Spoilers TTN: The Red King by A.Mangels & M.A. Martin Review Thread

Titan: The Red King by Andy Mangels & Michael A. Martin
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Blurb:
Investigating the disappearance of a secret Romulan fleet, the U.S.S. Titan, commanded by Captain William Riker, is unexpectedly propelled more than 200,000 light-years into the Small Magellanic Cloud. One of the Milky Way's satellite galaxies, the Cloud is also home to the Neyel, the long-sundered offshoots of Terran humanity, with whom the Federation has had no contact in over eighty years.

Nearby, Riker's uncertain ally, Commander Donatra of the Romulan Warbird Valdore, rescues a young Neyel, the survivor of a mysterious cosmic upheaval that seems at times to be both unraveling and reweaving the very fabric of space...the fulfillment of an apocalyptic vision that has already claimed millions of lives. Titan's science team soon finds evidence that the ravaging of Neyel space is the work of a vast and powerful intelligence: the stirrings of a dormant consciousness that is maintaining the existence of the Small Magellanic Cloud -- and all life within it -- from one moment to the next. And if it should awaken, the consequences are unimaginable.


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My Review from 2005:

An acceptable novel.

The better part of the novel is undoubtedly the characterization part. The only major exception is Keru, who gets more and more annoying, since he gets whole chapters dedicated to him, although he is the most uninteresting and one-dimensional member of the Titan-Crew. The problem with him is, that although he gets so much prominence in the stories he basically isn’t developing / showing any new character traits. He still is a 08/15 security chief who isn’t over the loss of his mate. That in itself is not the main problem, rather that he shows the same reactions since he was introduced years before this novel and shows no signs of character growth since then. Especially for Riker Mangels and Martin did some good work in shaping out what kind of captain he is, though. One complaint I have is, that once again most of the Titan crew play only bystander roles at best. Like in the first novel only a handful of characters (and partly the same handful) are featured heavily while the others have only cameos.

The better part of the story is the Tuvok/Akaar relationship, the Neyel part is decent, but rather unoriginal. With the exception of featuring them it is a rather customary story, especially the last part of the story about the evacuation is rather generic. While the Tuvok/Akaar plot isn’t really innovative either it’s written well and does more for the Tuvok character then most other Voyager novels (maybe with the exception of Jeri Taylor’s books) combined. So I like the fact that he’s staying on board and isn’t returning to the Voyager Relaunch.

Overall a novel with some good character work, but a rather unexciting plot part.

 

Re: TTN: The Red King by A.Mangels & M.A. Martin Review Thread (Spoile

I Read the Red King it was okay but not one of my favorite Titan Novels. I liked Riker's storyline with Donatra& the Romulans. The Neyal storyline I really didn't find very interesting I was bored reading that part of the book.I never cared for the Neyal characters in this novel.

 

Re: TTN: The Red King by A.Mangels & M.A. Martin Review Thread (Spoile

I thought it was average, a step down from Taking Wing. And also a sequel to a Lost Era book that wasn't one of my favorites.

 

Re: TTN: The Red King by A.Mangels & M.A. Martin Review Thread (Spoile

I love any Trek novel with the Neyel in it.

 

Re: TTN: The Red King by A.Mangels & M.A. Martin Review Thread (Spoile

This about nails it for me...

 

Re: TTN: The Red King by A.Mangels & M.A. Martin Review Thread (Spoile

I was really disappointed in this one because I loved Taking Wing, but then this one was only OK. I do like the Neyel, but there was something about this one that just didn't click for me.
I went with average in the poll.

 

Re: TTN: The Red King by A.Mangels & M.A. Martin Review Thread (Spoile

It was a bit of a let-down for me as well, after a great start with Taking Wing. Some good character work, for sure, but the plot seemed very forced and to weird for me. And the entire idea that Titan just so happens to go the Small Magellic cloud, and two people on board (Tuvok and Akaar) just so happen to have been there before.... all a bit to far fetched.

 

Re: TTN: The Red King by A.Mangels & M.A. Martin Review Thread (Spoile

How many times has Tuvok been on a ship that was catapulted thousands of light years away from known space?

