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Star Trek: Crucible #2
Spock: The Fire and the Rose
IN A SINGLE MOMENT...
the lives of three men will be forever changed. In that split second, defined paradoxically by both salvation and loss, they will destroy the world and then restore it. Much had come before, and much would come after, but nothing would color their lives more than that one, isolated instant on the edge of forever.
IN A SINGLE MOMENT
...Spock, displaced in time, watches his closest friend heed his advice by allowing the love of his life to die in a traffic accident, thereby preserving Earth's history. Returning to the present, however, Spock confronts other such crises, and chooses instead to willfully alter the past. Challenged by the thorny demands of his logic, he will have to find a way to face his conflicting decisions.
IN A SINGLE MOMENT
...that stays with Spock, he preserved the timeline at the cost of Jim Kirk's happiness. Now, the death of that friend will cause Spock to reexamine the fundamental choices he has made for his own life. Unwilling to accept his feelings of loss and regret, he will seek that which has previously eluded him: complete mastery of his emotions. But while his quest for the perfect geometry of total logic will move him beyond his remorse, another loss will bring him full circle to once more face the fire he has never embraced.
the lives of three men will be forever changed. In that split second, defined paradoxically by both salvation and loss, they will destroy the world and then restore it. Much had come before, and much would come after, but nothing would color their lives more than that one, isolated instant on the edge of forever.
IN A SINGLE MOMENT
...Spock, displaced in time, watches his closest friend heed his advice by allowing the love of his life to die in a traffic accident, thereby preserving Earth's history. Returning to the present, however, Spock confronts other such crises, and chooses instead to willfully alter the past. Challenged by the thorny demands of his logic, he will have to find a way to face his conflicting decisions.
IN A SINGLE MOMENT
...that stays with Spock, he preserved the timeline at the cost of Jim Kirk's happiness. Now, the death of that friend will cause Spock to reexamine the fundamental choices he has made for his own life. Unwilling to accept his feelings of loss and regret, he will seek that which has previously eluded him: complete mastery of his emotions. But while his quest for the perfect geometry of total logic will move him beyond his remorse, another loss will bring him full circle to once more face the fire he has never embraced.
400 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published November 28, 2006
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411 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
August 1, 2012
I hate you, I hate you, I hate you, David R. George III!!! Why in the world does almost every Star Trek writer ever want to kill off Amanda??! Okay, some of them want to kill off Sarek, too, or instead, but either way--not cool! Not cool, man. Not. Cool.
But that bit of emotional manipulation aside (which backfired, by the way--I didn't cry, I just got mad and therefore less engaged in the story), these are just terrible books anyway. They don't really have a point, and if they're supposed to be character studies, they're bad ones. I don't agree with the characterizations at all, especially of Spock. I really don't think that flip-flopping behavior is typical of him. The Kirk one was kind of confusing but at least stuff happened. This one was boring, and nothing really happened, as Spock undergoes the Kolinahr and then un-undergoes it, pretty much resetting the whole thing. The end was rushed, and sometimes DRG doesn't know what words mean.
Also, he clearly has little understanding of why, when and how to kill characters off, as the demise of Amanda was ham-handed and predictable past a certain point. Throwing in a kid named after her in the last page doesn't make up for it, either. All in all, this book did not deliver on its promise at all. How annoying!
But that bit of emotional manipulation aside (which backfired, by the way--I didn't cry, I just got mad and therefore less engaged in the story), these are just terrible books anyway. They don't really have a point, and if they're supposed to be character studies, they're bad ones. I don't agree with the characterizations at all, especially of Spock. I really don't think that flip-flopping behavior is typical of him. The Kirk one was kind of confusing but at least stuff happened. This one was boring, and nothing really happened, as Spock undergoes the Kolinahr and then un-undergoes it, pretty much resetting the whole thing. The end was rushed, and sometimes DRG doesn't know what words mean.
Also, he clearly has little understanding of why, when and how to kill characters off, as the demise of Amanda was ham-handed and predictable past a certain point. Throwing in a kid named after her in the last page doesn't make up for it, either. All in all, this book did not deliver on its promise at all. How annoying!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 5, 2011
David R. George III continues his Crucible trilogy with another character portrait. This time Spock takes the center stage in “The Fire and the Rose”. The first book of the series “Provenance of Shadows” was immense in scope, mixing multiple story threads and reaching a truly epic structure. This time we get a more streamlined and linear story about Spock after events covered in the prologue of “Star Trek: Generations”. We never saw how the loss of Kirk affected Spock in the series or movies, but now we get the chance.
It would be tempting to say that this is a novel about grief, but as we are dealing with Spock, that definition would be way too simple. What defines this whole story, what in a way defines a lot of what Spock inherently exists through, is loss. Loss is present on every page in many forms, nearly sinking the reader in its totality. This is definitely not a feel-good book, even though George III manages to load his prose with emotion, at times even threatening to go overboard.
The second Crucible novel is also more streamlined where themes apply. We get an engulfing psychological examination of death, loss and letting go as opposed to the broad philosophical and social dimensions “Provenance of Shadows” excelled in. I’d say that we still have two equally accomplished pieces here; what “The Fire and the Rose” lacks in scope, it makes up in subtlety and aesthetics.
It would be tempting to say that this is a novel about grief, but as we are dealing with Spock, that definition would be way too simple. What defines this whole story, what in a way defines a lot of what Spock inherently exists through, is loss. Loss is present on every page in many forms, nearly sinking the reader in its totality. This is definitely not a feel-good book, even though George III manages to load his prose with emotion, at times even threatening to go overboard.
The second Crucible novel is also more streamlined where themes apply. We get an engulfing psychological examination of death, loss and letting go as opposed to the broad philosophical and social dimensions “Provenance of Shadows” excelled in. I’d say that we still have two equally accomplished pieces here; what “The Fire and the Rose” lacks in scope, it makes up in subtlety and aesthetics.
January 6, 2016
SPOILERS
Oh dear. I want to give this five stars. I really do. It was beautifully written in places. The parts about Spock and Jim's adventure through the Guardian were wonderful. But I'm dissatisfied. I'm dissatisfied and sad about the idea of Spock wasting so much of his life in Kolinahr again. As another reviewer said, I hate that Amanda had to be killed *again*. I'm disappointed that she's allowed to die at a time when Spock could not love her. I can't empathise with Spock's deep relationship with Alexandra, because I never feel they knew each other that well. This book is so well written but the plot is filled with so much sadness and disappointment, and it's hard to feel that it's resolved at the end because it's too late for most of the characters we care about, except Spock.
Oh dear. I want to give this five stars. I really do. It was beautifully written in places. The parts about Spock and Jim's adventure through the Guardian were wonderful. But I'm dissatisfied. I'm dissatisfied and sad about the idea of Spock wasting so much of his life in Kolinahr again. As another reviewer said, I hate that Amanda had to be killed *again*. I'm disappointed that she's allowed to die at a time when Spock could not love her. I can't empathise with Spock's deep relationship with Alexandra, because I never feel they knew each other that well. This book is so well written but the plot is filled with so much sadness and disappointment, and it's hard to feel that it's resolved at the end because it's too late for most of the characters we care about, except Spock.
January 16, 2022
Enjoyable book, although I did enjoy the McCoy book in this series more. It was interesting to finally see him accept himself for who he truly was. Relatable as he struggled to accept grief in all its stages and forms, as well as love. Towards the end of the novel, which sums it up perfectly, he says "I, am imperfectly both, but I am whole" (381).
June 26, 2009
I love spock he is mine he only made out with Uhura because he knew it was really me in an Uhura costume
March 10, 2020
I was wondering how George would handle the second part of this trilogy, as it seemed everything had been said in the first book. Boy, was I wrong!
Whereas Provenance of Shadows follows two timelines of McCoy's life (one in Earth 1930s and one in TOS timeline), this one follows Spock primarily during the events of "City on the Edge of Forever", but also in the aftermath of Star Trek VI, leading up to Generations and a bit beyond, while also bouncing around a bit in Trek history. It definitely shows Mr George did his research, especially where the Animated Series is concerned!
So why only a 4-star review? It actually has nothing to do with David R. George's writing, but rather with the content itself. Vulcans are so obnoxious sometimes, and this is Spock at the worst part of his history - deciding to cull himself of all the emotional baggage he has picked up while serving in Starfleet, through a ritual called a Kholanar. This turns him into an even more unfeeling Vulcan than most Vulcans, and the last chunk of the novel is of him coming to terms with who he truly is, forming the bridge between this and his next appearance in TNG.
Whereas Provenance of Shadows follows two timelines of McCoy's life (one in Earth 1930s and one in TOS timeline), this one follows Spock primarily during the events of "City on the Edge of Forever", but also in the aftermath of Star Trek VI, leading up to Generations and a bit beyond, while also bouncing around a bit in Trek history. It definitely shows Mr George did his research, especially where the Animated Series is concerned!
So why only a 4-star review? It actually has nothing to do with David R. George's writing, but rather with the content itself. Vulcans are so obnoxious sometimes, and this is Spock at the worst part of his history - deciding to cull himself of all the emotional baggage he has picked up while serving in Starfleet, through a ritual called a Kholanar. This turns him into an even more unfeeling Vulcan than most Vulcans, and the last chunk of the novel is of him coming to terms with who he truly is, forming the bridge between this and his next appearance in TNG.
September 2, 2023
I'm afraid I find this a slight disappointment compared to the other two Crucible novels, particularly the McCoy book. While it is competently written, I just didn't buy that Spock is still fighting the old battles of his dual human/Vulcan nature -- surely the events of the films put that to rest once and for all. Have him be affected by Jim Kirk's death, of course...but not in a way that feels like a retread of what has gone before. I also didn't buy the romance between Spock and Alexandra -- the work the novels did between Spock and Saavik are much more impactful. In the end, I'm sure there are fans of this book, but I have only detached admiration at best.
December 27, 2024
This 2nd novel in the Crucible series examines the life of Mr. Spock, beginning with the events portrayed in Original Series Episode 'Where No Man Has Gone Before'. As with the first novel, which focused on McCoy, this novel follows Spock through events portrayed in the original series, movies, and even the animated series. Additional events are tied in nicely and help flesh-out the decades of Spock's challenging life. He spends some time working for the Bureau of Interplanetary Affairs and meets fellow ambassador Alexandra Tremontaine. They eventually develop an intimate relationship. After Kirk's death (Star Trek Generations) however, Spock leaves the BIA and Alexandra and returns to Vulcan to once again attempt to achieve Kholinahr and purge himself of all emotion. This novel effectively examines many of the emotionally challenging events in Spock's life and we see Spock head down a path that everyone seems to know is wrong... except for Spock.
This was a much easier read than the first novel and Spock is always an interesting character. Now who would have thought that he would have his own romance story? Fascinating.
This was a much easier read than the first novel and Spock is always an interesting character. Now who would have thought that he would have his own romance story? Fascinating.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 13, 2017
It was okay.
But. Few good moments don't compare to the sheer meh-ness I felt while reading. TOS fans might love it, but it just felt as if author chose the wrong medium to talk about character development.
Also. Reading this in Czech was bit awkward.
But. Few good moments don't compare to the sheer meh-ness I felt while reading. TOS fans might love it, but it just felt as if author chose the wrong medium to talk about character development.
Also. Reading this in Czech was bit awkward.
November 30, 2017
Love anything involving Spock. Very interesting interpretations. Just wish he had spent a bit more time on the Zarabeth story.
May 7, 2020
Úžasné zpestření seriálů i všech filmů, rozhodně povinnost pro fanoušky
February 5, 2024
There is a lot of contradictions in this novel with other novels in the Star Trek Lore. This is not surprising but I am not sure the author looked at those novels or just decided to ignore them.
June 13, 2020
(Copy of review posted on my Facebook page on 7/9/19.) Finished reading Star Trek: Crucible book two,"Spock: The Fire and the Rose", and very much enjoyed it, even more so than the first book in the trilogy ("McCoy: Provenance of Shadows").
Author, David R. George III, does an excellent job at capturing Spock's voice and personality at the various times of his life depicted here, from his earliest voyages on the Enterprise into the years following the apparent death of Captain Kirk aboard the USS Enterprise-B (from "Star Trek Generations").
Spock struggles with the loss of his friend and also with an ever growing loss of control over his own feelings, a struggle he had once managed to keep in balance with his rational and logical Vulcan side but which now threatens to overwhelm him. And, as in the McCoy book, key moments leading up to this point include his and his fellow crewmates' uses while serving aboard the Enterprise of the mysterious Guardian of Forever.
I found the jumping around from one time period to another and back again to be a bit less distracting and disjointed in this book than I did in the McCoy book, although there were times that this book would overlap with scenes from the McCoy book but then not fully develop those scenes again here (which I would think would confuse readers if they read this book first; better to read the McCoy book first, as originally released). As with "Provenance of Shadows", I also give "The Fire and the Rose" four out of five stars.
The Crucible trilogy finishes with "Kirk: The Star to Every Wandering" (which I've read some reviews say is not as good as the first two books but I guess I'll find out if I also feel this way soon as I plan not to wait very long before starting on that one).
It should be noted that the Crucible trilogy was written to intentionally not refer to the events of any of the other Star Trek novels and only those of the original series (which the trilogy was released to coincide with the fortieth anniversary of) and its subsequent films. It actually contradicts some of the other books and should be read as its own continuity, separate from the others.
Author, David R. George III, does an excellent job at capturing Spock's voice and personality at the various times of his life depicted here, from his earliest voyages on the Enterprise into the years following the apparent death of Captain Kirk aboard the USS Enterprise-B (from "Star Trek Generations").
Spock struggles with the loss of his friend and also with an ever growing loss of control over his own feelings, a struggle he had once managed to keep in balance with his rational and logical Vulcan side but which now threatens to overwhelm him. And, as in the McCoy book, key moments leading up to this point include his and his fellow crewmates' uses while serving aboard the Enterprise of the mysterious Guardian of Forever.
I found the jumping around from one time period to another and back again to be a bit less distracting and disjointed in this book than I did in the McCoy book, although there were times that this book would overlap with scenes from the McCoy book but then not fully develop those scenes again here (which I would think would confuse readers if they read this book first; better to read the McCoy book first, as originally released). As with "Provenance of Shadows", I also give "The Fire and the Rose" four out of five stars.
The Crucible trilogy finishes with "Kirk: The Star to Every Wandering" (which I've read some reviews say is not as good as the first two books but I guess I'll find out if I also feel this way soon as I plan not to wait very long before starting on that one).
It should be noted that the Crucible trilogy was written to intentionally not refer to the events of any of the other Star Trek novels and only those of the original series (which the trilogy was released to coincide with the fortieth anniversary of) and its subsequent films. It actually contradicts some of the other books and should be read as its own continuity, separate from the others.
October 26, 2007
This is the second volume of the Crucible trilogy, a tale celebrating the 40th Anniversary of Star Trek. I picked up the first volume, Provenance of Shadows, for the flight home from Hong Kong and enjoyed that enough to check out the rest. This book isn't quite as enjoyable. The main storyline follows Spock as he tries again to achieve Kolinahr and remove all of his emotions. Interwoven throughout the story are flashbacks from Spock's career, most notably events experienced in the episode "City on the Edge of Forever". I think the main premise is flawed. The events of Star Trek: The Motion Picture had pretty much put Spock's desire to achieve Kolinahr at rest and to have him want to try again after so many years, even under the circumstances laid out in the story, is--dare I say it?--illogical. But so it goes. Mr. George does love Star Trek and has written a number of fine moments into the book. So I can't complain too much.
August 31, 2014
While not nearly as good as McCoy: The Provenance Of Shadows, this was still a very satisfying read.
November 26, 2014
Another excellent chapter in David R. George's anniversary Star Trek tale, this of course centered on the Enterprise's legendary First Officer. Once again, the events of "City on the Edge of Forever" are a nexus for Spock, Kirk, and McCoy.
This tale incorporates the original series, the movies, a couple of the novels, and even the animated series into the background. While it wasn't nearly as intricate as the previous chapter (Crucible: McCoy), it gave fans of Trek, and Spock, some valuable background history on what happened to the character during the "downtime" between series and movies, and a lot of pertinent insight into one of the more inscrutable characters of the franchise.
Very well-written and definitely a recommended read!
This tale incorporates the original series, the movies, a couple of the novels, and even the animated series into the background. While it wasn't nearly as intricate as the previous chapter (Crucible: McCoy), it gave fans of Trek, and Spock, some valuable background history on what happened to the character during the "downtime" between series and movies, and a lot of pertinent insight into one of the more inscrutable characters of the franchise.
Very well-written and definitely a recommended read!
August 19, 2014
I enjoyed this book, but not as much as the first of the series. I did enjoy how it tied into the first book, but overtly, as well as to the episode that started it all, as well as to other episodes of the original series, the animated series and the movies. I'm not certain if I agree with the direction that the author took this series, due to the parallels between one of McCoy's storylines and the overarching story in this book, but I shall have to see what the author does with Kirk.
August 16, 2012
I looked forward to this book because I enjoyed George's other two books of the trilogy. This on started strong, but in the last third it dragged, too long given the narrative and was predictable. I strongly recommend the other two books of the trilogy, but I would suggest another use of your time is the logical option when considering this one.
May 3, 2014
Zajímavý i když lehce schizofrenní příběh s mnoha flashbacky.
January 24, 2016
Enjoyable read. More inventive and thoughtful than most. Loved the sequences that gave so much life to Amanda and Sarek.
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November 18, 2009I learned that SPOCK HAS A DAUGHTER NAMED T'AMAMDA.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews