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Star Trek: Discovery #1
Star Trek: Discovery: Desperate Hours
Aboard the Starship Shenzhou, Lieutenant Michael Burnham, a human woman raised and educated among Vulcans, is promoted to acting first officer. But if she wants to keep the job, she must prove to Captain Philippa Georgiou that she deserves to have it.
She gets her chance when the Shenzhou must protect a Federation colony that is under attack by an ancient alien vessel that has surfaced from the deepest fathoms of the planet’s dark, uncharted sea.
As the menace from this mysterious vessel grows stronger, Starfleet declares the colony expendable in the name of halting the threat. To save thousands of innocent lives, Burnham must infiltrate the alien ship. But to do so, she needs to face the truth of her troubled past, and seek the aid of a man she has tried to avoid her entire life—until now.
She gets her chance when the Shenzhou must protect a Federation colony that is under attack by an ancient alien vessel that has surfaced from the deepest fathoms of the planet’s dark, uncharted sea.
As the menace from this mysterious vessel grows stronger, Starfleet declares the colony expendable in the name of halting the threat. To save thousands of innocent lives, Burnham must infiltrate the alien ship. But to do so, she needs to face the truth of her troubled past, and seek the aid of a man she has tried to avoid her entire life—until now.
335 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 26, 2017
443 people are currently reading
1207 people want to read
About the author
David Mack
123 books666 followersDavid Mack is the New York Times bestselling author of 39 novels of science-fiction, fantasy, and adventure, including the Star Trek Destiny and Cold Equations trilogies.
Beyond novels, Mack's writing credits span several media, including television (for produced episodes of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine), games, and comic books.
Follow him on Twitter @davidalanmack or like his Facebook page.
Beyond novels, Mack's writing credits span several media, including television (for produced episodes of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine), games, and comic books.
Follow him on Twitter @davidalanmack or like his Facebook page.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 340 reviews
February 1, 2019
I’ve had this Discovery novel (plus the next one) sitting on my TRP for ages, I’d kind of forgotten that I had them until Season Two starting airing.
I really wished I started these sooner!
Serving as a prequel to the first episode as it taking place approximately a year before the Shenzhou’s mission to the binary stars.
This book gives a fascinating backstory to Captain Georgiou, Michael Burnham and Lieutenant Saru.
With an alien attack on the Federation colony, both the U.S.S. Shenzou and the U.S.S. Enterprise under the command of Captain Christopher Pike arrive on the planet.
It’s the relationship between Burnham and Spock as they try to stop the alien sabotage that really moves the story forward.
I really like how this book fits in with the series, whilst fleshing out the characters.
I would’ve loved to have read it during Season One, I’m planning to catch up with the other books in the series as soon as possible as they give some much needed extra layers to a great cast of characters.
I really wished I started these sooner!
Serving as a prequel to the first episode as it taking place approximately a year before the Shenzhou’s mission to the binary stars.
This book gives a fascinating backstory to Captain Georgiou, Michael Burnham and Lieutenant Saru.
With an alien attack on the Federation colony, both the U.S.S. Shenzou and the U.S.S. Enterprise under the command of Captain Christopher Pike arrive on the planet.
It’s the relationship between Burnham and Spock as they try to stop the alien sabotage that really moves the story forward.
I really like how this book fits in with the series, whilst fleshing out the characters.
I would’ve loved to have read it during Season One, I’m planning to catch up with the other books in the series as soon as possible as they give some much needed extra layers to a great cast of characters.
September 12, 2019
Turns out Sarek’s estranged kids bonding over their weirdo strict dad while trying not to get killed by an ancient Goliath is my exact sci-fi aesthetic.
→ 5 stars.
→ 5 stars.
September 27, 2017
So, having enjoyed the onscreen debut of Discovery tremendously I settled down to read this novel hoping for a good yarn. And it being Mack, of course that's exactly what I got. One does feel as if the introduction of too many officers in one paragraph might have not been such a good idea, and it is hard to match Mack's description of Nambue with his televised depiction, but apart from those small things the characterisations don't seem too bad.
The plot is interesting, and of course it's fascinating to see some of the TOS stuff (namely the Enterprise and Spock) out of context. What's less clear are the implications of Burnham's introduction into Spock's upbringing. I don't know how much detail there is going to be on this in future episodes or novels, but of course it's far more palatable to canon if Sarek's raising of her was remote (either in time or in place) from Spock's. Retrofitting Burnham's presence into Spock's childhood is hard enough for fans to swallow and here at least on the page, we do hear from Spock himself that "She is a few years older than I am, so we rarely moved in the same social or academic circles".
I have no problem with the retcon if it adds value - and there's plenty of material here, Mack shows a brilliant emotional disconnect between Spock and his parents with Burnham as something of a valve for those emotions. I did worry that any connection now between Burnham and Spock would devalue what Spock gained from Jean-Luc Picard at the end of Unification, over a hundred years on.
Niggles, then: Why holograms? The Enterprise is classed as a newer ship than the Shenzhou. The Enterprise uses viewscreens for communiques, the Shenzhou holograms. Is this a TV thing - are screen images too antiquated?
Next, does weapons technology really advance so quickly? According to the Star Trek Spaceflight Chronology, Phaser banks replace lasers for the Constitution class of starship by 2366. I know the Enterprise got hers early, but I thought it was post-Talos by more years than seem indicated here. maybe I'm wrong, it's a very fine point.
Finally there's Burnum and saru's relationship. Onscreen they're depicted much less angrily towards each other. is there a hatchet burying in the coming year? I wouldn't say they worked well together onscreen, but certainly there's a depth of feeling on the page which I am very much looking forward to seeing developed.
My nebulous concerns notwithstanding, it's great to see this as the first story in an exciting, new series of adventures. I would like to read a more fleshed-out version of the opening set of Discovery episodes, and then we'll have a whole new captain and crew to play with when we actually encounter the Discovery.
The plot is interesting, and of course it's fascinating to see some of the TOS stuff (namely the Enterprise and Spock) out of context. What's less clear are the implications of Burnham's introduction into Spock's upbringing. I don't know how much detail there is going to be on this in future episodes or novels, but of course it's far more palatable to canon if Sarek's raising of her was remote (either in time or in place) from Spock's. Retrofitting Burnham's presence into Spock's childhood is hard enough for fans to swallow and here at least on the page, we do hear from Spock himself that "She is a few years older than I am, so we rarely moved in the same social or academic circles".
I have no problem with the retcon if it adds value - and there's plenty of material here, Mack shows a brilliant emotional disconnect between Spock and his parents with Burnham as something of a valve for those emotions. I did worry that any connection now between Burnham and Spock would devalue what Spock gained from Jean-Luc Picard at the end of Unification, over a hundred years on.
Niggles, then: Why holograms? The Enterprise is classed as a newer ship than the Shenzhou. The Enterprise uses viewscreens for communiques, the Shenzhou holograms. Is this a TV thing - are screen images too antiquated?
Next, does weapons technology really advance so quickly? According to the Star Trek Spaceflight Chronology, Phaser banks replace lasers for the Constitution class of starship by 2366. I know the Enterprise got hers early, but I thought it was post-Talos by more years than seem indicated here. maybe I'm wrong, it's a very fine point.
Finally there's Burnum and saru's relationship. Onscreen they're depicted much less angrily towards each other. is there a hatchet burying in the coming year? I wouldn't say they worked well together onscreen, but certainly there's a depth of feeling on the page which I am very much looking forward to seeing developed.
My nebulous concerns notwithstanding, it's great to see this as the first story in an exciting, new series of adventures. I would like to read a more fleshed-out version of the opening set of Discovery episodes, and then we'll have a whole new captain and crew to play with when we actually encounter the Discovery.
September 29, 2017
After watching the first two episodes of Star Trek: Discovery I really wanted to have more information on the lead character Michael Burnham. This book exceeded all expectations on offering just that.
Now I am looking forward to the third episode of Star Trek: Discovery with a much better understanding of who Michael Burnham is. Also, I would be remiss if I didn't mention that you get a lot more character understanding the rest of the Walker Class starship crew commanded by Captain Philippa Georgiou as well. In addition, another Federation starship joins in on this mission, which adds a nice depth of additional characters, some you may be already pretty intimate with if you have watched The Original Series or read any of the TOS novels.
