A review by ashlightgrayson
The Lost Years by J.M. Dillard

adventurous medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

This story felt like a bridge between the ending of the original series and the films as was intended. It helped explain how the characters got to where they were by the first Start Trek film after completing their 5 year mission on the Enterprise. I always wondered what series of events would have pushed someone as adventurous as Kirk to take a desk job as an Admiral in the fleet. It's clear by the end of the book that Kirk isn't the only one who has his priorities shifted. There are various changes in both his life and that of his closest friends in the crew that cause that to happen.  Spock and Bones both leave the fleet to pursue ambitions outside of their careers. It feels almost like Spock has left Starfleet in order to reconnect with his Vulcan culture.
Based on this assumption, it makes sense that he would tie himself down to Vulcan via his engagement and his consideration of undergoing Kolinahr.
Mccoy ends up going into retirement after the Enterprise's 5 year mission ends. He wasn't ever the biggest fan of spending long periods of time traveling in space, so this also isn't a surprising decision. Unfortunately, a diplomatic meeting between two alien species gone south disrupts everyone's plans, and these three friends end up having contact with each other again earlier than expected. You follow all three of them separately, so it feels almost like you are following three different subplots that converge into one eventually. I would have liked for there to be more character development for the other characters such as Uhura. However, this isn't a new criticism as this was an issue in the Original series as well. However, you would have thought that they would have taken the creative opportunity in a novel published in the 1990s to expand the roles of the side characters. The story also felt slow at times, but the characters still felt like themselves, which I found comforting. I would definitely recommend this book for anyone who is a fan of the original series and wants to go back to the nostalgia of this world. It isn't the most groundbreaking novel in the world, but it does hit the spot for the Star Trek nostalgia.
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