gingerreader99's review against another edition
5.0
The rather abrupt but suspected end leaves one feeling as distraught as many of the main cast members such as JL. The whole novel is a build up and as a reader I resonated with the nonstop drive to overcome everything in JL and the Verity's way with the Romulan relocation efforts(a very accurate social commentary I might add). Of course there is so much left out but I understand why and the focus on Picard is what I think this novel gets right. The lack of info on other main characters of TNG is deliberate and I think speaks to just how dedicated JL was to this mission, and how heartbreaking it was for him to lose.
thomwallacern's review against another edition
5.0
My gosh, what a good read. (I *know* it's fiction, but...)The arrogance so prevalent within both the Romulan Empire and the Federation were enough to make me scream. It's Chernobyl all over again. The Russia--I mean, Romulans weren't ever going to admit something catastrophic was occuring until it absolutely required them to do so. Until the Federation recalculated some figures and realized the RE either got it wrong or falsified information.
Like, did the Romulan Empire completely forget what happened to Qo'noS when Praxis exploded??
Or...did the RE get exactly what they want? It's hinted at so teasingly that the Romulans may have deliberately caused their sun to go supernova. It'll be interesting to see how this story plays out in STAR TREK: PICARD.
This was such a fun read. As someone that has already seen the first half of the new series, this book deeply enhances the story. And, it adds so much delicious context. It isn't necessary to read this before watching the series, but I highly recommend it.
Like, did the Romulan Empire completely forget what happened to Qo'noS when Praxis exploded??
Or...did the RE get exactly what they want? It's hinted at so teasingly that the Romulans may have deliberately caused their sun to go supernova. It'll be interesting to see how this story plays out in STAR TREK: PICARD.
This was such a fun read. As someone that has already seen the first half of the new series, this book deeply enhances the story. And, it adds so much delicious context. It isn't necessary to read this before watching the series, but I highly recommend it.
pangalactics's review against another edition
5.0
I just wish the actual show was as brilliant and moving and compelling as this book.
I always trust Star Trek in the hands of Una McCormack.
It's obviously a downer of a book but it's so beautifully, tenderly written.
I always trust Star Trek in the hands of Una McCormack.
It's obviously a downer of a book but it's so beautifully, tenderly written.
yournamehere's review
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
eli_loves_reading's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
ripley1992's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
sad
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? Yes
4.5
aprilbethp's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
reflective
relaxing
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
david_agranoff's review against another edition
4.0
I meant to read this before the show premiered but somehow I missed it until now when I have watched Picard the series twice. So yeah I am a fan of the show and I know the return of Star Trek under the guidance of Alex Kurtzman has been dividing the fans. This review is not really about the show but Una McCormack's excellent prequel to the show. I have to say this is the first time this author's work and I was very impressed.
This novel not only felt like the ST universe but more importantly McCormack gave the world a sense of life and function that felt grounded. That is one of the key reasons that this book not only tells the backstory to the show it makes the show better and gives it even more weight.
I really appreciated that all the conflict and drama came from the fact that Picard was attempting to mount an impossible mission. There were no action scenes or battles forced into the story to give it an action vibe. The novel is a political drama that follow Raffi and Admiral Picard on their mission to try and save the Romulan empire from disaster even when they are not interested in help.
The story sets up and tells the back story of Picard's infamous mission to try and save the Romulans. We get most of the back story hinted at in the TV series. We get excellent details on how Picard, Raffi, Bruce Maddox, and Geordi (!) move mountains to save a species that has been the Federation's enemy for centuries held in check by the thin political line of the neutral zone.
The writing is excellent, top-notch work of weaving multiple storylines and POVs. I know there is this idea out there that tie-in novels are lesser works of literature. Here again, Una McCormack proves that from a writing task that is nonsense. The structure of the story takes place over three years, balances A, B, C, and D storylines while planting seeds for 10 hours of television. at the same time the story is compelling and the characters already established by the history of Trek or the still in production script she was working from. Not a simple job but this novel pulls all that off.
A good tie-in writer knows how to use the relationship the reader has with the characters to their advantage and this is done here often. I actually think I benefitted in my reading experience because I had already watched the show. The relationship of Raffi and Picard is so important to this book and I think will ad weight when I watch the scene when Picard shows up at her trailer.
The moral weight of Picard, his role in Starfleet and his stubborn insistence on the mission and saving lives is the heart of the novel and in that sense alone it add depth to the show. That feeling is all there in the show but it is nice to see the level Picard worked for years on the mission. It means more when you watch the scene where He walks into the Romulan bar.
The novel also fills in information that some thought were holes in the show. This comes in explaining how the sudden crisis pushes the Starfleet shipyards to increase production to the point that they need android workers to pitch-in, plus pushing workers in ways that 24th-century citizens are not used to. At the same time, Picard is pushing federation colonies and worlds to accept Romulan refugees, something that a political operative on the Federation council pounces on.
Many Star Trek purists are really bothered that the stress of the Romulan crisis is putting such stress on the Federation. But look at what a tiny virus is doing to America as this is written. the Federation at the time of this story has just survived two Borg invasions and a Dominion War. As a show Picard is about one man's idealism saving The universe we all grown to love so nothing is more Roddenberry than that.
I know many were bothered by Picard and Starfleet's distrust of each other and the fact that Clancy told Picard off. McCormack sets all that up nicely showing the number of times they showed him respect, but Picard challenged them over and over.
While this novel had various obvious points of view it was trying to express. When Patrick Stewart sat in the writer's room with Kurtzman, Buyer, Goldsman, and Chabon. It is clear the border and the refugee crisis with the caravan coming to the border was on their minds. Although less than a year after it was released I felt a different political weight. While half of our country is refusing science and debating science behind wearing masks. I couldn't help think about that as Picard was debating with a Romulan Senator that he needed to believe him that his planet was about to die. The man refused to believe the science choosing to believe Starfleet was using the situation to exploit and destroy their civilization. Sound familiar?
Some little things I want to note, there is a part where a Romulan scientist talks about his love for Science Fiction, and I loved thinking about the Romulan science fiction novels with the evil Starfleet in them.
Was it perfect? No, throughout the novel I assumed the Romulan liason Tajuth would end up being the character living with Picard because I didn't remember his name. There is a character who is a personal guard of a Romulan Senator in the third act she dies but it would make sense to be Laris. Even though they were only in the first three episodes Laris and Zhaban were my favorite characters on the show. It would have made sense to tell there back story and deepen their relationship to Picard. I suspect that was the plan, not sure why that was not the case here.
If you enjoyed Picard I suggest you read this before a repeat viewing, put on the soundtrack as you read it, it is a quick read.
This novel not only felt like the ST universe but more importantly McCormack gave the world a sense of life and function that felt grounded. That is one of the key reasons that this book not only tells the backstory to the show it makes the show better and gives it even more weight.
I really appreciated that all the conflict and drama came from the fact that Picard was attempting to mount an impossible mission. There were no action scenes or battles forced into the story to give it an action vibe. The novel is a political drama that follow Raffi and Admiral Picard on their mission to try and save the Romulan empire from disaster even when they are not interested in help.
The story sets up and tells the back story of Picard's infamous mission to try and save the Romulans. We get most of the back story hinted at in the TV series. We get excellent details on how Picard, Raffi, Bruce Maddox, and Geordi (!) move mountains to save a species that has been the Federation's enemy for centuries held in check by the thin political line of the neutral zone.
The writing is excellent, top-notch work of weaving multiple storylines and POVs. I know there is this idea out there that tie-in novels are lesser works of literature. Here again, Una McCormack proves that from a writing task that is nonsense. The structure of the story takes place over three years, balances A, B, C, and D storylines while planting seeds for 10 hours of television. at the same time the story is compelling and the characters already established by the history of Trek or the still in production script she was working from. Not a simple job but this novel pulls all that off.
A good tie-in writer knows how to use the relationship the reader has with the characters to their advantage and this is done here often. I actually think I benefitted in my reading experience because I had already watched the show. The relationship of Raffi and Picard is so important to this book and I think will ad weight when I watch the scene when Picard shows up at her trailer.
The moral weight of Picard, his role in Starfleet and his stubborn insistence on the mission and saving lives is the heart of the novel and in that sense alone it add depth to the show. That feeling is all there in the show but it is nice to see the level Picard worked for years on the mission. It means more when you watch the scene where He walks into the Romulan bar.
The novel also fills in information that some thought were holes in the show. This comes in explaining how the sudden crisis pushes the Starfleet shipyards to increase production to the point that they need android workers to pitch-in, plus pushing workers in ways that 24th-century citizens are not used to. At the same time, Picard is pushing federation colonies and worlds to accept Romulan refugees, something that a political operative on the Federation council pounces on.
