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Star Trek: Enterprise #12
Kobayashi Maru
To protect the cargo ships essential to the continuing existence of the fledgling Coalition of Planets, the captains of the United Earth's Starfleet are ordered to interstellar picket duty, with little more to do than ask "Who goes there?" into the darkness of space. Captain Jonathan Archer of the Enterprise™ seethes with frustration, wondering if anyone else can see what he sees. A secret, closed, militaristic society, convinced that their survival hangs by a thread, who view their neighbors as a threat to their very existence -- the Spartans of ancient Greece, the Russians of the old Soviet Union, the Koreans under Kim Il-sung -- with only one attain ultimate power, no matter the cost. The little-known, never-seen Romulans seem to live by these same principles. The captain realizes that the bond between the signers of the Coalition charter is fragile and likely to snap if pushed. But he knows that the Romulans are hostile, and he believes they are the force behind the cargo ship attacks. If asked, Archer can offer no proof without endangering his friend's life. To whom does he owe his his friend, his world, the Coalition? And by choosing one, does he not risk losing all of them? What is the solution to a no-win scenario?
480 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 1, 2008
104 people are currently reading
609 people want to read
About the author
Michael A. Martin
92 books54 followersMichael A. Martin's solo short fiction has appeared in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction. He has also coauthored (with Andy Mangels) several Star Trek comics for Marvel and Wildstorm and numerous Star Trek novels and eBooks, including the USA Today bestseller Titan: Book One: Taking Wing; Titan: Book Two: The Red King; the Sy Fy Genre Award-winning Star Trek: Worlds of Deep Space 9 Book Two: Trill -- Unjoined; Star Trek: The Lost Era 2298 -- The Sundered; Star Trek: Deep Space 9 Mission: Gamma: Vol. Three: Cathedral; Star Trek: The Next Generation: Section 31 -- Rogue; Star Trek: Starfleet Corps of Engineers #30 and #31 ("Ishtar Rising" Books 1 and 2); stories in the Prophecy and Change, Tales of the Dominion War, and Tales from the Captain's Table anthologies; and three novels based on the Roswell television series. His most recent novels include Enterprise: The Romulan War and Star Trek Online: The Needs of the Many.
His work has also been published by Atlas Editions (in their Star Trek Universe subscription card series), Star Trek Monthly, Dreamwatch, Grolier Books, Visible Ink Press, The Oregonian, and Gareth Stevens, Inc., for whom he has penned several World Almanac Library of the States nonfiction books for young readers. He lives with his wife, Jenny, and their two sons in Portland, Oregon.
His work has also been published by Atlas Editions (in their Star Trek Universe subscription card series), Star Trek Monthly, Dreamwatch, Grolier Books, Visible Ink Press, The Oregonian, and Gareth Stevens, Inc., for whom he has penned several World Almanac Library of the States nonfiction books for young readers. He lives with his wife, Jenny, and their two sons in Portland, Oregon.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 85 reviews
September 30, 2018
Review can also be found at Dana and the Books.
We've only seen the exercise twice on screen: first, at the beginning of The Wrath of Khan when Saavik takes the test. And second, in the 2009 Star Trek reboot when Chris Pine's Kirk rigs the scenario to beat it. Though we've seen both Saavik and Kirk go through the test, we've never actually seen how the no-win Starfleet training scenario came to be.
The previous Enterprise book, The Good That Men Do, retconned Trip's death at the ending of These are the Voyages. He's now working undercover for Section 31 to gather intel on the Romulans. Technically you should read that book before jumping into Kobayashi Maru, but it's not necessary--I haven't read it yet and I was able to follow along with minimal confusion.
As far as Star Trek books go, this one was pretty long at 475 pages. And it felt long. The first half was pretty slow to build up, dragging in a few too many places. I put it down a few times and moved on to--and completed--other books. But once I reached the second half, the tension finally showed itself. It took me several weeks to get through the first half and only a matter of hours to power through the second half.
Overall, it's a tense lead up to the Romulan War, and an insightful look into what could have been season five of Enterprise before it got abruptly cancelled.
I'm making my way through the first Romulan War book now so stay tuned for my review on Beneath The Raptor's Wings.
This Kobayashi Maru book is not to be confused with The Original Series novel The Kobayashi Maru by Julia Ecklar (though that book was also a great look into the TOS crew's past).
Book Links: Book Depository | Amazon US | Amazon Canada | Amazon UK
We've only seen the exercise twice on screen: first, at the beginning of The Wrath of Khan when Saavik takes the test. And second, in the 2009 Star Trek reboot when Chris Pine's Kirk rigs the scenario to beat it. Though we've seen both Saavik and Kirk go through the test, we've never actually seen how the no-win Starfleet training scenario came to be.
The previous Enterprise book, The Good That Men Do, retconned Trip's death at the ending of These are the Voyages. He's now working undercover for Section 31 to gather intel on the Romulans. Technically you should read that book before jumping into Kobayashi Maru, but it's not necessary--I haven't read it yet and I was able to follow along with minimal confusion.
As far as Star Trek books go, this one was pretty long at 475 pages. And it felt long. The first half was pretty slow to build up, dragging in a few too many places. I put it down a few times and moved on to--and completed--other books. But once I reached the second half, the tension finally showed itself. It took me several weeks to get through the first half and only a matter of hours to power through the second half.
Overall, it's a tense lead up to the Romulan War, and an insightful look into what could have been season five of Enterprise before it got abruptly cancelled.
I'm making my way through the first Romulan War book now so stay tuned for my review on Beneath The Raptor's Wings.
This Kobayashi Maru book is not to be confused with The Original Series novel The Kobayashi Maru by Julia Ecklar (though that book was also a great look into the TOS crew's past).
Book Links: Book Depository | Amazon US | Amazon Canada | Amazon UK
June 2, 2009
Andy Mangels and Michael A. Martin are back for the second installment in what's being called the "Enterprise" relaunch. Their first story ret-conned the events of "These Are the Voyages" in a satisfying, interesting way and set up the "Enterprise" to tell the story of the long-alluded and long-anticipated "Romulan War."
"Kobayahi Maru" is the story of the opening salvo of the war and the events leading up to hostilities between the Planetary Coalition and the Romulans.
It all sounds exciting.
Too bad, "Kobayahi Maru" is one of the most disappointing novels from the "Trek" line in a while. The story is simply trying to have too many irons in the fire all at once and seemingly goes no where for pages on end. And even when it does introduce a new plot thread, familiarity with the history of the "Trek" universe negates any real driving suspense since the twists and turns then become telegraphed. In the end, it's more a matter of waiting for the eventual and known outcome without any of the usual "maybe it was different than you originally thought" points that drove the previous entry in this series.
I've heard this novel serves as a starting point for events in the "Star Trek: Destiny" series. Maybe after I get to those novels, this one will be better. Until then, it's a disappointment.
"Kobayahi Maru" is the story of the opening salvo of the war and the events leading up to hostilities between the Planetary Coalition and the Romulans.
It all sounds exciting.
Too bad, "Kobayahi Maru" is one of the most disappointing novels from the "Trek" line in a while. The story is simply trying to have too many irons in the fire all at once and seemingly goes no where for pages on end. And even when it does introduce a new plot thread, familiarity with the history of the "Trek" universe negates any real driving suspense since the twists and turns then become telegraphed. In the end, it's more a matter of waiting for the eventual and known outcome without any of the usual "maybe it was different than you originally thought" points that drove the previous entry in this series.
I've heard this novel serves as a starting point for events in the "Star Trek: Destiny" series. Maybe after I get to those novels, this one will be better. Until then, it's a disappointment.
May 20, 2009
The Kobayashi Maru scenario has been a part of Star Trek lore since the release of The Wrath of Khan in 1982. In the film, it's a test of character that Starfleet command applicants undergo: The Klingons (or Romulans, depending on the era you're watching) are threatening a cargo ship called the Kobayashi Maru that is trapped in the Neutral Zone. The would-be captain has a choice to make: do you enter the Neutral Zone, threatening war with the Klingons(Romulans), or do you leave the Maru behind, knowing that it will be destroyed by the alien armada? Over the years, the test, and the responses different captains have given to it, has become a characterization shorthand throughout the Star Trek universe.
It's ...interesting, then, that not only does Jonathan Archer, in the original Maru scenario, give a rather standard response of "leave", but the entire scenario is removed of its moral complexity: the Neutral Zone doesn't exist at this point in Federation history, and we learn that the Maru was carrying secret technology through disputed territory to spy on the Romulans, thereby giving the Romulans more cause to disable the ship. Furthermore, we learn that the Romulans have developed technology to take over starships and pilot them by remote control. This means that Archer's choices were really:
a) leave, allowing the Kobayashi Maru to be destroyed, or
b) stay and fight, allowing the Kobayashi Maru to be destroyed and Enterpise (which, is should be noted, at this point is 50% of Starfleet) to be hijacked to be used to attack other Federation outposts and colonies.
This is not exactly a difficult choice; definitely not the type of choice that would be used as a command test centuries later. By recasting the Maru scenario in this way, it not only creates bad fiction, it retroactively makes the other stories featuring the Kobayashi Maru poorer as a result.
It's ...interesting, then, that not only does Jonathan Archer, in the original Maru scenario, give a rather standard response of "leave", but the entire scenario is removed of its moral complexity: the Neutral Zone doesn't exist at this point in Federation history, and we learn that the Maru was carrying secret technology through disputed territory to spy on the Romulans, thereby giving the Romulans more cause to disable the ship. Furthermore, we learn that the Romulans have developed technology to take over starships and pilot them by remote control. This means that Archer's choices were really:
a) leave, allowing the Kobayashi Maru to be destroyed, or
b) stay and fight, allowing the Kobayashi Maru to be destroyed and Enterpise (which, is should be noted, at this point is 50% of Starfleet) to be hijacked to be used to attack other Federation outposts and colonies.
This is not exactly a difficult choice; definitely not the type of choice that would be used as a command test centuries later. By recasting the Maru scenario in this way, it not only creates bad fiction, it retroactively makes the other stories featuring the Kobayashi Maru poorer as a result.
July 3, 2012
"Kobayashi Maru" is the latest novel in my Star Trek Reading Challenge which is dedicated to trying to read the Star Trek novels in chronological order. This novel picks up after the events that occurred in the previous novel, "The Good That Men Do". For anyone who doesn't know, the title is based upon the name of the infamous no-win scenario taken by potential Starfleet command applicants and it has been a part of Star Trek lore since 1982 when it was first mentioned in the movie, "The Wrath of Khan". Therefore, when I picked up this book I was really looking forward to seeing the authors' vision of how this scenario had actually originated.
However, the story is rather more ambitious in its scope than just covering this element and the main plotline follows the reaction of the newly formed Coalition of Planets when it begins to become under attack by what appears to be Klingon ships. However, the Enterprise and its crew soon uncover that the Romulans are the true enemy and must try and prove it before the Coalition is drawn into a war against the wrong species. Meanwhile, Trip continues his espionage role from within the Romulan Empire in the hope that he can help to ensure that any war will not consume Earth and its allies.
I found that this novel mixed action, suspense, drama and political intrigue to create a rather entertaining and enjoyable novel that should appeal to many Star Trek fans. I really enjoyed the way that the story looked at the bigger picture of the overall looming conflict. It just felt a bit more realistic to see other ships and crew being involved in important events rather that it all being focussed on the Enterprise.
However, some elements of this bigger picture focus does lead to rather slow pacing in stages. Therefore I was happy to see that the slower elements of the story were broken up by quicker paced sections devoted to Trip and his spying. As well as being interesting as they explored a little bit more about the secretive Romulan Empire they were also quite simply exciting and full of suspense. Although to be honest, I still sometimes find it hard to believe that someone who wears their heart on their sleeve to the extent Trip does could really be as good at spying as is portrayed in this novel and its predecessor.
In regards to my initial interest in reading about the origins of the Kobayashi Maru scenario, I have to admit I was a little bit underwhelmed. The novel's finale is actually based around the loss of the Kobayashi Maru transport ship but it felt like it was lacking in suspense and I found it all rather bland compared to what I had seen previously in the novel. It was still nice to see someone try and create an origins story but it just didn't work as well as I hoped it would.
There were a couple of others issues I did have with the book although I can't say they either of them had any large affect on my overall enjoyment. The first is in regards to the use of alien words throughout the novel. This type of thing can sometimes enrich a novel but in this case it just seemed a little bit excessive and annoying. It basically spoilt some of my understanding of the events that were occurring as most of the alien words were measurements of distance and time and I didn't know how these referenced to our own units of measurements
The second issue I had with the novel though was in regards to the manner in which several characters reacted to events. Some of them just seemed very slow in coming to an understanding about what was happening even when it was blindingly obvious to me and I am just a random project manager and not the captain of one of Earth's prized star ships. In particular I noticed this when Captain Hernandez of the Columbia seemed unable to conceive that the Romulan ability to capture alien ships could maybe explain the strange occurrence of Vulcan ships attacking them. I just found it hard to believe that some of our best and brightest could be that dense.
In summary, I found this to be an enjoyable Star Trek novel that I think will appeal to many fans although it really does feel like a middle book in a series and makes no real attempt at being readable in a stand alone manner. Whilst, there a few minor issues that I did find irritating, it didn't really affect my interest in the story as the mix of political manoeuvring, action and drama was good enough to keep me hooked. Personally, I can't wait to pick up the next novel and see where this looming conflict between the Coalition and the Romulans will head next.
However, the story is rather more ambitious in its scope than just covering this element and the main plotline follows the reaction of the newly formed Coalition of Planets when it begins to become under attack by what appears to be Klingon ships. However, the Enterprise and its crew soon uncover that the Romulans are the true enemy and must try and prove it before the Coalition is drawn into a war against the wrong species. Meanwhile, Trip continues his espionage role from within the Romulan Empire in the hope that he can help to ensure that any war will not consume Earth and its allies.
I found that this novel mixed action, suspense, drama and political intrigue to create a rather entertaining and enjoyable novel that should appeal to many Star Trek fans. I really enjoyed the way that the story looked at the bigger picture of the overall looming conflict. It just felt a bit more realistic to see other ships and crew being involved in important events rather that it all being focussed on the Enterprise.
However, some elements of this bigger picture focus does lead to rather slow pacing in stages. Therefore I was happy to see that the slower elements of the story were broken up by quicker paced sections devoted to Trip and his spying. As well as being interesting as they explored a little bit more about the secretive Romulan Empire they were also quite simply exciting and full of suspense. Although to be honest, I still sometimes find it hard to believe that someone who wears their heart on their sleeve to the extent Trip does could really be as good at spying as is portrayed in this novel and its predecessor.
In regards to my initial interest in reading about the origins of the Kobayashi Maru scenario, I have to admit I was a little bit underwhelmed. The novel's finale is actually based around the loss of the Kobayashi Maru transport ship but it felt like it was lacking in suspense and I found it all rather bland compared to what I had seen previously in the novel. It was still nice to see someone try and create an origins story but it just didn't work as well as I hoped it would.
There were a couple of others issues I did have with the book although I can't say they either of them had any large affect on my overall enjoyment. The first is in regards to the use of alien words throughout the novel. This type of thing can sometimes enrich a novel but in this case it just seemed a little bit excessive and annoying. It basically spoilt some of my understanding of the events that were occurring as most of the alien words were measurements of distance and time and I didn't know how these referenced to our own units of measurements
The second issue I had with the novel though was in regards to the manner in which several characters reacted to events. Some of them just seemed very slow in coming to an understanding about what was happening even when it was blindingly obvious to me and I am just a random project manager and not the captain of one of Earth's prized star ships. In particular I noticed this when Captain Hernandez of the Columbia seemed unable to conceive that the Romulan ability to capture alien ships could maybe explain the strange occurrence of Vulcan ships attacking them. I just found it hard to believe that some of our best and brightest could be that dense.
In summary, I found this to be an enjoyable Star Trek novel that I think will appeal to many fans although it really does feel like a middle book in a series and makes no real attempt at being readable in a stand alone manner. Whilst, there a few minor issues that I did find irritating, it didn't really affect my interest in the story as the mix of political manoeuvring, action and drama was good enough to keep me hooked. Personally, I can't wait to pick up the next novel and see where this looming conflict between the Coalition and the Romulans will head next.
January 24, 2018
3.5 stars.
June 24, 2017
A well-executed story about the lead-up to the Romulan War, Kobayashi Maru showcases the political climate of the newly-formed Coalition of Planets as they find themselves threatened by the Romulan Empire. A bit meandering at times, the story finds itself bogged down as it slowly moves the plot forward, but for the most part, it is an engaging novel that fills in some previously unknown blanks. The characters are my favorite part, and most of them get some interesting development. I feel like the story of the Romulan War goes a bit downhill in subsequent novels, but Kobayashi Maru is a pretty good setup.
Full review: http://treklit.blogspot.com/2017/06/K...
Full review: http://treklit.blogspot.com/2017/06/K...
January 18, 2016
On the slow side but an interesting lead up to the Romulan War.
August 16, 2020
One of the things I enjoyed about the Enterprise-era novels was that the writers got a great chance to flesh out the history of Starfleet and the Federation. I'm a geek enough that I really like that idea, so I especially look forward to those books. I've read work by Martin and Mangels before, and enjoyed it, so I figured this would be a good one to get to.
Just about any Trekkie (or Trekker or whatever you like, I'm fine calling myself either/both) knows of the Kobayashi Maru, the test you can't win, that Starfleet runs their cadets through to see how they handle defeat. There was even a novel in the original series about how some of the first Enterprise crew dealt with it. Well, first series, I guess. The Kobayashi Maru for those so inclined to see Kirk, Scotty, and Spock on this.
At any rate, while the no-win situation has become infamous, it had to start somewhere. Early Starfleet is having trouble with attack on civilian shipping, so a few of their best, including Jonathan Archer and his crew, are reassigned to convoy duty. If you know the test, you can imagine what happens. This story leads up to the Romulan War, which is also another major piece of Starfleet history by the time of Kirk, Spock, and company.
A good story and done well, continuing the voyages of this particular Starship Enterprise. A good read in general, and a really good one for Trek fans and those who liked this tv series.
Just about any Trekkie (or Trekker or whatever you like, I'm fine calling myself either/both) knows of the Kobayashi Maru, the test you can't win, that Starfleet runs their cadets through to see how they handle defeat. There was even a novel in the original series about how some of the first Enterprise crew dealt with it. Well, first series, I guess. The Kobayashi Maru for those so inclined to see Kirk, Scotty, and Spock on this.
At any rate, while the no-win situation has become infamous, it had to start somewhere. Early Starfleet is having trouble with attack on civilian shipping, so a few of their best, including Jonathan Archer and his crew, are reassigned to convoy duty. If you know the test, you can imagine what happens. This story leads up to the Romulan War, which is also another major piece of Starfleet history by the time of Kirk, Spock, and company.
A good story and done well, continuing the voyages of this particular Starship Enterprise. A good read in general, and a really good one for Trek fans and those who liked this tv series.
July 17, 2015
Please note that this review contains spoilers from its predecessor, The Good That Men Do.
I'll be honest - I didn't expect much from this book. Based on the premise and reviews, I expected it to be on about the same level as the first book of the relaunch series, Last Full Measure. I was actually pleasantly surprised.
For a start, the book was organised into much cleaner and neater threads than its predecessors; there was generally three to four completely separate and well-planned plots going at any one time. While I really enjoyed piecing together the puzzle and being left on mini 'cliffhangers' as the book jumped from plot to plot, I can understand that this style of storytelling isn't for everyone - it's not the type of thing you can put down for a week and expect to know what's going on when you pick it up again.
The separate plot threads themselves were also really exciting. There were a few major twists that I (perhaps naively) didn't see coming, and it was extremely interesting when we got to see the story from the point of view of other characters - antagonists included. Trip got a proper story as a spy on Romulus, Captain Hernandez and T'Pol got their own side-plots, and every element of the book created plenty of tension that kept the pages turning.
So why only three stars? As much as I enjoyed the story, it was about 100 pages too long. I wouldn't go so far as to say it was drivel - I actually really enjoyed the pace - but the authors simply crammed too much into one volume. At the end of the day the entire Kobayashi Maru scenario felt tacked on, and didn't really do much to contribute to the overall 'Romulan War' story arc of the Enterprise relaunch. On top of that, I felt like too many things were left hanging, and it doesn't seem like they'll be addressed in the next instalment.
It was a good read, but make sure you enter with the right expectations. Expect a fascinating story, but be ready to invest some time and concentration to it. Don't expect too much from the premise; instead enjoy the side plots and allow yourself to become emotionally invested in them. Be patient - and willing to read the book's successor - and you'll be rewarded.
