I am starting to see what people mean when they write that these first four novels of the series all seem like parts of one bigger novel. Into the Void does not stand alone as well as the first novel in the series did. It is shorter, only 151 pages, at least ten of which are blank or just chapter headings. The overall plot advances; however it is clear at the end of the book there is a long way to go to wrap up loose threads.
The first third of the novel is about deciding who the first officer of the Excalibur will be. This seems like it would be a mundane and fairly inconsequential plot point. Nevertheless, Peter David enters new territory. In TOS, Spock was always second in command. Ryker was first officer from the very first Next Generation show, and in Voyager too no one else was considered except Chakotay. Only here do we see the question of first officers as a choice arise. For me, the decision making process and what it reveals about the coming two lead characters was writing magic. There is a fascinating tension and real dynamic afoot in this process that anyone who has ever had an "office romance" go wrong can sympathize with. I love the resolution!
The next eight pages, part 3, is a strange interlude that takes place on Mackenzie's homeworld. Here, we get a brief glimpse of who really holds power in the sector now that the Thallonian empire has collapsed, and how Mackenzie's family is involved. I am sure these eight pages portend plot threads of great significance for the rest of the series.
Then, the novel slows down. There's a bit of personal drama that shows some tension between the captain and his first officer, but we already knew they had misgivings about one another. A ship gets in trouble and issues a distress signal. That's the well worn plot of about every fourth Voyager or Enterprise show. The Thallonian lord's ego clashes with Mackenzie's, but no meaningful change results. Just when things couldn't get slower, they do with a (thankfully brief) chapter of the uninteresting he-she character named Burgoyne defending another crewman's eccentricities as "hidden genius". Yes, it's Barkley reinvented.
The story finally picks back up when the Excalibur decides to respond to the distress call. Any long time watcher of any Star Trek series knows what a disaster is in the offing when a distress signal is responded to, and this one is no exception. In the meantime, the Thallonian lord and the Excalibur's chief security officer (they dislike each other) are assigned an away mission together on a shuttle. The end of the novel comes abruptly as it appears the Excalibur is about to walk into a trap.
All in all, this is a good novel, but not a great one due to the fact it is easy to see it is really just a part in a longer series. Still, I find myself warming to the characters and becoming increasingly interested in the premise of tension in the sector.
The first third of the novel is about deciding who the first officer of the Excalibur will be. This seems like it would be a mundane and fairly inconsequential plot point. Nevertheless, Peter David enters new territory. In TOS, Spock was always second in command. Ryker was first officer from the very first Next Generation show, and in Voyager too no one else was considered except Chakotay. Only here do we see the question of first officers as a choice arise. For me, the decision making process and what it reveals about the coming two lead characters was writing magic. There is a fascinating tension and real dynamic afoot in this process that anyone who has ever had an "office romance" go wrong can sympathize with. I love the resolution!
The next eight pages, part 3, is a strange interlude that takes place on Mackenzie's homeworld. Here, we get a brief glimpse of who really holds power in the sector now that the Thallonian empire has collapsed, and how Mackenzie's family is involved. I am sure these eight pages portend plot threads of great significance for the rest of the series.
Then, the novel slows down. There's a bit of personal drama that shows some tension between the captain and his first officer, but we already knew they had misgivings about one another. A ship gets in trouble and issues a distress signal. That's the well worn plot of about every fourth Voyager or Enterprise show. The Thallonian lord's ego clashes with Mackenzie's, but no meaningful change results. Just when things couldn't get slower, they do with a (thankfully brief) chapter of the uninteresting he-she character named Burgoyne defending another crewman's eccentricities as "hidden genius". Yes, it's Barkley reinvented.
The story finally picks back up when the Excalibur decides to respond to the distress call. Any long time watcher of any Star Trek series knows what a disaster is in the offing when a distress signal is responded to, and this one is no exception. In the meantime, the Thallonian lord and the Excalibur's chief security officer (they dislike each other) are assigned an away mission together on a shuttle. The end of the novel comes abruptly as it appears the Excalibur is about to walk into a trap.
All in all, this is a good novel, but not a great one due to the fact it is easy to see it is really just a part in a longer series. Still, I find myself warming to the characters and becoming increasingly interested in the premise of tension in the sector.