Pathways is one novel that has each character telling their backstories. Some of the stories have been contradicted by canon events on screen but it's still a fun read. As an interesting side note i believe there is a brief reference to a same sex couple which is unusual for Trek.
Tuvok and Neelix make numerous appearances in the novels. Tuvok plays a very big part in one of the most recent novels. Samantha Wildman, her husbad, Vorik, Icheb, Naomi, John Torres, even Axom make prominent appearances.
As a fellow Tom fan i think you HAVE to read The Nanotech Wars
"Pathways" is a good book. It's interesting to read about the different characters background stories.
Unfortunately, there are some contradictions here and there in the stories which I find a bit annoying.
According to the series, Chakotay and his father weren't on good terms when Chakotay's father was killed. Chakotay searched for him in his vision quests but never got any reply until the events in "Tattoo". In the book, Chakotay and his father had made up the last time he visited the colony and he had spoken to him many times in his vision quests.
Paris had a bad relationship to his father and in the series we get the impression that Admiral Paris was something of a house tyrant. In the book, the problems are soothed over and most blame is put on Tom. In fact, in the book we were never told why Tom disliked his father so much.
According to the book B'Elanna's rebellious attitude in youth and at the Starfleet Academy is all about her relationship to her father, who left when B'Elanna was just a small kid. From the series, I got the impression that it had all to do with her Klingon temper.
The relationship with fathers also show up in "Mosaic" where Janeway's biggest issue is her relationship to her father.
In the book, Tom and B'Elanna did seem to know each other from the Maquis where Tom did save B'Elanna from drowning. When they meet in "Caretaker", they obviously don't know each other.
In "Jetrel", when Neelix tells janeway about how Rinax was destroyed, he mention his little brothers. In the book, it's stated that Neelix had three sisters.
I also find it strange that kes should save Jabin's life during a Nistrim attack on the Ogla settlement, considering the rough treatment Jabin was giving her before and after the Nistrim attack.
Despite such oddities, it's good reading. I find Neelix's story the most interesting and Kim's the least interesting.
The main story is a bit weak and predictable. I see it a bit odd that
all the senior officers but Janeway are captured on an alien planet, I mean they could as well have been telling their stories at Sandrine's between pool playing. However the Subu are interesting aliens.
The main story in "Mosaic" is better and more exciting.
) in the world of Voyager books. And there's a reason why: I think these short stories reflect the atmosphere of the show that I love. First of all, the book is "episodic" so to speak so the only thing unifying the stories is that they are in a chronological order, taking us through the seven years. It's not relaunch, it's not reboot - it's Voyager at its best.
