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Star Trek: Voyager
A Pocket Full of Lies
The Full Circle Fleet has resumed its unprecedented explorations of the Delta Quadrant and former Borg space. Commander Liam O'Donnell of the U.S.S. Demeter makes a promising first contact with the Nihydron—humanoid aliens that are collectors of history. They rarely interact with the species they study but have created a massive database of numerous races, inhabited planets, and the current geopolitical landscape of a large swath of the quadrant. When an exchange of data is proposed via a formal meeting, the Nihydron representatives are visibly shaken when Admiral Kathryn Janeway greets them. For almost a century, two local species—the Rilnar and the Zahl—have fought for control of the nearby planet Sormana, with both sides claiming it as their ancestral homeworld. The shocking part is that for the last several years, the Rilnar have been steadily gaining ground, thanks to the tactics of their current commanding officer: a human woman, who appears to be none other than Kathryn Janeway herself...
401 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 1, 2016
84 people are currently reading
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 70 reviews
January 19, 2016
Well, that was certainly an epic worth devouring. It gives me great pleasure to find that "Voyager's" second life in print has finally given me the character-and-consequence-filled stories that I knew it was capable of producing...and this novel in particular is its finest outing. An astonishing sequel to some mind-bending episodes, this novel drips with excitement, emotion, happy endings, and heart aching revelations. How could I NOT devour this in a day?
March 1, 2016
Another great KB Voyager novel! Kristen Beyer as always expertly handles the characters in this complicated & imaginitave story. Her Voyager novels are just consistently awesome.
December 3, 2018
With 2016 having just begun, A Pocket Full of Lies has already set the bar very high for Star Trek novels this year. A very fun and very compelling read, this novel not only tells its own story very well, but it also serves to expand on and enhance Voyager stories that have come before. Add to that the fact that Beyer manages to undo the biggest reset button push of all of Star Trek, and A Pocket Full of Lies becomes a must-read. There are many big Trek novels coming out throughout this year, which is Star Trek's 50th anniversary, and I have to say that they all have their work cut out for them if they hope to be the equal of this stellar novel.
Full review: http://treklit.blogspot.com/2016/02/P...
Full review: http://treklit.blogspot.com/2016/02/P...
March 31, 2017
Beyer is on a roll with the Star Trek: Voyager relaunch novel series. She has taken these amazing characters and continued to develop them. I thoroughly enjoyed this story. The pace is enjoyable, there's action, sci-fi concepts, character moments and continued plot development. I felt like I was reading a well done episode with the crew I love so much. I look forward to seeing what Beyer has in store for the readers next.
February 19, 2020
Man, I really don't know how to feel about this one. I'd easily give the first half or so of the novel five stars, but the end regarding the other Janeway in particular just soured the whole novel for me. Spoilers follow.
As usual, Beyer does a great job with her cast. I very much enjoy a lot of her original characters, which is not something I can say about a lot of Trek novels - even the ones that seem to exist primarily to be a het romance partner for an existing character are more than tolerable.
I believe she does the Janeway character greater justice than any other writer in the Voyager verse. I particularly enjoyed how she reacted to the child situation being hidden from her, chastising Tuvok and Chakotay for believing she couldn't learn from her mistakes. I was fully prepared to be up in (mental) arms about her... boyfriend (I guess? normal terminology doesn't seem appropriate for the amount of drama in this relationship) deliberately keeping such important information from her because he thought she couldn't be rational about it, so I'm glad that was addressed.
I can't say I was super excited to read another Janeway/AU Janeway central book. I thought I'd never say this, but.... I am growing weary of this one woman, alone, causing all this drama in the galaxy. So much drama, in fact, that her larger-than-life, bringer-of-the-end status is literally acknowledged by several characters within the actual narrative. A little much?
As far as the actual plot, it was enthralling for the first half of the novel. The more in depth the story grew concerning Shattered!Janeway, the less interested I became - something about the way she was handled made me uncomfortable. Her whole character was wrapped up in this Dayne/Mollar situation. From what I remember we really only get one or two points of perspective from her the entire novel. It just.. unsettled me how much she was defined and controlled by circumstances beyond her control, and not as a person. I know the changes in her character are supposed to be explained as ~different life experiences~ but this singular obsession and complete disinterest in literally everything else she has ever cared about feels too contrived.
Further, being an alternate, I knew the chances were great that she'd be killed/shuffled off somewhere so there wouldn't be two competing characters with the same foundation. I fully expected it, but her "happy ending" really left a bad taste in my mouth.
So... after all Shattered!Janeway had been through, she gets to spend her life alone, severed from her friends and family (that she had the opportunity to see again and conveniently seem to have no interest in doing- a stark contrast to the Janeway lost in the Delta quadrant who wanted nothing more than that) and everything that she had ever known, just to spend it with some kid she never met she had by a man who was indirectly responsible for her capture and torture in the first place on some fucking alien planet she had no connection to (beyond it being a prison of her obsession). If this was supposed to be satisfying, it wasn't.
One of the worst sins of this novel, however, has got to be this surprise pregnancy plotline with Conlon.
So I'm supposed to believe, that in the year 2400 of our Lord, we got starships that routinely move faster than the speed of light, downloadable pizza and a cure for cancer, but no one knows how to use a condom? How is this happening? Why don't these guys just turn their balls off? This technology must exist, surely. So that's ridiculous. But Beyer goes even further. Conlon apparently wants to terminate the pregnancy, but the stem cells from the fetus are going to help keep her alive or something similar. This skeeved me out so badly. Are we really going to pretend that they couldn't just artificially fertilize an egg and grow it for parts? Are we really going to pretend that this little plot twist exists for any other reason than to force her to have a baby? It's fucked up.
Beyer is so talented, but her interpersonal "nontrek" plots are too wrapped up in children. No more, I beg you.
As usual, Beyer does a great job with her cast. I very much enjoy a lot of her original characters, which is not something I can say about a lot of Trek novels - even the ones that seem to exist primarily to be a het romance partner for an existing character are more than tolerable.
I believe she does the Janeway character greater justice than any other writer in the Voyager verse. I particularly enjoyed how she reacted to the child situation being hidden from her, chastising Tuvok and Chakotay for believing she couldn't learn from her mistakes. I was fully prepared to be up in (mental) arms about her... boyfriend (I guess? normal terminology doesn't seem appropriate for the amount of drama in this relationship) deliberately keeping such important information from her because he thought she couldn't be rational about it, so I'm glad that was addressed.
I can't say I was super excited to read another Janeway/AU Janeway central book. I thought I'd never say this, but.... I am growing weary of this one woman, alone, causing all this drama in the galaxy. So much drama, in fact, that her larger-than-life, bringer-of-the-end status is literally acknowledged by several characters within the actual narrative. A little much?
