Star Trek: Discovery: Fear Itself

Star Trek: Discovery #3

by James Swallow

An original novel based upon the explosive new Star Trek TV series on CBS All Access.Lieutenant Saru is a Kelpien, a member of a prey species born on a world overrun by monstrous predators...and a being who very intimately understands the nature of fear. Challenged on all sides, he is determined to surpass his origins and succeed as a Starfleet officer aboard the U.S.S. Shenzhou . But when Saru breaks protocol in order to prove himself to his crewmates, what begins as a vital rescue mission to save a vessel in distress soon escalates out of control. Forced into a command role he may not be ready for, Saru is caught between his duty and the conflicting agendas of two antagonistic alien races. To survive, he will need to seek a path of peace against all odds, and risk compromising the very ideals he has sworn to uphold....

Genres: Star Trek, Science Fiction, Fiction, Audiobook, Media Tie In, Space, Novels

1 pages, Audio CD

First published June 5, 2018

About the author

James Swallow is a New York Times, Sunday Times and Amazon #1 bestselling author and scriptwriter, a BAFTA nominee, a former journalist and the award-winning writer of over sixty-five books, along with scripts for video games, comics, radio and television.

DARK HORIZON, his latest stand-alone thriller, is out now from Mountain Leopard Press, and OUTLAW, the 6th action-packed Marc Dane novel, is published by Bonnier.

Along with the Marc Dane thrillers, his writing includes, the Sundowners steampunk Westerns and fiction from the worlds of Star Trek, Tom Clancy, 24, Warhammer 40000, Doctor Who, Deus Ex, Stargate, 2000AD and many more.

For information on new releases & more, sign up to the Readers’ Club here: www.bit.ly/JamesSwallow

Visit James's website at http://www.jswallow.com/ for more, including ROUGH AIR, a free eBook novella in the Marc Dane series.

You can also follow James on Bluesky at @jmswallow.bsky.social, Twitter at @jmswallow, Mastodon at @jmswallow@mstdn.social and jmswallow.tumblr.com at Tumblr.

Reviews

[Gerhard · Rating 5 out of 5]

“And no one understands the nature of fear better than a Kelpien.”

This is my first book by James Swallow, so I was pleased to read recently that he will be penning the second tie-in novel for the Picard series. The character of Saru is probably one of the most interesting in Star Trek: Discovery, thanks in no small measure to the brilliantly understated performance by the magnificent Doug Jones. Indeed, one of the joys of watching S03 at the moment is to see how far his character has come.

The problem with any Disco novelisation is that we already know quite a lot about Saru’s back story, especially as to how biology and culture are such drivers as to who he is as a sentient being. Another problem is that the tie-in novels, by their very nature, have to find their scope and detail in the cracks of the television series. Some of the novels have not managed this delicate balancing act, and have floundered. ‘Fear Itself’, on the other hand, shows what a gifted writer can do with an enigmatic character like Saru.

The general trend with these novels seems to be to focus on the characters themselves, with the plotting as an afterthought. Here the Shenzhou discovers a damaged ship in the buffer zone between Tholian and Peliar space. Saru leads an away team with chief engineer Johar in order to stabilise the ship’s malfunctioning warp core … only to discover that the cargo hold is full of what seem to be Gorlan refugees.

Saru is soon separated from the Shenzhou and finds himself in a difficult position whereby he has to make some achingly tough choices on the fly – choices that have profound implications for his own away team and the Shenzhou. In addition, he is confronted with a rather thorny relationship between three different and irascible alien species.

Saru finds that simply falling back on the principles (and platitudes) of Starfleet does not cut it in this particular situation. Not only that, he has to attempt to subsume his own ‘fight-or-flight’ nature in order to gain control of an increasingly fractious and precarious situation.

Are the Gorlans refugees or captives? And is it the place of the Federation to interfere in internal politics, especially when it could trigger a regional war? There are no easy answers here for Saru, all while negotiating quite a steep learning curve about himself and the principles he has pledged to uphold.

The concept of ‘fear itself’ is intrinsic to the Kelpien nature. Fear is a corrosive emotion that not only breeds conflict, but can be very destructive as well. One only has to look at the current state of our divided world, where fear plays such a large part in driving the narrative of otherness and division. And it is an emotion that short-sighted leaders like Trump are only happy to feed the flames of, until it threatens the very stability of everything we hold dear.

I love the way that Swallow addresses the prevailing zeitgeist, while also being unafraid to engage with the idea that Starfleet may itself be a coloniser and an interloper to the very people it is trying to protect and bring into its fold. The fact that Star Trek can sustain such a topical discourse, and still be entertaining to boot, speaks volumes about its longevity and relevance. May we all live long and prosper.

[Dana (Dana and the Books) · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first Discovery novel and my first James Swallow novel. Definitely will be reading more!

[Stephen Robert Collins · Rating 3 out of 5]

Having now seen season 1 on Netflix this much easer book to visualise set before The Klingon on war on board U.S.S. Shenzhou with Michael (why hell they chose male name for female is crazy & silly ) This set around the problems odds against each other. Lot like Spock vs McCoy.
As the story progress this becomes a "Battle Royal' for survival, but have to read it to find out how I hate spoilers .
I had hoped that we might get more background on Saru's home world but We don't. This could have done with more on Saru as how got into Starfleet than the fighting. This why think it not worth more than***.

[Dan · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent novel digging into what makes one of the most popular Discovery characters tick. James Swallow gives us a fun and fascinating story that gets to the root of Saru's character, and show us that his fearful nature may not be exactly what we or his colleagues expect.

Full review (Video): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OU9PX...

[Aron · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was actually kind of surprised by how much I liked this one. James Swallow is really good ST writer, but since the novel was centered on Saru I was doubtful. It was a fun story, and I recommend it to ST fans.

[Dawn F · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hmmm. This is a problem I often encounter with tie-in novels, they’re too generic to really add something extra to the universe and the characters. It’s probably not a bad story at all but I must admit I was bored even if Saru is a favorite. James Swallow did catch his persona and mannerisms well, though.

[Daniel Kukwa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another superb outing for "Star Trek Discovery" in book form. James Swallow provides not only a fabulous story focused on Saru, but an exciting, adrenaline pumping adventure that once again showcases the ethical and moral dimensions that make "Star Trek" so special. If anything, this novel is making me think we should have actually had a series focusing on USS Shenzhou and its kick-ass captain, as opposed to "Discovery" itself.

[Jim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easily the best of the three Discovery books so far. I wouldn't mind if there were more books set in the Shenzhou-era. I would suggest "The Host" TNG and "The Tholian Web" TOS as good background before reading.

