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Star Trek: The Original Series #51
Enemy Unseen
Captain Kirk must stop a ruthless assassin or risk the safety of the starship Enterprise
279 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published October 1, 1990
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447 people want to read
About the author
V.E. Mitchell
13 books11 followersVictoria "Vicki" Estelle Mitchell Gustafson is a science fiction author specializing in Star Trek novels.
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
September 24, 2025
I found this a surprisingly mediocre book. There's a killer loose on the Enterprise and the crew must figure out who it is. The plot seemed obvious and I questioned why the characters took so long to figure it out.
Despite the nice cover art, I also found myself picturing the TV show Enterprise, even though it's supposed to take place in The Motion Picture era. In fact, this felt exactly like a TV episode. But it's a story we've seen too many times already.
2.5/5
Despite the nice cover art, I also found myself picturing the TV show Enterprise, even though it's supposed to take place in The Motion Picture era. In fact, this felt exactly like a TV episode. But it's a story we've seen too many times already.
2.5/5
July 12, 2021
Good star trek novel author got the characters just right the supporting characters like the first officer that replaced Spock and the deltan science officer were well written as well the storyline that I liked was having someone who can assume any person on the ship including captain Kirk and also the storyline with one of the ambassadors giving Kirk his three wives was quite humourous overall a very good star trek novel
December 29, 2024
Unfortunately, this has a good classic setup and ending but the mystery in the middle was a disappointing read.
We get a sticky diplomatic mission, with Kirk and co. needing to entertain a new species called the Kaldorni whose customs are certainly entertaining if not entirely unique in the Trek universe. At one point Kirk is gifted three of the ambassador's wives, which vaguely reminds me of a TNG episode, but despite his reputation Kirk does his best to return these as promptly as he can.
Our stud Kirk is also prey to a Lwoxanna on steroids character who vigorously tries to manipulate his sex drive. Lucky for us readers, Kirk is on best behaviour in this book. However, that unsuccessful temptress becomes a terribly nasty character when soon after we find her physically abusing her own daughter - enough to put her in sickbay with a concussion. It's really horrible.
As for the mystery, there is a spy and a murderer on board and the crew struggle to have much success in working out what's going on. A lot of daft calls are made and Kirk even claims to have never heard of any shapeshifting species when we know he'd met some of them by this time.
Kirk has an old friend on board who keeps coming under suspicion. Spock is away for a conference but he has left a trusted replacement with the crew, which seems like an odd setup considering Enterprise likely had many capable science officers aboard.
Anyway the end is interesting. Discovery of the murderer leads to revelations that alter the diplomatic mission. The murderer's actions were not justified but their plight is something we can be sympathetic to.
We get a sticky diplomatic mission, with Kirk and co. needing to entertain a new species called the Kaldorni whose customs are certainly entertaining if not entirely unique in the Trek universe. At one point Kirk is gifted three of the ambassador's wives, which vaguely reminds me of a TNG episode, but despite his reputation Kirk does his best to return these as promptly as he can.
Our stud Kirk is also prey to a Lwoxanna on steroids character who vigorously tries to manipulate his sex drive. Lucky for us readers, Kirk is on best behaviour in this book. However, that unsuccessful temptress becomes a terribly nasty character when soon after we find her physically abusing her own daughter - enough to put her in sickbay with a concussion. It's really horrible.
As for the mystery, there is a spy and a murderer on board and the crew struggle to have much success in working out what's going on. A lot of daft calls are made and Kirk even claims to have never heard of any shapeshifting species when we know he'd met some of them by this time.
Kirk has an old friend on board who keeps coming under suspicion. Spock is away for a conference but he has left a trusted replacement with the crew, which seems like an odd setup considering Enterprise likely had many capable science officers aboard.
Anyway the end is interesting. Discovery of the murderer leads to revelations that alter the diplomatic mission. The murderer's actions were not justified but their plight is something we can be sympathetic to.
December 3, 2022
Good story about the Enterprise ferrying diplomats (again) and murders occur on the ship, leading to a mystery as to who is doing them and who is acting as a spy. Mystery was okay but easily figured out early on. Good but forgettable
March 22, 2013
I was rather turned off by the sexism (women treated as objects, not only by the aliens but by the crew--including Bones teasing Kirk about his being saddled with a few wives given to him as gifts), as well as sexual assault (by another woman on Kirk) and (basically) domestic assault (that woman on her adult child) treated as not crimes. Not as problematic, but annoying nonetheless, was the ubiquitous bad mood of the main characters: for example, even when unwarranted, Kirk is described over and over as "scowling". This doesn't seem at all in character for him. He's usually much more good humoured and wry when confronted with things he doesn't care for.
However, it was a good mystery (in the sense that it kept me reading to find out the solution), and the plot holes and other nonsense weren't too bad for a Trek novel. As well, I liked the supporting characters so there was that going for it.
However, it was a good mystery (in the sense that it kept me reading to find out the solution), and the plot holes and other nonsense weren't too bad for a Trek novel. As well, I liked the supporting characters so there was that going for it.
August 25, 2011
James T. Kirk and the crew of the Enterprise were assigned to transport a diplomatic party which revealed trouble from the start. The Federation Ambassador, Montoya, his wife was an old flame of Kirk's and she's determined that they resume their romance where they left off. Them ambassador Klee has his own speaker, t'Stror, which speaks for Klee. It is said then that Klee's youngest wife has become ill. Moreover, Klee has three wives and unfortunately two of them are being poisoned by eating poisoned food by a spy on the food dispenser. Mysteriously, an unknown figure orders that the Speed and the course of the ship to be changed, and freaking accidents was created by this impostor. Captain Kirk must stop this ruthless assassin. And Kirk begins to wish that Starfleet Command would consider other star-ships to ferry diplomatic personnel.
December 31, 2019
One of those solid, engrossing Star Trek novels that manages to (1) remind you why you are a fan of this wonderful show, and (2) irritate you, because it represents a post-Motion Picture series of adventures that SHOULD have been televised!
June 21, 2021
Enemy Unseen • V. E. Mitchel • Pocket Books 1990 • Book 34 of 52 •
•
Just like my favorite episodes of TOS with multiple storylines. Aliens, new characters, old characters, and some characters just aren't in the story at all. Spock was on shore leave, but he built an A.I. to give Kirk robotic and detached advice. "Vulcan-in-a-box" often replied "insufficient data" so it's just as good as the real thing but hardly a replacement first officer. The acting first officer is Kirk's old academy friend Patrick Brady.
•
The A-plot is a diplomatic mission to host negotiation of Yarga IV settlement treaty between the Kaldorni and the Beystohn League of Planets. Kaldorni are an honorable race from a low gravity world, very large and very slow in the gravity on the Enterprise. n'Glen l'Stror Klee is the ambassador, who will not speak to anyone of lower rank so his servant k'Vlay t'Stror speaks for him. The Ambassador of the Baystohn League is Commissioner Montoya and his wife Cecilia Simmons whom Kirk is already well "acquainted" with ;-)
•
The B-plot follows crew mates Janara and Tenaida. Tenaida is the acting science officer, a Deltan with a similar Vulcan culture of logic and emotional control but highly sexual with strong pheromones which are medically suppressed.
Janara Whitehorse is the estranged half Deltan daughter of Cecilia, raised on Delta to train her psychic abilities, a skill Cecilia detests along with everything else Deltan in her daughter.
•
A shape shifting, psychic saboteur is murdering delegates and impersonating them and psychically attacking Janara. Simmons becomes a suspect, but is just misdirection. Tenaida and Brady investigate and Janara takes Deltan medication Boretelin, to dampen her psychic ability.
•
The C-plot is the old "Kirk accidentally marries three women" story. The Ambassador of Kaldorni gifts him with 3 wives in a ceremony of thanks. Dietary and Climate conflicts make it hard for Kirk to spend time in his quarters and spends the story sleep-deprived and short tempered. Kirk, however immersed in the culture, learns a way to return the gift without diminishing the honor of anyone involved. Very classy.
•
#bookstagram #52booksin52weeks
•
Just like my favorite episodes of TOS with multiple storylines. Aliens, new characters, old characters, and some characters just aren't in the story at all. Spock was on shore leave, but he built an A.I. to give Kirk robotic and detached advice. "Vulcan-in-a-box" often replied "insufficient data" so it's just as good as the real thing but hardly a replacement first officer. The acting first officer is Kirk's old academy friend Patrick Brady.
•
The A-plot is a diplomatic mission to host negotiation of Yarga IV settlement treaty between the Kaldorni and the Beystohn League of Planets. Kaldorni are an honorable race from a low gravity world, very large and very slow in the gravity on the Enterprise. n'Glen l'Stror Klee is the ambassador, who will not speak to anyone of lower rank so his servant k'Vlay t'Stror speaks for him. The Ambassador of the Baystohn League is Commissioner Montoya and his wife Cecilia Simmons whom Kirk is already well "acquainted" with ;-)
•
The B-plot follows crew mates Janara and Tenaida. Tenaida is the acting science officer, a Deltan with a similar Vulcan culture of logic and emotional control but highly sexual with strong pheromones which are medically suppressed.
Janara Whitehorse is the estranged half Deltan daughter of Cecilia, raised on Delta to train her psychic abilities, a skill Cecilia detests along with everything else Deltan in her daughter.
•
A shape shifting, psychic saboteur is murdering delegates and impersonating them and psychically attacking Janara. Simmons becomes a suspect, but is just misdirection. Tenaida and Brady investigate and Janara takes Deltan medication Boretelin, to dampen her psychic ability.
•
The C-plot is the old "Kirk accidentally marries three women" story. The Ambassador of Kaldorni gifts him with 3 wives in a ceremony of thanks. Dietary and Climate conflicts make it hard for Kirk to spend time in his quarters and spends the story sleep-deprived and short tempered. Kirk, however immersed in the culture, learns a way to return the gift without diminishing the honor of anyone involved. Very classy.
•
#bookstagram #52booksin52weeks
September 5, 2024
A fun novel with an engaging mystery, but with so many pieces incongruous to Star Trek that it regularly threw me out of the story.
The banishment of Spock was an obvious ploy to make the story work (due to the telepathic elements he would have unraveled in two minutes), but I don't begrudge the author that. Episodes have pulled similar tricks before. In service to a good story, I'd be down.
But I found it very difficult to believe that anyone - much less everyone! - on the Enterprise had never heard of a shape-changer or shapeshifter when species who could do this were shown in the original series! This conceit of utter ignorance is necessary for the bulk of the story to even happen and every time it was (or wasn't) mentioned - especially when it was analyzed to death with no one thinking of the obvious solution - it threw me for a loop. The level of suspension of disbelief required is just too high.
There is also an unbelievable amount of graphic parent-to-child physical abuse in here that is simply "let go" by Federation citizens and Starfleet officers. I found that really hard to stomach or buy. It seems to me there would have been intervention well before things got to the point they did. In fact, the abused character in question seems to have been invented just so the author would have someone to beat up on the regular. It became so disturbing as it went on that I began to wonder if the author was purging some personal experiences. Again, I wouldn't begrudge an author that (it's part of writing), but it was the wrong story for it.
All this said, I enjoyed the mystery and I especially enjoyed getting to know the culture of a new species - the good, the bad, and the very, very ugly. As an admitted huge Spock fan, one would think a book that completely eliminates him from the story would only get a 1-star from me, but it was interesting enough to garner 3.
Worth reading, and easy to get through, but I wouldn't recommend it.
The banishment of Spock was an obvious ploy to make the story work (due to the telepathic elements he would have unraveled in two minutes), but I don't begrudge the author that. Episodes have pulled similar tricks before. In service to a good story, I'd be down.
But I found it very difficult to believe that anyone - much less everyone! - on the Enterprise had never heard of a shape-changer or shapeshifter when species who could do this were shown in the original series! This conceit of utter ignorance is necessary for the bulk of the story to even happen and every time it was (or wasn't) mentioned - especially when it was analyzed to death with no one thinking of the obvious solution - it threw me for a loop. The level of suspension of disbelief required is just too high.
There is also an unbelievable amount of graphic parent-to-child physical abuse in here that is simply "let go" by Federation citizens and Starfleet officers. I found that really hard to stomach or buy. It seems to me there would have been intervention well before things got to the point they did. In fact, the abused character in question seems to have been invented just so the author would have someone to beat up on the regular. It became so disturbing as it went on that I began to wonder if the author was purging some personal experiences. Again, I wouldn't begrudge an author that (it's part of writing), but it was the wrong story for it.
All this said, I enjoyed the mystery and I especially enjoyed getting to know the culture of a new species - the good, the bad, and the very, very ugly. As an admitted huge Spock fan, one would think a book that completely eliminates him from the story would only get a 1-star from me, but it was interesting enough to garner 3.
Worth reading, and easy to get through, but I wouldn't recommend it.
October 28, 2021
Why would you write a Star Trek novel and send Spock on vacation? Another thing that didn't work for me was the amount of page time the many, many "guest actors" were getting compared to the series regulars. If this was a TOS episode there would have been two or three guest characters, this has double that and it takes away from it feeling like a true classic Trek story. I just stopped caring mid way through the story. When you remove the character dynamics that made TOS so enjoyable then what's the point? I'm much more of a fan of the books by Trek authors like Peter David and Jerry Oltion. I had to bail on this one about half way through. It just became a slog.
December 2, 2023
Well interesting to see an interpretation of a shape-shifter pre-Undiscovered Country, The Dauphin (TNG) and Deep Space Nine but oddly enough very similar to the creatures we see in the Dauphin.
I wasn't overly impressed with the story and I thought Kirk was kind of an idiot in it but is that what the author was trying to say by removing Spock for a majority of the book?
Anyway, a ton of new characters were introduced that you had to keep straight and the Simons character was irritating enough that you wished she died sooner.
Kind of an interesting premise but I think the execution was lacking.
I wasn't overly impressed with the story and I thought Kirk was kind of an idiot in it but is that what the author was trying to say by removing Spock for a majority of the book?
Anyway, a ton of new characters were introduced that you had to keep straight and the Simons character was irritating enough that you wished she died sooner.
Kind of an interesting premise but I think the execution was lacking.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 7, 2019
Captain Kirk is assigned a routine diplomatic mission while Spock is on leave. The mission is immediately compromised when one of the diplomatic attachés is found brutally murdered on the Dtatbase shortly after the team has embarked. Kirk must work to uncover the spy and save the mission, before everyone ends up dead.
A fairly average story, which somehow implies it's more important than it is.
A fairly average story, which somehow implies it's more important than it is.
May 13, 2023
Missed Spock in this book…However I did enjoy the replacement science officer. Kirk having to deal with the negotiations and his three ‘wives’. Seems like it took them a long time to get to the spy. Not my favorite ST book but it was a good read.
May 27, 2024
There’s yet another murder happening on yet another diplomatic mission aboard the Enterprise. A very pedestrian plot, livened up only by a great portrayal of Kirk. Some interesting ideas but they’re stuck in a story that I just can’t be bothered with.
June 15, 2021
A good Star Trek TOS yarn. Very enjoyable.
May 11, 2024
Stardate 8036.2 The Enterprise is on a diplomatic mission to transport the Kaldorni delegation to La Paz only to find they have a spy and a murderer onboard.
An entertaing re-read
An entertaing re-read
June 4, 2020
A perfect Star Trek episode: in space in the Enterprise, aliens, adventure, mystery, psychologie and a lot of humor. Spock is not present so when Kirk gets in trouble, this is mostly to the joy of McCoy. Until things get really serious when the doctor is the first to stand behind his friend and captain.
A very interesting plot and a well-worked out diplomatic mission where the author focuses on the difficulties and workarounds but limits the boring parts and psychology to what is functional and necessary for the story - which is still plenty, but it reads well.
The real enemy is only discovered till fairly late in the story so there is plenty of suspence and action, some of it even risking the existence of the enterprise.
A few new characters are introduced, some people die and we see some romance, several aspects of it even, from humorous to forced.
As far as pleasant reading goes, this is a topper, focusing mostly on Kirk and McCoy from the core crew although Scotty, Sulu, Chekov and Uhura also have a small part.
A very interesting plot and a well-worked out diplomatic mission where the author focuses on the difficulties and workarounds but limits the boring parts and psychology to what is functional and necessary for the story - which is still plenty, but it reads well.
The real enemy is only discovered till fairly late in the story so there is plenty of suspence and action, some of it even risking the existence of the enterprise.
A few new characters are introduced, some people die and we see some romance, several aspects of it even, from humorous to forced.
As far as pleasant reading goes, this is a topper, focusing mostly on Kirk and McCoy from the core crew although Scotty, Sulu, Chekov and Uhura also have a small part.
July 9, 2012
"Enemy Unseen" is an average and insignificant read through and through. The novel does have some potential for being a decent SF thriller, but instead it stumbles on endless clichés and predictabilities in the plot. Also, the story doesn't seem to advance past the introduction and that really hurts a book with not enough nuance to keep things interesting as the plot is taking a break. I found myself constantly getting a little frustrated when I was sure some major twist in the storyline was lurking right around the corner, but instead there was just more stalling that eventually didn't help the novel grow.
When an uneventful bulk of a mystery tale is combined to the most predictable and hurriedly constructed ending, you get a novel which offers some interesting parts, is a nice, quick read with a good use of some original characters and a poor use of others. Readable, but it offers nothing significant.
When an uneventful bulk of a mystery tale is combined to the most predictable and hurriedly constructed ending, you get a novel which offers some interesting parts, is a nice, quick read with a good use of some original characters and a poor use of others. Readable, but it offers nothing significant.
March 28, 2010
[These notes were made in 1990:]. Obviously an expansion on the ideas presented in the original episode (something about Babel) where a diplomatic party on board the Enterprise is shocked by a murder. In this case, a junior Vulcan officer (Tenaida) and the woman he is attached to - Janara - who turns out to be a powerful telepath - are the scapegoats. There are complications provided by Janara's mother, a harpy who is a former flame of Kirk's, and an ambassador who, in order to satisfy his own culture's notions of honour, presents 3 of his wives to Kirk. (Only the comedic possibilities of this situation are explored!) Quite a good little actioner.
March 5, 2013
With a novel of this design, you need Spock there. Simply providing a "computer" that acts like Spock is not the same thing. The minor characters are not as well rounded as I would have liked, and Kirk's love intrest comes accross as more of a slut than a "jaded" woman from his past. I really didn't care for the 'breasts' or 'thighs' or cleavage-esq comments in the book, as it took away from the overall story. Had this been made into a show/movie, I'm sure fans would be screaming at their TV's with words like "Come on, Kirk! You're smarter than that! Put 2 and 2 togehter already!"
June 20, 2020
I reread my books, sometimes years later. So here we are, reading it again in 2020. I seemed to recall enjoying it in 1990 but this time, it was slow, boring, the characters went around in circles and the ending very limp. I wonder why the author decided to have Spock going to Vulcan? The Deltan character fulfilled the Spock role to an extent and acted like a Vulcan, saying 'logic this' and 'logic that'. Some almost-humorous parts fell flat. It has a great cover painting but the axiom 'you can't judge a book by its cover' rings true for this book.
December 13, 2010
Fun, if you're a trekkie. Based on one of the original episodes, I think.
December 12, 2013
Classic and classy, in true ST fashion.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews