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Star Trek: Vanguard #7
Das jüngste Gericht
Operation Vanguard hat zahllose Leben riskiert und ganze Welten geopfert, um die Geheimnisse der Shedai zu entschlüsseln, einer verschwundenen fremdartigen Zivilisation, deren Technologie die Zukunft der Galaxis formen kann. Nun haben die Bemühungen der Sternenflotte die rachsüchtigen Shedai aus ihrem äonenlangen Schlaf geweckt.
Während die Taurus-Region in Gewalt versinkt, bemühen sich Botschafter Jetanien und seine Kollegen aus dem Klingonischen Reich und dem Romulanischen Imperium auf dem „Planeten des Intergalaktischen Friedens“ darum, einen Krieg um jeden Preis zu vermeiden. Doch Jetanien entdeckt, dass ihre Mission vielleicht schon von Anfang an zum Scheitern verurteilt war …
Währenddessen lebt die einzige Person, die der Sternenflotte bei der Suche nach einer uralten Waffe helfen kann, um die Shedai aufzuhalten, auf einem orionischen Schiff im Exil: Vanguards ehemaliger Kommandant Diego Reyes.
Während die Taurus-Region in Gewalt versinkt, bemühen sich Botschafter Jetanien und seine Kollegen aus dem Klingonischen Reich und dem Romulanischen Imperium auf dem „Planeten des Intergalaktischen Friedens“ darum, einen Krieg um jeden Preis zu vermeiden. Doch Jetanien entdeckt, dass ihre Mission vielleicht schon von Anfang an zum Scheitern verurteilt war …
Währenddessen lebt die einzige Person, die der Sternenflotte bei der Suche nach einer uralten Waffe helfen kann, um die Shedai aufzuhalten, auf einem orionischen Schiff im Exil: Vanguards ehemaliger Kommandant Diego Reyes.
360 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 2011
About the author
Dayton Ward
103 books272 followersDayton is a software developer, having become a slave to Corporate America after spending eleven years in the U.S. Marine Corps. When asked, he’ll tell you that he left home and joined the military soon after high school because he’d grown tired of people telling him what to do all the time.
Ask him sometime how well that worked out.
In addition to the numerous credits he shares with friend and co-writer Kevin Dilmore, he is the author of the Star Trek novels In the Name of Honor and Open Secrets, the science fiction novels The Last World War and The Genesis Protocol, and short stories which have appeared in the first three Star Trek: Strange New Worlds anthologies, the Yard Dog Press anthology Houston, We’ve Got Bubbas, Kansas City Voices Magazine and the Star Trek: New Frontier anthology No Limits. Though he currently lives in Kansas City with wife Michi and daughters Addison and Erin, Dayton is a Florida native and still maintains a torrid long-distance romance with his beloved Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Ask him sometime how well that worked out.
In addition to the numerous credits he shares with friend and co-writer Kevin Dilmore, he is the author of the Star Trek novels In the Name of Honor and Open Secrets, the science fiction novels The Last World War and The Genesis Protocol, and short stories which have appeared in the first three Star Trek: Strange New Worlds anthologies, the Yard Dog Press anthology Houston, We’ve Got Bubbas, Kansas City Voices Magazine and the Star Trek: New Frontier anthology No Limits. Though he currently lives in Kansas City with wife Michi and daughters Addison and Erin, Dayton is a Florida native and still maintains a torrid long-distance romance with his beloved Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
December 11, 2011
What Judgments Come is the penultimate chapter in the ST: Vanguard series. There’s nothing terribly wrong with this installment but I can’t help feeling that much of it is filler. The only plotline resolved is the fate of Diego Reyes, the disgraced commander of Vanguard who was court martialed, kidnapped by Klingons, and eventually wound up a prisoner aboard the Orion ship Omari-Ekon. The effort to understand the Shedai continues with Ming Xiong’s and Dr. Marcus’ attempt to contact the Shedai Wanderer, who’s trapped in the Mirdonyae Artifact (a relic of the Tkon Empire, see TNG episode “The Last Outpost”). There’s a set up for why the U.S.S. Defiant was in Tholian space and needed rescuing by Enterprise in the TOS episode “The Tholian Web.” And there’s an – IMO – unnecessary digression into why the Nimbus III colony (from ST:V The Final Frontier) was set up and why things went so terribly wrong there (this latter plotline may find a reason for its existence in the final book – Storming Heaven – and if any author can pull it off it’s David Mack but for now it seems a pointless digression).
The series suffers from a syndrome I’ve seen in the Star Wars novels I’ve read – the need to cram every major character or reference from previous stories into the present novel. Thus, not only is Vanguard threatened by the Shedai, Klingons and Tholians (a reasonably threatening and manageable number of villains and logically necessary) but we also have to bring in Romulans and the Gorn.
The Gorn!?
And the Romulans?
The story takes place in the same year or soon after Enterprise’s recontact with the empire in the TOS episode “The Balance of Terror” yet we already have a Romulan ambassador and a long-term relationship between the Fed ambassador on Vanguard and a Romulan Senator. I can’t buy the timeline.
In a previous book, a Klingon assault against Vanguard is conveniently stopped because it happens to take place when Trefayne imposes the Organian Treaty (see TOS “Errand of Mercy”); Heihachiro Nogura, Chief of Starfleet in ST:I The Motion Picture, is the new CO of Vanguard; there’s a digression where the infamous Admiral Komack from TOS clashes with Nogura; and the meta-genome that prompted Starfleet’s interest in the region is a lead in to Carol Marcus’ research into the Genesis Project (and did I mention that Clark Terrell, also from ST:II The Wrath of Khan, shows up as XO of one of Vanguard’s starships?).
Another problem that the series has become increasingly prone to is the phenomenal talent and moral probity of everyone in Starfleet. No one’s even just “average,” nor – outside of Reyes – does anyone have serious problems or doubts about the Federation’s presence in the Taurus Reach. But it goes beyond that. Everyone gets along with everyone else, and every crew works together like a well oiled machine. And a lot of characters are prone to kamikaze gestures – ramming Tholian starships or blowing themselves up to keep Shedai technology out of Klingon hands, etc. It’s tolerable in Mack’s efforts because he’s the most talented writer in the stable but here it rapidly becomes annoying and distracting and unbelievable.
One final discordant note to mention: The novel begins with a framing device where Tim Pennington, the civilian Federation News Service reporter, tracks down Reyes on his planet of exile several years after the events around Vanguard to get his story. This is fine, except that this should mean that what comes between prolog and epilog is told from Reyes’ point of view. But it’s not. We jump from Reyes to other characters just as we have been doing in every previous novel. At the least, if we learn of other characters’ fates, it should be through the prism of Reyes’ experience. This is just a Star Trek novel perhaps but the device smacks of laziness; the authors didn’t think through the consequences of their storytelling method.
I think I may protest too much. I have enjoyed the series and, while this installment seems a bit unnecessary, it is by no means an unendurable read. Considering my experience with Mack’s work, I’m eagerly looking forward to finishing the series when the final book comes out. If I were to judge this book as a standalone, I’d give it two stars, albeit a strong two stars. As a part of the series overall, I’ll be generous and give it three because of the Reyes arc, which I think could and should be much stronger. Reyes has the potential to be a character as interesting as Kirk, Spock or Picard, and I’d like to see some author – ideally Mack – take on more stories concerning him.
The series suffers from a syndrome I’ve seen in the Star Wars novels I’ve read – the need to cram every major character or reference from previous stories into the present novel. Thus, not only is Vanguard threatened by the Shedai, Klingons and Tholians (a reasonably threatening and manageable number of villains and logically necessary) but we also have to bring in Romulans and the Gorn.
The Gorn!?
And the Romulans?
The story takes place in the same year or soon after Enterprise’s recontact with the empire in the TOS episode “The Balance of Terror” yet we already have a Romulan ambassador and a long-term relationship between the Fed ambassador on Vanguard and a Romulan Senator. I can’t buy the timeline.
In a previous book, a Klingon assault against Vanguard is conveniently stopped because it happens to take place when Trefayne imposes the Organian Treaty (see TOS “Errand of Mercy”); Heihachiro Nogura, Chief of Starfleet in ST:I The Motion Picture, is the new CO of Vanguard; there’s a digression where the infamous Admiral Komack from TOS clashes with Nogura; and the meta-genome that prompted Starfleet’s interest in the region is a lead in to Carol Marcus’ research into the Genesis Project (and did I mention that Clark Terrell, also from ST:II The Wrath of Khan, shows up as XO of one of Vanguard’s starships?).
Another problem that the series has become increasingly prone to is the phenomenal talent and moral probity of everyone in Starfleet. No one’s even just “average,” nor – outside of Reyes – does anyone have serious problems or doubts about the Federation’s presence in the Taurus Reach. But it goes beyond that. Everyone gets along with everyone else, and every crew works together like a well oiled machine. And a lot of characters are prone to kamikaze gestures – ramming Tholian starships or blowing themselves up to keep Shedai technology out of Klingon hands, etc. It’s tolerable in Mack’s efforts because he’s the most talented writer in the stable but here it rapidly becomes annoying and distracting and unbelievable.
One final discordant note to mention: The novel begins with a framing device where Tim Pennington, the civilian Federation News Service reporter, tracks down Reyes on his planet of exile several years after the events around Vanguard to get his story. This is fine, except that this should mean that what comes between prolog and epilog is told from Reyes’ point of view. But it’s not. We jump from Reyes to other characters just as we have been doing in every previous novel. At the least, if we learn of other characters’ fates, it should be through the prism of Reyes’ experience. This is just a Star Trek novel perhaps but the device smacks of laziness; the authors didn’t think through the consequences of their storytelling method.
I think I may protest too much. I have enjoyed the series and, while this installment seems a bit unnecessary, it is by no means an unendurable read. Considering my experience with Mack’s work, I’m eagerly looking forward to finishing the series when the final book comes out. If I were to judge this book as a standalone, I’d give it two stars, albeit a strong two stars. As a part of the series overall, I’ll be generous and give it three because of the Reyes arc, which I think could and should be much stronger. Reyes has the potential to be a character as interesting as Kirk, Spock or Picard, and I’d like to see some author – ideally Mack – take on more stories concerning him.
October 27, 2019
WHAT JUDGMENTS COME is a pretty entertaining installment of the STAR TREK: VANGUARD series that follows up the situation of Commodore Reyes. When last we left him, he'd been disgraced and forced to seek refuge on an Orion pleasure cruise ship. Now asked to spy on his "hosts", he is in a situation where every action could get him killed. It's an exciting spy adventure and while not a great movement in the major plotlines, is something that had me ready to buy the next one immediately. Sadly, this feels like it is the last we're likely to see of Reyes and I find that to be sad.
9/10
9/10
November 12, 2011
So it's nearing the end with Vanguard. and they're slowly pulling at all the loose strands of their narrative to cut the unanswered ends short and not leave all too much without conclusion. While that's a nice gesture towards the readers of this now seven book series (one an anthology) i don't really feel like they're doing themselves a favor from a pure narrative pov...
At the Beginning Vanguard felt like a welcome return to the days of the STAR TREK that today mostly is thought of as the original series or TOS... it was all there, the nostalgia inducing technology, the square-jawed crewmembers (just like the Kirks and McCoys and Scottys of old times) and the long lost out of sight conflicts with Klingons and Romulans and Tholians... It was very promissing for all people which grew up with TOS and have missed it's playful simplicity for a long time while watching the follow up series set in more modern times.
