Worf's First Adventure

Star Trek: The Next Generation - Starfleet Academy #1

by Peter David, James W. Fry III (Illustrator)

Cadet Worf arrives at Starfleet AcademyTM as the first Klingon to gain entrance since the Federation-Klingon, Peace Treaty. Raised on Earth by human parents, Worf wonders whether he is still a Klingon, the proud member of an honorable warrior race, or is he more human? Command-level classes fill his schedule, but nothing prepares him for his fellow cadets, among them his human foster brother. Intelligent, ambitious, and confident, the Academy cadets make life difficult for the young warrior. Worf must win over his classmates -- including the always logical Vulcans and the fierce Brikar -- even though they are still trained to think of him as the enemy. Then a routine trip to a training satellite turns into an unexpected disaster, and Worf must unite the cadets and risk his life before a terrible accident destroys the entire mission.

Genres: Star Trek, Science Fiction, Fiction, Young Adult, Star Trek The Next Generation, Childrens, Media Tie In

119 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 1, 1993

About the author

aka David Peters

Peter Allen David, often abbreviated PAD, was an American writer of comic books, novels, television, films, and video games. His notable comic book work includes an award-winning 12-year run on The Incredible Hulk, as well as runs on Aquaman, Young Justice, SpyBoy, Supergirl, Fallen Angel, Spider-Man, Spider-Man 2099, Captain Marvel, and X-Factor.
His Star Trek work included comic books and novels such as the New Frontier book series. His other novels included film adaptations, media tie-ins, and original works, such as the Apropos of Nothing and Knight Life series. His television work includes series such as Babylon 5, Young Justice, Ben 10: Alien Force and Nickelodeon's Space Cases, which he co-created with Bill Mumy.
David often jokingly described his occupation as "Writer of Stuff", and he was noted for his prolific writing, characterized by its mingling of real-world issues with humor and references to popular culture, as well as elements of metafiction and self-reference.
David earned multiple awards for his work, including a 1992 Eisner Award, a 1993 Wizard Fan Award, a 1996 Haxtur Award, a 2007 Julie Award and a 2011 GLAAD Media Award.

Reviews

[Josiah · Rating 2 out of 5]

For a licensed entertainment property, the three Starfleet Academy books based on the original Star Trek television series were good, so I was glad to see Pocket Books do a second Starfleet Academy series, this time based on Star Trek: The Next Generation. Worf's path to becoming the first Klingon enrolled in Starfleet has been arduous. When he was six years old, a Romulan attack killed most Klingons living on the Khitomer outpost, including Worf's mother and father, but the child refused to publicly mourn. Uncontrolled displays of emotion are dishonorable for a Klingon, regardless of age or circumstance. Chief Petty Officer Sergey Rozhenko found young Worf in the rubble at Khitomer and adopted the boy. He and his wife Helena raised Worf on Earth among humans, gently teaching him their customs while respecting his fierce allegiance to the Klingon way of life. Worf is seventeen as this book begins, and ready for a new challenge: joining Starfleet, the portal to adventure for all who desire galactic exploration. The Rozhenkos also worry for their human son, Simon, as he departs to attend the academy, but Worf has more to overcome. Will his status as the first Klingon cadet be a stumbling block to success?

Worf meets all kinds of students at Starfleet Academy. There's Soleta, whose emotionless demeanor and practical thought patterns are classic Vulcan traits; Tania Tobias, a human who always welcomes Worf with a smile and a cheerful word; and Mark McHenry, a daydreamer with a brilliant computational mind for space navigation. The problem comes when Worf runs into Zak Kebron, an alien of the Brikar race. Zak hates Klingons, regarding them as barbarians who should be banned from decent society, and his outspokenness gets him into a fistfight with Worf the first time they meet. The incident is grounds for expulsion from Starfleet, but the Dean of Students, Admiral Fincher, opts instead for an experiment: she orders Worf and Zak to be roommates. If either party refuses, they can resign and go home. Living with the Brikar seems torturous punishment to Worf, but being kicked out of Starfleet would be a great dishonor, so he is willing to bear the burden. With neither of them showing any sign of budging, freshman year should be an adventure.

