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Star Trek: Picard #2
The Dark Veil
A thrilling untold adventure based on the acclaimed Star Trek: Picard TV series!
The Alpha Quadrant is mired in crisis.
Within the United Federation of Planets, a terrorist strike on the shipyards of Mars has led to the shutdown of all relief efforts for millions of Romulans facing certain doom from an impending supernova. But when the USS Titan is drawn into a catastrophic incident on the Romulan-Federation border, Captain William Riker, his family, and his crew find themselves caught between the shocking secrets of an enigmatic alien species and the deadly agenda of a ruthless Tal Shiar operative. Forced into a wary alliance with a Romulan starship commander, Riker and the Titan crew must uncover the truth to stop a devastating attack&;but one wrong move could plunge the entire sector into open conflict!
The Alpha Quadrant is mired in crisis.
Within the United Federation of Planets, a terrorist strike on the shipyards of Mars has led to the shutdown of all relief efforts for millions of Romulans facing certain doom from an impending supernova. But when the USS Titan is drawn into a catastrophic incident on the Romulan-Federation border, Captain William Riker, his family, and his crew find themselves caught between the shocking secrets of an enigmatic alien species and the deadly agenda of a ruthless Tal Shiar operative. Forced into a wary alliance with a Romulan starship commander, Riker and the Titan crew must uncover the truth to stop a devastating attack&;but one wrong move could plunge the entire sector into open conflict!
336 pages, Hardcover
First published January 5, 2021
264 people are currently reading
831 people want to read
About the author
James Swallow
302 books1,068 followersJames Swallow is a New York Times, Sunday Times and Amazon #1 bestselling author and scriptwriter, a BAFTA nominee, a former journalist and the award-winning writer of over sixty-five books, along with scripts for video games, comics, radio and television.
DARK HORIZON, his latest stand-alone thriller, is out now from Mountain Leopard Press, and OUTLAW, the 6th action-packed Marc Dane novel, is published by Bonnier.
Along with the Marc Dane thrillers, his writing includes, the Sundowners steampunk Westerns and fiction from the worlds of Star Trek, Tom Clancy, 24, Warhammer 40000, Doctor Who, Deus Ex, Stargate, 2000AD and many more.
For information on new releases & more, sign up to the Readers’ Club here: www.bit.ly/JamesSwallow
Visit James's website at http://www.jswallow.com/ for more, including ROUGH AIR, a free eBook novella in the Marc Dane series.
You can also follow James on Bluesky at @jmswallow.bsky.social, Twitter at @jmswallow, Mastodon at @jmswallow@mstdn.social and jmswallow.tumblr.com at Tumblr.
DARK HORIZON, his latest stand-alone thriller, is out now from Mountain Leopard Press, and OUTLAW, the 6th action-packed Marc Dane novel, is published by Bonnier.
Along with the Marc Dane thrillers, his writing includes, the Sundowners steampunk Westerns and fiction from the worlds of Star Trek, Tom Clancy, 24, Warhammer 40000, Doctor Who, Deus Ex, Stargate, 2000AD and many more.
For information on new releases & more, sign up to the Readers’ Club here: www.bit.ly/JamesSwallow
Visit James's website at http://www.jswallow.com/ for more, including ROUGH AIR, a free eBook novella in the Marc Dane series.
You can also follow James on Bluesky at @jmswallow.bsky.social, Twitter at @jmswallow, Mastodon at @jmswallow@mstdn.social and jmswallow.tumblr.com at Tumblr.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 179 reviews
May 23, 2021
There is a quiet moment in Chapter 13 that underscores the deft skill of James Swallow in writing this book:
“Imzadi.” Deanna’s husband emerged and they drew each other into a silent embrace. “Here we are again.”
As far as I am aware, we first heard the Betazed term for ‘Beloved’ in ST:TNG S01 E11 ‘Haven’. Now that I am thinking about it, I wonder if this was a way for the writers to get around Gene Roddenberry’s ironclad dictum of no romance or conflict in the glorious Starfleet.
Anyway, this is but one grace note of many that James Swallow weaves into his magnificent novel, which treads what seems like an impossible line between Star Trek Nemesis, the last movie to feature the original TNG crew, and the seventh episode of S01 of ST: Picard, aptly entitled ‘Nepenthe’ (a reference to an ancient Greek drug of forgetfulness).
While Swallow ensures his novel is sufficiently self-contained to stand on its own, having watched ST: Picard (as well as reading the Una McCormack novel preceding this one), will add a lot of nuance to the reader’s experience. And delight, especially at how expertly Swallow brings together disparate bits and pieces from ST lore and history to make an entirely cohesive and believable story.
I think that both readers (and writers) are sometimes derisive of these tie-in novels, and do not understand the amount of love and craft that, by their very nature, have to go into them in order to make them work.
In this regard, I think ‘Star Wars’ is probably to blame, where even a relatively recent series like Chuck Wendig’s ‘Aftermath’ trilogy (2015) was so slight on plot and big on bombast to the point of being entirely negligible in the larger canon. Admittedly, Disney is doing a better job of late of recognising the importance of the literary universe and attracting stellar writing talent.
‘Star Trek’ has been doing this exceedingly well for a long time now, it seems. And that is largely down to dedicated writers like Swallow, who also penned the superb ‘Fear Itself’, the third book in the ST: Discovery series (and, yes, there is a wonderful Kelpian moment in ‘The Dark Veil’ as well.)
So as Picard finishes another chapter of his never-ending history and therefore asks Laris and Zhaban to crack open a bottle of the ’84, let’s say ‘Salut!’ to the ideals of the United Federation of Planets, and to Swallow for doing such a fine job in ensuring that they live long and prosper.
“You’ve been changed by what happened in the last year,” said Riker. “Everyone has. The forces acting on us can’t be denied… Both of us are thinking of our past and the futures rolling out ahead.”
“And we are asking difficult questions of ourselves, yes.” Picard considered that. “Where do we go from here?”
“Forward.” Riker said it with such certainty that Picard felt the other man’s conviction, even across the countless light-years between them. “That’s all we can do. Seek out the right path, the course that takes us toward our truth. Our best selves.”
“Imzadi.” Deanna’s husband emerged and they drew each other into a silent embrace. “Here we are again.”
As far as I am aware, we first heard the Betazed term for ‘Beloved’ in ST:TNG S01 E11 ‘Haven’. Now that I am thinking about it, I wonder if this was a way for the writers to get around Gene Roddenberry’s ironclad dictum of no romance or conflict in the glorious Starfleet.
Anyway, this is but one grace note of many that James Swallow weaves into his magnificent novel, which treads what seems like an impossible line between Star Trek Nemesis, the last movie to feature the original TNG crew, and the seventh episode of S01 of ST: Picard, aptly entitled ‘Nepenthe’ (a reference to an ancient Greek drug of forgetfulness).
While Swallow ensures his novel is sufficiently self-contained to stand on its own, having watched ST: Picard (as well as reading the Una McCormack novel preceding this one), will add a lot of nuance to the reader’s experience. And delight, especially at how expertly Swallow brings together disparate bits and pieces from ST lore and history to make an entirely cohesive and believable story.
I think that both readers (and writers) are sometimes derisive of these tie-in novels, and do not understand the amount of love and craft that, by their very nature, have to go into them in order to make them work.
In this regard, I think ‘Star Wars’ is probably to blame, where even a relatively recent series like Chuck Wendig’s ‘Aftermath’ trilogy (2015) was so slight on plot and big on bombast to the point of being entirely negligible in the larger canon. Admittedly, Disney is doing a better job of late of recognising the importance of the literary universe and attracting stellar writing talent.
‘Star Trek’ has been doing this exceedingly well for a long time now, it seems. And that is largely down to dedicated writers like Swallow, who also penned the superb ‘Fear Itself’, the third book in the ST: Discovery series (and, yes, there is a wonderful Kelpian moment in ‘The Dark Veil’ as well.)
So as Picard finishes another chapter of his never-ending history and therefore asks Laris and Zhaban to crack open a bottle of the ’84, let’s say ‘Salut!’ to the ideals of the United Federation of Planets, and to Swallow for doing such a fine job in ensuring that they live long and prosper.
“You’ve been changed by what happened in the last year,” said Riker. “Everyone has. The forces acting on us can’t be denied… Both of us are thinking of our past and the futures rolling out ahead.”
“And we are asking difficult questions of ourselves, yes.” Picard considered that. “Where do we go from here?”
“Forward.” Riker said it with such certainty that Picard felt the other man’s conviction, even across the countless light-years between them. “That’s all we can do. Seek out the right path, the course that takes us toward our truth. Our best selves.”
January 7, 2021
Nepenthe was perhaps my favourite episode of the Picard TV show. Rikers "Red Alert!" melted the ... has it really been decades? And I felt, finally, as though I was really watching Star Trek again when I heard that.
Of course we see Riker and family onscreen in the year 2399 and this novel is set some years earlier. Despite not being up with Titan's crew, I can appreciate the hoops that had to be jumped to fit a novel series into a retconed TV setting. This seemed handled well here: combined with the wonderful reveals at the end of the novel (both about the identity of the advocate and troi's news in the last scenes), and the delightfully accurate Romulan portrayal, this was a pleasure start to finish.
A bit like at the end of Last Best Hope though, we know there's much more sorrow to come. And why has Picard never met Kestra, I wonder? Surely there's a scab to pick off and look beneath there. Incidentally Lulu Wilson was amazing, one of the best child actors on any series in my book.
Whatever your views on Picard as a series, this novel merges Titan from what many trek fans call the "real" universe (having turned to paper after screenings fizzled) with the depiction of the Trek universe as onscreen today. The first may have taken liberties and been a departure from Pocket Books history, but this one has an encapsulated adventure to get behind, recognisable politics with the Tal Shiar, and a great and cohesive crew to explore. Picard himself being off-field makes things a little easier for us to swallow, and Swallow himself has clearly already got credentials in the universe and knows his stuff. An excellent addition.
Of course we see Riker and family onscreen in the year 2399 and this novel is set some years earlier. Despite not being up with Titan's crew, I can appreciate the hoops that had to be jumped to fit a novel series into a retconed TV setting. This seemed handled well here: combined with the wonderful reveals at the end of the novel (both about the identity of the advocate and troi's news in the last scenes), and the delightfully accurate Romulan portrayal, this was a pleasure start to finish.
A bit like at the end of Last Best Hope though, we know there's much more sorrow to come. And why has Picard never met Kestra, I wonder? Surely there's a scab to pick off and look beneath there. Incidentally Lulu Wilson was amazing, one of the best child actors on any series in my book.
Whatever your views on Picard as a series, this novel merges Titan from what many trek fans call the "real" universe (having turned to paper after screenings fizzled) with the depiction of the Trek universe as onscreen today. The first may have taken liberties and been a departure from Pocket Books history, but this one has an encapsulated adventure to get behind, recognisable politics with the Tal Shiar, and a great and cohesive crew to explore. Picard himself being off-field makes things a little easier for us to swallow, and Swallow himself has clearly already got credentials in the universe and knows his stuff. An excellent addition.
January 28, 2021
One of those books you start...and you simply can't put down, and refuse to do anything else, and you have time...so dammit you're going to finish it! A book from the Picard-era universe that had much more of the intimacy and depth I was missing from the first Picard novel...and James Swallow didn't let me down. There is not only much here that he imports from the pre-Picard continuity (including a sly joke about being an Admiral), but much to flesh out the current universe, including a proper introduction to little Thaddeus Riker. A rich, gorgeous, intense literary concoction you too won't be able to put down.
August 1, 2025
4.5 rounded up
Everything a Star Trek book should be. I loved that we meet Thaddeus Troi-Riker
Everything a Star Trek book should be. I loved that we meet Thaddeus Troi-Riker
March 22, 2021
The Dark Veil
(Star Trek: Picard #2)
by James Swallow
Paperback, 335 pages
Gallery books Jan 2021 hardcover
Expected paperback publication: September 2021 by Pocket Books/Star Trek
There are a couple of issues I have to address first. I am one of the Star Trek fans who really like Picard and Sir Patrick’s return to the franchise. It should be noted that TNG is not my favorite of the Berman era so it was not a given. When I review franchise tie-ins I don’t expect high art although I know the authors are giving it all and they are often written by very talented who are being underrated.
One of the best moments of Star Trek Picard had little to do space battles or Romulan conspiracies but it was the touching reunion of Picard with the Riker-Troi clan. There was a real satisfaction seeing these old friends hug and break bread. I thought a lot about it and having a reunion like that not only felt like one for us but it added weight to the universe. Not only the reunion but the idea that Riker and Troi had a family in our absence.
Fans of the Trek novels have been treated to several novels set on Riker’s new command the U.S.S. Titan. It is a cool ship that officially became canon when it showed up on Lower Decks for a brief scene. That being said the novels were cool because the ship was designed to have non-humanoid crew and was an interesting little corner of the Trek universe. The job the author James Swallow was given was basically to tell the back story of the Riker-Troi events that fed Picard while tying them as best he could to tell a story the readers of the novels would recognize.
While it has been a while since I read a Titan novel but several of the characters appeared in the novels which is not a surprise as Swallow has written Titan before. All the Trek moments and feels are there, but I suspect Swallow could do that in his sleep.
The novel itself is a fun Star Trek yarn that is pretty solid science fiction that includes a generation starship, a rescue mission that requires Romulan help, and some Tal Shiar conspiracy. The narrative switches perfectly between various locations and points of view. There are several chapters from the Romulan perspective that really help to give the story a bit more suspense.
This is a fine science fiction tale and maybe I was spoiled by McCormack’s Last Best Hope which I added mountains of depth to Picard as a series, and as a character. That book had a certain depth to it, with so much depth given to the inner-workings of the crisis. There was an element that Last Best Hope took on extra meaning as the most powerful governments in the world were fumbling the handling of the Coronavirus.
I think in this case Swallow’s most important mission was more focused but not exactly easy to fix narratively. He had to deepen one-story element that seemed contrived in the series. Why was Thad’s disease so specialized that the positronic ban would doom him to death in the late 24th century? Why had the Riker-Troi falling given up Starfleet for living in the Hobbiton Pizza kitchen?
Swallow did some smart things in the concept phase for tying the Titan’s mission to the TV show’s android hating Romulans and he gave the generation ship species Jazari a cool secret. This story involved a prime direction debate, a hopeless rescue mission, and lots of examples of Riker showing Starfleet ideals. My favorite aspect is Swallow didn’t forget to put Titan in space and give them the kinda engineering problems really space involves. I worry that sometimes Star Trek writers forget that they are starship in space.
The novel is filled to the brim with fun Star Trek moments, I like seeing Riker trick the Tal Shiar commander in a very Kirk-style move. More than anything the novel sets up one of the best most emotional scenes between Troi and Picard in the series. That is the best thing a prequel can do right? Add depth to the existing show. If you are not a fan of the show but like the characters, this builds some of those mental bridges. If you are a fan the depth will help and the cool adventure will be worth your time.
January 7, 2021
In the aftermath of the Utopia Planetia Android Uprising and the withdrawal of Federation support for the Romulan Crisis, the 'Titan' is ordered to ferry the last members of a mysterious race to a spacecraft which will move them to the other side of the galaxy.
When the Romulan Tal Shiar interfere, Riker's wife and son are placed in jeopardy and a millennia long conspiracy is exposed.
Swallow has written an intricate novel which bridges the gaps between 'Star Trek: Nemesis' and 'Star Trek: Picard' very well. The story is involving and readers will be rewarded for perseverance.
When the Romulan Tal Shiar interfere, Riker's wife and son are placed in jeopardy and a millennia long conspiracy is exposed.
Swallow has written an intricate novel which bridges the gaps between 'Star Trek: Nemesis' and 'Star Trek: Picard' very well. The story is involving and readers will be rewarded for perseverance.
September 26, 2025
I haven't read any of the Titan novels yet, but this is basically one of those. It just takes place in the Picard prequel time, right after Picard's resignation. It's a story about Romulans and the Zhat Vash. And a pretty good one, too. It has everything you'd want from a Star Trek story: people, emotional connection, morality, and space battles. It's much better than the rather lifeless first Picard novel "The Last Best Hope."
August 22, 2021
https://booknest.eu/reviews/charles/2...
I am a big defender of the STAR TREK: DISCOVERY, PICARD, and LOWER DECKS series. However, if I had to choose between them then I'd probably say that Picard is my favorite of the three. It has the most interesting premise and ideas to develop. Indeed, my biggest issue is that I felt the first season was far too compact and that it needed another few episodes to detail all the various concepts it was dealing with.
I was a big fan of THE LAST BEST HOPE and felt it really could have been the basis for those extra episodes. Una McCormack took the time to expand and explain the political situation and build-up in a way that helped the story breathe. I was wondering if something similar could be done with THE DARK VEIL as James Swallow (who I mostly know from his Star Trek: Titan novels) follows the U.S.S Titan into the events of Picard.
The premise of this book is that the U.S.S Titan with Captain Riker and Counselor Troi are dealing with the fact a Federation ally, the Jazari, are suddenly leaving the Alpha Quadrant in a generation ship. Something has horribly spooked them and the Federation is left clueless. This is also just a year after the horrific Mars attacks, Synth Ban, and failure to evacuate the Romulan homeworld. After a space disaster leads to the Titan rescuing the Jazari ship, an unexpected alliance occurs between them and a Romulan warbird. Everything promptly goes to hell afterward.
The Dark Veil feels like a combination of the Titan novels and the Picard era, which is an interesting fusion that I would be interested in seeing more of. Certainly, novel character Christine Vale shows up and I've always supported her in more properties. I'm still hoping she'll be canonized by Lower Decks. Really, it feels like a mixture in ways both subtle as well as overt. The Jazari are the kind of species that feel very much like a Titan creation. They are alien and "big" in a way that novels can do in ways that television can't (or is very hard pressed to) as well as alluding to past history that the shows rarely do these days. I figured out their secret fairly early and it's a bit on the nose but Star Trek has rarely needed to be subtle about it's themes. Arguably, Picard could have done more with its themes like this.
I also appreciate the use of the Romulans in this book as we get a nice mixture of "honorable soldier", "sneaky KGB Loyalty officer", and "insane death cultist." Some people had issues with the Zhat Vash when it was introduced in Picard but seeing how the Admonition utterly breaks someone's mind like a Lovecraftian Cthulhu cultist actually helps underscore what the show only hinted at. The Romulans are a race that lost a lot of menace with their transition to The Next Generation, being supplanted by the Cardassians, and I feel this book does a good job of restoring how terrifying they were supposed to be.
The book also effectively uses foreshadowing and canon to hang an ominous cloud over all of its events. Thaddeus Riker is an adorable child that we know for a fact is not going to reach adulthood. The fact the Romulan system has about a year left before 900 million residents die is also something that hangs over the heads of each of its residents. Using that helps elevate the material as we know there's no good ending to all this. The fact the Jazari choose to make the decision they do also underscores just how badly the Federation has screwed up. Even if banning synth research is something you're doing because you're afraid of making slaves, some races are going to take it personal.
In conclusion, this is a good Star Trek novel and would be appreciated by both U.S.S. Titan as well as Picard fans. I preferred The Last Best Hope but that was more due to the fact that it got heavier into the politics of the event. This is a more pulpy space opera adventure that I also like but not quite as much.
I am a big defender of the STAR TREK: DISCOVERY, PICARD, and LOWER DECKS series. However, if I had to choose between them then I'd probably say that Picard is my favorite of the three. It has the most interesting premise and ideas to develop. Indeed, my biggest issue is that I felt the first season was far too compact and that it needed another few episodes to detail all the various concepts it was dealing with.
I was a big fan of THE LAST BEST HOPE and felt it really could have been the basis for those extra episodes. Una McCormack took the time to expand and explain the political situation and build-up in a way that helped the story breathe. I was wondering if something similar could be done with THE DARK VEIL as James Swallow (who I mostly know from his Star Trek: Titan novels) follows the U.S.S Titan into the events of Picard.
The premise of this book is that the U.S.S Titan with Captain Riker and Counselor Troi are dealing with the fact a Federation ally, the Jazari, are suddenly leaving the Alpha Quadrant in a generation ship. Something has horribly spooked them and the Federation is left clueless. This is also just a year after the horrific Mars attacks, Synth Ban, and failure to evacuate the Romulan homeworld. After a space disaster leads to the Titan rescuing the Jazari ship, an unexpected alliance occurs between them and a Romulan warbird. Everything promptly goes to hell afterward.
The Dark Veil feels like a combination of the Titan novels and the Picard era, which is an interesting fusion that I would be interested in seeing more of. Certainly, novel character Christine Vale shows up and I've always supported her in more properties. I'm still hoping she'll be canonized by Lower Decks. Really, it feels like a mixture in ways both subtle as well as overt. The Jazari are the kind of species that feel very much like a Titan creation. They are alien and "big" in a way that novels can do in ways that television can't (or is very hard pressed to) as well as alluding to past history that the shows rarely do these days. I figured out their secret fairly early and it's a bit on the nose but Star Trek has rarely needed to be subtle about it's themes. Arguably, Picard could have done more with its themes like this.
I also appreciate the use of the Romulans in this book as we get a nice mixture of "honorable soldier", "sneaky KGB Loyalty officer", and "insane death cultist." Some people had issues with the Zhat Vash when it was introduced in Picard but seeing how the Admonition utterly breaks someone's mind like a Lovecraftian Cthulhu cultist actually helps underscore what the show only hinted at. The Romulans are a race that lost a lot of menace with their transition to The Next Generation, being supplanted by the Cardassians, and I feel this book does a good job of restoring how terrifying they were supposed to be.
The book also effectively uses foreshadowing and canon to hang an ominous cloud over all of its events. Thaddeus Riker is an adorable child that we know for a fact is not going to reach adulthood. The fact the Romulan system has about a year left before 900 million residents die is also something that hangs over the heads of each of its residents. Using that helps elevate the material as we know there's no good ending to all this. The fact the Jazari choose to make the decision they do also underscores just how badly the Federation has screwed up. Even if banning synth research is something you're doing because you're afraid of making slaves, some races are going to take it personal.
In conclusion, this is a good Star Trek novel and would be appreciated by both U.S.S. Titan as well as Picard fans. I preferred The Last Best Hope but that was more due to the fact that it got heavier into the politics of the event. This is a more pulpy space opera adventure that I also like but not quite as much.
January 26, 2021
So, first a few words about normal writing vs. Series writing, from my perspective...
Feel free to skip this paragraph! I feel that I tend to judge series writing vs original writing on different criteria... in most cases, Tolstoy or Hawthorne would not be writing Doctor Who, Star Trek or the like, so its not about being wowed by writership, prose or worldbuilding. In most cases these intrepid authors are stepping into a world fully formed, or are helping to reshape it. That being said, in series works I usually look for TONE (does it fit with the original works/vision) UNIVERSE (does it mesh or fly contrary to the world built, and PLOT (if you have a bad plot, you're always sunk, but ESPECIALLY if you have a gaggle of geeks chasing after you!). Therefore, that's what the remainder of this review will focus on...
Okay, back to the review! I really enjoyed the broadening of the Picard universe that Swallow aided here... we get to see a Riker-Troi partnership one child in... and not portrayed and an intergalactic power couple. We return to the world built from the mind of Roddenberry, and while the Romulans are villains, the story arc is broadened by the ongoing catastrophe affecting them, and the very personal way it resonates with each of them.
And the story was strong... relationship-based, with multiple POVs, it really told a complete story without falling back to TNG tropes, or Spot allusions.
I really enjoyed this second foray into the Picard universe, and look forward to the high caliber of others to come!
Feel free to skip this paragraph! I feel that I tend to judge series writing vs original writing on different criteria... in most cases, Tolstoy or Hawthorne would not be writing Doctor Who, Star Trek or the like, so its not about being wowed by writership, prose or worldbuilding. In most cases these intrepid authors are stepping into a world fully formed, or are helping to reshape it. That being said, in series works I usually look for TONE (does it fit with the original works/vision) UNIVERSE (does it mesh or fly contrary to the world built, and PLOT (if you have a bad plot, you're always sunk, but ESPECIALLY if you have a gaggle of geeks chasing after you!). Therefore, that's what the remainder of this review will focus on...
Okay, back to the review! I really enjoyed the broadening of the Picard universe that Swallow aided here... we get to see a Riker-Troi partnership one child in... and not portrayed and an intergalactic power couple. We return to the world built from the mind of Roddenberry, and while the Romulans are villains, the story arc is broadened by the ongoing catastrophe affecting them, and the very personal way it resonates with each of them.
And the story was strong... relationship-based, with multiple POVs, it really told a complete story without falling back to TNG tropes, or Spot allusions.
I really enjoyed this second foray into the Picard universe, and look forward to the high caliber of others to come!
January 12, 2021
Of the three Star Trek tv series that aired in 2020 the first season of Picard was the most disappointing for me. As a kid Next Generation was as close to a foundational text as a sci fi tv show can be. Jean Luc Picard was a unique type of super hero, showing someone that didn't use brute force or super human powers to solve problems, just diplomacy and careful thought. Though he was in his 30s William Riker was a great stand in for youngsters (because Wesley Crusher sucked) and always grew with the lessons Picard passed down. Without making this a review of the show it had plenty of really fun moments but never felt like it reached for the same ideals Next Generation and that era of Trek tv did. (Go watch Lower Decks it's not just great Trek but the best tv show of 2020)
This is the second book based on Picard, after The Last Best Hope last spring. Like that book this one is technically a prequel, though it's connection to the show is much more tertiary and in fact Picard only shows up in any capacity for a few pages. This doesn't hurt the book and in fact I easily enjoyed this one quite a bit more.
The plot unfolds a year after the main inciting inciting incidents of the Picard tv series, when androids attacked Mars, the Federation abandoned rescue efforts of the Romulans and Picard leaving starfleet. These events merely serve as the backdrop to this story, which follows an older, wiser Riker as he captains the USS Titan.
What unfolds is an adventure full of all the techno babble, somewhat predictable twists and a Starfleet captain willing to use diplomacy over violence whenever he can that makes Star Trek great. Swallow writes all the characters incredibly well, whether it's characters established in the tv series, adapted from the now non canon Titan series from a few years ago or his own creations. I enjoyed 5 year old Thaddeus Riker especially. Since children in Trek are usually rather annoying it was refreshing to have a kid who acted more or less like any kid his age.
The pacing and style could easily fit as an episode of 90s Star Trek or as a film sequel to Nemesis. It's not high brow science fiction, and as I alluded to many of the moments framed as twists were perhaps too predictable and overly choreographed, but it's the most fun I've had yet with a Star Trek novel.
This is the second book based on Picard, after The Last Best Hope last spring. Like that book this one is technically a prequel, though it's connection to the show is much more tertiary and in fact Picard only shows up in any capacity for a few pages. This doesn't hurt the book and in fact I easily enjoyed this one quite a bit more.
The plot unfolds a year after the main inciting inciting incidents of the Picard tv series, when androids attacked Mars, the Federation abandoned rescue efforts of the Romulans and Picard leaving starfleet. These events merely serve as the backdrop to this story, which follows an older, wiser Riker as he captains the USS Titan.
What unfolds is an adventure full of all the techno babble, somewhat predictable twists and a Starfleet captain willing to use diplomacy over violence whenever he can that makes Star Trek great. Swallow writes all the characters incredibly well, whether it's characters established in the tv series, adapted from the now non canon Titan series from a few years ago or his own creations. I enjoyed 5 year old Thaddeus Riker especially. Since children in Trek are usually rather annoying it was refreshing to have a kid who acted more or less like any kid his age.
The pacing and style could easily fit as an episode of 90s Star Trek or as a film sequel to Nemesis. It's not high brow science fiction, and as I alluded to many of the moments framed as twists were perhaps too predictable and overly choreographed, but it's the most fun I've had yet with a Star Trek novel.
March 27, 2021
*As per all of my reviews, I like to preface by saying that I listened to this book in audiobook format. This does indeed slightly skew my rating. I have found that audiobooks, give me a better "relationship" with the characters if done well, but also kills the book for me if narrated poorly. Also due to the nature of listening to the text, names and places may be spelled incorrectly here as I often do not have the physical volume in front of me.
Also, I have written this review in a "rolling updates" style. In that I basically chronicle my reading as I progress. This may make for a jarring and spoilery review so be warned.**
I've really loved the concept of the Picard era show and books. What we were sold on for the show was an idea of Picard coming to gripes with older age, and not having his command etc... etc... You've heard it before.. What we got was...not that in the show.. However the book prior to this, Last Best Hope was significant in that it did wat "Catalyst" did for Star Wars Rogue One, it set the stage nicely and provided a much thicker glue to the characters that the show does not. Dark Vail pivots the scene from Picard to Piker and Deanna and their son who we find out is lost by the time Picard shows up. The story here, like the first book focuses on the Romulans. And I like this... As much as I feel that the Romulans have stolen the secretive thunder from the Cardassians.... I like how they've been so deeply fleshed out. We start with Riker in prison for an unknown reason yet and it's laying on thick how Romulan prisons are a game of making your captor feel lost and perplexed and paranoid to no end.
The book is standard Star Trek fare and tthat's not a horrible thing. We have our focus on Riker and Troi and their son Thaddeus. Unfortunately Thad isn't don't any favors in this book. Aside from the slightly interesting quirk of him loving languages, he's regulated to the role of getting in trouble, being annoying and stumbling upon something by breaking rules, that ends up saving the crew. It's not really all that annoying but he really did nothing for me. The relationship between the three of them was good enough. We know what becomes of Thad so it's interesting to see how they try to build up his character...and playing with the time frames of when the show takes place when he's dead, makes it a bit interesting, in seeing how close they were and how we see them in in Season 1 of Picard.
The story involves heaps and heaps of Romulans which is good... though we get the different 'strata' of Romulans from the normal civilian/military to the Tal-shiar, to the super secet cabal the Zhat Vash. The story starts with Riker in prison and awaiting trial...and we don't return to this scene until the end of the book, so I actually forgot about it. The book is engaging enough, though it doesn't present anything vastly inspired. The background on Romulans is probably the biggest. The book also has quite a few "poster ads" about the values of Starfleet with characters literally stating the values outloud as if reminding the readers that it's the starfleet they love. The book takes place after the destruction of the shipyards on Mars, and fleet dispersion is even more paper thin. The secretive alien race the Jazari are and have been a mystery to other races and while peaceful they seem ultra reclusive....so...clearly they have something vital to the plot..
There's some nice interplay between the Romulan, Medaka who is technically in charger of the BIrd of Prey the Othrys. This establishes a leary, but working relationship between humans and Romulans. In fact it's only the Zhat Vash extremist Helek who usurps control of the Orthrys. She goes on an obsessive witch hunt to destroy the Jazari. You see the Zhat Vash, being a cult, have many visions of apocalypse...as cults are want to do. They find that a machine entities like androids and artificial life are soon to be bringers of death and destruction. So in a way they pictures themselves as saving the world... The problem...the big problem with all of this is that it's never written in a way of any subtley. It's always them coming off as completely 100% evil and there's no investment in why they're doing this. If it were slowed down and we didn't have these over the top personalities and cartoon villains, it would be even more sympathetic and we could relate to the people of the Zhat Vash and they'd feel like actual logical people. Not just autonomous robots. Which sadly is what Helek and her minions come off as. And the same is try in the TV series. They're just secretive, villains who while if you really go out of your way to think about it you may stumble on the realization that they're trying to prevent the end of the world (that they perceive) But it's so clouded over and masked behind a front of generic bad guy villain that distinction is not made. All we get at the surface is a confused extremist who goes against other Romulans for some plan on killing others.
The book does do a good job however in creating tension between the groups, but it's never really focused on. We do see how Medaka is opposed to her, which is nice, but there's no real resistance. The reveal comes later on in the book that the race that the Zhat Vash are so tyrannically obssessed with destroying, the Jazari's are a specific of android. Meaning that they were created long ago, but they hid their true forms, from everyone, exposing themselves only as reptilian like people, all of whom were male.
So the race, which is supposedly this ancient race that kept their true identities hidden, was an interesting idea, though they sort of meld into the stack of one off 'unique' star trek aliens we'll probably never hear from again. They play nicely into this story and time frame however. Speaking of which I do enjoy the thought that was put into showing the differences between the Romulan and Starfleet drives.
Overall enjoyable... Starfleet is the golden children, the Romulans or more so the Zhat Vash are cartoony manical villains and space battles ensue. The character seem servicable, I just wish I could like Thaddeous a bit more considering we know his fate...Also random but the book is called "Dark Veil" and we're introduced to this character on the Bridge, Lt. Vale...I swear I was waiting for her to turn evil or turn out to be some double agent for the Tal Shiar...
I like the book, provided some extra bits if a bit standard faire.
Also, I have written this review in a "rolling updates" style. In that I basically chronicle my reading as I progress. This may make for a jarring and spoilery review so be warned.**
I've really loved the concept of the Picard era show and books. What we were sold on for the show was an idea of Picard coming to gripes with older age, and not having his command etc... etc... You've heard it before.. What we got was...not that in the show.. However the book prior to this, Last Best Hope was significant in that it did wat "Catalyst" did for Star Wars Rogue One, it set the stage nicely and provided a much thicker glue to the characters that the show does not. Dark Vail pivots the scene from Picard to Piker and Deanna and their son who we find out is lost by the time Picard shows up. The story here, like the first book focuses on the Romulans. And I like this... As much as I feel that the Romulans have stolen the secretive thunder from the Cardassians.... I like how they've been so deeply fleshed out. We start with Riker in prison for an unknown reason yet and it's laying on thick how Romulan prisons are a game of making your captor feel lost and perplexed and paranoid to no end.
The book is standard Star Trek fare and tthat's not a horrible thing. We have our focus on Riker and Troi and their son Thaddeus. Unfortunately Thad isn't don't any favors in this book. Aside from the slightly interesting quirk of him loving languages, he's regulated to the role of getting in trouble, being annoying and stumbling upon something by breaking rules, that ends up saving the crew. It's not really all that annoying but he really did nothing for me. The relationship between the three of them was good enough. We know what becomes of Thad so it's interesting to see how they try to build up his character...and playing with the time frames of when the show takes place when he's dead, makes it a bit interesting, in seeing how close they were and how we see them in in Season 1 of Picard.
The story involves heaps and heaps of Romulans which is good... though we get the different 'strata' of Romulans from the normal civilian/military to the Tal-shiar, to the super secet cabal the Zhat Vash. The story starts with Riker in prison and awaiting trial...and we don't return to this scene until the end of the book, so I actually forgot about it. The book is engaging enough, though it doesn't present anything vastly inspired. The background on Romulans is probably the biggest. The book also has quite a few "poster ads" about the values of Starfleet with characters literally stating the values outloud as if reminding the readers that it's the starfleet they love. The book takes place after the destruction of the shipyards on Mars, and fleet dispersion is even more paper thin. The secretive alien race the Jazari are and have been a mystery to other races and while peaceful they seem ultra reclusive....so...clearly they have something vital to the plot..
There's some nice interplay between the Romulan, Medaka who is technically in charger of the BIrd of Prey the Othrys. This establishes a leary, but working relationship between humans and Romulans. In fact it's only the Zhat Vash extremist Helek who usurps control of the Orthrys. She goes on an obsessive witch hunt to destroy the Jazari. You see the Zhat Vash, being a cult, have many visions of apocalypse...as cults are want to do. They find that a machine entities like androids and artificial life are soon to be bringers of death and destruction. So in a way they pictures themselves as saving the world... The problem...the big problem with all of this is that it's never written in a way of any subtley. It's always them coming off as completely 100% evil and there's no investment in why they're doing this. If it were slowed down and we didn't have these over the top personalities and cartoon villains, it would be even more sympathetic and we could relate to the people of the Zhat Vash and they'd feel like actual logical people. Not just autonomous robots. Which sadly is what Helek and her minions come off as. And the same is try in the TV series. They're just secretive, villains who while if you really go out of your way to think about it you may stumble on the realization that they're trying to prevent the end of the world (that they perceive) But it's so clouded over and masked behind a front of generic bad guy villain that distinction is not made. All we get at the surface is a confused extremist who goes against other Romulans for some plan on killing others.
The book does do a good job however in creating tension between the groups, but it's never really focused on. We do see how Medaka is opposed to her, which is nice, but there's no real resistance. The reveal comes later on in the book that the race that the Zhat Vash are so tyrannically obssessed with destroying, the Jazari's are a specific of android. Meaning that they were created long ago, but they hid their true forms, from everyone, exposing themselves only as reptilian like people, all of whom were male.
So the race, which is supposedly this ancient race that kept their true identities hidden, was an interesting idea, though they sort of meld into the stack of one off 'unique' star trek aliens we'll probably never hear from again. They play nicely into this story and time frame however. Speaking of which I do enjoy the thought that was put into showing the differences between the Romulan and Starfleet drives.
Overall enjoyable... Starfleet is the golden children, the Romulans or more so the Zhat Vash are cartoony manical villains and space battles ensue. The character seem servicable, I just wish I could like Thaddeous a bit more considering we know his fate...Also random but the book is called "Dark Veil" and we're introduced to this character on the Bridge, Lt. Vale...I swear I was waiting for her to turn evil or turn out to be some double agent for the Tal Shiar...
I like the book, provided some extra bits if a bit standard faire.
February 6, 2021
Captain Riker adventures always thrill. That’s really the bottom line. When you add the Star Trek Picard timeframe and emotional pop ups from Picard himself you can’t lose.
It also helps when the plot line is really good. A Romulan secret society member trying to wipe out an entire race for a mysterious reason and the USS Titan caught in the cross fire equals fun. And the audiobook narration made me feel like I was listening to Jonathan Frakes himself.
The story adds in a subplot of Will and Deanna’s son Thad, who we already have heard of in the tv show. He becomes an emotional centerpiece of the action, being injured and making friends with the mysterious new race. It is sad that we already know his fate from the show, but this makes that all the more powerful.
I especially loved that the Romulan warbird commander is openly gay and married and it isn’t an issue to the Romulan. It was a throw in comment a few times. This is the Trek Roddenberry created where boundaries are pushed until they aren’t boundaries anymore. Well done.
The adventure is fun, the action intense, and this one is a definite yes.
It also helps when the plot line is really good. A Romulan secret society member trying to wipe out an entire race for a mysterious reason and the USS Titan caught in the cross fire equals fun. And the audiobook narration made me feel like I was listening to Jonathan Frakes himself.
The story adds in a subplot of Will and Deanna’s son Thad, who we already have heard of in the tv show. He becomes an emotional centerpiece of the action, being injured and making friends with the mysterious new race. It is sad that we already know his fate from the show, but this makes that all the more powerful.
I especially loved that the Romulan warbird commander is openly gay and married and it isn’t an issue to the Romulan. It was a throw in comment a few times. This is the Trek Roddenberry created where boundaries are pushed until they aren’t boundaries anymore. Well done.
The adventure is fun, the action intense, and this one is a definite yes.
February 4, 2021
This answers so many questions and asks so even more regarding the years leading up to ST:Picard. I am glad I finally got my hands on a novel with Riker properly in the Captain's chair and learned a little more about his time on the Titan. Without giving too much away I am quite enjoying the Artificial intelligence related plots of Picards first season, Discovery's second season(and ongoing with sphere data) and now Dark Veil. I think it's very on the nose with current technology progression here in the real world.
More than that however this book provides a good old clash with the Romulans(more specifically the oh so interesting Zhat Vash) against the Federation while expanding on how the Romulans are beginning to feel about the coming Star-Death. I cannot wait for the next Picard tie in novel.
More than that however this book provides a good old clash with the Romulans(more specifically the oh so interesting Zhat Vash) against the Federation while expanding on how the Romulans are beginning to feel about the coming Star-Death. I cannot wait for the next Picard tie in novel.
March 30, 2021
I really loved this book! It was great to read a story from Riker and Troi’s perspectives on the Titan. I really appreciated how it explored some similar themes from the first season of Star Trek: Picard, but that the fog of war (or maybe The Dark Veil? 🤔) kept any party from knowing all that would be revealed in the show.
In addition to the obvious references to the Picard show, I enjoyed hearing references and seeds that would come to fruition in the far-future of Discovery’s Season 3.
There are some fun cameos, ones you expect and ones that are pretty surprising.
I felt like this was a great balance of action and exposition. Trek fans will love this, especially if you enjoyed the themes and tones of Picard.
In addition to the obvious references to the Picard show, I enjoyed hearing references and seeds that would come to fruition in the far-future of Discovery’s Season 3.
There are some fun cameos, ones you expect and ones that are pretty surprising.
I felt like this was a great balance of action and exposition. Trek fans will love this, especially if you enjoyed the themes and tones of Picard.
February 5, 2021
I really enjoyed this one! While Captain Picard is my favorite captain, I always had a crush on Will Riker. This one follows Will as captain of the ship, U.S.S. Titan. I was a little sad though since the series is called Picard, but whatever, back to Riker. Will calls on Picard twice and that is all we have of Picard in this book. Riker versus the Romulans. Never trust the Romulans and of course the Tal Shiar are in this one too. I hated reading from their point of view.
"Don't let resentment become your purpose."
"Don't let resentment become your purpose."
March 5, 2023
Fascinating story (a nod to Spock). But the pure insanity of Helek kind of ruined it for me. There's Romulans and then there's Romulans. She belonged to the kind that I hate with a passion. So, not my bag, but still a great tale!!
May 24, 2022
"The Dark Veil" is a delightful book! But be warned: If you're reading this only for the Picard sections, you will be sorely disappointed. He's only in the book in two chapters. However, this book fleshes out many of the issues that season one of Picard deals with and explores the synthetic beings issues that dominate that philosophical discussion.
I loved the idea of a superior alien species treating humans they way that the Federation always treated inferior alien species! It was also a lot of fun to see Riker as captain of the Titan. I know there are more books out there about that time period and now I'll definitely have to read them! There's even a completely unnecessary but super fun cameo at the very end that had me smiling from ear to ear!
P.S.: Can we all agree that Riker and Troi are the greatest Star Trek power couple of all time?
I loved the idea of a superior alien species treating humans they way that the Federation always treated inferior alien species! It was also a lot of fun to see Riker as captain of the Titan. I know there are more books out there about that time period and now I'll definitely have to read them! There's even a completely unnecessary but super fun cameo at the very end that had me smiling from ear to ear!
P.S.: Can we all agree that Riker and Troi are the greatest Star Trek power couple of all time?
February 25, 2023
I knew I would probably like this book before I opened it just because it deals with Riker and Troi in the "Picard" iteration of "Star Trek." I haven't started the new 3rd season yet (only two episodes out yet at time of writing this), but the Troi/Riker episode in the first season is my favorite thus far.
And, the book didn't disappoint. The story moved along. I didn't find anything obvious that would dispute canon from what we know based on the TV series, and it linked tidbits we got from the series to the story told. It's a solid story, and I would recommend it to my fellow Trekkies.
And, the book didn't disappoint. The story moved along. I didn't find anything obvious that would dispute canon from what we know based on the TV series, and it linked tidbits we got from the series to the story told. It's a solid story, and I would recommend it to my fellow Trekkies.
March 1, 2021
While familiar with Star Trek: TNG and the Picard series, I was not as familiar with the stories of Riker commanding the USS Titan.
This book builds off of the storyline started with The Last Best Hope (Picard #1) and helps solidify the backstory of events in Star Trek: Picard.
The book probably leans a bit towards fan service, but that doesn’t take away from the enjoyable character interactions.
Definitely a worthwhile read for those who are fans of the Picard storyline.
This book builds off of the storyline started with The Last Best Hope (Picard #1) and helps solidify the backstory of events in Star Trek: Picard.
The book probably leans a bit towards fan service, but that doesn’t take away from the enjoyable character interactions.
Definitely a worthwhile read for those who are fans of the Picard storyline.
March 13, 2021
this was a good time !!! i have nothing left to say other than thad deserved better
Read
March 20, 2023DNFing at page 104. I don't think the book is the problem, I think it's me. I'll revisit someday.
April 21, 2024
A good Star Trek tale.
April 27, 2021
It was like a season from a show I've wished for for years. Well done to Mister Swallow!
January 8, 2021
Well, at first I wasn’t going to do the Goodreads challenge this year, as last year, with the pandemic, the only possible reading was online or by ordering a book, to then store in an impossibly cluttered house! But, I got over it . . . I wanted to read some more Star Trek, especially as I’d gotten so addicted to the two current series. This one is good, and brings in the Troi-Rikers earlier years on the Titan, and also brings in the subplot of the Romulan terror of synthetic life forms. It’s a little slow at points, but for anyone who likes the series, a very good read!
January 8, 2021
James Swallow thank you for giving us Star Trek fans this story. Robert Petkoff thank you so much for bringing this book to life.
March 14, 2024
I appreciated that this book focused on Riker as a captain and as a husband and father and that it introduced the Zhat Vash and their intense fear and hatred of artificial intelligence. And yet I didn’t really feel like it was essential reading. As part of the Picard series, I was hoping for more, but perhaps I missed something; I tell my husband that my brain is more like a sieve than a steel trap, so that’s certainly possible (I’m actually going to start re-watching the series, and that might change my opinion of this book). Mostly though, I just did not like the villain, Major Helek. I half imagined her twirling her mustache throughout. I wanted someone scarier and more subtle, but then the outcome would likely have been different. 3.5 stars.
February 1, 2021
Good, mediocre, or even bad, I always enjoy reading media tie-in novels for properties I love. They are comfort reads, familiar and undemanding even after a long stressful day. I've lately been both (re)/reading the older Star Trek novels while as keeping up with the new releases. The newer ones definitely are more consistently higher in quality, but even among them The Dark Veil stands out as stellar. Among the best Trek novels I've read, it also makes a highly satisfying science fiction story on its own.
Branded as the second novel within the Star Trek: Picard series, The Dark Veil follows soon after the events in Una McCormack's The Last Best Hope, and serves as a continued prequel to the CBS All-Access Picard series. Despite its appellation, The Dark Veil includes only two brief scenes with former Admiral Jean-Luc Picard. Instead, it focuses on Captain William Riker, counselor/diplomatic liaison Commander Deanna Troi, and their young son Thad, aboard the USS Titan. However, the novel chronicles an incident in their lives that impacts events seen in the television series, particularly the "Nepenthe" episode where Riker and Troi appear with daughter Kestra, still mourning the loss of their son Thad. Moreover, the plot and themes of The Dark Veil echo those brought to the fore of the Picard series: the Romulans and the eminent destruction of their homeworld star, the Zhat Vash, and the potential threat or fear of artificial life.
In its setting on the USS Titan and featuring that crew, The Dark Veil also represents a new novel in the Star Trek: Titan series, shifted now into the new 'canon'. It remains to be seen how The Next Generation of series of novels could possibly be forced into the new canon timelines. I imagine that this now contains some retcons compared to what was in the original Titan series of books. Now, I haven't yet read the Titan series, so I'm not sure how this compares or alters, but I believe The Dark Veil does use many of the characters first written from that series of novels.
Following the AI-led insurrection/destruction on Mars, the Federation has banned further research into, or development of, artificial sentient life. To the disappointment of hopeful idealists like Picard and Riker, they have withdrawn active support for the evacuation of Romulan citizens and turned insular. Among the instability and rising authoritarianism of multiple powers within the Alpha Quadrant, the unaligned and reclusively secret Jazari choose to convert their entire planet to a large vessel that will take them away from an area where they no longer feel safe or welcome. The handful of Jazari serving in Starfleet resign their commission and Starfleet (via the USS Titan) is chosen by the Jazari to transport the last remaining expats back to their now-converted home world to join the others for departure.
With the Jazari world near the Neutral Zone, the Titan notes a Romulan warbird maneuvering nearby, watching and making itself known. As the Jazari make their final preparations and the Titan is about to depart, a horrible accident occurs that threatens the Jazari and all of nearby space. While trying to save lives and avert disaster the USS Titan takes significant damage, and the Romulan ship arrives. To their surprise, the Romulan Commander offers assistance to the Titan and the Jazari.
Aboard the Romulan warbird, an agent of the Tal Shiar makes her displeasure for his act of altruism known to the Commander. Aboard the Jazari ship, the reptilian-appearing species debates what to do about the humans and Romulans who have now helped save them. Their Code demands offering support in return, but an important secret they hold also demands the continued limited contact of their reclusiveness from the humans and Romulans alike.
"Doing the right thing" exists as the central concept of the The Dark Veil. Characters from all sides repeatedly espouse this as a guiding principle. The Jazari take each step with the morally 'right' thing in mind for the safety of their species, but also taking into account the welfare of others. Similarly, the crew of the Titan - and the Federation as a whole, debate what the 'right' amount of engagement should be with a culture that asks to keep to itself and seems intent on abandoning their home, and another that is just as secretive, but also more of a threat, whose home is about to be taken from them. Now that the Federation has turned their back on the Romulans, what is the right thing for Riker and his crew to do? The Romulan Tal Shiar agent will do the right thing for what the spy organization envisions the Empire to require, but as a fanatical member of the Zhat Vash, that 'right' course of action for the Empire may, or may not, align with what she sees as best for all of organic life, faced a perceived AI-driven extinction. For the Romulan Commander, he will do his duty to what is right for Romulan Empire, but also sees a responsibility to help any and all life. For all the divisions between Romulans and the species of the Federation, he also sees commonality and like Riker, hope.
Amid all the action and intrigue born of these competing viewpoints and hidden secrets, brilliant and precocious young Thad becomes gravelly injured. His only hope of survival might come from the advanced technology of the Jazari, that they remain hesitant to share. Moreover, their treatment is not without risks, forcing the Jazari, Troi, and Riker to face difficult decisions of what is right for saving Thad. These scenes with Thad are bittersweet, knowing from the Picard TV series what ultimately happens to the boy, and the events here help explain some of what the show only vaguely mentioned.
Swallow does a fantastic job of balancing all of the elements of The Dark Veil together into an entertaining and even profound Star Trek adventure. I had high expectations for this novel based on how much I enjoyed the other Star Trek novel by Swallow that I've read: Day of the Vipers, the first in the Terok Nor trilogy. There too he writes excellent characterization combined with deeper themes and entertaining action. Even with those expectations, I remained impressed here. Swallow writes points of view from each of the three sides that seem realistic, that readers can empathize with. Even with the crazed fanaticism of the novel's villain. Further, he nails the voices of Riker and Troi alike, using them both to the best they've ever been.
The novel is bookended with a Romulan tribunal questioning Riker, the Romulan Commander, and the Tal Shiar/Zhat Vash member. At first I wasn't sure about this structure, but the end made it worthwhile, with a surprise guest appearance that worked very well tying in events of Star Trek movies with the TV series and novels.
And that reminds me of another aspect of this that I had wanted to bring up. I am in the camp that thinks that most of the Star Trek: The Next Generation movies are pretty awful. Insurrection was largely forgettable, and I wish I could forget Nemesis. Likewise, the first season of Picard was disappointing overall. While it had some highlights, most of it went in directions I found both overused and too dystopia-ridden. The ending was awful and contrived. Somehow, Swallow took elements from, and references to, these things that I didn't really like much, and did take them in interesting ways, rather than making them worse. He maintains a dark 'edge' here that the newer Trek has gone toward, but kept it more consistent with the optimism of the past.
The Dark Veil succeeds in all aspects more than The Last Best Hope, which was already a very good novel. If you are a fan of Picard already and read media tie-ins, I imagine this is already on your radar. But if you are not either of those things, but like Star Trek, I still recommend this. If by some miracle you are reading this, but are an utter stranger to Picard - or even Start Trek, I would still say this is worth reading for a SF fan. Familiarity with the universe and characters is certainly a bonus, but it wouldn't be essential. It may even work as an entry.
Branded as the second novel within the Star Trek: Picard series, The Dark Veil follows soon after the events in Una McCormack's The Last Best Hope, and serves as a continued prequel to the CBS All-Access Picard series. Despite its appellation, The Dark Veil includes only two brief scenes with former Admiral Jean-Luc Picard. Instead, it focuses on Captain William Riker, counselor/diplomatic liaison Commander Deanna Troi, and their young son Thad, aboard the USS Titan. However, the novel chronicles an incident in their lives that impacts events seen in the television series, particularly the "Nepenthe" episode where Riker and Troi appear with daughter Kestra, still mourning the loss of their son Thad. Moreover, the plot and themes of The Dark Veil echo those brought to the fore of the Picard series: the Romulans and the eminent destruction of their homeworld star, the Zhat Vash, and the potential threat or fear of artificial life.
In its setting on the USS Titan and featuring that crew, The Dark Veil also represents a new novel in the Star Trek: Titan series, shifted now into the new 'canon'. It remains to be seen how The Next Generation of series of novels could possibly be forced into the new canon timelines. I imagine that this now contains some retcons compared to what was in the original Titan series of books. Now, I haven't yet read the Titan series, so I'm not sure how this compares or alters, but I believe The Dark Veil does use many of the characters first written from that series of novels.
Following the AI-led insurrection/destruction on Mars, the Federation has banned further research into, or development of, artificial sentient life. To the disappointment of hopeful idealists like Picard and Riker, they have withdrawn active support for the evacuation of Romulan citizens and turned insular. Among the instability and rising authoritarianism of multiple powers within the Alpha Quadrant, the unaligned and reclusively secret Jazari choose to convert their entire planet to a large vessel that will take them away from an area where they no longer feel safe or welcome. The handful of Jazari serving in Starfleet resign their commission and Starfleet (via the USS Titan) is chosen by the Jazari to transport the last remaining expats back to their now-converted home world to join the others for departure.
With the Jazari world near the Neutral Zone, the Titan notes a Romulan warbird maneuvering nearby, watching and making itself known. As the Jazari make their final preparations and the Titan is about to depart, a horrible accident occurs that threatens the Jazari and all of nearby space. While trying to save lives and avert disaster the USS Titan takes significant damage, and the Romulan ship arrives. To their surprise, the Romulan Commander offers assistance to the Titan and the Jazari.
Aboard the Romulan warbird, an agent of the Tal Shiar makes her displeasure for his act of altruism known to the Commander. Aboard the Jazari ship, the reptilian-appearing species debates what to do about the humans and Romulans who have now helped save them. Their Code demands offering support in return, but an important secret they hold also demands the continued limited contact of their reclusiveness from the humans and Romulans alike.
"Doing the right thing" exists as the central concept of the The Dark Veil. Characters from all sides repeatedly espouse this as a guiding principle. The Jazari take each step with the morally 'right' thing in mind for the safety of their species, but also taking into account the welfare of others. Similarly, the crew of the Titan - and the Federation as a whole, debate what the 'right' amount of engagement should be with a culture that asks to keep to itself and seems intent on abandoning their home, and another that is just as secretive, but also more of a threat, whose home is about to be taken from them. Now that the Federation has turned their back on the Romulans, what is the right thing for Riker and his crew to do? The Romulan Tal Shiar agent will do the right thing for what the spy organization envisions the Empire to require, but as a fanatical member of the Zhat Vash, that 'right' course of action for the Empire may, or may not, align with what she sees as best for all of organic life, faced a perceived AI-driven extinction. For the Romulan Commander, he will do his duty to what is right for Romulan Empire, but also sees a responsibility to help any and all life. For all the divisions between Romulans and the species of the Federation, he also sees commonality and like Riker, hope.
Amid all the action and intrigue born of these competing viewpoints and hidden secrets, brilliant and precocious young Thad becomes gravelly injured. His only hope of survival might come from the advanced technology of the Jazari, that they remain hesitant to share. Moreover, their treatment is not without risks, forcing the Jazari, Troi, and Riker to face difficult decisions of what is right for saving Thad. These scenes with Thad are bittersweet, knowing from the Picard TV series what ultimately happens to the boy, and the events here help explain some of what the show only vaguely mentioned.
Swallow does a fantastic job of balancing all of the elements of The Dark Veil together into an entertaining and even profound Star Trek adventure. I had high expectations for this novel based on how much I enjoyed the other Star Trek novel by Swallow that I've read: Day of the Vipers, the first in the Terok Nor trilogy. There too he writes excellent characterization combined with deeper themes and entertaining action. Even with those expectations, I remained impressed here. Swallow writes points of view from each of the three sides that seem realistic, that readers can empathize with. Even with the crazed fanaticism of the novel's villain. Further, he nails the voices of Riker and Troi alike, using them both to the best they've ever been.
The novel is bookended with a Romulan tribunal questioning Riker, the Romulan Commander, and the Tal Shiar/Zhat Vash member. At first I wasn't sure about this structure, but the end made it worthwhile, with a surprise guest appearance that worked very well tying in events of Star Trek movies with the TV series and novels.
And that reminds me of another aspect of this that I had wanted to bring up. I am in the camp that thinks that most of the Star Trek: The Next Generation movies are pretty awful. Insurrection was largely forgettable, and I wish I could forget Nemesis. Likewise, the first season of Picard was disappointing overall. While it had some highlights, most of it went in directions I found both overused and too dystopia-ridden. The ending was awful and contrived. Somehow, Swallow took elements from, and references to, these things that I didn't really like much, and did take them in interesting ways, rather than making them worse. He maintains a dark 'edge' here that the newer Trek has gone toward, but kept it more consistent with the optimism of the past.
The Dark Veil succeeds in all aspects more than The Last Best Hope, which was already a very good novel. If you are a fan of Picard already and read media tie-ins, I imagine this is already on your radar. But if you are not either of those things, but like Star Trek, I still recommend this. If by some miracle you are reading this, but are an utter stranger to Picard - or even Start Trek, I would still say this is worth reading for a SF fan. Familiarity with the universe and characters is certainly a bonus, but it wouldn't be essential. It may even work as an entry.
January 5, 2022
It took me quite some time to read this book, and I’m not entirely sure why. I think the author has a firm grasp of Trek and the characters, specifically Riker and Troi, who are the main protagonists of this particular story. He also manages to weave in the events of Picard to make this more of a tie in than a standalone novel, and perhaps that is where my problem stems. I found the first season of Star Trek: Picard to be a crushing disappointment. It started off spectacularly, then turned to something that was trying to be edgy just to compete with the types of stories that are told today, with morality being thrown out the window, along with hope, optimism, and heroes. Everything is gray in this world, and mostly in darker shades. I felt the first season went out of its way to systematically destroy all of the optimism for the future that The Next Generation created.
Now, back to this novel. The author creates a new species that certainly ties in to the underlying story of Picard (and no, not the story of everything being hopeless and every soul having a dark side) and the Romulans are well fleshed out here as well, with two particular characters holding their own better than most one-offs I’ve read in Trek lately. I definitely enjoyed getting to know Thad Riker, Will and Deanna’s son, who did not annoy me the way children can in action/adventure stories. Those of you who have watched the first season of Picard also know how that turns out, in the tragically depressing fashion the show seems hell bent on existing in.
I’ve decided while writing this review, that it’s the subject matter, or more specifically the source material that is my problem with this novel, and not really the novel itself. That is a shame, because I absolutely loved Una McCormack’s “Last Best Hope” that was the first novel in this series.
One other thing I did enjoy in this book, however, is the cameo of a certain important character in the end, that tied this story in to the greater Trek narrative. Overall, I did like the book and I would recommend it to most serious Trek readers, but the uneasiness of the series, which I understand is trying to reflect the world we live in now, casts a shadow on it that I didn’t like. Perhaps it’s a credit to the author that he was able to make this story feel like a part of the Picard series, and maybe that’s where my problem lies.
Now, back to this novel. The author creates a new species that certainly ties in to the underlying story of Picard (and no, not the story of everything being hopeless and every soul having a dark side) and the Romulans are well fleshed out here as well, with two particular characters holding their own better than most one-offs I’ve read in Trek lately. I definitely enjoyed getting to know Thad Riker, Will and Deanna’s son, who did not annoy me the way children can in action/adventure stories. Those of you who have watched the first season of Picard also know how that turns out, in the tragically depressing fashion the show seems hell bent on existing in.
I’ve decided while writing this review, that it’s the subject matter, or more specifically the source material that is my problem with this novel, and not really the novel itself. That is a shame, because I absolutely loved Una McCormack’s “Last Best Hope” that was the first novel in this series.
One other thing I did enjoy in this book, however, is the cameo of a certain important character in the end, that tied this story in to the greater Trek narrative. Overall, I did like the book and I would recommend it to most serious Trek readers, but the uneasiness of the series, which I understand is trying to reflect the world we live in now, casts a shadow on it that I didn’t like. Perhaps it’s a credit to the author that he was able to make this story feel like a part of the Picard series, and maybe that’s where my problem lies.
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March 7, 2024This book does a fantastic job crafting a story that functions on its own but also provides a supplement to the first season of Picard. What I liked about the story is how it establishes an inner cabal within the Tal Shiar - a crucial plot point for season one and it hints at conspiracies and power struggles to come.
For fans of the Titan books, we get the return of some characters from that crew and a look at the Titan towards the end of Riker’s command. Seeing the family dynamic with the Rikers is one of the more poignant aspects of the book, especially knowing where things are leading with their son. Seeing the emotional arc that runs into season three it was hard to not feel the weight of a family on the precipice of so much tragedy.
The story is exciting and done well. And it doesn’t require you to be steeped in the series to be able to follow along. As long as you have the basics of events that are set up in season one of the show, you’re good to go. It’s a fun throwback to some legacy characters in the context of a more contemporary Trek landscape.
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