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Star Trek: The Original Series
Excelsior: Forged in Fire
Discover how Sulu rose to the captaincy of a starship in this Star Trek adventure set during The Original Series era.
A vicious pirate known as the Albino is cutting a deadly swath across space, creating turmoil in the Klingon Empire that threatens to spill into the Federation. But this criminal also has a secret that could shake the halls of Imperial power, and his genocidal plans against the race that bore him will have consequences even he cannot imagine, as several unlikely allies join swords to bring the Albino to Hikaru Sulu of the U.S.S. Excelsior ; Klingon captains Kor, Koloth, and Kang; and a hotheaded young Federation diplomat named Curzon Dax. Tempered in the flames of their shared adversity, a captaincy is forged, a Blood Oath is sworn...and a hunt begins that will stretch from one generation to the next.
A vicious pirate known as the Albino is cutting a deadly swath across space, creating turmoil in the Klingon Empire that threatens to spill into the Federation. But this criminal also has a secret that could shake the halls of Imperial power, and his genocidal plans against the race that bore him will have consequences even he cannot imagine, as several unlikely allies join swords to bring the Albino to Hikaru Sulu of the U.S.S. Excelsior ; Klingon captains Kor, Koloth, and Kang; and a hotheaded young Federation diplomat named Curzon Dax. Tempered in the flames of their shared adversity, a captaincy is forged, a Blood Oath is sworn...and a hunt begins that will stretch from one generation to the next.
488 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published December 26, 2007
52 people are currently reading
379 people want to read
About the author
Michael A. Martin
92 books53 followersMichael A. Martin's solo short fiction has appeared in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction. He has also coauthored (with Andy Mangels) several Star Trek comics for Marvel and Wildstorm and numerous Star Trek novels and eBooks, including the USA Today bestseller Titan: Book One: Taking Wing; Titan: Book Two: The Red King; the Sy Fy Genre Award-winning Star Trek: Worlds of Deep Space 9 Book Two: Trill -- Unjoined; Star Trek: The Lost Era 2298 -- The Sundered; Star Trek: Deep Space 9 Mission: Gamma: Vol. Three: Cathedral; Star Trek: The Next Generation: Section 31 -- Rogue; Star Trek: Starfleet Corps of Engineers #30 and #31 ("Ishtar Rising" Books 1 and 2); stories in the Prophecy and Change, Tales of the Dominion War, and Tales from the Captain's Table anthologies; and three novels based on the Roswell television series. His most recent novels include Enterprise: The Romulan War and Star Trek Online: The Needs of the Many.
His work has also been published by Atlas Editions (in their Star Trek Universe subscription card series), Star Trek Monthly, Dreamwatch, Grolier Books, Visible Ink Press, The Oregonian, and Gareth Stevens, Inc., for whom he has penned several World Almanac Library of the States nonfiction books for young readers. He lives with his wife, Jenny, and their two sons in Portland, Oregon.
His work has also been published by Atlas Editions (in their Star Trek Universe subscription card series), Star Trek Monthly, Dreamwatch, Grolier Books, Visible Ink Press, The Oregonian, and Gareth Stevens, Inc., for whom he has penned several World Almanac Library of the States nonfiction books for young readers. He lives with his wife, Jenny, and their two sons in Portland, Oregon.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
April 12, 2020
In the middle of re-binge watching DS9 (my personal favorite of all the ST series), I became curious about the Trill host Curzon Dax and his relationship with the Klingons. I'm also a fan of the other members of the Enterprise bridge crew who WEREN'T Kirk or Spock, lol. It's been ages since I've read a Star Trek tie-in novel and this one really kept me engaged. Hikaru Sulu has always been one of my favorite characters - not to mention I follow actor George Takei on Twitter - so I dove in, wondering how he ended up as commander of The Excelsior. Okay, and I think Klingons are pretty cool.
My only complaint is that the book was a little too long and seemed to repeat scenes in a weird order. It didn't make it hard to follow though. Now, I need to figure out just why Kang went nuts though this novel gives some tantalizing hints.
My only complaint is that the book was a little too long and seemed to repeat scenes in a weird order. It didn't make it hard to follow though. Now, I need to figure out just why Kang went nuts though this novel gives some tantalizing hints.
