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Star Trek: Voyager
Day of Honor: The Television Episode
B'Elanna Torres has no intention of celebrating the Day of Honor. A day of glory for others of Klingon heritage, the day for Torres has always been a dark one, for reasons that stretch back to childhood memories she has tried to forget. This Day of Honor is no better. Trouble with the warp engines has crippled the "U.S.S. Voyager" just as it confronts a deadly threat. Torres and Tom Paris must put their lives on the line to restore the engines. With time running out, Torres has one last chance to accept the great loss she once suffered and reveal the true feelings she has buried for years.
247 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published November 1, 1997
4 people are currently reading
245 people want to read
About the author
Michael Jan Friedman
374 books205 followersMichael Jan Friedman is an author of more than seventy books of fiction and nonfiction, half of which are in the Star Trek universe. Eleven of his titles have appeared on the New York Times Best Seller list. Friedman has also written for network and cable television and radio, and scripted nearly 200 comic books, including his original DC superhero series, the Darkstars.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
December 8, 2020
A perfectly efficient and straightfoward novelization of the Voyager episode. However, it feels like Mr. Friedman is actually more interested in the Seven of Nine side of the tale, rather than the eponymous Day of Honour plot...and frankly, so am I.
June 22, 2017
Like the TV episode, not as cool as it sounded. I enjoy a good Klingon story, though.
September 6, 2021
Another novelisation of a Voyager episode - follows very closely with a few extra bits of dialogue and a nice little storyline with the Doctor.
Would've been nice to explore a little more internal dialogue considering such a big event in two characters lives is the focus of the story - there is very little build up to their confession of feelings for each other. However it was interesting to get more from the Caatati captains perspective, although a little more remorse after destroying the shuttlecraft would've made the character a little more empathetic. I enjoyed the Doctors exploration of various holidays, and his talk with Janeway about his faith in life itself was very sweet.
Would've been nice to explore a little more internal dialogue considering such a big event in two characters lives is the focus of the story - there is very little build up to their confession of feelings for each other. However it was interesting to get more from the Caatati captains perspective, although a little more remorse after destroying the shuttlecraft would've made the character a little more empathetic. I enjoyed the Doctors exploration of various holidays, and his talk with Janeway about his faith in life itself was very sweet.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 8, 2018
I thought this book was going to mostly focus on the relationship between B'elanna and Tom, and fill in the blanks during the episode, especially after they returned to the ship. Disappointed but I flew through the book; it's still relatively enjoyable.
July 5, 2008
This is one of my favorite episodes, that was just a good to read
June 26, 2017
Such a quick and easy read. Just like watching the episode all over again. Really enjoyed it! I love Tom & B'Elanna <3
December 7, 2017
A decent novelization of one of my favorite Voyager episodes.
February 27, 2018
And so the slog continues through the Day of Honor Star Trek books and this time it is the novelisation of the Voyager episode ‘Day of Honor’ by Michael Jan Friedman. TV works very differently from fiction. One has a limited timeframe and budget, the other is only limited by the imagination. Add to this the 45 minute episode format and you are holding back any book. Further complications come in the structure of a TV episode – more than one storyline that are somehow linked to one another whilst running parallel. This is so that viewers don’t get bored. This can work in a novel too, but Friedman also shows that it can fail.
Torres is not a fan of ‘The Day of Honor’ celebrations and just wants to pretend it does not exist. She has always struggled to balance her Human and Klingon side, so a day of people constantly saying that she is Klingon is highly annoying. When borderline workplace pest Paris keeps hassling her things can’t get much worse. That is unless they find themselves almost dying together. Throw in a weird story about the Doctor looking for a religious holiday to celebrate and you have a book that would have been better kept as a TV episode.
The main selling point of this Honor outing is the inner turmoil of Torres as she once again tries to come to terms with her split nature. The novelisation does give Friedman a better chance to explore her inner workings, but frankly it is hard to care. Torres runs so hot and then cold in this book that you just want her to stop being so selfish. The relationship between Paris and Torres is also explored further. Voyager was 20 years ago now and in this post #MeToo generation, Paris increasingly comes across as that work inappropriate man that is only being outed today. The book is at its best when the two of them are not acting out, but being a bit more truthful. However, these elements are few and far between, mostly saved for the end of the book.