As far as the actual plot, it was enthralling for the first half of the novel. The more in depth the story grew concerning Shattered!Janeway, the less interested I became - something about the way she was handled made me uncomfortable. Her whole character was wrapped up in this Dayne/Mollar situation. From what I remember we really only get one or two points of perspective from her the entire novel. It just.. unsettled me how much she was defined and controlled by circumstances beyond her control, and not as a person. I know the changes in her character are supposed to be explained as ~different life experiences~ but this singular obsession and complete disinterest in literally everything else she has ever cared about feels too contrived.
Further, being an alternate, I knew the chances were great that she'd be killed/shuffled off somewhere so there wouldn't be two competing characters with the same foundation. I fully expected it, but her "happy ending" really left a bad taste in my mouth.
So... after all Shattered!Janeway had been through, she gets to spend her life alone, severed from her friends and family (that she had the opportunity to see again and conveniently seem to have no interest in doing- a stark contrast to the Janeway lost in the Delta quadrant who wanted nothing more than that) and everything that she had ever known, just to spend it with some kid she never met she had by a man who was indirectly responsible for her capture and torture in the first place on some fucking alien planet she had no connection to (beyond it being a prison of her obsession). If this was supposed to be satisfying, it wasn't.
One of the worst sins of this novel, however, has got to be this surprise pregnancy plotline with Conlon.
So I'm supposed to believe, that in the year 2400 of our Lord, we got starships that routinely move faster than the speed of light, downloadable pizza and a cure for cancer, but no one knows how to use a condom? How is this happening? Why don't these guys just turn their balls off? This technology must exist, surely. So that's ridiculous. But Beyer goes even further. Conlon apparently wants to terminate the pregnancy, but the stem cells from the fetus are going to help keep her alive or something similar. This skeeved me out so badly. Are we really going to pretend that they couldn't just artificially fertilize an egg and grow it for parts? Are we really going to pretend that this little plot twist exists for any other reason than to force her to have a baby? It's fucked up.
Beyer is so talented, but her interpersonal "nontrek" plots are too wrapped up in children. No more, I beg you.
February 12, 2016
When Is a Lie More Important Than the Truth?
Beyer explores that question on multiple fronts in this latest in the Full Circle series. Nor does she let up on the twists and turns we've come to expect since that fateful day when Janeway infamously predicted that Voyager would only return to the Delta Quadrant over her dead body. Now we learn how that death, other related deaths, and the layers of lies that flourished in their aftermath have, are, and will cause serious repercussions across not just the quadrant, but across time as well. Clear as mud? Read the book and it will be.
Beyer explores that question on multiple fronts in this latest in the Full Circle series. Nor does she let up on the twists and turns we've come to expect since that fateful day when Janeway infamously predicted that Voyager would only return to the Delta Quadrant over her dead body. Now we learn how that death, other related deaths, and the layers of lies that flourished in their aftermath have, are, and will cause serious repercussions across not just the quadrant, but across time as well. Clear as mud? Read the book and it will be.
February 13, 2016
(My PM to Kirsten Beyer...)
I've just finished A POCKET FULL OF LIES, and - Wow! What a terrific novel! Utterly brilliant! And, adding Tuvok (et al) was just a masterful-stroke of genius. In my book, you just surpassed Mack's *best*, by about 70,000 lightyears. Well done!
You know these characters - that ship, so-well, that when I open your books, I feel like I've come home... Thank you, for that.
I've just finished A POCKET FULL OF LIES, and - Wow! What a terrific novel! Utterly brilliant! And, adding Tuvok (et al) was just a masterful-stroke of genius. In my book, you just surpassed Mack's *best*, by about 70,000 lightyears. Well done!
You know these characters - that ship, so-well, that when I open your books, I feel like I've come home... Thank you, for that.
February 7, 2016
Absolutely terrific. Kirsten Beyer is incredibly talented and imaginative and never fails to make me feel even more for the characters I've loved for 20 years both on the screen and on the page. This book was everything I hoped it would be. I've read A LOT of Star Trek authors and she is up there with the best.
March 7, 2016
I found this to be one of the best written Voyager fleet books. Multiple plots with threads from the television series, the books, and the STNG world, together with new ideas are carefully woven together coming to a satisfactory conclusion.
February 21, 2018
He was suddenly struck by the realization that as with the denzit, two identical people choosing very different paths became pale reflections of each other.
I knew even before I opened this book that I would love it. Yes, one might argue that this is usually the case with a Voyager novel written by Kirsten Beyer, but this time it was even more than that. I knew because the plot captured me in such a strong way just from having read at the back of the book. This was, to put it simply, just my kind of story in a lot of ways. Hopefully this review will explain to you why.
Yes, temporal situations could quite possibly give you a headache, but still it's something about them that I can't resist. Add a bit of alternate realities and different timelines to the equation and you got me turning pages in a frenzy. Which explain a dilemma I had with this novel; I loved it so much that I didn't want it to end at the same time as it was way too hard to put away. How many times have I not thought about things like this? Going back in time. Going forth in time. Getting to experience for myself what has been and what is to come. Wondering what life would have been like had I (or other people) made a difference choice in the past, or perhaps how some of the choices I'm about to make could radically affect my future. I love these kinds of stories. These kinds of thoughts.
And I love Voyager and these characters. Janeway and Chakotay, especially. This novel gives me a lot of that. Two Kathryn Janeways. The opportunity to explore what's happened to another version of Janeway intrigues me in just the right way. I'm simply automatically a bit more inclined to fall for a story that centers around Janeway. Not to mention that centers around some of my favorite Voyager episodes. I'm taking about Shattered and Year of Hell. The Krenim is definitely an especially interesting species for me considering my soft spot for temporal situations.
I also appreciated the sort of baby boom that took place in this novel. Torres and Paris had just welcomed their second child into the world when the novel begins. Someone ends up getting pregnant, and added to that the temporal situation involves yet another child. The way that Star Trek in general adds so much more than science fiction to this amazing universe, even if that is and should be the main ingredient, is something I cherish a great deal. The friendships, the love, the family, the pain, the faith, the personal struggles... It's all a part in making Star Trek everything that I could possibly want it to be. I also find myself enjoying how a lot of this is a slow process that is allowed to grow and be nurtured with time. Even though, I have to admit, I wouldn't mind seeing Janeway and Chakotay married already, having had a honey moon on perhaps New Earth now having 2.3 children and a red house with a white picked fence (in the holodeck, of course). But, oh well...
But Voyager was his now, and it was his intention to make sure that all of his family, the Captain and Tuvok included, survived what now seemed...
[Quote cut short to avoid spoiler.]
Yes, in this novel Beyer has borrowed Tuvok from the starship Titan. Another member of the Voyager family is brought back for a little while. Speaking of this, we even get to visit Titan briefly and meet Will Riker and Deanna Troi. I think I feel even more inclined now to read the Titan novels later on.
And just in case I haven't spelled it out for you clearly enough already; I love this novel and this is among the best I've read so far in Trek. This is like a hint of perfection.
I knew even before I opened this book that I would love it. Yes, one might argue that this is usually the case with a Voyager novel written by Kirsten Beyer, but this time it was even more than that. I knew because the plot captured me in such a strong way just from having read at the back of the book. This was, to put it simply, just my kind of story in a lot of ways. Hopefully this review will explain to you why.