[James Hewkin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it. Really exciting story. I've read all the Discovery novels so far except "The Way To The Stars" and this is my favourite so far.

[Tony Loyer · Rating 2 out of 5]

I waffled between a 2 or a 3 on this book, I feel that a lot of Star Trek books that I've read fail to tell an interesting or compelling storyline and just kind of feel like really flat episodes that go on a little too long. Fear Itself doesn't exactly fall into that category as it does have some good character development for Saru, has a relatively intriguing plot and does a good job of promoting the values of Starfleet (which is Star Trek at its best in my opinion), but it didn't do enough to transcend the gap between pulp Trek novel and a genuinely good book despite its familiar franchise ties. A little bit like some military fiction books I've read, the author occasionally gets quite bogged down in technical details that made the action and "science" hard to follow and that sort of thing really takes me out of the reading experience. I didn't feel like it was the best characterization of the leads either, but that's actually been an issue with all of the Discovery novels that I've read, probably because they were written relatively early in the show's run on television. An alright book, if you're a fan of Discovery and more specially Saru (and who isn't?), then you might enjoy this book.

[Kieran McAndrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kelpiens are prey. They spend their lives afraid of others. Lieutenant Saru of the USS 'Shenzhou' knows this as an absolute truth about his race.

When an Away Mission brings him into contact with a people being transported forcefully to a refugee sanctuary, Saru must overcome his fear to save his shipmates and the refugees from a Tholian attack.

The hunted must now learn to become the hunter.

James Swallow's 'Fear Itself' is a startling examination of Saru and is an excellent background novel to the 'Star Trek: Discovery' series.

[Dennis Keithly · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is by far the best of the Star Trek Discovery novels so far. James Swallow writes an engaging tale that dives into they pysche of Saru. Set years before the events of the television series, the USS Shenzhou is investigating damage to an observation buoy when they detect a dangerous power surge. Upon investigation, they find an alien ship that has experienced critical damage. When they move to assist, Lieutenant Saru tags along with the away team and a mystery begins to unfold. To make things worse, the dangerous Tholians are nearby and threaten to endanger everyone.

Fear Itself seems the most like a Star Trek episode of the three books released so far. There is the scenario of Starfleet moving to help only to uncover a deeper mystery. Like so many of his predecessors on Star Trek, Saru can't let things lie, and his investigation uncovers a conflict that needs resolution.

In this case, the conflict is between the Peliars and the Gorlan. The obvious theme is immigration and refugees and what do with them. Compassion and understanding are lacking at the beginning of this novel, but there is opportunity born of conflict to break down barriers.

The other key theme in this novel is Saru and his inner demons. Born of a species that lives in constant fear as a prey species, Saru has a lot to overcome. The question is, in attempting to be a better Starfleet officer by emulating his fellow officers, is he sabotaging his potential? The encounter in Fear Itself will go along way to answering that question.

Again, this is a fun adventure and outstanding read. Highly recommended.

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

***As per all of my reviews, I like to preface by saying that I listened to this book in audiobook format. This does indeed slightly skew my rating. I have found that audiobooks, give me a better "relationship" with the characters if done well, but also kills the book for me if narrated poorly. Also due to the nature of listening to the text, names and places may be spelled incorrectly here as I often do not have the physical volume in front of me.
Also, I have written this review in a "rolling updates" style. In that I basically chronicle my reading as I progress. This may make for a jarring and spoilery review so be warned.***

So, I think it's fairly easy to state that the character of Lt. Saru is a fan favorite at this point in the TV show discovery. What's even funnier is that while our "main" character Michael Burnham is the show's focus, literally every other character around her is far more interesting! By the end of the first season, I wanted more Saru, more Admiral Cornwell, more Tilly, more Lorca…hell, I'd even take more Klingons… So in good timing, the books have been still slowly coming out since the show went on hiatus and we got two since. One detailing an adventure of Philippa Georgiou, and Lorca, and now we have "Fear Itself" staring Saru, which considering he's a "prey" species, meaning he's literally raised to turn tail and run at danger, should be fascinating.
Speaking of which, I'm liking that the discovery books (as should be expected) are keeping a consistent cast of characters. The first book in the series, "Desperate Hours" I didn't really enjoy too much but it did set the stage for the crew, which are now part of their third book here..

Right off the bat at the start we get a glimpse of Saru and how he lives his life, training to overcome his fear. Now It's not certain rather this is a trait he's picked up since joining Starfleet, or something that all Kelpians try to undergo. We open to a scene of him being stalked by some sort of insectoid shape changing creature that's infiltrated his quarters. And of course it wouldn't be a suspenseful cold open if it wasn't actually a simulator room exercise.
Lots of detail about Saru, his strained relationship with Burnham and his passion to be recognized and promoted and looked upon with favor in the eyes of Captain Georgiou, is given, and he's unfortunately resigned himself to being left behind in the wake of Burnham.
So there's a lot of back and forth between Saru, who's become sort of enthralled by this species and their situation, and Captain Georgiou and the Peliars. The captain is trying to play a delicate balancing at here and not putting her nose in where it doesn't belong, but Saru feels that there's more to the story here (there always is…) and goes out of his way to make contact with many of the Gorlans on the ship. What's just bizarre is how hostile the Peliar Zel crew is to the Shenzhou crew. I can only hope that it's done since they are indeed trying to hide something and not their normal emotions…cause…damn this is like cartoonishly silly how angry they are for being saved from certain death.
The away team lt, Johar, is a pretty gritty, almost tough as nails character who while being a jerk sympathizes with Saru's position here, but under Georgiou's orders demands that our favorite Kelpian, get his ass off the ship and back to the Shenzhou. Also we're "introduced" to Dr. Nambue who actually is seen in the show discovery as well. I like how the authors of these books are (trying) to give us better glimpses into the characters that the TV has briefly shown us but sort of overlooked in developing.
Burnham in keeping in line with her character in Discovery, breaks into Saru's empty quarters on the Shenzhou. The Andorian first officer, ch'Theloh and her postulate that there must have been a reason for Saru to defy orders and go back aboard the Peliar vessel. She finds what amounts to a blacklight bulb, and when activated, she's able to see hidden writing and glyphs all over the walls. She can't read it, but gives a sense as to what the Kelpians writing is like. While they don't find out why Saru returned, Burnham does have a break through though in the buoy that she brought on board earlier in the book. She's able to piece together the last bit of footage that the buoy saw before it was disabled. She see's the outline of an alien vessel…

Back on the Peliar ship (I wish we would get a name for this thing…) Saru is given privledge to meet with the Gorlan "hub". No, not a cheap piece of networking equipment, but rather the spiritual leader or 'guide' of the Gorlans. Finally the truth of the situation is seemingly revealed…So both sides the Peliars and Gorlans have some deep seated mistrust, but neither are really at fault here. The Gorlans foolishly tried to settle their homeworld on a planet very close in proximity to Tholian space (a big no no apparently). The were indeed invaded in a recent attempt to by them to push into an expansion. This is a problem in itself which Burnham figures out from the buoy as well… So the Gorlans evacuate and turn to the Peliars expecting them to help. Well the Peliars are pretty paranoid and Saru believes they have some sort of 'tuning' sense that allows them to pick up on fear and heightened emotions, and they react in a negative manner. This actually now makes sense of their initial reaction to the Star Fleet boarding party. I'm actually happy this turned out to be true as it makes the idea of their reaction far more believable.
Georgiou and Burnham and the crew of the Shenzhou have come into contact with a bigger larger Peliar vessel who treaties with them, He demands that the Federation back off, so they can find the Gorlan mutinied Peliar ship. Georgiou offers to help them, but the Peliar commander is rather hostile of course. He immediately denies them and literally has the Shenzhou escorted back to Federation space, without their crew that's still on the Pelair ship.
On said ship, the ship has dropped out of warp. So on the surface, Saru, and the Gorlans found the remains of the previous Gorlan refugees….so…apparently the Peliars were indeed "delivering" them here….but dropping them out from atmosphere like so much carpet bombs… The ship seems to be programmed with this manevuer in already, and the current Peliar officers may not have any control over it…so of course Saru must step up to find a way..Thankfully, it's actually one of the junior, 'lesser' officers Brich Wheeton who steps up and saves the day on this one. While I like to see our main lead character do good, it's great when multiple people…as in real life…contribute to the effort and victory..
The relationship between Peliars and Gorlans deteriants dramatically amidst this.. The Gorlans want justice immediately. Saru assures him that he'll bring up the Gorlan's cause to the Federation and promises to get their voice heard… The Gorlans and their commander "Madoh " doesn't want to hear it…and seems pretty nefarious in his intent…

At this point the book is flip flopping back and forth between both story lines extremely frequently… seemingly only a page or two inbetween each story line. Because they're so short and there's only two, it's not too distracting, but it's kind of annoying as each time it counts back, time as lapsed and it's a bit jarring as you can't really get into the scene properly before you're pulled out.
The problem I’m having so far is just there's no real distiction between the characters…all of the supporting cast are all very…generic, so their names and races just sort of meld together…even the two Peliar ships have no names to them so it's hard to distinguish between them…

The final battle is dragged out a tad too long for me though. It's broken up with a much needed gap where the Tholians fall back to "return in greater numbers". And in that space we get some nice intraspection with Saru. The Battle has taken it's toll on the Frieghter and the Peliar war ship. What I really do like about this dynamic though, is that it's taken 3 factions, the Peliars, the Gorlans and the Feds, and clumped them into a scenario where they must unite against a 4th. This is pretty cool to see as they put aside their differences and need to work in unison to stave off the Tholian threat. Of course once the Tholians are beaten back the first time, they are all again at each others throats. I liked the interplay, but I felt the battle itself was a bit long in the tooth. But I liked how both sides really slogged it out. James Swallow does a good job in describing the space combat and the reasoning and logic of actions being taken. Of course it's at this point where the infamous Star Trek techno babble rears it's head and we must eschew real world physics for the creative.
Also there's finally some more bits about Saru actually showing his fear and his desire to flee from the situation. This is what I was hoping we'd see a bit more of actually. Honestly Saru seems to have his fear well in hand actually and it's realistic since he's been training as well as already been in Starfleet… but it would be nice to see a bit more of a struggle for him to over come this. The whole book, it's been mentioned that he's afraid of the situation, but he sort of just shrugs it off and over comes it. Also if we're talking about complaints and gripes, I was hoping we'd see more of the Shenzhou crew. It's funny how this series main complaint is lack of the character development of the crew on Discovery and the Shenzhou, and the books are the perfect chance to fix these… but they still focus on just the main players. Each book we've gotten, has been Burnham, Lorca, Georgiou and Saru. These are the characters that were already expanded on in the show so we still have little exposition and dives into the actual crew mates.
So put in the final bookmark, and I gotta say… this book had many ups and downs, but for me it ended on a splendid high note. The book wraps with Saru being brought back on board the Shenzhou, and I fully expected him to be (unrealistically) welcomed back and despite him breaking orders and sneaking back to the Gorlans, and then sort of starting the whole mess, that would just be overlooked. Well Mr. Swallow does a great job in nixing that nonsense, and he's met by a very irritable Captain Georgiou. She dresses him down and reprimands him for his actions. He does though explain that he was trying to emulate Burnham's actions…who was reckless in bringing the beacon on board, but it worked out for her. This is great, I love the rivialry that we get here, this need and desire for Saru to be accepted and wanted by Georgiou. And actually to this point, this makes the death of Captain Phillipa even more tragic to me.. We've now had three books in the Disco time frame and each showing and detailing this great relationship between her and her "children" Saru and Burnham… which then makes me even more irrate that the decision of Burnham to mutiny out of nowhere… She literally Vulcan pinches Georgiou which now seems even more out of character. Anyway furthermore, something else I wanted more of is we get some cute moments and chatter between Weeton who I want to see freaking more of…but…sadly I think he was killed on the shenzhou… It's becoming apparent to me.. that I think the writers sort of shot themselves in the foot a bit with wiping out the Shenzhou crew in the first two episodes.. I probably sound like a broken record at this point, but the biggest obstacle for Discovery I believe is establishing our characters and really giving us a cast that we know. For instance in these books aside from Detmer, we have a crew on the Shenzhou that we know will be killed, and or just taken out of the show past Episode 3…
The last scene in the book is a great one, between Saru and Burnham sort of "making amends" or atleast finding a sort of common ground of chess to talk and play. I love these quiet moments between the characters, especially needed after that very long..and drawn out battle. The battle was interesting, but it was a bit too long. Though I give huge amounts of credit to the dynamic created between the races…
All in all a very good book, and each one seems to be improving. I wasn't a fan of the first book in this series,but the second one Desperate Hours was actually pretty entertaining. And this one now mixes entertainment with some good nuggets of Saru backstory.

