I was expecting this to be more of a "prequel" book, and while it has some stuff that takes place before Starbase 47, Vanguard became operational, it mostly advanced several personal story arcs. Fact is, this collection of novellas (four of them) kept the tradition of the Vanguard series, complete with surprises and characters who are just as "real" as Kirk and Spock and Scotty. And the usual grittiness of modern Trek novels is there, too, bringing a level of depth, realism, and visceralness to the Original Series era in a much better and more palatable way than the reboot of the original crew released in 2009...

David Mack, Dayton Ward, and Kevin Dilmore, the triumvirate overlords of the Vanguard series, continue to impress me with storytelling that is as thought-provoking as it is entertaining. Incidentally, their Next Generation era books are just as well-written, despite Mr. Mack's penchant for scenes of mass destruction (at least he pulls them off, unlike Michael Bay...).

Looking forward to the next Vanguard novel, What Judgments Come, by Ward and Dilmore in late September...

(Yeah, I'll give 'em free advertising... The books are that good... ( )