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Star Trek: Voyager—Homecoming #2
The Farther Shore
The Earth is in the crosshairs of an unrelenting Borg plague in this white-knuckled Star Trek thriller featuring Admiral Janeway and her crew.When an unstoppable Borg plague breaks out upon Earth, blame quickly falls on the newly returned crew of the U.S.S. Voyager . Did Kathryn Janeway and the others unknowingly carry this insidious infection back with them? Many in Starfleet think so, and Seven of Nine, in particular, falls under a cloud of suspicion.Now, with a little help from the U.S.S. Enterprise , Admiral Janeway must reunite her crew in a desperate, last-ditch attempt to discover the true source of the contagion and save Earth itself from total assimilation into a voracious new Borg Collective. But time is running out.Has Voyager come home only to witness humanity’s end?
304 pages, ebook
First published July 1, 2003
163 people are currently reading
979 people want to read
About the author
Christie Golden
170 books1,871 followersAward-winning author Christie Golden has written over thirty novels and several short stories in the fields of science fiction, fantasy and horror. She has over a million books in print.
2009 will see no fewer than three novels published. First out in late April will be a World of Warcraft novel, Athas: Rise of the Lich King. This is the first Warcraft novel to appear in hardcover. Fans of the young paladin who fell so far from grace will get to read his definitive story.
In June, Golden’s first Star Wars novel, also a hardcover, sees print. Star Wars: Fate of the Jedi—Omen is the second in a nine-book series she is co-authoring with Aaron Allston and Troy Denning. Also in June comes the conclusion of Golden’s StarCraft: The Dark Templar Saga with the release of Twlight, the third book in the series. The first two are Firstborn and Shadow Hunters.
2004 saw the launch of an original fantasy series called The Final Dance, from LUNA Books. The first novel in the series, On Fire's Wings, was published in July of that year. The second, In Stone’s Clasp , came out in September of 2005. With In Stone’s Clasp, Golden won the Colorado Author’s League Top Hand Award for Best Genre Novel for the second time. The third book, Under Sea’s Shadow, is available only as an e-book
Golden is also the author of two original fantasy novels from Ace Books, King's Man and Thief and Instrument of Fate, which made the 1996 Nebula Preliminary Ballot. Under the pen name of Jadrien Bell, she wrote a historical fantasy thriller entitled A.D. 999, which won the Colorado Author's League Top Hand Award for Best Genre Novel of 1999.
Golden launched the TSR Ravenloft line in 1991 with her first novel, the highly successful Vampire of the Mists , which introduced elven vampire Jander Sunstar. Golden followed up Vampire with Dance of the Dead and The Enemy Within . In September of 2006, fifteen years to the month, The Ravenloft Covenant: Vampire of the Mists enabled Jander Sunstar to reach a whole new audience.
Other projects include a slew of Star Trek novels, among them The Murdered Sun , Marooned , and Seven of Nine , and "The Dark Matters Trilogy," Cloak and Dagger , Ghost Dance and Shadow of Heaven .
The Voyager novel relaunch, which includes Homecoming and The Farther Shore , were bestsellers and were the fastest-selling Trek novels of 2003. Golden continued writing VOYAGER novels even though the show went off the air, and enjoyed exploring the creative freedom that gave her in the two-parter called Spirit Walk, which includes Old Wounds and Enemy of my Enemy .
Golden has also written the novelization of Steven Spielberg's Invasion America and an original "prequel," On The Run , both of which received high praise from producer Harve Bennett. On The Run, a combination medical thriller and science fiction adventure, even prompted Bennett to invite Golden to assist in crafting the second season of the show, if it was renewed.
Golden lives in Loveland, Colorado, with her artist husband and their two cats.
2009 will see no fewer than three novels published. First out in late April will be a World of Warcraft novel, Athas: Rise of the Lich King. This is the first Warcraft novel to appear in hardcover. Fans of the young paladin who fell so far from grace will get to read his definitive story.
In June, Golden’s first Star Wars novel, also a hardcover, sees print. Star Wars: Fate of the Jedi—Omen is the second in a nine-book series she is co-authoring with Aaron Allston and Troy Denning. Also in June comes the conclusion of Golden’s StarCraft: The Dark Templar Saga with the release of Twlight, the third book in the series. The first two are Firstborn and Shadow Hunters.
2004 saw the launch of an original fantasy series called The Final Dance, from LUNA Books. The first novel in the series, On Fire's Wings, was published in July of that year. The second, In Stone’s Clasp , came out in September of 2005. With In Stone’s Clasp, Golden won the Colorado Author’s League Top Hand Award for Best Genre Novel for the second time. The third book, Under Sea’s Shadow, is available only as an e-book
Golden is also the author of two original fantasy novels from Ace Books, King's Man and Thief and Instrument of Fate, which made the 1996 Nebula Preliminary Ballot. Under the pen name of Jadrien Bell, she wrote a historical fantasy thriller entitled A.D. 999, which won the Colorado Author's League Top Hand Award for Best Genre Novel of 1999.
Golden launched the TSR Ravenloft line in 1991 with her first novel, the highly successful Vampire of the Mists , which introduced elven vampire Jander Sunstar. Golden followed up Vampire with Dance of the Dead and The Enemy Within . In September of 2006, fifteen years to the month, The Ravenloft Covenant: Vampire of the Mists enabled Jander Sunstar to reach a whole new audience.
Other projects include a slew of Star Trek novels, among them The Murdered Sun , Marooned , and Seven of Nine , and "The Dark Matters Trilogy," Cloak and Dagger , Ghost Dance and Shadow of Heaven .
The Voyager novel relaunch, which includes Homecoming and The Farther Shore , were bestsellers and were the fastest-selling Trek novels of 2003. Golden continued writing VOYAGER novels even though the show went off the air, and enjoyed exploring the creative freedom that gave her in the two-parter called Spirit Walk, which includes Old Wounds and Enemy of my Enemy .
Golden has also written the novelization of Steven Spielberg's Invasion America and an original "prequel," On The Run , both of which received high praise from producer Harve Bennett. On The Run, a combination medical thriller and science fiction adventure, even prompted Bennett to invite Golden to assist in crafting the second season of the show, if it was renewed.
Golden lives in Loveland, Colorado, with her artist husband and their two cats.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 152 reviews
November 13, 2024
I like the direction this went, it was an interesting and unexpected twist, but it was all a bit of a hot mess. Too much going on and too many story lines, which all felt slapdash and like a house of cards at times. Not terrible by any means, but disappointing execution.
June 21, 2019
An excellent finale to the first story of Voyager's crew upon returning to Earth. Really loved this one. And it's plain to see why it's a so well regarded ST novel. Gives ST: Voyager fans everything they could want in a sequel to the widely-beloved TV series.
June 5, 2013
I was pretty neutral about the first book and I was hoping that this one would improve. Sadly it went in the wrong direction. By the time I was done I was pretty disappointed in this entire series. Many of the crew hardly get any scenes, instead Libby Webber and a kidnapped starfleet officer get more time than they do. Again the multiple plot lines result in a lack of cohesion. B’lanna’s storyline is not really resolved and I found myself thinking what was the point of this again and why was it so urgent? For the other two major plotlines, the doctor and the borg plague, there were major developments that just fell out of the sky. Instead of feeling like a clever idea it just felt cobbled together to make the story work.
January 6, 2016
Star Trek Voyager: The Farther Shore by Christie Golden is the direct sequel to Homecoming, and together the two books form a duology. They are more like one longer book that was split in two, however, and neither of them stand alone. This review contains spoilers for Homecoming, and probably some for The Farther Shore, too, but I will put those under a spoiler shield thingy unless they are very minor.
This book made me pretty angry. There were two main elements which led to this. First, the prologue and a bunch of out-take type scenes in Homecoming featured extensive violent and sexual child abuse over many years of the victim's life. I had no idea where those scenes were going in the first book, so I largely filed them away in the "will probably be relevant later" draw. In The Farther Shore their purpose was revealed: the child abuse existed to motive the villain being a villain. There are so many things wrong with this, I don't even know where to start. Let's start with the obvious that most victims of domestic violence don't go on to pursue world domination. Also, while domestic violence is endemic in our society, it really seems like the sort of thing the Star Trek future should have largely dealt with and mostly eliminated. Certainly, I find it implausible that it continued for her entire childhood without the future having given her mother the tools to get herself and the child out of the situation. But more importantly, the whole being repeatedly raped as a child making someone a villain and turning into a literal monster is a very damaging trope. I was very annoyed to find it a pivotal plot element.
The other thing that really annoyed me was a bit of a spoiler, so it is under a spoiler shield.
Overall, there were minimal redeeming plot qualities but the rest of the book wasn't terrible. The hologram revolt sort of fizzled out and the Borg threat was, predictably, stopped by our main characters. The characterisation was all right, but the characters weren't exactly put in optimal situations. Even the well-meaning but mislead character who kept standing in their way had an unsatisfactory about-turn. Libby, a new character who I liked in the first book, still played a pivotal role but did not get enough page time in the resolution. B'Ellana's story line was completely separate from the main elements of the plot. Although it wasn't bad, it really could have been removed without ruining anything. The only relevant part was that she was off elsewhere while Tom was with the other main characters. I assume it's purpose was to set up some future book, but, well, meh.
I have been a bit harsh, though. The first part of The Farther Shore wasn't too bad. Aside from the specific things I singled out above, only the ending was a bit disappointing. On the other hand, from about half-way through my desire to get through it so I could write an angry review, which I have now done, started to outweigh my desire to find out what happened next. The latter, however, is why I didn't just put it down. (Also because it's not that long.)
I don't particularly recommend this book to anyone. Which is unfortunate, because the previous book wasn't bad, but definitely doesn't stand alone. Part of me wants to know more of what happens to these characters, but I think it will be a while before I pick up another Voyager book, alas. (But my TBR rejoices at not having the competition.)
2.5 / 5 stars
You can read more of my reviews on my blog.
This book made me pretty angry. There were two main elements which led to this. First, the prologue and a bunch of out-take type scenes in Homecoming featured extensive violent and sexual child abuse over many years of the victim's life. I had no idea where those scenes were going in the first book, so I largely filed them away in the "will probably be relevant later" draw. In The Farther Shore their purpose was revealed: the child abuse existed to motive the villain being a villain. There are so many things wrong with this, I don't even know where to start. Let's start with the obvious that most victims of domestic violence don't go on to pursue world domination. Also, while domestic violence is endemic in our society, it really seems like the sort of thing the Star Trek future should have largely dealt with and mostly eliminated. Certainly, I find it implausible that it continued for her entire childhood without the future having given her mother the tools to get herself and the child out of the situation. But more importantly, the whole being repeatedly raped as a child making someone a villain and turning into a literal monster is a very damaging trope. I was very annoyed to find it a pivotal plot element.
The other thing that really annoyed me was a bit of a spoiler, so it is under a spoiler shield.
