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Star Trek: Picard
No Man's Land
Discover what happens to Raffi and Seven of Nine following the stunning conclusion to season one of Star Trek: Picard with this audio exclusive, fully dramatized Star Trek adventure featuring the beloved stars of the hit TV series Michelle Hurd and Jeri Ryan.
Star Trek: No Man’s Land picks up right after the action-packed season one conclusion of Star Trek: Picard. While Raffi and Seven of Nine are enjoying some much-needed R&R in Raffi’s remote hideaway, their downtime is interrupted by an urgent cry for help: a distant, beleaguered planet has enlisted the Fenris Rangers to save an embattled evacuation effort. As Raffi and Seven team up to rescue a mysteriously ageless professor whose infinity-shaped talisman has placed him in the deadly sights of a vicious Romulan warlord, they take tentative steps to explore the attraction depicted in the final moments of Picard season one.
Star Trek: No Man’s Land is a rich, fully dramatized Star Trek: Picard adventure as Michelle Hurd and Jeri Ryan pick up their respective characters once more. Written for audio by Kirsten Beyer, a cocreator, writer, and producer on the hit Paramount+ series Star Trek: Picard, and Mike Johnson, a veteran contributor to the Star Trek comic books publishing program, this audio original offers consummate Star Trek storytelling brilliantly reimagined for the audio medium.
In addition to riveting performances from Hurd and Ryan exploring new layers of Raffi and Seven’s relationship, Star Trek: No Man’s Land features a full cast of actors playing all-new characters in the Star Trek: Picard universe, including Fred Tatasciore, Jack Cutmore-Scott, John Kassir, Chris Andrew Ciulla, Lisa Flanagan, Gibson Frazier, Lameece Issaq, Natalie Naudus, Xe Sands, and Emily Woo Zeller, and is presented in a soundscape crackling with exclusive Star Trek sound effects. Drawing listeners into a dramatic, immersive narrative experience that is at once both instantly familiar and spectacularly new, Star Trek: No Man’s Land goes boldly where no audio has gone before as fans new and old clamor to discover what happens next.
Star Trek: No Man’s Land picks up right after the action-packed season one conclusion of Star Trek: Picard. While Raffi and Seven of Nine are enjoying some much-needed R&R in Raffi’s remote hideaway, their downtime is interrupted by an urgent cry for help: a distant, beleaguered planet has enlisted the Fenris Rangers to save an embattled evacuation effort. As Raffi and Seven team up to rescue a mysteriously ageless professor whose infinity-shaped talisman has placed him in the deadly sights of a vicious Romulan warlord, they take tentative steps to explore the attraction depicted in the final moments of Picard season one.
Star Trek: No Man’s Land is a rich, fully dramatized Star Trek: Picard adventure as Michelle Hurd and Jeri Ryan pick up their respective characters once more. Written for audio by Kirsten Beyer, a cocreator, writer, and producer on the hit Paramount+ series Star Trek: Picard, and Mike Johnson, a veteran contributor to the Star Trek comic books publishing program, this audio original offers consummate Star Trek storytelling brilliantly reimagined for the audio medium.
In addition to riveting performances from Hurd and Ryan exploring new layers of Raffi and Seven’s relationship, Star Trek: No Man’s Land features a full cast of actors playing all-new characters in the Star Trek: Picard universe, including Fred Tatasciore, Jack Cutmore-Scott, John Kassir, Chris Andrew Ciulla, Lisa Flanagan, Gibson Frazier, Lameece Issaq, Natalie Naudus, Xe Sands, and Emily Woo Zeller, and is presented in a soundscape crackling with exclusive Star Trek sound effects. Drawing listeners into a dramatic, immersive narrative experience that is at once both instantly familiar and spectacularly new, Star Trek: No Man’s Land goes boldly where no audio has gone before as fans new and old clamor to discover what happens next.
2 pages, Audible Audio
First published February 22, 2022
39 people are currently reading
254 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 138 reviews
February 23, 2022
i'm a simple lesbian, star trek gives me its first wlw content since 1995 and i go hog Fucking wild
August 11, 2022
I’m more fan of Star Trek than Star Wars. Watched Picard, the show, and loved it, especially of course, because of the relationship between Seven and Raffi. It’s Star Trek, so no hot and heavy but Jeri Ryan and Michelle Hurd are sexy as hell to watch. When my book pals told me about this short audio drama, I picked it right up. Only about 90 minutes long, the actors voice their own characters and the writing is thankfully true to their personalities. There isn’t any big plot here but for a few dollars, I listened to Seven and Raffi have some tough, angsty conversations and then some achingly sweet moments that made me badly wish for a Seven and Raffi spin-off tv series. No Man’s Land is a drama so it includes the music and sound effects of the show. Five Stars because I heart Michelle and Jeri.
August 17, 2022
Solid voice acting done by the same on screen actors. The story is less than thrilling, kind of glossing over the more exciting parts, but does offer some new insights on the Raffi / Seven relationship and some of the challenges they face in being together.