July 15, 2024
I was mostly drawn to this as it was a Sulu and Excelsior novel, but I loved that it was a tie in to a great DS9 episode that features our Klingon Co-protagonists and Dax. Not much to say other than this was fantastic and a great entry that bridges the end of the TOS era into the 'lost' era.
December 24, 2015
Not sure how I missed this before in my Trek reading.
But glad I caught it now!
This book deftly weaves together ideas from a number of the various Trek shows, and does so with aplomb. (Curzon Dax teams up with newly minted Captain Sulu, and the lovable Klingon trio Kor, Koloth and Kang to take down a Space Pirate!)
This is a solid piece of writing, but one that JUST fails to rank up there with the highest-echelon of Trek fiction.
But glad I caught it now!
This book deftly weaves together ideas from a number of the various Trek shows, and does so with aplomb. (Curzon Dax teams up with newly minted Captain Sulu, and the lovable Klingon trio Kor, Koloth and Kang to take down a Space Pirate!)
This is a solid piece of writing, but one that JUST fails to rank up there with the highest-echelon of Trek fiction.
June 5, 2008
Advertised as a Captain Sulu adventure, that might be a bit misleading. But then again, it’d also be hard to fit on the cover all the nods and continuities from all the Trek shows this one ably and deftly weaves together. And on some level, it does focus on the circumstances that led to Sulu’s becoming captain of the Excelsoir. But that’s just the first hundred or so pages. It expands from there.
It’s got Dax, it’s got Kor, Kang and Koloth, it’s got a tying together of a lot of plot threads in the Trek universe. And it’s got a good story that will keep the pages turning. It does loose a bit of focus in the middle as our heroes pursue the villian of the story and the framing device to tell the story as a flashback seems a little too tacked on. But these are minor flaws in what is, otherwise, one of the better Trek tie-in novels to come along in a while.
It’s got Dax, it’s got Kor, Kang and Koloth, it’s got a tying together of a lot of plot threads in the Trek universe. And it’s got a good story that will keep the pages turning. It does loose a bit of focus in the middle as our heroes pursue the villian of the story and the framing device to tell the story as a flashback seems a little too tacked on. But these are minor flaws in what is, otherwise, one of the better Trek tie-in novels to come along in a while.
June 16, 2008
it took about 100 pages to go from bad to mediocre. how's that for a review?
the book maintained a mildly interesting pace for another 300 -- so why'd i keep going?
1. i'm a very patient reader
2. i love star trek (in most of its forms)
3. it's been a long time since i read a star trek book, and was wanting a spot of nostalgia
4. in part, the plot related to a story i'm writing
5. my mom let me borrow it :-D
why this was mediocre at best:
1. it stole ideas, if not lines, from several star trek books, episodes, and movies. so: lazy and annoying
2. too many characters were introduced too quickly
3. too many timelines were jumped between, too quickly
4. on top of that, the writing was often awkward
was there anything good about it? other than the nostalgia...not really, especially since i've read far better trek books.
the book maintained a mildly interesting pace for another 300 -- so why'd i keep going?
1. i'm a very patient reader
2. i love star trek (in most of its forms)
3. it's been a long time since i read a star trek book, and was wanting a spot of nostalgia
4. in part, the plot related to a story i'm writing
5. my mom let me borrow it :-D
why this was mediocre at best:
1. it stole ideas, if not lines, from several star trek books, episodes, and movies. so: lazy and annoying
2. too many characters were introduced too quickly
3. too many timelines were jumped between, too quickly
4. on top of that, the writing was often awkward
was there anything good about it? other than the nostalgia...not really, especially since i've read far better trek books.
February 14, 2011
An excellent read. Another book that takes advantage of continuity-gap-filling, and manages to create a story that is exciting as a story in its OWN right. It doesn't simply exist to please continuity fanwank fans, desperate to know every inch of unexplored Star Trek history. It's an engrossing, exciting, thrilling adventure, and gives new life to Star Trek characters and institutions you thought you knew back-to-front.