Yes, temporal situations could quite possibly give you a headache, but still it's something about them that I can't resist. Add a bit of alternate realities and different timelines to the equation and you got me turning pages in a frenzy. Which explain a dilemma I had with this novel; I loved it so much that I didn't want it to end at the same time as it was way too hard to put away. How many times have I not thought about things like this? Going back in time. Going forth in time. Getting to experience for myself what has been and what is to come. Wondering what life would have been like had I (or other people) made a difference choice in the past, or perhaps how some of the choices I'm about to make could radically affect my future. I love these kinds of stories. These kinds of thoughts.
And I love Voyager and these characters. Janeway and Chakotay, especially. This novel gives me a lot of that. Two Kathryn Janeways. The opportunity to explore what's happened to another version of Janeway intrigues me in just the right way. I'm simply automatically a bit more inclined to fall for a story that centers around Janeway. Not to mention that centers around some of my favorite Voyager episodes. I'm taking about Shattered and Year of Hell. The Krenim is definitely an especially interesting species for me considering my soft spot for temporal situations.
I also appreciated the sort of baby boom that took place in this novel. Torres and Paris had just welcomed their second child into the world when the novel begins. Someone ends up getting pregnant, and added to that the temporal situation involves yet another child. The way that Star Trek in general adds so much more than science fiction to this amazing universe, even if that is and should be the main ingredient, is something I cherish a great deal. The friendships, the love, the family, the pain, the faith, the personal struggles... It's all a part in making Star Trek everything that I could possibly want it to be. I also find myself enjoying how a lot of this is a slow process that is allowed to grow and be nurtured with time. Even though, I have to admit, I wouldn't mind seeing Janeway and Chakotay married already, having had a honey moon on perhaps New Earth now having 2.3 children and a red house with a white picked fence (in the holodeck, of course). But, oh well...
But Voyager was his now, and it was his intention to make sure that all of his family, the Captain and Tuvok included, survived what now seemed...
[Quote cut short to avoid spoiler.]
Yes, in this novel Beyer has borrowed Tuvok from the starship Titan. Another member of the Voyager family is brought back for a little while. Speaking of this, we even get to visit Titan briefly and meet Will Riker and Deanna Troi. I think I feel even more inclined now to read the Titan novels later on.
And just in case I haven't spelled it out for you clearly enough already; I love this novel and this is among the best I've read so far in Trek. This is like a hint of perfection.
September 5, 2016
Huh. OK, I have some Thoughts about this one. There are spoilers, so consider yourself warned.
First, there were a lot of things that I really liked about this book. Honestly. It had rather a lot of action and adventure and meeting new aliens and all the things we love about Star Trek. I continue to really like seeing the development of people like Seven and Icheb, and I think Liam O'Donnell is just quirky and cool and a very believable character.
I also am enjoying the continuation of the exploration of the Delta Quadrant. It is like coming home in many ways, but bittersweet, too, since you can't go home again.
This novel was...not my favorite, though, because for starters, it was just too busy. Some of the various plots felt rushed. I kind of want more time with O'Donnell and the Nihydron, for example, perhaps fleshed out better in a separate novel, rather than trying to cram it all into one.
Also, I'm kind of tired of multiverse problems. Like, cool? I know it's a thing? But maybe let's not have another Kathryn Janeway who was horrifically tortured and now has essentially Stockholm syndrome because she loves her captor. Ok, to be fair, she didn't know he was her captor but still. It seems contrived.
And of COURSE they had a child together. What IS it with Trek characters having babies now? First Picard and Beverly in the TNG relaunch books and now Janeway? I know she's the Janeway from the "Shattered" episode, but still. DEAR STAR TREK AUTHORS: WOMEN DO NOT NEED TO HAVE BABIES TO BE COMPLETE. Please read Selfish, Shallow, and Self-Absorbed: Sixteen Writers on the Decision Not to Have Kids by Meghan Daum. Honestly, what the fuck? At this point, it's just getting out of character. People can like, or even love, babies without getting all achy in the ovaries and needing to reproduce one of their own.
Which leads me to my other major peeve with this novel. Nancy Conlon, Harry Kim's girlfriend, gets pregnant accidentally. Really? REALLY? Are you really saying that these people can travel in spaceships that go faster than light, but they can't manage to figure out how a rubber works? Or, like, turn their ovaries off until they actually want to make a baby? Come ON. I can't even. I have a kid. I love her more than anything. But enough with the babies in Star Trek. People don't have to have babies if they don't want to, there is nothing wrong with just wanting to have a career you love and friends you love without children, nor are they missing out on anything as Tom and B'Elanna suggested at one point in this book. Frankly, that is offensive. There are many other ways to live a fulfilling life than by getting married and having kids. I really hope the authors - all of them - get over the baby thing soon.
First, there were a lot of things that I really liked about this book. Honestly. It had rather a lot of action and adventure and meeting new aliens and all the things we love about Star Trek. I continue to really like seeing the development of people like Seven and Icheb, and I think Liam O'Donnell is just quirky and cool and a very believable character.
I also am enjoying the continuation of the exploration of the Delta Quadrant. It is like coming home in many ways, but bittersweet, too, since you can't go home again.
This novel was...not my favorite, though, because for starters, it was just too busy. Some of the various plots felt rushed. I kind of want more time with O'Donnell and the Nihydron, for example, perhaps fleshed out better in a separate novel, rather than trying to cram it all into one.
Also, I'm kind of tired of multiverse problems. Like, cool? I know it's a thing? But maybe let's not have another Kathryn Janeway who was horrifically tortured and now has essentially Stockholm syndrome because she loves her captor. Ok, to be fair, she didn't know he was her captor but still. It seems contrived.
And of COURSE they had a child together. What IS it with Trek characters having babies now? First Picard and Beverly in the TNG relaunch books and now Janeway? I know she's the Janeway from the "Shattered" episode, but still. DEAR STAR TREK AUTHORS: WOMEN DO NOT NEED TO HAVE BABIES TO BE COMPLETE. Please read Selfish, Shallow, and Self-Absorbed: Sixteen Writers on the Decision Not to Have Kids by Meghan Daum. Honestly, what the fuck? At this point, it's just getting out of character. People can like, or even love, babies without getting all achy in the ovaries and needing to reproduce one of their own.
Which leads me to my other major peeve with this novel. Nancy Conlon, Harry Kim's girlfriend, gets pregnant accidentally. Really? REALLY? Are you really saying that these people can travel in spaceships that go faster than light, but they can't manage to figure out how a rubber works? Or, like, turn their ovaries off until they actually want to make a baby? Come ON. I can't even. I have a kid. I love her more than anything. But enough with the babies in Star Trek. People don't have to have babies if they don't want to, there is nothing wrong with just wanting to have a career you love and friends you love without children, nor are they missing out on anything as Tom and B'Elanna suggested at one point in this book. Frankly, that is offensive. There are many other ways to live a fulfilling life than by getting married and having kids. I really hope the authors - all of them - get over the baby thing soon.
