Uncertain Logic

Star Trek: Enterprise: Rise of the Federation #3

by Christopher L. Bennett

Years ago, Jonathan Archer and T'Pol helped unearth the true writings of Vulcan's great philosopher Surak, bringing forth a new era of peaceful reform on Vulcan. But when their discovery is seemingly proven to be a fraud, the scandal threatens to undo a decade of progress and return power to the old, warlike regime. Admiral Archer, Captain T'Pol, and the crew of the U.S.S. Endeavour investigate with help from their Vulcan allies, but none of them suspect the identity of the real mastermind behind the conspiracy to reconquer Vulcan, or the price they will have to pay to discover the truth.

Meanwhile, when a long-forgotten technological threat re-emerges beyond the Federation's borders, Captain Malcolm Reed of the U.S.S. Pioneer attempts to track down its origins with help from his old friend Trip Tucker. But they discover that other civilizations are eager to exploit this dangerous power for their own benefit, even if the Federation must pay the price!

Genres: Star Trek, Science Fiction, Star Trek Enterprise, Fiction, Space Opera, Science Fiction Fantasy, Adventure

401 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 1, 2015

About the author

Christopher L. Bennett is a lifelong resident of Cincinnati, Ohio, with a B.S. in Physics and a B.A. in History from the University of Cincinnati. A fan of science and science fiction since age five, he has spent the past two decades selling original short fiction to magazines such as Analog Science Fiction and Fact (home of his "Hub" series of comedy adventures), BuzzyMag, and Galaxy's Edge. Since 2003, he has been one of Pocket Books' most prolific and popular authors of Star Trek tie-in fiction, including the epic Next Generation prequel The Buried Age, the Star Trek: Department of Temporal Investigations series, and the Star Trek: Enterprise -- Rise of the Federation series. He has also written two Marvel Comics novels, X-Men: Watchers on the Walls and Spider-Man: Drowned in Thunder. His original novel Only Superhuman, perhaps the first hard science fiction superhero novel, was voted Library Journal's SF/Fantasy Debut of the Month for October 2012. Other tales in the same universe can be found in Among the Wild Cybers and the upcoming Arachne's Crime, both from eSpec Books. His Hub stories are available in two collections from Mystique Press.
Christopher's homepage, fiction annotations, and blog can be found at christopherlbennett.wordpress.com. His Patreon page with original fiction and reviews is at https://www.patreon.com/christopherlb..., and his Facebook author page is at www.facebook.com/ChristopherLBennettA....

Reviews

[Aron · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent! I think I'm one of the few that loved Enterprise & I was devastated when it was canceled. However CLB does a fantastic job continuing the story about the early days of the Federation. He knows the characters & has developed them well with top notch writing. There's 3 alternating plotlines to this book & they work well together, which made for a smooth read unlike some books that alternate plots & you get huge drop in quality from one plot to the next, not here. If you liked Enterprise even a little then you should read this series.

[Crystal Bensley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Seeing the TOS characters ancestors is a nice touch in the Enterprise relaunch. Finally up to date on Enterprise!

[Daniel Kukwa · Rating 4 out of 5]

With a crisis on Vulcan, the invesgation of the alien Ware, a visit to Delta IV with Orion shenanigans, a dark night of the soul for Tobin Dax, Archer considering promotion, and the first hint of the Cardassians, to say this novel is busy is an understatement. I wasn't really enamored with the Ware storyline (except for the Trip/Travis aspects), but the rest of the novel managed to hang together in enjoyable fashion (I especially loved the hints of the future with the Tobin plot line). This is the kind of early Federation history world-building that I wish "Enterprise" had been doing from the beginning. I'm very glad Christopher Bennett successfully mined this rich territory.

[J · Rating 4 out of 5]

Uncertain Logic was an expertly crafted novel. It well executed three simultaneous narratives connected only by their shared themes.

The planet Vulcan is rocked by the sudden calling into question of its most sacred beliefs. Admiral Jonathan Archer, Captain T'Pol and the crew of the U.S.S. Endeavor must work the planet's leaders to stop a brewing civil war on a founding planet of the Federation.