This being a Trek outing, there cannot be only one story. The other element is some of the worst nonsense I have read in a while and I have read the other Day of Honor books. The Doctor goes around testing out new holidays in a bid to flesh out who he is. There seems to be no point at all to side story. The Day of Honor is not important because it is a holiday, but because it was about honour. This book/episode gets the entire wrong end of the stick.
Although ‘Day of Honor’ appears to be a popular episode in the Voyager cannon, for me it just highlights the issue with that series – the unlikable characters. As a novelisation, there is not really enough here to warrant a full book and it basically seems to forgo the actual meaning of the Day of Honor, unlike the other books in the series.
Torres is not a fan of ‘The Day of Honor’ celebrations and just wants to pretend it does not exist. She has always struggled to balance her Human and Klingon side, so a day of people constantly saying that she is Klingon is highly annoying. When borderline workplace pest Paris keeps hassling her things can’t get much worse. That is unless they find themselves almost dying together. Throw in a weird story about the Doctor looking for a religious holiday to celebrate and you have a book that would have been better kept as a TV episode.
The main selling point of this Honor outing is the inner turmoil of Torres as she once again tries to come to terms with her split nature. The novelisation does give Friedman a better chance to explore her inner workings, but frankly it is hard to care. Torres runs so hot and then cold in this book that you just want her to stop being so selfish. The relationship between Paris and Torres is also explored further. Voyager was 20 years ago now and in this post #MeToo generation, Paris increasingly comes across as that work inappropriate man that is only being outed today. The book is at its best when the two of them are not acting out, but being a bit more truthful. However, these elements are few and far between, mostly saved for the end of the book.
This being a Trek outing, there cannot be only one story. The other element is some of the worst nonsense I have read in a while and I have read the other Day of Honor books. The Doctor goes around testing out new holidays in a bid to flesh out who he is. There seems to be no point at all to side story. The Day of Honor is not important because it is a holiday, but because it was about honour. This book/episode gets the entire wrong end of the stick.
Although ‘Day of Honor’ appears to be a popular episode in the Voyager cannon, for me it just highlights the issue with that series – the unlikable characters. As a novelisation, there is not really enough here to warrant a full book and it basically seems to forgo the actual meaning of the Day of Honor, unlike the other books in the series.
March 15, 2024
I remember watching the episode this novelisation was based on! It was years and years ago, and while it wasn't outstanding it was likeable enough. As the episode, so the book. It's a quick, easy read, with some nice characterisation of B'Elanna. I quite enjoy the fact that her life has a history of turning to shit on the Day of Honour; it's the kind of black-humoured disaster roll that's the Klingon version of Murphy's law, I guess - mostly entertaining because it's not you suffering it. Though I have to say, any ritual that involves pain sticks is not one I'd be bothering with either, so I absolutely do not blame B'Elanna for giving that one a miss.
I admit, I do think the conclusion is wrapped up too quickly and conveniently, but that was the case in the episode as well, so what can you do, really. Still, the book's passed a couple of hours on a rainy night quite nicely.
I admit, I do think the conclusion is wrapped up too quickly and conveniently, but that was the case in the episode as well, so what can you do, really. Still, the book's passed a couple of hours on a rainy night quite nicely.
November 1, 2018
Yet another book I wish I had taken the five minutes to skim before purchasing.
Apparently written before "Barge of the Dead" or "Lineage," the continuity issues are there right from the prologue. I could have possibly gotten past this, but for the fact that this book's version of B'Elanna's father leaving her is played out like a divorce, with her father even saying goodbye, where the implication on the show always seemed to be that he'd just abruptly vanished.
Skimming the rest of the book, and other reviews, it looks like the book is also bogged down by tortuously boring subplots.
And the simplistic, repetitive writing doesn't help.
Apparently written before "Barge of the Dead" or "Lineage," the continuity issues are there right from the prologue. I could have possibly gotten past this, but for the fact that this book's version of B'Elanna's father leaving her is played out like a divorce, with her father even saying goodbye, where the implication on the show always seemed to be that he'd just abruptly vanished.
Skimming the rest of the book, and other reviews, it looks like the book is also bogged down by tortuously boring subplots.
And the simplistic, repetitive writing doesn't help.
September 12, 2018
Initially, I wasn't sure that I'd like this one. While I had enjoyed B'Elanna immensely in the first few episodes, I quickly grew sick of her constantly bitchiness. This novel did focus predominantly on her, but it did give some insight into the constant struggle within her, making her more relatable. Of course, Seven of Nine appears in this one so I automatically love it. I especially wnjoyed the scenes of the Doctor trying out different holidays in his quest to further understand himself and humanity around him.
December 17, 2018
This was a novel after the episode 'Day Of Honor'.
I enjoyed that it was fast paced, and there was a little extra about the doctor and another crew member. I also liked some of Janeways insights. I have to say I was a little disappointed that there wasn't more about Tom and B'Elanna. I Also didn't care about the aliens the Caatati. The writing was also a bit choppy, I thought Friedman's writing in other books was much better.
Overall it wasn't a bad book, I just assumed there would be a few more 'extras' than there was.
I enjoyed that it was fast paced, and there was a little extra about the doctor and another crew member. I also liked some of Janeways insights. I have to say I was a little disappointed that there wasn't more about Tom and B'Elanna. I Also didn't care about the aliens the Caatati. The writing was also a bit choppy, I thought Friedman's writing in other books was much better.
Overall it wasn't a bad book, I just assumed there would be a few more 'extras' than there was.
June 3, 2019
I really liked this novelization! The background given at the beginning did a great job setting up the two plotlines: the Caatati plotline and the Day of Honor plotline. The “aliens of the week” were very interesting. I loved the look into B’Elanna’s thoughts. The Doctor’s endeavor into various holidays was super cute.
January 13, 2019
Had some fine additions to the TV plot, even though I wasn't that keen on the Doctor's exploration of foreign rituals for holidays (of course it included a Betazoid wedding).
July 22, 2021
Not a bad novelization of the episode. It has been a while since I've seen the episode, but that was pretty much what I remember. The stuff with the Doctor was kind of silly though and unnecessary.
November 10, 2024
Ok episode, slightly more ok as a book.
August 4, 2012
"Tuvok and Neelix were such opposites. She wondered if any other captain had ever had to put up with a bickering pair like that."
Apart from the astoundingly misplaced Spock and McCoy reference I enjoyed this book most of all. Perhaps because it's rare to see a Voyager episode novelised well, but I really got into it. There were a few lines padding television dialog which sounded incongruous, but the opener of a five-year-old Torres was very well done, and the assimilation of the Caatati was a fascinating glimpse into another culture with very little space to do it in, which is always admirable.
A most worthy end to the series though, overall, not very much Klingon pov in the entire set and the whole ethos is a little Kirk-centric for my taste.
Apart from the astoundingly misplaced Spock and McCoy reference I enjoyed this book most of all. Perhaps because it's rare to see a Voyager episode novelised well, but I really got into it. There were a few lines padding television dialog which sounded incongruous, but the opener of a five-year-old Torres was very well done, and the assimilation of the Caatati was a fascinating glimpse into another culture with very little space to do it in, which is always admirable.
A most worthy end to the series though, overall, not very much Klingon pov in the entire set and the whole ethos is a little Kirk-centric for my taste.
March 14, 2013
What can I say? I have watched that particular show over and over again. The novel was even more fun to read, because during the shows I had a feeling I was missing some script or background story. And novel supplied it alright!
So even in this case - even when this is a novel base on a television show - the book is better. You get the inside story of the Caatati, and the quick banter that flows so nicely between the characters. And things that are only mentioned in the show are in full description in this book, like B'Elanna's background, the horrible morning she is having, the request from Seven of Nine, the thoughts and doubts of Captain Janeway...
I love this little book!! :D
So even in this case - even when this is a novel base on a television show - the book is better. You get the inside story of the Caatati, and the quick banter that flows so nicely between the characters. And things that are only mentioned in the show are in full description in this book, like B'Elanna's background, the horrible morning she is having, the request from Seven of Nine, the thoughts and doubts of Captain Janeway...
I love this little book!! :D
May 11, 2010
don't own but hwave read
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews