The Poisoned Chalice

Star Trek: Typhon Pact #12 (The Fall)

by James Swallow

One simple act, and the troubles of the United Federation of Planets have grown darker overnight. The mystery behind the heinous terrorist attack that has rocked the Federation to its core grows ever deeper, and William Riker finds himself beset by rumors and half-truths as the U.S.S. Titan is ordered back to Earth on emergency orders from the admiralty. Soon, Riker finds himself drawn into a game of political intrigue, bearing witness to members of Starfleet being detained—including people he considered friends—pending an investigation at the highest levels. And while Riker tries to navigate the corridors of power, Titan’s tactical officer, Tuvok, is given a series of clandestine orders that lead him into a gray world of secrets, lies, and deniable operations. Who can be trusted when the law falls silent and justice becomes a quest for revenge? For the crew of the U.S.S. Titan, the search for answers will become a battle for every ideal the Federation stands for. . . .

™, ®, & © 2013 CBS Studios, Inc. STAR TREK and related marks are trademarks of CBS Studios, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Genres: Star Trek, Science Fiction, Fiction, Ebooks, Star Trek Deep Space Nine, Science Fiction Fantasy, Media Tie In

385 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 1, 2013

About the author

James Swallow is a New York Times, Sunday Times and Amazon #1 bestselling author and scriptwriter, a BAFTA nominee, a former journalist and the award-winning writer of over sixty-five books, along with scripts for video games, comics, radio and television.

DARK HORIZON, his latest stand-alone thriller, is out now from Mountain Leopard Press, and OUTLAW, the 6th action-packed Marc Dane novel, is published by Bonnier.

Along with the Marc Dane thrillers, his writing includes, the Sundowners steampunk Westerns and fiction from the worlds of Star Trek, Tom Clancy, 24, Warhammer 40000, Doctor Who, Deus Ex, Stargate, 2000AD and many more.

For information on new releases & more, sign up to the Readers’ Club here: www.bit.ly/JamesSwallow

Visit James's website at http://www.jswallow.com/ for more, including ROUGH AIR, a free eBook novella in the Marc Dane series.

You can also follow James on Bluesky at @jmswallow.bsky.social, Twitter at @jmswallow, Mastodon at @jmswallow@mstdn.social and jmswallow.tumblr.com at Tumblr.

Reviews

[Alejandro · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the fourth novel in the book event of Star Trek known as The Fall where characters of the spin-offs of The Next Generation and Deep Space Nine are the pivotal players of the story. Even in this book, you can say that Voyager is represented since Tuvok appears that now he is a crewmember of the USS Titan. As I commented in previous books of this event, the story is 10 years later of the finale of DS9 TV series and 6 years later of Star Trek: Nemesis theatrical film.

The event had an ambivalent starting on the first book, Revelation and Dust (see review HERE ), but it got better in the solid second book, The Crimson Shadow (see review HERE ), and definitely the event showed its teeth with the impressive third book, A Ceremony of Losses (see review HERE ). So my expectations with this fourth book were high and I'm truly glad that James Swallow, the author, did a great job at it.

...just for once I'd like to see some space where no one has gone before. Our routes are pretty well traveled.

James Swallow developed a page-turner story where political games are blended with space action. Star Trek: The Fall is effectively showing how well this iconic science-fiction drama can be as complex and engaging as other space operas in literature, well known in this genre. Not only keeping its identity of visionary science-fiction and dealing with civil rights but also adding a bigger scope where the story isn't enclosed to the confines of only one ship or only the major casting characters.

Sometimes the enemy hides in plain sight...

The Poisoned Chalice used greatly already established characters and vessels but also introduces to new ones in both areas. And it's happening so much at the same time that you get easily like four separate sub-plots (if not more) taking the reader to trips to different places in space. Each sub-plot is as good as the others and all of them are strongly linked to the main story of the book event. While you feel each previous book as an isolated adventure, in here, you will see how the arriving characters to the event are starting to deal with the outcomes of each previous novel.

Can it be considered a mutinous act to disobey unlawful orders?

While not needed to understand the story, I appreciated a lot, that the author inserted references tied to TV episodes and theatrical films of the franchise, that certainly "boost" the reading experience for Trekkers like me.

We're supposed to be explorers not soldiers. If we lose sight of that...

The story put to the test to its main characters: William Riker, Deanna Troi, Tuvok, Nog, Christine Vale (a character introduced in the "Relaunch" time of the novels) and a surprise character that I won't spoil telling who is. The novel helps them to evolve and became even stronger characters to the franchise. And certainly, they will never be the same anymore.

If we look out to the stars and we see only darkness and dread, then we've lost something we will never get back. That fear will spread like poison.

[Sud666 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read a few of the Star Trek "The Fall" books. For the most part, they have been good. It is a decidedly darker ST universe than the usual.

The Federation President has been assassinated. As the Federation struggles with the fallout, an interm President starts the hunt for the killers. Capt. Riker is brought to Starfleet and promoted to Admiral. At the same time a clandestine unit known as Active Four will recruit Nog, Tukov and Tom Riker on a covert mission to apprehend the terrorists.

But all is not as it seems as there are various powers jockeying for position. From the Typhon Pact, to the Andorians seeking to rejoin Starfleet-to Dr. Bashir who still languishes in custody for helping the Andorians with their crisis.

As you can see there is a lot to deal with in this book. It is a good overview of how the Federation is far from the shining beacon of morality it tends to portray itself as. I appreciated the various power players attempting to take advantage of the situation, it makes for a very interesting story. It is made more so, by seeing the characters we are so used too dealing with more realistic moral conflicts.

This novel was quite interesting and I think most Star Trek fans will like it. I would suggest reading them in some semblance of order, so that you understand the full gist of the Andorian issue with Dr. Bashir.

[Crystal Bensley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Probably my least favourite Fall book but still an excellent story!

[Dan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely stellar. I thought that I had already figured out what the best Star Trek novel of 2013 would be. Now, I'm not so sure. James Swallow has advanced the story of The Fall in an extremely compelling way. I found myself staying awake into the wee hours saying "just one more chapter" over and over again. Well done. Dayton Ward certainly has his work cut out for him in the conclusion! I can't wait to see how this all turns out. 5 out of 5, would read again!

Full review: http://treklit.blogspot.com/2013/11/f...

[Aron · Rating 5 out of 5]

OUTSTANDING! This book had it all,...action/adventure, political intrigue, some interesting character development & the author was spot on in the character accuracy department. Also the author did a great job of bringing the previous Fall novels together & advancing story. I really loved this book & I'm definitely going to have to check out James Swallow's previous entry's into the ST universe, & I am looking forward to more. This is one of my favorite ST novels of all & I highly recommend it!

[Aaron · Rating 5 out of 5]

Words can't describe how great I thought this book was. The books in the fall series keep getting better and better and thus one was no exception. The politics, actions, and in depth of the characters and storyline of this entry of The Fall series is a great addition! Looking forward to the conclusion!

[Jonathan Koan · Rating 5 out of 5]

My book review is up on Roqoo Depot. This book is an amazing political story and continues the wonderful intrigue of "The Fall". 4.5 out of 5. I cannot wait to read the final book.

https://roqoodepot.wordpress.com/2021...

[Oz Trekkie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series ages alike a fine wine.

[Christopher · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Poisoned Chalice sees Riker, Vale, Bashir and the rest of the gang being dragged further into positions where no matter how loyal they are to the Federation they can smell something is up with it! :D The Poisoned Chalice right from the beginning put our characters through the grinder mix! :D

Tuvok, Nog, Tom Riker and a band of others are assigned to bring in the assassins but from the start something doesn't feel right to them! :D The plot cleverly has Tuvok, Nog and the other members of the team having to deal with the implications of what they are doing! :D Their eventual 'mutiny' is brilliantly staged in a way that is truly edge of the seat! :D

At the same time Riker Riker and Troi are on Earth! :D Riker is busily trying to make headway on the conspiracy that he knows is out there, this is staged cleverly as he has to move carefully! :D With the aid of of Admiral Akaar you can almost see the lines they are having to tread oh so carefully! :D This really ramps up the tension which oozes out! :D At the same time Troi and Tasha are making inroads with the Andorians who are getting short shrift from Ishan Anjar administration! :D This is handled cleverly as the Andorians are clearly seeing enemies at every step! :D Troi's approach to Ramasanar ch'Nuillen is cleverly done! :D Assuring them they are not on their own! :D This has clever comeback as well as it ties in later to other plots! :D At the same time Christine Vale has been conveniently given command of the USS Lionheart by the Riker and is busily making use of it to track down Dax and Bashir and get the scoop out of the them about what happened over Andoria! :D Vale's first officer Atia is hilarious and and is really put the through the wringer by Vales orders! :D The Medical officer of the ship Doctor Rssua is essentially a tree which is another different species not yet seen! :D This is neatly handled and you will find your ribs hurting with the sheer shock of Commander Chessman as Vale makes her offer to Julian, then to have the Andorians promptly turn up! D Chessman reaction to Vale and yanking his chain are hilarious! :D This adds to the tone of the humour the book has in the face of what the characters go through! :D