Overall, there were minimal redeeming plot qualities but the rest of the book wasn't terrible. The hologram revolt sort of fizzled out and the Borg threat was, predictably, stopped by our main characters. The characterisation was all right, but the characters weren't exactly put in optimal situations. Even the well-meaning but mislead character who kept standing in their way had an unsatisfactory about-turn. Libby, a new character who I liked in the first book, still played a pivotal role but did not get enough page time in the resolution. B'Ellana's story line was completely separate from the main elements of the plot. Although it wasn't bad, it really could have been removed without ruining anything. The only relevant part was that she was off elsewhere while Tom was with the other main characters. I assume it's purpose was to set up some future book, but, well, meh.
I have been a bit harsh, though. The first part of The Farther Shore wasn't too bad. Aside from the specific things I singled out above, only the ending was a bit disappointing. On the other hand, from about half-way through my desire to get through it so I could write an angry review, which I have now done, started to outweigh my desire to find out what happened next. The latter, however, is why I didn't just put it down. (Also because it's not that long.)
I don't particularly recommend this book to anyone. Which is unfortunate, because the previous book wasn't bad, but definitely doesn't stand alone. Part of me wants to know more of what happens to these characters, but I think it will be a while before I pick up another Voyager book, alas. (But my TBR rejoices at not having the competition.)
2.5 / 5 stars
You can read more of my reviews on my blog.
October 9, 2019
Whoops, forgot to mark this one as read.
November 18, 2020
This caps off Voyager's return to Earth and really gives the reader a sense of closure the show didn't provide.
There are three main plot points, the first being a secret attempt to create a new Borg Queen by some damaged individuals, the emergence of the fight for holographic rights and B'Elanna's quest to find her mother.
It's very Star Trekky to have multiple story threads that don't necessarily overlap. B'Elanna's quest is very much the kind of story you'd see in one of the episodes, so it's nice to give her character some development even if it doesn't connect with the rest of the plot threads.
The argument that holograms could be considered sentient beings is also something that takes its inspiration from several episodes of Voyager and The Next Generation, but the storyline kind of peters out as the book focuses on the threat of the Borg. I wonder if it's a thread that will be picked up in later books.
I like the attempt at explaining why a human in the 24th Century would want to create their own collective of Borg on Earth, I'm not sure I entirely buy it. I understand the person responsible was damaged due to abuse as a child, but it's still takes some suspension of disbelief, at least for me.
Overall these two novels are a nice re-introduction to Star Trek: Voyager and set up potential new adventures for the characters.
There are three main plot points, the first being a secret attempt to create a new Borg Queen by some damaged individuals, the emergence of the fight for holographic rights and B'Elanna's quest to find her mother.
It's very Star Trekky to have multiple story threads that don't necessarily overlap. B'Elanna's quest is very much the kind of story you'd see in one of the episodes, so it's nice to give her character some development even if it doesn't connect with the rest of the plot threads.
The argument that holograms could be considered sentient beings is also something that takes its inspiration from several episodes of Voyager and The Next Generation, but the storyline kind of peters out as the book focuses on the threat of the Borg. I wonder if it's a thread that will be picked up in later books.
I like the attempt at explaining why a human in the 24th Century would want to create their own collective of Borg on Earth, I'm not sure I entirely buy it. I understand the person responsible was damaged due to abuse as a child, but it's still takes some suspension of disbelief, at least for me.
Overall these two novels are a nice re-introduction to Star Trek: Voyager and set up potential new adventures for the characters.
September 4, 2016
This book is more of a 3 ½ stars for me. I think it's a really good book. It's full of suspense and a lot of exiting things going on, we have the characters we know and love from Voyager with Christie Golden doing an amazing job with the writing of them and then we also have the fact that some things in my opinion felt a little bit over the top.
To me this book felt a little like Star Trek meets a political action thriller with elements you might expect to have seen in perhaps Alias (I loved that TV series, by the way). There's the Borg threat that started to form in the previous book, and then there's Starfleet Intelligence with a secret spy and then we also have the former crew of Voyager sneaking around trying to save the day when everyone else is just blind to what really needs to be done. It was an exiting premise, albeit maybe not the most common one within Trek.
But I did like this, though. It kept me in my seat trying to figure out what was going on. And when I thought I had it, and that I knew who the woman we've read small glimpses about since the first book was and what her agenda was, I found out I was only partly right in my assumptions. I didn't quite see what was really coming, and I'm not kidding when I say that the truth shocked me in such a way so that I was literally sitting with my mouth hanging open in utter disbelief. I would say that this was what might have been, to me, a little bit too much to take in. Maybe. Perhaps. Maybe some of you get my drift here...
I did like having Data, the android from TNG, as part of the story. I like him a lot. And since I thought about him and his previous situation, in regard to the Doctor having rights even though he is a hologram, it felt even more rewarding to have him on board. And he's funny, too.
Although being a very serious and thrilling feeling kind of book, I laughed several times through it. In between the shocks and my mouth falling down to the floor, of course. Maybe this wasn't supposed to be funny even, but I still laughed. Out loud. Just listen to this part of a conversation between Janeway and Chakotay...
Before I finish this review I also want to say that I just liked the sub story with B'Elanna more and more in this book. I really feel that her experience here added to her as a character, and I really like that.
And the ending, the last few pages, that was just pure perfection to me. I just had to get that in here somewhere, too.
To me this book felt a little like Star Trek meets a political action thriller with elements you might expect to have seen in perhaps Alias (I loved that TV series, by the way). There's the Borg threat that started to form in the previous book, and then there's Starfleet Intelligence with a secret spy and then we also have the former crew of Voyager sneaking around trying to save the day when everyone else is just blind to what really needs to be done. It was an exiting premise, albeit maybe not the most common one within Trek.
But I did like this, though. It kept me in my seat trying to figure out what was going on. And when I thought I had it, and that I knew who the woman we've read small glimpses about since the first book was and what her agenda was, I found out I was only partly right in my assumptions. I didn't quite see what was really coming, and I'm not kidding when I say that the truth shocked me in such a way so that I was literally sitting with my mouth hanging open in utter disbelief. I would say that this was what might have been, to me, a little bit too much to take in. Maybe. Perhaps. Maybe some of you get my drift here...
I did like having Data, the android from TNG, as part of the story. I like him a lot. And since I thought about him and his previous situation, in regard to the Doctor having rights even though he is a hologram, it felt even more rewarding to have him on board. And he's funny, too.
The Doctor appeared, and his face took on a soft expression. "My old stomping ground," he said fondly, as he looked around sickbay.
Data opened his mouth to inquire if the Doctor actually strode with deliberately heavy footfalls in his sickbay, then thought better of the question.
Although being a very serious and thrilling feeling kind of book, I laughed several times through it. In between the shocks and my mouth falling down to the floor, of course. Maybe this wasn't supposed to be funny even, but I still laughed. Out loud. Just listen to this part of a conversation between Janeway and Chakotay...
"Miss your chicks?"
She stared at him. "I beg your pardon?"
He smiled. "On Voyager, you often struck me like a mother hen protecting her chicks. They've grown up and, to use an old cliché, flown the coop."
She finished setting the table and he lit the candles. "Of course I miss my chicks," she said.
Before I finish this review I also want to say that I just liked the sub story with B'Elanna more and more in this book. I really feel that her experience here added to her as a character, and I really like that.
And the ending, the last few pages, that was just pure perfection to me. I just had to get that in here somewhere, too.
September 22, 2017
One of my literary pet peevs is when a character has an internal monolog describing all their hopes, dreams, fears and/or how exactly they committed a crime. This book seemed like it had a page limit and the only way to conclude the book in time was to just infodump.
And what the hell was this whole hologram uprising thing? Half the book was dedicated to this plot and nothing comes of it.
The only way this is getting 2 stars is because I like Star Trek.
And what the hell was this whole hologram uprising thing? Half the book was dedicated to this plot and nothing comes of it.
The only way this is getting 2 stars is because I like Star Trek.
December 20, 2017
We just finished bingeing on the ST Voyager series, so I had to read the 2 follow up books chronicling
the events following their return to Earth. They delivered great storylines well within the plot and character parameters of the series.
I’m an old time, staunch fan of Star Trek, and if you are as well you’ll enjoy these books.
the events following their return to Earth. They delivered great storylines well within the plot and character parameters of the series.
I’m an old time, staunch fan of Star Trek, and if you are as well you’ll enjoy these books.
January 7, 2010
I found this book only marginally better than the first in the series, but still found the story rather unbelievable (even for the Star Trek universe). I wouldn't recommend it unless you're a die-hard Voyager fan (which I am), and even then I'd give a warning.
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February 9, 2021Star Trek Voyager Homecoming and The Farther Shore present What Happens After The Journey
The story did not end after seven years when they finally got back home.
We knew that because it was logical, and because we saw Admiral Janeway in Star Trek Nemesis.
But what about the rest of the story.
That is where Star Trek Voyager Homecoming and Star Trek Voyager The Farther Shore come in. Both are paperback books, published in 2003 and 2003 respectively, and written by Christie Golden, a veteran novelist.
Now Star Trek is a television and movie franchise created in the 1960s by the late Gene Roddenberry, about humans exploring space. Voyager was the fifth show created, and deals with a starship lost in space.
Homecoming starts right after the Voyager series finale, called Endgame, a name which might sound familiar to Geeks. The shock of their return hits Voyager and Earth hard, especially after the Dominion War that occurred on Star Trek Deep Space Nine, and Starfleet is half empathetic and half business. At this point we have guest stars, and they all make sense, of Captain Picard and Counsellor Troi and Admiral Paris and Lieutenant Barclay, and some newbys as well.
The story shows the emotional and not always easy reunions of the Voyager crew and their loved ones. And we get surprises as well since seven years has happened to their family and friends. In some ways this first part of Homecoming also does some housecleaning on some of the subplots left over from the series.
For Voyager fans, this is probably the most favourite journey of the tale. Not everything is perfect and happy, but at least we get some closure the show denied us.
Nice and pleasant all this is, their is still a subplot itching to become the main plot, because we have to continue the story with further books. And very quickly this happens, as a new Borg threat hits the Earth. Before you get annoyed at it being the Borg yet again, this time it makes sense and is really scary.
Homecoming goes back and forth between the closure of their past and the threat in their future. Some of my favourite ongoing stories here is B’Elanna and Seven of Nine and The Doctor, with everything feeling dramatic and natural and touching. Meanwhile who the villain pulling the strings becomes fairly obvious fairly quickly. All this flows seamlessly together and really propels the story forward.
We of course get a cliffhanger at the end of Homecoming, and it is a darn good one, leading us right to the sequel The Farther Shore.
The Voyager crew are still in the midst of the Borg crisis, which started after they returned to Earth, which in stupid Starfleet logic means they are involved in a bad way. Complicating matters is another subplot from the television show and Homecoming dealing with Hologram rights, one that you can tell is going to be around way beyond these twin books. But besides the main threat of the Borg being concluded, for now because their is a thread that can be tugged one that can generate another story, we also get to the end of the excellent B’Elanna tale, that then evolves into the next stage of her journey.
