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Star Trek: Coda #1
Moments Asunder
Listening Length: 12 hours
The crews of Jean-Luc Picard, Benjamin Sisko, Ezri Dax, and William Riker unite to prevent a cosmic-level apocalypse - only to find that some fates really are inevitable.
Reality itself is under attack.
The epic Star Trek: Coda trilogy begins when the unexpected arrival of an old friend triggers a desperate mission to avert a fast-spreading temporal disaster.
The crews of Jean-Luc Picard, Benjamin Sisko, Ezri Dax, and William Riker unite to prevent a cosmic-level apocalypse - only to find that some fates really are inevitable.
Reality itself is under attack.
The epic Star Trek: Coda trilogy begins when the unexpected arrival of an old friend triggers a desperate mission to avert a fast-spreading temporal disaster.
12 pages, Audio CD
First published September 1, 2021
295 people are currently reading
681 people want to read
About the author
Dayton Ward
112 books318 followersDayton 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.
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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 123 reviews
February 17, 2023
4.5 stars. Epic Trek thriller that's first in a trilogy intended to kind of tie up the non-canon Trek novel storylines developed in the last twenty years or so in order to make way for new canon to be created as part of the Picard (and perhaps other) future television series. Of course this will require some creative use of time travel, alternate realities and the like in abundance. It's quite an ambitious goal that could easily collapse under its own weight, yet I think Ward gets things off to a very good start. There are ample tie-ins to the series, primarily TNG, which are kind of necessary background knowledge and will make fans happy. There are also plenty of references to developments and characters in the post series novels, though it's not strictly necessary to be familiar with all of these as Ward provides context and background when necessary. On to the next book!
September 30, 2021
Here is a link to my youtube video review: https://youtu.be/v8D1YBcGD6c
For 20 years, the Star Trek Post-Nemesis universe was filled with hundreds of novels, each following an ever expanding continuity featuring characters and ships from Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, and more! Many fans(myself included) latched onto these novels and if you asked them about Star Trek they would direct you first to the books, then to the television series. When Star Trek Picard was announced and released, many fans wondered what the state of the books would be. Would they simply reset everything and call it a day on the Literary-Verse as it was or would the show somehow fit the books? It turns out a third option was open where the Books can now have their own change where they will fit into the new continuity.
Enter: Dayton Ward, James Swallow, David Mack and the rest of the team at Gallery Books!
I must start out by applauding the whole team for including the "Previously" portion on the first few pages. I felt years of reading come back and I felt kind of nostalgic. It also refreshed my memory and actually informed me on a few of the books I hadn't read yet. The information on this previously page will give you everything you need to know if you're somewhat new to the franchise. This was a brilliant move to put this front and center in the book.
This book definitely starts out a big trilogy...but it opens somewhat small. Rather than jump back and forth with Rapid fire scenes like David Mack's "Destiny Trilogy" or with the new Star Wars High Republic epic "Light of the Jedi", Ward mainly focuses this book on the Enterprise crew. The crews and ships from Titan, Aventine, and more show up, but this really is a Enterprise-E book. There is also an inclusion of a long missed character which made me really excited.
There are definitely some parallels to the opening of the Literary-Verse with some of the characters included in this book. From what I understand, the big opening to the Nemesis universe came with the "A Time to" series in 2004 and this book REALLY references a subplot from those books(When you read the book, you'll know what I mean). This not only serves as good connective tissue, but it means that the whole lit-verse kind of bookends itself.
It's kind of hard to get into the characters and plot without discussing spoilers, but I'll do my best. Picard, as always, was written great, and I felt that both he and Crusher had the best writing of the book. Their relationship is handled really well and he had some tough decisions in this book that I admired. At the same time, some of the Enterprise-E crew, who aren't from the movies or shows, got some time to shine. T'ryssa Chen and Taurik were standouts for me. There were even more that I enjoyed reading, and Dayton Ward struck the nice balance that he needed to.
I had a feeling this would happen in this series, but you should know going in that no characters are safe. And if no characters are safe in this book, imagine how unsafe characters will be when David Mack takes the reins!
This still feels like a Dayton Ward novel. I've read about 5 of his novels now, and the word choice, the pacing, the action, the characters' dialogue all felt like Dayton's other novels. That's not a suprise, given that authors will have natural styles in all of their books. That being said, Ward's style has always been a little bland to me. It seems to me that Ward is one of the authors who has written so many books simply because he has such a history and an understanding of the franchise that no one else really does. That is helpful in the continuity side of things. However, where James Swallow deals with intrigue, David Mack deals with deep moral themes, John Jackson Miller deals with broad themes, and Una McCormack deals with political themes, I can't say that Ward deals with anything comperable. However, as mentioned earlier, Ward's familiarity with the franchise and his mastery of the characters and feel of the story is why he is an invaluable resource to the Simon and Scheuster(Gallery) team. I think his recent job working on the Continuity of Star Trek is one of the smartest moves that the Star Trek team could make.
There were many things I would have done differently with this book. Part of that stems from how I would handle the series as a whole, but some of it deals directly with Wards' writing choices. However, this is still a very interesting book with a fantastic hook for the next book and with just the right references, tie-ins, and connections to not only the literary universe, but to the television episodes as well.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It was a fun read and I cannot wait for the next one. I give this book an 8.5 out of 10! Excellent work Dayton Ward(and team)!
For 20 years, the Star Trek Post-Nemesis universe was filled with hundreds of novels, each following an ever expanding continuity featuring characters and ships from Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, and more! Many fans(myself included) latched onto these novels and if you asked them about Star Trek they would direct you first to the books, then to the television series. When Star Trek Picard was announced and released, many fans wondered what the state of the books would be. Would they simply reset everything and call it a day on the Literary-Verse as it was or would the show somehow fit the books? It turns out a third option was open where the Books can now have their own change where they will fit into the new continuity.
Enter: Dayton Ward, James Swallow, David Mack and the rest of the team at Gallery Books!
I must start out by applauding the whole team for including the "Previously" portion on the first few pages. I felt years of reading come back and I felt kind of nostalgic. It also refreshed my memory and actually informed me on a few of the books I hadn't read yet. The information on this previously page will give you everything you need to know if you're somewhat new to the franchise. This was a brilliant move to put this front and center in the book.
This book definitely starts out a big trilogy...but it opens somewhat small. Rather than jump back and forth with Rapid fire scenes like David Mack's "Destiny Trilogy" or with the new Star Wars High Republic epic "Light of the Jedi", Ward mainly focuses this book on the Enterprise crew. The crews and ships from Titan, Aventine, and more show up, but this really is a Enterprise-E book. There is also an inclusion of a long missed character which made me really excited.
There are definitely some parallels to the opening of the Literary-Verse with some of the characters included in this book. From what I understand, the big opening to the Nemesis universe came with the "A Time to" series in 2004 and this book REALLY references a subplot from those books(When you read the book, you'll know what I mean). This not only serves as good connective tissue, but it means that the whole lit-verse kind of bookends itself.
It's kind of hard to get into the characters and plot without discussing spoilers, but I'll do my best. Picard, as always, was written great, and I felt that both he and Crusher had the best writing of the book. Their relationship is handled really well and he had some tough decisions in this book that I admired. At the same time, some of the Enterprise-E crew, who aren't from the movies or shows, got some time to shine. T'ryssa Chen and Taurik were standouts for me. There were even more that I enjoyed reading, and Dayton Ward struck the nice balance that he needed to.
I had a feeling this would happen in this series, but you should know going in that no characters are safe. And if no characters are safe in this book, imagine how unsafe characters will be when David Mack takes the reins!
This still feels like a Dayton Ward novel. I've read about 5 of his novels now, and the word choice, the pacing, the action, the characters' dialogue all felt like Dayton's other novels. That's not a suprise, given that authors will have natural styles in all of their books. That being said, Ward's style has always been a little bland to me. It seems to me that Ward is one of the authors who has written so many books simply because he has such a history and an understanding of the franchise that no one else really does. That is helpful in the continuity side of things. However, where James Swallow deals with intrigue, David Mack deals with deep moral themes, John Jackson Miller deals with broad themes, and Una McCormack deals with political themes, I can't say that Ward deals with anything comperable. However, as mentioned earlier, Ward's familiarity with the franchise and his mastery of the characters and feel of the story is why he is an invaluable resource to the Simon and Scheuster(Gallery) team. I think his recent job working on the Continuity of Star Trek is one of the smartest moves that the Star Trek team could make.
There were many things I would have done differently with this book. Part of that stems from how I would handle the series as a whole, but some of it deals directly with Wards' writing choices. However, this is still a very interesting book with a fantastic hook for the next book and with just the right references, tie-ins, and connections to not only the literary universe, but to the television episodes as well.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It was a fun read and I cannot wait for the next one. I give this book an 8.5 out of 10! Excellent work Dayton Ward(and team)!
October 2, 2021
Almost 20 years of fanwank starts to be drawn together into the first volume of what is already a wild ride through Trek-style temporal insanity. This will leave you utterly breathless by the end...and it's only the first act. Blood has already been drawn, and for those of us who have invested in these characters over years, it's truly apocalyptic. Roll on, book 2.
September 26, 2021
Dayton Ward has been playing merry hell with my emotions over the last six days, in the best possible sense. Star Trek’s first, best destiny has always been on television screens, but the novels have come damn close to replicating the magic. I’m grateful that The Powers That Be are letting Ward, James Swallow, and David Mack “swing for the fences,” as their editors put it. This is a work on a par with the Destiny trilogy, and I cannot wait for Books 2 and 3.
September 29, 2021
1st review!
STAR TREK: CODA: MOMENTS ASUNDER is a big epic disaster movie of a storyline. It reminds me most of STAR TREK: DESTINY but is even more focused on everything utterly going to Hell. The former was a war movie but this is much more an indescribable event that is beyond our heroes to deal with. Well, not quite, it is more like CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS with the old continuity of the Star Trek universe being sent to its final resting place in likelihood of a reboot that will feature a timeline closer to the Nu Trek on Paramount Plus.
Whether you think this is necessary or not will probably impact your love of the book or not. As far as I was concerned, the finale of STAR TREK: THE FALL pretty much wrapped up the Litverse as much as you needed to be. You can just move on to a new continuity after a happy ending like the kind we managed to get. I'm reminded of the famous quotation, "A happy ending depends on where you stop the story" by Orson Welles (allegedly). When the old STAR WARS Expanded Universe ended, I always felt it had gone a little too long as we knew that Luke/Han/Leia's sacrifices would end up with the dystopian LEGACY comics.
Was it necessary to blow up the universe (if that's what they're doing)? No. Is it a good story so far? Yes, but those who have an attachment to the characters of the Litverse may feel numerous gut punches and kicks before this is over. It's closing time and the Dayton Ward clearly thinks that this means a fire sale. While the "canon" characters of the Star Trek universe will undoubtedly be in the rebooted timline just fine (except for the ones killed off nin Picard), the ones who are purely of the novelverse are not going to be so lucky I fear. Really, the only one we know will be "safe" is Christine Vale and that's because she shows up in DARK VEIL.I will be honest, one of the deaths in this book REALLY hit me hard.
*points at Dayton Ward* Oh My Kahless, you killed [Blank], you petaQ!
The Monitor of this particular Crisis on Infinite Treks is, of all people, Wesley Crusher and it's a shame Will Wheaton has stated he's done with the character. I think he would be a very well loved character if he showed up as his Traveler form. Seeing him desperately trying to save his kid brother (who won't exist in the Picard-verse), his mother, his stepfather, and the Enterprise is a surprisingly moving story. The enemies they face are perhaps a little hard to believe (I think the Sphere Builders would have been a better choice) but I'm glad they mined Trek lore for these guys rather than inventing someone new.
This is a harsh and ruthless book but one that I'm glad to have ordered every copy of. The Trekverse has lasted decades of fun but now it's time to bring it an end. Let us at least meet it like Klingons, head on.
STAR TREK: CODA: MOMENTS ASUNDER is a big epic disaster movie of a storyline. It reminds me most of STAR TREK: DESTINY but is even more focused on everything utterly going to Hell. The former was a war movie but this is much more an indescribable event that is beyond our heroes to deal with. Well, not quite, it is more like CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS with the old continuity of the Star Trek universe being sent to its final resting place in likelihood of a reboot that will feature a timeline closer to the Nu Trek on Paramount Plus.
Whether you think this is necessary or not will probably impact your love of the book or not. As far as I was concerned, the finale of STAR TREK: THE FALL pretty much wrapped up the Litverse as much as you needed to be. You can just move on to a new continuity after a happy ending like the kind we managed to get. I'm reminded of the famous quotation, "A happy ending depends on where you stop the story" by Orson Welles (allegedly). When the old STAR WARS Expanded Universe ended, I always felt it had gone a little too long as we knew that Luke/Han/Leia's sacrifices would end up with the dystopian LEGACY comics.
Was it necessary to blow up the universe (if that's what they're doing)? No. Is it a good story so far? Yes, but those who have an attachment to the characters of the Litverse may feel numerous gut punches and kicks before this is over. It's closing time and the Dayton Ward clearly thinks that this means a fire sale. While the "canon" characters of the Star Trek universe will undoubtedly be in the rebooted timline just fine (except for the ones killed off nin Picard), the ones who are purely of the novelverse are not going to be so lucky I fear. Really, the only one we know will be "safe" is Christine Vale and that's because she shows up in DARK VEIL.I will be honest, one of the deaths in this book REALLY hit me hard.
*points at Dayton Ward* Oh My Kahless, you killed [Blank], you petaQ!
The Monitor of this particular Crisis on Infinite Treks is, of all people, Wesley Crusher and it's a shame Will Wheaton has stated he's done with the character. I think he would be a very well loved character if he showed up as his Traveler form. Seeing him desperately trying to save his kid brother (who won't exist in the Picard-verse), his mother, his stepfather, and the Enterprise is a surprisingly moving story. The enemies they face are perhaps a little hard to believe (I think the Sphere Builders would have been a better choice) but I'm glad they mined Trek lore for these guys rather than inventing someone new.
This is a harsh and ruthless book but one that I'm glad to have ordered every copy of. The Trekverse has lasted decades of fun but now it's time to bring it an end. Let us at least meet it like Klingons, head on.
October 13, 2021
I thought I’d be prepared. Boy, was I wrong. I am not big on time travel adventures so I went into the story with not too high expectations. What a thrill of a rollercoaster ride. This is only book 1 and they didn’t hold anything back, makes me a bit nervous and excited for the rest of the trilogy.
December 14, 2022
Diese Trilogie hat sich zum Ziel gesetzt, das nach dem Ausstrahlen der Star Trek Serie "Picard" entstandene Schisma des Auseinanderbrechens des Star Trek Kanons zu lösen. Denn seit 2001 (Star Trek Nemesis) wurde der Star Trek TV-Serien-Kosmos eigentlich eingestellt und CBS (Jetzt Paramount+) hat den Romanautoren freie Hand gegeben, den Serienkosmos weiterzuspinnen. Daraufhin wurden unzählige Romane geschrieben, die den (vermeintlichen Star Trek Kanon) weiterentwickelt haben, es sind einige einzigartige Romane dabei entstanden; so wurde das Borg-Problem gelöst (Star Trek Destiny Trilogie), es wurde ein Gegengewicht zur Förderation entwickelt (Star Trek Typhon Pact), es gab eine Umwälzung in der Förderationspolitik (Star Trek - The Fall), es wurden viele neue Figuren entwickelt und vorhandene Figuren weiterentwickelt, Deep Space Nine erhielt eine größere Rolle, die Besatzung der VOYAGER kehrt in den Delta-Quadranten zurück, das Geheimnis von Sektion 31 wurde aufgedeckt und die Verwicklungen einiger hochrangiger Sternenflotten-Offiziere wurden ans Licht der Öffentlichkeit gebracht (u.A. Captain Picard). Mit dem Start der "Picard"-Serie wurde das alles wertlos, da jetzt nicht mehr zum Kanon gehörig, den Star Trek Fans der Bücher kann nicht zugemutet werden, dass nun, was den Kanon anbelangt, eine Parallel-Realität entsteht. Nun hatten einige Autoren um David Mack, eine Idee, wie beide Erzählstränge (TV und Romane) wieder zusammengeführt werden können, die CODA-Trilogie ist die Antwort darauf. Im ersten Band konnte angedeutet werden, worauf es hinauslaufen könnte. In diesem Band kommen auch alle relevanten Protagonisten ins Auge des Betrachters; Picard als Captain der ENTERPRISE, Admiral Riker an Bord der TITAN, Ezri Dax an Bord der AVENTINE u.v.m.
Es wird ordentlich gevolzt, dem viele, für mich geliebte, Figuren zum Opfer fallen, darunter T'Ryssa Chen und Ezri Dax. Die Gefahr besteht darin, dass unzähliche Realitätsebenen sich gegenseitig auszulöschen drohen, Wesley Crusher ist diesem Phänomen auf der Spur und warnt seine Reale Existenzebene (als Typhon-Ausdehnung bezeichnet) davor. Für mich ist dieser Kampf um und gegen andere Realitäten, nichts anderes als der Fight um den Star Trek Kanon.
Ich bin sehr gespannt wie es weitergeht und ob ich das Ergebnis als Leser aktzeptieren kann, sollte das nicht der Fall sein, bin ich als Star Trek Fan des Romankosmos wahrscheinlich raus...
Es wird ordentlich gevolzt, dem viele, für mich geliebte, Figuren zum Opfer fallen, darunter T'Ryssa Chen und Ezri Dax. Die Gefahr besteht darin, dass unzähliche Realitätsebenen sich gegenseitig auszulöschen drohen, Wesley Crusher ist diesem Phänomen auf der Spur und warnt seine Reale Existenzebene (als Typhon-Ausdehnung bezeichnet) davor. Für mich ist dieser Kampf um und gegen andere Realitäten, nichts anderes als der Fight um den Star Trek Kanon.
Ich bin sehr gespannt wie es weitergeht und ob ich das Ergebnis als Leser aktzeptieren kann, sollte das nicht der Fall sein, bin ich als Star Trek Fan des Romankosmos wahrscheinlich raus...
October 1, 2021
This might be my favorite book of the year. It feels like Star Trek in all the ways the recent tv shows haven’t. The villains are perfect for this story and not just some tossed off character that’s forced into another story. It makes SENSE. I loved it and I cannot wait for the next two!
November 15, 2021
Me: Wow, this book is really slow. It feels like nothing is happening.
Dayton Ward: Okay, what if we killed off Ezri Dax? That would be something happening, right?
Me: No, Dayton. Not like that.
RIP in peace, Queen Ezri. You were done supremely dirty.
Dayton Ward: Okay, what if we killed off Ezri Dax? That would be something happening, right?
Me: No, Dayton. Not like that.
RIP in peace, Queen Ezri. You were done supremely dirty.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 9, 2025
Hard not to hold this sentimental, beginning-of-the-end in high regard. Picard reflecting on his worth as a leader and the legacy he leaves to those who've served with him. Crusher and Crusher reuniting under wildly emotional circumstances. And talk about toying with our hearts, I'm not going to tell you who dies and who stays dead, but be prepared with a hanky within reach.
I'm kind of on the run around today, so I'll just gonna add a few thoughts that occurred while listening.
Precocious was maybe over used to describe the kids in this story, at least four times by my count.
I lost count of how many times Beverley's ability to compartmentalise was mentioned. In case you missed the memo, she's quite good at bottling up her feelings to focus on her current required tasks.
And I guess the other thing was that I got trapped listening to the afterword because I was halfway through my set on the gym's rowing machine. Being at the gym is kind of a very new thing for me, but checking out fore- and after- words is very rare. Anyway, I appreciated very much the sentiment which was included therein. I only wonder if the series will be able to achieve what Ward claims it has set out to achieve, namely to avoid the disappointment that occurred for Star Wars readers when all of their novelised canon became "legends."
However it pans out, and I'm assuming that we're all guessing it'll be a timey-wimey reset, the stories we've read will become practically void. On the plus side is that although we Trek readers (and the authors) have had the freedom to consider the post series novels as canon, we have known all along that tv production takes precedence, and we're quite used to keeping a head canon anyway since the earliest books had no intent nor claim to be canonical.
The book is great, read it. And be grateful that the current Trek authorities gave this a green light.
I'm kind of on the run around today, so I'll just gonna add a few thoughts that occurred while listening.
Precocious was maybe over used to describe the kids in this story, at least four times by my count.
I lost count of how many times Beverley's ability to compartmentalise was mentioned. In case you missed the memo, she's quite good at bottling up her feelings to focus on her current required tasks.
And I guess the other thing was that I got trapped listening to the afterword because I was halfway through my set on the gym's rowing machine. Being at the gym is kind of a very new thing for me, but checking out fore- and after- words is very rare. Anyway, I appreciated very much the sentiment which was included therein. I only wonder if the series will be able to achieve what Ward claims it has set out to achieve, namely to avoid the disappointment that occurred for Star Wars readers when all of their novelised canon became "legends."
However it pans out, and I'm assuming that we're all guessing it'll be a timey-wimey reset, the stories we've read will become practically void. On the plus side is that although we Trek readers (and the authors) have had the freedom to consider the post series novels as canon, we have known all along that tv production takes precedence, and we're quite used to keeping a head canon anyway since the earliest books had no intent nor claim to be canonical.
The book is great, read it. And be grateful that the current Trek authorities gave this a green light.
December 18, 2022
Deviated. A fitting beginning conclusion to 20+ years of Star Trek Novels. While I haven't read all there is and its probably spoiling a lot of the other book series, I still am heavily invested and quite sad at all the characters we're losing.
October 16, 2021
So, before anything else, you should know why this book exists. It's basically like the MCU creating Loki the series to allow for stories that used to be canon but now aren't.
And, even if you don't want to read this book, you should at LEAST read the first chapter, because it's basically a blow by blow of everything important that's happened in the Star Trek storyline after each series ended up until "now". And, yes, "now" is a bit shaky, but it's basically after the last TNG movie and before Picard's TV series. But it doesn't go all the way up to Picard's show, as he's still Captain of the Enterprise E.
I'm not going to spoil anything that happens in Coda book one, but there's a threat not only to one Universe, but all of them, and Wesley Crusher's trying to piece it all together with help from the Enterprise E and to a lesser degree, the Titan. We also hear about the last of the Enterprise main characters' possible opportunities that would cause them to finally leave the ship.
The plot is very long and very complicated, but it all feels VERY Star Trek. In my opinion, this book was very much needed, and if you've ever been a fan of TNG, then this book is something you could get behind even if you aren't caught up on the book canon.
At the end of this book, it's explained that it was necessary because Star Trek Picard destroys most of the canon of the novels that have shown up in the last 16 or 17 years.
As you can tell from the title, this book is a trilogy and I'm very much looking forward to reading the other two, and seeing what else they do AFTER this trilogy to cover the time between "now" and Star Trek Picard.
Honestly, I think it would have been far easier to consider Picard the non-canon thing and leave hundreds of books alone, but I guess what's bad enough for Star Wars is bad enough for Star Trek.
And, even if you don't want to read this book, you should at LEAST read the first chapter, because it's basically a blow by blow of everything important that's happened in the Star Trek storyline after each series ended up until "now". And, yes, "now" is a bit shaky, but it's basically after the last TNG movie and before Picard's TV series. But it doesn't go all the way up to Picard's show, as he's still Captain of the Enterprise E.
I'm not going to spoil anything that happens in Coda book one, but there's a threat not only to one Universe, but all of them, and Wesley Crusher's trying to piece it all together with help from the Enterprise E and to a lesser degree, the Titan. We also hear about the last of the Enterprise main characters' possible opportunities that would cause them to finally leave the ship.
The plot is very long and very complicated, but it all feels VERY Star Trek. In my opinion, this book was very much needed, and if you've ever been a fan of TNG, then this book is something you could get behind even if you aren't caught up on the book canon.
At the end of this book, it's explained that it was necessary because Star Trek Picard destroys most of the canon of the novels that have shown up in the last 16 or 17 years.
As you can tell from the title, this book is a trilogy and I'm very much looking forward to reading the other two, and seeing what else they do AFTER this trilogy to cover the time between "now" and Star Trek Picard.
Honestly, I think it would have been far easier to consider Picard the non-canon thing and leave hundreds of books alone, but I guess what's bad enough for Star Wars is bad enough for Star Trek.
April 17, 2024
A super boring start to the last trilogy of the Star Trek Litverse. I lost the interest in reading most of the relaunch novels quite some time ago but kept reading them because I felt like I ought to as a lifelong Trekkie. But I have to say, I'm honestly glad this is finally coming to an end. I didn't even care that they killed Ezri Dax in this one and I really should have. Just. End. It.
My full review for the Coda trilogy can be found on my blog page "Star Trek Coda: Moments Asunder, The Ashes of Tomorrow, and Oblivion's Gate."
It was a long and wild ride. It was fun but I'm glad the massive relaunch litverse is finished. Now can we please go back to episodic novels?
My full review for the Coda trilogy can be found on my blog page "Star Trek Coda: Moments Asunder, The Ashes of Tomorrow, and Oblivion's Gate."
It was a long and wild ride. It was fun but I'm glad the massive relaunch litverse is finished. Now can we please go back to episodic novels?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 23, 2021
For me, I’m afraid this was a bit unsatisfying. Ward had the unenviable task of setting up some very complex, multiverse shattering plot stuff that will no doubt pay off in the next two novels. It’s just that on its own it feels really incomplete. It’s like the teaser to a Trek episode. I think the best trilogies offer up a complete story of some kind in each of their constituent parts. I didn’t feel that here.
November 27, 2021
I am a fan of all of the Star Trek TV series and I've read many of the books, but I found this one a little hard to follow. The story jumps around from place (and time) to place (and time) and at times I wasn't always sure where (or when) I was! This is the first of a trilogy and at present I'm not sure I'll bother with the other two books, although I do want to know what happens...
May 27, 2025
Midden in een reeks begonnen dus ik snapte niet zo goed wat er aan de hand was :/
October 14, 2021
Where will this all end?
Welcome to the Star Trek multiverse! I am not sure where this will all end, but I enjoy Dayton Ward’s contribution to the journey. He is one is the best ST writers and certainly writes a fast moving tale here.
Welcome to the Star Trek multiverse! I am not sure where this will all end, but I enjoy Dayton Ward’s contribution to the journey. He is one is the best ST writers and certainly writes a fast moving tale here.
October 14, 2021
You should really get this audiobook with the the informative afterword by Dayton Ward.
October 10, 2021
a Star Trek crisis on infinite universes
Amazing book. Just what we need in a post trump, current pandemic era where we need to escape reality in these amazing novels. Cannot wait for the next one.
Amazing book. Just what we need in a post trump, current pandemic era where we need to escape reality in these amazing novels. Cannot wait for the next one.
October 3, 2021
A Rousing Beginning of the End for Trek-Lit!
With the continuation of the Trek storyline with shows such as Star Trek: Picard, the expansive and beautifully crafted stories published since 2001 must come to an end. While I'm sure many do not want to see this happen, I'm thankful that at least Trek-lit is being given a proper send-off with a trilogy of novels penned by Dayton Ward, James Swallow, and David Mack.
Dayton Ward's "Moments Asunder" is a masterfully written novel, weaving story elements from the TV shows and the previous tales of the various Trek series into a non-stop engaging story. Ward manages to present a complex narrative without any lulls or periods where nothing much happens. Every chapter, every scene moves the story forward in such an engaging manner that you'll find it hard to put down.
This book has my highest recommendation!
With the continuation of the Trek storyline with shows such as Star Trek: Picard, the expansive and beautifully crafted stories published since 2001 must come to an end. While I'm sure many do not want to see this happen, I'm thankful that at least Trek-lit is being given a proper send-off with a trilogy of novels penned by Dayton Ward, James Swallow, and David Mack.
Dayton Ward's "Moments Asunder" is a masterfully written novel, weaving story elements from the TV shows and the previous tales of the various Trek series into a non-stop engaging story. Ward manages to present a complex narrative without any lulls or periods where nothing much happens. Every chapter, every scene moves the story forward in such an engaging manner that you'll find it hard to put down.
This book has my highest recommendation!
October 9, 2021
Gut punched
If you have been reading these novels over the last, what, two decades almost, it's a bittersweet journey. It reminds me of the SCE Book Wildfire, but I know it will be stretched out longer. Thank you Dayton Ward for the many stories you have had us take part in with you.
If you have been reading these novels over the last, what, two decades almost, it's a bittersweet journey. It reminds me of the SCE Book Wildfire, but I know it will be stretched out longer. Thank you Dayton Ward for the many stories you have had us take part in with you.
December 13, 2023
This mostly spoiler-free review applies to each of the three books of the Star Trek Coda Trilogy.
First, let me say the Coda Trilogy is exciting, well written, and obviously a great deal of love by the authors went into each book. I can't say I didn't enjoy the books as fiction. Kudos to the authors for their writing skills.
However, I can't express enough my sorrow and frustration with, if not the authors, the franchise as a whole. I have read the majority of the post-2000 Star Trek fiction universe, known as the "Litverse", and, although I acknowledge there were some stinkers, overall I have truly enjoyed, even loved, the continuing adventures of our band of spacefaring heroes.
The Coda Trilogy is the death knell of the Trek Litverse. Over the course of the three novels, the reader watches as the secondary characters that were unique to the relaunch series' die, and then, slowly at first, and then with greater momentum, the rest of the cast of characters, from all the series (sans Voyager), each meet their mortal end, often times violently (indeed, many meet a very grisly end). For this reason, first and foremost, I cannot give the books of this trilogy more than two stars, and the final novel I can only give one.
But beyond my broader dissatisfaction with the decision to literally kill off all of our beloved heroes, indeed, to utterly destroy the entire universe (you'll have to read the novels to see how this is creatively pulled off by the authors), I wasn't happy with several other aspects of the story. The villains featured primarily in the first two books can radically age a character simply by touching them, the result of which kills many Red Shirts, but one of the characters introduced in the Litverse is aged only several years, and remains so until the end of the trilogy, only to die with the rest of the universe: Why? This plot development simply went nowhere.
Speaking of those same villains: They are faceless skeleton-like creatures clothed in tattered robes that use a staff with a crystal ball on the end to shoot "death rays", they "feed on souls" (which emanate from the bodies of our dying heroes like a ghostly vapor), and they command flying serpent-creatures that actually "eat" time. Seriously? They are even referred to as "wraiths"! In a Star Trek novel, really? Indeed, the descriptions of the villains is full of tropes and seemingly lifted from the monsters of Lord of the Rings and similar fantasy works, they broke my immersion in the story.
Why were some characters affected by the “temporal multiple-personality disorder”, and not others? Why does every single character accept their ultimate fate so blithefully? And did we really need to refer to Wesley Crusher as "the Alpha and Omega" (I'm not kidding)!?
All that aside, as I mentioned already, the novels were truly page-turners. I read the second half of the third book in one sitting. Did I enjoy the books of this trilogy? In the sense of an exciting sci-fi novel, yes. Did I enjoy them as Star Trek? Absolultey not. And can I forgive the authors, and the franchise, for killing the Trek Litverse? Probably not. What makes me even more frustrated is the new Trek shows are equally dark and unTreklike (in my opinion) and most likely won't see the same literally continuation that the relaunch novels enjoyed. I hope I'm wrong (update: two years later, and we've only had a handful of novels set in the new continuity).
RIP Prynn Tenmei, Elias Vaughn, T'Ryssa Chen, Ravel Dygan, Rebecca Sisko, and all the rest. Your stories were yet to be told, and I would have loved to get to know all of you better. I would have loved to know whatever happened with The Ascendants and the Bajoran moon, and why was it a false construct? Was it a prototype for the wormhole, and if so, why? What happened with Alter Dans, and what was the point of introducing his lengthy backstory? So much momentum was built up with the various relaunch story arcs, it pains me to know these stories will never be finished. We will never know what happens next, because the Litverse is at an end, and some of the plot lines were abandoned.
More importantly for me: What will Sisko and the Robinson discover in the Gamma Quadrant? What will Picard, Beverly, and Rene do on the next adventure of the Enterprise-E? What the heck happened to Janeway, Tom, and B'Elanna? We'll also never know those new adventures. And that, I think, is a sad, sad conclusion to 20 years of the Star Trek Litverse.
First, let me say the Coda Trilogy is exciting, well written, and obviously a great deal of love by the authors went into each book. I can't say I didn't enjoy the books as fiction. Kudos to the authors for their writing skills.
However, I can't express enough my sorrow and frustration with, if not the authors, the franchise as a whole. I have read the majority of the post-2000 Star Trek fiction universe, known as the "Litverse", and, although I acknowledge there were some stinkers, overall I have truly enjoyed, even loved, the continuing adventures of our band of spacefaring heroes.
The Coda Trilogy is the death knell of the Trek Litverse. Over the course of the three novels, the reader watches as the secondary characters that were unique to the relaunch series' die, and then, slowly at first, and then with greater momentum, the rest of the cast of characters, from all the series (sans Voyager), each meet their mortal end, often times violently (indeed, many meet a very grisly end). For this reason, first and foremost, I cannot give the books of this trilogy more than two stars, and the final novel I can only give one.
But beyond my broader dissatisfaction with the decision to literally kill off all of our beloved heroes, indeed, to utterly destroy the entire universe (you'll have to read the novels to see how this is creatively pulled off by the authors), I wasn't happy with several other aspects of the story. The villains featured primarily in the first two books can radically age a character simply by touching them, the result of which kills many Red Shirts, but one of the characters introduced in the Litverse is aged only several years, and remains so until the end of the trilogy, only to die with the rest of the universe: Why? This plot development simply went nowhere.
Speaking of those same villains: They are faceless skeleton-like creatures clothed in tattered robes that use a staff with a crystal ball on the end to shoot "death rays", they "feed on souls" (which emanate from the bodies of our dying heroes like a ghostly vapor), and they command flying serpent-creatures that actually "eat" time. Seriously? They are even referred to as "wraiths"! In a Star Trek novel, really? Indeed, the descriptions of the villains is full of tropes and seemingly lifted from the monsters of Lord of the Rings and similar fantasy works, they broke my immersion in the story.
Why were some characters affected by the “temporal multiple-personality disorder”, and not others? Why does every single character accept their ultimate fate so blithefully? And did we really need to refer to Wesley Crusher as "the Alpha and Omega" (I'm not kidding)!?
All that aside, as I mentioned already, the novels were truly page-turners. I read the second half of the third book in one sitting. Did I enjoy the books of this trilogy? In the sense of an exciting sci-fi novel, yes. Did I enjoy them as Star Trek? Absolultey not. And can I forgive the authors, and the franchise, for killing the Trek Litverse? Probably not. What makes me even more frustrated is the new Trek shows are equally dark and unTreklike (in my opinion) and most likely won't see the same literally continuation that the relaunch novels enjoyed. I hope I'm wrong (update: two years later, and we've only had a handful of novels set in the new continuity).
RIP Prynn Tenmei, Elias Vaughn, T'Ryssa Chen, Ravel Dygan, Rebecca Sisko, and all the rest. Your stories were yet to be told, and I would have loved to get to know all of you better. I would have loved to know whatever happened with The Ascendants and the Bajoran moon, and why was it a false construct? Was it a prototype for the wormhole, and if so, why? What happened with Alter Dans, and what was the point of introducing his lengthy backstory? So much momentum was built up with the various relaunch story arcs, it pains me to know these stories will never be finished. We will never know what happens next, because the Litverse is at an end, and some of the plot lines were abandoned.
More importantly for me: What will Sisko and the Robinson discover in the Gamma Quadrant? What will Picard, Beverly, and Rene do on the next adventure of the Enterprise-E? What the heck happened to Janeway, Tom, and B'Elanna? We'll also never know those new adventures. And that, I think, is a sad, sad conclusion to 20 years of the Star Trek Litverse.
October 4, 2021
I'm glad that despite how awful, and unlike Star Trek the new series' Discovery and Picard are, we can still count on the quality of the novels series' that take place after the previous series'. These stories would have made for far better tv.
This is a good start to this trilogy, with the mix of storytelling and action we've come to expect, and with . I usually enjoy books about time travel and multiple realities.
This is a good start to this trilogy, with the mix of storytelling and action we've come to expect, and with . I usually enjoy books about time travel and multiple realities.
October 6, 2021
An amazing start to the end of the universe
What a great start to the final trilogy of the Star Trek relaunch. This is obviously a labor of love for the authors behind the trilogy.
As usual, Dayton Ward did amazing on this volume. Excited for the next installment!
What a great start to the final trilogy of the Star Trek relaunch. This is obviously a labor of love for the authors behind the trilogy.
As usual, Dayton Ward did amazing on this volume. Excited for the next installment!
September 29, 2021
Since 2001, the Star Trek novels across multiple series have given we the reader a chance to continue on with stories & events in the era post "Star Trek: Nemesis", "What You Leave Behind" and "Endgame". Until the premiere of "Star Trek: Picard" that timeline was mostly safe, but the reality is the creators of that series chose not to stick to what was known as novel canon. With the "Star Trek: Coda" trilogy, we the fans of the novels and Trek in general have been given what is the most important book series since "Destiny" and also a way to reconcile just how we got to this new reality and for the fans a tribute to the last 20 years of loyalty as readers.
With "Moments Asunder", Dayton Ward begins the task with a tale that is stunning & breathtaking in scope as well as acknowledging what this current novel timeline looks like. The biggest returning character in this premise is Wesley Crusher who has been dealing with trying to understand just why certain timelines have been diverging and disappearing. When a future version of himself learns something that eventually causes that version's death it's up to an alternate version to help figure this out. With the help of the Enterprise crew, Aventine & DTI, it's eventually determined that the Devidians ("Time's Arrow Parts 1 & 2) are trying to find a way to destroy all of time itself.
Ward's fast paced novel is at times heart warming & heartbreaking as we watch these characters we know & love go through the unspeakable with deaths that will shock we the reader even though ultimately they maybe necessary. The use of the Relativity is a nice gesture as well especially for a trilogy involving time travel. Where this ultimately ends up is anyone's guess right now but 1 book in, this reader is beyond ready to see just where this ends up and how we reach the conclusion.
With "Moments Asunder", Dayton Ward begins the task with a tale that is stunning & breathtaking in scope as well as acknowledging what this current novel timeline looks like. The biggest returning character in this premise is Wesley Crusher who has been dealing with trying to understand just why certain timelines have been diverging and disappearing. When a future version of himself learns something that eventually causes that version's death it's up to an alternate version to help figure this out. With the help of the Enterprise crew, Aventine & DTI, it's eventually determined that the Devidians ("Time's Arrow Parts 1 & 2) are trying to find a way to destroy all of time itself.
Ward's fast paced novel is at times heart warming & heartbreaking as we watch these characters we know & love go through the unspeakable with deaths that will shock we the reader even though ultimately they maybe necessary. The use of the Relativity is a nice gesture as well especially for a trilogy involving time travel. Where this ultimately ends up is anyone's guess right now but 1 book in, this reader is beyond ready to see just where this ends up and how we reach the conclusion.
April 13, 2025
Following the end of Star Trek: Enterprise in 2005, it looked increasingly like we would see no further Star Trek on the small screen. In response, a unique set of circumstances developed by which most of the mainline series up to that point were continued by a small collection of regular authors. These writers were able to do more or less what they wanted, mixing characters and interweaving storylines in a way that had never been possible when the shows were on the air. Allowed a tremendous amount of freedom, their only limits were their imaginations, with the understanding that any stories they pitched had to be based under the general optimism that is Star Trek’s guiding principle.
As such, for the next two decades, these authors with countless new novels crafted a mythology that spanned the entirety of Star Trek with such notable entries as the Star Trek : Destiny trilogy, by David Mack, which told the tale of the Borg Invasion of (???) and the Typhon Pact series which was it’s aftermath. A parallel to the Warsaw Pact we saw an Alliance of hostile powers rise up to challenge the Federation in the wake of the Borg assault. I would also point out the Vanguard series, filling in many critical gaps in lore from between the TOS films and TNG. Although I could mention many more, for the sake of brevity I will simply state that for those of us who could never get enough trek, these novels were a blessing. Though I would be remiss if I did not mention the Enterprise serialized novels which thankfully undid the massively unpopular “These Are The Voyages”, which in my opinion was a poor finale for a fantastic show.
With the resurgence of new Trek television series on Paramount Plus, this meant that there was going to be a significant shift in the landscape of Star Trek tie in media. As you may or may not be aware, tie in media evidently is required to match the franchise as it exists at the time, and this inevitably heralded the end to a two decade long experiment of masterful trek storytelling as they continued the histories of the characters and universe that the Berman era left behind. Realizing this, the authors that had shepherded this mythology for so long had decided to give it a proper send off, writing and pitching a series of books that would give the finale the gravity it deserved. This is that trilogy.
Taking place at the twilight of the post Nemesis continuity, Star Trek: Coda, wraps up two full decades of Star Trek continuing the stories of Star Trek The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, and literary only series like Titan. Taking advantage of the shared continuity, the lives of these characters were continued, changed, and evolved. As the crews went on meeting new challenges and deadly enemies, the world continued to grow and become something with a life of its own. But as with many good things, it had to come to an end. This trilogy is the finale of the ultimate what if story.
Drawing from all corners of the twenty fourth century, Coda features characters from the original series all the way to Titan and the Aventine. Starring Captain’s Picard, Sisko, Riker, and Ezri Dax, they and their crews must work together to face a threat greater than any of them have ever fought before.
I was a little surprised when I realized that with the exception of Tom and B’Elanna, the Voyager crew is largely absent from this adventure, but of course realizing there is only so much room, understand why and appreciate the fact that they were included. Nevertheless I thought it worth noting. In any case…
An old enemy has returned. Collapsing timelines in their limitless hunger, the very fate of the universe may very well be at stake. The combined crews of Captain Picard, Sisko, Ezri Dax, and Riker must work together to face what may be their greatest challenge.
I’ve decided to review the trilogy as a whole because it is, at least in my opinion, the only way they can be read. Given its status as the wrap up to the entire Star Trek literary universe post Nemesis, if you’ve come this far you wouldn’t read one without having read the others. That said, I highly recommend both these books and the authors that wrote them, with their work being of the highest caliber of trek fiction.
The story is a tale in three parts. Designed to end a shared universe developed through the efforts of more than twenty five authors, it had to be a big one, and it certainly lives up to the challenge. Faced with an enemy from their past that threatens to destroy all of time, the crews must work together to carry out their final mission.
Written by a trio of powerhouse trek authors, it’s a strong finale to a two decade long endeavor. Emotionally gripping, with high stakes and deep respect for the world they have built, the story is the kind of finale you hope to see at the end of a long series.
Our story begins when it appears time itself is under threat by an enemy long since thought vanquished. Wesley Crusher, a Traveler, seeks out his old companions in the hopes of preventing what may be the end of everything. With a temporal apocalypse on the horizon, he rushes to unravel the mystery before time has run out, for everyone.
I do absolutely recommend that if you have been reading the trek lit verse that you read this one. It starts out strong, and only gets stronger as it goes along. Characters that we’ve only known through the books get a fitting last run along with versions of characters we’ve known for much longer. It’s hard to describe this trilogy without spoilers and without hyperbole but suffice it to say that it is a must read for any trek fan.
I’d say knowledge of the lit verse is definitely a bonus but not required, although it does aid with the background of this particular trilogy. Due to its nature as the denouement of a fantastic literary enterprise (see what I did there [in text]) it may be less accessible to the casual fan but if you appreciate good literature you owe it to yourself to read David Mack.
Overall I’d say that the entire trilogy was a journey I was privileged to take, and one I knew was going to be a fantastic ride, much like taking a vacation with beloved friends. You enjoy it while you’re on it, but you know sooner or later it has to come to an end.
What can I say, but thank you to James Swallow, David Mack, and Dayton Ward for the final adventure we all hoped would be a long way off, but are grateful that it was the three of you who wrote them.
I would recommend it wholeheartedly to anyone who considers themselves a fan of trek lit, and if you haven’t, I offer some recommended reading. Any of the Titan series, the Destiny trilogy, Typhon Pact, and Star Trek Vanguard. And if you read nothing else, you’ve done a good job.
As such, for the next two decades, these authors with countless new novels crafted a mythology that spanned the entirety of Star Trek with such notable entries as the Star Trek : Destiny trilogy, by David Mack, which told the tale of the Borg Invasion of (???) and the Typhon Pact series which was it’s aftermath. A parallel to the Warsaw Pact we saw an Alliance of hostile powers rise up to challenge the Federation in the wake of the Borg assault. I would also point out the Vanguard series, filling in many critical gaps in lore from between the TOS films and TNG. Although I could mention many more, for the sake of brevity I will simply state that for those of us who could never get enough trek, these novels were a blessing. Though I would be remiss if I did not mention the Enterprise serialized novels which thankfully undid the massively unpopular “These Are The Voyages”, which in my opinion was a poor finale for a fantastic show.
With the resurgence of new Trek television series on Paramount Plus, this meant that there was going to be a significant shift in the landscape of Star Trek tie in media. As you may or may not be aware, tie in media evidently is required to match the franchise as it exists at the time, and this inevitably heralded the end to a two decade long experiment of masterful trek storytelling as they continued the histories of the characters and universe that the Berman era left behind. Realizing this, the authors that had shepherded this mythology for so long had decided to give it a proper send off, writing and pitching a series of books that would give the finale the gravity it deserved. This is that trilogy.
Taking place at the twilight of the post Nemesis continuity, Star Trek: Coda, wraps up two full decades of Star Trek continuing the stories of Star Trek The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, and literary only series like Titan. Taking advantage of the shared continuity, the lives of these characters were continued, changed, and evolved. As the crews went on meeting new challenges and deadly enemies, the world continued to grow and become something with a life of its own. But as with many good things, it had to come to an end. This trilogy is the finale of the ultimate what if story.
Drawing from all corners of the twenty fourth century, Coda features characters from the original series all the way to Titan and the Aventine. Starring Captain’s Picard, Sisko, Riker, and Ezri Dax, they and their crews must work together to face a threat greater than any of them have ever fought before.
I was a little surprised when I realized that with the exception of Tom and B’Elanna, the Voyager crew is largely absent from this adventure, but of course realizing there is only so much room, understand why and appreciate the fact that they were included. Nevertheless I thought it worth noting. In any case…
An old enemy has returned. Collapsing timelines in their limitless hunger, the very fate of the universe may very well be at stake. The combined crews of Captain Picard, Sisko, Ezri Dax, and Riker must work together to face what may be their greatest challenge.
I’ve decided to review the trilogy as a whole because it is, at least in my opinion, the only way they can be read. Given its status as the wrap up to the entire Star Trek literary universe post Nemesis, if you’ve come this far you wouldn’t read one without having read the others. That said, I highly recommend both these books and the authors that wrote them, with their work being of the highest caliber of trek fiction.
The story is a tale in three parts. Designed to end a shared universe developed through the efforts of more than twenty five authors, it had to be a big one, and it certainly lives up to the challenge. Faced with an enemy from their past that threatens to destroy all of time, the crews must work together to carry out their final mission.
Written by a trio of powerhouse trek authors, it’s a strong finale to a two decade long endeavor. Emotionally gripping, with high stakes and deep respect for the world they have built, the story is the kind of finale you hope to see at the end of a long series.
Our story begins when it appears time itself is under threat by an enemy long since thought vanquished. Wesley Crusher, a Traveler, seeks out his old companions in the hopes of preventing what may be the end of everything. With a temporal apocalypse on the horizon, he rushes to unravel the mystery before time has run out, for everyone.
I do absolutely recommend that if you have been reading the trek lit verse that you read this one. It starts out strong, and only gets stronger as it goes along. Characters that we’ve only known through the books get a fitting last run along with versions of characters we’ve known for much longer. It’s hard to describe this trilogy without spoilers and without hyperbole but suffice it to say that it is a must read for any trek fan.
I’d say knowledge of the lit verse is definitely a bonus but not required, although it does aid with the background of this particular trilogy. Due to its nature as the denouement of a fantastic literary enterprise (see what I did there [in text]) it may be less accessible to the casual fan but if you appreciate good literature you owe it to yourself to read David Mack.
Overall I’d say that the entire trilogy was a journey I was privileged to take, and one I knew was going to be a fantastic ride, much like taking a vacation with beloved friends. You enjoy it while you’re on it, but you know sooner or later it has to come to an end.
What can I say, but thank you to James Swallow, David Mack, and Dayton Ward for the final adventure we all hoped would be a long way off, but are grateful that it was the three of you who wrote them.
I would recommend it wholeheartedly to anyone who considers themselves a fan of trek lit, and if you haven’t, I offer some recommended reading. Any of the Titan series, the Destiny trilogy, Typhon Pact, and Star Trek Vanguard. And if you read nothing else, you’ve done a good job.
September 27, 2021
Let me start by saying the cover for Moments Asunder is stunning. Well, at least it's stunning through the eyes of a forty-year-old Trekkie. LOL. If you haven't read all of the relaunch books, like me, then we're in luck because there's a four-page 'Previously" section before the first chapter to help us catch up on past storylines.
To avoid giving away too many spoilers, I'm not going to include a detailed synopsis. The plot involves temporal anomalies scattered across time and space, which gets the attention of 'traveler' Wesley Crusher, the crew of the 29th-century starship USS Relativity, and the Guardian of Forever. Who or what is responsible for these events is connected to a two-part TNG episode. Wesley time-shifts aboard the Enterprise-E in 2387 to seek help from his stepfather, Captain Jean-Luc Picard, and mother, Beverly Crusher, only to learn his half-brother René is physically being altered by the temporal anomalies. That's as far as I'm going to go with the plot. Read the book if you want to know more.
The story features other Trek characters, such as Captian Ezri Dax and the crew of the USS Aventine, Admiral William T. Riker, Commander Deana Troi, Commander Tom Paris, and Commander B'Elanna Torres. The USS Enterprise-D crew from an alternate reality (first seen in the Star Trek: TNG novel Headlong Flight) also appears.
Overall, I enjoyed reading Star Trek: Coda: Book 1: Moments Asunder. A part of me will mourn the loss of "the litverse" continuity but will welcome the timeline changes that I'm guessing will occur by the end of the third book. Sadly, all things must come to an end - or receive a timeline correction using good old-fashioned science fiction.
To avoid giving away too many spoilers, I'm not going to include a detailed synopsis. The plot involves temporal anomalies scattered across time and space, which gets the attention of 'traveler' Wesley Crusher, the crew of the 29th-century starship USS Relativity, and the Guardian of Forever. Who or what is responsible for these events is connected to a two-part TNG episode. Wesley time-shifts aboard the Enterprise-E in 2387 to seek help from his stepfather, Captain Jean-Luc Picard, and mother, Beverly Crusher, only to learn his half-brother René is physically being altered by the temporal anomalies. That's as far as I'm going to go with the plot. Read the book if you want to know more.
The story features other Trek characters, such as Captian Ezri Dax and the crew of the USS Aventine, Admiral William T. Riker, Commander Deana Troi, Commander Tom Paris, and Commander B'Elanna Torres. The USS Enterprise-D crew from an alternate reality (first seen in the Star Trek: TNG novel Headlong Flight) also appears.
Overall, I enjoyed reading Star Trek: Coda: Book 1: Moments Asunder. A part of me will mourn the loss of "the litverse" continuity but will welcome the timeline changes that I'm guessing will occur by the end of the third book. Sadly, all things must come to an end - or receive a timeline correction using good old-fashioned science fiction.
December 24, 2021
I found out about this series from my Instagram feed. A new Trek trilogy by David Mack? I ran down to my local Barnes & Noble the next day. David Mack has been one of my favorite (and arguably the best) Star Trek author ever, and I've been reading Trek novels since the early 1990s, even reading the old, OLD ones from the 1970s and '80s. I LOVED Mack's Vanguard series, and the Destiny series was the best Star Trek story ever told (I would say even rivaling the television series and movies).
Now, I know this book, "Moments Asunder," was written by Dayton Ward, but if there is a second best Trek author that writes just as epically (and I believe also penned some of the Vanguard series books, as well as Star Trek: The Fall series), it is him. And boy - does he deliver in this first, opening act of the Coda series.
Looking back after reading all three of the books in this series, I upped my rating of the first book to five stars as this one is the best of the trilogy, if you ask me. Ward deftly sets a mood of impending doom quite well in this book, and re-tells one of Star Trek's best battle scenes with a different ship and different crew is just sheer fanboy material.
You'll want to read all three books to see how this all plays out, but believe me - Moments Asunder is the best of the three.
Now, I know this book, "Moments Asunder," was written by Dayton Ward, but if there is a second best Trek author that writes just as epically (and I believe also penned some of the Vanguard series books, as well as Star Trek: The Fall series), it is him. And boy - does he deliver in this first, opening act of the Coda series.
Looking back after reading all three of the books in this series, I upped my rating of the first book to five stars as this one is the best of the trilogy, if you ask me. Ward deftly sets a mood of impending doom quite well in this book, and re-tells one of Star Trek's best battle scenes with a different ship and different crew is just sheer fanboy material.
You'll want to read all three books to see how this all plays out, but believe me - Moments Asunder is the best of the three.
June 20, 2022
After decades of not really reading any Star Trek tie-in fiction I decided to start up again. I wanted to reread the novels I tore through when younger, but knew I would be hard-pressed to catch up with where the fictional universe currently sat. I was curious to see what had happened to characters since movies and shows ended. So, I decided to both reread the older stuff while keeping up with newer novels released, starting right then.
Bad timing.
No sooner had I read the latest Star Trek: The Next Generation novel and the announcement of the new Picard series came. What would happen to these novels now? I feared they’d just stop, especially given other Star Trek franchises didn’t seem to have a new novel published for a terribly long time. The state of Deep Space Nine adventures particularly made me worry.
One other Star Trek: The Next Generation novel was released, with a note in it that the recent authors were hard at work at a way to bring closure to the novel line while merging it into the new continuity that Picard would establish. Until then, new releases seemed to be set during the time period the original show took place.
I felt the author’s and fan’s frustration. It annoys me so much that the film/television universes ‘need’ to take precedence over the novels. I would LOVE it if a show took all the constraints that a novel universe put on franchise and the writers were forced to come up with something that fits. Watching Picard now, I doubly wish it. Because the first season of Picard, at least, was far less enjoyable and interesting than what the novels seem to have produced in the last decades.
Irregardless, here we are, the start of a trilogy (Star Trek: Coda) that seeks to wrap up the novel universe of the franchise and bring things in line with the new continuities. Cue time travel and multiverses. These are two tropes that SF routinely uses to ‘reimagine’ and ‘reboot’ things, originating from comic books perhaps? It’s always a mess, and it usually leads me to abandoning things. As soon as multiverses came into the DC superhero TV shows, popping up all over, I stopped. I’m over the Marvel movies.
So, I came into reading Moments Asunder being very skeptical. The time travel and multiverse nature of the story line bugs me, but I have to admit that Dayton Ward does a good job at trying to give fans some kind of closure and excitement to start things off here. It’s a Kobayashi Maru scenario he faces. He can’t avoid tragedy, but he minimizes the mess.
Building the plot line with Traveler Wesley Crusher makes sense, and drawing in elements from the other Star Trek series and novels works well, for the most part. It gives this start to the trilogy the sense of being the culmination of everything, a grand send-off to the literary franchise that has been built around the original source materials. At the same time Moments Asunder shows greatest focus on The Next Generation. (Presumably the next two novels may focus more on others. The official ‘synopsis’ for this novel mentions the Benjamin Sisko and his crew, for instance. Yet, they don’t appear in here at all.)
The most significant consequences seem to befall members of the Enterprise crew who were created for the Star Trek: The Next Generation novels, meaning that any real emotional impact from the novel will come to fans who have stuck with the novels through the last decades. Casual, or new, readers of the novels might not be completely lost amid the characters, references, and time/multiverse shenanigans – but they also won’t feel connected to those characters or events either. Despite the well paced action and the quality writing, even I felt it somewhat hard to feel engaged in it all, to stave off boredom that would creep up.
(There is one sole exception to major consequences only befalling characters created for the novels. One character from the televised Star Trek series does meet death in Moments Asunder. I wouldn’t spoil who that is, but mention it only to say that it is handled as badly as many other Star Trek major character deaths have been: i.e. Yar and Jadzia Dax. If this is meant to have import, it should have been written better.)
The multiverse nature of things further makes it difficult to care what happens to anyone here. After all, there are plenty more of the same person out there. Unlike Everything, Everywhere, All at Once, Moments Asunder can’t overcome the nihilism inherent to the multiverse. Maybe the next two novels in the series will change my mind or surprise me, but I can’t help but read this and shrug my shoulders in annoyed anticipation of where it will all end up, putting things into the bland Picard-verse. I wish they’d just simply let two sets of novels continue, with two different separate universes of these characters – sort of like the double duty they get from the classic series between the original and Kelvin timelines.
I feel like this review is sort of all over the place, hard to organize. Likely because that’s pretty much how I feel about Moments Asunder. It has some good elements, and generally strong writing. But it simply shouldn’t have to exist, if there were justice in the universe.
Fans of the novels who have kept up with things will likely really appreciate Coda for its closure to what they’ve enjoyed. Maybe not the end they want, but better than other options available. For all other potential readers I’d say this trilogy is probably something to just skip. Pick up with the Picard novels and check out what comes in the future, don’t worry about what was or may-have-been.
Bad timing.
No sooner had I read the latest Star Trek: The Next Generation novel and the announcement of the new Picard series came. What would happen to these novels now? I feared they’d just stop, especially given other Star Trek franchises didn’t seem to have a new novel published for a terribly long time. The state of Deep Space Nine adventures particularly made me worry.
One other Star Trek: The Next Generation novel was released, with a note in it that the recent authors were hard at work at a way to bring closure to the novel line while merging it into the new continuity that Picard would establish. Until then, new releases seemed to be set during the time period the original show took place.
I felt the author’s and fan’s frustration. It annoys me so much that the film/television universes ‘need’ to take precedence over the novels. I would LOVE it if a show took all the constraints that a novel universe put on franchise and the writers were forced to come up with something that fits. Watching Picard now, I doubly wish it. Because the first season of Picard, at least, was far less enjoyable and interesting than what the novels seem to have produced in the last decades.
Irregardless, here we are, the start of a trilogy (Star Trek: Coda) that seeks to wrap up the novel universe of the franchise and bring things in line with the new continuities. Cue time travel and multiverses. These are two tropes that SF routinely uses to ‘reimagine’ and ‘reboot’ things, originating from comic books perhaps? It’s always a mess, and it usually leads me to abandoning things. As soon as multiverses came into the DC superhero TV shows, popping up all over, I stopped. I’m over the Marvel movies.
So, I came into reading Moments Asunder being very skeptical. The time travel and multiverse nature of the story line bugs me, but I have to admit that Dayton Ward does a good job at trying to give fans some kind of closure and excitement to start things off here. It’s a Kobayashi Maru scenario he faces. He can’t avoid tragedy, but he minimizes the mess.
Building the plot line with Traveler Wesley Crusher makes sense, and drawing in elements from the other Star Trek series and novels works well, for the most part. It gives this start to the trilogy the sense of being the culmination of everything, a grand send-off to the literary franchise that has been built around the original source materials. At the same time Moments Asunder shows greatest focus on The Next Generation. (Presumably the next two novels may focus more on others. The official ‘synopsis’ for this novel mentions the Benjamin Sisko and his crew, for instance. Yet, they don’t appear in here at all.)
The most significant consequences seem to befall members of the Enterprise crew who were created for the Star Trek: The Next Generation novels, meaning that any real emotional impact from the novel will come to fans who have stuck with the novels through the last decades. Casual, or new, readers of the novels might not be completely lost amid the characters, references, and time/multiverse shenanigans – but they also won’t feel connected to those characters or events either. Despite the well paced action and the quality writing, even I felt it somewhat hard to feel engaged in it all, to stave off boredom that would creep up.
(There is one sole exception to major consequences only befalling characters created for the novels. One character from the televised Star Trek series does meet death in Moments Asunder. I wouldn’t spoil who that is, but mention it only to say that it is handled as badly as many other Star Trek major character deaths have been: i.e. Yar and Jadzia Dax. If this is meant to have import, it should have been written better.)
The multiverse nature of things further makes it difficult to care what happens to anyone here. After all, there are plenty more of the same person out there. Unlike Everything, Everywhere, All at Once, Moments Asunder can’t overcome the nihilism inherent to the multiverse. Maybe the next two novels in the series will change my mind or surprise me, but I can’t help but read this and shrug my shoulders in annoyed anticipation of where it will all end up, putting things into the bland Picard-verse. I wish they’d just simply let two sets of novels continue, with two different separate universes of these characters – sort of like the double duty they get from the classic series between the original and Kelvin timelines.
I feel like this review is sort of all over the place, hard to organize. Likely because that’s pretty much how I feel about Moments Asunder. It has some good elements, and generally strong writing. But it simply shouldn’t have to exist, if there were justice in the universe.
Fans of the novels who have kept up with things will likely really appreciate Coda for its closure to what they’ve enjoyed. Maybe not the end they want, but better than other options available. For all other potential readers I’d say this trilogy is probably something to just skip. Pick up with the Picard novels and check out what comes in the future, don’t worry about what was or may-have-been.
November 20, 2021
I will mark it with 4 but I'm almost leaning to 3.5. unfortunately this book was released just a little after a show that deals with some similar concepts with alternate timelines and realities so it didn't wow me us as much as it may wow others. Now the plot itself was.... depressing, in a good way? Like I hate how this is playing out but I need to read the rest and I wanted to know more every second despite all the death and destruction following characters we all know and love.
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