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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!!
evila_elf's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed this. I was expecting a straight forward adaption from movie to book, but there are a lot of extra details here that either aren't present in the source material, or that I had missed. I loved the extra insight into what the characters were thinking.
I loved the author's Pip and Flinx series and had a feeling I would like this, but I was almost afraid to read it just in case it sucked.
There were a few things I didn't like, which made this lose a star.
--Too many epithets. He seemed to really enjoy referring to Spock as 'the science officer' rather than his name. This happened a bit to all of the characters, but this was the one that stood out to me the most.
--When Khan's men were supposedly shot at him in the movie, he yelled "NO!". I really enjoyed that part of the movie because you can tell he is really doing all he can to try to save his people.
--The tribble. I was really hoping there would be some explanation as to why it was still sitting on the table after the ship had been doing some body rolls in the air.
--"KHAAAAANNNNN!!" Made me laugh in the movie, made me laugh here.
--The fight between Spock and Khan was still too short.
Okay, some of those aren't the author's fault, since they happened in the movie, but still ;)
Anyway, the book was a joy to pick up and read each night, despite the handful of issues I had with it.
I loved the author's Pip and Flinx series and had a feeling I would like this, but I was almost afraid to read it just in case it sucked.
There were a few things I didn't like, which made this lose a star.
--Too many epithets. He seemed to really enjoy referring to Spock as 'the science officer' rather than his name. This happened a bit to all of the characters, but this was the one that stood out to me the most.
--When Khan's men were supposedly shot at him in the movie, he yelled "NO!". I really enjoyed that part of the movie because you can tell he is really doing all he can to try to save his people.
--The tribble. I was really hoping there would be some explanation as to why it was still sitting on the table after the ship had been doing some body rolls in the air.
--"KHAAAAANNNNN!!" Made me laugh in the movie, made me laugh here.
--The fight between Spock and Khan was still too short.
Okay, some of those aren't the author's fault, since they happened in the movie, but still ;)
Anyway, the book was a joy to pick up and read each night, despite the handful of issues I had with it.
esperata's review against another edition
2.0
The original 'Wrath of Khan' film was an emotional recognition for Kirk that he couldn't always win - he couldn't always save everyone. 'Into Darkness' always missed that point and actually does the opposite. It starts with him flaunting the Prime Directive to rescue Spock. the needs of the many do not in fact here outweigh the needs of the few.
However good books have been written from poor films before, and it has a good author, so I gave this book a chance. I got the distinct impression Alan Dean Foster didn't care for the film either.
There are no additional explanations, such as why Kirk would interrupt his interview with Khan solely to allow the narrative to introduce a tribble. Nor are there any extra details, not even the replacement communications officer's name (simply referred to as Uhura's replacement). And I still don't know why nobody called McCoy when Kirk was dying.
I can't blame the author for the inadequacies of the film (whoever thought having Khan's blood bring back the dead needs to take a lot of the blame) but I can blame him for not trying to rescue something from it. Two stars because it at least accurately follows the film.
However good books have been written from poor films before, and it has a good author, so I gave this book a chance. I got the distinct impression Alan Dean Foster didn't care for the film either.
There are no additional explanations, such as why Kirk would interrupt his interview with Khan solely to allow the narrative to introduce a tribble. Nor are there any extra details, not even the replacement communications officer's name (simply referred to as Uhura's replacement). And I still don't know why nobody called McCoy when Kirk was dying.
I can't blame the author for the inadequacies of the film (whoever thought having Khan's blood bring back the dead needs to take a lot of the blame) but I can blame him for not trying to rescue something from it. Two stars because it at least accurately follows the film.
wordsandnocturnes's review against another edition
4.0
Two years before, I watched Star Trek Into Darkness. Star Trek Into Darkness is the sequel to Star Trek (2009). It is about the USS Enterprise crew who explore space. Int his particular movie, the Enterprise crew have to face off with a formidable foe – Khan (or more appropriately, KHAAAAN!!!).
The movie was full of action, tension, a fair amount of fun and had something to it that drew me to find out more about Star Trek than ever. However, there were a few bits of Star Trek Into Darkness that have left viewers (or maybe just me) not too sure what could have been happening, or perhaps all the science-y explanations left us wondering what?? afterwards. When I found out that there was a movie novelisation with the same name (written by Alan Dean Foster), I got excited and got my hands on a copy as soon as possible (coincidentally, as if answering to my wish, I found a copy, or well, a stack of copies at a bookstore).