The students seem uncomfortable around Worf; most have never interacted with a Klingon. His brother Simon was always the star student, but now Simon is struggling to cope with the advanced curriculum and the pressure to absorb new concepts quickly. Worf isn't worried; he's confident his brother will adapt to Starfleet's rigorous standards. However, Worf has a problem: Zak Kebron is deliberately turning other cadets against him in the hope of pushing Worf to quit school. Tempers rise ever higher as Worf and Zak play their game of wills, until the day Commander Clark takes a group of cadets on an outing to the Prometheus space station. It's meant to be an uneventful field trip, but when a threat emerges from the far reaches of the solar system, can Worf and Zak work together for the good of the team and prove they belong in Starfleet?

Indifferent as Worf acts, the resentment of his peers is upsetting, and he can't help feeling paranoid. "Every curious glance that he got, he interpreted as gaping. Every polite nod or brisk acknowledgement was (he quickly became convinced) merely a means of covering up some sort of hostility." Starfleet cadets are the brightest young minds in the United Federation of Planets, but they aren't immune to prejudice, and Klingons have not always been peaceful toward mankind. A new confidante of Worf's describes the situation well. "The whole key to being a good Starfleet officer...is not to be afraid of the unknown, but instead to embrace it. To be drawn to it, to study it. To be excited by it and want to share in its wonders...And in the midst of your classmates trying to make that transition to embracing the unknown, here you are. The unknown, in the flesh. Worse than the unknown—they figure they know everything they need to know about Klingons, and they're nervous about what they do know." The cadets are still learning to understand themselves, and a future in Starfleet promises more severe challenges; one day they'll be ready, but today they must conquer their own fears and doubts. An officer has to crave the uncertainty of frontier adventure and never give up even when all appears lost. As Worf says during a moment of crisis in this book, "We are still alive!...We quit when we are dead! Not before!" A commission aboard a starship may not be far off for Worf.

For the debut book of a new series, Worf's First Adventure isn't bad. Author Peter David had reams of experience creating stories for the Star Trek universe—including the beloved novel Imzadi—and he handles Worf with great care and understanding of who he is. He also brings a surprisingly lively sense of humor to the book. It's notable, though, that Worf's brother is given the name Simon; when he later appeared in an episode of the television series, it was changed to Nikolai. There are many references to people from the original Star Trek show as well as Star Trek: The Next Generation: on page thirty-nine we meet the great-grandson of Captain James T. Kirk's prankster nemesis Sean Finnegan, and page fifty-two slyly references Lieutenant Commander Data, a Starfleet cadet more than ten years ago. There's also an important conversation between Worf and a future Star Trek: The Next Generation character, but I'll stay mum on the specifics. I might rate Worf's First Adventure two and a half stars, and I anticipate plenty of surprises in the Starfleet Academy series going forward. It should be fun.

[C.T. Phipps · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome YA book

I live Peter David's writing. This is almost as fun as his New Frontier books and I really can't wait for the next books in the series to be released. I especially liked Worf struggling to deal with his obnoxious classmates.

[Jerry (Rebel With a Massive Media Library) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Worf isn't my favorite Next Generation character, but I enjoyed this look at his early days.

[Irredeemable Shag · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s a Junior reader book, but Peter David is such an entertaining writer, reading this was a joy. Plus, as a fan of STAR TREK NEW FRONTIER, it’s fun to see the first appearances of Zak Kebron, Soleta, Mark McHenry, and Tania Tobias. Quick and fun diversion.