February 19, 2016
Kirsten Beyer's 9th straight installment in the "Star Trek: Voyager" relaunch, "A Pocket Full of Lies", is perhaps one of the most complicated entries in this series to date & is perhaps one of its best. The book opens with a birth that's been anticipated for a while & then moves toward an encounter with the Nihydron a race that are known for collecting history. In that encounter they present an image of a woman who appears to be none other than Kathryn Janeway herself which technically should be impossible. From there, the Full Circle fleet travels to the planet Sormana a world involved in a centuries old civil war between 2 races - the Rilnar & the Zahl. It's with the arrival of that world & a breach in the Temporal Prime Directive by Chakotay that this book becomes a sequel to a pair of Voyager episodes "Shattered" & "Year of Hell" as this version of Kathryn Janeway is revealed to have been from an alternate timeline.
Beyer continues her masterful job with these characters & the use of Tuvok via a trip to the Beta Quadrant & Titan is a nice touch as well since he knows Janeway best. There are also emotions running throughout a number of plots in the story from Icheb's acceptance as a member of the crew of Demeter along w/ an engineering report that he seemingly can't get approved to Nancy Conlon whose relationship with Harry Kim & personal life take a turn that will become a sub-plot in future Voyager novels. Then there's Tuvok who is at times almost a recluse still recovering from the loss of son at the hands of the Borg who is fighting a mental control game that is precarious at best. Also, the situation on Sormana as seen by Denzit Janeway is played out with emotion as well as we see just why she renounced her will to return to Starfleet, fell in love & had a great loss of her own.
At times the book is a bit hard to follow as this intricate plot gets weaved among the various crews & things bounce around; however, it doesn't detract from this story. Also the use of the Krenim are a nice touch as that race becomes much more complicated along with their temporal technology & ability to want to play God with the timeline. This book will keep you guessing & on the edge of your seat through an ending that's a bit of a surprise as well as a revelation by Q as to just how this particular Janeway was able to survive when all others did not. Overall, a very well done entry by Beyer as this reader wonders just where Full Circle heads next.
Beyer continues her masterful job with these characters & the use of Tuvok via a trip to the Beta Quadrant & Titan is a nice touch as well since he knows Janeway best. There are also emotions running throughout a number of plots in the story from Icheb's acceptance as a member of the crew of Demeter along w/ an engineering report that he seemingly can't get approved to Nancy Conlon whose relationship with Harry Kim & personal life take a turn that will become a sub-plot in future Voyager novels. Then there's Tuvok who is at times almost a recluse still recovering from the loss of son at the hands of the Borg who is fighting a mental control game that is precarious at best. Also, the situation on Sormana as seen by Denzit Janeway is played out with emotion as well as we see just why she renounced her will to return to Starfleet, fell in love & had a great loss of her own.
At times the book is a bit hard to follow as this intricate plot gets weaved among the various crews & things bounce around; however, it doesn't detract from this story. Also the use of the Krenim are a nice touch as that race becomes much more complicated along with their temporal technology & ability to want to play God with the timeline. This book will keep you guessing & on the edge of your seat through an ending that's a bit of a surprise as well as a revelation by Q as to just how this particular Janeway was able to survive when all others did not. Overall, a very well done entry by Beyer as this reader wonders just where Full Circle heads next.
April 22, 2016
Before I say ANYTHING, for frame of reference, any future readers of this book need to watch the Star Trek Voyager episodes Before and After, Year of Hell Pts 1 & 2 and Shattered. Those are necessary background material to watch in order to understand what happens in this book.
Okay, onto the actual review.
I LOVED this book. This is exactly what I've wanted from ALL of the Star Trek relaunch novels. Don't get me wrong, I love the original plots and new characters that have been brought in but the Voyager relaunch novels are doing exactly what I wanted; they are revisiting plots from the TV series and making them new again. When the Full Circle fleet first set out for the Delta Quadrant in a proper mission, they were trying to do that. Their mission was to investigate the remnants if any of the Borg after Voyager's encounters with them and then their absorbing by the Caeliar gestalt. This was the first book however to actually delve into tidbits from the TV show's plots. I've missed the show dearly. Every Trekkie has that one series that brought them into the fandom and possibly have grown up with and Voyager was mine. 7 years was simply not enough so when I started reading the relaunch novels and in particular this one, it was like the show never ended. We just got more ships, a new mission and new characters along with old ones.
I fear going into more detail because I think I spoiled enough just by giving the episodes that one needs to watch before reading this book but let me tell you, Voyager fans you will not be disappointed. And again Kirsten Beyer does a great job giving plenty of "screen time" to our favorite old cast as well as the new cast (though I wanted the Phinn Bryce x Icheb subplot to develop more because I can't be the only one picking up on the chemistry there am I?).
A great book hands down and I can't wait to see what comes next! PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE visit the site of the Borg Unicomplex we saw in Dark Frontier, Unimatrix Zero, and Endgame!
Okay, onto the actual review.
I LOVED this book. This is exactly what I've wanted from ALL of the Star Trek relaunch novels. Don't get me wrong, I love the original plots and new characters that have been brought in but the Voyager relaunch novels are doing exactly what I wanted; they are revisiting plots from the TV series and making them new again. When the Full Circle fleet first set out for the Delta Quadrant in a proper mission, they were trying to do that. Their mission was to investigate the remnants if any of the Borg after Voyager's encounters with them and then their absorbing by the Caeliar gestalt. This was the first book however to actually delve into tidbits from the TV show's plots. I've missed the show dearly. Every Trekkie has that one series that brought them into the fandom and possibly have grown up with and Voyager was mine. 7 years was simply not enough so when I started reading the relaunch novels and in particular this one, it was like the show never ended. We just got more ships, a new mission and new characters along with old ones.
I fear going into more detail because I think I spoiled enough just by giving the episodes that one needs to watch before reading this book but let me tell you, Voyager fans you will not be disappointed. And again Kirsten Beyer does a great job giving plenty of "screen time" to our favorite old cast as well as the new cast (though I wanted the Phinn Bryce x Icheb subplot to develop more because I can't be the only one picking up on the chemistry there am I?).
A great book hands down and I can't wait to see what comes next! PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE visit the site of the Borg Unicomplex we saw in Dark Frontier, Unimatrix Zero, and Endgame!
January 26, 2016
Kirsten Beyer once again surpassed her previous Voyager novel. She also did great in handling temporal mechanics. It was not just another time-travel story, she picked a Voyager episode (or episodes for that matter) to based this novel and expand those.
By doing this, she was able to keep Voyager Relaunch deeply connected to the TV series, yet provide a fresh story at the same time. However, if you are expecting this novel to be set in the "current" time period as the rest of the Relaunch novels, it is not. Which again is perfect for Voyager. They are, after all, "way out there", there's no need to fast forward this series to the current year of the Alpha-Beta relaunch novels.
Keep it that way.
By doing this, she was able to keep Voyager Relaunch deeply connected to the TV series, yet provide a fresh story at the same time. However, if you are expecting this novel to be set in the "current" time period as the rest of the Relaunch novels, it is not. Which again is perfect for Voyager. They are, after all, "way out there", there's no need to fast forward this series to the current year of the Alpha-Beta relaunch novels.
Keep it that way.
Read
March 12, 2019the first time i watched Voyager, i did it completely out of order. i would watch the episode that was on tv and not care which season it was supposed to be. so it is fitting i start reading the Voyager books completetly out of order too. i have mixed feelings about this book. for the most part, i enjoyed it and the story and the characters. but somethings bothered me and made me go "whyyyyyy?". but it made me curious to read more of the books and see how some of the events mentioned came to pass!
July 8, 2017
From small threads to big stories!
Kirsten has this wonderful ability to bring us huge stories from the smallest of threads left from the TV series. In this book she once again does not disappoint. Another must read!
Kirsten has this wonderful ability to bring us huge stories from the smallest of threads left from the TV series. In this book she once again does not disappoint. Another must read!
June 27, 2016
Ho. Lee. Crap. Could not put this one down! This book hit the spot in the way that the other recent Voyager novels haven't. Action, intrigue, and a great emotional hook. I really loved the way that the story tied in to specific elements from the TV series - there's definitely a couple of episodes I want to re-watch now to refresh my memory. I also really appreciated that it was more closely tied to the original characters, without so much emphasis on the newly-introduced, novel universe characters. Probably the best relaunch novel yet!
February 3, 2016
Another great Voyager novel- featuring Krenium, alternate Janeway and connecting back to Year of Hell!
April 14, 2016
Star Trek: Voyager: A Pocket Full of Lies by Kirsten Beyer Boy, am I glad I stuck with this series despite the last 4 very mediocre entries as this is certainly the best part since Children of the Storm... despite it featuring not just one Janeway (which is already often too much), but 2.
Voyager continues to explore the D-quadrant and learns that apparently a Janeway is leading one faction in a civil war. How is that possible? Meanwhile, Icheb encounters troubles on his first assignment as B'Elanna's assistant, and Nancy Conlon seems to suffer from PTSD after her being possessed. * Icheb Loved him, he felt like a real person, not just a prodigy. And I was definitely like "Oh, little Icheb has a crush" when he met Bryce, so I'm looking forward to seeing more of them. Which brings me to my next point: * fleshing out the various crews Of course, the focus lies on the TV-crew, but I love (and that's what has carried me through the last 4 books as well) how the crews of the other ships get introduced bit by bit. This time it was Bryce, but also Dr. Sal and Farkas, we got glimpses into the inner workings on Demeter (aside from O'Donnell and Fife whom I still both love to bits) with lots of potential for future characterization of the chief engineer and his issues. And on Voyager itself there's Sharak, another part which made the last trilogy bearable, and Cambridge who I feel still needs some substance. But then again, he has to redeem himself with me for his ridiculous angsting over his relationship with Seven lately. Then there's * Nancy Conlon I understood some of her motivations, especially trying to make the computer systems more impervious to outside influence. She has a lot to work through after all. But I thought that plot thread went off the rails at the end. I don't quite see the need to sequester her off on the Galen. Granted, she's borderline suicidal (much as B'Elanna was back in season 5) and she's suffering from a degenerative disease. But isolating her? Can't the medical tests be run on Voyager where she has friends (and Cambridge as a counselor)? And why not let her work (of course under supervision and psychological treatment)? Right now her immune system is down, okay, but the various doctors didn't judge her as susceptible to infections yet for that to be a reason for isolation. And if it's a syndrome that Xolani gave her... well, isn't there some kind of copy of her from before in the transporter buffers that could be used as a template for her genetic material? I guess the transporters have been used for more outrageous deus-ex-machina solutions before. I'm glad, though, that a not easily curable disease popped up in Star Trek for once. I'm just wary where this is going. And I'm not even talking about the baby, because the way I see it, Conlon didn't really reject the idea of a baby, but is in such a fatalistic mood that she can't reconcile any inkling of hope with her situation. The doctors, though, tread quite a fine line, more or less forcing her to have the baby for the sake of its stem cells (but even it she decides to abort they'd still be able to use the embryonic stem cells). First of all, it's Conlon's decision to undergo a certain treatment and her (and Kim's) decision to have a baby. I fear in this we are getting quite close again to the Troi-dilemma of Gods of Night. * Paris, B'Elanna, Seven I'm glad they took a bit of a back seat in this - quite frankly I'm a bit tired of the Paris-family issues. * Tuvok I was looking forward to seeing him since Eternal Tide. I haven't read any Titan novels since Over a torrent sea (which I barely remember save for the aquatic lifeforms), so I don't know anything about his arc there. But I think with this novel the open ends with Voyager have been solved. I absolutely liked his connection with denzit Janeway... somehow it felt more true to their original relationship than anything Voyager managed to show from season 3 or 4 upwards. Both have been changed by atrocious events, both are damaged but the core of their relationship is still there. And I can totally relate to that - and even to the trust issues that are mentionned in the end. Granted, his hiding the fact that there's a child involved wasn't really a rational decision, but then again, Tuvok wasn't in a rational place, esp concerning a child, right then (and considering all the manipulation of his spirit he went through in the series and beyond, where practically every other week his Vulcan shields were damanged, his not being the "perfect Vulcan" anymore does make sense). The way I see it, he wanted to spare denzit Janeway the pain of needlessly losing her child, the pain of seeing her world come crashing down even more than it already has, the same pain he is going through. Which helped him to finally address his own issues and sort of start relating to his friends and extended family again instead of pushing everyone away. BTW, is there a reason why Tuvok who is a lt. commander is called Lieutenant? That was kind of pet peeve in the series and pops up here as well. * the main plot I have to admit that at some points I couldn't quite follow all the twists and turns of who did what when - reminded me a bit of the multiverse/Omega/Q-technobabble of Enternal Tide, to be honest. So let me see if I got this straight: The Year of Hell happens, Voyager issues buoys which are time-shielded. The whole year gets reset when Voyager destroys Annorax's ship - but the buoys still exist because they're shielded. The Krenim find the buoys, get interested in Janeway and decide to investigate her further. They create the anomaly in Shattered by sending a chroniton torpedo on the past Voyager and pluck past Janeway through the anomaly (intending for it to be "our" Janeway). So actually since that moment there have been 2 Janeways in "our" universe? The technobabble aside, as said above, no matter how she came into being, I liked denzit Janeway. She absolutely felt like a plausible continuation of pre-season 1 Janeway, she's utterly human and lost, in short relatable which our Janeway hasn't been since, well, about season 4 when Tuvok and Chakotay were shoved aside (see Scorpion, see Equinox etc) in favour of Seven and Janeway lost her vulnerability a bit. And honestly, I share those trust issues which are a recurring theme since she never bothered to actually explain her decisions and motivations in the later seasons and onwards. Of course, as captain she doesn't have to, but if she wants her officers to trust her than she has to - because trust is earned. What I absolutely didn't like was the way our Janeway was kind of deified. I guess after Eternal Tide she can walk on water, everyone is in awe of her and "what she's been through". Well everyone suffered on Voyager and it's high time that Janeway somehow becomes human again instead of that super-human being who came back from the dead. Beyer seems awfully fond of Janeway - which isn't necessarily a bad thing, of course -, but I'm really waiting for some flaws in her character to appear and be addressed. Because right now she's a kind of shining beacon of virtuousness who can do no wrong. And I'm sick of that. All the twists and turns definitely kept me on my toes. Dayne goes from being denzit Janeway's saviour to her tormentor, back to being her tormentor and her saviour... I absolutely liked that, and the way he manages to save her and Mollah (well, I guessed who she was when the Janeways went through the portal the first time - but I love the origin of her name *g*) in the end with Q's interference. He definitely redeems himself with these actions in my opinion and suffers for it at the hands of his brother - I hope at some point the Krenim will be revisited and maybe Dayne can be rescued (even if he can't be reconciled with his wife and daughter during denzit Janeway's lifetime, he at least gave her some sort of happy ending).
