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Star Trek: Voyager
Unworthy
Freed with a thought, the greatest menace to humanity, the Borg, are gone, absorbed into the Caeliar gestalt. But are they? Can this deadly menace that has hovered over humanity for decades truly be gone? Might some shadow of the Caeliar remain? The Federation decides that they have to know, and Starfleet is ordered to find out.
The Starship Voyager leads a fleet into a region of space that has lived in fear of instant annihilation for generations: the Delta quadrant, home of the Borg. Afsarah Eden -- the new captain of Voyager -- is charged with getting answers, to reach out to possible allies and resolve old enmities in the Delta quadrant.
The perfection that was given to the Borg was withheld from Seven of Nine. Left behind, she is living a twilight existence -- neither Borg nor human -- and slowly going mad. The whispers of the Collective, comforting murmurs she has always known, are replaced with a voice deep within her that keeps insisting she is Annika Hansen. Chakotay, the former captain of Voyager, offers to help Seven rendezvous with the ships that Starfleet Command has sent into the Delta quadrant, the probable destination of the mysterious Caeliar.
These are not the friendly stars of the Federation; the unknown and the unexpected are the everyday.
370 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published October 1, 2009
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932 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 100 reviews
August 25, 2016
An exciting and fast-paced story with many twists and turns. Often, Star Trek novels can be formulaic and easy to predict; However, this outing, like much of the modern Trek novels, proved to be unique and exciting, with many plot twists I certainly didn't see coming. I highly recommend reading this tale, but if you haven't read the Destiny trilogy or the previous Next Generation and Voyager relaunch novels, you may feel a little lost.
Full review: http://treklit.blogspot.com/2011/04/u...
Full review: http://treklit.blogspot.com/2011/04/u...
June 2, 2017
Batiste felt his cheeks growing hot.
"You are referring to the Borg."
"The Borg Collective," Meegan replied, adding emphasis.
"Have you had significant contact with the Borg?"
"They are our betters in every way. We hope one day to be worthy of their attention. Until then, we will strive to emulate and please them in all that we do."
In Unworthy Kirsten Beyer continues the story of Voyager and her crew with taking them all the way back to the place where it all begun - the Delta Quadrant. This time they have a fleet of other ships with them and their journey lead them to a solar system where the Indign live. This is a species that live as a collective with six unique species working together as one, and as you might have guessed also a species that idolizes(!) the Borg...
I really like Beyer's writing and how she makes me experience the Trek universe so vividly. The characters continues to be spot on at the same time as they're growing under Beyer's watchful eyes. In this book in particular I think that I especially like the way she wrote about how the situation with B'Elanna and Miral affected the friendship between Tom and Harry. It felt believable at the same time as it sort of teared my heart up a little bit.
When it comes to the story I found it to be interesting and also unique considering the Indign's take on the Borg. This story added something new to the Trek universe when you think about how practically all other species that we've heard of feel about the Borg and the thought of assimilation. I like how Beyer adds a new perspective to this.
I also enjoyed the mystery of who was sabotaging and having his/her own agenda aboard Voyager trying to get them to a place where a rift into fluidic space, where Species 8472 resides, could be opened up. You might say that that one left me feeling quite shocked before the whole thing was over and done with...
November 19, 2009
Finally, a decent Voyager book.
With the titles since the end of the series (has it been that many years ago?), the ST authors have given short shrift to Voyager. While Tuvok has moved on to ST:Titan, the other Voyager characters have been left to languish in the wake of the other Trek novels and ongoing pantheon that culminated last year in the Destiny miniseries.
With the reboot from Destiny, several major storylines from the Voyager books were left hanging, and Voyager's place among the new Trek universe was uncertain.
A new mission was put forth in the novel Full Circle last spring, to go back to the Delta Quadrant, but this time with a full compliment of ships and with most of the original cast in tow.
Without giving too many spoilers, Voyager has a new captain at the helm to go along with its new mission, and comes very close to tying up all the loose ends (including the ugly, nasty ones from the earlier novels) that were left hanging in a pretty satisfiable fashion. By the end of the book, I was ready to move forward with a decent mission statement and a true purpose that went beyond the "lost in space gone awry" that the TV show had become by the end of the final season.
Hopefully, the authors can continue in that direction.
With the titles since the end of the series (has it been that many years ago?), the ST authors have given short shrift to Voyager. While Tuvok has moved on to ST:Titan, the other Voyager characters have been left to languish in the wake of the other Trek novels and ongoing pantheon that culminated last year in the Destiny miniseries.
With the reboot from Destiny, several major storylines from the Voyager books were left hanging, and Voyager's place among the new Trek universe was uncertain.
A new mission was put forth in the novel Full Circle last spring, to go back to the Delta Quadrant, but this time with a full compliment of ships and with most of the original cast in tow.
Without giving too many spoilers, Voyager has a new captain at the helm to go along with its new mission, and comes very close to tying up all the loose ends (including the ugly, nasty ones from the earlier novels) that were left hanging in a pretty satisfiable fashion. By the end of the book, I was ready to move forward with a decent mission statement and a true purpose that went beyond the "lost in space gone awry" that the TV show had become by the end of the final season.