[Kathryn · Rating 3 out of 5]

An enjoyable, if slight, read detailing "Worf's First Adventure" in Starfleet. For those familiar with Worf from the "Star Trek: The Next Generation" television series and films, you won't find much to surprise you about how he came to be adopted by an Earth family, or about his personality. Indeed, on thing I appreciate about Peter David is that his characters ring true with those from the TNG series. Young Worf has his familiar Klingon temper and honor mixed with the kind heart and loyalty that made him so endearing (at least, to me) in the series. Yet Worf at eighteen, though full of confidence in his own abilities, finds difficulties on arriving at Starfleet Academy when he faces prejudice from other cadets (especially the Brikar, Zak) due to long-past injustices committed by the Klingons, even though they have been in a peace treaty with the Federation for some time. Worf's human brother, Simon, has long been a source of support for Worf, but soon it seems that he is facing his own challenges at Starfleet, too. Of course, it's no surprise to TNG fans that Worf overcomes the barriers and succeeds in Starfleet. This book contains a few of his first classes at Starfleet as well as one of his first "missions to space."

This is a very quick read. I wouldn't say it's superficial, but it is fairly one-dimensional. The main focus is on Worf overcoming the prejudice against him and it does delve into some of the philosophical issues that I always appreciated about Star Trek--it's not *just* a space opera! Some of the new side characters are amusing, but I never felt they fully developed. I was surprised by a few things in the end, though some of it is definitely predictable. I found myself rolling my eyes at some over-tired elements, like Zak and Worf having to be roommates and Zak putting a line of tape down the middle of their dorm so they didn't "cross sides". But, other elements felt more fresh and interesting.

All in all, it's a fun read for TNG fans though I wanted more, especially about how Starfleet Academy operates. It's a series, so I'm sure some of my questions would be answered later on, but I think I may skip and focus on David's meatier adult novels (like the excellent Strike Zone) or pop in my TNG DVD to enjoy grown-up Worf ;-)

[Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love Star Trek, I love Worf, and I love the idea of learning about these fantastic characters' early stages at Starfleet!

Worf's First Adventure is just that -- this slim, 115 page book covers the first few weeks of Worf's time at the Academy, his relationship with his brother, and the discrimination he faces being the first Klingon ever to enter the Academy.

There's some fantastic elements at play here, and some really wonderful points made. But that said, this book fell fairly flat for me. I found it too thin (plot-wise, not physically), not detailed enough, and instead of digging deeper it was a tad repetitive for such a slim book.

It's odd, because I so LOVED Peter David's other Star Trek work I read: Strike Zone. I felt David did a great job digging into the details, the characters, the concepts and the morality of the issues. I even thought his characterization was more on point than it felt here sometimes.

All that said, I did enjoy this book and given how short these are will probably read the next book in the series as some point. But, I'm more likely to pick up a non-Academy book next instead.

[Bee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Worf is my favorite Star Trek character. I'm happy to read more about his background! Quick read!

[Ian · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm reading licensed YA fiction, deal with it.

Again, Peter David makes the difference. The plot plays exactly as you expect, but he gives it enough of a punch that it keeps you flipping pages. It's breezy and you'll finish it in a sitting, but you know what? I had fun. It's not high art, but it's still more than I expected.

[Samantha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick read. I enjoyed seeing Worf as a cadet. Liked the pictures. Would read the rest of the series.

[Allen Steele · Rating 3 out of 5]

A test that turns out to be a holodeck was very good twist. Went really quick.

[Kira_Nereads · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kicking off my read of the Star Trek Litverse with a totally normal book for an adult woman to read, the middle-grade novel Worf’s First Adventure. This is the first installment of a trilogy of Starfleet Academy novels about the early education of Worf, a character that Trek writers cannot get enough of. It makes sense here, though: Worf, with his tragic backstory and caught-between-two-worlds angst, is kind of a readymade YA protagonist.

“Adventure” is maybe a strong word for what happens in the book, which has a holodeck training exercise for a climactic action scene. Perhaps understandably, this installment is more occupied with table-setting than storytelling. At a mere 100 pages, it has only enough time to introduce its major characters and the Starfleet Academy setting before we’re wrapping things up.

