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Star Trek: The Original Series
The Children of Kings
A distress call goes out from a Federation outpost near the Klingon border. The U.S.S. Enterprise, under the command of Captain Christopher Pike, responds. Starbase 18 lies in ruin. There are no survivors. And there is no clue as to who is responsible for the attack, until Captain Pike’s brilliant science officer discovers a means of retrieving parts of the station’s log.
Lieutenant Spock has detected signs of a unique energy signature, one that he believes is Klingon. There are unsubstantiated reports that the Klingon Empire has made a technological leap forward and created a cloaking device—code-named Black Snow Seven—that can shield their ships from even the most advanced sensors. The destruction of the base and the unique energy signature that remains prove that the Empire has succeeded.
For generations the Orions have been known as pirates,operating at the margins, outside of legal conventions. A proud and powerful race, the Orions were once a major force in the sector, and they have been using the tension between the Klingon Empire and the Federation to rebuild their power. Captain Pike is charged with trying to foster cooperation between the Orions and the Federation. A distress call from an Orion vessel offers him the perfect opportunity. But the Orion ship lies in disputed space long claimed by the Klingon Empire, and crossing it could be the spark that sets off an interstellar war.
404 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published April 6, 2010
31 people are currently reading
296 people want to read
About the author
Dave Stern
53 books41 followersDave Stern has written/edited/collaborated on multiple previous works of fiction/non-fiction, including the New York Times-bestselling biography Crosley, the epistolary novel Shadows In The Asylum, and an unauthorized Adam Sandler biography composed with the help of the good people in the Smith College Library. His most recent work is Codename: Blackjack, the second thriller in the Sagas of the Cincinnati series.
His author photo is woefully out of date.
His author photo is woefully out of date.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews
July 8, 2019
Confusing plot and setting elements, as well as a plot that leaves a number of threads dangling (What will become of the Orion government? What will the fall-out with the Klingons and Starfleet Intelligence be?) made this a less-than-enjoyable reading experience. This book had a lot of potential, and I feel it would have been much better had Mr. Stern stuck with one particular continuity rather than muddying the issue.
Full review: http://treklit.blogspot.com/2011/11/c...
Full review: http://treklit.blogspot.com/2011/11/c...
April 18, 2013
“The Children of Kings” by Dave Stern is the latest book in my challenge to try and read all the Star Trek novels in chronological order. To be honest, I am not that sure if I read this novel in exactly the correct place as it more or less lives in its own continuity. Either way though, the story does offer the reader a rare insight into Pike’s era as Captain of the Enterprise.
The story follows Captain Pike and his crew as they investigate a remote Federation base that appears to have been attacked and destroyed by Klingons. Whilst most of the crew are quick to condemn the Klingons, a few of them suspect there is something else afoot and begin to question some of the findings. Things get even worse however when they pick up a distress call from an Orion ship and their attempt to assist results in several of the crew being captured and the apparent death of Pike himself. Before long, tensions begin to escalate and the risk of war between the Federation and the Klingon Empire is a real possibility.
I found the whole thing to be an enjoyable adventure that really did capture the cowboy diplomacy style of Star Trek’s original series. Yes this did mean at times the story was a little formulaic, but it was still fun to follow and I really appreciated the chance to learn a little more about the Orion’s culture and some characters that we know little about. One weak point in the story though was the lack of real tension. The reader always knows that Pike can’t really be dead and any potential surprises are lost by the fact you get to follow both the crew on board the Enterprise and those that have been captured.
As I mentioned earlier in the review, the book does appear to be in its own continuity which did at times cause a little bit of confusion as I read it. There are various inconsistencies with canon and for some reason the author’s note stating that the story is set as prequel to the 2009 JJ Abrams movie doesn’t appear until the end of the novel. Even with this clarification, I was still a little perplexed when I put the book down as during the move it is stated that we were witnessing the maiden voyage of the Enterprise so couldn’t understand how I was seeing earlier voyages. However, since finishing this book I have started to read the graphic novel series that serves as a prequel to the 2nd JJ Abrams movie and those stories contain information that there was a previous ship called the Enterprise previously captained by Robert April so I have just assumed that this story was set on that ship.
It is just unfortunate that the author’s note about which universe the book is set appears at the beginning of the story as it could have stopped some of the confusion about things that didn’t fit right with standard canon. Also, it would have been nice to see a form of clarification that this wasn’t the same Enterprise as seen in the movie assuming that I am right in my belief that it didn’t. In addition, the cover itself appears to show the prime universe Pike & Spock which really doesn’t help with a reader trying to understand the overall setting.
Overall, this was a fun and enjoyable Star Trek adventure although I can imagine that some of the canon inconsistencies could irritate some readers even with the caveat that the story is set in the JJ Abrams universe.
The story follows Captain Pike and his crew as they investigate a remote Federation base that appears to have been attacked and destroyed by Klingons. Whilst most of the crew are quick to condemn the Klingons, a few of them suspect there is something else afoot and begin to question some of the findings. Things get even worse however when they pick up a distress call from an Orion ship and their attempt to assist results in several of the crew being captured and the apparent death of Pike himself. Before long, tensions begin to escalate and the risk of war between the Federation and the Klingon Empire is a real possibility.
I found the whole thing to be an enjoyable adventure that really did capture the cowboy diplomacy style of Star Trek’s original series. Yes this did mean at times the story was a little formulaic, but it was still fun to follow and I really appreciated the chance to learn a little more about the Orion’s culture and some characters that we know little about. One weak point in the story though was the lack of real tension. The reader always knows that Pike can’t really be dead and any potential surprises are lost by the fact you get to follow both the crew on board the Enterprise and those that have been captured.
As I mentioned earlier in the review, the book does appear to be in its own continuity which did at times cause a little bit of confusion as I read it. There are various inconsistencies with canon and for some reason the author’s note stating that the story is set as prequel to the 2009 JJ Abrams movie doesn’t appear until the end of the novel. Even with this clarification, I was still a little perplexed when I put the book down as during the move it is stated that we were witnessing the maiden voyage of the Enterprise so couldn’t understand how I was seeing earlier voyages. However, since finishing this book I have started to read the graphic novel series that serves as a prequel to the 2nd JJ Abrams movie and those stories contain information that there was a previous ship called the Enterprise previously captained by Robert April so I have just assumed that this story was set on that ship.
It is just unfortunate that the author’s note about which universe the book is set appears at the beginning of the story as it could have stopped some of the confusion about things that didn’t fit right with standard canon. Also, it would have been nice to see a form of clarification that this wasn’t the same Enterprise as seen in the movie assuming that I am right in my belief that it didn’t. In addition, the cover itself appears to show the prime universe Pike & Spock which really doesn’t help with a reader trying to understand the overall setting.
Overall, this was a fun and enjoyable Star Trek adventure although I can imagine that some of the canon inconsistencies could irritate some readers even with the caveat that the story is set in the JJ Abrams universe.
May 10, 2010
The first real alternate timeline novel from the JJ Trekverse.
I guess in this book they've already had first contact with the Ferengi. Heck, they're talking about the Trade Commission so they've known them for some time.
It's slow going. Good but definitely has a different flavor.
I guess in this book they've already had first contact with the Ferengi. Heck, they're talking about the Trade Commission so they've known them for some time.
It's slow going. Good but definitely has a different flavor.
January 8, 2021
Well now...this was unexpected. Not only is this a novel set in the earliest days of Pike's captaincy of the Enterprise (new people around him, strained opinions and relationships), but the entire story is styled as a Tom Clancy thriller, making this mid-23rd century setting feel far more dangerous and uncomfortable than it feels in Kirk's time. There is also some superb wit and humour in this novel, including a sequence with Pike, a bath tub, and a host of people walking in and out of his quarters that can stand tall with any screwball comedy. Dave Stern should have written far more Trek novels than he has to date.
September 8, 2010
Starbase 18 has been destroyed, apparently by the Klingons. Pike and the Enterprise are sent to check it out and make overtures to the Orions about an alliance to deal with Klingons.
They get an emergency call from an Orion ship asking for medical help, specifically requesting Dr. Philip Boyce, the Enterprise's Chief Medical Officer.
Boyce is torn about going. His daughter, a scientist, was among the 87 people killed in the destruction of the base.
Things are not as they seem. Both the Federation and the Klingons are girding for a fight. Once Pike and Boyce are aboard the Orion ship, things start to fall apart. Boyce is taken prisoner, most of the security is killed, and Pike dies trying to escape in the shuttle craft.
The Enterprise gets a new captain and both Lieutenant Spock, the science officer, and Number One, the First Officer, discover a tap on the ship's computers, as well as inklings that a faction in the Federation wants a war with the Klingons.
I only gave it four stars because we KNOW Pike isn't really dead, but he's kept off stage for a major porion of the book, only to reappear to save the day, albeit with a little trouble.
They get an emergency call from an Orion ship asking for medical help, specifically requesting Dr. Philip Boyce, the Enterprise's Chief Medical Officer.
Boyce is torn about going. His daughter, a scientist, was among the 87 people killed in the destruction of the base.
Things are not as they seem. Both the Federation and the Klingons are girding for a fight. Once Pike and Boyce are aboard the Orion ship, things start to fall apart. Boyce is taken prisoner, most of the security is killed, and Pike dies trying to escape in the shuttle craft.
The Enterprise gets a new captain and both Lieutenant Spock, the science officer, and Number One, the First Officer, discover a tap on the ship's computers, as well as inklings that a faction in the Federation wants a war with the Klingons.
I only gave it four stars because we KNOW Pike isn't really dead, but he's kept off stage for a major porion of the book, only to reappear to save the day, albeit with a little trouble.
August 31, 2021
Overall, this novel was fairly entertaining. I was never bored while reading it. However, the plot seemed a little disorganized and difficult to follow with lots of open ends. The "flashbacks" were unnecessary and disorienting as well.
This novel also had very little to do with Spock (or even Pike) and a lot of the plot centered around Dr. Boyce. The cover and summary imply Spock to be a bigger character in the story than he is. There should have been more mention of Boyce's extensive involvement with the plot.
Reading the author's note, I was surprised by the author mentioning this was supposed to be a Kelvin-verse novel. It is not shown to be and, additionally, is not canon compliant with the events of the Kelvin universe on multiple accounts.
This novel also had very little to do with Spock (or even Pike) and a lot of the plot centered around Dr. Boyce. The cover and summary imply Spock to be a bigger character in the story than he is. There should have been more mention of Boyce's extensive involvement with the plot.
Reading the author's note, I was surprised by the author mentioning this was supposed to be a Kelvin-verse novel. It is not shown to be and, additionally, is not canon compliant with the events of the Kelvin universe on multiple accounts.
October 8, 2021
This was a good one. Of course for me a Captain Pike fan it was delightful (needs more Pike though he has great moments.) I really liked the conflict between the Klingons, Federation and Orion's it set the tone very well for what era this is set in and honestly despite the fact the author wrote this with the mindset of it being a prequel to 2009s Star Trek film I think it fits fairly well as a prequel to the upcoming Strange New World's show. Aside from what I might call a slightly off characterization of Pike compared to how Anson Mount plays him. All said and done this was delightful.
February 18, 2022
The 'Enterprise' arrives too late to respond to a distress call from Starbase 18, finding only destruction and a reference to 'Black Snow': a codename Starfleet Intelligence believes refers to a Klingon cloaking device. When Pike's investigation is interrupted by an Orion distress call, it has devastating consequences.
'The Children of Kings' has some fine character moments for the least explored crew in 'Star Trek' history and Stern creates a fine adventure to show them at their best.
'The Children of Kings' has some fine character moments for the least explored crew in 'Star Trek' history and Stern creates a fine adventure to show them at their best.
July 25, 2024
Kindle Edition
November 8, 2017
Starfleet Intelligence at its worst in a story with captain Pike and mister Spock in major roles. Klingons, Orions, Vulcans and Terrans: always an explosive mix, even more when each of the species have to handle internal treason as well as a near-war situation.
Al the elements are there to have a great book but somehow something in the mix does not come through, it is just a good book. Too many vague spots and way too fast at the end, as if part 2 had to be squeezed in a last chapter in stead of its own volume.
Al the elements are there to have a great book but somehow something in the mix does not come through, it is just a good book. Too many vague spots and way too fast at the end, as if part 2 had to be squeezed in a last chapter in stead of its own volume.
January 11, 2019
I originally bought this back in 2010(!) as I wanted to read a Captain Pike era novel. Just over 8 years later I finally got round to reading it and sadly it was not worth the wait.
The characterisation doesn't always run true and the writing isn't always an easy read. With lots of short sentences. To describe events.
Although the cover art depicts Jeffrey Hunter and Leonard Nimoy, the author admits at the end of the book that it is set in the Kelvin universe (which could explain the characterisation being off) but doesn't explain the classic cast on the cover?
Overall I found this disappointing.
The characterisation doesn't always run true and the writing isn't always an easy read. With lots of short sentences. To describe events.
Although the cover art depicts Jeffrey Hunter and Leonard Nimoy, the author admits at the end of the book that it is set in the Kelvin universe (which could explain the characterisation being off) but doesn't explain the classic cast on the cover?
Overall I found this disappointing.
January 1, 2024
Even before “Star Trek Discovery” and “Strange New Worlds” I’ve always had a fascination with Christopher Pike as a character and his time on the Enterprise.
First, because I think he was absolutely excellent in the Star Trek Pilot “The Cage” and second because I have a fascination with the idea of the “Number One” character and what might have been had she been used in the way she was meant to be used. Which is almost exactly as Mr. Spock was used. First, there’s the amazing Majel Barrett whose talent was horribly underused.
Second, what would it have done for women if the Number One character had directly demonstrated what a woman had to do to be successful in a “man’s” world. I think it would have been an amazing commentary on modern times — including now!
What an amazing legacy that could have been! And she had all the talent to do it just as well as Nimoy did for Spock!
So anyway. I’ve gotten my hands on all the books that feature that crew of the Enterprise.
“The Children of Kings” is pretty interesting as the Enterprise is called on to investigate an attack on Starbase 18. It appears to be a Klingon attack that has devastating the starbase but only Pike thinks that it is only circumstantial evidence and that they must investigate further before they make any determinations.
They add some great characterization to Number One and Doctor Boyce. Giving them all interesting personalities that make you want to see what THIS Enterprise went through on their missions. Their missions being of course much closer in time the wars with the Klingons.
In this mission they are meeting with the Orions who are asking for help dealing with their own Klingon issues.
“Get the captain back to the shuttle. Try not to make a scene unless you have to, but—“
“Whoa. Hold on a second, Ben.” Pike shook his head. “You’re overreacting.”
“No, sir. I’m following the manual. Standard landing party-protocol. You know it as well as I do.”
Pike hesitated. Tuval was right. In potentially hostile territory, get the commanding officer to safety. Rule number one. Pike had made that call himself, several times, back in the day. But—
“Interstellar anomalies, random subspace energy fluctuations, even certain types of electrically charged space dust, all of these things and half a hundred others were capable of disrupting the delicate energy patterns Enterprise’s sensor arrays used to make their calculations Spock reset the array, rebooting each of the system’s processors in turn—a thirty second process, at the end of which data began arriving at his station once more. The exact same type of contradictory data.”
