Trek. It was actually his second autobiography created to showcase a few more stories from his career in addition to trying to dispel the rumour that he hated playing Spock which had been initiated due to the title of his first book, “I am not Spock”.

I have never read that first book but it is made very clear here that he loved playing Spock and feels that whilst he has influenced that character, it in turn has influenced him. In fact there are quite a few internal dialogues contained within the book between Nimoy and Spock which are a nice touch and showcase that whilst they are different, there is a form of love between them.

In regards to the writing itself, it was clever, informative, humorous and entertaining. I really did enjoy it from start to finish but as someone who is interested in Star Trek I suspect I was always going to. As is regular with an autobiography from an actor there is a slight element of self-importance prevalent within the book that needs to be accepted and understood. However, I didn’t find it excessive and I actually enjoyed getting to find about how own thoughts and opinions.

You shouldn’t believe that this book is all about Star Trek however as there is much more to Nimoy than this. He is a talented actor and director in his own right and he tries to cover other aspects of his life in this book. It was particularly interesting to follow the stories about his interactions and involvement with other people and projects in Hollywood. The only thing missing in my opinion would be something about his amazing pop song “The Ballad of Bilbo Baggins” but I suppose we can’t have everything!

One thing to note about the book is that it was written quite a while ago now round about the time he first appeared in The Next Generation. It therefore doesn’t include his appearances in the new movies, Fringe or anything else in his recent resurgence into the acting world. Personally, this is something I would love to see in the future as I really am curious to read about his more recent escapades and his thoughts on how Trek etc. has progressed.

Overall this was a thoroughly enjoyable book that does let the reader learn a little by more about Nimoy and his own thoughts. It can feel a bit one sided in its narrative but as long you accept that this is being told just from one person’s viewpoint it shouldn’t bother you. For any Trek fan this would be an enjoyable read and personally I am now considering picking “I am not Spock” in an attempt to read some of Nimoy’s earlier musings.

Red Planet Blues - Robert J. Sawyer

Title: Red Planet Blues
Author: Robert J. Sawyer
Genre: Mystery/Sci-Fi
Published: 2013
Formats: Hardback/Ebook

Available at:
Amazon
The Book Depository
Amazon UK

Review:
“Red Planet Blues” by Robert Sawyer is slightly different from the more Space Opera styled Science Fiction novels I normally read. The book is an interesting take of the 1940’s era pulp noir detective novel set that has been expanded from his earlier short story entitled “Identify Theft”. It tells the story of a PI named Alex Lomax working on a frontier gold rush styled town on Mars. When Lomax gets involved in a missing android case he can’t anticipate the adventure he is going to embark upon which leads him to unravel a decades old mystery surrounding the location of a mother lode of valuable Martian fossils.

In terms of the story, it was a fun read and the world that Lomax has created was particularly interesting with its gritty, dark feeling and a subtle sense of desperation. It is very soft on the Science Fiction side of things which I think works well alongside the novel’s pulpy feel. Despite this softness, Sawyer does still try and tackle some interesting issues such as souls and how they are affected by the transfer of people’s consciousness into android bodies was nice to see although it isn’t really an original concept.

There are a couple of weak points in the novel, the first of which is linked to the structuring of the plot. The novel feels like a collection of three individual short stories the author has tried to shoehorn together rather than being a well-structured overall story. In addition these three elements all felt very similar, Lomax would investigate a little before initiating some form of action packed chase and stand-off. I would have appreciated seeing a little bit more thought and development being evoked which may have helped avoid the repetitive feeling.

The biggest let down though is in regards to the characters, Sawyer has created an interesting range and he tried to show them in shades of grey rather than being black and white but I just felt that the development was lacking. Too many of them came across as being two-dimensional meaning the chance to really capture them in an interesting and entertaining manner was lost. This just meant that in the end the only character I found myself caring about was an android named Rory-who was endearing despite being somewhat of a stereotype.

