New Amazon descriptions: Open Secrests, Troublesome Minds, and LTP

[JD]

I know these aren't always accurate, but just in case, I thought I'd post these new descriptions that I found on Amazon.

Losing the Peace:

Fortune has smiled on Lieutenant Jasminder Choudhury, chief of security on the USS Enterprise. She has survived. But her homeworld, Deneva, one of the planets targeted in the massive Borg invasion, has not. The entire surface has been wiped clean, killing anyone who was not evacuated in time and rendering the planet uninhabitable. She does not even know whether her family is among the displaced -- or are they gone forever? All across the galaxy similar stories are being repeated. Hundreds of thousands of refugees haunt the spaceways, seeking comfort, looking for some place safe, somewhere, anywhere to find solace. For the first time in generations, citizens of the Federation know want, uncertainty and fear. Bloodied yet unbowed, the Federation stands on the edge of a precipice. As he battles to rescue the displaced and the desperate, Captain Jean-Luc Picard is forced to wonder if those who can win a war well can rarely make a good peace.

Hmm, sounds like we might get to see even more of the aftermath of the Borg invasion here. I have to admit I am very interested. Especially if the actual book does focus this much on Jasminder. Would anyone be willing to say where in the timeline this takes place in relation to A Singular Destiny?

Troublesome Minds

First contact becomes an interstellar incident when the Starship Enterprise responds to a distress call from an unknown ship and saves the life of a man left to die by his own people. Berlis, a member of a telepathic species calling themselves the Isitri, claims not to know why those from his homeworld would want him dead. Captain James T. Kirk wants to believe him, but the damage is done: the Enterprise can neither leave the stranger to die nor turn him over to those who would kill him. Berlis seems harmless, but his people say he cannot live among them: his telepathy is so strong that their wills are subsumed to his. The same fear that compels the Isitri to seek the death of one of their own drives the neighbouring Odib people towards genocide. For every time an 'alpha mind' dominates the Isitri, the Odib pay the price in their own blood. With Spock becoming erratic under Berlis's influence, and the Isitri begging Kirk to allow them to destroy the man who threatens their existence, matters take a disastrous turn when Berlis makes his way back to Isitra -- and an entire world falls to his whims.

Very interesting. I wasn't sure if I was gonna get this one, but after this description I definitely will be. This is during the 5 year mission right?

Open Secrets

Open Secrets is the fourth instalment of the compelling new Vanguard series, which returns to the original Star Trek era, but with an entirely new perspective. These novels run parallel to Captain Kirk's original five-year misson, but feature all-original characters who uncover the hidden secrets and flesh-out the complex relationships between the allies and enemies first featured in the original Star Trek series. Open Secrets begins on a space station in the vast and remote region of space known as Taurus Reach. A new commander has taken control of Starbase 47 while his predecessor stands trial for treason. Meanwhile, the station's intelligence officer fights for her life and her very mind, while the ever-present tension with the Klingons escalates into all-out war. Building upon the drama of its Vanguard predecessor, Open Secrets uncovers new truths and features all-new characters to offer a completely new take on the classic Star Trek era.

This is the one I question the most, since it seems to be more of an introduction to the series, rather than a description of this book. But what little it does say has me very anxious.
There is also a description up for NF: Treason, but it's the same one we've already seen which talks about a three year jump and the Excal being in the Andromeda Galaxy(WTF?)
So authors, any comments?

 

[William Leisner]

I know these aren't always accurate, but just in case, I thought I'd post these new descriptions that I found on Amazon.

Losing the Peace:

Fortune has smiled on Lieutenant Jasminder Choudhury, chief of security on the USS Enterprise. She has survived. But her homeworld, Deneva, one of the planets targeted in the massive Borg invasion, has not. The entire surface has been wiped clean, killing anyone who was not evacuated in time and rendering the planet uninhabitable. She does not even know whether her family is among the displaced -- or are they gone forever? All across the galaxy similar stories are being repeated. Hundreds of thousands of refugees haunt the spaceways, seeking comfort, looking for some place safe, somewhere, anywhere to find solace. For the first time in generations, citizens of the Federation know want, uncertainty and fear. Bloodied yet unbowed, the Federation stands on the edge of a precipice. As he battles to rescue the displaced and the desperate, Captain Jean-Luc Picard is forced to wonder if those who can win a war well can rarely make a good peace.

Hmm, sounds like we might get to see even more of the aftermath of the Borg invasion here. I have to admit I am very interested. Especially if the actual book does focus this much on Jasminder. Would anyone be willing to say where in the timeline this takes place in relation to A Singular Destiny?

Huh. Well, it's better than the previous description, which was actually for Slings and Arrows. Except for that last line: "As he battles to rescue the displaced and the desperate, Captain Jean-Luc Picard is forced to wonder if those who can win a war well can rarely make a good peace." Uh, what?

And no, the book does not focus as heavily on Jasminder as this seems to imply. She gets her time in the spotlight, but I tried to spread the love around to all the crew.

And, LTP mostly takes place before ASD -- and no, that does not mean you should put off reading ASD until after reading LTP.

 

[Dayton Ward]

So authors, any comments?

That's not the back cover copy for Open Secrets, but likely some kind of "stop gap" copy done up for the solicitation catalogue some time back.

This is the actual copy:

The Taurus Reach is in turmoil.

With tensions mounting between the Federation and the Klingon Empire, Ambassador Jetanien works frantically on Starbase Vanguard to halt the escalation toward war. Commodore Diego Reyes, the station's former commander, awaits trial for treason, while the shattered mind of his intelligence officer, T'Prynn, becomes the battlefield in a fight for her very life.

But even as matters deteriorate, the discoveries made in the Taurus Reach have attracted one of the Federation's most promising scientific minds: Dr. Carol Marcus believes she is close to solving a puzzle that will transform her life's work. Meanwhile, an unexpected defection brings a new perspective to the investigation, and Vanguard's Lieutenant Ming Xiong is confronted with an artifact that could be the key to decoding the Taurus Meta-Genome.

With Operation: Vanguard teetering between its greatest breakthrough and a conflict that could engulf two quadrants, its future may depend on the man Starfleet has selected to replace Reyes as base commander: Admiral Heihachiro Nogura.

 

[Stevil2001]

NOGURA!

Now there's gratuitous continuity I can get behind.

 

[Thrawn]

Nogura! Sweet!

 

[Turtletrekker]

NOGURA!

Now there's gratuitous continuity I can get behind.

Agreed.

With tensions mounting between the Federation and the Klingon Empire, Ambassador Jetanien works frantically on Starbase Vanguard to halt the escalation toward war.

Didn't I just read this book? No, wait, that was Errand of Fury book three.

Actually, it will be really cool seeing Vanguard's view of the events of the Errand of Mercy timeframe. Also, it's cool (although probably coincidental) that the timeframes of upcoming Vanguard and recent TOS releases are in synch.

 

[PaulSimpson]

Nogura! Sweet!

and what's more, he features in the excerpt from Vanguard in the next issue of STM... with a suggested "look" for the character...

Paul

 

[JoeZhang]

Turning out to be a real lean year for me - I'll pick up the new Vanguard book but that's it.

 

[LaBarre]

Just wondering why there is only one TNG book being released (LTP) over the next 18 month period, in comparison to all the other series.

 

[PaulSimpson]

Just wondering why there is only one TNG book being released (LTP) over the next 18 month period, in comparison to all the other series.

Might be better to say "only one TNG book announced" - we don't know very much about 2010's releases at all yet.

Paul

 

[DimesDan]

Just wondering why there is only one TNG book being released (LTP) over the next 18 month period, in comparison to all the other series.

Might be better to say "only one TNG book announced" - we don't know very much about 2010's releases at all yet.

Paul

Plus, even though Picard and Co featured heavily in Destiny last year, there was only one actual TNG book published: Greater than the Sum.

