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Star Trek: The Captain's Table #1
War Dragons
There's a bar called "The Captain's Table," where those who have commanded mighty vessels of every shape and era can meet, relax, and share a friendly drink or two with others of their calling. Sometimes a brawl may break out but it's all in the family, more or less. Just remember, the first round of drinks is always paid for with a story...even beyond the final frontier.
Captain James T. Kirk must join forces with Captain Hikaru Sulu, new commander of the U.S.S. Excelsior, to resolve a simmering political situation in a distant star system. For more than twenty years, the ancient enmity between Nykkus and Anjiri has resisted the best efforts of Federation diplomats. Now Kirk and Sulu have one last chance to end the bloodshed -- before it erupts into a full-scale interstellar war!
274 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 1998
26 people are currently reading
393 people want to read
About the author
L.A. Graf
25 books42 followersL.A. Graf reportedly stands for Let's All Get Rich and Famous. Its a pseudonym used by authors Karen Rose Cercone and Julia Ecklar.
They have co-written some eleven Star Trek novels. Their first Star Trek novel came out in 1990.
They have co-written some eleven Star Trek novels. Their first Star Trek novel came out in 1990.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
July 3, 2020
Hikaru Sulu and James T. Kirk take turns narrating a good, but not amazing, Star Trek yarn with some rather strange aliens. Everything about the book was great...but none of it was all that stellar. People who are already fans of the Trek novels will find plenty to like, but those who aren't should probably choose something by Diane Carey, Diane Duane, Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens, or John Vornholt as an introduction to these books.
January 6, 2016
I was really excited by this book event called The Captain's Table and even more due that by when I bought the books (2002), I got all five (at that moment were five, later they published a sixth novel and later an aditional anthology book with more different stories) in their individual printing (since now it seems that it's only able to get on its eventually collective edition). My first dissapointment or maybe it was indignation was to realize that the event put Kirk and Sulu in the same book. Sure, you can think that "Wow! Two captains, two ships!" but it wasn't the case, if you want to read something like that I can recommend you The Fearful Summons, where you have indeed a joint adventure of both captains. However, here, you have like two stories that will merge or more likely that one adventure is like the settling for the other. But, before to elaborate more about it. My indignation was, why put two captains in just one book? If you watch the rest of the event, each other captain has his/her individual book, looking cool and dashing on their covers, but here Kirk and Sulu have to share the cover and while at that moment, Captain Sulu was just starting to get his own adventures, about the other, he is Captain James Tiberius Kirk!!! He is the captain that started all. Are they doing a book event about starship captains and Kirk only gets a book where he has to share with another captain? That's not fair at all. Anyway, besides indignation, the joint book was a messing writing too, since you are jumping each chapter between Kirk's tale and Sulu's tale making really confusing and/or "ruining" the page-turner effect, since if you were excited about how ends certain chapter, you will have to wait a whole chapter to know what's next in the other tale. Also, both stories aren't particular any really interesting. Fairly good and/or acceptable but that's all.
December 27, 2021
The Captain's Table is a mysterious bar, run by a being known only as "Cap". Only captains are entitled to enter the establishment. The captains can be from any era. While this series of books is about Star Trek captains, others from other times can also enter. This novel, for example has a short cameo appearance from pirate captain Jean Lafitte, as well as somebody who goes by the name of “Robinson.” Traditionally, new captains are brought to the bar by their friends or former commanding officers. Here, Captain Sulu is introduced to the bar by Captain James T. Kirk.
The bar exists in some other dimension; its door can appear anywhere around the galaxy, and it is visible only to captains. Here’s the catch: drinks in the bar are provided free of any charge but payment is still required by the proprietor in the form of a story, told by the captain to the rest of the patrons.
The bulk of this novel, is one such story. It’s told by both Kirk and Sulu, from their different perspectives. It begins with a time when Kirk was the newly minted captain of the Enterprise, so new that he is sill forming his command staff. We see Spock and McCoy but most interestingly, we see his selection of Uhura as his communication specialist due to the nature of the mission at hand. Kirk tells the story of their first contact with a new alien species (or perhaps two species…time will tell). The next chapter is told by Sulu when he, as captain of the Excelsior encounters these same aliens over twenty years later. The two captains take turns telling the story from their time perspective. Yes, this is a bit confusing at first but as their stories unfold, it becomes clear why this is a good way to tell the tale. Eventually, Kirk’s tale jumps forward through those twenty years where he and his crew have been summoned to assist Sulu.
