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Star Trek: Enterprise #4
What Price Honor?
The Starship Enterprise NX-01 is humanity's flagship – the first starship to begin a systematic exploration of what lies beyond the fringes of known space. Led by Captain Jonathan Archer, eighty of Starfleet's best and brightest set forth to pave humanity's way among the stars. Tempered by a year's worth of exploration, they are a disciplined, cohesive unit. But now one of their number has fallen.
Bad enough that Ensign Alana Hart is dead. Worse still that she died while trying to sabotage the Enterprise – and at the hands of Lieutenant Malcolm Reed, the ship's armory officer and her nominal superior. Even as questions swirl around Hart's death, Archer, Reed, and the rest of the Enterprise crew find themselves caught squarely in the middle of another tense situation – a brutal war of terror between two civilizations.
But in the Eris Alpha system, nothing – and no one – are what they seem. And before the secret behind Ensign Hart's demise is exposed, Reed will be forced to confront death one more time.
Bad enough that Ensign Alana Hart is dead. Worse still that she died while trying to sabotage the Enterprise – and at the hands of Lieutenant Malcolm Reed, the ship's armory officer and her nominal superior. Even as questions swirl around Hart's death, Archer, Reed, and the rest of the Enterprise crew find themselves caught squarely in the middle of another tense situation – a brutal war of terror between two civilizations.
But in the Eris Alpha system, nothing – and no one – are what they seem. And before the secret behind Ensign Hart's demise is exposed, Reed will be forced to confront death one more time.
298 pages, Paperback
First published October 29, 2002
20 people are currently reading
351 people want to read
About the author
Dave Stern
53 books41 followersDave Stern has written/edited/collaborated on multiple previous works of fiction/non-fiction, including the New York Times-bestselling biography Crosley, the epistolary novel Shadows In The Asylum, and an unauthorized Adam Sandler biography composed with the help of the good people in the Smith College Library. His most recent work is Codename: Blackjack, the second thriller in the Sagas of the Cincinnati series.
His author photo is woefully out of date.
His author photo is woefully out of date.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
November 12, 2025
I spent the bulk of my time reading this book preparing to give it a relatively poor review. The narrative style is fairly disjointed. We have a storyline in the past and a storyline in the present. These two storylines alternate by chapter.
We have somebody in the crew who experiences something bad, and the story is set up as a mystery as to what happened to her. The author is trying to make us curious about what happened to that crew member. Unfortunately, we have no reason to be invested in that story until late in the book. At that point, it finally starts becoming interesting. However, prior to that point, the story is fairly boring because we're not invested in it. Granted, there are narrative reasons for this style, but it would have been better simply to tell it chronologically.
The fact that the last third of the book was pretty compelling is why i'm giving it a better rating than I expected. Still, if you read this, be prepared for it to be a long haul before it starts getting good. Once you get there, though, the book is worth the time for fans of Enterprise.
3.49 out of 5
We have somebody in the crew who experiences something bad, and the story is set up as a mystery as to what happened to her. The author is trying to make us curious about what happened to that crew member. Unfortunately, we have no reason to be invested in that story until late in the book. At that point, it finally starts becoming interesting. However, prior to that point, the story is fairly boring because we're not invested in it. Granted, there are narrative reasons for this style, but it would have been better simply to tell it chronologically.
The fact that the last third of the book was pretty compelling is why i'm giving it a better rating than I expected. Still, if you read this, be prepared for it to be a long haul before it starts getting good. Once you get there, though, the book is worth the time for fans of Enterprise.
3.49 out of 5
March 29, 2017
3.5 stars, grudingly rounded up. (I love when Trek tries to do mystery!!)
Malcolm Reed is, for me, one of the least likable characters on Enterprise, so I applaud them for trying to give him some depth in this novel, and they mostly succeeded.
I'm almost through my Enterprise rewatch (and WTF were they thinking with that theme song????), but the whole time I was watching, I was thinking "When do they bring the Xindi in"? Thats how I feel about the novel series too: I'm plowing thru these early novels in order to get to the Relaunch stuff....
Malcolm Reed is, for me, one of the least likable characters on Enterprise, so I applaud them for trying to give him some depth in this novel, and they mostly succeeded.
I'm almost through my Enterprise rewatch (and WTF were they thinking with that theme song????), but the whole time I was watching, I was thinking "When do they bring the Xindi in"? Thats how I feel about the novel series too: I'm plowing thru these early novels in order to get to the Relaunch stuff....
February 18, 2019
The Enterprise answers a distress call and discovers an alien outpost on a small planetoid. But the crew soon discovers that they've stumbled into the middle of a war between two alien races over the technology from similar installations across this sector of space. Reed gets personally involved in the conflict when it causes the death of one of his crewman, and he vows to get to the bottom of the entire situation.