As ever the baddies are scheming away all the time! :D The move counter move of Velk, slimy person, and Ishan Anjar, schemer extraordinaire, are brilliantly handled! :D How our characters start to deal with them forms a part of the book! :D In addition to this as well as numerous other points, we get to see how the gang like Tuvok, Riker, Nog etc come up with truly unique solutions to the issues they are encountering! :D

The Poisoned Chalice fire at all time on all cylinders! :D It is full of action and politics, characters that are put through extremes, gripping adventure and nefarious going on that can only be changed by what the gang is doing! :D The various plots twists and shifts in ways that you will not expect! :D The Poisoned Chalice fling out plot solutions and new plot points left right and centre , at the same time is full of characters in all departments :D Still at same time setting things up perfectly for continuing and new plotlines! :D The Poisoned Chalice answers mysteries but sets thing up in ways that you will never guess for future plots! :D Brilliant Plots Twists, Set-Ups, Adventure and Action! :D Crisp High Five! :D Review to come! :D

[Abhinav · Rating 5 out of 5]

You can read the full review over at my blog:

http://sonsofcorax.wordpress.com/2014...

Star Trek: The Fall has proven to be a most enjoyable event series from all that I’ve read. My interest was piqued because of the cover to Una McCormack’s Crimson Shadow, and diving into the four-part series with David R. George III’s Revelation and Dust proved to be a good place to get back into the status quo of Star Trek tie-in novel fiction. The nature of these books, taking a look at several major characters and crew and locations of this wonderful universe has been the major attraction for sure, and I really applaud the creators and the publisher for going this route.

The Poisoned Chalice is meant to be the cap-stone to this wonderful series, and it does fulfill that promise. James Swallow has been one of my favourite writers for a number of years, ever since 2006 when I started reading his Warhammer 40,000 novels. He has never really disappointed after an initial hurdle and his output in recent years has been top-notch. The Poisoned Chalice clearly is among his best works to date and it brings this series to a close in a spectacular fashion, with all that’s best about the Star Trek universe and none of the drawbacks.

The last two novels in the series, Una’s Crimson Shadow and David Mack’s A Ceremony of Losses were extremely fast-paced and enjoyable reads and The Poisoned Chalice is the same. There are lots of different viewpoints to this novel, more than the ones before except for Revelation and Dust I’d dare say, but Jim navigates all of them really well.

Taking place after the events of the previous novel in which Doctor Julian Bashir of DS9 finally solved the Andorian Fertility Crisis, though not without a lot of help, we see that the consequences have hit him and his direct conspirators really hard. He is now held at a blacksite Federation prison facility and his friend, former lover and now a Captain of her own ship, Ezri Dax, is also in the stockade for helping him. Julian did the morally right thing for the right reasons but he broke several Federation and Starfleet laws and now much of the action in The Poisoned Chalice is about fully exposing what he did and breaking him out.

The thing is that the effects of Federation President Nanietta Bacco’s murder in Revelation and Dust are still being felt. It has only been a few weeks since the tragedy but a lot has happened in the meantime, not the least of which is that the Federation is slowly being split apart between the President pro tem Ishan Anjar’s followers and those in Starfleet who are determined to get at the bottom of events. We’ve seen some of the truth about Bacco’s killers emerge, but the truth is being deliberately obfuscated to serve a higher agenda that seeks to subvert the pro-peace policies of the Federation to something much more aggressive and militaristic.

And given the task of navigating this ever-complexifying web is the crew of the USS Titan, one of Starfleet’s best and latest vessels, commanded by none other than USS Enterprise veteran William Riker. I’ll admit that after seeing the Enterprise crew as led by Jean-Luc Picard in The Crimson Shadow I was in a really good place where I loved seeing old faces like Picard, Doctor Beverly Crusher and Worf. With the Titan, I got to see Voyager veteran Tuvok, Enterprise veterans Will and Deanna, and DS9 veteran Nog. Sure, Nog isn’t a member of the Titan‘s crew, but he does form an important part of the overall narrative along with Tuvok and Will’s “brother” Thomas Riker as they get sent on a clandestine black ops mission to hunt down Bacco’s killers and bring them to the Federation for justice.

