Seekers: Point of Divergence

Star Trek: Seekers #2

by Dayton Ward, Kevin Dilmore

A thrilling Star Trek novel following two of Starfleet’s best starships on a quest to discover the secrets of a mysterious, uncolonized region.The Tomol are a primitive civilization occupying a lone island on a remote world. Their culture is an enigma, centered on every member’s commitment to a painful, fiery self-sacrifice upon reaching maturity. But one of their clan has shunned this obligation, triggering a transformation into a new, powerful life form. Answering the distress call of the U.S.S. Sagittarius—which has crashed on the planet following a fierce battle with the Klingons—Captain Atish Khatami and the crew of the U.S.S. Endeavour must now attempt a rescue mission…even as they are locked in battle with the evolving, increasingly malevolent Tomol who, if allowed to escape their home world, pose an imminent threat to the entire galaxy.

Genres: Star Trek, Science Fiction, Ebooks, Space Opera, Star Trek Original Series, Fiction

370 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 1, 2014

About the author

Dayton is a software developer, having become a slave to Corporate America after spending eleven years in the U.S. Marine Corps. When asked, he’ll tell you that he left home and joined the military soon after high school because he’d grown tired of people telling him what to do all the time.

Ask him sometime how well that worked out.

In addition to the numerous credits he shares with friend and co-writer Kevin Dilmore, he is the author of the Star Trek novels In the Name of Honor and Open Secrets, the science fiction novels The Last World War and The Genesis Protocol, and short stories which have appeared in the first three Star Trek: Strange New Worlds anthologies, the Yard Dog Press anthology Houston, We’ve Got Bubbas, Kansas City Voices Magazine and the Star Trek: New Frontier anthology No Limits. Though he currently lives in Kansas City with wife Michi and daughters Addison and Erin, Dayton is a Florida native and still maintains a torrid long-distance romance with his beloved Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Reviews

[Graff Fuller · Rating 4 out of 5]

Adventurous, challenging, emotional, informative, inspiring, mysterious, reflective, sad, and tense.

Medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75 ⭐

I'm still not as stoked about the Seekers series, as I was with the Vanguard series. I'm halfway through...and it is getting incrimentally better (good feeling).

The Tomol were a good adversary, though the real adversary was the Shedai (though they never appeared on the page), but were ONLY referenced on what they had done.

I really liked the idea that The Preservers...lived up to their name in this book (and what they did...in preserving the Tomol...in their time of need).

The Klingons are also a good adversary...and they provided the right amount of interference...that the USS Sagittarius and USS Endeavor NEVER had a clear out...as long as the Klingons were there to thwart their every move.

Captain Terrell (best known for beaming down to Seti-Alpha Four/Five in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan as the captain of the USS Reliant). It was good to see him...in his prime.

The other officers on the two ships are less known, but colourful...as they are diverse.

I will be picking up the next book...soon, if not tonight.

This book was read for the Space Opera September 2023 readathon.

[John Yelverton · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's blatantly obvious that this sequel was written by a different author, and that same author likes to use foul language a lot more than the previous one did. All that being said, it was an adventurous tale, and it was a satisfactory conclusion to the story.

[Shannon Luchies · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good, interesting read that builds on Seekers #1 while offering it's own twists and turns. I have a few... issues with a certain alien race's odd behavior, but eh. Aliens are alien. Good book, eagerly looking forward to the next one.

[Adam · Rating 4 out of 5]

The storytelling was a bit more taut and directed than Book #1, but then again, Mack laid fantastic groundwork, so it was easy for Ward & Dilmore to build to a satisfying conclusion with relative ease.

[Jon II · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an exciting second entry in this series. I enjoyed it very much. It has the flavor and flair of both TOS and TNG eras. Please keep 'em coming!

[Jacob Patrick Torres · Rating 5 out of 5]

I hope this series goes on for a good long while.

[Travis · Rating 3 out of 5]

I always wonder when I read early books in popular universes, especially ones written after the bulk of the universe was already created just where the characters fit in the grand scheme of things, and if we have met these characters in any other stories in that universe. Perhaps most books of this type wind up being origin stories for various aliens/civilizations. However, I'm sorry to say I don't have enough startrek books under my belt (despite having been a fan almost my entire life) to know anything about this particular alien race, do we see them in other startrek books/episodes? I have no idea, but it's still an excellent read, and one I am glad to have read, this makes for a fascinating speculation about how or even if this race fits into the startrek universe elsewhere. Still, if you just want to enjoy the book, that works too, but you can't make much sense of this one without having read the one before in the series, so if you haven't already, and you're a startrek fan, grab both books, and settle in for a long entertaining read.

[Vic Page · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was looking like 2 stars but the ending brought it up a star.

I thought that the book continued the story very well but unfortunately didn't do nearly as much as it could have. None of the characters were really pushed to the limit, they stayed the same bland characters they were at the beginning (even though I like Leone, Kliecewicz and Khatami they can be a bit "strong hero" for me). Seta was great and I wish we could have gone more into her experience or felt some more emotions from her but we stayed at a distance and missed a lot of the cool character moments (like her becoming Changed, or learning about all the cool human technology etc).

I do still really enjoy this time period and the adventures in the Taurus Reach. And the final chapter where Khatami gets the Star Trek version of the Death Star was really cool - that discussion is hopefully expanded upon! But it's a great discussion. Should they bring the Shedai tech to Starfleet? Is that just like building a nuclear bomb and expecting other countries not to get mad/start a fight?

[Ann Feutz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Point of Divergence reads like the conclusion to the story David Mack started in the first novel. I do have to bump this down from a 4 star rating to a 3 1/2 star rating though because I didn't feel like it measured up to the tension and suspense we got in book one. I recognize that I have not read the Vanguard series prior to reading these so I'm sure I've lost history and character background as a result. I feel like a reference guide of the two crews would have been helpful. I very much enjoyed Seta and her growth throughout the novel. I also felt the ending was fairly satisfying. :)

[Rob · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice second novel in this series. I think I am missing out on some stuff from the vanguard series which might have helped me appreciate this novel more. I might have given this a 4 star rating had it not been for the 8 chapters in the middle I had to trudge through. There was a lot of nothing in there while the crews made ship repairs trekked across the planet accomplishing pretty much nothing (and not developing the story or characters).

But it seems to have set up the next novel - we'll see.

[Stephen · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Tomol saga picked up the pacing in this book, although the authors (not David Mack who wrote the first book) deemed fit to recount the backstory on several occasions, apparently for the benefit of those who read Book 2 in isolation. This interrupted the natural flow of the story at times.

Then, there's also a big plot hole. Why didn't the Preservers' defense mechanism take action in the first book when Nimur went on a rampage and when the Sagittarius was basically trading fire with Homghor within the orbit of Arethusa?

[Christian · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book a lot. For me, some of the most fun Trek books are the ones that tell stories outside the crews and settings we know from the tv shows. The two ships involved in this story are from the Vanguard series and two of my favorite ships, the Endeavor and the Sagittarius. The story encompasses two books, Seekers 1 and this book. In some ways it is is classic Trek storytelling. Lots of fun.

[Andrew Maddox · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent conclusion to a great two part opener for the Seekers series. The characterisation was excellent, the plot was interesting, engaging and gripping. It's easily one of my favourite Star Trek books I've read so far and I cant wait to read more from the Seekers series. A must read for all Star Trek novel fans :)

[Teresa Cage · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent follow up to the first part of this story. It really develops the character of the indigenous population far more. The dilemma of working with the Klingons is also explored from both sides which I loved. But now I want a part three so we can see what happens next!

[Christopher Riley · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a fairly satisfying, if underwhelming, conclusion to the first book. Frustrating that the main perpetrator of crimes across both books conveniently forgets everything she's done because of The Change. Such a cop out. But, I enjoyed it overall.

[Nicky2910 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Star Trek: Seekers: #2 Point of Divergence by Dayton Ward & Kevin Dilmore This second part of the Seekers continues the adventure on Arethusa where the native people are undergoing a Change into apparently irrational, furious beings with telepathic and telekinetic abilities, and wreak havoc on the Sagittarius and and Klingon Ship which investigate the situation and try to capture one of those Changed, in the case of the Klingons, to harness their powers.
 
The plot itself revolves around containing the Changed and preventing them from gaining access to a starship, helping the stranded Sagittarius and finding a way to remove the mindless fury that makes the Change so dangerous. All the while Captain Khatami of the Endeavour has to reason with the captain of the second Klingon vessel, Kang, to cooperate and defend against the automatic measures the Preserver oblisk employs itself against the Changed which leave part of the planet petrified, communication with the landing teams damaged and the ships in orbit incapable of rendering sufficient help.
 
The Endeavour's science officer Klisiewicz discovers the past dealings of the Tomol with the Shedai and the Preservers - and with illegally obtained data from Operation Vanguard (all research into the Shedai, Vanguard, the metagenome etc. was sealed after the destruction of the station) is able to draw the correct conclusions and to lead Dr Leone in the right direction in devising a "cure" for the Tomol Change. But is it soon enough to save them and their planet?
 
I enjoyed Point of Divergence quite a bit more than the first part, it's more complex, less interspersed with those flippant remarks that are meant to be funny and relieve tension but just come across as annoying. And I have to say that I just like the crew of the Endeavour more than the eclectic bunch of tech-prodigies of the Sagittarius. They simply come across as more earnest and realistic, in short, more three-dimensional instead of as caricatures. And I have to admit considering to skip the Sagittarius-parts of the Seekers-series in the future since, apparently, it's planned to keep the crews separated in the future. So one shouldn't miss out on too much not reading every second novel...
 
So, the personal side to the story is a definitive advantage of this novel, as is the more intense feeling of a race against time. The Klingon threat was resolved a bit too rapidly. Mind you, I like them working together, but it felt a bit too fast that Kang conceded to Khatami's request of a temporary alliance. This removed one layer of the plot too fast. Another thing is the future involvement of Starfleet on Arethusa. In the final chapter it's stated that Arethusa applied for protectorate status in exchange for granting scientists access to the Preservers' oblisk... but a couple of paragraphs later Khatami's wondering if and when Starfleet will be invited back to the planet. Isn't that a bit of a contradiction?
 
I hope that future parts of the Seekers-series will focus on science, as these sequences were the strongest in this book - there's still so much to explore in the Taurus Reach, so much to discover about the Shedai, the Tkon, apparently the Preservers etc. I definitely don't need battle sequences in every part, or confrontations with the Klingons for that matter. There's been enough of that in Vanguard or this opening duology. Overall, Point of Divergence certainly whetted my appetite for more adventures in the Taurus Reach - at least more adventures featuring the Endeavour. I'll reserve judgment on the Sagittarius part of the series.

[Bjoern · Rating 3 out of 5]

A solid, but in no way extraordinary read, continuing the Vanguard-storyline in what basically amounts to TOS season 2.1 or is it 3.1

This follows up directly to the first volume under the Seekers moniker and plays on the same world and showcases the same main protagonists, federation, klingon and Tomol alike. The story itself is pretty straightforward, going from the desperate situation we've left our heroes in back at the end of the last book towards a pretty plausible and satisfying conclusion with no big sins but also nothing really counting as a highlight.

This novel puts the emphasize a lot more on the crew and captain of the ENDEAVOUR as tge SAGITTARIUS is still stuck on the planet after her spectacular crash in the last volume. In addition a landing party interacts both with the still normal Tomol and their changed counterparts who try to take over the power on the planet - and possibly to gain access to the skypeople's ships to flee the bounds of their world and win rule over the whole universe...

Cue the preserver artifacts who gain more and more independence as well as more and more power over the run of the story and while the deciphering of the unknown written language makes only slow progress it finally ends up saving the day. Kind of.

The weirdest bit of the book is Kang. It seems almost like Ward and Dilmore found themselves saddled with the well known and popular klingon captain or is that wanna-be-pirate? and now they did not really know what to do with him. So either the klingon ship is shot to cinders and needs urgent repairs or it stays strangely passive and keeps out of the hair of the already badly overtasked federation people. As an excuse he's cited that now he respects TWO starfleet captains, Kirk and Khatami. Well, i've frankly seen better portrayals of Klingons, that was not one of the lucky ones.

Okay, Seekers is not one of the crown jewels in the Star Trek book kingdom. But if you're hungry for more news from the Vanguard-continuity and happened to like the crews as shown in the earlier books and stories, this still is a good buy and a nice read. Plus it's not very long and so doesn't take long to finish. Maybe Point of Divergence has not quite the TOS-y feeling of some of the other Vanguard-connected works, but it definitely feels like a ST book. Which already is quite a bonus in my book. ;)

[Paul Lunger · Rating 2 out of 5]

The 2nd novel in the "Star Trek: Seekers" series, Dayton Ward & Kevin Dilmore's "Point of Divergence" follows up on the opening novel in this series David Mack's "Second Nature". In this installment, Ward & Dilmore continue the story of the Tomol & the efforts of both the Sagittarius & Endeavour crews to escape this planet in 1 piece. With what seems like contrived plot point after plot point, we the reader learn more & more about the Preservers & the history of the Tomol as well as what exactly the Shedai did to them to after they go through "The Change". Additionally, a Preserver fail-safe is encountered for when the Changed Tomol get out of hand. The story itself while easy to read it at times frustrating because it is in my mind an unnecessary sequel to the first book which just chose to end things. The fact that Kang's ship almost gets relegated to bystander in all of this hurts as well. The finale seems a bit predictable especially Khatami's meeting with Klisiewicz as the revelation that not everything from project Vanguard was destroyed or buried in the archives after the mission ended. This series is slated for a run of only 4 books initially & to be honest I as a reader know there has to be more to the Taurus Reach than has been shown here initially. Assuming things get better this series could be a success otherwise it could quickly go by the wayside like the Stargazer novels did. Only time will tell.

[Jimyanni · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting and generally well-written story. There are points that I find unsatisfying, but only because I'm way too detail-oriented for my own good when reading fiction; is it really plausible that the Endeavor could so easily defeat Kang's ship? Is leaving a planetful of potential Organian-level individuals really the optimal solution? Is it really likely that the only reason that anyone on that planet even became a danger to themselves or (more relevantly) others that the Shedai botched an attempt to manage their evolution into ultra-powerful beings? Isn't it more likely that, like any other sentients, going from human-level power to demigod-level power entirely likely to magnify any character flaws they already have, and result in at least a fair number of them becoming sociopaths (think Gary Mitchell)? Still, even with all of these questions, it was an enjoyable story, well-told and with interesting characters. It further reinforces my intention to continue following this series.

[Joe Pranaitis · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Voyages of the starships Endeavor and Sagittarius continue as the events from the first Seekers book continue. The Endeavour takes the center stage in this book as her crew fight to bring peace and evolution back to the Tomol a species once subjugated by the Shedai and taken to their current home by another species known as the Preservers. Events spin out of control but are put back in order as the Endeavour's CMO and science officer find a cure for the Change that the Tomol go through. This is a great continuation of the first book and I'm looking forward to reading the next in the Seekers series.

[Viclopez444 · Rating 1 out of 5]

Sorry guys, but this book sucks. The truth is Dayton Ward, Kevin Dilmore and the editing team at pocket books all let us down on this one. Between character inconsistencies, people talking about things they didn't do as if they did them, a humongous cast of flat characters, reiterating the same story details over and over again, inconsistencies with events that happened in the first book and the Mary-Sue villain that can do whatever she wants whenever she wants except for when the plot needs the heroes to get away, this book just reads like hot garbage. What makes it so bad is that the first book was the best Trek novel I've read in the last few years.

[Shawn Fisher · Rating 2 out of 5]

This one just isn't as good as Seekers 1 by David Mack. I'm not even sure why we needed the Klingons at all in this book. They could have gone home and it wouldn't have made a difference to the main plot. They didn't add tension at all. As for the main plot, it's way too contrived and the resolution is too convenient. This book is a slog through the middle and should have been trimmed down by at least 50 pages. Also, there are too many point of view characters and not enough focus on the ones that should have mattered.

[Jonne Steen Redeker · Rating 4 out of 5]

A satisfying conclusion to a gripping story. But it does make one feel sad to know that these authors never collaborated with Mack to write a story with these characters again.

A new threat has arisen, and the only thing that might stop them are the ancient preserver race, who’ve seeming been extinct for millennia. Let’s hope their tech still works as advertised!

Just a good story, not much else to tell. It does suffer a little from trying to set up a new series syndrome, which is made sadder because the series was t that long lived in the end.

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

As usual, a very fun, well-paced outing from the team of Dayton Ward & Kevin Dilmore. With the conclusion of this two-part story, the Sagittarius and the Endeavour are ready to head out on their dual missions of exploration in the Taurus Reach. If this story is any indication, I am very much going to enjoy following these crews on their voyage into the unknown. More Seekers, please!

Full review: http://treklit.blogspot.com/2014/09/s...

[Jeremy · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a continuation to the new Star Trek Seekers series, I enjoyed the story. It tied up most of the loose ends left by Second Nature and built a foundation for what looks to be a fun series to read. Nothing spectacular or ground breaking, but just a nice retreat from the world where one can go and get away for a few hours.

[Christopher Backa · Rating 4 out of 5]

The conclusion to the Seekers opening story arc. The two books felt like an old school Star Trek adventure story. In some aspects it felt like a pilot episode for a new series. The books were a quick read and I enjoyed the development of these characters from the vanguard series. I look forward to Seekers 3 and 4 next year

[Mrklingon · Rating 5 out of 5]

The adventure continues! These are great - the mix of new characters and known from Star Trek make these a solid addition to the Trek literary scene. I think I'm locked in to getting these as soon as they come out - and the covers! Fabuluous!

[Charles · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent and keeps me waiting for more!

[P aul Eaton · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a good read

This book went from strength to strength. The pace was on the money and just loved the way it built.

[David Hayes]

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