David’s rhythmic style, with its emphasis on snappy dialogue and punchy descriptions, is perfectly suited to this kind of short-form writing. Although this is obviously a book aimed at younger readers, it doesn’t feel dumbed down or condescending. The cast of supporting characters — sarcastic Vulcan Soleta, belligerent Brikar Zak Kebron, idiot savant Mark McHenry, empathetic nice girl Tania Tobias — are all pretty charming, and David does a nice job of giving them all distinctive characteristics.

Most of the book’s plot, such as it is, revolves around the antagonism between Worf and his roommate Zak, who hates Klingons and resents Worf’s presence so much that they get in a fistfight thirty seconds after meeting each other. It will not shock anyone to learn that they eventually manage to put their differences aside and work together, but David gets some good comedy out of how stoic they both are about it.

Worf’s adopted human brother (here referred to as Simon, later named Nikolai in the crappy Next Generation episode where he’s played by Paul Sorvino) also plays a role in the story. Although he and Worf join the Academy together, Simon can’t hack it as a student and eventually drops out. I was less invested in this plotline than the Worf/Zak conflict, although it is nice to explore Worf’s relationship with his human family. Overall, I was pleasantly surprised to find this to be a perfectly enjoyable little novel!

Nerdiest Continuity Nod: Probably the extended Geordi LaForge cameo where he convinces Worf not to quit the Academy. It’s cute!

Wackiest Technobabble: “We’re picking up something on long-range scanners, but only through a third-level check system. Primary scanners aren’t picking up anything. We think maybe it’s being fooled by a spatial distortion flux.”

Most Valuable Player: I have a huge soft spot for Soleta, who, in the time-honored tradition of Vulcan supporting characters, spends most of her time icily snarking at everyone in sight.

[Charles · Rating 5 out of 5]

As the title implies, this book is a description of the experiences of Worf when he was a raw cadet. The first Klingon ever accepted to Starfleet Academy, the fact that he grew up on Earth after being adopted by a human couple made a bit of difference. Despite being fully Klingon, Worf had experienced a great deal of Earth culture as well as the bias that humans have for Klingons.
His human brother Simon has also been accepted to Starfleet Academy, so the two of them travel together to begin their first adventure under the Starfleet umbrella. As expected, Worf has difficulty in getting along with others, not all of which is his fault. He encounters a member of the Brikar species, one that is even more biased against Klingons than humans are. After the two engage in a furious fight, they are assigned as roommates, which does nothing to mitigate the mutual hostility. Yet, as expected, there is a crisis and it is necessary for the cadets to quickly establish a working rapport that will allow them to deal with a life-threatening situation.
This is a good adventure, it is entertaining and consistent with the Worf character in the sense that he is gruff, difficult, yet determined to succeed. There is also no quit in him, a characteristic needed as he emerges as a leader through the difficulty. The climactic scene is intense and worthy of an element of the Star Trek novel universe.

[Carissa Norris · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have no qualms about reading elementary books when they are told as well as this one. I really like seeing books for kids that have such great themes and nuances told in ways that work. It would be so easy just to straight up state every little detail, but Peter David shows his themes and stories so well. I appreciated that this book would actually take some thought for a child as so many books assume children can't figure anything out.

As far as the plot, as an adult, some parts were predictable, but I don't think a child necessarily would see them coming. I enjoyed this fun look at Worf's first weeks at the Academy, and found his experiences and internal thoughts to be in character. Every time I pick up a book by Peter David, I've enjoyed it! Moving on to the second book in this series!