I'll be honest - I didn't expect much from this book. Based on the premise and reviews, I expected it to be on about the same level as the first book of the relaunch series, Last Full Measure. I was actually pleasantly surprised.
For a start, the book was organised into much cleaner and neater threads than its predecessors; there was generally three to four completely separate and well-planned plots going at any one time. While I really enjoyed piecing together the puzzle and being left on mini 'cliffhangers' as the book jumped from plot to plot, I can understand that this style of storytelling isn't for everyone - it's not the type of thing you can put down for a week and expect to know what's going on when you pick it up again.
The separate plot threads themselves were also really exciting. There were a few major twists that I (perhaps naively) didn't see coming, and it was extremely interesting when we got to see the story from the point of view of other characters - antagonists included. Trip got a proper story as a spy on Romulus, Captain Hernandez and T'Pol got their own side-plots, and every element of the book created plenty of tension that kept the pages turning.
So why only three stars? As much as I enjoyed the story, it was about 100 pages too long. I wouldn't go so far as to say it was drivel - I actually really enjoyed the pace - but the authors simply crammed too much into one volume. At the end of the day the entire Kobayashi Maru scenario felt tacked on, and didn't really do much to contribute to the overall 'Romulan War' story arc of the Enterprise relaunch. On top of that, I felt like too many things were left hanging, and it doesn't seem like they'll be addressed in the next instalment.
It was a good read, but make sure you enter with the right expectations. Expect a fascinating story, but be ready to invest some time and concentration to it. Don't expect too much from the premise; instead enjoy the side plots and allow yourself to become emotionally invested in them. Be patient - and willing to read the book's successor - and you'll be rewarded.
September 8, 2013
Kobayashi Maru continues the "Trip as a spy" series from Star Trek Enterprise. This book is a continuation of "The Good That Men Do" and continues to flesh out the circumstances surrounding the formation of the precursor to the Federation, the Coalition, and the new organization's latest rival, the Romulans.
If you are into Star Trek in any way, you've probably heard of the Kobayashi Maru. In the second Star Trek film, we are introduced to it. The Maru is a no-win situation with a cargo ship meant to test every captain to see how they perform under such conditions, this book has that very ship in it. Moreover, it establishes the history of that infamous vessel and scenario in Starfleet.
Kobayashi Maru, the book not the ship, further continues humanity's slow march to war with the Romulans, while the Romulans new telecapture system commandeers ships and uses them against rivals. For instance, the system captures a Klingon battle cruiser and uses it to attack a allied world to the Coalition, thus setting off a potential war. Captain Archer is tasked with trying to prevent this while putting out the various interstellar fires caused by it.
Another point of note involves Columbia, the NX-02. If you've read the Star Trek: Destiny series of books, which are fantastic, you know that Captain Hernandez faces a different future from the one being depicted. If you haven't read that series, you may think that the NX-02 would be going down in flames, but no, that isn't what happens to her, in fact, the Romulans set in motion the very events that lead to Captain Hernandez saving the galaxy in the 24th century. None of those event have happened yet in Kobayashi Maru, but if you've read Destiny, you know what to expect.
This was an interesting book, complete with gay Klingons, a bootlegging doctor, and a Human/Romulan tryst with a Vulcan in a shuttle. Overall, quite fascinating and worthy of a read. As this book is part of the Enterprise relaunch, I suggest reading the previous novels before this one.
If you are into Star Trek in any way, you've probably heard of the Kobayashi Maru. In the second Star Trek film, we are introduced to it. The Maru is a no-win situation with a cargo ship meant to test every captain to see how they perform under such conditions, this book has that very ship in it. Moreover, it establishes the history of that infamous vessel and scenario in Starfleet.
Kobayashi Maru, the book not the ship, further continues humanity's slow march to war with the Romulans, while the Romulans new telecapture system commandeers ships and uses them against rivals. For instance, the system captures a Klingon battle cruiser and uses it to attack a allied world to the Coalition, thus setting off a potential war. Captain Archer is tasked with trying to prevent this while putting out the various interstellar fires caused by it.
Another point of note involves Columbia, the NX-02. If you've read the Star Trek: Destiny series of books, which are fantastic, you know that Captain Hernandez faces a different future from the one being depicted. If you haven't read that series, you may think that the NX-02 would be going down in flames, but no, that isn't what happens to her, in fact, the Romulans set in motion the very events that lead to Captain Hernandez saving the galaxy in the 24th century. None of those event have happened yet in Kobayashi Maru, but if you've read Destiny, you know what to expect.
This was an interesting book, complete with gay Klingons, a bootlegging doctor, and a Human/Romulan tryst with a Vulcan in a shuttle. Overall, quite fascinating and worthy of a read. As this book is part of the Enterprise relaunch, I suggest reading the previous novels before this one.
September 18, 2019
With the new Coalition of Planets just beginning to find its legs, threats to the shipping lanes have got the Enterprise patrolling to prevent pirate raids. But there is so much more going on as the Romulans are using a new remote control device to take over enemy ships and use them as their own. This new insidious threat could have the young Coalition at each others throats or fighting a war against the wrong enemy!
Now that all the retconning of the Enterprise TV series finale is out of the way, this book is free to set up a new direction and open up the universe a bit. I know many feel that the early stages of this book are slow, but it serves to introduce everyone to the wider universe outside of just one ship. Here we get to finally explore the universe as the TV show couldn't. There you could only get the occasional glimpse of other characters and arenas, but you always stayed focused on the small group featured on the show. Now, in the novels, the authors can take us deeper into the universe and allow us to see things from different perspectives involving different characters.
We are introduced to the entire crew of the Columbia, the second NX-class ship in Starfleet. While we don't get to spend a large amount of time with them, it's nice to have a second crew out there and getting to know them should be important to the ongoing storyline. We're also given insight into the Coalition Council and it's members dealing with the political avenues and machinations behind all the big decisions. And while the Romulans don't get much beyond the hand-wringing and mustache-twirling, it's nice to see there's an organization that's opposing our heroes that actually have some faces and motivations of their own.
We do get to see the "historical" version of the famous Kobayashi Maru scenario made famous in the Star Trek movies. And while it's not exactly as portrayed in those places, I feel this was a realistic portrayal that the training scenario could be based on. Fans will get to see how Archer faces the "no win" scenario here, but his parameters are a little different and he faces the real and lasting consequences of his decisions. I did peek back at the movie versions and was pleased to see how much the authors gleaned out of those short scenes and put into the book. It was a fun fan moment.
Martin and Mangels do a lot of heavy-lifting in this book to set up the subsequent Enterprise stories with this book. They establish the characters, situations, and environments for the continuing story and set-up all the pieces for the Romulan War. Can't wait to see what comes next!
