Spoilers TNG: Shadows Have Offended, by Cassandra Rose Clarke - Review Thread
- Thread starter Cyfa
- Start date
Hmmm...Standalones Have Offended?
Well, I finished it. And I don't really know what to think? On the one hand, it's nice to have a couple of "adventure of the week" type stories - nothing Earth-shattering, or game-changing - with great characterisation, an intriguing new lifeform, and a look into one of the most underdeveloped major races of the Federation: the Betazoids. But on the other hand, for me anyway, it felt a little too simple (for wont of a better word), with too much time & effort spent on the unbelievably useless Betazoid House leaders (except Lwaxana, of course), and an equally useless - and frankly irrelevant (unless I missed something) - description and accompanying thought process of making a gurney out of a table 
. Plus, there were no end of rank discrepancies, with both La Forge and Data described as lieutenants (not all the time though), and Troi as a lieutenant commander when, at this point in the 7th season, she would have been a full commander (if the "Historian's Note" is to be believed).
All in all, I liked Shadows Have Offended - mainly because it's a starring vehicle for Troi and Crusher (and to a lesser extent, Worf and Picard) who are very well served, Troi in particular (she's my favourite TNG character, and one of my favourite Trek characters overall). Also, Cassandra Rose Clarke has brought some new life and ideas into Trek Lit - plus the image of Worf clad only in dark leather pants, boots, and a cape
(which just about manages to push SHO over the line and into an "above average" rating from me)
. Plus, there were no end of rank discrepancies, with both La Forge and Data described as lieutenants (not all the time though), and Troi as a lieutenant commander when, at this point in the 7th season, she would have been a full commander (if the "Historian's Note" is to be believed).All in all, I liked Shadows Have Offended - mainly because it's a starring vehicle for Troi and Crusher (and to a lesser extent, Worf and Picard) who are very well served, Troi in particular (she's my favourite TNG character, and one of my favourite Trek characters overall). Also, Cassandra Rose Clarke has brought some new life and ideas into Trek Lit - plus the image of Worf clad only in dark leather pants, boots, and a cape
(which just about manages to push SHO over the line and into an "above average" rating from me)
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Out of curiosity; Memory Alpha claims this novel takes place during "The Jem'Hadar", but using the Google Books search function I can't find any mention of the Dominion, the Jem'Hadar, the Odyssey, its captain, Sisko or DS9. Is there any truth to Memory Alpha's claim?
As much as I love and appreciate the LitVerse, I think there's still room for both types of novels. The basic adventure "extended episode" approach is nice, though (economics of the situation aside, speaking strictly as a consumer who grow up with mmpbs) my heart of hearts still feels like basic adventures should be mmpbs and that the trade format should imply an "event". But there's no reason why we can't also have bigger and more continuity-ey series-set adventures. Una McCormack-style stuff that tells longer stories that highlight some of the big picture behind the episodic adventures, stories that draw heavily on the characters and continuity and help us see the familiar in new ways (which is an approach I suspect Revenant will be taking), etc.
I feel like this should take place prior to "The Jem'Hadar," which would probably be occurring pretty close to concurrently with "All Good Things. . ." According to the historian's note this is "just before" AGT so it could be simultaneous. But honestly reading through it I'd probably just more vaguely place it somewhere in the bottom of the seventh season. Unless, as you say, there's a more specific timeline reference I haven't gotten to yet or have overlooked.
The closest that I noticed in terms of in-story timeline placement was in the depiction of Troi and Worf’s relationship still being in its early stages - All Good Things always struck me as opening on their first official “we’re actually calling it a date” date, and this fit in that nebulous category of “we could act on our attraction, but we’re not quite there yet” stage. Not even a thought from Crusher about Wesley, for example, to firmly set it after Journey’s End. Or even a reference to Kestra or Dark Page in general, despite featuring Lwaxana (though Mister Homn appearing was nice, since he wasn’t in that episode).
That said, in terms of personal preference in the timeline, I’d sooner choose to move it up a couple of episodes, just because in my personal timeline, it feels a little too emotionally upbeat for coming after Preemptive Strike.
According to the Stardate Calculator site AGT takes place on December 27 2370. The Jem'Hadar had no stardate, the last episode of DS9 season 2 to have a stardate is Tribunal, which the site places on December 11. Preemptive Strike's stardate meanwhile, places it on December 10. So there's roughly two, almost three weeks between when Tribunal and Preemptive Strike take place and when AGT takes place. Meaning you can easily slot this novel and The Jem'Hadar in that timeframe.
There's also stardate 47999.2 from The Brave and the Bold set shortly after the episode. In my timeline I have "The Jem'Hadar" spanning December 27-31, 2370.
Well, finished the novel. I'll say average. It certainly captures the feel of TNG and characterization of its cast perfectly. Just in the opening chapter with Picard and Riker in the transporter room, I can instantly visualize everything as though it were an episode of TNG, which is certainly a breath of fresh air after so many 24th century Litverse novels set on ships that weren't featured as much (like the Enterprise E), are changed significantly from the show (like Voyager) or are just new ships altogether with casts that are a mix of TV show characters and new ones. The novel certainly is easy to read and digest, but really, the storyline itself was just really average. The mystery on the science outpost dragged on a bit too long and was ultimately came to an unsatisfying conclusion, while the twist concerning a certain character's secret identity in the Betazoid artifacts storyline was extremely predictable.
It was weird beginning the novel with everyone in their TV-era positions, but eventually I got used to it. I found the Betazed plotline most interesting, even the parts where it was just Fancy People Being Annoying before things really kicked off. The away team plotline, on the other hand, never really congealed. I mean, I've seen enough episode of Star Trek to figure out what was happening essentially immediately, and after seven seasons, I'd think Riker, Crusher, and Data had lived through enough to be able to even consider the same conclusion. And then it ends fairly anti-climatically (I don't think they ever actually said if they were going to be able to land the refugees on the planet or if the PD ruled it out immediately or if they were going to have to ask). For that matter, the Betazed plotline also ended without much denouement, except for Picard's personal arc about trusting his people to do their jobs.
There was a continuity error that twigged me, where it was mentioned that a Ferengi baron had been arrested by Starfleet a hundred years earlier, and then, a few pages later, that Picard himself had played holo-games as a boy about that same Ferengi.
Still, characterization was strong, and plotting is something that's much more straightforward to improve on, so if I'm going to sum it up in blurb-ese, I'd say a promising start from the first new Trek author in a while.
There was a continuity error that twigged me, where it was mentioned that a Ferengi baron had been arrested by Starfleet a hundred years earlier, and then, a few pages later, that Picard himself had played holo-games as a boy about that same Ferengi.
Still, characterization was strong, and plotting is something that's much more straightforward to improve on, so if I'm going to sum it up in blurb-ese, I'd say a promising start from the first new Trek author in a while.
Positively Trek has an interview with the author
https://positivelytrek.libsyn.com/123-book-club-shadows-have-offended
https://positivelytrek.libsyn.com/123-book-club-shadows-have-offended
I just started this book last night I like the storyline on Betazed and the story arc with Beverley Crusher and other Enterprise crew members doing scientific research when mysterious things happen on planet they're visiting.It's so nice to have Data in a TNG book again.
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Our episode of Positively Trek with author Cassandra Rose Clarke is up! It was a delight to speak with her about her debut Trek novel, and I certainly hope she gets the opportunity to write Star Trek fiction again!
I listened to your interview with Cassandra Rose Clarke .I enjoyed listening to her talking about writing her novel and how much she liked writing Lxwana Troi and wanted her to have be more serious about doing her job as an ambassador and working with Picard to track down the missing Betazoid treasures. And Beverley Crusher 's story arc on the planet Katon and all the other Characters too.
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Glad you enjoyed the show! I think Lwaxana's portrayal might have been my favourite part of the the novel. But there was definitely a lot to like in it!