“One moment.” He overrode standard processor power distributions, diverting all nonessential system resources to the sensor arrays.
Spock reconfigured his workstation, splitting the display in front of him. He assigned current sensor readouts to the right half of the screen; on the left, he began gathering data from the array’s storage buffers.
It’s very interesting seeing how Mr. Spock and Number One play off of each other. Especially as they are so much alike. It’s also interesting seeing how the rest of their crew interact as well.
“Standard emergency protocol. Security commander gives the orders, and my orders are go. Now. While you can.”
Because I have — don’t start with me — overrun my book budget I cannot spend as much time with this book as I’d like. This makes the time I do spend end in a cliffhanger, but that only make the book more interesting to read!
“Captain Pike, to his recollection, had never laughed.”
“It was a myth that Vulcans could not lie, a commonly held misconception. Vulcans could, in fact, lie with the best of them. It was simply that the path of logic they had chosen to follow led them, almost inevitably, to speak the truth, except on the rarest of occasions. “
Whoa! I’d always liked the character of Boyce! This book makes him even cooler!
I’m honestly and pleasantly surprised when a Star Trek story surprises me and this one adds a whole new layer to Orions and Star Trek mythology.
“Not all of us want to be Vulcans when we grow up, Lieutenant.”
There’s an interesting interaction between Spock and Number One. The book has so far treated Number One as she was ‘meant’ to be written. Basically similar in outlook to Spock.
So it’s quite an interesting thing to see a ‘Spock-vs-Spock’ type battle of wills!
Very cool background information on Number One, that I’ve never gotten before.
The book names the Klingon home world as “Kronos”. This makes much more sense than the most common spell of “Q’onos”. After all, they aren’t called Qingons.
Engineer Pitcairn is an entirely new character I believe, but a very cool one.
“Better than good, in fact; it was the real deal. Not synthesized, not reconstituted. He could tell right off. He hadn’t had a cup [of coffee] this good in years.”
The book rather ends on a cliffhanger. It more or less concludes but there are still things you don’t know.
Most of it is answered pretty well, though so I was satisfied with the way it ended.
I enjoyed this book a lot. It opened up with some new ideas about the Orions and the history of the Klingons.
And it gave doctor Boyce (who really should be on the cover) some great backstory.
I’m giving this 4 stars and keeping it.
First, because I think he was absolutely excellent in the Star Trek Pilot “The Cage” and second because I have a fascination with the idea of the “Number One” character and what might have been had she been used in the way she was meant to be used. Which is almost exactly as Mr. Spock was used. First, there’s the amazing Majel Barrett whose talent was horribly underused.
Second, what would it have done for women if the Number One character had directly demonstrated what a woman had to do to be successful in a “man’s” world. I think it would have been an amazing commentary on modern times — including now!
What an amazing legacy that could have been! And she had all the talent to do it just as well as Nimoy did for Spock!
So anyway. I’ve gotten my hands on all the books that feature that crew of the Enterprise.
“The Children of Kings” is pretty interesting as the Enterprise is called on to investigate an attack on Starbase 18. It appears to be a Klingon attack that has devastating the starbase but only Pike thinks that it is only circumstantial evidence and that they must investigate further before they make any determinations.
They add some great characterization to Number One and Doctor Boyce. Giving them all interesting personalities that make you want to see what THIS Enterprise went through on their missions. Their missions being of course much closer in time the wars with the Klingons.
In this mission they are meeting with the Orions who are asking for help dealing with their own Klingon issues.
“Get the captain back to the shuttle. Try not to make a scene unless you have to, but—“
“Whoa. Hold on a second, Ben.” Pike shook his head. “You’re overreacting.”
“No, sir. I’m following the manual. Standard landing party-protocol. You know it as well as I do.”
Pike hesitated. Tuval was right. In potentially hostile territory, get the commanding officer to safety. Rule number one. Pike had made that call himself, several times, back in the day. But—
“Interstellar anomalies, random subspace energy fluctuations, even certain types of electrically charged space dust, all of these things and half a hundred others were capable of disrupting the delicate energy patterns Enterprise’s sensor arrays used to make their calculations Spock reset the array, rebooting each of the system’s processors in turn—a thirty second process, at the end of which data began arriving at his station once more. The exact same type of contradictory data.”
“One moment.” He overrode standard processor power distributions, diverting all nonessential system resources to the sensor arrays.
Spock reconfigured his workstation, splitting the display in front of him. He assigned current sensor readouts to the right half of the screen; on the left, he began gathering data from the array’s storage buffers.
It’s very interesting seeing how Mr. Spock and Number One play off of each other. Especially as they are so much alike. It’s also interesting seeing how the rest of their crew interact as well.
“Standard emergency protocol. Security commander gives the orders, and my orders are go. Now. While you can.”
Because I have — don’t start with me — overrun my book budget I cannot spend as much time with this book as I’d like. This makes the time I do spend end in a cliffhanger, but that only make the book more interesting to read!
“Captain Pike, to his recollection, had never laughed.”
