The Ashes of Tomorrow

Star Trek: Coda #2

by James Swallow

Listening Length: 12 hours and 53 minutes

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.

THE FUTURE IS AT WAR WITH THE PAST.

The epic Star Trek: Coda trilogy continues as friends become foes, the Temporal Apocalypse accelerates, and the catastrophe's true cause is revealed.

Genres: Star Trek, Science Fiction, Fiction, Audiobook, Media Tie In, Time Travel, Ebooks

13 pages, Audio CD

First published October 1, 2021

About the author

James 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.

Reviews

[Jamie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Swallow had the unenviable task of writing the middle book of the Coda trilogy. He did so admirably, packing it with wall to wall action, though with a minimum of unexpected twists. The DS9 crew come to the fore and it very much becomes a full on TNG / DS9 crossover, with the story following the tried and true theme of going rogue and getting the old gang back together for one last hurrah.

[Daniel Kukwa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I couldn't help it...I got my hands on the second book, and I sat down, determined to polish it off in a matter of hours. It lived up to expectations: this is a novel that lives up to the word "apocalypse", and your mental faculties might be shredded along with the fabric of reality. About the only bum note was Bashir's awakening...which happens so suddenly I literally had to stop and shout "huh?"...but it would reduce the novel to a 4.5 star level at best. The rest of the tale is so breathtaking and adrenaline-pumping that waiting for the final installment...and seeing how it ties up the lit universe in regards to current Trek canon...will be hell.

[Frank Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's relentless but good stuff. Many of our friends have died but a decent group of hangers-on remain to enter the final novel. The suggestion at the end for where to go next was a tiny let down, for those of us averse to reflective surfaces, but since we're doing it all, we're doing it all, so why not.

Riker and Picard are at odds (to put it mildly) in this story, and it was on their third atypical encounter that I quickly googled: "whatever happened to Thomas..." - I had decided that it would be the most likely explanation, and I guess it is still possible, but less likely now since we've been hearing about shadows.

This little tiff is actually the main plot for me. Yeah I get it, time is coming to an end and all possible universes are at risk, yada yada... For me the escalating apocalyptica lost a degree of impact several cataclysmic events ago, (you get a sense of it just in the "previously" section at the start of these books).

Of course, I still love these stories, I'm just mainly here to follow our friends around and I'm quite happy to go for a ride to the end of time, through the intertime perhaps, in order to find out how Riker and Picard eventually kiss and make up.

Also, rare as it is, this time I was in a little cafe for breakfast when the afterword came on and even though I could have skipped it, I listened by choice instead. Swallow makes some funny points and some good points.

[Jonathan Koan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Here is the link to my YouTube Video Review: https://youtu.be/unpvSmD_xiA

James Swallow takes the story baton from Dayton Ward and goes off sprinting and never stops. In this book, he dials the action, intrigue, suspense, character development, and story up to an 11! He truly leaves nothing on the field!

I was slightly disappointed in the scope of "Moments Asunder". Don't get me wrong, I thought it was a great book and certainly my favorite Dayton Ward book yet, but I thought that Ward made the story just too small for what was promised. However, James Swallow delivers EXACTLY what I wanted from the story. If I had my wish of what Coda would be, this book perfectly encapsulates it.

This book carries on the story of Picard and the crew of the Enterprise-E as they try to convince Starfleet and the Federation of the growing threat of the Devidians. Swallow adds in more characters from Deep Space Nine, which adds some great character development as well as some nice nostalgia. The cover of this book features DS9(II) and Aventine, and that is completely justified. When you read the book, you will know why.

What sets this book apart from it's predecessor is that it calls on some great scenes from classic trek movies. There is a scene that was really reminiscent of a scene from "Search for Spock", so much so that the characters even reference it. I absolutely loved that scene and it made it so I could not put the book down.

This book also made me realize how sad it is that the Lit-Verse is ending. Swallow reintroduces many characters that haven't been seen in a while and it made me think just how much I love reading these series. This series really is a love letter to the fans, and I have to admit that this is fan service done right. Many have equated this story as Crisis on Infinite Treks. While as a story that is fitting, I would say that the fan service works more like Infinity War/Endgame than Crisis on Infinite Earths(that is to say, its done really well).

If I do have one criticism, the voice of Picard seemed a little off in this book. He seemed more like the voice of Picard from the show Picard rather than from this series. Maybe that is intentional, but it seemed off for me. Other characters seemed off in this book, but their circumstances are all explained whereas Picard's isn't. It is a minor quibble, but a problem I had nonetheless.

This book does set up the finale really well. There is something huge near the end that I think I know what it means, but will have to wait until next month to find out. It has me excited for the end, along with so many other facets of this story.

James Swallow is fast becoming one of my favorite Trek authors, and I've only read 2 of his books. I can't wait to read more. Dayton Ward and David Mack were obvious choices for ending the Lit-Verse, but who their "middle-man" would be was less obvious in the fans minds. It could have been Greg Cox, Una McCormack, John Jackson Miller, Kirsten Beyer, or a lot of others. However, I think that getting James Swallow was absolutely the right choice. He handles everything well.

Overall, I loved this book. It handles almost every single detail to perfection. 9.5 out of 10! Well done James Swallow! Bring on Oblivion's Gate!

[reherrma · Rating 3 out of 5]

Im 2. Teil des Abgesangs des Star Trek Romanuniversums, der Coda-Trilogie, geht der Untergang des Universums weiter und weiter, genauso wie die TV-Serie "Picard" der wunderbar über den mehr als 20 Jahre aufgebaute Star Trek Kanon getötet hat. Es ist für mich zu traurig und schmerzhaft, darüber zu schreiben, was diese Fortschreibung der Star Trek-Serien nach Star Trek Nemesis für mich bedeutet hat. Ich ahne, was der 3. Band der Coda-Trilogie bringen wird und es kann sein, dass für mich nach diesem Band Star Trek endgültig gestorben ist...

[Andreas Sürken · Rating 4 out of 5]

Der zweite Band der Coda Trilogie. Auch dieser Band ist ein wahrer Pageturner. Der Konflikt, der im ersten Band begann, weitet sich aus und fordert immer mehr Opfer. Die Sternenflotte schaut mehr oder weniger zu ohne zu handeln. Somit müssen Picard und seine Freunde sich ohne Hilfe der Föderation auf eine Mission begeben, die ihnen vielleicht alles abverlangt. Hilfe bekommen sie da von vielen bekannten Gesichtern aus dem Star Trek Universum.

Die ganze Coda Trilogie ist ungewohnt düster und ähnlich spannend wie die Destiny Trilogie. Meiner bisherigen Meinung nach ist es sogar besser, allerdings habe ich den dritten Band noch nicht beendet. Wie schon erwähnt, ist der Band ein Pageturner. Die Geschichte ist durchgehend spannend. Auch die Situation zwischen Riker und Picard fesselt ungemein. Hier hätte ich gerne noch mehr von gelesen. Ich denke aber dass es im dritten Band weiter thematisiert wird. Ansonsten ist hier definitiv sehr viel Abwechslung geboten. Es werden viele unterschiedliche Schauplätze besucht und es kommen viele bekannte Charaktere aus fast allen Star Trek Serien irgendwie vor. Tatsächlich findet der geneigte SciFi und Star Trek Fan viele Anspielungen und Easter Eggs. Selbst die Raumpatrouille Orion ist als kleines Osterei versteckt, was mir ein Schmunzeln ins Gesicht gezaubert hat. Man merkt schon, dass der Autor und die Übersetzer viel Spaß bei ihrer Arbeit hatten. Ich habe beim Lesenzimmer wieder das Gefühl gehabt, hier nicht nur eine spannende Geschichte zu lesen, sondern halt auch einem kleinen Tribut auf 20 Jahre Star Trek Belletristik beizuwohnen.

Selbst wenn man nicht alle Geschichten der letzten 20 Jahre gelesen hat (Coda ist der Abschluss davon), kann man der Story wirklich gut folgen. Also man sollte sich nicht davon abschrecken lassen. Von mir eine absolute Empfehlung.

[Kieran McAndrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fleeing the wrathful Admiral Riker, Picard must join forces with Captain Sisko and do the unthinkable: close the Celestial Temple for all time.

