Spoilers TOS: Legacies: Book 1: Captain to Captain by Greg Cox Review Thread

[Greg Cox]

Not certain what I think about the Una designation. Do find interesting the first part of April's section. How did you decide which officers to take from previous novels, Greg?

Mostly, I went back and reread my old April story from years ago, which took its cues from Diane Carey's earlier novels, but we also had to invent some new crew members to serve our own plot. I wanted to keep the emphasis on Una and April, plus our new characters, so I only used the other crew members as required by the plot, the communications officer, the helmsman, the first officer, etc.

And, of course, you can't write April without including his wife in the story.

 

[Glenn Misztal]

Long time lurker, first time poster here.
I've been reading Star Trek novels on and off, but when I read this was a 50th anniversary velebration, I knew it was something special and jumped at the chance at purchasing it.
I bought the paperback online and couldn't wait for it to arrive here in Australia, so I also got the Kindle version as well.
I'm about halfway through and I love it so far. Like others have pointed out it feels like Star Trek than most other Star Trek novels that I've read. It's more than holding my interest and makes me wonder o every page turn "How are they going to get out of this one?"

 

[DimesDan]

I downloaded this last night and just went to start reading it on my Kindle, turns out my Kindle needs charging, so can't start it just yet.

 

[Avro Arrow]

^ I can still use my Kobo when it's plugged in; don't the Kindles work the same way?

 

[Markonian]

I've begun to re-read The Sorrows of Empire. The revelation about the Tantalus field in Captain to Captain changes the fate of several characters...

 

[Glenn Misztal]

Finished it today. Man, I loved it. Didn't see that ending/twist coming at all. Bring on Book 2!
Mr Cox - dropped you an email. Not sure if you received it.

 

[DimesDan]

^ I can still use my Kobo when it's plugged in; don't the Kindles work the same way?

Of course they do. But as my Kindle had no charge in it what so ever, it meant I had to charge it up a bit first.

 

[The Wormhole]

I've begun to re-read The Sorrows of Empire. The revelation about the Tantalus field in Captain to Captain changes the fate of several characters...

To be fair, it's not an idea that originated in this novel. Indeed, a similar use of the Tantalus field was a script proposed for a possible fifth season of Enterprise.

 

[Greg Cox]

Finished it today. Man, I loved it. Didn't see that ending/twist coming at all. Bring on Book 2!
Mr Cox - dropped you an email. Not sure if you received it.

Got your email. Sorry not to respond yet. It's been a busy week, and I've fallen a bit behind in my correspondence.

 

[JD]

Well it wasn't so much her calling herself Una that I had a problem with. It seemed to me that the reason April and later Pike called her "Number One" wasn't because she was First Officer, but that they were calling her by her nickname, that just seemed odd to me but I'll get over it.

There have been several different explanations for the whole "Number One" thing floating around the books and comics for decades, so that's really not anything unique to these books. I think I heard that one of the books even said her name actually was Number One.

 

[Christopher]

I think I heard that one of the books even said Number One was actually her name.

Which fell apart the moment Picard first called Riker "Number One." It's a vernacular (chiefly British) naval term for a first officer. That is and always has been the explanation. I've never understood the desire to make up more convoluted rationales. It's akin to having a character say, "Oh, yeah, "Lieutenant" was my childhood nickname" or something.

 

[Jinn]

I think I heard that one of the books even said her name actually was Number One.

According to Memory Beta that was Vulcan's Glory.

 

[Idran]

Which fell apart the moment Picard first called Riker "Number One." It's a vernacular (chiefly British) naval term for a first officer. That is and always has been the explanation. I've never understood the desire to make up more convoluted rationales. It's akin to having a character say, "Oh, yeah, "Lieutenant" was my childhood nickname" or something.

Well, there was Lieutenant Lieutenant Murtaugh on Family Matters.

 

[david kelly]

For a long time I have been fascinated by the enigmatic Number One that appeared in the Cage. I suppose my interest comes from the potential of the character, and how she essentially played the role Spock would play. I've consumed every material there is that included this character, and often I've been disappointed-- because most of the time writers don't know what to do with the character. I just love your take on the character,and how you take what Roddenberry envisioned her in to be Cage and his bible while yet adding other facets to her character. Also, it was a nice touch comparing Spock and Number One, given that Number One's personality and abilities were grafted onto him. You really made her a character worthy to be explored. Do you plan on perhaps revisiting the character later beyond the trilogy? Was the whole her being a product of selective breeding in your novel Child of Two Worlds your idea? Also, how does that aforementioned novel fit with the trilogy?

 

[hbquikcomjamesl]

Why am I suddenly thinking of a certain character (Major Major Major Major) from Heller's Catch-22?

 

[Tracy Trek]

I finished it a few days ago. Um, wasn't there a character named Carlos Florida in there? Wasn't he a friend of George Kirk's in the earlier novels set when Robert April was captain (Final Frontier and Best Destiny)?

 

[Leto_II]

^ There is. Greg also used other Diane Carey-created April crewmembers as well, including Lorna Simon, etc.

 

[OverlordSpock]

I really liked this one! I haven't really enjoyed many TOS books over the past several years (with some notable exceptions) and this one was a breath of fresh air. This book to about half the time for me to finish than it usually does, and that's because I just couldn't put it down.

I love the focus on "Number One" and think you really wrote her well. I could see Majel Barret in the role in my head (I had trouble with that in many of her previous appearances)--a sign that Greg really got the character.

Thank you for this one Greg!

 

[Titus Andronicus]

This was definitely an enjoyable read, and as others mentioned, the twist ending was QUITE a shock! Can't wait for Book 2.

 

[hbquikcomjamesl]

I think I can count on one hand the number of times I've issued an "Outstanding" rating. With fingers left over.

I read it right after I finished David Daley's Ratf**ked (and YES, that IS the way the title is styled); even though it had fewer pages, and a fair number of maps of some of the more bizarre gerrymanders created by the GOP's REDMAP project, I got through this opus significantly faster, probably because the tone of the former is so hopeless, it was at times hard to pick up, whereas the present opus was hard to put down.

Regarding the twist ending, are you sure (even though she's definitely not Swedish) the yeoman in question isn't from, say, Stockholm?