Hopefully, the authors can continue in that direction.
October 5, 2009
I've read the Star Trek series for decades now (horrible realization here), and this book was the first to catch my interest in years. I'm really looking forward to Ms Beyer's original content novel that was mentioned in the author's notes.
July 25, 2014
Another great edition to the reboot line. I'm continually impressed with how engaged these books get me, despite shaky characterization. I gotta give credit to the plot- Beyer is better than the actual writers for the show in that respect. There aren't lose ends, things make sense, and I'm ultimately satisfied with the way the plot wraps up.
The alien of the week is cool as heck- multiple aliens (some noncoporeal and/or nonhumanoid) interacting to sort of form a "collective" of their own, aliens that worship the borg.. Yeah, sign me up for all of that.
I'm still curious as to the kind of relationship Eden and her alien hubby had, as she mentions in Children of the Storm that it was somewhat comforting. Kind of disappointed that that wasn't explored much.
Kind of disappointed that the whole "B'elanna returns from dead with child" thing blew off so quickly. Just put me down as kinda disappointed (not totally, mind you) in the characters, which is kind of a reoccurring problem in Beyer novels.
Hopefully she'll experience some "character development" herself and learn to get a little more dirty with these characters later on. They pretty much yours now-- turn up, girl.
The alien of the week is cool as heck- multiple aliens (some noncoporeal and/or nonhumanoid) interacting to sort of form a "collective" of their own, aliens that worship the borg.. Yeah, sign me up for all of that.
I'm still curious as to the kind of relationship Eden and her alien hubby had, as she mentions in Children of the Storm that it was somewhat comforting. Kind of disappointed that that wasn't explored much.
Kind of disappointed that the whole "B'elanna returns from dead with child" thing blew off so quickly. Just put me down as kinda disappointed (not totally, mind you) in the characters, which is kind of a reoccurring problem in Beyer novels.
Hopefully she'll experience some "character development" herself and learn to get a little more dirty with these characters later on. They pretty much yours now-- turn up, girl.
March 24, 2016
Good, if a bit predictable. It was obvious going in that at the end of the day, Chakotay would be back in the center seat of Voyager, that B'elanna would not be an unemployed stay-at-home Mom, and that the admiral was crazy. (After all, this is Star Trek; ALL admirals are crazy, with the possible exception of Akaar.) The fact that in this case, the admiral wasn't JUST crazy was a bit of a novelty, but only a bit. Still, it was a good story, and the characters were handled well. I disbelieve that Reg and Dr. Z are capable of re-creating the mobile emitter, when it's been established in "The Light Fantastic" that they weren't. But that's a fairly minor quibble.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 18, 2025
Voyager was never my favourite Trek show, and a big part of that was how bland and unchanging the characters always were. I go into the VOY books with low expectations, and it's a delight to be pleasantly surprised. Kirsten Beyer seems to be able to unlock some of the potential the TV series missed, giving the characters a lot more agency without betraying what the show gave us.
I mean, if she can make Chakotay interesting then maybe she's capable of anything.
This picks up where the author's previous book left off and sees the USS Voyager leading a small fleet into the Delta Quadrant. The character list is full of familiar faces along with a lot of new ones, and I'm finding myself quite invested in this set up. It brings the crew back together but allows for some strong conflict and simmering feelings to make themselves known. There are also some good surprises and twists here, especially for anyone deeply familiar with Trek lore. Fair warning: Neelix does appear.
I mean, if she can make Chakotay interesting then maybe she's capable of anything.
This picks up where the author's previous book left off and sees the USS Voyager leading a small fleet into the Delta Quadrant. The character list is full of familiar faces along with a lot of new ones, and I'm finding myself quite invested in this set up. It brings the crew back together but allows for some strong conflict and simmering feelings to make themselves known. There are also some good surprises and twists here, especially for anyone deeply familiar with Trek lore. Fair warning: Neelix does appear.
June 11, 2025
The second book Kirsten Beyer uses to settle old plot lines before delving full-bore into the 2nd exploration of the Delta Quadrant. I'm not entirely sure about the key revelation regarding Batiste in this novel, but it's certainly surprising in any number of ways, and does allow for an interesting follow-up to the season 5 episode "In the Flesh". As a book that clears the decks for an entirely new direction, it works very well. Now the real fun can begin...
June 2, 2016
BookMattic’s Rating: 4/5
Goodreads’ Rating: 4.08/5
Unworthy is one of those Trek books (if you’re into Star Trek) that is similar to watching an episode of the series. There’s a strong moral to the story which
Kirsten Beyer has done a great job in writing. It’s nice to pick up this book and
just zoom right through it since it’s easy to read and has a good story line.
These Voyager characters have well rounded characteristics which bring life to
the story and make it fun to read.
Unworthy’s plot is tied in with a few of these new Star Trek Voyager books
written by Kirsten Beyer which at first I did not know. So there are some back
plotting that might come to a surprise, like it did for me, if you haven’t read anyof the other books. This doesn’t take away from the understanding of this story,though it does open up many questions as to how the story lead up to that
point, how the characters got to where they are and generally makes you want
to go back and read the other books.
