Rating: 
Summary: ST - The Lost Era: Serpents Among the Ruins 2311
Review: Star Trek - The Lost Era: "Serpents Among the Ruins" 2311 written by David R. George,III is a well-written complex story that shows that everything is not just black and white, but the gray areas are where the action and the real running of politics comes into play with the Federation, Klingon Empire, and the Romulan Star Empire.Yes, this is a complex story and I must admit that this story took longer to read to keep all of the characters straight in your mind as you read on. This is a character driven story with some mystery and intrigue and covert actions. This story portrays the Federation as a farther thinking operation than what you'd imagine. Charater driven we have Captain John Jason Harriman, Jr., Captain of the U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701-B. The famous ship in "Generations" that lost James T. Kirk to the Nexes and supposedly killing Kirk. Elias Vaughn of special ops and later the Commander of the "Defiant," Admiral John "Blackjack" Harriman the hardened Admiral of Starfleet who makes life especially difficult for Harriman, Jr. Azetbur Chancellor of the Klingon Empire, Demora Sulu daughter of Hikaru Sulu and Exec of the "Enterprise," and Admiral Aventeer Vokar of the Romulan Star Empire and Commander of the "Tomed." All of these charaters interplay making for and interesting story. Anytime you get the Federation, Klingons, and Romulans together you should get an interesting story of duplicitous undertows and this story delivers in spades. This story takes place in the year 2311... the year famous for the "Tomed Incident," eighteen years after the presumed death of Captain James T. Kirk aboard the U.S.S. Enterprise 1701-B in Star Trek Generations, and fifty-three years before the launch of the Enterprise-D in the "Encounter at Farpoint." This story will fill you in on the escalating tensions among the Klingons, the Romulans, and the Federation. When reading this book you'll find that it starts on slow and you get a lot of background and character development and the plot is being set. It is interesting that when Starfleet tests a new drive called "Hyperwarp" on the inaugural flight of the U.S.S. Universe things go wrong in a hurry and the story is filled with intrigue and covert operations from that point on in the story. I can't give you too many details as that would spoil this well-written story. I found that you really need to pay attention to keep all of the characters and their plotting straight as this is not a book that you can scan-read to get the salient points. If you like character driven writing than this is the book to read as you will not be disappointed and the is plenty of action-adventure and tight situations. I gave this book a solid 5 star rating for good character development and interplay with a plausible plot. Also, this portrays the Federation in a light that the gray areas and not just the black and white can tell a good story. This book reveals the true personalities and shows that this ensamble of characters are worthy of a book that tells the tale of what truly went on with the "Tomed Incident" and the destruction of the Foxtrot Sector near the Romulan Neutral Zone. Where the Romulans have retreated into their empire and closed their borders.
Rating: 
Summary: So Many Words, So Little Plot
Review: The author must really love to listen to himself talk (or at least read himself write), because this is just massively overwritten. The events themselves are OK, nothing special, but they're just buried in extraneous details and very formal narriation of people's thoughts and back stories. The results are characters and emotional content that are not at all convincing or interesting.
Rating:
Summary: One of the finest "Trek" novels ever written.
Review: The second entry into the "Lost Era" saga, "Serpents Among the Ruins" brings to life the infamous Tomed Incident of, naturally, 2311. At the heart of the story is Captain John Jason Harriman Jr. and the crew of the "Enterprise-B." Along for the ride are Elias Vaughn, best known for his current posting as Commander of "Defiant," Admiral John "Blackjack" Harriman, Azetbur, Demora Sulu, and Aventeer Vokar, a Romulan Admiral and commander of the Star Empire's flagship "Tomed." The story begins with the Romulan annexation of a planet along the Neutral zone, leading to a run-in between Vokar's "Tomed" and Harriman's "Enterprise." From there, we are taken on a whirlwind journey through Federation Space and interstellar politics. The Federation and Starfleet feel that a war between the Romulans is inevitable, and relations with the Klingons are tenuous at best; Azetbur's power base is crumbling, and there are many Klingons who feel the Federation has weakened their once-glorious Empire. In order to appease the Klingons and avoid war, the Federation has opened negotiations in the Algeron sector, the ultimate goal a lasting treaty. However, there is more at play than simple negotiations; the Federation is attempting to develop a new warp drive in secret--Hyperwarp--on the newly commissioned "Universe." The test ends in disaster, with "Tomed" witnessing what they believe is a new Federation weapon. The "Universe" is destroyed (a rather tongue-in-cheek metaphor for the outcome if the three major powers do not come to an accord) and the "Ad Astra" is damaged, sending "Blackjack" Harriman nearly to his death. After this, "Enterprise" is brought to Algeron, escorted by "Tomed," and brings two new Federation delegates to the conference, one being Vaughn. What follows is an attempt to keep the peace at whatever cost--Romulan, Federation, or otherwise. Harriman, Vaughn, and his associate undertake a covert mission on the "Tomed," and this will change the lives of two of Starfleet's finest. Not to be forgotten, Sulu and the "Enterprise" are left to discover who amongst them is a Romulan spy, and together with an Alonis Admiral, they will uncover a plot that is far more insidious than anything the Tal Shiar, Section 31, or any other covert organization could devise. Starfleet has undertaken a mission so disastrous that failure would mean a war between the Federation--and a Klingon/Romulan alliance. This is truly a "page-turner," and one will not want to put it down. Filled with believable, all to realistic characterization and a plot that moves at breakneck speed, "Serpents Among the Ruins" belongs at the top of anyone's Trek reading list, regardless of which series one considers to be their "favorite;" this novel trascends the series'. David R. George III has undertaken the most speculated event in Trek history and turned it into a masterpiece on all levels--there is tech, romance, suspense, and a healthy dose of believable, human condition. Who would have imagined that Harriman is friends with a Romulan ambassador or that Vaughn wasn't always battle-hardened? Clearly, there is room for a spinoff series with "Enterprise-B," but only time will tell if this will actually occur. And yes, Harriman is no longer "the man who killed Kirk" but a legend in his own time. That alone makes this a standout.
