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Star Trek: Prey #1
Prey: Book One: Hell's Heart Volume 1
Continuing the milestone 50th anniversary celebration of Star Trek - an epic new trilogy that stretches from the events of the Original Series movie The Search for Spock to The Next Generation!
When Klingon commander Kruge died in combat against James T. Kirk on the Genesis planet back in 2285, he left behind a powerful house in disarray - and a series of ticking time the Phantom Wing, a secret squadron of advanced Birds-of-Prey; a cabal of loyal officers intent on securing his heritage; and young Korgh, his thwarted would-be heir, willing to wait a Klingon lifetime to enact his vengeance.
Now, 100 years later, while on a diplomatic mission for the United Federation of Planets, Captain Jean-Luc Picard and the crew of the USS Enterprise are snared in the aged Korgh's trap - and thrust directly in the middle of an ancient conflict. But as Commander Worf soon learns, Korgh may be after far bigger game than anyone imagines, confronting the Federation-Klingon alliance with a crisis unlike any it has ever seen!
When Klingon commander Kruge died in combat against James T. Kirk on the Genesis planet back in 2285, he left behind a powerful house in disarray - and a series of ticking time the Phantom Wing, a secret squadron of advanced Birds-of-Prey; a cabal of loyal officers intent on securing his heritage; and young Korgh, his thwarted would-be heir, willing to wait a Klingon lifetime to enact his vengeance.
Now, 100 years later, while on a diplomatic mission for the United Federation of Planets, Captain Jean-Luc Picard and the crew of the USS Enterprise are snared in the aged Korgh's trap - and thrust directly in the middle of an ancient conflict. But as Commander Worf soon learns, Korgh may be after far bigger game than anyone imagines, confronting the Federation-Klingon alliance with a crisis unlike any it has ever seen!
Audible Audio
First published October 1, 2016
151 people are currently reading
556 people want to read
About the author
John Jackson Miller
344 books986 followersNew York Times bestselling author John Jackson Miller has spent a lifetime immersed in science fiction. His Star Trek novels include the Discovery – Die Standing, the acclaimed novel Discovery — The Enterprise War, the Prey trilogy, and Takedown. His Star Wars novels include A New Dawn, Kenobi, Knight Errant, Lost Tribe of the Sith, and the Knights of the Old Republic comics, available from Marvel as Legends: The Old Republic.
He’s written comics and prose for Halo, Iron Man, Simpsons, Conan, Planet of the Apes, and Mass Effect, with recent graphic novels for Battlestar Galactica, Dumbo, and The Lion King. Production notes on all his works can be found at his fiction site.
He is also a comics industry historian, specializing in studying comic-book circulation as presented on his website, Comichron.. He also coauthored the Standard Catalog of Comic Books series.
He’s written comics and prose for Halo, Iron Man, Simpsons, Conan, Planet of the Apes, and Mass Effect, with recent graphic novels for Battlestar Galactica, Dumbo, and The Lion King. Production notes on all his works can be found at his fiction site.
He is also a comics industry historian, specializing in studying comic-book circulation as presented on his website, Comichron.. He also coauthored the Standard Catalog of Comic Books series.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 96 reviews
October 21, 2023
This one had me gripped! Can't wait to see what happens next!
October 27, 2023
Fantastic thriller revolving around the concepts of Klingon honor and redemption for the sins of one's forebearers, particularly those banished for grievous transgressions who have been stripped of their names and identities for generations to come. In Klingon society this is a punishment worse than death, engendering deep despair, desolation and ultimately disaffection. All emotions that can be exploited by those unscrupulous enough to do so for their own ends.
Miller offers an intriguing look at the tribalism and aristocracy at the heart of the Klingon Empire and the deceit that ironically often accompanies their notions of honor. At times they seem, in fact, to be the galaxy's masters of sweeping facts under the rug that may seem untidy, totally at odds with what true honor demands. His portrayals of the Trek world and Worf, Kahless, Picard, Riker and even Spock are outstanding. Moving right on to book two!
Miller offers an intriguing look at the tribalism and aristocracy at the heart of the Klingon Empire and the deceit that ironically often accompanies their notions of honor. At times they seem, in fact, to be the galaxy's masters of sweeping facts under the rug that may seem untidy, totally at odds with what true honor demands. His portrayals of the Trek world and Worf, Kahless, Picard, Riker and even Spock are outstanding. Moving right on to book two!
May 8, 2019
Die Handlung des ersten Bandes der Star Trek: Prey-Trilogie, dreht sich um Ereignisse, die nach dem TOS-2-Spielfilm ("Der Zorn des Khan") und auch dessen Nachfolger "Auf der Suche nach Mr. Spock" stattgefunden hat. Der Tod des klingonischen Kommanders Kruge durch Captain Kirk löste eine Reihe von Ereignissen aus, die mehr als 100 Jahre später, in der Zeit nach den Geschehnissen von "Star Trek: The Fall" starke Auswirkungen zeitigte, die von der Besatzung der ENTERPRISE E unter Captain Jean Luc Picard und der TITAN unter Admiral Will Riker ausgetragem werden müssen.
Aber der Reihe nach:
Kruges Tod hinterließ sein klingonisches Haus in Unordnung, sein beabsichtiger Erbe, der junge Soldat Korgh, wurde nie formell als Nachfolger benannt. Ohne einen klaren Erben bricht ein Nachfolgestreit zwischen loyalen Offizieren und rivalisierenden Familienmitgliedern aus. Den Offizieren war es gelungen, eine Flotte von zwölf Bird of Preys, genannt die Phantom-Wings,auf einem Planeten zu verstecken. Ein erfolgreicher gemeinsamer Angriff der Familienmitglieder gegen die loyalen Offiziere führte zu einer beispiellosen Machtverteilung innerhalb des Hauses Kruges, die überlebenen Offiziere wurden verstoßen und geächtet.
Einhundert Jahre später soll die ENTERPRISE-E unter dem Kommando von Jean-Luc Picard eine Zeremonie anläßlich des Jahrestages der Schlacht beschützen. Bei einem Angriff wurde die ENTERPRISE völlig überrascht, den Angreifern gelingt es den Klon des spirituellen Führers aller Kingonen, Khaless und den ersten Offiziers der ENTERPRISE, Worf, zu entführen. Dieses Ereignis führte zu einer Krise, die das klingonische Reich unter Kanzler Martok auf den Kopf stellt und das Bündnis mit der Förderation in Frage stellt...
John Jackson Miller hat einen wunderbaren Trilogie-Auftakt geschrieben, das den Charakteren und Ereignissen der diversen Star Trek-Serien, den Büchern und dem Kanon treu bleibt. Er führt sie sogar in neue Richtungen, da Kirk und Spock (aus den Serien und Filmen) Ereignisse ausgelöst haben, die zu unvorhergesehenen Ergebnisssen führten, insofern hat Miller hier dem Kanon neue Verbindungen und Neubewertungen hinzugefügt.
Picard und Worf müssen eine Verschwörung aufdecken, die die Bündnisse (die diversen Kithomer-Abkommen) zwischen dem klingonische Imperium und der Förderation stark gefährden, da hinter der Verschwörung ein Mann steckt, dessen populistische Politik (vergleichbar der eines D. Trump) auf Konfrontation und Seperation besteht. Martok, Picard und Worf können hier einem Leid tun, wobei der Leser weiß, dass hinter der Verschwörung mehr steckt und dass Korgh auch nicht alles weiß.
Dieser aufregende Roman macht es mir jedenfalls leicht, zum 2. Teil zu greifen...
Aber der Reihe nach:
Kruges Tod hinterließ sein klingonisches Haus in Unordnung, sein beabsichtiger Erbe, der junge Soldat Korgh, wurde nie formell als Nachfolger benannt. Ohne einen klaren Erben bricht ein Nachfolgestreit zwischen loyalen Offizieren und rivalisierenden Familienmitgliedern aus. Den Offizieren war es gelungen, eine Flotte von zwölf Bird of Preys, genannt die Phantom-Wings,auf einem Planeten zu verstecken. Ein erfolgreicher gemeinsamer Angriff der Familienmitglieder gegen die loyalen Offiziere führte zu einer beispiellosen Machtverteilung innerhalb des Hauses Kruges, die überlebenen Offiziere wurden verstoßen und geächtet.
Einhundert Jahre später soll die ENTERPRISE-E unter dem Kommando von Jean-Luc Picard eine Zeremonie anläßlich des Jahrestages der Schlacht beschützen. Bei einem Angriff wurde die ENTERPRISE völlig überrascht, den Angreifern gelingt es den Klon des spirituellen Führers aller Kingonen, Khaless und den ersten Offiziers der ENTERPRISE, Worf, zu entführen. Dieses Ereignis führte zu einer Krise, die das klingonische Reich unter Kanzler Martok auf den Kopf stellt und das Bündnis mit der Förderation in Frage stellt...
John Jackson Miller hat einen wunderbaren Trilogie-Auftakt geschrieben, das den Charakteren und Ereignissen der diversen Star Trek-Serien, den Büchern und dem Kanon treu bleibt. Er führt sie sogar in neue Richtungen, da Kirk und Spock (aus den Serien und Filmen) Ereignisse ausgelöst haben, die zu unvorhergesehenen Ergebnisssen führten, insofern hat Miller hier dem Kanon neue Verbindungen und Neubewertungen hinzugefügt.
Picard und Worf müssen eine Verschwörung aufdecken, die die Bündnisse (die diversen Kithomer-Abkommen) zwischen dem klingonische Imperium und der Förderation stark gefährden, da hinter der Verschwörung ein Mann steckt, dessen populistische Politik (vergleichbar der eines D. Trump) auf Konfrontation und Seperation besteht. Martok, Picard und Worf können hier einem Leid tun, wobei der Leser weiß, dass hinter der Verschwörung mehr steckt und dass Korgh auch nicht alles weiß.
Dieser aufregende Roman macht es mir jedenfalls leicht, zum 2. Teil zu greifen...
September 18, 2016
Anytime you start playing in-depth with Klingon culture & history, you threaten to disappear down a drainpipe lined with anthropological minutiae. There are times when book one of "Prey" threatens to disappear down such a whirlpool, never to be seen again...but John Jackson Miller manages to hold it all together. This opening chapter in the "Prey" trilogy feels as close to Tolkien as "Star Trek" can probably get...and it's certainly an absorbing beginning.
March 11, 2017
Great start to what I'm hoping will be a great trilogy. I was worried about this book before I started it since I was super pumped about his previous ST novel that was well written but just seem off. I can't articulate it very well but I guess the book just didn't feel like Star Trek to me somehow, but I was definitely in the minority there since everyone else loved it. However Miller fully redeemed himself here, looking forward to Vol. 2
December 7, 2017
I am not a fan of media tie-ins. I can probably count the number of media tie-in novels I've read in my life on the fingers of one hand. And I'm not a huge Trekkie either. I like Star Trek well enough - I've seen most of the movies and TOS, TNG, and DS9 and bits of the other series. But normally I would just not be interested in reading a novelization of the further adventures of Kirk and Picard - there are too many, well, actual original SF novels set in original universes to read.
But this one was on sale at Audible, and I'd just played the Star Trek: Ascendency boardgame (which is very good, if you like 4x games), so what the heck.
Now, here is where I tell you that I am so glad I did, and it totally changed my opinion of tie-in novels, right?
No, not really. Hell's Heart is a decent romp through the Star Trek universe, and packs a ton of recognizable characters into what reads convincingly like an episode of a never-aired extra season of ST:TNG. But that's all it is, more adventures of the TNG crew. With extra historical flashbacks to include some Kirk and Spock as well.
Hell's Heart is mostly about Klingons. Aside from the Enterprise crew, most of the characters are Klingons, and the plot starts with this guy:
Commander Kruge, whom you may remember from Star Trek III, the Search for Spock, was the Klingon who killed Captain Kirk's son and ended up getting thrown into a lava pit. Villainously played by Christopher Lloyd, a hundred years later he is remembered by some Klingons as a renegade, and by others as a Klingon's Klingon who'd never have stood up for some namby-pamby treaty with the Federation. The author of Hell's Heart goes into a lot of (no doubt Paramount-approved) detail about Klingon culture and politics, sets up a colony of forgotten Klingon ronin, and a plot by Kruge's alleged heir to regain his legacy and incidentally undo the alliance with the Federation.
Picard and Ryker go through their paces being Picard and Ryker, and naturally Whorf is the star of many chapters. There are also, as I said, several chapters going back to events of a hundred years ago in which we learn of Kirk and Spock's role in the creation of this situation. There are Klingon politics, starship battles, and Star Trek-style fisticuffs. Somehow, even in conflicts between civilizations with FTL, teleportation, and energy beams, they always wind up going at it in hand-to-hand combat.
That's trademark Trek - that, and the familiar technobabble, and the obligatory moment where Geordi La Forge fails his INT-roll in order for the story to proceed. (It's just so convenient that cloaked starships happen to emit exactly the same sort of subphase betablibber yobbleflammastan particles that old freighters with wonky impulse drives might radiate, so who can blame a highly perceptive veteran Starfleet officer in charge of screening arrivals at an important diplomatic conference for deciding those funny emissions must be the latter and not the former?)
This isn't a deep novel, and it doesn't do anything radical or exceptional with the Star Trek universe, but if you're still missing The Next Generation and Picard is your Captain, it's an entertaining enough visit with old friends.
This is the first book in a trilogy, so it ends with obvious dangling plot threads. If you're into Trek you'll probably find it worthwhile to continue - I might if the next book comes on sale.
But this one was on sale at Audible, and I'd just played the Star Trek: Ascendency boardgame (which is very good, if you like 4x games), so what the heck.
Now, here is where I tell you that I am so glad I did, and it totally changed my opinion of tie-in novels, right?
No, not really. Hell's Heart is a decent romp through the Star Trek universe, and packs a ton of recognizable characters into what reads convincingly like an episode of a never-aired extra season of ST:TNG. But that's all it is, more adventures of the TNG crew. With extra historical flashbacks to include some Kirk and Spock as well.
Hell's Heart is mostly about Klingons. Aside from the Enterprise crew, most of the characters are Klingons, and the plot starts with this guy:
Commander Kruge, whom you may remember from Star Trek III, the Search for Spock, was the Klingon who killed Captain Kirk's son and ended up getting thrown into a lava pit. Villainously played by Christopher Lloyd, a hundred years later he is remembered by some Klingons as a renegade, and by others as a Klingon's Klingon who'd never have stood up for some namby-pamby treaty with the Federation. The author of Hell's Heart goes into a lot of (no doubt Paramount-approved) detail about Klingon culture and politics, sets up a colony of forgotten Klingon ronin, and a plot by Kruge's alleged heir to regain his legacy and incidentally undo the alliance with the Federation.
Picard and Ryker go through their paces being Picard and Ryker, and naturally Whorf is the star of many chapters. There are also, as I said, several chapters going back to events of a hundred years ago in which we learn of Kirk and Spock's role in the creation of this situation. There are Klingon politics, starship battles, and Star Trek-style fisticuffs. Somehow, even in conflicts between civilizations with FTL, teleportation, and energy beams, they always wind up going at it in hand-to-hand combat.
That's trademark Trek - that, and the familiar technobabble, and the obligatory moment where Geordi La Forge fails his INT-roll in order for the story to proceed. (It's just so convenient that cloaked starships happen to emit exactly the same sort of subphase betablibber yobbleflammastan particles that old freighters with wonky impulse drives might radiate, so who can blame a highly perceptive veteran Starfleet officer in charge of screening arrivals at an important diplomatic conference for deciding those funny emissions must be the latter and not the former?)
This isn't a deep novel, and it doesn't do anything radical or exceptional with the Star Trek universe, but if you're still missing The Next Generation and Picard is your Captain, it's an entertaining enough visit with old friends.
This is the first book in a trilogy, so it ends with obvious dangling plot threads. If you're into Trek you'll probably find it worthwhile to continue - I might if the next book comes on sale.
March 30, 2017
Hell’s Heart is the opening book in the Star Trek: Prey trilogy. The events of the book span the time from shortly after the Star Trek 3 movie, Search for Spock to shortly after the time of The Next Generation. The death of Klingon commander Kruge at the hands of James Kirk at the end of Star Trek 3 kicked off a series of events with repercussions felt more than 100 years in the future.
Kruge’s death left a Klingon house in disorder, with a young Klingon, Korgh, the intended heir of Kruge never formally designated as successor. Without a clear heir, battle breaks out between officers loyal to Kruge and rival family members who want to pick clean the house Kruge had built. A last stand by the officers on a planet where a phantom wing of twelve advanced Birds-of-Prey are intended to turn the tide ends in disaster when the ships go missing. The defeat of the officers by a joint attack of Kruge’s relatives leads to an unprecedented power-sharing agreement among the family members and the discommendation of the defeated officers along with all of their families.
One hundred years later, the Enterprise under the command of Jean Luc Picard is present for a ceremony commemorating the anniversary of the battle. The Enterprise is snared in a trap 100 years in the making, leading to a crisis that upends the Klingon empire and puts its alliance with the Federation in jeopardy.
John Jackson Miller has written a thrilling book that rings true to the characters and events familiar to Star Trek fans as well as taking them in exciting new directions. Kirk and Spock kick off events that lead to unpredictable outcomes. Picard and Worf must unravel a conspiracy that threatens everything the Empire and the Federation have built together. Miller carefully unspools information that both illuminates what has already happened and raises the stakes for what is coming next. The action scenes are exciting and there are plenty of nods to characters and events from throughout the Star Trek universe sure to please any fan of the series.
The audiobook is narrated by Robert Petkoff who was a revelation. He breathed life into a huge cast of characters, Klingon, human and Vulcan. The accents were spot on and each character was easily distinguishable from each other. In some cases, the voices bordered on impersonations of the well-known actors who originated the roles. The narration complemented the story, propelling the action along and adding depth to the quieter moments. Petkoff’s performance with this book is worthy of audio award consideration.
Hell’s Heart is an exciting novel that leaves you anxious to continue the adventures in the rest of the trilogy. The audio version is extremely well done and adds to the enjoyment of the story. Highly recommended.
I was fortunate to be provided a copy of this book by the publisher.
Kruge’s death left a Klingon house in disorder, with a young Klingon, Korgh, the intended heir of Kruge never formally designated as successor. Without a clear heir, battle breaks out between officers loyal to Kruge and rival family members who want to pick clean the house Kruge had built. A last stand by the officers on a planet where a phantom wing of twelve advanced Birds-of-Prey are intended to turn the tide ends in disaster when the ships go missing. The defeat of the officers by a joint attack of Kruge’s relatives leads to an unprecedented power-sharing agreement among the family members and the discommendation of the defeated officers along with all of their families.
One hundred years later, the Enterprise under the command of Jean Luc Picard is present for a ceremony commemorating the anniversary of the battle. The Enterprise is snared in a trap 100 years in the making, leading to a crisis that upends the Klingon empire and puts its alliance with the Federation in jeopardy.
John Jackson Miller has written a thrilling book that rings true to the characters and events familiar to Star Trek fans as well as taking them in exciting new directions. Kirk and Spock kick off events that lead to unpredictable outcomes. Picard and Worf must unravel a conspiracy that threatens everything the Empire and the Federation have built together. Miller carefully unspools information that both illuminates what has already happened and raises the stakes for what is coming next. The action scenes are exciting and there are plenty of nods to characters and events from throughout the Star Trek universe sure to please any fan of the series.
The audiobook is narrated by Robert Petkoff who was a revelation. He breathed life into a huge cast of characters, Klingon, human and Vulcan. The accents were spot on and each character was easily distinguishable from each other. In some cases, the voices bordered on impersonations of the well-known actors who originated the roles. The narration complemented the story, propelling the action along and adding depth to the quieter moments. Petkoff’s performance with this book is worthy of audio award consideration.
Hell’s Heart is an exciting novel that leaves you anxious to continue the adventures in the rest of the trilogy. The audio version is extremely well done and adds to the enjoyment of the story. Highly recommended.
I was fortunate to be provided a copy of this book by the publisher.
February 26, 2024
Interesting start. Excited to see where this trilogy goes.
December 27, 2017
Excellent job by narrator. Good fun for fans of TOS and TNG.
December 28, 2016
An exciting kick-off to what is sure to be a great trilogy in the Trek novelverse! If you found yourself somewhat underwhelmed by the Legacies trilogy, be sure to pick this one up. This is definitely shaping up to be an exciting trilogy, and a fun way to celebrate the 50th anniversary. Not everything is as it seems with regards to the characters in this story, and if the rest of the trilogy is anything like this first book, we are in for a lot of exciting twists and turns in our quest for the conclusion of Prey.
4/5 stars.
Full review: http://treklit.blogspot.com/2016/12/P...
4/5 stars.
Full review: http://treklit.blogspot.com/2016/12/P...
May 17, 2021
My full review will be up soon on Roqoo Depot. This is the first "series" I read from Star Trek, and it still holds up. This is the best story about Klingons I've ever read and is a fantastic beginning to the epic trilogy. I look forward to rereading book 2. 10 out of 10!
Full Review: https://roqoodepot.wordpress.com/2021...
Full Review: https://roqoodepot.wordpress.com/2021...
September 4, 2018
This is a perfectly adequate Next Generation novel; it is the first of a trilogy, so if you aren't into "continued" at the end of your book, you may want to give it a pass, but other than that I have very little bad to say about it. On the other hand, I don't have much good to say about it, either. It has some moderately interesting concepts, is written pretty well, is capable of holding the interest of someone already prone to enjoy a Star Trek the Next Generation book, but there is nothing there that really stands out to separate it from the rest of the genre.
November 1, 2024
A good start to a trilogy in that I'm curious to continue on to the second novel. The concept that the villain is using is somewhat fresh to me which I appreciate. There is a lot of throw back to Star Trek films which the author admits drawing on and that is either a positive or a negative depending on your type of fandom.
September 27, 2016
Hell’s Heart is the first book in a new trilogy by John Jackson Miller called Star Trek: Prey. In this story, readers find out about the descendants and heirs of the House of Kruge. Starting shortly after the events of Star Trek III: The Search for Spock and leading into The Next Generation several years after Star Trek Nemesis, the book covers two distinct time periods. This allows readers to enjoy adventures with both Kirk and Picard. It also allows for a lot of layers to the story. Readers get to plunge into the history and culture of the Klingons. You get to see the contrast between Kirk’s hatred toward the Klingons and the resentment of some Klingons toward the Federation. Yet there is also the willingness to work together exhibited by the likes of Spock, Worf, and the Klingon Chancellor Martok. With the nuance of the characters, the twists and turns of the story, and the balance of viewpoints, Hell’s Heart marks the beginning of an epic tale.
Commemorating the 50th anniversary of Star Trek, this series dives into the 23rd and 24th centuries alongside the crews of James T. Kirk and Jean Luc Picard. The way the story encapsulates both time periods is really well done. The bulk of the story takes place in Picard’s timeline with the Kirk era segments serving as flashbacks to how this all got started. Everything centers around the death of Kruge which happened in Star Trek III. Kruge was the Klingon played by Christopher Lloyd who killed Kirk’s son and later died when kicked into a volcano. His death lead to a power vacuum for control of his house as Klingon heirs fought against each other for power. Amongst the heirs was Kruge’s protege, a Klingon named Korgh. The squabble for power came to an end with the battle of Gamaral. Fast forwarding a 100 years, Picard is tasked with transporting the survivors of the battle and the current heads of the house of Kruge to the planet Gamaral. It’s all about celebrating the victory which allowed the house to thrive, as well as laying the groundwork for a new treaty Riker is working on. That’s where the fun kicks in.
Without revealing too much, there is a third party that comes in to threaten the commemoration at Gamaral. This leads to a battle between the Klingons and Picard’s crew and the mysterious attackers. Spiraling out of that is a myriad conflict of Klingon and Federation politics, power plays for control of the house of Kruge, a desperate search for the mysterious attackers, and a deadly fleet of high tech Birds of Prey known as the Phantom Wing. As if that wasn’t enough, the book explores some fascinating aspects of Klingon culture that adds extra dimensions to the characters and additional layers to the plot. As things escalate, it keeps you glued to what will happen next, especially once the bombshells toward the end of the book start dropping.
Aside from the outstanding story that is crafted within the book, one of the biggest driving forces is the strength of the characters. Picard, Worf, Korgh, Galdor and Valandris form the main cast. Picard and Worf speak for themselves as they’re already well established characters which fans will be very familiar with. However, Korgh, Galdor and Valandris are new characters. Korgh is the protege of Kruge, who starts out as your typical brash Klingon but then turns into something much more intelligent, skilled and deadly. Galdor, on the other hand, is the caretaker for the house of Kruge who struggles to manage all the nobles and heirs in effort to preserve peace and prosperity. Then there’s Valandris, one of the mysterious attackers and the primary viewpoint character for their side. Through her, we see what these people are like, how they came about and what it is they’re after. All of the characters exhibit a lot of different emotions and motivations, making them very well rounded.
Given the long lives of the Klingons, they serve as the throughline characters and the bridge between the time periods of Kirk and Picard. This helps cement the story together. Yet it’s the way new elements pop up and add layers to the story that makes the book truly engrossing. Just when you think you know how the story is going, something happens that spins the whole thing around. Then something else will happen that will leave you completely stunned. New characters join in to complicate everything into a wonderfully intricate puzzle that reveals itself bit-by-bit until the whole picture becomes visible. Yet the end doesn’t lay out all the cards, as there are still two more books to go and plenty more to explore. As is, Hell’s Heart is a fun filled ride with rich characters and a entertaining story that escalates with each chapter. I give it a five out of five and cannot wait to read the next book.
Commemorating the 50th anniversary of Star Trek, this series dives into the 23rd and 24th centuries alongside the crews of James T. Kirk and Jean Luc Picard. The way the story encapsulates both time periods is really well done. The bulk of the story takes place in Picard’s timeline with the Kirk era segments serving as flashbacks to how this all got started. Everything centers around the death of Kruge which happened in Star Trek III. Kruge was the Klingon played by Christopher Lloyd who killed Kirk’s son and later died when kicked into a volcano. His death lead to a power vacuum for control of his house as Klingon heirs fought against each other for power. Amongst the heirs was Kruge’s protege, a Klingon named Korgh. The squabble for power came to an end with the battle of Gamaral. Fast forwarding a 100 years, Picard is tasked with transporting the survivors of the battle and the current heads of the house of Kruge to the planet Gamaral. It’s all about celebrating the victory which allowed the house to thrive, as well as laying the groundwork for a new treaty Riker is working on. That’s where the fun kicks in.
Without revealing too much, there is a third party that comes in to threaten the commemoration at Gamaral. This leads to a battle between the Klingons and Picard’s crew and the mysterious attackers. Spiraling out of that is a myriad conflict of Klingon and Federation politics, power plays for control of the house of Kruge, a desperate search for the mysterious attackers, and a deadly fleet of high tech Birds of Prey known as the Phantom Wing. As if that wasn’t enough, the book explores some fascinating aspects of Klingon culture that adds extra dimensions to the characters and additional layers to the plot. As things escalate, it keeps you glued to what will happen next, especially once the bombshells toward the end of the book start dropping.
Aside from the outstanding story that is crafted within the book, one of the biggest driving forces is the strength of the characters. Picard, Worf, Korgh, Galdor and Valandris form the main cast. Picard and Worf speak for themselves as they’re already well established characters which fans will be very familiar with. However, Korgh, Galdor and Valandris are new characters. Korgh is the protege of Kruge, who starts out as your typical brash Klingon but then turns into something much more intelligent, skilled and deadly. Galdor, on the other hand, is the caretaker for the house of Kruge who struggles to manage all the nobles and heirs in effort to preserve peace and prosperity. Then there’s Valandris, one of the mysterious attackers and the primary viewpoint character for their side. Through her, we see what these people are like, how they came about and what it is they’re after. All of the characters exhibit a lot of different emotions and motivations, making them very well rounded.
Given the long lives of the Klingons, they serve as the throughline characters and the bridge between the time periods of Kirk and Picard. This helps cement the story together. Yet it’s the way new elements pop up and add layers to the story that makes the book truly engrossing. Just when you think you know how the story is going, something happens that spins the whole thing around. Then something else will happen that will leave you completely stunned. New characters join in to complicate everything into a wonderfully intricate puzzle that reveals itself bit-by-bit until the whole picture becomes visible. Yet the end doesn’t lay out all the cards, as there are still two more books to go and plenty more to explore. As is, Hell’s Heart is a fun filled ride with rich characters and a entertaining story that escalates with each chapter. I give it a five out of five and cannot wait to read the next book.
October 29, 2016
The opener to the "Star Trek: Prey" trilogy, John Jackson Miller's "Hell's Heart" will at first require we the reader to remember a bit of our Star Trek history as it opens in 2286 with the death of Captain Kruge in "Star Trek III: The Search for Spock" & then continues on a journey across 2 centuries to form one of the most complex story arcs in recent memory & leads off a series that may have implications the likes of which haven't been seen since the formation of the Typhon Pact post-Destiny. The opening act of the book stays in TNG era in 2386 with the crew of the Enterprise ferrying members of the now fallen House of Kruge back to the planet Gamaral to commemorate the 100th anniversary of a battle there at a place called the Circle of Triumph. The person responsible for the festivities family historian Galdor who is making sure that everyone fares equally at the ceremony. Along the way, Kahless is picked up & Riker is also on Qo'Nos trying to prepare for a conference involving the Kinshaya. For the most part this segment of the story moves a bit slowly as the various family members are introduced. We're also introduced to Valandris who plays a far bigger role later on.
Act 2 takes us to a mission involving the Briar Patch & the Enterprise-A after "Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home" & has Kirk & company rescuing a trio of freighters from this area of space. The crews themselves they are rescuing are Klingon, but refuse to name themselves & only a man named Potok takes any responsibility for things. It's in this segment where Spock makes a decision about these outcasts & we the reader also begin to get wind of exactly what the Phantom Wing is among other things.
The final act, takes us back to the present after the events of the ceremony at Gamaral with another major character reveal as well as understanding of who the people were that the Enterprise-A met along w/ the true meaning of discommendation to Klingons as a whole w/ Worf & Kahless cut off from the Enterprise.
Across nearly 400 pages, Miller weaves a story that is full of revenge, heartbreak, espionage, & the will to survive. The book will keep you guessing at every turn especially in the latter chapters which have surprise after surprise & also again call up we the reader to remember our Star Trek history. The ending comes as a bit of a surprise to me as we the reader are left with a lot more questions about the future of the Klingon Empire, it's alliance with the Federation & really the entire fate of this relaunch universe continuing into 2386.
Act 2 takes us to a mission involving the Briar Patch & the Enterprise-A after "Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home" & has Kirk & company rescuing a trio of freighters from this area of space. The crews themselves they are rescuing are Klingon, but refuse to name themselves & only a man named Potok takes any responsibility for things. It's in this segment where Spock makes a decision about these outcasts & we the reader also begin to get wind of exactly what the Phantom Wing is among other things.
The final act, takes us back to the present after the events of the ceremony at Gamaral with another major character reveal as well as understanding of who the people were that the Enterprise-A met along w/ the true meaning of discommendation to Klingons as a whole w/ Worf & Kahless cut off from the Enterprise.
Across nearly 400 pages, Miller weaves a story that is full of revenge, heartbreak, espionage, & the will to survive. The book will keep you guessing at every turn especially in the latter chapters which have surprise after surprise & also again call up we the reader to remember our Star Trek history. The ending comes as a bit of a surprise to me as we the reader are left with a lot more questions about the future of the Klingon Empire, it's alliance with the Federation & really the entire fate of this relaunch universe continuing into 2386.
May 16, 2017
Title: Star Trek Prey: Hell’s Heart (Book 1)
Author: John Jackson Miller
Read by: Robert Petkoff
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
Length: Approximately 12 hours and 30 minutes
Source: Simon & Schuster Audio Digital Review Copy – Thank-you!
A sci-fi adventure that includes a tale of vengeance one-hundred years in the making, Star Trek Prey: Hell’s Heart is an epic original tale that includes many favorite Star Trek characters.
Klingon Commander Kruge’s death after his battle with Captain James T. Kirk on the Genesis planet started a power struggle amongst his many heirs in the Klingon Empire. The heirs of his family fought against his loyal commanders who were overcome in battle. Korgh, his young almost adopted heir and military colleague, saw his chance for power ripped away when he is unable to gain access to the Phantom Wing, a squadron of very advanced Birds of Prey with the power to fire while clocked that he had worked on himself.
One hundred years later, the USS Enterprise with Captain Jean-Luc Picard is escorting the heirs of Kruge to a celebration of their final battle. Along the way, First Officer Worf discovers that the “battle” may not have been all that it seems to be 100-years ago. The celebration finds itself a battle field with Worf kidnapped as a result. Who is behind the kidnapping and slaughter? Will Worf be able to return to the Enterprise?
Robert Petkoff is a top notch narrator for this audiobook. His voices were perfect for the characters – he really sounded like Worf! He also did a good British accent for Captain Picard. This was a great story to listen to via audiobook. As a lifelong fan of Star Trek, I thought this story was a riveting addition to the Star Trek cannon. I also realized my mind added in music and sound effects – is that weird?
The story was very engaging as Miller captured the characters perfectly while also having a lot of great action and elements of surprise. This makes for a perfect audiobook to keep one entertained on your daily commute. I was crushed when it ended as I wanted to know more! Luckily, I am listening to Book #2 now.
Overall Star Trek Prey: Hell’s Heart (Book 1) is an enthralling adventure story that perfectly captures the Star Trek world and characters. Petkoff is a fantastic narrator that is a great character voice actor. I highly recommend this audiobook!
This review was originally posted on my blog at: http://lauragerold.blogspot.com/2017/...
Author: John Jackson Miller
Read by: Robert Petkoff
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
Length: Approximately 12 hours and 30 minutes
Source: Simon & Schuster Audio Digital Review Copy – Thank-you!
A sci-fi adventure that includes a tale of vengeance one-hundred years in the making, Star Trek Prey: Hell’s Heart is an epic original tale that includes many favorite Star Trek characters.
Klingon Commander Kruge’s death after his battle with Captain James T. Kirk on the Genesis planet started a power struggle amongst his many heirs in the Klingon Empire. The heirs of his family fought against his loyal commanders who were overcome in battle. Korgh, his young almost adopted heir and military colleague, saw his chance for power ripped away when he is unable to gain access to the Phantom Wing, a squadron of very advanced Birds of Prey with the power to fire while clocked that he had worked on himself.
One hundred years later, the USS Enterprise with Captain Jean-Luc Picard is escorting the heirs of Kruge to a celebration of their final battle. Along the way, First Officer Worf discovers that the “battle” may not have been all that it seems to be 100-years ago. The celebration finds itself a battle field with Worf kidnapped as a result. Who is behind the kidnapping and slaughter? Will Worf be able to return to the Enterprise?
Robert Petkoff is a top notch narrator for this audiobook. His voices were perfect for the characters – he really sounded like Worf! He also did a good British accent for Captain Picard. This was a great story to listen to via audiobook. As a lifelong fan of Star Trek, I thought this story was a riveting addition to the Star Trek cannon. I also realized my mind added in music and sound effects – is that weird?
The story was very engaging as Miller captured the characters perfectly while also having a lot of great action and elements of surprise. This makes for a perfect audiobook to keep one entertained on your daily commute. I was crushed when it ended as I wanted to know more! Luckily, I am listening to Book #2 now.
Overall Star Trek Prey: Hell’s Heart (Book 1) is an enthralling adventure story that perfectly captures the Star Trek world and characters. Petkoff is a fantastic narrator that is a great character voice actor. I highly recommend this audiobook!
This review was originally posted on my blog at: http://lauragerold.blogspot.com/2017/...
October 23, 2016
A fun start to the trilogy so far and interesting to learn more about Klingon culture.
October 20, 2018
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In this first entry into John Jackson Miller’s Klingon trilogy, the Enterprise-E is helping Admiral Riker and the crew of Titan bring Klingon nobles to the former site of the battle of Gamaral, where the House of Kruge once fought against the Empire and, it turns out, suffered a humiliating defeat. The crews of the two starships are working together to conduct a ceremony for the nobles, each of whom is a legitimate heir to the House but rather than fight for their right of inheritance, they opted to share the rule of the House and keep peace. When they get to Gamaral, assassins in black strike and annihilate the entire House, with only one survivor. In the slaughter, Worf and the Emperor Kahless are kidnapped and taken to the assassins’ stronghold, hidden on a planet deep in a nebula. To understand the assassins’ motives and escape, Worf and Picard discover a surprising link to a prior Enterprise first officer, Spock.
This was a fun, if pretty dark, first entry in this trilogy. I would say “new trilogy,” but I’m super far behind on my Trek books and it’s a couple years old now. This was some sweet, sweet brain candy, though, much needed. I’m mentally exhausted and a good Star Trek novel is just what I wanted to read. I don’t often care much about the Klingons - they have never been my favorite aliens - but I do love Worf and the story was fun. This one wasn’t one of those Trek books that makes you think or that discusses social issues or anything. It was just a straightforward romp through space, and that’s totally fine with me. I’m jumping right into the next one, which is a benefit of being so behind on my reading. I don’t have to wait for the next instalment!
In this first entry into John Jackson Miller’s Klingon trilogy, the Enterprise-E is helping Admiral Riker and the crew of Titan bring Klingon nobles to the former site of the battle of Gamaral, where the House of Kruge once fought against the Empire and, it turns out, suffered a humiliating defeat. The crews of the two starships are working together to conduct a ceremony for the nobles, each of whom is a legitimate heir to the House but rather than fight for their right of inheritance, they opted to share the rule of the House and keep peace. When they get to Gamaral, assassins in black strike and annihilate the entire House, with only one survivor. In the slaughter, Worf and the Emperor Kahless are kidnapped and taken to the assassins’ stronghold, hidden on a planet deep in a nebula. To understand the assassins’ motives and escape, Worf and Picard discover a surprising link to a prior Enterprise first officer, Spock.
This was a fun, if pretty dark, first entry in this trilogy. I would say “new trilogy,” but I’m super far behind on my Trek books and it’s a couple years old now. This was some sweet, sweet brain candy, though, much needed. I’m mentally exhausted and a good Star Trek novel is just what I wanted to read. I don’t often care much about the Klingons - they have never been my favorite aliens - but I do love Worf and the story was fun. This one wasn’t one of those Trek books that makes you think or that discusses social issues or anything. It was just a straightforward romp through space, and that’s totally fine with me. I’m jumping right into the next one, which is a benefit of being so behind on my reading. I don’t have to wait for the next instalment!
January 23, 2019
The author clearly knows the Trek universe, pulling in major and subtle references across the franchise and using characters for their strengths. Additionally, the narrator for the audiobook does an outstanding job, getting the pacing and cadence of every familiar character just right, plus adding life to the ones unique to this book. It’s uncanny how well he presents Riker and Kruge—two markedly different actors with distinctive voices.
While I could see someone complaining that the actions/events in this book are somewhat mundane, it works well for laying the groundwork for a trilogy. A couple parts of the story get suddenly intense and fast-paced—perhaps a little too quick for its own good—but overall it’s justified, and the methodical story-building leading up to the moments of intensity ensures that the plot-centric sections have significance and weight beyond “stuff happened”.
I’m invested in the book’s unique characters, which is unusual for a Trek story, and I’m eager to read the rest of the series to let the remaining story unfold.
My only real criticism is the limited use of teamwork from the Enterprise crew. I get that this is hard to craft narratively, so it’s not a severe criticism, but the strength of the Trek franchise often stems from the characters’ combined personality traits, in which one character is required to balance out another character’s style. The author leveraged those combinations on occasion, showing he’s aware of how it works, but he does so only on occasion. The Enterprise segments were very much Spock-and-McCoy or Picard-Riker-and-Worf only. Tapping into the resources of the rest of those casts would go a long way toward making the narrative more engaging, engrossing, and rewarding.
While I could see someone complaining that the actions/events in this book are somewhat mundane, it works well for laying the groundwork for a trilogy. A couple parts of the story get suddenly intense and fast-paced—perhaps a little too quick for its own good—but overall it’s justified, and the methodical story-building leading up to the moments of intensity ensures that the plot-centric sections have significance and weight beyond “stuff happened”.
I’m invested in the book’s unique characters, which is unusual for a Trek story, and I’m eager to read the rest of the series to let the remaining story unfold.
My only real criticism is the limited use of teamwork from the Enterprise crew. I get that this is hard to craft narratively, so it’s not a severe criticism, but the strength of the Trek franchise often stems from the characters’ combined personality traits, in which one character is required to balance out another character’s style. The author leveraged those combinations on occasion, showing he’s aware of how it works, but he does so only on occasion. The Enterprise segments were very much Spock-and-McCoy or Picard-Riker-and-Worf only. Tapping into the resources of the rest of those casts would go a long way toward making the narrative more engaging, engrossing, and rewarding.
July 11, 2019
The first time I've picked up a Star trek novel in about 20 years. I have to say, I rather enjoyed it.
Obviously, it is a niche market. I don't expect anyone unfamiliar with either series to pick it up.
In comparison to the series' it reads rather well. I think the authors did a good job of capturing the tone and style of the series.
I think books based in TV series' are always let down by self referential episode checking. It might happen in real life " remember the time we..." But when it is written down I find it very distracting. Most times it is completely unnecessary and is rarely used to great effect.
I was a bit confused by some of the characters positions within the Star Trek world. Why was Riker an Admiral? Why was Worf back in Starfleet? Clearly it is a continuation of the 20 or so years of book lore I have missed out on. I had heard of Typhon Pact, which seems to play a big part but I haven't read any of it. It wasn't too much of a hinderance, and I don't think that not reading it has lessened my enjoyment in any way.
Now I've finished the book, some references are necessary. A major part of the revolves around familiarity with 'The Search For Spock." I don't think anyone unfamiliar would contemplate reading this though, and feel they could have dialled the recaps down a bit.
On the whole it was a good read, the reveal of the fallen Lord was so unexpected, so utterly ludicrous, I hadn't seen it coming. I couldn't accept that it was true because of my knowledge of the series as a whole, and so wasn't shocked or surprised when he was shortly revealed to be an imposter.
It was very good up to a point, but did seem a bit anticlimactic. I imagine the last few chapters are laying the groundwork for book two, which is in my list, but not just yet.
Obviously, it is a niche market. I don't expect anyone unfamiliar with either series to pick it up.
In comparison to the series' it reads rather well. I think the authors did a good job of capturing the tone and style of the series.
I think books based in TV series' are always let down by self referential episode checking. It might happen in real life " remember the time we..." But when it is written down I find it very distracting. Most times it is completely unnecessary and is rarely used to great effect.
I was a bit confused by some of the characters positions within the Star Trek world. Why was Riker an Admiral? Why was Worf back in Starfleet? Clearly it is a continuation of the 20 or so years of book lore I have missed out on. I had heard of Typhon Pact, which seems to play a big part but I haven't read any of it. It wasn't too much of a hinderance, and I don't think that not reading it has lessened my enjoyment in any way.
Now I've finished the book, some references are necessary. A major part of the revolves around familiarity with 'The Search For Spock." I don't think anyone unfamiliar would contemplate reading this though, and feel they could have dialled the recaps down a bit.
On the whole it was a good read, the reveal of the fallen Lord was so unexpected, so utterly ludicrous, I hadn't seen it coming. I couldn't accept that it was true because of my knowledge of the series as a whole, and so wasn't shocked or surprised when he was shortly revealed to be an imposter.
It was very good up to a point, but did seem a bit anticlimactic. I imagine the last few chapters are laying the groundwork for book two, which is in my list, but not just yet.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 18, 2019
Now this was an excellent read!
The plot centre's around a Klingon by the name of Korgh and his political scheming, which ensnares the Enterprise and the clone of Kahless.
First off, I really enjoy political intrigue stories, so the plot had my attention throughout. There were a number of very cool twists, which I won't spoil, that came as exciting surprises and heightened my interest in what was happening. The pacing of this novel was also very good. Jackson-Miller spent enough time on details and characterization to immerse the reader in the story and allow the reader to engage with the characters, but kept the plot moving along so it didn't feel like the story lagged at any point.
Speaking of characters, I very much enjoyed the characterizations of Worf and Kahless and how their relationship was depicted. In particular I empathized with Kahless, given the derogatory title "the clone" by The Unsung, who along with Korgh. are the story's villains.
My only real beef with this story is when Jackson-Miller does a flashback to the original Enterprise. There was no real need for it, since we're later given a report Spock wrote detailing everything that happened in this flashback anyway, and it just served to distract from the overall story.
Overall though, this was a great book and I would heartily recommend it even to those with a only casual interest in Star Trek.
4.5/5 Stars
The plot centre's around a Klingon by the name of Korgh and his political scheming, which ensnares the Enterprise and the clone of Kahless.
First off, I really enjoy political intrigue stories, so the plot had my attention throughout. There were a number of very cool twists, which I won't spoil, that came as exciting surprises and heightened my interest in what was happening. The pacing of this novel was also very good. Jackson-Miller spent enough time on details and characterization to immerse the reader in the story and allow the reader to engage with the characters, but kept the plot moving along so it didn't feel like the story lagged at any point.
Speaking of characters, I very much enjoyed the characterizations of Worf and Kahless and how their relationship was depicted. In particular I empathized with Kahless, given the derogatory title "the clone" by The Unsung, who along with Korgh. are the story's villains.
My only real beef with this story is when Jackson-Miller does a flashback to the original Enterprise. There was no real need for it, since we're later given a report Spock wrote detailing everything that happened in this flashback anyway, and it just served to distract from the overall story.
Overall though, this was a great book and I would heartily recommend it even to those with a only casual interest in Star Trek.
4.5/5 Stars
July 14, 2022
Ever since finishing (at long last) TNG, I've been getting into Star Trek books. "Hell's Heart" is the first book in a trilogy that I will most definitely be completing. It's a Klingon story which I've never really gotten in book form so really appreciated. It's a TNG story but Miller effectively uses flashbacks and connections to the original crew. It also made me appreciate "The Search for Spock" in a way I never have before.
The bad guys are smart and effective and unlike anything I've seen in Trek before. Oddly enough, the story is quite similar to a Star Wars run that Zahn had in the 90's ("Specter of the Past" and "Vision of the Future") but those stories worked great so I'm not worried.
This felt like a spiritual sequel to the film "The Undiscovered Country" and that is high praise indeed. I can't wait to read the rest.
The bad guys are smart and effective and unlike anything I've seen in Trek before. Oddly enough, the story is quite similar to a Star Wars run that Zahn had in the 90's ("Specter of the Past" and "Vision of the Future") but those stories worked great so I'm not worried.
This felt like a spiritual sequel to the film "The Undiscovered Country" and that is high praise indeed. I can't wait to read the rest.
December 31, 2016
This is the first book in a series utilizing the broad canvas of the Star Trek universe, set in the 'current-time line' of the Star Trek novels, and the story itself is a broad canvas. That said the concept is to explore part of the Klingon culture and still create a story using standard Star Trek characters. Because of the way it is built, the story/chapters jump between events in the Klingon universe, some crossover between the Enterprise-E, the Enterprise-A, and Titan. Mostly this novel will utilize the Enterprise-E and the story of the Klingons.
The tale is really trying to the story of a group of discommendated Klingons, and of one Klingon's hatred of the Federation. Because of the way it is set up though it often seems disjointed.
The tale is really trying to the story of a group of discommendated Klingons, and of one Klingon's hatred of the Federation. Because of the way it is set up though it often seems disjointed.
November 24, 2017
I was very satisfied with this book and can’t wait to get through the entire series. In particular I enjoyed the way the connection this book made between the events following the movie The Search for Spock with the original TOS crew to the Next Generation crew all the way past the events which occurred in the last two Next Generation Movies, including mention of and significant amounts of time spent in the Briar Patch. Key points in this book required reference to the movie Star Trek Insurrection such as the Briar Patch, mentioned previously, the Infamous Riker Maneuver and other events from TNG movies. I love the way Star Trek Books often tie in with past shows and movies and this book is definitely no exception.
September 6, 2020
4/5
STAR TREK: PREY is the story of the House of Kruge after the death of its namesake during the events of STAR TREK: THE SEARCH FOR SPOCK. It's actually close to STAR WARS: THE PHANTOM MENACE as a corrupt as well as divided Klingon noble house is taken over by a manipulative, seemingly benevolent politician who plans to plunge the Empire into war. There's also a heavy dose of examination for the Klingon discommendation process. The book is a good start to a trilogy celebrating Star Trek's 50th Anniversary and love everything about Klingons. Unfortunately, I was kind of hoping for Kruge to play a bigger role because he's one of my favorite Star trek villains. Also, the title is misleading since it's a reference to Khan/Moby Dick.
STAR TREK: PREY is the story of the House of Kruge after the death of its namesake during the events of STAR TREK: THE SEARCH FOR SPOCK. It's actually close to STAR WARS: THE PHANTOM MENACE as a corrupt as well as divided Klingon noble house is taken over by a manipulative, seemingly benevolent politician who plans to plunge the Empire into war. There's also a heavy dose of examination for the Klingon discommendation process. The book is a good start to a trilogy celebrating Star Trek's 50th Anniversary and love everything about Klingons. Unfortunately, I was kind of hoping for Kruge to play a bigger role because he's one of my favorite Star trek villains. Also, the title is misleading since it's a reference to Khan/Moby Dick.
September 12, 2018
Star Trek is an interesting universe. However, this book was not interesting. Commander Kruge was obliterated in a Star-Trek's-episode-past. In this series, however, his ideologies still live on. While at a summit to commemorate the unification of the Klingon and Federation, Captain Picard and crew are attacked by a mysterious group of masked soldiers. The Enterprise crew is split up and we learn more about a nefarious plot to push the two sides apart.
Overall, this wasn't a very interesting book. I thought after reading Headlong Flight that all Star Trek books would be golden. However, this one proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that some can be just mediocre.
Overall, this wasn't a very interesting book. I thought after reading Headlong Flight that all Star Trek books would be golden. However, this one proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that some can be just mediocre.
January 12, 2020
Book 1 of this Star Trek Epic is a good start to this three book epic. It was worth the read but it didn't blow my mind.
Spoiler: hard to believe Jordi would not follow his hunch as he noticed something odd about power signatures of incoming vessels. the reason this is introduced is to later provide motivation for Jordi to go out and find the assassins. not usually an issue in the Star trek universe - usually, failing despite doing everything right, is the motivation for going out and kick some alien ass.
Great series if you like TOS movies. Also, the deep dive into Klingon honour and Kahless is cool.
Spoiler: hard to believe Jordi would not follow his hunch as he noticed something odd about power signatures of incoming vessels. the reason this is introduced is to later provide motivation for Jordi to go out and find the assassins. not usually an issue in the Star trek universe - usually, failing despite doing everything right, is the motivation for going out and kick some alien ass.
Great series if you like TOS movies. Also, the deep dive into Klingon honour and Kahless is cool.
July 17, 2017
A fun solid read that sets up the trilogy nicely. Its a must read if you're into Klingons!
JJM seems adept in writing for both of the "Star" universes. In Hell's Heart the death of Kruge in the Search For Spock sets of a chain of events that come to a head in this action packed tome. If you're a Worf fan this book offers much to love.
Klingon lore, politics and their relationship with the Federation is explored here to good effect and there is even a middle portion of the book set in the 23rd century.
Recommended! Time fore book 2
JJM seems adept in writing for both of the "Star" universes. In Hell's Heart the death of Kruge in the Search For Spock sets of a chain of events that come to a head in this action packed tome. If you're a Worf fan this book offers much to love.
Klingon lore, politics and their relationship with the Federation is explored here to good effect and there is even a middle portion of the book set in the 23rd century.
Recommended! Time fore book 2
March 22, 2018
This was a good Star Trek story. It took me about 1/4 into the book before I was really enjoying it, but once I did it was a lot of fun. This book has misdirection, political intrigue, and it brings out a familiar set of characters from Star Trek's past. Sometimes I am just in the mood for a Star Trek. I just need to go out with a crew I know and have fun. This was that. I look forward to the rest of the trilogy.
July 22, 2018
The first installment in this trilogy is a 4+ star affair. The intertwined tales of the original series and TNG casts here are managed ably by John Jackson Miller. Honestly, this is my favorite in the series by far, though most likely due to my interest in these aforementioned crews. Miller’s work with secondary characters and explorations of Klingon culture throughout all three books — the second and third in particular — are well-rendered.
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