“It was a myth that Vulcans could not lie, a commonly held misconception. Vulcans could, in fact, lie with the best of them. It was simply that the path of logic they had chosen to follow led them, almost inevitably, to speak the truth, except on the rarest of occasions. “
Whoa! I’d always liked the character of Boyce! This book makes him even cooler!
I’m honestly and pleasantly surprised when a Star Trek story surprises me and this one adds a whole new layer to Orions and Star Trek mythology.
“Not all of us want to be Vulcans when we grow up, Lieutenant.”
There’s an interesting interaction between Spock and Number One. The book has so far treated Number One as she was ‘meant’ to be written. Basically similar in outlook to Spock.
So it’s quite an interesting thing to see a ‘Spock-vs-Spock’ type battle of wills!
Very cool background information on Number One, that I’ve never gotten before.
The book names the Klingon home world as “Kronos”. This makes much more sense than the most common spell of “Q’onos”. After all, they aren’t called Qingons.
Engineer Pitcairn is an entirely new character I believe, but a very cool one.
“Better than good, in fact; it was the real deal. Not synthesized, not reconstituted. He could tell right off. He hadn’t had a cup [of coffee] this good in years.”
The book rather ends on a cliffhanger. It more or less concludes but there are still things you don’t know.
Most of it is answered pretty well, though so I was satisfied with the way it ended.
I enjoyed this book a lot. It opened up with some new ideas about the Orions and the history of the Klingons.
And it gave doctor Boyce (who really should be on the cover) some great backstory.
I’m giving this 4 stars and keeping it.
March 7, 2017
Overall dry and boring
Very dry, no action, very boring. Too much money for the little star trek you actually get. I would not recommend this book.
Very dry, no action, very boring. Too much money for the little star trek you actually get. I would not recommend this book.
March 29, 2025
The Enterprise is sent to investigate an attack on Starbase 18, located in a triangle sector that borders both Klingon and Orion space. Problems arise when Captain Pike takes a shuttle to meet with an Orion dignitary and a hidden Klingon armada takes offense. What part might a prototype Klingon cloaking device play in the attack on a Federation Starbase?
Although written in 2009, this can easily be read as part of the Strange New Worlds adventures today. However, according to the afterward, Stern really intended it to be something of a prequel to the 2008 movie series. I honestly found it pretty easy to imagine Anson Mount as the Pike in this story over either Bruce Greenwood or even the original Jeffrey Hunter. But honestly, one of the nice things about this book is a reader familiar with any of those casts can pick this book up and feel familiar with it.
Even with that said, I was pleasantly surprised that the lion's share of this book really focuses on Dr. Phillip Boyce, who only appeared in the original Star Trek pilot as the ship's medical officer. It was really nice to learn and care about a character that was essentially a one-off in the long history of the show. He's not just the "wise, but crotchety" old guy - we get to learn parts of his past, his views on Starfleet and his responsibilities, and his relationships with other charcters like Pike and Spock. It felt like some fresh ground in a series that has explored so many characters.
The overall plot of the book is kind of a political thriller in which Boyce is captured by the Orions and forced to work on solving a medical problem. His compassion and intelligence comes into play as he builds relationships and manuevers his way through the politics to help whomever he can. We do see representatives of all three factions interact throughout the story, but Stern keeps things churning with the "don't believe what you think you know" concept when it comes to these groups. Having written some of the tentpole books in the Enterprise novel line, he does kind of pull some of that material forward into this era and it does keep the tapestry more tightly woven.
There are a few elements of the book towards the end that I'm not very thrilled with. However, thinking back on Stern's admission that this is more related to the reboot movies than the standard universe, it kind of makes more sense. I just don't find the Kelvin timeline as engaging as the Prime universe. But even so, if you're interested in the Pike era, I think you'd find this book entertaining at the very least.
Although written in 2009, this can easily be read as part of the Strange New Worlds adventures today. However, according to the afterward, Stern really intended it to be something of a prequel to the 2008 movie series. I honestly found it pretty easy to imagine Anson Mount as the Pike in this story over either Bruce Greenwood or even the original Jeffrey Hunter. But honestly, one of the nice things about this book is a reader familiar with any of those casts can pick this book up and feel familiar with it.
Even with that said, I was pleasantly surprised that the lion's share of this book really focuses on Dr. Phillip Boyce, who only appeared in the original Star Trek pilot as the ship's medical officer. It was really nice to learn and care about a character that was essentially a one-off in the long history of the show. He's not just the "wise, but crotchety" old guy - we get to learn parts of his past, his views on Starfleet and his responsibilities, and his relationships with other charcters like Pike and Spock. It felt like some fresh ground in a series that has explored so many characters.
The overall plot of the book is kind of a political thriller in which Boyce is captured by the Orions and forced to work on solving a medical problem. His compassion and intelligence comes into play as he builds relationships and manuevers his way through the politics to help whomever he can. We do see representatives of all three factions interact throughout the story, but Stern keeps things churning with the "don't believe what you think you know" concept when it comes to these groups. Having written some of the tentpole books in the Enterprise novel line, he does kind of pull some of that material forward into this era and it does keep the tapestry more tightly woven.
There are a few elements of the book towards the end that I'm not very thrilled with. However, thinking back on Stern's admission that this is more related to the reboot movies than the standard universe, it kind of makes more sense. I just don't find the Kelvin timeline as engaging as the Prime universe. But even so, if you're interested in the Pike era, I think you'd find this book entertaining at the very least.
January 17, 2018
Loved reading about Captain Pike, Number one and Spock. The Cage remains one of my favourite TOS episodes. I always liked Captain Pike and thought he would have been great in TOS. We'll always love Captain Kirk though.
This book moves the pace along quite well, and I enjoyed the development of the Orion society in the microcosm of the Orion Talith's ship.
The plotlines hold together quite well except for a few things. It's surprising that the Orions pretty well gave the federation prisoners such unfettered access to their computer system they were able to spend several days analyzing the ships systems and set in motion a cascade of failures that would result in the ships destruction. Also, the internal coup seemed to go on for a long time - which I wouldn't think possible in such a confined space.
Overall a good read.
This book moves the pace along quite well, and I enjoyed the development of the Orion society in the microcosm of the Orion Talith's ship.
The plotlines hold together quite well except for a few things. It's surprising that the Orions pretty well gave the federation prisoners such unfettered access to their computer system they were able to spend several days analyzing the ships systems and set in motion a cascade of failures that would result in the ships destruction. Also, the internal coup seemed to go on for a long time - which I wouldn't think possible in such a confined space.
Overall a good read.
July 31, 2018
I enjoyed this more than I expected, since a Star Trek book without Kirk is usually not my thing. But I had no trouble picturing Captain Pike or Doctor Boyce, which is impressive since they had so little screentime to work with. Spock was spot-on, though I never did manage to match Number One in this book to her onscreen counterpart. The story was well done and shed some light on the pre-Kirk years. My one little quibble was that everyone kept referring to Klingon ships as Warbirds, which are Romulan ships. Klingon ships are Birds of Prey. But that's a small nitpick for an otherwise strong Trek novel.
February 12, 2021
Love the story about a previous Captain of the Enterprise. Found this book interesting but did not like that fact that there were so many females in high positions. Can not see that happening. If you are familiar with the episode "The Cage" from Star Trek the original series, I expected Number 1 to be the first female Captain and Admiral in Star Fleet. I was not disappointed but this book had a lot of ear marks of todays wokeness even though it is from 2010. I would recommend it to any and all Star Trek fans, good reading and Live Long and Prosper.
August 25, 2018
Meh. It was ok but nothing to write home about.
July 5, 2019
Fantastic novel. Kept you guessing all the way through the novel as to what would happen next. A great look at the Pike era on Enterprise.
November 17, 2024
This book as fine. I enjoyed it, but I cannot say it was great. A Star Trek fan will appreciate it for what is is, but at the end of the day, it did not stand out as a pulse racing page turner.
September 26, 2011
This book was OK, but I really wanted to like it more. David Stern was the editor for the Pocket Books Star Trek series for a number of years and he certainly knows his way around the characters and the Trek universe. He draws from TOS episodes "The Cage" and "The Enterprise Incident," as well as including elements from some of the previous Trek novelizations. His writing style is competent, if not eceptional. So why didn't this book thrill me the way I expected?
First, you should know that this tale is set in the Christopher Pike captained era of the USS Enterprise. Although Pike, Spock and Number One are all present and are central to the plot, the story focuses mostly on the character of Doctor Philip Boyce. Boyce is captured by Orion pirates and asked to help them develop a serum they need to keep their leader alive and in command.
However, if that sounds straightforward, it is not. This is not a simple story. The book has more plot elements than you can shake a Denebian slime devil at. There are of course the aforementioned Orion pirates who are involved in an inter-clan sruggle. There is also potential war with the Klingons on the table, possible alliances for the Federation with both the Klingons and the Orions, several types of new or ancient alien technology (including an image projecttor, a cloaking device and possible "Fountain of Youth" serum), medical problems to solve, insurrection, mutiny, possible traitors in the midst, a fair amount of cloak and dagger and much, much more. Folded into this already overdeveloped fruit cake mix of a plot are flashbacks into Boyce's past, explaining his ambivalence toward his current research and his anger at the Orions and Klingons.
The book is nearly 400 pages, but it's just not long enough to sustain all of these pieces. Stern does an admirable job resolving everything in the end, but the payoffs come too quickly and neatly. One hardly has time to fully understand the joke, before the punch-line has been delivered. So ultimately the book's problem is a simple storytelling one: an author must deliver on what they promise. But more than that, when an author delivers on what they promised, they must take the time to do it right. Don't promise me the world and hand me a globe. It may look the same, but it's not.
First, you should know that this tale is set in the Christopher Pike captained era of the USS Enterprise. Although Pike, Spock and Number One are all present and are central to the plot, the story focuses mostly on the character of Doctor Philip Boyce. Boyce is captured by Orion pirates and asked to help them develop a serum they need to keep their leader alive and in command.
