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babycorncoblets's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
gon8go's review against another edition
2.0
This started off pretty cool. It introduced some tech that wouldn’t be seen until next gen like a proto holodeck and food replicators. It also brought in some decent new characters and the regular crew were decently written. The big problem was that it just went way, way off the rails in the third act, I don’t even want to get into it but it was cringe city.
bookwyrm_lark's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 stars The Wounded Sky is, along with Duane’s My Enemy, My Ally and The Romulan Way, one of my favorite Star Trek (TOS) novels. Duane’s understanding of the “regular” characters goes deep, and is apparent not only in their words and deeds but in Jim Kirk’s reflections on his friends and crew members. Duane also “gets” the soul of Starfleet and the Federation; her Enterprise crew, like her Starfleet, is far more diverse than anything we saw in the original series, and a little more so than even than STNG or DS9, since their crews were constrained by what could be portrayed by human actors. That diversity is both taken for granted and celebrated within the novel, in ways that make it a powerful message of hope and inspiration, particularly in an era in which racism and prejudice of many kinds appear to flourish once more.
The plot also fits with Roddenberry’s vision for the show. There is conflict, yes: a battle with Klingon ships—but it’s not the main focus of the storyline, and occurs fairly early in the novel. Instead, the plot focuses on the Enterprise’s true mission: to explore the Galaxy, and in this case, beyond. Duane brings together what was, at the time, cutting-edge physics (the concepts are still pretty mind-boggling), concepts of time, ethics, the importance of play, and even spirituality and religion (in a general sense, without naming any specific faiths), weaving them into a fascinating and ultimately challenging quest to save the universe. Or universes.
That Duane is able to turn this melange into a compelling adventure as well as an enjoyable study of the major and minor characters—and the “character” of the Enterprise crew as a whole—is a tribute to her skill as a writer and storyteller. I particularly enjoy some of her invented characters and species, both human and nonhuman. (Some of them show up in subsequent books as well.) K’t’lk, the Hamalki designer of the inversion drive, is a delight, and almost makes me rethink my fear of spiders. And there are wonderful moments sprinkled throughout the book, including bits of several filk songs I’ve heard at various cons and a rewrite of John Denver’s “Calypso” praising the Enterprise rather than Jacques Cousteau’s ship.
Honestly, if you are a fan of Star Trek, give Duane’s novels a try, beginning with The Wounded Sky. I’d be willing to wager that you, like me, will find they quickly become head-canon. She really is that good.
This and other reviews can be found on my blog, The Bookwyrm's Hoard.
The plot also fits with Roddenberry’s vision for the show. There is conflict, yes: a battle with Klingon ships—but it’s not the main focus of the storyline, and occurs fairly early in the novel. Instead, the plot focuses on the Enterprise’s true mission: to explore the Galaxy, and in this case, beyond. Duane brings together what was, at the time, cutting-edge physics (the concepts are still pretty mind-boggling), concepts of time, ethics, the importance of play, and even spirituality and religion (in a general sense, without naming any specific faiths), weaving them into a fascinating and ultimately challenging quest to save the universe. Or universes.
That Duane is able to turn this melange into a compelling adventure as well as an enjoyable study of the major and minor characters—and the “character” of the Enterprise crew as a whole—is a tribute to her skill as a writer and storyteller. I particularly enjoy some of her invented characters and species, both human and nonhuman. (Some of them show up in subsequent books as well.) K’t’lk, the Hamalki designer of the inversion drive, is a delight, and almost makes me rethink my fear of spiders. And there are wonderful moments sprinkled throughout the book, including bits of several filk songs I’ve heard at various cons and a rewrite of John Denver’s “Calypso” praising the Enterprise rather than Jacques Cousteau’s ship.
Honestly, if you are a fan of Star Trek, give Duane’s novels a try, beginning with The Wounded Sky. I’d be willing to wager that you, like me, will find they quickly become head-canon. She really is that good.
This and other reviews can be found on my blog, The Bookwyrm's Hoard.
bookwyrm_lark's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 stars
My 2018 review of The Wounded Sky can be found on Goodreads under the paperback edition, here, or on my blog, the Bookwyrm's Hoard.
My 2018 review of The Wounded Sky can be found on Goodreads under the paperback edition, here, or on my blog, the Bookwyrm's Hoard.
sciencefair200's review against another edition
5.0
I wish I could rate this even higher. 10 or 20 stars. It's got all the things I love about Young Wizards in it- the sheer hope, the belief in Life and its goodness, the wry philosophy and love of "infinite diversity in infinite combinations".
khushi__festus's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
frakalot's review
5.0
Brilliant! This is my third Duane Trek novel and I've enjoyed each thoroughly. She is a masterly science fiction writer and this is a wonderful Trek story.
New aliens. New technology. New science. This story explores much of the potential that Star Trek has to offer.
New aliens. New technology. New science. This story explores much of the potential that Star Trek has to offer.
maiakobabe's review
4.0
I heard Diane Duane talk about this book on a podcast years ago, and she made it sound so compelling it's been on my radar ever since, even though I have never watched a single episode of Star Trek's original series. I went online recently to see if it was available as audiobook, and found a fan-made one which was posted chapter by chapter to youtube during 2020! Three friends decided that recording this book would be their covid project, and apparently Diane Duane retweeted several of their posts about it. I don't know if that counts as official authorization, but at the very least she was aware of the project and looked favorably on it.
The story itself is quite enjoyable. It opens with Captain Kirk's Enterprise being awarded the chance to test out a new engine system, the Intergalactic Inversion Drive, which far outstrips the warp drive in instantaneous jump capabilities. The Enterprise ends up hosting the alien scientist who invented it, an original character created by Duane who stole every scene she was in. This Inversion Drive pulls energy from an infinitely dense particle, but as the crew soon discovers, using it can have catastrophic effects on matter, time, and space near the ship. The ordeal that the crew must go through to heal the effects of the Inversion Drive is deeply philosophical and genuinely moving. I was already a long-time fan of Duane's Young Wizards series, but I'm definitely interested in reading more of her Star Trek novels after this.
The story itself is quite enjoyable. It opens with Captain Kirk's Enterprise being awarded the chance to test out a new engine system, the Intergalactic Inversion Drive, which far outstrips the warp drive in instantaneous jump capabilities. The Enterprise ends up hosting the alien scientist who invented it, an original character created by Duane who stole every scene she was in. This Inversion Drive pulls energy from an infinitely dense particle, but as the crew soon discovers, using it can have catastrophic effects on matter, time, and space near the ship. The ordeal that the crew must go through to heal the effects of the Inversion Drive is deeply philosophical and genuinely moving. I was already a long-time fan of Duane's Young Wizards series, but I'm definitely interested in reading more of her Star Trek novels after this.
judenoseinabook's review
2.0
I found I had read this before but had forgotten about it. There is too much philosophizing and not enough action for my liking. I did like the spidery character who saved the day though