The structure of this novel constantly shifts between two points in time a few days apart - one being when the Enterprise first arrives at the outpost, and the other a few days later when they meet with a delegation from the Sarkassians - one of the warring races. Normally I'd find this constant shifting annoying, but in this case it actually helps build the tension since you're not completely aware of how the earlier timeline plays into the second. It actually worked to pull me through the story and this structure actually plays back into the storyline. Very cool, when it's all over!
Malcolm Reed is really the focus of this book and we get a few new insights into his character. Since this book was written while the show was still in production, it doesn't really do anything to develop the character deeply since it could have been contradicted at any point. But we do get nuggets about his past, his family, and how he relates to the crewman under him. We really don't get to see Reed as the leader of security personnel very often, so it's nice to see how he actually handles his department. Similarly, he also gets a brief brush with romance in this book which broadens him nicely and gives him a more human side.
While the overall plot is pretty generally "Star Trek," the structure is what really makes it work. I'm sure most readers will guess what's going on by the midway point, but the tensions and the "hows" payoff nicely as the book reaches it's conclusion. Really a fun read that will keep most readers quite entertained.
A nice piece of fiction that fits into Season one of the show.
The structure of this novel constantly shifts between two points in time a few days apart - one being when the Enterprise first arrives at the outpost, and the other a few days later when they meet with a delegation from the Sarkassians - one of the warring races. Normally I'd find this constant shifting annoying, but in this case it actually helps build the tension since you're not completely aware of how the earlier timeline plays into the second. It actually worked to pull me through the story and this structure actually plays back into the storyline. Very cool, when it's all over!
Malcolm Reed is really the focus of this book and we get a few new insights into his character. Since this book was written while the show was still in production, it doesn't really do anything to develop the character deeply since it could have been contradicted at any point. But we do get nuggets about his past, his family, and how he relates to the crewman under him. We really don't get to see Reed as the leader of security personnel very often, so it's nice to see how he actually handles his department. Similarly, he also gets a brief brush with romance in this book which broadens him nicely and gives him a more human side.
While the overall plot is pretty generally "Star Trek," the structure is what really makes it work. I'm sure most readers will guess what's going on by the midway point, but the tensions and the "hows" payoff nicely as the book reaches it's conclusion. Really a fun read that will keep most readers quite entertained.
A nice piece of fiction that fits into Season one of the show.
July 18, 2022
I'm no fan of "Enterprise", but this was an extremely well-written character drama, with a tight focus and a fluid writing style; it was effortless to read. There is a tragic mystery at its heart, and it characterizes the crew more evocatively than most of the episodes in TV series' first season managed to accomplish. Above all, it made me sympathize with Reed, the NX-01 crewmember who is all but blank to me. All in all...bravo to this excellent book, Mr. Stern.
April 15, 2018
This is a quick and enjoyable enough read, though disappointing in some ways. This novel featuring Lieutenant Reed is told from his point of view, giving an interesting and different perspective. However, I found I missed the insight I’m used to having into what the top brass are thinking and plotting. It would have been preferable to switch viewpoints for additional segments to get the whole picture. The book is also made up of about fifty percent flashback, so the reader has to pay close attention to what time line the events are taking place in. Some of the story lost the suspense that could have been brought by the immediacy of present-day action.
The basic plot of this novel is full of Star Trek clichés, which, in itself I find acceptable for a Star Trek novel. The Enterprise crew find themselves involved in a long-standing conflict between two species. They have to wade through spy intelligence and face danger in an attempt to resolve the challenges. Reed has to make difficult choices involving regulations and romance. If Captain Kirk had been in the same situation, Spock and McCoy would have somehow managed to recover him from it. All in all, a fun enough book which left me wanting a better one.
The basic plot of this novel is full of Star Trek clichés, which, in itself I find acceptable for a Star Trek novel. The Enterprise crew find themselves involved in a long-standing conflict between two species. They have to wade through spy intelligence and face danger in an attempt to resolve the challenges. Reed has to make difficult choices involving regulations and romance. If Captain Kirk had been in the same situation, Spock and McCoy would have somehow managed to recover him from it. All in all, a fun enough book which left me wanting a better one.
May 21, 2022
this book was a great introduction to Star Trek novels for me. I may be a bit biased, since Malcolm Reed is my favorite character, and this book focuses a lot on him, but I really enjoyed reading this. I read almost all of it in one day, and I would've finished it the next day had I not started getting sick and having brain fog that night. The author does a great job of writing Malcolm, and the plot was absolutely amazing. I could hardly put it down.
