Whoa. This was amazing. It was up there with Q-Squared because it was so mind bendingly crazy too.
It was about the DIT (Department of Temporal Investigations) and the Agents who try to fix the temporal problems of the current time that either anomalies or Starfleet officers have caused. And it pretty much had almost every temporal Star Trek shenanigan between its pages somehow. From both media and books.
We meet Lucsly, Dulmur, Shelan, Teresa Ortiz, and Clare Raymond amongst so many others. I have to admit that I wasn't quite sure what the point/theme of the book was supposed to be, but, the two main stories in the book were cool (and super super mind bending as previously stated). Also, if I wasn't so familiar with the media/book Star Trek universe I probably would have been totally lost. So, this book may not be for the newbies trying to get into Star Trek Novels for the first time. Still. Taking this Department that was only barely seen in the TV series and expanding on it so much and so awesomely. I can't wait for the next book in the series.
You may like this book If you Liked: The Ashes of Tomorrow by James Swallow, The Last Best Hope by Una McCormack, or The Unsettling Stars by Alan Dean Foster
A common sight on DS9, these aliens also turned up at Starbase Earheart in TNG: “Tapestry.” Politically unaligned, they inhabit a region near the Federation/Cardassian border.
They never got a name on screen, but background alien champion Christopher Bennett named them the Chandir, from the planet Chand Aad, in his Trek novels. Their long head-tails are extended sinuses that magnify their voices for mating calls. They can also open and close the ridged areas of their faces to change the tone and pitch. They’re walking musical instruments.
One of the books I’m reading (I’m rotating through four? Five???) is a Trek novel called The Captain’s Oath by Christopher L. Bennett. It’s a Kirk-centric piece that focuses on his life before the Enterprise, including his first command, meeting Bones, and basically all the events and life lessons that made Kirk the person we saw in The Original Series. One of my favorite bits is that Kirk’s first command was a Hermes-class starship called the Sacagawea. Why is it one of my favorites? Let’s take a look at the Hermes-class:
It’s a fricking weird looking ship. I’m not dissing the Hermes because it’s weird, but also neat? I just would love to have been a fly on the wall at Starfleet when whoever designed the Hermes presented it for the first time, like “What if we took the saucer of a Connie, but just like stuck a nacelle to the bottom of the neck instead of a secondary hull?”
Anyways, the book isn’t bad. My only complaint is that every flashback leads to another flashback. It’s flashbackception.
“As a matter of fact, I’m a huge movie buff. But I haven’t been on Earth in a while, so I haven’t had a chance to catch up yet.”
“Neither have I,” Reed replied. “But I’ve been dying to see The Singing Swords of S’harien.”
Paris’s grip on his hand tightened appealingly.
“The new Bollywood epic about pre-Reformation Vulcan?”
“That’s the one.”
She laughed. “Ancient Vulcan warriors having huge song and dance numbers. I hear Commissioner Soval absolutely hates it.”
“That sounds like a fine recommendation.”
Star Trek: Enterprise “Patterns of Interference” page 7
TOS: The Face of the Unknown by Christopher L. Bennet
Book Jacket’s Summary:
“Investigating a series of violent raids by a mysterious predatory species, Captain James T. Kirk discovers that these events share a startling connection with the First Federation, a friendly but secretive civilization contacted early in the USS Enterprise's five-year mission. Traveling to the First Federation in search of answers, the Enterprise suddenly comes under attack from these strange marauders. Seeking refuge, the starship finds its way to the true home of the First Federation, an astonishing collection of worlds hidden from the galaxy beyond. The inhabitants of this isolated realm are wary of outsiders, and some accuse Kirk and his crew for bringing the wrath of their ancient enemy down upon them. When an attempt to stave off disaster goes tragically wrong, Kirk is held fully accountable, and Commander Spock learns there are even deeper forces that threaten this civilization. If Kirk and Spock cannot convince the First Federation's leaders to overcome their fears, the resulting catastrophe could doom them all!”
Yeaka’s Notes:
Despite the standard length, this feels like an especially long story, from the depth of explanations to the sheer scale of the discoveries. The tag “new aliens” hardly covers how many species and characters pop up here, but the most proficient are Balok’s (both the true and scarecrow kind) from TOS: “The Corbomite Maneuver.” It’s definitely wise to brush up on that episode before reading this book, as it revolves entirely around the First Federation and their mess. Long story short, Balok’s baby-like kind and his allies are in enormous hiding from the tall blue-ish aliens he first used to threaten Kirk. Kirk has a rendezvous with David Bailey, their UFP contact, sort of has a quick ‘romance,’ and deals with various difficult alien representatives. Spock studies and has a stiff romance with a telepath. Sulu and Chekov have some daredevil fun. Uhura is useful and maybe has some two-way flirtation with Spock. Scotty survives. Bones grumbles. Overall, it’s a steady flow of exploration, fighting, political squabbles, and hefty exposition.
There’s both good and bad to this book. The writing seems convoluted and awkward at times, growing a tad preachy in places, and the original cast characterizations feel occasionally off and somewhat shallow. Some of the relationships feel strained and forced. That being said, there are plenty of new elements to their dilemma, a plethora of other Trek easter eggs, and if your favourite episode was “The Corbomite Maneuver,” this is basically a must have. Otherwise, it’s a decent TOS read.
Noteworthy moments: (below cut)
Ch0/p3 Sulu recalls being an ensign on the Arjuna, Chekov claims Russians invented snowball fights
p15 Spock wonders what it would be like to command a ship of Tellarites and thinks it’d be like an entire ship of Leonard McCoys
Ch1/p22 A commissioner questions Kirk’s actions in “The Corbomite Manuever”
Ch5/p108 Kirk ogles a council woman’s ass??
Ch6/p120 A telepath talks with Spock over how he’s upset to not have a bondmate with the promise of children and a “legacy”, he thinks it explains the Romulan Commander, Zarabeth, and Droxine (apparently he feels perpetually lonely and helpless because of being half human and half Vulcan??)
p124 Sulu and Chekov go parachuting/hang-gliding, Chekov is sometimes intimidated by Sulu’s energy and drive but generally likes Sulu showing him new things except food
p143 Anne Nored (TAS: “The Survivor”) saves Sulu
Ch11/p216 “The sight of Spock’s face cheered Jim Kirk enormously.”
Ch12/p246 After Sulu’s daredevil piloting, Kirk suggests Uhura stay behind and “leave it to the fighters”?? She goes anyway
Ch14/p284 Spock considers his respect for her, her “flirtations,” and vaguely if they could work together romantically
Ch15/p316 Spock and Uhura team up, “working as one”
Ep/p349 Starfleet is given holo technology; Chekov leaves for security on another ship, replaced by Arex; Uhura’s training M’Ress
Another species we’ve only had a glimpse of in their natural form, since they were in disguise the whole time. The Malurians were reptilian humanoids so they had to wear prosthetics when they infiltrated the pre-warp Akaali civilisation on ENT: “Civilization,” since the Akaali are you classic humans-with-extra-bit aliens.
I love how they used the Malurians in the prequel series, since in TOS: “Thr Changeling” the entire Malurian system is sterilised by Nomad. About 115 years after Archer meets them, the Malurians are completely wiped out. Such a nasty in-joke.
In the Rise of the Federation books we learn that female Malurians are much larger than males and never leave the homeworld. The males don’t often leave either. Just to make sure they all died out when Nomad arrived. Those that do find mammals completely unattractive, so Orions can’t manipulate them at all.
The Xarantine were mentioned on Enterprise by the Klingons, who considers them “no match” for their fighters. They inhabit a star system close to Klingon space.
They’re only mentioned, not seen, but who’s to say one of the many minor and background aliens in the series aren’t one of the various species namedropped? That’s author Christopher Bennett’s stance, who decided for his Rise of the Federation books that this yellow-skinned frog man from the Enterprise pilot was actually our first glimpse of a Xarantine.
