Gauntlet

Star Trek: Stargazer #1

by Michael Jan Friedman

Long before he took command of the starship Enterprise, Captain Jean-Luc Picard led another proud vessel through the uncharted regions of the galaxy: the U.S.S. Stargazer. Thrust unexpectedly into the center seat, the twenty-eight-year-old Picard must live up to the challenges of starship command -- and a crew that hasn't yet learned to trust him. The pirate known as the White Wolf has been wreaking havoc across several sectors, and the inexperienced Picard has been given the assignment to stop him. Surprised at getting such a challenge, Picard soon learns that he is expected to fail in his duty and have his captaincy disgraced before it can even begin.

Given an untested crew and an impossible mission, Picard must beat the odds and apprehend the White Wolf -- but the pirate keeps a shocking secret that leaves Picard to make a deadly decision.

Genres: Star Trek, Science Fiction, Ebooks, Fiction, Star Trek The Next Generation, Space Opera, 21st Century

266 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published May 1, 2002

About the author

Michael Jan Friedman is an author of more than seventy books of fiction and nonfiction, half of which are in the Star Trek universe. Eleven of his titles have appeared on the New York Times Best Seller list. Friedman has also written for network and cable television and radio, and scripted nearly 200 comic books, including his original DC superhero series, the Darkstars.

Reviews

[D. H. · Rating 1 out of 5]

I feel bad giving such a poor rating, but it has poor storytelling.

There is tin-ear dialogue, flat prose, bad structure, implausible plot, and philosophical problems.

If you're a TNG fan, and you probably wouldn't pick this up if you weren't, then you might be put off by Picard firing on a ship without even an attempt to hail it. I get this is the beginning of Picard's captaining career, but still that is evil.

I love how Star Trek is an imagining of the future in which the problems of today have been solved, so it's annoying to read about a petty admiral who sets Picard up to fail just because he doesn't like him and does so by assigning a bunch of failing officers to the ship to make the Stargazer that much more incompetent.

However I LOVE the idea of Picard working with lackluster officers and as a result, their contributions are what make Picard successful.

The problem is the storytelling undermines this idea.
As one example, think of Obal, the Binderian security officer.

Because he is short, thin, nonaggressive, kind, polite, and because he waddles, the chief of security thinks he wouldn't be a good security officer. He says he is these things because of his race. And the reader is supposed to agree with that. Picard agrees with that!

When other crew pick on him, we're supposed to pity him.

We're suppose to hope for a violent response. We're anticipating the smack down that comes at the end.

In other words, we're supposed to believe that security is protection through physical violence AND that Obal wouldn't be good at it because of WHAT he is not WHO he is.

There is a strong messages here:
1) don't judge a book by its cover
2) respect all people regardless of what they are.

Yet the storytelling doesn't convey it because
1) Pug never changes his belief that WHAT you are is more important thant WHO and
2) Obal gains respect by being violent completely undercutting the notion that we should respect all people regardless of what they are.


In the history of Star Trek storytelling, there is a tradition for this kind of story. TNG's Angel One (S1E14) is an other example. The author has a good Star Trek worthy idea, but completely wiffs on it because he or she doesn't really believe in the idea.

I started reading these Stargazer novels with an eye on finishing the series, but after this one, I'm reluctant. I plan to give the next one a try, but after that...

[C.T. Phipps · Rating 5 out of 5]

The STAR TREK novelverse thrives best whenever it is moving away from the classic series to do their own thing. STAR TREK: NEW FRONTIER, THE STARFLEET CORPS OF ENGINEERS, and the KLINGON EMPIRE series are good examples. Basically, if you can't exert your freedom on the characters then it's probably best to have ones in the same universe but where there's more room to develop them.

The STARGAZER series has one major character in Captain Jean Luc Picard, 28 years old and probably "played" by Tom Hardy with a full head of hair rather than Patrick Stewart. He is the newly promoted captain of the Stargazer, that is already a ship on the rickety side. Having broken Kirk's record as the youngest starship captain ever, he's getting the cold shoulder from his fellow captains. Even worse, he's attracted the almost comical hatred of an Admiral that loathes him just because he was an appointee by the guy who held his position before. Which means Starfleet functions like Fox television executives.

The rest of the crew is almost entirely composed of original characters or the people who showed up in the novel, REUNION also by the same authors. Some of them we know will be doomed according to that novel but it actually adds a bit of drama here as we don't know how that will shake out. Either way, Picard needs to shake out a mostly underperforming and unwanted crew that he's been assigned by bureaucratic malice as they go after an infamous pirate called "The White Wolf." No, he's not Elric or Geralt.

Overall, I really enjoyed this novel and am going to read the entirety of the Stargazer series as a result.

[Wayne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Captain Picard in the early years.

Mini spoiler ahead. 6th
Captain Picard is given a mission by what I would call a shady admiral. He goes about it with his usual flair. Nice read. Enjoyed it.

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

Reading about a young Captain Picard was rather fun. I'm curious to see where the story goes from here.

[Emerald Green · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is definitely a solid start to a series (not entirely sure if it is the start as these books are quite confusingly structured) showing Jean-Luc Picard in his first command and the challenges that could come with being the youngest captain that the federation had seen. It did an okay job at setting up the main characters but seemed to struggle with keeping a point of view for too long as it would zip back and forth between characters so fast that you may get whiplash trying to keep up with it.

The overarching villain of the book (& series), McAteer seems like a very one-dimensional character and the only thing that we learn of him is that he dislikes Picard and wants to see him fail. the plot follows Jean-Luc Picard being given the seemingly impossible task of apprehending a notorious pirate to punish him when he fails to do so; I found this to be a fairly interesting setup and hoped that interest only grew as Picard made his way into the wolf's den, having to deal with nearly insurmountable obstacles and challenges to reach the pirate's hiding place and fight on their ground, and my interest grew even deeper when a federation ship attacked and defended the pirates.

By the end of the book my excitement seemed to be misplaced as it turned out that this infamous pirate, who had been impossible to catch by one of the most advanced fleets in the galaxy was just somebody who wanted to protect a planet from bandits and had to adopt this frightening persona to do so and in the space of a single page, Picard decided to keep this charade up to protect the planet. All of intrigue seemed to be for naught. I hoped that the things that the story left nuggets of setup would not disappoint

[Bradley · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fairly solid read, not for me. Off to listia with you. =)

[Brian Moreau · Rating 3 out of 5]

OK read but the resolution was one of the silliest I've ever read. Totally unrealistic.

[Graff Fuller · Rating 4 out of 5]

Star Trek: TNG: Stargazer 01 Gauntlet by Michael Jan Friedman

challenging hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense

Medium-paced

Plot or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Ye
Flaws of characters are a main focus? Yes

4.25 Stars

I've been meaning to read this series for a long time. The idea of getting to experience time with the young captain, Jean Luc Picard is going to be the best. What we know of his time...is when he took over, during TNG television series.

This is my first experience with this ship and crew...reading wise.

Admirals in Starfleet are the worst. ugh. 

I felt sad for Captain Picard and his number one, Gilaad Ben Zoma. The replacements were the story...and so many ways they added/detracted. 

Wu was a pain in the rear. Caber was a racist (literally). Valderrama and what she did.

I thought the way it ended was a little too convenient, but that may just be me.

Love the pacing and the story, and am looking forward to picking up Star Trek: Stargazer 02 Progenitor.0

[Craig · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book felt a lot like the New Frontier series with a couple recognizable characters and one central recognizable character- in this case, Picard. So there was a lot of characters dumped on you at the start and I would recommended reading "The Valiant" beforehand as even though this is Book 1 in this series, it takes a lot of cues from that book and Reunion as well for that matter. I liked getting to know some of these characters but my biggest gripe was the ending which I don't think made a lot of sense. There's enough here that I think I will like this series so hopefully the endings are better.

[Brayden Raymond · Rating 3 out of 5]

Three stars always seems to be my go to for novels that good but nothing spectacular. This installment of the Stargazer series does great work at setting up characters and relationships but the plot takes some time To get moving and even when it gets exciting. The climax is over in a flash. That said I enjoyed the way this book was carried out and how it ended and I look forward to the next Stargazer novel.

[Adam · Rating 3 out of 5]

A decent story.

[Corey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very quick read, and not exactly amazing, but it's decent enough.

This book suffers from a major flaw, it's half introduction for a dozen characters that we'll presumably be with for the rest of the series, and as such has little substance otherwise.

Having said that, the characters are interesting enough, and I look forward to reading more about them.

The story is fine, but doesn't blow ya away. Hopefully future books go better.

[Steve · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was far different from what I thought it was going to be. Turns out reading about the Picard we all know and love as this self-doubter was not a brilliant plan, but I understand the premise. Also watching some of the upper echelons of Starfleet not acting in the best interest of the fleet was surprising. The clmax was over a little quickly, and there was next to no resolution.

[Joe · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am a Stargazer fan.
Picard at the beginning of his career.
What a great crew.
It feels like we have seen this crew on-screen.
Great work.

Fun ending.

[Patrick Hayes · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm rereading all of the Next Gen books I own and I've come upon 2002's volume of Picard's captaincy of the Stargazer. It's a fun read, though there are a lot of characters.

Jean-Luc has been a made a captain, the youngest in Starfleet history, and it's made a lot of the older captains unimpressed with him. He realizes this, but wants to do his duty, so he's surprised when his first outing in charge of the ship is to track down the White Wolf, a pirate who's become the bane of Starfleet, having eluded capture by many ships and recently taken some items precious to Starfleet. Before leaving on their mission, the Stargazer takes on seven last minute crew additions, each with their own baggage. It's almost as if someone is Starfleet is trying to sabotage Jean-Luc.

This is essentially a character introduction book, with the new characters showing their personalities and mettle to the reader so that they can accomplish their mission (and continue on in sequel novels). I enjoyed the majority of the characters, but found myself losing track at times of who's who. However, it was easy to follow the flow of the novel and enjoy it. Picard is terrific and his Number One is also great. I look forward to reading the rest of these books.

FYI: I have this and the second novel in a hardcover from the Science Fiction Book Club and I absolutely loved reading it in this format.

[Toondar77 · Rating 2 out of 5]

Wow, okay so this is my first Star Trek novel, the first good thing I can say about it is that it is short at 266 pages. Other good things include the writing for Picard, and the scene when the crew is navigating around the space votexs.

Now for the not so good, the writing is generally kinda flat, there are way too many characters that thrown at you in the span of one chapter, and nobody gets a lot of development because of how short the book is. Besides Obal and Jiterica’s plots nothing any of the side characters do ends up really mattering. (Looking at you Greyhorse, whose feelings for one of the sisters goes nowhere after it’s mention in the opening couple chapters.

There is a huge lull in the plot leading to almost nothing really happening between like page 45ish and page 150ish.

I had a rough time with this novel, that said, I’m still going to read the next one, in the hope to see something better now that these characters are more established and hopefully the author feels more comfortable with them.

[Josh Murphy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Stargazer: Gauntlet — mini-review

Just finished my 52nd Star Trek book. I thought I’d have a tough time getting into this prequel story where the only returning character is Picard, but the author did a great job establishing a new cast full of distinct crewmembers I actually wanted to follow. Stargazer has all the components necessary for a satisfying series: oddball yet loveable crewmates, a nefarious admiral (aren’t they all?), a mysterious and as-yet-unexplained spy, and a young Picard with a full head of hair and something to prove.

The plot is your standard MacGuffin chase through a variety of obstacles, but Friedman kept my interest with constantly shifting perspectives and frequent glimpses into the crew’s personal lives. Personal favorite: Obal, the Binderian security officer, built like a plucked turkey, heart of pure gold. My guy. 😄

[Andy Stjohn · Rating 2 out of 5]

Star Trek: Stargazer #1: Gantlet by Micheal Jan Friedman

This book was… painfully average. I enjoyed the previous book in the series, the Reilant as it was a fun, short read and dealt with stuff outside the galaxy which I always enjoy. Also, learning about Picard’s first command? Sign me up please. But this book… wasn’t it. It was a major letdown from the previous book which dealt with bigger, cosmic issues in the form of the Nuyyad (if I’m spelling that right).

It was just predictable and boring although the part of them navigating the vortices was cool. But the twist with the White Wolf was just underwhelming and wrapped up too quickly. I knew also that the character of Obal was going to kick Caber’s ass at some point. It was just too predictable.