I'm starting to think it's him.

 

Re: TTN: The Red King by A.Mangels & M.A. Martin Review Thread (Spoile

Technically three times, but two of those was to the same location really.

 

Re: TTN: The Red King by A.Mangels & M.A. Martin Review Thread (Spoile

When i first read this book, it was right after Taking wing and TLE: The Sundered. I was on a bit of a Martin/Mangles kick at the time. I really liked this one. I'm a big fan of Akaar and the Neyel, and i thought this book did a great job.

Spoiler: possible story idea

I'm curious whether The Neyel will be visited again sometime soon. With Quantum Slip-Strem drives now a reality in the 24th Century, i'd be cool if someone went out there to the Small Megalanic cloud to check in. The distance would still make it a long trip...but not nearly as bad as it could be with only conventional warp drive.

 

Re: TTN: The Red King by A.Mangels & M.A. Martin Review Thread (Spoile

Tuvok actually makes a similar comment himself in this novel, as he was also aboard the Exclesior during its trip to Neyel space. He says something about any starship that he serves on is apparently cursed to be thrown across the galaxy.

I just finished this novel and enjoyed it much more than I thought I would. I began reading it only because Taking Wing left story lines hanging, but this complements the previous book very well. The duo as a whole is an excellent launch for Titan and its crew. I voted Above Average.

 

Re: TTN: The Red King by A.Mangels & M.A. Martin Review Thread (Spoile

My problem with this book was that we were two whole novels into the Titan series before it actually started with its intended mission statement. This was another novel, like Taking Wing, that introduced a vibrant and fascinating cast of characters intended to discover new things, then used none of them in any real way in a story that was about something else entirely. This was all Mangels/Martin plot threads - Neyel, Tuvok/excelsior/Akaar/baggage/etc, and Keru, who was one of theirs as well. None of that needed the Titan to be told. Orion's Hounds is the actual pilot of this series; these first two weren't, quite.

 

Re: TTN: The Red King by A.Mangels & M.A. Martin Review Thread (Spoile

Unfortunately the novels were bound to the canon of Nemesis, where Riker says that his first mission is to lead the task force to Romulus. So I expected that followup in Taking Wing. But I see your point about The Red King and I was surprised by the wide detour at the end of Taking Wing. Fortunately all was wrapped up by the end and the new adventures can begin. I'm looking forward to starting Orion's Hounds, as I've heard very good things.

 

Re: TTN: The Red King by A.Mangels & M.A. Martin Review Thread (Spoile

^ Right, exactly - that explains Taking Wing, but not Red King. Taking Wing was fine, it did what it had to do to tie up what was required, but Red King was just weirdly conceived from the beginning.

 

Re: TTN: The Red King by A.Mangels & M.A. Martin Review Thread (Spoile

I hope we see the Neyel again. After the Borg Invasion refugee populations became as common as mud, of course, but still, having a population of recovering imperialists right at the heart of the Federation - last we heard, Holy Vangar was being towed into orbit of one of the gas giants - would be worth a follow-up.

 

Re: TTN: The Red King by A.Mangels & M.A. Martin Review Thread (Spoile

^I've wanted follow-up as well. It seems long overdue to me.

 

Re: TTN: The Red King by A.Mangels & M.A. Martin Review Thread (Spoile

One question about the Neyel:

Spoiler: novels

Do they know they are descended from humans?

 

Re: TTN: The Red King by A.Mangels & M.A. Martin Review Thread (Spoile

Spoiler: the Neyel

Yes, the Neyel are very aware of their history, although their stories of "Auld Aerth" had become a bit jumbled over the years.

 

Re: TTN: The Red King by A.Mangels & M.A. Martin Review Thread (Spoile

Really? Hmm. I didn't know they knew the truth yet.

Spoiler: Neyel

So the Neyel actually know, for sure, that they are genetically engineered humans? They actually know that 'Aerth' means Earth, 'Oh-Neyel' means "O'Neill", and so on?

Did this cause any turmoil in their society when the secret got out?

(The only Neyel story I have actually read is The Sundered and I don't think they know about it in that one. Sulu debates whether he should tell them, but decides not to.)