Of course, as it always happens with such cases, nothing is as it seems, and it is quite surprising that when we know Bacco’s killers were part of the Cardassian terrorist group True Way, then why the blame is being laid at the feet of the powerful and manipulative Tzenkethi, who are one of the members of the Typhon Pact, a political power that is antagonistic towards the Federation. There are no easy answers in Star Trek, there never have been, and part of Jim’s writing is evidence of how true that is. All the leading characters get drawn in a mystery that makes little sense and which often sends them on a wild-goose chase, and part of the fun of the novel is watching it all unfold. All the twists and turns in this novel mean that Jim really throws the reader for a loop (in a good way) and then shows how it all does make sense in the end, when all is revealed, and you are left wondering at the brilliance of it all.

[Paul Lunger · Rating 5 out of 5]

The 4th book in the "Star Trek: The Fall" series, James Swallow's "The Poisoned Chalice" continues the stunning events in this series & this time does so via the crew of the Titan. In this installment, the Titan is recalled back to Earth where Riker is summarily promoted to admiral as he learns that all is not what it seems within the halls of Starfleet Command & with the assassination of President Bacco. In this capacity we learn a bit more about the concerns that Admiral Akaar has been having as Riker's digging leads to more & more questions. Tuvok is mysteriously summoned away to become part of a covert group of operatives known as Active Four whose goal is to catch those responsible for the assassination. This group does include a couple of familiar faces in Nog who has been summoned away from DS9 & the return of Tom Riker who has been MIA for a while. Their orders get complicated when it's learned that the Tzenkethi are not in fact responsible for the assassination, but rather the Cardassian group known as the True Way (something alluded to in "The Crimson Shadow"). A third plot line involves Christine Vale who is transferred to command of the USS Lionheart in order to investigate not only why Dax was arrested, but to also seek out Julian Bashir to hear his side of the story.

With the multiple plots & the puzzle pieces slowly falling into place, Swallow continues this series in a way that shows just how far one man would go to cover up a crime & how corrupt the office of the President of the Federation currently is. Each plot moves seamlessly across each other & the characters themselves continue to shine. The re-introduction of White Blue is a nice touch as is the return of Tom Riker whose role in the Tuvok storyline is commendable. Even the re-integration of the plots at the end works in a way that it only could work. What makes this series work is to see these characters that we've known for years start to question the ideals that they hold true & stand up for what they believe in. 4/5 of the way through this series & a lot has changed again in the Star Trek universe through what has been written & this reader eagerly awaits Dayton Ward's finale next month to see where exactly this ends up.

[Cameron James · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the fourth entry in the five-book series, The Fall. It was a damn good read, even if it didn’t quite measure up to the three novels prior. That slight shortfall, I believe, has more to do with my Star Trek preferences more than the actual quality of the book. Though this is titled as part of The Fall, it is essentially a Titan book, and I sometimes struggle with the Titan novels due to the tone and feel of them. However, Swallow did an excellent job — this truly and deeply felt like a Titan novel. (And the variation of styles throughout The Fall series is refreshing, and allows me to read each book sequentially. Sometimes I can’t read an author or series for more than two books in a row — but I’ve had no problem with The Fall.)

By now, readers should be aware of the main plot threads that have been resolved and are continuing, but if you are new, beware of SPOILERS AHEAD! President Bacco is dead and the evidence is shaky and misleading as to who did it. In the previous entry, A Ceremony of Losses, Dr. Bashir solved the Andorian reproductive crisis at huge personal risk, having been arrested and confined in a high security cell in some remote asteroid.

This book, The Poisoned Chalice, is finally where the disparate threads of the last three books are suddenly pulled together and we see how these plots tie together.

Read the rest of my review on my blog:
http://camerondjames.wordpress.com/20...

[Sean Randall · Rating 4 out of 5]

As with all the rest of the series I hadn't followed the characters through. I think I was aware that Riker had the Titan, but apart from that hadn't really met any of the crew, with the exception of Pazlar and of course Tuvok. Still, I enjoyed the progression of what has woven together to be an interesting series, and will look forward to see how it all comes together.