Now that all the retconning of the Enterprise TV series finale is out of the way, this book is free to set up a new direction and open up the universe a bit. I know many feel that the early stages of this book are slow, but it serves to introduce everyone to the wider universe outside of just one ship. Here we get to finally explore the universe as the TV show couldn't. There you could only get the occasional glimpse of other characters and arenas, but you always stayed focused on the small group featured on the show. Now, in the novels, the authors can take us deeper into the universe and allow us to see things from different perspectives involving different characters.
We are introduced to the entire crew of the Columbia, the second NX-class ship in Starfleet. While we don't get to spend a large amount of time with them, it's nice to have a second crew out there and getting to know them should be important to the ongoing storyline. We're also given insight into the Coalition Council and it's members dealing with the political avenues and machinations behind all the big decisions. And while the Romulans don't get much beyond the hand-wringing and mustache-twirling, it's nice to see there's an organization that's opposing our heroes that actually have some faces and motivations of their own.
We do get to see the "historical" version of the famous Kobayashi Maru scenario made famous in the Star Trek movies. And while it's not exactly as portrayed in those places, I feel this was a realistic portrayal that the training scenario could be based on. Fans will get to see how Archer faces the "no win" scenario here, but his parameters are a little different and he faces the real and lasting consequences of his decisions. I did peek back at the movie versions and was pleased to see how much the authors gleaned out of those short scenes and put into the book. It was a fun fan moment.
Martin and Mangels do a lot of heavy-lifting in this book to set up the subsequent Enterprise stories with this book. They establish the characters, situations, and environments for the continuing story and set-up all the pieces for the Romulan War. Can't wait to see what comes next!
February 18, 2025
My rating may have a little more to do with the joy I get from reading Enterprise stories than with the quality of the writing, but this is a fun story nonetheless. It feels like it has been yonks since I picked up this series, there are so few titles in the Enterprise series that I find myself delaying reaching the end, however after a chapter or so it easily feels like there was no gap at all between stories.
This story gives us the precipitation of the Romulan War and a look at where the famous no-win scenario originated. Political relationships in the Federation's predecessor (the Coalition of Planets) are not yet well forged and when the human colony on Alpha Centauri applies for membership other non-human members oppose to prevent increasingly human influence.
The Klingons appear to be making random attacks around the quadrant and Archer is sent in to seek answers from the High Council. It's not the fault of any individual story but gee, I'm a little over honourable battles to the death from which our hero and often their opponent survive as a plot device. But yeah Archer learns how to wield a bat'leth in just 3 hours, with the help of a friend from Rura Penthe, and then discards his training to fight dirty and claim victory. Wooh!
Meanwhile, T'Pol runs off to save loverboy from some danger she's been dreaming about. Malcolm joins her but they don't hang around long. After a short rescue mission, they return to Enterprise where Archer fails to punish them in any fashion at all for leaving without orders and stealing a shuttle.
I thought we still didn't know what the Romulans looked like until TOS era, so I'm a little confused about Tucker's mission. I know there is some explanation around the Vulcans hiding their shame, but there does seem to be enough humans in on the gag that it would hardly be a secret 100 years later when Kirk first encounters them. Anyway, he's out on a covert mission dressed up (surgically altered) like a Vulcan/Romulan to investigate game-changing new tech that could (read: will) lead to the war we all know is coming, (at very least because we've seen the book titles).
Mayweather's family feature as well, they come under attack and then seem to drop out of existence and although all other threads in this story get tied up, theirs doesn't, which is a bit exciting. They must play some role in the coming war, surely.
If you're wondering whether Archer's Enterprise manage to beat the OG no-win scenario you'll need to have a read to find out. I was pretty happy with how it played out.
This story gives us the precipitation of the Romulan War and a look at where the famous no-win scenario originated. Political relationships in the Federation's predecessor (the Coalition of Planets) are not yet well forged and when the human colony on Alpha Centauri applies for membership other non-human members oppose to prevent increasingly human influence.
The Klingons appear to be making random attacks around the quadrant and Archer is sent in to seek answers from the High Council. It's not the fault of any individual story but gee, I'm a little over honourable battles to the death from which our hero and often their opponent survive as a plot device. But yeah Archer learns how to wield a bat'leth in just 3 hours, with the help of a friend from Rura Penthe, and then discards his training to fight dirty and claim victory. Wooh!
Meanwhile, T'Pol runs off to save loverboy from some danger she's been dreaming about. Malcolm joins her but they don't hang around long. After a short rescue mission, they return to Enterprise where Archer fails to punish them in any fashion at all for leaving without orders and stealing a shuttle.
I thought we still didn't know what the Romulans looked like until TOS era, so I'm a little confused about Tucker's mission. I know there is some explanation around the Vulcans hiding their shame, but there does seem to be enough humans in on the gag that it would hardly be a secret 100 years later when Kirk first encounters them. Anyway, he's out on a covert mission dressed up (surgically altered) like a Vulcan/Romulan to investigate game-changing new tech that could (read: will) lead to the war we all know is coming, (at very least because we've seen the book titles).
Mayweather's family feature as well, they come under attack and then seem to drop out of existence and although all other threads in this story get tied up, theirs doesn't, which is a bit exciting. They must play some role in the coming war, surely.
If you're wondering whether Archer's Enterprise manage to beat the OG no-win scenario you'll need to have a read to find out. I was pretty happy with how it played out.
May 5, 2025
Set after the conclusion of the TV series, here tensions with the largely-unknown Romulan Star Empire begin to come to a head when the Romulans develop a weapon capable of seizing control of other starships. As the Romulans try to use the weapon to foment war between the fledgling Coalition of Planets and the Klingon Empire, Captain Archer and the crew of the Enterprise NX-01 have to try to reveal the truth and prevent disaster.
I've never been overly engaged (pun intended) with Enterprise the series (not least because of that vomit-inducing title song) but that's not to say that I haven't enjoyed some of its episodes, and I was therefore curious to read this, my first tie-in to that series.
Unfortunately, this is neither a stand-alone novel nor an entry point for the casual fan/reader.
To begin with this book is almost deliberately obtuse in making itself as impenetrable to those not versed in the lore of the series, leaning heavily on events which took place in other novels and bombarding us with an absolute deluge of both Klingon and Romulan words which are both meaningless (to any but the most nerdy of Trek fans) and unnecessary, since the English words would've served just as well.
This is a book that actively doesn't want to encourage uninitiated readers.
The lore-heavy style aside, almost half of this book had gone past before I felt even vaguely engaged with the main plot and whilst things did pick up in the latter half, there are still some pretty big problems with pacing. We're then given a very brief and disappointing scene where we see the original Kobayashi Maru scenario (famous among Trek fans), which totally fails to justify the title luring me in thinking that it would be the focus of the book. Finally, there is no resolution to any of the major plot lines and the book ends on a not-terribly-encouraging 'to be continued...'.
Were it not for me actually enjoying a few of the scenes in the back half of this book, I would've rated it just one out of five.
* More reviews here: https://fsfh-book-review2.webnode.page *
I've never been overly engaged (pun intended) with Enterprise the series (not least because of that vomit-inducing title song) but that's not to say that I haven't enjoyed some of its episodes, and I was therefore curious to read this, my first tie-in to that series.