July 29, 2018
A good book. I liked that it focused on Reed. I felt that he, along with Mayweather, were one of the more underdeveloped characters in the show. So it is good to see that Reed got his own book.
The mystery to the book was intriguing and I felt that it had a good pace. I felt that the ending was quicker though. I would have liked to have a little more about the characters' reflection on the mission that occurred and the outcome. Sort of a little more on how they felt everything ended.
All in all, a decent read!
The mystery to the book was intriguing and I felt that it had a good pace. I felt that the ending was quicker though. I would have liked to have a little more about the characters' reflection on the mission that occurred and the outcome. Sort of a little more on how they felt everything ended.
All in all, a decent read!
August 13, 2022
While I normally appreciate flashbacks in a novel, this one jumped around too much for me. Even with the dates it was confusing at times trying to keep track of where this chapter occurred on the timeline. Otherwise I enjoyed it.
June 28, 2024
Star Trek: Enterprise - What Price Honor? by Dave Stern is an original novel based on the series Star Trek: Enterprise. The story centers on a mysterious incident at an outpost and the death of Ensign Alana Hart. As the story unfolds, we learn how these two incidents are connected and related to the war between two alien races, the Sarkassians and the Ta'alaat. The protagonist, as suggested by the cover, is Lieutenant Malcolm Reed, who seeks to uncover the truth behind what happened and clear Alana Hart's name (someone he became very close to, almost starting a romantic relationship with) after being forced to execute her himself. As a Star Trek novel, "What Price Honor?" proves to be a very entertaining read, revolving around a mysterious incident that shook the entire Enterprise crew. Very good, 7/10.
The story is quite simple. It basically divides into two parts that interweave as the narrative shifts between the present and the past. It begins with Captain Archer preparing a message for Alana Hart's parents, where we learn that Alana is dead. Archer is set to meet with Ambassador Valay and Commodore Roan of the Sarkassians to hand over a prisoner held on the Enterprise, who is responsible for the destruction of the Sarkassian station. Archer refuses to hand over the prisoner until everything is clarified but allows them to see the prisoner, who calls himself Goridian. Ambassador Valay is left alone with Goridian for a moment and later claims she has killed him. Archer has her delegation leave the Enterprise, while Reed tries to find a way to explain Alana's behavior before her death. The story frequently shifts to the past, showing us how Alana and Reed became close. Alana is haunted by an incident on another ship where, during a pirate attack, she accidentally killed some Vulcans. Their relationship fails, and before Alana leaves the Enterprise, they head to the Sarkassian station in response to a distress signal. At the station, they find evidence of a battle, and the landing party splits into two groups. Alana, Reed, and Trip venture into some tunnels where Alana gets separated. When Reed finds her, she suffers an electric shock and an unconscious alien is nearby. Upon returning to the Enterprise, they are contacted by Ambassador Valay, who tries to clarify that they had no part in the station attack. Alana recovers but seems to have lost her memory. Reed tries to help her and witnesses Alana manipulating the Enterprise’s weapon controls, aiming them at the Sarkassian ship. Reed has no choice but to shoot and kill Alana to prevent further conflict.
Back in the present, the Enterprise receives a distress call from Commodore Roan, who has been attacked by Valay. They rescue him using the transporter and heal his injuries. Roan explains more about the conflict between the Sarkassians and the Ta'alaat, a war that has raged for centuries. He also reveals that the station was built by an ancient race called the Anu'anshee. Archer decides to return to the station to uncover the truth and sends Reed and Roan back to the outpost. At the station, Reed and Roan are ambushed by Valay, who shoots Roan dead. She attempts to do the same to Reed but instead tries to transfer her consciousness into his body, just as she did with the alien on the station, Alana, and Valay. It is revealed that Valay is actually Goridian, who uses special stones with Anu'anshee technology to take over other bodies. Reed fights the possession with Alana's consciousness assisting him. After a final farewell to Alana, he manages to reject Goridian and kill him with a shot.
The situation returns to normal. Archer sends his message to Alana's parents, omitting the supernatural causes of her death. A new Sarkassian delegation arrives and accepts the account of what happened with Valay. The call ends with T'Pol warning them to stop recklessly exploiting the Anu'anshee resources, as the Vulcans will investigate their activities with the technology. The entire crew bids farewell to Alana before sending her casket into space. The story concludes with the Enterprise heading to another system because that’s what Alana would have wanted: to honor her by continuing to look forward, toward the future, rather than dwelling on the past.
