Mindshadow

Star Trek: The Original Series #27

by J.M. Dillard

The tranquil planet of Aritani has suddenly come under attack by a vivious and unknown enemy. The U.S.S. Enterprise™ rallies to the scene, only to plunge into a deadly Spock is found mysteriously injured, his mental powers crippled and weak, and Kirk uncovers an evil Romulan plot -- with a cunning double agent in the middle. As Spock begins to regain his memory, Kirk strives to expose the agent. But only Spock's knowledge can stop the Romulans...from controliing the universe!

Genres: Star Trek, Science Fiction, Fiction, Science Fiction Fantasy, Star Trek Original Series, Ebooks, Space

260 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1986

About the author

J.M. Dillard is the pseudonym under which Jeanne Kalogridis (b. 1954) publishes her Star Trek novels.

Reviews

[Louie the Mustache Matos · Rating 2 out of 5]

Mindshadow is a Star Trek: The Original Series novel #27 by J.M. Dillard. The main story should be about the Aritani, an agrarian culture in tune with their ecology, being attacked by pirates, attempting to take control of the planet’s natural resources. The Enterprise has arrived to help deflect the pirates. In the attack, Spock falls and grievously injures himself by falling from a great height and fracturing his skull. Starfleet sends a Xeno-neurologist that specializes in Vulcan neurology. She flirts with McCoy and Kirk, both vying for her affections. The main story is then co-opted by this immature rivalry, Kirk being ridiculously unreasonable about losing his first officer Spock to injury, and shipboard espionage that does not make sense. The Aritani ask the Enterprise to leave. They are prepared to lose their culture to the invading pirates rather than to have the Enterprise crew lose their lives in protecting them. If that story would have been the focus of the novel, then that story would have been much more interesting.

[Charles · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the third Star Trek original book I've read by J. M. Dillard, along with two movie novelizations, and they've all been really good. Dillard has a great feel for the characters but doesn't stint on the conflict between them, which was always a part of the original series. I'd read a few books in the past weeks that didn't hold my interest but this one brought me back to that feeling of engagement I want from my reading. Well done.

[Sheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well written and over-all entertaining, but full of little irritations, mostly related to the Mary Sue-ish Saenz. Thought both Kirk and McCoy should have figured some things out about her as soon as I did, and was disappointed they didn't. Also couldn't believe that Kirk would tell high level Star Fleet secrets to McCoy and Spock right after being told their conversation was being monitored. Granted, it’s the Vulcans listening in, but, still...

OTOH, never expected or predicted one of the major plot twists, even though it was obvious in retrospect, which is always nice. Kept me involved enough my mind wasn't working that out, anyhow.

[Mark · Rating 2 out of 5]

In response to attacks on the agrarian populace of the mineral-rich planet Aritani by unknown raiders, the Federation dispatches the U.S.S. Enterprise to provide assistance. After Spock separates from the landing party to collect data, however, he is found unconscious from a fall of hundreds of feet. In order to treat the traumatic brain injury caused by the fall, James Kirk requests the assistance of a specialist in neuropsychiatry. Yet despite her expert advice, Spock’s condition only deteriorates, leaving him unable to communicate the vital information he knows. Kirk is left to face without his friend the threat of pirates who somehow are capable of defeating Starfleet’s best defensive measures – and with a double agent aboard his ship sabotaging his best efforts to deal with the threat they pose.

J. M. Dillard’s novel was the first of over a dozen different works she would write for the Star Trek franchise. Her strengths as a writer are evident in this book, as she provides a story that nicely balances plot with character development. It’s the latter which drives the book, as with Spock absent a greater degree of interpersonal conflict emerges between Kirk and Doctor McCoy as the two compete for the affections of Emma Saenz, the comely young neuropsychiatrist introduced to the crew. Their attraction to her, however, makes for a poor explanation as to why they miss so many red flags about her character. To her credit Dillard dispenses with the mystery early on, making it clear that Saenz is more than she appears. That two such capable characters miss all of the signs, however, strains credulity, especially as the setbacks mount and the proffered explanations are too implausible to be believed. The result is frustrating: a novel with interesting elements but which falls short of catalyzing into the adventure that it seems tantalizingly close to becoming.

[Jersy · Rating 2 out of 5]

It sounded so good and the beginning was promising, but the setup was just an excuse to get Spock hurt and was mostly forgotten after that. The actual focus of the story were immature problems, Kirk and McCoy constantly apologizing to each other and a twist that I feel is done in so many Star Trek books. How Spock copes with his injury was kind of interesting, but McCoy's "love" was really, really rushed and most scenes just weren't engaging. I guess I can imagine that others could have fun with this book, but most things just didn't work for me. It felt too little like Star Trek and too much like High School drama.