Overall, despite the hackneyed plot, repetitive structure and two-dimensional characters I did actually enjoy the story. It was easy to read, fun and I appreciated the pulpy noir style which is something I am not used to reading. Perhaps, if I had read multiple noir detective novels it wouldn’t have had held the same interest but if you are looking for something a bit softer on the Science Fiction front alongside seeing this noir detective style for yourself then you may as well give it a go.

Star Trek: Things Fall Apart (Mere Anarchy Book 1) - Dayton Ward & Kevin Dilmore

Title: Things Fall Apart (Mere Anarchy Book 1)
Author: Dayton Ward & Kevin Dilmore
Genre: Sci-Fi
Published: 2006
Formats: Ebook

Available at:
Amazon
Amazon UK

Review:
“Things Fall Apart” by Dayton Ward and Kevin Dilmore is the first book in a six part Star Trek mini series entitled “Mere Anarchy”. The interesting thing about this series is that the stories were originally released only in ebook format only which seems to have resulted in a shorter length in comparison to other Trek novels.

In this story the readers are introduced to the inhabitants of the planet Mestiko who have been under observation by a small team of Starfleet cultural specialists. However, the future is not looking good for the planet as a rogue pulsar has been detected approaching their star system. The lethal radiation given off by the pulsar is expected to destroy all life on Mestiko. The Federation must therefore decide if it is willing to step in and try to assist when it is limited by the strict definitions of the Prime Directive.

I actually found this to be a thoroughly enjoyable introduction to the series as it expertly sets the stage for future instalments. I liked how the authors have split the narrative between Mestiko’s inhabitants and the crew of the Enterprise. This ensures that as well as getting to see the familiar crew, the readers are able to identify and understand the people on the planet who I suspect we will see more of in the future stories.

One thing I really noticed about this story is that it really did seem to capture the feel of the original series era. I could easily envision this as the same crew witnessed in the episode of “Where No Man Has Gone Before”. I don’t think it offered any new insights into the crew but with the short length of this story I don’t think there was much opportunity and I was more than happy just to witness the crew acting in the manner I expected.

Overall this was a very engaging and enjoyable introduction to the “Mere Anarchy” series that sets the scene admirably and leaves the reader looking forward to the next instalment.

Note: Whilst this story was originally released in ebook format only, a collection of all the Mere Anarchy stories is available in a paperback edition.

Redshirts - John Scalzi

Title: Redshirts
Author: John Scalzi
Genre: Humour/Sci-Fi
Published: 2012
Formats: Hardback/Paperback/Ebook

Available at:
Amazon
The Book Depository
Amazon UK

Review:
"Redshirts" by John Scalzi is an amusing novel which should appeal to anyone who has watched Star Trek and felt sorry for the way in which it is always an extra, or redshirt, that dies when the crew visits a planet. The book has actually been sitting on my shelf for quite a while now but I decided to finally read it as part of the 2013 Eclectic Reader Challenge which required me to read a humorous novel and this book really fit the bill.

The story itself follows the starship Intrepid and its voyage to explore new worlds and new civilizations. However, rather than focusing on the captain and his senior staff, it focuses on Ensign Andrew Dahl and his fellow low-ranked crew members who slowly begin to realise that their fellow Ensigns are dying at an alarming rate. As they dig deeper into this mystery, they uncover an uncomfortable truth that leads them on an unexpected journey through time and space.

At its core this novel could simply be taken as an entertaining spoof of Star Trek in the same vein as Galaxy Quest. However, I think there is more to it than that as it gets quite metaphysical with a link between the voyages of the Intrepid and people in the 21st century writing a Science Fiction TV show. This is further enhanced by the fact that around half the novel is actually made up of some additional codas. These codas further explore the 21st Century world after the crew of the Intrepid have visited and influenced several people.

To be honest, I think it was the Codas that appealed to me the most in this novel. The main story was funny and enjoyable but these Codas added a little bit more variety and depth to the story and I found myself forming much more of a connection with the characters.