But... and it is a really enormous but... the longer the series went, the less important did it become where and when it took place, as the Shedai with their ridiculous superior powers claimed more and more of the center stage for them and the "every day" type guys lost either their footing or were absorbed into the adventures becoming kind of 23rd century James Bond clones like Quinn or Pennington has to experience more than once. This novel now had Diego Reyes in the Bond role, complete with his own "Royale" Casino and Bar to hang around in for much of the story and some action to shake the complacent feeling of idleness up every some days a bit... But well, if you look closely all it amounts to is that he is sitting around a lot and does not like his "host" who does not like his Hostee too much and when the time is right they finally start to get him out of there but with so miserable planning, that most Online Players would have done better in this situation. Other than that it's mostly the story of a single experimnt conducted aboard the Dedalus Class CoE vessel Lowell, which also goes pear shaped in a very predictable way and there's a side story of ambassador Jetainens new pet project, a planet called nimbus III or "planet of galactic peace"...you might by now have a clear idea off how that might work out both in short and long terms?
I guess what i want to say is that the series has lost its focus and with that it's irresistable drive forward a long time ago and when they now start to sweep up the shards and splinters left over from the previous books it gets startingly apparent. Near-omnipotent adversaries tend to do this to a book series. so now when there's only a single book left till the series is over and they've already been foreshadowing most heavily what this might bring with it... itÄs just to hope that they won't go the easy way of killing off all the sympathetic people they'd put aboard this experiment, just to prove they're able to kill off everyone... and that, if the Vanguard Experiment is deemed successful they will tone the next try at installing a TOS contemporary series in the book schedule a little bit down to not empower any of the parties involved too much too soon and to keep with their strengths like likeable characters perfectly fittin the time they're set to act in... I know it's always tempting to present a reader with something special, with something never read or written before and a race like the shedai might seem perfect for such a purpose, but in the long run it stays a cheap narrative gimmick and using such gimmicks will hurt a novel like using doping to enhance your physical prowess will hurt an athlete!
At the Beginning Vanguard felt like a welcome return to the days of the STAR TREK that today mostly is thought of as the original series or TOS... it was all there, the nostalgia inducing technology, the square-jawed crewmembers (just like the Kirks and McCoys and Scottys of old times) and the long lost out of sight conflicts with Klingons and Romulans and Tholians... It was very promissing for all people which grew up with TOS and have missed it's playful simplicity for a long time while watching the follow up series set in more modern times.
But... and it is a really enormous but... the longer the series went, the less important did it become where and when it took place, as the Shedai with their ridiculous superior powers claimed more and more of the center stage for them and the "every day" type guys lost either their footing or were absorbed into the adventures becoming kind of 23rd century James Bond clones like Quinn or Pennington has to experience more than once. This novel now had Diego Reyes in the Bond role, complete with his own "Royale" Casino and Bar to hang around in for much of the story and some action to shake the complacent feeling of idleness up every some days a bit... But well, if you look closely all it amounts to is that he is sitting around a lot and does not like his "host" who does not like his Hostee too much and when the time is right they finally start to get him out of there but with so miserable planning, that most Online Players would have done better in this situation. Other than that it's mostly the story of a single experimnt conducted aboard the Dedalus Class CoE vessel Lowell, which also goes pear shaped in a very predictable way and there's a side story of ambassador Jetainens new pet project, a planet called nimbus III or "planet of galactic peace"...you might by now have a clear idea off how that might work out both in short and long terms?
I guess what i want to say is that the series has lost its focus and with that it's irresistable drive forward a long time ago and when they now start to sweep up the shards and splinters left over from the previous books it gets startingly apparent. Near-omnipotent adversaries tend to do this to a book series. so now when there's only a single book left till the series is over and they've already been foreshadowing most heavily what this might bring with it... itÄs just to hope that they won't go the easy way of killing off all the sympathetic people they'd put aboard this experiment, just to prove they're able to kill off everyone... and that, if the Vanguard Experiment is deemed successful they will tone the next try at installing a TOS contemporary series in the book schedule a little bit down to not empower any of the parties involved too much too soon and to keep with their strengths like likeable characters perfectly fittin the time they're set to act in... I know it's always tempting to present a reader with something special, with something never read or written before and a race like the shedai might seem perfect for such a purpose, but in the long run it stays a cheap narrative gimmick and using such gimmicks will hurt a novel like using doping to enhance your physical prowess will hurt an athlete!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 19, 2015
As bland as this book was, I didn't hate it. There's a mess of subplots that feel totally disconnected from the happenings with the Shedai and Starbase 47, but they're short and easily skippable. It definitely feels like the book before the last book in a series. Everything is put in place for a big climactic conclusion. It's looking more and more like reading this series wasn't the best investment, but maybe it can at least have the decency to end well.
Whatever, they're Star Trek books. I shouldn't have gotten my hopes up for great stuff.
Whatever, they're Star Trek books. I shouldn't have gotten my hopes up for great stuff.
September 5, 2014
As the penultimate book in the Vanguard-series, it falls to What Judgments Come to bring some plotthreads to an end while driving others towards their climax.
* Reyes
After his final mission to recover navigational details in Ganz's computer for Starfleet Intelligence, his part of the story is over. After the upheaval in his life I understand his need for quiet - as underlined by his anxiety and paranoia during his stay on the Orion ship. He's lucky to have escaped alive if not entirely unscathed. So his not being too upset at being sent into exile (as opposed to prison) makes sense, even if it means only a select few know his whereabouts, adding to his isolation that's keenly felt throughout this book.
But since he's in exile on Caldos II until he dies, the planet breaks up... or Starfleet reactivates him, I'm hopeful we'll see him again in a guest appearance in one of the future novels dealing with the aftermath of Operation Vanguard. At least, he deserves some kind of happy ending...
* T'Prynn, Quinn, Pennington
After losing Bridy Mac, Quinn is in a downward spiral, rejecting help and sympathy from everyone - Tim, sympathetic waitresses, even T'Prynn who's trying to recruit him for another mission, if more for getting him back up on his feet than for the mission's success. Right now he's worse off than at the beginning of Harbinger. As said before, I don't really like him but I empathize and really hope he's able to pick himself up before it's too late.
What I really like, especially after the short story in Declassified is the bond between T'Prynn and Pennington, and also his relationship with Reyes that's grown from the events in "Reap the Whirlwind". Pennington has come a long way from the news reporter that he was in Harbinger, he's more mature, more conscious of the ramifications his reports can have... more part of the story than just reporter. I guess that happens if you get too close to the story and its protagonists. He has learned that the people in charge are living beings with virtues and flaws, each influencing the ongoing story, that sometimes those people are more important than the story. And he has learned to curb his curiosity: not everything is worth reporting, even though he needs to know context to make sense of what's happened for himself. Hence him showing up at Reyes' doorstep...
It's funny because I usually don't cast book characters, but I read that David Mack, when conceiving Vanguard, pictured Ewan McGregor as Pennington. And actually, starting with Declassified, but even more so with What Judgments Come, especially the framing scenes with Reyes, I can see McGregor as Pennington... the "Ghostwriter"!McGregor fits perfectly.
Incidentally, speaking of casting the characters, I think Mack's choice for Dr. Fisher (Morgan Freeman) works perfectly, as does Parminder Nagra as Desai. I'm not so sure about Tommy Lee Jones as Reyes, though - but from what I gathered Mack and Palmieri only settled on Jones because they didn't want to be influenced by Edward James Olmos' portrayal of Adama in Battlestar Galactica in their characterization of Reyes. So it makes sense for me to hear Olmos' voice (even if I imagine Reyes' appearance a bit different), especially when Reyes is on the witness stand in Open Secrets... But I digress.
T'Prynn has also gone a long way redeeming herself for her actions back in Harbinger. Maybe she's now even more stoic and aloof, after the removal of Sten's katra, but it's the hesitations, the little gestures, the attempts at relating to people that show her true colors. She's trying to make amends, but she's also made peace with her actions and what has happened to her. I loved her dialogues with Reyes guiding him through his spying mission, featuring two people whose world has been turned upside down by their own actions and outside influence. And while of course the information gathered was the driving force I for once had the impression that it was at least equally important to her to get Reyes out alive... something that wouldn't have mattered to her earlier on. I also especially enjoyed her relieving Tim's phantom pain in sickbay. Well, just like Pennington she's really grown on me without losing her edge as an Intelligence officer.
* Jetanien and the planet of Galactic Peace
While it was interesting to read about Jetanien, D'Tran, and Lugok's efforts to create a place where the Federation, the Romulans and the Klingons live together, it didn't really connect with the rest of the book. Of course, it sets up Star Trek V, a treaty between Romulans and Klingons etc, and especially the secrecy surrounding the meeting place, but I don't quite see yet how it ties in with what happens in the Taurus Reach. On the other hand, I could easily see some outside influence between the unrest that ultimately destroys Jetanien's efforts (at least for the moment).
* Starfleet
While I appreciate that more people start to question Starfleet's policy of secrecy surrounding the meta-genome and Operation Vanguard (something which prompted Desai's leaving back in Declassified), it's come to a point where forces within Starfleet fight/plot against one another - as best showcased by the first attempt at Reyes' extraction.
Also, I was bothered by the need to experiment on the Wanderer - not so much that an attempt at communication is made, but rather that it's another ill-conceived attempt that is hurriedly executed without prior acknowledgement of possible consequences... just because it's possible and the need of results (be it to satisfy personal curiosity or the brass' pressure). I mean, why not wait till the mission to the Tkon-sector which could provide more of the artifacts? Why risk the escape of a pissed-off Wanderer? The whole sequence was exciting and well written - but I kept shaking my head at the stupidity of Ming and those C.o.E.-officers of the Lovell, thinking they could anticipate every possible outcome and/or outthink a being that's been around for quite a bit longer than they are. They didn't even think about how the Shedai could perceive their attempts at communication - they just bombarded the artifact with messages, turned up the volume and rotated frequencies (when everyone knows that the right frequency can lead to a crystal bursting...), all the while patting each other's shoulders for their ingenuity. Well, the crew of the Lovell - and who knows how many more in the future (Mack's writing the final part after all and he certainly doesn't shy away from catastrophes of a bigger scale) - had to pay the price.
And then there's the setup for the Defiant's disappearance which leads to "The Tholian Web" when they follow up a trail of curiously destroyed Klingon ships and a Klingon colony where everyone's dead, leaving the infrastructure intact, surrounded by Tholian artifacts (not so incidentally on the same planet that saw the first confrontation with the Klingons in the Taurus Reach back in Declassified).
Ultimately, while the characterization is as top-notch as I would expect, I wasn't too happy with Jetanien's part, Starfleet's covert operations and the shortsightedness in experimenting with the Wanderer. But make not mistake: What Judgments Come is still a very good read despite the mentionned downsides. Kudos to the writers and the concept of the whole series... which comes to an end in the next book.
* Reyes
After his final mission to recover navigational details in Ganz's computer for Starfleet Intelligence, his part of the story is over. After the upheaval in his life I understand his need for quiet - as underlined by his anxiety and paranoia during his stay on the Orion ship. He's lucky to have escaped alive if not entirely unscathed. So his not being too upset at being sent into exile (as opposed to prison) makes sense, even if it means only a select few know his whereabouts, adding to his isolation that's keenly felt throughout this book.