October 29, 2016
This was a fun read, set just after the original era of Star Trek, between the fifth and sixth movies, and is a "coming-of-command" story for Hikaru Sulu and the crew of the Excelsior. The really enjoyable part of Martin's novels is that he manages to blend all the eras of Trek into a seamless story, so there are plenty of references to Sulu's previous adventures with the Enterprise ("Trouble With Tribbles" especially), as well as quite a few nods to the Enterprise series with Captain Archer.
The only issue I have is with it's ending, or rather, it's inconclusive one. This is also a tendency of Martin to leave his novel open-ended to link into the next one he's writing, and although it does make a cohesive tapestry throughout a shared universe, it's still a little jarring since the Star Trek universe used to just be a self-contained episode, without having to link it to other novels.
The only issue I have is with it's ending, or rather, it's inconclusive one. This is also a tendency of Martin to leave his novel open-ended to link into the next one he's writing, and although it does make a cohesive tapestry throughout a shared universe, it's still a little jarring since the Star Trek universe used to just be a self-contained episode, without having to link it to other novels.
January 5, 2022
Eh! I enjoyed much of this novel, especially the characters, but grew tired of reading Klingon within English text (outside of dialogue) in the Klingon portions, which slowed down my reading and added nothing to an "understanding" of Klingon I'm not trying to cultivate (it's cute in dialogue but dull in descriptive text, in my opinion). Also, truthfully, nothing in this novel couldn't be simply imagined by the reader as what might have happened - the story is in no way exceptional beyond what the imagination might have assumed, and thus really adds no more to DS9's "Blood Oath" than unnecessary specifics. That's what you get from a prequel made well after all revelations had been resolved. Looks like I need to reach out for more new, untold stories in the Trek universe, because more like this and I'll likely stop reading Trek altogether.
May 2, 2020
A great Sulu adventure......
I've always thought Hikaru Sulu's stint as Captain of the Excelsior in Star Trek VI was an under used plot line. Whilst this book doesn't expand on that it does give a prologue and back story to Sulu becoming Captain. The story romps along with the plot weaving and filling in gaps to explain nuances of Trek lore, as well as introducing some favourite characters and early versions of others. The story is not too heavy with Techno babble and zips along keeping the reader entertained and booked till the end, the author recreating a believable version of Sulu, true to the character. I really enjoyed this and would recommend it to all Trek fans.
I've always thought Hikaru Sulu's stint as Captain of the Excelsior in Star Trek VI was an under used plot line. Whilst this book doesn't expand on that it does give a prologue and back story to Sulu becoming Captain. The story romps along with the plot weaving and filling in gaps to explain nuances of Trek lore, as well as introducing some favourite characters and early versions of others. The story is not too heavy with Techno babble and zips along keeping the reader entertained and booked till the end, the author recreating a believable version of Sulu, true to the character. I really enjoyed this and would recommend it to all Trek fans.
August 11, 2020
Brilliant and Enthralling Star Trek Tale!!
This book is well written and composed. The story was engaging and dramatic. It was great to have a story about Hiraku Sulu.The length of the book was adequate enough to describe an original story with great imagination and twists and turns. The plot was scintillating and compelling to read. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Michael A Martin has done a tremendous job.
This book is well written and composed. The story was engaging and dramatic. It was great to have a story about Hiraku Sulu.The length of the book was adequate enough to describe an original story with great imagination and twists and turns. The plot was scintillating and compelling to read. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Michael A Martin has done a tremendous job.
January 2, 2024
The kind of Star Trek book I’ve been wanting
Forged in Fire is an epic, decade spanning adventure that totally blew me away. It was reminiscent of wonderful books like The Captain’s Oath or The Rise and Fall of Khan. The scale of the story is both huge and also extremely personal; truly a well-executed Star Trek story.
Forged in Fire follows Sulu between the events of Star Trek 5 and Star Trek 6 and lays the groundwork for the Klingon peace treaties seen in Star Trek 6. This is a must read for any Sulu fans, or anyone wondering where the TOS crew goes as they part ways toward the end of the TOS movies.
Forged in Fire is an epic, decade spanning adventure that totally blew me away. It was reminiscent of wonderful books like The Captain’s Oath or The Rise and Fall of Khan. The scale of the story is both huge and also extremely personal; truly a well-executed Star Trek story.
Forged in Fire follows Sulu between the events of Star Trek 5 and Star Trek 6 and lays the groundwork for the Klingon peace treaties seen in Star Trek 6. This is a must read for any Sulu fans, or anyone wondering where the TOS crew goes as they part ways toward the end of the TOS movies.
November 11, 2019
Easily the most engaging and entertaining Star Trek book I’ve read in a very long time.
I can’t say it’s very exciting, as this story fills in the gaps, and shares references, across multiple Star Trek episodes, series, and feature films, most fans already know where these events are all headed. But most Star Trek fans will find that a journey worth exploring.
The rest of you? Probably not.
I can’t say it’s very exciting, as this story fills in the gaps, and shares references, across multiple Star Trek episodes, series, and feature films, most fans already know where these events are all headed. But most Star Trek fans will find that a journey worth exploring.
The rest of you? Probably not.
June 22, 2021
This book is easily one of the best Star Trek books I have read. This book ties up many loose ends from the tv series: how Kang, Kor and Koloth regained their face ridges, how they met Dax, how Sulu became Captain of the Enterprise, the difference of appearance of the Trill and the whole story of the albino. Highly recommend.
January 11, 2017
Great read!
Sulu. Curzon Dax. Kang, Koloth and Kor. Tells of how Sulu finally got his command of the Excelsior interwoven with the back story for the great DS9 episode "Blood Oath".
Sulu. Curzon Dax. Kang, Koloth and Kor. Tells of how Sulu finally got his command of the Excelsior interwoven with the back story for the great DS9 episode "Blood Oath".
May 25, 2018
Great book! We need more such novels featuring Curzon Dax.
May 2, 2019
Great Sulu adventure
Terrific read for fans of Sulu and the story of how he rose to the rank of Captain of the Excelsior
Terrific read for fans of Sulu and the story of how he rose to the rank of Captain of the Excelsior
June 12, 2020
Poor ending!!
The book built up the story and then ended with no resolution. I think the ending will either make or break a book, and it broke this one
The book built up the story and then ended with no resolution. I think the ending will either make or break a book, and it broke this one
March 6, 2022
Well written prequel to the classic DS9 episode with a careful attention to classic trek continuity.
January 18, 2024
Excellent story trying together events from Enterprise, TOS, and the events between The Voyage Home and The Undiscovered Country movies. Highly recommended!
November 21, 2014
I find myself drawn to some of the lesser-chronicled corners of the Star Trek franchise, including the Captain Sulu/Excelsior adventures, so I had high hopes for this book. Early on, it looked like it was going to deliver.
Essentially, this novel is set around the time of the films Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country and Star Trek: Generations and constitutes a prequel to the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode "Blood Oath". What was so impressive to me about the book is Martin's obvious deep knowledge and deep love of the Star Trek universe. The book is just teeming with obscure references that demonstrate a familiarity with not just the television and film "alpha canon" but the novel "beta canon" stretching back into the early 1980s. There's even a character named as a joke for people who know how to pronounce the standard Latin-alphabet transliteration of the Klingon language. It's that kind of book.
It's kind of a geek wonderland, and somehow never felt to me that it was going too far with the references and easter eggs.
At the same time, Martin has crafted a decent adventure yarn here too, with Sulu and the three most famous Klingon captains from the Original Series pitted against a Klingon bio-terrorist. There's plenty or action and the pace of the novel is consistent motion.
However, for all this, it's not much of a science-fiction novel and not much of a Star Trek novel either. Yes, it's fun to see significant life events of beloved characters depicted in detail for the first time. But stripped of its (many, varied) direct Star Trek references, there's nothing recognisably Star Trek about this book. Ultimately, I found that unsatisfying. Terrorism is a topical subject. The desire for, indugence of, or abstinence from vengeance is perennially human euestion. It's not like Martin's story didn't already contain the parameters to explore something thoughtful; it's just that he ignored all that.
Disappointing, but I still liked it because even if I felt it was a weak story, I felt a kindred spirit was telling it to me.
Essentially, this novel is set around the time of the films Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country and Star Trek: Generations and constitutes a prequel to the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode "Blood Oath". What was so impressive to me about the book is Martin's obvious deep knowledge and deep love of the Star Trek universe. The book is just teeming with obscure references that demonstrate a familiarity with not just the television and film "alpha canon" but the novel "beta canon" stretching back into the early 1980s. There's even a character named as a joke for people who know how to pronounce the standard Latin-alphabet transliteration of the Klingon language. It's that kind of book.
