Re: Vanguard: Reap the Whirlwind
Just finished Reap the Whirlwind last night (or should I say this morning?) after having bought it on my way back from work yesterday afternoon. The fact that I couldn't put it down might give you some clues... Thank heavens I've got a day off today...
SPOILERS FROM HERE ON!!! YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!!! I AM TOO LAZY TO INCLUDE SPOILER CODE!!!
Vanguard for me has always been the series that has the broadest scope of all the series. With a cast from one space station, three Starfleet ships and an assorted bunch of alien dignitaries and civilians (with or without dignity) it can show so many angles to the story that it might become overwhelming. Yet, even with four stories now in the series, I haven't encountered that problem yet. I think Mr. Mack used the array of characters very well, focusing on those that helped tell the story best but also not forgetting the others and giving them each something to contribute. I very much liked the insight into the Shedai as a people and, as a result of that, the better understanding of the Tholians' mindset. Woven in with the larger story is a true origin story for the Assembly and I welcomed that. Like the Breen, the Tholians have been refered to so often as a major player in galactic politics, but Vanguard has succeeded in displaying true complexity for them. In that aspect, I liked the decision made by the commander of the Tholian vessel in the end of the story.
As for the Gamma Tauri storyline, I think it worked well. The position of Reyes' ex-wife as the leader of the colonists seemed contrived to me at first, but looking back I can see its logic. With billions of people in the Federation alone, the fact that she of all people got put in harm's way could have been a flat plot mechanic to cause emotional trouble for Reyes, but I can see how someone with her talents might have appealed to the colonists as a leader. Having someone who knows one of the key people in the sector inside and out is of course a huge advantage. That none of it mattered in the end makes the fate of the colony all the more tragic, yet I think having Starfleet not save the day for once made a welcome change.
The Sagittarius mission was a nice insight into the workings of Starfleet's pathfinders. While I agree with the posters above who felt Terrell's predestined survival hurt his part of the story and that Xiong's part felt drawn out, I liked the crew very much. Most got some time in the spotlight, and it was good to see that even the smaller ships in Starfleet have crews capable of handling the tough assignments. The inclusion of Quinn and Pennington surprised me in this part of the story, but it worked well and paved the way for a IMHO deserved redemption for both characters. Likewise, I appreciated that someone had to pay the piper in the end. Reyes' and T'Prynn's fall from grace seemed quite logical and I think sends a message that Starfleet shouldn't use cloak and dagger games as its primary defense. The strategy of putting civilians in harm's way to cover up their own work galled me from the start, and I think given what happened Starfleet got of light.
Finally, kudos to Mr. Mack for the scene of the malfunctioning Klingon ship. Loved the humor in that, with the captain unaware of a part of his ship's "life support" system until he was knee-deep in it. Koloth got of well the time Scotty stuffed his ship full of Tribbles compared to this!
Thanx to David Mack for another great addition to my collection - I felt I owed you this one given my somewhat less positive review of Warpath. It seems like act 1 is finished for the series now. I for one can't wait to see what act 2 will bring us.
Have to say RTW has been a really good read.