I thought the book had lots of character depth, great pacing and a wonderful action packed sci fi story.
Now I am looking forward to the third episode of Star Trek: Discovery with a much better understanding of who Michael Burnham is. Also, I would be remiss if I didn't mention that you get a lot more character understanding the rest of the Walker Class starship crew commanded by Captain Philippa Georgiou as well. In addition, another Federation starship joins in on this mission, which adds a nice depth of additional characters, some you may be already pretty intimate with if you have watched The Original Series or read any of the TOS novels.
I thought the book had lots of character depth, great pacing and a wonderful action packed sci fi story.
April 9, 2018
I’ve never read a Star Trek novel before, so I’m not sure how this compares to its predecessors, but I thoroughly enjoyed Desperate Hours.
The reason I rated the novel four stars instead of five is because the writing felt clinical. It read as if Mack was given an outline of the plot and was told to fill in the blanks. I’m not sure if the writing is supposed to reflect the cold, clinical way of the Vulcans, but I’m not a fan.
What I enjoyed most about Desperate Hours was the insight into the key characters from the Star Trek Discovery television show. Burnham’s actions and demeanour are in line with what’s presented on the show. Upon further reflection, her actions at the beginning of the show are predictable given the context of Desperate Hours.
I also enjoyed the added depth to Philippa Georgiou. She’s an interesting character who plays an important role in Burnham’s present and future, so it was exciting seeing her in action.
Desperate Hours is full of intense action, politics, and discovery. I’m starting to understand that Star Trek embodies all of my favourite aspects of science fiction: discovering new worlds, space battles, spaceships, different species, etc.
Overall, Desperate Hours was a fantastic addition to the television show and I cannot wait for season two!
I’m not sure if I’ll read the sequel, Drastic Measures, as it seems to be more imbedded within Star Trek lore than I’m familiar with.
The reason I rated the novel four stars instead of five is because the writing felt clinical. It read as if Mack was given an outline of the plot and was told to fill in the blanks. I’m not sure if the writing is supposed to reflect the cold, clinical way of the Vulcans, but I’m not a fan.
What I enjoyed most about Desperate Hours was the insight into the key characters from the Star Trek Discovery television show. Burnham’s actions and demeanour are in line with what’s presented on the show. Upon further reflection, her actions at the beginning of the show are predictable given the context of Desperate Hours.
I also enjoyed the added depth to Philippa Georgiou. She’s an interesting character who plays an important role in Burnham’s present and future, so it was exciting seeing her in action.
Desperate Hours is full of intense action, politics, and discovery. I’m starting to understand that Star Trek embodies all of my favourite aspects of science fiction: discovering new worlds, space battles, spaceships, different species, etc.
Overall, Desperate Hours was a fantastic addition to the television show and I cannot wait for season two!
I’m not sure if I’ll read the sequel, Drastic Measures, as it seems to be more imbedded within Star Trek lore than I’m familiar with.
September 30, 2017
I’d say it’s 2.5 Stars. It’s an average Star Trek story that works better than the actual premiere of the show because you can exchange the visuals in your mind to match the time periods aesthetic. Frustratingly the book is hampered by trying to recon the Discovery look with the TOS look and it’s just not working for me. At least Burnham comes off better here than in the show as well. I like her much more Vulcan.
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January 27, 20183.5 stars.
Well, this has David Mack going for it, so automatic bonus points!
While I like Discovery (on its own merits, but not necessarily as good Star Trek!), and this was a competent if not exceptional book, am I invested enough to continue another Trek novel series? I'm not sure. (I'm still working thru the Enterprise and Voyager relaunch books.)
I'll likely give it at least one more book before making a decision.
Well, this has David Mack going for it, so automatic bonus points!
While I like Discovery (on its own merits, but not necessarily as good Star Trek!), and this was a competent if not exceptional book, am I invested enough to continue another Trek novel series? I'm not sure. (I'm still working thru the Enterprise and Voyager relaunch books.)
I'll likely give it at least one more book before making a decision.
January 28, 2018
This book was exactly what I wanted it to be. It gives great insight into the time of Discovery, how it fits into TOS, and most of all, how Spock and Burnham relate to one another.
September 27, 2017
When a colony world is attacked by a mysterious alien craft which appears to have been encapsulated under the sea bed for nine million years, the U.S.S. Shenzou is dispatched to provide assistance.
As the full extent of the threat becomes clear, Starfleet realises that Captain Georgiou may be unwilling to carry out General Order 24 and order Captain Pike and the U.S.S. Enterprise to render assistance and, if necessary, do what Georgiou will not. Obliterate a planetary population to save the Federation.
David Mack's prelude to 'Star Trek: Discovery' is well thought out, well plotted and works within the spirit of the series. In this novel, we get to see Spock interact with Michael Burnham and understand what drives them to surpass Sarek's vision for their future.
As the full extent of the threat becomes clear, Starfleet realises that Captain Georgiou may be unwilling to carry out General Order 24 and order Captain Pike and the U.S.S. Enterprise to render assistance and, if necessary, do what Georgiou will not. Obliterate a planetary population to save the Federation.
David Mack's prelude to 'Star Trek: Discovery' is well thought out, well plotted and works within the spirit of the series. In this novel, we get to see Spock interact with Michael Burnham and understand what drives them to surpass Sarek's vision for their future.
October 3, 2017
I grew up reading Trek prose novels - they helped fill the gaps between movies, series and the like. They added context and texture to the picture being painted on the screen. There's a long history of great Star Trek prose books, including Vonda McIntyre's ENTERPRISE, the Reeves-Stevens's PRIME DIRECTIVE, Peter David's New Frontier books and the work of J.M. Dillard and Diane Duane. David Mack's DESPERATE HOURS fits right in with those classics, I'm happy to say. It's a fast-paced, suspense-heavy read that serves as a great primer to watching the new series. Mack manages to not only keep the action amped, but he gives readers some very strong, memorable moments of characterization. There are treats here for new and longtime Trek fans, and the appearance of the Christopher Pike-era Enterprise, and Spock in particular, makes for a meaningful and compelling hook. This feels like a great Discovery episode and isn't shy about exploring these new characters in bold ways. I've been away from Trek prose novels for a while, but this was a great way to come back to it, and I look forward to more.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 1, 2025
This is a tough book to review. It started out with a bang, like the opening scene in a Godzilla film. It also finished strong. But the middle 50% just dragged and dragged. It suffered from much of the same problems as the show on which it's based. Namely, that characters dwell excessively on their insecurities. Unlike the later seasons of the show, at least we were spared having characters excessively bolster each other's self-esteem to help them through their insecurities. Why is this a problem? Because I refuse to believe a Starfleet officer could get to that position without being possessed of better confidence. Sure, a Lt. Barclay might show up here and there, but not a whole ship full.
This book is a prequel. As such, we get to see Michael when she is most compelling. Not the over emotional, often crying captain from later seasons. Here she is more stoic and at least acts like someone raised on Vulcan.
Saru was one of the most interesting characters introduced in the show. The idea of a prey species was an interesting one. It's a shame they ruined it just to make yet another plot about overcoming oppression. I find it curious how insecure he was in this novel. Scared, sure. But I never read him as being so lacking in confidence.
The book explores the relationships between Michael and Spock, Saru and Una, Georgiou and Pike, and, to a lesser extent, Saru and Michael. Of these, only the first one was particularly compelling.
Overall, this novel needed to be trimmed quite a bit. The constant internal whining was difficult to take. Most of it should have been cut out so the story could keep moving.
2.5 out of 5.
This book is a prequel. As such, we get to see Michael when she is most compelling. Not the over emotional, often crying captain from later seasons. Here she is more stoic and at least acts like someone raised on Vulcan.
Saru was one of the most interesting characters introduced in the show. The idea of a prey species was an interesting one. It's a shame they ruined it just to make yet another plot about overcoming oppression. I find it curious how insecure he was in this novel. Scared, sure. But I never read him as being so lacking in confidence.