Meanwhile the U.S.S. Essex journeys to the planet Delta IV. A peaceful diplomatic mission that ends in disaster for 2 of the crew. But the damage to the world could be worse when the ship moves on.

Elsewhere, the U.S.S. Pioneer explores a region of space dominated by a benevolent technological marvel that provides wonders, but demands the highest price.

All three of these tales are told exceedingly well. The central theme of the novel was pragmatism vs empathy. Are you willing to sacrifice lives? What are you willing to sacrifice for. Are you willing to sacrifice others? Several characters are faced with these questions and their responses are quite interesting.

Second logic is dealt with in detail. Its extremely gratifying to see reasonable characters disagreeing for completely legitimate, well reasoned positions and how their individual sense of logic can have two different outcomes. I think I was happiest when one of the most entrenched characters, confronted with the failings of her causes' leader, is willing to change. Not because her convictions had changed but because she wouldn't allow her cause to be hijacked.

Lastly, and most poignantly was the books exploration of physical intimacy. I was surprised and gratified to see a Star Trek book tackle this issue. Western society is often happy to show gratuitous violence but extremely reluctant to show anything sexual and I thought Mr. Bennet did a great job of showing the empathy and connection of sex, even between relative strangers and not the pornographic.

The only negative I felt in this book was the discontinuity of the 3 stories. This was less one novel, and more an anthology. Part of this I'm sure is business as Pocket Books may have a hard time supporting 3 different novel series in this time. But part must rest with the author, ultimately he decides how these narratives should tie together.

[reherrma · Rating 4 out of 5]

Für mich der bisher beste Roman der Reihe "Rise of the Federation", in der die schwierigen Anfangsjahre der Förderation der Planeten thematisiert wird. In diesem Buch begegnen uns wieder die bekannten Figuren aus "Star Trek: Enterprise", die inzwischen in alle Winde zerstreut sind. Jonathan Archer ist Admiral und steht vor dem Beginn einer politischen Karriere, T'Pol ist Captain eines wichtigen Förderations-Schiffes (ENDEAVOUR). Beide stehen auf Vulkan einem rechten, populistischen Aufstand gegenüber, der der friedlichen vulkanischen Gesellschaft den Krieg erklärt, selbstverständlich wird die Förderation von diesen Leuten verteufelt und für alles verantwortlich gemacht, was auf Vulkan schief läuft. Wer hier nicht den Breixit und die rechtsradikalen osteuropäischen Regierungen im Kopf hat, hat irgendwas versäumt. Malcolm Reed ist inzwischen Captain der PIONEER, zusammen mit ehemaligen Besatzungsmitgliedern der ENTERPRISE. Sie stoßen auf eine Station der Ware, einer robotischen Reperaturstation, deren Preise erst bekannt werden, wenn es zu spät ist. Dabei stellen sie fest, dass die Ware mit ihren "Hilfsangeboten" inzwischen mehrere Welten in dieser Region in der Hand hat. Die Besatzung der PIONEER versucht, die Macht im Hintergrund zu finden, letztendlich wird das Geheimnis in diesem Band noch nicht aufgeklärt. Auch der Putsch auf Vulkan kann verhindert werden. Was mir sehr gut gefallen hat, sind die leidenschaftlichen Reden der verschiedenen Charakteren, die gegen den Isolationismus und für Zusammenarbeit über Spezies-Grenzen hinweg plädieren, für Freiheit und fairen Handel...
Bemerkenswert war auch der Auftritt von Tobin Dax, der bisher m.W. nach noch keinen Auftritt in einem Star Trek-Roman hatte, er wurde nur immer als ein ehemaliger Träger des Dax-Symbionten von Jadzia Dax erwähnt, als sie ca. 200 Jahre später auf Deep Space Nine diente. Und zum Schluß kam auch noch die Geburt von Sarek hinzu, der spätere Vater von Spock...
Ein guter, kurzweiliger und nachdenklicher Roman...

[Robert Sparrenberger · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think I’ve decided I really don’t like series books. By the time the next one has come out, I’ve forgotten what happened in the previous installment. This happened with this book. I couldn’t keep the character straight and the newer Star Trek books are so dense with minor characters mentioned in one episode from twenty years ago it’s hard to keep everything straight.

I miss the books that were written like the tv series where it was a mission with new aliens and very few references to old shows.

I’ll keep going with this series since I’ve read three but it might be my last.

[David King · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Uncertain Logic” by Christopher L. Bennett is the third novel in the “Birth of the Federation” series which continues the adventures of the crew from Star Trek Enterprise. I have been thoroughly enjoying this series of novels and wasn’t surprised when I found myself appreciating this novel just as much as the others.

The story follows three simultaneous narratives, the first of which follows Archer and T’Pol as they work with the leaders of Vulcan after a shocking revelation is made about some of the planet’s new beliefs which could lead to a civil war. Then there is the crew of the USS Pioneer, captained by Malcolm Reed who are exploring an area of space dominated by some highly-advanced automated technology called the “Ware” which was first seen in the episode “Dead Stop.” The final story is that of the USS Essex (From TNG's "Power Play") which travels to the planet Delta IV where the locals turn out to be extremely hazardous to the ship’s crew

As I have come to expect with Bennett, the stories are all told exceedingly well and his skill at taking some rather disparate elements of continuity and moulding them into a cohesive story is nicely showcased again. My favourite storyline of the three had to be the Vulcan one which explores the Vulcan people and the rift that is forming in their civilisation. The way in which we see various Vulcan’s interpret and apply logic in their own unique ways made them feel like a real people, with individual ideas and opinions. The view that can sometimes be had of them being a rather homogeneous society when it comes to logic is well and truly shown up for the fallacy it is and I loved seeing that. Quite simply, I actually feel like I have a greater understanding of the common Vulcan citizen than I have before and I really appreciate this.

If I was going take any issue with the novel then it is probably that I think three storylines is maybe a little bit too much, especially when none of them are really connected with each other. The best way I can find to describe the book is that it felt more like an anthology of novella’s than a single novel. This was compounded by the fact that whilst I appreciated getting to see humanities first real contact with the Deltans and the introduction of the USS Essex, I honestly wasn’t that interested in what eventually turned into another Orion Pirate storyline. Compared to the incredibly engaging and interesting Vulcan storyline it just felt rather weak and un-needed.

Overall, this is another entertaining novel in the Rise of the Federation series. Bennett’s writing as always is top notch and I enjoy the way in which he manages to continue the story of Star Trek Enterprise and build on some of the smaller elements in Star Trek continuity. Yes it doesn’t feel like a single novel, but the Vulcan storyline alone is enough to mitigate this as I just treat the additional two stories as a bonus to be enjoyed beyond this core element.

[John Yelverton · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a well done Enterprise novel. I've always wondered when someone would get around to doing a Deltan and Orion story. It sows up some loose ends from the TV show concerning both The Ware and the Vulcan High Command. It was nice to see the Original Series foreshadowing, but I won't drop any spoilers. The Trip story line is what it is. I could have done without the Hoshi melodrama. It was a well done novel. My only complaint was that there was just so much going on that it detracted from the overall story.

[C.T. Phipps · Rating 5 out of 5]

STAR TREK: UNCERTAIN LOGIC is the third volume of the Rise of the Federation series by Christopher Bennett and probably something I enjoy more than I ever did Enterprise itself. Don't get me wrong, my love of the series has improved over the years and it's (weirdly) my non-Trekkie wife's favorite. However, I always felt the series had some serious untapped potential that I find the author of the Department of Temporal Investigations series really corrects. His characters are put in interesting situations, work to set about establishing the Federation, and play off of one another well.

The premise for this book is the Vulcan civilization is in an uproar over the allegations the true writings of Surek (The Vulcan equivalent of Buddha and Jesus combined), which were found by Archer in the final season, have been "proven" to be a fake. Given these writings were behind their transition from being elitist warmongers to wise pacifists, it does not bode well for Vulcan membership in the Federation.

Simultaneously, we also discover there is a malignant piece of malfunctioning technology moving throughout the galaxy which Trip and Reed are assigned to deal with. This leads them to a 1940s-esque world where they have to defeat an evil corporate executive who has made a pact with it, Cyberman style. Finally, we get the story about Deltan first contact and why you should always clear it with your doctor before you have sex with aliens.

Overall, I had mixed feelings about the main plot as a lot of it depends on the character of V'Las who is something of an overt villain in a series which often depends on more sympathetic characters. While Christopher Bennet adds some nuance to the character (being a Romulan raised on Vulcan only to find out the Romulans weren't worht following), I think he was a bit too over the top. Mind you, I'm also not sure what the Romulans really wanted from the Vulcans given they went to all the trouble of subverting their culture only to want to bomb it to the ground. Then again, North Korea wants to "reunify" with South Korea and would probably react the same way.

I was much more interested in the B-plot introducing the Ware. A nice name which has all manner of connotations from both tools (hardware, software) to "beware." The mysterious nature of the machines that consume entire worlds while making people want to use it feels very much like a Doctor Who villain with shades of the Cybermen mixed with various monsters behind choking car smog, self-driving vehicles, or mass media TV.

I like the depiction of the much less Prime Directive heavy heroes visiting a world, as mentioned, feels like it came out of a Pulp adventure. Indeed, Travis Mayweather gets to have a short-lived romance with their world's equivalent of Lois Lane. It was nice to see a plot like this because some of my favorite TOS Star Trek episodes were "Patterns of Force" and "A Piece of the Action." I also felt "Lois" reacted believably to the discovery she'd been lied to this entire time.

The book also has a somewhat PG related discussion of the goodness of sex in the future as well as the dangers of ignoring local conditions. The Deltans with their super-pheromones and implied super-intimacy (maybe a psychic power) can easily overwhelm humans. It makes me wonder how Captain Decker was able to have his relationship with one and not go crazy. I also liked how Deltans were repulsed by the Orions because they're such a controlling manipulative and sex as power-esque race.

In conclusion, this is once more an excellently written book by Christopher Bennett and we're starting to see the Federation come together. It's not without its dark side or mistakes leftover from the "bad old days" but it works well as a believable history for them.

[Caiden · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are three relatively disparate but similarly interesting plot lines in this book.

The first follows up from the events of the Enterprise three-parter in Season four relating to Vulcan, and while it includes some details and information relating to the Vulcans from the previous Enterprise novels, that information is not absolutely necessary to understand the story. The political situation is interesting and so are the characters that come with it. Iloja Prim is neat, Tobin Dax gets some stuff to do, Hoshi is good, and so is T'Pol. The images of authoritarian governments using religion to justify any and every action taken in order to seize power for themselves, including the persecution of pacifists, and the prioritization of how a message can develop and change over time based on new information and that it should be interpreted freely are proof that you can do a lot with the Vulcans. Their relationship with logic often leads to it being used as a justification or a cover up, showing that it really isn't logic arguing with logic, and is really a culture war based on biases. The Vulcans are not always more logical than everyone else, and it can be just a buzz word.

Taking up just as much of the book is the reintroduction of the Ware from an Enterprise episode I was not able to watch. Mayweather is the shining star of this thread, and the ethical dilemmas that face Reed and Tucker are interesting. The viscerally evil Vabion, in his quest to exert dominance over others, abandons his humanity in favor of technology. There are too many people like him today. The discussion of the ethics that must be called into question when using technologies that we do not the capability of is more relevant now than it was when this book was written a decade ago.

There is also some time continuing the Orion storyline that has been built throughout the last two books. While not the central point of this storyline, there is a moral and ethical conversation underlying the use of sex as currency and its relationship to power versus a more spiritualistic, equality-focused view that connects the act with empathy and understanding. It's just not the kind of thing I expected to find within.a Star Trek book.

I thought there were too many random goon strays in this book. If the third plot wasn't more carefully constructed, I would certainly count that as part of it. You're reading and reading and then all of a sudden there's this random sexual comment thrown in that makes you remember who the target audience for these books are. I think that some of that was used for good and in a compelling way, but other times I would have to put the book down and sigh.

For some, the variety of topics in this book could be viewed as negative, but I like to think that there's something for everyone: authoritarians that wield religion as a weapon, discussions about sexuality, and technology giving people the means to destroy themselves. I understand that science fiction allows us to examine these societal issues in a less uncomfortable way, by changing the names, the places, and the years. I think that (almost) everything that this book had to say was important. On a different level, because I know that not everyone cares about those sorts of things and just wants to see ships go boom, it was a pleasure to tear through. I am interested in where the Ware storyline goes, and if the next book tackles the same quandries or different ones.

[Stephen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay, reader. Have a seat. This book is a bit busy. Let’s begin with the Starship Endeavour‘s investigation of several automated stations that rely on captured organics for their processing power. Away from the frontier, Vulcan is being unsettled by evidence that the document under-girding their entire society, the Kir’Shara, has either been stolen and replaced by a fraud, or was a fraud to begin with. Admiral Archer, already facing rumors that he’s about to be promoted to Commander in Chief of Starfleet, is now called into court to offer testimony on his original discovery of the document. And then there’s the Deltans, everyone’s favorite race of lusty bald coeds. The Orions have caught wind of their sexiness, and desire to crush the competition. Oh! And Trip is taking a break from his Secret Agent Man business to be a chief engineer again, because he’s needed for the investigation of the automatics — who, Endeavor discovers, have overtaken entire planets. Oh, oh, and do you remember that Methuselah fellow from “Requiem for Methuselah”? ….yeah, he’s here, too.

That’s a lot to take in in one novel, but Bennett is an old hand, and the stories running together here were never overwhelming or confusing. While I was fairly by the diplomatic goings on of the last novel, this one has so much variety it would have been hard to strike out. I’m usually impressed by Bennett as an author, and here is no exception, despite the fact that the plot is more politics and action than science. A solid portion of the book involves Vulcans’ dispute over their future — over the meaning of Surak’s teachings, and how Vulcan political society should orient itself. Bennett does a excellent job of making the antagonists credible, grounding their arguments in interpretations of Surak’s teachings. (At least, until we find out that the dissidents are being manipulated by an another power altogether.) The investigation into the “Ware”, as the automatics come to be know, is equally interesting — mechanical civilizations are hard to come by in the Trek verse, the closest thing to them being the Borg, and they were steadily made less aliens as they were used. (Oh, for the Borg of “Q Who“, who were only interested in technology….) The ongoing character dramas are also winsome — especially Travis Mayweather’s difficulty in accepting that not only is Trip alive, but that he’s been living a lie for well over five years, working for some section of Starfleet Intelligence.

Uncertain Logic is a solid read all around, with a variety of content, and and a very PrimeTrek-esque ending, complete with a speech by a Cardassian exile who warns Vulcan not to make the same mistakes his own planet did.

[Jay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Vulcan is thrown into turmoil when it is discovered that the Kir'Shara is a forgery! Philosophies and cultural norms are thrown into doubt allowing some with unscrupulous motives to take advantage of the situation and put Vulcan's place in the Federation in jeopardy. Captain, Malcolm Reed and the crew of the Pioneer are pursuing the growing threat of the automated stations that the Enterprise faced over a decade earlier. Not only are the stations still kidnapping beings, but they seem to be insinuating themselves into planetary cultures as well!

The two storylines in this book are equally entertaining and exciting. I was engaged with the whole novel and really couldn't wait for the next turn in the story. It's also intriguing that both stories pick up plot threads from the TV show and develop them beyond what we saw on the screen. While on the surface, the Kir'shara story was a complex heist, but beyond that there were so many issues relating to politics, religion, culture and wisdom. We tend to view the Vulcans as always logical and emotionless, but this story really brings many underlying issues to the forefront. It's fascinating to see the Vulcan people brought to the brink of civil war through this clash of ideologies. Very compelling!

Similarly, the Pioneer's pursuit of the Ware was also engrossing. The idea of this technology penetrating societies so deeply along with the moral issues of these cultures "feeding" it people to get the benefits was darkly intriguing. There are a lot of moral issues in this book and I always find it interesting to see how the characters navigate through those waters.

Just about every regular character makes a contribution to the storylines - admittedly Phlox is a bit in the background, but he gets a few scenes where his humor provides a nice break to the drama. While Mayweather is sidelined for a portion of the book as seems to be his lot in life, he does get to be involved in the story in a few different ways that make a difference. There are several supporting characters that fill out the cast nicely and there's a lot of definition and development in them as well.

This one felt more "Star Trek" then several of the previous books. Even though it still included a large political component, it didn't feel mired in tedium or cliched elements. I could understand the views of the Vulcan antagonists and see how they were manipulated and misdirected by one person with his own agenda.

This was a really good read that I would recommend to anyone who watched the series.

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's sometimes hard writing reviews for these Enterprise books. They cover such a large amount of time with a large amount of characters and I tend to read them over a fairly long period. In this case it was only a month or so, but with so many other books in between my brain sometimes gets muddled.

One of the things I have always loved about science fiction in general and Star Trek in particular is the way it talks about our modern day issues through the lens of the future.

I had to double check the publication date because so much of it felt like it was written in a post-Trump world. The would-be civil war on Vulcan feels very much like the modern day United States and the ongoing conflict between Trump supporters and sane Americans.

On Vulcan the fear of outside influence, the borderline xenophobia has definite parallels to the bigoted white supremacists murdering protesters back here on Earth.

I feel like all of the major characters from the TV show have some nice moments to grow. Archer is coming to terms with realising he's not just an explorer. T'Pol continues to embrace Starfleet while balancing it with her Vulcan culture. Trip battles with his inner demons while trying to reconcile the person he's become with the person he was. Hoshi balances her relationship with her career. Malcolm and Travis face their own battles against an old foe. And Phlox seems to just enjoy himself.

There's a moment where Travis laments that they're never going to get back together. It's a sad feeling I share. Part of me longs for the days of these characters sharing a ship, going on adventures but time moves on and so do the characters. Even the namesake of the books, Enterprise has become a museum piece.

So, while part of me longs for a return to that big family of characters I love that they're given room to grow on their own, and I suspect sooner or later they'll all cross paths again.

People sometimes dismiss these stories as "fan fiction", and as long as fans such as Christopher Bennett continue to write such enjoyable "fan fiction", I'll keep reading them.

[Joshua Rotella · Rating 4 out of 5]

My enjoyment of Bennett's works is from the point of view of a nitpicking fan, one who watches the shows and wonders, "Well, hold on, but..." In this regard, Christopher Bennett is a treasure: he has a thorough command of the lore, both on the screen and behind the scenes, an openness to embracing those works which some would consider 'apocryphal' (if such a term can be said to apply in the context of Trek), and a creativity in weaving these elements together with real world scientific understanding and explanations. For this reason, I believe that he is doing the good work of trying to bring Gene Roddenberry's vision of a utopian future into our lives.

Uncertain Logic is a novel set in the post- finale period of the Star Trek: Enterprise era, concerning itself with the backlash against the reformation of Vulcan society in the aftermath of the recovery and revelation of the direct teachings of Surak - the father of Vulcan logic, effectively the Vulcan messianic figure - as portrayed in the ST:E episode "Kir'Shara".

The B-plot revolves around the reintroduction of a mysterious and dangerous technology first seen in the episode "Full Stop", named here as The Ware. This alien technology of unknown provenance can perform miraculous feats of repair and fabrication, but at a terrible price, and the former Enterprise crew commit themselves to tracking down the origin of the Ware menace and putting an end to its harmful practices.

There is a C-plot, involving a First Contact situation with a species first seen in The Motion Picture, which will appeal to the more prurient interests, but it is handled tastefully and with respect to the sensibilities of a family friendly audience.

I enjoyed the book on several levels, and for many reasons, especially the inclusion of several characters never explicitly seen on any Star Trek show, but mentioned by on screen characters as world building. These one line throwaway figures are given life here, and a depth of character, with histories and motivations. A speech made by the exiled Cardassian poet, Iloja of Prim, mentioned only once by Jadzia Dax in the DS9 episode "Destiny", stands out as a high point in the text.

I did not walk away from this book having had my life changed by the art and poetry of the work, but for a trade paperback novel niche expansion of a niche series in a niche franchise, I enjoyed it just fine. As always, your mileage may vary.

[Jackie Cain · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. I'm still not sure if non-Star Trek fans will like a book set in that universe as much but this is a good one. A lot of it is set on Vulcan, the story of its reverting to its warrior past and Iloja, a Cardassian visitor, issues a broader warning of descending into tyranny, which is again prescient today. He also tells those facing tyrants to ask themselves who they wish to be and what they will and will not do. These, he says, are questions the tyrants don't want you to ask - they create external threats and emnities between people to distract them. That is also something we could all perhaps take into account in these difficult days. In addition to the fight for Vulcan's soul, there is a fine sci-fi story, building on an episode of Star Trek: Enterprise where they find an automated service station that turns out to use abducted living brains to work. The other main story line has the hustling Orions meet the pleasure-loving Deltans, which is an interesting clash of cultures. There was a point three-quarters of the way in when I thought it was all so dark - how do our heroes survive? I was then delighted that the resolution of all the storylines emerged organically from what had preceeded. Excellent storytelling!

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this one more than I thought I would. As the third entry in the series, I thought it might not hold up well on its own, but it's a pretty good book. There are two main plot threads in the book, one involving Vulcan politics, and one involving the Ware. Then, there's a third plot thread involving the Deltans and the Orions, which I kind of suspect is setting up some stuff for the next novel. None of the plot threads really converge at any point, so that's a bit of a disappointment.

The Vulcan plot thread was well-done and thematically interesting. A lot of it could easily be related to current Earth politics (speaking very generally). And the Ware plot was interesting, though we don't get a full resolution on that one. Thematically, I think you can draw some parallels between the Ware and the current situation with internet privacy and Facebook and all that fun stuff.

Bennet continues to handle the various Enterprise characters really well. He's got a good feel for their voices and mannerisms. There are fun books to read if you were a fan of the Enterprise series, and/or Star Trek in general.

[Rocky Sunico · Rating 4 out of 5]

As I continue through the Rise of the Federation book, more and more I appreciate how Bennett has been breaking things down into phases, of a sort. For example, the last book had us tackling the reputation and approach of the Federation as it tried to expand its membership roster. This book re-examines the role of the Vulcans within the fledgling Federation and going back to some loose ends from the Enterprise TV plots.

The resulting story is pretty gripping and again follows multiple characters as they navigate the crisis on Vulcan, the mission against the automated Ware stations (another great TV reference finally given a name), and even the journeys of Tobin Dax trying to figure out his role in things. The way the different stories were resolved was pretty satisfying and I'm hopeful for things like the future of Trip given his conflict with his Section 31 life.

The real gem is how Bennett details his notes at the end of the book to include all his references to other Star Trek novels and other elements of what we can refer to as Beta "canon" or whatever. And I totally live for that.

[Jonne Steen Redeker · Rating 5 out of 5]

So much better than it was on the first read, and so applicable to the times we live in now.

Vulcan is shocked to its core by a discovery, as the early federation continues to define it's identity, and make a name for itself in local space. The mystery of the automated repair stations only seems to deepen, as an old threat reemerges on Vulcan.

Anm excellent read, particularly the Vulcan stuff. Discovery gave us the logic extremists, but they never really explained how logic could get them there. This book was written before all of that, and yet did a better job at explaining their position! truly well written, and it shows how very intelligent people can fall for incredibly obvious lies. Something we have seen a lot of this past year with covid and anti vax views. Not to mention qannon.

This book will always be applicable to current day events, and should be applauded for that. And yet it is not as heavy handed as I may make it sound. I also really enjoyed the references to trek canon throughout. Especially revolving around Dax, and his friendships.

[BESS A. HUBBARD · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great ride!

Ever since I watched the TV show Star Trek Enterprise, I was hooked on the origin story of the Federation, and began reading the books starting with The Good That Men Do, if only to find out what really happens between Trip and T'Pol.

But the truth is, the adventure involved in the formation of the Federation itself, along with the adventures of the beloved characters from the series, is just as compelling. Any of these books could be a movie or a film series as exciting as any MCU. It's the most fun I've had reading books for pure pleasure in a long time.

And at the end of the day, I think I love Star Trek so much because it allows me to live in a world where diversity is normal. " Infinite Diversity in Infinite combination." What a fitting maxim for the troubles we live through today. Another way of saying, E pluribus unum. Out of many, we are One. Enjoy!

[Peter Rydén · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dave Galanter skriver på ett mycket bra sätt. Han fångar karaktärernas särskilda... karaktärer och han presenterar en mycket bra och trovärdig historia från några år som inte beaktats (än) i TV- och filmsammanhang.

Det här med "name-dropping" som görs då och då, såsom att man vill rättfärdiga en historia med att den behandlar en förfader till James T Kirk, Spock, Jadzia Dax, m.fl., är ett vanligt sätt inom Star Trek när man beskriver en period som ligger långt före alternativt långt efter etablerade berättelser, och detta gör mig lite trött ibland. Men det är också det enda jag har att säga som är riktigt negativt med delar av boken.

I övrigt skriver Galanter på ett medryckande sätt och jag hade svårt att släppa boken när jag börjat läsa.

[Kristina Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author's skill in weaving together his story from fragments gleaned from sundry sources is beyond dispute. It entrenches everything firmly in the Star Trek universe we know and love. There is clear character development too, not just from the crew regulars but those supporting cast who it would be all too easy to cast in a mold.

This story focuses on the nature of our choices. Does the end justify the means? Is it wisdom to reject proposals out of hand from a dubious source? Can lies and subterfuge be right and for the best? It's these difficult questions that ultimately define our heroes.

[Judith Paterson · Rating 4 out of 5]

thoroughly enjoyed this fast paced Star Trek Enterprise story. Several story lines covered in the one book but they are not confusing like you sometimes get. One of them is a development of a TV story I watched only a few days ago. Also lovely little detail at the end when a new baby's name is revealed. The other storyline is very appropriate in today's atmosphere of building xenophobia and increasing hatred of 'the different'.

[Apostolos · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novel continues with the parade of worlds that are joining the federation: in this book we see the Deltans, and we continue an exploration of those "Ware" space stations which we originally saw on screen in Enterprise. Meanwhile on Vulcan the Kirshara is stolen and people try to use it to overthrow the new Vulcan government. It's fun to see ancestors of characters that we see on screen in later Treks (Dax, Kirk, Paris, and we see the birth of Sarek at the end of this one).

[James · Rating 2 out of 5]

A very busy book, and kind of inevitably a bit of a mixed bag. The Ware plot was good and had a neat resolution for Travis's character, and the stuff on Vulcan was fine, but I could've done without the Essex subplot, which doesn't appear enough to feel fleshed out.

This would've been a good two or three episodes, so it's not that the narrative itself is bad, but I don't think it's especially suited to a novel form.

[Paul Clark · Rating 3 out of 5]

Disjointed Yet Fun

This novel felt disjointed and oftentimes laborious. Nothing comes of the Deltan/Orion C plot as it has nothing to do with the A or B plot. The adventure and mystery of the former two are interesting but the latter is far more compelling and felt like a episode of Star Trek.

[Burns Book Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is what I’ve been waiting for!
The A-plot of this book is all about the Vulcans and how the ancient text uncovered by Archer during the show was replaced with a counterfeit, throwing into question the Vulcan system of beliefs. I really enjoyed this plot line and how it showed the evolution of the Vulcans between the events of ENT and TOS. Spock’s grandparents play a major role in the story, so that was fun.
The B-plot revisited a species from the show called the Ware. This species is somewhat similar to the Borg, though less overtly evil. This plot definitely provided some action that the previous two books were missing.
Read this if you’re interested in some Vulcan history!

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

Was not a Start Trek fan, but I am now!

My first Start Trek book ever, and it was not a easy read for me. But man it has all the good elements I am expecting from a good SiFi book.

The best SiFi book for me this year so far!

[Ross Vincent · Rating 4 out of 5]

Revisiting some plot lines from the TV series, Archer & company race to preserve Vulcan culture and government, while Reed & Mayweather work to prevent more victims of the Ware.

And look for a survivor cameo from a TOS character too!

[Ryerson Fitzpatrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good Suspense and Excellent Philosophical Questions

An excellent continuation of the Enterprise characters and the Rise of the Federation series. I loved the expansion and growth of Mayweather, and the Vulcan couple's relationship.

I'm running right into the next book!

[Benjamin Hall · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was one of the better books in this gap time between shows where each individual plot all were interesting enough that you didn't really mind bouncing around between stories. The pacing was good and the writing was stronger than a lot of previous books, and well researched.