Spoilers TOS: Legacies, Book 2: Best Defense by David Mack Review Thread
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Just started it. So far all right.
Finished it last night. The fact that two people whom we know show up later in the ST timeline have been "transferred" tells us that an attempt to return transferrees will be at least partially successful, so at least some of the wind has been taken out of the sails for book 3.
They actually revealed that Sarek and Gorkon get zapped into the alternate universe weeks or months ago, when the back-cover blurb for Book 3 was first released. That said, it doesn't diminish the story-tension for me one scintilla -- it's certainly more of a "journey, not the destination"-type of experience.
That's why I never read the blurb for the next book in a trilogy until after I've finished the current one!
I finished this book last night . I voted outstanding. Another great story form David Mack. I was so glad to see Scotty have a nice story arc and Uhura and Chekov working as a team to uncover spying going on during the conference was really interesting to see them using their skills.. I also liked the McCoy storyline and see how
How Una and the Enterprise officers and Sarek Gorkon and Joanna McCoy will be rescued from the alternate universe.
My favourite part of this novel was definitely the Romulan storyline.
And on that note, might I say if a novel about life aboard a Romulan warship were published, I'd totally read it.
I got so invested in that particular subplot it actually pissed me off when the Centurion turned against the Commander. I kept thinking "idiot" throughout the rest of the novel, even though I knew at the back of my mind he'd see the error in his ways in the end.
Gave this one "above average." I liked it a lot and am looking forward to the conclusion later this month.
One thing I really liked about both this book and Greg Cox's book was the way we're seeing some of larger Trek history woven around this trilogy. I'm assuming that the treaty negotiations in this book will become the full "Organian Peace Treaty" of the later episodes of TOS. (Although that doesn't seem to fit with the couple of references to "The Trouble with Tribbles" in this novel, since that episode mentions the Treaty.)
It was nice to see the interaction between McCoy and his daughter, and get some insight into that relationship. I also enjoyed the pairing of Chekov and Uhura, two characters who aren't used that much in the novels. It was fun to see them not only have a significant role in the story, but also work together.
That also was the section that gave me some problems, however.
I thought the pace of the novel was great. The last third of the book kept me reading beyond the amount of time I intended to because I was so anxious to find out what happened.
Someone earlier said they thought the idea of Number One coincidentally getting a nickname that was the same as the one Pike would later address her by was stretching believability. It seems to me to make sense, because it's really not all that randomly coincidental. It makes sense that someone who excelled at many things at the academy and also had a name that was difficult to pronounce might pick up the nickname. I can hear her friends saying things like: "Okay, so Julie finished fourth, Tom finished second, and Sniquil - jeez, I still can't get your name right! - finished number one, as usual." If that kind of thing happens often enough, pretty soon she's going to get some sort of nickname, and "Number One" seems a fairly likely choice. Pike's use of it years later is coincidental, but also not random, since it's an established military reference to a first officer. Works for me, anyway.
Overall, an excellent book!
One thing I really liked about both this book and Greg Cox's book was the way we're seeing some of larger Trek history woven around this trilogy. I'm assuming that the treaty negotiations in this book will become the full "Organian Peace Treaty" of the later episodes of TOS. (Although that doesn't seem to fit with the couple of references to "The Trouble with Tribbles" in this novel, since that episode mentions the Treaty.)
It was nice to see the interaction between McCoy and his daughter, and get some insight into that relationship. I also enjoyed the pairing of Chekov and Uhura, two characters who aren't used that much in the novels. It was fun to see them not only have a significant role in the story, but also work together.
That also was the section that gave me some problems, however.
It kept feeling like Kirk was underreacting or not responding to some aspects of the situation. The chief negotiator for the Klingons was missing, yet Kirk doesn't ask any questions about his disappearance, or send someone to examine the scene of his disappearance, and instead focuses on the guy who tried to steal drugs from the hospital. I may have missed something, but it just seemed like Kirk should have had more concern over what happened to Gorkon, and perhaps more information given about why there were no clues as to how to find him. OTOH, I didn't immediately spot that the Transfer Key was the answer, so maybe that lack of focus on Gorkon's disappearance helped the plot in that way.
I thought the pace of the novel was great. The last third of the book kept me reading beyond the amount of time I intended to because I was so anxious to find out what happened.