The book explores the relationships between Michael and Spock, Saru and Una, Georgiou and Pike, and, to a lesser extent, Saru and Michael. Of these, only the first one was particularly compelling.
Overall, this novel needed to be trimmed quite a bit. The constant internal whining was difficult to take. Most of it should have been cut out so the story could keep moving.
2.5 out of 5.
November 14, 2017
This review was originally published at Book Learning.
I used to love these books as a teenager. That’s not a compliment; it’s an embarrassed acknowledgement that I didn’t know any better when I was a youngster. If it weren’t for the efforts of some particularly heroic librarians who showed me that there was a better way, and better written books out there, I might have wound up being the sort of reader who actually read this sort of shovelled licenced crud on a regular basis. Indeed, if it weren’t for the fact that I was compelled to read this book as a member of the Friends of DeSoto book club, I wouldn’t have gone anywhere near it.
So what is it? Apart from the totally gratuitous shot of Sonequa Martin-Green's backside on the cover, it is the first in a planned series of tie-in novels (please, no!) to accompany the release of Star Trek: Discovery, the latest television incarnation of the Star Trek franchise to hit TV. The series itself has had some pretty mixed reviews, but I have to say I’m a fan. I appreciate the way that the series has a darker ambience, yet still feels like faithful Trek. Since I’m both a massive Star Trek nerd and a literature snob, this should be interesting.
The central conceit of the book is a meeting between Spock and Discovery’s central character, Michael Burnham, and between captains Christopher Pike and Phillipa Georgiou. There is also some purely incidental stuff about a giant spaceship hidden underneath the seabed on a Federation colony and an evil alien empire of the week that I suspect we’ll never hear from again, but those considerations are quite secondary to the idea of the meetings between characters from the oldest Trek franchise, and characters from the newest.
Of course, it never really comes off as compelling or interesting. Spock and Burnham spend most of the book trying to survive a “Raiders of the Lost Ark” style obstacle course, that carries with it absolutely no sense of danger or tension. The reader knows that they’re both going to survive, so it becomes a simple exercise in watching one character or the other devise a way of reversing the polarity in each test so that they can proceed to the next. Most of the challenges are taken more or less directly from the film “The Cube”, and none of them are interesting or clever enough to generate any interest given the low stakes and lack of consequences.
Pike and Georgiou, on the other hand, spend most of the book yo-yoing between cooperating with each other and planning to destroy each other to foil the plans of the other. It just comes off as silly after the second time; there is no way that officers in a functioning military organisation could operate like this, constantly second guessing each other and openly plotting against each other. There isn’t a whole lot to work with personality wise here either, after all, Pike only appears in one episode and Georgiou is only in two, which makes the characters come off as a little flat and bland. Again, because we know they’re both going to survive the encounter, the climactic space battle they end up in just ends up feeling perfunctory.
Meanwhile, Saru and Number One spend a bit of time doing some archaeology on the planet. Mack has to really stretch the Number One character here, since she was very much a peripheral character in her one on-screen appearance. It’s worth talking about the Saru sequences here, as brief as they are. Saru comes off as completely different to what he does in the TV series; here he is brimming with unrestrained resentment and bitterness towards everyone and everything. It was hard not to picture him in a black Linkin Park hoodie during a particularly egregious scene where he is depicted brooding in his quarters. While he isn’t a whole lot of fun on the show, at least his relationship with Burnham there is toned down to a Spock-and-McCoy rivalry, and not the mean-spirited and spiteful attitude they take towards one another here.
There is also a bunch of plot based around political intrigue on the colony world, a hostage situation, and a lost civilisation on the planet. None of this feels very important, and indeed it mostly feels incomplete, like it was halfway developed before being dropped to fit more Burnham/Spock and Pike/Georgiou into the story. A good chunk of this B-story is even resolved by a shockingly shameless deus ex machina in the last few pages. I am not sure how much freedom the author has in stories like this to develop their own plot, but given that Bryan Fuller is on the record as having come up with the central concept of the novel before handing it off to Mack to write, it seems possible that Mack was told to downplay his own story and focus on giving the reader more of what they probably came for; Burnham and Spock having an adventure.
Of course, this level of quality is to be expected of a licenced work like this. There is already a built in fanbase who will buy anything with the Star Trek label (or the Star Wars label, or the Warcraft label, etc) on the front cover, so why bother taking the time to cook up something interesting or thought provoking? It doesn’t work as literary science fiction, and even as a pulpy adventure story it falls down simply through being dull. Perhaps interference by CBS shot down the more interesting book that it seems that Mack wanted to write at times, but that doesn’t excuse this paean to small universe syndrome. Two stars, and a fervent hope that the Friends of DeSoto pick something a bit more chewy for me to read next time.
I used to love these books as a teenager. That’s not a compliment; it’s an embarrassed acknowledgement that I didn’t know any better when I was a youngster. If it weren’t for the efforts of some particularly heroic librarians who showed me that there was a better way, and better written books out there, I might have wound up being the sort of reader who actually read this sort of shovelled licenced crud on a regular basis. Indeed, if it weren’t for the fact that I was compelled to read this book as a member of the Friends of DeSoto book club, I wouldn’t have gone anywhere near it.
So what is it? Apart from the totally gratuitous shot of Sonequa Martin-Green's backside on the cover, it is the first in a planned series of tie-in novels (please, no!) to accompany the release of Star Trek: Discovery, the latest television incarnation of the Star Trek franchise to hit TV. The series itself has had some pretty mixed reviews, but I have to say I’m a fan. I appreciate the way that the series has a darker ambience, yet still feels like faithful Trek. Since I’m both a massive Star Trek nerd and a literature snob, this should be interesting.
The central conceit of the book is a meeting between Spock and Discovery’s central character, Michael Burnham, and between captains Christopher Pike and Phillipa Georgiou. There is also some purely incidental stuff about a giant spaceship hidden underneath the seabed on a Federation colony and an evil alien empire of the week that I suspect we’ll never hear from again, but those considerations are quite secondary to the idea of the meetings between characters from the oldest Trek franchise, and characters from the newest.
Of course, it never really comes off as compelling or interesting. Spock and Burnham spend most of the book trying to survive a “Raiders of the Lost Ark” style obstacle course, that carries with it absolutely no sense of danger or tension. The reader knows that they’re both going to survive, so it becomes a simple exercise in watching one character or the other devise a way of reversing the polarity in each test so that they can proceed to the next. Most of the challenges are taken more or less directly from the film “The Cube”, and none of them are interesting or clever enough to generate any interest given the low stakes and lack of consequences.
Pike and Georgiou, on the other hand, spend most of the book yo-yoing between cooperating with each other and planning to destroy each other to foil the plans of the other. It just comes off as silly after the second time; there is no way that officers in a functioning military organisation could operate like this, constantly second guessing each other and openly plotting against each other. There isn’t a whole lot to work with personality wise here either, after all, Pike only appears in one episode and Georgiou is only in two, which makes the characters come off as a little flat and bland. Again, because we know they’re both going to survive the encounter, the climactic space battle they end up in just ends up feeling perfunctory.
Meanwhile, Saru and Number One spend a bit of time doing some archaeology on the planet. Mack has to really stretch the Number One character here, since she was very much a peripheral character in her one on-screen appearance. It’s worth talking about the Saru sequences here, as brief as they are. Saru comes off as completely different to what he does in the TV series; here he is brimming with unrestrained resentment and bitterness towards everyone and everything. It was hard not to picture him in a black Linkin Park hoodie during a particularly egregious scene where he is depicted brooding in his quarters. While he isn’t a whole lot of fun on the show, at least his relationship with Burnham there is toned down to a Spock-and-McCoy rivalry, and not the mean-spirited and spiteful attitude they take towards one another here.
There is also a bunch of plot based around political intrigue on the colony world, a hostage situation, and a lost civilisation on the planet. None of this feels very important, and indeed it mostly feels incomplete, like it was halfway developed before being dropped to fit more Burnham/Spock and Pike/Georgiou into the story. A good chunk of this B-story is even resolved by a shockingly shameless deus ex machina in the last few pages. I am not sure how much freedom the author has in stories like this to develop their own plot, but given that Bryan Fuller is on the record as having come up with the central concept of the novel before handing it off to Mack to write, it seems possible that Mack was told to downplay his own story and focus on giving the reader more of what they probably came for; Burnham and Spock having an adventure.
Of course, this level of quality is to be expected of a licenced work like this. There is already a built in fanbase who will buy anything with the Star Trek label (or the Star Wars label, or the Warcraft label, etc) on the front cover, so why bother taking the time to cook up something interesting or thought provoking? It doesn’t work as literary science fiction, and even as a pulpy adventure story it falls down simply through being dull. Perhaps interference by CBS shot down the more interesting book that it seems that Mack wanted to write at times, but that doesn’t excuse this paean to small universe syndrome. Two stars, and a fervent hope that the Friends of DeSoto pick something a bit more chewy for me to read next time.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 3, 2017
After watching the first two episodes of Discovery, there was an urge to know more of Burnham. Desperate Hours fills that gap. Now I know about her relationship with Spock and her family. It also helped to understand why Burnham is who she is.
The story is well told and characters well developed. Apart from Burnham, it gives us insights into Saru and his captain.
There came a time when Enterprise and Burnham's ship came to fire on each other. One defending Starfleet principles and other following Starfleet orders. Anything more will be a spoiler.
Overall, the story is engaging, full of suspense and progresses at a moderate pace.
My recommendation: anyone who wish to watch Discovery series must read this.
The story is well told and characters well developed. Apart from Burnham, it gives us insights into Saru and his captain.
There came a time when Enterprise and Burnham's ship came to fire on each other. One defending Starfleet principles and other following Starfleet orders. Anything more will be a spoiler.
Overall, the story is engaging, full of suspense and progresses at a moderate pace.
My recommendation: anyone who wish to watch Discovery series must read this.
October 24, 2017
How is any future "Star Trek: Discovery" book supposed to top THIS? "Desperate Hours" is simply the finest 'first' book in a Trek series since Pocket Books' original release of "The Entropy Effect". Apparently series co-creator Bryan Fuller asked for this backstory-heavy introduction to be written...and it pays off in spades. So much historical and canon goodness! So many great guest stars! A truly epic alien threat, and a fleshing out of the USS Shenzou & its crew to such a glorious degree that I wish THIS is what we were watching on television right now...with more glorious Michelle Yeoh as the amazing Captain Georgiou. If you're watching ST:DISC right now, then you must -- MUST, I tell you -- read this brilliant novel immediately.
March 6, 2018
I've tried to read a few other Star Trek novels and didn't find them very compelling, but this one really works. It's got just the right balance of technical information, interpersonal relationships, politics, red alerts, and exploring strange new worlds. It would have provided a compelling introductory episode to the new Discovery series as it begins with Michael Burnham being promoted to become Georgiou's Number One (beating out Saru). It also helps to set a time frame for the series with a young Spock on the Enterprise under the command of a young Christopher Pike. Plus, we get to know Una, Pike's Number One, a little better. I hope she gets a part in the television series eventually because I find her interesting.
The book begins on a mining planet with the discovery of an ancient ship that is bent on destruction. Both the USS Enterprise (with young Spock aboard) and the ISS Shenzhou (with Burnham aboard) race against time to save this planet and perhaps others from destruction or worse. Our heroes encounter intense and potentially deadly riddles along with the artifacts and petroglyphs of an ancient culture that previously encountered the deadly ship. Along the way, Burnham and Spock (who shared foster parents/parents but apparently barely knew each other) become better acquainted and gain a newfound respect for each other.
The first half of the book was a little slow, but by the last half, I was turning the pages quickly and making excuses to spend a lot of alone time with this book. I look forward to reading the next in the series. This book helps to more clearly put the Discovery into the rest of the Star Trek timeline as well as to explain some of the interpersonal relationships between various characters. After reading this book, I'm even more intrigued by the appearance of the USS Enterprise under Christopher Pike at the very end of the last episode of Discovory's Season One. I look forward to reading the rest of the series, too. I hope the 2nd writer writes a tale as good as this one was.
The book begins on a mining planet with the discovery of an ancient ship that is bent on destruction. Both the USS Enterprise (with young Spock aboard) and the ISS Shenzhou (with Burnham aboard) race against time to save this planet and perhaps others from destruction or worse. Our heroes encounter intense and potentially deadly riddles along with the artifacts and petroglyphs of an ancient culture that previously encountered the deadly ship. Along the way, Burnham and Spock (who shared foster parents/parents but apparently barely knew each other) become better acquainted and gain a newfound respect for each other.
The first half of the book was a little slow, but by the last half, I was turning the pages quickly and making excuses to spend a lot of alone time with this book. I look forward to reading the next in the series. This book helps to more clearly put the Discovery into the rest of the Star Trek timeline as well as to explain some of the interpersonal relationships between various characters. After reading this book, I'm even more intrigued by the appearance of the USS Enterprise under Christopher Pike at the very end of the last episode of Discovory's Season One. I look forward to reading the rest of the series, too. I hope the 2nd writer writes a tale as good as this one was.
May 7, 2018
Of course I enjoyed this one, see above, it's a Star Trek. But ESPECIALLY I liked Burnham and Spock being prickly and sacrificial at each other (so vulcan, honestly), and Captain Georgiou being wonderful (though the insistence on making trek characters love mid-20th century american music, and here listening to it on VIYNL, is hilarious as always), and details about Saru backstory! We didn't get those details in the show! I ate them hungrily whenever they appeared.
AND NUMBER ONE FOR ALL THE PROMOTIONS AND AWAY TEAMS.
Star Trek My Heart Forever, indeed.
AND NUMBER ONE FOR ALL THE PROMOTIONS AND AWAY TEAMS.
Star Trek My Heart Forever, indeed.
October 14, 2017
As always a great story from David Mack. I'll admit this isn't my favorite book of Mack's, (but when you've written stuff like the Vanguard series, the Destiny & Cold Equations trilogy, Disavowed, Control, A Time to Kill & I could go on & on) it's pretty hard to to yourself. However as hard a book as I imagine this was to write (since he would've had only very limited information on the characters) I think it came out really good & entertaining. A 9 million year old alien spacecraft at the bottom of an ocean wakes up & starts reeking havok with 2 of Starfleets finest starships & crews in orbit there to save the day,...it's a a good story. Highly recommend.
April 22, 2018
A story that features strong character moments and insights, not only for the Discovery characters Burnham, Saru, and Georgiou, but also for "special guest stars" Pike, Spock, and Una. A fairly typical Trek story plot-wise, but still very enjoyable and a fun adventure set aboard the U.S.S. Shenzhou. Four out of five stars!
Full review (video): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJKp1...
Full review (video): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJKp1...
September 25, 2024
una "children should strive to grow beyond their parents not just try to conclude their unfinished business" chin-riley i am so normal about u
October 28, 2020
I really liked this prequel (which is something I rarely say) and the look at Michael's time aboard the Shenzhou. This came out before season 2, but I still found that outside a couple minor inconsistencies most of the characterizations held up. That was a pleasant surprise!
February 1, 2024
Mack is a great ST writer. Some canon aspects of this have been challenged by later Disco and SNW stuff but this is a fantastic Trek tale. longer review eventually.
October 25, 2017
I was hoping for the novels to be handed over to the same people who have always handled the novels for what I considered to be the "James Luceno effect." Which is a reference to James Luceno getting offered to do a Star Wars novel after the canon reboot and the immediate effect being he incorporated as much previous Expanded Universe into the book as humanly possible. In this case, David Mack does an excellent job of handling a much bigger job of making it clear not only does Discovery fit into the timeline of the Original Series but there's no reason to be exceptionally worried about it.