September 26, 2024
This is an incredibly short book. It is only 148 pages in paperback, and it is in a script format so there aren't as many words per page as a traditional novel. I read it in 1.5 hours, so it really is more of a novella.
The best part of this book is that it is fun. Seven and Raffi are called by the Fenris Rangers to stop a crazy Romulan from attacking a settlement, but Seven and Raffi must uncover the secret behind why the Romulans are attacking now.
Credit where credit is due: the characters of Seven and Raffi really sound and feel like the characters in the show. That's mostly due to the fact that Kirsten Beyer, a co-author of the book, is literally one of the Picard co-creators and a writer for the show during the first two seasons. I did not like Seven or Raffi's characters in the first two seasons, but I respect that the characters are at least consistent. And hey, this even fits with their character development in season 3 (which is my favorite Season of Star Trek ever!).
I thought that there were some great minor characters, including Hyro, whose mangling of English expressions was hilarious, Gillan, whose insanity and mystery was very fascinating, Kolvina, who is a pretty standard-loyal #2 to Rynin, and Deet who was utterly delightful.
Now, this book has a fundamental problem: it costs 15 dollars in paperback...for a story that can be read in 1.5-2 hours. That's a little steep, especially in today's marketplace. Yes, fun short stories can be worth it, but when they are priced at regular novel price points (and regular novels take 4-8 hours to read), it really doesn't compare. For hardcore readers and fans of the literature (like myself), I would say buy the book. Otherwise, there are other more worthwhile investments in the literature (The Last Best Hope and Rogue Elements in the Picard universe).
Overall, this is a fine book if you view it like a novella, but the length-vs-price is a problem. But on the story merits alone, its a nice fun read that will probably put a smile on your face as you read it. I'll give it a 7.5 out of 10.
The best part of this book is that it is fun. Seven and Raffi are called by the Fenris Rangers to stop a crazy Romulan from attacking a settlement, but Seven and Raffi must uncover the secret behind why the Romulans are attacking now.
Credit where credit is due: the characters of Seven and Raffi really sound and feel like the characters in the show. That's mostly due to the fact that Kirsten Beyer, a co-author of the book, is literally one of the Picard co-creators and a writer for the show during the first two seasons. I did not like Seven or Raffi's characters in the first two seasons, but I respect that the characters are at least consistent. And hey, this even fits with their character development in season 3 (which is my favorite Season of Star Trek ever!).
I thought that there were some great minor characters, including Hyro, whose mangling of English expressions was hilarious, Gillan, whose insanity and mystery was very fascinating, Kolvina, who is a pretty standard-loyal #2 to Rynin, and Deet who was utterly delightful.
Now, this book has a fundamental problem: it costs 15 dollars in paperback...for a story that can be read in 1.5-2 hours. That's a little steep, especially in today's marketplace. Yes, fun short stories can be worth it, but when they are priced at regular novel price points (and regular novels take 4-8 hours to read), it really doesn't compare. For hardcore readers and fans of the literature (like myself), I would say buy the book. Otherwise, there are other more worthwhile investments in the literature (The Last Best Hope and Rogue Elements in the Picard universe).
Overall, this is a fine book if you view it like a novella, but the length-vs-price is a problem. But on the story merits alone, its a nice fun read that will probably put a smile on your face as you read it. I'll give it a 7.5 out of 10.
October 29, 2022
No Man's Land (Star Trek: Picard) by Kirsten Beyer: This Audible book has great narration. The story is in keeping and following the season of Picard the Tv series. It is fantasy and adventure exploring new and different variables for the franchise. I liked it a lot. 4 stars.
April 27, 2023
This was an enjoyable, brief jaunt into the future's future of the Star Trek: Picard television show setting, with engaging performances by the leads and some fun, quirky side characters. Points deducted for the treacly flamenco guitar music score.
Love That These Ladies Have Found Love.
Love That These Ladies Have Found Love.
February 23, 2022
Whether you are (like me) eagerly waiting for Star Trek Picard season two to drop and looking for Picard-related material to tide you over, or you’re a Raffi/Seven fan wanting to know more about the budding romance between these two - this is for you!
The audio drama is short (under two hours), but it’s packed with action, humor - and character development. As a fun little space adventure including quirky new side characters plays out, we get a gently progressing f/f romance as Raffi and Seven navigate their first steps into a meaningful relationship. There are quiet, thoughtful and sweet moments, and Seven in particular needs to learn to drop her armor while Raffi gently wins her trust.
Yes, the adventure - saving an abducted professor and uncovering the mystery surrounding a vanished artifact - is a fun romp, and the edgy Picard soundscape makes it truly immersive during the flight-and-fight sequences, but it’s Raffi and Seven’s story that gives meaning to this little audio drama.
Michelle Hurd and Jeri Ryan are both doing an excellent job voice-acting these two remarkable characters. I only wish they’d put them in the same room together for the recording. It’s not what’s done these days anymore, but there is a difference in authenticity when all voice tracks are recorded separately and stitched back together later. Just not the same intimacy as the real thing.
Nevertheless, an entertaining, surprisingly romantic Star Trek Picard adventure that even hints at where we’ll find these characters at the beginning of season two.