The writing itself was probably the weakest element in the novel as it felt very lazy. There was basically little to no descriptive exposition meaning I had no idea how anything looked etc. It was mainly just dialogue which actually began to get on my nerves as I progressed through the story as it was very choppy and got bogged down by the constant use of “X said” and “Y Said” as shown below:

“Blah, Blah, Blah.” Dahl said.
“Blah, Blah, Blah.” Hanson said.
“Blah, Blah, Blah.” Dahl said.
“Blah, Blah, Blah.” Hanson said.

And so on! All I can say is that I am glad I read the book and didn’t pick up the audiobook as this would probably have driven me mad if I was listening to it. I just wish he had tried other ways to bring across conversations instead of always reverting to this format.

Overall, this was an entertaining and enjoyable lampoon of Star Trek with some deeper meaning held within the various Codas. The writing does let the book down in my opinion and this helped to ensure that I never really engaged with the main characters. However, if you are a fan of Star Trek then I am sure there will be something you find in this book that can make you smile.

Star Trek: The Final Reflection - John M. Ford

Title: The Final Reflection
Author: John M. Ford
Genre: Sci-Fi
Published: 1984
Formats: Hardback/Paperback/Ebook

Available at:
Amazon
Amazon UK

Review:
“The Final Reflection” by John M. Ford is a Star Trek novel that I believe is rather unique for the genre. The reason for this is that the core story is quite simply one that could be enjoyed by any fan of Science Fiction, not just those who appreciate Star Trek.

Part of this is due to the fact that the only section of the novel which involves the regular Star Trek characters is a very minor framing story. This framing element basically details Kirk deciding to read a novel entitled “The Final Reflection” which is based on the experiences of Samuel Tagore, a Federation Ambassador to the Klingon Empire. The core of novel is basically this story which is set several decades prior to the events of the original series and follows the life of Krenn, a captain in the Klingon Navy. However, the real aim of the story in my opinion is to use Krenn’s experiences to portray Klingon culture in a deep a meaningful manner.

I honestly don’t believe I can overstate how much I enjoyed this novel. It has a complex and thoughtful plot that kept me fully engrossed in a way I haven’t felt with many other Trek novels. Politics, diplomacy, espionage and action are woven together into an entertaining story that really made me think. In addition the portrayal of Klingon society is quite simply superb and whilst much of it has been contradicted by later TV episodes it is still a well-constructed and believable portrayal. To be honest, I actually think Ford’s portrayal of the Klingons is much more varied and interesting that what we ended up seeing on the various TV series although I did enjoy that portrayal as well.

In regards to the characters, at times it is hard to fully identify with Krenn and his Klingon companions due to Ford’s ability to portray their culture and beliefs as being alien to our own. However, despite this there is still something there that readers can respect and appreciate to the point that the will quickly find themselves supporting them. It was fascinating getting to see the viewpoint from characters that are on the “opposite” side from the Federation etc.

The only comment I can make that could possibly be portrayed as being negative is that there were several points throughout the novel at which I felt I was missing something. Ford’s story is so deep that I had to re-read some sections a few times to catch the meaning and understand everything that was going on. Personally, I quite enjoyed this challenge that I don’t normally get in Trek novels but I am sure some people may not appreciate it.

Overall, this was an excellent novel that probably is one of the finest examples of Trek literature that I have read to date. The story itself is an excellent Science Fiction piece that explores an alien culture and would have been just as enjoyable to read without the Star Trek elements. Whilst much of it has been contradicted by what has come since, I still think it is well worth reading and really highlights the missed opportunities in the late 80’s when books such as this which looked at the wider Trek Universe would no longer be approved.

On the Lips of Children - Mark Matthews

Title: On the Lips of Children
Author: Mark Matthews
Genre: Horror
Published: 2013
Formats: Ebook

Available at:
Amazon
Smashwords
Amazon UK

Review
“On the Lips of Children” by Mark Matthews is a horror novel that actually had shocked me from the first few pages. The story follows Macon and Erin, a couple who are staying at a San Diego hotel with their daughter in preparation for a marathon that Macon intends to take part in the following day. However, when Macon decides to go for a training run he sets in motion a chain of events that will brings both him and his family face to face with evil and cruelty.

