VOY: The Eternal Tide by Kirsten Beyer Review Thread (Spoilers!)

[JWolf]

JD wrote:

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Just wanted to remind everyone who reads the digital versions that they are available today.

Already have my ePub. So I'm good to go.

[Deranged Nasat]

Mine arrived literally two minutes ago. I've got to go out in a few hours, but let's see if I can get through a fair chunk of it before then.

[Jim Gamma]

OK, got it, read it, and... frankly I'm underwhelmed. Don't get me wrong - the story is tightly written, well-scripted, and thoroughly consistent internally and with the rest of Trek Lit. I liked the nods to canon and fanon throughout, and I loved what I took to be a commentary on what went wrong with the series of Voyager.

(I can't seem to get spoiler-code to work... any help?) (EDIT: Thanks Christopher!)

So we aren't altering the timeline? Is that a record for us? - Chakotay (or words to that effect

What I didn't like is the actual path taken by the characters, and this needs to be in spoiler code.

Afsarah Eden's 'transformation' and subsequent destruction just seemed like a step too far, as did the use of Q Junior as a counter to Eden. What I mean is, this is the second fleet commander to be "not what he/she appears to be", and this time it's not even just an Undine infiltrator - it's a whole other continuum! This just seemed to come from nowhere - yes, there were hints that Eden was special, and OK, the anomalies were interesting, but something could have been done with them that didn't require them to be universe-ending (or indeed multiverse-ending) cataclysms. Personally? I was hoping they'd be rips in the fabric of spacetime caused by meddling with the timeline, which Janeway had to tidy up before time became meaningless.

I loved most of the plot, and I can't wait to see where Ms Beyer is going next with this. I doubt Starfleet will just plop Janeway in charge of the fleet - from her perspective, she's just gone through the major trauma of assimilation, and she's got to deal with the loss of billions of people, as well as the fallout from this event. They'll want to put her through batteries of tests and counselling sessions before they let her anywhere near the centre chair... or at least, I would, if I were them.

One last thought...

We only got a little snapshot of Riley's people. I can't see any reason to put that in there for the purposes of this story... so I'm guessing it's foreshadowing something to come later in the novel line? Please?

[Christopher]

^In the opening brackets, you have to put an equals sign after the word "spoiler" and then (optionally) add a description for what the spoiler is about. Or you can use the advanced editing window and click on the icon to the far right that has a yellow emoticon face with an X for a mouth.

[zarkon]

Although due to the title spoilers are assumed in this thread anway.

[VDCNI]

Jim Gamma wrote:

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One last thought...

We only got a little snapshot of Riley's people. I can't see any reason to put that in there for the purposes of this story... so I'm guessing it's foreshadowing something to come later in the novel line? Please?

Personally I felt that

The Riley storyline was a way to wrap up the Borg/Caeliar part of the ongoing storyline and leave the books free to ignore it going forward. Otherwise it did stick out as little more than giving Voyager something to do while the action was going on elsewhere

[Markonian]

Wall of text coming - sorry.

Greetings,

I've just completed reading The Eternal Tide. Fortunately, I went into it unspoilered, so I didn't know who would live and who would take a leave of absence.

Personally, I wanted Janeway back and I fully trusted Kirsten's talents to bring that about not just for the sake of it, but as part of a meaningful story. Mission accomplished. We even got so see Kes again, wow!

Concerning nods to canon, I was positively surprised to see Amanda Rogers again. Where was she in the Q Civil War, by the way? Sounded like she missed it. However, I regret her premature and unceremonious demise. I wonder, did only the Q forget her existence? No mortal asked a database about her, so we don't know whether the events of True Q took place or were erased.

The return of the Borg Cooperative was a nice foray into territory familiar from the TV series. Like Nocona/Nacona, the Tarkan/Tarkon decided to exchange a syllable in their designation. I wonder which spelling would take precedence in a Memory Beta article? There ships were unusual and cool and made me think: "Yeah, why should the Tholians be the only ones capable of inventing energy webs?"

Thinking further, there are some questions worthwhile to contemplate: Is Starfleet going to revisit Arehaz? Riley's remainders consist of 47 people only - which is an awfully small gene pool.

Also, with QSD Neelix may be able to visit Talax, although that is of low priority to him, his people and Starfleet. This, it's a possibility. There's also a Human colony tailor-made for joining the Federation, just sitting there in space to be picked.

On the novel itself: External action and character interactions mesh organically. The personal relationships are compelling to read and never come across as 'soap box'. These allowed to take a deep breath and remind myself: "Yeah, there's a universe-shattering crisis, but we got all these beloved characters back on the right ship, see them working together, living together. Good new days!"

The loss of so many ships was devastating. I hope Mr Rademaker finds time to finish his designs for the fleet before Voyager becomes sole survivor. Oh my gosh, I can't believe the Quirinal is really gone! It's shocking! And for charming young Captain Parimon Dasht, I had Jesse Williams in mind. Too bad he didn't have a big mission to shine (or rip his shirt apart for whatever reason ). Of course, Star Trek being science fiction, not even death is permanent.

Btw, I am also super-happy to have Icheb back aboard and Naomi confirmed continuing her training.

Now that they are a pair, Kathryn and Chakotay should marry and have children (Shannon Sekaya Janeway, anyone? ). Even cooler: Chakotay takes 'Janeway' as last name, becoming Chakotay Janeway - because then, Voyager would be commanded by... Captain Janeway!

