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thedayoflight's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
fast-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
5.0
katkinney's review against another edition
5.0
Really good. Perfect sense of sci-fi geeky tone and details that added to the movie novelization.
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!