Crazy body takovers? Rape? Issues a little little heavy for lightweight reading like Trek novels.

Predictable, yet interesting story. I wouldn't recommend it for younger readers or abuse survivors, though. Just too dark.

The title sums up this book. It is a mixture of three episodes and as presents a little deja vu to the reader.

Unfortunately, the story has not suspense because the reader knows what is happening as soon as the landing party beams onboard the Enterprise (TM, SM, (c), etc). When you have nothing suspenseful or no surprises to wait for one starts to pay more attention to nit-picking, and here are some that annoyed me.

1. Apparently, the ship has a photographer who uses film plates. Maybe the ship was actually the Love Boat....
2. Sentient beings are categorized as such by whether they have farms.
3. Mr. Scott has a southern accent when agitated.

There are more, but they would spoil the story. The point is, the story isn't horrible it just is a bit boring and predictable.

Try some New Frontier novels instead.

Not to mention enduring. But, with me, who grew up with the Original Series (and am still addicted to both the videos of that series as well as virtually any and all Star Trek Original Series books), this downloadable book was especially satisfying and exciting. Just like other space operas like: "2001", "Rendezvous with Rama", "Childhood's End", "Foundation", "Ringworld", "Advent of the Corps", and so forth.

My head says that this is a very well-written, high quality Star Trek book, a definite five-star rating.

It took well over half the book before it even began to really grab my interest in spite of this; I honestly don't know what was missing, but I found it very difficult to get involved with the story.

Similarly, the romantic interest for Kirk should have been a very moving one; the woman was not his usual casual romance, gorgeous (if you like big hair) and possibly (but not necessarily) intelligent, but certainly not a very strong or interesting person. This woman was more the Edith Keeler type, less than stunning physically, but someone with whom Kirk could really connect.

It just didn't work for me, and I can't figure out why.

So my head insists that this book was, technically, too well-written to be less than a five-star rating; my gut says, "Nah, it was mediocre; give it three stars." So I compromise. And, as with all good compromises, neither side is satisfied.

No offense you guys, but you both gave away a major story twist (one that is rightly only revealed a good ways into the book) without any warning.

This is one of the better Star Trek books I've encountered, though I haven't read many yet. Barbara Hambly has a good sense of plot construction and an eye for interesting detail. She personalizes the crew in her own style while still keeping them in character. I was surprised at how absorbed I became in what had seemed at first to be a rather run-of-the-mill Trek plot.