Rating: 
Summary: Answers, Questions, Agendas, Development
Review: "A Time to Die" picks up immediately where "Born" leaves off; Picard is railroaded by the tribunal, and Nechayev bargains for his career. Riker is made acting captain, Data has his emotion chip removed--voluntarily--and everyone else is left to deal with the reprecussions of Rashanar. It is key to remember that there will be a grand total of nine books in the "A Time to..." cycle, and not all answers can be--nor are they expected to be--revealed in the first two novels. Vornholt has given the reader a taste of the changes--such as Data's loss of his emotion chip--and set the stage for what will surely be a poignant, bittersweet exit for the crew and family of the "Enterprise" prior to Nemesis; these characters are not archtypes, and by making them simply do the expected would not be conducive to good storytelling. For example, the admiralty; Ross has always been a good guy, but his dealings with Section 31 as seen in "Inter Arma Enim Silent Leges" and his firm desire to keep the Ontailians as allies in the time of rebuilding merely add to his character.
Nechayev has always been somewhat standoffish, but she is one of Vornholt's favorite guest characters, and again, this is character building; I believe Peter David gave a throwaway line about how she had newfound respect for Picard because of his familiarity with Spock. Onto the plot; yes, it is fairly obvious what will happen. The "Enterprise" travels back to Rashanar; Wesley reveals himself to the skeleton crew of the ship, worried about interfering with the outcome of the fate of Rashanar and being kicked out of Traveler society; and, of course, Colleen Cabot, new supporting character and Crusher's love interest and the one thing that helps return his humanity, is killed. Again, obvious, but with the inclusion of the seedy denizens of the Jem'Hadar battle cruiser (Orions, Kreel, and Androssi--oh my) Vornhold keeps the reader's interest. Vale and Perim are further developed as well, and considering this is a Picard/Crusher story, they are handled expertly and the reader truly empathizes with Wesley's plight; losing Cabot and fearing exile from Traveler society is quite a load on the former ensign. Yes, the Rashanar plot is concluded, but there is still more story to tell--seven books left, and it is only then will we have a complete piece of the puzzle that lead to the breaking of the "Enterpise" family. Keep this in mind as you read each novel in the cycle; no one book will have all the answers, and if "Born" and "Die" are any indication, each novel will be amongst the finest "Next Generation" stories ever told.
Rating:
Summary: Answers, Questions, Agendas, Development
Review: "A Time to Die" picks up immediately where "Born" leaves off; Picard is railroaded by the tribunal, and Nechayev bargains for his career. Riker is made acting captain, Data has his emotion chip removed--voluntarily--and everyone else is left to deal with the reprecussions of Rashanar. It is key to remember that there will be a grand total of nine books in the "A Time to..." cycle, and not all answers can be--nor are they expected to be--revealed in the first two novels. Vornholt has given the reader a taste of the changes--such as Data's loss of his emotion chip--and set the stage for what will surely be a poignant, bittersweet exit for the crew and family of the "Enterprise" prior to Nemesis; these characters are not archtypes, and by making them simply do the expected would not be conducive to good storytelling. For example, the admiralty; Ross has always been a good guy, but his dealings with Section 31 as seen in "Inter Arma Enim Silent Leges" and his firm desire to keep the Ontailians as allies in the time of rebuilding merely add to his character.
Nechayev has always been somewhat standoffish, but she is one of Vornholt's favorite guest characters, and again, this is character building; I believe Peter David gave a throwaway line about how she had newfound respect for Picard because of his familiarity with Spock. Onto the plot; yes, it is fairly obvious what will happen. The "Enterprise" travels back to Rashanar; Wesley reveals himself to the skeleton crew of the ship, worried about interfering with the outcome of the fate of Rashanar and being kicked out of Traveler society; and, of course, Colleen Cabot, new supporting character and Crusher's love interest and the one thing that helps return his humanity, is killed. Again, obvious, but with the inclusion of the seedy denizens of the Jem'Hadar battle cruiser (Orions, Kreel, and Androssi--oh my) Vornhold keeps the reader's interest. Vale and Perim are further developed as well, and considering this is a Picard/Crusher story, they are handled expertly and the reader truly empathizes with Wesley's plight; losing Cabot and fearing exile from Traveler society is quite a load on the former ensign. Yes, the Rashanar plot is concluded, but there is still more story to tell--seven books left, and it is only then will we have a complete piece of the puzzle that lead to the breaking of the "Enterpise" family. Keep this in mind as you read each novel in the cycle; no one book will have all the answers, and if "Born" and "Die" are any indication, each novel will be amongst the finest "Next Generation" stories ever told.
Rating: 
Summary: much better than the first book
Review: a time to die starts out with wesley the traveler trying to convince several people in the higher ranks of starfleet to at least believe captain picard's story. after some negotiations the enterprise crew is allowed to return to rashannar to try and discover the mystery behind the graveyard. they encounter all types of adventures that prove very enlightening and answer a lot of questions. for all of you fans that sort of went to sleep in the first book, this one is much better written and does not jump all over the place. it is my believe that the books will each get better because if they did not what would make us come back and read all 9?
Rating:
Summary: Much more enjoyable than the first book.
Review: After A Time to Be Born I had rather low expectations for this book, and thankfully they were exceeded. The descriptions are good if not as spectacular as Vornholt can do. The characterisations are good, if slightly shallow. Kell Perim and Christina Vale not only get "face time", in this book they actually have personalities. Wesley Crusher is the major character of this book, and his sections are well done. Vornholt did a very good job integrating his abilities with the rest of the crew. They change the dynamic of how the crew operates, but they don't push the rest of the crew into the background. With that said, Colleen Cabot was overused and it was too much of a shift from her character in the first book. Also, she and Wesley basically meet, then jump in the sack. Their 'relationship' has no emotional depth to interest the reader. Finally, the beginning of the book, dealing with politics and Starfleet Command, really disturbed me. An Admiral basically orders Cabot to prepare to program Picard, and her only objection is that she likes him. Also, at the end, I was left with the impression that Command wants Picard destroyed, and their efforts will be a major subplot of the series. I wish they would drop that. Too late now, I guess. Overall, I did enjoy this book. It is a good mystery and adventure story. It could certainly have been better, but unlike A Time to Be Born, this was actually worth reading.
Rating: 
Summary: A study in how two characters can destroy a book
Review: Fresh on the heels of A Time to Be Born, its companion novel, A Time to Die shows up. And what a clunk it makes. Star Trek novels have their detractors, but I'm not one of them. This one, however, almost makes me change my mind. There is so much wrong with this book that I don't know where to begin. Just to start at the easy part, how about a summary?
After the destruction of the Ontailian ship at the Rashanar graveyard in A Time to Be Born, and after the Ontailians destroy the starship Juno, Captain Picard is back on Earth being held in a mental institution for ongoing medical tests. He has accepted a deal that will avoid a court martial, but he is determined to discover what really happened at Rashanar, site of one of the fiercest battles of the Dominion War. To clear his former captain, Acting Captain William Riker takes the Enterprise, with a skeleton crew, back to Rashanar to find out what the Ontailians are really hiding at the graveyard. Thankfully, he has the help of Picard, the counselor performing his medical evaluation, and an old friend. Wesley Crusher is back, and he's determined to help the Enterprise and his old captain, even if it means he can no longer be a member of the mythical beings called "The Travelers." However, death and destruction await them amidst the wreckage of so many ships.
A Time to Be Born was a book about Picard (and a little bit of Data). Wesley was in it, and he actually became a little annoying prancing around during the inquiry back at Starfleet command (the only annoying part of that entire section of the book). But it was Picard's book. A Time to Die makes the whole thing Wesley's story, and it really suffers for it. I have never been a Wesley detractor as so many Star Trek: The Next Generation fans have been, but he's never been a favourite of mine. However, this book has a lot of Wesley using his Traveler powers, jumping from ship to ship to planet to outer space, observing things. He almost makes things too easy, despite Picard's insistence that they can't begin relying on him. Wesley is a Deus ex Machina throughout the entire book, except for the fact that the book is actually about him so maybe that term doesn't apply. Still, it does make the book less interesting. He convinces Picard's counselor of what happened by whisking her away to the Rashanar graveyard, something she must find very erotic because the next time she sees him she's all over him.
Which brings me to why this book suffers so much. First, Wesley's actions and manner are incredibly annoying, making me want to blow him out an airlock at times. Secondly, the relationship that develops between Wesley and Cabot comes literally out of nowhere. One minute, she's resisting releasing Picard, and then after Wesley takes her to Rashanar, she's suddenly hot for him? And he for her? Yes, he does find her attractive in their first scene together, but to go from "finding her attractive" to "being all over each other" in the span of a few pages? And then to have their relationship be this intense love that makes neither one of them want to be apart from one another? The whole thing is ridiculous, and every time they were together I wanted to belt them one. Then, her inevitable fate is so perfunctorily done that it had no affect on me whatsoever. I also found that this relationship brought out a giddiness in Cabot that just suddenly manifested itself too. She does almost a complete 180 degree turn in attitude that I just can't fathom. Yes, love can change somebody like that, but when I don't buy the love story, I certainly don't buy the character change.
There are other characters problems, too, though most are ok. The most striking is Admiral Nakamura, who goes from an almost ruthless man in a meeting with a character to crying over that character's death at the end. The first part I thought was very good, but I certainly didn't buy the crying, at least not for that character. Vornholt once again gets the regulars right, though that's coloured by Cabot's presence in so many scenes. Wesley's reluctance to reveal himself to his friends is very pertinent (he thinks the more he reveals himself, the more likely it is that he will lose his powers), but it makes for some very awkwardly done scenes between when both he, his mom, Cabot, and others are in a room together.
I'm looking for something positive to say about this book, and I'm having trouble. The scenes that don't have either Cabot or Wesley in them are usually well done. Unfortunately, there aren't many of them. The mystery of Rashanar is interesting, especially the secret behind the creature in the graveyard. Wesley also solves the problem in a very interesting way, fulfilling his vision from the beginning of the first book without allowing any of the main characters (who you know will survive, as Paramount would not allow their deaths) to die. In fact, the entire concept is intriguing.
It's just too bad that it had to end with such a bad book. A Time to Die is worth reading once, just to continue the story. But try to beg or borrow it before wasting money on it.
David Roy
Rating: 
Summary: Does anyone who liked this book watch Star Trek TNG?
Review: I can't begin to tell you how shocked I was at the reviews for this book. Not only does the author have trouble representing the characters truthfully (I mean he only has seven years of TV episodes and four movies to study), but the writing was horrendous, just like every other book I've read by this author. But overall, I was most disappointed with the characterizations. I didn't see the crew I love, which was what I was hoping for. If you want to see a Star Trek crew back in action where the books read so clearly that you can actually see the story as if it were an episode, go get the DS9 relaunch. I pray that the other authors in this series show me the TNG crew, because this author couldn't find them. Oh, one last thing: It is not 'witty' or 'inventive' to rehash dialogue directly from episodes or movies.
Rating:
Summary: Does anyone who liked this book watch Star Trek TNG?
Review: I can't begin to tell you how shocked I was at the reviews for this book. Not only does the author have trouble representing the characters truthfully (I mean he only has seven years of TV episodes and four movies to study), but the writing was horrendous, just like every other book I've read by this author. But overall, I was most disappointed with the characterizations. I didn't see the crew I love, which was what I was hoping for. If you want to see a Star Trek crew back in action where the books read so clearly that you can actually see the story as if it were an episode, go get the DS9 relaunch. I pray that the other authors in this series show me the TNG crew, because this author couldn't find them. Oh, one last thing: It is not 'witty' or 'inventive' to rehash dialogue directly from episodes or movies.
Rating:
Summary: This book was just, well...not very good.
Review: I did not enjoy reading this book, or the first one in this series. Poor characterizations, disjointed action, plodding plotlines, and a lack of flow in the writing style made me feel like I had to work hard just to get through these books. While I was glad to see Wesley get some play time, I couldn't figure out the Colleen Cabot character at all. Not only did she feel fake, not a genuine person, but she also did some odd things for an intelligent female - the way she started her relationship with Wesley, for example, just rang false. Dr. Crusher's reactions to the return of Wesley also didn't ring true. The author has some difficulty writing female characters. After getting through the first book in the "A Time To..." series, I read the second only so that I could read on in the series, simply as background. I did not enjoy Vornholt's style of writing. I've heard the other books are better, so I plodded through this one. The characterizations were just, well, not very good. Two stars because I've read worse Star Trek (See "A Hard Rain" to know what I mean!)
Rating: 
Summary: A tad bit overated, SERIOUSLY.
Review: I just finished A Time to Die and find myself asking, "What?" These two books were a duology so in theory, most of the threads should have been sort of brought together, though I know there's time to resolve some larger themes in the coming books. Stil, I find myself with more questions and a very baffled feeling over these two books now that they're complete. First, the little highlight picture is decieving (thankfully). For the first book, having Picard on the cover made sense. Unless they're doing the pictures on a scale of popularity, Data really doesn't have that much to do with the events of the book beyond the first few chapters. I believe, in my own humble opinion, that Wesley Crusher should have been here because this book was more about him being born into his Travler lifestyle and by the end of this book, maturing as a part of his died off. I'm sure the powers that be questioned putting Wesley Crusher on the cover though since he's not exactly one of the best loved characters. Second, the Bad Admirals club thing was left up in the air. I asked on another thread why on Earth will Admiral Ross, one of the few admirals we've really gotten to know in a series, suddenly would have some secret agenda which he would be willingly to put the fleet's most respected officer and ship on the line. I waited for more of an explanation, thinking by the end the reader would be given a reason for these actions since at least in my opinion and view (and memories based on Ross from DS9)this book totally creates or reveals some new side to Admiral Ross. On another note, Nachayev. Still, I was not convinced that this woman who I've always taken as being very independent and stand-offish, and not really buddy-buddy with Picard, suddenly jumps to his defense. I thought perhaps, knowing Nachayev, she knew something no one else did, and the reader would be let in on this knowledge by the end of this book and everything would fall into place. Nope. Everything back on the Starfleet Command side is wrapped up in what seems like a page. I get the feeling a lot of Nachayev's actions come from Vornholt's Genesis Wave series where Nachayev does get close to the Enterprise crew. Then again, no mentioning of her past association with them or bonding event comes up. I'm also curious as to why Nakamura was chosen as Ross' little buddy in his scheme. A little explanation would have helped. I felt that the Rashanar bit was stretched out a bit. What was expanded into a large event by the end seems like it could have been wrapped up in fewer pages, perhaps leaving room to see Picard and crew dealing with things back on Earth from the Starfleet Command prespective. Where I found myself excited about the events in the first book, finding everything to be real and fresh for TNG crew, those feelings weren't in this book. It was action orientated and less substance, in my opinion. I felt something was missing, something that made me care during the first read and made me want to quickly find out what happens. By the final chapters, I really didn't care because I saw some simplistic ending with few ramifications occuring. I liked the characterizations of the crew in A Time to be Born. I liked how the crew was coping early on in the book as well as Riker was forced to take command. I even liked how Beverly Crusher was so chummy and high spirited due to her son's involvement. I just can't see though the random moments of "gosh, I'm so stressed right now, hey, I need to have an emotional breakdown" moments. A la Crusher in the Brig. Or Weseley in the flip of one page being in the best relationship someone could ever imagine. Or Wesley, who was actually written to be quite a likeable guy, strong, determined, falling on his knees and crying because the love of his life suffers some. The entire Wesley/Cabot relationship lacked understanding and heart. It happened quicker than the Worf/Troi or Seven/Chakotay relationship. Take that Britney Spears! The ending with everything working out and dear little Wesley laying around and having a Dorthy (Wizard of Oz) moment where everyone is all cheers and such was a big eye roller. A story that started out with so much at stake to suddenly come down with only a scratch or two just seemed horrible to me. How could the crew suddenly be all smiles, all cheering Cabot when in all reality she didn't do much but get killed in the line of duty. How could Nachayev and Ross, two big players in book one, suddenly just be summed up in a sentence or two? How could Nakamura suddenly go from raging Howard Dean maniac in the S.C.E. offices to a boo-hooing Tammy Faye character at the end with Cabot's funeral? I just don't GET IT. I didn't get a lot of this book. Everything goes from bad, horrible, this could be what drove everyone apart in Nemesis to "Oh geez, that was close!" laughs at the end? Eh, no. I liked the explanation for why Data is without his emotion chip but still, I'm left skeptical because I really can't see these exaggerated events happening. Yet I found Chrstie Golden's Homecoming duology for Voyager and its portayal of this same post-Dominion Starfleet much more believable because Golden didn't seem to write any of the already established characters out of their usual context and Starfleet actions in that book, though dealing with another large scale "Earth's in danger" event seemed justified and explained more. For me, the best part of this book was the beginning and most of the end. The beginning really continued on the best aspects of the first book and the ending, though a bit too happy and solved far too quickly and easily, did hint that perhaps there's more in store for Wesley. If I were Beverly, I really don't know how I'd cope if my son came home after 8 years or how many have passed since Journey's End, nearly gets himself killed, and then runs off once again. I liked the preview for A Time to Sow at the end. Seeing aspects of Enterprise coming up in TNG-verse was and will be fun. Though I'd be cautious since how Archer and co. fit into the Trek universe, it's still nice to see them and early Starfleet be brought up in some manner. Near the end it brings up how the Enterpriseis being dispatched on a mission that Picard seems to think is beneath the flagship. It does seem to allude to the events of the first two books and mentions how Admiral Nachayev put them on this mission. That's when Picard seems to sink into this bad mood. Hopefully it's not due to the mentioning of Nachayev who by Vornholt's books saved Picard's career. Who knows?
Rating:
Summary: Why won't Wesley die??
Review: I rather enjoyed this book and found it amusing when Wesley's girlfriend slapped him on the ass after having sex. A follow-up story of Wesley's son would be most interesting. The Medusan floating in space-time was also very interesting. Overall this was a good read at your local bookstore and the price was right (a cup of coffee). The Pool of Prophesy was clearly stolen from Lord of the Rings. Too bad Wesley didn't interact with some of these species we know little about like the Breen or even other "entities" besides Q. Wesley walking around a Borg ship would have been interesting. An assimilated Traveler. Even better, Wesley could have been the Borg Queen! I'm tired of Wesley saving the universe. Wesley needs to be put into statis or into the nearest singularity.
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