However, if that sounds straightforward, it is not. This is not a simple story. The book has more plot elements than you can shake a Denebian slime devil at. There are of course the aforementioned Orion pirates who are involved in an inter-clan sruggle. There is also potential war with the Klingons on the table, possible alliances for the Federation with both the Klingons and the Orions, several types of new or ancient alien technology (including an image projecttor, a cloaking device and possible "Fountain of Youth" serum), medical problems to solve, insurrection, mutiny, possible traitors in the midst, a fair amount of cloak and dagger and much, much more. Folded into this already overdeveloped fruit cake mix of a plot are flashbacks into Boyce's past, explaining his ambivalence toward his current research and his anger at the Orions and Klingons.
The book is nearly 400 pages, but it's just not long enough to sustain all of these pieces. Stern does an admirable job resolving everything in the end, but the payoffs come too quickly and neatly. One hardly has time to fully understand the joke, before the punch-line has been delivered. So ultimately the book's problem is a simple storytelling one: an author must deliver on what they promise. But more than that, when an author delivers on what they promised, they must take the time to do it right. Don't promise me the world and hand me a globe. It may look the same, but it's not.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 5, 2012
For my full review, visit my blog at http://maryellenherrera.com/2012/06/1...
The Children of Kings brings to life one of the commanding adventures of Christopher Pike, the second captain of the starship Enterprise, and this galactic adventure involves the Klingon and the Orion races. Starbase 18 lies in ruins, believed to have been attacked by the Klingons. As Captain Pike investigates the destruction of the starbase, he responds to a distress call sent out by the Orions; who in turn capture Captain Pike and those in the rescue party. Now it’s up to Spock and first officer Number One to discover who actually destroyed Starbase 18 while finding a way to safely return Captain Pike to the Enterprise. Any missteps could ultimately result in an interstellar war!
This book has 400 pages of adventure! From the beginning of the book I was escorted to the Enterprise and immediately engrossed in the mystery of the story – who destroyed Starbase 18? Since I am a fan of the original Star Trek series, it was fun getting to know more about Captain Pike and his crew. And yes, I did find myself thinking WWKD (what would Kirk do)? But this didn’t subtract from the wonderful story the author, David Stern, created. The story had great twists which kept me reading. The more I read, the more I began to identify with this new crew and I began to like the characters and what they brought to this adventure in space. Plus there was Spock; he helped bridge the gap between the Enterprise I knew and this Enterprise crew, characters I began to grow fond of.
The Children of Kings brings to life one of the commanding adventures of Christopher Pike, the second captain of the starship Enterprise, and this galactic adventure involves the Klingon and the Orion races. Starbase 18 lies in ruins, believed to have been attacked by the Klingons. As Captain Pike investigates the destruction of the starbase, he responds to a distress call sent out by the Orions; who in turn capture Captain Pike and those in the rescue party. Now it’s up to Spock and first officer Number One to discover who actually destroyed Starbase 18 while finding a way to safely return Captain Pike to the Enterprise. Any missteps could ultimately result in an interstellar war!
This book has 400 pages of adventure! From the beginning of the book I was escorted to the Enterprise and immediately engrossed in the mystery of the story – who destroyed Starbase 18? Since I am a fan of the original Star Trek series, it was fun getting to know more about Captain Pike and his crew. And yes, I did find myself thinking WWKD (what would Kirk do)? But this didn’t subtract from the wonderful story the author, David Stern, created. The story had great twists which kept me reading. The more I read, the more I began to identify with this new crew and I began to like the characters and what they brought to this adventure in space. Plus there was Spock; he helped bridge the gap between the Enterprise I knew and this Enterprise crew, characters I began to grow fond of.
November 19, 2013
I mostly enjoyed The Children of Kings by David Stern. This novel is based, not on Classic Trek, but on the reboot of Classic Trek, hence some of the points that may seem like continuity errors such as the mention of the Ferengi Alliance as an intelligence source. Overall, it was fun to read a novel about Captain Christopher Pike's Enterprise, and about Doctor Boyce, Number One and an early rendition of Spock. One of the fun things about the Star Trek novels is the ability to learn more about characters that don't necessarily get as much play in the TV shows and movies.
This book has a fairly complex storyline about the Orions and the Klingons. When the Enterprise responds to a distress call from Starbase 18, they find the starbase in ruins, and since it is near the Klingon border, the assumption is that the Klingons destroyed it. While investigating the destruction of the starbase, they receive a distress call from an Orion ship. In order to respond, they will have to cross through Klingon space and risk setting off an interstellar war.
My main quibble with the book is that the ending happens much too quickly. After almost dragging the story through a couple of hundred pages, suddenly the book is over, leaving me with several unanswered questions about the resolution. However, up until about page 300, I was thoroughly enjoying the novel. Casual fans of the series will enjoy this book much more than hardcore fans who don't approve of the reboot. I'm a pretty hardcore fan, but I do like the reboot, so I enjoyed this novel.
This book has a fairly complex storyline about the Orions and the Klingons. When the Enterprise responds to a distress call from Starbase 18, they find the starbase in ruins, and since it is near the Klingon border, the assumption is that the Klingons destroyed it. While investigating the destruction of the starbase, they receive a distress call from an Orion ship. In order to respond, they will have to cross through Klingon space and risk setting off an interstellar war.