Just one thing: Chakotay's decision to destroy the minefield around the disputed planet just to save his away team... very questionable in terms of non-interference and ultimately without any benefit to either his team or the outcome. To make a long review short, a great book, definitely the best Trek-novel in quite some time.
Voyager continues to explore the D-quadrant and learns that apparently a Janeway is leading one faction in a civil war. How is that possible? Meanwhile, Icheb encounters troubles on his first assignment as B'Elanna's assistant, and Nancy Conlon seems to suffer from PTSD after her being possessed. * Icheb Loved him, he felt like a real person, not just a prodigy. And I was definitely like "Oh, little Icheb has a crush" when he met Bryce, so I'm looking forward to seeing more of them. Which brings me to my next point: * fleshing out the various crews Of course, the focus lies on the TV-crew, but I love (and that's what has carried me through the last 4 books as well) how the crews of the other ships get introduced bit by bit. This time it was Bryce, but also Dr. Sal and Farkas, we got glimpses into the inner workings on Demeter (aside from O'Donnell and Fife whom I still both love to bits) with lots of potential for future characterization of the chief engineer and his issues. And on Voyager itself there's Sharak, another part which made the last trilogy bearable, and Cambridge who I feel still needs some substance. But then again, he has to redeem himself with me for his ridiculous angsting over his relationship with Seven lately. Then there's * Nancy Conlon I understood some of her motivations, especially trying to make the computer systems more impervious to outside influence. She has a lot to work through after all. But I thought that plot thread went off the rails at the end. I don't quite see the need to sequester her off on the Galen. Granted, she's borderline suicidal (much as B'Elanna was back in season 5) and she's suffering from a degenerative disease. But isolating her? Can't the medical tests be run on Voyager where she has friends (and Cambridge as a counselor)? And why not let her work (of course under supervision and psychological treatment)? Right now her immune system is down, okay, but the various doctors didn't judge her as susceptible to infections yet for that to be a reason for isolation. And if it's a syndrome that Xolani gave her... well, isn't there some kind of copy of her from before in the transporter buffers that could be used as a template for her genetic material? I guess the transporters have been used for more outrageous deus-ex-machina solutions before. I'm glad, though, that a not easily curable disease popped up in Star Trek for once. I'm just wary where this is going. And I'm not even talking about the baby, because the way I see it, Conlon didn't really reject the idea of a baby, but is in such a fatalistic mood that she can't reconcile any inkling of hope with her situation. The doctors, though, tread quite a fine line, more or less forcing her to have the baby for the sake of its stem cells (but even it she decides to abort they'd still be able to use the embryonic stem cells). First of all, it's Conlon's decision to undergo a certain treatment and her (and Kim's) decision to have a baby. I fear in this we are getting quite close again to the Troi-dilemma of Gods of Night. * Paris, B'Elanna, Seven I'm glad they took a bit of a back seat in this - quite frankly I'm a bit tired of the Paris-family issues. * Tuvok I was looking forward to seeing him since Eternal Tide. I haven't read any Titan novels since Over a torrent sea (which I barely remember save for the aquatic lifeforms), so I don't know anything about his arc there. But I think with this novel the open ends with Voyager have been solved. I absolutely liked his connection with denzit Janeway... somehow it felt more true to their original relationship than anything Voyager managed to show from season 3 or 4 upwards. Both have been changed by atrocious events, both are damaged but the core of their relationship is still there. And I can totally relate to that - and even to the trust issues that are mentionned in the end. Granted, his hiding the fact that there's a child involved wasn't really a rational decision, but then again, Tuvok wasn't in a rational place, esp concerning a child, right then (and considering all the manipulation of his spirit he went through in the series and beyond, where practically every other week his Vulcan shields were damanged, his not being the "perfect Vulcan" anymore does make sense). The way I see it, he wanted to spare denzit Janeway the pain of needlessly losing her child, the pain of seeing her world come crashing down even more than it already has, the same pain he is going through. Which helped him to finally address his own issues and sort of start relating to his friends and extended family again instead of pushing everyone away. BTW, is there a reason why Tuvok who is a lt. commander is called Lieutenant? That was kind of pet peeve in the series and pops up here as well. * the main plot I have to admit that at some points I couldn't quite follow all the twists and turns of who did what when - reminded me a bit of the multiverse/Omega/Q-technobabble of Enternal Tide, to be honest. So let me see if I got this straight: The Year of Hell happens, Voyager issues buoys which are time-shielded. The whole year gets reset when Voyager destroys Annorax's ship - but the buoys still exist because they're shielded. The Krenim find the buoys, get interested in Janeway and decide to investigate her further. They create the anomaly in Shattered by sending a chroniton torpedo on the past Voyager and pluck past Janeway through the anomaly (intending for it to be "our" Janeway). So actually since that moment there have been 2 Janeways in "our" universe? The technobabble aside, as said above, no matter how she came into being, I liked denzit Janeway. She absolutely felt like a plausible continuation of pre-season 1 Janeway, she's utterly human and lost, in short relatable which our Janeway hasn't been since, well, about season 4 when Tuvok and Chakotay were shoved aside (see Scorpion, see Equinox etc) in favour of Seven and Janeway lost her vulnerability a bit. And honestly, I share those trust issues which are a recurring theme since she never bothered to actually explain her decisions and motivations in the later seasons and onwards. Of course, as captain she doesn't have to, but if she wants her officers to trust her than she has to - because trust is earned. What I absolutely didn't like was the way our Janeway was kind of deified. I guess after Eternal Tide she can walk on water, everyone is in awe of her and "what she's been through". Well everyone suffered on Voyager and it's high time that Janeway somehow becomes human again instead of that super-human being who came back from the dead. Beyer seems awfully fond of Janeway - which isn't necessarily a bad thing, of course -, but I'm really waiting for some flaws in her character to appear and be addressed. Because right now she's a kind of shining beacon of virtuousness who can do no wrong. And I'm sick of that. All the twists and turns definitely kept me on my toes. Dayne goes from being denzit Janeway's saviour to her tormentor, back to being her tormentor and her saviour... I absolutely liked that, and the way he manages to save her and Mollah (well, I guessed who she was when the Janeways went through the portal the first time - but I love the origin of her name *g*) in the end with Q's interference. He definitely redeems himself with these actions in my opinion and suffers for it at the hands of his brother - I hope at some point the Krenim will be revisited and maybe Dayne can be rescued (even if he can't be reconciled with his wife and daughter during denzit Janeway's lifetime, he at least gave her some sort of happy ending).
Just one thing: Chakotay's decision to destroy the minefield around the disputed planet just to save his away team... very questionable in terms of non-interference and ultimately without any benefit to either his team or the outcome. To make a long review short, a great book, definitely the best Trek-novel in quite some time.
December 20, 2021
Loads of spoilers ahead.
This one was all over the place for me.
Somehow this book and I didn't click, and the reading time shows this perfectly well.
Too bad though, when I was finished I wanted to give it a higher rating, 'cause in the last third it finally picks up those storylines I was interested in, but about 2/3 of the book are too slow, confusing (I admit, I didn't pay enough attention to the Krenim, Zahl and third race the conflict was supposed to be about). The Denzit's choices seemed too out of character to get involved.
After all, I've "known" Janeway most of my life and this version's personality didn't make sense most of the time. Tuvok being so out of character didn't bother me the least. His story at least made sense to me, but Denzit Janeway, no, sorry.
Things that bothered me:
- Denzit Janeway not willing to talk to Admiral Janeway and tell her the truth about the situation, like if you can't trust "yourself" whom can you trust?
- Denzit Janeway staying behind to help a race slaughter another race. Yeah, she was tortured and manipulated, but the Janeway I know would have looked for other options to stop the conflict.
- Not going after her daughter and her husband. That's just impossible, that her whole plan included winning the war and nothing else. No ultra secret undercover spy mission, no intel, no nothing. If the Full Circle fleet hadn't showed up, she'd still be stuck fighting a useless war.
- The Q. Yes, it made sense, but not really. They really, really, really didn't need to stick it out and wait for the events to unfold that way, they could have saved her anytime they wanted, instead Dayne needs to come to the rescue, which was wrong on so many levels.
So yeah, this book bothered me.
This one was all over the place for me.
Somehow this book and I didn't click, and the reading time shows this perfectly well.
Too bad though, when I was finished I wanted to give it a higher rating, 'cause in the last third it finally picks up those storylines I was interested in, but about 2/3 of the book are too slow, confusing (I admit, I didn't pay enough attention to the Krenim, Zahl and third race the conflict was supposed to be about). The Denzit's choices seemed too out of character to get involved.
After all, I've "known" Janeway most of my life and this version's personality didn't make sense most of the time. Tuvok being so out of character didn't bother me the least. His story at least made sense to me, but Denzit Janeway, no, sorry.
Things that bothered me:
- Denzit Janeway not willing to talk to Admiral Janeway and tell her the truth about the situation, like if you can't trust "yourself" whom can you trust?
- Denzit Janeway staying behind to help a race slaughter another race. Yeah, she was tortured and manipulated, but the Janeway I know would have looked for other options to stop the conflict.
- Not going after her daughter and her husband. That's just impossible, that her whole plan included winning the war and nothing else. No ultra secret undercover spy mission, no intel, no nothing. If the Full Circle fleet hadn't showed up, she'd still be stuck fighting a useless war.
- The Q. Yes, it made sense, but not really. They really, really, really didn't need to stick it out and wait for the events to unfold that way, they could have saved her anytime they wanted, instead Dayne needs to come to the rescue, which was wrong on so many levels.
So yeah, this book bothered me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 25, 2022
I found this novel to be a mixed bag. I've come to both admire and despair at different elements of this Voyager relaunch. There are definitely some great moments, and books in the series that are awesome, and the first half of this novel definitely had be engaged.
Then, the novel shifted focus a little, and I found my pleasure fade. The Janeway 2.0 story line didn't do it for me - it felt overused and when we had constant shuffling here and there, and then Tuvok entering the drama to make more drama, I wondered it the point had been lost. And what was the point? To see Q (a character I don't care for) give Janeway 2.0 a happy ending. Did she deserve it? Maybe - she certainly had a bad time of it, but she also caused a lot of trauma for others. Maybe a case of the chicken or the egg?
Another thing about this series is that every single member of the fleet seems to adore children. I mean, really? I know it's probably on point with some over-arching Star Trek writers commandment, but it's just too much. Surely somebody thinks children are spawns of the devil.
What I did like about this story is the Bryce and Icheb relationship development. But, I think the author could have done more with it, and probably should have. I mean, it didn't take long for Harry Kim and Nancy relationship to go into warp drive - the author should not be putting the brakes on Bryce and Icheb.
Then, the novel shifted focus a little, and I found my pleasure fade. The Janeway 2.0 story line didn't do it for me - it felt overused and when we had constant shuffling here and there, and then Tuvok entering the drama to make more drama, I wondered it the point had been lost. And what was the point? To see Q (a character I don't care for) give Janeway 2.0 a happy ending. Did she deserve it? Maybe - she certainly had a bad time of it, but she also caused a lot of trauma for others. Maybe a case of the chicken or the egg?
Another thing about this series is that every single member of the fleet seems to adore children. I mean, really? I know it's probably on point with some over-arching Star Trek writers commandment, but it's just too much. Surely somebody thinks children are spawns of the devil.
What I did like about this story is the Bryce and Icheb relationship development. But, I think the author could have done more with it, and probably should have. I mean, it didn't take long for Harry Kim and Nancy relationship to go into warp drive - the author should not be putting the brakes on Bryce and Icheb.
September 3, 2021
I Hate Temporal Mechanics
At one point in this well thought out story is the most confusing and creative mystery ever devised for a Star Trek Novel. War, deceit, ramblings about time travel and the multiverse envelop a story that doesn't grab you at first but towards the end you hope to some semblance of something novel.
The characters still remain fixed throughout the story as they had 20years ago as if locked in amber. The only thing that has changed is their ranks and roles among the fleet. At the end of the book, they remain the same.
The ending is as predictable as any other Voyager story whether on TV or in written form but meat of the story and conflict within is a veiled look into the history of other conteste ld parts of our world today.
Beyer prose is short, and to the point. There is no brevity or lightness as it moves seamlessly from one part of the conflict to another. You would think that with this sort of premise there should be a break in the action to punctuate the darker parts. But given the constraints Simon and Schuster give their authors, the story itself lacks.
At one point in this well thought out story is the most confusing and creative mystery ever devised for a Star Trek Novel. War, deceit, ramblings about time travel and the multiverse envelop a story that doesn't grab you at first but towards the end you hope to some semblance of something novel.
The characters still remain fixed throughout the story as they had 20years ago as if locked in amber. The only thing that has changed is their ranks and roles among the fleet. At the end of the book, they remain the same.
The ending is as predictable as any other Voyager story whether on TV or in written form but meat of the story and conflict within is a veiled look into the history of other conteste ld parts of our world today.
Beyer prose is short, and to the point. There is no brevity or lightness as it moves seamlessly from one part of the conflict to another. You would think that with this sort of premise there should be a break in the action to punctuate the darker parts. But given the constraints Simon and Schuster give their authors, the story itself lacks.
November 3, 2018
This was not really up to Beyer's normal standards. There were a lot of aspects of the plot that did not make sense, and I felt she was losing the voice of many characters which is usually the thing Beyer does really well.
I mean - the scene where Harry rants about how dumb Tom is? That did not sound like Harry, even when extremely upset. And how super smart and capable Agent Dayne confuses Kathryn's sister with her dog and then mistakenly names his own daughter the wrong thing? All of the Dayne related stuff was pretty awful. And having Obrist be his brother who kills him at the end....so weird. Like Obrist is a small part in one two-part episode, but based on what we know of him that was completely out of character. Obrist deserved better.
I was happy to have more Krenim action, but on the whole it was a pretty disapointing installment.
I mean - the scene where Harry rants about how dumb Tom is? That did not sound like Harry, even when extremely upset. And how super smart and capable Agent Dayne confuses Kathryn's sister with her dog and then mistakenly names his own daughter the wrong thing? All of the Dayne related stuff was pretty awful. And having Obrist be his brother who kills him at the end....so weird. Like Obrist is a small part in one two-part episode, but based on what we know of him that was completely out of character. Obrist deserved better.
I was happy to have more Krenim action, but on the whole it was a pretty disapointing installment.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 5, 2018
• RE-READ BEFORE RELEASE OF 'ARCHITECTS OF INFINITY' •
Since first reading this, I had practically forgotten 80% of this. I basically lived for Janeway in this book and quite frankly, I still do.
The premise of this is great, but the word dumps that happened as everything unraveled and came together gave me quite the headache which decreased the enjoyment value for me. There were instances where the characters felt rather out-of-character for my liking. Voyager is my favourite show of life so I feel like I know these characters inside and out. I liked some of the twists and turns and some of the new original characters. Yet, for the most part, Janeway was the only character to fully hold my attention.
Since first reading this, I had practically forgotten 80% of this. I basically lived for Janeway in this book and quite frankly, I still do.
The premise of this is great, but the word dumps that happened as everything unraveled and came together gave me quite the headache which decreased the enjoyment value for me. There were instances where the characters felt rather out-of-character for my liking. Voyager is my favourite show of life so I feel like I know these characters inside and out. I liked some of the twists and turns and some of the new original characters. Yet, for the most part, Janeway was the only character to fully hold my attention.
March 14, 2019
A worthwhile and enjoyable continuation of the saga of the Voyager fleet, with a main plotline that is a continuation and extension of the story from the episode "The Year of Hell". Characterizations are handled well, pacing is excellent, plot is interesting, and a few new subplots are added for spice (notably one relating to Nancy Conlon, who clearly hasn't had enough trauma in the last few books to suit the sadism of the authors currently collaborating on this series.) If you've kept up with the series this far, you'll certainly want to read this book. If you haven't, it might be worth backtracking in order to read what comes before this episode in order to truly understand this one. I wouldn't recommend it as a stand-alone.
July 18, 2017
The Voyager relaunch is really pissing me off. It had such great promise. Janeway leads a fleet of ships back to the Delta Quadrant to wrap up loose ends. But instead of doing that, we keep getting sidetracked with boilerplate generic stories.
In this case, the opportunity to revisit one of Voyager's most ruthless enemies, the Krenim, is completely wasted. I thought it would have been cool to see them involved in the Temporal Cold War. Or trying to revive the Borg somehow. But instead we get a convoluted story about an alternate Janeway leading a rebellion on a planet. With a baby and a basketcase Tuvok thrown in too just to make it emotional. Meh.
In this case, the opportunity to revisit one of Voyager's most ruthless enemies, the Krenim, is completely wasted. I thought it would have been cool to see them involved in the Temporal Cold War. Or trying to revive the Borg somehow. But instead we get a convoluted story about an alternate Janeway leading a rebellion on a planet. With a baby and a basketcase Tuvok thrown in too just to make it emotional. Meh.
September 17, 2021
Amazing!!
Amazing book!! The story while a little slow as some people have noted was such a wonderful thing for fans of star trek voyager who love the series and have read many books in the star trek universe.
It really was a love letter to fans by tying in so many things from the series, names places, and events that it made the book a treasure to read it's a treasure to read.
If you enjoyed star trek voyager and you want to see what happened before the expanded universe was canceled by admittedly good TV shows, but still canceled by shows such as Discovery and Picard, do yourself a favor and read these books.
Amazing book!! The story while a little slow as some people have noted was such a wonderful thing for fans of star trek voyager who love the series and have read many books in the star trek universe.
It really was a love letter to fans by tying in so many things from the series, names places, and events that it made the book a treasure to read it's a treasure to read.
If you enjoyed star trek voyager and you want to see what happened before the expanded universe was canceled by admittedly good TV shows, but still canceled by shows such as Discovery and Picard, do yourself a favor and read these books.
April 9, 2020
A Janeway from another timeline is discovered to be a leader in an alien war. The crew must determine why, how to rescue her, and what to do with her once they have her. The Kim/Conlon background drama is kind of overblown and the "I love you" stuff is WAY too fast. The whole premise of is a copout and an unfortunate take on an iconic character in my opinion. Beyer nails the voices of the crew most of the time, but sometimes she forces them into out of character behaviors and it shows.
December 2, 2020
Wow, very different experience here, heavier weight with much dialogue and diverse concepts that make it I guess unsuited to film or tv- this is refreshing indeed! Here there is time to develop the characters, their fears, hopes, drives and so much more, offering great depth that draws the reader in yet further and makes for an even more involving tale. Nothing to dislike here, far more to recommend as ever - I am a huge fan!
😀 I look only for a sequence to help me with a timeline please as all that appears missing for me.
😀 I look only for a sequence to help me with a timeline please as all that appears missing for me.
July 24, 2023
Voyager: a Pocket Full of Lies
Read a Pocket Full of Lies which acts as a sequel to Year of Hell and it was very satisfying. I have enjoyed Beyer’s Voyager run, but there is so many un answered questions from the show and this was the perfect one to follow up on. I’m fine with original stuff but I really wanted more stuff that tied in with the original Voyager series. Anyway, overall a great book and didn’t have the same feel of being a set up book like Beyer’s other books when she wrap up an arc like Protectors.
Overall a 7.5/10
Read a Pocket Full of Lies which acts as a sequel to Year of Hell and it was very satisfying. I have enjoyed Beyer’s Voyager run, but there is so many un answered questions from the show and this was the perfect one to follow up on. I’m fine with original stuff but I really wanted more stuff that tied in with the original Voyager series. Anyway, overall a great book and didn’t have the same feel of being a set up book like Beyer’s other books when she wrap up an arc like Protectors.
Overall a 7.5/10
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