[Daniel Kukwa · Rating 3 out of 5]

It starts off very promisingly...but eventually, there is just too much plot, and too many machinations happening in such a short book. The result is a number of headaches following who is double-bluffing who, and a sub-plot of Vulcan with a possible love interest for Spock that isn't as successful or convincing as it could have been. That said, the command of the Original Series crew has always been Ms. Dillard's strength, and it carries this novel efficiently to its conclusion.

[Jerry (Rebel With a Massive Media Library) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Better than usual for Star Trek Expanded Universe fare.

[Leila Anani · Rating 3 out of 5]

The crew of the Enterprise beam down to aid an agricultural society beset by Romulan pirates. Not only do they fail to keep the pirates out with their forcefield but Spock is injured when he goes off exploring alone and ends up with amnesia. Back on the ship Bones calls in a Vulcan/Human expert, sexy Emma Saenz who causes quite a stir as she flirts with both the Doctor and the Captain.

Someone seems very determined not to let Spock regain his memory, diplomats are attacked and there seems to be a saboteur on board. We then go through a guessing game of who is responsible, Scotty and the new replacement first officer both come under suspicion.

Despite the annoying Saenz I really enjoyed this. Its a great character piece for Kirk and McCoy - love seeing them at loggerheads over the same woman. We also get to visit Vulcan and explore Spock's family and history as he is forced to return home to recuperate.

Characters and world/terminology are spot on - J.M. Dillard is one of the best writers in the field for capturing the Star Trek essence. It really does feel as if you are watching an episode.

Lovely Boris Vallejo cover art as well.

Its a tad obvious who the villain is however, could have done with maybe a few more suspects and a little more action. Still a very good Trek novel, I really enjoyed it.

Solid 3.5

[Edwin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a decent enough Star Trek novel. The story could have been a TV episode. A bit slow in the beginning, but the plot is fairly interesting and the characters are well done.

[Kieran McAndrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Critically brain damaged after a failed mission on the planet Aritani, Spock must return to Vulcan to recover.

Kirk and his crew must struggle to peacefully resolve the political fallout of the disaster while Spock strives to recover the memories of the fateful day which left him brutalized.

Dillard's novel feels right, in that the character actions and interactions appear to have been lifted straight from the screen.

[Lee · Rating 2 out of 5]

I assume I read this when it first came out, but I didn't remember it. I'm still working on 2022's idea "I'm gonna reread all these ST novels that are gathering dust on my shelf!"

Meh. Yet another super-character meets the command crew of the Enterprise, and runs rings around them until the end, when she mysteriously moves on, leaving broken hearts behind.

[Becky · Rating 2 out of 5]

Most of the characterisations felt very unrealistic and the plot holes were big enough to drive a starship through. Very disappointing from an author whose other Star Trek books I have mostly really enjoyed

[Oleta Blaylock · Rating 4 out of 5]

Once again I wasn't sure I was going to enjoy this story and I was surprised that I finished it in one day. It isn't often that I can read a book in a twenty-four hour period.

While I was upset that Spock was hurt so madly and seemed to not be getting any better I held out hope that he would finally recover and become the Spock we all love so much. There is a lot going on in this book and I was somewhat disappointed that it took Spock recovering his memory so the others would figure out what is going on with the planet Aritani. I figured it out right away and the crew of the Enterprise are the best and brightest of Starfleet. I mean really. I think that the author could have done a little better with that whole plot device.

I was nice to see Amanda and Sarek again. There are times that I would like to smack Sarek upside the head but he was a little better in this story than in some of them. I enjoyed the whole part of the story with Spock on Vulcan. I know that it isn't the most peaceful place for him but it is his home and I would hope that one day he would find peace there. I do wish that everyone would get the description of the yard right. Pick a setting and stay with it. For heaven sake read the other books. I guess that is the problem with writing a book for an established world, galaxy, group, etc. You want to put your own stamp on the series. This was an interesting book and I would recommend it to those that love Star Trek.

[Graff Fuller · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mindshadow by J.M. Dillard

Challenging, emotional, funny, reflective,
tense.

Medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25 Stars

I enjoyed the story, though I knew one of the antagonists (individuals fighting against our crew) very early. Called it. Not sure IF ofthers picked up on it, but I felt sketchy about this character from the jump.