Many Star Trek purists are really bothered that the stress of the Romulan crisis is putting such stress on the Federation. But look at what a tiny virus is doing to America as this is written. the Federation at the time of this story has just survived two Borg invasions and a Dominion War. As a show Picard is about one man's idealism saving The universe we all grown to love so nothing is more Roddenberry than that.
I know many were bothered by Picard and Starfleet's distrust of each other and the fact that Clancy told Picard off. McCormack sets all that up nicely showing the number of times they showed him respect, but Picard challenged them over and over.
While this novel had various obvious points of view it was trying to express. When Patrick Stewart sat in the writer's room with Kurtzman, Buyer, Goldsman, and Chabon. It is clear the border and the refugee crisis with the caravan coming to the border was on their minds. Although less than a year after it was released I felt a different political weight. While half of our country is refusing science and debating science behind wearing masks. I couldn't help think about that as Picard was debating with a Romulan Senator that he needed to believe him that his planet was about to die. The man refused to believe the science choosing to believe Starfleet was using the situation to exploit and destroy their civilization. Sound familiar?
Some little things I want to note, there is a part where a Romulan scientist talks about his love for Science Fiction, and I loved thinking about the Romulan science fiction novels with the evil Starfleet in them.
Was it perfect? No, throughout the novel I assumed the Romulan liason Tajuth would end up being the character living with Picard because I didn't remember his name. There is a character who is a personal guard of a Romulan Senator in the third act she dies but it would make sense to be Laris. Even though they were only in the first three episodes Laris and Zhaban were my favorite characters on the show. It would have made sense to tell there back story and deepen their relationship to Picard. I suspect that was the plan, not sure why that was not the case here.
If you enjoyed Picard I suggest you read this before a repeat viewing, put on the soundtrack as you read it, it is a quick read.
raemelle's review against another edition
5.0
I loved this prequel to the new Picard series. It provides background information for many of the events that occur in the show, and tells us the story of how Picard (probably my all-time favorite fictional character ever) became an admiral and eventually ended up back in France.
At times it was a bit anger-inducing, but that’s merely because of the painful similarities I see between this storyline and the humanitarian efforts people in our country today attempt to employ despite constant misinformation and greed on the part of the wealthy elite and their uneducated, xenophobic, brainwashed minions. There were also strong parallels to climate change and the people who deny it — despite the huge corporations that are taking measures to avoid being affected by it while trying to convince regular people that there is nothing to worry about (and that even if there is, these corporations don’t want people to realize just how much they are contributing to climate change).
It also has an important message, beyond just being willing to help those in need. No matter how right a mission is, without political backing it won’t be successful. And all resources just cannot be funneled into one issue, no matter how good. To do so is tantamount to dictatorship, no matter how good the cause is. Politics involves pleasing people in power, and the people who elect them, from a public relations standpoint. But as a politician, if you bow down to PR pressure every time you encounter a situation when you could truly enact real change, then your position in politics is pointless. What is the point of having political power if you’re so concerned with staying in power that you won’t do good with it? These two sides require communication, understanding, moderation and compromise.
That being said, only after these measures have been truly taken can we begin to think about ripping up the rules and charging forward what must be objectively considered the ultimate good. Charging forward without experience, understanding or knowledge of all sides of an argument is reckless and inefficient.
At times it was a bit anger-inducing, but that’s merely because of the painful similarities I see between this storyline and the humanitarian efforts people in our country today attempt to employ despite constant misinformation and greed on the part of the wealthy elite and their uneducated, xenophobic, brainwashed minions. There were also strong parallels to climate change and the people who deny it — despite the huge corporations that are taking measures to avoid being affected by it while trying to convince regular people that there is nothing to worry about (and that even if there is, these corporations don’t want people to realize just how much they are contributing to climate change).
It also has an important message, beyond just being willing to help those in need. No matter how right a mission is, without political backing it won’t be successful. And all resources just cannot be funneled into one issue, no matter how good. To do so is tantamount to dictatorship, no matter how good the cause is. Politics involves pleasing people in power, and the people who elect them, from a public relations standpoint. But as a politician, if you bow down to PR pressure every time you encounter a situation when you could truly enact real change, then your position in politics is pointless. What is the point of having political power if you’re so concerned with staying in power that you won’t do good with it? These two sides require communication, understanding, moderation and compromise.
That being said, only after these measures have been truly taken can we begin to think about ripping up the rules and charging forward what must be objectively considered the ultimate good. Charging forward without experience, understanding or knowledge of all sides of an argument is reckless and inefficient.