Rating:
Summary: One of the finest "Trek" novels ever written.
Review: The second entry into the "Lost Era" saga, "Serpents Among the Ruins" brings to life the infamous Tomed Incident of, naturally, 2311. At the heart of the story is Captain John Jason Harriman Jr. and the crew of the "Enterprise-B." Along for the ride are Elias Vaughn, best known for his current posting as Commander of "Defiant," Admiral John "Blackjack" Harriman, Azetbur, Demora Sulu, and Aventeer Vokar, a Romulan Admiral and commander of the Star Empire's flagship "Tomed." The story begins with the Romulan annexation of a planet along the Neutral zone, leading to a run-in between Vokar's "Tomed" and Harriman's "Enterprise." From there, we are taken on a whirlwind journey through Federation Space and interstellar politics. The Federation and Starfleet feel that a war between the Romulans is inevitable, and relations with the Klingons are tenuous at best; Azetbur's power base is crumbling, and there are many Klingons who feel the Federation has weakened their once-glorious Empire. In order to appease the Klingons and avoid war, the Federation has opened negotiations in the Algeron sector, the ultimate goal a lasting treaty. However, there is more at play than simple negotiations; the Federation is attempting to develop a new warp drive in secret--Hyperwarp--on the newly commissioned "Universe." The test ends in disaster, with "Tomed" witnessing what they believe is a new Federation weapon. The "Universe" is destroyed (a rather tongue-in-cheek metaphor for the outcome if the three major powers do not come to an accord) and the "Ad Astra" is damaged, sending "Blackjack" Harriman nearly to his death. After this, "Enterprise" is brought to Algeron, escorted by "Tomed," and brings two new Federation delegates to the conference, one being Vaughn. What follows is an attempt to keep the peace at whatever cost--Romulan, Federation, or otherwise. Harriman, Vaughn, and his associate undertake a covert mission on the "Tomed," and this will change the lives of two of Starfleet's finest. Not to be forgotten, Sulu and the "Enterprise" are left to discover who amongst them is a Romulan spy, and together with an Alonis Admiral, they will uncover a plot that is far more insidious than anything the Tal Shiar, Section 31, or any other covert organization could devise. Starfleet has undertaken a mission so disastrous that failure would mean a war between the Federation--and a Klingon/Romulan alliance. This is truly a "page-turner," and one will not want to put it down. Filled with believable, all to realistic characterization and a plot that moves at breakneck speed, "Serpents Among the Ruins" belongs at the top of anyone's Trek reading list, regardless of which series one considers to be their "favorite;" this novel trascends the series'. David R. George III has undertaken the most speculated event in Trek history and turned it into a masterpiece on all levels--there is tech, romance, suspense, and a healthy dose of believable, human condition. Who would have imagined that Harriman is friends with a Romulan ambassador or that Vaughn wasn't always battle-hardened? Clearly, there is room for a spinoff series with "Enterprise-B," but only time will tell if this will actually occur. And yes, Harriman is no longer "the man who killed Kirk" but a legend in his own time. That alone makes this a standout.
Rating:
Summary: Explosive Action, Moral Quandaries, & Even a Love Story
Review: Wow! "Serpents" has it all! David George III takes us to the brink (and beyond) of galactic war, explores what a person will do and risk to prevent that war, and even throws in a dandy love story too! I thoroughly enjoyed the eloquent prose in this novel. "Serpents" provoked both laughter and tears, sometimes both at same time! The moral quandaries explored in this novel have stayed with me. I've found myself considering the actions of our heroes for several weeks since reading the book, a rare thing indeed. Thanks David!
Rating: 
Summary: Paramount will not be using any of these stories.....
Review: You know, the more Star Trek they write about, the more it looks like Kirk's era was the only real "Golden Age" for Starfleet and the Federation. Not that I really buy that for a moment, I'm sure if Star Trek was under the creative hands of more talented writers and film makers, who wanted to stay true to Gene's original version of the future, they would be making more upbeat Star Trek films right now and not settleing for no plot/badly written books like this. Wake up Paramount.
Rating:
Summary: Paramount will not be using any of these stories.....
Review: You know, the more Star Trek they write about, the more it looks like Kirk's era was the only real "Golden Age" for Starfleet and the Federation. Not that I really buy that for a moment, I'm sure if Star Trek was under the creative hands of more talented writers and film makers, who wanted to stay true to Gene's original version of the future, they would be making more upbeat Star Trek films right now and not settleing for no plot/badly written books like this. Wake up Paramount.
Rating:
Summary: Fabulous!
Review: You say the Star Trek franchise is fading? Stop watching TV and start reading this book. It's got everything including familiar characters that are explored deeply, a familiar and exciting setting, and a fantastic plot that unfolds masterfully in a wonderful pace that culminates resoundingly. "Nuff said!
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