But since he's in exile on Caldos II until he dies, the planet breaks up... or Starfleet reactivates him, I'm hopeful we'll see him again in a guest appearance in one of the future novels dealing with the aftermath of Operation Vanguard. At least, he deserves some kind of happy ending...
* T'Prynn, Quinn, Pennington
After losing Bridy Mac, Quinn is in a downward spiral, rejecting help and sympathy from everyone - Tim, sympathetic waitresses, even T'Prynn who's trying to recruit him for another mission, if more for getting him back up on his feet than for the mission's success. Right now he's worse off than at the beginning of Harbinger. As said before, I don't really like him but I empathize and really hope he's able to pick himself up before it's too late.
What I really like, especially after the short story in Declassified is the bond between T'Prynn and Pennington, and also his relationship with Reyes that's grown from the events in "Reap the Whirlwind". Pennington has come a long way from the news reporter that he was in Harbinger, he's more mature, more conscious of the ramifications his reports can have... more part of the story than just reporter. I guess that happens if you get too close to the story and its protagonists. He has learned that the people in charge are living beings with virtues and flaws, each influencing the ongoing story, that sometimes those people are more important than the story. And he has learned to curb his curiosity: not everything is worth reporting, even though he needs to know context to make sense of what's happened for himself. Hence him showing up at Reyes' doorstep...
It's funny because I usually don't cast book characters, but I read that David Mack, when conceiving Vanguard, pictured Ewan McGregor as Pennington. And actually, starting with Declassified, but even more so with What Judgments Come, especially the framing scenes with Reyes, I can see McGregor as Pennington... the "Ghostwriter"!McGregor fits perfectly.
Incidentally, speaking of casting the characters, I think Mack's choice for Dr. Fisher (Morgan Freeman) works perfectly, as does Parminder Nagra as Desai. I'm not so sure about Tommy Lee Jones as Reyes, though - but from what I gathered Mack and Palmieri only settled on Jones because they didn't want to be influenced by Edward James Olmos' portrayal of Adama in Battlestar Galactica in their characterization of Reyes. So it makes sense for me to hear Olmos' voice (even if I imagine Reyes' appearance a bit different), especially when Reyes is on the witness stand in Open Secrets... But I digress.
T'Prynn has also gone a long way redeeming herself for her actions back in Harbinger. Maybe she's now even more stoic and aloof, after the removal of Sten's katra, but it's the hesitations, the little gestures, the attempts at relating to people that show her true colors. She's trying to make amends, but she's also made peace with her actions and what has happened to her. I loved her dialogues with Reyes guiding him through his spying mission, featuring two people whose world has been turned upside down by their own actions and outside influence. And while of course the information gathered was the driving force I for once had the impression that it was at least equally important to her to get Reyes out alive... something that wouldn't have mattered to her earlier on. I also especially enjoyed her relieving Tim's phantom pain in sickbay. Well, just like Pennington she's really grown on me without losing her edge as an Intelligence officer.
* Jetanien and the planet of Galactic Peace
While it was interesting to read about Jetanien, D'Tran, and Lugok's efforts to create a place where the Federation, the Romulans and the Klingons live together, it didn't really connect with the rest of the book. Of course, it sets up Star Trek V, a treaty between Romulans and Klingons etc, and especially the secrecy surrounding the meeting place, but I don't quite see yet how it ties in with what happens in the Taurus Reach. On the other hand, I could easily see some outside influence between the unrest that ultimately destroys Jetanien's efforts (at least for the moment).
* Starfleet
While I appreciate that more people start to question Starfleet's policy of secrecy surrounding the meta-genome and Operation Vanguard (something which prompted Desai's leaving back in Declassified), it's come to a point where forces within Starfleet fight/plot against one another - as best showcased by the first attempt at Reyes' extraction.
Also, I was bothered by the need to experiment on the Wanderer - not so much that an attempt at communication is made, but rather that it's another ill-conceived attempt that is hurriedly executed without prior acknowledgement of possible consequences... just because it's possible and the need of results (be it to satisfy personal curiosity or the brass' pressure). I mean, why not wait till the mission to the Tkon-sector which could provide more of the artifacts? Why risk the escape of a pissed-off Wanderer? The whole sequence was exciting and well written - but I kept shaking my head at the stupidity of Ming and those C.o.E.-officers of the Lovell, thinking they could anticipate every possible outcome and/or outthink a being that's been around for quite a bit longer than they are. They didn't even think about how the Shedai could perceive their attempts at communication - they just bombarded the artifact with messages, turned up the volume and rotated frequencies (when everyone knows that the right frequency can lead to a crystal bursting...), all the while patting each other's shoulders for their ingenuity. Well, the crew of the Lovell - and who knows how many more in the future (Mack's writing the final part after all and he certainly doesn't shy away from catastrophes of a bigger scale) - had to pay the price.
And then there's the setup for the Defiant's disappearance which leads to "The Tholian Web" when they follow up a trail of curiously destroyed Klingon ships and a Klingon colony where everyone's dead, leaving the infrastructure intact, surrounded by Tholian artifacts (not so incidentally on the same planet that saw the first confrontation with the Klingons in the Taurus Reach back in Declassified).
Ultimately, while the characterization is as top-notch as I would expect, I wasn't too happy with Jetanien's part, Starfleet's covert operations and the shortsightedness in experimenting with the Wanderer. But make not mistake: What Judgments Come is still a very good read despite the mentionned downsides. Kudos to the writers and the concept of the whole series... which comes to an end in the next book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 24, 2020
Nowhere near as readable as the David Mack books, far too wordy. A third of the pages could have been saved just by not telling us how funny a character finds a non-joke, "he chuckled to himself, finding the comment humorous despite the grave nature of the situation in which everyone found themselves"*
Looking forward to the Mack finale, as I have overall enjoyed the series, and the way it has tied various threads of TOS together, both show and movies.
*Not a real quote, but it damn well could be.
Looking forward to the Mack finale, as I have overall enjoyed the series, and the way it has tied various threads of TOS together, both show and movies.
*Not a real quote, but it damn well could be.
July 6, 2022
The inevitable heel dragging before the final volume. There's not really a lot to chew on here but i did manage to get some enjoyment from the close of Reyes story, more from an emotional perspective than because it was dramatic or thrilling. He goes our rehabilitated in Starfleet's eyes, which was a nice end for him. Elsewhere we're really wheel spinning and the Shedai look like becoming a threat again. We're setup for a conclusion which will hopefully deliver some thrills and spills. (Generally David Mack has been delivering the plot focussed novels a bit better)
August 11, 2017
It's hard to blame a Starfleet scientist for trying to investigate, communicate, and sooth consciences about incarceration/maybe torture... but, darn it! Ming Xiong's capture of the Shedai Wanderer in Precipice was dope! Now, a very short while later, he starts poking the genie in the lamp to see if it's o.k... which lets it out to rampage again! Easy come, easy go. Like the planet of galactic peace.
October 1, 2021
This is the 7th book of the series. In that place, the series now (at least in this tome) is just a set of combat vignettes that no longer dances in the politics that drive and underpin the series story of the Taurus Reach. Starting to get tedious. If this continues in the next book, I'll continue to slog through it and the conclusion in book 9, but only because I have a lot of reading time invested in the story line.
July 6, 2016
What Judgments Come is faced with the unenviable task of moving the large number of Vanguard chess pieces in place for what is clearly going to be a finale of epic proportions. Yet despite a rather arduous start (the introduction of the Defiant crew really ground the novel to a halt for me), Ward & Dilmore's penultimate Vanguard opus finds its feet and successfully carries a number of ongoing plotlines to rather interesting conclusions.
Judgments weaves in and out of four primary storylines: Reyes' captivity aboard the Orion ship Omari-Ekon, the slow disintegration of Jetanien's diplomatic experiment on Nimbus III, Tholian aggression on Traelus II and the subsequent loss of the Defiant, and finally the ongoing Shedai storyline and attempts at communication onboard the Lovell.
I've railed against the fate of the Reyes character in the past, perhaps more through my own frustration at the injustice he faced. The former Commodore was well and truly painted into a difficult corner after taking up residence on Ganz's orion cruiser Omari-Ekon. Rather than dwelling too much on the lesser of two evils, Ward & Dilmore decide Reyes is far more useful under the yoke of T'Prynn in a sleuth-come-spy capacity. Other reviewers have characterised Ganz as coming off as rather naiive and cartoonlike here, and I'd tend to agree. The Orion crime-lord had always maintained a menacingly intelligent presence in the saga, but too much time is spent here glaring from his balcony at Reyes and stewing over his inability to kill him. Nevertheless, the action scenes which see Reyes broken out of his self-inflicted prison are thrilling to read. Still, the "conclusion" of the Orion story (unless it's picked up in the final book) left me rather disappointed.... I felt as though there were more satisfying directions it could have taken.
Ambassador Jetanien has felt sidelined ever since his departure from Vanguard station. That's not to say he hasn't been given a meaty story: the Nimbus III arc has been fun to read from a historical perspective, however it feels completely disconnected from events occurring elsewhere in the Taurus Reach. The Planet of Galactic Peace's descent into chaos still feels rather arbitrary; Klingon undesirables have apparently seeded so much tension and unrest that the remaining Federation and Romulan residents just want to high-tail it out of there. So instead of following the examples of the three Ambassadors, they descend into a blood-thirsty mob, wantonly destroying the city and killing anyone in their way. It all seems rather exaggerated, perhaps I missed a more convincing catalyst to the planet's downfall? The ending of this arc also seems a bit contrived: Jetanien, Lugok and co escape with their lives, but they're not phased and are going to keep trying to spread peace and understanding. However we already know the state we find Nimbus III in thanks to Star Trek V, so their attempts (at least on this planet) are clearly unsuccessful. It remains to be seen what role (if any) Jetanien will play in the final installment.
When Thomas Blair's U.S.S. Defiant storyline kicked in so early in the book, I have to confess I groaned. Vanguard is already straining under the number of different characters and plotlines underway, so the appearance of a whole new starship crew felt perfunctory at best. We all know that things don't end well for the Defiant (such is the state of play when you try to dovetail with an episode like "The Tholian Web"), so I really didn't have much interest in getting invested in the characters when they weren't going to be heard from again after a few chapters. Still, the Tholian skulduggery in the Traelus system was an interesting (and horrific) read - just what is their endgame? Or is this just more behind-the-scenes xenophobia taking a more sinister turn?
Finally: The Shedai. So Nogura and the crew of the Lovell are clearly not heeding the well-worn axiom "Don't Poke the Bear" and are deciding to do just that. Conducting experiments at a "safe distance" from Vanguard (yeah, we know this is going to end badly already...), Xiong, Marcus, al-Khaled and the Lovell crew have set out on an experiment to make contact with the Shedai. There's a lot of idealistic conversation going on about how the Shedai just MUST be capable of reasonable discourse because they're so technologically superior. It's hard not to see this as naiive, verging on unbelievable, especially given the events which have transpired in previous Vanguard installments. Thankfully, when the inevitable catastrophe starts to unfold, the writing is every bit as gripping as I hoped it would be. The stunning cover art from this book is made all the more horrifying thanks to Ward & Dilmore's brutally descriptive prose accompanying the end of the Lovell. Side note - The starship-separation scene was GENIUS, and highly effective at communicating the runaway momentum of events.
In conclusion: Not as cleverly integrated as previous Vanguard books, but still a thrilling read, holding the promise of a rather epic conclusion to this stand-out series of novels. The early introduction of the throwaway Defiant crew led me to discard the book for several months. Still, perseverance won out, and I'm glad I gave it another shot - the final 2/3rds does NOT disappoint!
Judgments weaves in and out of four primary storylines: Reyes' captivity aboard the Orion ship Omari-Ekon, the slow disintegration of Jetanien's diplomatic experiment on Nimbus III, Tholian aggression on Traelus II and the subsequent loss of the Defiant, and finally the ongoing Shedai storyline and attempts at communication onboard the Lovell.
I've railed against the fate of the Reyes character in the past, perhaps more through my own frustration at the injustice he faced. The former Commodore was well and truly painted into a difficult corner after taking up residence on Ganz's orion cruiser Omari-Ekon. Rather than dwelling too much on the lesser of two evils, Ward & Dilmore decide Reyes is far more useful under the yoke of T'Prynn in a sleuth-come-spy capacity. Other reviewers have characterised Ganz as coming off as rather naiive and cartoonlike here, and I'd tend to agree. The Orion crime-lord had always maintained a menacingly intelligent presence in the saga, but too much time is spent here glaring from his balcony at Reyes and stewing over his inability to kill him. Nevertheless, the action scenes which see Reyes broken out of his self-inflicted prison are thrilling to read. Still, the "conclusion" of the Orion story (unless it's picked up in the final book) left me rather disappointed.... I felt as though there were more satisfying directions it could have taken.
Ambassador Jetanien has felt sidelined ever since his departure from Vanguard station. That's not to say he hasn't been given a meaty story: the Nimbus III arc has been fun to read from a historical perspective, however it feels completely disconnected from events occurring elsewhere in the Taurus Reach. The Planet of Galactic Peace's descent into chaos still feels rather arbitrary; Klingon undesirables have apparently seeded so much tension and unrest that the remaining Federation and Romulan residents just want to high-tail it out of there. So instead of following the examples of the three Ambassadors, they descend into a blood-thirsty mob, wantonly destroying the city and killing anyone in their way. It all seems rather exaggerated, perhaps I missed a more convincing catalyst to the planet's downfall? The ending of this arc also seems a bit contrived: Jetanien, Lugok and co escape with their lives, but they're not phased and are going to keep trying to spread peace and understanding. However we already know the state we find Nimbus III in thanks to Star Trek V, so their attempts (at least on this planet) are clearly unsuccessful. It remains to be seen what role (if any) Jetanien will play in the final installment.
When Thomas Blair's U.S.S. Defiant storyline kicked in so early in the book, I have to confess I groaned. Vanguard is already straining under the number of different characters and plotlines underway, so the appearance of a whole new starship crew felt perfunctory at best. We all know that things don't end well for the Defiant (such is the state of play when you try to dovetail with an episode like "The Tholian Web"), so I really didn't have much interest in getting invested in the characters when they weren't going to be heard from again after a few chapters. Still, the Tholian skulduggery in the Traelus system was an interesting (and horrific) read - just what is their endgame? Or is this just more behind-the-scenes xenophobia taking a more sinister turn?
Finally: The Shedai. So Nogura and the crew of the Lovell are clearly not heeding the well-worn axiom "Don't Poke the Bear" and are deciding to do just that. Conducting experiments at a "safe distance" from Vanguard (yeah, we know this is going to end badly already...), Xiong, Marcus, al-Khaled and the Lovell crew have set out on an experiment to make contact with the Shedai. There's a lot of idealistic conversation going on about how the Shedai just MUST be capable of reasonable discourse because they're so technologically superior. It's hard not to see this as naiive, verging on unbelievable, especially given the events which have transpired in previous Vanguard installments. Thankfully, when the inevitable catastrophe starts to unfold, the writing is every bit as gripping as I hoped it would be. The stunning cover art from this book is made all the more horrifying thanks to Ward & Dilmore's brutally descriptive prose accompanying the end of the Lovell. Side note - The starship-separation scene was GENIUS, and highly effective at communicating the runaway momentum of events.
In conclusion: Not as cleverly integrated as previous Vanguard books, but still a thrilling read, holding the promise of a rather epic conclusion to this stand-out series of novels. The early introduction of the throwaway Defiant crew led me to discard the book for several months. Still, perseverance won out, and I'm glad I gave it another shot - the final 2/3rds does NOT disappoint!
July 16, 2017
The 7th book in the series continues the saga: Determining if the Federation can secretly learn how to communicate and use the unimagined power of an ancient civilization, try to keep the peace between The Federation, Klingons and everyone else in the Taurus Reach. This book is just fun, well written Star Trek stuff!
June 20, 2018
Maybe I'm scoring this volume a bit low, based on how good the series was previously. This volume starts off a bit slow and uncertain, manages to be excellent near the 2/3rds mark, and falls into a bit of repetition near the end. We need some fresh material and epic story telling pretty soon to save this series. I'm starting volume 8 and hoping...
March 7, 2017
Coming to the end of the series this book focused mainly on the characters and the relationships between peoples and species and not so much on the plot.
January 9, 2020
Good.
Good book. Liked it. Good honorable people fighting for good. Read whole series. You like. Seriously. Reyes Rules. Screw trump.
Good book. Liked it. Good honorable people fighting for good. Read whole series. You like. Seriously. Reyes Rules. Screw trump.
October 15, 2021
Solid book moving things towards the end.
October 8, 2011
The first half of the 2 part finale for Vanguard is essentially a frame story that begins as a conversation between an exiled Diego Reyes & Tim Pennington who has been hunting him down since the end of Operation Vanguard & the events surrounding Starbase 47. For this installment it's the memories of Diego Reyes who tells his side of events as the quest to uncover the what or who the Shedai are & how to stop them. Ward & Dilmore do their usual excellent job of continuing to explore events within this universe by continuing to explore the Tholians via the Defiant (whose story we know how will end), the planet of galactic peace (Nimbus III) with Ambassador Jetanian & the Orions through Reyes interactions & the help of T'Prynn. Each plot keeps moving at just the right speed to still keep us guessing & sets up for the finale coming early next year. The frame part itself stays far enough in the background that one almost forgets it's there. Yes we as readers are still left in the dark as to how this ends & the cover does give away a plot point late in the book but the series itself remains true to everything we've come to know & love across the past several years. However, wherever Vanguard ends hopefully the finale ("Storming Heaven") will be worth every last page.
February 7, 2022
With not one but two Shedai prisoners including the destructive wanderer everything seems pretty good on the vanguard front! But looks may be deceiving.
When the crew starts experimenting to communicate with their Shedai prisoners the risks go up, and much may be lost. In the meantime there’s pain all around among our heroes after the tragic conclusion of declassified. Survivor’s guilt isn’t the norm while the final stage setting of the vanguard conflict is almost concluded, the worst is yet to come.
Just another excellent read, they keep ramping up the pressure in these books, but every book still tells a tale on their own. This series is just excellent all round and in a way I’m sad to be nearing its conclusion.
When the crew starts experimenting to communicate with their Shedai prisoners the risks go up, and much may be lost. In the meantime there’s pain all around among our heroes after the tragic conclusion of declassified. Survivor’s guilt isn’t the norm while the final stage setting of the vanguard conflict is almost concluded, the worst is yet to come.
Just another excellent read, they keep ramping up the pressure in these books, but every book still tells a tale on their own. This series is just excellent all round and in a way I’m sad to be nearing its conclusion.
February 9, 2013
Enjoyed this penultimate book in the Vanguard series - and shall start the final book later this month.
I like how throughout this series we have gotten detailed backstories for things that happened in the Original Series - and in this one we get to know the Defiant Crew a bit better before their fate as seen in "The Tholian Web" episode.
Plus I must admit I enjoyed seeing some background for a place used in Star Trek v :)
Good read but you do need to have read the previous books...
I like how throughout this series we have gotten detailed backstories for things that happened in the Original Series - and in this one we get to know the Defiant Crew a bit better before their fate as seen in "The Tholian Web" episode.
Plus I must admit I enjoyed seeing some background for a place used in Star Trek v :)
Good read but you do need to have read the previous books...
May 3, 2013
The Vanguard series has descended into boredom with stupid plot changes,too many "intimate" moments of tiresome soul searching and unbelievable character actions that denigrate the overall series. Also...what about the "Organians" who stopped an impending Klingon-Federation conflict. It is totally glossed over; mentioned subsequently as an after thought. Very disappointing and indicative of the profit-driven motivation for producing as many books as possible without proper editorial oversight.
September 14, 2013
This is the second-to-last book in the series, and it's a pretty good read. I don't much care for the frame story format, but other than that it had very little to be said against it. It's not great, but not bad at all and if you've enjoyed the previous six books in the series, you won't want to miss this one. If you haven't read the others, this is no place to start, and if you read them and didn't care for them, there's no reason to think you'll like this one any better.
Read
December 27, 2014Almost to the end...
I have to say, when I picked up the first book of the Vanguard series, I didn't think anything special of it. I just thought I'd be reading another licensed ho hum novel. Several books later, I have never been more glad to have been wrong. Get these books. If you're a Trekkie, read them. A fan of sci-fi? Pick them up. Wanting to try something different if you don't fit into the first two categories? Here you go. You're welcome.
I have to say, when I picked up the first book of the Vanguard series, I didn't think anything special of it. I just thought I'd be reading another licensed ho hum novel. Several books later, I have never been more glad to have been wrong. Get these books. If you're a Trekkie, read them. A fan of sci-fi? Pick them up. Wanting to try something different if you don't fit into the first two categories? Here you go. You're welcome.
June 7, 2013
Great series... this is the next to the last...the story has been building and the next book should be out of control! What I like about this Star Trek series the best is that all the characters are created by the authors... there are no characters from any of the TV or movie series. (there are guest appearances of course)
October 28, 2013
This is a quick, fun read that sets the stage for the grand finale in Storming Heaven. My only (minor) complaint is that the cover doesn't seem to match the description of the Lovell exploding. It's an awesome cover though.
June 22, 2014
Finished [I]What Judgements Come[/I] by Dayton Ward the 7th in the Star Trek:Vanguard series. The author moves the story along setting up the finale in the final book [I]Storming Heaven.[/I] This was slightly better than previous books in the series with less rehash of books 1-6. There are a number of loose ends that the author needs to resolve. It will be interesting to see how he does it.
January 9, 2012
All-in-all, another excellent entry in the Vanguard saga! I fear for the lives of the remaining characters, but I can't wait to see where this all ends up.
Full review: http://treklit.blogspot.com/2011/11/w...
Full review: http://treklit.blogspot.com/2011/11/w...
November 20, 2014
Like part of the crew or old friends
I have read all the books in the Vanguard series up to this point and by now all the characters seem like old friends. The world is immersive and large. I will eagerly finish this series and then regret that it's over. Great Star Trek drama.
I have read all the books in the Vanguard series up to this point and by now all the characters seem like old friends. The world is immersive and large. I will eagerly finish this series and then regret that it's over. Great Star Trek drama.
November 28, 2020
Vanguard 6th out of 7 (of the main series) A good setup for the end book, I like how it gives you just a few nuggets, to get you thinking - how is this series going to end? - A fair amount of it is about getting Diego back. A nice penultimate novel.
November 12, 2011
Sad to see this series coming to an end, but the penultimate book is a good one! A bit slower than I would have liked, though that might just be my general mood right now.
March 24, 2013
300+ pages of set up for the grand finale.
October 2, 2013
Good read...
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