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Before he became the captain of the U.S.S. Enterprise...
Cadet Jean-Luc Picard is struggling through his first year at the Academy. He's near the top of his classes, right behind Roger Wells. Jean-Luc is determined to do everything better and bigger than Roger. But privately he has doubts. And the lack of communication from home only reminds him of how badly he left things with his father.
Then Jean-Luc and his friend, Marta, discover they've been selected to fly with the Nova Command team, a special training mission through the solar system. This is no simulation -- it's the real thing! Jean-Luc tries to ignore the presence of Roger, but the pressure builds between the two cadets. When the mission leader falls ill and the ship receives a distress call, Jean-Luc and the other cadets must decide whether to obey orders or attempt a rescue... as the ship heads for disaster!
Cadet Jean-Luc Picard is struggling through his first year at the Academy. He's near the top of his classes, right behind Roger Wells. Jean-Luc is determined to do everything better and bigger than Roger. But privately he has doubts. And the lack of communication from home only reminds him of how badly he left things with his father.
Then Jean-Luc and his friend, Marta, discover they've been selected to fly with the Nova Command team, a special training mission through the solar system. This is no simulation -- it's the real thing! Jean-Luc tries to ignore the presence of Roger, but the pressure builds between the two cadets. When the mission leader falls ill and the ship receives a distress call, Jean-Luc and the other cadets must decide whether to obey orders or attempt a rescue... as the ship heads for disaster!
116 pages, Paperback
First published December 1, 1995
120 people want to read
About the author
Brad Strickland
135 books107 followersWilliam Bradley Strickland (b. 1947) is the author (or co-author) of over 60 novels and over 60 pieces of short fiction and poetry.
Born in New Hollard, Strickland earned his Ph.D. in American literature from the University of Georgia. He has taught English courses at the University of Georgia, Oglethorpe University, Truett-McConnell College, and, since 1987, at Gainesville State College.
His first novel was 1986's To Stand Beneath the Sun, followed quickly by the books in the Jeremy Moon trilogy.
Strickland has shared co-author credit on many of his books: with his wife, Barbara, on stories in the Star Trek and Are You Afraid of the Dark? properties; and with the late author Thomas Fuller, books in the Wishbone series, involving the popular Jack Russell Terrier from the Public Television series of the same name. Strickland and Fuller also collaborated on numerous original works, including the Pirate Hunter series, the Mars: Year One series, and the comedic mystery for adults, The Ghost Finds a Body.
After the death of John Bellairs, Strickland was approached by John’s son, Frank, to complete the two books his father had already started; these unfinished manuscripts became The Ghost in the Mirror and The Vengeance of the Witch-Finder. Strickland also wrote two books based on brief plot outlines left by Bellairs: The Drum, the Doll and the Zombie and The Doom of the Haunted Opera. Beginning in 1996, Strickland has kept Bellairs' legacy alive by writing the further adventures of Johnny Dixon and Lewis Barnavelt. Books in the corpus include The Hand of the Necromancer (1996); The Tower at the End of the World (2001); The House Where Nobody Lived (2006); and his most recent title, The Sign of the Sinister Sorcerer (2008).
In 2001, Strickland won received the Georgia Author of the Year Award, Children's/Young Adult Division, for When Mack Came Back, set in WWII-era Georgia. Strickland says the story "is based on the farm owned by [his] grandfather, where [I] often visited when [I] was a child." Kong: King of Skull Island was released in 2005, an illustrated tale by Strickland, author John Michlig, and fantasy artist Joe DeVito that serves as both a prequel and sequel to the epic story of the legendary ape.
Strickland is an active member of the Atlanta Radio Theatre Company, where he writes and performs in numerous audio drama projects. He was awarded the ARTC Lifetime Achievement Award in 2006. He is married to the former Barabara Justus and has two grown children.
Born in New Hollard, Strickland earned his Ph.D. in American literature from the University of Georgia. He has taught English courses at the University of Georgia, Oglethorpe University, Truett-McConnell College, and, since 1987, at Gainesville State College.
His first novel was 1986's To Stand Beneath the Sun, followed quickly by the books in the Jeremy Moon trilogy.
Strickland has shared co-author credit on many of his books: with his wife, Barbara, on stories in the Star Trek and Are You Afraid of the Dark? properties; and with the late author Thomas Fuller, books in the Wishbone series, involving the popular Jack Russell Terrier from the Public Television series of the same name. Strickland and Fuller also collaborated on numerous original works, including the Pirate Hunter series, the Mars: Year One series, and the comedic mystery for adults, The Ghost Finds a Body.