The novel was a decent Star trek tale, though perhaps a little more complex than most. There is a lot of information, especially on the aliens and their odd culture. Also, there are a lot of characters to follow. I feel like I am fairly knowledgeable about Star Trek lore but there were many I did not recognize. Perhaps they were new to this book but I got the feeling they had maybe had a one-time appearance on a TV show or movie.
The final chapter was interesting. Kirk’s and Sulu’s story has been told and they’ve departed the bar. Now a Captain by the name of Jean-Luc Picard has been brought there by his friend, Captain Neil Gleason of the Zhukov. It serves, of course, to introduce book two of the series and now I want to read that one soonish.
The bar exists in some other dimension; its door can appear anywhere around the galaxy, and it is visible only to captains. Here’s the catch: drinks in the bar are provided free of any charge but payment is still required by the proprietor in the form of a story, told by the captain to the rest of the patrons.
The bulk of this novel, is one such story. It’s told by both Kirk and Sulu, from their different perspectives. It begins with a time when Kirk was the newly minted captain of the Enterprise, so new that he is sill forming his command staff. We see Spock and McCoy but most interestingly, we see his selection of Uhura as his communication specialist due to the nature of the mission at hand. Kirk tells the story of their first contact with a new alien species (or perhaps two species…time will tell). The next chapter is told by Sulu when he, as captain of the Excelsior encounters these same aliens over twenty years later. The two captains take turns telling the story from their time perspective. Yes, this is a bit confusing at first but as their stories unfold, it becomes clear why this is a good way to tell the tale. Eventually, Kirk’s tale jumps forward through those twenty years where he and his crew have been summoned to assist Sulu.
The novel was a decent Star trek tale, though perhaps a little more complex than most. There is a lot of information, especially on the aliens and their odd culture. Also, there are a lot of characters to follow. I feel like I am fairly knowledgeable about Star Trek lore but there were many I did not recognize. Perhaps they were new to this book but I got the feeling they had maybe had a one-time appearance on a TV show or movie.
The final chapter was interesting. Kirk’s and Sulu’s story has been told and they’ve departed the bar. Now a Captain by the name of Jean-Luc Picard has been brought there by his friend, Captain Neil Gleason of the Zhukov. It serves, of course, to introduce book two of the series and now I want to read that one soonish.
August 3, 2010
"TRANSPARENT ALUMINUM SPUN a delicate membrane between the spindly green of transplanted Martian foliage and the blue-black Martian sky."
Seriously, that's how the book begins. This is my new example sentence for the writing class I moderate of an author falling in love with a sentence and being unable to let it go even though it makes no sense to anyone else. As L.A. Graf is two people you would think one of them would have mentioned that sentence is a horrible, pretentious way to open any novel, let alone a Star Trek one.
The story, in theory, is pretty good. Captains Kirk and Sulu run into each other at the Utopia Plantitia shipyards and go into a bar - The Captain's Table. It's customary for Captains to trade a story for the first round of drinks. Ok, that's a solid story base. After the place was described I was imagining a kind of Roddenberry'd Calahan's Crosstime Saloon. That base was quickly covered in the rubble of the plot.
Structure is a big problem, but it's not the only one. The story goes from Kirk telling a space pirate tale from when Spock first became his temporary XO to Sulu telling a space pirate tale from when he first took command of the Excelsior. I wouldn't have minded the jumping in some other premise, but the point is the Captains are telling these stories to other captains. That means not only do the stories need to be in the first person, they need to be told as a real time spoken narrative. Just when Kirk's story gets to a good spot the momentum is siphoned away by Sulu returning to his tale. If you've ever heard someone telling a good story you know that isn't going to happen. On top of that, there are points where Sulu is reciting his Captain's Log or the narrative explains how someone was feeling other than the Captain.
Kirk strikes me as someone who knows how to tell a good story, but there's nothing in his tale that feels like a legendary captain telling a thrilling adventure tale. They did a better job capturing Sulu's voice, but it's still missing that kind of "fisherman's tale" I'd expect from a group of captain's sharing stories.
What saves this book from a one-star rating is my laziness. I skimmed about a third of the book so I'll give it the benefit of the doubt for that section. Then again, if I can skim that many pages and still get the storyline there is probably a hundred or so unneeded pages to the story.
