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Summary: Star Trek The Ashes of Eden - The Shatnerverse begins!
Review: To date, "The Ashes of Eden" remains one of my favorite and most memorable reads in The Original Series Star Trek universe. This extraordinary novel serves well in what I'm gathering was William Shatner's desire to stay connected with the universe he helped create. I found this novel and it's follow up novel, "The Return" to both have been extraordinarily brilliant in the way William Shatner and his collaborators, Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens were able to perpetuate Captain James T. Kirk in the Star Trek universe, despite the character having been killed off in Star Trek Generations.Although some of William Shatner's later Star Trek novels in the ongoing story do not quite live up to this first one, I would have to say that he's carved himself a nice niche in the Star Trek universe, at least in the fictional sense. The cover art for this novel is brilliant and exciting, lending very well to the story! The premise: It is six months prior to that fateful day in which the USS Enterprise NCC-1701-B is launched under Captain John Harriman and she heads off for her inexorable brush with a destiny that entails the loss of the Federations most renowned captains, James Tiberius Kirk. Captain Kirk finds himself facing the spectre of an unchallenging retirement when suddenly, a very beautiful young woman makes him an offer he couldn't refuse; a perilous voyage to an uncharted planet where he will confront that which poses a very real threat to the burgeoning peace between the Federation and the Klingon Empire. Along the way, he has the opportunity to recapture his youth. Captain Kirk finds that he must turn his back on his closest friends and is that he's also being hunted by Captain Sulu and the USS Excelsior. He also finds that he must stand alone as the chief defender of an incredibly beautiful world and he must choose between conquering the gravest challenge of his career or surrendering to the greatest passion he's ever known. I highly recommend this novel and those Shatnerverse novels that follow for you will find that this incredible writing team of William Shatner and Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens are capable of producing some the most memorable Star Trek fiction ever put to print. {ssintrepid}
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Summary: Welcome to the World of Star Trek Mr. Shatner!
Review: Welcome to the World of Star Trek Mr. Shatner!
Or should the ST world of literature welcome him. I had already read his Tek War books. Then they killed Kirk off in the movie GENERATIONS. I was disappointed because Kirk was always the star of ST for me. He had the kahoneys to write THE RETURN which was the second ST novel he wrote. I had tried to like the Star Trek books that came before Shatner returned to the world of ST but they were mostly mediocre at best. Well I liked the return and immediately read Shatner's first ST novel, Ashes of Eden. Shatner leads the reader astray a bit. At first you are thinking you are in the midst of a story written to satisfy an old guy who is in the middle of late life crises. You think it is a simple story of a man needing a young babe and a new mission. But it is a set up for a real interesting story... I'll let you read the rest for yourself. The novel is also the first of what became a double trilogy. This first trilogy is followed by THE RETURN 1996 and then AVENGER 1997. The next trilogy starts with a real good one called SPECTRE, 1998, followed by DARK VICTORY, also good, and concluding with PRESERVER, 2000. PRESERVER was a bit of a disappointment, but I also never actually read the book, having bought the Audio CD instead. William Shatner and friends, I am glad you stopped by the ST literature; your contributions are worthy reads! I wish you had written the 4 book series on the DOMINION WAR.
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Summary: Kirk by Kirk
Review: This is a great story. I am absolutely amazed that Bill Shatner did this. I had never read any of his books before this. I know about the "Tek" series, I know he has written his memoirs, but no one else can be Captain Kirk like Bill Shatner. He writes this book from a place he must be feeling in his own life; a man who is feeling his age, and questioning where and what he is in this, the twilight of his life. This story is great in that he resurrects his life, his purpose. Like in "Generations," he has to "make a difference." It is rare to read a trek novel that doesn't feel serialized, this novel breaks the mold that has been set forth by countless authors in the genre. Kirk's devotion to a cause, and his willingness to break rules as he sees fit, are both great features of this book. I think that Shatner has truly captured the character he has played for all of these years. "Kirk" is truly represented in the book. He goes on a crusade of some better good, and puts at risk, his career, his friendships, and even his own life. So typical, but so profound at the same time. The idea of chivalry, that is so long gone, breaths new life in this book. Overall, this is a great book. It brings the cast together, even if they are divided. It is nice to see how Shatner puts his own spin on his character, and how, I think, he brings his own life into these pages.
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Summary: Praise to Shatner
Review: I own the hardcover of this novel and I returned to it recently. People often say that an author should write what he knows and who better to do so than someone who was there at the beginning. Mr. Shatner gives all of our original series favorites intermingling with guests from the series along with new characters. I loved the tension between Sulu and Checkov and Uhura (Sulu defending his position as a Starfleet captain while Checkov and Uhura defend Captain Kirk). After resigning his commission, Kirk does what he has always done: help. There are surprises aplenty in this great book which sets the stage for Shatner's future novels.
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