[Dale Russell · Rating 5 out of 5]

The malfunctioning of a deep space monitoring buoy leads to the inevitable conflict between the two junior science officers aboard the USS Shenzhou. Lieutenants Michael Burnham and Saru could not be more diametrically different in attitudes and emotions and yet, reflections of each other to an extreme. Now, when a damaged vessel requires assistance, their ongoing friction drives Saru to take steps that can lead to conflicts between two species and a star spanning war between two others ... Saru doesn't do anything halfway.

Author James Swallow brings some serious chops to the third novel entry in the STAR TREK: DISCOVERY line of books. A BAFTA award winner, he has the singular pleasure of being the only British writer to have contributed stories to the STAR TREK mythology as he contributed the story concepts for ST: Voyager episodes, "One" and "Memorial". He has previously contributed 6+ books and counting to the STU.

With this he brings to readers a story that is a prequel to the TV series as he sets the story on the Shenzhou under the command of Philippa Georgiou and two young Star Fleet officers early in their careers, telling a story that provides much of the back story behind Burnham's and Saru's early personality conflicts, and insights into the issues and growth that will lead to the two eventually becoming an integral part of the future USS Discovery crew and the connection that they establish.

Swallow hits all the right buttons as the characters that TV series viewers, and readers of these tie-in stories, feel as if they are lifted directly from those adventures. Add that with the flavoring of players that he creates as part of the original Shenzhou, and you have an exciting and fun adventure that both readers new and returning will enjoy.

[Chris Friend · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the most common complaints levied against sci-fi, especially sci-fi derived from establish television franchises, is that the stories are always plot-driven, offering no compelling character development. This book turns that complaint on its head.

Rich, engrossing story. Deep dive into Saru’s character, nature, aspirations, and self-image. A peek into the developing relationship between Burnham and Saru…without it being All about Burnham™ as it so often is.

The final chapters provide excellent resolution. In another story, they might come off as cheesy, touchy-feely, happy-go-lucky trite wrap-ups, but with the emphasis on Saru’s always-becoming self-image here, they work wonderfully. And bravo to the author for ending the final scene in such a way that readers know everything they need for a satisfying finish but still have curiosity about something they want to understand further.

I can’t recall the last time I finished a Trek novel feeling this satisfied. Yes, it’s a fun, light diversion, as all Trek books are. But dang if this one doesn’t give all the warm fuzzies at the end. (And no, I don’t mean Tribbles.)

[Flora R. · Rating 3 out of 5]

A solid book that gives us what Disco never did: a nice episodic adventure that teaches a tidy lesson!

It might be the literary equivalent of Mac and cheese, but it was exactly what I needed!

[Christopher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fear Itself itself kick off with a tail set four years before the events of Discovery's encounter with the Klingons! :D Fear Itself serves brilliantly in gaining and providing us with new insight into the character of Saru as we see how he overcomes his natural fear tendencies of the Kelpian and marries them up to his duty as a Starfleet officer! This gives us a great insight into the character as the later one that we see in Discovery has clearly overcome many of his personal issues and risen to command rank! :D This Saru that we see in Fear Itself itself is still in his way there and the book provides fascinating insight into how this character works! :D

We also get a look at how the earlier versions of Saru and Burnham interact and this provides create character moments for both of them! :D Burnham's investigation of Saru's quarters will have you rips hurting and is gripping even though the tension is from something that as the reader you already know! :D At the same time though you get to see their observations of each other and this provides a great counter and rebuttal to their interactions! :D Georgiou riding herd on them is outstanding as ever and brilliantly written and at the same you really get to see what a crew the Shenzhou was!

The events of the book are triggered by the Peliar and the Gorlan who are ostensibly working together in happy happy harmony but the Starfleet officers particularly Saru are deeply suspicious of this and this is ultimately what leads Saru up the river with initially no paddle! :D The way the situation develops though is cleverly handled though with events spiralling out of control that no one really could see happening a thing that comes to roost with Georgiou private reckoning with Saru! :D The book is brilliantly filled with neat and unexpected twist and Saru's meeting with the Hub aka Ejah (the literally representation of the Gorlan people! :D ) really works great with and makes you the reader realise there is a lot more going on than you would expect! :D The who whole situation with the Tholian Hegemony works cleverly as well really ratcheting up the situation and remind the audience of the bigger situation and how the story ties with other! :D The Gorlan themselves do seem to remind me of the peoples you see in Khandar in the Thousand Names in terms of the their culture! :D

We also get to meet other members of the crew who by the time of the TV series have been promoted off! :D The First Officer ch'Theloh who lives up to his species aggressive nature which when reigned in by Duty and Starfleet protocol add to the the books tone! :D We also get to catch up with the Chief Engineer Johar who certainly seems to be on Saru's side of things but this leads him into a spot of bother as well! :D As the situation on the Peliar ship and the two side of the worsening situation between Peliar and the Gorlan Saru has to take the reigns of command and this thrusts him into his first situation like this! :D This is further exasperated by Ensign Weeton, Yashae, Zoxom not trusting Saru's judgement and this is not helped by the Peliar Captain Nathal either! :D The way that Saru overcomes this all shows us the character growing in leaps and bounds! :D This is all done in smooth and witty efficiently inventive fashion and at no point does the book drag in any part! :D On situation after another rears it head and it handled brilliantly allowing characters to grand stand and Starfleet officers do what is best with negotiation and skill and this comes through amazingly with their true values coming though! :D

As to the main situation with the Peliar and the Gorlan Georgiou's getting the Shenzhou up and running is cleverly done with on the spot jury-rigging to get things up and running working spectacularly and you really get the impression that while Saru and the Peliar and the Gorlan are busily engaging the Tholians that help is literally round the corner which add excellently to the dynamic of the fight scenes that the book pulls off brilliantly! :D

Fear Itself works on all levels really developing the characters of Saru and Burnham! :D It gives us a great look at their earlier careers and the beginnings of their friendship! :D At the same time we get to see more of the Shenzhou and Georgiou as they do their heroic things! :D Fear Itself itself creates great world build and really develops and a very unexplored part of the galaxy and shows the crew and Saru having to come to terms with how things are out there and that rules can be bent for the greater good! :D Fear Itself is full of adventure, cunning, morality, heroics and action packed throughout! :D Crisp High Five! :D Brilliant and highly recommended! :D Go and get! :D

[Brayden Raymond · Rating 5 out of 5]

At first I was unsure if I would give it 5 stars because it didn't grasp me straight away. However about a third of the way in I felt compelled to press onwards as the author has a fantastic understanding and way of portraying Saru. It felt perfectly in line with his pre-season 2 character and I was pleasantly surprised with the excitement packed into the climax of this novel.

[Robin · Rating 5 out of 5]

i was thoroughly not expecting this, but this was pretty easily one of the best star trek novels i’ve ever read.

i’m always happy to return to the shenzhou, though sadly it looks like this is the last thing currently published that scratches that particular itch. i would really love a series of novels or comics set aboard the shenzhou, but it seems like media tie-in publishing isn’t favoring those sort of lengthy series like the old 80s and 90s star trek novels. (the tradeoff is that what we are getting seems to be of a much more consistent quality than when we were getting just piles of novels and comics. i’m pretty okay with this trade.)

the focus character of this novel is saru, and i love him on the show, but i wasn’t sure i was going to be super enthusiastic about a novel from his perspective? and wow, was i ever wrong on that front. and despite the limitations on this being both a media tie-in and a prequel, it managed to give him the kind of meaningful character growth that you would expect on a particularly great episode of an actual star trek series.

the structure of the overarching story is also pretty fantastic. it starts out fairly low-stakes with the shenzhou investigating a damaged probe. the tholians are in the distant background as the looming threat, but for the majority of the book it seems like they might be a red herring. things get more complicated when the shenzhou rescues a badly-damaged ship seemingly over that ship’s crew’s strenuous objections. the situation quickly escalates when a fight breaks out between that crew and their passengers, and saru–who wasn’t even supposed to still be on the ship–ends up as the senior officer present when the shenzhou’s chief engineer is incapacitated in a firefight.

saru finds himself as a hostage and struggling to maintain the confidence of his subordinate officers. at one point the pressure becomes so intense that he fabricates a reason he needs to sit alone (guarded, of course) on the docked shuttlecraft just so he doesn’t feel everyone watching him. it just feels so real and relatable, you can’t help but feel for him.

this really is the turning point of the novel, as saru’s next action is to fabricate an excuse to need to consult the rest of his landing party and he quickly wins back their confidence and devises a frankly brilliant scheme to escape their captivity. there’s a series of messy fights between various competing factions that saru navigates deftly, and when all is said and done he really does end up proving himself, even if it’s hard for him to see it.

oh, and that tholian red herring? yeah, the last few chapters are a series of three increasingly desperate space battles against them, with the shenzhou arriving just in time to join the decisive battle. pretty epic stuff.

—

check out my megareview of the star trek discovery books & comics on my blog, 24,000 miles to the moon! https://24000milestothemoon.com/2022/...

[Richard Gray · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a sci-fi novel it's a solid 3.5 stars, although from a fan point of view it's definitely closer to a 4.

While we're patiently waiting the return of Star Trek: Discovery to our streaming screens, James Swallow's FEAR ITSELF is a worthy entry that also provides some great backstory for one of the show's most unique characters. In fact, it's fair to say that it's the Saru-focused tale is the strongest entry of the 3 Discovery novels to date.

Just as Drastic Measures acted as a kind of prequel to the TOS episode Conscience of the King, here Swallow takes inspiration from The Tholian Web. In this sense, it almost feels like a novelisation of an existing episode. That may sound like a backhanded compliment, but it actually speaks to how authentic this feels as an episode of the long-running franchise.

Not for nothing: Swallow is a Trek veteran across multiple versions of the show. Swallow is one of the few British writers to have worked on Voyager, and has worked on Trek novels, short stories, and videogames (not to mention dozens of other franchises). He skillfully weaves in a deep knowledge of the franchise history without being burdened by it.

Obviously the books are constrained somewhat at this stage by how much they can go into backstories. The show is still so young that there's clearly bits that are being saved for future revelations. As such, this is set a few years before the current show, much like the other two entries. Yet there's still a number of insights into Saru's character, and his 'prey' mentality, that give amazing insight into Doug Jones' TV portrayal. Swallow even manages to distil his essence and core strengths into a handful of lines:

"Compassion is not weakness. Enduring is not living. And belligerence is not strength."

This book should leave you even more excited for the upcoming season of the show in 2019, or if you're reading this from some point in the future, whatever Swallow andDiscovery Pocket Books have in store for us next.

[Jess · Rating 2 out of 5]

This review first appeared on my blog ladybookdragon.com

I found this book a really hard read, I struggled to get into it and kept forgetting what I had read and had to re read certain parts. I am pleased I stuck with it though as towards the end I began to enjoy it and got into it. I am not sure whether it was the writing style I struggled with or just the general storyline but I just couldn’t gel with the story.

This was an interesting story focusing on Saru and it helped me understand him a bit more, as so far watching his character in the TV series and reading about him in the previous two books I have not liked his character and found him unfeeling to others and a bit of a wet blanket. This book however showed that he did have feelings towards others and that he can be brave, decisive and commanding. 

I enjoyed the character of Captain Georgiou. She is fast becoming a favourite and I would have liked her to feature a little bit more in the story. I also liked how Saru found her an inspiration and always thought of what Georgiou would do when trying to decide his next course of action. Michael Burnham also started to show her human side in the book which was nice to see.

The character I did not enjoy and was pleased that he did not feature greatly in the book was the Shenzhou’s first officer Commander ch’Theloh. I found him bad tempered, grumpy and way too hard on his underlings.

The storyline was a good storyline and I enjoyed meeting the Gorlans and Peliars and would have liked to have found out a bit more about both species and what happened to them.

Overall I found this book to be quite a let down after Drastic Measures, and I did not enjoy the book nearly as much. It was hard work to read and follow and at times rather boring. Sadly this book only got 2 out of 5 Dragons. It has not put me off the series though and I am looking forward to reading the next.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

(Copy of review posted on my Facebook page on July 4, 2020.) Yesterday, I finished reading James Swallow’s “Fear Itself” (2018), the third of the “Star Trek: Discovery” series of original tie-in novels.

While the first novel, David Mack’s “Desperate Hours”, focused on the character of Michael Burnham and the second novel, Dayton Ward’s “Drastic Measures”, on Philippa Georgiou and Gabriel Lorca, “Fear Itself” mostly followed Lt. Saru, one of the most popular characters on the “Star Trek: Discovery” tv show (due to the excellent performances in the part by actor Doug Jones).

And, like the other two books (and seemingly most if not all of the Discovery tie-in novels that have been released so far), “Fear Itself” takes place prior to the events seen in the first episode of the tv series. In this case, it’s four years earlier, (“Drastic Measures” took place ten years prior, when Georgiou and Lorca were lower ranking officers, and “Desperate Hours” takes place a couple years after “Fear Itself”, just after Burnham became first officer).

Here, in “Fear Itself”, the cast of primary characters (the crew of the U.S.S. Shenzhou) is the same as seen in "Desperate Hours” and at the start of the first episode of the tv series (with the exception of an especially arrogant and irritating Andorian first officer, the one Burnham apparently later replaced).

Without getting overly detailed on the plot, Saru ends up on an alien ship that they have just rescued from a nearly catastrophic engineering disaster that would have destroyed the alien ship. Aboard, Saru finds a large number of a people of an alien race other than those whose ship it is riding in large cargo containers. Saru becomes concerned as to the nature of these people being there and their safety, despite the insistence of those in charge that it is none of his or Starfleet’s business.

While investigating, Saru finds that the people living in the containers on the ship’s voyage are named the Gorlans and that they communicate in a way that the universal translator can’t fully interpret due to their language not being only verbal but also in part via an energy field they each radiate. Undetectable to humans and to the Peliars (who are relocating the Gorlans to a new world away from Peliar Zel), Saru can feel the signals the Gorlans give off when they communicate but as intense emotions, and he still only partially understands them at first.

One thing leads to another and soon Saru and a small number of his crewmates from the Shenzhou find themselves in the midst of an uprising as the Gorlans forcibly take control of the ship. Their course has been laid in by the Peliar and can’t be overridden, though, so they find themselves still heading to where the Peliars intend to leave the Gorlans.

Meanwhile, the Shenzhou has been left behind damaged and unable to pursue after the Gorlans launch a surprise attack on them from the Peliar ship that they now control. They must effect repairs to the warp drive in order to be able to go after the Peliar ship that has Saru and the other crew members aboard.

However, first they are warned to leave the area and return to Federation space by another Peliar ship, this one a warship that then takes off in pursuit of the ship Saru is on, saying that they intend to attack the ship as soon as they catch up with it rather than allow the Gorlans to keep control of it.

And, even more threatening is the overhanging threat of the Tholians, whose space neighbors the area and who have been known to launch devastating raids against those whom they feel have encroached on their territory.

As for how I liked “Fear Itself”, I really don’t have a lot to say. I liked it, but didn’t *really* like it. During parts of it (especially during the first half or so of the book), I found my attention wandering a bit. I think mostly during the parts where Saru stumbles upon the Gorlans and begins to investigate who they are and what their situation is. While I really like the character of Saru, him off by himself wasn’t really particularly interesting, I found.

However, things got much more interesting over the Gorlans took over the ship. Once that happens, Saru finds himself in between the two quarreling parties and trying to keep himself and his crewmates from getting killed.

And things really kick up a notch once original Star Trek tv series’ baddies, the mysterious non-humanoid crystal shaped Tholians in their dangerous spinner ships (as seen in the episode of the 1960s Star Trek, “The Tholian Web”) make their attack. You can never go wrong bringing the Tholians into a Star Trek story (as they have always one of the more sparingly used alien enemy races).

Again, I did enjoy “Fear Itself”, and I recommend it to fans of “Star Trek: Discovery”. I give it three out of five stars on GoodReads. I would probably give it three and a half if GoodReads allowed for half star ratings.

The next book in the series is “The Way to the Stars” by Una McCormack, and focuses on the character of Sylvia Tilly (presumably, again, prior to the start of the tv series). While I really liked Una McCormack’s Star Trek: Picard novel that i recently read, “The Last Best Hope”, I think as after having read three Star Trek: Discovery novels in a row that I’ll take a short break from them before moving on to “The Way to the Stars”.

I have a couple nonfiction books I’m reading that are from the public library that i need to get back into, and also the third Game of Thrones novel, “A Storm of Swords”, that I also started to read and then put aside to read “Fear Itself”.

[Brandon Harbeke · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book does some great character work, particularly for Saru, Burnham, and Georgiou. The action and stakes are appropriate for the story, and the Star Trek themes that we know and love are present in full force. The placement of plot dominoes was enough that resolutions did not come out of nowhere, but nothing felt unnatural in the moment.

If you liked The Latter Fire, you will probably also dig this book.

[Scott Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one is great for people who enjoy space battles. A good portion of it is made up of that. I enjoyed seeing Georgiou, Saru, and Burnham in action on the Shenzhou. I really enjoy those relationships and I hope that future novels will explore them some more.

It seems like we’ll have to wait until 2019 for season two of Discovery. I’m both nervous and excited to see what they do next.

[Bill · Rating 4 out of 5]

A solid book about one of my favorite characters on Discovery. The plot is serviceable adventure which serves to examine the role that fear plays in the life of an evolved prey species. The details don’t precisely line up 100 percent with how the characterization of Kelpiens has evolved on the show, but it’s still a fun ride, and a nice peek at life on the Shenzhou before all hell broke loose.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

FEAR ITSELF: Explores a Surprising, & Unusual Character
http://fangswandsandfairydust.com/201...

I voluntarily reviewed an advance readers copy of this book. No remuneration was exchanged and all opinions presented herein are my own except as noted.

I’ve been watching STAR TREK series almost my entire life. The original series began when my age was still in the single digits. There was something about the positivity projected by the series in the cold war, nuclear age that made the series appeal to me as a youth. Instead of destroying the species, humans learned to make peace, and accept that we were not the first species with inter-stellar abilities. In discovering there were other species in the universe we got over ourselves.

I wonder if we’ll ever get there and the franchise still gives me hope.

DISCOVERY is a darker Star Trek: even scientifically advanced species can act out of power, control and denial of the same facts that bring them onto space. Species act all too much like humans.

I think it is hard to not anthropomorphize species if you are human, and let’s assume all of reading this today are indeed humans. One of the first rules of scientific methodology is that the experimenter influences the experiment. It would be hard for other fields of expression or study to escape that rule even if they are not using science. Star Trek always makes me feel more science-minded.

With Lt. Saru, a Kelpian, Swallow does a great job building on the character presented in the first two seasons of (or was it a split first season?) of the TV show. On the TV Show we first see Saru as a somewhat comical, whimpy, scared creature. When death or threat is around he has an organ called “threat ganglia” that alerts him to it danger. It is visible to others so everyone knows about his fear. But, it isn’t fear in a cowardly sense, it is a self-preservation instinct of a species considered prey in its home world. Children are trained to cultivate it as they mature as Saru relates some of the aphorisms he learned as a child.

This subconscious instinct is useful on a starship; however, the cultural conditioning that has been drummed into Kelpians forever is not as useful since it can work to override Starfleet training.

