Agents of Influence

Star Trek: The Original Series

by Dayton Ward, Robert Petkoff (Narrator)

An epic new Star Trek saga by New York Times bestselling author Dayton Ward set during the original Five-Year Mission!

For years, Starfleet Intelligence agents have carried out undercover assignments deep within the Klingon Empire. Surgically altered and rigorously trained in Klingon culture, they operate in plain sight and without any direct support, while collecting information and infiltrating the highest levels of imperial power. Their actions have given Starfleet valuable insight into the inner workings of Klingon government and its relentless military apparatus.

After three of Starfleet’s longest serving agents fear exposure, they initiate emergency extraction procedures. Their planned rendezvous with the USS Endeavour goes awry, threatening to reveal their activities and the damaging intelligence they’ve collected during their mission. Tasked by Starfleet to salvage the botched rescue attempt, Captain James T. Kirk and the crew of the USS Enterprise must discover the truth behind a secret weapons experiment while avoiding an interstellar incident with the potential to ignite a new war between the Federation and one of its oldest adversaries.

Genres: Star Trek, Science Fiction, Fiction, Audiobook, Adventure, Espionage, Science Fiction Fantasy

Audible Audio

First published June 9, 2020

About the author

Dayton is a software developer, having become a slave to Corporate America after spending eleven years in the U.S. Marine Corps. When asked, he’ll tell you that he left home and joined the military soon after high school because he’d grown tired of people telling him what to do all the time.

Ask him sometime how well that worked out.

In addition to the numerous credits he shares with friend and co-writer Kevin Dilmore, he is the author of the Star Trek novels In the Name of Honor and Open Secrets, the science fiction novels The Last World War and The Genesis Protocol, and short stories which have appeared in the first three Star Trek: Strange New Worlds anthologies, the Yard Dog Press anthology Houston, We’ve Got Bubbas, Kansas City Voices Magazine and the Star Trek: New Frontier anthology No Limits. Though he currently lives in Kansas City with wife Michi and daughters Addison and Erin, Dayton is a Florida native and still maintains a torrid long-distance romance with his beloved Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Reviews

[Jamie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This wasn't really the cloak-and-dagger type story I was expecting. Rather, it's a gripping space thriller that delves into the cold-war like tensions between Starfleet and the Klingons, driven by mutual espionage and a covert race to develop advanced weaponry. The story unfolds in a desolate asteroid field - an eerie no-man's land marked by strange and deadly phenomena, which adds a strong sense of claustrophobia and suspense throughout the narrative. One standout scene in particular is a battle on the surface of one of the asteroids, with Starfleet defending a stranded ship against an onslaught of Orion pirates.

[Bill Riggs · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full of intrigue and sci-fi action this book perfectly captures the feeling of the original tv series and the Cold War relationship between the Federation and the Klingon Empire.
Captain James T. Kirk finds himself and the Starship Enterprise embroiled in undercover agents, Orion pirates, Klingon warships and a mysterious asteroid field. The mission was to pick up Starfleet agents, disguised as Klingons, recently extracted from the Empire’s home world, at the rendezvous point the instead find the the USS Endeavor has apparently been destroyed. With pirates operating in the area and the Klingon military in pursuit, time is of the essence in the search for survivors.

[Daniel Kukwa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Utterly fantastic! It's been a long time since I've read a "Star Trek" story that was in touch with its Cold War roots...and I'm pleased to say this one not only embraces those roots, but ends up flowering into a tight, exciting, claustrophobic thriller that manages to juggle multiple characters without turning any one of them into ciphers. By far the best old-school Cold War-style Trek story since the TNG episode "The Defector".

[Unseen Library · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the leading figures in the Star Trek expanded universe, Dayton Ward, returns with another exciting and compelling novel about the Enterprise, Star Trek: Agents of Influence.

For years, the United Federation of Planets and the Klingon Empire have been engaged in a dangerous cold war, with each side trying to gain an advantage over the other through any means necessary. Starfleet Intelligence has launched an ambitious secret plan to infiltrate the Klingons with surgically altered spies. Thanks to radical surgery, advanced technology and intensive cultural and linguistic training, these undercover agents have managed to infiltrate the highest echelons of the Klingon government, obtaining some of the most sensitive intelligence about Klingon technology, military plans and political ploys.

