Hearts and Minds

Star Trek: The Next Generation

by Dayton Ward

Captain Jean-Luc Picard returns in this electrifying thriller set in the Star Trek: The Next Generation universe!

2031: United States Air Force fighter jets shoot down an unidentified spacecraft and take its crew into custody. Soon, it’s learned that the ship is one of several dispatched across space by an alien species, the Eizand, to search for a new home before their own world becomes uninhabitable. Fearing extraterrestrial invasion, government and military agencies which for more than eighty years have operated in secret swing into action, charged with protecting humanity no matter the cost...

2386: Continuing their exploration of the Odyssean Pass, Captain Jean-Luc Picard and the crew of the Starship Enterprise discover what they at first believe is a previously uncharted world, with a civilization still recovering from the effects of global nuclear war. An astonishing priority message from Starfleet Command warns that there’s more to this planet than meets the eye, and Picard soon realizes that the mysteries of this world may well weave through centuries of undisclosed human history...

™, ®, & © 2016 CBS Studios, Inc. Star Trek and related marks are trademarks of CBS Studios, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Genres: Star Trek, Science Fiction, Star Trek The Next Generation, Fiction, Audiobook, Science Fiction Fantasy, Media Tie In

388 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published May 30, 2017

About the author

Dayton 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.

Reviews

[Alejandro · Rating 5 out of 5]

The long journey to the Final Frontier!


This is the third book in the “new era” of “Star Trek: The Next Generation”, in the literary expanding universe (Relaunch Universe), but you didn’t need per se having read any of the previous books if you wish to engage right away into this novel.


CAPTAIN'S LOG

The USS Enterprise-E is exploring an uncharted space sector named “The Odyssean Pass”, far away from Federation’s territory, once again going boldly where no one has gone before. They are reaching an uncharted world, or at least it’s what they think! Since Admiral Akaar breaks protocol and contacts directly to Lt. Cmdr. Taurik and gives him Top Secret information about the incoming alien world with strict orders of briefing Captain Picard about it only when it’d deemed to be necessary. The situation deteriotates even more when early patrol ships from the alien world when they know that the Federation Flagship is carrying people from Earth, they react with hate and suspicion! This will be the most unusual “first contact” mission ever!

Senior Staff:

Capt. Jean-Luc Picard (Commanding Officer)

Cmdr. Worf (First Officer)

Cmdr. Geordi La Forge (Chief Engineering Officer & Second Officer)

Dr. Beverly Crusher (Chief Medical Officer)

Lt. Aneta Šmrhová (Chief Security Officer)

Glinn Ravel Dygan (Operations Manager)

Lt. Dina Elfiki (Chief Science Officer)

Lt. T’Ryssa “Trys” Chen (Contact Specialist)


Support Crew:

Lt. Cmdr. Taurik (Assistant Chief Engineering Officer)

Lt. Joanna Faur (Helmswoman)

Dr. Tamala Harstad (Medical Officer)

Lt. Rennan Konya (Deputy Chief Security Officer)


WILL THE REAL EARTH’S FIRST CONTACT STAND UP?

Federation’s history books tell that Earth got its first contact with an alien species happened on April 4th, 2063, and Captain Picard is aware of this event better than many others in Starfleet, but history books, ironically, hardly ever tell the real truth…

…be ready to read the greatest ode to Star Trek long journey in its first historic small steps into the final frontier!

Its diverse ways, using unmanned space probes from different programs with the goal of leaving the Solar System into the galaxy, and very early manned spacecrafts reaching Mars and Saturn; even before the formation of the United Federation of Planets, and even way before of the formation of Earth’s Starfleet!

But that’s not all!

Since Trekkers know that the “official” first contact on Earth, hardly was the real first time that aliens visited our homeworld and you’ll have them all commented here! Moreover, fans of The X-Files (like me!) will be thrilled to know about top secret US Government interventions in alien ships’ crashes, the usual cover-ups, along with more questionable black ops missions, but also the clash between Earth’s secret agencies with alien agencies with their own reasons to intervene in Earth’s history and its early interactions with alien civilizations and strange worlds.


WITHOUT ALL THE CARDS

In this exciting adventure, almost the whole main crew will have pivotal roles to play (with the sad exception of Dr. Beverly Crusher that she won’t do anything relevant).

Captain Jean-Luc Picard is playing a tricky bet without all the cards at hand, due Admiral Leonard James Akaar (Starfleet’s Commander-in-Chief) is keeping from him sensitive top secret information about the supposed uncharted alien world that the Enterprise-E is about to reach, in the far distant Oddysean Pass space sector, and putting Lt. Cmdr. Taurik between a rock and a hard place, giving to the Vulcan officer the very information that Picard’s desperately need to deal with his mission but with express orders to Taurik of not making a full revealing and only debrief precise pieces of information, depending of each step in the convulted “first contact” mission.

This offbeat mission will be unexpected troublesome even to seasoned officers like Picard, Worf and La Forge, therefore they will need all the support of their younger officers like T’Ryssa, Elfiki, Dygan, Šmrhová, Faur, and above all, Taurik, to try to find a way and avoiding the most possible losses of lives, on each side of the conflict.

