Don't get me wrong, I should have clarified that I do like political intrigue and conflict and not wholly against it at all. I mean every story ever written has conflict in one form or another. Your response got me thinking about why i'm not engaging with the typhon pact novels. Initially I was pretty excited by the concept of the Typhon Pact. I really enjoyed Zero sum game but didn't enjoy Seize the fire, rough beast of empire or paths of disharmony. I think because of that, I haven't really engaged with the following novels. I don't think it's actually the theme or plotline that has put me off. In the case of Seize the fire it was terrible writing and Rough beasts I didn't enjoy the structure of the book and it felt laboured. I think it's been the quality of some of the books that has me losing interest. I do really want to read The Fall so I think i'm going to do a big trek re-read and see if my opinion changes. Also I do think Aventine does need at least one stand alone book where it puts it's slipstream drive to good use and does some exploring
I'd like to see the Aventine get it's own novel occasionally. If not, regular features in the DS9 based novels would be good, or it could get sent to deliver something to / resupply the Voyager fleet...
Spoiler: Aventine's role in the Voyager novels Ezri: "Hello Admiral, here's your monthly supply of fresh coffee beans." Janeway: "Thank you Captain Dax. See you next month."
I don't know I do like that there is a ever changing universe, but it does make it tough to jump into alot of the series if you havent read all the series. Plus I think there is too much Political stuff going on, that perhaps the exploration gets pushed into the background
yeah 100 percent agreed on the political stuff. It's why i'm looking so forward to the Seekers books coming out next year. "space, the final frontier, these are the voyages of the starship Enterprise, it's continuing mission, to EXPLORE STRANGE NEW WORLDS, to SEEK OUT NEW LIFEFORMS and NEW CIVILIZATIONS, to BOLDLY GO where no one has gone before." Most of the books now, seemed to have forgotten about this mantra that makes star trek, star trek. i mean, yes, the Kirsten Beyer Voyager books have been doing great at that, but the balance isn't there.
As much as I've been enjoying the big political arc, I do agree it would be nice if we got more stand alone exploration stories. Maybe instead of all the TOS books in the beginning of the year, they could give us a combination of TOS, and standalone 24th century in-continuity exploration stories leading up the the big event at the end of the year.