It's kind of a geek wonderland, and somehow never felt to me that it was going too far with the references and easter eggs.
At the same time, Martin has crafted a decent adventure yarn here too, with Sulu and the three most famous Klingon captains from the Original Series pitted against a Klingon bio-terrorist. There's plenty or action and the pace of the novel is consistent motion.
However, for all this, it's not much of a science-fiction novel and not much of a Star Trek novel either. Yes, it's fun to see significant life events of beloved characters depicted in detail for the first time. But stripped of its (many, varied) direct Star Trek references, there's nothing recognisably Star Trek about this book. Ultimately, I found that unsatisfying. Terrorism is a topical subject. The desire for, indugence of, or abstinence from vengeance is perennially human euestion. It's not like Martin's story didn't already contain the parameters to explore something thoughtful; it's just that he ignored all that.
Disappointing, but I still liked it because even if I felt it was a weak story, I felt a kindred spirit was telling it to me.
December 14, 2015
I really wanted to give this a higher review and I hope they do more novels that follow Sulu on the Excelsior. The thing is, there was a really good story buried deep down in the narrative. Too much perspective and time shifting, the Klingon angles weren't very interesting and there wasn't enough focus on Sulu's rise to commander of Excelsior. Again, I sincerely hope they expand on this series because I really enjoy reading from a perspective other than Kirk's. I mean, I love Kirk, but it's nice to see the character of Sulu expanded beyond just one of the token minorities that add a little color to the Enterprise bridge. Ultimately where this novel failed was the authors' attempt to tell too many stories. Strip it down, give us more from the perspective of the Excelsior and it's crew. Some much time was wasted on plot points and characters that eventually went no where. I was also disappointed with the end of story. I was reading along waiting for things to come back into focus when suddenly I find myself on the Acknowledgement page. All that to say it was a decent book, but I wanted (and expected) more from it. Maybe next time, Sulu.
December 28, 2009
I'm really picky with my five star ratings; the book has to actually change my life to get one, but rest assured this was a fabulous, solid 4 and a half stars. Yes, it's long (especially for a little mass market paperback, which made it awkward to hold sometimes), but I can't blame the authors since they covered so much ground. I got the feeling from the back cover and the beginning that it wasn't really just a Sulu book, which turned out to be entirely accurate. Very nice. In fact, it was not just a Sulu book, but also a Klingon book, a Dax book, and a Excelsior book. Did I miss anybody? This is my favorite kind of Star Trek novel: the sort that introduces a ton of backstory, and weaves it in to the existing canonical framework in a way that enriches both. (Plus references to everything. I love references.) Overall, a great sprawling epic of a tale that might take you a while to get through, but will end up being very satisfying.
March 22, 2015
Wonderful!
I came across this book while checking my wife and myself in to the hospital to birth our new baby, and set about reading it between visits from nurses, doctors and generally aiding my amazing wife. Imagine my pleasure surprise to find my favorite crewmembers, Sulu and Dad, team up with the best the Empire has to offer! Based off one of the better Deep Space 9 episodes, with Klingon Captains Kang, Koloth and Korean hunting The Albino, we finally learn the story of why Jadzia Dax aided the trio, almost losing her Starfleet career. We also see what happened to the Original Series Klingons and why they aren't around in the Next Generation and later. We also see the indomitable Mr. Sulu finally gain command of the USS Excelsior, a command promised him by Admiral Kirk before they set off to rescue Spock in STIII. A fine novel, quite enjoyable, and very much worth the read. My newborn daughter and wife enjoyed me reading it with voices for the Klingons.