Someone earlier said they thought the idea of Number One coincidentally getting a nickname that was the same as the one Pike would later address her by was stretching believability. It seems to me to make sense, because it's really not all that randomly coincidental. It makes sense that someone who excelled at many things at the academy and also had a name that was difficult to pronounce might pick up the nickname. I can hear her friends saying things like: "Okay, so Julie finished fourth, Tom finished second, and Sniquil - jeez, I still can't get your name right! - finished number one, as usual." If that kind of thing happens often enough, pretty soon she's going to get some sort of nickname, and "Number One" seems a fairly likely choice. Pike's use of it years later is coincidental, but also not random, since it's an established military reference to a first officer. Works for me, anyway.
Overall, an excellent book!
^^
Honestly, I had it figured out right away that the Transfer Key was responsible for Gorkon's disappearance and assumed Kirk made the same deduction making his priority investigating any leads to the Romulan ship.
I think the point where I kept thinking "Why isn't Kirk investigating Gorkon's disappearance?" came before it was revealed that the Romulan ship was at Centaurus, though. I was confused because it didn't seem like Kirk had any curiousity about what had happened to Gorkon, even though it didn't seem like he should have any idea yet what was going on.
I had it figured out it was the Transfer Key, even before it was confirmed the Romulans were at Centaurus. After all, the way it was set up, no weapons signature, transporter residue, whatever. Add to that earlier the Romulan Commander worried Sadira was sending the ship somewhere where it might trigger a war, I would have been very surprised had it been something else.
There may or may not have been enough clues or facts provided "in universe" for Kirk to figure things out, but I just assumed if I had figured it out so had he and never bothered to think about things further.
There may or may not have been enough clues or facts provided "in universe" for Kirk to figure things out, but I just assumed if I had figured it out so had he and never bothered to think about things further.
Checking over the transcript, it looks like there's no place where Gorkon or Kirk indicate this is the first time they've met (aside, perhaps, from Gorkon's hail being phrased like an introduction). Gorkon comments he's never seen Spock in person before, and Chang is very explicit that he's never encountered Kirk before, but other than that, there doesn't seem to be any barrier to them having already known each other.
Given that they haven't met yet as of the end of Best Defense, it's still possible that they won't meet in this trilogy.
Ok, I just finished this. Took me longer than expected for various reasons. I think it's "above average" and earlier I mentioned that I didn't think it was as good as the first one. Maybe it's because I didn't have the luxury of reading large parts of it at a time and could only fit it in here and there.
I think my favorite part is learning about McCoy's daughter, Joanna. I believe that she was originally supposed to play a role in TOS episode "The Way to Eden" but the character was changed to Chekov's girlfriend. I always thought Trek missed out on a good story there and was glad to see Joanna finally make an appearance (she may be in other novels but this is the first one I've read with her in it.) One minor nit about her role is that she seemed to be purposely put in dangerous situations just to create drama, especially with her Dad. First, she's attacked in a pharmacy, then shortly after that, she's taken hostage IN THE SAME PHARMACY by a different character and then she falls victim to the transfer key. It just seemed like the author overdid it a little. I think we could have done without the first attack. But, it's just a minor thing. I look forward to more of Joanna and hope she survives book 3.
I didn't put spoiler tags in this post because the whole thread is marked as a spoiler so I don't see the point of being redundant.
I'm looking forward to the conclusion in Book 3 and I'm glad I won't have to wait that long to get it.
I think my favorite part is learning about McCoy's daughter, Joanna. I believe that she was originally supposed to play a role in TOS episode "The Way to Eden" but the character was changed to Chekov's girlfriend. I always thought Trek missed out on a good story there and was glad to see Joanna finally make an appearance (she may be in other novels but this is the first one I've read with her in it.) One minor nit about her role is that she seemed to be purposely put in dangerous situations just to create drama, especially with her Dad. First, she's attacked in a pharmacy, then shortly after that, she's taken hostage IN THE SAME PHARMACY by a different character and then she falls victim to the transfer key. It just seemed like the author overdid it a little. I think we could have done without the first attack. But, it's just a minor thing. I look forward to more of Joanna and hope she survives book 3.
I didn't put spoiler tags in this post because the whole thread is marked as a spoiler so I don't see the point of being redundant.
I'm looking forward to the conclusion in Book 3 and I'm glad I won't have to wait that long to get it.
I'm just amazed by how much there is in this trilogy that no one has thought of or done before. You'd think that after so many decades of TOS books that there wouldn't be much to follow up on anymore, but April, Number One, the Tantalus Field in the prime timeline, the negotiations after the Organian imposition of cease-fire, McCoy's relationship with his daughter, Spock's relationship with Sarek... This trilogy has SO MUCH in it. Back in the 60s they didn't really do continuity the same way, but this feels like an absolutely epic season finale in a modern more continuity-based version of the show. It feels like an essential story that for some reason we haven't found out about until now, not like a subsidiary work at all. I'm pretty impressed.
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