My main quibble with the book is that the ending happens much too quickly. After almost dragging the story through a couple of hundred pages, suddenly the book is over, leaving me with several unanswered questions about the resolution. However, up until about page 300, I was thoroughly enjoying the novel. Casual fans of the series will enjoy this book much more than hardcore fans who don't approve of the reboot. I'm a pretty hardcore fan, but I do like the reboot, so I enjoyed this novel.
February 2, 2014
An enjoyable and well-crafted read; there are some possible discrepancies between background details in this book and the established Trek universe, which there is some attempt to gloss over by claiming that the book is set in the timeline of the new movies, rather than the original series. In any case, those potential discrepancies have little to no effect on the story, and the characters and plot are handled well. I dock it a star only because we see no indication of there being any fallout from Pike firing on and destroying his own shuttle to prevent Starfleet Intelligence from gaining access to material that he had given his word they would not be allowed access to. More exlanation that that would be an unforgivable spoiler; I feel I'm pushing the envelope to have said that much. But surely, either that little detail had to be left out of everyone's reports, or he would have gotten a talking-to by some higher-up, at the very least, even if they ultimately accepted his decision. The fact that nothing of the sort is even mentioned in the epilogue is just impossible.
February 18, 2025
A fantastic spotlight on Dr. Boyce
Prior to the events of this novel, Dr. Boyce’s research was attacked by Klingons, and his daughter was killed. Now, he is called to use his skills to help the Orions, but not everything is as it seems.
As much as I had wanted Pike and Spock to be the main characters of this book, I was not disappointed with how important Dr. Boyce was to the plot. One of the best parts of this book was the relationship between all the crew members. There was special effort put into these relationships to make the ending even more impactful. Another stellar aspect of this novel was Captain Pike navigating the Federation’s relationship between both the Klingons and Orions. Surprisingly, several facets of this story, such as the tension with the Klingons, fit very well with other Star Trek media that has come out recently.
I would highly recommend this novel to any fans of 23rd century Star Trek, or anyone interested in starting to read the novels.
Prior to the events of this novel, Dr. Boyce’s research was attacked by Klingons, and his daughter was killed. Now, he is called to use his skills to help the Orions, but not everything is as it seems.
As much as I had wanted Pike and Spock to be the main characters of this book, I was not disappointed with how important Dr. Boyce was to the plot. One of the best parts of this book was the relationship between all the crew members. There was special effort put into these relationships to make the ending even more impactful. Another stellar aspect of this novel was Captain Pike navigating the Federation’s relationship between both the Klingons and Orions. Surprisingly, several facets of this story, such as the tension with the Klingons, fit very well with other Star Trek media that has come out recently.
I would highly recommend this novel to any fans of 23rd century Star Trek, or anyone interested in starting to read the novels.
June 17, 2010
Overall, it was good. Sure, it seems to take place in a reality somewhere between the 2009 movie and the original timeline, but that's not a deal breaker. It's a shame that the author didn't just stick to the original timeline since canonistas are put off by the Ferengi, among other nits to pick.
This will go down with the rest of the 2010 Trek books that everyone seemed to hate, unfortunately.
I will say that the ending was abrupt, given the book's length, and provided no real closure to the story. That's why in lobbing off a couple stars.
This will go down with the rest of the 2010 Trek books that everyone seemed to hate, unfortunately.
I will say that the ending was abrupt, given the book's length, and provided no real closure to the story. That's why in lobbing off a couple stars.
June 17, 2010
Interesting look at a little seen era of Trek "history". The focus is on Captain Pike and Doctor Boyce as they interact with the Orions following the destruction of Starbase. The Orion culture is give the spotlight here as Stern brings together elements from The Animated Series, Enterprise, Star Trek and the 24th Century series. That informtion was often contradictory but Stern makes it work. A warning to fans of "canon". Turn off your sensors or wind up with an overload. Stern plays it a little fast and lose with continuity, but dont let it get in the way of enjoying the story.
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July 30, 2011This is a very well-written and interesting "Classic Trek" book which explores the crew of the Enterprise before James T. Kick. Sheds light on the mysterious "Number One" (Captain Christopher Pike's female first officer, played by a young Majel Roddenberry in the original pre-Kirk pilot), as well as the green-skinned "Orions". Of course Mr. Spock is there to add familiarity. This novel is part "Space Opera" (the whole thing takes place on ships!) and part "Mystery/Espionage" (the CIA-like "Starfleet Intelligence" is central to the plot).
December 14, 2015
I was hoping for a little insight into Pike and a young Spock, instead they just played supporting roles in an ensemble story. Still, not a bad Trek novel. I like Dr. Boyce, so it was fun to see him in the spotlight. The author states this was set in the 2009 reboot universe. If that's so, I think more could have done to highlight that. And why put Hunter and Nimoy on the cover instead of Greenwood & Quinto? I probably wouldn't have picked it up if that were the case, so I suppose I've answered my own question.
January 4, 2015
As a former chemist, I spotted the chirality twist a mile a way but still it was a good read. This book is meant to be set in the new timeline however I did not get that sense at all esp as we never saw Spock or Number One on the Enterprise serving under Pike in the that timeframe. I'm happy to think that this is just one of the many, many, many adventures of Captain Christopher Pike before his accident.
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