I won’t say much more than this as I don’t want to ruin the plot, however the story itself was a thoroughly good read that was well written and well-paced. I had some real moments of unease in regards to some of the events that take place which is something I do look for when reading horror novels. These elements were also well supported by some good atmospheric work by Matthews, there is a real sense of darkness here and the tension and dread is built up and maintained wonderfully.

However, the thing that really works well in this novel is the characters. Whilst the elements of running and tattoos that are core to the main characters thoughts didn’t mean much to me, it didn’t really affect my appreciation for who they were. They still felt like real people to me with their determination to protect their family being really powerful to witness.

A word of warning about the novel however is that some parts are rather gruesome and uncomfortable to read. If you are used to this genre or enjoy some of the more visual horror movies out there then it probably won’t bother you, but if it is new to you then you may find it quite disturbing.

Overall this is a dark and intense story that should keep all horror fans well and truly hooked right up until the end. The back of my mind is still tormented by some of the images portrayed in this book which I think really shows both the impact of the story and the ability of Matthews to write it.

Star Trek: Enterprise (My Brother's Keeper Book 3) - Michael Jan Friedman

Title: Enterprise (My Brother's Keeper Book 3)
Author: Michael Jan Friedman
Genre: Sci-Fi
Published: 1999
Formats: Paperback/Ebook

Available at:
Amazon
Amazon UK

Review:
“Enterprise” is the final book in the “My Brother’s Keeper” trilogy by by Michael Jan Friedman which explores the friendship between James T. Kirk and Gary Mitchell. As with the previous two novels in the series, it utilises a framing story set after the events of the TV episode entitled "Where No Man Has Gone Before" in which Gary Mitchell dies.

The framing story is based around following Kirk’s journey back to Earth where he meets Gary’s parents and decides to tell them the truth about what happened to their son. However, whilst there he ends up thinking over one of his first adventures as captain of the Enterprise in which Gary continues to help shape his career. This flashback follows Kirk and his crew as they finally unravel a mystery that had been building through both the previous novels. What they find is a secret that both the Klingon’s and Federation have kept hidden and will result in Kirk having to work with a Klingon commander named Kang if he is to save the Enterprise.

I initially struggled to get into this book as once again Friedman decided to use a portion of the novel to describe Mitchell’s death. I can’t imagine anyone reading without having picked up the previous novels in the series so don’t understand why he felt the need to subject me to another re-telling of the same story. It doesn’t help that the best telling of Mitchell’s death was in the first novel anyway.

However, once we get past this the novel is actually quite an enjoyable read and I was happy to finally see the conclusion to the mystery that had been progressing in the other novels. There is plenty of action and fun throughout, but in addition there is some character development in regards to Kirk as he tries to learn about accepting everyone’s opinion, not just people he may have known closely in the past so that he can be a great captain.

Another nice little element to story is Friedman’s attempt at trying to explain the physical differences between Klingons in the Original Series and in the Next Generation. This book of course was written prior to the “Enterprise” TV series which gives a different reasoning, but I think that I actually prefer this version.

Overall, this was an enjoyable and entertaining conclusion to the trilogy and I probably found the core story to be the best out of all three novels. There is plenty of action, adventure and excitement packed into this novel in addition to its attempt at exploring Kirk’s growth into a good captain.

The Strain (The Strain Book 1) - Guillermo del Toro & Chuck Hogan

Title: The Strain (The Strain Book 1)
Author: Guillermo del Toro & Chuck Hogan
Genre: Horror
Published: 2009
Formats: Hardback/Paperback/Ebook

Available at:
Amazon
The Book Depository
Amazon UK

Review:
“The Strain” by Guillermo Del Toro and Chuck Hogan is the first novel in a trilogy that will explore their own vision of the vampire genre. This book itself starts with the landing of a Boeing 777 in New York which suddenly stops on the taxi way with all its power off. Upon investigating the aircraft, it is discovered that nearly all the passengers are dead from some unknown cause. When strange things start to occur such as the disappearance of all the bodies from the morgue, the CDC scientist in charge, Dr Eph Goodweather finds himself unable to comprehend what is happening. However, before long a holocaust survivor who has been hunting vampires for decades reveals the truth to Eph and draws him into the fight to try and save mankind.