The story is quite simple. It basically divides into two parts that interweave as the narrative shifts between the present and the past. It begins with Captain Archer preparing a message for Alana Hart's parents, where we learn that Alana is dead. Archer is set to meet with Ambassador Valay and Commodore Roan of the Sarkassians to hand over a prisoner held on the Enterprise, who is responsible for the destruction of the Sarkassian station. Archer refuses to hand over the prisoner until everything is clarified but allows them to see the prisoner, who calls himself Goridian. Ambassador Valay is left alone with Goridian for a moment and later claims she has killed him. Archer has her delegation leave the Enterprise, while Reed tries to find a way to explain Alana's behavior before her death. The story frequently shifts to the past, showing us how Alana and Reed became close. Alana is haunted by an incident on another ship where, during a pirate attack, she accidentally killed some Vulcans. Their relationship fails, and before Alana leaves the Enterprise, they head to the Sarkassian station in response to a distress signal. At the station, they find evidence of a battle, and the landing party splits into two groups. Alana, Reed, and Trip venture into some tunnels where Alana gets separated. When Reed finds her, she suffers an electric shock and an unconscious alien is nearby. Upon returning to the Enterprise, they are contacted by Ambassador Valay, who tries to clarify that they had no part in the station attack. Alana recovers but seems to have lost her memory. Reed tries to help her and witnesses Alana manipulating the Enterprise’s weapon controls, aiming them at the Sarkassian ship. Reed has no choice but to shoot and kill Alana to prevent further conflict.
Back in the present, the Enterprise receives a distress call from Commodore Roan, who has been attacked by Valay. They rescue him using the transporter and heal his injuries. Roan explains more about the conflict between the Sarkassians and the Ta'alaat, a war that has raged for centuries. He also reveals that the station was built by an ancient race called the Anu'anshee. Archer decides to return to the station to uncover the truth and sends Reed and Roan back to the outpost. At the station, Reed and Roan are ambushed by Valay, who shoots Roan dead. She attempts to do the same to Reed but instead tries to transfer her consciousness into his body, just as she did with the alien on the station, Alana, and Valay. It is revealed that Valay is actually Goridian, who uses special stones with Anu'anshee technology to take over other bodies. Reed fights the possession with Alana's consciousness assisting him. After a final farewell to Alana, he manages to reject Goridian and kill him with a shot.
The situation returns to normal. Archer sends his message to Alana's parents, omitting the supernatural causes of her death. A new Sarkassian delegation arrives and accepts the account of what happened with Valay. The call ends with T'Pol warning them to stop recklessly exploiting the Anu'anshee resources, as the Vulcans will investigate their activities with the technology. The entire crew bids farewell to Alana before sending her casket into space. The story concludes with the Enterprise heading to another system because that’s what Alana would have wanted: to honor her by continuing to look forward, toward the future, rather than dwelling on the past.
June 30, 2024
Since it's been made clear that there will be no more material from Enterprise, and probably not anything from the other OG shows either, I thought I'd give some more of their books a try. I don't have any interest in reading the novelizations of episodes, but I've read, and thoroughly enjoyed, the Rise of the Federation series and wanted to get back into this era. Well, this one was a mixed bag to say the least.
For starters, none of the characters felt true to form. Malcom had his moments; he isn't a complicated character, but having him act as a love-sick puppy was silly and not like him at all. Also, it's been a while since I've seen the show, but where did Stern get the idea that Malcom doesn't eat meat? That stood out because it was mentioned a few times in the book and I don't think it was ever established. The whole "it's a stupid regulation" thing was an ongoing theme, but it's to protect officers from being accused of favoritism, which happens often in positions of power. So, not stupid at all.
Then there's the technical nitpicks. What Price Honor (WPH - clunky title), takes place during the first season of the show. Phase pistols came out at some point during that time but their settings are stun and kill, not disintegrate. Photon torpedoes didn't make their debut until the third season (the very last episode of season two, technically); until then they had photonic missiles. They were also extremely skeptical about using the transporter on people; here they didn't seem too concerned. The description of the alien ships sounded strangely close to the one seen in the episode Silent Enemy, but they are completely unrelated.
The story isn't bad but a bit too predictable. It combines an interesting concept of ancient technology and a people using it who only have a vague understanding of it. The featured aliens in WPH, the Sarkasians, are never mentioned outside of this story. I bring that up because the aforementioned ancient civilization extends beyond their part of space, so I'm left wondering why Stern didn't go with another, already established culture to expand on the lore, instead of a one-off? Stern's writing style also isn't bad, I just think it would've worked better if it were in chronological order instead of jumping backwards and forwards.
While I liked being back aboard the NX-01, WPH didn't really sate my Trek itch. Enterprise is a far better show than many give it credit for, even myself for a time, it's just a shame property rights of the franchise are in such disarray that we can't get more stories outside of the current shows. Cheers
For starters, none of the characters felt true to form. Malcom had his moments; he isn't a complicated character, but having him act as a love-sick puppy was silly and not like him at all. Also, it's been a while since I've seen the show, but where did Stern get the idea that Malcom doesn't eat meat? That stood out because it was mentioned a few times in the book and I don't think it was ever established. The whole "it's a stupid regulation" thing was an ongoing theme, but it's to protect officers from being accused of favoritism, which happens often in positions of power. So, not stupid at all.
Then there's the technical nitpicks. What Price Honor (WPH - clunky title), takes place during the first season of the show. Phase pistols came out at some point during that time but their settings are stun and kill, not disintegrate. Photon torpedoes didn't make their debut until the third season (the very last episode of season two, technically); until then they had photonic missiles. They were also extremely skeptical about using the transporter on people; here they didn't seem too concerned. The description of the alien ships sounded strangely close to the one seen in the episode Silent Enemy, but they are completely unrelated.
The story isn't bad but a bit too predictable. It combines an interesting concept of ancient technology and a people using it who only have a vague understanding of it. The featured aliens in WPH, the Sarkasians, are never mentioned outside of this story. I bring that up because the aforementioned ancient civilization extends beyond their part of space, so I'm left wondering why Stern didn't go with another, already established culture to expand on the lore, instead of a one-off? Stern's writing style also isn't bad, I just think it would've worked better if it were in chronological order instead of jumping backwards and forwards.
While I liked being back aboard the NX-01, WPH didn't really sate my Trek itch. Enterprise is a far better show than many give it credit for, even myself for a time, it's just a shame property rights of the franchise are in such disarray that we can't get more stories outside of the current shows. Cheers
September 6, 2025
Lt Reed was one of my favourite characters on Enterprise, mainly because he had that little twinkle in his eye when people talked about blowing stuff up. This story is told mainly from his perspective (which should be kind of self-evident by the cover) and puts him in the middle of a mysterious death and two powers at war. The character of Hart is the dead crewmate and I don't think that's a spoiler as we find that out early. What we don't know is how but we do get to know who she is throughout the book and it's here where the book's strength lies. I think you really get a good sense of Hart's and Reed's relationship and so it does become tragic about her death. Anyway, I enjoyed the book but I found the mystery of the outpost not as compelling as the rest but did like how it unfolded. I appreciated the Christopher Nolan-esque time jumps as well which is not your typical approach to these kinds of novels.
June 15, 2019
I followed all the other Star Trek series on television but only saw one or two episodes of Enterprise, so I don't have the characters' pictures and voices in my head. This may explain why I didn't really like this book - it took a while to figure out who everyone was. There were also a lot of flashbacks with scenes that had occurred several days before others but no clear transitions between present and past, so that also made it complicated.
July 21, 2020
I would give it a 3.5 stars, but I guess I will round up to 4. This was an interestingly written book that jumped around the timeline quite a bit. It took a little while to get my feet under me, but once I did, it was an enjoyable read with a lot of good mystery and twists. The biggest failing point of the story was just how quickly it was wrapped up at the end. It was built up for a long time, and then just kinda fizzled out. Still, a clever take on a Star Trek story.
May 31, 2021
En bok där man får veta mer om vem Reed är och hur han tänker.
Boken är stundtals lite långtråkig, då det mesta kretsar kring relationen mellan Hart och Reed, och Reeds sorg och känsla av skuld. Sammantaget är det dock en intensiv läsning och som mycket av Star Trek-litteraturen vill man inte släppa boken.
Boken är stundtals lite långtråkig, då det mesta kretsar kring relationen mellan Hart och Reed, och Reeds sorg och känsla av skuld. Sammantaget är det dock en intensiv läsning och som mycket av Star Trek-litteraturen vill man inte släppa boken.
April 19, 2024
A Little Bumpy in the Delivery
This book centers on Lieutenant Reed, one of the little known members of the crew. The plot bounces back and forth, disturbing at first but gradually making sense. Overall I think the book is worth the time to read and I look forward to seeing more of Mr Stern's work.
This book centers on Lieutenant Reed, one of the little known members of the crew. The plot bounces back and forth, disturbing at first but gradually making sense. Overall I think the book is worth the time to read and I look forward to seeing more of Mr Stern's work.
August 2, 2024
My First Enterprise Novel
I've read many many MANY Trek novels in my life, and this was one of the better ones. It ties into all of Trekdom and gives the reader an intimate look into the mind of Lt Malcom Reed. I need more dammit!! My rule, if I cry at the end, 5 stars. I cried. Like a little Orion b*tch.