[Patrick Carlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I finished this book in one evening, it is THAT good! I could NOT put it down! Always keeping you guessing as to what the heck is going on, why it's going on and what's going to happen next. I highly recommend it to my fellow Trekkies!

[Stephen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Without warning or reason, the starship Titan – specialized for deep space exploration – has been recalled and ordered to patrol…Earth. Captain Riker has been promoted to admiral and shoved in an office, while several members of his command crew have disappeared on secret missions that not even the Fleet Admiral knows about. Who’s giving orders around here? It’s a troubled time in the Federation, with one head of state assassinated only weeks before, and the president pro temp acting in ways that make Chancellor Gowron look compassionate and conscientious. More mystery and more stress are not what the Federation needs….but they do make for another great novel in The Fall series.

Schemes are the name of the game here, as everyone is Up to Something. The fleet admiral suspects the president is up to something, Riker suspects the fleet admiral is up to something, and the crews of two starships suspect Riker is up to something. Commanders Tuvok and Nog know they’re both being put up to something, because they and a few other officers have been ordered to the middle of nowhere to meet a group of mercenaries who are obviously up to no good. But what is going on? All these secret goings-on are the ripples around the schemer in chief, President Pro Tempore Ishan Anjar. Anjar was chosen not for manifest competence, but to assure Bajor – in the light of the Federation’s growing ties with Cardassia – that Bajor’s history was not forgotten, and its place is secure. Throughout this series he’s proven himself to be petty, mean, obnoxious, and other sundry adjectives, prolonging crises for political gain. That is coming to a head, however, and things are unraveling.

The Poison Chalice brims over with intrigue and terse conversations, with a healthy bit of action and a little comedy as well. I was spellbound, still enjoying the drama of Starfleet officers wrestling with questions of conscience and duty, and can’t wait to see how this ends. I hope it involves Anjar getting a right sound lecture from Picard.

[Graff Fuller · Rating 4 out of 5]

Star Trek: Post-Nemesis era: The Fall 04 The Poisoned Chalice by James Swallow

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense

Medium-paced

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

4.25 Stars

As I have been noticing from The Fall series within the Post-Nemesis era Star Trek novels...a peak into our own timeline...like all classic Star Trek stories. They are instructive to what we are going through in our current time (for me, March of 2025), and I see the same problems with a leader that has taken TOO much power unto himself.

In the story, and our heroes...they do what is right, versus what is easy. They stand up to the bullies in the room, and sacrifice themselves for the greater whole.

Julian Bahir, Admiral Riker, Vail...and so many more of the characters...stand up against illegal deportations, holding "political enemies" in black box sights...forever, if they were able to achieve this.

People on the BAD side, allowing minions to fall on the sword, to save the corrupt politicians. 

Doesn't this sound familiar? It does to me...especially after the latest security breach that has happened on the Signal app (with is NOT a secure software...where any Classified operation should EVER be discussed). Someone will take the fall, if they ever investigate this Eff-up. 

Really enjoyed seeing how this story pushed the ball down the field. Next up is...Peaceable Kingdoms by Dayton Ward...to finish The Fall series. 

[Claire · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one was good but felt too much like a filler plot between the big Bashir escape and the hopefully big finale with the Enterprise. There were some good character moments, particularly with Nog and Tuvok who were both written very well. Vale was slightly better with more to do than normal, but still as generally unlikeable as usual.

I don't understand (and it became very distracting) why the author was switching between "Andor" and "Andoria" all through the book; as far as I can remember, it's been strictly referred to as Andor throughout the relaunch. The villains were a bit too quick to monologue, but it was nice to see Tom Riker return in the good side (and not die! Yet... no one is safe in the TrekLit verse). As with all the other Titan books, there's a lot of action but something lacking in the overall emotional payoff and pacing. Aside from the ones we know from the TV shows, they're mostly still a one dimensional or unlikeable bunch, which is very disappointing.

Anyway, I'm looking forward to seeing them team up with Picard and co in the next one, hopefully to finally avenge poor Nan Bacco.

[Peter Rydén · Rating 4 out of 5]

Trots ett dåligt slut var boken en nagelbitare! Den började riktigt bra och fortsatte ännu bättre. Slutet var dock i ett något sämre skick (lite förutsägbart och även lite av den lätt tråkiga "tillbaka till ruta ett"-situationen), vilket tyvärr också blev det som sänkte bokens betyg. Bra karaktärsbeskrivningar även om just denna bok mer hade fokus på att driva storyn vidare. Jag gillar storydrivande böcker, så boken var således en njutning att läsa fram till de sista ca 20 sidorna.

Tillägg: Jag läste e-boksvarianten som på i varje fall Google Play Books hade schyssta detaljer i form av kartor och beskrivningar över olika ställen på Jorden. Hade e-boken dessutom haft stjärnkartor hade det varit ett nördigt plus!

[Jess · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are two types of these Star Trek novel epics. The ones where each one can more or less stand on their own but CAN be read together for a much bigger and usually more enjoyable experience (Invasion, Captain's Table, Section 31, and a lesser extent Typhon Pact) and those where you really do HAVE to read all the books (in order no less) to really know what the hell is going on. (Double Helix, Gateways, Destiny.) Of the latter, Destiny is the worst offender of these as while it was generally VERY good, it still felt like it wasn't 3 300-400 page books but rather one 1,200 page book broken up into three sizeable chunks so the writer would get enough money to live off for the year or so they must have spent writing it.
Now, I'm still ONE book away from the ending of The Fall but I'd have to say it somehow lands in the middle. Yes, you can probably just read one or two of these and get a completeish story. However, there is clearly something bigger going on. And unlike Typhon Pact you actually care and like Typhon Pact the order in which you read them MATTERS.
Still, my problem with this one is that feels almost like the opposite of Destiny. There is an A, B, C and D plot in this book and while they are connected, they don't really feel that way until the last three chapters of the book. It isn't the strongest book of the fall... but it isn't the weakest. I took off a star for a few times in just the worst possible places.

[Christopher Lutz · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Fall continues as Riker and the crew of the Starship Titan investigate the truth behind the death of the Federation President. I can't say I'm very familiar with the Titan and it's crew, but this novel was a great introduction. Riker was well written, and in particular I enjoyed the character of Christina Vale, his first officer. Cut from the same cloth as Riker for sure. Their adventures were definitely enjoyable, but not quite as good as the second novel which is still my favorite.

As the fourth of five stories in this series, The Poisoned Chalice built up nicely to a tipping point that the final book gets to explore. Looking forward to a satisfying conclusion.

[Scott Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

James Swallow does some interesting things here. For one, his plot contrived to put together some interesting combinations of characters that we haven’t seen before. My favourite is Tuvok and Nog. Now I want a whole series of “buddy cop” books featuring this unlikely duo.

I also like what’s happening with Bashir in this book. The direction he was taken in over the last several books didn’t feel quite right to me but I feel like he might be back on the correct path at the end of this story.

For fans of Riker and the USS Titan, this book has some exciting things in store for you. Enjoy!

[Stephen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Things took a while to build up in this book, but is it worth the wait? Depends on whether you have the patience to bounce from one plot to another (no pun intended). The problem with this is that the author left little room for a satisfactory resolution to the situation the book started with, so you'll have to read the next installment to find out more.

[Joe · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the previous book in the series so much that this one felt like a letdown for me at first, until Bashir made his appearance. Then it got interesting reading about his imprisonment and escape.

[Soren · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was average. There were some very interesting plot points but at the same time the author wrote too extreme in my opinion and nothing really got solved in this novel. Tuvok and Nog inclusion felt more like a name drop than an important addition.

[Rick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great continuing story

This book is a great continuation of this story, well written, keeps you on edge not knowing what is coming next can’t wait to dive into book six, I hope ther3 is a Book six?

[Lee · Rating 2 out of 5]

It wasn't bad, but it definitely left me cold.

Political machinations based on events in another book I don't think I've read didn't interest me. In 2021, Political machinations to suborn the Federation really do not interest me.

[Colton Brydges · Rating 5 out of 5]

The events of The Fall series really heat up in this one, setting up for an exciting conclusion in the final book. There are a lot of story threads to follow here and a huge cast of characters. All that makes for a fast paced story with a ton of intrigue.

[Shahbaz Khan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sad this is the end of this time line of books because of the new awful picard show s1+2.they killed all books post
Star Trek: Nemesis 2002. booo! boooo! picard.
check list of all books at https://www.shastrix.com/books/star-t...

[April · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book felt like a political espionage book and thriller! What fun!

[Mrsculpepper · Rating 4 out of 5]

an aweful lot going on in this one. also 2 rikers!