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_clelia's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
sad
fast-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
4.0
thegeekybibliophile's review
5.0
This is the first TOS novel I ever read, and I enjoyed it more than I expected to. Great book.
birdkeeperklink's review
1.0
This sucked. It had no point. It was poorly written. What a waste of time. And it's most unfortunate because it's a very McCoy-centric book, which I enjoy more than other ST books, since McCoy is my favorite character. I wanted to like this book, but it simply wasn't possible.
Why, you may ask? Well, for starters, the 'resolution' was half-hearted and thoroughly unsatisfying. Jocelyn's death made the emotional investment in the story a pointless waste of effort. We got involved in her and McCoy's history, and picked a side, and got into the Clay-Jocelyn-McCoy love triangle, only to find it was all for naught. We needn't have bothered. She died anyway, so neither one can have her. No one gets to be happy. Suck it, Reader! Or so I imagined Michael Jan Friedman cackling evilly as I read that part.
Secondly, the structure wasn't very good. He constructed the story in an odd way, making the ending seem very rushed and anticlimactic. Also, it was structured in such a way that I made all of the connections except Jocelyn's unnecessary and pointless death. I knew the Ssani assassin from the really long flashback was Shil Andrachis long before we got to the part of the story where it was revealed for sure. Since I never, ever pick up on these things, I can only conclude that Friedman just isn't very good at subtlety.
Lastly, his writing style is like a high schooler's. He tries too hard and ends up just sounding awkward. He's pretty repetitive--I got tired of 'the inevitable sentries' rather quickly. Just say 'the sentries', dude. It's not that big a deal. Your throwing in 'inevitable' isn't that cool. Let it go. Let it go. I'll give you a cookie!
So anyway, this sucked and I'm mad I wasted time on it when I could've read something else. No wonder ST novels have such a bad reputation. I've just hit a slew of bad ones.
Why, you may ask? Well, for starters, the 'resolution' was half-hearted and thoroughly unsatisfying. Jocelyn's death made the emotional investment in the story a pointless waste of effort. We got involved in her and McCoy's history, and picked a side, and got into the Clay-Jocelyn-McCoy love triangle, only to find it was all for naught. We needn't have bothered. She died anyway, so neither one can have her. No one gets to be happy. Suck it, Reader! Or so I imagined Michael Jan Friedman cackling evilly as I read that part.
Secondly, the structure wasn't very good. He constructed the story in an odd way, making the ending seem very rushed and anticlimactic. Also, it was structured in such a way that I made all of the connections except Jocelyn's unnecessary and pointless death. I knew the Ssani assassin from the really long flashback was Shil Andrachis long before we got to the part of the story where it was revealed for sure. Since I never, ever pick up on these things, I can only conclude that Friedman just isn't very good at subtlety.
Lastly, his writing style is like a high schooler's. He tries too hard and ends up just sounding awkward. He's pretty repetitive--I got tired of 'the inevitable sentries' rather quickly. Just say 'the sentries', dude. It's not that big a deal. Your throwing in 'inevitable' isn't that cool. Let it go. Let it go. I'll give you a cookie!
So anyway, this sucked and I'm mad I wasted time on it when I could've read something else. No wonder ST novels have such a bad reputation. I've just hit a slew of bad ones.
inhonoredglory's review
3.0
I read this because I'm a huge McCoy fan and I was dying to see him with a really fleshed-out story that hits his heart and soul. This didn't quite cut it, as the characters and the conflict felt more like it was going through the motions of a predictable plot than anything truly enlightening or deep about anyone's character (Kirk, McCoy, Jocelyn, or her new husband). The Ssani culture was, however, interesting, and I loved the philosophical discussions we saw between young McCoy and one of their assassins. But otherwise, the description and development seemed too easy and predictable, like the rest of the novel. Sad McCoy fan over here. *sniff* Maybe I'll take up pen and write my own character piece that does this man justice. (Thank goodness for fanfiction!)
frakalot's review
4.0
The author captured 'Bones' really well and gave a section of his history as a trainee med. student that was entertaining, dramatic and truly fascinating to read. In the end we gain a much better understanding of just how our favorite country doctor became the man that we know and love so well.