Starfleet is sending Voyager along with 8 other ships, Esquiline, Quirinal, Planck,Galen, Curie, Demeter, Achilles and Hawking on a three year mission to the
Delta Quadrant using slipstream technology to get there and back. Captain Edenis in command of Voyager along with Tom Paris as her first officer and a few
other faces that we all have grown to love. Their mission is to seek out new life and explore areas where Voyager in its first time around to the Delta Quadrant didn’t get a chance to explore. As they arrive in the Delta Quadrant they come
across a system with a species known as the Indign living together as a
‘collective’ with several different species emulating the Borg. The Indign travel
in ships that look exactly like Borg cubes. Luckily the cubes are not as strong
and don’t have capabilities to assimilate people. Nonetheless Voyager has to
find a way to communicate with the Indign since it is their mission to explore.
They also want to find out exactly what happened with the Borg because now
they are gone. The biggest threat to all kind was eliminated by the Caeliar
gestalt.
There’s a few other well done aspects to this book such as Seven of Nine’s
rehabilitation into living without the Borg collective voices in her head and
dealing with emotions she hasn’t experience since before she was assimilated.
Basically she’s human again, but for her she can’t define herself like that, she
was human before getting assimilated, then spent most of her life as Borg, and
finally the Caeliar came along and replaced her nanoprobes with Caeliar catoms and made her for the most part, human. It’s fantastic that she’s in the story
with Chakotay and the Doctor right along side her to help her in her personal
journey.
Last but not least there are a few new characters that are great additions to the Voyager cast. Captain Eden and Counselor Cambridge. Captain Eden does hold
some of the same qualities as Janeway but she seems more ‘human’, I guess
more sensitive than Janeway. She has a lot of growing to do as a captain but
she’s still strong willed which is a quality any captain should have. All of this puttogether makes her character interesting to read about. Part of her history is
mysterious, interesting. Then you’ve got Counselor Cambridge which is the
perfect addition to this series. He’s got guts and lots of humor. He’s very similar to Bones but much more easy going. He’ll speak his mind as if he doesn’t have afilter. By far Counselor Cambridge is my favorite new character.
Goodreads’ Rating: 4.08/5
Unworthy is one of those Trek books (if you’re into Star Trek) that is similar to watching an episode of the series. There’s a strong moral to the story which
Kirsten Beyer has done a great job in writing. It’s nice to pick up this book and
just zoom right through it since it’s easy to read and has a good story line.
These Voyager characters have well rounded characteristics which bring life to
the story and make it fun to read.
Unworthy’s plot is tied in with a few of these new Star Trek Voyager books
written by Kirsten Beyer which at first I did not know. So there are some back
plotting that might come to a surprise, like it did for me, if you haven’t read anyof the other books. This doesn’t take away from the understanding of this story,though it does open up many questions as to how the story lead up to that
point, how the characters got to where they are and generally makes you want
to go back and read the other books.
Starfleet is sending Voyager along with 8 other ships, Esquiline, Quirinal, Planck,Galen, Curie, Demeter, Achilles and Hawking on a three year mission to the
Delta Quadrant using slipstream technology to get there and back. Captain Edenis in command of Voyager along with Tom Paris as her first officer and a few
other faces that we all have grown to love. Their mission is to seek out new life and explore areas where Voyager in its first time around to the Delta Quadrant didn’t get a chance to explore. As they arrive in the Delta Quadrant they come
across a system with a species known as the Indign living together as a
‘collective’ with several different species emulating the Borg. The Indign travel
in ships that look exactly like Borg cubes. Luckily the cubes are not as strong
and don’t have capabilities to assimilate people. Nonetheless Voyager has to
find a way to communicate with the Indign since it is their mission to explore.
They also want to find out exactly what happened with the Borg because now
they are gone. The biggest threat to all kind was eliminated by the Caeliar
gestalt.
There’s a few other well done aspects to this book such as Seven of Nine’s
rehabilitation into living without the Borg collective voices in her head and
dealing with emotions she hasn’t experience since before she was assimilated.
Basically she’s human again, but for her she can’t define herself like that, she
was human before getting assimilated, then spent most of her life as Borg, and
finally the Caeliar came along and replaced her nanoprobes with Caeliar catoms and made her for the most part, human. It’s fantastic that she’s in the story
with Chakotay and the Doctor right along side her to help her in her personal
journey.
Last but not least there are a few new characters that are great additions to the Voyager cast. Captain Eden and Counselor Cambridge. Captain Eden does hold
some of the same qualities as Janeway but she seems more ‘human’, I guess
more sensitive than Janeway. She has a lot of growing to do as a captain but
she’s still strong willed which is a quality any captain should have. All of this puttogether makes her character interesting to read about. Part of her history is
mysterious, interesting. Then you’ve got Counselor Cambridge which is the
perfect addition to this series. He’s got guts and lots of humor. He’s very similar to Bones but much more easy going. He’ll speak his mind as if he doesn’t have afilter. By far Counselor Cambridge is my favorite new character.
