Re: Vanguard: Declassified Review Thread
Ah, here it is.
The thread had fallen onto the second page.
(I'm so annoyed right now; I wrote a review that I was very pleased with, only for my internet connection to momentarily collapse when I clicked the submit button, and obliterate my post. Yet the connection returned literally seconds later. What amazingly bad timing. I'll try again, though it'll feel all clunky this time and the language will be wrong. *mutters quietly*).
Well, I've just finished
Declassified, and I'm pleased to say its of usual
Vanguard quality. I really liked the format; the stories were long enough to feel substantial but short enough to offer a different experience from the usual; it breaks up the pattern of full length novels nicely, and felt refreshing while also being significant in terms of the wider series. That is to say, it wasn't filler, it had important developments and interesting insights into character backstories. Each of the four tales was well-written, and with a good grasp of character; a consistant quality that really helped sell the anthology. Also, I felt each story justified its choice of focus, and I went away quite satisfied with the particular gaps in our knowledge that the authors had chosen to fill. I could also get a sense of what each was about, what the author was doing in terms of basic themes and the nature of the story. And while distinct, they offered a shared vision of the Trek universe and Vanguard in particular.
Not surprising given that this is their series, the four authors all seem to understand fully what makes it work for readers, both in their own tales and how they handle the "Star Trek Vanguard" world in its entirety. Basically, as a reader I felt confident throughout that the authors knew what they were doing, where they were going and what their concept of this series is. They know what makes Vanguard Vanguard. And that really shows through, and makes each story feel significant and sure of itself. Good show.
I'm pretty much repeating myself, so I'll just give a summary: usual
Vanguard quality, all four writers on form, nothing amazing but a strong showing that easily deserves an Above Average vote on the poll. Oh, and the Mack story, set after
Precipice, plays hell with one of the best characters, so...well done there.
PS: And Marco Palmieri had Arkenites, so he gets a "making use of established but underused aliens" point too.
)
