I was hesitant going into Distant Shores. Not because I though I wouldn't like it, but because it's the last of the Star Trek Voyager licensed media that I've yet to consume. I've watched the show (multiple times); I've read the comic books; I've officially now read all the books. My Voyager journey is complete, and that makes me a little bit sad.
So how was the anthology? I think the most appropriate way to describe it a mixed bag. The main problem with Distant Shores is the almost-insulting lack of Captain Janeway. She was only the lead character, why include her? All the stories are well-written, though the fidelity to the characters, as they were depicted on TV, varies from story to story. The worst offender, in my opinion, is Bottomless by Ilsa Back. What should have been a nice send off to Marla Gilmore, instead left me frustrated. You're going to depict Kathryn Janeway as willingly accepting her death, and attempting to hasten it? Really now? The captain unwilling to accept defeat (e.g., Yeah of Hell)? The woman who, through sheer force of will, got her crew home in seven years, when the journey should have taken decades? Yeah, no.
Eighteen Minutes by Terri Osborne is probably the story I enjoyed the most. It was a good addition to one of Voyager's best episodes, Blink of an Eye. Also, bonus point for acknowledging gay people's existence, something Trek struggled with during all of the classic shows's run (thanks, Rick Berman).
The biggest disappointment of the bunch was Isabo's Shirt by Kirsten Beyer. Not because it was bad, per se, but because this is Kirsten Beyer. I've read the relaunch series. I know how well she can write Voyager. This was just... dull. And somewhat contradictory to the show's cannot, as by the time her story takes place, the Janeway/Chakotay ship has sailed. Beyer had to do some heavy lifting to resurrect that particular relationship in Full Circle.
Full disclosure, I completely skipped Closure by Keith DeCandido. I've had interactions with him over at Trek BBS; he seems like a nice enough dude. But I have zero interest in what Mark Johnson, of all people, was doing while Voyager was making its way through the Delta Quadrant.
The send off to Admiral Janeway was nice.
Overall, none of the stories are particularly bad, or all that good. But, honestly, I've read much, much better over at ArchiveOfOurOwn.