Spoilers TF: The Poisoned Chalice by James Swallow Review Thread

Discussion in 'Trek Literature' started by Sho, Nov 17, 2013.

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Rate The Poisoned Chalice.

  1. Outstanding

    55 vote(s)
    50.0%
  2. Above Average

    49 vote(s)
    44.5%
  3. Average

    5 vote(s)
    4.5%
  4. Below Average

    1 vote(s)
    0.9%
  5. Poor

    0 vote(s)
    0.0%
  1. trash80

    trash80 Commander Red Shirt

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    Re: TF: The Poisoned Chalice by James Swallow Review Thread (Spoilers!

    I'd like for there to be at least one more position between Above Average and outstanding, say "very good". Most books I rate as AA but I like them more than that but I reserve outstanding for books I want to read and read again.
     
  2. Thrawn

    Thrawn Rear Admiral Premium Member

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    Re: TF: The Poisoned Chalice by James Swallow Review Thread (Spoilers!

    Ok, when you see "Poor", think "Terrible". When you see "Below Average", think "Bad". When you see "Average", think "Mediocre". When you see "Above Average" think "Good". When you see "Outstanding" think "Great". And click away.

    It's a rating on a scale from 1 to 5. Make of it what you will.

    And I think, given the ratings page that lists all the books and their polls so far, that changing the way we do polls at this point would be LESS clear (due to problems being commensurate).
     
  3. ToddCam

    ToddCam Fleet Captain Fleet Captain

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    Re: TF: The Poisoned Chalice by James Swallow Review Thread (Spoilers!

    Well, yes, that's what I did already. I understand about the ratings page, so it makes sense not to make waves.
     
  4. James Swallow

    James Swallow Writer Captain

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    Re: TF: The Poisoned Chalice by James Swallow Review Thread (Spoilers!

    Actually, it's a reference to the "cetacean ops" that appear on the TNG Enterprise blueprints...
     
  5. Jakks

    Jakks Lieutenant Commander Red Shirt

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    Re: TF: The Poisoned Chalice by James Swallow Review Thread (Spoilers!


    Pretty much my exact thoughts as well.
     
  6. rfmcdpei

    rfmcdpei Fleet Captain Fleet Captain

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    Re: TF: The Poisoned Chalice by James Swallow Review Thread (Spoilers!

    Where does Nydak II come from? I think it's the Spaceflight Chronology but I haven't found it there.
     
  7. DEWLine

    DEWLine Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    Re: TF: The Poisoned Chalice by James Swallow Review Thread (Spoilers!

    One moment...

    Not seeing it in that book. Will re-read it later in the week...
     
  8. James Swallow

    James Swallow Writer Captain

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    Re: TF: The Poisoned Chalice by James Swallow Review Thread (Spoilers!

    I'm pretty sure I made that one up.
     
  9. Stoek

    Stoek Commander Red Shirt

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    Re: TF: The Poisoned Chalice by James Swallow Review Thread (Spoilers!

    *blinks* Made.... up....?

    Is that allowed? ;-)
     
  10. JWolf

    JWolf Commodore Commodore

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    Re: TF: The Poisoned Chalice by James Swallow Review Thread (Spoilers!

    I have finished and I want to say The Poisoned Chalice is a very good read. I am expecting the last book in The Fall to also be very good.
     
  11. DEWLine

    DEWLine Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    Re: TF: The Poisoned Chalice by James Swallow Review Thread (Spoilers!

    Last I checked, adding previously-unmentioned planets and systems to a fictionalized version of the Milky Way Galaxy was still an option. ;)

    If ever there's a Novelverse-specific update to Star Charts - unlikely as it seems right now - there ought to be a set of disclaimers at the front mentioning "disinformation campaigns targeting threat forces", "new information can be declassified at any time", and so on. This way, when writers bring out new stuff, the previous authors are partway protected. There'll always be complaints of course...
     
  12. DEWLine

    DEWLine Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    Re: TF: The Poisoned Chalice by James Swallow Review Thread (Spoilers!

    Suspected as much. Nydak's probably got a HIPPARCOS or T'Lin's New Catalogue number somewhere. No worries.
     
  13. rfmcdpei

    rfmcdpei Fleet Captain Fleet Captain

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    Re: TF: The Poisoned Chalice by James Swallow Review Thread (Spoilers!

    Ah, OK. If I may ask, what were the Spaceflight Chronology references to?

    (One of the things I liked most about your novel was the way that it expertly--naturalistically--made references to the vast Trek novelverse continuity without hammering readers like myself over the head with them. On re-reading my copy, I amused myself by tracking them down.)
     
  14. James Swallow

    James Swallow Writer Captain

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    Re: TF: The Poisoned Chalice by James Swallow Review Thread (Spoilers!

    Too late to stop us now. :D Moo hoo hah haaa.

    *ahem*

    Hey, thanks. I like to think I use continuity refs in the way I like to read them myself, as part of the flow of a story but not as the reason for it to be.

    And in answer to your question, aside from the fact that I have a deep fanboy love for Spaceflight Chronology, the direct ref is to the painting of the Mann-Class starship on the wall of Riker's office in The Poisoned Chalice. It's the picture on p147 of SC, Rick Sternbach's evocative artwork of the USS Endurance.
     
  15. Freman

    Freman Fleet Captain Fleet Captain

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    Re: TF: The Poisoned Chalice by James Swallow Review Thread (Spoilers!

    So, I've just finished book 1 in The Fall series, and have ordered books 2, 3, and 4. [While I'm waiting for them to arrive, I'm reading Cast No Shadow, which I am enjoying immensely.]

    Since I'm three books away from getting to this one, can somebody please tell me if the Ogawa/Challenger situation from IFM is fixed/referenced, and if so, in what way?
     
  16. Brefugee

    Brefugee No longer living the Irish dream. Premium Member

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    Re: TF: The Poisoned Chalice by James Swallow Review Thread (Spoilers!

    She isn't mentioned.
     
  17. Freman

    Freman Fleet Captain Fleet Captain

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    Re: TF: The Poisoned Chalice by James Swallow Review Thread (Spoilers!

    Really? I just read through this entire thread and have seen mentioned a couple of time that something from IFM is mentioned. If it doesn't have to do with Ogawa, then what is the IFM reference?
     
  18. Avro Arrow

    Avro Arrow Vice Admiral Moderator

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    Re: TF: The Poisoned Chalice by James Swallow Review Thread (Spoilers!

    ^ The details are fleeting, so I might be remembering this incorrectly, but I think it was actually Nog who made a reference to his time on Challenger.
     
  19. Freman

    Freman Fleet Captain Fleet Captain

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    Re: TF: The Poisoned Chalice by James Swallow Review Thread (Spoilers!

    Ah, okay. Too bad they didn't fix the Ogawa thing, too.
     
  20. Brefugee

    Brefugee No longer living the Irish dream. Premium Member

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    Re: TF: The Poisoned Chalice by James Swallow Review Thread (Spoilers!

    What's to "fix?"