One aspect of The Farther Shore goes very much into mature subject matter, but fans who really analyzed some of themes in Star Trek Voyager that were explored with Seven of Nine are already familiar with these difficult subjects. Snippets of this comes up in Homecoming, and are fully revealed here. Seven gives her unique perspective when she understands the true nature of what is going on, one that shows how far she has come as well. Everyone deals with PTSD in their own way, and it is interesting to see Seven espouse a human/Federation view of sympathy to a person who has committed a horrible crime because of pain.
My spideysense says Homecoming and The Farther Shore were meant to be a hardcover, but were split into these paperbacks, which is unfortunate. Multiple plot threads from the show, and several from these books, still linger at the end, which is why at the finale things are setup for more Voyager stories, with (Spoilers for 17 years ago) Captain Chakotay taking the ship back into the Delta Quadrant. Which sounds good to me.
Scoopriches
September 30, 2019
A slight improvement over 'Homecoming', but that's mostly because it gets on with and finishes the story. The whole things feels a bit rushed and that means there's very little character development (true to the spirit of the show, I guess). However, more time is spent on random characters rather than the main crew.
The entire Borg story line is fairly ridiculous and not given enough detail or context to make that much sense. Then there's the holographic uprising subplot which goes nowhere. I would have been far more interested in just seeing how the Voyager crew adapt to life back on Earth rather than having them immediately involved in uncovering a huge Starfleet conspiracy. The fact that it all stems from sexual abuse just makes it more unpleasant to read.
B'Elanna also gets a side quest which is more interesting that the rest of the book, but again not given enough space to really work well.
The entire Borg story line is fairly ridiculous and not given enough detail or context to make that much sense. Then there's the holographic uprising subplot which goes nowhere. I would have been far more interested in just seeing how the Voyager crew adapt to life back on Earth rather than having them immediately involved in uncovering a huge Starfleet conspiracy. The fact that it all stems from sexual abuse just makes it more unpleasant to read.
B'Elanna also gets a side quest which is more interesting that the rest of the book, but again not given enough space to really work well.
November 7, 2018
While Homecoming was an interesting, if rushed beginning to this story, I felt that The Farther Shore squandered a lot of the story's potential. There are certainly a number of truly interesting ideas in this book, but none of them are taken in particularly satisfying directions. A lot of the actions of both the main characters and the antagonists feel like they don't follow up on the promise that the story initially had.
Full review: https://www.treklit.com/2018/11/TFS.html
Full review: https://www.treklit.com/2018/11/TFS.html
July 27, 2021
The exciting conclusion to the novel titled "Homecoming" which immediately preceeds this one. I am not surprised that there was a "badmiral" involved. I am surprised that despite the horrors of Wolf 359, and the Dominion War, that someone thought it was a good idea to become a Borg Queen and start assimilating earth... It just goes to show that people fail upward in life. As an aside, this was a good tie-in to the events of First Contact.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 1, 2020
Well, I love everything Star Trek, but am so glad for the books following Voyager, after the series ended on TV. This book is a conclusion to the story line following Homecoming. I really enjoyed it, it stayed true to the characters of Voyager, and brought in other Star Trek characters, and kept my interest! The only negative, was some of the characters didn't have a complete closure, but that is perhaps for the next book!
August 21, 2018
You really know how to make someone look forward to the next book, Christie. Thank you.
May 7, 2024
Summary: Prologue: At age 21, the girl graduates from the Academy at the top of her class. She's a master at manipulating people. Her father is killed at Wolf 359, and she feels silent joy and gratitude toward the Borg.
B'Elanna has been in the tropical Boreth wilderness for a week, wearing nothing but the blood/soot mixture the priestesses covered her in. She's attacked by a grikshak and kills it by jamming a stone down its throat.
Libby does a deep dive into Trevor Blake and finds him exceedingly plain, though very well accomplished in the sciences until Covington recruited him into SI 4 years ago. She eventually gets him to notice her by repeatedly dropping a padd near him at lunch; he calls her that night, and she convinces him to meet for dinner as a thank you.
Dinner is rather dull, but Blake shockingly invites Libby over for a nightcap afterwards. When he leaves the room, she uses a device to download the data from his computer. She thanks him and leaves before he can work up the courage to make a move. He thinks she's dismissed him like everyone else, but the world will see him soon enough.
Libby compiles all of Trevor's files mentioning Admiral Montgomery, but they're all banal office memos. She comes across a document about the Royal Protocol, which explains the diplomatic procedures for meeting with alien royalty. but discovers that sections of it have been encrypted. She's about to call Agent Covington when Covington calls her to ask why she met with Trevor. Libby explains, and Covington tells her to lay off. Libby realizes Covington is the one feeding orders to Trevor, and she needs to find someone she can trust.
Janeways tells Picard she needs Data to petition for the the Doctor rights, as he was arrested and being held without charges. Picard agrees.
Harry receives a text message from "a friend" warning of a Borg virus that members of the Federation are responsible for. He informs Janeway, and she says to keep it under wraps.
Seven and Icheb contiue to suffer greatly without access to a regeneration alcove. Somehow, perhaps because he was Borg for far less time, Icheb learns to sleep.
A hologram of Oliver Baines materializes in the house of security officer Lt Vassily Andropov by using a suitcase-sized portable emitter. He create a hologram of Vassily, then they all teleport away.
Dr. Kaz calls Janeway and says she looks tired, and hints that he knows a couple others who aren't getting enough sleep either. He asks to meet with her to talk about treating "insomnia".
Kaz tells Janeway that Seven and Icheb will die if they don't regenerate soon, and that the Doctor is going to be reprogrammed. As a doctor himself, he wants to help Janeway break them out.
Data meets Janeway and the rest of her senior staff in her apartment. They debrief him, but he needs further convincing. She contacts Admiral Montgomery, who admits that he's willing to let Seven and Icheb die, and lobotomize the Doctor, even though they may be innocent. Data agrees to help.
The hologram of Lt Andropov sets off the alarm when he enters the correctional facility for work. The other guards recognize him and scan him with a tricorder to confirm his identity, which he passes. He sets to work "fixing" the scanners so that they won't detect any other holograms that pass through.
Libby decodes more of Trevor's document and learns that Starfleet has been aware of the Borg virus for at least 5 years. It may have been dormant in the wreckage of the sphere destroyed in Earth's atmosphere hundreds of years ago, but what activated it is unclear. She decides to message the only one she can trust to ask for help.
Harry gets another message from his informant, signed "Peregrine", and shares it with Janeway. She's contacted by Baines, who says he's planning to break the Doctor out; he's replaced many of the personnel in the facility with holograms using his own mobile emitters, and is going to start a violent operation to extricate him. She admits that she was also planning to break him, Seven, and Icheb, and convinces Baines to go along with her plan instead.
Libby meets with Assistant Director Aiden Fletcher--whom she'd preiovusly had a dalliance with before he called it off, so as not to affect their working relationship--and tells him everything, including some new info: the virus is spread by contact. She pleads for him to have one of his experts do a blind decode on the Royal Protocol document, and he agrees. Libby returns home to a message from Covington warning her that it's a bad idea to date her boss.
Commander Brian Grady waits for Covington in her bed. She knows how to administer pleasure, but the Hand has prevented her from ever feeling it herself. She tells Grady what to say and do and he obeys; she's worked with him and Blake on the Borg virus for years. She hasn't been able to corrupt Montgomery and needs him out of the way; she's planted evidence for Libby to uncover, but Libby is better than she expected. She isn't afraid of Libby seeing Fletcher again, assuming she's just already tired of Harry.
Libby has lunch with Harry, and he tells her he might be out of touch for a while; she conveys girlish sorrow that he'll be gone. Afterwards, she has a message from him at home leaving her a proper goodbye, and says they'll have a nice long talk when he returns.
Fletcher sends Libby the decrypted file, which reveals that the Borg virus was dormant until activated by a command from the Borg Queen, meaning she must be near. Blake chose the Royal Protocol document because it's the same name used by the Borg for creating a new queen. Luckily, Blake hasn't fully deciphered the entire protocol, only enough to activate the virus, but he's close. Libby realizes who the Queen must be.
Covington removes the disguise that covers her bald head and gray skin before she stepping into her sonic shower. Afterwards, she steps into her secret alcove to hear the voices of her Collective.
Kaz tells Montgomery that Seven and Icheb need to go into stasis or they'll die; he acquiesces.
Janeway, Data, Chakotay, and Tuvok arrive at the facility just as Kaz is putting his Borg patients in statis. After the guards leave, Seven and Icheb sit up, perfectly fine. Chakotay and Tuvok reveal that they're actually holograms, and reform themselves into Seven and Icheb. They hand off their briefcase emitters so the real Seven and Icheb can disguise themselves as Chakotay and Tuvok.
They go to the Doctor's cell and Data demands to speak with his client alone. Data downloads the Doctor's program into his internal memory, then they all beam back to Tom's place. Data unloads the Doctor's program. The Doctor thanks them for his freedom, but Janeway says Data will need to download him again while they go visit an old friend.
Aidan contacts Libby and admits that he read the file. He says he's taking over, but Libby says he's probably already infected, and if Covington finds out that SI knows, she'll activate the nanoprobes. She says to give her 24 hours; he agrees to 12 while he assembles a team. She writes a message for Harry.
Andropov awakens to find himself in a desert with 4 dozen others that were kidnapped by Baines. Baines gallops in on a horse and tells them that in this holosuite fantasy, they will be slaves building a pyramid. Other holograms on horses begin whipping the prisoners.
A hologram of Montgomery orders the ensign manning the teleporters to beam Janeway and her crew aboard Voyager. Once aboard, they're stopped by Commander Watson, who ultimately lets them pass, but he senses that something isn't right.
Voyager has been gutted for Project Full Circle, including the regeneration chambers. They get to work repairing them, while Harry tries to lock out the security team and block communications from the bridge.
B'Elanna roasts the meat from an animal she killed and feels purified by the Challenge of Spirit. It reminds her of her last disastrous camping trip with her father, and she decides she'll patch things up with him. She hears a twig snap; she grabs a torch to scare away whatever animal it might be, but is knocked to the ground--by her mother.
Data unloads the Doctor's program into sickbay, and alters his appearnace to look like the current model. Janeway leaves Tuvok to guard Seven and Icheb, while she, Tom, and Chakotay go take out the patrols.
Dr. Kaz beams aboard and meets with Data and the Doctor. A security officer walks in, but Data says their work is classified, so she leaves. As Kaz uploads his files to Voyager's computer, she returns, phaser drawn: she remembered that the EMH was transferred off of Voyager. The Doctor materializes behind her and knocks her out with a hypospray, and Data tells the computer to replicate a hologram of her.
Grady warns Covington that Starfleet is close to uncovering their secret, so she pushes up the timetable. She activates her personal EMH, which she has removed the ethical suroutines from.
