Rating: 
Summary: A better conclusion to the TV series
Review: Spoiler space for those who didn't read the book.....Voyager finally resolves the hologram rights that the Doctor was accused of with the help of Data. Too bad this couldn't have been the final episode of the show. With the consistant list of poorly written episodes the actors had to transend the material. This one..had it been an actual TV script, would have been a worthy ending to the series.
Rating:
Summary: ST-Voyager: The Farther Shore Book Two
Review: Star Trek - Voyager: The Father Shore book two is the conclusion to Homecoming of a two part series about the return of the Voyager and her crew to Earth. I must say this, the author will make you think as you enjoy this latest adventure to the relaunch of the Voyager series. As "The Father Shore" begins right where "Homecoming" left off we are in the middle of a conspiracy, the Voyager crew is being questioned, some of the crew are in prison (the Doctor, Seven and Icheb) and there is a hologram strike as the people of Earth try to cope with a cut in services. But, that is only half of the adventure as B'Lanna Torres is searching for her mother on Boreth a highly religious planet in the Klingon Empire, there is also a Borg virus spreading on Earth. There is suspense, intrigue, and mystery in this book as the Voyager crew trys its best to solve these trials by fire that have erupted since their return. I found the story to be very engrossing and entertaining as I read through the book... I didn't want to put it down as the adventure kept my interest and I wanted to find out what happens next. If you're a TREK fan, Christie Golden's two part series will keep you very well entertained. I just hope that this relaunch of Voyager will continue as the members of the Voyager crew lead their lives on Earth, Vulcan and Boreth. The book leaves some very interesting possibilities opened for the author or others to explore. The character development and the plot were excellent... there are some real good twists in this book and I'm not going to ruin it for you. "The Farther Shore" is a solid 5 star book as it will shake the reader up, just like the author intended, and make you think along the read. Being an avid Star Trek reader, I must say, "Homecoming and The Farther Shore" are a welcome addition to the Star Trek genre known as Voyager.
Rating: 
Summary: The crew of the USS Voyager do it again - foil the Borg
Review: The second book in the series was exciting while at times disappointing. It was good to see all of the loose ends nicely tied up for the fans of the series. Without giving away the primary plot - this reader found it difficult to believe that the primary protagonist would want to be become a Borg Queen, nor did I find the rational of the accomplices who help to make this weird plan come to fruition particularly believable. Also while it was very touching, the resolution of Torres' quest was predictable. Finally, it is a bit of a stretch that Star Fleet would be so easily fooled by the conspirators in this story. Overall the second book was better than the first. If you are a serious Voyager fan then by all means this is a must read - otherwise it was a bit of a let down. I hope that there will be more stories for the Voyager crew in future books.
Rating:
Summary: quenches your thirst
Review: The second book of the Homecoming adventures picks up from where book one left off. However, with all the catchup handled in the first book you get right into the meat as soon as the second book begins. Finally, after a bit of inaction in the first book the Voyager crew gets back together and starts moving. Our favorite charactes are once again put together and put in a familiar setting. It was great having them back on Voyager and working in their old posistions. The books ends comfortably enough, giving readers the feeling that all has been wrapped up nicely. Most fans of the TV show loved how it ended but have been left wanting to find out more. Even after the first book, I had the feeling that I needed more and wondered how they would all move on after such a huge adventure. I have to say that this book quenched my thirst for info on my favorite crew and TV show, although it would be great to see them in movies and even more follow up books. I think most readers will feel comfortable with how all ends up. As a reviewer stated from the first book, the plot is not all that original with the Borg and all and it almost was too easy and making Libby into a super spy was a bit much. However, I don`t know if we who were waiting for this book were really looking for a great plot in as much as we were looking to find out what happened to all these people we almost grew to know over the past seven years on TV. If you were looking for the later, as I was, you won`t be disapointed.