January 3, 2010
This was a very, very good read!!
B'Elanna and her 3 and half daughter Miral have been in hiding for more than a year. A renegade Klingon sect decided the best way to avert the apocalypse Miral's birth foretold was to kill her. B'Elanna was going to meet up with her husband Tom when her ship needs repairs. She decides to visit a friend.
Seven is having issues of her own: Her Beloved aunt has died as has her friend B'Ellanna and her daughter or so she thinks..Now she is constantly hearing a voice in her head. Will her old friends from Voyager be able to help her...
The Doctor is now on the U.S.S Galen a experimental vessel he and his creator has designed with Lt. Reginald Barclay. Tom Paris is 1st Officer Lieutenant Commander on Voyager.Voyager has a new captain. All of this happens before the third chapter!!! I did not want to put this book down til the last page. I'm glad I got to go back in their world if only for a little while! If you have ever wondered what happened when everyone got back home this is the book for you!!
B'Elanna and her 3 and half daughter Miral have been in hiding for more than a year. A renegade Klingon sect decided the best way to avert the apocalypse Miral's birth foretold was to kill her. B'Elanna was going to meet up with her husband Tom when her ship needs repairs. She decides to visit a friend.
Seven is having issues of her own: Her Beloved aunt has died as has her friend B'Ellanna and her daughter or so she thinks..Now she is constantly hearing a voice in her head. Will her old friends from Voyager be able to help her...
The Doctor is now on the U.S.S Galen a experimental vessel he and his creator has designed with Lt. Reginald Barclay. Tom Paris is 1st Officer Lieutenant Commander on Voyager.Voyager has a new captain. All of this happens before the third chapter!!! I did not want to put this book down til the last page. I'm glad I got to go back in their world if only for a little while! If you have ever wondered what happened when everyone got back home this is the book for you!!
March 23, 2013
I was initially hesitant to give this book 5 stars, but I realized that I did really like it, and that I found it incredibly difficult to put down, and for those two facts alone, it deserves five stars. I like the premise of this book, but I found one or two parts a little hard to reconcile, but I guess that is what the second book is for.
August 28, 2016
I really enjoyed this book. Kirsten really captures the voices of the Voyager characters really well. She also picks up some story threads from past novels and the series. Full Circle and Unworthy when read together feel like a pilot episode for a new Voyager series. I am looking forward to the next entry in the series.
December 8, 2016
This is quite solid. I wasn't sure about the characterization of Chakotay in the last book but Beyer has gotten him right here. I like Captain Eden and look forward to more of her and more of Beyer's work in the next instalment. My sense is that Beyer is a strong addition to the Star Trek: Discovery writer's room.
December 10, 2017
This book was...like "Full Circle" in every way, good and bad, but less so.
Beyer continues to restore the heart and dignity that was so heinously ripped from "Voyager" by previous "Star Trek" novels, and I really enjoy most of her new characters. That said, the plot of this book didn't enthrall me, and as with "Full Circle," much of it seemed to be about tying up loose ends more than being a coherent, stand alone story.
The one main thing that irked me about this book was the forced tension between Tom Paris and Harry Kim. Harry's anger at Tom and B'Elanna's lie is absolutely justifiable... but it's justified with the stupidest reason. Instead of being angry at how shaky Tom and B'Elanna's plan was, Harry instead is angry simply that they didn't "trust" him. Because "I could be tortured and I'd never betray you!" ...says the man who spent seven years in the Delta Quadrant witnessing and experiencing telepaths, mind-control, radiation insanity, and... well you get the idea. Harry's cock-sure attitude towards his own mental strength would be forgivable when he was just a straight-A dweeb fresh from the Academy, but post-Voyager Harry has no excuse not to know better. And this guy is now Chief of Security. (Seems even in the novels, "Star Trek's" track record for incompetent security chiefs reigns strong.)
On a side note, I still also cannot warm up to Hugh Cambridge, and his romance with Seven feels very forced and speedy. I appreciate that the purpose of it is probably just Beyer sticking it to fans arguing over who Seven should be paired with, by saying "No one! Seven's gonna marry a guy she meets after Voyager gets home, she doesn't have to end up with anyone from Voyager." And the Hugh Cambridge we saw in "Full Circle" could be an understandable match for Seven. But he seems... off, in this book. His original grumpiness (which was frankly over the top in the first place) is weirdly gone, and now he's just kind of...random. His final "Captain Proton" therapy for Tom and Harry at the end was almost enjoyable, but cheapened by how shaky Tom and Harry's tension and Hugh's characterization was throughout.
Eden and Chakotay also had some reactions to the dilemma of the week that I hope I just misunderstood. It sounded like they were telling Seven that they shouldn't stop a violent force from murdering thousands of innocents because "interfering would make us no better than them, by not respecting their culture of mass murder." Later justifications that interference could make things worse is more understandable, but acting like stopping these crimes would somehow be "immoral" is disturbing.
Overall, I.... liked this book enough to finish it quickly, I suppose. And I enjoyed most of the characters. But it was overall a disappointment.