In fact, I didn't see this as a likely problem from the beginning as while Trekkies would snarl and hiss about the Klingons looking different or the Saucer-size not being the right number of meters, I knew the novelists would provide explanations. Are they canon? Well, no, but they're canon to themselves and really it's all about satisfying YOUR vision of the galaxy isn't it? What was that moment in Galaxy Quest? "The show is real." "I knew it!" In this case, Desperate Hours explains away a few of the tech problems and states while the Constitution-class may look a little weird even in-universe, it's fully capable of kicking the Discovery's butt back to Earth Spacedock. Which makes sense because they have phasers that go "pew pew" while the Enterprise has phasers that can decimate continents.
The premise for the book is a surprisingly well-established colony of humans (300K+) on the edge of Federation Space has accidentally awakened a 2 kilometer creature I kept mentally picturing as one of Mass Effect's Reapers. Captain Georgiou, who I hope gets a 22+ book series sort of like the Stargazer adventures, is assigned the task of dealing with the threat only to get Captain Pike added to her detail seconds later. Pike is full of Klingon gagh and vinegar with a desire to simply blast the Juggernaut (as they name it) out of existence. This leads to a conflict between the two which is only resolved by their first and second officers: Lt. Commander Michael Burnham along with Lt. Spock.
I was somewhat surprised to see Spock and Michael interacting as you'd think that'd be something they'd save for the television show but I suppose if they want to overwrite the novels they certainly can. In any case, their interaction is the highlight of the story as we get a sense of what makes the two characters similar as well as what makes them different. We also get a sense of why Spock changes from the somewhat angry young Vulcan in the Star Trek Pilot to the more established one in TOS. David Mack's mastery of Trek history is full of little references here and there that seem primarily designed to make Discovery's characters feel welcome as part of the franchise rather than the unwanted new neighbors so many friends are treating them as.
I really like Captain Pike's portrayal because while the Abramsverse made him basically TOS Captain Kirk 2.0, the one seen in the pilot was kind of an [expletive]. He was angry, unhappy to be in Starfleet, sexist, and generally a piece of work. Here, it's because he's overcompensating for being extremely young in his command as well as just being plain meaner than your average Starfleet captain. It makes a nice contrast to Captain Georgiou, who is somewhere between Kirk and Picard in terms of being an officer and a gentlewoman. Mind you, I don't think even Kirk ever considered firing on a fellow Federation vessel.
If I have one complaint about the book, it's the fact it did an excellent job of setting up the Governor as a villain with complex motives yet a truly despicable self-serving core yet she was dealt with anticlimatically. Really, I was looking forward to her getting her comeuppance far more than I was seeing the 9 million year old death machine being dealt with.
So, how good was the book? Well, I wasn't in any way interested in reading Star Trek: Vanguard by the same author, before but now I am picking up the series.
In fact, I didn't see this as a likely problem from the beginning as while Trekkies would snarl and hiss about the Klingons looking different or the Saucer-size not being the right number of meters, I knew the novelists would provide explanations. Are they canon? Well, no, but they're canon to themselves and really it's all about satisfying YOUR vision of the galaxy isn't it? What was that moment in Galaxy Quest? "The show is real." "I knew it!" In this case, Desperate Hours explains away a few of the tech problems and states while the Constitution-class may look a little weird even in-universe, it's fully capable of kicking the Discovery's butt back to Earth Spacedock. Which makes sense because they have phasers that go "pew pew" while the Enterprise has phasers that can decimate continents.
The premise for the book is a surprisingly well-established colony of humans (300K+) on the edge of Federation Space has accidentally awakened a 2 kilometer creature I kept mentally picturing as one of Mass Effect's Reapers. Captain Georgiou, who I hope gets a 22+ book series sort of like the Stargazer adventures, is assigned the task of dealing with the threat only to get Captain Pike added to her detail seconds later. Pike is full of Klingon gagh and vinegar with a desire to simply blast the Juggernaut (as they name it) out of existence. This leads to a conflict between the two which is only resolved by their first and second officers: Lt. Commander Michael Burnham along with Lt. Spock.
I was somewhat surprised to see Spock and Michael interacting as you'd think that'd be something they'd save for the television show but I suppose if they want to overwrite the novels they certainly can. In any case, their interaction is the highlight of the story as we get a sense of what makes the two characters similar as well as what makes them different. We also get a sense of why Spock changes from the somewhat angry young Vulcan in the Star Trek Pilot to the more established one in TOS. David Mack's mastery of Trek history is full of little references here and there that seem primarily designed to make Discovery's characters feel welcome as part of the franchise rather than the unwanted new neighbors so many friends are treating them as.
I really like Captain Pike's portrayal because while the Abramsverse made him basically TOS Captain Kirk 2.0, the one seen in the pilot was kind of an [expletive]. He was angry, unhappy to be in Starfleet, sexist, and generally a piece of work. Here, it's because he's overcompensating for being extremely young in his command as well as just being plain meaner than your average Starfleet captain. It makes a nice contrast to Captain Georgiou, who is somewhere between Kirk and Picard in terms of being an officer and a gentlewoman. Mind you, I don't think even Kirk ever considered firing on a fellow Federation vessel.
If I have one complaint about the book, it's the fact it did an excellent job of setting up the Governor as a villain with complex motives yet a truly despicable self-serving core yet she was dealt with anticlimatically. Really, I was looking forward to her getting her comeuppance far more than I was seeing the 9 million year old death machine being dealt with.
So, how good was the book? Well, I wasn't in any way interested in reading Star Trek: Vanguard by the same author, before but now I am picking up the series.
November 15, 2017
3.5. The Discovery characters were all perfectly in character, as far as I know about them, anyway. The star and a half taken off are due to:
The writer making Burnham the most boring character of all time in this book. She's not this boring in the show; just kind of generic lead but they definitely sucked out any personality she had. Her backstory does add some interesting stuff to the show, so it might be just because I've already seen the episode where her relationship with Sarek is gone into, when the book had come out before that.
The author not being able to write Spock convincingly AT ALL. It was weird, because he definitely got Spock's character but he couldn't write dialogue that I could hear Leonard Nimoy saying. Spock should be one of the easiest characters to write. Doubly weird because he wrote Pike very well, and he had much less screentime.
All in all, I liked how the book tied the DSC characters into the larger Star Trek world. It felt more like Star Trek than the show does right now, probably because the technology almost matches up with 23rd century tech. Better than it does in the show. But it adds a lot of insight into the DSC characters that informs the show well.
The writer making Burnham the most boring character of all time in this book. She's not this boring in the show; just kind of generic lead but they definitely sucked out any personality she had. Her backstory does add some interesting stuff to the show, so it might be just because I've already seen the episode where her relationship with Sarek is gone into, when the book had come out before that.
The author not being able to write Spock convincingly AT ALL. It was weird, because he definitely got Spock's character but he couldn't write dialogue that I could hear Leonard Nimoy saying. Spock should be one of the easiest characters to write. Doubly weird because he wrote Pike very well, and he had much less screentime.
All in all, I liked how the book tied the DSC characters into the larger Star Trek world. It felt more like Star Trek than the show does right now, probably because the technology almost matches up with 23rd century tech. Better than it does in the show. But it adds a lot of insight into the DSC characters that informs the show well.
February 6, 2019
A competent, if middling, effort from David Mack opens what is (so far) a series of prequel novels for Star Trek: Discovery. The plot pits the U.S.S. Shenzhou, featured in the television series' pilot, against the U.S.S. Enterprise under the command of Captain Pike in a stand off over a troubled colony world, in a clash of orders and ideologies.
There's a [i]lot[/i] to unpack here, but the best part of the book is getting to know the Shenzhou crew better than we had a chance to on screen. Captain Philippa Georgiou is wonderfully presented here, with all the intelligence, grace, and commanding presence that Michelle Yeoh brought to the role, and it's clear to see why she is one of the most highly-regarded captains in Starfleet. Saru, Detmer, and the others aboard Shenzhou all get their moments, and the insight is much welcome.
In addition to Georgiou, I was especially fond of the interaction between Lieutenant Saru and Number One of the Enterprise, here called "Una" as she was named in the Star Trek: Legacies trilogy from 2016.