Rating:
Summary: quenches your thirst
Review: The second book of the Homecoming adventures picks up seemlessly from where the first book left off. Having taken care of all the catch up and reunions in the first book, The Farther Shore jumps right into the action. After a bit of sluggishness, lots of talking, and almost a sense of restriction in the first book, all of our favorite characters are once again put together and placed in a familiar setting. It`s great to see Janeway and her crew back in action and aboard Voyager. The story moves along quickly, almost too quickly at times and the characters stay true to the TV series in speech and action. Most readers will be comfortable in the form in which the book is wrapped up. For most readers and fans of the TV show, the series ended well but left us longing for more. Even the first book of the series left me looking for more and wondering how this crew would move on after such an epic adventure together. The Farther Shore does this nicely quenching the readers thirst for information and lets readers move on as well. As a reviewer wrote about the first book the plot is not so original with the Borg and all and tossing in the Libby as a spy storyline was a bit much. However, I`m not sure if readers were looking for a great storyline in as much as they were looking to find out what happens to this crew that we have grown to know after seven years. If you were looking for the later, you`ll be happy with the book.
Rating: 
Summary: Not quite to par
Review: The second novel in the Voyager re-launch picked up where the first one left off, unfortunately. It pushed through the very contrived story that I felt left fans unsatisfied with the direction the characters were taking. On a different note, the Borg conflict story that ran the length of the two books was a very creative story. It was took a question and let it run its course. I do have to question the idea of the Borg virus. The First Contact movie introduced the Borg Queen but a later episode of Voyager presented the queen asking Seven to create the virus, a simple problem with continuity pulling from the enjoyment of the novel. In true Star Trek fashion, the Voyager crew saves the day and Earth itself. The hologram revolution still lingers and foreshadows issues in the continuing story. More adventures for the crew are definitely forthcoming but what you are never quite sure. The end of the book put the senior staff back to work and other then Tuvok they felt forced and out of character. I do like meeting the new captain of Voyager in the closing pages.
Rating: 
Summary: Long wait for big disappointment
Review: This two-part dramatization has been long awaited by Voyager Fans. Ever since the final episode of Voyager aired in 2001 (in a slightly disappointing manner some might say) many fans have wondered about the long lost ship's reception on Earth. These books tell the tale of the ship's return exactly where the series left off. The books offer a conspiracy that will work to bring the characters back together, but in the end the adventure is fragmented and half-hearted. There is an almost rushed quality to the tale as if the author sought the tie up every loose end and make every fan's fanticized ending come true. The mystery is heavey-handed and drawn out. The characters that many spent seven years getting to know are abysmally two-dimensional. They lack credibility and warmth because they are treated as perfect heroes that of course will not fail. Their very lack of falibility makes them, well, boring. These books are, of course, a must read for serious fans of Voyager, I just want to warn them all not to expect too much. If you are not into Voyager in a major way, steer well clear of these books. Interestingly enough, during my long wait for these books after finishing the dramatization of "Endgame" I stumbled upon fanfic for the first time in my life. I read a few fan versions of what Voyager's homecoming may have been like, and I must say that many of these were much better imagined and even developed better than Christine Golden's version. Think of that what you will.
Rating:
Summary: A mostly solid conclusion to the continuing story of Voyager
Review: This was pretty decent. The main storyline is one of a Borg virus that seems to be spreading at will throughout Earth, and Voyager and her crew, having recently returned from one heck of a battle with the Borg, are dead centre in the suspicion category.
In the first book of this duet, I was a little worried about the Doctor's sub-plot: a holo-revolution, and found Torres' story about trying to find out if her mother is really dead or not to be quite interesting.
This time, the effects of the sub-plots on me reversed.
The conclusion of the Torres storyline had an ending that really really frustrated me, but the holo-strike/revolution, which I thought was going to be such a dud, actually had a decent recovery (and some interesting side-characters, including one hunk of a security officer who was described in perfect detail to make me wish I could beam on over). Ahem. Where was I?
The main story, the borg-virus plotline, I found quite well done. The characterizations were really "on" in this one - no one felt out of character, or forced. And the very ending of the story leads me to believe that we are going to see more of the "post-show" Voyager in the same way we saw it in the DS9 relaunch. I hope so, anyway, as I'd like to see Chakotay in his new position, and really enjoyed the inclusion of the trill doctor. All in all, a decent effort.
