Re: Vanguard: Declassified Review Thread ^ Thanks for the review! I'm especially pleased to see how much you enjoyed "The Stars Look Down."
Re: Vanguard: Declassified Review Thread Just finsished reading the last story early this morning. I really enjoyed all of the stories in this one, but the last one was my favorite. I voted outstanding.
Re: Vanguard: Declassified Review Thread I've read all but the last story (yeah, I *know* I bought it at Shore Leave, but... I've been busy!) and have really enjoyed it. In fact, I wish Marco's story had been a bit longer... I felt the bits taking place on the colony were rushed and could have easily been further developed. Overall, I've loved the Vanguard series. It's the book series I recommend to my Trek friends who are skeptical about the book series. They're afraid of too many shallow stories full of technobabble, and I'm happy to point them towards something that is exceedingly character driven and messy. Karen
Re: Vanguard: Declassified Review Thread ^ Well, it's good the finale is coming out so soon, then. By the time you finish reading "The Stars Look Down," you'll be able to roll right into What Judgments Come, and by the time you finish that, Storming Heaven should be out. Enjoy!
Re: Vanguard: Declassified Review Thread The "Vanguard" books are awesome! I have devoured each one in less than a week. This is the best series in Trek literature right now. Maybe of all time. Looking forward to "Storming Heaven" on March 27th I'm sure I won't be dissapointed. Too bad it is the last installment. What's next Mr. Mack?
Re: Vanguard: Declassified Review Thread Mr. Mack's got a TNG trilogy coming toward the end of this year, to coincide with the 25th anniversary of that show. I've finally finished Harbinger the other day; letting it simmer in my head a bit now before opening a review thread with a poll ...
Re: Vanguard: Declassified Review Thread Cool, thanks Sho! I actually just read this same info in another thread
I was initially quite hesitant to pick up STAR TREK: VANGUARD: DECLASSIFIED because it's rare that short stories or novellas ever have anything relevant to contribute to ongoing series. This proved not to be the case with Declassified as some of my all time favorite stories of the setting are included within here. There's also quite a few massive changes to the characters within. "Almost Tomorrow" by Dayton Ward tells the story about how T'Prinn and Anna began their relationship. It was a bit sudden for me but I really think of them as one of my all-time favorite Star Trek couples. Unfortunately, they never got a chance to stand out in the sun due to the fact it was a couple made to have a tragic ending. A shame. I liked the budding relationship between Diego and Desai, though I would have been interested in more references to the torch he was carrying for his anti-Federation ESPER wife. "Hard News" by Kevin Dilmore is probably my favorite of the stories in this book as it follows my favorite character of Tim Pennington. Pennington has a lot of horrible qualities, being a shameless sex hound and a cheater, but he's a great newsman. Here, he takes on a protege and the story ends in a manner that I did not see coming. Spoiler The death of his apprentice, Amity, was a real shock and I have to say made the story all the stronger. Tim basically let himself be entranced by her that he didn't really stop to think how deep she was getting in all this. "The Ruins of Noble Men" by Marco Palmieri is probably one of the best Klingon stories ever written (and I'm a huge fan of Klingons). It's about the incompatibility of the Klingon honor code with the Federation but also the fact the latter isn't always all that honorable themselves. The Federation tries to understand both the Klingons and Arkenites (a very Lawful species) but fails on both counts. A really good use of Chancellor Gorkon and, weirdly, I think he was genuinely impressed by what happened. The murder mystery ended in a way that left me a bit iffy but then again, I hate the colonists in the Rift and think they're all jerks. Team Starfleet 4 Ever. Spoiler Reyes and Gorkon's history was alluded to but it was the bit where he rescues the latter's son, hoping to score some points, only for Gorkon to kill him that makes it perfect. The fact Gorkon probably does respect Reyes for it is undoubtedly lost on the commodore. "The Stars Look Down" by David Mack is something I'm a bit iffier on. While I commented on how T'Prinn and Anna's affair was cut nastily short, I feel like that's something that happens to a lot of female love interests (gay or straight) in fiction. It's often used to send their male colleagues into roaring rampages of revenge or angst. I was actually surprised that a character was involved with another character too since I took it to be genuinely rebuffed in previous volumes. Dramatic but I felt a waste in some ways. Alternatively, it was very affecting and the sheer tragedy of it is making me upset. Spoiler Yes, can you tell I'm upset by her death? Also, the loss of all that redemption by Cervantes. Then again, I know plenty of people who do relapse into alcoholism--probably why it hit so hard. Solid piece of Star Trek fiction and one that I felt made the world of Vanguard come alive just a bit more. 4.5/5
I like Reyes being the Captain of the Dauntless. It means my Bridge Commander character is following in his tradition.