Saru works hard to override the instinct and his conditioning leading to a need to prove he is not a coward or scared child. His ego gets involved and his decision-making suffers. In this I wondered at how well he had been evaluated for his position. The lower ranking officers seem to have better control and training. This particular event in Saru’s career has a lot of similarity with Burnham’s mistakes in the first episode of DISCOVERY. The difference is that the results of Saru’s actions are less catastrophic than Burnham’s were.

In the series it is Lt. Burnham, arguably Georgiou’s protege, who gets the crew, the captain and even Starfleet, into mortal danger. Here, it is Saru’s need to prove himself and, perhaps, one of Georgiou’s poorer decisions that throws the Starship Discovery, her crew, and a bunch of aliens into more danger than they were previously experiencing. his particular event in Saru’s career has a lot of similarity with Burnham’s mistakes in the first episode of DISCOVERY. The difference is that the results of Saru’s actions are less catastrophic than Burnham’s were in the first TV episode.

The three species other than those on Discovery, are all too much like humans here on earth right now are behaving. The story deals with politics, bigotry and racism, insidious manipulation of situations to garner power and instill fear. There’s are even two captains who are just ridiculously obstinate. It sounds like the front page of the New York Times today — or a hundred years ago. There are tinges of Anti-Gypsy sentiment, anti-immigration, bias even within the same species and planet system, and then there are the Tholians (last seen by me in the original series when they tried to weave space and Captain Kirk got caught up in it.).

Swallow points it all out beautifully, not pedantically or with a condescending attitude. It is a subtle lesson. The gypsy-type group reminds me of the poor people on the desert planet Abydos in the Star Gate movie.

The way the plot unfolds with the three species is really intricate, twisty, and suspenseful

I liked the suspenseful plot and how one obstacle and action would lead to another plot twist. I feel I understand Saru a lot better. His character is not two dimensional; he is not a whimp.

Petoff does a great job with the voices. I especially like his Georgiou. He is one of the few male narrators I have heard who doesn’t make female characters sound bitchy or breathy (unless they are).

I think this is a high-quality piece of science fiction. It has great characters, keeps to the encyclopedic, constructed world, and points out humanity’s foibles naturally.

[Kristen · Rating 3 out of 5]

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Lieutenant Saru is a Kelpien, a species that is the prey of an apex predator species on his homeworld of Kaminar, and the only one of his kind in Starfleet. It is his nature to be fearful of everything, because he knows that the universe is a harsh place and fear can keep you alive. But on a rescue mission to assist an unaligned vessel in distress, Saru decides to try to overcome his fearful nature and steps out of protocol. As a result, he finds himself in command of an away team on a hostile ship that is then overtaken by a separate species. Saru’s next steps could either resolve an escalating situation between two belligerent races or be the first salvo in a war.

On the show, Saru is basically everything Starfleet stands for. He is smart and honorable and can, when necessary, step past his fears and rise to the occasion. That said, he is still not one of my favorite characters. However, this book went a long way to remedying my thoughts on him. We get a back story that helps to explain the officer he is today and why he might act in certain ways. I would have liked to get more of Saru’s history in general - why did he get asylum in the Federation, what was his life like immediately after coming to Federation space, etc., and maybe we will get that in a future novel - but overall, the author captured the Saru from the show really well, aged him down a few years, and gave an entirely credible portrayal of a less-experienced officer.

I really love the way Georgiou is such a mentor to all her officers. She could have busted Saru down to ensign. She could have tossed him in the brig and shipped him off for court martial. She could have yelled and screamed and dressed him down like anything. But she didn’t. She let him squirm a while, then she asked him what he learned from the experience. She asked him if he would make the same mistakes again in the future. She let him know that, while his actions were not acceptable, they aren’t insurmountable and taught him that even when everything goes sideways, there is learning to be had from it.

I also like the way we see Saru and Burnham’s relationship and learn it was always a bit antagonistic. She had a fairly minor role in this novel, which makes sense since it’s Saru’s story, but I really like that, actually. Star Trek is often such a collaboration that there really isn’t just one main character. It is nice to get novels focusing on just one person or another, at least on occasion. I really hope future novels will be able Stamets and Georgiou or even the less central characters like Detmer or Owosekun. I am delighted that the next book is about Lorca, my new massive crush, though I inadvertently read these out of order and that should have been the second Discovery novel.

Overall, a fun new addition to an awesome new Trek fandom.

Favorite lines (potential spoilers!):
- You always expect the worst, Saru. Yes, he had replied, but I always hope for the best.
- That’s the thing that separates a good officer from a great one, knowing when to bend and when to be firm. … If you want to command a starship one day, you need to learn when to make those calls. When to show boldness and when to use restraint.
- Saru’s certainty that danger and death awaited him did not shade his life in morose tones. It made him all the more determined to live it, down to the very last second.
- Violence will not change the facts. You cannot coerce reality into re-forming itself to your needs with a destructive act.
- “We are the sum of our natures. We’re all on the path that our birthright set out for us.” “I’m not sure if I agree,” [Saru] replied, taking another sip of tisane. “I took a different path from the one I was born into.” “Did you? Ejah smiled again. “Or did you just follow the way to the path that had been right for you all along?”
- Compassion is not weakness. Enduring is not living. And belligerence is not strength.
- Now, as he had then, he pushed back with all the strength he could muster, struggling to free himself from the inexorable gravity of the terror. If he could just stop himself from giving in to the burning fear for a second more, for ten seconds more, a minute, then he could hold it back. I am afraid, he told himself. But it shall not rule me.

[reherrma · Rating 3 out of 5]