Beyer continues to restore the heart and dignity that was so heinously ripped from "Voyager" by previous "Star Trek" novels, and I really enjoy most of her new characters. That said, the plot of this book didn't enthrall me, and as with "Full Circle," much of it seemed to be about tying up loose ends more than being a coherent, stand alone story.
The one main thing that irked me about this book was the forced tension between Tom Paris and Harry Kim. Harry's anger at Tom and B'Elanna's lie is absolutely justifiable... but it's justified with the stupidest reason. Instead of being angry at how shaky Tom and B'Elanna's plan was, Harry instead is angry simply that they didn't "trust" him. Because "I could be tortured and I'd never betray you!" ...says the man who spent seven years in the Delta Quadrant witnessing and experiencing telepaths, mind-control, radiation insanity, and... well you get the idea. Harry's cock-sure attitude towards his own mental strength would be forgivable when he was just a straight-A dweeb fresh from the Academy, but post-Voyager Harry has no excuse not to know better. And this guy is now Chief of Security. (Seems even in the novels, "Star Trek's" track record for incompetent security chiefs reigns strong.)
On a side note, I still also cannot warm up to Hugh Cambridge, and his romance with Seven feels very forced and speedy. I appreciate that the purpose of it is probably just Beyer sticking it to fans arguing over who Seven should be paired with, by saying "No one! Seven's gonna marry a guy she meets after Voyager gets home, she doesn't have to end up with anyone from Voyager." And the Hugh Cambridge we saw in "Full Circle" could be an understandable match for Seven. But he seems... off, in this book. His original grumpiness (which was frankly over the top in the first place) is weirdly gone, and now he's just kind of...random. His final "Captain Proton" therapy for Tom and Harry at the end was almost enjoyable, but cheapened by how shaky Tom and Harry's tension and Hugh's characterization was throughout.
Eden and Chakotay also had some reactions to the dilemma of the week that I hope I just misunderstood. It sounded like they were telling Seven that they shouldn't stop a violent force from murdering thousands of innocents because "interfering would make us no better than them, by not respecting their culture of mass murder." Later justifications that interference could make things worse is more understandable, but acting like stopping these crimes would somehow be "immoral" is disturbing.
Overall, I.... liked this book enough to finish it quickly, I suppose. And I enjoyed most of the characters. But it was overall a disappointment.
September 8, 2021
I rather enjoyed this one. Seven tries to figure out why the celliear didn't absorb her into the Gestalt and she's trying to figure out what her family is now that she no longer had voyager, her aunt, or the borg. A good connection to Species 8472 (and this makes me see how the original foe of Star Trek Online was envisioned to be the Undine), and we have the emergence of a Borg cargo-cult (weird).
August 3, 2019
Another excellent Voyager adventure!
August 6, 2020
Just when there starts to be a something like a plot, the book ends. It is mediocre even for a Voyager book. And all the characters always say everything either "flatly" or "evenly", which is a common occurrence in all Beyer's books.
July 13, 2018
Some spoilers ahead.
The Voyager and the fleet accompanying her have made it into the Delta Quadrant in relatively short order thanks to the quantum slipstream drive. Their purpose is to basically scope out the rest of Borg space in the Delta Quadrant to make sure the Borg are really dead, and also if possible to see what happened to the Caeliar, the species that defeated the Borg in the Destiny trilogy. Meanwhile, Seven of Nine is struggling with some voice in her head as a result of her Borg components being replaced with Caeliar components ("catoms," I believe) when the Borg were transformed. Given how much I enjoyed Destiny, and also the excellent Full Circle novel previous to this one, I thought this would be quite the adventure, but this one just didn't measure up to the previous novel.
For starters, "Full Circle" spent a significant amount of time exploring the devious plot hatched by B'Elanna Torres and Tom Paris to reunite in the Delta Quadrant and live there together with their daughter for the rest of their lives. I rather liked the desperate feeling this gave me, and the anxiety to see how it would unfold. Well, they make the rendezvous, but I almost get the feeling that the author decided at the last minute that they would stay on Voyager instead. Perhaps I should be glad that Tom didn't end up abandoning Voyager, but I suppose I felt kind of let down by that build-up coming to basically nothing.
Then there is Seven of Nine, whose struggle with the Caeliar "catoms" in her body puts a dour, depressing mood on the whole novel. Perhaps this was Beyer's intent. But it's simply not interesting to read about, at least not for two entire novels. It's too overdramatic and in my opinion doesn't add much to the story.
Then there is Harry Kim, who seems like nothing but a whiner in this novel, upset that Tom Paris never told him anything about his devious plot to escape with B'Elanna and Miral. I won't say much about this except that is was kind of annoying. Harry Kim surely isn't this unreasonable.
Then finally there is the Indign, the race that Voyager and company stumble across, who want nothing more to imitate the Borg. They have something almost resembling a symbiotic relationship with a bunch of other races. What were they, the Greech leeches and the Neyser, and several others? I can't even remember the particulars of the relationship, but apparently they have "benamite" that Voyager needs. This whole plot line was too convoluted to follow. They can apparently possess people's bodies, and if I understood what happened correctly, they possessed a hologram somehow.
