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bev_reads_mysteries's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
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
5.0
Captain Kirk, Mr. Spock, and The Romulan Commander (from the Classic series episode "The Enterprise Incident") take on one of the most mysterious and powerful men in the Galaxy. A man who has the strength of a Vulcan giant, the speed of a cheetah, the mind of a genius, and the pride and evil to match the Devil himself. Omne has created an outlaw planet, styled on Earth's wild west, where those who want to operate outside the Federation's "oppressive benevolence" or separate from the Romulan or Klingon empires can follow their rules--provided they agree to settle any differences via the laws of Omne's world. Disagreements to be settled by whomever can draw their gun the fastest.
But Omne has decided that he is not satisfied just operating outside the Federation...he'd like to take it apart and the best way to do that is to expose the person he considers the most flagrant breaker of the Prime Directive, Captain James T. Kirk. He invites delegates from the biggest Federation stakeholder planets as well as those from outside the Federation and plans an event to begin the dissolution of the Federation. The Romulan Commander is on hand to take what advantage she can for her Empire. But..there are wheels within wheels in this plan...and it soon becomes apparent that his ultimate goal is to own a starship captain and possibly both his first office and his old enemy.
It will take murder and the rising of an unexpected phoenix to bring Starfleet officers and The Romulan Commander into an uneasy alliance. Omne will force them to consider the cost of friendship and loyalty and pride. How much is an individual life worth? And does it make a difference whose life it is? And ultimately...are they willing to pay the price of the phoenix?
I first read this back in the early 80s. It was one of my favorites of the early Star Trek books. I loved the themes of friendship and sacrifice--watching Kirk and Spock...and even the Commander try to outdo each other in making wagers against Omne's stacked deck to try and save the others. It was an exciting adventure and a lesson in loyalty. It showed how one-time enemies could learn to work together when it counted. Rereading the book as an adult, I can see that some of the material is a bit over the top. If I were reading it for the first time, I'd probably be more critical of the fanfic nature of it. But....I know where this novel falls in the ST timeline and, so, I turned off the critic for this one.
These early novels come from a time when the fans were what was keeping Star Trek alive. The show had been sent into syndication and the studio had given up on the ST property long ago. Phoenix came out before there was the hope of the first ST feature film and most of the authors of those early Bantam ST novels were fans who simply had to have more stories about their favorite science fiction characters. Having discovered what a great show ST was about that time, I understood the need for more stories about Kirk, Spock, McCoy and company and I read the novelizations as fast as I could find them. My one real quibble with this book is that McCoy features so little.
For those who insist that this book turns Kirk and Spock's friendship into something erotic, I respond with a footnote included in the only ST novel penned by Gene Roddenberry, the creator of that friendship (novelization of Star Trek The Motion Picture; p. 22):
The human concept of "friend" is most nearly duplicated in Vulcan thought by the term t'hy'la which can also mean "brother" and "lover." Spock's recollection (from which this chapter has drawn) is that it was a most difficult moment for him since he did consider Kirk to have become his brother. However because t'hy'la can be used to mean "lover," and since Kirk's and Spock's friendship was unusually close, this has led to some speculation over whether they had actually indeed become lovers. At our request, Admiral [then] Kirk supplied the following comment on this subject: "I was never aware of the 'lovers' rumor, although I have been told that Spock encountered it several times. Apparently he had always dismissed it with his characteristic lifting of his right eyebrow which usually connoted some combination of surprise, disbelief, and/or annoyance. As for myself, although I have no moral or other objection to physical love in any of its many Earthly, alien, and mixed forms, I have always found my best gratification in that creature 'woman,' Also, I would dislike being thought of as so foolish that I would select a love partner who came into sexual heat only once every seven years."
So--I'd say the creator of Kirk and Spock...and Kirk himself ought to know. As Kirk says--I have no objection to love in its many forms, but I do object to taking friendship and/or brotherhood and making it into something it's not. There can be deep affection and love without sex. Caring deeply for someone and taking care of them physically does not necessarily mean that you want to bed them. And I know that reading this novel when I was a preteen helped me form some of my thoughts, beliefs, and expectations of deep, loyal friendship. I never once thought that the two men had shared anything beyond a friendship and kinship that could withstand and outlast anything that Omne threw at it.
And...for those in the Medical Examiner Challenge, if you're wondering how a Star Trek novel figures in the mystery realm--integral to the science fiction plot is a mystery of who was really killed and how...and how many times.
A thoroughly enjoyable reread-- ★★★★★ when I first read it and I'll not argue with that rating now.
But Omne has decided that he is not satisfied just operating outside the Federation...he'd like to take it apart and the best way to do that is to expose the person he considers the most flagrant breaker of the Prime Directive, Captain James T. Kirk. He invites delegates from the biggest Federation stakeholder planets as well as those from outside the Federation and plans an event to begin the dissolution of the Federation. The Romulan Commander is on hand to take what advantage she can for her Empire. But..there are wheels within wheels in this plan...and it soon becomes apparent that his ultimate goal is to own a starship captain and possibly both his first office and his old enemy.
It will take murder and the rising of an unexpected phoenix to bring Starfleet officers and The Romulan Commander into an uneasy alliance. Omne will force them to consider the cost of friendship and loyalty and pride. How much is an individual life worth? And does it make a difference whose life it is? And ultimately...are they willing to pay the price of the phoenix?
I first read this back in the early 80s. It was one of my favorites of the early Star Trek books. I loved the themes of friendship and sacrifice--watching Kirk and Spock...and even the Commander try to outdo each other in making wagers against Omne's stacked deck to try and save the others. It was an exciting adventure and a lesson in loyalty. It showed how one-time enemies could learn to work together when it counted. Rereading the book as an adult, I can see that some of the material is a bit over the top. If I were reading it for the first time, I'd probably be more critical of the fanfic nature of it. But....I know where this novel falls in the ST timeline and, so, I turned off the critic for this one.
These early novels come from a time when the fans were what was keeping Star Trek alive. The show had been sent into syndication and the studio had given up on the ST property long ago. Phoenix came out before there was the hope of the first ST feature film and most of the authors of those early Bantam ST novels were fans who simply had to have more stories about their favorite science fiction characters. Having discovered what a great show ST was about that time, I understood the need for more stories about Kirk, Spock, McCoy and company and I read the novelizations as fast as I could find them. My one real quibble with this book is that McCoy features so little.
For those who insist that this book turns Kirk and Spock's friendship into something erotic, I respond with a footnote included in the only ST novel penned by Gene Roddenberry, the creator of that friendship (novelization of Star Trek The Motion Picture; p. 22):
The human concept of "friend" is most nearly duplicated in Vulcan thought by the term t'hy'la which can also mean "brother" and "lover." Spock's recollection (from which this chapter has drawn) is that it was a most difficult moment for him since he did consider Kirk to have become his brother. However because t'hy'la can be used to mean "lover," and since Kirk's and Spock's friendship was unusually close, this has led to some speculation over whether they had actually indeed become lovers. At our request, Admiral [then] Kirk supplied the following comment on this subject: "I was never aware of the 'lovers' rumor, although I have been told that Spock encountered it several times. Apparently he had always dismissed it with his characteristic lifting of his right eyebrow which usually connoted some combination of surprise, disbelief, and/or annoyance. As for myself, although I have no moral or other objection to physical love in any of its many Earthly, alien, and mixed forms, I have always found my best gratification in that creature 'woman,' Also, I would dislike being thought of as so foolish that I would select a love partner who came into sexual heat only once every seven years."
So--I'd say the creator of Kirk and Spock...and Kirk himself ought to know. As Kirk says--I have no objection to love in its many forms, but I do object to taking friendship and/or brotherhood and making it into something it's not. There can be deep affection and love without sex. Caring deeply for someone and taking care of them physically does not necessarily mean that you want to bed them. And I know that reading this novel when I was a preteen helped me form some of my thoughts, beliefs, and expectations of deep, loyal friendship. I never once thought that the two men had shared anything beyond a friendship and kinship that could withstand and outlast anything that Omne threw at it.
And...for those in the Medical Examiner Challenge, if you're wondering how a Star Trek novel figures in the mystery realm--integral to the science fiction plot is a mystery of who was really killed and how...and how many times.
A thoroughly enjoyable reread-- ★★★★★ when I first read it and I'll not argue with that rating now.
morgiei's review
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Grief, Murder, and Kidnapping
Moderate: Death and Violence
Minor: Alcohol, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic relationship, Trafficking, War, Alcoholism, Slavery, Suicide, and Colonisation
caffeine_books's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
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
5.0
This was a fascinating book! The "villain" of the book was able to clone Captain Kirk - with all memories and mannerisms in tact, the rest of the book begged the question: what do we do with this new life and the original? The emotional depth of this book is surprising and in depth. On a side note, this book is also a 180 page Spirk (Spock + Kirk) love story.
kenzvanv's review
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
4.0
djwudi's review
2.0
One of the earliest Star Trek novels, and it shows. Incredibly dated, and wow, bizarre -- practically officially sanctioned slashfic. Rather painful to read, really.
ellist's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
strawberrydream's review
3.0
giving 3 stars bc i wasn’t a fan of the pacing personally but i’m also glad that this book pissed off so many ppl. and also bc any book that delves into spock’s character is one i will enjoy regardless
picky_04's review
3.0
I loved the overwhelming Kirk/Spock relationship in this book. And really, it wasn't anything that wasn't in the show or in the films (which would come out after this book); Kirk and Spock really are each other's 'price'. They'll sacrifice everything for the other and losing one another is the worst that can happen; an end that must be prevented at all costs.
However, I found parts of this book confusing to follow. Also the way that some of the dialogue or thought processes were written in a really odd way; a lot of hyphen breaks that were in unnatural places and made reading it stilted. It broke up the natural rhythm of speech and thought and while I guess it was a stylistic choice, all it really did was muddy the meaning of sentences and make the immediate action hard to follow.
But it was an interesting story and with a definite Star Trek feel to it from the show (I could see it as a two-parter episode), so I did enjoy reading this book.
However, I found parts of this book confusing to follow. Also the way that some of the dialogue or thought processes were written in a really odd way; a lot of hyphen breaks that were in unnatural places and made reading it stilted. It broke up the natural rhythm of speech and thought and while I guess it was a stylistic choice, all it really did was muddy the meaning of sentences and make the immediate action hard to follow.
But it was an interesting story and with a definite Star Trek feel to it from the show (I could see it as a two-parter episode), so I did enjoy reading this book.