The novel flowed very well as it started slow and deliberate to set the mood before picking up the pace as the story progressed. I quite simply found the book to be a very quick and easy read that entertained me from start to finish. In addition it was good to see a vampire novel again that actually focused on horror with some rather creepy sections and vampires that are actually being vicious, heartless creatures with no remorse.

I do have a few issues with the vampire premise in the book related to the fact that the authors have tried to create a realistic element to vampirism with the use of a parasite that doesn’t survive under UV light. This is all very well and good, but then I fail to understand why these vampires are then also allergic to silver or why they need to be invited to cross a body of water. These two things don’t really tie up with vampirism being caused by a parasite and in my opinion it slightly spoils the authors’ attempt at giving vampirism a realistic edge.

The biggest let down with the book however is in regards to the characters which is a shame as this meant that what could have been a great book is just a good book. Basically, they all seem very cliché and undeveloped with the main protagonist Eph being very two-dimensional. It almost feels like the book has been written based on an initial TV series outline and there has been no attempt to enhance or build on the character’s basic descriptions.

Overall, this was an enjoyable read that shown the vampire genre could still be mature, intense and dark. I had almost grown to believe that all future vampire novels would be paranormal romance in style. The characters are rather weak, but overall the novel is an entertaining read despite this issue. My final word of warning however is that people should not fall for some of the commentary around this novel which implies it offers a fresh look at vampire stories. Yes it is different to the usual standard we tend to see these days but I don’t think there was anything here that hasn’t been covered in other novels. So feel free to pick up the book and enjoy a vampire novel that tries to embrace its horror roots but don’t go in expecting to see something completely original.

A Star Trek Literary Adventure

Since October 2011 I have been on a mission to try and read every Star Trek novel in chronological order which is now probably the most common reason for visits to my blog.

I therefore decided that this challenge deserved its own blog which I have now just started and is entitled A Star Trek Literary Adventure. So now, people who follows this blog and are only really interested in the Star Trek sections can just read that without the distractions of my other literary delights.

Don't worry though if you enjoy the mix here as I will continue posting the reviews here as well. There is just going to be a specific home for Star Trek related elements and it is going to be several months before I get new reviews on there as I am going to be adding the old reviews first.

So if you want to go give it a gander then feel free, I even set up its own twitter, facebook and google+ site because I really was that bored at lunch time today!

Pirate Latitudes - Michael Crichton

Title: Pirate Latitudes
Author: Michael Crichton
Genre: Historical Adventure
Published: 2009
Formats: Hardback/Paperback/Ebook

Available at:
Amazon
The Book Depository
Amazon UK

Review:
"Pirate Latitudes" is Michael Crichton's final novel and it was released posthumously. I have enjoyed a lot of Crichton's novels so always planned on reading this but as it was a departure from the Science Fiction novels of his that I normally read I never got around to it. However, as I had to read an Adventure novel as part of the 2013 Eclectic Reader Challenge I felt that this was the perfect opportunity to finally get around to reading it.

The story itself is set in the Caribbean during 17th Century and follows the antics of Captain Hunter, a privateer operation out of Port Royal, Jamaica. When Jamaica's governor hears about a Spanish treasure galleon being anchored at a Spanish fortress he enlists Hunter in an quest to attack the supposedly impenetrable fortress and escape with the Spanish treasure. So begins an adventure across the sea in which Hunter and his crew aboard the sloop Cassandra must battle warships, jungle terrain, great storms, cannibals and even the odd sea monster.

I found the book to be a very light and easy read that was very much of the same style as Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean movies. The pace was fast and there was action aplenty as the characters struggled from one issue to another. It really did feel like a Hollywood blockbuster in novel form which is fine if you are just looking for something fun to read but don't got looking for any of Crichton's interesting insights into Humanity and Science in this book as you won't find it. Personally I was thoroughly entertained although I do think the plot suffers from a slight lack of originality due to its comparison with the aforementioned Pirates of the Caribbean movies and the fact that Crichton's death meant it was never fully refined.

One thing that Crichton has done well as usual is in regards to his research into the period and the vivid way in which he has brought it to life in the novel. The world itself feels realistic and I found it incredibly easy to visualize the places and people involved. Crichton also doesn't try and sugar coat anything, the lives of the various characters in the novel are not easy or pleasant as they had to deal with high levels of death, disease and violence.

There is a wide range of characters in the novel and I found them on the whole to be believable and entertaining to follow. What really impressed me though was that I managed to actually keep on top of who everyone was due to Crichton's decision to give everyone, even the minor character's some sort of identifiable trait.

In summary this was a fun and enjoyable read that kept me hooked from start to finish. There are elements of the novel which probably did need refining further but unfortunately this was not possible due to Crichton's death. However I don't think any of that affected my ability to accept the novel for what it was trying to be, a lightweight and entertaining diversion.

Star Trek: The Original Series: From History's Shadow - Dayton Ward

Title: From History's Shadow
Author: Dayton Ward
Genre: Sci-Fi
Published: 2013
Formats: Paperback/Ebook

Available at:
Amazon
The Book Depository
Amazon UK

Review:
Whilst "From History's Shadow" by Dayton Ward is advertised as a Star Trek: The Original Series novel, the novel doesn’t really spend that much time following the crew of the USS Enterprise in the 23rd Century. Instead it focuses on a U.S. Air Force Captain James Wainwright (originally introduced in the DS9 episode: "Little Green Men") and his involvement with the attempts by the US government to investigate UFOs and alien encounters during the latter half of the 20th Century. Don’t get me wrong, we do get to spend time with Kirk, Spock and the rest of the crew but Ward’s real focus has been on trying to explore the Star Trek Universe’s 20th Century.

One thing I really liked about this novel was that it tried to take a serious look at how things would appear from the viewpoint of the contemporary people who are encountering aliens from the future etc. I have always found that the various TV episodes that cover this type of encounter tend more to focus on providing light relief as the viewer gets to laugh at the silly contemporary people worrying about things. However, in this novel due to its focus on Wainwright we actually get to see and understand why people would feel the way they do. None of it seems that silly when you look at it from their viewpoint and this is something that I think Ward has captured well.

Another element of the novel I quite enjoyed was the way in which Ward has managed to link various elements of Trek lore together into a complex and interesting plot. I couldn’t help but smile as I recognised elements taken from various TV episodes that spanned multiple different Star Trek series. Ward doesn’t stop there however; he also tries to merge in real historical events to further enhance the narrative and detail behind it. The overall style was very reminiscent of Greg Cox’s “The Eugenics Wars” series and Ward does state in the acknowledgements that this was intentional. To be honest when I read Cox’s novels I wasn’t particularly fond of his attempt to shoe horn the Eugenics war into our own history. However as "From History's Shadow" is mainly based around government secrets etc. I feel that the link between real events and Trek lore works a lot better in this case.

Unfortunately I do think that this attempt to cram lots of links and detail into the novel did lead to its one flaw. Basically, I felt that it got a little bit too complicated towards the end and if you were not fully knowledgeable on Trek lore then some elements of the story could feel a bit undeveloped due to Ward’s reliance on the reader knowing what had happened on the relevant TV episode. Towards the end of the novel I actually found myself getting rather confused as the jumping around increased and the time travel elements of the story became a major element on the plot. I still enjoyed it myself as I was more than happy to try and work it out in my head but I can easily appreciate how some people may not enjoy trying to wade through the complexity.

In summary I felt that “From History’s Shadow” was a fun and well written book which takes the reader on a journey through our own history as depicted in Star Trek lore. Ward has done a superb job at splicing together multiple Trek episodes into a coherent and interesting story. The only flaw I can really think is that maybe there was too much here, it may have worked better if Wainwright’s story had been spread over more than one novel which would have enabled Ward to actually expand some elements further.