Author: Dayton Ward & Kevin Dilmore
Pages: 103
Format: eBook
Published: February 2001
Publisher: Pocket Books
View on Goodreads
Date Completed: August 12, 2025
My rating: 
Thoughts
This novella raises the stakes and successfully expands the series’ reach into deeper Star Trek lore. The inclusion of the Tholian perspective was a bold and fascinating choice — we so rarely get their point of view, and it added and eerie, alien texture to the story. I also appreciated the use of the Defiant here more than I did in Enterprise‘s mirror-universe episodes. It felt more grounded and purposeful.
The story builds tension well and places the da Vinci crew in a situation that genuinely feels perilous. There’s a great sense of momentum leading into the second half, and the broader Trek mythos is woven in naturally without overshadowing the da Vinci crew. I’m definitely looking forward to seeing how they escape this predicament. I give this 4.5 stars out 5.