This review seems like it's entirely made up of complaints, and I suppose that's how it's going to be. I found it too much of a slog to really enjoy. There are a few nice plot twists, but for the most part the novel is humorless and overly-philosophical. At least the first novel managed to keep my attention. There is, however, potential for the next novel to be a whopper, so I am looking forward to sinking my teeth into it.
The Voyager and the fleet accompanying her have made it into the Delta Quadrant in relatively short order thanks to the quantum slipstream drive. Their purpose is to basically scope out the rest of Borg space in the Delta Quadrant to make sure the Borg are really dead, and also if possible to see what happened to the Caeliar, the species that defeated the Borg in the Destiny trilogy. Meanwhile, Seven of Nine is struggling with some voice in her head as a result of her Borg components being replaced with Caeliar components ("catoms," I believe) when the Borg were transformed. Given how much I enjoyed Destiny, and also the excellent Full Circle novel previous to this one, I thought this would be quite the adventure, but this one just didn't measure up to the previous novel.
For starters, "Full Circle" spent a significant amount of time exploring the devious plot hatched by B'Elanna Torres and Tom Paris to reunite in the Delta Quadrant and live there together with their daughter for the rest of their lives. I rather liked the desperate feeling this gave me, and the anxiety to see how it would unfold. Well, they make the rendezvous, but I almost get the feeling that the author decided at the last minute that they would stay on Voyager instead. Perhaps I should be glad that Tom didn't end up abandoning Voyager, but I suppose I felt kind of let down by that build-up coming to basically nothing.
Then there is Seven of Nine, whose struggle with the Caeliar "catoms" in her body puts a dour, depressing mood on the whole novel. Perhaps this was Beyer's intent. But it's simply not interesting to read about, at least not for two entire novels. It's too overdramatic and in my opinion doesn't add much to the story.
Then there is Harry Kim, who seems like nothing but a whiner in this novel, upset that Tom Paris never told him anything about his devious plot to escape with B'Elanna and Miral. I won't say much about this except that is was kind of annoying. Harry Kim surely isn't this unreasonable.
Then finally there is the Indign, the race that Voyager and company stumble across, who want nothing more to imitate the Borg. They have something almost resembling a symbiotic relationship with a bunch of other races. What were they, the Greech leeches and the Neyser, and several others? I can't even remember the particulars of the relationship, but apparently they have "benamite" that Voyager needs. This whole plot line was too convoluted to follow. They can apparently possess people's bodies, and if I understood what happened correctly, they possessed a hologram somehow.
This review seems like it's entirely made up of complaints, and I suppose that's how it's going to be. I found it too much of a slog to really enjoy. There are a few nice plot twists, but for the most part the novel is humorless and overly-philosophical. At least the first novel managed to keep my attention. There is, however, potential for the next novel to be a whopper, so I am looking forward to sinking my teeth into it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 26, 2017
Much better than the last one, glad I kept on with these. I enjoy the voyager fleet concept.
November 20, 2015
Originally reviewed for TwoNerdsTalking at http://wp.me/p4Wvzn-12J
Unworthy picks up where the previous novel Full Circle left off, following the exploits of the crew of the refurbished USS Voyager and their mission as part of the fleet tasked to explore the Delta Quadrant for any sign of the mysterious Caelier.
But they're not alone in their desire to find the Caelier. Seven of Nine, now separated from her Borg implants is being plagued by an internal voice insisting that she is Annika Hansen. While that was her name before her assimilation as a child, Seven hasn't used that name for decades and prefers to addressed simply as Seven, a unique individual who is neither Borg or Human, but something in between.
After Seven collapses and her health seems in decline, Captain Chakotay who is no longer the commanding officer of Voyager, resigns his commission to help Seven find some answers and seeks out the USS Voyager. Meanwhile the assumed dead B'Elanna Toris-Paris and her infant daughter Miral make their way to the rendevous point in the Delta Quadrant where they will be reunited with Tom, away from the clutches of the Warriors of Gre'Thor.
Unworthy is truly a beautiful piece of writing and author Kirsten Beyer does a wonderful job of drawing threads from various previous books, weaving them all into a tapestry that sets the scene for further books. As a fan of the TV series Voyager, I really enjoyed her drawing on elements from the TV show itself with some visits from old friends and places which really captured the "feel" of Voyager even though Captain Janeway wasn't there.
Overall, a great book and one I really enjoyed.
Unworthy picks up where the previous novel Full Circle left off, following the exploits of the crew of the refurbished USS Voyager and their mission as part of the fleet tasked to explore the Delta Quadrant for any sign of the mysterious Caelier.
But they're not alone in their desire to find the Caelier. Seven of Nine, now separated from her Borg implants is being plagued by an internal voice insisting that she is Annika Hansen. While that was her name before her assimilation as a child, Seven hasn't used that name for decades and prefers to addressed simply as Seven, a unique individual who is neither Borg or Human, but something in between.
After Seven collapses and her health seems in decline, Captain Chakotay who is no longer the commanding officer of Voyager, resigns his commission to help Seven find some answers and seeks out the USS Voyager. Meanwhile the assumed dead B'Elanna Toris-Paris and her infant daughter Miral make their way to the rendevous point in the Delta Quadrant where they will be reunited with Tom, away from the clutches of the Warriors of Gre'Thor.
Unworthy is truly a beautiful piece of writing and author Kirsten Beyer does a wonderful job of drawing threads from various previous books, weaving them all into a tapestry that sets the scene for further books. As a fan of the TV series Voyager, I really enjoyed her drawing on elements from the TV show itself with some visits from old friends and places which really captured the "feel" of Voyager even though Captain Janeway wasn't there.
Overall, a great book and one I really enjoyed.
November 9, 2014
This book takes up where the Mack books left off, I was relieved to see. I really enjoyed the Voyager series, but these novels can at times make it feel like they are collecting the old characters together artificially. Captain Janeway is dead--that's not a spoiler because it happened in the previous book--but maybe you don't know that, who knows. The new aliens were boring at first, but they quickly became interesting. I'm going to read the next one. Watching Enterprise again, I'm struck by the resilience and problem solving of the characters, the desire to live up to higher ideals. There is that sickening feeling, like when Dolores Umbridge takes over Hogwarts, with the Admiral on board the ship. Each author has a way of dramatizing the characters. The novels are mostly focused on plot, character development would change the universe too much. You don't read these novels for character development though. I find Beyer's scifi a little less scientific than other scifi writers, but that's not too bad. Space opera is fun too.
The therapist is intrusive and unorthodox. Touching Seven's hair, and the unusual way he handles the conflict between Harry and Paris, may or may not be to one's liking. As a former therapist, I felt like he did not have a good sense of boundaries, and denied liking playing God. He's an interesting character, and I think he's more well drawn than Deana Troi, as an empath.
The therapist is intrusive and unorthodox. Touching Seven's hair, and the unusual way he handles the conflict between Harry and Paris, may or may not be to one's liking. As a former therapist, I felt like he did not have a good sense of boundaries, and denied liking playing God. He's an interesting character, and I think he's more well drawn than Deana Troi, as an empath.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 29, 2009
Unworthy is the latest in the Star Trek Voyager series. While I am not that familiar with the Star Trek Voyager novels, I've enjoyed watching Star Trek on TV. This latest installment, Unworthy, smoothly portrays the Voyager characters and introduces the new captain of the Starship Voyager, Afsarah Eden. Kirsten Beyer includes enough background that new readers can reasonably follow the story, although I felt that I would have benefited by having read the earlier book.
The characters' internal conflicts and the tension between crew members interesting and helped move the story along. I was most interested in the women portrayed in Unworthy. Captain Afsarah Eden, Lieutenant Nancy Conlon, B'Elanna Torres as a civilian, and even Seven (Annika) were well developed and nuanced personalities whose issues and conflicts drew me in. Overall, Star Trek Voyager: Unworthy was an enjoyable read - although while reading it, you are aware that it is only part of the larger Star Trek Voyager series.
Publisher: Star Trek (September 29, 2009), 384 pages.
A review copy was provided by the publisher.
The characters' internal conflicts and the tension between crew members interesting and helped move the story along. I was most interested in the women portrayed in Unworthy. Captain Afsarah Eden, Lieutenant Nancy Conlon, B'Elanna Torres as a civilian, and even Seven (Annika) were well developed and nuanced personalities whose issues and conflicts drew me in. Overall, Star Trek Voyager: Unworthy was an enjoyable read - although while reading it, you are aware that it is only part of the larger Star Trek Voyager series.
Publisher: Star Trek (September 29, 2009), 384 pages.
A review copy was provided by the publisher.
December 30, 2016
A very good addition to the Star Trek universe. There is an 85% chance you won't see every plot-twist ahead of time that's contained in this heavily-woven mesh of unique story arcs. You'll be surprised and entertained the whole way. I was nervous at the beginning, because I thought it was going to be a bunch of spirit-journeys and metaphysical epiphanies, but the plot quickly jumps into various fallout from the Destiny trilogy and the Caeliar's impact in general.
At one point Beyer acknowledges that there are so many relationship sub-plots that it seems like a "soap-opera", but most of it isn't too cliched, and as a fan of the Voyager crew, I was pleased with certain romantic decisions made by the end of the novel (and don't worry, it never gets too mushy-gushy, it's still a Sci-Fi book about exploration).
For the first time in the rebooted Voyager book series, it feels like Beyer has finally cleaned up the semi-truck full of loose ends left by previous authors. And further she's setup an over-arching motivation for future books, but has a self-contained plot in this book individually.
At one point Beyer acknowledges that there are so many relationship sub-plots that it seems like a "soap-opera", but most of it isn't too cliched, and as a fan of the Voyager crew, I was pleased with certain romantic decisions made by the end of the novel (and don't worry, it never gets too mushy-gushy, it's still a Sci-Fi book about exploration).
For the first time in the rebooted Voyager book series, it feels like Beyer has finally cleaned up the semi-truck full of loose ends left by previous authors. And further she's setup an over-arching motivation for future books, but has a self-contained plot in this book individually.
May 13, 2016
A wonderful book. I have read Star Trek Novels for years and with a few exceptions, they are mostly fun escapist readings that I can put to the side when I am done and not pick up again. This is one of the exceptions. I am sure this one will be read over and over again for years.
The Crew of Voyager comes home. There are promotions and positions are shifted around but with the exception of Janeway and Tuvok (who is serving with Riker on the Titan) they are back. We also make some new friends. They have a different Captain and this time, they have a mission. They are the Flagship of the Full Circle Fleet and they are sent back to the Delta Quadrant to make sure the Borg are really gone as per the events in the Destiny Trilogy. The discerning reader will realize there is something more happening than just a deep space mission but its hard to pinpoint. Something is just not right about all this.
It is a fantastic story. Kudos to whoever made the decision to have ONE author write this series. It makes the transition from book to book seamless. Kirsten Beyer nails it.
The Crew of Voyager comes home. There are promotions and positions are shifted around but with the exception of Janeway and Tuvok (who is serving with Riker on the Titan) they are back. We also make some new friends. They have a different Captain and this time, they have a mission. They are the Flagship of the Full Circle Fleet and they are sent back to the Delta Quadrant to make sure the Borg are really gone as per the events in the Destiny Trilogy. The discerning reader will realize there is something more happening than just a deep space mission but its hard to pinpoint. Something is just not right about all this.
It is a fantastic story. Kudos to whoever made the decision to have ONE author write this series. It makes the transition from book to book seamless. Kirsten Beyer nails it.
December 16, 2016
A great continuation of the Voyager series. What starts out slow and very character driven (but still very engaging) turns into a very fast-paced action-adventure with a minor mystery (and partly predictable in one area, in my opinion) in the second half of the novel. It's a fun read and leaves you excited for the next book. The tough sell is having to introduce new characters and making us care about them on any level, after the TV crew. A few standout pretty quick - Captain Eden and Counselor Cambridge. They fit in very nicely with the other original characters. Everything is neatly wrapped up, of course, and the next book should be easier to run with, since all the pieces are back in place as needed to make this a true Voyager story.
August 5, 2014
This was pretty fun. I typically enjoy Beyer's novels. I was glad to see Voyager return to the Delta quadrant for genuine exploration. It was weird and kind of sad to see so many characters there, but still not to have it be the same old crew. The changes were good, though.
I thought the Indign culture was interesting in a completely messed up way. Revering the Borg freaks me out. I think Beyer needed to go into a little more detail about the Eight and Meegan, but I am sure that will be covered in a subsequent book.
Overall, a very nicely done Trek novel. *Way* better than the ones involving geriatric Picard and Beverly having babies.
I thought the Indign culture was interesting in a completely messed up way. Revering the Borg freaks me out. I think Beyer needed to go into a little more detail about the Eight and Meegan, but I am sure that will be covered in a subsequent book.
Overall, a very nicely done Trek novel. *Way* better than the ones involving geriatric Picard and Beverly having babies.
December 25, 2014
I was pleasantly gratified by this entry in the Voyager saga. I wasn't a huge fan of the TV series, but Kirsten Beyer has done a truly excellent job in giving these characters life and depth.
I thought these characters had added depth and complexity which was refreshing. The thing I always liked about the original series was that it wasn't just spaceships and phaser battles, but about relationships and social problems in a science fiction context.
In some of the books based on the Trek series you'll get one or the other but I'm pleased to see all the elements in this series. I'm planning on reading the rest of the books in this series.
I thought these characters had added depth and complexity which was refreshing. The thing I always liked about the original series was that it wasn't just spaceships and phaser battles, but about relationships and social problems in a science fiction context.
In some of the books based on the Trek series you'll get one or the other but I'm pleased to see all the elements in this series. I'm planning on reading the rest of the books in this series.
February 2, 2010
The Voyager characters I've come to know and enjoy were far removed from the characters in this book. Makes me wonder if the author has ever seen a Voyager episode, or else she's simply lost the plot. I did not enjoy this book, or the earlier one, might as well have been reading about complete strangers. I will think twice about ever buying another ST Voyager book if the quality of the plots don't improve.
September 21, 2019
This was a very interesting, entertaining book and continuation of Voyager's story. I really enjoyed the fact that we got to see Chakotay, Seven, B'elanna, Tom and Harry all on the same ship again. They found a new home on Voyager in a way that was very well done, and not at all contrite. The plot was extremely interesting to, between Seven's issues and the species they encountered the Delta Quadrant, to the intrigues of Starfleet, all came together for a book I could not put down.
January 23, 2017
Interesting and fun book
This story pulled together parts of the Voyager series that were fun to remember. It also contained the same characters that we have grown to love. Excellent story, well written and very enjoyable. Meegan watch I think you are about to enter into another story soon
This story pulled together parts of the Voyager series that were fun to remember. It also contained the same characters that we have grown to love. Excellent story, well written and very enjoyable. Meegan watch I think you are about to enter into another story soon
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