A review by rebelbelle13
Here There Be Dragons by John Peel

4.0

I have to admit that even though I do read the occasional Star Trek novel, this one in particular I chose specifically because of the author. John Peel has done consistently good work in the past with Doctor Who novels and novelizations (usually the ones dealing with Daleks) so I was surprised and intrigued to find his name attached to another science fiction franchise. Peel doesn't disappoint. This is the most fun I've ever had reading a Star Trek novel. Typically they're somber, serious, cerebral and slow moving (which is okay if that's what you're up for) and this entry completely destroyed that mold. Here There Be Dragons was fast paced, plot focused and interesting. Just enough time is spent on the villains and side characters to give them depth, but not so much that you get bored. There's plenty of different perspectives so you get a sense of everything relevant that's happening in the story.
There's quite a bit of fantasy-esque elements here as well, and that might bother some folks. Usually people like to keep their sci-fi and fantasy separate, and here they get a bit muddled. There's a distinct medieval-vanilla-fantasy type feel to the planet, and Picard and Data end up fighting and killing an actual dragon. The cast does have some out-of-character moments, but it's not enough to ruin the story or the reader's enjoyment.
On the whole, this is a fast, enjoyable, fun ST:TNG read.