Diplomacy, duty, loyalty, patience and caution will be put to the maximum test to avoid an already disastrous “first contact” scenario to evolve into something even more volatile and regrettable.

The ultimate access to history lessons about Star Trek first voyages and repercussions into the final frontier is here!

[Jamie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A solid final book in Dayton Ward's loose trilogy that began with From History's Shadow and Elusive Salvation. Unlike those, the plot here feels very tight and focused and is essentially a first contact story involving Picard and the Enterprise crew with some complicating, even shocking, historical factors. Like previous books, the chapters alternate between two timelines, one in the 21st century and one in the 24th. Yet they are tightly woven for good effect, effectively generating suspense. Ward exposes some interesting background on the early beginnings of the secretive Section 31 organization, as well as some intriguing details on Gary Seven's fate as well as on Aegis, the enigmatic alien organization he works for whose aim is to subtlety assist humanity to avoid disaster as it fulfills its potential on the galactic stage.

[John Christensen · Rating 2 out of 5]

A good book made worse by unnecessary plot tie-ins

This is about 90% of a good book, a great Star Trek tale about first contact with a civilization that had a tragic contact with Earth before the Federation existed. I really like the TNG focus on new crew members, instead of only focusing on the remaining TV characters. I also like the focus on continuity within these novels. What doesn't make much sense is the tension arranged between Picard, Akaar and one of the crew members. It adds literally nothing to the main narrative and the reasoning only comes up at the very end of the novel. Yes, it was important but it made no sense that events occurred the way they did. You wait the entire book for a payoff of information related to the main plot that never occurs.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very enjoyable read

[Mark · Rating 2 out of 5]

When I was a kid the original Star Trek series was among my favorite shows. Though dated today in many respects (I'm sure somewhere on the Internet there's an essay about those minidresses that the female crewmembers wore), it was an exciting and fun series that offered an optimistic picture of the future. That was not easy to envisage in the Cold War-dominated 1960s, and the show reflected this with episodes that referenced the nuclear tensions of the late-20th century and even the ominous-sounding "Eugenics Wars" of the then-futuristic 1990s.

As it turned out, the show went on and the Cold War didn't. As the Star Trek franchise spawned movies and additional TV shows, the canon on which it was all based looked increasingly outdated. The problem was that it was impossible to ignore it. After all, how can you dismiss the "Eugenics Wars of the 1990s," which it was the basis of not just one of the best episodes of the original series, but the best movie of the entire franchise? So the solution was to construct an ever-more-elaborate backstory that connected it all together, one that, had to evolve to take into account additions made by subsequent shows and even novels.

This effort is at the heart of Dayton Ward's book. In it the Enterprise-E is on a mission in unexplored space that brings it into contact with an alien species still recovering from a nuclear war that took place centuries before. The war was tied to an exploration effort the species undertook three hundred years before — one that brought it into contact with early 21st century Earth. Through this premise Ward connects events in the 24th century to characters and plot strands from three different Star Trek series, as well as novels written by other authors. It's really an impressive exercise from a franchise standpoint, though one that is hobbled by two problems. The first is the underlying plot, which staggers out the development of the backstory to cover for the fact that the story involving Picard and company just isn't all that substantial. The other is Ward's apparent need to incorporate nearly every possible character from the franchise's take on 21st century Earth history. It's an impressive effort in some respects, but it also left me thinking that Ward was more interested in creating a Grand Unified History of the Star Trek universe than he was in telling a good story. It makes for a frustrating read, yet one that should be enjoyed by fans looking to fill in some of the gaps in the Star Trek universe — at least until another series or movie introduces new elements that renders it all contradictory or irrelevant.

[Daniel Kukwa · Rating 3 out of 5]

This made for a super-fast holiday read, but a bleak and depressing one...especially for a Trek novel. As a conclusion to the Dayton Ward trilogy that starts with "From History's Shadow", it does a fine job, but it doesn't quite match the thrills & time-bending adventure of his previous novel, "Elusive Salvation". A novel that's more interesting for what it sets up for the future of Jean-Luc Picard, as opposed to the grand story it concludes.

[reherrma · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Herz und Verstand" ist wieder einer jener Romane, in dem versucht wird, den Star Trek Kanon zu einem größeren Ganzen zusammenzufügen. Dass man dies immer wieder in den Novellisationen des Star Trek Universums versucht ist einerseits löblich und vorbildlich, andererseits aber wieder hoffnungslos, weil sich die Verantwortlichen der Star Trek TV- und Streamingserien sich einen Dreck darum scheren, denen ist der Star Trek Kanon egal, es geht nur um Einschaltquoten, statt den künstlerischen Aspekt zu betonen. Der Roman wird in zwei Zeitebenen erzählt, im Jahre 2386, ein paar Monate nach den Ereignissen mit dem klingonischen Kult der Unbesungenen ("Star Trek: Prey") und kurz vor den Enthüllungen um die Sektion 31, als die Enterprise-E unter Captain Picard auf einen Planeten in einer fremden Region des Alpha-Quadranten stößt, der von einem globalen Nuklearkrieg gezeichnet ist. Schon bald stellt sich heraus, dass dieser Planet, dessen Bewohner sich Eizand nennen, bereits früher Kontakt mit der Erde hatte. Doch was genau geschehen war, ist für die Crew ein großes Rätsel, dessen Antwort dadurch erschwert wird, dass das Sternenflottenoberkommando anscheinend mehr darüber weiß, diese Infos aber nicht an Picard weitergibt. In der zweiten Handlungsebene, die in den 30er und 40er Jahre des 21. Jahrhunderts spielt, (vor und während des 3. Weltkrieges) wird von der Geheimorganisation Majestic 12 und den Agenten des Aegis berichtet, die in verschiedenen Epochen des Star Trek Kanons bereits Thema waren. Darunter auch zwei TOS-Büchern, die hierzulande nie erschienen sind. Die Bände „Elusive Salvation“ und „From History’s Shadow“ beschreiben die Historie des Konflikts zwischen diesen beiden Parteien, wobei dabei unter anderem auch Gary Seven auftaucht, der aus der TOS-Folge" Ein Planet, genannt Erde" her bekannt ist. Es ist aber kein Wissen aus den Büchern notwendig, um die Handlung dieses Romans zu verstehen.
In dieser Vergangenheit wird ein Raumschiff der Eizand über der Erde abgeschossen. Damit wird es zum Auslöser der Eskalation eines bis dahin lange schwelenden Konflikts zwischen der Geheimorganisation Majestic 12 und der Aegis unter Gary Seven. Aus der Perspektive des Vulkaniers Menstral (der lange vor dem Erstkontakt mit den Vulkaniern auf der Erde lebt) erlebt man mit, wie Majestic 12 und Aegis aneinandergeraten und am Ende die Vertreter der letzteren Macht untertauchen müssen, da die Unterstützung ihrer ominösen Führer komplett eingestellt wurde. Die verschiedenen politischen Ansichten beider Fraktionen werden dabei gut herausgearbeitet.
Majestic 12 wirkt wie eine typische, paranoide Regierungsorganisation, deren einziges Ziel es ist, die Erde vor außerirdischen Kräften zu schützen. Die übrigens ausnahmslos als feindlich und gefährlich angesehen werden. Doch Dayton Ward verzichtet darauf, sie allzu plump darzustellen. Auch wenn ihr Vorgehen alles andere als gut zu empfinden ist, wird sie durch Charaktere wie Gerald Markham ausreichend humanisiert, damit sie glaubwürdig wirken.
Bei der Begegnung zwischen Picard und Vertretern der Eizand wird Picard festgenommen und soll vor ein Gericht gebracht werden, weil die Menschheit für die Zerstörung der Heimatwelt der Eizand verantwortlich gemacht wird, denn Majestic 12 hat ein Raumschiff mit Hilfe von Eizand-Technologie kurz nach dem 3. Weltkrieg geschickt, um die Eizand daran zu hindern, die vermeintliche Invasion der Erde zu ermöglichen. Es ist klar, dass hier Parallelen zu der „Star Trek“ – Erde des dritten Weltkriegs aufkommen sollen, was dem Autor gelungen ist. Doch gleichzeitig wird hier zunächst angedeutet, dass Dinge nicht so sind, wie sie zu sein scheinen. So war es keineswegs die Alleinschuld der Menschheit was hier geschehen ist. Am Ende wird noch angedeutet, dass Picards Verwicklungen um die Ermordung des Förderationspräsidenten Zife durch Sektion 31 während des Dominion-Krieges aufgedeckt werden könnte, diese Enthüllungen könnte die Förderation und die Sternenflotte in eine weitere Zerreißprobe bringen...

[Christopher Backa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the audiobook. The book takes place before first contact when Vulcans landed on earth and in the future with the Enterprise and their discovery of a world visited by earth long in the past. The book almost feels like an original series story but with the TNG crew.

[Jimyanni · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not bad, not as good as some of Ward's other novels involving Gary Seven & co. The part of the story taking place in the "Next Generation"'s present seemed a bit forced; the aliens seemed in general too reasonable to threaten to hold Picard responsible for things that happened generations ago, and if they WERE going to do so, it seems doubtful that they could be convinced so easily that everything they knew of their own history was a lie, or that it made it all better and humanity could be trusted just because the astronauts themselves didn't follow through on their mission, when that mission was planned and set in motion by humans in charge of society.

[Faire_00 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ein wirklich toller Star Trek Roman. Endlich wird mal die Zeit um den 3. Weltkrieg herum ein wenig beleuchtet und es wird ein wenig mehr über die Aegis-Agententen erzählt, auch wenn ich immer noch darauf warte, dass die Förderation mal auf diese Spezies tritt.
Die ganze Geschichte, welche sich "in der Vergangenheit" abspielt ist auch sehr realistisch, denn ich kann mir gut vorstellen, dass sich die Regierungen der Erde so verhalten würden.

[Sean Randall · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really have come to enjoy these stories, even if the characters aren't quite onscreen favourites and if I've missed a lot of history. I am genuinely looking forward to reading old Picard, because his ending has to surely be absolutely spectacular. this story was great, filling in gaps and popping pieces into place with style and ease.

[Tad · Rating 4 out of 5]

Star Trek The Next Generation: Hearts and Minds is the latest novel in the Star Trek universe by Dayton Ward. The book takes place in two timelines, one starting in 2031 as an alien ship is shot down over the United States, and the other as the crew of the Enterprise under the command of Jean Luc Picard make what they believe to be first contact with another space faring civilization.

Things are never as simple as they first seem, and in both timelines, complications soon begin piling up. Before the Enterprise can make contact with the alien Eizand, he receives cryptic orders from Starfleet command warning him that this planet, devastated by nuclear war, may hold secrets. Meanwhile, in the earth-centered timeline, the crashed alien craft leads to investigation by Majestic 12, as well as the group of people who have been watching and sometimes guiding human events that fans of the original series first encountered in the form of Gary Seven.

The Eizand turn out to be the race common to both timelines. As xenophobic elements on earth debate taking aggressive action towards this alien race, Picard and the Enterprise are surprised to discover that the Eizand are familiar with Earth. Picard and his crew must unlock the mystery of what led to disaster for the Eizand and trace its history back to 21st century Earth.

Ward does a good job of spending time with both the well-known characters such as Picard, Worf and La Forge as well as lesser known characters and ones from favorite episodes such as Gary Seven. He blends in new characters as well that make for a balanced and interesting cast.

Juggling the two time frames becomes a little distracting at times as it proves difficult for the story to maintain momentum in both. Starfleet’s cryptic interference with Picard’s command annoys him greatly, and it is frustrating for readers as well. Eventually Picard and his crew shed new light on a centuries old event which will reshape how both civilizations view their own respective histories.

I’m a big fan of the continued adventures in the Star Trek universe and the opportunity they present to spend time with favorite characters, learn more about minor characters and meet new ones. Hearts and Minds is a lot of fun for Star Trek fans.

Robert Petkoff is the narrator for this book and once again does a stellar job. His command of multiple character voices is superb and it’s hard to believe that one person is doing the reading. His reading complements the story in both pacing and emphasis. He is my go-to narrator for any Star Trek book and makes the audio version of these stories my preferred way of consuming them. I don’t care what he’s reading, I’ll listen.

I was fortunate to receive a copy of this audiobook from the publisher.

[Lori S. · Rating 3 out of 5]

An OK read, though you should have a good grasp on Star Trek history before committing.

[Ellen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bit confusing but I loved the historical element of the book.

[Stacey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun Star Trek adventure that looked at how we acknowledge and move forward when coming to terms with our cultures dark past.

This does not follow the same time line as the new Picard show...so be prepared for some discrepancies.

[Chris (horizon_brave) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hmm So this is my second Star Trek book in a row. (The streak has been snapped already though, as I'm currently reading...dum dum dum...Star Wars: Thrawn! Sorry Trekkies! Now, apparently this newer set of "post CBS" ownership has opened the doors for more liberal storylines. I was under the impression that the previous book I read and reviewed "Headlong Flight" was the prior book in the series. That being said I was a bit disappointed in seeing that this book, "Hearts and Minds" made no reference at all to the very monumental and time shifting story of the previous. Literally the crew went back in to AND to another dimension at once. You think something like that...oh I don't know...*may* come up again in conversation?? Besides both books made heavy mention of the Department of Temporal Investigations or DTI. This shadowy organization was created for the sole purpose of keeping track of and monitoring Starfleet operations that have to do with time travel, and altering time lines. So again you think after Headlong Flight, the author would have put something a bit more explicit into the story of Hearts and Minds, atleast at the beginning, that actions were taken, and some sort of acknowledgement of the pretty mind boggling events of the Headlong Flight. The beginning of Hearts and Minds just picks up as if nothing had happened. While this serialization is almost a trademark of the Star Trek series, I expect a bit more continuity between the books...

With that aside, I want to say this was an enjoyable book. Now I almost wish to add the word "textbook". What I mean by this is that the story written here, like 90% of Star Trek tales... has deep roots in past, prior events. So the easiest and most convenient way to relate these events to us the reader is just to have them explained. Normally in a "regular" book this probably won't take too much time, and would probably be rather simple and won't stand out too much. Unfortunately with a series like Star Trek which often has A LOT of exposition, and backstory, and relationships between races, inevitable secret plots, etc, so there is likewise, A LOT to impart on us. When things like this happen (in any book) it becomes hard for the author to give us a glimpse of past events without just lecturing to us. A benefit of Star Trek is that as a Science Fiction book, they have the luxury of the crew to actually go back in time and "see" the prior events unfold or what have you. Another opportunity to relate past information is to create a story line about the characters of that time and toggle back and forth between times and character perspectives. Interestingly Hearts and Minds does both. But due to the heavy, and complicated story that's woven, the book reads in many many ways more like an encyclopedia than a novel. Or maybe I should say a history textbook. In my notes I say that it's an Encyclopedia wrapped up in the guise of a novel. And in A LOT of chapters and great lengths, the story stops completely and just go into full history recap mode of the events involving Earth's first contact with a race called the Eizands, from the planet Sralanya. Now to me, the handling of the relating to us of the events was done decently. I actually enjoyed the historical passages and it didn't come off as boring, since the events talked about where pretty interesting. I will say this though, as someone who hadn't seen the original "first contact" stories between Earth and Vulcan, and know about how Earth came into the knowledge of Alien races, this may get confusing, and even borderline tedious to keep up with. While I appreciate the sort of "no hands handling", it does assume a tad bit of knowledge about certain events.