The audio drama is short (under two hours), but it’s packed with action, humor - and character development. As a fun little space adventure including quirky new side characters plays out, we get a gently progressing f/f romance as Raffi and Seven navigate their first steps into a meaningful relationship. There are quiet, thoughtful and sweet moments, and Seven in particular needs to learn to drop her armor while Raffi gently wins her trust.
Yes, the adventure - saving an abducted professor and uncovering the mystery surrounding a vanished artifact - is a fun romp, and the edgy Picard soundscape makes it truly immersive during the flight-and-fight sequences, but it’s Raffi and Seven’s story that gives meaning to this little audio drama.
Michelle Hurd and Jeri Ryan are both doing an excellent job voice-acting these two remarkable characters. I only wish they’d put them in the same room together for the recording. It’s not what’s done these days anymore, but there is a difference in authenticity when all voice tracks are recorded separately and stitched back together later. Just not the same intimacy as the real thing.
Nevertheless, an entertaining, surprisingly romantic Star Trek Picard adventure that even hints at where we’ll find these characters at the beginning of season two.
May 6, 2022
https://booknest.eu/reviews/charles/2...
STAR TREK: PICARD: NO MAN'S LAND is a audio drama that is about an hour and a half long as well as primarily done by Michelle Hurd alongside Jeri Ryan. There are plenty of other cast members, though, and it is written by Star Trek mainstay Kirsten Beyer. It is something I immediately bought despite not liking audio dramas generally and much-preferring the printed page or more traditional audiobooks.
This is because I'm fantastically in love with STAR TREK: PICARD's setting. Not necessarily the show itself but the world it envisioned for its first season. The Romulan star has exploded and a great star empire has fallen. The Neutral Zone has collapsed into chaos and there's now feuding warlords fighting it over territories without a unifying leader. There's the Fenris Rangers, Qwat Milat, seedy criminals, and a Federation that has absolutely no desire to get involved.
My reasons for loving this setting are basically the same as my reasons for loving an RPG setting: it is absolutely full of all manner of fun for characters to get into. It is dangerous, sexy, and interesting politically. There's no coincidence similar ideas were explored in STAR TREK ONLINE's Romulan campaign as well as the much-earlier STAR TREK: NEW FRONTIER novels that were a massive influence on my own Space Academy books.
Unfortunately, for all my love of the setting, Star Trek: Picard doesn't spend much time in the former Neutral Zone. Instead, we deal with a couple of baddies and then it's off to deal with other problems. It's part of the reason I want a FENRIS RANGERS or STAR TREK: SEVEN'S NINE series set in the place. You could really get into the interesting politics and intrigue involved in a power vacuum and whether a tyranny is worse than anarchy.
No Man's Land is a pretty short story to cover all of this and I would have easily read a Kirsten Beyer-written novel about this subject. I'm still hoping for more information on the former Neutral Zone in the upcoming novel, Second Self. However, I should note this novel isn't actually the lengthy guide to the setting of Picard I wanted but primarily a short adventure (probably novella length) that primarily deals with Seven and Raffi's relationship.
This is arguably the best part of the novel because there's absolutely nothing obscure or hesitant about depicting Seven and Raffi's relationship. They are romantically interested in one another, want to pursue a serious relationship, and the only thing standing in their way is years of emotional baggage. They don't erase the fact both women are bisexuals either but portray that upfront while making it clear it's not an impediment to a long-term relationship as some queer-phobic media has.
I like the depiction of the Fenris Rangers as a contrast to Starfleet. They're an all-volunteer force that is underpaid, underfunded, and do not have much in the way of equipment for their task. Nevertheless, they try to do the best they can and their primary goal is to protect refugees from the rampaging forces of the former Romulan military as well as aristocracy.
Everything else is a kind of straightforward TOS or video game plot. There's an insane Romulan nobleman, a Maguffin that grants immortality, a madman who can lead the way, and a twist ending that was pretty telegraphed but still satisfying. The performances are great and we do get to see the Fenris Rangers in action. I also like the supporting cast, which adds a nice bunch of comic relief without being ridiculous. Sadly, I think the book could have been at least an hour or two longer without wearing out its welcome.
STAR TREK: PICARD: NO MAN'S LAND is a audio drama that is about an hour and a half long as well as primarily done by Michelle Hurd alongside Jeri Ryan. There are plenty of other cast members, though, and it is written by Star Trek mainstay Kirsten Beyer. It is something I immediately bought despite not liking audio dramas generally and much-preferring the printed page or more traditional audiobooks.
This is because I'm fantastically in love with STAR TREK: PICARD's setting. Not necessarily the show itself but the world it envisioned for its first season. The Romulan star has exploded and a great star empire has fallen. The Neutral Zone has collapsed into chaos and there's now feuding warlords fighting it over territories without a unifying leader. There's the Fenris Rangers, Qwat Milat, seedy criminals, and a Federation that has absolutely no desire to get involved.