After the death of John Bellairs, Strickland was approached by John’s son, Frank, to complete the two books his father had already started; these unfinished manuscripts became The Ghost in the Mirror and The Vengeance of the Witch-Finder. Strickland also wrote two books based on brief plot outlines left by Bellairs: The Drum, the Doll and the Zombie and The Doom of the Haunted Opera. Beginning in 1996, Strickland has kept Bellairs' legacy alive by writing the further adventures of Johnny Dixon and Lewis Barnavelt. Books in the corpus include The Hand of the Necromancer (1996); The Tower at the End of the World (2001); The House Where Nobody Lived (2006); and his most recent title, The Sign of the Sinister Sorcerer (2008).
In 2001, Strickland won received the Georgia Author of the Year Award, Children's/Young Adult Division, for When Mack Came Back, set in WWII-era Georgia. Strickland says the story "is based on the farm owned by [his] grandfather, where [I] often visited when [I] was a child." Kong: King of Skull Island was released in 2005, an illustrated tale by Strickland, author John Michlig, and fantasy artist Joe DeVito that serves as both a prequel and sequel to the epic story of the legendary ape.
Strickland is an active member of the Atlanta Radio Theatre Company, where he writes and performs in numerous audio drama projects. He was awarded the ARTC Lifetime Achievement Award in 2006. He is married to the former Barabara Justus and has two grown children.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
September 13, 2015
All the Starfleet Academy books are enjoyable little novels. This is the second Picard focused one.
December 19, 2024
This is really solid. It does a good job of connecting to what we’ve seen and heard of Picard’s Academy days in “The First Duty” and “Tapestry”.
June 4, 2014
The Stricklands offered a solid coming of age tale for Picard in “Starfall”. Now they continue with a story they first planned to include in that novel, but left it out for length reasons. I don’t know how these storylines might have turned out as a single book, maybe bridging them would have given the “Nova Command” part more potency. As it is, the novel is clearly inferior to “Starfall”.
The plot is pretty familiar for readers of the Starfleet Academy series. Our humble protagonist faces off a smart but proud antagonist and has to save the day through wisdom and restrain while the cocky opponent is playing hot headed solo. The writing is good and the simple plot has been paced well to generate a story with momentum, but the character exploration isn’t as deep as one might have hoped.
This is a comfortable, highly readable and engaging tale, but it lacks just enough ambition to make it a bit too standard to truly shine.
The plot is pretty familiar for readers of the Starfleet Academy series. Our humble protagonist faces off a smart but proud antagonist and has to save the day through wisdom and restrain while the cocky opponent is playing hot headed solo. The writing is good and the simple plot has been paced well to generate a story with momentum, but the character exploration isn’t as deep as one might have hoped.
This is a comfortable, highly readable and engaging tale, but it lacks just enough ambition to make it a bit too standard to truly shine.
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October 1, 2019Enjoyable little book.Star Trek fiction is of very variable quality and I hadn't read any satisfying TNG books earlier.The adventures of a young Picard,as a cadet at Starfleet Academy.
November 7, 2018
Another intruiging book of the series and another one of my favorites as Picard takes an adventure to start Starfleet academy but he has one main obstacle, stubborn old fassioned Maurice, Picard's father.
June 17, 2019
As part of my annual "Captain Jean Luc Picard Day" celebration, I once again explore an earlier chapter in his life, when he was Cadet Picard and learning to work in teams - even when you can't stand one team mate- to solve a life or death crisis.
September 5, 2023
I am loving the Starfleet Academy books. Picard was very well done, I hope to read more about him.
January 22, 2015
Picard is finally at starfleet academy, and is constantly 2nd in his class. His main problem is the cadet who is always first is a jerk. They are sent on a training mission in space and the unexpected happens. A decent enough story that is notable for Picards first meeting with Boothby. I suspect children will get more out of this than I did, and relate to Picard more. The illustrations are good, but it doesnt really look like a young Picard. A good read.
December 17, 2020
Even though this was a junior reader, I as an adult really liked it. I will admit that this is the first Star Trek book I have read even though I grew up watching both the films and T.V. series. This was a nice way to learn more about Picard’s past. It made me really want to find the rest of the books in the series.
June 22, 2010
The second of the Picard books, this is a good follow up to Starfall.
February 18, 2008
Honestly, I can't remember this book, but I suppose I have indeed read it. Where do all those gravitational anomalies come from, by the way...?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 29, 2011
This is a well written young adult novel that looks in on Jean-Luc Picard while he is in his first year at Starfleet Academy. It is fast paced and easy to read.
June 13, 2015
I wish the Stricklands had spent more time on the Nova Command mission, but overall a good book.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews