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Sent to the icebound planet of Nordstral to investigate a mysterious outbreak of insanity, the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise find themselves drawn into another, even deadlier mystery upon their arrival. A team of research scientists has disappeared on Nordstral's frozen wasteland, leaving no clue to their whereabouts, and no hint of their fate.
WHile Uhura and Chekov tackle the mystery surrounding the scientists' disappearance, Kirk and McCoy search for the truth behind the outbreak of mental illness. But both teams soon find themselves in danger, as the planet undergoes a series of massive earthquakes and electromagnetic disruptions. Unable to contact he U.S.S. Enterprise, both teams must fight for their lives as they try to solve the mystery of Nordstral -- before the world tears itself apart!
288 pages, Loose Leaf
First published July 1, 1992
20 people are currently reading
494 people want to read
About the author
L.A. Graf
25 books42 followersL.A. Graf reportedly stands for Let's All Get Rich and Famous. Its a pseudonym used by authors Karen Rose Cercone and Julia Ecklar.
They have co-written some eleven Star Trek novels. Their first Star Trek novel came out in 1990.
They have co-written some eleven Star Trek novels. Their first Star Trek novel came out in 1990.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 56 reviews
November 28, 2017
A cool adventure... in the literal sense!
WHERE DID I MEET THIS BEFORE?
The USS Enterprise is sent to the icebound planet of Hoth...eerr...sorry! I mean the icebound planet of Nordstral...
...since many inhabitant have fallen into a berserk fever turned them insane and violent, and things got even more complicated when the cold world started to suffer massive earthquakes risking the integrity of the whole world...
...mmh...
...I don't know you but an icebound place with a disease turning insane people?
Hello... the episode "The Naked Time".
...and a world that suddenly become unstable?
To be honest, that happens in almost any sci-fi series, but just to point out a quick example...
...the Planet Genesis on The Search for Spock.
So, I can be more forgiving about the unstable world, since anybody use that cliché, but the maddening fever combined with the ice-weather world, is just a derivation of "The Naked Time" (used again in "The Naked Now" in TNG).
So, while the book is well written and obviously plotting totally different situations and peril during the adventure, well...
...I can't take apart the use of a so famous plotline in the very Star Trek: The Original Series, so I could rated with a way better 4-stars rate, but due what I've mentioned, I think that the fairest thing to do was giving it a 3-stars rate, that after all, it's not a bad thing since it clearly mean "I like it", since I did like it, and I always liked stories in icebound places, but maybe a different menace could be a better call for this particular book.
WHERE DID I MEET THIS BEFORE?
The USS Enterprise is sent to the icebound planet of Hoth...eerr...sorry! I mean the icebound planet of Nordstral...
...since many inhabitant have fallen into a berserk fever turned them insane and violent, and things got even more complicated when the cold world started to suffer massive earthquakes risking the integrity of the whole world...
...mmh...
...I don't know you but an icebound place with a disease turning insane people?
Hello... the episode "The Naked Time".
...and a world that suddenly become unstable?
To be honest, that happens in almost any sci-fi series, but just to point out a quick example...
...the Planet Genesis on The Search for Spock.
So, I can be more forgiving about the unstable world, since anybody use that cliché, but the maddening fever combined with the ice-weather world, is just a derivation of "The Naked Time" (used again in "The Naked Now" in TNG).
So, while the book is well written and obviously plotting totally different situations and peril during the adventure, well...
...I can't take apart the use of a so famous plotline in the very Star Trek: The Original Series, so I could rated with a way better 4-stars rate, but due what I've mentioned, I think that the fairest thing to do was giving it a 3-stars rate, that after all, it's not a bad thing since it clearly mean "I like it", since I did like it, and I always liked stories in icebound places, but maybe a different menace could be a better call for this particular book.
August 27, 2013
Needs way more Spock.
October 25, 2017
Better than usual for this series, but still doesn't live up to its potential.
September 19, 2025
Despite the cover art, this story takes place between the first two movies, during the second five year mission. The story doesn't make much light of this, except for Chekov being chief of security, one mention of Captain Kirk actually being an admiral, and a mention of them wearing the burgundy duty jackets. It's actually too early in the timeline for them to be wearing those uniforms, but this was written over 30 years ago, and the canon was not yet well established. I am intentionally reading all the novels that take place during this period, and I'd like to see more effort to place the story into that timeline.
This is the second Star Trek novel that I've read by these authors, the other being Firestorm, and they're both very similar. Stranded on a planet, minimal contact with the Enterprise, and a sinister force threatening the landing party. Both stories focus heavily on Chekov and Uhura. This is an Ice World, the other a volcano world. Ice Trap has a bit of a ham-fisted environmental message, which is fine, but it was resolved much too quickly and easily. The story also features Kirk and McCoy. Kirk isn't given much to do until the end, and McCoy was given a lot of phobias that I've never seen mentioned before. It's well established that he hates transporters, but he never struck me as this much of a nervous, scared character.
Reasonably decent overall. Plenty of action. 3.5/5
This is the second Star Trek novel that I've read by these authors, the other being Firestorm, and they're both very similar. Stranded on a planet, minimal contact with the Enterprise, and a sinister force threatening the landing party. Both stories focus heavily on Chekov and Uhura. This is an Ice World, the other a volcano world. Ice Trap has a bit of a ham-fisted environmental message, which is fine, but it was resolved much too quickly and easily. The story also features Kirk and McCoy. Kirk isn't given much to do until the end, and McCoy was given a lot of phobias that I've never seen mentioned before. It's well established that he hates transporters, but he never struck me as this much of a nervous, scared character.
Reasonably decent overall. Plenty of action. 3.5/5
October 23, 2016
Can't stand the Noble Savage treatment of the "natives." Didn't like Uhura and Chekov always bickering about command decisions, especially in front of crew and scientists. Didn't like how McCoy spent an awful lot of energy admiring the leadership skills of Kirk. Didn't like how 'adventurous' it is - but then, I get bored during chase and fight scenes in movies, too.
Did like that there was a bit of humor to leaven things. Did like the *attempt* to feature less-often featured characters. Did like the pay-off well enough.
But still, if not for the fact that I've read many even worse books for which I reserve the one-star rating, I'd probably round down from 1.5 for this.
Did like that there was a bit of humor to leaven things. Did like the *attempt* to feature less-often featured characters. Did like the pay-off well enough.
But still, if not for the fact that I've read many even worse books for which I reserve the one-star rating, I'd probably round down from 1.5 for this.
May 27, 2015
A fast-paced, intense, at times terrifying ice world adventure combines with the usual L.A. Graf grasp of character to produce an engrossing "Star Trek" novel. It's especially successful at handling its supporting cast, including the creation of one of the most irritating characters ever...and one of the most gripping mad men to grace the pages of a Trek novel. When a novel includes compelling characters you learn to seriously hate and fear in the span of a few pages, it is definitely doing something right.
My only complaint is that "Ice Trap" can't decide if it's set during the original five year mission, or just after the events of "The Motion Picture". I believe it's aiming for the latter, but the novel seems to keep fence-sitting on the issue, resulting in enough of a character-experience irritation to keep this from being a five star work.
My only complaint is that "Ice Trap" can't decide if it's set during the original five year mission, or just after the events of "The Motion Picture". I believe it's aiming for the latter, but the novel seems to keep fence-sitting on the issue, resulting in enough of a character-experience irritation to keep this from being a five star work.
November 22, 2009
2.5 stars
Would have kept that extra 1/2 star if the environmentalist message had been kept implicit (albeit so blatant it smacked you upside the head repeatedly) instead of explicitly spelled out in at least two speeches near the end. :P
Would have kept that extra 1/2 star if the environmentalist message had been kept implicit (albeit so blatant it smacked you upside the head repeatedly) instead of explicitly spelled out in at least two speeches near the end. :P
November 30, 2024
This one just isn't worth the read. A good deal of the time, my eyes were as glazed over as the surface of the icy alien world we were stranded on.
The general plot was just okay, and I think the new species had the potential to be interesting if they'd been explored respectfully. But the author came at the "native" population with a stark colonizer voice, filling the prose with cringe from cover to cover.
But that wasn't all: the characterizations were a disaster. Chekov was wildly out of character the entire novel. I barely recognized the man every time he spoke. And what was going on with him and Uhura? Their interactions were written like the author was setting up a romantic fan fiction.
Dr. McCoy had to actively remind himself that if he didn't do his job as a doctor then Kirk would be disappointed in him. What in the world? He, in fact, spends an unconscionable amount of time admiring Kirk's leadership with the slavering devotion of a 13 year old kid experiencing their first crush. The prose and his thoughts were packed with it, like it was his only character trait. It was just... so... weird.
Even the original characters had their problems: An administrator is self-aggrandizing to the point of ridiculousness, and never gains the slightest dimension the entire novel. An "evil" character gives a victory speech wherein they lay out their true goals in such an unnatural and unbelievable way, it felt like notes an author might make to themselves alongside "this is what their motives really are, but there are only hints of the truth in their delusional speech", and then just... forgot to write that part.
The story itself was a bit plodding. Too much action movie, not enough science fiction. The only thing I really did like about it was the excellent descriptions of the extreme weather and the water disaster. There was some visceral writing in those sections that got my eyelids to open a little.
I don't recommend it.
The general plot was just okay, and I think the new species had the potential to be interesting if they'd been explored respectfully. But the author came at the "native" population with a stark colonizer voice, filling the prose with cringe from cover to cover.
But that wasn't all: the characterizations were a disaster. Chekov was wildly out of character the entire novel. I barely recognized the man every time he spoke. And what was going on with him and Uhura? Their interactions were written like the author was setting up a romantic fan fiction.
Dr. McCoy had to actively remind himself that if he didn't do his job as a doctor then Kirk would be disappointed in him. What in the world? He, in fact, spends an unconscionable amount of time admiring Kirk's leadership with the slavering devotion of a 13 year old kid experiencing their first crush. The prose and his thoughts were packed with it, like it was his only character trait. It was just... so... weird.
Even the original characters had their problems: An administrator is self-aggrandizing to the point of ridiculousness, and never gains the slightest dimension the entire novel. An "evil" character gives a victory speech wherein they lay out their true goals in such an unnatural and unbelievable way, it felt like notes an author might make to themselves alongside "this is what their motives really are, but there are only hints of the truth in their delusional speech", and then just... forgot to write that part.
The story itself was a bit plodding. Too much action movie, not enough science fiction. The only thing I really did like about it was the excellent descriptions of the extreme weather and the water disaster. There was some visceral writing in those sections that got my eyelids to open a little.
I don't recommend it.
October 7, 2011
I liked parts of this. The Chekov/Uhura bits weren't all that interesting, and other than skimming them to ensure they didn't end up dead, I didn't really read them. The captain of the ice ship thingy was annoying, and I was pleasantly surprised to find she wasn't Kirk's intended smooch-of-the-week. He didn't have one of those, this time around.
McCoy being the 'star', sort of, was extremely appealing to me, since he's my favorite character for several reasons. I found his fight with the mad doctor to be the best part. Unfortunately, this book is hit with one major flaw in that part.
As much drama as it adds to the proceedings, why in the world wouldn't a Georgian know how to swim? Oh, so his cousin drowned. Um, why didn't he know how to swim before that? And why didn't his cousin know how to swim? McCoy is from Georgia!! Did the author not know that it's really freaking hot there? If not, where have they been? 23rd century or not, I'm pretty sure kids in the South would still know how to swim. I'm pretty sure kids anywhere where it's hot would know how to swim. You can't stay in the air conditioning all the time, and swimming is fun and good exercise.
Anyway, that logical failure aside, this is a fun little read at times. It has its good points, and it's not a bad read when you've got nothing else at hand.
McCoy being the 'star', sort of, was extremely appealing to me, since he's my favorite character for several reasons. I found his fight with the mad doctor to be the best part. Unfortunately, this book is hit with one major flaw in that part.
As much drama as it adds to the proceedings, why in the world wouldn't a Georgian know how to swim? Oh, so his cousin drowned. Um, why didn't he know how to swim before that? And why didn't his cousin know how to swim? McCoy is from Georgia!! Did the author not know that it's really freaking hot there? If not, where have they been? 23rd century or not, I'm pretty sure kids in the South would still know how to swim. I'm pretty sure kids anywhere where it's hot would know how to swim. You can't stay in the air conditioning all the time, and swimming is fun and good exercise.
Anyway, that logical failure aside, this is a fun little read at times. It has its good points, and it's not a bad read when you've got nothing else at hand.
August 31, 2014
The book focuses on Kirk and McCoy on one hand and Chekov and Uhura on the other. There is a bit of Spock, Scott and Sulu, but mostly it’s the aforementioned four and some “Red Shirts”, which we get to know well enough that it actually hurts when/if they die.
As in “Death Count” everyone is very professional and well-trained and I’m still a bit in awe that L. A. Graf managed to pull that off without the book becoming unbearably dull or way too serious. Even in the most dire situations (and in “Ice Trap” there are many) there’s always something to give you hope, to look forward to, to make you smile a bit, because that’s EXACTLY how the characters would react and think like.
I have no idea if the science is sound, but it sounded sound to me, so there.
It was a joy to read.
As in “Death Count” everyone is very professional and well-trained and I’m still a bit in awe that L. A. Graf managed to pull that off without the book becoming unbearably dull or way too serious. Even in the most dire situations (and in “Ice Trap” there are many) there’s always something to give you hope, to look forward to, to make you smile a bit, because that’s EXACTLY how the characters would react and think like.
I have no idea if the science is sound, but it sounded sound to me, so there.
It was a joy to read.
July 6, 2016
have I ever watched star trek? no. but uhura is totally my favourite because she is so damn cool. glad there was so much Uhura Getting Stuff Done in this book.
other than that it was alright, good for reading on the bus or on break at work.
other than that it was alright, good for reading on the bus or on break at work.
November 14, 2011
Well written and true to the Star Trek characters. I especially enjoyed the relationship between McCoy and Kirk and Uhura and Chekov.
January 5, 2025
This book had a lot of Chekov innit but fortunately this is much more like him than characterisations in some of the previous numbered TOS books. Oh yeah, I also liked the story.
May 22, 2012
I gave "Ice Trap" three out of five stars largely because I felt the story's pros and cons weighed almost equally.
Good points:
-Excellent prose. Descriptors were detailed but not overbearing, imagery clear and vivid, dialogue engaging. I could see everything in my mind's eye without effort.
-Good story. It's an adventure with a little mystery thrown in. It kept me interested, always turning the page to read just a little more to find out what happens.
-Focus on McCoy, Chekov, and Uhura. I've not read even a dent into the TOS books, but I was surprised and pleased to see a book focusing more on the supporting crew than the Kirk/Spock centric storyline I often see. I was also happy to read more about McCoy, even get some childhood history, see him vulnerable and understand better the relationship and dependence he has on Kirk.
Bad points:
-I couldn't hear the character voices. Usually, when I read a ST book, if I can "hear" the actor voices from the show in my head while I read the dialogue, I take that as an excellent sign, that the author has captured the essence of the existing characters. It makes the story more authentic to me. This book lacked that voice, especially for Checkov. It's "Keptin," not "Captain," thank you very much.
-I didn't buy into a few points. There are flaws in the story, like Uhura being petite. Short, yes. Petite? No. Another flaw was the end. The solution to the problem came quite fast without any supporting "science" deduction visible in the story. It happens in the Enterprise orbiting the planet and conveniently presents itself at the most critical and opportune moment. Perhaps that is like several episodes of the series, but in this book, it seemed disjointed, almost unbelievable, even if most of the explanation made sense.
-There wasn't enough mystery-solving to offset the action. There was lots of exposition and scene-setting at the beginning, and tons of running for their lives, fights, survival, freezing, and death in the middle and end, but I felt a gap in the "science-y" quality to ST I've come to expect. I'm not saying there's a huge lack, or that it comes out of nowhere, but it could have been padded a bit better to make the resolution more believable.
Summary: Good story, great imagery, enjoyable and engaging, but I probably won't read it again when there's so many other ST books out there to read.
For those of you who know L.A. Graf is a writing team, not a single person, it's been reported that Melissa Crandall worked with Julia Ecklar and Karen Rose Cercone on this book.
Good points:
-Excellent prose. Descriptors were detailed but not overbearing, imagery clear and vivid, dialogue engaging. I could see everything in my mind's eye without effort.
-Good story. It's an adventure with a little mystery thrown in. It kept me interested, always turning the page to read just a little more to find out what happens.
-Focus on McCoy, Chekov, and Uhura. I've not read even a dent into the TOS books, but I was surprised and pleased to see a book focusing more on the supporting crew than the Kirk/Spock centric storyline I often see. I was also happy to read more about McCoy, even get some childhood history, see him vulnerable and understand better the relationship and dependence he has on Kirk.
Bad points:
-I couldn't hear the character voices. Usually, when I read a ST book, if I can "hear" the actor voices from the show in my head while I read the dialogue, I take that as an excellent sign, that the author has captured the essence of the existing characters. It makes the story more authentic to me. This book lacked that voice, especially for Checkov. It's "Keptin," not "Captain," thank you very much.
-I didn't buy into a few points. There are flaws in the story, like Uhura being petite. Short, yes. Petite? No. Another flaw was the end. The solution to the problem came quite fast without any supporting "science" deduction visible in the story. It happens in the Enterprise orbiting the planet and conveniently presents itself at the most critical and opportune moment. Perhaps that is like several episodes of the series, but in this book, it seemed disjointed, almost unbelievable, even if most of the explanation made sense.
-There wasn't enough mystery-solving to offset the action. There was lots of exposition and scene-setting at the beginning, and tons of running for their lives, fights, survival, freezing, and death in the middle and end, but I felt a gap in the "science-y" quality to ST I've come to expect. I'm not saying there's a huge lack, or that it comes out of nowhere, but it could have been padded a bit better to make the resolution more believable.
Summary: Good story, great imagery, enjoyable and engaging, but I probably won't read it again when there's so many other ST books out there to read.
For those of you who know L.A. Graf is a writing team, not a single person, it's been reported that Melissa Crandall worked with Julia Ecklar and Karen Rose Cercone on this book.
July 5, 2010
I found this book between very good and excellent. I'm still torn, as I just finished it yesterday.
You get views of McCoy, Kirk, Uhura, and Chekov. Kirk and McCoy are seperated by a different mission than Uhura and Chekov who go off and try and find the missing crewmen. As I'm discovering with L.A. Graf books, there's an affinity to writing about characters who don't get much "screen time" so to speak. The book focuses mainly on Uhura and Chekov's mission and their interaction with the natives whom I found fascinating and three dimensional. The natives are interacting with the crew throughout the book on different levels, not just a "Hey I saw the natives and now they left the story" kind of thing.
Even though McCoy and Kirk have main parts in the book, their story line was more about McCoy and his interactions and discoveries about the mental illness. Kirk played a very small part in the actual story, but I've found this is normal for Graf books.
Uhura and Chekov's mission was probably the better half of the book, though I like Kirk and McCoy a little better. The mission details are in depth and as plausible as possible for this author. It was smooth, even with the changes between the main story lines, and the ending of the Uhura/Chekov was fairly decent.
The wrap up of the whole book was disappointingly unimaginative. It's a pity, but I sort of expected nothing better because the McCoy/Kirk story line was mediocre most of the time and luke warm at best.
It's worth having, especially if you like Chekov, Uhura, or McCoy or are interested in any kind of new species, but not something I'd put on a priority reading list.
If anything, I'm keeping my copy because the cover art is absolutely gorgeous and the best Kirk profile I have seen on a book yet.
You get views of McCoy, Kirk, Uhura, and Chekov. Kirk and McCoy are seperated by a different mission than Uhura and Chekov who go off and try and find the missing crewmen. As I'm discovering with L.A. Graf books, there's an affinity to writing about characters who don't get much "screen time" so to speak. The book focuses mainly on Uhura and Chekov's mission and their interaction with the natives whom I found fascinating and three dimensional. The natives are interacting with the crew throughout the book on different levels, not just a "Hey I saw the natives and now they left the story" kind of thing.
Even though McCoy and Kirk have main parts in the book, their story line was more about McCoy and his interactions and discoveries about the mental illness. Kirk played a very small part in the actual story, but I've found this is normal for Graf books.
Uhura and Chekov's mission was probably the better half of the book, though I like Kirk and McCoy a little better. The mission details are in depth and as plausible as possible for this author. It was smooth, even with the changes between the main story lines, and the ending of the Uhura/Chekov was fairly decent.
The wrap up of the whole book was disappointingly unimaginative. It's a pity, but I sort of expected nothing better because the McCoy/Kirk story line was mediocre most of the time and luke warm at best.
It's worth having, especially if you like Chekov, Uhura, or McCoy or are interested in any kind of new species, but not something I'd put on a priority reading list.
If anything, I'm keeping my copy because the cover art is absolutely gorgeous and the best Kirk profile I have seen on a book yet.
February 9, 2015
A mediocre Trek offering.
Graf does reasonably well with Uhura and Chekov, but treats Dr. McCoy rather poorly, giving him a bizarre and never established phobia of water out of nowhere and not really managing it very well. Kirk is done reasonably well, but doesn't really get all that much to do, which seems like a shame. Even worse, Spock and the rest of the crew are left almost entirely off-screen for basically the entire book, and McCoy & Kirk are separated from Chekov & Uhura for all the action as well.
The division doesn't do anyone any favors, because by pulling so many characters apart and giving them less familiar people to bounce off of (while not developing any real characters for them to work with) you lose the camaraderie that can carry the book even if the plot thins or lags. And it does lag here. Most of the book is a fight for survival that doesn't feel very terrible and the solution to all the problems pulls together very late and far too neatly.
The heavy-handed attempt to tie things to earth's ecological issues goes over poorly as well. Nothing wrong with using the future to mirror a current-day issue, it happens all the time in sci-fi and the allegory can be tremendously effective, especially when the future design adds a new perspective on the modern problem...but that's not done here.
yawn.
Graf does reasonably well with Uhura and Chekov, but treats Dr. McCoy rather poorly, giving him a bizarre and never established phobia of water out of nowhere and not really managing it very well. Kirk is done reasonably well, but doesn't really get all that much to do, which seems like a shame. Even worse, Spock and the rest of the crew are left almost entirely off-screen for basically the entire book, and McCoy & Kirk are separated from Chekov & Uhura for all the action as well.
The division doesn't do anyone any favors, because by pulling so many characters apart and giving them less familiar people to bounce off of (while not developing any real characters for them to work with) you lose the camaraderie that can carry the book even if the plot thins or lags. And it does lag here. Most of the book is a fight for survival that doesn't feel very terrible and the solution to all the problems pulls together very late and far too neatly.
The heavy-handed attempt to tie things to earth's ecological issues goes over poorly as well. Nothing wrong with using the future to mirror a current-day issue, it happens all the time in sci-fi and the allegory can be tremendously effective, especially when the future design adds a new perspective on the modern problem...but that's not done here.
yawn.
January 11, 2018
Classic Trek featuring McCoy, Uhura and Chekov as the main characters in a tale of the search for survivors of a missing shuttle on a frozen planet that turns into a fight for survival for the would be rescuers. The author has the characters down pat, the dialogue is spot on and the humorous banter from the series is there. The action really picks up in the second half of the book, with cliffhangers at the end of almost every section. A plus is the revelation of a deep fear by McCoy, one that comes into play near the end of the book and he must overcome it. Overall a good read and one that fondly recalls the original show.
August 1, 2012
This is one of my top ten favourite Star Trek books. I can't even remember how many times I've read it. It stands out a bit because it has more emphasis on Chevok than many of the TOS books. Plus, L.A. Graf really nails the original characters and creates interesting new characters.
August 12, 2020
Slowwwwww start to the book but the action picks up in the second half. Mostly features Kirk, McCoy, Chekov, and Uhura. An adventure on an ice planet featuring submarines, ice caves, ulus, and aurora.
October 14, 2014
Good writing. Wonderful read if you're fan of McCoy. Chekov nicely done too. Needs more Spock for sure.
March 3, 2017
another reread as I go through tubs of my books - fun memory
June 28, 2020
Lots of action in this novel as the crew of the Enterprise goes to assist Nordstral Pharmaceuticals on the ice world of Nordstral. The problem is two fold: several scientists on the world have gone insane and there's a missing shuttle's crew. Kirk and McCoy deal with the those who have gone made, while Uhura, Chekov, and some security members look for the missing crew. Naturally everything goes wrong in every possible way. Spock, Sulu, and Scotty remain aboard the Enterprise and don't do too much, but they're fine.
I was impressed with the relationship between Uhura and Chekov in this book, which demonstrated how well they work together and how much each cares for the other--in a non-romantic way. Their fight to survive on the frozen world was excellent. McCoy gets some solid character building as well with a previously undisclosed fear fought head on. His exploits, and Kirk's, come off okay, but hit every possible problem that occur on the vessel they're on. It was fine, but was definitely a checking off a list of obstacles.
This was one of the most action packed Trek novels I've read with Graf masterfully moving to the other group in peril just as the current group finds themselves in a harrowing situation. A highly enjoyable read overall.
I was impressed with the relationship between Uhura and Chekov in this book, which demonstrated how well they work together and how much each cares for the other--in a non-romantic way. Their fight to survive on the frozen world was excellent. McCoy gets some solid character building as well with a previously undisclosed fear fought head on. His exploits, and Kirk's, come off okay, but hit every possible problem that occur on the vessel they're on. It was fine, but was definitely a checking off a list of obstacles.
This was one of the most action packed Trek novels I've read with Graf masterfully moving to the other group in peril just as the current group finds themselves in a harrowing situation. A highly enjoyable read overall.
September 18, 2021
This book takes place somewhere between the end of the TV series and the beginning of the first movie. Kirk is still only the rank of captain but Chekov is now a lieutenant in charge of security.
The story takes place on an ice planet with two away teams; Kirk and McCoy are one team, and Chekov and Uhura the other team. Almost the whole story focuses on these two teams with only the occasional communication from Spock still on the Enterprise. It offers some interesting back story for McCoy and gives Chekov a chance to display some leadership with the position as head of security.
The planet Nordstral has had several instances of human workers of a private company going insane and the rescue mission of the company shuttle that recently crashed. The native Kitka population does not seem to be affected by these bursts of insanity. Chekov and Uhura encounter multiple problems while trying to lead the rescue mission and Kirk and McCoy try to find out what is causing the company people to go insane. The action is fairly non-stop.
The story takes place on an ice planet with two away teams; Kirk and McCoy are one team, and Chekov and Uhura the other team. Almost the whole story focuses on these two teams with only the occasional communication from Spock still on the Enterprise. It offers some interesting back story for McCoy and gives Chekov a chance to display some leadership with the position as head of security.
The planet Nordstral has had several instances of human workers of a private company going insane and the rescue mission of the company shuttle that recently crashed. The native Kitka population does not seem to be affected by these bursts of insanity. Chekov and Uhura encounter multiple problems while trying to lead the rescue mission and Kirk and McCoy try to find out what is causing the company people to go insane. The action is fairly non-stop.
October 23, 2023
LA Graf never get the kudos that more flashy writers like Peter David or Michael Jan Friedman get. They never wrote a hardcover or brought back some big recurring guest star. But they did put out a solid run of novels in the 90s, of which this is the first. A common theme in their books seems to be the highlighting of the more junior members of the crew, mostly Chekov and Uhura in this book, while Spock is shuffled off stage to the point where he's pretty much non-existent. Kirk and McCoy have one plot thread between them, Uhura and Chekov the other. Neither is given A plot or B plot status, they're pretty equal. Not a spectacular book by any stretch of the imagination, but it's a solid story, well written.
One final note; the cover depicts Kirk and McCoy in their Original Series uniforms whilst the novel itself is clearly set between The Motion Picture and Wrath of Khan (Chekov is chief of security, Uhura mentions her 12 years of service and is a Lt Cmdr, Kirk is referred to as Admiral at one point).
One final note; the cover depicts Kirk and McCoy in their Original Series uniforms whilst the novel itself is clearly set between The Motion Picture and Wrath of Khan (Chekov is chief of security, Uhura mentions her 12 years of service and is a Lt Cmdr, Kirk is referred to as Admiral at one point).
July 27, 2025
This was a bit slow in the beginning, I'd say that the first third was set up, but after that point, there is lots of non-stop action. I was not expecting one of the main storylines to focus on Chekov and Uhura. I didn't 100% agree with Chekov's characterization, but I really liked the focus on their friendship. Also, you get to see both of them being competent leaders, although they have very different styles of doing that. I loved the McCoy storyline, but of course I would, because I'm a McCoy fan. There were a couple of times when he was in danger, but I of course knew he would make it out, but it was still fun to find out how. I love that McCoy hated being in the submarine, but of course, he would. There were a couple of minor character deaths, but the author lets you get to know these characters just enough that their deaths do have an impact. I would say the only drawback for some fans might be a lack of Spock, although he does play a role in few key moments. Overall, it's a really solid Trek adventure.
March 3, 2024
Probably leaning more 3.5 because it's probably better than the standard fare Star Trek but I didn't think it was quite a 4. Of the two main stories I think I liked the Chekov and Uhura story the best as McCoy's stress of being in a submarine was also a bit too stressful and the team with Chekov had more action and actual story even though McCoy was busy almost dying a couple times.
I think my main frustration in this book is that each section kept dropping with a cliffhanger and then I had to recalibrate every time the story moved back and remember what was happening when I left. In that regard I felt like the book was trying to shake me loose but I was too stupid to let go.
An ice planet was fun and much different than the standard fare and the one security officer being from Calgary did make me laugh so it definitely had its good parts. Just was missing a little something.
I think my main frustration in this book is that each section kept dropping with a cliffhanger and then I had to recalibrate every time the story moved back and remember what was happening when I left. In that regard I felt like the book was trying to shake me loose but I was too stupid to let go.
An ice planet was fun and much different than the standard fare and the one security officer being from Calgary did make me laugh so it definitely had its good parts. Just was missing a little something.
May 3, 2021
Another decent Star Trek novel, but not fantastic. The main reason is Spock hardly featured. I definitely feel now that I've enjoyed the novels where Spock plays a pivotal role more than when Spock is merely a fleeting character.
This novel seemed more an adventure novel, with little sci-fi influence. While I would have appreciated more sci-fi, I think the adventure side played off well. I really enjoyed meeting the Kitka, and felt they would have made a great race to see on the television screen. Maybe one day.
One thing that bugged me a little was McCoy's reverence of Kirk. He thinks of Kirk as some sort of God, and is actually feels a little creepy in the novels.
As a casual Star Trek fan I can say I enjoyed this novel, and still look forward to reading more.
This novel seemed more an adventure novel, with little sci-fi influence. While I would have appreciated more sci-fi, I think the adventure side played off well. I really enjoyed meeting the Kitka, and felt they would have made a great race to see on the television screen. Maybe one day.
One thing that bugged me a little was McCoy's reverence of Kirk. He thinks of Kirk as some sort of God, and is actually feels a little creepy in the novels.
As a casual Star Trek fan I can say I enjoyed this novel, and still look forward to reading more.
December 12, 2020
I had trouble pinning down where this book fell in the official timeline, but it appears to be after "Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home" because that is where Kirk gets demoted back to Captain. Additionally, it wasn't until the movies that Chekov was promoted from Ensign, Uhura became a Commander, and so on.
Other than that, it seemed to fit well with the personalities as created for the tv series. I did take exception to the overdone maundering by Bones, and the overall lack of perception on any except for Chekov, who saw the betrayal a long way off.
A good but not a great read.
Other than that, it seemed to fit well with the personalities as created for the tv series. I did take exception to the overdone maundering by Bones, and the overall lack of perception on any except for Chekov, who saw the betrayal a long way off.
A good but not a great read.
May 26, 2024
First TOS book I've read, liked it a lot. There is a bit of mystery revolving around the plot, some action, and heroics from Uhura. I wasn't immensely satisfied with the conclusion, but these books can only be a certain amount of pages and it didn't feel too rushed. My biggest gripe is that Uhura isn't on the cover in the outfit she wore down to the planet. The way it was described in the book I bet she looked fineeee as hell and she was probably the biggest hero of the book, she turned a glacier into a sail boat!!!! Solid Star Trek book.
July 7, 2024
Schade. Von diesen Autorinnen hatte ich mir Besseres erhofft. Im ersten Kapitel legen diese die Grundlagen der nachfolgenden Handlung fest. Leider ist die Ausgangssituation stark konstruiert und bedient sich althergebrachter Star-Trek-Zutaten. Danach wird es etwas besser, aber bis Seite neunzig konnte mich der Roman einfach nicht packen und zum Weiterlesen motivieren. Vor allem die schablonenhafte Figur des Stationsleiters mit seiner nervtötenden Persönlichkeit vergällt einem das wenige Lesevergnügen.
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