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vesper1931's review
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Admiral Kirk is assigned to supervise the testing of an experimental rescue ship - the U.S.S. Recovery - the simulation of a rescue mission with be watched by the Klingons, Romulans and the Tholians. When Kirk decides to do he own testing what could go wrong.
An entertaining re-read.
An entertaining re-read.
crimsonfloyd's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
irrlicht's review
3.0
I haven' read this book for about 15 years, and I was a bit reluctant to read it again. Sometimes you remember a book as brilliant (and maybe it really was when you were 15 or 20), but when you read it again years later, you're asking yourself why you ever liked it at all. (Happened to me with Karl May for example.)
Thankfully, this book was as good as I remembered. Taking place after Kirk was made Admiral, there are a lot of original characters, and it's mostly about Kirk and McCoy. There's also a little bit of Spock, who apparently signed up to absolve the "Kolinahr", and Sarek also makes an appearance.
The original characters were a small problem for me, because... Well, it just wasn't the usual Enterprise crew. I knew that before, of course, but I hoped that the others would at least be mentioned, but no such luck. It really revolves a lot around the new characters and I just didn't find them that interesting. More Kirk and McCoy would've been great.
I still liked the book, because it was a very good story, I always wanted to know what's going to happen and I've always been a Bones girl, so no complaints here.
Thankfully, this book was as good as I remembered. Taking place after Kirk was made Admiral, there are a lot of original characters, and it's mostly about Kirk and McCoy. There's also a little bit of Spock, who apparently signed up to absolve the "Kolinahr", and Sarek also makes an appearance.
The original characters were a small problem for me, because... Well, it just wasn't the usual Enterprise crew. I knew that before, of course, but I hoped that the others would at least be mentioned, but no such luck. It really revolves a lot around the new characters and I just didn't find them that interesting. More Kirk and McCoy would've been great.
I still liked the book, because it was a very good story, I always wanted to know what's going to happen and I've always been a Bones girl, so no complaints here.
birdmanseven's review
4.0
This was a solid Trek story with a unique premise. I would have liked more of the original crew involved and it didn't feel like much of a conclusion to the Lost Years saga, but those are small complaints
nicklawrence83's review
3.0
Set in The Lost Years, after their original five year mission, this story sees Admiral James T. Kirk supervising the test of an experimental new vessel: The USS Recovery. This fully automated ship is capable of evacuating large populations without risking the lives of Starfleet personnel. It’s not all plain sailing however, as the onboard computer becomes corrupted and is on the brink of starting an interstellar war.
There are better Star Trek books out there, but like all obsessive, I know we like to read the entire series in chronological order. If you’re a Trek fan, you’ll enjoy it. If not, this won’t be a good introduction for you.
There are better Star Trek books out there, but like all obsessive, I know we like to read the entire series in chronological order. If you’re a Trek fan, you’ll enjoy it. If not, this won’t be a good introduction for you.
gerd_d's review
3.0
Recovery is difficult to rate for me.
There’s a lot to like about it on hand, but on the other hand it’s often enough the same that made me at times dislike the story.
On the plus side I would put the fact that Recovery is firmly build around one of the classic episodes (“The Ultimate Computer”), constantly referred to as The Daystrom incident. But here’s also already my first problem with the way Dillard tells the story, as much as I otherwise enjoyed the way the author constantly drops little bonbons for Trekkies by referencing bits and pieces from the classic series, in this case it’s highly annoying to have to constantly read about something I wouldn’t have had much of a clue where to put, much less what the back story here is, if it wasn’t for the fact that I happen to go through a re-run of the series at the time.
Another important episode the book refers to is “The Tholian Web”, but unlike the former named, Dillard here takes the time to explain at appropriate points what went on in that episode.
Further to point out is Dillard’s way of rehashing information over and over again, changing viewpoints are often introduced by recapitulating things we already know, we’ve already “seen” through the eyes of a different character, adding nothing new.
Kirk is increasingly troubled by being earth bound due to his promotion to Admiral, we get it, and Sonak, the Vulcan science officer on board the Paladin reminds him of his old friend Spock, we get that too, there’s no need to reiterate it in every chapter. Same as with the way Dillard uses “The Ultimate Computer”, I’m torn about the way Kirk is getting characterised: on one side we get to see him as the old warrior, prejudiced to new ideas and unable to think of Klingons and Romulans as anything other than enemies, but a man that thrives on action.
That’s very close to the idea Roddenberry himself gave.
Yet, put under pressure this Kirk still finds the time to futilely long for Spock when the situation calls for quick responses (not to mention go on and on about how he misses space).
This Kirk on the verge of a nervous breakdown, felt honestly annoying after a while.
Speaking of Spock, he happens to appear in the book in a role that has no the least bearing on the story, it’s as if he was just written in to appease fans.
A last, but minor problem I had with the novel is the unfortunate similarity of the dilemma Kirk has to face here, namely to lead a ship full of trainees into battle against an enemy bearing a personal grudge against him, to the one he would have to face in “The Wrath of Khan” which would chronologically follow after it.
I guess in the end the good and the bad equals out, and overall I did find it to make for an entertaining read, albeit one I would recommend even to Trekkies with reservations only.
There’s a lot to like about it on hand, but on the other hand it’s often enough the same that made me at times dislike the story.
On the plus side I would put the fact that Recovery is firmly build around one of the classic episodes (“The Ultimate Computer”), constantly referred to as The Daystrom incident. But here’s also already my first problem with the way Dillard tells the story, as much as I otherwise enjoyed the way the author constantly drops little bonbons for Trekkies by referencing bits and pieces from the classic series, in this case it’s highly annoying to have to constantly read about something I wouldn’t have had much of a clue where to put, much less what the back story here is, if it wasn’t for the fact that I happen to go through a re-run of the series at the time.
Another important episode the book refers to is “The Tholian Web”, but unlike the former named, Dillard here takes the time to explain at appropriate points what went on in that episode.
Further to point out is Dillard’s way of rehashing information over and over again, changing viewpoints are often introduced by recapitulating things we already know, we’ve already “seen” through the eyes of a different character, adding nothing new.
Kirk is increasingly troubled by being earth bound due to his promotion to Admiral, we get it, and Sonak, the Vulcan science officer on board the Paladin reminds him of his old friend Spock, we get that too, there’s no need to reiterate it in every chapter. Same as with the way Dillard uses “The Ultimate Computer”, I’m torn about the way Kirk is getting characterised: on one side we get to see him as the old warrior, prejudiced to new ideas and unable to think of Klingons and Romulans as anything other than enemies, but a man that thrives on action.
That’s very close to the idea Roddenberry himself gave.
Yet, put under pressure this Kirk still finds the time to futilely long for Spock when the situation calls for quick responses (not to mention go on and on about how he misses space).
This Kirk on the verge of a nervous breakdown, felt honestly annoying after a while.
Speaking of Spock, he happens to appear in the book in a role that has no the least bearing on the story, it’s as if he was just written in to appease fans.
A last, but minor problem I had with the novel is the unfortunate similarity of the dilemma Kirk has to face here, namely to lead a ship full of trainees into battle against an enemy bearing a personal grudge against him, to the one he would have to face in “The Wrath of Khan” which would chronologically follow after it.
I guess in the end the good and the bad equals out, and overall I did find it to make for an entertaining read, albeit one I would recommend even to Trekkies with reservations only.
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