Now I'm also not a fan of tacking on more backstory to an already established backstory. This book attempts to add a new level of secrecy and conspiracy to the first Vulcan/Human contact story. Here is where there is a problem with the Trek Verse...it's A. Just too damn big. I mean this in terms of how long it's been supported, and written for, and having so many authors on it. (Suffers from the too many cooks problem..) I'm not a trekkie as others would consider themselves, but I do have a decent knowledge of the universe, and basic stories/characters and series. The super secret faction here that is "introduced" to us. is the Aegis. I had no idea about their existence... And while the story does attempt to make some backstory known (again one of those novel becoming a textbook moments.) it can still be very confusing.

So I said I actually enjoyed this book right?? Well I did, I felt like the flaws that it has... are sort of repairable by the reader's knowledge and homework about the Trek verse. As stated earlier, I'm not a huge fan of author's taking a series of events that have been established, and then going back and adding or modifying the story. This happens far far too often in Star Trek and it's what makes the story near impossible to actually follow without the need to branch stories, create more and more paralell universes etc.. That being said... When something can be added and it's actually and a clever idea....well...I still don't like it, but I can appreciate it. This happens in Hearts and Minds, as the author decides to take and pull into the story, the whole 1940's MJ-12 conspiracies. Now it just so happens that I knew of this organization and the conspiracy stories surrounding it prior, so I wasn't taken aback by it. But for someone not in the know, this may come off as just a random shady organization, which unfortunately is a huge cliche in Sci Fi books in general.

I was really really stoked and surprised that the idea and story of the Majestic 12 or "MJ-12" is used here. The more I read the Star Trek books (this is my second), the more I'm taken aback by the quality and thought put into each. The inclusion of the idea that some of the world leaders formed a secret pact to keep the first captured and contacted alien race a secret was something I've heard before in an animated series called "lain". So I was really interested in seeing the Star Trek take on it.
Majestic 12, eventually becomes a very super secret agency known as Section 31. (actually apart of Trek Canon)
Loosely speaking, it was Starfleet's black-ops division, operating separately from and usually without the knowledge of Starfleet Intelligence (though it often recruited members of Starfleet Intelligence). Section 31 was also somewhat comparable to the Romulan Tal Shiar or Cardassian Obsidian Order – unlike these other organizations, however, Section 31's very existence was a deeply buried secret, known only to a handful of people beyond its own membership

So there... I knew the book couldn't help making the story into one with a super secret shady organization...

Pressed for time and getting tired, so I'll wrap this up with some general thoughts.

First the narration done for this book is really good! In the previous book many of the characters sounded very generic, and Picard didn't have the accent as promenently as it's spoken here. And Worf actually sounds like he has a pair here! Much more Worflike. The previous book, he just sounded like a guy with a horsed voice.

The characters are the same "B-Team" crew we had in Headlong Flight. Which is a good thing! I've grown attached to the new younger team, and their 'come uppins' attempts to fill the shoes of the TNG tv show crew. There honestly wasn't a lot of crew relationship building here, as the book was literally too filled already with explaining what happened in the past, 300 years prior with events between Earth and Sralanya. The history of the Earth space program is given a nice layer of flesh as it mentions the Aeries missions to Mars, and the crew that would eventually travel to Sralanya. Which I suppose would make it the real first race that Humanity encounters? But then the Aegis have sent Vulcan's and other species to earth to act as agents of change and correction. But I'm assuming to the public, the first race of first contact was Vulcans...I don't know! Shit is too confusing... It'd make it so much easier if we just nixed the idea of Time travel.

One last note and something that I hope gets continued is that there is now a rising tension developing between Picard and one of the head admirals of Star Fleet. Admiral Akaar has some dirt on Picard (picard was part of a plot to overthrow one of the earlier admirals, Min Zife do to his unfit behavior, and nearly genecidal acts. No trial was given and he was forced out with no justice served and eventually killed)
and wants Picard to be see as a traitor and embarressed. There is indeed a long storied (of course) backstory here between Picard, Akaar and the Min Zife fiasco, but I'll leave it to you dear reader to do the homework yourself.

Overall..if you like Trek, you're going to really enjoy this. Undoubtly it has a very trek like feel. Good moments of humor, our selected few "classic" team members are around like Worf, LaForge, Crusher, etc. but they don't step into the spotlight this go round. This is almost entirely based on somewhat of the new B listers, but mainly, the book comes across as a history re-write to establish what happened, who this "new" race of Ezand are and how Earth came to refind them. It was really interesting! Just don't expect a lot of character development, and personal story laid here. The best we get is the hostility between Picard and Akaar opened up.

[Ceremony · Rating 4 out of 5]

ziemlich gutes buch und mit einigen verknüpfungen die langjährigen star trek fans einblicke eröffnen in eher unbekannte gefilde :)

[Michele Jenkins · Rating 2 out of 5]

Totally forgettable, thin characters, pretty disappointing compared to other ST:TNG books I've read...

[Maurice Jr. · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Enterprise is charting the Odyssean Pass when they discover a planet that should not be there. As they prepare to make first contact, Captain Picard discovers that Lieutenant Commander Taurik has been given orders from Admiral Akaar regarding this planet that Picard was not aware of.

Taurik feels torn between his duty to his captain and the orders from higher in the chain of command. He strives to help as best he can without disregarding either the captain or the admiral, but it isn't easy.

The civilization below (the Eizand) doesn't want to talk with the Enterprise until they learn that people from Earth are among the Enterprise crew. Captain Picard leads the away team to make formal first c0ntact, only to find that their contact with Earth occurred centuries ago, and that there are secrets from that contact yet to be revealed.

Despite their formidable diplomatic skills, Captain Picard and Lieutenant T'Ryssa Chen are hard pressed to resolve a dispute reaching back to before Earth developed faster than light travel, and the true first contact between Earth and the Eizand.

I was blown away by the magnitude of the secrets revealed by this contact, and the possible connection to the mysterious Section 31. It was interesting to go back and forth between 2386 with the Enterprise and the Eizand, and 2031-2044, when the situation that the Enterprise is trying to defuse was born and played out. To fully appreciate this book, I found out that I'll need to read Star Trek Section 31: Control. Given the revelations alluded to in this book that are found there, I'm looking forward to reading it.

[Kat · Rating 2 out of 5]

Since this takes place late in the novelized Star Trek history (and has ties to the original series as well), there's about a 100 dull pages of info dumping in the beginning of this book. Only Picard and Worf are present, so, generic, obligatory forced comaraderie is inserted in a failed attempt to establish the relationship of the background characters.

The book ends with a boring denouement about something completely unrelated to anything that's come before (or was discussed in the 100 pages of info dumping in the beginning of the book). Complete non sequitur from any part of the plot ruins any resolution of the actual story.

Picard acts out of character, venting frustrations with his superiors onto junior officers - which he would never do. The historical plot is dull and undercuts what could have been an interesting moral dilemma for an informed Captain Picord to navigate.

This book lacks majorly in characterization, as a stand alone story and in unique plot.

[Etienne · Rating 1 out of 5]

I picked up this book because I wanted to immerse myself in a written Star Trek adventure, but I have been very disappointed by it. This is a space/espionage novel that, until the second half, has very little to do with the Star Trek context that seemed to be almost a mere afterthought. Barely 5% of it is spent with the crew of the Enterprise. Moreover, the author repeats story elements often and spends much ink building backstories of unimportant characters. A waste of time on which I should have given up when I felt like it halfway through.

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun follow-up to previous TOS novels From History's Shadow and Elusive Salvation, while at the same time continuing the voyages of the Enterprise-E in the Odyssean Pass from Armageddon's Arrow and Headlong Flight. Hearts and Minds also deals with some weighty issues, and I'm fascinated to see where Picard's story goes from here.

Full review (video): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jtN4W...

[Rev. House · Rating 4 out of 5]

(Originally posted at https://trekmovie.com/2017/06/01/revi...)

Winston Churchill is said to have remarked, “history is written by the victors.” But does that mean that all history is propaganda? What happens when history has singled your people out as monsters? How do you respond with both humility and a commitment to truth?

Heady issues form the spine of Dayton Ward’s brand-new Star Trek: The Next Generation novel, Hearts and Minds, but the meat of the book is a tension-filled covert action thriller that for the most part keeps the reader glued to the page.

The action in Hearts and Minds takes place in two time periods. The main story follows Captain Jean-Luc Picard and the crew of the USS Enterprise NCC-1701-E in the 24th Century some seven years after Star Trek: Nemesis and following the events from Ward’s Star Trek: The Next Generation: Headlong Flight (released in January). They are exploring the Odyssean Pass, a poorly-charted region of space far from Earth. When the Enterprise investigates signs of a spacefaring culture in one of the solar systems in the area, their approach triggers a series of cryptic orders that throws Captain Picard into potential conflict with Starfleet Command. Vulcan engineer Taurik (known to TNG fans from the episode “Lower Decks”) has background information and specific orders from Admiral Leonard James Akaar (the baby from the TOS episode, “Friday’s Child”), but is under orders to reveal to Captain Picard only what he absolutely needs to know in order to complete his mission. This tension between Taurik, Akaar, and Picard throws a monkey wrench into Picard’s ability to make first contact. Things get even more intriguing when it becomes clear that this may not be Earth’s first contact with this planet, after all, and that the prior contact may well have been disastrous for all concerned.

The second time period is 21st Century Earth, where the secret American agency Majestic 12 is tracking down a crashed alien ship and its lone survivor. At the same time, the mysterious agents of Aegis, a group of highly-advanced, benevolent aliens helping to shepherd the Earth through its turbulent adolescence into peaceful coexistence with the rest of the galaxy, work to keep Majestic 12 from making mistakes that cannot be undone in their contact with this alien species.

The 24th Century storyline starts out slowly and is filled with frustration in its early stages, but builds to become an exciting race to understand whether the people of Earth interfered disastrously in an alien culture long before the existence of the Prime Directive. The lives of Captain Picard and his crew are at stake, as is the Federation’s understanding of its history. Meanwhile, the 21st Century tale starts out with a bang, but ends up meandering along to its conclusion by the end of the novel. The Majestic 12 storyline keeps your interest high near the beginning of the book, and the Enterprise storyline picks up the excitement towards the middle of the story. As a result, there’s enough going on to keep you turning the pages, wondering what will happen next.

It’s part first-contact story, part spy thriller, and part action adventure, and author Ward makes it all work together. This is the first novel I’ve read by him, and I hope it will not be the last.

The very end of the book picks up key threads from David Mack’s Star Trek: Section 31: Control (which I reviewed last month) and brings them into Captain Picard’s world. I’m interested to see where that goes from here.

Final analysis

There’s a lot of continuity referred to in this novel that as a newcomer to recent Trek fiction I was a bit lost in, but Ward gave enough details for me to catch what’s been going on. For newcomers like me, hang in there, the bulk of the book is comprehensible and enjoyable.

I would have liked a closer look at the culture of the alien race the crew encounters, and some indication of what makes them different from how humanity sees the universe. But other than those things, I found this novel a lot of fun, it held my interest, and made me want more.

[Kristen · Rating 3 out of 5]

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A dual timeline Trek novel, the earlier timeline taking place mostly in the mid-21st century and the later timeline in Picard’s 24th century. On Earth, Vulcans have recently made first contact. However, other species have also had their eye on Earth and their intentions do not seem to be as honorable as the Vulcans’. Members of secret government agencies have decided that they have to take preemptive measures to secure the safety of Earth. On the Enterprise, Picard learns that one of his officers has been given orders by an admiral which may directly impact Picard’s own authority on the ship. The information the officer has may solve a centuries-old mystery that is playing out its final acts during the Enterprise’s current mission. With relations between a new species on the line, Picard and crew are hard at work figuring out how events of the past are continuing to influence their present, and how to resolve a volatile situation.

Sometimes dual timeline novels are not my cup of tea, but this one worked out all right for me. It was interesting to see how events from Earth’s past are influencing the players in the 24th century. The theme of history being written by the victors is woven throughout and provides a sharp counterpoint to the utopian vision so often seen in the Federation. This story shows that not all history, not even the Federation’s, is what it seems to be. It makes you think about what you thought you knew. I found myself wondering what history I’ve been taught that is completely wrong. Lots, probably.

This wasn’t my favorite Trek novel, but it wasn’t bad. I generally enjoy Dayton Ward’s novels and this was still a fun read, if not utterly gripping.

Favorite part/ lines (potential spoilers!):
- There was a time when my people were gripped by a number of irrational fears, Presider, and it was because of such fear that we nearly destroyed ourselves.
- ...humans had not always comported themselves in the best manner, and for all the amazing leaps in science and technology, there remained significant work to be done in this area of learning how to live in peace and harmony with one another. While there had been some advancement, there seemed to be very little progress. Despite their apparently unlimited potential, were humans ultimately a lost cause?
- It was no different when it came to those horrific occasions when he ordered subordinates on missions that led to their deaths. He never undertook such action lightly, and the repercussions of those decisions would always haunt him. Picard was grateful for that burden; it reminded him of the sacrifices made by those who answered the call to service and the tremendous costs that duty sometimes exacted.
- I do not fear the truth, Presider.
- The path to the truth is a long one, but we can travel it together, if you’ll allow us to walk with you.
- ‘And where do we go from here?’ ‘Forward, Presider Hilonu,’ said Picard. ‘Always forward.’

[Paul Lunger · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dayton Ward's "Hearts and Minds" is one of those rare books in the TNG era which runs parallel stories that actually make sense as he fills in a few gaps in 21st century Earth history as well as setting the stage for the fall out of events out of the last Section 31 novel. In 2386, the Enterprise is continuing its exploration of the Odyssean Pass & approaches a world held by the Eizand a world unbeknownst to Picard & company initially that this is not a true 1st contact situation. Picard is given instructions by Admiral Akaar which he dislikes explaining that there is a liaison aboard ship Taurik who will be also relaying information from the admiralty to him to uncover a secret buried in 21st century Earth history. The encounter with the Eizand brings back memories of the aftermath of Earth's Third World War & over time as that secret in their past ties into a present which shakes the entire belief system of the planet & its populace.

The parallel story in this book begins with the crash landing of an Eizand vessel in Georgia in 2031. We see more of the Aegis & their dealings w/in this piece of period as they are trying to protect the citizens of Earth from an alien reveal that they aren't entirely ready to deal with. Also the introduction of Majestic 12 (MJ-12) reveals that there are forces at work within the US government trying to undermine the potential alien threat to Earth. Across snippets stretching to 2067, we the reader see more of the 21st century & the events leading up to & after World War 3 which again remains one of the great gaps never explored in the Star Trek fiction. Ward's use of Rain Robinson & Mestral also seem appropriate considering the time frame we the reader are in along w/ references to Gary Seven & Roberta Lincoln.

Overall, the book itself is an interesting read as we the reader get a unique look at an untold chapter in Earth history as well as seeing again the crew of the Enterprise face odds that it shouldn't have. If anything, it also serves as a backdrop for future books which will likely be released in 2018 that deal with what is going to be a very interesting new world we the reader are in come late 2386 in the relaunch universe.

[Elrich Cruz · Rating 1 out of 5]

"The first duty of every Starfleet officer is to the truth, whether it's scientific truth or historical truth or personal truth! It is the guiding principle on which Starfleet is based..."
This is one of my favorite quotes from Star Trek TNG. The Picard in these book is not the same man who said these words. This idea that we have to protect people from the truth is ridiculous and self-serving, confronting uncomfortable truths would be more difficult in the short run but would help us grow as a people, help us learn from our mistakes(after all we cannot learn from our mistakes if we don't know them) and have a more lasting impact in the long run. Jean-Luc Picard in the TV show knew this, Picard in the books seems to have forgotten it.

I have a love/hate relationship with Star Trek books, on the one hand I love reading about the continuing adventures of the starship Enterprise, on the other, I hate how these authors use this universe to explain away and justify the shitty foreign policy of the US empire.

NO! THE FEDERATION IS NOT ALLEGORY FOR THE US! STARFLEET IS NOT A MILITARY FORCE!
The Federation is what we could accomplish given the right motivation.

Star Trek The Next Generation was very influential in the formation of my worldview, it showed that, although flawed, humanity could accomplish great things. In the books however, it seems humanity has already reached its peak and now we are simply justifying our past actions rather than taking responsibility for them.
I don't think Gene Roddenberry would like the directions the books have taken with his creation.

[Elliot Weeks · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book started with a ton of potential but I found myself really struggling to maintain enthusiasm for the last third of the book. Mr. Ward had an interesting 21st century plot, only to abandon those characters he spent half of the book developing during the climax. The TNG portion of the book started maddeningly slow and didn’t pay off in terms of the Taurik problem (he STILL has future knowledge?? Get on with it...) and the Eizand problem resolved itself very abruptly and too neatly.

Also, if they already tried and executed the original astronauts who they thought did the crime, why would they feel like they needed to try Picard? I never felt like there was clear explanation of that—just an excuse to get the away team in trouble.

Another problem that happened in both of Mr. Ward’s last two books is the Enterprise not working at full capacity for some reason and getting handily out maneuvered by technology centuries older. I know that actual reasons were presented for this, but I remember it bothering me both times.

All in all this was an interesting story but the last 130 pages or so really made it a struggle.

[Geoff Habiger · Rating 3 out of 5]

Star Trek: Hearts and Minds is your typical Star Trek: TNG story. There wasn’t anything new or different about the plot, what happened, or the outcome. The Enterprise and crew are put into a dire situation, and the day is saved at the last minute. (Very much like a typical TNG TV episode.) Dayton Ward gets the main characters – Picard, Worf, LaForge right and that goes a long way to making Hearts and Minds an enjoyable read. My problem with the book had to do with the secondary (slightly parallel) storyline set on 21st century Earth. I found this storyline to be a big backstory info-dump that did not do anything to advance the main story featuring Picard et. al. I did not care about those characters, I did not care about the events, and I felt there was a lot of “name dropping” of minor characters from TOS to try to force a continuity of events. There were also some plot points and storylines that remained unanswered and failing to tie up those loose ends left a feeling of incompleteness about the story.

[J · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hearts and Minds continues the story of the USS Enterprise E and it's exploration of the Odyssean Pass. Captain Jean-Luc Picard has found a planet, but before he can make contact, he is confronted by mysterious information that he is not the first to visit this world.

Mr Ward did a great job of world building and maintaining two stories running in parallel. Seeing our near future and Star Trek's distant past is always great fun for me and he does not disappoint. Also done well is the story of a modern director of a secret agency (a pre-cursor to Section 31) that falls from favor and redeems herself in her own eyes.

Unfortunately Mr. Ward did not let us all in on the joke. Far too many inside references are placed in the book and some are needed to understand the 21st century characters. Also less than believable was the out-of-the-blue change of hearts of the 21st century characters only introduced after their journey. (I'm trying not to spoil) These people were groomed by a clandestine group and that 3 of them would all change heart and no one catch on was far-fetched. And as usual a planet willing to turn its history on its' head on the word of malcontents and aliens is also not believable. (Maybe the dissent happens off-screen, but it should have shown up somehow).

Despite its drawbacks, the story is good, sprawling and enthralling. It was certainly worth the listen.

[Melvin Patterson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not a huge fan of books that jump from one time period to another, but I suppose it was necessary in order to tell this story. It helps if you've read Star Trek: Elusive Salvation and The Eugenics Wars series.

I always expect good storytelling from Dayton Ward and he didn't disappoint. Bringing in characters from Enterprise, TOS and Voyager goosed the story along but if you haven't watched the relevant episodes in those series, you may not pick up the relevance of those characters.

The parts involving Captain Picard and the references at the end to certain prior missions, if you haven't read those books (I have) will tend to be a little confusing and the end of that story left some hanging threads. Picard intended to have it out with Akaar at the end over his interference and that apparently never got resolved because Akaar totally disarmed him with his counter-argument. Not really sure whether we'll see a resolution to that issue. But, I'll keep reading!