Libby sends Harry a message on Voyager, but the officer in charge says he needs to check in with Starfleet, so Harry doesn't have a chance to read it.
An officer walks into Cargo Bay 2 and sees Seven and Icheb regenerating, but Tuvok drops him with a neck pinch. Tom, Chakotay, and Janeway take out more guards with brute force.
B'Elanna's mother criticizes her for having an open fire, and B'Elanna loses it, asking why she dragged her out into the wilderness to look for her when she has a new baby girl at home. Her mother is taken aback to learn she has a grand daughter, and when B'Elanna tells her her name is also Miral, they embrace and cry.
Miral tells B'Elanna that she was close to death when she had her vision of the Barge of the Dead. As she recants what happened, B'Elanna realizes they shared the same vision. Miral surprises her and says they must go back, as there is great honor in tending to a child's needs. B'Elanna says she still isn't sure if she's a proper Klingon; Miral says it was her duty to make B'Elanna proud of both sides of her herritage.
Kaz tells Janeway that they're not making much progress. The Doctor says they should start replicating nanoprobes to combat the virus. She decides they need to awaken Seven and Icheb.
Covington's EMH removes her skullcap to begin the process of fully making her into a Borg Queen.
Andropov protects a young woman named Allyson, giving her his water and taking the brunt of her beatings. He says when they get free, he wants to take her out to dinner as the daughter he never had.
Commander Watson realizes something is up when his team doesn't check in. He tries to make a move against the Voyager crew, but Janeway gets the drop on him first and throws him in the brig. She and Chakotay go to the bridge and remove the officer in charge there as well.
Covington awakens and is delighted that she can hear the Collective. The EMH tells her to try and contact an existing Borg, and she searches out Seven. She is shocked to find her awake and contacts Grady immediately.
Grady tells Montgomery that Seven and Icheb need to be questioned by the Interrogator immediately. The hologram impersonating Dr. Kaz gets them out of statis, but they walk out the door and disappear. Montgomery realizes what's happened and goes to check on the EMH in the brig, who also does a suicide run. The other holograms in the facility get a signal from the Doctor and terminate their programs.
Allyson collapses and Andropov pleads for the guards to help her. Instead, a guard spears her through the chest and she dies. The program ends, and Baines tells him that he's free to go. Andropov attacks Baines, but he's only a hologram. Allyson gets to her feet, revealing that she too was a hologram. She pleads that she's a person too, and Andropov realizes he still loves her. Baines asks Andropov for his help.
Miral dresses B'Elanna's wounds and says they'll head back tomorrow. She also says she'll work things out with her husband when they get back, so as not to deny the baby their wisdom.
Seven complains to Kaz that the buzzing in her head has returned; the Doctor fears it's the Queen trying to contact her.
Covington tells Blake to begin linking her with the computers.
Montgomery contacts Voyager. The hologram of Watson insists that the Voyager crew isn't there, but Montgomery says he's coming up anyway. He's met by Janeway brandishing a phaser; she assures him that she's on his side, but he says she's throwing away her career.
Kaz, Data, and the Doctor tell the others that there's a Queen in the Alpha Quadrant that activated the virus, which can be spread by contact or inhalation. Kaz tells Montgomery that if the Voyager crew would've been brought in sooner, they probably would've figured it out by now.
Harry gets a message from Peregrine, but Montgomery tries to trace it and it terminates. Luckily, Peregrine resends the message, which mentions the Royal Protocol, and says Grady and Blake are conspiring to make Covington the new Queen. Montgomery says to reply that they're going to take the bitch down.
The growl of a very large grikshak awakens B'Elanna and Miral in the night.
Libby gets Harry's message and responds back that he can trust A.D. Fletcher, and sends him coordinates for Covington's office. She lets Fletcher know the Voyager crew is on the case.
Covington begins downloading the SI computer into her brain. She sees a log of Libby contacting Fletcher and realizes she's underestimated her. The EMH begins transferring the Starfleet database next, but it's too much and Covington goes into cardiac arrest, forcing the EMH to disconnect her.
When Covington comes to, she tells her assistants they've been discovered, and she needs to activate the drones now. Blake says she doesn't have the power of a true Queen, and can only activate the drones in the SI compound. She does, which includes Blake.
Montgomery contacts Fletcher, but he turns into a Borg mid-conversation. The Doctor says they've managed to modify nanoprobes to block the Queen's signal for a few hours, but they only have enough for 5-6 people. Janeway says she, Montgomery, Seven, Tom, Tuvok, Chakotay, and Data will go stop the Queen in her lair.
B'Elanna and her mother attack the griksak from both sides, fatally wounding it, but it swipes at Miral before it dies, leaving a fatal claw slash in her midsection. Miral says the mother grikshak was avenged, and B'Elanna realizes that she led it there by killing its cub.
Miral's final wish is for B'Elanna to perform the Hegh'bat, an honor killing. They exchange final "I love you's", then B'Elanna reluctantly stabs her mother in the throat with a glass blade. She lets out a victory cry to send her mother to Sto-Vo-Kor.
The next morning, the human side of B'Elanna can't bear leaving her mother exposed, so she makes a cairn. She decides to start embracing both sides of her heritage.
Montgomery calls Starfleet Command to warn them, and they say Grady has been apprehended. They beam into SI and are met by drones. Tuvok is shot in the chest before they are all dispatched, but luckily he was only stunned. Data links into the system and attempts to lock the Queen out.
When Covington realizes her assailants aren't being assimilated, she orders her drones to kill them instead. She halts their turbolift a floor above her lair, and they're forced to go the rest of the way on foot.
They crawl through the ceiling and drop into Covington's office only to find it empty. An EMH materializes and levels a phaser at them, but knowing the Doctor as well as they do, they exploit its vanity long enough for the team to disable the holoemitters in the room. This also reveals a hidden door, behind which lies the Queen's chamber. It's too thick to blast through, so Data simply beams them into the room.
Inside they find Blake linked to a compupter, and Covington in a regeneration chamber. Montgomery aims to kill her, but Janeway says that could also kill all the linked drones too; regardless, there's a forcefield.
Blake attacks Seven and Montgomery kills him. Seven injects her tubules into the computer and connects to the Collective. She distracts Covington long enough to lower the forcefield, and Janeway and Montgomery fire, killing her. However, Seven doesn't disconnect from the Collective. Janeways posits that the Queen transferred the Royal Protocol to her.
Seven sees Brenna's horrible childhood memories of the Hand assaulting her. An adult Brenna tells her the drones need a queen, but Seven will not be seduced by the glory and closes the door on the Royal Protocol.
Seven wakes up in her regeneration alcove 3 days later. Kaz says they've all been let off the hook since they saved the day. The drones were all released, and Starfleet continues to lean into the Xanarian Flu cover story. Janeway says she and Tuvok are going to go back to teaching; Seven and the Doctor are offered spots in a Starkfleet think tank.
Carla apologizes to Janeway for thinking she had anything to do with Kevin getting infected; Janeway says all's well that ends well.
Montgomery tells Janeway that they've found Baines's body, an apparent suicide. Vassily Andropov returns home after his first day back to work and rushes into the arms of Allyson. A hologram of Oliver Baines welcomes him home.
B'Elanna contacts Tom and tearfully says that her mother is dead. She says she's talked with Logt and the Guardians and has permission to live and study on Boreth; Tom is taken aback, but says he and the baby will be on the first transport out.
Chakotay meets Janeway for dinner. She says Icheb is back at the Academy and dating Eshe; his attackers were expelled/suspended. Chakotay says the Doctor sent him a preview copy of "Photons, Claim Justice." Chakotay says he's decided to rejoin Starfleet, and Janeway says she's been authorized to offer him the captaincy of Voyager.
Review: 2.5 stars. This was a bit more focused than the first half at least, since it didn't have to deal with the Voyager crew's homecoming. However, the story itself hinges on Covington being such a psychopath that she wants to become the Borg Queen, and that the foremost expert on the Borg just happens to be crazy enough to go along with it. Plus, it introduced an assimilation virus, meaning that any time someone enters a cube from here on out, they should instantly be assimilated--which is never brought up again, to my knowledge.
As if that alone wasn't enough, the holographic revolution is crammed in there too, and it also feels like a bit of a stretch that holograms could take over a top secret facility.
B'Elanna has been in the tropical Boreth wilderness for a week, wearing nothing but the blood/soot mixture the priestesses covered her in. She's attacked by a grikshak and kills it by jamming a stone down its throat.
Libby does a deep dive into Trevor Blake and finds him exceedingly plain, though very well accomplished in the sciences until Covington recruited him into SI 4 years ago. She eventually gets him to notice her by repeatedly dropping a padd near him at lunch; he calls her that night, and she convinces him to meet for dinner as a thank you.
Dinner is rather dull, but Blake shockingly invites Libby over for a nightcap afterwards. When he leaves the room, she uses a device to download the data from his computer. She thanks him and leaves before he can work up the courage to make a move. He thinks she's dismissed him like everyone else, but the world will see him soon enough.
Libby compiles all of Trevor's files mentioning Admiral Montgomery, but they're all banal office memos. She comes across a document about the Royal Protocol, which explains the diplomatic procedures for meeting with alien royalty. but discovers that sections of it have been encrypted. She's about to call Agent Covington when Covington calls her to ask why she met with Trevor. Libby explains, and Covington tells her to lay off. Libby realizes Covington is the one feeding orders to Trevor, and she needs to find someone she can trust.
Janeways tells Picard she needs Data to petition for the the Doctor rights, as he was arrested and being held without charges. Picard agrees.
Harry receives a text message from "a friend" warning of a Borg virus that members of the Federation are responsible for. He informs Janeway, and she says to keep it under wraps.
Seven and Icheb contiue to suffer greatly without access to a regeneration alcove. Somehow, perhaps because he was Borg for far less time, Icheb learns to sleep.
A hologram of Oliver Baines materializes in the house of security officer Lt Vassily Andropov by using a suitcase-sized portable emitter. He create a hologram of Vassily, then they all teleport away.
Dr. Kaz calls Janeway and says she looks tired, and hints that he knows a couple others who aren't getting enough sleep either. He asks to meet with her to talk about treating "insomnia".
Kaz tells Janeway that Seven and Icheb will die if they don't regenerate soon, and that the Doctor is going to be reprogrammed. As a doctor himself, he wants to help Janeway break them out.
Data meets Janeway and the rest of her senior staff in her apartment. They debrief him, but he needs further convincing. She contacts Admiral Montgomery, who admits that he's willing to let Seven and Icheb die, and lobotomize the Doctor, even though they may be innocent. Data agrees to help.
The hologram of Lt Andropov sets off the alarm when he enters the correctional facility for work. The other guards recognize him and scan him with a tricorder to confirm his identity, which he passes. He sets to work "fixing" the scanners so that they won't detect any other holograms that pass through.
Libby decodes more of Trevor's document and learns that Starfleet has been aware of the Borg virus for at least 5 years. It may have been dormant in the wreckage of the sphere destroyed in Earth's atmosphere hundreds of years ago, but what activated it is unclear. She decides to message the only one she can trust to ask for help.