Seriously, that's how the book begins. This is my new example sentence for the writing class I moderate of an author falling in love with a sentence and being unable to let it go even though it makes no sense to anyone else. As L.A. Graf is two people you would think one of them would have mentioned that sentence is a horrible, pretentious way to open any novel, let alone a Star Trek one.
The story, in theory, is pretty good. Captains Kirk and Sulu run into each other at the Utopia Plantitia shipyards and go into a bar - The Captain's Table. It's customary for Captains to trade a story for the first round of drinks. Ok, that's a solid story base. After the place was described I was imagining a kind of Roddenberry'd Calahan's Crosstime Saloon. That base was quickly covered in the rubble of the plot.
Structure is a big problem, but it's not the only one. The story goes from Kirk telling a space pirate tale from when Spock first became his temporary XO to Sulu telling a space pirate tale from when he first took command of the Excelsior. I wouldn't have minded the jumping in some other premise, but the point is the Captains are telling these stories to other captains. That means not only do the stories need to be in the first person, they need to be told as a real time spoken narrative. Just when Kirk's story gets to a good spot the momentum is siphoned away by Sulu returning to his tale. If you've ever heard someone telling a good story you know that isn't going to happen. On top of that, there are points where Sulu is reciting his Captain's Log or the narrative explains how someone was feeling other than the Captain.
Kirk strikes me as someone who knows how to tell a good story, but there's nothing in his tale that feels like a legendary captain telling a thrilling adventure tale. They did a better job capturing Sulu's voice, but it's still missing that kind of "fisherman's tale" I'd expect from a group of captain's sharing stories.
What saves this book from a one-star rating is my laziness. I skimmed about a third of the book so I'll give it the benefit of the doubt for that section. Then again, if I can skim that many pages and still get the storyline there is probably a hundred or so unneeded pages to the story.
November 15, 2020
In a mysterious bar where captains from all times and places can relax and regale one another with their exploits, Captains Kirk and Sulu tell the story of a mysterious reptile race that badgered them at two different times.
I had a really hard time getting this book started. I tried to read it several months ago and had the most difficult time enjoying it. However, I decided to put all my efforts into getting through it in a Sunday and by the time I hit Page 38 the story kicked in and I was quickly turning pages. I think it was having so much build up of the bar seem like filler. Yes, it needs to be established but Sulu's lizard and the touchy Gorn didn't serve a purpose for the bar or either captain's story.
Kirk's story is set during his first year as captain of the Enterprise and getting used to his crew, especially Spock. I really enjoyed how Graf had Kirk appreciated Uhura and how she became a necessary character to the stories. Sulu's story is during his first year as captain of the Excelsior and how his crew encounters the same reptile race that Kirk encountered. I was pleased to see that he was constantly reminding himself to let others do their jobs, where he had to do much when he served aboard the Enterprise. Again, an excellent bit of characterization from Graf.
The mysterious alien race was a good creation, with their actions causing problems that seemed impossible to solve in the past and blowing up into possible epic catastrophes for the future. The inclusion of an iconic race at the end of Sulu's tale was a excellent choice, and I never grow tired of seeing the captain that appeared at the end.
This was a good read, with some excellent characterization and good action.
The book ends with Picard finding his way into the bar, but it goes nowhere. There's an incredibly forced action sequence that does not work. His inclusion only serves to have readers pick up the next book.
I had a really hard time getting this book started. I tried to read it several months ago and had the most difficult time enjoying it. However, I decided to put all my efforts into getting through it in a Sunday and by the time I hit Page 38 the story kicked in and I was quickly turning pages. I think it was having so much build up of the bar seem like filler. Yes, it needs to be established but Sulu's lizard and the touchy Gorn didn't serve a purpose for the bar or either captain's story.
Kirk's story is set during his first year as captain of the Enterprise and getting used to his crew, especially Spock. I really enjoyed how Graf had Kirk appreciated Uhura and how she became a necessary character to the stories. Sulu's story is during his first year as captain of the Excelsior and how his crew encounters the same reptile race that Kirk encountered. I was pleased to see that he was constantly reminding himself to let others do their jobs, where he had to do much when he served aboard the Enterprise. Again, an excellent bit of characterization from Graf.
The mysterious alien race was a good creation, with their actions causing problems that seemed impossible to solve in the past and blowing up into possible epic catastrophes for the future. The inclusion of an iconic race at the end of Sulu's tale was a excellent choice, and I never grow tired of seeing the captain that appeared at the end.
This was a good read, with some excellent characterization and good action.
The book ends with Picard finding his way into the bar, but it goes nowhere. There's an incredibly forced action sequence that does not work. His inclusion only serves to have readers pick up the next book.
December 29, 2025
Star Trek: The Captain's Table 01 War Dragons by L.A. Graf
3.5 Stars
challenging emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense
Medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes
I like that we had two (competing) narratives. One with Captain James T. Kirk (first early on, in it's Five Year Mission...that transitted to when they're wearing the Maroon uniforms. The other one is through the eyes of Captain Hikaru Sulu...as the captain of the USS Excelsior.
At first, it was not easy to pop back and forth, since you'd get comfortable withe story in one POV and timeline, then get pulled out of it...to the other POV and timeline, and that was frustrating. I wanted to know what was happening...in what I was reading, to then get the rug pulled out from under me...to tell a (seeminly) different story...that seemed unconnected to the other. Right when you got interesting in this new story, you were pulled out AGAIN, for the previious story (mid-story), so you had to remember what had been going on...and this repeated...over and over again.
Eventually you found the "reason" these two stories were being told, it just felt like they were SO different, that you'd NEVER get to the point they'd compliment each other. You finally DO get there, but I feel a bit too late (at least for my tastes).
I liked that they "tee'd up" the next book...in this one, so hopefully they hit to road, running.
Next up in the Star Trek: The Capatain's Table series is 02 Dujonian's Hoard by Michael jan Friedman. I will need to purchase this one...so it might be a bit. We shall see.
3.5 Stars
challenging emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense
Medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes
I like that we had two (competing) narratives. One with Captain James T. Kirk (first early on, in it's Five Year Mission...that transitted to when they're wearing the Maroon uniforms. The other one is through the eyes of Captain Hikaru Sulu...as the captain of the USS Excelsior.
At first, it was not easy to pop back and forth, since you'd get comfortable withe story in one POV and timeline, then get pulled out of it...to the other POV and timeline, and that was frustrating. I wanted to know what was happening...in what I was reading, to then get the rug pulled out from under me...to tell a (seeminly) different story...that seemed unconnected to the other. Right when you got interesting in this new story, you were pulled out AGAIN, for the previious story (mid-story), so you had to remember what had been going on...and this repeated...over and over again.
Eventually you found the "reason" these two stories were being told, it just felt like they were SO different, that you'd NEVER get to the point they'd compliment each other. You finally DO get there, but I feel a bit too late (at least for my tastes).
I liked that they "tee'd up" the next book...in this one, so hopefully they hit to road, running.
Next up in the Star Trek: The Capatain's Table series is 02 Dujonian's Hoard by Michael jan Friedman. I will need to purchase this one...so it might be a bit. We shall see.
March 19, 2024
The first book out of a series of 6. A special concept around a bar called The Captains Table, exclusively available to ship captains. In this book Kirk and Sulu are put central stage and tell a story which involved both of them as captain over a period of many years. As is mentioned on the cover, the book is told from their own perspective.
Though the story plays in the past (when they tell it) it involves and adventure with a species that is new to the reader. A species that will prove to be ruthless and dangerous enough to command admiration from the Klingons.
After reading the book the impression is that the adventure is certainly worthy of TOS but the added value of the pub and its customers is doubtfull and doesn't seem to add to the story.
Of course it builds on what is known from earlier times, it plays at the end of James T. Kirk epoch when Sulu is already commanding his own spaceship. So no big surprises as far as the familiar characters go, Spock, Uhura, Chekov, ... and only newly introduced characters risk to loose their lives.
The cover gives an impression of the Captains's Table in the background with our 2 heroes prominently in front.
The psychological trauma of Chekov from an earlier event is elaborated on, for the rest it is an original story that neatly follows the overall storyline and respects agreed borders.
That still allows it to be full of excitement and action with a little bit of humor. It plays mostly in the neutral zone but the Enterprise does cross the border into Klingon territory.
So the threat of a Klingon-Terran war is real.
Though the story plays in the past (when they tell it) it involves and adventure with a species that is new to the reader. A species that will prove to be ruthless and dangerous enough to command admiration from the Klingons.
After reading the book the impression is that the adventure is certainly worthy of TOS but the added value of the pub and its customers is doubtfull and doesn't seem to add to the story.
Of course it builds on what is known from earlier times, it plays at the end of James T. Kirk epoch when Sulu is already commanding his own spaceship. So no big surprises as far as the familiar characters go, Spock, Uhura, Chekov, ... and only newly introduced characters risk to loose their lives.
The cover gives an impression of the Captains's Table in the background with our 2 heroes prominently in front.
The psychological trauma of Chekov from an earlier event is elaborated on, for the rest it is an original story that neatly follows the overall storyline and respects agreed borders.
That still allows it to be full of excitement and action with a little bit of humor. It plays mostly in the neutral zone but the Enterprise does cross the border into Klingon territory.
So the threat of a Klingon-Terran war is real.
May 19, 2024
This is from the Captain's Table omnibus where Star Fleet captains tell their stories at a bar solely accessible by this select group of people while the rest of the patrons enjoy a round of drinks for the price of a story from the said captain involved. This is a combined story featuring Kirk and Sulu as they worked together when Sulu first got command of the Excelsior. The captains find themselves involved in an interstate war near Orion space, which just so happens to be near the Klingon Empire. The combatants are similar to the Gorn that Kirk had tangled with in the "Arena" episode of the original series. Every other chapter is in the POV of Kirk or Sulu and it works quite well really. Definitely recommended.
September 29, 2018
I would say this was convoluted with having two stories going on at the same time. The whole time I was having a hard time picturing how two people would be telling two different stories at the same time going back and forth. I found it confusing as a reader (along with the whole idea of The Captain's Table) so I hope they don't do this in the future ones. Once the other story was dropped I was hoping the main narrative would be enough to keep my interest but it wasn't. I have liked L.A. Graf's work in the past but this was one of their weaker efforts.
July 30, 2019
Captain James T. Kirk is looking for his old friend, Captain Hikaru Sulu on a long layover. He has the idea to take him to a bar called The Captain’s Table, a place where a captain of any vessel may come for a little refreshment with other captains. The first round of drinks calls for a story, and Kirk and Sulu tell their own parts of a story involving a race previously unknown, the Nykkus and the Anjiri. I like a book better than a movie because the book delves into the thoughts of the characters.
January 10, 2025
I really expected to like this book more than I did. It started out so well.
The conceit of the Captain's Table is pretty silly, and is treated that why by the author. But it's a simple frame to tell the story, and that works fine.
My problem is that the action and chase story and the contrasts of two different captain's stories of the same encounter is great... and then it becomes a lot of plodding around convincing people to just not do what they have been doing for the first part of the book.
Also, too many near misses with death for one story.
The conceit of the Captain's Table is pretty silly, and is treated that why by the author. But it's a simple frame to tell the story, and that works fine.
My problem is that the action and chase story and the contrasts of two different captain's stories of the same encounter is great... and then it becomes a lot of plodding around convincing people to just not do what they have been doing for the first part of the book.
Also, too many near misses with death for one story.
December 6, 2022
It's probably the best written of the "Captain's Table" books I've read to date, although the time lines seemed to mesh together after a while, and it irritated me that it implies Spock wasn't first officer in "Where No Man Has Gone Before" when he clearly was already in the position. In general, I'm still not a fan of this series, and the ending feels rushed, as it hurtles as quickly as possible into the start of the next book...far too early, in my opinion.
January 27, 2019
For book 1 of a series, there were a worryingly large number of references to Kirk's previous time at the table. The most interesting part of this for me was Kirk and Spock's interaction, especially during Kirk's story when things were decades gone and friendships unformed. An enjoyable TOS episode with a little Table fringe for substance
September 26, 2019
A good enough story, but difficult to keep track of unless you are reading it constantly. The first person narration swaps back and forth between Kirk and Sulu chapter-for-chapter and every time I picked up the book again, I forgot it wasn't just Kirk narrating. Contains important info about Chekov's career path.
May 31, 2021
Mycket spännande berättelse som binder samman två skepps öden i olika perioder till en episk berättelse. Ibland är lösningarna för snåriga situationer lite väl osannolika och ibland hoppar författaren tyvärr över viktiga segment, men utöver det så blir berättelsen som sagt spännande. En bra start för denna bokserie.
June 24, 2024
Sulu and Kirk go to the Captain's Table. They each have a story to tell. Kirk tells a story that happens just after Spock joined the crew. Sulu starts out his story, than Kirk is brought into the events of that story too.
June 5, 2019
This one rubbed me the wrong way right off the bat. Might give it another go at another date.
November 30, 2021
Four stars for everything except the bar scenes.
July 2, 2024
A decent story with Kirk and Sulu. I really liked the Captain's Table bar, because it seems to be outside time and space.
August 6, 2024
Delightful combination of a tale starring with Captain Kirk and ending with both Captain Sulu & Kirk.
June 19, 2025
Was really weird having two first person narrators.
November 15, 2025
On meeting Captain Hikaru Sulu, new commander of the U.S.S. Excelsior, Captain Kirk takes him to the Captain's Table where he relates his crew's first meeting with the saurian race the Nykkus and Anjiri. Then Sulu relates his interactions with them.
An entertaining re-read
An entertaining re-read
March 2, 2019
A dual tale of Captains Kirk and Sulu on their respective first missions at the commanders of the Enterprise and Excelsior, this piece was much fun. At first I thought I'd be frustrated by one thread pausing so the other could take over but as the two stories started weaving together it gelled in an awesome way.
A worthy and fun adventure well worth your time.
A worthy and fun adventure well worth your time.
January 11, 2016
The jumping of the time frames is a constant of the Captain's Table series, but it's taken to a new level here as Kirk tells a story set during the 60s series, Sulu (and later Kirk) during the movies, all while the framing story takes place post-movies. For the most part it works well, but I get the feeling L.A. Graf shoe-horned the framing story in. Considering this is meant to be Kirk and Sulu tell their stories to a captive audience, there are times when you'd expect the other to throw in a sly comment, obviously not all the time, but at the end of a chapters when the storyteller shifts. At the end, as their tales finish and we switch back to the framing, nobody seems to care any more everyone having drifted off as the two Starfleet captains finish their story. Jerry Oltion (the only other one I've read so far) handled it much better with a bit of bar-type camaraderie going on throughout.
During dialogue Graf nails the voices of TOS cast and Tuvok well. Internal dialogue slightly less so. However, the characterisation of Chekov is way off. Here he's the first officer of Sulu's Excelsior. Only he buckles under the pressure because of the deaths of everyone aboard the Reliant in Wrath of Khan. I watched TWoK a week ago. Khan explicitly states he left then on Ceti Alpha V so they could suffer as his people did. Once Khan is dealt with the Enterprise goes to rescue them. The only person Chekov lost was his Captain. I understand continuity in a huge franchise such as this can be difficult, but when you hang an entire character on a moment a bit of research doesn't go amiss, especially when it's on screen in the very movie you're referencing.
The other issue I had was the speech patterns of the reptilian adversaries, the Anjiri and Nykuss. They're more fractured than Yoda. At the beginning it works well, a nice show of the difficulties of meeting a new race. But towards the end of the book one of their leaders gives a full breakdown of what happened in the 20 year gap, which is almost impossible to follow. You're left with only a vague understanding of what was said, waiting for another character to explain it.
Shortly afterwards the translator starts to work better so their speech improves. Yet the big explanations are all done. It's still fragmented, but a lot easier to read. Just one scene earlier - with an explanation of the translator was learning all the time - would have helped a great deal.
Yet it was fun. A proper Enterprise/Excelsior crossover story. I've always liked Sulu getting his own ship, and wish we could have seen more in Star Trek VI. This is that brought to life. Poor Chekov though.
During dialogue Graf nails the voices of TOS cast and Tuvok well. Internal dialogue slightly less so. However, the characterisation of Chekov is way off. Here he's the first officer of Sulu's Excelsior. Only he buckles under the pressure because of the deaths of everyone aboard the Reliant in Wrath of Khan. I watched TWoK a week ago. Khan explicitly states he left then on Ceti Alpha V so they could suffer as his people did. Once Khan is dealt with the Enterprise goes to rescue them. The only person Chekov lost was his Captain. I understand continuity in a huge franchise such as this can be difficult, but when you hang an entire character on a moment a bit of research doesn't go amiss, especially when it's on screen in the very movie you're referencing.
The other issue I had was the speech patterns of the reptilian adversaries, the Anjiri and Nykuss. They're more fractured than Yoda. At the beginning it works well, a nice show of the difficulties of meeting a new race. But towards the end of the book one of their leaders gives a full breakdown of what happened in the 20 year gap, which is almost impossible to follow. You're left with only a vague understanding of what was said, waiting for another character to explain it.
Shortly afterwards the translator starts to work better so their speech improves. Yet the big explanations are all done. It's still fragmented, but a lot easier to read. Just one scene earlier - with an explanation of the translator was learning all the time - would have helped a great deal.
Yet it was fun. A proper Enterprise/Excelsior crossover story. I've always liked Sulu getting his own ship, and wish we could have seen more in Star Trek VI. This is that brought to life. Poor Chekov though.
December 14, 2013
I'm near done the second book in this "Captain's Table" series and if it weren't for that I would be starting this by saying how this concept just doesn't work. In each of these books, a particular captain from the Star Trek universe relates a story to fellow captains at a unique and exclusive bar that seems to exist outside of normal space/time. The first-person format of this becomes problematic: capturing the voices of these well known characters (actors) in a novel that is basically an extended 'yarn'. Here, that isn't managed well at all. The voices all sound the same, and rather being related in a natural, conversational tone (as the story supposedly is being), it reads rather unnaturally as the single voice of a narrator, the author.
"War Dragons" is additionally a mess from being overwritten, both in terms of language and plot. The plot extends multiple time periods (within the 'tale' itself, not just in the sense of 'in the bar'/'story'). Also featuring both Kirk and Sulu as points of view, things become overly jumbled, despite not focusing very much on many of the other original series characters.
"War Dragons" is additionally a mess from being overwritten, both in terms of language and plot. The plot extends multiple time periods (within the 'tale' itself, not just in the sense of 'in the bar'/'story'). Also featuring both Kirk and Sulu as points of view, things become overly jumbled, despite not focusing very much on many of the other original series characters.
July 16, 2009
The story of the Anjiri and the Nykkus is interesting, but I'm not thrilled about how it's written. Chapters alternate from Capt Kirk's point of view and Captain Sulu's. However, first half of the book Capt Kirk's chapters are the past, and Sulu's are the present and that isn't obvious for awhile. Later, they work together, but are still alternating chapters from each captain's point of view. If nothing else it was mildly annoying and confusing. Also, last half of final chapter moves onto Capt Picard finding the Captain's Table bar setting up his story in the next book. I'd rather his story started in his book, instead of leaving the teasing hint started in this book. Overall, it was okay.
March 6, 2016
This book starts off strong, with a fun description of the Captain's Table bar, and some good Kirk-as-captain stuff, but once Sulu-as-captain hits, I just found it dull. Then the chapters start interleaving, in order to tell this time-spanning tale, but holy crap did I not care. Tuvok is included for no apparent reason ... Kirk makes some godawfully stupid decisions ... it just kind of fell apart quickly for me, though I did really enjoy Act I.
I eventually gave up on the book, and was happy that Graf's writing style at least did not bug me (I know Graf is, or at least was, a collective, though, so maybe that means nothing).
I eventually gave up on the book, and was happy that Graf's writing style at least did not bug me (I know Graf is, or at least was, a collective, though, so maybe that means nothing).
July 20, 2025
You can find the premise of The Captain’s Table series elsewhere—I'm just here to say this one is worth picking up.
I really enjoyed revisiting Kirk and Sulu, hearing their intertwining stories, and meeting the strange and entertaining characters at the Captain’s Table itself. It’s a light, enjoyable read—nothing too dramatic, but charming in a way that feels almost like cozy Star Trek. Maybe this is the first “cozy sci-fi” book I’ve ever read?
If you're a Trek fan, especially of the original series, I think you'll enjoy this. And if you like this one, chances are you'll enjoy the others in the series, too.
I really enjoyed revisiting Kirk and Sulu, hearing their intertwining stories, and meeting the strange and entertaining characters at the Captain’s Table itself. It’s a light, enjoyable read—nothing too dramatic, but charming in a way that feels almost like cozy Star Trek. Maybe this is the first “cozy sci-fi” book I’ve ever read?
If you're a Trek fan, especially of the original series, I think you'll enjoy this. And if you like this one, chances are you'll enjoy the others in the series, too.
September 21, 2009
The book is an odd read. The same story told from two different perspectives, Kirk and Sulu, from two different time periods, the distant past and the recent past. Add to that the difficulty of the universal translator to interpret the language of the main alien culture. It just becomes a headache to read this book. While the story is semi-compelling, it more of a, "I'd like to finish this book", rather then, "I need to know what happens next" experience.
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