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A review by ladyvictoriadiana
The Ashes of Eden by Judith Reeves-Stevens, William Shatner, Garfield Reeves-Stevens
3.0
This book was - enjoyable. The writing style was okay and the plot was good but there were so many elements that annoyed me that I just couldn‘t properly enjoy the books.
The characters were good and recognisable but I thought that some of the characterisations, especially concerning Uhura and Chekov, was off - they seemed far too Kirk- centric and I frequently wondered if they have no other interests than supporting him.
Furthermore, concerning the characters, the romance between Kirk and Teilani was a bit strange. The two have a large age difference and while they are both consenting adults (I hope - I don't know what the age of consent in the Federation is), the fact that she is throughout the novels referred to as child-like makes the entire thing very strange for me. Also, I think the storyline of the female leader seducing Captain Kirk is 1) overdone and 2) insulting to both characters involved - Teilani seems unable to convince Kirk with non-sexual means, making her look incompetent and Kirk only seems to be able to think with this dick and since he has fallen for this intrigue a couple of times before, the storyline makes him seem kind of dumb.
The plot itself was enjoyable but it seemed like a cobbled-together version of several Star Trek storylines (the paradise planet, eternal youth, a young woman seducing Kirk, a corrupt politician etc.). While I don't necessarily mind that and Shatner's spin on the storylines is good enough, I still couldn't help but see all the similarities. Overall, a nice reading experience if this isn't a great book.
The characters were good and recognisable but I thought that some of the characterisations, especially concerning Uhura and Chekov, was off - they seemed far too Kirk- centric and I frequently wondered if they have no other interests than supporting him.
Furthermore, concerning the characters, the romance between Kirk and Teilani was a bit strange. The two have a large age difference and while they are both consenting adults (I hope - I don't know what the age of consent in the Federation is), the fact that she is throughout the novels referred to as child-like makes the entire thing very strange for me. Also, I think the storyline of the female leader seducing Captain Kirk is 1) overdone and 2) insulting to both characters involved - Teilani seems unable to convince Kirk with non-sexual means, making her look incompetent and Kirk only seems to be able to think with this dick and since he has fallen for this intrigue a couple of times before, the storyline makes him seem kind of dumb.
The plot itself was enjoyable but it seemed like a cobbled-together version of several Star Trek storylines (the paradise planet, eternal youth, a young woman seducing Kirk, a corrupt politician etc.). While I don't necessarily mind that and Shatner's spin on the storylines is good enough, I still couldn't help but see all the similarities. Overall, a nice reading experience if this isn't a great book.