Anyway, I rate this book 5/10

[Joe Pranaitis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Author Micheal Jan Friedman brings us Captain Picard's first mission as Captain of the starship Stargazer. A week has passed since Picard has taken command of the Stargazer and their first assignment is to hunt down and bring in the pirate the White Wolf. Picard and crew deal with some growing pains before finding the White Wolf. The end battle reminded me of the end of the battle in Star Trek: Nemesis, now considering that Mr. Friedman has written for Captain Picard several times in both comic and book form he knows how the character thinks. I highly recommend this book to all Star Trek and science fiction fans. 

[Mic Dysinger · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm enjoying reading about Picard as a young captain. However, this one was a struggle. It's written fairly well. However, the story seemed so-so with an ending to match. It felt like it's building up to something, only to not finish it in the end. I do suppose with 6 books in the series, it'll take time to resolve things. Decent read, I guess. Also are we not going to talk about the Federation ship attacking another Federation ship causing casualties then shrugging there shoulders and going "oops my bad guess your a good guy too" like how are you explaining that to the family members I mean I know it's fiction but still.

[Roberto Lagos Figueroa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Primera novela de la serie dedicada a Picard como un novisimo capitan de la USS STARGAZER. En esta entrega relata lo que aconteció tras la novela VALIANT, y más que contar una aventura en sí, nos sirve para presentar a los personajes que serán regulares en esta serie de la mano del siempre efectivo Michael Jan Friedman. Desde ese punto de vista, no hay ningun problema. La misión en sí se resuelve con un interesante giro y creo hubiese quedado bien si se hubiese tratado de un piloto hipotético de tv. Veremos que mas pasará en las proximas novelas de la serie.

[Justin · Rating 2 out of 5]

I gave this a low rating partly because of the ending.

You have this big build up, trying to reach this deadly star system to capture a vicious pirate, only to find that this is all hype to protect a planet. There is no pirate, but there is cargo to be recovered. So what happens next?

You have an admiral out to get Picard, but only for Picard to succeed in his mission despite the admiral. MJF might set this for a future confrontation, but the ending is rushed. Does Picard not confront this admiral? What about his own patrons? Do they support Picard?

[Read1000books · Rating 3 out of 5]

The intro section was too long (100 pages), the dream sequence (an entire chapter) was unnecessary (padding?), and the ending was totally unrealistic (How will Picard justify his decision to Starfleet ? The book offers no explanation.). What saved this book from a two star rating was the great drama and character-building in the middle. This is Book One of Six in the Stargazer series (Picard's first command, and prior to his captaincy of ENTERPRISE).

[Daniel Kukwa · Rating 3 out of 5]

This feels like an anti-climax after "The Valiant" provided an electrifying start to this series. That said, it certainly works as an interesting introduction to a number of new crew members aboard the Stargazer...but it does feel like a light snack, compared to the banquet that was the first Stargazer novel, especially in the rather quick wrap-up to the White Wolf storyline.

[C Moore · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a 4.5 star novel! Michael Jan Friedman ably blends the stories of a large cast of characters to establish the narrative that is life on board the USS Stargazer under Captain — Commander(?) — Jean-Luc Picard. I appreciated his blend of human and non-human characters, as well as high and low-ranking personnel. I’m immediately jumping into book two!

[James E Stoffel · Rating 3 out of 5]

a good Trek Novel

I like Michael Jan Friedman writing. This is a novel that has a younger Picard. The book moves fast and is very entertaining . It has a lot of the crew members stories being told as well as Picard’s story. Which I enjoyed. Picard is actually a supporting character at times. I give it a ranking of 3.5 out of 5

[Mrklingon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, if Picard's coming back - what better time to read about his history?

This is a nice backstory showing Picard's beginning as a commander - as a CAPTAIN, that is - even younger than Kirk! It's a decent space opera yarn, and with details of crew and their development. On to the next one!

[Nicholas Katers · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like the idea of an early-career Picard storyline and some parts of this book were good but a lot of the side characters were either overwritten or underwritten. Might check out the next book in the series at some point.

[Leon Olivier, Jr · Rating 5 out of 5]

New crew and different side of Picard.

Well written light read. Built up slowly to good action and a few surprises. I'm sure I'll read a few more in the series.

[Nathan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Just okay. Bland plot, okay characters and occasionally good dialogue