Watching the storyline of Spock plummet and be gaslit. Did NOT like that aspect of the story at all. When a person knows that they can do better, but is being put in a position that what they are thinking isn't true, AND it is...really pisses me off (sorry, not sorry).

Thank goodness for A1 friends like Captain Kirk and Dr. McCoy (Bones).

Loved the character of T'Pala and her struggles. Great backstory and similarities with Spock...which made you draw closer to her, but also be wary of her.

Loved the background characters and THEIR moments. I see you Lt. Uhura, Scotty, Sulu and Checkov, and even Nurse Chapel. Yes.

Loved the involvement of Sarek and Amanda (Spock Da and Ma). It gave me the feels from Star Trel IV: The Voyage Home with both of these characters...which I just recently watched. Great movie.

A little bit of the Babel episode in TOS...so the complications of bringing a planet into the Federation.

Good story, indeed.

[Scott MacBurnie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a bad “ Star Trek” book; certainly not the worst I have read. The characterization of the “big three” do feel a little off - but part of that is (presumably) plot based, since Spock is injured and not in his right mind, and losing 1/3 of the “trinity” could be cause for the remaining two to be out of sorts - this is something that you see in TOS as well (“The Tholian Web” springs to mind) - so it feels less like dodgy writing than it does a narrative choice.

When the three are reunited, the characterizations of each seem to be quickly restored to proper “Star Trek” equilibrium. The requisite “guest star” is handled not too badly, as well, and while the nature of her role does dictate that she is (for plot reasons) not all that she initially seems, the ultimate (and final) reveal is sufficiently twisty that it feels both somewhat unexpected, and yet simultaneously also a reasonable end result - as opposed to just being a “final twist” for the sake of having a last “gotcha” moment, from the author.

It is a nice enough story, told capably. It does not wholly stand out as one of the best books (or episodes) but it is also far from the worst. It is solid, if unspectacular, “Star Trek”.

[Patrick Hayes · Rating 5 out of 5]

A thoroughly entertaining read that focuses on the crew of the Enterprise as Spock receives a possibly life changing injury, just as the Federation continues to debate whether to help a newly discovered race that's being attacked by a group of raiders who seemingly have the ability to penetrate shields.

This gave me exactly what I wanted in a Trek book: an equal focus on the big three--Kirk, Spock, and McCoy, some very interesting new characters, a return to a familiar alien world and two of its inhabitants, and some solid surprises.

Without spoiling anything, this book kept me on my toes for clues about a character's motivations, only to be surprised several times about this individual. Granted, the final twist at the end was a little too much, but it fell in line with a classic Star Trek story. One scene in the book is similar to "Journey to Babel" and I enjoyed it immensely, even if it did have a familiar twist.

This book pushed all the right buttons for me.

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a kid, I was a big fan of J.M. Dillard's movie tie-ins, especially the ones she did for STAR TREK VI and THE FUGITIVE. But this was my first time to see her put together an original story.
When it comes to giving fans exactly what they expect from a TREK novel, MINDSHADOW ticks all the boxes. Like much of the early TREK fiction written by female authors, we again have a beautiful and highly capable new crewmember who comes aboard and initiates a love triangle with Kirk and another officer before eventually exiting the saga as the result of semi-tragic circumstances, never to be heard from again.
Though hardly memorable, the book is well-done for the most part, except for the final chapter or so, when things suddenly get over-the-top and cartoonish. Still, a decent little adventure if you've got nothing better to do.

[The Honest Book Reviewer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've had a few Star Trek novels tucked away on my shelves for some time, and finally have gotten around to reading them. I don't know what I waited so long to return to the Star Trek universe. This is an amazing novel and could easily have been an episode of the series.

The beginning had me hooked, and I thought Spock's injury was interesting. To see him return to Vulcan was also interesting, even though it isn't a happy reunion for him. There are a lot of other major plots to follow in this novel, and most add to the mystery. The only thread that is annoying is the Kirk/McCoy battle over a love interest. It didn't really seem to fit with Star Trek, but I guess it filled in a few pages.

The conclusion doesn't tie up all the loose ends, so I'm wondering if one of the characters will appear in another novel later on.

[Richard Bracken · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mindshadow seemed to play out like an implausible episode from the 1960’s t.v. show. There ARE a few Star Trek books out there that have contained so much depth, and were drafted so well, that I keep coming back. Regrettably, there are a good many like this one, with lazy love triangles between Kirk, pitifully-pale-legs-ending-in-two-bare-bony-feet McCoy, and some newly arrived mystery doctor.

I suppose the moral aspect this story attempts to explore is whether certain desirable ‘ends’ justify various amoral ‘means’, but I wasn’t pricked by the way it was presented here. After all, it’s all too often the fuel which entices so many mixed-up terrorists in their indiscriminate blastings and mayhem. The trope seems a literary favorite, but I usually don’t like it.

[Craig · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well I can see why J.M. Dillard got to do more Star Trek works after this one. Definitely had a good mystery and I found it kept me guessing a little bit in to what was going on. Spock's story I found to be a good change of pace for what he usually does and McCoy having to deal with his feelings for someone else was good to. I liked the story, I liked the twists, my only complaint is that it took a little bit of time to get its footing and Scotty being accused of another murder? Really? Poor guy must have the worst criminal record...

[Shannon · Rating 2 out of 5]

The first Star Trek novel I've read that I don't like.

The beginning isn't bad, the writing is kind of dry. Then they leave the planet and don't return until the very end. The really annoying, very obviously nefarious female love interest is not only boring but also poorly written. The story is abrupt, confusing and riddled with inconsistencies, like for some reason Scotty forgets that he can just call the Enterprise and tell them they are going to be a little late?
Ending is good but I am so aggravated that by the time it finally happened it didn't help my over all feelings for the book

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

J.M. Dillard did a wonderful job of staying true to the characters and creating characters with depth. The plot of this book was solid but but towards the end had too many half developed characters/felt rushed. The beginning of the novel was the enterprise helping the planet Aritani which was being attacked by what we find out is Romulan pirates but that goes to the wayside in favor of Spock's amnesia and McCoy trying to solve Spock's problem/falling in love with the specialist sent to help. Poor Dr. McCoy doesn't have much luck in that department.

[Frank Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Spock is swiftly taken out of action, he remains that way for a good portion of the book and of course he holds the key to solving the problem at hand. It's a setting I've noticed in many early TOS novels so it has a very classic feel, which is bolstered by the familiar humour and recognisable characterisations.

I enjoyed this one even with the terrible auto-love between McCoy and his specialist. Auto-love is also a very classic trek feature.

[Taaya · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nicht wie sonst bei 3 Sternen Buch-Fastfood, sondern eine Mischung aus gut (Schreibstil, der wirklich leicht und angenehm lesbar ist) und RICHTIG schlecht (Logikfehler, Dinge, die DRINGEND Content Notes gebraucht hätten (massives Gaslighting, Suizid), mal eben reingeworfener Rassismus - Kirk findet es schade, dass McCoy in einer Situation nicht 'seine Ablehnung alles Vulkanischen' nutzt, um für Kirk die Situation mit 'Humor' zu verbessern -, Misogynie,...)

[Will · Rating 3 out of 5]

No idea why i decided to read one of the books of the original Star Trek crew, but here we are. Within a few pages, Spock is bopped on the head and his brain don't work any more, and Kirk is already trying to have sex with the new members of the crew, when a space babe shows up to confuse everyone.

[Michelle Swanson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lot of things going on in this book sometimes you forget the main part of the story which is suppose to be the planet Aritani , but honestly the planet isnt very prevalent in the book.

The stuff with Spock and some murder aboard the Enterprise is the majority of the story.

A good read for any star trek fan.

[Graham · Rating 4 out of 5]

These Star Trek novels are really fun to read, especially if you know the characters, and who doesnt? Spock has a fall that has unsettled his mind, or is there more to it? McCoy and Kirk fall for the same woman. There's a lot of falling in this novel. Will Spock get his mind back? Well worth a read even if your not a Treckie.

[Ian Banks · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first of many books written by Dillard for Trek, this balances characters and story nicely, despite neither of them adding up to much. It covers a lot of Trek ground adequately - without an excess of Trek Bingo - feeling like a run-of-the-mill episode, but it builds up some great suspense for the climax.

[Elysa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the overall plot and thought it was a good espionage thriller. For the most part, I was enjoying it, but the love triangle was dumb. It was completely pointless to start drama with McCoy and Kirk. I don't know why the novels do this so often. Other than that, it's a fun story.

[Katrina Veerkamp · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book had a lot of twists. Good to read McCoy with a love interest. Seeing Spock stumble with his Vulcanness was very interesting. Good rapport between the three. I like it a lot! Definitely kept my interest