The nature of the assassin culture on Ssan provided many opportunities for comparing philosophical views and naturally created moments that challenged McCoy's character and personal ethics.
A fantastic read overall, I really liked it a lot.
The nature of the assassin culture on Ssan provided many opportunities for comparing philosophical views and naturally created moments that challenged McCoy's character and personal ethics.
A fantastic read overall, I really liked it a lot.
djwudi's review
2.0
Didn’t really care for a McCoy still blindly obsessed over his ex after decades, or the markedly somber tone of the crew’s return to Earth following the events of STVI:TUC. Very much a downer of a story.
caffeine_books's review against another edition
4.0
The mission of Enterprise on their diplomatic mission to Ssan takes a backseat to the story of McCoy & his ex wife. The story of how and why they got together then how they drifted apart. That part of the story is beautifully written. The diplomatic mission and other characters? Not so much.
strikingthirteen's review
4.0
I really enjoy this one. There are a bit of issues to be sure (I've got typos, a weird bit of where I think Spock has too many hands and a bit of perhaps a bit of wobbly ness on what exactly McCoy's job here is) but I really enjoy this book and do like rereading it. It's not very often that McCoy gets his own story outside of Kirk and Spock so this has a special fondness for me in that regard.
Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country has just ended. The crew is off to be decommissioned but there's one final mission for them to do. Brought to them by virtue that Dr. McCoy is apparently a specialist of the planet and its people, if by specialist you mean he was a medical trainee stationed there during a massive war.
Don't get me wrong, I really did enjoy the middle section of the book which has us meet 26 year old Leonard McCoy and we get to see how he reacts and changes over the course of that mission but the selling point being made here is that one of the diplomats traveling with the Enterprise crew to this troubled world is his ex-wife.
Jocelyn Treadway nee Darnell is an interesting character. I like how there's lots to dislike about her (you are reading this with a built in sympathy for McCoy after all) but you can also see reasons why he still loves her. She's selfish, flighty, but also (at least according to McCoy and Clay Treadway) is a caring person who brings out the best in people. Honestly, her best moments were her long confessional to Kirk where you got a sense of her as a real person instead of this fate or idea that the guys had of her.
All in all though it's a great comfort read though. It gives our TOS crew one last hurrah and a look at McCoy that we don't often see, which I think is worth the price of admission alone.
Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country has just ended. The crew is off to be decommissioned but there's one final mission for them to do. Brought to them by virtue that Dr. McCoy is apparently a specialist of the planet and its people, if by specialist you mean he was a medical trainee stationed there during a massive war.
Don't get me wrong, I really did enjoy the middle section of the book which has us meet 26 year old Leonard McCoy and we get to see how he reacts and changes over the course of that mission but the selling point being made here is that one of the diplomats traveling with the Enterprise crew to this troubled world is his ex-wife.
Jocelyn Treadway nee Darnell is an interesting character. I like how there's lots to dislike about her (you are reading this with a built in sympathy for McCoy after all) but you can also see reasons why he still loves her. She's selfish, flighty, but also (at least according to McCoy and Clay Treadway) is a caring person who brings out the best in people. Honestly, her best moments were her long confessional to Kirk where you got a sense of her as a real person instead of this fate or idea that the guys had of her.
All in all though it's a great comfort read though. It gives our TOS crew one last hurrah and a look at McCoy that we don't often see, which I think is worth the price of admission alone.
ivaliceforever's review
5.0
I honestly found this to be one of the best McCoy-centric novels in the entire collection of Star Trek novels I've managed to find and read. It gives us some insight into his past, his family life and we see an interesting glimpse into the life of pre-Enterprise McCoy and it ties into their present dilemma.
Like most ST:TOS novels it is likely not everyone's cup of tea but it does have really good characterization and easily paints the scene in the mind.
Like most ST:TOS novels it is likely not everyone's cup of tea but it does have really good characterization and easily paints the scene in the mind.