My reasons for loving this setting are basically the same as my reasons for loving an RPG setting: it is absolutely full of all manner of fun for characters to get into. It is dangerous, sexy, and interesting politically. There's no coincidence similar ideas were explored in STAR TREK ONLINE's Romulan campaign as well as the much-earlier STAR TREK: NEW FRONTIER novels that were a massive influence on my own Space Academy books.
Unfortunately, for all my love of the setting, Star Trek: Picard doesn't spend much time in the former Neutral Zone. Instead, we deal with a couple of baddies and then it's off to deal with other problems. It's part of the reason I want a FENRIS RANGERS or STAR TREK: SEVEN'S NINE series set in the place. You could really get into the interesting politics and intrigue involved in a power vacuum and whether a tyranny is worse than anarchy.
No Man's Land is a pretty short story to cover all of this and I would have easily read a Kirsten Beyer-written novel about this subject. I'm still hoping for more information on the former Neutral Zone in the upcoming novel, Second Self. However, I should note this novel isn't actually the lengthy guide to the setting of Picard I wanted but primarily a short adventure (probably novella length) that primarily deals with Seven and Raffi's relationship.
This is arguably the best part of the novel because there's absolutely nothing obscure or hesitant about depicting Seven and Raffi's relationship. They are romantically interested in one another, want to pursue a serious relationship, and the only thing standing in their way is years of emotional baggage. They don't erase the fact both women are bisexuals either but portray that upfront while making it clear it's not an impediment to a long-term relationship as some queer-phobic media has.
I like the depiction of the Fenris Rangers as a contrast to Starfleet. They're an all-volunteer force that is underpaid, underfunded, and do not have much in the way of equipment for their task. Nevertheless, they try to do the best they can and their primary goal is to protect refugees from the rampaging forces of the former Romulan military as well as aristocracy.
Everything else is a kind of straightforward TOS or video game plot. There's an insane Romulan nobleman, a Maguffin that grants immortality, a madman who can lead the way, and a twist ending that was pretty telegraphed but still satisfying. The performances are great and we do get to see the Fenris Rangers in action. I also like the supporting cast, which adds a nice bunch of comic relief without being ridiculous. Sadly, I think the book could have been at least an hour or two longer without wearing out its welcome.
February 3, 2023
5 stars. Raffi and Seven of Nine! *swoon* Okay, I’m gonna try to make this review not so thirsty because it’s not about that but dammit I love those two. This was so much fun. It is a full cast and the actors from the show voice their characters here. There’s also music and sound effects which was awesome. It felt like an actual episode. The plot was fun but nothing big I was just here for the relationship development between Raffi and Seven of Nine. They had some really great moments in this and I liked where this ended. I would highly recommend this audiobook. It’s only an hour and forty minutes and it is such an entertaining and engaging listen.
November 26, 2023
This was a great audio drama that could have been an excellent Star Trek episode.
I loved the focus on Raffi and Seven (something we never really got on ST: PIC) and thst it was an adventure away from Starfleet, which I'd also love to see more of. The central plot had just enough mystery, action, and feelings to be a fun romp and the ending was quite satisfying.
I loved the focus on Raffi and Seven (something we never really got on ST: PIC) and thst it was an adventure away from Starfleet, which I'd also love to see more of. The central plot had just enough mystery, action, and feelings to be a fun romp and the ending was quite satisfying.
September 6, 2022
A radio play, not a book. But good fun for Star Trek (Picard series) fans.
July 12, 2024
That was a lot of fun, had just the right level of romantic tension while being a Star Trek story, and felt like listening to an episode of TNG/VOY-era television. All around good fun.
December 29, 2022
Fun full cast short audiobook. It was more like listening to an episode of Picard than a book. Loved it.
March 20, 2022
This was a very nice story set between seasons one and two of Picard. Easy to follow along, even for a person like me with little knowledge of the Star Trek Universe. I loved the relationship set between our two characters, helping to understand their actions around each other so far in season two. I wouldn’t say it’s an essential audio drama to listen, but it’s worth the time you’re going to spend with it. The production quality is outstanding just as the acting.
April 22, 2022
[4.4/10] I don’t know what I expected. The dialogue is one of the roughest parts of Star Trek: Picard and an audio drama, by its very nature, is almost all dialogue. I thought this audio drama would be interesting and worthwhile, if only because it was penned by two of the television series’s writers and featured two of its major stars.
But it’s a flawed spate of nothing. The villain, a wannabe Romulan emperor, is a generic growling baddie. The brain-addled professor who’s in search of his lost love is a big cliche. The Fenris Rangers Seven and Raffi interact with are off-the-shelf characters. The MacGuffin, a necklace that grants eternal life, is standard sci-fi bric-a-brac. And neither Raffi nor Seven gets to have too much in the way of character development, because that has to be saved for the mainline series.
So the whole thing ends up feeling like a pointless detour. The only real thrust of the audio drama is to develop the relationship between Raffi and Seven, but all we get on that front is some pretty generic “I used to be closed off to commitment but now I’ve learned to make room for it” material. The attempts to generate chemistry between them in quiet moments readily capsize, and the attempts to write romantic/poetic dialogue, whether between the two of them or the professor and his lost love, are execrable.
The performances don’t help. Neither Jeri Ryan nor Michelle Hurd is a voice actor, and it shows. Maybe that's unfair though, since there’s plenty of talented and decorated voice actors in the cast, and yet every delivery feels very exaggerated or overwrought. There’s very little sense of authenticity here, just artifice. Ryan does a little better in the intimate scenes, but the whole thing ends up coming off like a saturday morning cartoon despite some more adult subject matter. It doesn’t help that the thing is filled with silly action movie quips.
I’d really only recommend this for absolute Star Trek die-hards. There’s a few minor follow-ons from season 1 of Star Trek: Picard and tie-ins to season 2, which are mildly interesting, not to mention a couple of neat references to Voyager. But the audio drama has very little to offer on its own merits.
But it’s a flawed spate of nothing. The villain, a wannabe Romulan emperor, is a generic growling baddie. The brain-addled professor who’s in search of his lost love is a big cliche. The Fenris Rangers Seven and Raffi interact with are off-the-shelf characters. The MacGuffin, a necklace that grants eternal life, is standard sci-fi bric-a-brac. And neither Raffi nor Seven gets to have too much in the way of character development, because that has to be saved for the mainline series.
So the whole thing ends up feeling like a pointless detour. The only real thrust of the audio drama is to develop the relationship between Raffi and Seven, but all we get on that front is some pretty generic “I used to be closed off to commitment but now I’ve learned to make room for it” material. The attempts to generate chemistry between them in quiet moments readily capsize, and the attempts to write romantic/poetic dialogue, whether between the two of them or the professor and his lost love, are execrable.
The performances don’t help. Neither Jeri Ryan nor Michelle Hurd is a voice actor, and it shows. Maybe that's unfair though, since there’s plenty of talented and decorated voice actors in the cast, and yet every delivery feels very exaggerated or overwrought. There’s very little sense of authenticity here, just artifice. Ryan does a little better in the intimate scenes, but the whole thing ends up coming off like a saturday morning cartoon despite some more adult subject matter. It doesn’t help that the thing is filled with silly action movie quips.
I’d really only recommend this for absolute Star Trek die-hards. There’s a few minor follow-ons from season 1 of Star Trek: Picard and tie-ins to season 2, which are mildly interesting, not to mention a couple of neat references to Voyager. But the audio drama has very little to offer on its own merits.
February 27, 2022
Wow. I've read Star Trek novels before and am proud Trekkie, but this blew me away. It's so romantic (yet respectfully so, and I find that that's been an issue with older Trek novels that try to tackle romance). I imagine it helps that it's written by people currently working on Star Trek: Picard. I was not prepared for this. They come for the jugular with the romance in this audio book, and they do not let their feet off your neck from open to close. As a wlw myself, I know when I am being directly spoken to, and that's exactly what this book does. I think enjoyable by any person who enjoys a little adventure alongside exploring the complexities of independent, fairly traumatized adults who are trying to build something together.
This is a fantastic portrayal of two adults who come from very different and difficult backgrounds who have found an attraction and something very promising with each other. They're at the very start of figuring that out. The book nicely sets up where that's going as well as the upcoming season of Star Trek: Picard. Seven and Raffi had maybe two scenes together in the first season, so this is meant to fill in the blanks. It does that rather nicely, establishing where they are emotionally and a little bit of how they've come to connect.
From a worldbuilding perspective, it touches a little bit on the Borg and the Fenris Rangers. This I would say is first and foremost a romance story (with plenty of difficult conversations, the type you'd expect to find in a mature relationship). However, the adventure is a nice side plot. I didn't come in expecting to care about any of the secondary characters, but I came away caring about nearly all of them. The side plot involves Klingons, immortality, and a crew member who is very against the universal translator (prepare for lots of "I'm over the lagoon!" types of translation hijinks). It's very fun, and I like the way it ties into what Seven and Raffi are trying to figure out with each other.
This isn't a mushy story. Seven and Raffi are two badass people who act that way, and I love how they kept that here while still showing how they're trying to build a relationship. It is however deeply romantic, involves plenty of adventure, and fills in some of the holes left by the first season of Star Trek: Picard very nicely.
This is a fantastic portrayal of two adults who come from very different and difficult backgrounds who have found an attraction and something very promising with each other. They're at the very start of figuring that out. The book nicely sets up where that's going as well as the upcoming season of Star Trek: Picard. Seven and Raffi had maybe two scenes together in the first season, so this is meant to fill in the blanks. It does that rather nicely, establishing where they are emotionally and a little bit of how they've come to connect.
From a worldbuilding perspective, it touches a little bit on the Borg and the Fenris Rangers. This I would say is first and foremost a romance story (with plenty of difficult conversations, the type you'd expect to find in a mature relationship). However, the adventure is a nice side plot. I didn't come in expecting to care about any of the secondary characters, but I came away caring about nearly all of them. The side plot involves Klingons, immortality, and a crew member who is very against the universal translator (prepare for lots of "I'm over the lagoon!" types of translation hijinks). It's very fun, and I like the way it ties into what Seven and Raffi are trying to figure out with each other.
