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The puckish super-being called Q has bedeviled Captain Jean-Luc Picard and the crew of the Starship Enterprise since their first encounter at Farpoint Station. But little was known of Q's enigmatic past or that of the transcendent plane where he sometimes dwells. Now Picard must discover Q's secrets -- for the sake of all that exists. While the Enterprise struggles to survive an alien onslaught, Captain Picard has been kidnapped by Q and taken on an astounding journey back through time to that immeasurably distant moment when the Continuum faced its greatest threat. But far more is at stake than simply the mysteries of the past, for an ancient menace is stirring once more, endangering the future of the galaxy, and neither Q nor Starfleet may be able to stop it!

270 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published August 1, 1998

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Greg Cox

153 books424 followers

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5 stars
361 (29%)
4 stars
435 (35%)
3 stars
347 (28%)
2 stars
72 (5%)
1 star
18 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews
Profile Image for Andrew.
2,539 reviews
July 27, 2019
And so on to the second the Q continuum trilogy - and it pretty much picks up the instance the first book left off. Now it is always tricky to speak about a book which is part of a series where the action is almost instantly picking up from the first volume.

The reason is two fold = the first is that if you are reading these comments without having read the first it pretty much tells you how it would end since the next sentence in the book is the first in this.

The other reason is that anything that happens in this book has its premise created in the first so technically you would not need to explain it twice. I will admit this is also a bonus as so much can be written in this book without any length back story or explanations.

Just as well as there are some huge references to previous star trek stories but from the original series and the next generation and I must admit they were deftly done - just enough weight to make you realise their importance but not too much that it was a contrite name drop to make sure you knew whose franchise you were reading.

Anyway this book I must had a lot going on - but in the scheme of things pretty much left the enterprise where you found it - the question is what is the larger picture being played out and considering the names already referred to in this book where will the third and final book go?
700 reviews2 followers
July 18, 2021
Based on the first book, I can't say I'm surprised at my complaints with the second... This entire book could have been better executed as a chapter or maybe two - with cosmically enlarged and slowed storylines compressed from a 100 pages to a well constructed paragraph or two, and to better effect. Most of this book seemed filler and didn't really move the story or the characters along very far. The mad scientist Dr continues to appear as a 2-D character at best. I'm only continuing out of curiosity whether the conclusion to the Q story will be worth these digressions, and whether it will even make sense...
Profile Image for Dan.
323 reviews15 followers
July 20, 2017
Like the last installment, it is difficult to judge the story when it not yet complete. The action is at faster pace than the first volume, which is welcome, and the events that end with the destruction of the Tkon Empire were a lot of fun to read. Greg Cox does very well with his world-building for the Tkon, and the fact that they are so well fleshed-out makes the Empire's eventual fall that much more tragic. I'm excited to get to the conclusion of this story soon. Look for my review of part three in the near future!

Full review: http://treklit.blogspot.com/2015/11/T...
Profile Image for Patrick Hayes.
684 reviews7 followers
May 9, 2021
You could read this installment without reading the previous, but the overall story certainly has a grander scale if you read the preceding book.

The Enterprise-E is just outside the Great Barrier, buffeted by the energy of this galactic enigma and pummeled by the energy of the Calamarain who seek to destroy the ship for attempting to enter it. Jean-Luc Picard has been wisked away by Q to follow in his youthful steps after he released 0 from the Guardian on the Edge of Forever. Picard watches as 0 subjects the Tkon to a series of "tests" that don't appear be designed to examine anything about this species. The novel ends with 0's tests concluded and Q learning something about his newfound friend and his treacherous colleagues.

If you've read the first book, you know exactly how the story will end in regard to the Tkon, but Cox makes it an absolutely marvelous and painful read as individuals try their best to stop the fighting. I was glued to those chapters because I was constantly wondering if they would be able to guess what was actually occurring to them. The ending is brutal and tragic. The large paragraph on Page 258 is simply explained through science, yet it the most heartbreaking thing I can recall reading.

I'm also in awe how Cox can make Q sympathetic. What happens to his youthful self is horrible, yet the reader can see what is going on, while the "omnipotent" Q is clueless. It's a painful lesson and present day Q's comments to Picard barely maintain this sympathy. I love when writers can make the antagonists sympathetic, luring the reader, and possibly the characters, into complacency.

One recurring character from the series has an idea that might save the Enterprise when all looks lost. I also appreciated this, because the character was (once again) not doing much to justify his presence, but Cox makes his idea integral for the crew's survival. I've never been a fan of this individual, but without him the crew might have been lost.

A big shout out also to the pair of classic Trek villains that appears as 0's underlings. I've never been too fond of either character, thinking others in their episodes are much more interesting, but having them in action in this novel increases their strength in those later appearances.

The book ends in a cliffhanger--how else could the second book close in a trilogy?--and I will definitely be reading the conclusion quickly. Cox certainly cements himself as one of Trek's better writers with this series.
Profile Image for Daniel Kukwa.
4,743 reviews123 followers
September 14, 2023
I'd rate this closer to 3.5 stars, but I'm inclined to round it up. It may be the middle filler/treading water stage of the trilogy, but it moves very fast, and offers a very tragic explanation to the demise of the T'Kon Empire, introduced in the first season of TNG. It certainly makes immortals look like the complete dicks everyone thinks they are...
Profile Image for Jessica Kordyban.
35 reviews
February 10, 2021
Superbeings that are sadistic, cruel and unfair are truly something that would/could be feared. At least the Q makes the 'tests' livable.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
53 reviews4 followers
October 24, 2017
Q-Zone, the second book in the Q Continuum trilogy, picks up in the midst of an unrelenting battle between the Enterprise (under the command of Riker) and the Calamarain, while Picard is held as an unwitting hostage-come-spectator to Q's checkered past.

Fleeing the Calamarain, Riker takes the Enterprise into the Galactic Barrier in a move which may way well turn into a frying pan into the fire maneuver. Meanwhile, Picard bears witness to a genocide of epic proportions as Q reveals how he played a role in the extermination of the ancient Tkon civilization, orchestrated by the malevolent 0.

After spending the majority of Book 1 battling the Calamarain, Riker finally takes action after Barclay's suggestion that the Enterprise's shields could be augmented by the psyionic energy of the galactic barrier. Sure enough, the crew leave behind their gaseous adversaries, although the price they have to pay is not yet clear. I'm glad that Lem Faal's story is finally advanced here: his constant chafing against the crew had become tiresome, and pushed beyond all reasonable behaviour. Thankfully, we're informed that such behaviour is not entirely of his own making as the entity behind the barrier (0) has formed some psychic connections of his own. This turns Lem Faal into an even more tragic figure, devoid of any emotional connection to his two children and intent on seeing through his experiment no matter what the consequences. Quite how much of this is 0's influence, I'm not entirely sure - but his son seems to give the impression that Lem has never been a contender for the galaxy's best father.

I was glad to see Female Q and Q Junior sidelined in Book 2, their presence became grating in the first book and the (already tense) situation on the Enterprise didn't need an extra element of complication thrown into the mix.

Riker's command skills sometimes come across as lacking in certain critical scenes - his lack of authority when it comes to Lem Faal and ensuring the safety of the telepathic crewmembers felt somewhat out of character, as did his self doubt about losing another Enterprise after the D was lost in Star Trek Generations. Honorary mention must be given to Baeta Leyoro, the Enterprise's new security chief of Angosian supersoldier ("The Hunted") origin. Sadly, both in this book and the last, the character comes across as two-dimensionally trigger happy (especially in her reaction to Q and Barclay). Still, I'll be interested to see any effects of the psychic energies of the barrier which may or may not manifest themselves in her in Book 3.

On to the primary plot: Picard's journey into Q's past. I enjoyed 0's summoning of his preternatural gang of thugs through the Guardian of Forever. While I feel the jury is still out on the inclusion of Gorgan (TOS's friendly angel from "And the Children Shall Lead", a less than stellar episode), I enjoyed the inclusion of the Beta XIIa entity, christened here as (*), and "The One", an alien who bears similarities to "God" from Star Trek V: The Final Frontier. Author Greg Cox clearly knows his canon well, and that's one of the main reasons why Q-Zone excels at weaving together established elements of the Star Trek universe into an interesting plot.

Cox provides a believable backstory to the Calamarain, and justifies their hatred of Q we see in "Deja Q". It was harrowing to see 0's casual brutality in condensing the lifeforms down into an icy dustball, and Q's reaction was pitched well. Yet in reality this is only the prelude to the main event (as we are constantly reminded by modern-day Q)...

The Tkon empire take center stage as 0 and Q's playthings, as 0 coaches Q in the joys of tormenting lesser lifeforms. Here clearly lies the origin of Q's love of "testing" species, and Cox establishes a very believable backstory for our favourite omnipotent TNG guest star in a plot which finally sheds light on the reasons behind Q's modus operandi. In a series of chapters which spans periods of time in the decades leading up to the annihilation of the Tkon empire, 0, Gorgan, (*) and The One take turns in wreaking havoc and fomenting civil war across the multiple worlds which constitute the Tkon empire's home solar system.

Viewers who remember TNG's "The Last Outpost" already know how things end for the Tkon Empire, but I thought Cox's plot was especially convincing in tying together so many high-concept throwaway lines in that episode. While the intervention of the superbeings in Tkon history became gradually more deadly, this made 0's final act no less harrowing. The way in which 0 snuffs out an entire civilization with such casual disregard for life shocked me even though I knew it was coming. Young Q's reaction was fascinating to see, as his "limits" are finally laid down: this is wrong, and even though he is outnumbered and powerless to stop it, a line has been drawn in the sand placing Q and 0 on opposite sides.

It's clear that the trilogy is maneuvering towards the eventual reveal and potential release of an imprisoned 0, so I'm looking forward to diving into the final book to see how things end.

An improvement on Book 1, and very enjoyable! Four stars.

Profile Image for Taaya .
918 reviews4 followers
April 11, 2022
Dear god that was boring. And then there's the ableism against Barclay that's almost physically hurtful to read. And the sheer arrogance of Picard in this story. Picard was always a little self-righteous, but usually it was at least partially founded on actual human qualities. But here he just thinks he's above everyone else, while humans did the SAME shit, still do in our time, even without being corrupted by being almighty.

This could've been shortened into three chapters - similar to the first book. I wonder how much unnecessary filler chapters we'll get in book 3. And when Q will finally fulfill his purpose of both educating humanity and being FUN. Because so far there was no fun anywhere to be seen in this book series.
Profile Image for Richard Tubb.
Author 5 books30 followers
August 28, 2017
The 2nd in the Q Continuum trilogy of books, this Star Trek - The Next Generation novel is dripping with continuity nods for fans of the Star Trek movies and television series.

The book moves at a slower pace than the first installment, concentrating on Picard and Q's observation of 0's entrance to their multiverse and his tampering with the Tkon empire. We're also given a look at the Enterprise E as it tries to survive a confrontation at the edge of the Galactic Barrier.

As with the first book in this trilogy, as a Trek geek I devoured this and thoroughly enjoyed. I'm looking forward to reading the third and final part of this awesome Q storyline!
Profile Image for Ingrid.
351 reviews4 followers
February 11, 2022
This book suffers from a slowness commonly found in the second book of a trilogy. An entire book is dedicated to a stroll down Q’s memory lane. The plot moved barely forward for the amount of plot and detailed provided. I began to lose interest once I realized that the plot was not going to be resolved in a timely fashion. But that being said, the characters were interesting and the detail was good. I may be suffering from dissatisfaction stemming from the current state of affairs. There’s enough discord in the country right now that I don’t enjoy reading about entities that destroy civilizations for the fun of it. I will be reading the next book to find out what happens.
Profile Image for Craig.
540 reviews2 followers
June 17, 2018
I quit. I forced myself through book one and was hoping for better things but this series is terrible. This guy's writing is awful and his ideas are stupid. You can't get through one chapter without him referencing some episode or moment in previous Trek. It's all uninspired garbage and I hate it. I like reading Star Trek and these books have killed that for me for a bit. Thanks Greg Cox, your bland fan fiction can go somewhere else.
Profile Image for Peter Rydén.
262 reviews
May 31, 2021
Storyn blir ännu mer rörig (fast det är inte fel – för Q är ju minst sagt rörig när han skall berätta något då han inte tänker eller agerar linjärt...) och komplex. Det är en drivande historia som tvingas vidare hela tiden och man känner verkligen kampen mot klockan. Som en mellanbok normalt sett är, är även denna något sämre än den första boken, men det är inget markant och boken behövs självklart som en del i trilogin.
Profile Image for Mic Dysinger.
40 reviews3 followers
October 2, 2024
Q-Zone (Book 2 of 3) felt like a slog to get through. I only picked it up to continue the story, but it was so dragged out that it barely advanced the plot at all. It felt like the entire book was just filler, stretching out a story that could have moved along much faster. The pacing made it hard to stay interested, and honestly, it felt like a chore to finish. Because it did so little to progress the overall story, I never bothered reading the third book.
Profile Image for Russell Horton.
140 reviews1 follower
April 27, 2021
It is said that the weak part in a trilogy is usually the second part, however, not so in this case. Not much interlude and a bit more action casting more light of the character of Q as well. Needless to say that this series will possibly change your view on him. Well done with an ending leaving the reader hopefully wanting more.
Profile Image for Robin.
175 reviews4 followers
August 10, 2021
I don't think I can finish this. It's part of a series of 3. The first one was pretty good. This second book is just drawing the story out and out and out, with nothing but dreadful characters doing dreadful things. All hope is lost. Come on! Those of us reading Star Trek books for comfort reading come for the inspiration of people with integrity.
Profile Image for Cheryl.
13k reviews483 followers
Read
September 24, 2023
Definitely middle book. And not great editing. "A radioactive half-life" can be of any length, Cox. One has to be a fan of Q to get through these. I mean, that's not surprising but the degree to which nothing else makes sense seems extreme to me.

If pressed, two stars for this, three for the trilogy, for my personal taste. But not recommended.
Profile Image for Andy Parkes.
427 reviews9 followers
October 22, 2017
Not as good as the first, felt very much like it's purpose was to set everything up for the final book. Enjoyable still
Looking forward to the last one
Profile Image for Jon.
346 reviews1 follower
January 10, 2024
Overly long and quite dull at times whilst O and the gang do their stuff. It's a good story for the series but book 2 could have been incorporated into a much livelier 2 book series.
Profile Image for Vladimir Ghinculov.
304 reviews4 followers
July 1, 2025
This is the second book in the Q Continuum series from the post-Nemesis Star Trek: The Next Generation universe. I didn't think it was possible but Greg Cox did it: there is even less action in this book than in the fist one, therefore my lower rating. It seems a very bad idea to have a trilogy with only two plots but here we are.
Profile Image for Conan Tigard.
1,134 reviews3 followers
November 14, 2015
Q-Zone takes place on a new Enterprise-E, so must occur just after the second movie, First Contact, since that is when the new ship is introduced. The story focuses on two divergent storylines: 1) Q showing Picard bits and pieces of Q's own past, and 2) Riker and the Enterprise, after failing in their attempt at breaching the Great Galactic Barrier, must survive the attack of the Calamarain.

Where the first book in this trilogy moved along rather slowly, this one picks up the pace a little. But, still, I was a little disappointed in the later part of the story as it takes place all in the Tkon Empire. I wanted more about the Star Trek crew. Yes, I understand that this part of the story was necessary to show how ruthless 0 and his band of executioners are, but I still wanted more of the character I know and love. I can't help that.

Greg Cox does an excellent job with the characterization and it is interesting to learn about Q in his youth and to see that he used to have morals. Why did Q change? I can't answer that yet. Hopefully that will be in Q-Strike, the last book of this trilogy.

Overall, Q-Zone is a better book than Q-Space, and a good continuance to a trilogy. Like with any Star Trek book, if you are a Star Trek Next Generation fan, and especially a Q fan, you shouldn't miss this one.

I rated this book a 7 out of 10.
Profile Image for Mikael Kuoppala.
936 reviews37 followers
May 27, 2012
Here we have a premise with as much potential as any novel can have, and it's left largely unused.

"Q-Zone" centeres around Q's past, showing us Q's and Picard's journey through space and time. Unfortunately we don't get to witness the ultimate, surreal, fantastic Q-adventure, like the later released "IQ" by Peter David and John DeLancie, but insted we are offered tons of tedious and irrelevant scenes that are structured badly. In the end the novel isn't bad in any way. It just could have been so much more.
Profile Image for Scarlett Sims.
798 reviews31 followers
August 30, 2013
Alright, so this is the second book in this trilogy. Picard has been kidnapped by Q, leaving the Enterprise-E with Riker in command to fight off the Calamarain. If that sentence didn't make sense to you, there's no sense in picking up this book.

Anyway, the cool thing this trilogy does is give us a peek into the life of young Q, showing the mistakes he made and giving some clues as to why he is so.... Q-y.
999 reviews
March 29, 2015
I lovely romp through the history of Q. After a nice foundation in the first of the trilogy, this one gets to the meat of the matter. What an interesting life it has been for Q. A wonderful blend of the many layers in the past, with the present, and a smattering of how it just may transform the future. I know Q was interesting but, this is intriguing indeed.
A taste of the 4 horsemen and you can't go wrong, eh?
Profile Image for Kevin.
882 reviews17 followers
November 24, 2024
This second part of the trilogy continues with Q leading Picard on a walk down memory lane. He sees Q help release 0 plus a few other omnipotent and very familiar creatures into the realm of the Federation via the Guardian of Forever. Of course they wreak havoc with a civilization in the distant past. Meanwhile Riker has his hands full trying not to have the Enterprise E destroyed by an alien entity they encountered previously with Q on board. Nicely paced. Definitely recommended
Profile Image for Russell LeCroy.
37 reviews5 followers
February 27, 2024
This is still an enjoyable book but, it falls short of the greatness of the first part of this story. I feel like about 3 whole chapters worth of this book could be edited out/condensed and the story would only be served by doing so. I also question the order of 2 or 3 of the chapters near the end. (each from different characters points of view) I still want to read the 3rd and final book in this story arc but I don't mind as much as I thought I would that I don't already own a copy of part 3.
Profile Image for Weavre.
420 reviews11 followers
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December 29, 2008
Just adding a few more Star Trek novels I found while working in the shed, so they're in my list here; that way, I can easily see which ones we don't have and bookmooch only titles we're missing. But to be honest, I don't remember any of these stories particularly well, and will have to post an actual review when and if I get around to re-reading them in the future.
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