Harry gets another message from his informant, signed "Peregrine", and shares it with Janeway. She's contacted by Baines, who says he's planning to break the Doctor out; he's replaced many of the personnel in the facility with holograms using his own mobile emitters, and is going to start a violent operation to extricate him. She admits that she was also planning to break him, Seven, and Icheb, and convinces Baines to go along with her plan instead.
Libby meets with Assistant Director Aiden Fletcher--whom she'd preiovusly had a dalliance with before he called it off, so as not to affect their working relationship--and tells him everything, including some new info: the virus is spread by contact. She pleads for him to have one of his experts do a blind decode on the Royal Protocol document, and he agrees. Libby returns home to a message from Covington warning her that it's a bad idea to date her boss.
Commander Brian Grady waits for Covington in her bed. She knows how to administer pleasure, but the Hand has prevented her from ever feeling it herself. She tells Grady what to say and do and he obeys; she's worked with him and Blake on the Borg virus for years. She hasn't been able to corrupt Montgomery and needs him out of the way; she's planted evidence for Libby to uncover, but Libby is better than she expected. She isn't afraid of Libby seeing Fletcher again, assuming she's just already tired of Harry.
Libby has lunch with Harry, and he tells her he might be out of touch for a while; she conveys girlish sorrow that he'll be gone. Afterwards, she has a message from him at home leaving her a proper goodbye, and says they'll have a nice long talk when he returns.
Fletcher sends Libby the decrypted file, which reveals that the Borg virus was dormant until activated by a command from the Borg Queen, meaning she must be near. Blake chose the Royal Protocol document because it's the same name used by the Borg for creating a new queen. Luckily, Blake hasn't fully deciphered the entire protocol, only enough to activate the virus, but he's close. Libby realizes who the Queen must be.
Covington removes the disguise that covers her bald head and gray skin before she stepping into her sonic shower. Afterwards, she steps into her secret alcove to hear the voices of her Collective.
Kaz tells Montgomery that Seven and Icheb need to go into stasis or they'll die; he acquiesces.
Janeway, Data, Chakotay, and Tuvok arrive at the facility just as Kaz is putting his Borg patients in statis. After the guards leave, Seven and Icheb sit up, perfectly fine. Chakotay and Tuvok reveal that they're actually holograms, and reform themselves into Seven and Icheb. They hand off their briefcase emitters so the real Seven and Icheb can disguise themselves as Chakotay and Tuvok.
They go to the Doctor's cell and Data demands to speak with his client alone. Data downloads the Doctor's program into his internal memory, then they all beam back to Tom's place. Data unloads the Doctor's program. The Doctor thanks them for his freedom, but Janeway says Data will need to download him again while they go visit an old friend.
Aidan contacts Libby and admits that he read the file. He says he's taking over, but Libby says he's probably already infected, and if Covington finds out that SI knows, she'll activate the nanoprobes. She says to give her 24 hours; he agrees to 12 while he assembles a team. She writes a message for Harry.
Andropov awakens to find himself in a desert with 4 dozen others that were kidnapped by Baines. Baines gallops in on a horse and tells them that in this holosuite fantasy, they will be slaves building a pyramid. Other holograms on horses begin whipping the prisoners.
A hologram of Montgomery orders the ensign manning the teleporters to beam Janeway and her crew aboard Voyager. Once aboard, they're stopped by Commander Watson, who ultimately lets them pass, but he senses that something isn't right.
Voyager has been gutted for Project Full Circle, including the regeneration chambers. They get to work repairing them, while Harry tries to lock out the security team and block communications from the bridge.
B'Elanna roasts the meat from an animal she killed and feels purified by the Challenge of Spirit. It reminds her of her last disastrous camping trip with her father, and she decides she'll patch things up with him. She hears a twig snap; she grabs a torch to scare away whatever animal it might be, but is knocked to the ground--by her mother.
Data unloads the Doctor's program into sickbay, and alters his appearnace to look like the current model. Janeway leaves Tuvok to guard Seven and Icheb, while she, Tom, and Chakotay go take out the patrols.
Dr. Kaz beams aboard and meets with Data and the Doctor. A security officer walks in, but Data says their work is classified, so she leaves. As Kaz uploads his files to Voyager's computer, she returns, phaser drawn: she remembered that the EMH was transferred off of Voyager. The Doctor materializes behind her and knocks her out with a hypospray, and Data tells the computer to replicate a hologram of her.
Grady warns Covington that Starfleet is close to uncovering their secret, so she pushes up the timetable. She activates her personal EMH, which she has removed the ethical suroutines from.
Libby sends Harry a message on Voyager, but the officer in charge says he needs to check in with Starfleet, so Harry doesn't have a chance to read it.
An officer walks into Cargo Bay 2 and sees Seven and Icheb regenerating, but Tuvok drops him with a neck pinch. Tom, Chakotay, and Janeway take out more guards with brute force.
B'Elanna's mother criticizes her for having an open fire, and B'Elanna loses it, asking why she dragged her out into the wilderness to look for her when she has a new baby girl at home. Her mother is taken aback to learn she has a grand daughter, and when B'Elanna tells her her name is also Miral, they embrace and cry.
Miral tells B'Elanna that she was close to death when she had her vision of the Barge of the Dead. As she recants what happened, B'Elanna realizes they shared the same vision. Miral surprises her and says they must go back, as there is great honor in tending to a child's needs. B'Elanna says she still isn't sure if she's a proper Klingon; Miral says it was her duty to make B'Elanna proud of both sides of her herritage.
Kaz tells Janeway that they're not making much progress. The Doctor says they should start replicating nanoprobes to combat the virus. She decides they need to awaken Seven and Icheb.
Covington's EMH removes her skullcap to begin the process of fully making her into a Borg Queen.
Andropov protects a young woman named Allyson, giving her his water and taking the brunt of her beatings. He says when they get free, he wants to take her out to dinner as the daughter he never had.
Commander Watson realizes something is up when his team doesn't check in. He tries to make a move against the Voyager crew, but Janeway gets the drop on him first and throws him in the brig. She and Chakotay go to the bridge and remove the officer in charge there as well.
Covington awakens and is delighted that she can hear the Collective. The EMH tells her to try and contact an existing Borg, and she searches out Seven. She is shocked to find her awake and contacts Grady immediately.
Grady tells Montgomery that Seven and Icheb need to be questioned by the Interrogator immediately. The hologram impersonating Dr. Kaz gets them out of statis, but they walk out the door and disappear. Montgomery realizes what's happened and goes to check on the EMH in the brig, who also does a suicide run. The other holograms in the facility get a signal from the Doctor and terminate their programs.
Allyson collapses and Andropov pleads for the guards to help her. Instead, a guard spears her through the chest and she dies. The program ends, and Baines tells him that he's free to go. Andropov attacks Baines, but he's only a hologram. Allyson gets to her feet, revealing that she too was a hologram. She pleads that she's a person too, and Andropov realizes he still loves her. Baines asks Andropov for his help.
Miral dresses B'Elanna's wounds and says they'll head back tomorrow. She also says she'll work things out with her husband when they get back, so as not to deny the baby their wisdom.
Seven complains to Kaz that the buzzing in her head has returned; the Doctor fears it's the Queen trying to contact her.
Covington tells Blake to begin linking her with the computers.
Montgomery contacts Voyager. The hologram of Watson insists that the Voyager crew isn't there, but Montgomery says he's coming up anyway. He's met by Janeway brandishing a phaser; she assures him that she's on his side, but he says she's throwing away her career.
Kaz, Data, and the Doctor tell the others that there's a Queen in the Alpha Quadrant that activated the virus, which can be spread by contact or inhalation. Kaz tells Montgomery that if the Voyager crew would've been brought in sooner, they probably would've figured it out by now.
Harry gets a message from Peregrine, but Montgomery tries to trace it and it terminates. Luckily, Peregrine resends the message, which mentions the Royal Protocol, and says Grady and Blake are conspiring to make Covington the new Queen. Montgomery says to reply that they're going to take the bitch down.
The growl of a very large grikshak awakens B'Elanna and Miral in the night.
Libby gets Harry's message and responds back that he can trust A.D. Fletcher, and sends him coordinates for Covington's office. She lets Fletcher know the Voyager crew is on the case.
Covington begins downloading the SI computer into her brain. She sees a log of Libby contacting Fletcher and realizes she's underestimated her. The EMH begins transferring the Starfleet database next, but it's too much and Covington goes into cardiac arrest, forcing the EMH to disconnect her.
When Covington comes to, she tells her assistants they've been discovered, and she needs to activate the drones now. Blake says she doesn't have the power of a true Queen, and can only activate the drones in the SI compound. She does, which includes Blake.
Montgomery contacts Fletcher, but he turns into a Borg mid-conversation. The Doctor says they've managed to modify nanoprobes to block the Queen's signal for a few hours, but they only have enough for 5-6 people. Janeway says she, Montgomery, Seven, Tom, Tuvok, Chakotay, and Data will go stop the Queen in her lair.
B'Elanna and her mother attack the griksak from both sides, fatally wounding it, but it swipes at Miral before it dies, leaving a fatal claw slash in her midsection. Miral says the mother grikshak was avenged, and B'Elanna realizes that she led it there by killing its cub.
Miral's final wish is for B'Elanna to perform the Hegh'bat, an honor killing. They exchange final "I love you's", then B'Elanna reluctantly stabs her mother in the throat with a glass blade. She lets out a victory cry to send her mother to Sto-Vo-Kor.
The next morning, the human side of B'Elanna can't bear leaving her mother exposed, so she makes a cairn. She decides to start embracing both sides of her heritage.
Montgomery calls Starfleet Command to warn them, and they say Grady has been apprehended. They beam into SI and are met by drones. Tuvok is shot in the chest before they are all dispatched, but luckily he was only stunned. Data links into the system and attempts to lock the Queen out.
When Covington realizes her assailants aren't being assimilated, she orders her drones to kill them instead. She halts their turbolift a floor above her lair, and they're forced to go the rest of the way on foot.
They crawl through the ceiling and drop into Covington's office only to find it empty. An EMH materializes and levels a phaser at them, but knowing the Doctor as well as they do, they exploit its vanity long enough for the team to disable the holoemitters in the room. This also reveals a hidden door, behind which lies the Queen's chamber. It's too thick to blast through, so Data simply beams them into the room.
Inside they find Blake linked to a compupter, and Covington in a regeneration chamber. Montgomery aims to kill her, but Janeway says that could also kill all the linked drones too; regardless, there's a forcefield.
Blake attacks Seven and Montgomery kills him. Seven injects her tubules into the computer and connects to the Collective. She distracts Covington long enough to lower the forcefield, and Janeway and Montgomery fire, killing her. However, Seven doesn't disconnect from the Collective. Janeways posits that the Queen transferred the Royal Protocol to her.
Seven sees Brenna's horrible childhood memories of the Hand assaulting her. An adult Brenna tells her the drones need a queen, but Seven will not be seduced by the glory and closes the door on the Royal Protocol.
Seven wakes up in her regeneration alcove 3 days later. Kaz says they've all been let off the hook since they saved the day. The drones were all released, and Starfleet continues to lean into the Xanarian Flu cover story. Janeway says she and Tuvok are going to go back to teaching; Seven and the Doctor are offered spots in a Starkfleet think tank.
Carla apologizes to Janeway for thinking she had anything to do with Kevin getting infected; Janeway says all's well that ends well.
Montgomery tells Janeway that they've found Baines's body, an apparent suicide. Vassily Andropov returns home after his first day back to work and rushes into the arms of Allyson. A hologram of Oliver Baines welcomes him home.
B'Elanna contacts Tom and tearfully says that her mother is dead. She says she's talked with Logt and the Guardians and has permission to live and study on Boreth; Tom is taken aback, but says he and the baby will be on the first transport out.
Chakotay meets Janeway for dinner. She says Icheb is back at the Academy and dating Eshe; his attackers were expelled/suspended. Chakotay says the Doctor sent him a preview copy of "Photons, Claim Justice." Chakotay says he's decided to rejoin Starfleet, and Janeway says she's been authorized to offer him the captaincy of Voyager.
Review: 2.5 stars. This was a bit more focused than the first half at least, since it didn't have to deal with the Voyager crew's homecoming. However, the story itself hinges on Covington being such a psychopath that she wants to become the Borg Queen, and that the foremost expert on the Borg just happens to be crazy enough to go along with it. Plus, it introduced an assimilation virus, meaning that any time someone enters a cube from here on out, they should instantly be assimilated--which is never brought up again, to my knowledge.
As if that alone wasn't enough, the holographic revolution is crammed in there too, and it also feels like a bit of a stretch that holograms could take over a top secret facility.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 14, 2017
I really liked the first book in this series; this one, alas, didn't quite stick the landing for me. It took me awhile to figure out exactly why, too, but I think it boils down to the fact that this was an enjoyable sci-fi book, and even an enjoyable Trek book -- but it was not a very enjoyable *Voyager* book, because much of the Voyager crew is hardly in it.
Which is a shame, because Golden's got a great ear for the Voyager crew characters and how they talk. In a world where tie-in novels often don't quite fully capture the characters' voices, this one had every character sounding wholly themselves. (This is particularly fun with the Doctor and Tom Paris, who have their own particular styles and cadences.) But that made it all the more frustrating to have two of our three main plotlines being headed up by non-Voyager characters.
Not that I didn't like the non-Voyager characters! Both Libby (who is from the original show, albeit only one episode) and Aiden Fletcher were fine viewpoint characters; I also liked the new Trill doctor a good bit, which is fortunate since we spend a lot of time with him. The main plot itself, of the Borg virus, was also quite a neat idea, to put it mildly.
But speaking of plot: I think there either needed to be a third book, or some plotlines needed to be snipped. The hologram uprising was kind of shunted to one side -- and this after a rather horrifying sequence in the holodeck with Fletcher that didn't feel like Trek at all. (Speaking of that scene: I didn't quite buy how quickly ).
The hologram uprising wasn't the only plotline to feel a bit short-shrifted.
... I'm being pretty critical here, and it probably sounds like I hardly liked this book at all. Not true; as a general read, it's probably more like three and a half stars. As a Voyager read, though, we're closer to two and a half. I love this crew so much, and I want so much to spend more time with them. There were some pretty neat ideas in this story, but the endings happened too fast. Character arcs had to resolve too quickly to wrap them up, and they needed more time to breathe. I still enjoyed much of the read; I just wish some things had been given more time -- and more Voyager crew to experience them.
Which is a shame, because Golden's got a great ear for the Voyager crew characters and how they talk. In a world where tie-in novels often don't quite fully capture the characters' voices, this one had every character sounding wholly themselves. (This is particularly fun with the Doctor and Tom Paris, who have their own particular styles and cadences.) But that made it all the more frustrating to have two of our three main plotlines being headed up by non-Voyager characters.
Not that I didn't like the non-Voyager characters! Both Libby (who is from the original show, albeit only one episode) and Aiden Fletcher were fine viewpoint characters; I also liked the new Trill doctor a good bit, which is fortunate since we spend a lot of time with him. The main plot itself, of the Borg virus, was also quite a neat idea, to put it mildly.
But speaking of plot: I think there either needed to be a third book, or some plotlines needed to be snipped. The hologram uprising was kind of shunted to one side -- and this after a rather horrifying sequence in the holodeck with Fletcher that didn't feel like Trek at all. (Speaking of that scene: I didn't quite buy how quickly ).
The hologram uprising wasn't the only plotline to feel a bit short-shrifted.
... I'm being pretty critical here, and it probably sounds like I hardly liked this book at all. Not true; as a general read, it's probably more like three and a half stars. As a Voyager read, though, we're closer to two and a half. I love this crew so much, and I want so much to spend more time with them. There were some pretty neat ideas in this story, but the endings happened too fast. Character arcs had to resolve too quickly to wrap them up, and they needed more time to breathe. I still enjoyed much of the read; I just wish some things had been given more time -- and more Voyager crew to experience them.
August 13, 2012
Such a let down from the first book. I really enjoyed "Homecoming", though it was far from perfect. This one was so disappointing because it lost most of the fun of the first in the series. I very rarely enjoy it when the bad guy's POV is given so much page-time, and this is no exception. This book also went from giving us the POVs of a few non-Voyager crew, to far too many, all jumbled together in one messy, lazy attempt at writing.
The plot was unbelievably predictable (more so, even, than most franchise continuing Sci-Fi books). There was not a single thing that happened in this book that I did not see coming almost from the very beginning of chapter 1.
I also despise it when an author takes over a well-established franchise and characters, and then proceeds to undo or ignore things that she maybe didn't like from the TV show or previous novels. I won't do spoilers here, but you get the distinct impression that there were certain aspects of the Series Finale that she was working hard to undermine. If you agree to continue the story, you should actually do so in all aspects of all the characters; if you run out of time, simply don't mention everything, but do not go out of your way to negate certain events from the well-liked TV show.
The plot was unbelievably predictable (more so, even, than most franchise continuing Sci-Fi books). There was not a single thing that happened in this book that I did not see coming almost from the very beginning of chapter 1.
I also despise it when an author takes over a well-established franchise and characters, and then proceeds to undo or ignore things that she maybe didn't like from the TV show or previous novels. I won't do spoilers here, but you get the distinct impression that there were certain aspects of the Series Finale that she was working hard to undermine. If you agree to continue the story, you should actually do so in all aspects of all the characters; if you run out of time, simply don't mention everything, but do not go out of your way to negate certain events from the well-liked TV show.
May 24, 2012
In the end there is just too much competition for space to allow all three story lines: the Borg Virus, B'Lanna's Challenge and the Holo Rebellion, to develop and resolve themselves satisfactorily (like so many Berman era Trek episodes).
I'm still at a loss to understand why B'Lanna's wholly unrelated story line playing Clan of the Cave Bear on Boreth with her Mommy Dearest is even included here (let it be know I've never been able to take TNG era Klingons and their angsty Stone-Age cultural ethos the least bit serious.) when those pages could have been better served expanding upon the Brenna Covington character and thus avoiding her fate as yet another two-bit B-movie Trek villain bent on world domination who is readily dispatched in a hasty action-oriented climax.
The Holo Rebellion presented the more interesting story possibilities but is the least developed and most mishandled by Golden.
In the author's favor, however, is her ability to realize the Voyager crew in print as they came to be known on television.
I'm still at a loss to understand why B'Lanna's wholly unrelated story line playing Clan of the Cave Bear on Boreth with her Mommy Dearest is even included here (let it be know I've never been able to take TNG era Klingons and their angsty Stone-Age cultural ethos the least bit serious.) when those pages could have been better served expanding upon the Brenna Covington character and thus avoiding her fate as yet another two-bit B-movie Trek villain bent on world domination who is readily dispatched in a hasty action-oriented climax.
The Holo Rebellion presented the more interesting story possibilities but is the least developed and most mishandled by Golden.
In the author's favor, however, is her ability to realize the Voyager crew in print as they came to be known on television.
February 19, 2020
3.5 stars
This review is of both parts of Homecoming together. I definitely suggest reading them in immediate sequence; these are NOT stand-alones.
While they lack a few things I really really wanted to see (e.g. ), what we did get to see what a lot of fun. Libby was great. B'Elanna's adventure was moving on multiple levels. And the whole Borg plot was well-done.
There are lots of after-they-came-home fanfics out there for those of us who want elements that were not in these books. But this pair of "official" novels I not only enjoyed reading, they are well-written enough I expect I will re-read them more than once in the future.
This review is of both parts of Homecoming together. I definitely suggest reading them in immediate sequence; these are NOT stand-alones.
While they lack a few things I really really wanted to see (e.g. ), what we did get to see what a lot of fun. Libby was great. B'Elanna's adventure was moving on multiple levels. And the whole Borg plot was well-done.
There are lots of after-they-came-home fanfics out there for those of us who want elements that were not in these books. But this pair of "official" novels I not only enjoyed reading, they are well-written enough I expect I will re-read them more than once in the future.
October 7, 2018
The Farther Shore wraps up the story from the previous Voyager novel Homecoming, it's a decent story but not quite as good as Homecoming was. My main issue was how two of the major subplots don't add very much to the story and end up not going anywhere. B'Elanna's search for her mother ends on a quite disappointing note, while the Doctor's holographic revolution storyline never really catches on and heavily features the perspectives of some not very interesting secondary characters who don't add much to the actual narrative with the Borg virus. As a wrapup to the storyline of Homecoming, The Farther Shore is fine but does feel like a somewhat missed opportunity.
January 5, 2009
This book was not any better than the first. Christie Golden should be ashamed of herself. Such fanfic panderings.
The B'elanna story was outstanding through. It had so little to do with the rest of the plot that it could have and should have stood by itself. B'elanna and her mom: 5 stars. The rest of the book: 1 star.
The B'elanna story was outstanding through. It had so little to do with the rest of the plot that it could have and should have stood by itself. B'elanna and her mom: 5 stars. The rest of the book: 1 star.
February 3, 2025
The USS Voyager returned and so The Borg too!
This book is a tie-in original prose novel of “Star Trek: Voyager”. The second in the Expanded Universe line of this spin-off series. And it’s the second part of the story started in the previous novel.
STOLEN IDEAS
It’s outrageous that they declared non-canon the Expanded Universe novels of Star Trek BUT they didn’t have any problema stealing ideas from those Expanded Universe novel to adapt in the newer TV series, in this case, Star Trek: Picard have four ideas (at least that I am aware and I still have to read seveal more novels) that they were developed first in this two-parter initial novels of Star Trek: Voyager for its “Relaunch” age, also known as The Expanded Universe.