I've read many many MANY Trek novels in my life, and this was one of the better ones. It ties into all of Trekdom and gives the reader an intimate look into the mind of Lt Malcom Reed. I need more dammit!! My rule, if I cry at the end, 5 stars. I cried. Like a little Orion b*tch.
September 4, 2020
This was a great story told almost entirely from Reed's perspective. It was awkward at times just like the Malcolm we know and that helped to make it feel more real for me.
I noticed at least two concepts familiar from TV Trek, one from a later ENT episode and one from a DS9 episode.
I noticed at least two concepts familiar from TV Trek, one from a later ENT episode and one from a DS9 episode.
July 3, 2024
This did kind of get me out of a Star Trek reading slump, but the story felt kinda basic in the end. There were flashbacks throughout, but they ended up making sense. And your mileage may vary on how the Reed and Hart relationship is handled.
May 9, 2020
Since Reed’s face is featured on the book’s cover, he is the main star of this story. The story? Not too bad as there is an interesting twist to it.
January 9, 2023
Have to say I loved this one. I feel like we didn’t always get to see many dimensions of Reed on screen, so I’m glad he gets more stand out time in print.
January 28, 2023
This made Reed my favorite character on the show.
May 27, 2024
A fun read. The back and forth between time periods was ok, but too close together and got confusing sometimes.
May 7, 2022
What Price Honor? (Star Trek: Enterprise #4)
by Dave Stern
One thing I love about Star Trek is how often storytellers use unique forms of narrative to tell their story. In this instance, author Dave Stern, who has a more-or-less a standard muder-mystery-with-some-political-intrigue-tossed-in-for-good-measure story to work with, uses a jangled chronology to disorientate both the reader and the characters. Such is the story of What Price Honor?, the second original novel set in the universe of Star Trek: Enterprise.
Initially, this story feels more intimate and immediate than By the Book. The novel starts en media res, with Enterprise’s tactical officer, Malcolm Reed, having just gotten a woman killed under his command. A woman he had been smooching.
Their eyes met, and he saw that she did.
“Should we try it again?” she asked.
“Yes,” Reed said. “Only without the phase pistols.”
He took a step forward. So did she.
And then they were kissing.
—
The immediacy of this cold open hooks the reader effectively. Bam! Here we are. Stern attempts to make a time-jumping plot akin to Pulp Fiction, and mostly succeeds. We know that Lt. Reed eventually kills this woman, but we don’t know why. The scene hangs around in the reader’s mind until the end. Reed, who doesn’t have the best luck with romance on the show, is true to form here: In other words, he is a dope.
When the twist is revealed, the book becomes a standard Star Trek tale. But said twist comes at the right time. Overall, this is pretty taut as far as thrillers go… And Reed is so emotionally clueless that it’s believable he could kill someone under his command, even if there is some alien hyjinx going on behind the scenes. Overall, a decent read. Worth checking out.
by Dave Stern
One thing I love about Star Trek is how often storytellers use unique forms of narrative to tell their story. In this instance, author Dave Stern, who has a more-or-less a standard muder-mystery-with-some-political-intrigue-tossed-in-for-good-measure story to work with, uses a jangled chronology to disorientate both the reader and the characters. Such is the story of What Price Honor?, the second original novel set in the universe of Star Trek: Enterprise.
Initially, this story feels more intimate and immediate than By the Book. The novel starts en media res, with Enterprise’s tactical officer, Malcolm Reed, having just gotten a woman killed under his command. A woman he had been smooching.
Their eyes met, and he saw that she did.
“Should we try it again?” she asked.
“Yes,” Reed said. “Only without the phase pistols.”
He took a step forward. So did she.
And then they were kissing.
—
The immediacy of this cold open hooks the reader effectively. Bam! Here we are. Stern attempts to make a time-jumping plot akin to Pulp Fiction, and mostly succeeds. We know that Lt. Reed eventually kills this woman, but we don’t know why. The scene hangs around in the reader’s mind until the end. Reed, who doesn’t have the best luck with romance on the show, is true to form here: In other words, he is a dope.
When the twist is revealed, the book becomes a standard Star Trek tale. But said twist comes at the right time. Overall, this is pretty taut as far as thrillers go… And Reed is so emotionally clueless that it’s believable he could kill someone under his command, even if there is some alien hyjinx going on behind the scenes. Overall, a decent read. Worth checking out.
November 30, 2011
The story is set around Armoury Officer Malcolm Reed who has recently killed Ensign Alana Hart when he tried to stop her attempts to sabotage the Enterprise. Malcolm is now riddled with guilt over what has happened and is trying to uncover why the Ensign acted in the manner she did. It soon transpires that an ongoing conflict between two civilisations may actually be linked to Ensign Hart's actions which results in the Enterprise and its crew getting dragged deeper and deeper into the conflict.
Fundamentally this novel is a rather conventional 'whodunit' Star Trek storyline and I managed to correctly guess within the first few chapters what had actually happened. It got so obvious at times that I wanted to slap the characters around because they were being that blind to the clues. Perhaps I have just seen too many Star Trek episodes before but it would have been nicer if the mystery had been a bit deeper and less obvious. In addition it really wasn't the easiest of stories to follow at times as a lot of the plot is brought out via various slightly muddled flashbacks. The reader therefore really needs to concentrate to ensure they understand when and what they are reading about.
What I did like is that the novel was focused on Malcolm Reed who was criminally underutilised in the TV series. I was happy to see some expansion of his character, in particular his relationship with Ensign Hart really helped to humanise him more and show that there was more to him that the strict and proper officer he could come across like.
A final comment I want to make is that I got a little bit confused at the beginning of the story as the dates referenced seemed to have put it prior to the actual launch of the Enterprise whilst the narrative states that it was a year into the exploration mission. This was a little bit annoying to see as it is such a basic error, especially considering I managed to find the fictional launch date for the Enterprise myself without any real difficulty. Star Trek fans can be quite particular about various "facts" and I think this type of thing may irritate quite a few of them.
In Summary this wasn't the best Star Trek novel in the world but it also wasn't the worst. I suspect if you are a fan of Malcolm Reed you may enjoy this book but anyone else may just get a little bit frustrated by the rather basic mystery plot.
This and other reviews, along with book related discussions can be found on my blog: Books & Things
Fundamentally this novel is a rather conventional 'whodunit' Star Trek storyline and I managed to correctly guess within the first few chapters what had actually happened. It got so obvious at times that I wanted to slap the characters around because they were being that blind to the clues. Perhaps I have just seen too many Star Trek episodes before but it would have been nicer if the mystery had been a bit deeper and less obvious. In addition it really wasn't the easiest of stories to follow at times as a lot of the plot is brought out via various slightly muddled flashbacks. The reader therefore really needs to concentrate to ensure they understand when and what they are reading about.
What I did like is that the novel was focused on Malcolm Reed who was criminally underutilised in the TV series. I was happy to see some expansion of his character, in particular his relationship with Ensign Hart really helped to humanise him more and show that there was more to him that the strict and proper officer he could come across like.
A final comment I want to make is that I got a little bit confused at the beginning of the story as the dates referenced seemed to have put it prior to the actual launch of the Enterprise whilst the narrative states that it was a year into the exploration mission. This was a little bit annoying to see as it is such a basic error, especially considering I managed to find the fictional launch date for the Enterprise myself without any real difficulty. Star Trek fans can be quite particular about various "facts" and I think this type of thing may irritate quite a few of them.
In Summary this wasn't the best Star Trek novel in the world but it also wasn't the worst. I suspect if you are a fan of Malcolm Reed you may enjoy this book but anyone else may just get a little bit frustrated by the rather basic mystery plot.
This and other reviews, along with book related discussions can be found on my blog: Books & Things
July 21, 2013
As the cover would indicate, "What Price Honor" centers around Enterprise's armory officer Malcolm Reed. The book is a fairly standard Star Trek mystery novel. The book centers around the death of Ensign Hart and the unusual circumstances surrounding it while a first contact is going on. The book bounces back and forth between the first contact and the relationship between Hart and Reed prior to her death. The narrative shifting in time eventually stops as the book reaches its climax.
To its credit, "What Price Honor" is a very easy book to read with an interesting mystery story carrying it. However, the jumping in time can make the book a bit hard to follow if the reader isn't paying attention. Aside from this, it is pretty generic, even for Star Trek. For instance, the first contact situation follows the path of "What would happen if aliens gave us technology before our society was developed enough to understand the risks?" narrative that all of the television iterations of the franchise covered at one point. "What Price Honor" isn't in any continuous Star Trek book series and is completely standalone so reading it isn't really necessary. In fact, it isn't really remarkable at all, nor is it bad either.
To its credit, "What Price Honor" is a very easy book to read with an interesting mystery story carrying it. However, the jumping in time can make the book a bit hard to follow if the reader isn't paying attention. Aside from this, it is pretty generic, even for Star Trek. For instance, the first contact situation follows the path of "What would happen if aliens gave us technology before our society was developed enough to understand the risks?" narrative that all of the television iterations of the franchise covered at one point. "What Price Honor" isn't in any continuous Star Trek book series and is completely standalone so reading it isn't really necessary. In fact, it isn't really remarkable at all, nor is it bad either.
