Spoilers TOS: Cast No Shadow by James Swallow Review Thread

[James Swallow]

Re: Star Trek: Cast No Shadow Review Thread

Oh, and I absolutely love this bit: "Next time, Elias, write a goddamn memo!" Especially since The Hunt For Red October is my favorite Clancy book/Movie.

Glad you guys liked the book. The whole "Elias Vaughn as Jack Ryan" moment was quite deliberate!

 

[Patrick O'Brien]

Re: Star Trek: Cast No Shadow Review Thread

Oh, and I absolutely love this bit: "Next time, Elias, write a goddamn memo!" Especially since The Hunt For Red October is my favorite Clancy book/Movie.

Glad you guys liked the book. The whole "Elias Vaughn as Jack Ryan" moment was quite deliberate!

Nice touch! Thanks for a great book I look forward to your next one

 

[Relayer1]

Re: Star Trek: Cast No Shadow Review Thread

I liked this A LOT !

Do you think we will see Valeris again ? Any ideas for a follow up James ?

 

[James Swallow]

Re: Star Trek: Cast No Shadow Review Thread

Nice touch! Thanks for a great book I look forward to your next one

Thanks.

Do you think we will see Valeris again ? Any ideas for a follow up James ?

No plans to revisit Valeris at present; but she's out in the world after CNS, and Vulcans live a long time...

 

[Relayer1]

Re: Star Trek: Cast No Shadow Review Thread

Nice touch! Thanks for a great book I look forward to your next one

Thanks.

Do you think we will see Valeris again ? Any ideas for a follow up James ?

No plans to revisit Valeris at present; but she's out in the world after CNS, and Vulcans live a long time...

Fingers crossed then !

Off on a tangent, in one of the other threads I raised an idea re the feasability of one of the convention groups getting some Trek authors together in the UK. For a start there's you, David A. McIntee and Una McCormack - are there any more British authors ? If we could get a couple of Americans too we would be in business...

Have you ever been approached and would you be interested ?

Are there any readers out there who would come ?

 

[Patrick O'Brien]

Re: Star Trek: Cast No Shadow Review Thread

It would be awesome to meet some of the authors! I would go if it was held in a pub with them talking Trek over a few beers

 

[JD]

Re: Star Trek: Cast No Shadow Review Thread

Isn't that what Meet the Pros at Shore Leave is?

 

[James Swallow]

Re: Star Trek: Cast No Shadow Review Thread

Off on a tangent, in one of the other threads I raised an idea re the feasability of one of the convention groups getting some Trek authors together in the UK. For a start there's you, David A. McIntee and Una McCormack - are there any more British authors ? If we could get a couple of Americans too we would be in business...

Have you ever been approached and would you be interested ?

Actually, Dave and Una and me were all at a UK SF event last year (Redemption 2011)...

I'd love to talk Trek at a convention; any organizers out there, feel free to get in touch!

In fact, if anyone wants to see me, I'm appearing at the Olympus 2012, Alt.Fiction and 11th Hour conventions over the next few months.

Re: British writers - Along with myself and the aforementioned Una McCormack and David McIntee, there's also Peter Moorwood (Rules of Engagement), Dan Abnett (ST Early Years comics), Ian Edginton (ST Early Years comics, SCE), Mike Collins (SCE)...

 

[Patrick O'Brien]

Re: Star Trek: Cast No Shadow Review Thread

Isn't that what Meet the Pros at Shore Leave is?

Ok, cool! I have never been, so I did not know.

 

[Technobuilder]

Okay...

I know I'm late to the party on this one, but Shazam! that was a damn fine read.

First of all, it's set post TOS-Movie Era (which is great) AND it includes elements of background on not only Valeris, but Elias Vaughn! and the begins of his SI career as well as first run-in with Section 31.

Sulu in the Excelsior is always a welcome sight.

And I'm eager/interested to maybe see Kaj again cross paths with Vaughn moving forward.

I'm still anticipating the full story of the Rise of the Anti-Section 31 cabal of which Vaughn is/was a member as well as the final story that leads to the "fall" of the organization.

That along with the Acendants arc has to be at the top of the waiting for pile now that Vanguard is wrapping up and Rise Like Lions is out.

Once Again, Kudos to James Swallow.

Damn fine book sir.

Any chance of every seeing T'Leris again?

 

[ronny]

Re: Star Trek: Cast No Shadow Review Thread

I did name a ship after the esteemed Mr. Ford – the Chon’m (say it slowly – Chon’m = John M... Geddit?!?)

Oh, hence the explanation that it was the name of a noted warrior-poet.

I didn't catch that at all. Awesome.

I rated the book above average. I thought it was a pretty good page turner and I liked all the Vaughn back story in it. In fact I was surprised how much of the story was Vaughn even though I went in knowing he was in it based in the reading chart. Of course I'm guessing you're not going to sell a lot of books with the cover saying "Now we finally get to find out how Vaughn started out as a spy". And yeah, Spock wasn't in it nearly as much as the cover indicates but he was in there the right amount for the story.

In fact I think all the TV/movie characters were in it for the right amount. Sulu and his crew and Spock and Undiscovered Country people in flash backs. I didn't feel like people were brought in just because we needed some more characters we've seen on the screen

I can see some of the issues other people have brought up but I was engaged enough in the story, it was an interesting era to put a story in, it was an interesting set of characters, etc that I thought there were way more pluses than minuses.

I admit I probably went in with expectations too high because I'm one of those people who rates The Day of Vipers an 11/10 but even thought it doesn't match that high bar it kept me turning pages until the end.

 

[PaulSimpson]

And resurrecting this thread again as my Star Trek catch-up read reaches Cast No Shadow - one I wish I'd read a long time ago! http://scifibulletin.com/books/tie-in-fiction/star-trek-review-cast-no-shadow/

 

[Patrick O'Brien]

Solid review Paul Better late than never

 

[TJ Sinclair]

Having recently finished The Poisoned Chalice, I was thinking about James' books in general, and a realization came to me. This book, essentially, portrays Vaughn as Jack Ryan.

I am totally cool with that.

 

[JD]

Too bad he won't be able to end up as UFP President.

 

[Claudia]

Hope it's okay to fish out an old thread rather than opening a new one. Finished this novel today. Rated it above average.

I was sad to see Miller die - but being a mentor has its disadvantages, I suppose. In any way Vaughn gets thrown into the deep end and swims. I have liked him since the first time we saw him in "Avatar", and I enjoyed his adventures in the Lost Era-books even more. So he just fits in here.

The Klingon/Kriosian-plot is reasonably entertaining, if a bit bland and without real twists and turns.

While I agree that explaining Valeris actions via childhood trauma and father-issues is a bit of a cliché (and I, too, would have preferred her to come to her decision in a logical, aloof manner - because IMO it is valid to argue both ways, help vs let them die and to come to a different decision), she gets played by everyone around her... Cartwright who was there, Tancreda who built upon the fact that every male Valeris put in a paternal role put the abstract of the "greater good" above her and didn't listen to and/or understand what she was trying to say. I appreciate the fact that she doesn't get to redeem herself by a heroic and/or self-sacrificing act but is left to find her own way. Contrary to some opinions, I viewed her attitude at the end more as a state of still being stunned... for lack of a better word... at the revelations of the true emotional but unrealized roots for her actions in the mind-meld. That doesn't nullify her actions - but perhaps she can find peace for herself now.

 

[voyager1]

This book is on my short list. I have yet to read it, so can anyone comment how much of the Vaughn backstory we get in this?

 

[Claudia]

This book tells basically his first mission as a field agent for Starfleet Intelligence and how that comes about.

 

[Jakks]

Finally got around to reading this book. Voted 'Outstanding'. Great overall story, loved the mix of characters, loved the time period, really was a great follow up of ST VI.

Really enjoyed it!!

 

[marlboro]