Swallow continues the 'Coda' trilogy and develops not only a satisfying second act, but a novel which has its own clear beginning, middle and end.

[Nicholas Heinjus · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another good story. Just so devistated to be losing many favourite characters. I do regret reading this story before starting some other trek book series.

[Jonathan · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Coda series continues to obliterate my emotional well-being in the best way possible. I’m not often moved to tears by prose, but I was at several points in this narrative. I await the final installment with giddy anticipation.

[Justin Klinger · Rating 5 out of 5]

The reason why this trilogy exists is to explain why the books that WERE canon are no longer canon because of the TV series "Star Trek Picard."

It's basically Avengers : Endgame and the Loki series put together, but for Star Trek. If you're a fan of the TV shows, but didn't have time to read like 900 books, you should check out this trilogy, because the first thirty minutes or so will tell you everything you need to know about the TNG / Deep Space Nine / Voyager characters going forward.

For serious fans of Trek, these books are incredible. If you're only a casual fan, I think you'd find them a bit confusing and there are far too many characters. As I said, Endgame plus Loki.

I won't go into the actual plot, but it's amazing. I can't wait to see what they do with the third book, because they tease a single word that really excites hardcore trek fans.

Stop reading here if you don't want to know the word. It's not REALLY a spoiler, but it tells you where they're going with book three.

That word


Is


MIRROR ....

[Octavia Cade · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a significant improvement from the earlier book in the series. Gone is (I'm sorry to say it) Ward's leaden prose, the life sucked out of it by an over-reliance on technobabble. In its place, a more readable style, and characters who are actually allowed to feel things. Swallow's version of the characters seem more like people than compartmentalised chess movements, and it's so much more appealing to read. The plot is pacy, some of the deaths are affecting, and everything regarding the destruction of the wormhole was genuinely exciting. Kira was excellent. I was all set to give it four stars, and then...

I don't know why I was feeling horribly suspicious as the last few pages ticked over. I got that sinking feeling that I really only associate with one element of the Star Trek universe, but I thought "No, it couldn't be."

Reader, it was. If Bashir's last-minute suggestion is anything to go by, the next book will involve the mirror universe. I cannot overstate how much I hate the mirror fucking universe. Every time this overused lazy goddamn trope turns up I hate it, and it turns up again and again because it is, apparently, the shit well that never, ever runs dry.

It ruined the ending of an otherwise decent book. But that's the mirror universe for you... constant disappointment.

[Joshua Hartman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story was fully engaging through the entire novel to the point where I literally couldn't bring myself to stop listening it until it was finished! The author in his afterward says that the working title for the story was "Wormhole Death Canon," and it certainly lived up to that name in more ways than one as the casualties and the stakes were raised to a higher level than ever before!
I don't want to spoil anything, but let's just say there's a very enjoyable sequence in the story about 1/3 to 1/2 way through where Picard pulls a Kirk with a Jack Sparrow twist that planted a big grin on my face for the whole part! I also love that they brought in the Deep Space Nine gang as that is my favorite Star Trek series, and that they played a major role in the climax...though that resulted in many years shed.
I thoroughly recommend this book and its predecessor, and I am greatly anticipating the Final Curtain for the Star Trek Novelverse in next months finale!

[Rob · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, what a ride. With just one book left and an ever decreasing cast of characters, Coda rushes to a conclusion. This book by James Swallow is such a fast paced, action filled instalment. Well written and well told. Loving this series, even though I know it means the end of lit-verse as we know it.

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

A big step up from the first book in the trilogy, but wow, I can only press F to pay respects so many times.

[Travis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Outstanding. What a slam bang ending. Lots of unexpected twists. This was a really good book.

[Robert Bridgewater · Rating 5 out of 5]

Did not realize what this series was until this book! A sad day to see that happen again. But it's another fun Trek filled story. Looking forward to the conclusion in part 3.

[Brayden Raymond · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. This book brought me to the brink of tears several times as it went through its insanely climactic final third. Knowing that this is all leading to the "end" of the original Trek litverse does not undermine how perfect this trilogy is shaping up to be, and how top notch the send off for this timeline will be as well. I think what really caps off this trilogy so far has been the afterwords by the authors it really brings together how important it was for them to get this right and do right by the characters we know and love. Giving them all the showdown they deserve.

I don't want it to end, but I need to know how it does.

[Brandon Harbeke · Rating 5 out of 5]

While their circumstances are dark and dire, this book features heroes from across the Trek universe doing their best to fight against almost hopeless odds. This is a love letter to the Star Trek series and stories that have come before, and it is one of the most satisfying middle chapters of a trilogy I have encountered. It compares to The Last Jedi in my feelings about it and what it accomplished.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am a lifelong Trekker. I grew up with it: I remember watching the show when The Original Series was first broadcast, and then following it religiously when it went into syndication and a different episode was broadcast every night. Years passed before I even saw an episode in color, as all we had were black and white portables. It didn't matter. I knew all the names of the episodes, I knew each actor's name, I knew it was an obsession to which I cling right up to this very day. In fact, this very evening, before I wrote this review, I watched the fifth episode in the third season of Star Trek: Picard.

That's no idle mention. The Ashes of Tomorrow is the middle section of a Trek trilogy entitled Coda. The intent behind Coda, as expressed by authors Dayton Ward, James Swallow and David Mack, was to bring an end, at least in novel form, to the three post -TOS series: The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, and Voyager. I don't know who asked them to do this, but regardless, it is done. The relevance of Star Trek: Picard lies in the resemblance to the Coda.

An overview: The Coda trilogy finds many of the characters from the three series embroiled in a pending galactic catastrophe. An alien species known as the Devidians--not the Branch Davidians misled by David Koresh in the early 1990s, but a fresh menace--was introduced in a two part TNG episode titled Time's Arrow. The Trek Devidians feed on extreme emotions, so they set up and execute calamities to scare the local populations and nourish themselves with the resultant fear. The Devidians have not only returned, but they have cultivated a new talent: They can phase in and out of standard time, so when threatened, they can just jump to an alternate time and wait for any challenges to cool down. This sounds like a formidable threat, but it gets worse: Despite the pleadings of Jean-Luc Picard, whom one would think has achieved legendary status amongst the population of his own time, the Federation leadership is not convinced that the crisis merits their full consideration. In short, political considerations have resulted in doing nothing (Sounds familiar). So Picard must call in every chit in his possession and assemble a crew to take on the threat--without the support of Starfleet or the Federation.

The story bears an uncanny resemblance to the current plot of Star Trek: Picard. The titular character has discovered a massive plot to attack the Federation, but cannot convince anyone to do anything about it. A loyal few join him in his crusade, but once again, it's a select few against enemies coming at them from two directions. The Ashes of Tomorrow even mirrors the third and fourth episodes of Picard: Season Three in that a genuine, cold feud begins to brew between Picard and his former first officer, Will Riker.

The novel mirrors the series in that avid Trekkers will return to its pages until the book is finished, because the scenes keep changing from setting to setting and from action to action. The Devidians, in a fashion somewhat similar to the Dominion of Deep Space Nine fame, have even found a deadly force to do their dirty work: spacebound creepy-crawlies known as the Nagas, who cause their targets, whether flesh and blood or manufactured, to age rapidly into extinction with a mere swipe of their claws. The Nagas also can move between time frames, so conventional (at least for Star Trek) weaponry against them mostly proves useless.

Of the three Trek authors in charge of seeing the series to its end, I prefer Ward and Mack over James Swallow. That said, the middle child of the Coda will not be put off by its older and younger siblings. The Ashes of Tomorrow commands and keeps Trekker readers' attention.

[Alejandro · Rating 5 out of 5]

The end of an era… continues!


This book is the second one in the “Coda” trilogy. Each book is written by a different author.


EVERYBODY IS INVITED!

The saga giving a closure to the Star Trek expanded universe continues.

Certainly this trilogy is offering a better way to deal with the “canon” topic of prose novels to the Star Trek franchise than the decision made with Star Wars where they just relegated its prose novels (not all of them) to a status of “legends” leaving them totally non-canon, however in Star Trek cleverly they are using this very saga to explain that they exist in a different parallel universe, at least the books about the 24th century set after the events of the ending of the previous TV series and films, since nowadays with the existence of Star Trek: Picard and Star Trek: Prodigy, even Star Trek: Lower Decks (in the case of Star Trek: Discovery isn´t affecting so far), the lives of characters like Jean-Luc Picard, Kathryn Janeway, Benjamin Sisko and their crews are now totally different in comparison with their adventures during the so-called “expanded universe”.

Another cool thing is that everybody is invited to this closure since in this second novel you get references not only to Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Star Trek: Voyager but also to Star Trek: The Original Series and Star Trek: Enterprise, along with even Star Trek: Lower Decks. Some elements are widely exposed, others are some brief reference, but all of them are there.


THE STAKES IS HIGHER AND HIGHER

The Devidians, villains that appeared in ST:TNG in the two-parter episode “Time’s Arrow” are proving to be one of the most dangerous threats ever faced by any Star Trek crew, since they are putting at risk the very existence of not only this literary universe at hand but also multiple parallel universes, even time-manipulating races like the Krenim aren’t able to stop the Devidians.

Captain Picard and Wesley Crusher aren’t getting the assistance expected from Starfleet Command so they are leaving with not other choice than dealing the menace of the Devidians themselves, becoming renegades, with the support of a small group of friends and allies, including Captain Sisko and his former crew…

…BUT…

…William Riker isn’t one of those friends or allies! Maybe this is the only one thing that I didn’t enjoy in this second book, since while there is an explanation of why Riker is acting that way, still I am not thrilled with the concept of having Riker as an antagonist in the story (not a villain, but certainly a fearsome antagonist).

Since this is the ending of the so-called “expanded universe”, in the first book many characters died, most of them were literary characters created during the expanded universe but there was one truly big and important of the characters from the TV series, and in this second book, the deaths continue, where you have even more characters from TV series dying and not limiting to characters but also iconic elements of the franchise are no more.

The stakes are higher and higher since this the end of a (literary) era!

[Susan Rubinstein]

I completed the second book in the trilogy last night.

The novel series has never been considered canon. But, I'm not sure what is happening now. When I posted my review/thoughts of book one in the Facebook Star Trek community group, David Mack (author of book 1) wrote the following in response to my comments and comments by other readers...

"CBS did not issue us any directives whatsoever, Michael. Dayton, James, and I pitched this to our editors, and the only feedback from CBS along with its approval was the message, “This is what we like to see: big, epic, bold. Swing for the fences.” Also, don’t judge the “tone” of the trilogy until you finish book three. Yes, it’s some heavy stuff — but if you miss the hopeful elements, that’s on you as a reader." and also: "I get that. I’m just saying that, as grim as things might seem right up until the last moments, don’t think we’ve given up on the idea that hope is the core of Star Trek."

I don't know what to think. Swallow's writing is amazing. But....what happens in this novel. Well, it's too much to handle. As I posted in my review of book one. It can be retitled: Star Trek Coda the bloodbath. Is hope really the core of ST, when you literally killed off: Dax in book one and multiple leading characters in book 2?

We've had character deaths before in the novel universe. But, unless something happens in book 3 to fix this-they've gone too far.

.According to the writer of book one, they weren't ordered to go this route by CBS, but they pitched the idea. The novel universe has been my sanctuary (except for the utterly dark and depressing end to the Borg problem--the invasion, which, yes, it solved the issue-but at an enormous cost-and the death of Bacco-was this all really necessary?) I could overlook the Kelvin universe and the darkness of Discovery and Picard....I'm in shock. There was a separation between the two media formats. And I'm sorry, but it still appears that the TV powers that be somehow got to writers of the novel universe.

[Christopher · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Ashes of Tomorrow is brilliant, daring. edge of the seat, it is full of characters old and new who are weaved into the plotlines that we see! The characters like Picard, Sisko, Bashir all coming together is nealty handled with many meeting for the first time which gives a diffrent perspective on the these characters that you would not expect to see! The Ashes of Tomorrow will keep you on the edge of the seat to see what happens, as Picard, Sisko and the gang go ito action! Having Riker and the Titan gang trying to bring them in as well throws in elements that you will not see coming! The Devidians themselves also come across a great foil for the collective crews and people as well! Having our characters effected by other timelines is a neat twist as well giving us appearances of the timelines in ways that you would not see coming Swallow delights in putting the characters through the wringer in ways that you cannot predict! This result in a totally unpredicable pplot line that amongst all the heoics still have a great vibe and a sense of humour to things!

The Ashes of Tomorrow will keep you up late to see what happens! The Ashes of Tomorrow is a roller coaster ride from the beginning, hang on as the revelations and plot twists come right from the start! The Ashes of Tomorrow is full of twists and turns that you will not see coming, full of charater moments and not stop revelations! The Ashes of Tomorrow is edge of the seat from the beginning, full of daring do, unmitigated heroics, cunning, relentless pace, world building, three dimensional characters, heroics, adventure and action! Crisp high five! Brilliant and highly recommmended! Get it when you can!

[Paul Lunger · Rating 5 out of 5]

With "The Ashes of Tomorrow", James Swallow takes us through the middle section of the Coda trilogy. In this installment we find Picard & the Aventine crew at odds w/ Starfleet over how serious the crisis is including an Admiral Riker who seemingly has lost his mind. There's also in this section of the story a good use of Alexander who we the reader haven't seen much of. The bigger portion of the story though takes us back to the DS9 universe where Sisko & the Robinson crew have their first encounter w/ the chaos & Vedek Kira gets a warning as well about what has to happen. The scenes aboard the Titan are both disturbing as well as important as well as that crew gets used for the first time in a while for other purposes. Also the re-awakening of Dr. Bashir is almost a necessity with the death of Ezri Dax.

Swallow does a good job trying to maneuver we the reader through the various plots & particularly in the DS9 piece of the story updates us on characters we haven't seen in a while from Odo to Jake & Karenna to Nog, O'Brien & Kirayoshi. It's these heartfelt moments as the reality of just how bad this apocalypse is that reminds this reader that things are going to look very different when this ends. Additionally the nod to "Lower Decks" with the California-class USS Saticoy is a nice touch as well.

Wherever "Coda" ends up after "Oblivion's Gate" wraps this up this month, the world of Trek fiction has clearly changed forever & this ride out has definitely been an incredible one.

[Simon Yuen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meh

I like James Swallow’s Star Trek work but this one could of been better:

Riker’s depiction in this isn’t what one may expect and that fine. But it could of been written out better to make it more plausible and acceptable to readers and fans of the Destiny Trilogy canon.

On the flip side, this ‘incarnation’ of Riker is completely in sync with what one may expect of those promoted to the Admiralty. No spoilers but be prepared for a different take on this beloved character.

Zh’Tarash as the successor of the late President Nanietta Bacco, who inhabits most of the best qualities of a Progressive minded leader, is shown to be a small and narrow minded politician. She lacks the greatness that would be expected of her character, in light of her portrayal in Star Trek ‘The Fall’ series.

As for the homage to Kirk, it is brilliant and amusing move. It had its own unique panache that made it good to read. Yet at the same time it was a rip off of what we’ve seen in a movie.

All in all, I’d say that this could of been a better written story. It’s integral to the Coda trilogy so fans of the Destiny storyline must read. But it is a hard read to swallow for those with head canon of the nobler and better side of some beloved Star Trek characters.

[Chris Friend]

An excellent story and a worthy successor to the bold first book of this series. The only people who should read this are folks invested in 1) the Trek universe, 2) the intricacies of good Trek fiction, and 3) this mini-series. As the author notes in the afterword, “if you read this before its prequel…wow, you must be *really* confused.” But for folks who check all three of those boxes, this is an excellent story.

Special congratulations to the author for making a book-two-of-three story that legitimately stands on its own. Having read this one, I know there’s more to be told, but I don’t *need* book three in order to find book two fulfilling—and I’m not sure I’ve ever thought that before. This is well written.

Die-hard fans will especially appreciate the moment Wesley Crusher meets Tom Paris and the invocation of the Kirk Contingency. The nods to history are forgettably insignificant to those who don’t catch the referents, but they’re just enough to make die-hard fans nod and chuckle with recognition and appreciation.

This really isn’t a spoiler (I swear), but my gosh, Swallow kills off a lot of big names. They’re pretty much all justified, and if you stick around for the author’s afterword, you’ll understand why Swallow took the license.

[Daniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

While I enjoyed Coda: Book 1, (gave it 4 stars), I did not expect to be blown away by Book 2 which had me taking time out of my routine -I could not put it down. Swallow did a very thorough job of explaining the need for the team of Star Trek superstars to make that ultimate sacrifice and then he carried that out without dragging it out (I'm intentionally withholding spoilers).

This book brought back beloved characters as I've said and there are a lot of Star Trek references, puns, twists on episode titles that made me laugh out loud. Such an enjoyable read. If you're a fan of the Picard series on TV, let me say, you will also appreciate this -without saying more.

One other point, and maybe this is why I liked it so much more than Book 1, Book 2 is very DS9-centric, hence the picture of DS9 on the cover (don't you like it when the cover of a Star Trek novel really DOES match the conceit?). I've followed the litverse novels for TNG but NOT DS9; I was worried that I would have a problem in this novel. That wasn't an issue for me at all.

[Jimyanni · Rating 2 out of 5]

Still not to my taste. As with book 1 of the series (Moments Asunder), your mileage may differ. If you think a story involving Wesley Crusher, Traveler as the focal point/primary protagonist sounds like fun, and would enjoy a story that is clearly going to turn out to be either an entire story based in an alternate timeline that is collapsed at the end, rather than being set (as it tries to appear to be) in our familiar timeline, or else if it does turn out to be our familiar timeline, everything that happens is going to be erased by a successful outcome (and then the little boy woke up and realized it was all a dream) -- which is clearly necessary, because far too many main characters have died for the events here to be considered "real" in our basic timeline -- AND if you enjoy stories that take multiple books to complete, so that this book is merely a partial story, with no beginning with no conclusion, then you may truly enjoy this book. It's well-enough written, if you like that sort of thing.

[B.J. Burgess · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Ashes of Tomorrow suffers from the middle book syndrome. It's not quite as good as the first and less exciting than the third. (Yes, I've already read Oblivion's Gate.) But it does serve its purpose by setting up the "end game" for the Trek litverse. I want to avoid giving away too many spoilers, so I'm not going to divulge what happens to specific characters. However, I will mention that the jarring attitude change in William T. Riker makes more sense after reading the third novel.

James Swallow must be a fan of Star Trek III: The Search for Spock because he pays homage to the spacedock scene. FYI - The Search for Spock is my favorite Star Trek film, so I got a kick out of it.

Overall, Star Trek: Coda: The Ashes of Tomorrow is a riveting read from beginning to end. Like I already mentioned, it's not quite as good as Moments Asunder, but it nicely sets up the swan song - Oblivion's Gate by David Mack.

[Chung Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really don't know how to rate this book. Story is good and engaging and I really like the fact that they are bringing together all the different characters of the Star Trek franchise. But they are also wholesale killing off many key and beloved characters and destroying iconic and important places. They said in the afterwards of the last novel in this series, that they don't want to make the mistakes of the Star Wars franchise where they invalidated everything that came before the Disney storyline. I don't know how they are going to reconcile everything with the Picard series storyline. I just hope in the end that they don't do the overused alternate universe/timeline or roll back time trope.

PS. I never liked Riker and thought him as an obnoxious jerk. He is living up to his full potential in this book.

[Christian Hamilton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another page turner, and an absolutely incredible midpoint to this “Coda” trilogy.

The casualties are staggering (though I must say, they seemed to be mostly focused on DS9 characters…), and the stakes have never been higher.

Overall, the plot moves quickly. The story is engaging. It’s wonderful to see it in in the Bajor system, though the consequences of such are outstanding.

My one complaint, however, is the characterization of Riker in this book. While I’m betting he’ll be redeemed in the final act, seeing him act off his rocker for the last two books has been disconcerting. Typically cool and levelheaded, this Riker was written as irrational and angry - though completely within the bounds of the plot.

Be that as it may, let the story continue!