Star Trek: Discovery: Drastic Measures - Dayton Ward

Title: Drastic Measures
Author: Dayton Ward
Genre: Science-Fiction
Published: 2018
Formats: Paperback/Ebook

Available at:
Amazon
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Review:
“Drastic Measures” by Dayton Ward is the second Star Trek: Discovery novel that has been released. The story actually takes place many years prior to the Discovery series but does feature two of its main characters, Gabriel Lorca and Philippa Georgiou. These two Starfleet officers get involved in events as they unfold on the planet Tarsus IV which is suffering from a fungal plague that is ravaging the colony food supplies. Fans of Star Trek should of course be aware of what unfolds on Tarsus IV regarding the colony Governor, Kodos and his decision to murder 4000 colonists in a misguided attempt to save the rest. The novel shows us these events and the aftermath of how Starfleet attempts to hunt him down.

Whilst the events on Tarsus IV have been covered various times in the past it was still interesting to read this latest attempt at taking what we know from the Original Series and bringing it all together. Of course, most readers will know how the overall plot ends but it was still a satisfying read with enough twists to keep me entertained. A particular point which I appreciated was the attempt which Ward makes to provide some insight into the thoughts of Kodos himself and how those around him came to rationalise what they were doing.

In regards to the characters, the portrayals were generally acceptable. It is difficult to really compare Lorca to what we saw on the TV screen as this is the Prime Universe version which we don’t really know that much about. However, his rather stiff persona and stifled emotions, supported by loyalty to his colleagues did seem to work. In regards to Georgiou, well her heroism is quite clear but I didn’t see much of her humour or playfulness on show during the novel. The only other character to comment on is the young Jim Kirk who unsurprisingly makes an appearance and is just as brave as you would expect when you know who he grows up to be.

Overall, I thought the story was well-written and undertook an interesting exploration of an important piece of Trek lore. In all honesty, I am not sure this was really a Discovery novel as it felt more like a prequel to the Original Series and the author has just used two Discovery characters in order to link the two. This isn’t really an issue but readers should be aware that due to this there isn’t any real expansion on what we know about the Discovery and its crew.