Scan barcode
northernfleabag's review against another edition
4.0
Took a while to get into Foster's writing style, but the action soon picked up and it was like I'd never left the cinema.
octavia_cade's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
3.0
This isn't a patch on The Wrath of Khan, but it's still enjoyable - I think I liked it more than the movie, to be honest. Although I've forgotten most of the movie, so it can't have been that great. The strength of the adaptation is how well it portrays Kirk as simply not being entirely ready to be captain. He's immature, hotheaded, and thinks he's kind of above the rules that the rest of Starfleet has to play by. In all fairness, sometimes that pays off, but it's unsustainable and frankly dangerous over the long run. The Captain Kirk of that original five year mission could be impulsive, but he was more often calculating and measured. He was a good captain - and Kirk, here, is not so much. He redeems himself with the big sacrifice at the end, but Foster's characterisation is almost too successful. Spock ends up looking like the more competent option for captain, and I'm not sure how I feel about that.
Extra points for Scotty, though, who is willing to resign - and does - because he's not willing to cut corners in a way that would endanger the ship and his crewmates. It's thoroughly admirable of him, and it's nice to see him highlighted in this way.
Extra points for Scotty, though, who is willing to resign - and does - because he's not willing to cut corners in a way that would endanger the ship and his crewmates. It's thoroughly admirable of him, and it's nice to see him highlighted in this way.
djwudi's review against another edition
3.0
A serviceable, if uninspired, by-the-numbers adaptation, with very little deviation (good or bad) from the movie. Those few more interesting departures that I saw have been commented on in my progress updates as I read.
I don't know how restrictive Paramount et. al. are when it comes to modern adaptations, but I really do wish they'd go back and use Vonda McIntyre's adaptations of Star Trek II, III, and IV as examples of how to do it well.
I don't know how restrictive Paramount et. al. are when it comes to modern adaptations, but I really do wish they'd go back and use Vonda McIntyre's adaptations of Star Trek II, III, and IV as examples of how to do it well.
birdmanseven's review against another edition
3.0
The book is a little slow to start, but the action picks up once all of the major characters are in place. Most of the films flaws are still here, though a minor change makes the resolution much more palatable.
A note on the audiobook as read by Alice Eve: It's awful. I don't know how it was approved for release. I always like when they get actors from the films to read the audio and thought Alice Eve was very good in the movie. However, this was a real bomb. Most of the issues stem from attempting to hide her accent for the character dialogue, which just made fore slow and painfully awkward interactions. I had to stop and find the print book because this was unusable. This is quite honestly the worst audi0book I've ever heard.
In conclusion, avoid the audiobook, but pick up the novel if you are fan of Star Trek or Alan Dean Foster. We interviewed the author on a special episode of the All the Books Show: https://soundcloud.com/allthebooks/episode-225-interview-with-alan-dean-foster
A note on the audiobook as read by Alice Eve: It's awful. I don't know how it was approved for release. I always like when they get actors from the films to read the audio and thought Alice Eve was very good in the movie. However, this was a real bomb. Most of the issues stem from attempting to hide her accent for the character dialogue, which just made fore slow and painfully awkward interactions. I had to stop and find the print book because this was unusable. This is quite honestly the worst audi0book I've ever heard.
In conclusion, avoid the audiobook, but pick up the novel if you are fan of Star Trek or Alan Dean Foster. We interviewed the author on a special episode of the All the Books Show: https://soundcloud.com/allthebooks/episode-225-interview-with-alan-dean-foster
kikiandarrowsfishshelf's review against another edition
2.0
Well, honesty, I still don't why Uhura and Spock were so unprofessional on the shuttle. It's workmen like but not as a engaging as the novelization of the first movie.
Quick read though.
(Actually, I need to dig out my Log books, but the old cat is sleeping in front of them and I don't want to move her. I'm such a wimp.)
Quick read though.
(Actually, I need to dig out my Log books, but the old cat is sleeping in front of them and I don't want to move her. I'm such a wimp.)
truestorydesu's review against another edition
4.0
Yup. This is a thing I read. And I enjoyed it. So...what of it? I deserve something enjoyable before embarking on Alison Weir's War of the Roses book!
rachael_amber's review against another edition
4.0
I'm not normally a fan of novelizations of films but I really enjoyed this book. I've read some of Alan Dean Fosters books before and he is a very good writer. The book is very detailed and stays very true to the film. It's fast-paced and so well written that it's very difficult to put down!
wheems01's review against another edition
3.0
Summary:
Based on the 2013 Star Trek Into Darkness movie, this book stays very close to the movie. The novel takes place in the same timeline as the one created in the 2009 Star Trek movie. A young Captain Kirk and his crew return to earth hoping to be sent out on a five year mission, little does Kirk know that a report of an incident by Spock would leave him demoted to commander. Before that can fully take place, star fleet headquarters is attacked and Kirk’s mentor Christopher Pike is killed in the terrorist attack. After being reinstated as captain of the Enterprise, Kirk and his crew head off to catch the terrorist, only to discover that there is more to the mission than even he has been told.
Review:
Let me start out by saying I am a Trekkie. I love all things Star Trek and I adored the new movie when it came out in 2009. I eagerly anticipated this second movie, and couldn’t wait to see it. After watching the movie I decided to listen to this audiobook because I wanted more.
I have read a number of movie novelizations in the past with mixed results. Sometimes I like them because they add detail to the story that was missing from the movie, sometimes I hate them because they stray too far from the movie or worse rewrite portions, and sometimes they come out like this one did; without really adding anything that I didn’t already know and just being mediocre. I saw the movie, and let me tell you up front, if you have seen the movie you don’t need to read the book—you already know everything.
If you like novelizations that stick close to the movie without adding any extra this is for you. I know the author tried to express what the characters were thinking or feeling with limited success. And maybe it is a credit to the actors that most scenes were much more successful on screen than they were in the book—the whole Uhura/Kirk conversation in the turbolift for example. The book had the added effect of making Kirk sound like a petulant child. Now I suppose it could be argued that he acted that way in the film to, but for some reason the book seemed to emphasize the point. He wasn’t the Kirk I knew and loved—he was for lack of a better word whiny.
I know I have read Foster’s work in the past, and I don’t remember having as much trouble with it as I did this one. Maybe it was the book, maybe it was the movie. Either way this book failed to excite me. I think much of the problem with this novel is that it told, it didn’t show and as a result the writing and the novel itself fell flat.
Audiobook Review:
The audiobook version of this novel is produced by Simon & Schuster Audio. Alice Eve performs this book. Perhaps it was my own mistake listening to this title when I am such a fan of the movies. I know how Chris Pine sounds as he plays Captain Kirk and I remember the tone and inflection of the memorable conversations of the movie. Eve’s narration didn’t cut it for me. First of all I was rather surprised that this book would be narrated by a female—I think the content would have been more suited to a male voice. (I’m really not trying to sound sexist here—I have heard great performances from women, this just wasn’t one of them.) I also didn’t like how she interpreted Kirk’s voice—it always seemed so flat and/or whiny at times. She did a great job narrating Carol Marcus, and her other male voices were okay, but they were not what I was expecting. Also her slight British accent seemed a bit out of place. She is a good narrator and I would happily listen to something else that she narrates to see how I like that, but it just didn’t seem like a good fit for this particular novel. Again, this fault could very well lie with me and my own personal expectations of this audiobook.
Overall:
I had high expectations of this book and perhaps they were too high. This is a good novelization if you want something that will just tell you what happened in the movie. If you are looking for more, you might be disappointed.
FTC Disclosure: I received a copy of this book on CD from Simon & Schuster Audio for review through Audiobook Jukebox. This is my honest review.
Based on the 2013 Star Trek Into Darkness movie, this book stays very close to the movie. The novel takes place in the same timeline as the one created in the 2009 Star Trek movie. A young Captain Kirk and his crew return to earth hoping to be sent out on a five year mission, little does Kirk know that a report of an incident by Spock would leave him demoted to commander. Before that can fully take place, star fleet headquarters is attacked and Kirk’s mentor Christopher Pike is killed in the terrorist attack. After being reinstated as captain of the Enterprise, Kirk and his crew head off to catch the terrorist, only to discover that there is more to the mission than even he has been told.
Review:
Let me start out by saying I am a Trekkie. I love all things Star Trek and I adored the new movie when it came out in 2009. I eagerly anticipated this second movie, and couldn’t wait to see it. After watching the movie I decided to listen to this audiobook because I wanted more.
I have read a number of movie novelizations in the past with mixed results. Sometimes I like them because they add detail to the story that was missing from the movie, sometimes I hate them because they stray too far from the movie or worse rewrite portions, and sometimes they come out like this one did; without really adding anything that I didn’t already know and just being mediocre. I saw the movie, and let me tell you up front, if you have seen the movie you don’t need to read the book—you already know everything.
If you like novelizations that stick close to the movie without adding any extra this is for you. I know the author tried to express what the characters were thinking or feeling with limited success. And maybe it is a credit to the actors that most scenes were much more successful on screen than they were in the book—the whole Uhura/Kirk conversation in the turbolift for example. The book had the added effect of making Kirk sound like a petulant child. Now I suppose it could be argued that he acted that way in the film to, but for some reason the book seemed to emphasize the point. He wasn’t the Kirk I knew and loved—he was for lack of a better word whiny.
I know I have read Foster’s work in the past, and I don’t remember having as much trouble with it as I did this one. Maybe it was the book, maybe it was the movie. Either way this book failed to excite me. I think much of the problem with this novel is that it told, it didn’t show and as a result the writing and the novel itself fell flat.
Audiobook Review:
The audiobook version of this novel is produced by Simon & Schuster Audio. Alice Eve performs this book. Perhaps it was my own mistake listening to this title when I am such a fan of the movies. I know how Chris Pine sounds as he plays Captain Kirk and I remember the tone and inflection of the memorable conversations of the movie. Eve’s narration didn’t cut it for me. First of all I was rather surprised that this book would be narrated by a female—I think the content would have been more suited to a male voice. (I’m really not trying to sound sexist here—I have heard great performances from women, this just wasn’t one of them.) I also didn’t like how she interpreted Kirk’s voice—it always seemed so flat and/or whiny at times. She did a great job narrating Carol Marcus, and her other male voices were okay, but they were not what I was expecting. Also her slight British accent seemed a bit out of place. She is a good narrator and I would happily listen to something else that she narrates to see how I like that, but it just didn’t seem like a good fit for this particular novel. Again, this fault could very well lie with me and my own personal expectations of this audiobook.
Overall:
I had high expectations of this book and perhaps they were too high. This is a good novelization if you want something that will just tell you what happened in the movie. If you are looking for more, you might be disappointed.
FTC Disclosure: I received a copy of this book on CD from Simon & Schuster Audio for review through Audiobook Jukebox. This is my honest review.
saphirablue's review against another edition
2.0
I like the movie. I like movie novalizations. I like the books of Alan Dean Foster I've read before. But I kind of don't like this one. :/
I don't know why. It was boring, even though it closely follows the movie and the characterisation in the book is the same as in the movie, and for the most time didn't manage to grab my attention. It picked up when Kirk & Co. went to Qo'noS and I enjoyed it more starting there but overall I can't help feeling *meh* about it. :(
I don't know why. It was boring, even though it closely follows the movie and the characterisation in the book is the same as in the movie, and for the most time didn't manage to grab my attention. It picked up when Kirk & Co. went to Qo'noS and I enjoyed it more starting there but overall I can't help feeling *meh* about it. :(
alicea's review against another edition
5.0
Let's take a look at Star Trek Into Darkness which was written after the movie of the same name was released. For die-hard Trekkie fans, this is definitely a book that you want to pick up. It was so good that I never wanted it to end. For those who haven't seen the film (or who aren't really into Star Trek at all), this is the story of how one man came into his own when pitted against a ruthless adversary who by all accounts was unbeatable. James Tiberius Kirk is the newly appointed Captain of the USS Enterprise but at this stage he's definitely still wet behind the ears and he makes mistakes which come with very big consequences. At the same time, the reader is introduced to a character with motivations that are not immediately apparent and it is uncertain exactly what type of a person he actually is (his identity is in question as well). There is conflict, intrigue, heroism, tragedy, and courage on every single page. Go forth and read it!!