'Nathan
Rating: 
Summary: not as good as the first one but we desperate fans will take
Review: voyager has finally returned home after being stranded in the delta quadrant for 7 years. but their celebrations are cut short when they discover that a borg virus has broken out on earth and they may be responsible for it. this novel cleverly brings old friends and enemies together to hunt down the cause and also addresses the rights of holograms in a funny and interesting way. i hope ms. golden writes more voyager books and keeps the story alive. of all the star trek shows i think this one has the most potential for good books long after the tv show has left the air.
Rating:
Summary: What's that clunking noise?
Review: What is it with Star Trek two-part stories? The television series always had problems with conclusions, and now the book series is following suit. Unlike the television series, though, the book series is just taking flaws in the first book and expanding on them in the conclusion, making the final installment a step down from the first. Such again is the case with Voyager's relaunch novel, The Farther Shore. After writing my review for Homecoming, I read some other reviews that mentioned that Christie Golden's writing had way too many romance novel tropes. While I don't necessarily agree with that for Homecoming (or at least I don't agree that they were prominent), it is true in spades with A Farther Shore. The writing is trite and evokes too many "bodice-ripper" images for my taste. If this is the way the relaunch is going to continue (and it evidently is completely Golden's ball, handed to her by the editors), then I hope she learns to rein them in.
There are a lot of problems with this book, so I'll start with the good stuff. Golden continues to write the regulars well, as far as characterization goes. She's obviously a fan of the Janeway/Chakotay relationship, though she avoids them falling into bed together, instead giving them a "very close friends who could almost have been lovers" feel. Hopefully, she'll keep it that way in subsequent books. The friendship between them is very well done. Seven is still a little too emotional, but she otherwise is also written well. Torres, off on her own quest for her mother, is finally coming to terms with her dual-heritage, and the scenes between Torres and her mother are very interesting. In fact, the sequences on Boreth with Torres are the best part of the book. Too bad that they didn't have anything to do with the main plot. Also, the Borg plot is interesting in its own way, though I truly hope this is the last gasp of the Borg. Thankfully, the problem ends up being a lot less predictable than "they brought the virus with them," which is nice.
Unfortunately, while the regular characters are done pretty well, the others are not. The main villain of the piece, once revealed, is *way* overdone, sounding shrill at times. The Starfleet admirals that Janeway and others have to deal with also seem way too strident in their feelings toward the Voyager crew. Also, the final resolution, as hard as it is to get there, ends up being way too simple when it finally occurs. It's almost an afterthought, which is not a good thing. The leader of the holographic rebellion is written way over the top, especially when we get the scenes in his fantasy world. I found myself shaking my head way too many times in this book. I also have to wonder at the abrupt end to the holographic rights plot. Perhaps this is going to be picked up in future books?
Which leads me to the main problem with A Farther Shore: the writing. I can live with descriptions of men and women as "muscular" and "beautiful" without thinking a lot about it. I think that's what many reviewers had a problem with in Homecoming. But A Farther Shore takes it one step further, especially with characters we care nothing about. There is a sequence where many Starfleet personnel, as well as other workers, are replaced by holograms, and the real people are placed in some holographic world where they are slaves to the holograms. This is supposedly to teach them what it's like to be oppressed. These scenes involve characters we aren't familiar with at all, and the limited scenes they have in the book before this happens just didn't make me care about them. What's even worse, though, is the way the sequence is written. It seriously is like a romance novel come to life. Lieutenant Andropov is described as being extremely muscular, and the woman who he takes under his wing is quite beautiful. He's old enough to be her father, and thankfully we are spared any romantic entanglements, but we still get prose that's ripped from the bodice of those novels. It made me cringe every time Golden went back there.
Finally, there is one major internal continuity gaffe that is so bad only because the scenes happen one right after the other. In the first scene, the Trill doctor suggests that Data go off for the rendezvous with the other Voyager crewmembers by himself while he continues to work with the holographic Doctor in sickbay. The very next scene, however, is the rendezvous, and the Trill is right there. He speaks quite a lot, and it's obvious not a communication from sickbay. He is right there. Surely this should have been caught in editing even if Golden was writing the scenes out of order and forgot this?
A Farther Shore has an interesting premise with some good characterization (but some horrible characterization too), but the writing just fails it. Romance-lite, overbearing and overdrawn, this book just seems such a let-down after Homecoming. Problems that were below the radar rear their ugly head, and don't bode well for the series. I hope Golden can do better than this.
David Roy
| 
