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Liked It “One of my favorite books ever. I love Uhura and the characters in this book. Tail-Kinker is such a great character and I really wish she had been expanded on in another book after she had left.” see full review » see other reviews » |
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“One of my favorite books ever. I love Uhura and the characters in this book. Tail-Kinker is such a great character and I really wish she had been expanded on in another book after she had left. ”
Nicholas H wrote this review Monday, September 21 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“Perhaps the best Star Trek Novel ever written!!!!”
Kolan wrote this review Wednesday, March 25 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No“This was the only Star Trek book I read, but I really enjoyed it. After having watched the series and seeing Uhura in the background it was nice to have her take the lead role. And I really really enjoyed the cat-people.”
Rebel26 wrote this review Wednesday, January 30 2008. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“This book started out well. Most of the book read quite well. The chacters, both female and male, both Enterprise crew and Cat species, were strong and three-dementional. The alien cultures were complex. The author really drew me into their world and the story. The plot was intriguing. The author's writing style was quite readable without being too simplistic or "dumbed down". She generally followed the old fiction-writing rule of "show, don't tell".
Marguerite E. W wrote this review Wednesday, November 28 2007. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
This should have been one of the best of the novels based on the original "Star Trek" series. Instead, to me at least, the book turned out to be a major disappointment.
Before I go into my reasons, let me give you a summery of the plot.
The basic story fastenating cat species dying of a mysterious illness. After listening to some of cat people's native folk songs, Uhura is convenced that the cat people are not native to the planet and, hoping to find a cure, convences Captain Kirk to seek out the planet of origen for the cat people.
It turns out that the cat people's ancestors, indeed from another planet, have a completely different culture that is, surprisingly, fairly primative compared to their technologically-advanced cousins. Certainly, there was no evidence of space-travel technology.
Throughout the book, the female characters, both from the Enterprise, and from the cat people, broke through the traditions of the original "Star Trek" series and the time in which the book was writen, and were strong, complex, and participated equally with the male characters. (As a side note, Uhura and other female characters often came off as stronger in some of the novels than in the original series.) Also, breaking the tradition of "Star Trek", the Enterprise/Federation did not dominate the story, but pretty much participated equally with the Cat People to create a solution.
So, what went wrong?
In my opinion, the book should have ended over thirty pages before it did, when the story was really concluded.
I tend to extremely irritated with authors who don't know when to end their books and bore you to death in the last few pages.
I certainly understand the need to wrap things up. One can certainly end a story too abruptly.
I certainly wanted to see what happened when the two cat people reunited. However, that part was glossed over. All I can remember is that the first Cat People were rather snobbish about usine their prehinsile tail, and the Cat People ancestors couldn't understand why when they used their all the time. But, instead of using a scene or two with specific characters to make this point, the author told rather than showed what happened in a couple of paragraphs.
If only that was the only problem with the end of the book
Unfortunately, what happened in this book went far beyond just that the author didn't know when to set down the pen and mail the manuscript.
To me, the final (and unnecessary) chapters literally ripped apart the previous plot, Thehe main female cat character was suddenly changed from an intelligent person to a stuttering idiot. Suddenly, the original idea to search or the original Cat planet was Spock's idea. He just got Uhura to go along because Kirk would listen if the idea came from her, not him. (Since when?) Another character strong woman character was discovered to be a spirit that could be either male or female.
Not only that but the writing didn't even seem to follow the author's style of the rest of the book. It seemed rushed and forced. If I didn't know better, the last part was written by another author.
Was the author trying to write an ending that met with the "Star Trek" "rules" that the Federation/Enterprise characters always not only winning but dominating the story instead of working together with other cultures, or that male characters generally dominate, instead of working together with female characters?
I don't know.
All I know is that the book's conclusion did not fit at all with the rest of the book. There were no hints or foreshadows in the rest of the book to support the ending. The actual story, as I said, actually resolved thirty or more pages earlier.
As a person that primarily reads mysteries, I know that is unfair to add a solution or a character or a motive that is not hinted and foreshadowed throughout the book. It makes for an ending that fits uncomfortably if at all.
I guess thas applies to all genres of fiction.
All I know is that I ended up wanting to throw the book across the room in frustration.
”
“One of the all-time best Star Trek books!! I know I've read this one over and over many times, and I love it even more each time!”
Charitypink wrote this review Wednesday, August 15 2007. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“One of the best of the original series and stars Uhura which is rare in the older series”
Montereysuzy wrote this review Thursday, July 26 2007. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
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