July 30, 2014
What Price Honor is a decent attempt at exploring the lives of the NX-01 Enterprise crew, most notably that of Weapons Officer Lieutenant Reed as the crew scrambles to solve the mysterious death of one of their crewmen while trying to prevent an interstellar war. Fairly standard mission for Starfleet. Where the novel falls apart is in Stern's disastrous use of the Trek timeline. The bulk of the novel takes place in January of 2151, a year into Enterprise's voyage ... which didn't begin until April 2151. A later passage seems to place the novel in 2152, although it's only one mention of the year and the rest of the book seems to discount this placement. After all Stern starts every chapter with a date and time stamp, so it's a wonder this little anomaly made it through the editing process.
However, if you look past the abject avoidance of the established Trek timeline (which is difficult to say the least since Enterprise was one of the few series that veered away from Stardates, utilizing a more standard calendar, so this makes Stern's mistake even MORE absurd), it is a pretty standard Star Trek adventure, with a crew that perhaps didn't get enough screen time as they deserved.
However, if you look past the abject avoidance of the established Trek timeline (which is difficult to say the least since Enterprise was one of the few series that veered away from Stardates, utilizing a more standard calendar, so this makes Stern's mistake even MORE absurd), it is a pretty standard Star Trek adventure, with a crew that perhaps didn't get enough screen time as they deserved.
July 17, 2015
I picked this up in a charity shop, and I'll admit that I almost didn't buy it. I adore Enterprise, but Reed was never a character who particularly interested me, and judging by the creases on the spine of the book it seemed the previous owner had only gotten about halfway before giving up.
But I bought it and read it anyway, and I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised. The story was slow to get started, but this was necessary to get a real feel for the characters. The plot was also surprisingly complex, with the details revealed at a pace that didn't overwhelm and confuse the reader. All the carefully developed strands came together into a coherent, satisfying ending, and although there were a few frustrating continuity errors it was nothing I wouldn't expect from a novel based on a show with one season at the time of publication. Overall, I believe that any and all Enterprise fans should read this great book.
But I bought it and read it anyway, and I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised. The story was slow to get started, but this was necessary to get a real feel for the characters. The plot was also surprisingly complex, with the details revealed at a pace that didn't overwhelm and confuse the reader. All the carefully developed strands came together into a coherent, satisfying ending, and although there were a few frustrating continuity errors it was nothing I wouldn't expect from a novel based on a show with one season at the time of publication. Overall, I believe that any and all Enterprise fans should read this great book.
November 20, 2013
Book four of the ongoing series.
This series is pre Captain Kirk, in a time when humans have just taken to the stars.
These books tend to focus on one crew member per book. their way of introducing and advancing the character as well as taking us through the missions of the Enterprise.
I use these books as a change of pace read from the genres that I normally read. This one like the other three I have read are ok books. They are nothing special to me. There are a couple of captivating characters and their stories are told very well. I just find I do not relate to these characters as well as the other Star Trek characters I grew up with.
It is not a bad book, I think I just have lost interest in the characters. I think for my next change of pace I will go back to the characters of the later generations.
This series is pre Captain Kirk, in a time when humans have just taken to the stars.
These books tend to focus on one crew member per book. their way of introducing and advancing the character as well as taking us through the missions of the Enterprise.
I use these books as a change of pace read from the genres that I normally read. This one like the other three I have read are ok books. They are nothing special to me. There are a couple of captivating characters and their stories are told very well. I just find I do not relate to these characters as well as the other Star Trek characters I grew up with.
It is not a bad book, I think I just have lost interest in the characters. I think for my next change of pace I will go back to the characters of the later generations.
July 19, 2009
Yet another of those dessert-ish types of books. I read it in a day and a half, I think. The thing I like about the ST books is that you get to see the characters as other people (the authors) may interpret them.
I had a tough time at the story's climax trying to keep track of which soul went into which alien/human body. I didn't care that much for the story line, but it was a fun and simple read regardless. I saw Malcolm in a different light which was interesting.
I had a tough time at the story's climax trying to keep track of which soul went into which alien/human body. I didn't care that much for the story line, but it was a fun and simple read regardless. I saw Malcolm in a different light which was interesting.
October 26, 2023
I found it difficult following the storyline switching back and forth between the "past" and the "present". It wasn't only until the last few chapters that it started to be easier. I also have difficulty when these circumstances are filmed in a television or movie production, but it seems more difficult when I'm reading it. In the future I will be less likely to read something that has a lot of flipping back and forth like that.
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