This isn't a mushy story. Seven and Raffi are two badass people who act that way, and I love how they kept that here while still showing how they're trying to build a relationship. It is however deeply romantic, involves plenty of adventure, and fills in some of the holes left by the first season of Star Trek: Picard very nicely.
February 22, 2022
Really good timing getting this released on Jeri Ryan's birthday and shortly before Picard season 2. This picks up from where season 1 left off, showing us what Raffi and Seven's relationship is like. You probably don't need to listen to this before season 2, but it does hint a little at what may come in season 2. The conversations were interesting, sometimes odd in that Seven was making light of her trauma. But there was also some very human dialogue. An enjoyable listen overall.
December 16, 2024
Script books are always trickier to judge than novels, but in the hands of Kirsten Beyer, this just sings. It's just a short little action-adventure/character piece, but SUCH GOOD characterization. This was begging to be a full-length novel, but I won't complain too much about what we received. Raffi has completely stolen my heart as a Trek character...arguably the greatest Trek character invented in 21st century Trek so far. More Raffi!
February 22, 2022
I'd give 5 * for an eBook version of this.
It was good, I'm just not big on audio dramas.
It was good, I'm just not big on audio dramas.
March 27, 2022
This was gay as hell and I loved every second
May 18, 2022
Well THIS was altogether too short!! But marvellous.
August 26, 2022
I picked this up in one of those “Audible Daily Deal” things for $1.99. And it was certainly worth way more than I paid for it. Because this was not quite two hours of Star Trek fun in a week where I seriously needed to go to my happy place – and Star Trek is still very much that place.
Like so many Star Trek: Next Gen episodes – and this certainly does seem a lot like an episode of Picard so that fits – No Man’s Land has an ‘A’ plot and a ‘B’ plot. The A storyline is an action adventure story, with Seven of Nine and the Fenris Rangers racing off to save a hidden Romulan cultural archive from the depredations of one of the mad warlords who rose up after the fall of the Empire.
The B plot, as it so often was in Next Gen, is a character-driven story wrapped around the possible romance that was hinted at between Raffi and Seven of Nine in the closing moments of the final episode of Picard’s first season. The possibility of that relationship is echoed in the A plot by the bitter sweetness of the lifelong love between Seven’s old friend, Professor Gillin and Hellena, the wife he was separated from during the Romulan evacuations so many years ago.
Like so many Trek episodes from ALL of the series, it all begins with an emergency distress call from a far-flung outpost. In this particular case, a far-flung outpost filled with nothing but scholars, historians, scientists and relics – some of which are also among the first three groups. It’s a repository of Romulan culture, desperately saved from the destruction of the Romulan homeworld by the Fenris Rangers, with the cooperation – sometimes – of the original owners and the assistance of the librarians and archivists who gathered the material. It has been protected mostly by its obscurity, but that cloak has been torn away and one of the more implacable Romulan warlords is on his way to either capture or destroy it.
Except, that’s not exactly what happens.
But the distress call interrupted a tender moment between Raffi and Seven, as duty calls one of them, in this case Seven, and drags a bored, unemployed Raffi along in her wake. And that’s where the real fun begins – as it so often does in Trek – with a mission, a barely workable plan, and a character going it on their own without any plan but possibly a death wish.
And underneath it all, an adventure that might blow up in everyone’s faces leading to an ending that no one quite expects.
In other words, a typical day on the bridge of a Federation starship – even if someone has to steal one first!
Escape Rating B: I went into this hoping for a bit of fun, and I certainly got that so I left this story pretty happy with the whole thing. But it listens very much like a cross between an episode of the Star Trek universe as a whole and one of the media tie-in novels that Star Trek birthed in vast quantities.
By that I mean that I was expecting fun but not anything that would seriously affect the main storyline of the show – in this case – Picard. So I was expecting the hints of a romance between Seven and Raffi to be bittersweet at best because even if it does happen eventually it can’t happen here.
And yes, the Romulan warlord is a bit of a screaming cliché – but then most Romulan warlords were screaming clichés. The actual emperors could be very interesting, but the warlord wannabes – not so much.
On the other hand, the exploration of the Fenris Rangers and how they work together and mostly don’t was fascinating. The banter between Starfleet-trained Raffi, over-the-top, walking malaprop Hyro and jack-of-all-trades Deet was frequently hilarious. That trio act provided most of the comic relief in a story that was otherwise pretty damn serious.
Of course I loved the whole idea of the hidden repository. That’s always cool.
But it was the story of Professor Gillin and his lost love that tugged at my heartstrings, and I really liked the way it held up a mirror to the relationship that Raffi and Seven are tentatively reaching towards – and backing off from at the same time.
Because Seven and Raffi just aren’t in the same place. They’re both damaged and grieving and more than a bit lost – but Raffi is at a place where she’s willing to try again and Seven just isn’t there and may never be. Watching them recognize that was sad but also heartfelt.
And it rang so very, very true that Raffi’s love for the Federation was the relationship that she felt the most regret over, that it was the most difficult love of her life for her to completely give it up. Because in a way that’s true for all of us who have been fans over the years and never quite let that love go.
So if Trek is your happy place, or if you just want to dip a bit into that world, or if you’re looking for a bit of distraction from whatever that won’t hurt too much or pull too hard or tax too dearly on your world-weariness of the moment, No Man’s Land is actually a great place to go for a couple of hours.
Originally published at Reading Reality
Like so many Star Trek: Next Gen episodes – and this certainly does seem a lot like an episode of Picard so that fits – No Man’s Land has an ‘A’ plot and a ‘B’ plot. The A storyline is an action adventure story, with Seven of Nine and the Fenris Rangers racing off to save a hidden Romulan cultural archive from the depredations of one of the mad warlords who rose up after the fall of the Empire.
The B plot, as it so often was in Next Gen, is a character-driven story wrapped around the possible romance that was hinted at between Raffi and Seven of Nine in the closing moments of the final episode of Picard’s first season. The possibility of that relationship is echoed in the A plot by the bitter sweetness of the lifelong love between Seven’s old friend, Professor Gillin and Hellena, the wife he was separated from during the Romulan evacuations so many years ago.
Like so many Trek episodes from ALL of the series, it all begins with an emergency distress call from a far-flung outpost. In this particular case, a far-flung outpost filled with nothing but scholars, historians, scientists and relics – some of which are also among the first three groups. It’s a repository of Romulan culture, desperately saved from the destruction of the Romulan homeworld by the Fenris Rangers, with the cooperation – sometimes – of the original owners and the assistance of the librarians and archivists who gathered the material. It has been protected mostly by its obscurity, but that cloak has been torn away and one of the more implacable Romulan warlords is on his way to either capture or destroy it.
Except, that’s not exactly what happens.
But the distress call interrupted a tender moment between Raffi and Seven, as duty calls one of them, in this case Seven, and drags a bored, unemployed Raffi along in her wake. And that’s where the real fun begins – as it so often does in Trek – with a mission, a barely workable plan, and a character going it on their own without any plan but possibly a death wish.
And underneath it all, an adventure that might blow up in everyone’s faces leading to an ending that no one quite expects.
In other words, a typical day on the bridge of a Federation starship – even if someone has to steal one first!
Escape Rating B: I went into this hoping for a bit of fun, and I certainly got that so I left this story pretty happy with the whole thing. But it listens very much like a cross between an episode of the Star Trek universe as a whole and one of the media tie-in novels that Star Trek birthed in vast quantities.
By that I mean that I was expecting fun but not anything that would seriously affect the main storyline of the show – in this case – Picard. So I was expecting the hints of a romance between Seven and Raffi to be bittersweet at best because even if it does happen eventually it can’t happen here.
And yes, the Romulan warlord is a bit of a screaming cliché – but then most Romulan warlords were screaming clichés. The actual emperors could be very interesting, but the warlord wannabes – not so much.
On the other hand, the exploration of the Fenris Rangers and how they work together and mostly don’t was fascinating. The banter between Starfleet-trained Raffi, over-the-top, walking malaprop Hyro and jack-of-all-trades Deet was frequently hilarious. That trio act provided most of the comic relief in a story that was otherwise pretty damn serious.
Of course I loved the whole idea of the hidden repository. That’s always cool.
But it was the story of Professor Gillin and his lost love that tugged at my heartstrings, and I really liked the way it held up a mirror to the relationship that Raffi and Seven are tentatively reaching towards – and backing off from at the same time.
Because Seven and Raffi just aren’t in the same place. They’re both damaged and grieving and more than a bit lost – but Raffi is at a place where she’s willing to try again and Seven just isn’t there and may never be. Watching them recognize that was sad but also heartfelt.
And it rang so very, very true that Raffi’s love for the Federation was the relationship that she felt the most regret over, that it was the most difficult love of her life for her to completely give it up. Because in a way that’s true for all of us who have been fans over the years and never quite let that love go.
So if Trek is your happy place, or if you just want to dip a bit into that world, or if you’re looking for a bit of distraction from whatever that won’t hurt too much or pull too hard or tax too dearly on your world-weariness of the moment, No Man’s Land is actually a great place to go for a couple of hours.
Originally published at Reading Reality
August 13, 2022
Solid little audio adventure for sure. This short story helps to provide more context for the dynamic between Seven and Raffi that was somewhat explored more in the second season of Picard. It's not a complete explanation for all that - there is an actual adventure to get through after all. But it's something.
Having Hund and Ryan provide the voices for their TV characters was extra great and their performance helped stress the unique relationship between Seven and Raffi more than any of the actual text could have on their own. There's something, but it's only the beginning of a story - something I hope to see a proper resolution to come in the third and final season of the show.
This was a solid enough story involving another member of the Romulan remnant with dreams of bringing the empire back. In many ways, the story shared a lot of elements with a Doctor Who adventure - or at least that's the vibe I got. It's not a bad thing and it does make for good self-contained storytelling, which worked well with a story of this brevity.
We could use more stories like this - there's always room for more character development in the Star Trek Universe after all.
Having Hund and Ryan provide the voices for their TV characters was extra great and their performance helped stress the unique relationship between Seven and Raffi more than any of the actual text could have on their own. There's something, but it's only the beginning of a story - something I hope to see a proper resolution to come in the third and final season of the show.
This was a solid enough story involving another member of the Romulan remnant with dreams of bringing the empire back. In many ways, the story shared a lot of elements with a Doctor Who adventure - or at least that's the vibe I got. It's not a bad thing and it does make for good self-contained storytelling, which worked well with a story of this brevity.
We could use more stories like this - there's always room for more character development in the Star Trek Universe after all.
September 2, 2025
Star Trek: Picard – No Man’s Land
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4/5)
A brisk, action-packed detour through the post–Season 1 void, No Man’s Land delivers exactly what you’d expect from a solid Trek episode—tight pacing, moral dilemmas, Romulan menace, and just enough emotional tension to keep the warp core humming.
Written by Trek veterans Kirsten Beyer and Mike Johnson, and voiced with signature gravitas by Jeri Ryan, this audio-script-turned-book captures the chemistry between Seven and Raffi as they navigate a rescue mission that’s part shootout, part slow-burn romance. The ageless professor and his mysterious talisman add a layer of cosmic intrigue, while the Fenris Rangers backdrop keeps things gritty and grounded.
Yes, it’s a script—not a novel—so expect minimal prose and maximum imagination. But if you’re fluent in Trek, you’ll fill in the soundscape with ease. Think of it as reading the bones of an episode, with just enough meat to satisfy.
Perfect for fans craving more Seven/Raffi dynamics and a side quest that feels canon-adjacent without overstaying its welcome.
Happy reading 🚀🪐📚
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4/5)
A brisk, action-packed detour through the post–Season 1 void, No Man’s Land delivers exactly what you’d expect from a solid Trek episode—tight pacing, moral dilemmas, Romulan menace, and just enough emotional tension to keep the warp core humming.
Written by Trek veterans Kirsten Beyer and Mike Johnson, and voiced with signature gravitas by Jeri Ryan, this audio-script-turned-book captures the chemistry between Seven and Raffi as they navigate a rescue mission that’s part shootout, part slow-burn romance. The ageless professor and his mysterious talisman add a layer of cosmic intrigue, while the Fenris Rangers backdrop keeps things gritty and grounded.
Yes, it’s a script—not a novel—so expect minimal prose and maximum imagination. But if you’re fluent in Trek, you’ll fill in the soundscape with ease. Think of it as reading the bones of an episode, with just enough meat to satisfy.
Perfect for fans craving more Seven/Raffi dynamics and a side quest that feels canon-adjacent without overstaying its welcome.
Happy reading 🚀🪐📚
June 5, 2022
I’ve never been able to do audio books because I get easily distracted. But after finishing season 2 of Picard the other day and finding out that this exists, I just had to give it a shot, and I am beyond thrilled that I did.
What a fantastic production this has, I loved every second of it! And it’s a nice bridge in between seasons 1 and 2, that offers much more depth into the gorgeous relationship between Seven and Raffi, with the backdrop of eternal love and what that consists of.
The dialogue was beautiful and the lines were so heartwarming and touching.
I only wish this would’ve been longer. Or that we’ll get more in the future.
What a fantastic production this has, I loved every second of it! And it’s a nice bridge in between seasons 1 and 2, that offers much more depth into the gorgeous relationship between Seven and Raffi, with the backdrop of eternal love and what that consists of.
The dialogue was beautiful and the lines were so heartwarming and touching.
I only wish this would’ve been longer. Or that we’ll get more in the future.
September 25, 2022
I don’t think it’s four stars, too short. However, no doubt that it’s better than three. If you are wanting a quick listen for a trip, this is real nice. I enjoyed more back ground on the Fenris Rangers. Would like more action. The background of the characters relationship makes up a lot of the story. This may be preparation for the next book or season 3. (Just a guess.) This particular short audio book deserves 5 stars for production. The narration from the true performers was excellently
September 24, 2024
A planet in desperate need of assistance calls on the Fenris Rangers and Seven of Nine brings Raffi Mussiker with her to help. A power crazed Romulan is in search of a mysterious artefact and an old friend of Seven's is the key to finding it.
This is a fine script, with plenty of mood notes and directions for sound cues. As a script for an audio adventure, it provides everything necessary to mount the program. The story is excellent and provides a flavour of Seven and Raffi's relationship which is all but ignored onscreen.
This is a fine script, with plenty of mood notes and directions for sound cues. As a script for an audio adventure, it provides everything necessary to mount the program. The story is excellent and provides a flavour of Seven and Raffi's relationship which is all but ignored onscreen.
March 15, 2022
A great prequel to Season 2 of Picard. Enjoyed hearing what Raffi / Seven got up to and loved the audio as a Jeri Ryan fan. Really enjoyable.
April 8, 2022
I hope this stays a one-off, because I do not need to get into a whole other universe of audio dramas. Just saying.
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