Book Review

Here There Be Monsters (Star Trek: S.C.E. #10: Gateways Epilogue)

Casey

Star Trek: S.C.E. #10: Here There Be Monsters by Keith R.A. DeCandido is billed as the epilogue to the Gateways saga, and while it works fine in that context, it shines even more as a standalone S.C.E. story. The crew of the da Vinci is dispatched to a planet overrun by bizarre, monstrous creatures that have crossed over from another universe through one of the Gateways. As the team scrambles to contain the chaos, the story balances action, teamwork, and a bit of the series’ trademark weirdness.

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Book Review

The Riddled Post (Star Trek: S.C.E. #9)

Casey

Star Trek: S.C.E. #9: The Riddled Post by Aaron Rosenberg had a solid premise — a mysterious space station, a problem in need of solving — but the execution fell a bit flat for me. The story unfolds in a very straightforward, almost clinical fashion, lacking the tension or stakes that have helped elevate previous entries in the series. While there’s a mystery at the heart of the plot, it’s solved rather quickly, and what follows feels more like a checklist of tasks than a compelling narrative arc.

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Book Review

Invincible, Part Two (Star Trek: S.C.E. #8)

Casey

Star Trek: S.C.E. #7-8: Invincible by David Mack and Keith R.A. DeCandido is an ambitious two-parter that stands out thanks to its unique storytelling format. Told largely through a series of log entries, personal reflections, and internal communications from Lieutenant Commander Sonia Gomez, the story offers a real-time, first-person immediacy that’s rare in Trek fiction. It’s a refreshing shift in perspective that deepens Gomez’s character and gives the narrative a strong sense of urgency.

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Book Review

Invincible, Part One (Star Trek: S.C.E. #7)

Casey

Star Trek: S.C.E. #7-8: Invincible by David Mack and Keith R.A. DeCandido is an ambitious two-parter that stands out thanks to its unique storytelling format. Told largely through a series of log entries, personal reflections, and internal communications from Lieutenant Commander Sonia Gomez, the story offers a real-time, first-person immediacy that’s rare in Trek fiction. It’s a refreshing shift in perspective that deepens Gomez’s character and gives the narrative a strong sense of urgency.

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Book Review

Cold Fusion (Star Trek: S.C.E. #6)

Casey

Star Trek: S.C.E. #6: Cold Fusion by Keith R.A. DeCandido ties nicely into the post-Deep Space Nine continuity, serving as a fun “side quest” of sorts for Nog as he seeks help from the da Vinci crew to repair DS9. That broader connection is one of the novella’s strengths. Unfortunately, the danger never quite lands — the outcome feels predetermined, and the stakes never seem high enough to create real tension.

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Book Review

Interphase, Part 2 (Star Trek: S.C.E. #5)

Casey

Star Trek: S.C.E. #5: Interphase, Part Two by Dayton Ward & Kevin Dilmore delivers a strong, action-packed conclusion to the series’ first two-parter. The pacing ramps up nicely, balancing high-stakes sci-fi tension with some great nostalgic callbacks. It’s a satisfying payoff to the setup in Part One, and it solidifies the creative team’s skill at juggling character and spectacle.

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Book Review

Interphase, Part 1 (Star Trek: S.C.E. #4)

Casey

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.

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Book Review

Hard Crash (Star Trek: S.C.E. #3)

Casey

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.

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Book Review

Fatal Error (Star Trek: S.C.E. #2)

Casey

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.

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Book Review

The Belly of the Beast (Star Trek: S.C.E. #1)

Casey

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.

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