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cschmi46's review against another edition
3.0
This book was a total guilty pleasure for me. I picked it up on impulse for $4 in a bargain bin and I'm glad I did. It's basically written like high-quality fan fiction, except the author is William Shatner. It's not super well-written and the plot's somewhat forgettable, but Shatner gets the characterization of young Kirk and Spock absolutely perfect. The interactions between the two of them really make this book.
peterparker's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
funny
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.25
Is this the best star trek book? No. Is it boring? No. The worst thing a book can be is boring and this at the very least was definitely not boring.
The thing I really appreciated the most about this book was how it actually delved into the trauma Kirk has from Tarsus IV. It sticks with him and makes him not trust Starfleet. It's similar to what many fanfics do when they have the time to chart out his trauma.
I'm convinced one of the only contributions from William Shatner in this book was probably him suggesting Spock and Kirk meet in a strip club.
This book and any TOS star trek books really shines when it focuses on the relationship between Kirk and his crew but mainly Spock.
I'm deeply biased but Spock is such a good character in this book. His whole rant in his mind about clowns had me dying. It's honestly very in character for what I feel a young Spock would act like. Also, shout out to the passage where Spock has a sensory overload we all knew he was neurodivergent but this was a good representation of that.
Actually touching on Sam Kirk as a character in this! He has so much potential as a character and I know he's doomed by the narrative but that makes his backstory even more exciting to write out. You can do anything with it! I'm not very pleased that they just decided that he was part of a gang? But at least it showed how much he loved his brother and the lengths he would go to to protect him.
Sarek still boils my blood but at least we got some insight into his thoughts and why he acts the way he does. I don't agree with him but I felt this was a softer characterization of him.
Overall, this book is ok. It's an easy enough read but it could be skipped altogether as it doesn't adhere much to established star trek canon (if that matters to you).
The thing I really appreciated the most about this book was how it actually delved into the trauma Kirk has from Tarsus IV. It sticks with him and makes him not trust Starfleet. It's similar to what many fanfics do when they have the time to chart out his trauma.
I'm convinced one of the only contributions from William Shatner in this book was probably him suggesting Spock and Kirk meet in a strip club.
This book and any TOS star trek books really shines when it focuses on the relationship between Kirk and his crew but mainly Spock.
I'm deeply biased but Spock is such a good character in this book. His whole rant in his mind about clowns had me dying. It's honestly very in character for what I feel a young Spock would act like. Also, shout out to the passage where Spock has a sensory overload we all knew he was neurodivergent but this was a good representation of that.
Actually touching on Sam Kirk as a character in this! He has so much potential as a character and I know he's doomed by the narrative but that makes his backstory even more exciting to write out. You can do anything with it! I'm not very pleased that they just decided that he was part of a gang? But at least it showed how much he loved his brother and the lengths he would go to to protect him.
Sarek still boils my blood but at least we got some insight into his thoughts and why he acts the way he does. I don't agree with him but I felt this was a softer characterization of him.
Overall, this book is ok. It's an easy enough read but it could be skipped altogether as it doesn't adhere much to established star trek canon (if that matters to you).
deranged_pegasus's review against another edition
5.0
A wonderful read. I loved the characterization of the young Spock and Kirk. Especially the background interactions between Lady Amanda and Sarek.
yamoksauce's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
littlebitofe's review against another edition
4.0
I'll be honest and admit I picked up this book because of the characters had the same first name as I do. Silly, I know. I do like Star Trek though, just not usually the orginal characters. It was interesting to read this shortly after seeing the Star Trek movie with the alternate view on Kirk and Spock first meeting. I kept picturing Chris Pine and Zach Quinto in the roles. Very different from the movie, of course, but the story was still very good. I was slow to get into it, but in the end, couldn't put it down.
sarcasmsign's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
ryanjamesburt's review against another edition
4.0
I liked this book. Spock is 19 and Kirk is 17. Talks about when they first meet. Quite entertaining but maybe more because I like Kirk and Spock then just the writing of this book.
amiry's review against another edition
4.0
I really only had two problems with this book. One, Kirk and Spock meeting before entering the Academy is probably incorrect, but enjoyable. Two, Kirk's nickname for Spock - Stretch - while cute, has never been used by him anywhere else. Aside from that, I enjoyed the book. A lot. :)
ravenlynne's review against another edition
5.0
Loved it...too bad the next in the series will not be published.
gannent's review against another edition
tense
fast-paced
3.0
Perfectly decent adventure story. Like the delving into Tarsus IV part of Kirk’s backstory. However, I really disliked how strictly they modeled Starfleet off the navy. The drill instructor scenes left a bad taste, certainly doesn’t seem how an “enlightened future” service should operate.