[Deranged Nasat]

Markonian wrote:

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Concerning nods to canon, I was positively surprised to see Amanda Rogers again. Where was she in the Q Civil War, by the way?

I remember her showing up in the Selar story in ''No Limits'' (which features Selar dropping into the Q Civil War so she can meet Lady Q and they can give us a big Suzie Plakson-shaped wink). I don't think her role was important as such, I think it was just to casually answer the same question you asked - where's Amanda in all of this?

Markonian wrote:

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Also, with QSD Neelix may be able to visit Talax

I prefer the name "New Haakonia".

On the serious side, I would like to learn more about the Talax-Haakonia conflict. I can't recall if Jetrel or another episode gave us any insight into the cause of the war, but it was implied in some of the RPG material that the Haakonians wanted control over the trade lanes and that Talax was both a competitor they wanted shoved aside and an established economic nexus they wanted to control themselves. In this telling, the basis of the war was essentially Haakonia's desire to muscle in on Talax's position, and usurp its standing in local affairs (or at least push them off the top). The Star Trek Star Charts, though, gives the Haakonian Order a whole mass of territory and (to me at least) implies that they're an empire who expand for the sake of expansion. Talax appears here as just one of many systems subject to Haakonian control. I'd like to see what the "Novel 'Verse" approach would be.

All that said, I don't know if a visit to Talax would hold that much appeal to Neelix. I think he and his fellows have moved on - maybe they'll get nostalgic given time, but for now it seems to me that they're looking to the future and have long let Talax go. It's the past, and they've made a new life - one they're apparently proud of. Brax is the only one who seemed to look Talax-way, and I imagine that's because to him it's a land from a story, the home that offers an idea of stability and belonging, which a child enduring multiple upheavals would keenly feel the absence of.

It might be interesting, though, to see how Neelix would react if the opportunity ever arose to see his species' homeworld again.

I'm still wondering how Talaxians managed to get to the other side of the quadrant. My bet would be Vaadwaur Subspace Corridors, which we know reach Talaxian space. Any takers?

Markonian wrote:

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Even cooler: Chakotay takes 'Janeway' as last name, becoming Chakotay Janeway - because then, Voyager would be commanded by... Captain Janeway!

I like the way you think, Markonian. The more "Captain Janeways", the merrier!

I'll have my own "wall of text" up tomorrow, I think. Be warned!

[Christopher]

Deranged Nasat wrote:

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I'm still wondering how Talaxians managed to get to the other side of the quadrant. My bet would be Vaadwaur Subspace Corridors, which we know reach Talaxian space. Any takers?

Forgetful writers.

Although, yeah, the subspace corridors are the handiest explanation, though it raises the question of how they got past the Turei. Another possibility is the Sikarian trajector from "Prime Factors" -- the Talaxian colony is about 40,000 light years from Talaxian/Sikarian space, which just happens to be the trajector's maximum range.

[TerraUnam]

VDCNI wrote:

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Personally I felt that

The Riley storyline was a way to wrap up the Borg/Caeliar part of the ongoing storyline and leave the books free to ignore it going forward. Otherwise it did stick out as little more than giving Voyager something to do while the action was going on elsewhere

On the contrary, the fact that Borg space lives with a post-Caeliar reality, with many loose ends, is a plot setup. Where the Caeliar went is still an open mystery. We have indications across several books that they went to the Delta Quadrant, Seven believes they left the Galaxy completely (contradicted in Destiny which indicates the Milky Way is Caeliar-friendly), so "Where are the Caeliar?" remains an open point. We'll see this again.

I think that the next Voyager book will pick up on this story.

[Enterpriserules]

After the atrocious mess that was the recent Titan book, this was like a light summer breeze in a beautiful mountain meadow. This is one of the best Trek books that I have read. Breyer has been planting the seeds of this in her previous books and then uses the vast Trek lore to craft a magnificent story. Everything works and clicks in this book. Having Janeway back is amazing. Beyer writes the return with such tact and grace I cannot over compliment her enough. This is story weaving at its best. Along with DRGIII latest DS9 books this has been the most fulfilling Trek read in ages.

[JWolf]

Jim Gamma wrote:

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I loved most of the plot, and I can't wait to see where Ms Beyer is going next with this. I doubt Starfleet will just plop Janeway in charge of the fleet - from her perspective, she's just gone through the major trauma of assimilation, and she's got to deal with the loss of billions of people, as well as the fallout from this event. They'll want to put her through batteries of tests and counselling sessions before they let her anywhere near the centre chair... or at least, I would, if I were them.

Picard was assimilated and what happened at Wolf357 was because of him and yet Starfleet left him as captain.

[Jim Gamma]

Yes, in charge of one ship, with backup in easy reach, and only after some downtime at home ("Family", IIRC). Not in charge of multiple ships 30000 light years from home, having just jumped 14 months into the future avoiding her death by namoseconds and being told that much of the Federation is in tatters. Not after jumping straight into another multiverse-shattering event.
Starfleet might well keep her in charge, but only after she has some downtime and psychological evaluation.

[Markonian]

Does Tuvok (in the latest Titan novels) know Janeway returned?

[Halliwell]

The last two days I've read Children of the Storm and Eternal Tide back to back, both for the first time. All I can say is what an amazing ride.

Thanks Kirsten for making it happen.