The same thing happened in Star Wars, they declared non-canon A LOT of its Expanded Universe novels for later stealing ideas for the sequel movies, the difference is that while Star Trek did the same, I think that Star Trek adapted in a good way the stolen ideas and they at least had the decency of referenring the prose novel expanded univere as a parallel universo (it happened but not in the oficial canon universe), while Star Wars did a terrible job adapting ideas in the sequel movies and declaring the prose novels as “Legends” (as in they never happened).
So, there are not one or two but FOUR ideas from this novel and the previous one (both are a two-parter story) that they were stolen and adapted into Star Trek: Picard:
ONE: In the novels, there is a revolt made by holograms demanding to be treated as sentient beings. In the first season of the TV series, there is a revolt made by synthetics (androids) demanding to be treated as sentient beings.
TWO: In the novels, there are Starfleet personnel to be replaced by holograms. In the third season of the TV series, there are Starfleet personnel to be replaced by changelings from the Dominion.
THREE: In the novels, there is a Borg virus to be turning people into Borg drones. In the third season of the TV series, there iis a Borg virus to be turning people into Borg drones. (They used different ways that I won’t spoil but it’s clearly the same idea, done in the novels first).
FOUR: In the novels, a new Borg Queen appears which is a totally different individual than the original Borg Queen. In the second season of the TV series, a new Borg Queen appears which is a totally different individual than the original Borg Queen.
I think that in Star Trek and Star Wars, if they so adamant to declare non-canon the well-written Expanded Universe, at least they should have the decency of developing their own original ideas instead of shamelessly stealing concepts from the prose novels.
BORGS AND HOLOGRAMS
Admiral Kathryn Janeways asks to Captain Jean-Luc Picard for the assistance of Lt. Cmdr. Data, to play the role of legal counsel and trying to declare The Doctor as a sentient being with rights, in the same way that Data was declared many years ago. It’s really cool to have Data in the novel, and it was a good ideas, however that never happened (at least not in this novel at hand) since there is no time for proper channels ways and instead Data became an ally and Janeway & Co. to help in the break-out from Starfleet detention of The Doctor but also Seven of Nine and Icheb, and later to investigate the infamous Borg virus and finding out how and since when that existed on Earth.
Seven of Nine and Icheb’s health is in risk due Admiral Montgomery (in charge of Project Full Circle) denied the access to Borg Regeneration Chambers for them, therefore Admiral Janeway & Co. deviced a plan to aboard the USS Voyager to gain to its own Borg Regeneration Chambers and consulting the database of the starship to help in the investigation about the Borg virus.
To accomplish all that, Janeway made a pact with the devil with Oliver Baines, the human behind the holograms’ revolt, since he already have prototype technology trying to emulate the Mobile Emitter of The Doctor, while the original is a small piece from the 29th Century, Baines was able to develop a briefcase size alternative (such the huge “microchip” made by Doc Brown in Back to the Future, Part III). However, Janeway doesn’t know that Baines is a sadistic psychopath that he is torturing the replaced Starfleet personnel (locking them up in a holodeck where holograms treat the real people as slaves, in a twisted idea of making the real people to realize how the holograms feel about being treated as things).
This is a good novel with good pacing and interesting, however the whole thing of the holograms’ revolt isn’t properly closured (at least not in this novel), the legal status of The Doctor isn’t addressed, therefore the presence of Data isn’t fully exploited, and honestly the whole sub-plot of B’Elanna Torres searching for her missing mother was quite boring and pointless to me.
This book is a tie-in original prose novel of “Star Trek: Voyager”. The second in the Expanded Universe line of this spin-off series. And it’s the second part of the story started in the previous novel.
STOLEN IDEAS
It’s outrageous that they declared non-canon the Expanded Universe novels of Star Trek BUT they didn’t have any problema stealing ideas from those Expanded Universe novel to adapt in the newer TV series, in this case, Star Trek: Picard have four ideas (at least that I am aware and I still have to read seveal more novels) that they were developed first in this two-parter initial novels of Star Trek: Voyager for its “Relaunch” age, also known as The Expanded Universe.
The same thing happened in Star Wars, they declared non-canon A LOT of its Expanded Universe novels for later stealing ideas for the sequel movies, the difference is that while Star Trek did the same, I think that Star Trek adapted in a good way the stolen ideas and they at least had the decency of referenring the prose novel expanded univere as a parallel universo (it happened but not in the oficial canon universe), while Star Wars did a terrible job adapting ideas in the sequel movies and declaring the prose novels as “Legends” (as in they never happened).
So, there are not one or two but FOUR ideas from this novel and the previous one (both are a two-parter story) that they were stolen and adapted into Star Trek: Picard:
ONE: In the novels, there is a revolt made by holograms demanding to be treated as sentient beings. In the first season of the TV series, there is a revolt made by synthetics (androids) demanding to be treated as sentient beings.
TWO: In the novels, there are Starfleet personnel to be replaced by holograms. In the third season of the TV series, there are Starfleet personnel to be replaced by changelings from the Dominion.
THREE: In the novels, there is a Borg virus to be turning people into Borg drones. In the third season of the TV series, there iis a Borg virus to be turning people into Borg drones. (They used different ways that I won’t spoil but it’s clearly the same idea, done in the novels first).
FOUR: In the novels, a new Borg Queen appears which is a totally different individual than the original Borg Queen. In the second season of the TV series, a new Borg Queen appears which is a totally different individual than the original Borg Queen.
I think that in Star Trek and Star Wars, if they so adamant to declare non-canon the well-written Expanded Universe, at least they should have the decency of developing their own original ideas instead of shamelessly stealing concepts from the prose novels.
BORGS AND HOLOGRAMS
Admiral Kathryn Janeways asks to Captain Jean-Luc Picard for the assistance of Lt. Cmdr. Data, to play the role of legal counsel and trying to declare The Doctor as a sentient being with rights, in the same way that Data was declared many years ago. It’s really cool to have Data in the novel, and it was a good ideas, however that never happened (at least not in this novel at hand) since there is no time for proper channels ways and instead Data became an ally and Janeway & Co. to help in the break-out from Starfleet detention of The Doctor but also Seven of Nine and Icheb, and later to investigate the infamous Borg virus and finding out how and since when that existed on Earth.
Seven of Nine and Icheb’s health is in risk due Admiral Montgomery (in charge of Project Full Circle) denied the access to Borg Regeneration Chambers for them, therefore Admiral Janeway & Co. deviced a plan to aboard the USS Voyager to gain to its own Borg Regeneration Chambers and consulting the database of the starship to help in the investigation about the Borg virus.
To accomplish all that, Janeway made a pact with the devil with Oliver Baines, the human behind the holograms’ revolt, since he already have prototype technology trying to emulate the Mobile Emitter of The Doctor, while the original is a small piece from the 29th Century, Baines was able to develop a briefcase size alternative (such the huge “microchip” made by Doc Brown in Back to the Future, Part III). However, Janeway doesn’t know that Baines is a sadistic psychopath that he is torturing the replaced Starfleet personnel (locking them up in a holodeck where holograms treat the real people as slaves, in a twisted idea of making the real people to realize how the holograms feel about being treated as things).
This is a good novel with good pacing and interesting, however the whole thing of the holograms’ revolt isn’t properly closured (at least not in this novel), the legal status of The Doctor isn’t addressed, therefore the presence of Data isn’t fully exploited, and honestly the whole sub-plot of B’Elanna Torres searching for her missing mother was quite boring and pointless to me.
May 14, 2022
Scoll down for english.
Tar vid där ”Homecoming” slutade och vi får den rafflande upplösningen om sprider ett Borgvirus på jorden och stoppar det.
B’Elannas äventyr på jakt efter sin mor och genomförandet av ”Challenge of the Spirit” vet jag inte om jag riktigt får in i helhets historien… Det verkar vara en strikt karaktärsutvecklande intrig och bidrar inte mer till helheten än att resten av Voyagers kärntrupp får klara sig utan henne. Men B’Elannas inneboende konflikt mellan sina båda arv kan ju heller inte ignoreras, och kanske var idén lite att få saken ur världen och låta henne finna en balans mellan människan B’Elanna och klingonen B’Elanna.
Jag skall erkänna att jag anade redan mot slutet av förra boken att Covington var inblandad i Borgviruset på något vis och att hon försökte dölja det genom att försöka sätta dit Montgomery. Libby är en intressant karaktär att inkludera då hon både plockar upp förhållandet med Harry Kim igen och är involverad i underrättelsetjänsten ”Starfleet Inteligence”. Det ligger visserligen upplagt för en del trassel och spänningar som kan uppstå på grund av detta – men rätt använt så kan hon bli både en bra och intressant förstärkning till team Voyager.
Jag gillar också att vi får komma in under huden på skurken i fråga och få iaf en liten inblick till varför hon valt att göra som hon gör. Det skall också bli intressant om ”the Hand” (även om han uppenbarligen är död) kommer dyka upp någon mer stans eller om det bara var en bakgrundskaraktär för den här boken.
Överlag en bok lika bra och välskriven som den förra, susade bokstavligen igenom den’. Kommer definitivt läsa fler böcker i den här serien, det skall bli intressant att se om Chakotay verkligen förblir kapten över Voyager eller om Janeway som Kirk i TOS-filmerna tar över när de stora äventyren annalkas. Om än att jag kanske försöker läsa något mer emellan så jag inte snöar in totalt på dem.
* * *
Picking up where "Homecoming" left off and we get the thrilling resolution to what spreads a Borg virus on Earth and stop it.
I don't know if I really understand B'Elanna's adventures in search of her mother and the participation of "Challenge of the Spirit"... It seems to be a strictly character-developing plot and contributes nothing more than the rest of Voyager's core squad gets to do without her. But B'Elanna's inherent conflict between her two legacies cannot be ignored either, and perhaps the idea was also to get the matter out of the world and let her find a balance between the human B'Elanna and the klingon B'Elanna.
I will admit that I suspected towards the end of the first book that Covington was involved in the Borg virus in some way and that she was trying to hide it by trying to frame Montgomery. Libby is an interesting character to include as she both picks up the relationship with Harry Kim again and is involved in the "Starfleet Inteligence" intelligence agency. It is certainly set up for some tangles and tensions that can arise because of this – but properly used, she can be both a good and interesting reinforcement to team Voyager.
I also like that we get to get under the skin of the villain in question and get a little insight into why she chose to do what she does. It will also be interesting if "the Hand" (although he is obviously dead) will appear somewhere else or if it was just a background character for this book.
Overall, a book as good and well-written as the last one and I literally cruised through it. I will absolutely read more books in this series; it will be interesting to see if Chakotay really remains captain of Voyager or if Janeway as Kirk in the TOS-movies takes over when the big adventures approach. Albeit that I might try to read something more in between so I don't totally get snowed in on them.
Tar vid där ”Homecoming” slutade och vi får den rafflande upplösningen om sprider ett Borgvirus på jorden och stoppar det.
