Full Circle Review Thread (Spoilers)

[Elemental]

I don't know that that should be taken 100% as a given...They already have Torres boot-scootin' in to join up with her hubby so I don't know that they'll start sending everyone out there. Hopefully they can give him something interesting to do back in the AQ. So far, Voyager had been doing a pretty decent job of working in the many characters into the story despite them being spread out in many different locations. If there's a good story reason for them to head out to the DQ though, I'm all for it.

 

[rahullak]

I'm guessing Seven's expertise will probably be required in the DQ at some point.

 

[JD]

I don't know that that should be taken 100% as a given...

I thought they said point blank at the end of the book that they were going to head out the meet up with the Project Full Circle fleet?

 

[Elemental]

^Who are you talking about? The novel ended with Torres heading out to meet up with Tom. I was responding to a post about whether Chakotay and Seven would be heading to the DQ. Chakotay was left behind so that a more stable captain could head things up and Seven chose to remain on Earth with her aunt and turned down the trip back to the DQ.

 

[JD]

Oh, I must have been thinking of the B'Elanna scene then. I knew it ended with someone deciding to head for the DQ, and I apparently confused B'Elanna with Chakotay and Seven.

 

[Aubergine]

OK, so I skimmed the first few pages of this thread (before it got too spoilery) and now have a question. I'm interested in reading this story -- it's post Destiny, right? -- but just want a little assurance that the quality of the writing is better than the Golden era. I think I got through one post-series Voyager book, but that was all. The writing style did not agree with me.

I was never a huge fan of the TV series itself. I'm one of those hardcore DS9ers and the DS9 post-series books are what got me into TrekLit in the first place. I also have enjoyed a lot of the TNG post-series stuff (A Time To... and most of the post-Nemesis stuff).

Anyone with similar taste to mine have a comment they can throw my way?

 

[DeVario]

I'm also a fan of DS9 and all the DS9-R books. I really enjoyed Full Circle. It's also the first Voyager novel I ever read, I never read the first four books by Golden, but I did read all the synopses of them on Memory Beta before reading this one. It's sort of like two books in one. The first part picks up in 2378 from where the previous VOY-R books ended. The second half gets into the post-NEM/Destiny timeframe (2379-81). I actually enjoyed the second half more, but really the whole novel is good. Beyer has made a VOY-R fan out of me and I'm looking forward to Unworthy.

 

[LightningStorm]

Quality is subjective of course, but Beyer's writing style is VERY different from Golden's so that alone may be enough for you to enjoy it. It seems based on the very negative reviews around here that Golden got, it seems the same folks enjoy this book much more.

As for my opinion: I enjoyed Golden's books, but did enjoy this one MUCH much more.

 

[Aubergine]

Thanks, DeVario and LightningStorm! I think you've sold me. Gonna check this stuff out and report back with my findings.

 

[Elemental]

Quality is subjective of course, but Beyer's writing style is VERY different from Golden's so that alone may be enough for you to enjoy it. It seems based on the very negative reviews around here that Golden got, it seems the same folks enjoy this book much more.

As for my opinion: I enjoyed Golden's books, but did enjoy this one MUCH much more.

My feelings as well.

 

[Paris]

Kirsten Beyer's Full Circle was far superior to Ms. Golden's first four VOY-R books. I'm with Lightningstorm, I liked those four when they came out, but as far as I'm concerned, Ms. Beyer's book was better than all four of them combined. Hope you enjoy it .

 

[T'Ressa Dax]

Beyer's writing is both memorable and worth remembeirng. Golden's really wasn't.

 

[Thrawn]

Yeah. You should totally read Full Circle. It's magnificent.

 

[KimMH]

Beyer's enthusiam and love for Voyager and her crew was more apparent and was contaigious; but it is a bit much to say Golden's work isn't memorable. Every work of Treklit is the result of a lot of hard work and imagination and love and to poke Golden in the eye like this doesn't seem right to me. I was excited that Pocket included Voyager in the relaunch and I greatly enjoyed all of them.

 

[JD]

I quit the Golden VOY-R after only getting about half way through Homecoming, but I loved Full Circle. The story is very well written, and Beyer did an awsome job with all of the characters, both new and old.

 

[Aubergine]

Well, everyone, I took your kind advice and I am very glad I did. Chalk me up as a devotee of this series.

I came in, as I said, as a Niner with affinities toward TNG (I've read all TNG post-Nemesis books as well as the A Time To... series), a Trek fan who never watched Voyager seriously after DS9 went off the air. But this book had me hooked right into the new adventures of Voyager.

Things I especially liked:

• Janeway. I was surprised by her death in Before Dishonor, but honestly I didn't really care that much. This book made me care. The whole thing with her and Chakotay was tragic and made for an excellent story. Throughout the whole book, there was a level of heartwrenching that, for me, never happened on the series, and I happen to like that.

• B'Elanna. I was never a big fan of her on the show, and I find a lot about her character quite problematic on a philosophical/literary level (Tragic Mulatto, much?) but this story was amazing. The scene with Torres and Janeway at the campsite was brilliant.

• As others have mentioned, the tie-in with the A Time To... events surrounding Kahless was brilliant. At the time Kahless was revealed to be hologram, it never occurred to me to ask, "OK, but where did he get the emitter and who made the program?" That the book asked and answered that question was extremely cool and happy-making.

• The elaborate nature of Tom and B'Elanna's deception -- also heartwrenching. And fantastic. This is the kind of thing I came to expect from the DS9 post-series books, and I am thrilled to find it in another place, as well.

• I'm finding it hard not to picture Hugh Laurie as Cambridge.

• I kind of really love that the new captain of Voyager is a brand new character. It's a gutsy choice, but then again, it never seemed really right to have Chakotay fall neatly in line into a by-the-book Starfleet career.

• I loved the idea that Seven is now traumatized because she had a taste of the perfection of the Caeliar gestalt and had it ripped away from her. Very Buffy Season 6, if you ask me, and it works. (I know Ms. Beyer has written Buffy books, so I know she'll get the reference. )

• Getting back to B'Elanna, I really appreciated the way this story has moved her away from the historical literary cliche I mentioned earlier, specifically by having her claim and draw strength from her Klingon heritage. The scene where she honours the dead was quite moving. Plus, I think she and Kahless made a great team.

That's all I have for now. But let me say, both this series and this author have a new devoted fan in me.

 

[DGCatAniSiri]

I loved the idea that Seven is now traumatized because she had a taste of the perfection of the Caeliar gestalt and had it ripped away from her. Very Buffy Season 6, if you ask me, and it works. (I know Ms. Beyer has written Buffy books, so I know she'll get the reference. )

You have now caused me to picture Seven singing the 'I think I was in heaven' line from 'Once More With Feeling,' which has made me giggle madly. You win internet cookies for that.

 

[Aubergine]

I loved the idea that Seven is now traumatized because she had a taste of the perfection of the Caeliar gestalt and had it ripped away from her. Very Buffy Season 6, if you ask me, and it works. (I know Ms. Beyer has written Buffy books, so I know she'll get the reference. )

You have now caused me to picture Seven singing the 'I think I was in heaven' line from 'Once More With Feeling,' which has made me giggle madly. You win internet cookies for that.

Hee. In that case, does that make Chakotay Xander? (Thinking about it, he seems to be taking on a more Gilesy role...)

 

[Kirsten Beyer]

^It definitely does not make Chakotay Xander.

Thanks for your kind words. I'm glad so much of the story worked for you. And yes, I did get the Buffy reference right away.

I hope everyone enjoys Unworthy in a few weeks.

Best,
Kirsten

 

[William Leisner]

I take it from the avatar that congratulations are now in order, Kirsten?