However, Starfleet’s three most highly placed agents have somehow been discovered. With their cover blown, the agents manage a daring escape from the Klingon home world and engage their emergency extraction procedure. The agents successfully make their rendezvous with the USS Endeavour at the edge of Klingon space before everything goes terribly wrong. A Klingon warship suddenly engages them in combat while mysterious energy fluctuations ensure that both ships are destroyed.

With hostilities between the Federation and the Klingons building, Starfleet dispatches Captain James T. Kirk and the crew of the USS Enterprise to the crash site in the hope of salvaging the situation. Forced to comb through some of the most dangerous territory in the entire galaxy, Kirk hopes to find the remnants of the Endeavour and any survivors of their crash. However, mysterious events are occurring within the border zone and the Enterprise soon encounters unnatural conditions, pirates, Klingon warships and a top-secret weapons experiment. Kirk and his crew must navigate through all these dangers carefully if they are to avoid another destructive war. However, it soon becomes clear that Starfleet are not the only ones with highly placed spies and Kirk must find a way to uncover an enemy agent if his crew are to survive.

To see the full review, click the link below:
https://unseenlibrary.com/2020/10/15/...

For other exciting reviews and content, check out my blog at:
https://unseenlibrary.com/

[Geonn Cannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

I seem to be in the minority (though not alone) when I say I think this book is just... boring. Yeah, there are some action sequences, but for the most part it's just a few ships hanging around the same area of space while the people aboard try to guess what the people on the other ships are doing. There are also a lot of references to past Trek novels, which would maybe be enjoyable for people who have read the entire book series and know it by heart. But if you just picked this up because you thought it was a standalone (because nothing said it wasn't one) you might be irritated by all the coy little callbacks. Three stars, being generous.

[Vladimir Ghinculov · Rating 2 out of 5]

Pretty boring and predictable.

[Christopher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Agents of Influence sees a trio of undercover operatives extracting themselves from Qo'noS and making for Federation space and sees the Starship Endeavour getting itself into a predicament involving the Klingons when it pick them up! :D Agents of Influence's pace from the start is frenetic with you never knowing to what extremes the Powers of the various sides are willing to go to accomplish their mission this puts the characters themselves right through it with you never knowing what is going to happen to them! This adds a great a tone of tension that runs through the story that will keep you on edge as the story unveils on different fronts and works like an onion with a palimpsest of of events taking place in different regions and ships etc all the time that will keep you on your toes all the time!

At the same time the attention to details is all there! The internals of the various ships are all covered in great detail as the crews battle to outsmart their opponents and keep the ships running! The innovative attempts to keep things running are brilliant and Chief Petty Officer Christine Rideout is hilarious right out the door which ties in perfectly with the humour running throughout the book. Dayton Ward puts his characters through the wringer! All the characters are here from Kirk, Spock and the gang and thrown in on top of all this are are a range of returning and new characters as well from the crew of the Endeavour under Captain Khatami and the undercover team led by Commander Morgan Binnix which are also setting up new adventures and the book clearly leaves thing ready for further books! Kirk's and Khatami POV gives us an insight into how starship command and McCoy and Spock's humour is also on display which add a great tone of humour to the proceedings which adds to the other tones of Agents of Influence brilliantly! Spock's command of the Enterprise is ably handled as well and his dealing of the Klingon situation is brilliantly handled even with everything else going on! The addition of Admiral Nogura and the undercover agents also add to the intricacies and politics of everything going on and develops the characters even more fleshing them out and setting them up for further adventures! With everything else going on as well we also get to see events that are taking place on the Klingon homeworld and the Klingon High Council with the characters are displaying a three-dimensional nature that really brings the Klingon actions to the front as well! The looks at Chancellor Kesh and Novek at the Klingons home estate neatly mirrors the homes and estates you see of Federation Council members and estates as well really emphasising their commonalities but also how different they are at coming up for solutions - the Klingons will always be direct but the Federation is more considered in its approaches and this adds to the tones underpinning the events taking place in the book and shows us the driving for behind the decisions that the characters are all making in Agents of Influence!
At the same time this answers previous plot points and at the same time set up new ones for future books. For example Chancellor Kesh and his friend Novek and the rest of the High Council mirror Nogura and Starfleet commands actions and this works brilliantly ramping ups the to and froing between the powers! At the core the Agents of Influence shows us a scenario where different ideologies seem to clash but can work together and be reconciled and work together for the betterment of working together and breaking down the tensions between them! Agents of Influence does this all while maintaining a frenetic pace that never lets up from the beginning in a story that is a brilliant rollercoaster ride full of plot twists that you won't see coming at all!