 

[LaBarre]

I think my original question still applies?

 

[DimesDan]

I think my original question still applies?

Was it a question? I thought it was a statement.

Also, from what I remember of the release schedule for this year, it's a good mixture.

 

[Dayton Ward]

NOGURA!

Now there's gratuitous continuity I can get behind.

With how he's been used (or not used, depending on your POV) in other TOS books set during this period, and taking into account the "bigger picture" of events unfolding at this time, his presence here actually makes some sense.

(That's my story, and I'm stickin' to it.)

Didn't I just read this book? No, wait, that was Errand of Fury book three.

Actually, it will be really cool seeing Vanguard's view of the events of the Errand of Mercy timeframe. Also, it's cool (although probably coincidental) that the timeframes of upcoming Vanguard and recent TOS releases are in synch.

Given that one of the Vanguard "selling points" is broadening the perspective of events as seen on TOS, it was unavoidable that it would soon coincide with events from other books placed during the first season. The book unfolds over a much longer period than the previous three installments, and does make reference to, among other things, a few events which transpired in various Errand of ____ books. I didn't have Kevin's last book available to me until I was making final corrections on Open Secrets, but I'm pretty sure there's nothing in the way of contradictions, and perhaps even a bit of "narrative harmony," for lack of a better term.

 

[JD]

So authors, any comments?

That's not the back cover copy for Open Secrets, but likely some kind of "stop gap" copy done up for the solicitation catalogue some time back.

This is the actual copy:

The Taurus Reach is in turmoil.

With tensions mounting between the Federation and the Klingon Empire, Ambassador Jetanien works frantically on Starbase Vanguard to halt the escalation toward war. Commodore Diego Reyes, the station's former commander, awaits trial for treason, while the shattered mind of his intelligence officer, T'Prynn, becomes the battlefield in a fight for her very life.

But even as matters deteriorate, the discoveries made in the Taurus Reach have attracted one of the Federation's most promising scientific minds: Dr. Carol Marcus believes she is close to solving a puzzle that will transform her life's work. Meanwhile, an unexpected defection brings a new perspective to the investigation, and Vanguard's Lieutenant Ming Xiong is confronted with an artifact that could be the key to decoding the Taurus Meta-Genome.

With Operation: Vanguard teetering between its greatest breakthrough and a conflict that could engulf two quadrants, its future may depend on the man Starfleet has selected to replace Reyes as base commander: Admiral Heihachiro Nogura.

Sweet, that sounds really good. I can't wait.

 

[flandry84]

Cripes! Not wishing to preempt anything,but I certainly hope that we haven't seen the last of Comodore Reyes.I think that some(actually most)of the appeal of Vanguard is the "HBO"style treatment of the main characters,not quite "whiter than white".

 

[Dayton Ward]

All I can say at this point is "Mwah," with a bit "hah," and capping it off with "hah hah!"

 

[Scott Pearson]

All I can say at this point is "Mwah," with a bit "hah," and capping it off with "hah hah!"

Was it just me, or did that post actually echo off into the night?

Creepy.

 

[William Leisner]

Just wondering why there is only one TNG book being released (LTP) over the next 18 month period, in comparison to all the other series.

Why not?

Yes, in 2007, we got a bunch of books in a short time frame, primarily as part of the celebration of TNG's 20th Anniversary year. Since then, though, the schedule has been about what it is now -- one TNG-labelled book a year, give or take the odd multiseries trilogy here and there.

And, as said above, the 2010 schedule is still very nebulous, though it can all but be guaranteed at least one of the "Typhon Pact" novels will be a TNG book.

 

[captcalhoun]

I think my original question still applies?

Was it a question? I thought it was a statement.

Also, from what I remember of the release schedule for this year, it's a good mixture.

it is. the post is a statement that Labarre is wondering why there's only one TNG book coming out in the next 18 months.

if s/he had said 'why is there only one TNG book coming out in the next 18 months?', then obviously, it'd be a question.