Unfortunately, this is neither a stand-alone novel nor an entry point for the casual fan/reader.
To begin with this book is almost deliberately obtuse in making itself as impenetrable to those not versed in the lore of the series, leaning heavily on events which took place in other novels and bombarding us with an absolute deluge of both Klingon and Romulan words which are both meaningless (to any but the most nerdy of Trek fans) and unnecessary, since the English words would've served just as well.
This is a book that actively doesn't want to encourage uninitiated readers.
The lore-heavy style aside, almost half of this book had gone past before I felt even vaguely engaged with the main plot and whilst things did pick up in the latter half, there are still some pretty big problems with pacing. We're then given a very brief and disappointing scene where we see the original Kobayashi Maru scenario (famous among Trek fans), which totally fails to justify the title luring me in thinking that it would be the focus of the book. Finally, there is no resolution to any of the major plot lines and the book ends on a not-terribly-encouraging 'to be continued...'.
Were it not for me actually enjoying a few of the scenes in the back half of this book, I would've rated it just one out of five.
* More reviews here: https://fsfh-book-review2.webnode.page *
May 27, 2025
Finished: Kobayashi Maru - The Coalition Security Council has another emergency session on 23 July 2155. Information about the situation is limited. Klingon vessels attacked but there was a Romulan vessel nearby. Attacks on Calder II and near Alpha Centauri. Earth and Starfleet and the Vulcans know that Vulcan ships attacked but they are keeping it secret. Columbia hasn't communicated. The Vulcans say nothing in the meeting. The Draylax rep, Grethe Zhor, says that "Captain Archer fled ... like a frightened child". Samuels says, "For all we know, our mutual enemy may already have gained control of Starfleet, Vulcan and Klingon technologies." (A Starfleet aide uses his datapad - is he leaking the information?) Samuels suggest that each world prepares to convene a council of war with input from each of our militaries. Soval's ambassadors both want to inform the Council of what happened to their ships but Vulcan is not ready to give away its secrets. The next day, Keisha Naquase, a rival of Gannet Brooks, receives some information from her contact - "amazing the kind of loyalty that good sex could inspire", which is nasty. And, later, in Alabama, Trip's family is horrified by the headline, Coalition declares war! On 25 July, Mayweather is struggling to cope and is disillusioned by the captain's behaviour, convinced he could have found a way to save the KM. Archer is wracked with grief and the atmosphere on the ship is really bad. He gathers the senior crew, missing Trip, on the bridge and tells them, "It's begun". Meanwhile, Trip survived the crash and, killing other survivors either directly or by setting the ship to blow up, escapes, taking an injured Sopek with him. He muses that he has been changed (poisoned) by his experiences. We leave him about to strike a gravitic mine (p. 466). On Romulus, Valdore's plan is going well - they have a forward base at Calder II, the telecapture system is working well and the war is going to give him a really good basis to take revenge on those who put him in prison and to take control of the empire.
August 26, 2025
For a legend that is as ingrained and intrinsic to the Star Trek lore as the Kobayashi Maru is, any attempt to create the backstory of that legend had to necessarily have huge shoes to fill, and live up to huge expectations.
Unfortunately, this book doesn’t do justice to the legend, and does little to provide even a believable basic story behind the incident that led to the scenario being encoded into the Academy’s training curriculum. That’s not to take away from the grand conspiracy this book manages to establish involving multiple ships, alien species, locations and often conflicting plans, added to the fact that it manages to cram all that into literally a week’s worth of timeline. It is clearly a singular achievement, just not the story of the beleaguered cargo ship most of us come to it looking for.
The plot leaps off the pages, and literally takes off from a prior book, which I hadn’t read, and honestly didn’t feel like I really had to have read to go with this story. The names are a tongue twister, but then that was to be expected, and the alien culture references are typically Star Trek level simplistic, though thankfully not trivial, for the nostalgia part. The backstories are revealed slowly, and nefarious plans emerge fairly smoothly, and the storyline races to a breathless showdown that… almost is over before you know it! For the amount of buildup that the book covers, the actual incident involving the titular vessel is woefully inadequate and even disappointing.
Most jarring is the overly descriptive writing style, that literally adds an adjective with every single verb and noun, and pronoun and even to proper nouns! Nothing is simply what it is - it is always magnificent-this and intriguingly-that, and no one is simply who they are, they are always irascible-this or invariably-that. Once I realized the bloat in the text, the reading became a bit easier, and I skipped over clearly well written but sadly redundant sections, that added nothing to the story.
The book could have easily been at least a third less than what it is, and still would have been enough. Or not. There’s the obvious, earlier-mentioned disappointment over the Kobayashi Maru’s fate, that seems to have been lost, somewhere along the way.
Unfortunately, this book doesn’t do justice to the legend, and does little to provide even a believable basic story behind the incident that led to the scenario being encoded into the Academy’s training curriculum. That’s not to take away from the grand conspiracy this book manages to establish involving multiple ships, alien species, locations and often conflicting plans, added to the fact that it manages to cram all that into literally a week’s worth of timeline. It is clearly a singular achievement, just not the story of the beleaguered cargo ship most of us come to it looking for.
The plot leaps off the pages, and literally takes off from a prior book, which I hadn’t read, and honestly didn’t feel like I really had to have read to go with this story. The names are a tongue twister, but then that was to be expected, and the alien culture references are typically Star Trek level simplistic, though thankfully not trivial, for the nostalgia part. The backstories are revealed slowly, and nefarious plans emerge fairly smoothly, and the storyline races to a breathless showdown that… almost is over before you know it! For the amount of buildup that the book covers, the actual incident involving the titular vessel is woefully inadequate and even disappointing.
Most jarring is the overly descriptive writing style, that literally adds an adjective with every single verb and noun, and pronoun and even to proper nouns! Nothing is simply what it is - it is always magnificent-this and intriguingly-that, and no one is simply who they are, they are always irascible-this or invariably-that. Once I realized the bloat in the text, the reading became a bit easier, and I skipped over clearly well written but sadly redundant sections, that added nothing to the story.
The book could have easily been at least a third less than what it is, and still would have been enough. Or not. There’s the obvious, earlier-mentioned disappointment over the Kobayashi Maru’s fate, that seems to have been lost, somewhere along the way.
November 12, 2019
TITLE: Star Trek: Enterprise: Kobayashi Maru
AUTHOR(S): Michael A. Martin and Andy Mangels
GENRE: Science Fiction/Television Tie-In
Pages: 409
Ever since Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, I have been fascinated with the idea of the Kobayashi Maru, the “No win scenario”. In a way, this book addresses the beginning of this idea with the actual freighter.
Captain Jonathan Archer’s job is to ensure the safety of the shipping lanes of the newly formed Coalition of Planets. He believes the Romulans are up to something more nefarious, but expressing this belief can do irreparable harm to the Coalition. Woven into this story is part of T’Pol’s past, some spy work, and the beginning of the Earth- Romulan war.
This was a good book to read, but I did have some problems with it. For starters, i did not realize this was book number twelve in the “Enterprise” series. I had not watched the series before and has no concept of what the characters looked like, much less a couple of the new aliens. Events happened in previous books that are mentioned in this one, and I had no backstory to fall on.
If you are a fan of the television show, you will eat this book up. If you are not familiar with this particular television series, you will be confused and may not get much out of the book (like me).
3 out of 5 bookmarks.
AUTHOR(S): Michael A. Martin and Andy Mangels
GENRE: Science Fiction/Television Tie-In
Pages: 409
Ever since Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, I have been fascinated with the idea of the Kobayashi Maru, the “No win scenario”. In a way, this book addresses the beginning of this idea with the actual freighter.
Captain Jonathan Archer’s job is to ensure the safety of the shipping lanes of the newly formed Coalition of Planets. He believes the Romulans are up to something more nefarious, but expressing this belief can do irreparable harm to the Coalition. Woven into this story is part of T’Pol’s past, some spy work, and the beginning of the Earth- Romulan war.
This was a good book to read, but I did have some problems with it. For starters, i did not realize this was book number twelve in the “Enterprise” series. I had not watched the series before and has no concept of what the characters looked like, much less a couple of the new aliens. Events happened in previous books that are mentioned in this one, and I had no backstory to fall on.
If you are a fan of the television show, you will eat this book up. If you are not familiar with this particular television series, you will be confused and may not get much out of the book (like me).
3 out of 5 bookmarks.
May 27, 2021
Den här boken skall definitivt läsas före Star Trek: Destiny-serien, då mycket om NX-02 Columbia annars redan är avslöjade. Jag gjorde misstaget att läsa första boken i Destiny-trilogin innan Kobayashi Maru (mest för att jag inte kunde hålla mig), och det är jag besviken över nu.
Kobayashi Maru var riktigt bra. Fullt med action och med en osynlig fiende som riskerar att slå samman den nybildade planetkoalitionen (det som senare skall bli Federationen). Självklart vet vi att Federationen kommer att bli av, men det känns ändå spännande att få vara med vid överläggningar som blir nästintill absurda, då ingen (förutom Archer och Hernandez, såklart) vågar agera mot vad som självklart är en attack av romulanerna. Det enda som jag har svårt med i denna bok (och med några till) är hjältedyrkan utav Trip Tucker. Visst - han är en man som vågar agera utifrån sina åsikter - men är han en hjälte? Nej, han är lite för råbarkad för min smak. I böckerna har han däremot blivit mindre råbarkad och alltför idealistisk för att han skall kännas trogen gentemot TV-seriens gestaltning.
I övrigt en mycket god bok, väl skriven och man dras gärna med och vill veta vad som händer.
Kobayashi Maru var riktigt bra. Fullt med action och med en osynlig fiende som riskerar att slå samman den nybildade planetkoalitionen (det som senare skall bli Federationen). Självklart vet vi att Federationen kommer att bli av, men det känns ändå spännande att få vara med vid överläggningar som blir nästintill absurda, då ingen (förutom Archer och Hernandez, såklart) vågar agera mot vad som självklart är en attack av romulanerna. Det enda som jag har svårt med i denna bok (och med några till) är hjältedyrkan utav Trip Tucker. Visst - han är en man som vågar agera utifrån sina åsikter - men är han en hjälte? Nej, han är lite för råbarkad för min smak. I böckerna har han däremot blivit mindre råbarkad och alltför idealistisk för att han skall kännas trogen gentemot TV-seriens gestaltning.
I övrigt en mycket god bok, väl skriven och man dras gärna med och vill veta vad som händer.
July 14, 2025
Things I appreciated about this book that I forgot to mention when talking about the last one:
1. The inclusion of the dates helps readers to understand the passage of time, which is important in a story of this scope and with so much going on. I often wonder when reading about how long it has been since a certain event in this book so to have it plainly displayed is helpful.
2. I also appreciate the amount of details and easter eggs that the authors take pains to weave in. I don't notice many of them, and I don't think they add or subtract significantly to my reading experience, but I could see other readers caring more about them.
Things I didn't like:'
1. Sometimes the authors just insert a random goon stray that breaks the immersion a little. There is a moment where out of nowhere Reed mentally comments about T'Pol's ass. It's not a big deal but it's just odd.
2. There is a subplot that ultimately turns out a little bit meaningless. From when it started I noticed that I barely saw any of it, but because of the way it turned out, I'm glad the authors didn't spend pages and pages on it.
Although I liked the previous book more, this is by no means a disappointing follow up. I tore through it and didn't get bored.
1. The inclusion of the dates helps readers to understand the passage of time, which is important in a story of this scope and with so much going on. I often wonder when reading about how long it has been since a certain event in this book so to have it plainly displayed is helpful.
2. I also appreciate the amount of details and easter eggs that the authors take pains to weave in. I don't notice many of them, and I don't think they add or subtract significantly to my reading experience, but I could see other readers caring more about them.
Things I didn't like:'
1. Sometimes the authors just insert a random goon stray that breaks the immersion a little. There is a moment where out of nowhere Reed mentally comments about T'Pol's ass. It's not a big deal but it's just odd.
2. There is a subplot that ultimately turns out a little bit meaningless. From when it started I noticed that I barely saw any of it, but because of the way it turned out, I'm glad the authors didn't spend pages and pages on it.
Although I liked the previous book more, this is by no means a disappointing follow up. I tore through it and didn't get bored.
August 8, 2021
What a SLOG to get through. It took everything I disliked about the first part- retcon after retcon to make the story work, chapter after chapter of set up for stories that... thanks to the Enterprise novels end earlier than originally planned I'm pretty sure NEVER get resolved.
Really, the ONE thing that is an improvement over The Good That Men Do is that book at least pretends Enterprise had other characters than Archer, T'Pol, Trip and Shran. (The latter of which doesn't appear this time and that's actually a shame since it would have broken the monotony. Of course, he would have known the solution to half of Archer's problems in about 30 seconds so they couldn't have that.)
I can usually take even the worst Star Trek book sagas in stride but this one... even if I could find them cheap at a Friends of the Library sale or soemthing... I'm not sure I'd bother. I mean its not as awful as either printing of The Killing Time or Star Trek:TNG/X-Men Planet-X... but it is far, far, far from good.
Really, the ONE thing that is an improvement over The Good That Men Do is that book at least pretends Enterprise had other characters than Archer, T'Pol, Trip and Shran. (The latter of which doesn't appear this time and that's actually a shame since it would have broken the monotony. Of course, he would have known the solution to half of Archer's problems in about 30 seconds so they couldn't have that.)
I can usually take even the worst Star Trek book sagas in stride but this one... even if I could find them cheap at a Friends of the Library sale or soemthing... I'm not sure I'd bother. I mean its not as awful as either printing of The Killing Time or Star Trek:TNG/X-Men Planet-X... but it is far, far, far from good.
July 1, 2024
Enterprise #12: by Micheal A Martin and Andy Mangels
This book started off on the wrong foot, as it felt like too many plot threads at once going on. But it comes together in the end in a very satisfying and dark way. Even though you know what’s going to happen in the end with how the rest of the Star Trek timeline plays out, this book leaves you feeling unsure and scared still. It feels like the Coalition could fall apart at any time and the Romulans are really effective bad guys here.
This book very much gives the Enterprise season 5 we deserves and it builds greatly upon concepts in the show that worked. Most of all, if undos Trip’s death which is also another major bonus in my view. Some of the ties in to TOS such as the Horizon going to the planet of the Iotations felt forced and made me roll my eyes a bit but this was still very much an enjoyable book.
8/10
This book started off on the wrong foot, as it felt like too many plot threads at once going on. But it comes together in the end in a very satisfying and dark way. Even though you know what’s going to happen in the end with how the rest of the Star Trek timeline plays out, this book leaves you feeling unsure and scared still. It feels like the Coalition could fall apart at any time and the Romulans are really effective bad guys here.
This book very much gives the Enterprise season 5 we deserves and it builds greatly upon concepts in the show that worked. Most of all, if undos Trip’s death which is also another major bonus in my view. Some of the ties in to TOS such as the Horizon going to the planet of the Iotations felt forced and made me roll my eyes a bit but this was still very much an enjoyable book.
8/10
May 23, 2020
This was...decent. About 50+ pages too long. A lot of weird detours taken in the storytelling that took away from what should have been—a high stakes prelude to war with mounting pressure, culminating in an un-winnable scenario. The situation with the Kobayashi Maru was barely in the book and was squished in near the end that I was shocked they settled on this title.
Also, a lot of the characters really struggled to put 2 and 2 together...to the point of extreme frustration for the reader. Hernandez, Archer, Trip, T’pol, the entries Coalition security council, etc. were always steps behind where they should have been based on what had been uncovered or learned at any point.
This should have been a page turner. I had to distance myself from caring to finish it. :/
Also, a lot of the characters really struggled to put 2 and 2 together...to the point of extreme frustration for the reader. Hernandez, Archer, Trip, T’pol, the entries Coalition security council, etc. were always steps behind where they should have been based on what had been uncovered or learned at any point.
This should have been a page turner. I had to distance myself from caring to finish it. :/
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 31, 2019
I actually liked this book more than I thought I would. The description from Memory Alpha is "Captain Jonathan Archer's Enterprise and Captain Erika Hernandez' Columbia become embroiled in the shocking events that became the infamous Starfleet Academy no-win scenario." I always took the Kobayashi Maru to be a theoretical simulation (something concocted by Starfleet researchers and instructors for training purposes), but it's interesting to see that it was in-fact based on real (in-universe) history. I also like that at the end everything's not honky-dory. Archer 'wins' in the no-win scenario, but is about to lose some of his bridge crew over it. Oh yeah, Trip is still a spy.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 13, 2021
I really loved this book. Unfortunately, it was the last book on my list. I kept reading other books, but would pick this up and put it down with a few pages to a chapter read.
I enjoyed the story, the complicated beginning of the Romulan War buildup. Tellecapture System and poor Commander Tucker behind enemy lines as a Romulan engineer...trying to stop the Romulans from getting the first Warp Seven capable Star Drive.
Nothing seems to go right for the New Coalition of planets. Secrets, lies and mistakes.
Vulcans apparently know how to lie VERY well. T'Pol and Reed try to rescue Tucker, but he refuses to give up is failing mission.
Also, distrust on the bridge of the Enterprise.
And now, they have just declaired War.
I enjoyed the story, the complicated beginning of the Romulan War buildup. Tellecapture System and poor Commander Tucker behind enemy lines as a Romulan engineer...trying to stop the Romulans from getting the first Warp Seven capable Star Drive.
Nothing seems to go right for the New Coalition of planets. Secrets, lies and mistakes.
Vulcans apparently know how to lie VERY well. T'Pol and Reed try to rescue Tucker, but he refuses to give up is failing mission.
Also, distrust on the bridge of the Enterprise.
And now, they have just declaired War.
November 18, 2025
La historia general de este libro me parece que se narra demasiado lento para lo corto que es el libro, y que esta escrita ya teniendo en cuenta futuros libros ya que todos los arcos de los personajes están incompletos.
Los personajes que son de la Kobayashi Maru los encuentro irrelevantes, probablemente se hicieron de esta manera debido a que no iban a tener mucha relevancia como personajes, sino que su destino era el crear el dilema que se muestra en el libro y en las series.
En general, el libro me parece que tiene el problema de las segundas partes, en donde como no ocurre mucho y es más para crear un siguiente libro más emocionante.
Los personajes que son de la Kobayashi Maru los encuentro irrelevantes, probablemente se hicieron de esta manera debido a que no iban a tener mucha relevancia como personajes, sino que su destino era el crear el dilema que se muestra en el libro y en las series.
En general, el libro me parece que tiene el problema de las segundas partes, en donde como no ocurre mucho y es más para crear un siguiente libro más emocionante.
October 20, 2021
Kobayaashi Maru is a solid follow up to The Good that Men Do and interesting step-forward in the Enterprise relaunch series. I found myself much more engaged with and excited about that first book than this one, but I still really enjoyed this. It's a bit slower paced (especially the first half), but it sets the stage for the upcoming Romulan War in a lot of interesting ways while also expanding the scope of the narrative and world-building.
March 22, 2020
Can’t believe that Trip isn’t a chief engineer anymore — i love u but this spy shit gotta stop. Jk no this is his destiny but omfg his pride needs TO GO!
I love how I finally understand what happened to the Kobayashi Maru, now I get the whole point of the test and the importance of this in Starfleet.
Hyped for the Romulan war—lezzgeddit!
I love how I finally understand what happened to the Kobayashi Maru, now I get the whole point of the test and the importance of this in Starfleet.
Hyped for the Romulan war—lezzgeddit!
March 16, 2022
This is a continuation of The Good That Men Do, with Trip as a spy and the beginnings of the Coalition. This is a slow moving book with a lot of meat to chew. I wish a little more time was given to the actual decision weighing around what to do with the Maru. But, it was still great lore for any Trek fan.
December 29, 2022
Totally a junky, guilty pleasure of a book and unfortunately, not that pleasurable. What can be said about a Star Trek book, really? Yes, it is as bad as you think it is. No great literature hiding here.
June 4, 2023
Thrilling and Exciting
This ebook was written and composed eloquently. The actions were detailed sufficiently. The descriptions weren't complete. It was hard to understand them.
This ebook was written and composed eloquently. The actions were detailed sufficiently. The descriptions weren't complete. It was hard to understand them.
February 19, 2024
fantastic!
Wow wow wow. Love this book and the twists and turns. It and the previous book “the good that men to”, together, weave a great tale about some of the classic stories in trek history :)
Wow wow wow. Love this book and the twists and turns. It and the previous book “the good that men to”, together, weave a great tale about some of the classic stories in trek history :)
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