The characterization of Michael Burnham is also well in keeping with what we would see of her in Discovery's first season, though the specifics of the plot revolving around her and Spock would later be contradicted by season two. It should be not that is no fault of the author's, as this book was written well before season one had even aired, and was well-coordinated with the show's writing staff, who obviously hadn't yet decided on the full details of the Burnham-Spock relationship. It is one of the perils of writing a tie-in novel, especially one due out before the series has had time to establish itself.
Apart from a bog-standard plot whose mysteries' resolution was apparent to me long before the characters got a clue, my biggest complaint is the presentation of Captain Christopher Pike. Where the book excels with Georgiou, it fails spectacularly with Pike. Written well before Anson Mount ever entered the role, this is the Jeffrey Hunter version (perhaps influenced some by Bruce Greenwood's performance in the reboot films), but the characterization is so off from what we saw in "The Cage" as to be unrecognizable. Pike, as we saw on screen and has been consistently interpreted in previous novels, was introspective and thoughtful, and sometimes plagued with self-doubt, and quick to seek input from his crew. In Drastic Measures, however, he's presented as hawkish, arrogant, impatient, and willing to commit heinous acts in the name of "just following orders." That in no way reflects any version of Christopher Pike I've ever seen or read before, and does the character a massive disservice, in my opinion. This is neither the Pike we know from "The Cage" or the Abrams' films, nor what we would come to know in season two of [i]Discovery[/i]. And it's painful.
So, overall, this novel is a mixed bag. It's excellent if you want more of Captain Georgiou -- and who doesn't? -- but if you're looking for a fresh story, this really isn't it. Like much of David Mack's other Star Trek output, I wanted to like it much more than I did.
There's a [i]lot[/i] to unpack here, but the best part of the book is getting to know the Shenzhou crew better than we had a chance to on screen. Captain Philippa Georgiou is wonderfully presented here, with all the intelligence, grace, and commanding presence that Michelle Yeoh brought to the role, and it's clear to see why she is one of the most highly-regarded captains in Starfleet. Saru, Detmer, and the others aboard Shenzhou all get their moments, and the insight is much welcome.
In addition to Georgiou, I was especially fond of the interaction between Lieutenant Saru and Number One of the Enterprise, here called "Una" as she was named in the Star Trek: Legacies trilogy from 2016.
The characterization of Michael Burnham is also well in keeping with what we would see of her in Discovery's first season, though the specifics of the plot revolving around her and Spock would later be contradicted by season two. It should be not that is no fault of the author's, as this book was written well before season one had even aired, and was well-coordinated with the show's writing staff, who obviously hadn't yet decided on the full details of the Burnham-Spock relationship. It is one of the perils of writing a tie-in novel, especially one due out before the series has had time to establish itself.
Apart from a bog-standard plot whose mysteries' resolution was apparent to me long before the characters got a clue, my biggest complaint is the presentation of Captain Christopher Pike. Where the book excels with Georgiou, it fails spectacularly with Pike. Written well before Anson Mount ever entered the role, this is the Jeffrey Hunter version (perhaps influenced some by Bruce Greenwood's performance in the reboot films), but the characterization is so off from what we saw in "The Cage" as to be unrecognizable. Pike, as we saw on screen and has been consistently interpreted in previous novels, was introspective and thoughtful, and sometimes plagued with self-doubt, and quick to seek input from his crew. In Drastic Measures, however, he's presented as hawkish, arrogant, impatient, and willing to commit heinous acts in the name of "just following orders." That in no way reflects any version of Christopher Pike I've ever seen or read before, and does the character a massive disservice, in my opinion. This is neither the Pike we know from "The Cage" or the Abrams' films, nor what we would come to know in season two of [i]Discovery[/i]. And it's painful.
So, overall, this novel is a mixed bag. It's excellent if you want more of Captain Georgiou -- and who doesn't? -- but if you're looking for a fresh story, this really isn't it. Like much of David Mack's other Star Trek output, I wanted to like it much more than I did.
August 29, 2020
http://booknest.eu/reviews/charles/20...
4.5/5
I was hoping for the novels to be handed over to the same people who have always handled the novels for what I considered to be the "James Luceno effect." Which is a reference to James Luceno getting offered to do a Star Wars novel after the canon reboot and the immediate effect being he incorporated as much previous Expanded Universe into the book as humanly possible. In this case, David Mack does an excellent job of handling a much bigger job of making it clear not only does Discovery fit into the timeline of the Original Series but there's no reason to be exceptionally worried about it.
In fact, I didn't see this as a likely problem from the beginning as while Trekkies would snarl and hiss about the Klingons looking different or the Saucer-size not being the right number of meters, I knew the novelists would provide explanations. Are they canon? Well, no, but they're canon to themselves and really it's all about satisfying YOUR vision of the galaxy isn't it? What was that moment in Galaxy Quest? "The show is real." "I knew it!" In this case, Desperate Hours explains away a few of the tech problems and states while the Constitution-class may look a little weird even in-universe, it's fully capable of kicking the Discovery's butt back to Earth Spacedock. Which makes sense because they have phasers that go "pew pew" while the Enterprise has phasers that can decimate continents.
The premise for the book is a surprisingly well-established colony of humans (300K+) on the edge of Federation Space has accidentally awakened a 2 kilometer creature I kept mentally picturing as one of Mass Effect's Reapers. Captain Georgiou, who I hope gets a 22+ book series sort of like the Stargazer adventures, is assigned the task of dealing with the threat only to get Captain Pike added to her detail seconds later. Pike is full of Klingon gagh and vinegar with a desire to simply blast the Juggernaut (as they name it) out of existence. This leads to a conflict between the two which is only resolved by their first and second officers: Lt. Commander Michael Burnham along with Lt. Spock.
I was somewhat surprised to see Spock and Michael interacting as you'd think that'd be something they'd save for the television show but I suppose if they want to overwrite the novels they certainly can. In any case, their interaction is the highlight of the story as we get a sense of what makes the two characters similar as well as what makes them different. We also get a sense of why Spock changes from the somewhat angry young Vulcan in the Star Trek Pilot to the more established one in TOS. David Mack's mastery of Trek history is full of little references here and there that seem primarily designed to make Discovery's characters feel welcome as part of the franchise rather than the unwanted new neighbors so many friends are treating them as.
I really like Captain Pike's portrayal because while the Abramsverse made him basically TOS Captain Kirk 2.0, the one seen in the pilot was kind of an [expletive]. He was angry, unhappy to be in Starfleet, sexist, and generally a piece of work. Here, it's because he's overcompensating for being extremely young in his command as well as just being plain meaner than your average Starfleet captain. It makes a nice contrast to Captain Georgiou, who is somewhere between Kirk and Picard in terms of being an officer and a gentlewoman. Mind you, I don't think even Kirk ever considered firing on a fellow Federation vessel.
If I have one complaint about the book, it's the fact it did an excellent job of setting up the Governor as a villain with complex motives yet a truly despicable self-serving core yet she was dealt with anticlimatically. Really, I was looking forward to her getting her comeuppance far more than I was seeing the 9 million year old death machine being dealt with.
This book doesn't really fit with the events of Star Trek: Discovery season two. There, Spock and Michael's relationship was explored in a manner very similar to this book. However, it's still quite entertaining despite no longer fitting into continuity. I very much enjoyed the book and am eager to read more Discovery spin-off novels.
4.5/5
I was hoping for the novels to be handed over to the same people who have always handled the novels for what I considered to be the "James Luceno effect." Which is a reference to James Luceno getting offered to do a Star Wars novel after the canon reboot and the immediate effect being he incorporated as much previous Expanded Universe into the book as humanly possible. In this case, David Mack does an excellent job of handling a much bigger job of making it clear not only does Discovery fit into the timeline of the Original Series but there's no reason to be exceptionally worried about it.
In fact, I didn't see this as a likely problem from the beginning as while Trekkies would snarl and hiss about the Klingons looking different or the Saucer-size not being the right number of meters, I knew the novelists would provide explanations. Are they canon? Well, no, but they're canon to themselves and really it's all about satisfying YOUR vision of the galaxy isn't it? What was that moment in Galaxy Quest? "The show is real." "I knew it!" In this case, Desperate Hours explains away a few of the tech problems and states while the Constitution-class may look a little weird even in-universe, it's fully capable of kicking the Discovery's butt back to Earth Spacedock. Which makes sense because they have phasers that go "pew pew" while the Enterprise has phasers that can decimate continents.
