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Star Trek: The Original Series
Child of Two Worlds
An all-new Star Trek novel from New York Times bestselling author Greg Cox, taking place in the blockbuster Original Series era!
The year is 2255, not long after the events of the Original Series episode “The Cage.” A young Spock is science officer on the U.S.S. Enterprise, under the command of Captain Christopher Pike, when an outbreak of deadly Rigelian fever threatens the crew. Reviewing the Starfleet medical database, Dr. Phillip Boyce comes up with a highly experimental and untested new treatment that might save the crew. Just one problem: it requires a rare mineral substance, ryetalyn, which is not easily obtained…except on a remote alien colony near the Klingon border. But borders are somewhat blurry in this part of galaxy. Pike will need to tread carefully in order to avoid provoking an armed conflict with the Klingons—or starting an all-out war.
™, ®, & © 2015 CBS Studios, Inc. STAR TREK and related marks and logos are trademarks of CBS Studios, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
The year is 2255, not long after the events of the Original Series episode “The Cage.” A young Spock is science officer on the U.S.S. Enterprise, under the command of Captain Christopher Pike, when an outbreak of deadly Rigelian fever threatens the crew. Reviewing the Starfleet medical database, Dr. Phillip Boyce comes up with a highly experimental and untested new treatment that might save the crew. Just one problem: it requires a rare mineral substance, ryetalyn, which is not easily obtained…except on a remote alien colony near the Klingon border. But borders are somewhat blurry in this part of galaxy. Pike will need to tread carefully in order to avoid provoking an armed conflict with the Klingons—or starting an all-out war.
™, ®, & © 2015 CBS Studios, Inc. STAR TREK and related marks and logos are trademarks of CBS Studios, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
369 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 24, 2015
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 83 reviews
February 14, 2023
Loved it entirely.
I found so much joy in returning to the Pike era post-Talos IV through this story and I enjoyed the many little details that the author included from across the various parts of the franchise.
For example, TOS and ENT era Klingons were both honoured in a simple and non-convoluted way.
"Ridges on his forehead indicated that he’d escaped the genetic disorder that had given many of his contemporaries more human features."
While we're talking about the Klingons... I'm NOT the best at lore by any stretch, but I was surprised to read that Klingons have 3 lungs in this story. I don't remember that detail being mentioned anywhere else, before I read it here. That one is probably on me (and my poor memory) though.
I enjoyed the many cultural references and snippets that we got in this story. Merata mentions at one point a Klingon folk-story about a warrior who was tricked into eating shadows and I just love these beautiful details. Although I didn't quote any other examples in my notes, I recall something of Una's culture being mentioned early on in the story. There were of course also references to Spock's culture and upbringing, the kinds of things we may remember from TAS (I-Chaya) and ST:V-The Final Frontier (Sybok).
"He wondered momentarily what Klingon children played with. Toy weapons, he imagined, or miniature soldiers. Nothing cute or soft or comforting. Or was he guilty of stereotyping Klingons too broadly? Despite their well-deserved reputation for ruthlessness and aggression, surely they were not entirely about war and conquest, just as Vulcans were not entirely without emotion or sentiment, save for those rare few who had attained the ultimate ideal of Kolinahr. Spock thought of his own childhood pet, lost to him so many years ago. I-Chaya had been a true companion to him as a boy. Spock missed him still."
On the whole this book seemed so full of richly imagined cultures, it's an example of sci-fi at its best for me.
There are a few things to remember in this book, lest it be a little bit of a jarring experience for the reader. The main thing is that this is set after 'The Cage' and written before 'Strange New Worlds' was a TV show. (I actually like to think of these books as test cases for how well-received continuation of the Pike-era stories would be - that's a big thumbs up from this reader!)
Una is referred to as simply "Number One" throughout the story, by absolutely everyone who addressses her. This seems so strange now, but was probably appropriate before her name was comfortably established.
The other thing is that Pike is a rather somber character in this story. It's much harder to tell if he is in character, based on the single pilot episode. We already have much more content for the 'SNW' Pike which is going to alter the image in our heads. I think the author did a great job of capturing that original Pike who was to a certain extent at the end of his tether.
Now, the actual plot here is verrrry familiar and that may also annoy some readers. Maybe it depends on the mood at the time of reading but the samey-ness gave me a much wider context to explore in my mind. And I really did spend some energy thinking about the ethics of this one. Let me explain...
The basic premise of Merata's situation, she was taken as a child then raised into adulthood by her captors, when rescue becomes an option she wants no part in it, opting instead to remain in her new life. This should be ringing bells for most Star Trek fans.
The most obvious example I kept thinking of was Seven of Nine (annika Hansen), who was also kidnapped as a child and then extremely reluctant to be rescued. The situation is I suppose rather different because there seems to be an element of brainwashing involved in "joining" (or being assimilated by) the collective. I'm not sure if that is true or implied though and I'm also not sure whether it's ultimately very different in the end. Is assimilation just a more efficient way of achieving Stockholm Syndrome, or is the assimilated person struggling there inside somewhere, at least to begin with?
Another excellent example is when Worf sets off to rescue some Klingons being held by romulans in the TNG double episode, 'Birthright'... only to find that the prisoners and their captors are one big happy family now.
There are other examples, which stories were you reminded of?
I guess these are such ethically ambiguous situations which is probably why they are important stories to tell, but I struggle to accept much past the initial wrong doing. I think it's a tough one, what do you think?
The Original Series took great progressive strides but occasionally made very unfortunate slips, sometimes to placate the production execs, sometimes through cultural obliviousness. Greg Cox is already one of my very favourite authors and he demonstrates his greatness here by having an excellent Chief engineer, Caitlyn Barry and a Yeoman Colt who is able to take the controls when required. This is so similar to a scene in a TOS episode where Yeoman Rand does the same and takes over for a fallen officer without a second thought that it felt like a strong and intentional rejection of that eternally regrettable line from the original pilot, when Pike says he is still adjusting to having women on the bridge.
I highly recommend this book.
I found so much joy in returning to the Pike era post-Talos IV through this story and I enjoyed the many little details that the author included from across the various parts of the franchise.
For example, TOS and ENT era Klingons were both honoured in a simple and non-convoluted way.
"Ridges on his forehead indicated that he’d escaped the genetic disorder that had given many of his contemporaries more human features."
While we're talking about the Klingons... I'm NOT the best at lore by any stretch, but I was surprised to read that Klingons have 3 lungs in this story. I don't remember that detail being mentioned anywhere else, before I read it here. That one is probably on me (and my poor memory) though.
I enjoyed the many cultural references and snippets that we got in this story. Merata mentions at one point a Klingon folk-story about a warrior who was tricked into eating shadows and I just love these beautiful details. Although I didn't quote any other examples in my notes, I recall something of Una's culture being mentioned early on in the story. There were of course also references to Spock's culture and upbringing, the kinds of things we may remember from TAS (I-Chaya) and ST:V-The Final Frontier (Sybok).
"He wondered momentarily what Klingon children played with. Toy weapons, he imagined, or miniature soldiers. Nothing cute or soft or comforting. Or was he guilty of stereotyping Klingons too broadly? Despite their well-deserved reputation for ruthlessness and aggression, surely they were not entirely about war and conquest, just as Vulcans were not entirely without emotion or sentiment, save for those rare few who had attained the ultimate ideal of Kolinahr. Spock thought of his own childhood pet, lost to him so many years ago. I-Chaya had been a true companion to him as a boy. Spock missed him still."
On the whole this book seemed so full of richly imagined cultures, it's an example of sci-fi at its best for me.
There are a few things to remember in this book, lest it be a little bit of a jarring experience for the reader. The main thing is that this is set after 'The Cage' and written before 'Strange New Worlds' was a TV show. (I actually like to think of these books as test cases for how well-received continuation of the Pike-era stories would be - that's a big thumbs up from this reader!)
Una is referred to as simply "Number One" throughout the story, by absolutely everyone who addressses her. This seems so strange now, but was probably appropriate before her name was comfortably established.
The other thing is that Pike is a rather somber character in this story. It's much harder to tell if he is in character, based on the single pilot episode. We already have much more content for the 'SNW' Pike which is going to alter the image in our heads. I think the author did a great job of capturing that original Pike who was to a certain extent at the end of his tether.
Now, the actual plot here is verrrry familiar and that may also annoy some readers. Maybe it depends on the mood at the time of reading but the samey-ness gave me a much wider context to explore in my mind. And I really did spend some energy thinking about the ethics of this one. Let me explain...
The basic premise of Merata's situation, she was taken as a child then raised into adulthood by her captors, when rescue becomes an option she wants no part in it, opting instead to remain in her new life. This should be ringing bells for most Star Trek fans.
The most obvious example I kept thinking of was Seven of Nine (annika Hansen), who was also kidnapped as a child and then extremely reluctant to be rescued. The situation is I suppose rather different because there seems to be an element of brainwashing involved in "joining" (or being assimilated by) the collective. I'm not sure if that is true or implied though and I'm also not sure whether it's ultimately very different in the end. Is assimilation just a more efficient way of achieving Stockholm Syndrome, or is the assimilated person struggling there inside somewhere, at least to begin with?
Another excellent example is when Worf sets off to rescue some Klingons being held by romulans in the TNG double episode, 'Birthright'... only to find that the prisoners and their captors are one big happy family now.
There are other examples, which stories were you reminded of?
I guess these are such ethically ambiguous situations which is probably why they are important stories to tell, but I struggle to accept much past the initial wrong doing. I think it's a tough one, what do you think?
The Original Series took great progressive strides but occasionally made very unfortunate slips, sometimes to placate the production execs, sometimes through cultural obliviousness. Greg Cox is already one of my very favourite authors and he demonstrates his greatness here by having an excellent Chief engineer, Caitlyn Barry and a Yeoman Colt who is able to take the controls when required. This is so similar to a scene in a TOS episode where Yeoman Rand does the same and takes over for a fallen officer without a second thought that it felt like a strong and intentional rejection of that eternally regrettable line from the original pilot, when Pike says he is still adjusting to having women on the bridge.
I highly recommend this book.
January 28, 2023
Oh boy can Greg Cox write some amazing Star Trek stories. Between this book and "The Antares Maelstrom", he has made his way into my Star Trek author top 5!
This book is a very straightforward book, and yet it has so much heart to it. Greg Cox takes the simple question of "Nature vs Nurture" and applies it to a Cyprian Girl who is kidnapped by the Klingons and has now become Klingon in almost every aspect. The question is does the Enterprise return her to the Cyprians?....or to the Klingons?
In reality, this book is all about execution. The idea itself is not terribly original, but rather every aspect of it was carried out to perfection. We get to see how the people of Cypria react, how the Enterprise crew reacts, and we also get to see how it affects Spock personally. The action is exciting throughout (a rareity in Star Trek books for me), and the Themes are AMAZING!
Cox took an unconventional route of setting the book during Pike's leadership of the Enterprise, and as a result it doesn't have Kirk or the rest of the known crew. Instead, we have Pike, Spock, and Number One (who we now know as Una thanks to Greg Cox's book "Captain to Captain", but at the time of the writing of this book her name was only "Number One"). All three of them serve as our main point of view characters, with Pike getting a substantial amount of the pagetime but Spock stealing all of the scenes. This book really feels like a "Strange New Worlds" novel, even though it came out years before "Strange New Worlds" was even an idea (the tv show not the anthology line).
The questions this book raises are very complicated. There is no right answer in the end, and the way that Cox deals with it is quite admirable and writerly. In fact, I wonder if some readers will make the jump to equating the situation in this book to modern gender ideas happening today.
Overall, an excellently written novel! Greg Cox has done it again! I sped through this book and had such a blast with it! I cannot wait to pick up more books from him in the future. 9.5 out of 10!
This book is a very straightforward book, and yet it has so much heart to it. Greg Cox takes the simple question of "Nature vs Nurture" and applies it to a Cyprian Girl who is kidnapped by the Klingons and has now become Klingon in almost every aspect. The question is does the Enterprise return her to the Cyprians?....or to the Klingons?
In reality, this book is all about execution. The idea itself is not terribly original, but rather every aspect of it was carried out to perfection. We get to see how the people of Cypria react, how the Enterprise crew reacts, and we also get to see how it affects Spock personally. The action is exciting throughout (a rareity in Star Trek books for me), and the Themes are AMAZING!
Cox took an unconventional route of setting the book during Pike's leadership of the Enterprise, and as a result it doesn't have Kirk or the rest of the known crew. Instead, we have Pike, Spock, and Number One (who we now know as Una thanks to Greg Cox's book "Captain to Captain", but at the time of the writing of this book her name was only "Number One"). All three of them serve as our main point of view characters, with Pike getting a substantial amount of the pagetime but Spock stealing all of the scenes. This book really feels like a "Strange New Worlds" novel, even though it came out years before "Strange New Worlds" was even an idea (the tv show not the anthology line).
The questions this book raises are very complicated. There is no right answer in the end, and the way that Cox deals with it is quite admirable and writerly. In fact, I wonder if some readers will make the jump to equating the situation in this book to modern gender ideas happening today.
Overall, an excellently written novel! Greg Cox has done it again! I sped through this book and had such a blast with it! I cannot wait to pick up more books from him in the future. 9.5 out of 10!
December 8, 2015
An excellent addition to Spock's backstory, and small tidbits such as the origin of anesthezine intruder control systems make this novel a really fun read. The central dilemma is handled well, and the conclusion is a satisfying one. Child of Two Worlds makes very good use of continuity, something for which Greg Cox is well known. I would really enjoy seeing more stories set in this era with further exploration of Pike and his crew.
Full review: http://treklit.blogspot.com/2015/12/C...
Full review: http://treklit.blogspot.com/2015/12/C...
January 18, 2016
The overall story reminds me of the TNG episode "Suddenly Human". The Spock story in the book follows in parallel to the main story arc as Spock decides which of the two,worlds he belongs in, human, Vulcan or somewhere in between charting his own path. I hope we see more books set in this time period of Trek history. The book was an enjoyable read.
December 29, 2015
It's been a long time since I've read a Star Trek novel, and, fortunately, I picked a good one for my Christmas present to myself upon my return to the Star Trek universe. It's a Spock and Captain Pike novel, the captain of the Enterprise before Kirk, set just a few months after the events detailed in the series television pilot, "The Cage." This story entails Klingons (both the more human looking but genetically malformed from TOS, and the more aggressive looking warriors we all know and love), an out of control virus aboard the Enterprise, and a thwarted mission of mercy. Good stuff.
Greg Cox is a solid writer; the plotting is strong, the story engaging (though the explanatory sentences that regularly pad the paragraphs were at times a tad much), and the familiar characters were nicely drawn. It's a fast read, nothing surprising there. Full of action, adventure, repartee, and subtle in-the-know quips and references - including an expendable ensign, Spock's implied future with a new captain, and a medical staff person who says, "I'm a nurse not a doctor." ;)
Recommended, especially to Star Trek fans.
Greg Cox is a solid writer; the plotting is strong, the story engaging (though the explanatory sentences that regularly pad the paragraphs were at times a tad much), and the familiar characters were nicely drawn. It's a fast read, nothing surprising there. Full of action, adventure, repartee, and subtle in-the-know quips and references - including an expendable ensign, Spock's implied future with a new captain, and a medical staff person who says, "I'm a nurse not a doctor." ;)
Recommended, especially to Star Trek fans.
December 5, 2015
I really enjoyed this one! Liked seeing Capt. Pike, Number One, Dr Boyce & a young Spock in action. Had some good character moments for Spock & some good Klingon intruder alert action. Cox did a great job with the story & characterization. Highly recommend.
February 8, 2021
Nem vagyok Star Trek-rajongó, alig pár részt láttam az eredeti sorozatból. (Nem kell aggódni, a Star Wars sem különösebben a szívem csücske, sőt az egy kicsit kevésbé, úgyhogy ebben a háborúban pártatlan vagyok.) Az ezévezredi Star Trek-filmeket szeretem, azt hiszem, még moziba is hajlandó voltam értük menni – de persze ez sem egy igazi treki ismérve.
Leginkább egyébként azért nem tud lekötni hosszú évadokra, mert annyira nem zsánerem ez az űrhajós-nonstop kalandozós buli. De azért időről időre jól esik, persze így meg elvesztem a nagyobb képet. Ezt a könyvet konkrétan úgy kerestem ki a wikipediáról, hogy elkezdtem a legfrissebb regényektől visszafele menni, és amelyik leírása megragadta a fantáziám, az lett. Azért nem meglepő, hogy pszichológusi vénával egy spockos könyvre esett a választásom. Bár ez a „spockosság”csak azt jelenti, hogy a nagyon elhanyagolható helyett csak kicsit elhanyagolható mértékben volt jelen a sok izgalom között.
Minden összevetve egy abszolút szilárd lábakon álló regényről beszélünk. Volt benne egy rakat akciójelenet és űrcsata is, de persze engem jobban érdekelt az összes többi része, és az is elég gazdagra sikeredett. A USS Enterprise-on kitör egy járvány (khm, nagyon is covid-áthallással, annak is vannak a láz mellett légúti és mindenféle tünetei), ami miatt meg kell szakítani egy küldetést. Egy független bolygó rendelkezik az gyógyszerhez kellő ritka anyaggal, de közben egy vészjelzést is elkap a hajó egy kereskedő hajótól, amit a Klingonok támadtak meg.
A járvány kezelése része...
A sorozatra és korábbi könyvekre való utalásokat természetesen nem értettem, de szerencsére nem volt velük teletömve a regény (vagy észre sem vettem). Egyébként pedig nagyon élveztem olvasni, akkor is, ha ilyen jellegű könyvből egy ideig nem vágyom másikra. Külön értékeltem a címet: Két világ gyermeke.
February 14, 2018
Set just after the events of the 'The Cage'. A young Spock is a scientific officer on the U.S.S. Enterprise, under the command of Captain Pike the ship is suffering from an outbreak of deadly Rigelian fever.
The only chance of finding a treatment is to obtain a rare mineral called ryetalyn, the only downside for the crew is that they must travel to a remote alien colony near the Klingon border.
I found it easy to get swept along by the story, with tv tie-ins it's normally easier to picture the characters as your so familiar with them having seen them on screen. But as Pike's tenure on the ship isn't heavily featured in the show, Cox cleverly tells this story through Spock - this makes this novel really accessible to anyone that likes Trek.
The only chance of finding a treatment is to obtain a rare mineral called ryetalyn, the only downside for the crew is that they must travel to a remote alien colony near the Klingon border.
I found it easy to get swept along by the story, with tv tie-ins it's normally easier to picture the characters as your so familiar with them having seen them on screen. But as Pike's tenure on the ship isn't heavily featured in the show, Cox cleverly tells this story through Spock - this makes this novel really accessible to anyone that likes Trek.
January 1, 2019
This was a great book in the classic vein of original "Star Trek" of a woman, like Spock, torn between two worlds and faced with a need to choose with galactic consequences. Fans of the series will love this book.
December 3, 2015
Very good book, but a LOT of typos/grammatical errors missed in editing
Read
November 3, 2023The Enterprise is a plague ship enroute to an independent world for a rare medical ingredient when it answers a distress signal and things get…complicated. As in, this couldn’t be worse, could it? complicated, because the rescue creates a no-win diplomatic scenario that puts Enterprise in the sights of both the independent world (which they need to keep the crew alive) and the Klingons — with an away team exposed to mob nuttiness on the planet, and the Enterprise‘s effectiveness declining by the hour and more and more of her crew become incapacitated with the space-plague, to the point where yeomen are being tasked to bridge stations. Sometimes it just doesn’t pay to get out of bed.
Greg Cox is one of the earliest Trek writers I ever encountered (his Assignment: Eternity from 1998 was the first adult ST title I read), and unlike others from that period I’ve continued thoroughly enjoying his work even as Treklit became more artistically sophisticated in the mid-2000s Relaunch era. Cox has a particularly good handle on the TOS characters, but here he throws a curve: we’re on Pike‘s Enterprise, shortly after “The Cage”. Reading this after Strange New Worlds is a decidedly odd experience, almost like watching two similar movies on the same film, their images interlaced and vying for dominance. Pike, Una, and Spock are all here, but which actor I see and hear behind their lines varies from scene to scene. There’s an interesting mix of book-lore and anachronisms: Una’s background as an Illyrian, created by D.C. Fontana, is here — but not her name, which didn’t appear until the ST Legacies trilogy, so (amusingly) she’s referred to as Number One every single time she appears. This is hand-waved as her real name being too long for most people to handle, so she suggests people merely call her Number One. Sure, she could go by Majel or Rebecca, but that’s for normies. Cox also tries to accommodate odd details from the pilot, like writing Pike as someone with a preference for hard copies. One wonders if that inspired John Jackson Miller to give Pike a history with a Luddite colony in The High Country. Another curiosity is Cox employing phrases like ‘hyperdrive’ and ‘laser pistol’ which are both charmingly raygun gothic and deliberately anachronistic, presumably to press the point that this is a different era in Trek history.
Storywise, Cox creates an opportunity for Spock to shine by making him the foil of the woman whose existence causes all of the plot problems, as they’re both caught between worlds and cultures. We’ll be skirting the edges of spoiler territory here, but the woman in question was abducted during a Klingon attack on the independent planet a decade before, and effectively raised as a Klingon, self-consciously leaning into stereotypes in the way that Worf would a generation later. The trouble starts when her sister tracks her town and ‘rescues’ her — and only grows, because the indie planet insists that Enterprise return THE WOMEN!!! to them (it’s an election year, so returning the grown-up abductee will be great optics for the incumbent), while the Klingons are insisting the same, but less for principle and more because Klingons gotta Klingon. Spock’s struggling with his own identity works well with this woman who rejected her heritage out of self-preservation, but who now has a real choice as to who to be, and the tight action-adventure thriller made this one a fun romp. It even has a Klingon boarding party on the Big E!
Greg Cox is one of the earliest Trek writers I ever encountered (his Assignment: Eternity from 1998 was the first adult ST title I read), and unlike others from that period I’ve continued thoroughly enjoying his work even as Treklit became more artistically sophisticated in the mid-2000s Relaunch era. Cox has a particularly good handle on the TOS characters, but here he throws a curve: we’re on Pike‘s Enterprise, shortly after “The Cage”. Reading this after Strange New Worlds is a decidedly odd experience, almost like watching two similar movies on the same film, their images interlaced and vying for dominance. Pike, Una, and Spock are all here, but which actor I see and hear behind their lines varies from scene to scene. There’s an interesting mix of book-lore and anachronisms: Una’s background as an Illyrian, created by D.C. Fontana, is here — but not her name, which didn’t appear until the ST Legacies trilogy, so (amusingly) she’s referred to as Number One every single time she appears. This is hand-waved as her real name being too long for most people to handle, so she suggests people merely call her Number One. Sure, she could go by Majel or Rebecca, but that’s for normies. Cox also tries to accommodate odd details from the pilot, like writing Pike as someone with a preference for hard copies. One wonders if that inspired John Jackson Miller to give Pike a history with a Luddite colony in The High Country. Another curiosity is Cox employing phrases like ‘hyperdrive’ and ‘laser pistol’ which are both charmingly raygun gothic and deliberately anachronistic, presumably to press the point that this is a different era in Trek history.
Storywise, Cox creates an opportunity for Spock to shine by making him the foil of the woman whose existence causes all of the plot problems, as they’re both caught between worlds and cultures. We’ll be skirting the edges of spoiler territory here, but the woman in question was abducted during a Klingon attack on the independent planet a decade before, and effectively raised as a Klingon, self-consciously leaning into stereotypes in the way that Worf would a generation later. The trouble starts when her sister tracks her town and ‘rescues’ her — and only grows, because the indie planet insists that Enterprise return THE WOMEN!!! to them (it’s an election year, so returning the grown-up abductee will be great optics for the incumbent), while the Klingons are insisting the same, but less for principle and more because Klingons gotta Klingon. Spock’s struggling with his own identity works well with this woman who rejected her heritage out of self-preservation, but who now has a real choice as to who to be, and the tight action-adventure thriller made this one a fun romp. It even has a Klingon boarding party on the Big E!
January 30, 2023
*SPOILERS*
Child of Two Worlds is a thrilling 'Pike-era' Star Trek adventure that really delivers the goods! Not long after the events in The Cage, the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise falls prey to a deadly outbreak of Rigelian fever. Dr. Boyce's only only hope for a cure lies in the rare mineral, ryetalyn. Unfortunately, the location of the needed mineral is on a planet near the Klingon-Federation border: Cypria III.
Upon arriving in the system they receive a distress call from a cargo ship being pursued by Klingons. The ship in question Harbors some precious cargo: a Cyprian women, and her astranged sister, who has been altered to appear Klingon!
This altered Cyprian was abducted as a young child and integrated into Klingon society-taking the name Merata. Her adopted father is the captain of the he pursuing Klingon vessel and demands his 'daughters' return. Merata's abductor is actually her biological sister who has spent a good chunk of her life trying to locate and return her sister to her own people. Pike rescues the Cyprian sisters-putting him, and his sick crew, in a very precarious situation. Should he return this altered Cyprian women to the Klingons-who demand her return-or should she be returned to her people of origin?
Pike hopes Merata can make a conscious decision for herself, and must tread lightly to avoid an all out war. The captain delegates Spock the task of trying to make a connection with her, hoping their commonality of a dual heritage will make him relatable to her. Hopefully, the young science officer can get through to her and help her make the right choice.
Meanwhile on the planet-Number One and her landing party try and secure the ryetalyn before it's too late. Unfortunately, word has spread of Merata and it doesn't take long before she's identified and the entire planet is in an uproar-demanding the return of 'Elzy'. A self-serving politician decides to use Elzy as a shoo-in to secure an upcoming election, and is reluctant to give up the ryetalyn until she's returned.
Pike is put in a very tight spot as he must find a solution that pleases both the Cyprians AND the Klingon's-before his entire crew succumb to the deadly fever.
The 'plague ship' element of this story definitely adds an underlying feeling of urgency to the plot. That, coupled with volatile situation on the planet, not to mention the Klingons, make for a virtual powder keg of a situation that spends the latter half of the book exploding. The action is non-stop. The pacing-relentless.
But the real 'meat' of the story is Spock trying to form a connection with Merata. The duality of both characters is explored as they get to know each other, and they find out that thier more alike than unlike. Both have sworn off one culture to embrace another. Both know what it feels like to be an outsider. Spock is forced to step out of his comfort zone in order to earn her trust
There's alot of familiar "Cage Pilot' faces in this adventure: the efficiently cool-headed Yeoman Colt, Navigator Lt Tyler, Communications officer Garrison, the overly taxed curmudgeon-Dr Boyce, and the brilliantly steadfast Illyrian-Number One, aka-Una. Leading them is Captain Christopher Pike, who is written with the characterizations and intonations of the late Jeffery Hunter. With Pike we get an old school captain who prefers hard copy print outs as opposed to computer readouts; and utilizes his crew rather than charging head first into danger. The captain's resolve gets put to the test repeatedly during this adventure, as one crisis pops up after another.
Author Greg Cox garnishes his narrative with an assortment of easter eggs and references from throughout the Star Trek universe. Whether it's a familiar gadget, planet, or another show in the franchise, any diehard trekker is sure to pick up on a few of them.
I liked the simplicity of Cox's storytelling. He doesn't bog the reader down with an excessive amount of technobabble or unnecessary plot threads. He just tells a good story that focuses on the characters and the obstacles they must overcome. More than anything, his writing makes me feel like I'm watching the show; and that's all this reader asks for.
Overall, I found Child of Two Worlds to be an excellent reading experience-with a great focus on Spock. It does a good job of giving the reader a glimpse at a Star Trek that 'could have been' had the Cage pilot not been rejected. Highly recommended!!
Child of Two Worlds is a thrilling 'Pike-era' Star Trek adventure that really delivers the goods! Not long after the events in The Cage, the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise falls prey to a deadly outbreak of Rigelian fever. Dr. Boyce's only only hope for a cure lies in the rare mineral, ryetalyn. Unfortunately, the location of the needed mineral is on a planet near the Klingon-Federation border: Cypria III.
Upon arriving in the system they receive a distress call from a cargo ship being pursued by Klingons. The ship in question Harbors some precious cargo: a Cyprian women, and her astranged sister, who has been altered to appear Klingon!
This altered Cyprian was abducted as a young child and integrated into Klingon society-taking the name Merata. Her adopted father is the captain of the he pursuing Klingon vessel and demands his 'daughters' return. Merata's abductor is actually her biological sister who has spent a good chunk of her life trying to locate and return her sister to her own people. Pike rescues the Cyprian sisters-putting him, and his sick crew, in a very precarious situation. Should he return this altered Cyprian women to the Klingons-who demand her return-or should she be returned to her people of origin?
Pike hopes Merata can make a conscious decision for herself, and must tread lightly to avoid an all out war. The captain delegates Spock the task of trying to make a connection with her, hoping their commonality of a dual heritage will make him relatable to her. Hopefully, the young science officer can get through to her and help her make the right choice.
Meanwhile on the planet-Number One and her landing party try and secure the ryetalyn before it's too late. Unfortunately, word has spread of Merata and it doesn't take long before she's identified and the entire planet is in an uproar-demanding the return of 'Elzy'. A self-serving politician decides to use Elzy as a shoo-in to secure an upcoming election, and is reluctant to give up the ryetalyn until she's returned.
Pike is put in a very tight spot as he must find a solution that pleases both the Cyprians AND the Klingon's-before his entire crew succumb to the deadly fever.
The 'plague ship' element of this story definitely adds an underlying feeling of urgency to the plot. That, coupled with volatile situation on the planet, not to mention the Klingons, make for a virtual powder keg of a situation that spends the latter half of the book exploding. The action is non-stop. The pacing-relentless.
But the real 'meat' of the story is Spock trying to form a connection with Merata. The duality of both characters is explored as they get to know each other, and they find out that thier more alike than unlike. Both have sworn off one culture to embrace another. Both know what it feels like to be an outsider. Spock is forced to step out of his comfort zone in order to earn her trust
There's alot of familiar "Cage Pilot' faces in this adventure: the efficiently cool-headed Yeoman Colt, Navigator Lt Tyler, Communications officer Garrison, the overly taxed curmudgeon-Dr Boyce, and the brilliantly steadfast Illyrian-Number One, aka-Una. Leading them is Captain Christopher Pike, who is written with the characterizations and intonations of the late Jeffery Hunter. With Pike we get an old school captain who prefers hard copy print outs as opposed to computer readouts; and utilizes his crew rather than charging head first into danger. The captain's resolve gets put to the test repeatedly during this adventure, as one crisis pops up after another.
Author Greg Cox garnishes his narrative with an assortment of easter eggs and references from throughout the Star Trek universe. Whether it's a familiar gadget, planet, or another show in the franchise, any diehard trekker is sure to pick up on a few of them.
I liked the simplicity of Cox's storytelling. He doesn't bog the reader down with an excessive amount of technobabble or unnecessary plot threads. He just tells a good story that focuses on the characters and the obstacles they must overcome. More than anything, his writing makes me feel like I'm watching the show; and that's all this reader asks for.
Overall, I found Child of Two Worlds to be an excellent reading experience-with a great focus on Spock. It does a good job of giving the reader a glimpse at a Star Trek that 'could have been' had the Cage pilot not been rejected. Highly recommended!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 25, 2019
I wasn't really aware of Greg Cox before I read this, but I looked up what he's done, and I've enjoyed other works of his before, like his Dark Knight Rises adaptation.
Anyway, this was a surprisingly excellent story set during Pike's tenure as captain of the Enterprise, focusing on Spock. The attention to detail here is pretty fantastic, and the story feels like a missing episode. I saw this on sale and thought it looked kind of cool, but it definitely exceeded my expectations.
Anyway, this was a surprisingly excellent story set during Pike's tenure as captain of the Enterprise, focusing on Spock. The attention to detail here is pretty fantastic, and the story feels like a missing episode. I saw this on sale and thought it looked kind of cool, but it definitely exceeded my expectations.
April 29, 2023
This novel takes place a short while after the events of the original pilot "The Cage," and as such features Captain Pike and Number One. I liked that Spock had a lot to do, and the little details that the author included to explain Canon inaccuries with the post TOS continuity. It's obvious Mr. Cox knows the subject well and is very passionate about it. I'll definitely be reading his other Star Trek novels.
October 20, 2019
This is prety good for a Star Trek novel. It focuses on Spock and features Captain Pike, which is pretty rare. A story that could have been a TV-episode. The only gripe is that it is about 100 pages too long. There's just not enough story to fill all the pages.
July 14, 2018
Solid Star Trek outing. I’m always a fan of Spock-centric stories. I happened to be sick with a fever during much of the time I was reading this, which made reading about the crew’s predicament extra stressful!
July 2, 2016
Not a bad Trek novel, but I think it sorta fails at its goals. If you are going to dig in to the Pike era, then you should really go for it. Provide some insight and backround for Pike, Number One and Boyce. Spock is the only one who got any depth and we already have plenty of that. (Also, this didn't feel like a young, more emotional Spock. Plus, he's not even the main focus as the title and cover seem to imply.)
There was plenty good. Merata's arc was compelling and unique. Her relationship with Spock was also interesting. But, it felt like the author didn't know what to do with a low-ranking Spock, so he banished Number One in order for Spock to assume his familiar role.
Bottom line. I wanted a Pike story and got a generic Trek story.
There was plenty good. Merata's arc was compelling and unique. Her relationship with Spock was also interesting. But, it felt like the author didn't know what to do with a low-ranking Spock, so he banished Number One in order for Spock to assume his familiar role.
Bottom line. I wanted a Pike story and got a generic Trek story.
December 11, 2015
This was on its way to a pleasant, if unremarkable, 3-star rating...and then all hell breaks loose. As it turns out, when all hell breaks loose, Greg Cox has a wonderful writing style that goes up a gear to meet the challenge of action/adventure in prose. A novel that managed to surprise me in the end, especially with the excellent character work for Number One, and the lovely tie-in to D.C. Fontana's superb Trek novel, "Vulcan's Glory".
February 5, 2016
Cpt. Pike doesn't really interest me, but Spock does. I think Cox does an excellent job of showing us a bit less mature version of Spock along with an Enterprise that is a bit before the Kirk era. I did enjoy his expansion on the Number One character and the female chief engineer.
The plot was a little too predictable to me and the outcome was not a surprise.
I was disappointed because Cox's Eugenics Wars novels were excellent.
The plot was a little too predictable to me and the outcome was not a surprise.
I was disappointed because Cox's Eugenics Wars novels were excellent.
December 4, 2015
Enjoyable Pike era story about Spock but mainly about an alien girl raised Klingon.
May 14, 2016
loved it.
February 3, 2016
This is a fantastic tribute to the memory of the Capt. Pike crew who are no longer with us.
March 22, 2025
Set shortly after the events of "The Cage," this Original Series era novel features Captain Pike, Number One, and of course, Spock. However it was written well before the TV continuation featuring this crew, Strange New Worlds. As such, it feels a bit anomalous, carving out territory that would probably now be seen as non-canonical.
The Enterprise experiences an outbreak of Rigelian fever, and heads to Cypria III to obtain ryetalyn, a substance necessary for curing the disease. En route, they encounter a Cyprian ship under attack from the Klingons, and intervene to save two people from the distressed vessel, Soleste Mursh and a Klingon named Merata. Merata proves to be a Klingon in appearance only; underneath her cosmetic changes, she is actually Cyprian, and the sister of Soleste. She was kidnapped as a child and raised by the Klingon general Kruun, who now wants her back. Soleste has captured her in an attempt at a rescue, but Merata, now an adult, views herself as Klingon through and through. The Cyprians will not release the ryetalyn to Pike and his crew, unless they release Merata. The Klingons threaten all out war on Cypria if "Kruun's daughter" is not returned. Pike gets sick with Rigelian fever, but tries to muscle through the crisis through sheer willpower.
An additional subplot has Spock considering a post on the Intrepid, which Star Trek fans will remember as a Federation ship carrying an all-Vulcan crew. The question of whether he should move to a position where he can around his own people, or whether he will remain on the heterogenous Enterprise lingers over the entire book.
As usual, Greg Cox writes a solid yarn. Despite the familiarity of the plot, which has echoes of many other stories, the pacing is good, and the characters are (mostly) well developed. I was unsure through most of the book whether Merata would come back to Cypria or return to her adoptive Klingon family, and I appreciated that ambiguity. But what makes the book interesting is the parallelism that Cox develops between Merata and Spock. The point of the plot here is to highlight the conflict in our hero due to his dual heritage; Merata serves as a plot device to draw out that conversation and contemplation.
This is not Cox' best Star Trek novel, but it's not a bad one, and those who appreciate Pike and his crew will enjoy it. Although not particularly groundbreaking, it is well constructed, true to the ethos of the show, and moderately entertaining.
The Enterprise experiences an outbreak of Rigelian fever, and heads to Cypria III to obtain ryetalyn, a substance necessary for curing the disease. En route, they encounter a Cyprian ship under attack from the Klingons, and intervene to save two people from the distressed vessel, Soleste Mursh and a Klingon named Merata. Merata proves to be a Klingon in appearance only; underneath her cosmetic changes, she is actually Cyprian, and the sister of Soleste. She was kidnapped as a child and raised by the Klingon general Kruun, who now wants her back. Soleste has captured her in an attempt at a rescue, but Merata, now an adult, views herself as Klingon through and through. The Cyprians will not release the ryetalyn to Pike and his crew, unless they release Merata. The Klingons threaten all out war on Cypria if "Kruun's daughter" is not returned. Pike gets sick with Rigelian fever, but tries to muscle through the crisis through sheer willpower.
An additional subplot has Spock considering a post on the Intrepid, which Star Trek fans will remember as a Federation ship carrying an all-Vulcan crew. The question of whether he should move to a position where he can around his own people, or whether he will remain on the heterogenous Enterprise lingers over the entire book.
As usual, Greg Cox writes a solid yarn. Despite the familiarity of the plot, which has echoes of many other stories, the pacing is good, and the characters are (mostly) well developed. I was unsure through most of the book whether Merata would come back to Cypria or return to her adoptive Klingon family, and I appreciated that ambiguity. But what makes the book interesting is the parallelism that Cox develops between Merata and Spock. The point of the plot here is to highlight the conflict in our hero due to his dual heritage; Merata serves as a plot device to draw out that conversation and contemplation.
This is not Cox' best Star Trek novel, but it's not a bad one, and those who appreciate Pike and his crew will enjoy it. Although not particularly groundbreaking, it is well constructed, true to the ethos of the show, and moderately entertaining.
December 21, 2024
Child of Two Worlds appears to be another Spock-focused character exploration novel similar to Spock’s World by Diane Duane. But although Spock plays an important role in the plot, he is not the focus, and we don’t get much unique reflection on who he is as a person—an especial shame in this rare Pike-era story.
Despite the lack of new Spock insights, Child of Two Worlds is an enjoyable read with a well-paced plot and good suspense. Half of Pike’s crew is already sick with Rigelian fever when they encounter a distress signal coming from near Klingon space. On the other side of this signal are two sisters—Cyprian Soleste and Klingon Merata. How does that work? It’s complicated. From here, the plot splits as Number One takes a landing party to Cypria in hopes of getting an antidote to the fever, while Spock tries to get through to Merata about her past and stop her streak of violence, and Pike deals with angry Klingons while succumbing to the fever himself. Much politicking and drama ensues.
Merata is a standout character in this book. Kidnapped from her Cyprian family by the Klingons when she was little, she was raised as one of them. Conflict over her identity arises after her sister Soleste finally finds her and wants to bring her home to Cypria. Hence the “Child of Two Worlds,” which mirrors how Spock views himself. I really liked this parallel between the characters. I just wish there was more exploration of Spock’s feelings about it all! I also felt the Stockholm syndrome Merata experienced could have been explored with more depth.
But overall, a fun read and a solid entry into Pike-era cannon.
Despite the lack of new Spock insights, Child of Two Worlds is an enjoyable read with a well-paced plot and good suspense. Half of Pike’s crew is already sick with Rigelian fever when they encounter a distress signal coming from near Klingon space. On the other side of this signal are two sisters—Cyprian Soleste and Klingon Merata. How does that work? It’s complicated. From here, the plot splits as Number One takes a landing party to Cypria in hopes of getting an antidote to the fever, while Spock tries to get through to Merata about her past and stop her streak of violence, and Pike deals with angry Klingons while succumbing to the fever himself. Much politicking and drama ensues.
Merata is a standout character in this book. Kidnapped from her Cyprian family by the Klingons when she was little, she was raised as one of them. Conflict over her identity arises after her sister Soleste finally finds her and wants to bring her home to Cypria. Hence the “Child of Two Worlds,” which mirrors how Spock views himself. I really liked this parallel between the characters. I just wish there was more exploration of Spock’s feelings about it all! I also felt the Stockholm syndrome Merata experienced could have been explored with more depth.
But overall, a fun read and a solid entry into Pike-era cannon.
February 19, 2018
Of all the Star Trek novels I've read, I enjoyed this one the most. It helps that it was written by Greg Cox, my favourite of the Trek authors. He handles plotting and character really well, and despite being an obvious fan of the Trek universe, he isn't maudlin or misty-eyed about it.
This story takes place shortly after Captain Pike and the original Enterprise crew return from Talos IV (the setting for "The Cage" where Pike is kidnapped by brainy telepathic aliens, remember?). Spock is a young science officer, and the Illyrian, Number One, is first officer. I think because of the development of these characters, I found this story really intriguing.
Too, despite the cover picture of Spock and the title, this story is not about Spock's own struggle with his part-human past. It is about a young Cyprian girl, kidnapped by Klingons a decade ago and for all intents and purposes, becoming a Klingon. Thus, the story is about identities, all of ours, how we see ourselves and how we wish others to see us.
If you're looking for a good, page-turning Trek story that moves beyond Kirk, McCoy and the others, you will enjoy this. It's good SF that just happens to be in the Trek universe.
My only criticism has nothing to do with the story itself; rather, there are about a dozen typos that got missed by the editor and proof-reader. That's annoying.
This story takes place shortly after Captain Pike and the original Enterprise crew return from Talos IV (the setting for "The Cage" where Pike is kidnapped by brainy telepathic aliens, remember?). Spock is a young science officer, and the Illyrian, Number One, is first officer. I think because of the development of these characters, I found this story really intriguing.
Too, despite the cover picture of Spock and the title, this story is not about Spock's own struggle with his part-human past. It is about a young Cyprian girl, kidnapped by Klingons a decade ago and for all intents and purposes, becoming a Klingon. Thus, the story is about identities, all of ours, how we see ourselves and how we wish others to see us.
If you're looking for a good, page-turning Trek story that moves beyond Kirk, McCoy and the others, you will enjoy this. It's good SF that just happens to be in the Trek universe.
My only criticism has nothing to do with the story itself; rather, there are about a dozen typos that got missed by the editor and proof-reader. That's annoying.
May 5, 2025
surprisingly enjoyable read. Although I just realized that this is the same author who wrote another Star Trek TOS book I enjoyed: Foul Deeds Will Rise so I'll definitely look for other books by Greg Cox in the future.
I liked how the character of Merata was used to convey Spock's own struggles with being a half human/half Vulcan and the push and pull of those two cultures within.
The action plot was fast paced and interesting, with tensions from both the Cyprians and Klingons that came to a satisfactory conclusion (which i won't spoil here). It did feel like a TOS episode in that respect, just with a lil more in terms of action scenes and less of folks standing around in questionable costumes (sorry sorry, I love TOS but you know it's true! haha).
overall, 4/5. Fun read.
I liked how the character of Merata was used to convey Spock's own struggles with being a half human/half Vulcan and the push and pull of those two cultures within.
The action plot was fast paced and interesting, with tensions from both the Cyprians and Klingons that came to a satisfactory conclusion (which i won't spoil here). It did feel like a TOS episode in that respect, just with a lil more in terms of action scenes and less of folks standing around in questionable costumes (sorry sorry, I love TOS but you know it's true! haha).
overall, 4/5. Fun read.
June 20, 2020
With the new Trek TV series Strange New Worlds recently being announced, now seems an opportune time to take in some of the Pike-era Enterprise voyages. Published back in 2015, Greg Cox's Child of Two Worlds offers up an excellent mix of Trek elements as Pike and co try to deal with an outbreak on board (now all the more topical) and tensions involving the planet with the rare substance needed to help treat it and, of course, the Klingons. Those who've seen the original Trek TV pilot The Cage, and possibly read some of the Pike-era novels, will find plenty of references to satisfy them as Cox fleshes out this little-seen era of Trek's history. That he does so while also telling an engaging story, one that explores the idea of nature versus nurture, is all the more to its credit.
In short, it's another feature in Cox's Trek writing cap.
In short, it's another feature in Cox's Trek writing cap.
March 29, 2024
This takes place during the time when Spock server under Captain Pike. Had this been released just several years later, I wonder if the title would’ve been Star Trek: Strange New Worlds: Child of Two Worlds, or something else to remove the redundancy. The title of the book is kind of a misdirect, which becomes clear not too far into the story, but makes an interesting premise. My favorite parts were the conversations between Spock and Pike, though we of course know that Spock is not going to follow through with the transfer. The prologue with young Spock celebrating his birthday with his mother was very nice.
August 19, 2018
Gotta Love Those Vulcans
This is a, good solid Star Trek novel, not the best, but certainly not the worst. For the most part it is told from Spock's point of view, and that's great for those of us who are Vulcanophiles. At times there could have been a little more character development, and it would have been nice to "get into the head" of the characters a little more. If you're a Spock fan, like me, you won't be disappointed with this novel, but, honestly, it won't stick in your memory like Margaret Wander Bonanno's "Strangers From The Sky" does.
This is a, good solid Star Trek novel, not the best, but certainly not the worst. For the most part it is told from Spock's point of view, and that's great for those of us who are Vulcanophiles. At times there could have been a little more character development, and it would have been nice to "get into the head" of the characters a little more. If you're a Spock fan, like me, you won't be disappointed with this novel, but, honestly, it won't stick in your memory like Margaret Wander Bonanno's "Strangers From The Sky" does.
January 15, 2020
An in depth look at Captain Pike and a much younger Spock. Elzura was stollen from her family at a young age and now barely remembers them. She now considers herself Klingon and doesn’t want to be anything else. Convincing her Cyprian family and planet will take some doing. Spock is assigned the task of helping her figure out who she really is, while Captain Pike tries to protect the Enterprise from her Klingon General father and his warbird. All this while more than half his crew is down with Rigelian Fever.
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