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

I owned this as a kid and, at some point, got rid of it, probably feeling I'd outgrown it. That was a long time ago, though, and I no longer try to pass myself off as anything resembling a mature adult. So, when I found this at a thrift store, I decided to re-add it to my collection.
WORF'S FIRST ADVENTURE will appeal to the kind of people who enjoy reading about Harry Potter's classes at Hogwarts. Worf finds himself an outsider at Starfleet, struggles to impress his teachers, and deals with his own Draco-Malfoy-esque nemesis. It's nowhere near the same league as J.K. Rowling, but author Peter David proves capable of turning this kids' story into something that adult STAR TREK fans can enjoy too, even if only a little.

[Kieran McAndrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Worf Rozhenko and his brother have been accepted to Starfleet Academy, where Worf feels out of place and under scrutiny as the first Klingon in the service. His fellow students are reluctant to accept him until they face the challenges of the unknown together, changing Worf's life forever.

Peter David's Young Adult story is important within the 'Star Trek' novels because it forms the foundation of many of the characters who will appear in 'Star Trek: New Frontier'. Although the language is simpler, the themes of isolation and feeling different are universal and readers of all ages should enjoy this.

[John Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun, but very short YA novel about Worf's first few weeks in Starfleet Academy. He makes a fun and diverse group of friends, two of which are introduced and then never do anything again, and also struggles to overcome an organized campaign against him by some other students to make him feel ostracized. At times the book is a fun read and will make you smile, and at others it feels like a very basic read and you wish it had been expanded. But yeah, it's a YA novel so I get it. Worth checking out if you want a story about young Worf, or if you want to see the creation of later members of the New Frontier series.

[Vorik · Rating 4 out of 5]

Peter David ist mit dem ersten Kadettenroman über Worfs Beginn an der Sternenflottenakademie eine angenehm kurzweilige Lektüre gelungen. Die Hauptfigur ist als ruppiger Klingone gezeichnet, um die der Autor eine Geschichte über Fremdenfeindlichkeit und Mobbing webt – leider gesellschaftlich stets noch aktuelle Themen. Die Erzählung endet dann mit einem schönen, kleinen Finale. Fazit: mir hat das Büchlein Lust auf die Fortsetzung gemacht.

[Arwen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Crossing YA with Star Trek we actually got this book as a practical joke for one of our friends, but the Big D and I decided to read it first. It's the story of Worf and his human "brother" arriving at Star Fleet academy. You wouldn't read it for the plot, in fact the only reason you'd really read it was that you were a Trekkie and/or just plain curious.

[T. Blake · Rating 3 out of 5]

I know this is young Worf in school, prior to his time in the Enterprise but he seems a little out of character? Helena Rozhenko told Guinan that he held onto his Klingon heritage as strongly as he could so maybe that's what's driving me to think Worf was written off character. I'm not sure if I want to read the rest of this arc now.

[Frank Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

This bite sized look into Worf's entrance to Starfleet Academy was highly enjoyable. It could easily have been fleshed out into a longer story but was nonetheless a very good read.

The artwork is fantastic!

[Scott Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this is quite strong. David does a good job of introducing young readers to concepts like the Prime Directive. I like that it ties is with both TNG and David’s New Frontier series. Fry’s artwork is lovely.

[Mikayla · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed seeing young Worf and his family! I loved him with his brother especially. <3 My only complaint is that the POV is very sloppy through this book, switching from person to personal random, and sometimes only for one sentence before going back.

I am so enjoying these books!

[Will V. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am way too old to be reading this. but it was fun.

[Elijah Schroeder · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved thsi first start to this fun enjoyable and adventerous journey

[Fuuma · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyed. Didn't want to put down from the moment I picked it up.

[Travis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short, but amusing look at Warf's entry into starfleet academy. Highly recommended for any startrek fan.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

A look at how Worf began his Starfleet career. A quick read, humorous & engaging. I enjoyed the “cameo” appearance of Geordi LaForge!

[Ryan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Was a fun ya book to read!

[StarTrekDad · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great read that I read with my nine year old daughter. I also liked how we find out what happened to Worfs brother Simon.

[Jason Barney · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was okay.