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.
As part of my goal to read all of Michael Crichton’s works in publication order, Eaters of the Dead was next on my list. I didn’t know much going in, but quickly learned it’s a mash-up of the real-life travel writings of Ahmad ibn Fadlan and the epic of Beowulf — a blend of historical fiction and myth retelling. I also knew it was the basis for the film The 13th Warrior, though I haven’t seen it.
Going into The Humans, I thought I was in for a quirky, alien-point-of-view look at humanity. And while that’s technically what I got, it ended up being so much deeper than I expected. This book is humorous, yes — but also contemplative and quietly profound. What starts off as a clever concept slowly transforms into a moving meditation on love, identity, and what it means to be human.
This book is a fine entry in the series, but unfortunately, it suffers from placement more than content. Coming immediately after Fatal Error, the story feels a bit too familiar — another planetary emergency involving malfunctioning technology and a race against time to save the day. While that’s classic Star Trek, the similarity in structure and stakes made this novella feel repetitive rather than fresh.
This book continues to develop the da Vinci crew as the series finds its footing. Like a traditional Trek episode, we start to see certain characters steep into the spotlight, though at times it feels like too many are vying for attention. The story is classic Star Trek, full of problem-solving and moral dilemmas, but I found myself not especially invested in the planet’s inhabitants.
I went into this book expecting a fun whodunit with some fourth-wall breaking gimmicks. What I got was so much more clever, layered, and downright delightful than I anticipated. Benjamin Stevenson has crafted a mystery that’s both hilariously self-aware and masterfully plotted.
This book is a fantastic kickoff to the Starfleet Corps of Engineers series. I loved how it introduced the da Vinci crew while weaving in familiar faces like Geordi La Forge and Scotty to anchor the story in the broader Trek universe. The balance between new and established characters felt seamless, making me care about the da Vinci crew right from the start.
As the fifth installment in the Gateways series, you would expect the Gateways to play a bigger part of the story. While they are present, they really serve as the MacGuffin to a classic Voyager tale.
This is the third work I’ve read as I make my way through the works of William Shakespeare in [somewhat] chronological order of writing/publication. For this project, I’ve chosen The Arden Shakespeare, Third Series, as my [quite scholarly] guide. On this read-through, I’m not assigning star-ratings – I have little on which to compare these works at this point. I may revisit them later to add ratings once I’ve read more of the canon.
I’d heard a lot about this book before picking it up. It’s often billed as horror, and with that cover art and creepy house vibes, I expected to be spooked. But for me, this read far more like a mystery – dark, unsettling, and full of psychological suspense, yes – but not horror. That said, what it is turned out to be far more compelling.