The novelisation translated well from screen to page. The best part of the book, I would say, is the extra detail and descriptions, that lets readers gain more of an understanding of what is going on and why something matters. It definitely cleared up parts of the movie that were unclear or were too fast to be interpreted well on screen. This applies especially to scenes where Khan and Spock are “playing chess”. As they say, you do not play chess with a Vulcan.
I would still recommend watching the movie first before reading this book. It helps with visualising the scenes, starships and characters. Even so, it would also be completely alright to just watch the movie and not read the book. As mentioned, this book just clears up some things, even if they are trivial, such as the surprisingly British-accented Carol Marcus.
Alan Dean Foster uses big words sometimes. Words that I can hardly remember or understand and of which I unfortunately didn’t write down so I can’t remember them, which makes my point not all that strong. Still. It doesn’t affect the book on the whole or the reading process so I deem that more than acceptable, it’s not a problem. The writing was straightforward and the reader was made to understand the stakes and everything else directly. I understand that if you read the book while holding the movie scenes in your head, it makes for a much more enjoyable reading experience, which I would also recommend for you to do.
I enjoyed this book, partly I suppose because I enjoyed the movie. Still, there’s a lot that when out into words, can be quite fun, like that but where Spock is being jealous of newcomer Carol, which has been explored thoroughly on Tumblr, and there’s this quote from the movie that I wish had made it into the book.
The movie was full of action, tension, a fair amount of fun and had something to it that drew me to find out more about Star Trek than ever. However, there were a few bits of Star Trek Into Darkness that have left viewers (or maybe just me) not too sure what could have been happening, or perhaps all the science-y explanations left us wondering what?? afterwards. When I found out that there was a movie novelisation with the same name (written by Alan Dean Foster), I got excited and got my hands on a copy as soon as possible (coincidentally, as if answering to my wish, I found a copy, or well, a stack of copies at a bookstore).
He wanted to exploit my savagery! Intellect alone is useless in a fight, Mr. Spock. You, you can’t even break a rule – how can you be expected to break bone?
The novelisation translated well from screen to page. The best part of the book, I would say, is the extra detail and descriptions, that lets readers gain more of an understanding of what is going on and why something matters. It definitely cleared up parts of the movie that were unclear or were too fast to be interpreted well on screen. This applies especially to scenes where Khan and Spock are “playing chess”. As they say, you do not play chess with a Vulcan.
I would still recommend watching the movie first before reading this book. It helps with visualising the scenes, starships and characters. Even so, it would also be completely alright to just watch the movie and not read the book. As mentioned, this book just clears up some things, even if they are trivial, such as the surprisingly British-accented Carol Marcus.
Alan Dean Foster uses big words sometimes. Words that I can hardly remember or understand and of which I unfortunately didn’t write down so I can’t remember them, which makes my point not all that strong. Still. It doesn’t affect the book on the whole or the reading process so I deem that more than acceptable, it’s not a problem. The writing was straightforward and the reader was made to understand the stakes and everything else directly. I understand that if you read the book while holding the movie scenes in your head, it makes for a much more enjoyable reading experience, which I would also recommend for you to do.
I enjoyed this book, partly I suppose because I enjoyed the movie. Still, there’s a lot that when out into words, can be quite fun, like that but where Spock is being jealous of newcomer Carol, which has been explored thoroughly on Tumblr, and there’s this quote from the movie that I wish had made it into the book.
There will always be those who mean to do us harm. To stop them, we risk awakening the same evil within ourselves. Our first instinct is to seek revenge when those we love are taken from us. But that’s not who we are.
kaysal's review against another edition
4.0
This book has made me far less grudging towards the movie, probably because the book actually takes time to explain/explore the motivations of the characters. I still think Abrams' Khan is incredibly boring and poorly written.
After reading the book, I can see where it and the movie tried to take a critical stance of the U.S. military and fear-mongering. I just think it didn't do a very good job.
After reading the book, I can see where it and the movie tried to take a critical stance of the U.S. military and fear-mongering. I just think it didn't do a very good job.
shaunad's review against another edition
1.0
This book is so terrible. I got to the point where the Star Fleet "Library" gets blown up and I couldn't read any more. The author is the king of purple prose. It was so incongruous with the inserted dialogue from the movies. I had to fight several urges to just throw the book across the room, so I just decided to never finish it. 1/10, D-, would not recommend.