Im 3. Roman der Star Trek Discovery-Reihe steht der kelpianische Sternenflotten-Offizier Saru in Zentrum. Der Roman ist angesiedelt etwa 4 Jahre vor der Pilot-Film-Trilogie der TV-Serie und dem Tod von Phillipa Georgiu, dem Captain der SHENZHOU. Die SHENZHOU trifft in der neutralen Zone zwischen der Förderation und der Tholianischen Versammlung, einem der Gegner der Förderation (200 Jahre später ist die Tholianische Versammlung einer der Mitglieder des Typhon-Pacts), auf einen Alien-Frachter in Raumnot. Selbstverständlich helfen die Ingenieure der SHENZHOU bei der Reperatur des Antriebs des Raumfrachters, die eine geheimnisvolle Ladung enthält. Es stellt sich heraus, dass es sich bei dieser Ladung um eine große Anzahl von Angehörigen einer anderen Spezies handelt, ob sich diese Gorlaner freiwillig an Bord des perlianischen Raumfrachter befinden, ist anfangs unklar. Saru, selbst Angehöriger einer Beutespezies, fühlt eine Verantwortung gegenüber den Gorlanern und will herausfinden, was es sich mit diesem Transport auf sich hat. Durch einen Alleingang Sarus eskaliert die Situation sehr schnell und droht zu einem Konflikt zwischen Förderation und Tholianischer Versammlung zu entwickeln. Saru und ein Technikerteam an Bord des perlianischen Frachters geraten zwischen die Fronten von Perlianer und Gorlaner, die Auseinandersetzung gipfelt in die Kaperung des Perlianischen Frachters durch die Gorlaner und sie entfernen sich mittels einer List, während sich ein perlianisches Kriegsschiff, eine Flotte von Tholianer und die SHENZHOU auf die Verfolgung machen. Saru versucht zu vermitteln und kämpft gegen seine Angst...
Der Titel des Romans verweist auf die Angst, die alle Kelpianer verbindet, als Beutespezies sind sie ständig auf der Flucht vor den überlegenen Jäger-Spezies, eine Angst, die sich in deren Evolution manifestiert hat. Mehrmals wird im Roman erwähnt, wie Saru, wenn Gefahr droht, seine Angst-Ganglien sich regen. In der TV-Serie wird Saru immer als pedantischer Erbsenzähler, als Anhänger von Vorschriften und als fanatischer Anhänger von Law & Order geschildert, ganz im Gegensatz zu seiner Offizierskollegin Michael Burnham, die sich gerne über Vorschriften hinwegsetzt und Befehle individuell auslegt. Da auch Captain Georgiu Burnham zu protegieren scheint, fühlt sich Saru dazu aufgerufen, endlich etwas zu tun, um seine Reputation in der Sicht seiner Vorgegesetzten zu verbessern. Es wird auch geschildert, wie Saru versucht, seine Angst zu überwinden.
Sarus Psyche und seine evolutionäre Angst vor den Jägern-Spezies sind wunderbar erzählt, auch wie er alltäglich seiner Angst begegnet; als Terraner und damit als Angehöriger einer Jäger-Spezies ist es faszinierend über diese Idee nachzudenken...
Leider wird nicht erklärt, wie es Saru, der von seiner Spezies ausgestoßen wurde, zur Förderation und zur Sternenflotte gebracht hat, vieleicht ein Thema eines späteren Buches.
Auch dieses 3. Buch der ST-Discovery-Reihe finde ich sehr gelungen. Ich kann der TV-Serie noch immer nichts Gutes abgewinnen, da sich (fast) alles nicht-kanonisch erzählt wird, ganz im Gegensatz zu den Novellisationen, hier meine ich zu erkennen, dass die Autoren ernsthaft versuchen, diese Star Trek-Serie in den Star Trek-Kanon einzubinden, und das finde ich gut...!

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

WARNING: Star Trek book review dead ahead!

Yes! I am a Trekker. I love Star Trek, I have loved Star Trek since it's inception (I am five years older than it is), I am absolutely enthralled by the new series, and I don't like Star Wars!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have two rooms in my home devoted to Trek from floor to ceiling. It's all enormous good fun. And it is at its best when the stories focus on characters, and character development, rather than showing off how science savvy the writer is. Fear Itself does a little of the latter, but it is mostly devoted to developing the character of Kelpien science officer Saru, a lieutenant aboard the good ship USS Discovery (although this story takes place aboard the USS Shenzhou). A bit of background on the Kelpiens: They are a species characterized by a long history as prey to the ba'ul, who co habit Saru's home world. Because of their history, the Kelpiens are keenly attuned to the presence of a threat, particularly a mortal threat. So they are known to be overcautious and quick to retreat. In this story, the USS Shenzhou encounters a disabled ship belonging to a species known as the Peliar. The Peliar has made overtures about joining the Federation, but they are a suspicious people, slow to trust anyone and eager to keep "outworlders" out of their affairs. According tot he Shenzhou's sensors, the warp core about the Peliar ship is in dire shape and could blow at any moment. The chief engineer leads an away team to see what aid they can render.

Aboard the Peliar ship, Lieutenant Saru discovers that the vast cargo holds are in fact doubling as refugee camps for a race known as the Gorlans. The Gorlans occupied a planet within Peliar space. The Peliar want nothing to do with them, so they are relocating them to another planet. Trouble is, they're doing all of this within shouting distance of Tholian space. The Tholians are notoriously jumpy and xenophobic. The Federation people expect an attack, and the Tholians do not disappoint.

The second season of Star Trek: Discovery addressed the evolution of Lieutenant Saru and his daily confrontation with crippling fears. However, Fear Itself does offer a bit of background that helps readers/Trekkers understand how he could have even gotten that far. It's a rollicking good yarn of pure Star Trek adventure, and as such it is good, page-turning fun.

[Jay · Rating 4 out of 5]

The USS Shenzhou responds to a distress call from a neighboring system. The crew is able to avert a disaster, but in the process Lieutenant Saru discovers thousands of passengers kept in cargo bays and being relocated to another world. Saru gets caught between the two races in the middle of a hijacking and finds himself in an unexpected command position. And the Tholians are lurking in the shadows.

I really enjoyed this book. I haven't watched very much of Discovery, but I admit to being a bit fascinated by Saru, and the idea of a glimpse into his backstory is what drew me to this novel. I've read others of the sort, but most don't really provide true dramatic change and growth for the character, but this novel really achieved that - giving Saru an important arc that sets him up for his future in the TV show.

This novel also focuses a lot on diplomacy and working out the differences between two societies that have extraordinarily different cultures. Saru does his best to find non-violent solutions throughout the book and he finds that many choices aren't that black and white. He makes mistakes. He takes missteps. I found that as compelling as solving the problem correctly in one try. Its nice to see him struggle, worry, and adapt. Truly some of the most interesting moments in the book.

Yes there are a few other characters we'd recognize from TV - Michael Burnham and Phillipa Georgiou who feature prominently. And while Burnham gets a smaller arc of her own, this is really Saru's book. Georgiou has some nice command moments, but not many other times to shine. An honorable mention has to go to the Andorian First Officer, Ch'Theloh. I enjoyed meeting this character in this book and hope to see more of him in other stories.

If you're looking for some action set pieces there are a couple of really exciting battle sequences in the book. Swallow comes up with some original and creative moves during these scenes. I haven't read too many all-out fights with Tholians, but these were exciting and had me flipping pages frantically.

This is an excellent Star Trek novel in general, and I think Discovery fans in particular will enjoy this early snapshot of some of the characters.