Spoilers VOY: The Eternal Tide by Kirsten Beyer Review Thread

Discussion in 'Trek Literature' started by Sho, Aug 20, 2012.

?

Rate The Eternal Tide.

  1. Outstanding

    85 vote(s)
    47.2%
  2. Above Average

    56 vote(s)
    31.1%
  3. Average

    30 vote(s)
    16.7%
  4. Below Average

    2 vote(s)
    1.1%
  5. Poor

    7 vote(s)
    3.9%
  1. VDCNI

    VDCNI Fleet Captain Fleet Captain

    Joined:
    May 26, 2009
    Location:
    London UK
    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
     
  2. Markonian

    Markonian Fleet Admiral Moderator

    Joined:
    Jun 2, 2012
    Location:
    Derbyshire, UK
    Post consists of heavy spoilers.

    Wall of text coming - sorry. :alienblush:

    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! :bolian:

    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. :devil:

    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! :scream: 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! :guffaw:
     
    Last edited: Aug 29, 2012
  3. Deranged Nasat

    Deranged Nasat Vice Admiral Admiral

    Re: Post consists of heavy spoilers.

    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?

    I prefer the name "New Haakonia". :p;)

    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? ;)

    :lol: 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!
     
  4. Christopher

    Christopher Writer Admiral

    Joined:
    Mar 15, 2001
    Re: Post consists of heavy spoilers.

    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.
     
  5. TerraUnam

    TerraUnam Commander Red Shirt

    Joined:
    Feb 6, 2010
    Location:
    United Earth
    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.
     
  6. Enterpriserules

    Enterpriserules Commodore Commodore

    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.
     
  7. JWolf

    JWolf Commodore Commodore

    Joined:
    Oct 9, 2005
    Location:
    Massachusetts, USA
    Picard was assimilated and what happened at Wolf357 was because of him and yet Starfleet left him as captain.
     
  8. Jim Gamma

    Jim Gamma This space left blank intentionally. Rear Admiral

    Joined:
    Jul 20, 2003
    Location:
    London
    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.
     
  9. Markonian

    Markonian Fleet Admiral Moderator

    Joined:
    Jun 2, 2012
    Location:
    Derbyshire, UK
    Does Tuvok (in the latest Titan novels) know Janeway returned? :confused:
     
  10. Shane Houston

    Shane Houston Commander Red Shirt

    Joined:
    Oct 11, 2009
    Location:
    Louisville Kentucky - 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.
     
  11. Mage

    Mage Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

    Joined:
    Jun 17, 2007
    Just got this in, going in right now!!!
     
  12. Christopher

    Christopher Writer Admiral

    Joined:
    Mar 15, 2001
    Well, naturally it hasn't been addressed, since at least two of the TTN novels set after that event were written before this novel was, and the latest was coming out before it and thus wouldn't have spoiled it. But I don't think there's any reference in those novels to Janeway not being alive. There's also a yearlong gap between Synthesis and Seize the Fire, so there would've been plenty of room for Tuvok to receive and deal with the news "off-camera" between installments.
     
  13. Enterpriserules

    Enterpriserules Commodore Commodore

    Can't wait to see where Voy goes next, Beyer is really rocking this series!

    Anyone know if Kirsten Beyer is online anywhere, twitter, website, facebook?
     
    Last edited: Aug 30, 2012
  14. rahullak

    rahullak Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

    Joined:
    Jun 4, 2009
    ^
    Kirsten Beyer appears and is active in this very BBS, in this forum no less.
     
  15. Markonian

    Markonian Fleet Admiral Moderator

    Joined:
    Jun 2, 2012
    Location:
    Derbyshire, UK
    That's good. Janeway's death had been mentioned as paart of Tuvok's continuing mental descend, so I thought the news would mean a tremendous change for him. Maybe this will be addressed in more detail in the next Titan novel.
     
  16. Enterpriserules

    Enterpriserules Commodore Commodore

    Hopefully the next Titan book will be by a good character writer
     
  17. Ronald Held

    Ronald Held Vice Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Feb 21, 2005
    Location:
    On the USS Sovereign
    I suppose I will have to pay carefully attention to the details of Janeway's resurrection.
     
  18. Enterpriserules

    Enterpriserules Commodore Commodore

    It was handled really well.
     
  19. Mage

    Mage Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

    Joined:
    Jun 17, 2007
    Little side note... Why does this book feel so thin? I mean, it's physically thinner then Raise The Dawn, but has about the same amount of pages. How come? Thinner paper? Different binding technique?
    I know it has nothing to do with the actual story, but I just noticed it and found it interesting.
     
  20. John Clark

    John Clark Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

    Joined:
    Jul 4, 2008
    Location:
    There
    Almost finished it (about 96%) and so far it's been a cracking ride.

    Can't wait for the next one:)