The premise for the book is a surprisingly well-established colony of humans (300K+) on the edge of Federation Space has accidentally awakened a 2 kilometer creature I kept mentally picturing as one of Mass Effect's Reapers. Captain Georgiou, who I hope gets a 22+ book series sort of like the Stargazer adventures, is assigned the task of dealing with the threat only to get Captain Pike added to her detail seconds later. Pike is full of Klingon gagh and vinegar with a desire to simply blast the Juggernaut (as they name it) out of existence. This leads to a conflict between the two which is only resolved by their first and second officers: Lt. Commander Michael Burnham along with Lt. Spock.
I was somewhat surprised to see Spock and Michael interacting as you'd think that'd be something they'd save for the television show but I suppose if they want to overwrite the novels they certainly can. In any case, their interaction is the highlight of the story as we get a sense of what makes the two characters similar as well as what makes them different. We also get a sense of why Spock changes from the somewhat angry young Vulcan in the Star Trek Pilot to the more established one in TOS. David Mack's mastery of Trek history is full of little references here and there that seem primarily designed to make Discovery's characters feel welcome as part of the franchise rather than the unwanted new neighbors so many friends are treating them as.
I really like Captain Pike's portrayal because while the Abramsverse made him basically TOS Captain Kirk 2.0, the one seen in the pilot was kind of an [expletive]. He was angry, unhappy to be in Starfleet, sexist, and generally a piece of work. Here, it's because he's overcompensating for being extremely young in his command as well as just being plain meaner than your average Starfleet captain. It makes a nice contrast to Captain Georgiou, who is somewhere between Kirk and Picard in terms of being an officer and a gentlewoman. Mind you, I don't think even Kirk ever considered firing on a fellow Federation vessel.
If I have one complaint about the book, it's the fact it did an excellent job of setting up the Governor as a villain with complex motives yet a truly despicable self-serving core yet she was dealt with anticlimatically. Really, I was looking forward to her getting her comeuppance far more than I was seeing the 9 million year old death machine being dealt with.
This book doesn't really fit with the events of Star Trek: Discovery season two. There, Spock and Michael's relationship was explored in a manner very similar to this book. However, it's still quite entertaining despite no longer fitting into continuity. I very much enjoyed the book and am eager to read more Discovery spin-off novels.
October 31, 2017
STAR TREK: DISCOVERY: DESPERATE HOURS – ALL IN THE FAMILY
http://fangswandsandfairydust.com/201...
It’s probably been forty years since I read a Star Trek novel, although I read the original “Making of Star Trek” books and probably one or two of the novels when I was a teen and considered myself a Trekkie.
When this came across my screen almost immediately after I started a subscription to CBS ALL ACCESS so I would be able to watch the show, I thought, “Hell, Yes!”
This is a new Star Trek environment. I am not sure which Star Trek reality we’re in, but, let’s assume it is the one we first new from the original series and through Star Trek: ENTERPRISE. Indeed, the reality factor became an issue with the first Chris Pine as Kirk film which seemed to either decide against continuity altogether or to have jumped into the field of alternate realities. According to an article in THE VERGE (https://www.theverge.com/2017/10/25/1...) this continuity issue is a problem with each new iteration of STAR TREK.
But, this story is not quite up to the new series. Michael Burnham is Pre-Discovery-Crisis here, so what we get is both an intriguing story with lots of twisty events and backstory to Burnham’s character in the TV series. It also features a pre-paralyzing injury Capt. Christopher Pike, Kirk’s predecessor in the original show (where he ends up a thinking vegetable) and pre-paralyzing/Dying Chris Pike in INTO DARKNESS.
The way Pike and Georgiou (Captain of the Shenzhou) function and dysfunction is perplexing here and points at a political issues within the Federation that we don’t really see until near the end of the TV show, STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION. These problems don’t seem in evidence in the original program.
The reality of what the captains of these two ships are ordered to do; and which they struggle to overcome is absolutely not the STAR TREK I grew up with or at all. The closest horror of it I can imagine was the fate of Khan and his fellow “Supermen” in the newer STAR TREK movie INTO DARKNESS. So, that was disturbing.
But, I don;t want to reveal too much – especially if you haven’t watched the show.
And, incidentally, watching the new show and then reading this book, shows how elastic the human mind can be. So, with that elasticity we can enjoy all the many versions of Star Trek: The Franchise without going mad!
The narration in the book is good, and happily it did not feature sound effects. The way characters are voiced did not overly emphasize the diversity of the species on board the ship. I did not find too much light shed upon the relationship between the captain and Lt. Michael Burnham; but I did think the treatment of the second officer character Lt. Saru by all and sundry was bullying.
There’s nothing in the book to presage the show and the narration is good. I listened to the book twice and didn;t find any glaring inconsistencies. The story is compelling with edge of the seat on at least two levels at all times. We get to see Burnham and Spock work together. After all they are nearly family.
One thing unanswered in bot the show and this book: Burnham was raised by Spock’s parents after her parents are killed in a surprise Klingon raid. But, why are Sarek and Amanda her foster parents? It does allow this connection to the TV/Movie franchise and gives us a reason to possibly see Spock in the series?
To put it in Spockian terms, “It’s fascinating.”
http://fangswandsandfairydust.com/201...
It’s probably been forty years since I read a Star Trek novel, although I read the original “Making of Star Trek” books and probably one or two of the novels when I was a teen and considered myself a Trekkie.
When this came across my screen almost immediately after I started a subscription to CBS ALL ACCESS so I would be able to watch the show, I thought, “Hell, Yes!”
This is a new Star Trek environment. I am not sure which Star Trek reality we’re in, but, let’s assume it is the one we first new from the original series and through Star Trek: ENTERPRISE. Indeed, the reality factor became an issue with the first Chris Pine as Kirk film which seemed to either decide against continuity altogether or to have jumped into the field of alternate realities. According to an article in THE VERGE (https://www.theverge.com/2017/10/25/1...) this continuity issue is a problem with each new iteration of STAR TREK.
But, this story is not quite up to the new series. Michael Burnham is Pre-Discovery-Crisis here, so what we get is both an intriguing story with lots of twisty events and backstory to Burnham’s character in the TV series. It also features a pre-paralyzing injury Capt. Christopher Pike, Kirk’s predecessor in the original show (where he ends up a thinking vegetable) and pre-paralyzing/Dying Chris Pike in INTO DARKNESS.
The way Pike and Georgiou (Captain of the Shenzhou) function and dysfunction is perplexing here and points at a political issues within the Federation that we don’t really see until near the end of the TV show, STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION. These problems don’t seem in evidence in the original program.
The reality of what the captains of these two ships are ordered to do; and which they struggle to overcome is absolutely not the STAR TREK I grew up with or at all. The closest horror of it I can imagine was the fate of Khan and his fellow “Supermen” in the newer STAR TREK movie INTO DARKNESS. So, that was disturbing.
But, I don;t want to reveal too much – especially if you haven’t watched the show.
And, incidentally, watching the new show and then reading this book, shows how elastic the human mind can be. So, with that elasticity we can enjoy all the many versions of Star Trek: The Franchise without going mad!
The narration in the book is good, and happily it did not feature sound effects. The way characters are voiced did not overly emphasize the diversity of the species on board the ship. I did not find too much light shed upon the relationship between the captain and Lt. Michael Burnham; but I did think the treatment of the second officer character Lt. Saru by all and sundry was bullying.
There’s nothing in the book to presage the show and the narration is good. I listened to the book twice and didn;t find any glaring inconsistencies. The story is compelling with edge of the seat on at least two levels at all times. We get to see Burnham and Spock work together. After all they are nearly family.
One thing unanswered in bot the show and this book: Burnham was raised by Spock’s parents after her parents are killed in a surprise Klingon raid. But, why are Sarek and Amanda her foster parents? It does allow this connection to the TV/Movie franchise and gives us a reason to possibly see Spock in the series?
To put it in Spockian terms, “It’s fascinating.”
April 15, 2022
Star Trek: Desperate Hours, By David Mack is a media tie-in novel acting as a prequel to the Paramount+ original show “Star Trek: Discovery”.
In Star Trek Discovery: Desperate Hours the USS Shenzhou with newly minted first officer Michael Burnum is sent to a colony world after a mysterious alien craft attacks. The craft was disturbed during routine drilling operation and may have been under the sea for millions of years. Arriving at the planet, the Shenzhou is faced with the hard choice of being able to destroy the alien craft, but also destroying the colony. They are further pushed into that hard place when the USS Enterprise shows up helmed by Captain Christopher Pike to make sure the Shenzhou destroys the alien craft at all costs. Will the Shenzhou and her crew be able to figure out how to disable the craft while also saving the inhabitants of the planet ?
The story was interesting in Star Trek Discovery: Desperate Hours, but what I really liked was the character development. In particular I liked Michael Burnum and Saru’s relationship and how it developed as well as both of their relationships to Captain Philippa Georgiou. It helped to make the first episodes of ST: Discovery even more relatable. I also loved how the Enterprise with Captain Christopher Pike and Science Officer Spock enter the story and became main characters. What a nice call back to original series fans! Learning more about Spock and Burnum’s family relationship was interesting.
I’ll admit that I did think the story was a bit slow in the middle when Burnum and Spock were on an endless quest to figure out the alien craft’s maze. I felt like that section went on way too long. I’m also still confused in this book as well as the show on the fact that the Shenzhou seems much more technologically advanced then the newer Enterprise. There was a brief description in the book trying to justify why the Enterprise doesn’t have a ready room, but it rang false to me.
Overall, despite my few problems with it. Star Trek: Desperate Hours is a great way to learn more about the characters of the show before the events of the first season of ST: Discovery. Desperate Hours, is a fun Star Trek story filled with compelling characters, mysteries, and high stakes. Star Trek fans will definitely enjoy this prequel story that shines new light on the newer characters of Discovery and classic Star Trek.
In Star Trek Discovery: Desperate Hours the USS Shenzhou with newly minted first officer Michael Burnum is sent to a colony world after a mysterious alien craft attacks. The craft was disturbed during routine drilling operation and may have been under the sea for millions of years. Arriving at the planet, the Shenzhou is faced with the hard choice of being able to destroy the alien craft, but also destroying the colony. They are further pushed into that hard place when the USS Enterprise shows up helmed by Captain Christopher Pike to make sure the Shenzhou destroys the alien craft at all costs. Will the Shenzhou and her crew be able to figure out how to disable the craft while also saving the inhabitants of the planet ?
The story was interesting in Star Trek Discovery: Desperate Hours, but what I really liked was the character development. In particular I liked Michael Burnum and Saru’s relationship and how it developed as well as both of their relationships to Captain Philippa Georgiou. It helped to make the first episodes of ST: Discovery even more relatable. I also loved how the Enterprise with Captain Christopher Pike and Science Officer Spock enter the story and became main characters. What a nice call back to original series fans! Learning more about Spock and Burnum’s family relationship was interesting.
I’ll admit that I did think the story was a bit slow in the middle when Burnum and Spock were on an endless quest to figure out the alien craft’s maze. I felt like that section went on way too long. I’m also still confused in this book as well as the show on the fact that the Shenzhou seems much more technologically advanced then the newer Enterprise. There was a brief description in the book trying to justify why the Enterprise doesn’t have a ready room, but it rang false to me.
Overall, despite my few problems with it. Star Trek: Desperate Hours is a great way to learn more about the characters of the show before the events of the first season of ST: Discovery. Desperate Hours, is a fun Star Trek story filled with compelling characters, mysteries, and high stakes. Star Trek fans will definitely enjoy this prequel story that shines new light on the newer characters of Discovery and classic Star Trek.
April 13, 2018
Mit diesem Roman startet innerhalb des Star Trek-Roman-Kosmos die neue Star Trek Serie Discovery. Ich habe ja an anderer Stelle erwähnt, dass ich nicht glaube, dass die (TV-Streaming-Serie Star Trek: Discovery) innerhalb des Star Trek Kanons spielt, für mich gab es zu viele Verstöße gegen den Kanon. Aber die Romanserie, dessen Beginn David Mack hier vorlegte, bewegt sich eindeutig innerhalb des Kanons, die Handlung spielt im Jahre 2255, einige Jahre vor dem Beginn der TV-Serie, als Captain Georgiu die SHENZHOU befehligte und Michael Burnham zum 1. Offizier befördert wurde. Zu dieser Zeit befehltige Captain Pike noch als junger Captain die ENTERPRISE und Spock war neu auf der ENTERPRISE. David Mack erzählt in gewohnt routinierter Manier die Geschichte, als die SHENZHOU auf einen Kolonieplaneten gerufen wird, der von einem riesigen Koloss angegriffen wird. Es stellt sich heraus, dass die Kolonie sich gegen fundamentale Werte der Förderation verstoßen hat, so dass sich ein 2-Fronten Krieg-Szenario entwickelt, zumal noch die ENTERPRISE dazustößt, die radikale Befehle eines Sternenflotten-Admirals auszuführen hat, nämlich die Zerstörung einer ganzen Welt mit tausenden Bewohner als Kollateralschaden...
Deshalb liefern sich die Captains Georgiu und Pike verbale und non-verbale Schlachten, während Spock und Michael Burnham sich an Bord des Kolosses aufhalten um die Hintergründe zu ergründen...
Ein schöner Roman voller Reminizenzen auf bekannte Figuren, Spock und Michael Burnham sind Kinder/Stiefkinder von Botschafter Sarek, beide konnten den Anforderungen nicht genügen, Spock stellt fest, dass er in seiner Kindheit unlogisch gegen seine (Stief)-Schwester gehandelt hat, beide kommen sich während der lebensbedrohenden Situation an Bord des Kolosses näher...
Ein guter Auftakt der neuesten Star Trek Serie...
Deshalb liefern sich die Captains Georgiu und Pike verbale und non-verbale Schlachten, während Spock und Michael Burnham sich an Bord des Kolosses aufhalten um die Hintergründe zu ergründen...
Ein schöner Roman voller Reminizenzen auf bekannte Figuren, Spock und Michael Burnham sind Kinder/Stiefkinder von Botschafter Sarek, beide konnten den Anforderungen nicht genügen, Spock stellt fest, dass er in seiner Kindheit unlogisch gegen seine (Stief)-Schwester gehandelt hat, beide kommen sich während der lebensbedrohenden Situation an Bord des Kolosses näher...
Ein guter Auftakt der neuesten Star Trek Serie...
May 26, 2019
“Now you have gravitas.”
I certainly enjoyed this Discovery or pre Discovery novel very much. Learning more about the crew members who barely get screen time was great and of Captain Georgiou before her departure from the show, as it were.
The story of a slumbering death machine which might be unstoppable being awoken is compelling. Add in some other everyone on the planet might die and hostage negotiations and you have yourself a true Mack book.
It make Burnham more likeable which is a good thing. I enjoyed the back and forth between her and Saru. It builds great history which we get to see grow on the show.
I’ll read the next one.
I certainly enjoyed this Discovery or pre Discovery novel very much. Learning more about the crew members who barely get screen time was great and of Captain Georgiou before her departure from the show, as it were.
The story of a slumbering death machine which might be unstoppable being awoken is compelling. Add in some other everyone on the planet might die and hostage negotiations and you have yourself a true Mack book.
It make Burnham more likeable which is a good thing. I enjoyed the back and forth between her and Saru. It builds great history which we get to see grow on the show.
I’ll read the next one.
November 2, 2017
5 Stars. There is no other option. Any fan of Discovery must read this book. The tie-ins are absolutely incredible and the story itself is riveting. There is not a dull moment as multiple fan favourites come together to try and resolve an issue that seems unsolvable. After this novel Captain Georgiou makes her claim in my opinion to truly stand among the great Captains we know and love, such as Kirk and Sisko. I am excited to read the next Disocvery novel to hit the shelves as this one has set a high bar for the novels to come.
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