B’Elannas äventyr på jakt efter sin mor och genomförandet av ”Challenge of the Spirit” vet jag inte om jag riktigt får in i helhets historien… Det verkar vara en strikt karaktärsutvecklande intrig och bidrar inte mer till helheten än att resten av Voyagers kärntrupp får klara sig utan henne. Men B’Elannas inneboende konflikt mellan sina båda arv kan ju heller inte ignoreras, och kanske var idén lite att få saken ur världen och låta henne finna en balans mellan människan B’Elanna och klingonen B’Elanna.
Jag skall erkänna att jag anade redan mot slutet av förra boken att Covington var inblandad i Borgviruset på något vis och att hon försökte dölja det genom att försöka sätta dit Montgomery. Libby är en intressant karaktär att inkludera då hon både plockar upp förhållandet med Harry Kim igen och är involverad i underrättelsetjänsten ”Starfleet Inteligence”. Det ligger visserligen upplagt för en del trassel och spänningar som kan uppstå på grund av detta – men rätt använt så kan hon bli både en bra och intressant förstärkning till team Voyager.
Jag gillar också att vi får komma in under huden på skurken i fråga och få iaf en liten inblick till varför hon valt att göra som hon gör. Det skall också bli intressant om ”the Hand” (även om han uppenbarligen är död) kommer dyka upp någon mer stans eller om det bara var en bakgrundskaraktär för den här boken.
Överlag en bok lika bra och välskriven som den förra, susade bokstavligen igenom den’. Kommer definitivt läsa fler böcker i den här serien, det skall bli intressant att se om Chakotay verkligen förblir kapten över Voyager eller om Janeway som Kirk i TOS-filmerna tar över när de stora äventyren annalkas. Om än att jag kanske försöker läsa något mer emellan så jag inte snöar in totalt på dem.
* * *
Picking up where "Homecoming" left off and we get the thrilling resolution to what spreads a Borg virus on Earth and stop it.
I don't know if I really understand B'Elanna's adventures in search of her mother and the participation of "Challenge of the Spirit"... It seems to be a strictly character-developing plot and contributes nothing more than the rest of Voyager's core squad gets to do without her. But B'Elanna's inherent conflict between her two legacies cannot be ignored either, and perhaps the idea was also to get the matter out of the world and let her find a balance between the human B'Elanna and the klingon B'Elanna.
I will admit that I suspected towards the end of the first book that Covington was involved in the Borg virus in some way and that she was trying to hide it by trying to frame Montgomery. Libby is an interesting character to include as she both picks up the relationship with Harry Kim again and is involved in the "Starfleet Inteligence" intelligence agency. It is certainly set up for some tangles and tensions that can arise because of this – but properly used, she can be both a good and interesting reinforcement to team Voyager.
I also like that we get to get under the skin of the villain in question and get a little insight into why she chose to do what she does. It will also be interesting if "the Hand" (although he is obviously dead) will appear somewhere else or if it was just a background character for this book.
Overall, a book as good and well-written as the last one and I literally cruised through it. I will absolutely read more books in this series; it will be interesting to see if Chakotay really remains captain of Voyager or if Janeway as Kirk in the TOS-movies takes over when the big adventures approach. Albeit that I might try to read something more in between so I don't totally get snowed in on them.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 12, 2017
Star Trek Voyager was my personal favorite series out of all of them, and I found both Part 1 and 2 of Homecoming to be the perfect ending to a less than perfect ending.
All your favorite characters are back (at least the ones that made it to Earth), plus a few more faces, make an appearance in this installment to Star Trek Voyager. A Borg virus is wreaking havoc on Earth, and only Janeway and her crew can save the day. Sound familiar? This would have made an excellent bonus 2-parter episode after the series ended, but obviously it's a little too late to do that (unless they make digital representations of these actors...now that would be something).
The plot moves along at a steady pace, although some characters' stories are a little less interesting. The B-story of this episode was B'Elanna doing some sort of journey in order to apparently finish off the Barge of the Dead episode from the series. In a sense, I guess it sort of redeems one of my least liked episodes, but only just barely. However, the connection of B'Elanna's story with the rest of the book is entirely lacking, and while this might work on tv, I would have liked to see a more cohesive connection in book format. The characters really lack any development, but that's okay because you literally have seven years worth of development. Right now, you just want to go on an adventure with them.
A fun read for any fan of Star Trek and, specifically, Star Trek Voyager.
All your favorite characters are back (at least the ones that made it to Earth), plus a few more faces, make an appearance in this installment to Star Trek Voyager. A Borg virus is wreaking havoc on Earth, and only Janeway and her crew can save the day. Sound familiar? This would have made an excellent bonus 2-parter episode after the series ended, but obviously it's a little too late to do that (unless they make digital representations of these actors...now that would be something).
The plot moves along at a steady pace, although some characters' stories are a little less interesting. The B-story of this episode was B'Elanna doing some sort of journey in order to apparently finish off the Barge of the Dead episode from the series. In a sense, I guess it sort of redeems one of my least liked episodes, but only just barely. However, the connection of B'Elanna's story with the rest of the book is entirely lacking, and while this might work on tv, I would have liked to see a more cohesive connection in book format. The characters really lack any development, but that's okay because you literally have seven years worth of development. Right now, you just want to go on an adventure with them.
A fun read for any fan of Star Trek and, specifically, Star Trek Voyager.
March 9, 2018
The final season of Voyager ended a little too abruptly for me. I loved all the story lines in the last few seasons and the characters had a lot going for them. But, the final two parter, while it got the Voyager crew back to the Alpha Quadrant, didn’t quite tie up all the loose ends. Specifically, regarding the anxiety held by the doctor, the members of the maquis, and seven of nine about returning to the Alpha Quadrant. And, while it makes sense for Star Trek, a show about boldly exploring, to end when the exploration is finished, sometimes the characters arcs don’t get a real sense of closure.
Christie Golden brilliantly weaves these characters into the post-war world that the plot of Deep Space Nine created. And, it gives Voyager more of an ending than the series did. The characters have to struggle to adapt to this new world, which gives them more depth and a sense of finality for their arcs.
I really only have two critiques. One is that “The Farther Shore” and “Homecoming” shouldn’t have been split into two books. They don’t tell different stories and they’re not that long. The only other thing is that B’lanna’s arc feels superfluous to the rest of the action. All the pov character’s chapters lead to the same place and build tension, but she’s on a different planet doing her own thing.
Nonetheless, I really enjoyed the Klingon elements and I couldn’t put this one down. It gave me a real ending to Voyager that I was happy with.
Christie Golden brilliantly weaves these characters into the post-war world that the plot of Deep Space Nine created. And, it gives Voyager more of an ending than the series did. The characters have to struggle to adapt to this new world, which gives them more depth and a sense of finality for their arcs.
I really only have two critiques. One is that “The Farther Shore” and “Homecoming” shouldn’t have been split into two books. They don’t tell different stories and they’re not that long. The only other thing is that B’lanna’s arc feels superfluous to the rest of the action. All the pov character’s chapters lead to the same place and build tension, but she’s on a different planet doing her own thing.
Nonetheless, I really enjoyed the Klingon elements and I couldn’t put this one down. It gave me a real ending to Voyager that I was happy with.
June 10, 2025
I have finished The Farther Shore and damn, that was a very good novel!
To be honest, I didn't exactly hide my doubts about a Homecoming sequel, a novel that gave a beautiful conclusion to Voyager, but also had the goal of telling its own story. Fortunately, the result delivered by Christie Golden was more than adequate! I really enjoyed reading this book, with multiple plot lines that, while not completely wrapped up, never become tiresome.
The Borg, surprisingly, are not as bad here as in their last appearances and the villain manages to be quite interesting. Most of the Voyager crew gets their moment to shine, and I really like how each character feels like a natural evolution of them (ahem, Picard). Damn, even the B'elanna sub plot, although it was not related to the main plot, it was very good!
The only negative aspects I can point out about the book are that, first, I didn't like the hologram strike in any moment, it was dump in the first one and it was dump here too, simply it's not credible to me; second, similar to other Trek novels, I feel like the ending was a bit rushed, when 10 or 15 more pages to properly wrap up all the stories would have been excellent.
In conclusion, I just say that this was a very good novel and, as a duology, manages to make a more than acceptable Voyager conclusion and a new beginning. I definitely look forward to reading more about what happens next.
To be honest, I didn't exactly hide my doubts about a Homecoming sequel, a novel that gave a beautiful conclusion to Voyager, but also had the goal of telling its own story. Fortunately, the result delivered by Christie Golden was more than adequate! I really enjoyed reading this book, with multiple plot lines that, while not completely wrapped up, never become tiresome.
The Borg, surprisingly, are not as bad here as in their last appearances and the villain manages to be quite interesting. Most of the Voyager crew gets their moment to shine, and I really like how each character feels like a natural evolution of them (ahem, Picard). Damn, even the B'elanna sub plot, although it was not related to the main plot, it was very good!
The only negative aspects I can point out about the book are that, first, I didn't like the hologram strike in any moment, it was dump in the first one and it was dump here too, simply it's not credible to me; second, similar to other Trek novels, I feel like the ending was a bit rushed, when 10 or 15 more pages to properly wrap up all the stories would have been excellent.
In conclusion, I just say that this was a very good novel and, as a duology, manages to make a more than acceptable Voyager conclusion and a new beginning. I definitely look forward to reading more about what happens next.
September 26, 2023
Took me a while but man am I disappointed in this book. What started off as a great piece ended up being a over stretched and over stuffed book.
I got what I wanted from the first book, Voyager got a proper homecoming. It sets up a cool mystery and it got me really interested in part 2.
Part 2 feels too long, there’s a lot of pages that were pure filler and I absolutely just could not go through them. There’s 2 storylines that just result to nothing and do not affect the main plot at all.
The main plot while still a bit interesting starts to feel like a stretch at the end. Too many characters enter the story and it becomes too confusing and complicated, but not only that but a lot of it feels like a repeat of situations characters have been in before. The story doesn’t move as quickly as it should be.
Ironically enough, like the Voyager finale the ending to this book also just feels too short and there’s still loose ends. This finale also includes a borg queen just like the TV show.
I’m honestly saddened as to how this turned out because I quite enjoyed part one. But this is just an unfocused book with too much bloat.
I got what I wanted from the first book, Voyager got a proper homecoming. It sets up a cool mystery and it got me really interested in part 2.
Part 2 feels too long, there’s a lot of pages that were pure filler and I absolutely just could not go through them. There’s 2 storylines that just result to nothing and do not affect the main plot at all.
The main plot while still a bit interesting starts to feel like a stretch at the end. Too many characters enter the story and it becomes too confusing and complicated, but not only that but a lot of it feels like a repeat of situations characters have been in before. The story doesn’t move as quickly as it should be.
Ironically enough, like the Voyager finale the ending to this book also just feels too short and there’s still loose ends. This finale also includes a borg queen just like the TV show.
I’m honestly saddened as to how this turned out because I quite enjoyed part one. But this is just an unfocused book with too much bloat.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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