I came across this book while checking my wife and myself in to the hospital to birth our new baby, and set about reading it between visits from nurses, doctors and generally aiding my amazing wife. Imagine my pleasure surprise to find my favorite crewmembers, Sulu and Dad, team up with the best the Empire has to offer! Based off one of the better Deep Space 9 episodes, with Klingon Captains Kang, Koloth and Korean hunting The Albino, we finally learn the story of why Jadzia Dax aided the trio, almost losing her Starfleet career. We also see what happened to the Original Series Klingons and why they aren't around in the Next Generation and later. We also see the indomitable Mr. Sulu finally gain command of the USS Excelsior, a command promised him by Admiral Kirk before they set off to rescue Spock in STIII. A fine novel, quite enjoyable, and very much worth the read. My newborn daughter and wife enjoyed me reading it with voices for the Klingons.
April 17, 2013
Another excellent Star Trek book. Hikaru Sulu, newly-acting-Captain of the Excelsior must team up with a young Curzon Dax (currently a VERY formidable diplomat) and three of the best-known Klingon captains: Koloth, Kang, and Kor -- to track down and defeat an evil albino Klingon bent on revenge in the form of biological terrorism.
The insight into Sulu and Dax's histories was wonderful, and I loved our Klingon heroes -- egos and honor and culture clashes and all. I came away with a host of Klingon insults and a sudden fascination with Klingon culture. Good stuff.
The insight into Sulu and Dax's histories was wonderful, and I loved our Klingon heroes -- egos and honor and culture clashes and all. I came away with a host of Klingon insults and a sudden fascination with Klingon culture. Good stuff.
August 27, 2015
This was a fun book. The author neatly dovetails events and characters from TOS, TNG, DS9 and the ST movies. You'll find Kor, Kang, Mara, Koloth, Sarek, Curzon Dax, two Sulu's and even Ensign Leonard James Akaar along with references to Tribbles, Gamsters of Triskelion, and several Kinngon battles.
Kor, Kang, Koloth and Sulu chase an albino Klingon through time and space.
The story takes place in many places over an extended range of time. Following that story line is a bit of a challenge. I did find the ending somewhat of a disappointment, but it was a good read.
Kor, Kang, Koloth and Sulu chase an albino Klingon through time and space.
The story takes place in many places over an extended range of time. Following that story line is a bit of a challenge. I did find the ending somewhat of a disappointment, but it was a good read.
December 19, 2016
It has been a long time since I have read a Star Trek universe novel. I don't remember them being as long as this one (400+ pages).
I enjoyed the read. It was good getting to know Star Trek again, and seeing Sulu star, along with some Klingon captains and Sarek and a Trill ambassador, in an adventure in the Klingon Empire area.
It was a bit confusing, too...the jumping around in time early on in the story, and the Klingon words and attitudes. Guess it really has been a long time since my travels in the Star Trek universe.
Good read, though. I liked learning more about Sulu.
I enjoyed the read. It was good getting to know Star Trek again, and seeing Sulu star, along with some Klingon captains and Sarek and a Trill ambassador, in an adventure in the Klingon Empire area.
It was a bit confusing, too...the jumping around in time early on in the story, and the Klingon words and attitudes. Guess it really has been a long time since my travels in the Star Trek universe.
Good read, though. I liked learning more about Sulu.
January 9, 2012
Great characterization and an engaging plot make up for the story plodding in some areas. As "Blood Oath" is one of my favorite episodes of early Deep Space Nine, the revelations about the antagonist and the motivations of the Klingons from that episode were greatly enjoyed. Filling in the gaps in Star Trek's timeline also push this book's rating a little higher in my opinion.
Full review: http://treklit.blogspot.com/2011/12/e...
Full review: http://treklit.blogspot.com/2011/12/e...
January 1, 2015
Since I'm a star trek fan and have some knowlege of trek canon, I really enjoyed this book as it "explains" why Klingons in The Original Series had smooth foreheads and Klingons in later series had ridges. It also incorporates background for some familiar characters who haven't had much written about them.
August 26, 2008
Tells the story of Capt. Sulu's involvement with a young Curzon Dax and three Klingon captains from TOS (Kor, Kang, Koloth) as they chased after the genetic murdering Albino (see ST:DS9 episode "Blood Oath" for context). I really enjoyed reading this book over summer vacation, which added quite a bit to Sulu's background and character.
February 26, 2015
The writing is fine and the references to various incarnations of Trek were okay but I just didn't care for the whole storyline, felt like forcing Sulu into Dax's history with the Klingons and relied too heavily on other novels which I haven't read which probably would have changed my view on the book.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews