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Star Trek: Mirror Universe #2
Obsidian Alliances
Some say the line between good and evil is narrower than we imagine -- a divide as subtle as a mirror, and perhaps just as deep. To peer into its black, reflective glass is to know the dark potential we each possess, and we cross that obsidian boundary at our peril . . . into a world where we no longer recognize who we are or what we believed ourselves capable of.
In the late twenty-fourth century, decades after the fall of the once-mighty Terran Empire, the Klingon-Cardassian Alliance dominates the worlds that, in another reality, made up the United Federation of Planets. Humanity and its former subject races are now bound together by their shared oppression, slaves to their cruel and brutal conquerors. But a downtrodden few have found the courage and the strength of will to act. Inspired by visitors from another continuum to fight for their freedom, they have rekindled hope . . . and rediscovered an ancient truth: that every revolution begins with a vision.
Star Trek: VOYAGER ® A rebel ship commanded by a former slave named Chakotay attempts to evade pursuit in the Badlands . . . only to encounter a strange ship that was catapulted seventy thousand light-years across the galaxy. On board the craft are two aliens, one of whom has the potential to completely alter the balance of power within the Alliance. But as both sides of the struggle race to get to the stranger first, treachery throws all schemes into a tailspin.
Star Trek: NEW FRONTIER ® Following the Terran Empire's collapse, its longtime rival, the Romulan Star Empire, has absorbed many of the fringe civilizations spread across that part of the galaxy. One of the Romulans' slaves is M'k'nzy of Calhoun, a savage and unpredictable Xenexian who dreams of death . . . and who learns the value of freedom from the unlikeliest of teachers, a Romulan named Soleta.
Star Trek: DEEP SPACE NINE ® One fallen dictator's struggle to regain her power and her position leads to the discovery of a bold rebel plan for a decisive military strike against the Alliance. But while Kira Nerys navigates the dangerous road of politics, sex, and military intrigue that she believes will lead her back to reclaiming the Intendancy, cracks form in the rebel leadership, leading to a showdown that will change the course of the Mirror Universe.
In the late twenty-fourth century, decades after the fall of the once-mighty Terran Empire, the Klingon-Cardassian Alliance dominates the worlds that, in another reality, made up the United Federation of Planets. Humanity and its former subject races are now bound together by their shared oppression, slaves to their cruel and brutal conquerors. But a downtrodden few have found the courage and the strength of will to act. Inspired by visitors from another continuum to fight for their freedom, they have rekindled hope . . . and rediscovered an ancient truth: that every revolution begins with a vision.
Star Trek: VOYAGER ® A rebel ship commanded by a former slave named Chakotay attempts to evade pursuit in the Badlands . . . only to encounter a strange ship that was catapulted seventy thousand light-years across the galaxy. On board the craft are two aliens, one of whom has the potential to completely alter the balance of power within the Alliance. But as both sides of the struggle race to get to the stranger first, treachery throws all schemes into a tailspin.
Star Trek: NEW FRONTIER ® Following the Terran Empire's collapse, its longtime rival, the Romulan Star Empire, has absorbed many of the fringe civilizations spread across that part of the galaxy. One of the Romulans' slaves is M'k'nzy of Calhoun, a savage and unpredictable Xenexian who dreams of death . . . and who learns the value of freedom from the unlikeliest of teachers, a Romulan named Soleta.
Star Trek: DEEP SPACE NINE ® One fallen dictator's struggle to regain her power and her position leads to the discovery of a bold rebel plan for a decisive military strike against the Alliance. But while Kira Nerys navigates the dangerous road of politics, sex, and military intrigue that she believes will lead her back to reclaiming the Intendancy, cracks form in the rebel leadership, leading to a showdown that will change the course of the Mirror Universe.
438 pages, Paperback
First published March 1, 2007
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
January 30, 2022
I liked this one better than Glass Empires, naturally it was just a bit more tightly focused. The Voyager story was cool, and was a lot of fun. The New Frontier story was the weakest of the 3 in my opinion. I really really love TNF though in the prime verse. But the MU didn't really do anything for me. The final story was the best, loved how it tied in all the threads from the 5 MU episodes in DS9 as well as other threads.
June 3, 2016
I read this on a whim [and partly because I enjoyed the 'Mirror Universe' episodes from the original Start Trek and Deep Space Nine]. I assume they are three individual stories collecting into a single volume? I do not know. It was okay. None of the stories really stood out to me. I cannot say the character development was exceptionally well done. I cannot say I am inspired to read any of the other volumes in the series.
Despite not being familiar with the 'New Frontier' series by Peter David, I think I enjoyed that story the most in this volume. I did like how 'Muck' was inspired to aspire to become more than he had become. I also liked how 'the Ship' interpreted Muck's orders in such a way as to avoid civilian casualties. Perhaps it was because this story seemed to have the most 'hope' in it, the most optimistic ending, out of the three. I know other reviewers felt this was the worst story of the batch, that Peter David did not understand the concept of the 'Mirror Universe', but I felt this story fit into the 'Mirror Universe' concept just fine.
In the Voyager and DS9 stories, I probably wasted time trying to remember who the characters were that were being mentioned in the stories. I watched DS9 more than Voyager, which may have been a bit of a distraction, as I was trying to remember the 'Mirror' episodes from DS9. I think the 'biggest problem' for these other two stories was that nothing truly happened in them. The Rebellion was no better, no worse, than at the start of each story. Well, perhaps one could say it was 'worse off' at the end of the DS9 story , but I say the end result of that story was still a null event. Some characters died [I suppose their deaths were meant to be 'shocking'], some characters were revealed to be traitors, and some were 'just there.'
On a side note, I never realized the Tholians spun or sold silk to the inhabitants of the galaxy.
I realize the 'Mirror Universe' stories are about a darker universe, per se. However, what I remember in each of the TV episodes involved infusions of hope, of inspiration, being infused into an unhappy place [pardon the poor phrasing; my mind is not cooperating right now]. I know the shows were 'dark', but they also had 'light'; the people in the episodes dreamed of a better future. I did not see any of that hope, that inspiration, in these stories. Well, in two of the three stories. I saw more attempts at being darker, grittier, and despairing than anything else. I would say the other two authors missed the 'reason,' the 'concept,' behind the 'Mirror Universe' more than Peter David. But that is merely my opinion.
On another side note: I think one of the 'worst' things about the Star Trek books [and the Universe, in general] is how they did not maintain any kind of continuity for the longest time. The events and/or lessons of one book [or even TV episode] did not carry over to the next [or a future] book or episode. There have been other books/stories written about the 'Mirror Universe' [such as the TNG hardcover novel, 'Dark Mirror' in which the Terran Empire is still going strong and the Enterprise-D crew has to 'deal' with their dark counterparts]. I think the 'New Frontier' story can adequately explain why there are 'various' 'Mirror Universe' books that have no bearing on each other .
On another side note: I did like Shatner's explanation of why the "Terran Empire" came into being. He postulated that the Borg incursion into the past to 'stop' the 'First Contact' between Terrans and Vulcans laid the groundwork for the Terran Empire to form. [Of course, I also liked how he postulated that V'Ger from the 'The Motion Picture' was sucked across time and space to the Borg planet, repaired, and sent back to Earth. Which also explains why the Borg came a-searching for the Alpha Quadrant in TNG]. But I digress.
I fondly remember [distantly] the 'Mirror Episodes' from TOS and DS9. This compilation made me NOT want to read any more stories of this 'alternate reality.'
Despite not being familiar with the 'New Frontier' series by Peter David, I think I enjoyed that story the most in this volume. I did like how 'Muck' was inspired to aspire to become more than he had become. I also liked how 'the Ship' interpreted Muck's orders in such a way as to avoid civilian casualties. Perhaps it was because this story seemed to have the most 'hope' in it, the most optimistic ending, out of the three. I know other reviewers felt this was the worst story of the batch, that Peter David did not understand the concept of the 'Mirror Universe', but I felt this story fit into the 'Mirror Universe' concept just fine.
In the Voyager and DS9 stories, I probably wasted time trying to remember who the characters were that were being mentioned in the stories. I watched DS9 more than Voyager, which may have been a bit of a distraction, as I was trying to remember the 'Mirror' episodes from DS9. I think the 'biggest problem' for these other two stories was that nothing truly happened in them. The Rebellion was no better, no worse, than at the start of each story. Well, perhaps one could say it was 'worse off' at the end of the DS9 story , but I say the end result of that story was still a null event. Some characters died [I suppose their deaths were meant to be 'shocking'], some characters were revealed to be traitors, and some were 'just there.'
On a side note, I never realized the Tholians spun or sold silk to the inhabitants of the galaxy.
I realize the 'Mirror Universe' stories are about a darker universe, per se. However, what I remember in each of the TV episodes involved infusions of hope, of inspiration, being infused into an unhappy place [pardon the poor phrasing; my mind is not cooperating right now]. I know the shows were 'dark', but they also had 'light'; the people in the episodes dreamed of a better future. I did not see any of that hope, that inspiration, in these stories. Well, in two of the three stories. I saw more attempts at being darker, grittier, and despairing than anything else. I would say the other two authors missed the 'reason,' the 'concept,' behind the 'Mirror Universe' more than Peter David. But that is merely my opinion.
On another side note: I think one of the 'worst' things about the Star Trek books [and the Universe, in general] is how they did not maintain any kind of continuity for the longest time. The events and/or lessons of one book [or even TV episode] did not carry over to the next [or a future] book or episode. There have been other books/stories written about the 'Mirror Universe' [such as the TNG hardcover novel, 'Dark Mirror' in which the Terran Empire is still going strong and the Enterprise-D crew has to 'deal' with their dark counterparts]. I think the 'New Frontier' story can adequately explain why there are 'various' 'Mirror Universe' books that have no bearing on each other .
On another side note: I did like Shatner's explanation of why the "Terran Empire" came into being. He postulated that the Borg incursion into the past to 'stop' the 'First Contact' between Terrans and Vulcans laid the groundwork for the Terran Empire to form. [Of course, I also liked how he postulated that V'Ger from the 'The Motion Picture' was sucked across time and space to the Borg planet, repaired, and sent back to Earth. Which also explains why the Borg came a-searching for the Alpha Quadrant in TNG]. But I digress.
I fondly remember [distantly] the 'Mirror Episodes' from TOS and DS9. This compilation made me NOT want to read any more stories of this 'alternate reality.'
December 25, 2015
This is really three stories that are related by which universe they take place in. I've always found the mirror universe stories to be rather fascinating, as they give us a glimpse of parts of the characters we've grown to love that are not at the forefront, or suppressed. The first one was Voyager, without it, which worked well enough, with enough action to keep me reading. The second story I treated as a stand-alone, until I got the climax and got enough context to place it. The last one was Deep Space 9, and it hooked in brilliantly with the mirror universe arc that was explored in the show itself.
September 10, 2025
There is reason to fear that the Revolution may, like Saturn, devour each of her children one by one
--Pierre Victurnien Vergniaud
Take another trip through the looking-glass with three intriguing tales from the twisted parallel reality that is the Mirror Universe. Star Trek: Mirror Universe: Obsidian Alliances is a creative collaboration between Keith R.A. DeCandido, Peter David, and Sarah Shaw that picks up where the series left off. Unlike previous offerings, the three novellas contained within this narrative offer a deeper understanding of the complexities of the characters and the world in which they live.
In Saturn's Children, Sarah Shaw constructs a wonderful follow-up to the storyline that ran in the popular Deep Space 9 television series. Set in the weeks following the events depicted in The Emperor’s New Cloak, the story runs parallel to the events leading up to the final episode of the series. Regent Worf is in the hands of the Terran Resistance, Intendant Kira has been reduced to a data entry job, and the Klingon-Cardassian Alliance is on the verge of fracturing. Things are no better within the ranks of the Terran Resistance. General Miles “Smilie” O'Brien is facing a power grab by an unlikely conspiracy between General Julian Bashir and the scheming General Zek. They see O’Brien as weak and vacillating and desire to take over the rebellion so they can scorch the home systems of the Alliance. To add to their political cache among the other leaders of the resistance, they have secretly constructed a fleet of Defiant-class warships. Their objective, a genocidal rampage that O’Brien seems powerless to curtail.
In The Mirror-Scaled Serpent, Keith R.A. DeCandido incorporates the alternate personalities of characters from Star Trek: Voyager into a wholly original narrative. All the key players are present but with different lives as a result of political dynamics of the Mirror Universe. Captain Chakotay of the Terran raider Geronimo and his crew of rebels have just avoided an Alliance patrol by slipping into the Badlands. Their old vessel barely survives the plasma storms but proves more agile than the lumbering Cardassian cruiser Vetar. A flash of light and the sudden appearance of a boxy vessel of alien configuration peak the captain’s curiosity. They manage to rescue one of the two survivors but the other is carried away by the Vetar. Chakotay is shocked to learn that the other passage is an extremely power telepath names Kes—and she’s just been grabbed by the Alliance. A telepath in the hands of the Alliance could spell doom for the Terran Resistance. The mission is clear, but there may be a spy among the rebels. This is the most original of the three and contains the best example of world-building and character development
Peter David’s Cutting Ties is the weakest of the three. It is also the longest and contains the least focused plot. This is the primary source of the narrative’s flaws. Bringing the characters from the Star Trek: New Frontier novels into the Mirror Universe, the author attempts to construct a story of parallel lives but ends up succumbing to narrative drift. His efforts to correct this result in segues that create inconsistencies that prove harmful to the storyline. The alternate Captain McKenzie Calhoun, is a former Xenexian slave that falls in love with the daughter of his master. The secondary and tertiary characters who appear and disappear at random add to the confusion. Finally returning to the main theme of the story, Calhoun leads a slave rebellion and establishes his own resistance cell. Its predictable and uninspired.
As a collaboration, Star Trek: Mirror Universe: Obsidian Alliances is a great read. Despite the flaws, it contains something for everyone. The world-building is on par with other works of the genre and the characters appear as fully-fleshed-out.
This book comes from my personal collection, but I am leaving a professional review
--Pierre Victurnien Vergniaud
Take another trip through the looking-glass with three intriguing tales from the twisted parallel reality that is the Mirror Universe. Star Trek: Mirror Universe: Obsidian Alliances is a creative collaboration between Keith R.A. DeCandido, Peter David, and Sarah Shaw that picks up where the series left off. Unlike previous offerings, the three novellas contained within this narrative offer a deeper understanding of the complexities of the characters and the world in which they live.
In Saturn's Children, Sarah Shaw constructs a wonderful follow-up to the storyline that ran in the popular Deep Space 9 television series. Set in the weeks following the events depicted in The Emperor’s New Cloak, the story runs parallel to the events leading up to the final episode of the series. Regent Worf is in the hands of the Terran Resistance, Intendant Kira has been reduced to a data entry job, and the Klingon-Cardassian Alliance is on the verge of fracturing. Things are no better within the ranks of the Terran Resistance. General Miles “Smilie” O'Brien is facing a power grab by an unlikely conspiracy between General Julian Bashir and the scheming General Zek. They see O’Brien as weak and vacillating and desire to take over the rebellion so they can scorch the home systems of the Alliance. To add to their political cache among the other leaders of the resistance, they have secretly constructed a fleet of Defiant-class warships. Their objective, a genocidal rampage that O’Brien seems powerless to curtail.
In The Mirror-Scaled Serpent, Keith R.A. DeCandido incorporates the alternate personalities of characters from Star Trek: Voyager into a wholly original narrative. All the key players are present but with different lives as a result of political dynamics of the Mirror Universe. Captain Chakotay of the Terran raider Geronimo and his crew of rebels have just avoided an Alliance patrol by slipping into the Badlands. Their old vessel barely survives the plasma storms but proves more agile than the lumbering Cardassian cruiser Vetar. A flash of light and the sudden appearance of a boxy vessel of alien configuration peak the captain’s curiosity. They manage to rescue one of the two survivors but the other is carried away by the Vetar. Chakotay is shocked to learn that the other passage is an extremely power telepath names Kes—and she’s just been grabbed by the Alliance. A telepath in the hands of the Alliance could spell doom for the Terran Resistance. The mission is clear, but there may be a spy among the rebels. This is the most original of the three and contains the best example of world-building and character development
Peter David’s Cutting Ties is the weakest of the three. It is also the longest and contains the least focused plot. This is the primary source of the narrative’s flaws. Bringing the characters from the Star Trek: New Frontier novels into the Mirror Universe, the author attempts to construct a story of parallel lives but ends up succumbing to narrative drift. His efforts to correct this result in segues that create inconsistencies that prove harmful to the storyline. The alternate Captain McKenzie Calhoun, is a former Xenexian slave that falls in love with the daughter of his master. The secondary and tertiary characters who appear and disappear at random add to the confusion. Finally returning to the main theme of the story, Calhoun leads a slave rebellion and establishes his own resistance cell. Its predictable and uninspired.
As a collaboration, Star Trek: Mirror Universe: Obsidian Alliances is a great read. Despite the flaws, it contains something for everyone. The world-building is on par with other works of the genre and the characters appear as fully-fleshed-out.
This book comes from my personal collection, but I am leaving a professional review
April 30, 2018
Noticeably absent from Mirror Universe: Glass Empires were any characters or stories from Deep Space Nine, the series which revived and expanded the premise of the Mirror Universe. Obsidian Alliances remedies that absence, with three MU stories from both Deep Space Nine and Voyager. The third story is from New Frontiers, which I ignored completely, having zero interest in that (lit-only) series. The stories are grimmer in general than those in Glass Empires, and again are largely action and personal drama.
In "The Mirror Scaled Serpent", two beings from the Delta Quadrant are mysteriously thrown across the galaxy and arrive in the badlands, smack in the middle of a chase scene involving a small resistance craft and a Klingon-Cardassian Alliance warship. After being "rescued", Neelix and Kes are of great interest to both sides: Kes is telepathic, and the Terran Empire destroyed all telepathic species long ago, save for the Vulcans who had the good sense not to expose theirs. Weaponizing Kes could swing the balance of the war. Chakotay and his Maquis crew are transposed as rebels, with slight tweaks: B'Elanna Torres is their enemy, and Kathryn Janeway is now "Kate", running the rebel engine room with a snarl even after she's had her coffee. These are not the Voyagers you know and love, of course; Torres is self-loathing and matricidal, Harry Kim is an emotionally scarred orphan whose aim in the resistance is to kill Klingons, and Tom Paris is a er..sex slave to Torres. Neelix and Kes' characters are largely unchanged, confirming my suspicion that the mirror universe is less a polar opposite of the 'real' universe and more of an alternate history where the point of departure happened on Earth somewhere in the past. (Where, who knows? The mirror-Enterprise title sequences hint that powers like the Nazis won in wars instead of losing, and that some power had taken control of Earth prior to the moon landing.)
The Deep Space Nine episode revisits Miles O'Brien, leader of the rebellion, as he struggles with his conscience over the rebellion's actions in the wake of having spent so much time in the Federation. He knows now that Terrans can be principled and compassionate, instead of acting like Klingons with better teeth, and objects to the scorched earth practices of his peer-generals.A disgraced Intendant Kira is forced to serve Chancellor Martok's bed, but being the Intendant, promptly hatches a plan to return herself to grace and supplant her sucessor – the ice-cold Intendant Ro Laren. This stories has a host of characters I was delighted to see -- Ro, of course, but also Sito Jaxa, a two-episode ensign from TNG who disappeared on a secret mission in Cardassian space. Unfortunately, her tenure here is similarly abridged.
Both tales are enjoyable-enough action stories, but again I was mostly interested in the characterization, and sorely disappointed that Ro and Sito played such minor parts. The continuing growth of the alternate Miles O'Brien is a plus, however. He's such a doggedly good everyman character, and I'm glad to know he's fundamentally decent in any universe.
In "The Mirror Scaled Serpent", two beings from the Delta Quadrant are mysteriously thrown across the galaxy and arrive in the badlands, smack in the middle of a chase scene involving a small resistance craft and a Klingon-Cardassian Alliance warship. After being "rescued", Neelix and Kes are of great interest to both sides: Kes is telepathic, and the Terran Empire destroyed all telepathic species long ago, save for the Vulcans who had the good sense not to expose theirs. Weaponizing Kes could swing the balance of the war. Chakotay and his Maquis crew are transposed as rebels, with slight tweaks: B'Elanna Torres is their enemy, and Kathryn Janeway is now "Kate", running the rebel engine room with a snarl even after she's had her coffee. These are not the Voyagers you know and love, of course; Torres is self-loathing and matricidal, Harry Kim is an emotionally scarred orphan whose aim in the resistance is to kill Klingons, and Tom Paris is a er..sex slave to Torres. Neelix and Kes' characters are largely unchanged, confirming my suspicion that the mirror universe is less a polar opposite of the 'real' universe and more of an alternate history where the point of departure happened on Earth somewhere in the past. (Where, who knows? The mirror-Enterprise title sequences hint that powers like the Nazis won in wars instead of losing, and that some power had taken control of Earth prior to the moon landing.)
The Deep Space Nine episode revisits Miles O'Brien, leader of the rebellion, as he struggles with his conscience over the rebellion's actions in the wake of having spent so much time in the Federation. He knows now that Terrans can be principled and compassionate, instead of acting like Klingons with better teeth, and objects to the scorched earth practices of his peer-generals.A disgraced Intendant Kira is forced to serve Chancellor Martok's bed, but being the Intendant, promptly hatches a plan to return herself to grace and supplant her sucessor – the ice-cold Intendant Ro Laren. This stories has a host of characters I was delighted to see -- Ro, of course, but also Sito Jaxa, a two-episode ensign from TNG who disappeared on a secret mission in Cardassian space. Unfortunately, her tenure here is similarly abridged.
Both tales are enjoyable-enough action stories, but again I was mostly interested in the characterization, and sorely disappointed that Ro and Sito played such minor parts. The continuing growth of the alternate Miles O'Brien is a plus, however. He's such a doggedly good everyman character, and I'm glad to know he's fundamentally decent in any universe.
November 30, 2017
PLEASE NOTE: This review pertains only to the "Voyager" story, "Mirror Scaled Serpent."
And once again, I'm reviewing based on memory. If I remember anything blatantly wrong, feel free to correct me.
Anyway, this story p*ssed me off.
It was intriguing at first. I particularly liked B'Elanna, now hating her human half and wishing to be fully Klingon, filing her teeth to points, and Tom being her "favorite plaything." I liked Harry Kim's parallel being a psychotic assassin.
But early on, it was clear that this author hated Seven of Nine. Annika Hanson, in this universe, is the ship slut. Oh, how original.
Then we get Kes and Neelix into the picture, and that's where everything goes to sh*t.
This author was a Kes fan. A disgustingly hardcore Kes fan. Kes is the only character who is exactly the same in this universe as her canon counterpart, with one difference; that being, her Mary Sue traits cranked up to eleven (billion). The plot revolves around her. Everyone wants her power. Annika the slut is killed offscreen, and Kes is the ethereal heroine, enduring torture and capture and everything else, and being one of the only to survive to the end of the story, because she's so speshul. (Barf.)
The silver lining is that, according to Memory Beta, this story is continued in some other book, where Kes becomes an evil empress and then gets killed. Now that's more like it.
And once again, I'm reviewing based on memory. If I remember anything blatantly wrong, feel free to correct me.
Anyway, this story p*ssed me off.
It was intriguing at first. I particularly liked B'Elanna, now hating her human half and wishing to be fully Klingon, filing her teeth to points, and Tom being her "favorite plaything." I liked Harry Kim's parallel being a psychotic assassin.
But early on, it was clear that this author hated Seven of Nine. Annika Hanson, in this universe, is the ship slut. Oh, how original.
Then we get Kes and Neelix into the picture, and that's where everything goes to sh*t.
This author was a Kes fan. A disgustingly hardcore Kes fan. Kes is the only character who is exactly the same in this universe as her canon counterpart, with one difference; that being, her Mary Sue traits cranked up to eleven (billion). The plot revolves around her. Everyone wants her power. Annika the slut is killed offscreen, and Kes is the ethereal heroine, enduring torture and capture and everything else, and being one of the only to survive to the end of the story, because she's so speshul. (Barf.)
The silver lining is that, according to Memory Beta, this story is continued in some other book, where Kes becomes an evil empress and then gets killed. Now that's more like it.
July 28, 2018
The Mirror-Scaled Serpent: maybe my favourite MU story so far, and it's a Voyager one. This is gruesome stuff and features a lot of death and a fair bit of sex. An exciting story which flips the Voyager premise around by having Neelix and Kes be the ones transported to the Alpha Quadrant instead, and encountering the Terran resistance. The Voyager characters are really inverted to be despicably evil people.
Cutting Ties: a New Frontier story, which I've never read any of, but this captivated me pretty well. The protagonist, Muck, is a bit difficult to embrace given his cold anger and hatred, but the story does a lot with him. It also used the TNG characters Shelby and Lefler and even gave us a glimpse into the 'prime' universe. Well written and exciting with some memorable characters."
Saturn's Children: the final story is probably the best one, picking up on the final MU episode of Deep Space Nine and continuing the story for the characters. A story full of intrigue and exciting character conflict as Intendant Kira tries to regain her former position and O'Brien struggles to keep control of the rebellion. As I've now come to expect from these stories, there's a lot of death, but this one has an inspiring element in the form of O'Brien.
A very entertaining book, overall, that's quite removed from the usual Star Trek stories. Your own enjoyment will largely be based on whether or not you're okay with reading tales about hateful characters.
Cutting Ties: a New Frontier story, which I've never read any of, but this captivated me pretty well. The protagonist, Muck, is a bit difficult to embrace given his cold anger and hatred, but the story does a lot with him. It also used the TNG characters Shelby and Lefler and even gave us a glimpse into the 'prime' universe. Well written and exciting with some memorable characters."
Saturn's Children: the final story is probably the best one, picking up on the final MU episode of Deep Space Nine and continuing the story for the characters. A story full of intrigue and exciting character conflict as Intendant Kira tries to regain her former position and O'Brien struggles to keep control of the rebellion. As I've now come to expect from these stories, there's a lot of death, but this one has an inspiring element in the form of O'Brien.
A very entertaining book, overall, that's quite removed from the usual Star Trek stories. Your own enjoyment will largely be based on whether or not you're okay with reading tales about hateful characters.
July 8, 2018
This is the second volume of the Mirror Universe series. Like the first volume it is made up of three novellas that take place in that parallel universe. But rather that covering a large time span these all happen in the time parallel to DS9 and Voyager.
The individual tales are not really interrelated. They could have been placed in any order. The first tale involves mirror versions of Voyager characters. The last features mirror versions of DS9 characters. Both are decent stories if you can bear to read about twisted versions of characters you loved in the Prime universe. Only O'Brien remains fairly true to the Prime character.
The middle story is the one I found most interesting. Two familiar Starfleet characters appear, but they were not major characters and are not the primary focus of the story. Rather, the story is about member of a race being oppressed by the Kljngon/U Cardasian Alliance who finds himself in a position to exact some revenge.
If you enjoy Trek novels you will be satisfied with this volume. But it's definitely only for established Trek fans.
The individual tales are not really interrelated. They could have been placed in any order. The first tale involves mirror versions of Voyager characters. The last features mirror versions of DS9 characters. Both are decent stories if you can bear to read about twisted versions of characters you loved in the Prime universe. Only O'Brien remains fairly true to the Prime character.
The middle story is the one I found most interesting. Two familiar Starfleet characters appear, but they were not major characters and are not the primary focus of the story. Rather, the story is about member of a race being oppressed by the Kljngon/U Cardasian Alliance who finds himself in a position to exact some revenge.
If you enjoy Trek novels you will be satisfied with this volume. But it's definitely only for established Trek fans.
March 8, 2019
I wavered between 3 and 4 stars on this one. I really like the idea of the Mirror Universe, and for the most part it's done well. I enjoyed reading this book (and the first in the series, too), and found the connecting story arc to be fascinating and well crafted. What really put me off about this series, though, is the gleeful, gory, and imaginative ways all the established Star Trek characters are killed. I know, I know. It's pretty much the point of the Mirror Universe. It just seemed to me that plot points were often needlessly replaced by bloody deaths. Maybe it's because each section was novella-length and needed to tie up as many loose ends as possible before moving onto the next, and killing characters was the best way to do it. I still liked the book, and will be reading the next one when I get the chance, but my poor Trekkie brain needs some time to recover from all the murder and mayhem.
November 11, 2022
The New Frontier story in this collection was without a doubt 5 stars - it was so so excellent and made me realise how much I'd grown to love those characters. ESPECIALLY Soleta she is a QUEEN ...and the reveal with McHenry was especially fantastic
(edit: the other ones were literally so unexciting that I forgot to review them. 2 stars for TNG, 2.5 for DS9 because O'Brien and Eddington teaming up as the good rebels of the galaxy was a fun ending)
(edit: the other ones were literally so unexciting that I forgot to review them. 2 stars for TNG, 2.5 for DS9 because O'Brien and Eddington teaming up as the good rebels of the galaxy was a fun ending)
May 31, 2018
I thought it was alright. I skipped the Makinze Calhoun story (mostly because I've never read the New Frontier series). My favorite story from the collection was Picard vs the Borg. Pretty standard quality for a Trek book.
June 25, 2025
The story with the Mirror Voyager characters had my attention the most. But throughout the book, it really felt like the authors thought nudity and sexuality were a requirement for the edginess of the Mirror Universe.
May 25, 2017
Great collection of mirror universe tales.
July 8, 2019
I just love how these novels are Trek BDSM fic
December 18, 2023
An anthology of the Mirror universe
This was not just one book but several, which I did not know when I started it. I think my favorite one was about Muck and his struggles.
This was not just one book but several, which I did not know when I started it. I think my favorite one was about Muck and his struggles.
September 2, 2012
The first story in this second book, The Mirror-Scaled Serpent, takes place in the Star Trek Voyager universe and features Chakotay in command of a rebel ship and its crew made up of Kate Janeway as engineer, Harry Kim as fighter and torturer, Tuvok as tactical officer and Annika Hansen (Seven of Nine) as engineer. Also appearing in the story are B'ellana a hated klingon-human hybrid trying to seize power within the Cardassian-Klingon alliance and Neelix and Kes, who are thrown into this part of the galaxy by the Caretaker.
The story is ok-ish but the characters are too bland. The accent is not placed on the reasoning behind "why we fight" but on the fact that "we fight because we don't like them, they're ugly, they stink etc". I would have enjoyed it more if Tuvok and his elite group of Vulcan friends would have received more emphasis.
Not really worth the read, unless you're a devoted fan or are travelling by train or plane for several hours.
Second story, Cutting Ties, is set in the Romulan Star Empire and follows the adventures of one of their slaves, M'k'nzy from the planet Calhoun. Freed from the Reman dilithium mines by a high Romulan official's daughter, Soleta he is then used as her protective detail aboard an extremely powerful ship where she accompanies her father on a diplomatic mission. When all goes wrong he uses his powers to gain control of the ship's "soul" and promises a rampage across the known worlds. Only Soleta manages to detour him by showing him what he could have been in another reality.
Somewhat better than the previous story, but it still doesn't excell. Interesting idea for the ship, but that's about it. Again, very much skippable.
The third and last story in this volume is Saturn's Children which is set in the Deep Space Nine universe. Here, the station Terok Nor is in the hands of the terran rebellion who threatens to purge all Bajor of life if the Alliance dares attack them. In this stand-off Miles O'Brien, de facto leader of the rebellion has under his command the warship Defiant, equipped with a state of the edge Romulan cloaking device. He struggles to maintain control of the rebellion when faced with the morality of warfare. On the other end of the spectrum we have Kira Nerys, former Intendant of Bajor, disgraced by her role in Regent Worf's capture by the rebels... she is now a slave of the new Regent. Slowly, by using her witts and her other skills, she manages to maneuver once again in the position of absolute power.
This story is the most interesting in the book. Somewhat connected with the first one in the volume, but not enough to warrant reading the first before this. Good action, nice plot, well drawn characters. The only story worth reading in this volume!
The first volume had more cohesion, in my opinion. The authors had some canon events they could use as plots for their stories. Now, though, the more we move away from the Terran Empire plot and into the rebellion one, it would seem the authors have no clear idea where they'd want to steer this whole universe.
The story is ok-ish but the characters are too bland. The accent is not placed on the reasoning behind "why we fight" but on the fact that "we fight because we don't like them, they're ugly, they stink etc". I would have enjoyed it more if Tuvok and his elite group of Vulcan friends would have received more emphasis.
Not really worth the read, unless you're a devoted fan or are travelling by train or plane for several hours.
Second story, Cutting Ties, is set in the Romulan Star Empire and follows the adventures of one of their slaves, M'k'nzy from the planet Calhoun. Freed from the Reman dilithium mines by a high Romulan official's daughter, Soleta he is then used as her protective detail aboard an extremely powerful ship where she accompanies her father on a diplomatic mission. When all goes wrong he uses his powers to gain control of the ship's "soul" and promises a rampage across the known worlds. Only Soleta manages to detour him by showing him what he could have been in another reality.
Somewhat better than the previous story, but it still doesn't excell. Interesting idea for the ship, but that's about it. Again, very much skippable.
The third and last story in this volume is Saturn's Children which is set in the Deep Space Nine universe. Here, the station Terok Nor is in the hands of the terran rebellion who threatens to purge all Bajor of life if the Alliance dares attack them. In this stand-off Miles O'Brien, de facto leader of the rebellion has under his command the warship Defiant, equipped with a state of the edge Romulan cloaking device. He struggles to maintain control of the rebellion when faced with the morality of warfare. On the other end of the spectrum we have Kira Nerys, former Intendant of Bajor, disgraced by her role in Regent Worf's capture by the rebels... she is now a slave of the new Regent. Slowly, by using her witts and her other skills, she manages to maneuver once again in the position of absolute power.
This story is the most interesting in the book. Somewhat connected with the first one in the volume, but not enough to warrant reading the first before this. Good action, nice plot, well drawn characters. The only story worth reading in this volume!
The first volume had more cohesion, in my opinion. The authors had some canon events they could use as plots for their stories. Now, though, the more we move away from the Terran Empire plot and into the rebellion one, it would seem the authors have no clear idea where they'd want to steer this whole universe.
November 11, 2013
Overall, this was an amazing read and really done well.
I'll now look at the stories individually.
"The Mirror-Scaled Serpent"
Deals with Voyager crew members. Compared to the first volume of Mirror Universe stories, this one sets the tone for the others in this collection. Unlike the first anthology, the stories in this collection are brutal and significantly darker. In this tale, I really enjoyed how a number of the Voyager's crew members were handled. I was never a fan of the show, finding the characters to be boring and unengaging.
In this story however, each of the characters were far more interesting and their goals believable and realistic. B'Elanna and Kim were easily my two favorites in this story. B'Elanna's struggles with her attractions to humans and dealing with her half human nature among the Alliance. Kim's change of character to a complete badass was wickedly chilling. Overall, the story was a bit slow to get going, and takes a fair bit to get to the exciting stuff, but it's worth it once you do. But as strong as this story is, the others in this anthology are just a bit better.
"Cutting Ties"
Deals with Enterprise characters.
I admit, I haven't watched Enterprise far enough to know the normal universe version of the characters presented in this story. However, I found the evolution of the characters to be interesting, especially the way that the main character comes to change from a weakling to someone so full of hate that it makes them a living weapon. The Tholians were handled really well in this story and their interaction with the Romulans was interesting to see. The way the ending plays out was not what I expected but I didn't feel ripped off at all, as it made logical sense in how everything came together. All in all, a good story that got my heart racing at all the right points.
"Saturn's Children"
Deals with Deep Space Nine characters.
If there was any revenge story that comes together beautifully, this is it. Out of all the stories in this anthology, this one was the strongest. Not only are the characters well done, but their inner battles are handled realistically and the evolution of their thoughts and beliefs make sense. The conflicts between the characters are the prime reason this story works as well as it does. You really feel the frustration, anger and O'Brien's belief that he can turn the Mirror Universe into a better universe.
All in all, the three stories in this collection are handled really well and were a pleasure to read. The Mirror Universe characters of each of the shows were interesting, in many cases, far more so than their normal universe counterparts. The writing is really well done, and it was hard for me to find any fault in their prose.
If you are into Star Trek's mirror universe like I am, this book is a must. If you enjoy Star Trek in general, you too will probably enjoy this collection of stories, though you may, like others, find it to be rather dark compared to the regular series. Still, I think it's worth a read.
I'll now look at the stories individually.
"The Mirror-Scaled Serpent"
Deals with Voyager crew members. Compared to the first volume of Mirror Universe stories, this one sets the tone for the others in this collection. Unlike the first anthology, the stories in this collection are brutal and significantly darker. In this tale, I really enjoyed how a number of the Voyager's crew members were handled. I was never a fan of the show, finding the characters to be boring and unengaging.
In this story however, each of the characters were far more interesting and their goals believable and realistic. B'Elanna and Kim were easily my two favorites in this story. B'Elanna's struggles with her attractions to humans and dealing with her half human nature among the Alliance. Kim's change of character to a complete badass was wickedly chilling. Overall, the story was a bit slow to get going, and takes a fair bit to get to the exciting stuff, but it's worth it once you do. But as strong as this story is, the others in this anthology are just a bit better.
"Cutting Ties"
Deals with Enterprise characters.
I admit, I haven't watched Enterprise far enough to know the normal universe version of the characters presented in this story. However, I found the evolution of the characters to be interesting, especially the way that the main character comes to change from a weakling to someone so full of hate that it makes them a living weapon. The Tholians were handled really well in this story and their interaction with the Romulans was interesting to see. The way the ending plays out was not what I expected but I didn't feel ripped off at all, as it made logical sense in how everything came together. All in all, a good story that got my heart racing at all the right points.
"Saturn's Children"
Deals with Deep Space Nine characters.
If there was any revenge story that comes together beautifully, this is it. Out of all the stories in this anthology, this one was the strongest. Not only are the characters well done, but their inner battles are handled realistically and the evolution of their thoughts and beliefs make sense. The conflicts between the characters are the prime reason this story works as well as it does. You really feel the frustration, anger and O'Brien's belief that he can turn the Mirror Universe into a better universe.
All in all, the three stories in this collection are handled really well and were a pleasure to read. The Mirror Universe characters of each of the shows were interesting, in many cases, far more so than their normal universe counterparts. The writing is really well done, and it was hard for me to find any fault in their prose.
If you are into Star Trek's mirror universe like I am, this book is a must. If you enjoy Star Trek in general, you too will probably enjoy this collection of stories, though you may, like others, find it to be rather dark compared to the regular series. Still, I think it's worth a read.
November 25, 2009
In the original Star Trek television series, one of the most popular episodes concerned a "Parallel Universe" that four of the characters found themselves in due to a transporter accident; a universe which looked strikingly similar to the one that they came from, but which had radical differences, as well. The biggest differences seemed to be that their counterparts in that universe -- and the counterparts of their crewmates -- were as evil and unscrupulous as they and their crewmates were good. As a result, it was a very dark, unpleasant world which they were very happy to escape.
That episode spun off several more during the "Deep Space Nine" series, and now there are numerous of the Star Trek books that have used that parallel universe as a plot device. In this book, there are three stories set entirely within that universe. They are all well-written, and not without interest, but there is one problem: one of the biggest attractions of the Star Trek series has always been the fact that it is a hopeful, optimistic look at the future, and the characters have, for the most part, been unapologetically heroic. Thus, setting stories entirely in the mirror universe tends to lose a big part of what makes Star Trek so special. Peter David's story avoids a lot of that particular criticism, because there actually is a slight "contact" with the normal Star Trek universe, and it produces a positive influence. But the other two stories, even though they do each have a character or two that have managed to be essentially decent human beings in spite of living in the mirror universe (primarily Chakotay, Kes, & Neelix in the first story, and O'Brien in the third) are mostly just depressing.
If you're interested in seeing a look fairly deep into a world that has many of the same characters as the usual Star Trek world, but in which those characters have lived very different lives and as a result have developed into very different people, this may be an interesting book for you. But if you enjoy Star Trek because you enjoy seeing your heroes be heroes, this is most definitely NOT the book for you.
That episode spun off several more during the "Deep Space Nine" series, and now there are numerous of the Star Trek books that have used that parallel universe as a plot device. In this book, there are three stories set entirely within that universe. They are all well-written, and not without interest, but there is one problem: one of the biggest attractions of the Star Trek series has always been the fact that it is a hopeful, optimistic look at the future, and the characters have, for the most part, been unapologetically heroic. Thus, setting stories entirely in the mirror universe tends to lose a big part of what makes Star Trek so special. Peter David's story avoids a lot of that particular criticism, because there actually is a slight "contact" with the normal Star Trek universe, and it produces a positive influence. But the other two stories, even though they do each have a character or two that have managed to be essentially decent human beings in spite of living in the mirror universe (primarily Chakotay, Kes, & Neelix in the first story, and O'Brien in the third) are mostly just depressing.
If you're interested in seeing a look fairly deep into a world that has many of the same characters as the usual Star Trek world, but in which those characters have lived very different lives and as a result have developed into very different people, this may be an interesting book for you. But if you enjoy Star Trek because you enjoy seeing your heroes be heroes, this is most definitely NOT the book for you.
October 11, 2014
These stories are consistent with all of the TV episodes, but not with any of the previously published "mirror universe" novels. They're also consistent with the New Frontier novels, and implicitly consistent with the DS9 relaunch novels.
"The Mirror-Scaled Serpent" (Voyager), by Keith R.A. DeCandido. This is set in the Alpha quadrant, the idea being that Neelix and Kes were sent into the Badlands rather than Janeway and co being pulled into the Delta quadrant. It's basically what I'd expect from KRAD, i.e. a good solid story, which would have worked well as an episode (or two).
"Cutting Ties" (New Frontier), by Peter David. This runs a very close second to the TOS story from Glass Empires, as I'd expect from PAD. I think it works well in two ways: if you've read the previous New Frontier novels (all of which he wrote) then it's good to read another installment, even if it is in another universe. On the other hand, if you're new to the characters then that doesn't matter because this doesn't rely on any previous stories (e.g. TV episodes), being in a separate area of the Alpha quadrant; hopefully after you've read this, you'll want to read the "mainstream universe" novels.
"Saturn's Children" (DS9), by Sarah Shaw. This is a decent story, although you really need to have seen all the relevant DS9 episodes in order to follow it; there's a brief recap of what's happened since "The Emperor's New Cloak", but no more than that. Anyway, it does a good job of continuing the storyline from the episodes, as well as making a few changes that will probably be relevant in the next DS9 relaunch novel.
"The Mirror-Scaled Serpent" (Voyager), by Keith R.A. DeCandido. This is set in the Alpha quadrant, the idea being that Neelix and Kes were sent into the Badlands rather than Janeway and co being pulled into the Delta quadrant. It's basically what I'd expect from KRAD, i.e. a good solid story, which would have worked well as an episode (or two).
"Cutting Ties" (New Frontier), by Peter David. This runs a very close second to the TOS story from Glass Empires, as I'd expect from PAD. I think it works well in two ways: if you've read the previous New Frontier novels (all of which he wrote) then it's good to read another installment, even if it is in another universe. On the other hand, if you're new to the characters then that doesn't matter because this doesn't rely on any previous stories (e.g. TV episodes), being in a separate area of the Alpha quadrant; hopefully after you've read this, you'll want to read the "mainstream universe" novels.
"Saturn's Children" (DS9), by Sarah Shaw. This is a decent story, although you really need to have seen all the relevant DS9 episodes in order to follow it; there's a brief recap of what's happened since "The Emperor's New Cloak", but no more than that. Anyway, it does a good job of continuing the storyline from the episodes, as well as making a few changes that will probably be relevant in the next DS9 relaunch novel.
February 18, 2010
I loved Mirror Universe but I love what-if and alternate timeline stories. That's what this was.
I'm not a big VOY fan. I think out of all of Star Trek, VOY was the worse series. It was just boring. The characters were boring and the plot was boring until Seven came on board. It was sad because out of all the premises, VOY had the most promise. Luckily, The Mirror-Scaled Serpent was not boring.
Since the Marquee wasn't explored in VOY, you got that sense of feeling here. The Rebellion was basically the Marquee but more violent and some of the characters were ruthless. I actually liked Harry Kim. Surprisingly, Kes and Neelix were even worked in it.
Cutting Ties was the strangest story and the weakest. It didn't take existing Mirror Universe characters and show you what happened with them. Instead, it showed you as far as I knew, a new race and dealt with the Romulans. There were barely any humans in it. That's not to say that it was bad just that you didn't care as much as you normally would.
Saturn's Children was the best story. It picked off with the last DS9 Mirror Universe episode and showed you former Intendant Kira and Smiley. Kira tried to regain power and Smiley had to deal with being a leader of the rebellion. The most surprising thing was that Keiko was in it and that she wasn't annoying.
I don't know if they'll ever be another Mirror Universe television episode but as long as they have the books, I'll be happy. No one's safe in the books and they can do anything they want. It's also great to see the potential of what characters could have been.
I'm not a big VOY fan. I think out of all of Star Trek, VOY was the worse series. It was just boring. The characters were boring and the plot was boring until Seven came on board. It was sad because out of all the premises, VOY had the most promise. Luckily, The Mirror-Scaled Serpent was not boring.
Since the Marquee wasn't explored in VOY, you got that sense of feeling here. The Rebellion was basically the Marquee but more violent and some of the characters were ruthless. I actually liked Harry Kim. Surprisingly, Kes and Neelix were even worked in it.
Cutting Ties was the strangest story and the weakest. It didn't take existing Mirror Universe characters and show you what happened with them. Instead, it showed you as far as I knew, a new race and dealt with the Romulans. There were barely any humans in it. That's not to say that it was bad just that you didn't care as much as you normally would.
Saturn's Children was the best story. It picked off with the last DS9 Mirror Universe episode and showed you former Intendant Kira and Smiley. Kira tried to regain power and Smiley had to deal with being a leader of the rebellion. The most surprising thing was that Keiko was in it and that she wasn't annoying.
I don't know if they'll ever be another Mirror Universe television episode but as long as they have the books, I'll be happy. No one's safe in the books and they can do anything they want. It's also great to see the potential of what characters could have been.
April 29, 2019
"Finished The Mirror-Scaled Serpent, the 1st of 3 books in this anthology. I was totally surprised to see Kes in a favourable light. This story shows us a very believable MU Voyager crew; something we never got to see on TV and I loved hearing the cast's voices in my head. The Sorrows of Empire is a pre-requisite read as are the DS9 MU eps. This read like one big ST ep and for that alone I enjoyed it."
"Finished Cutting Ties. Having not read the New Frontier novels and only being familiar with DS9's 4th season, I found this quite a good story that made me want to read the NF novels and any other story that follows this one. The story read like an ep of Trek and had a great twist. The characters were fleshed out enough that I wasn't left wondering why I didn't read NF before reading this."
Kudos to Sarah Shaw! The third story, Saturn's Children, reads like an episode and I heard the character's voices clearly in my head.
Despite the author's struggle with verb tenses, ( explained in the About the Author notes - a fan fiction writer's first paid effort) this story is a very believable continuation of DS9's Mirror Universe.
If you want to get away from your day to day and want to spend it in the darker side of Trek, this book is for you.
"Finished Cutting Ties. Having not read the New Frontier novels and only being familiar with DS9's 4th season, I found this quite a good story that made me want to read the NF novels and any other story that follows this one. The story read like an ep of Trek and had a great twist. The characters were fleshed out enough that I wasn't left wondering why I didn't read NF before reading this."
Kudos to Sarah Shaw! The third story, Saturn's Children, reads like an episode and I heard the character's voices clearly in my head.
Despite the author's struggle with verb tenses, ( explained in the About the Author notes - a fan fiction writer's first paid effort) this story is a very believable continuation of DS9's Mirror Universe.
If you want to get away from your day to day and want to spend it in the darker side of Trek, this book is for you.
December 3, 2013
I bought this book for the New Frontier story "Cutting Ties" by Peter David. I may read the other two stories later, but I wish to power through to the end of the New Frontier books as I am so close. To that end:
"Cutting Ties" is the 24th chapter of what is properly called Star Trek: The New Frontier, but what I like to refer to as Star Trek: The Prime Time Soap. The story gives us a glimpse of our familiar cast done over "Mirror Universe" style. The so called Mirror Universe is a parallel universe filled with brutal doppelgängers of mainstream Trek characters. First introduced on the original TV series, it gave us such concepts as the Terran Empire (instead of the Federation) a megalomaniacal James T Kirk, and Spock with a goatee. Here we are introduced to a Mac Calhoun who was sold into slavery, a Soleta who grew up as a Romulan, and a Kebron who is best friends with none other than Si Cwan. It gets wilder from there and not everyone survives--Mirror U is a tough place. This is the first of three stories dealing with this alternate timeline. Highly recommended. The next is a story in the Shards and Shadows anthology.
"Cutting Ties" is the 24th chapter of what is properly called Star Trek: The New Frontier, but what I like to refer to as Star Trek: The Prime Time Soap. The story gives us a glimpse of our familiar cast done over "Mirror Universe" style. The so called Mirror Universe is a parallel universe filled with brutal doppelgängers of mainstream Trek characters. First introduced on the original TV series, it gave us such concepts as the Terran Empire (instead of the Federation) a megalomaniacal James T Kirk, and Spock with a goatee. Here we are introduced to a Mac Calhoun who was sold into slavery, a Soleta who grew up as a Romulan, and a Kebron who is best friends with none other than Si Cwan. It gets wilder from there and not everyone survives--Mirror U is a tough place. This is the first of three stories dealing with this alternate timeline. Highly recommended. The next is a story in the Shards and Shadows anthology.
December 31, 2009
3 and a half really.
The first story about the Voyager characters was really great (four stars). I was always a Kes fan (stopped watching the series once they dumped poor Jennifer Lien) and this was fun.
The second story about the "new frontier" characters was unreadable (Hint to Peter David: overuse of apostrophies does NOT make for "alien looking/sounding" names...it just smacks of poor pulp fantasy writing). I can't even give this one one star.
The third story was really good (3 and a half for that...not quite four). Funny thing is the third story was the one I read this AND "Glass Empires" for since it's kind of the lead in to the DS9 novel "Fearful Symmetry". (Turns out there are a couple stories to read in "Shards and Shadows" too before I get there). I usually only read the DS9 books; actually read most of them...anyhoo, worth a read if you are a fan of the books--not the best introduction to the extended cannon of the Star Trek Universe.
The first story about the Voyager characters was really great (four stars). I was always a Kes fan (stopped watching the series once they dumped poor Jennifer Lien) and this was fun.
The second story about the "new frontier" characters was unreadable (Hint to Peter David: overuse of apostrophies does NOT make for "alien looking/sounding" names...it just smacks of poor pulp fantasy writing). I can't even give this one one star.
The third story was really good (3 and a half for that...not quite four). Funny thing is the third story was the one I read this AND "Glass Empires" for since it's kind of the lead in to the DS9 novel "Fearful Symmetry". (Turns out there are a couple stories to read in "Shards and Shadows" too before I get there). I usually only read the DS9 books; actually read most of them...anyhoo, worth a read if you are a fan of the books--not the best introduction to the extended cannon of the Star Trek Universe.
July 4, 2016
I've read all three stories but I just reread the New Frontier story to get ready for the newest book.
All three stories take place in the "Mirror Mirror" universe.
M'k'e'n'zy of Calhoun is a cowardly little boy who is kept as a hostage by the Praetor of Romulus who calls him Muck. When he is of no further use, he is sent to the Reman mines. He is rescued as an adult by Soleta, who has embraced her Romulan heritage. They go aboard Si Cwan's ship which is powered by a mysterious and powerful force.
All three stories take place in the "Mirror Mirror" universe.
M'k'e'n'zy of Calhoun is a cowardly little boy who is kept as a hostage by the Praetor of Romulus who calls him Muck. When he is of no further use, he is sent to the Reman mines. He is rescued as an adult by Soleta, who has embraced her Romulan heritage. They go aboard Si Cwan's ship which is powered by a mysterious and powerful force.
January 28, 2021
This was better than the first book.
February 9, 2012
I found the Voyager and Excalibur sequences to be quite entertaining. I'm not very familiar with the McKenzie Calhoun stories but found it easy to follow nonetheless. However the Deep Space Nine sequence seemed to drag and more of a struggle to complete. I must admit that maybe from a predisposition to disliking the DS:9 franchise as a whole. As a whole I find it worth reading if for no other reason than to keep continuity within the Mirror Universe "mini-series".
February 18, 2013
Overall, an interesting collection of stories, reflecting the different series of Star Trek where reference has been made to alternate universes existing.
Once you start reading, you do get drawn into the story and the writing style of each of the authors, and for me it was a good, enjoyable read. I liked the end of the last story as it left the door open for more to be written in this series in the future.
Enjoyed it very much
Once you start reading, you do get drawn into the story and the writing style of each of the authors, and for me it was a good, enjoyable read. I liked the end of the last story as it left the door open for more to be written in this series in the future.
Enjoyed it very much
September 22, 2016
Re-read, September 2016: Enjoyed reading these Mirror Universe books, especially after reading several DS9 books set in or partially in this universe. Should have probably read the Mirror Universe books before reading the DS9 books, however.
Original review, 2007: wasn't wild about this book but was still an okay read.
Original review, 2007: wasn't wild about this book but was still an okay read.
February 26, 2013
Wow, this is the greatest Star Trek book (books, technically, since there are three stories) I've ever read! I admit to not being a fan of the Mirror Universe, and I know nothing about ST: New Frontier, but these mirror universe stories were awesome. I loved integrating the Voyager characters. I was engrossed and hate putting it down. Great book.
September 1, 2010
Since I just finished it I have to say that I did like the approch of all three but only wished that the tales of this unvierse of trek would continue becasue I for one would like to see if the Tarren Rebellion wins in their war agaisnt the Alliance.
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