The Orion Syndicate as well provide random elements under Captain D'Zinn and Melac and the characters are clearly set up for future use and are three dimensional and developed from the start! The addition of the espionage on both sides works brilliantly and the danger they pose is brilliantly handled and will also keep you guessing throughout! Agents of Influence keeps you on your toes and you will be trying to guess who is who from the beginning! Agents of Influence is full dynamic world building and set pieces from starship combat, scientific endeavour, to ground combat on a asteroid! Agents of Influence really packs it in and you will be up late with this one! Crisp High Five and Highly Recommended!n Get it When You Can!

[Kieran McAndrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Their cover blown, three Federation Intelligence Agents flee the Klingon Empire with vital information carefully gathered over three years at the highest levels of the Klingon government.

When their rendezvous with the U.S.S. 'Endeavour' ends in disaster, Admiral Nogura orders Kirk and the 'Enterprise' crew on a dangerous rescue mission on the edge of the Neutral Zone.

Ward's novel helps make the Federation feel larger and politically more real, especially with the repercussions of the abortive rescue by the 'Endeavour' crew. The characters are well drawn and the plot is straightforwardly, but compulsively presented.

[C.T. Phipps · Rating 4 out of 5]

AGENTS OF INFLUENCE by Dayton Ward is a nice espionage-themed Star Trek: The Original Series work that reminds me a bit of the grounded dark storytelling of the Vanguard series (I can't imagine why). The Federation has inserted some surgically altered humans into the Klingon Empire and used them to gather valuable intelligence. However, it requires them to be picked up in a very contested region of space.

I enjoyed this book but I also note that it doesn't have quite the same deep level of storytelling I think it could have with. We don't get to know the Klingon spies or how they responded to living among the savage TOS Klingon culture very well. I think that was a missed opportunity. Despite that, I had a lot of fun and it included Orions as a major threat. I'm always there for Orions.

[Christopher Leto · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun read.

Great read for old school Star Trek fans. While 2020 we are in hell, this is a good way to distract you.

[A.J. Blanc · Rating 4 out of 5]

Agents of Influence (AOI) was a bit of a mixed bag for me. I liked the story, the characters felt well served, and Dayton Ward does ST better than most. However it was never able to draw me in and keep my interest for longer than a couple chapters in one sitting. I could put the book down for days and not be in any hurry to get back to it.

The plot can be learned from the write-up, but basically the starship Endeavour ran into some trouble retrieving a few deep-cover spies and the Enterprise is called in to save the day. There's a fair amount of espionage/intrigue, as well as cat-and-mouse in an asteroid field to keep up the tension, it just didn't work on me this time around. Judging by the average reviews it seems to have gotten through to others, which is great, and I hope there are still more books to come out in the original era of Trek... rather than the Kelvin/Picard timelines.

Other than that, one additional thing struck me as odd, due to never hearing it before, is Klingon Imperial Intelligence (KII). Since the KII doesn't appear in any episode or movie I actually looked up all the references, and aside from AOI there's only three more mentions: two other books and an RPG. It felt off because it's inconsistent to how we know their culture works; you're either a soldier or 'other'. Sure, the Klingons used a spy in TOS on "The Trouble With Tribbles" but that was obviously a failure. The source for intelligence in the Empire that makes sense is paying/threatening/trading with other species; such as Orions or Rigelians. I also think there is an inconsistency with how many crew members died, since I doubt Orions have stun settings on their weapons.

I rounded up my rating to what I'd call a very generous 4 stars, though I'm not sure I'd recommend this book to first time ST readers. Pick an era and search out a story that interests you; preferably one that provides some background and/or character development. AOI isn't that. It's good but not great. However, there is a decent amount of continuity with the TV show, so perhaps one simply needs to be familiar with that to enjoy.

[Jeremy Campbell · Rating 2 out of 5]

Take this with a grain of salt....I’m not a big TOS fan so maybe this is biased but I wasn’t a fan of the novel. It felt like it went nowhere and there were repeating parts that were just told from different points of view but it never took the story anywhere or made a difference. I like this author but felt this book was real lackluster and had hope for more

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just finished reading “Agents of Influence”, a Star Trek novel by Dayton Ward that just came out earlier this year (2020).

For those only vaguely familiar with Star Trek (the original 1960s television series), Captain Kirk, first officer/science officer Spock, Doctor McCoy, and the other Starfleet officers aboard the USS Enterprise were serving out a “five year mission to explore strange new worlds, seek out new life and new civilizations, to boldly go where no man has gone before”. The tv series was cancelled after only three seasons (although they did come back a few years later to do a couple additional seasons of stories in “Star Trek: The Animated Series” which can be considered to represent some of “years four and five” of the mission.

There have also been loads of Star Trek tie-in novels (as well as comic books) set explicitly during that original five year mission time frame. “Agents of Influence” is another of those. However, of some small interest, “Agents of Influence” has been counted by at least one longtime fan to be the one hundredth original Star Trek tie-in novel published to take place during the five year mission time frame of the original tv series. (I will take his word for that. And there have been lots of novels released over the past few decades starring Kirk, Spock, and company that take place after the original five year mission, all the way up to and beyond the movies, as well as some that take place prior to the five year mission.)

All of that said, what did I think of “Agents of Influence”? It was all right. A bit slow at times. Dayton Ward begins the story on three undercover Federation agents that have been living in secret as spies on the Klingon home world surgically as altered to appear as Klingons. They are extricated and picked up by the USS Endeavor (a ship and crew featured in another couple sub-series of Star Trek tie-in novels, the Star Trek: Vanguard and Star Trek: Seekers series, both of which Ward contributed to). The Endeavour becomes heavily damaged in an encounter in an asteroid field with the Klingons and the Enterprise is routed to assist them.

Over the course of the novel, the focus constantly shifts not only between the Enterprise and Endeavour captains and other notable crew members like Spock (left in command of the Enterprise while Kirk is away from the ship) but also 1) the reactions back on the Klingon home world to the discovery of the escaped spies and what vital secrets they may have taken with them, 2) another group of Klingons operating in secret within the asteroid field developing an new energy draining weapon to be used against enemy vessels, and 3) a group of Orions “space pirates” that are in league with the Klingons in the asteroid field.

The jumping around keeps the story from building up as a lot of the non Enterprise and non Endeavour scenes seem expository and not as interesting (and they also were a bit repetitive at times, reflecting someone else’s reactions to events that had just transpired in the previous scene). I felt at times like this should have been a book entirely focused on Captain Katami and the Endeavour working to hold off the Klingons until assistance from the Enterprise can reach them rather than having it jump so much from one set of characters to another.

I liked the inclusion of Admiral Nogura, a character mentioned briefly in Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979) as the one who gave command of the then completely refit Enterprise back to Kirk to confront the threat of V’ger and used in many of the Star Trek tie-in novels. As in the Vanguard and Seekers novels, here again Nogura is head over covert and highly sensitive Starfleet Intelligence actions. In this case, he accompanies the Enterprise in its mission to find and assist the Endeavour and to recover the three Federation spies (although once the bulk of the novel’s setting shifts to the crippled Endeavour, Nogura’s role and “screen time” is greatly diminished from that point forward as he remains with Spock aboard the Enterprise).

One thing that bugged me a bit as someone who has not yet read the Star Trek: Vanguard or Star Trek: Seekers novels is the “spoiler” (mentioned not once but at least three times, I think) of the fate of an important member of the USS Endeavour’s crew in those previous novels who did in one of them, leading to one of the other characters serving in their present position in “Agents of Influence”. From a standpoint of character background information, it makes sense that this character might reflect back on how he or she got to this point. However, again, as someone who plans to eventually read the Vanguard and Seekers novels I can’t help but think to myself that when I eventually do that I will then remember, “Oh, here’s that character who is going to die at some point”.

That’s only a minor quibble, though. Again, I found the pacing of this one to be a more uneven and that a lot of time went to peripheral characters that turned out not to be very important, story time that could have been focused on further developing the lead characters aboard the Endeavour (or on Kirk and the Enterprise regulars, although much of the time they seem only there to reflect upon the events transpiring around them, Kirk and his team assisting the Endeavour and Spock, McCoy, and Nogura back aboard the Enterprise).

I enjoyed “Agents of Influence” well enough, though not as much as I have some of Ward’s others (“From History’s Shadow”, “Drastic Measures”). I found it to be a pretty average quality Star Trek novel.

[Josh Reinhard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Surprisingly good. I am usually pretty skeptical when it comes to Star Trek books. Very few I have found actually capture the same spirit of the shows and movies while still remaining somewhat canonical. This book does just that. It still retains some of the goofy, yet pioneering outlook of TOS, while simultaneously bringing in some of the updated, more grounded storytelling of much of the "NuTrek." It often reminded me of Strange New Worlds take on the 23rd century and this story was very easy to see taking place in that setting. It also is able to tell a dramatic story with far reaching implications, without outright contradicting established canon. Perhaps its only downside is that the (slight) majority of the story focus was on the crew of the Endeavor, rather than the Enterprise. On the flip side, it was also a little bit of a breath of fresh air. The book didn't have to waste time explaining characters we are already familiar with. Instead we were able to meet new characters and look forward to seeing what could potentially happen to them in the future. Overall, I found this a great read.

[Chris Haynes · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have to say this book was just OK to me.

The author obviously knows a lot about the Star Trek universe but there are a lot of clumsily inserted exposition dumps that just pulled me out of the story.

There are sections of the story that are repetitive. Several different characters mused about how Starfleet officers don't kill if it's not completely necessary; one time is plenty. The phrase "Drop kick through an air lock" was used more than once; it was cool the first time but after that it gets boring.

Some very smart characters are really dumb when it's convenient to the story. A major character is killed and is not mentioned again except in passing.

I will say that the action scenes were well written and exciting. And the cover of the book is gorgeous; I would love to get a print of that without the text.

Personally, the book reads like it was padded to fit a certain length. I think the book would be a lot better if they could cut 50-100 pages and make the book tighter and faster.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Who doesn't love a good espionage story... in space? I'm not a huge fan of spy novels even after forcing myself to read my Dad's John le Carre collection but everything is just better in space.
This novel begins with three undercover Starfleet officers trying to escape from the Klingon home world with all the information they have managed to gather. Things take a turn for the worst when they rendezvous with a Federation Starship goes disastrously wrong. It's not long before Kirk and the Enterprise are called to the rescue.
This is a really great story and made me want an entire series about undercover Starfleet operatives (knowing Star Trek there is probably already one out there somewhere). The story moves along at a great pace and we get a few really good action scenes. For me the highlight was all the planning and scheming that was going on with all the different parties.
A really fun story.

[Lance Schonberg · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun read, it was a very Kirk-centric adventure. Which is fine, but my personal preference is to have the ensemble cast at work. In this case, even Spock and McCoy were only involved in minor capacities.

That's as much as I'll spoil this one.

That said, we got appearances and POV periods from non-screen TOS characters fleshing out the universe a little bit, which was nice. The Agents from the title, certain members of the crew of another Constitution-class ship, several fairly well-realized Klingons to help chip away at the honour-twisted warrior monoculture we spent so much time with. There's a nice undercurrent of the Cold War, prevalent in TOS originally, and that helps drive the plot forward. Things come together nicely at the climax and while I would have liked a bit more denouement, that's not a very common thing these days.

[Ron · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this one.
I usually enjoy Dayton's books, and my favorites are the ones set in the 23rd century, especially connected to the Vanguard series (even tangentially). clandestine espionage/military themes Trek books are also some of my favorites (yes, here's VAN again :) , and the combination of TOS and espionage usually provides a great reading experience.

So it's no wonder I was excited for this novel since its announcement, and it certainly lived up to the hype, and then some!

I loved seeing the USS Endeavour after the too-short Seekers series and actually this seems like book #5 in that series, co-starring the Enterprise crew for a 'series finale' (not much different than their appearance in the end of the VAN series..).

[Andrew Beet · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really did enjoy this book it was good to see that it's the federation who infiltrate Klingon society with the help of the three Starfleet intelligence agents featured in this story love the scenes when the endeavour (the starship sent to get them out) encounters their own problems in rescuing them I like that the author devoted equal time to both the a story and the b story the scene when Kirk and co are trying to find the endeavour in the asteroid field was good as was the scene where they have a bit of a fight on the asteroid with the Klingon crew and the endeavour crew and Kirk involved as well I also liked the idea of the endeavour having a spy who is a Klingon report back to the Klingons on the activities of the endeavour crew overall a very well written star trek novel

[Elliot Weeks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Trek novel! I loved the broad approach author Dayton Ward took, showing us the perspectives of Klingons, spies, Orions, the crew of the Endeavor, and, of course, the TOS crew. At first I was a little put off due to the absence of Kirk & co. in the first third of the book, but Ward was able to give them their due and tell a better story by including these perspectives.

The ending was intense and very well paced. I almost audibly cheered as I was reading the portion where the Enterprise swoops in and stops the Klingons. Very well written sequences by Ward made it quite easy to “see” the climax scenes in my head.

Wonderfully done and EASILY my favorite novel by Dayton Ward to date!

[Patrick Hayes · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great read. I was hoping for some Classic Trek espionage and that's exactly what I got.

Three surgically altered human Starfleet officers have been on Q'onoS for several years and they need to get out--NOW! They get off world and the chase begins! The Enterprise is tasked for looking for the U.S.S. Endeavour, which has the agents, but has disappeared. Also in hot pursuit are the Klingons and Orions--who have been secretly testing something for a division of the Klingon Empire.

Great action, excellent tension, and all the characters acting just as they did on TV and on the big screen. I enjoyed every moment on every page. This is a must-read for Trek fans.

[Aron · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.0 Stars. A good solid TOS story. Sometimes Dayton Ward's writing can get on my nerves, especially when he has the characters talking to themselves in the first person,...it can come off pretty rough & unpolished. However, he mostly refrains from that here and what we get is a very good story about Kirk and the gang. I was impressed with the plot and really enjoyed this book. Basically the Enterprise is sent to assist the Endeavor in salvaging the extraction of three undercover Starfleet Intelligence agents that had infiltrated the Klingon homeworld. Highly recommend!

[Erik M · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75/5 - Dayton Ward has down the formula for a good Star Trek, for good and bad (but there's pretty much no bad here, just a bit more technobabble than is fun for an audiobook ). Robert Petkoff is a great narrator, with a solid series of impressions of many Trek characters in his back pocket. Not over the top, sometimes quite subtle.

The story here is all spy craft - deep cover Starfleet agents, a hidden Klingon science station, pirates, and a briefly undercover Kirk. It would make a great TV miniseries with the new SNW cast.

[Lizzie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Escaping today's world on the Enterprise with Kirk in the original series was a wonderful vacation from "the new normal". Klingons, spies, a starship with a woman captain crashed on an asteroid with Kirk and Spock each working separately to complete the mission given them by the head of intelligence. Well-written, a good story, lots of action and good characters. Lots of "extras" in this story.

Generally, Dayton Ward always tells a good yarn.

[PrincexofxFlowers · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would pay actual money to read/watch an entire spin off series about the crew of the Endeavor. Agents of Influence introduces such a delightful cast of new characters and uses them in excellent concert with the Star Trek characters I already knew and loved.

There was never a dull moment and the writing was engaging and sharp. A very enjoyable read.
(The Fight Club reference nearly ended me.)

[TJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid TOS entry

There's plenty to like in this book as it contains a plot filled with intrigue, a diabolical new weapon, Klingons, Orions, and all of the familiar Enterprise characters (albeit some in reduced roles).
Kirk, Sulu, and Uhura join forces with the crew of the Endevour to keep the Klingons from unleashing a new weapon which could shift the balance of power in the galaxy to them.

[Jimyanni · Rating 5 out of 5]

So long as we're willing to suspend disbelief to the point of accepting that a crewmember on a Federation Starship could avoid having a medical exam for an extended period, or that a surgically-altered human could do the same while working their way into a position of trust and influence in Klingon government, the story is excellent. Not sure I can actually suspend disbelief that far, but that doesn't keep the tale from being engaging and compelling.

[Melvin Patterson · Rating 5 out of 5]

There aren't a lot of Star Trek novels that use espionage as the plot centerpiece, but this one is in fine form. Tasked to transfer three undercover agents who have been extracted from Klingon space and are aboard the USS Endeavor, when the Endeavor is downed in an attack, the Enterprise crew must rescue the Endeavor and its crew along with the agents and their valuable information. Unbeknownst to all, there is a Klingon spy in their midst.

[Scott Williams · Rating 3 out of 5]

For me, it’s always seemed odd that the Klingons would engage in so much espionage. It doesn’t feel like a very honourable practice, but it speaks to the Klingons as a stand-in for Soviet Russia during the Cold War.

This is a light, entertaining read. There’s lots of action but nothing too memorable for me.

[Mike Briggs · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book about an asteroid field on the edge of Klingon space where a Klingon science experiment is being conducted, three under cover Federation spies, posing as Klingons are on the run from Klingon space, and Federation star ship has gone missing. The characters from the original series, and from the original time line, are involved in this particlar Star Trek book.

Interesting story.