Rating: 
Summary: Friedman wasn't even trying (minor spoilers)
Review: ...This tale has its moments, and maybe a certain Horatio Hornblower quality of which Roddenberry would approve -- the story of a young officer thrust into a command situation and having to prove his mettle. But the execution is poor. The writing is flat and totally passionless. The scene where Picard's captain and mentor is killed before his eyes contains no trace of emotion. The story also lacks imagination -- particularly the early part, recounting the Valiant's doomed mission. This ship was supposedly launched just four years after Cochrane's warp prototype. But Friedman depicts it exactly like a 23rd- or 24th-century Starfleet vessel, with a crew of eighty, at least seven decks, lifts, deflectors, ops officers, an electroplasma system, the works. The only concessions to the earlier era are the weapons. There's no way such an early ship could be that big, elaborate and modern. Friedman didn't even try to imagine a credible early-warp expedition or a more primitive level of technology; he just parroted the familiar tropes without considering whether they made sense in this context. As for the plot of this section, it's virtually a beat-by-beat replay of "Where No Man," except less interesting because none of the characters has any emotional connection to the Mitchell stand-in. The Stargazer portion isn't very creative either. The characters and their interactions are quite crudely drawn. Picard is almost indistinguishable from the TNG-era Picard. In an earlier Stargazer story for DC Comics, Friedman portrayed the young Picard as more brash and daring, somewhere between "Tapestry"'s cadet Picard and the captain we know. But here, Friedman forgets his own past characterization and gives us a routine, uninteresting Picard. The other characters are mere caricatures, their conflicts as simplistic and exaggerated as any soap opera. The antagonists among the crew are fanatical, incompetent and insubordinate. Friedman has them mutiny at their first disagreement with the new captain, a ludicrously overplayed plot point that makes a mockery of Starfleet training. Anyone with such knee-jerk mutinous tendencies would've washed out of the Academy in the first week. Had this been credibly written at all, these officers would've resisted Picard's authority in subtler ways, respecting their oaths and discipline but still clashing with an unwelcome commander. We've seen such conflicts before, in "Chain of Command," for instance, and they can be quite tense and engaging. But here Friedman takes the most melodramatic and broad approach possible, creating more farce than tension. Bringing back the Kelvans was a nice idea, but it was handled poorly. No effort was made to develop them, beyond a half-hearted effort to describe their real appearance. The telepath culture wasn't developed either -- just a few random elements that don't fit coherently together. At first they say they value privacy; then, later, they say they all prefer to live close together. Friedman acknowledges the paradox in passing, but never bothers to resolve it. I also agree that the Nuyyad were a total waste, nothing but shooting-gallery targets, another complete creative failure. More laziness is demonstrated by Friedman's claim that the Andromeda Galaxy is "a hundred thousand light-years away." That's like saying Los Angeles is a hundred-mile drive from Manhattan. It's a minor point, but come on, Mr. Friedman, would it have hurt you to do just a little basic research? Open an encyclopedia? Type "Andromeda Galaxy" into a search engine? Five minutes of your time? (By the way, there's nothing wrong with having planets on the other side of the Barrier. The galaxy has no sharp edge; the stars just get sparser the further out you go. This is just about the only sensible idea in the book.) The sad thing is, Friedman isn't usually this bad. He's never been brilliant; he has very little SF imagination, and his dialogue tends to be stilted and awkward. But in the past he's turned out a number of engaging character-driven stories, including REUNION, CROSSOVER and MY BROTHER'S KEEPER. THE VALIANT, though, is the worst thing he's ever written. It's evident from start to finish that he just wasn't trying. I can't imagine why Friedman is being given an ongoing Stargazer novel series after such a dissatisfying "pilot."
Rating: 
Summary: Anthony Stewart Head brings this classic Trek tale to life.
Review: Anthony Stewart Head brings this wonderful audio book abridgement to life. Subtle changes in voice, including female characters and the normal Trek aliens are a delight. With a mixture of sound effects and music, this audio keeps the story flowing and the listener paying attention. Clearly production quality all around. If you've never heard Anthony Stewart Head's voice, I can compare it only to Tim Curry. (In more ways than one... ) This British actor, to my knowledge, has only read one other audio book, "A Line in the Sand" and this Star Trek read is much more lively. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for more audio books read by Anthony Stewart Head.
Rating: 
Summary: Picard Made It So!
Review: Behind every Starship captain, there are a hundred small legends ... stories, if you will, that depict the moments of discovery, of circumstance, of facing adversity. History has taught us that the sum of a person's greatness is cumulative; if you "walk a mile in a man's shoes," then you will not so much know the man as you will understand him, who he is, and perhaps how he achieved greatness. Such is the case with Michael Jan Friedman's THE VALIANT, the tale of Second Officer Jean-Luc Picard's rise to the captaincy of the famed USS Stargazer. The Good Friedman's 'Picard' sounds right. Much of what is written involving Picard sounds like the man TNG shows an audience. Not only is the character believable to learned Trek enthusiasts, but also a reader of random science fiction could pick up THE VALIANT and experience little difficulty in hopping aboard this journey into the unknown. As well, Friedman rounds out a cast of characters to serve as the officers for the Stargazer that are not only interesting but likeable, a task not easily handled. In particular, the ship's doctor (Greyhorse) and navigator (Gerda Asmund) are standouts that could be picked up and plunked down as believable characters in any Trek book. The Bad Did Picard's first literary claim to fame have to descend to the level of the typical shoot 'em up? Granted, there are some valuable lessons learned along the way, but most of those deal with Picard making choices and then questioning whether or not he's done right by himself, his former mentor, and Starfleet ... all completely understandably and appreciable given his position aboard the Stargazer. While the story involving the possible aggressors, the Nuyyad, is interesting, Friedman chooses to never really put on face on the probable villains. Sadly, they're relatively one-dimensional 'baddies' that Picard must vanquish in order to destroy a possible future threat to the United Federation of Planets. The Ugly It's a small world, after all, and THE VALIANT is heavily weighted down by events of -- yet once again -- the earlier adventures of one Captain James T. Kirk. In short, the book must contain two dozen references to Kirk, his adventure, or his crewmates. While revisiting some events in the Trekiverse works well in some novels, I found this indirect and none-too-coincidental pairing adventures of the captains -- one legendary and one in the making -- more of gimmick than anything productive. Also, the obligatory last chapter -- the second half of a frame that begins the novel -- feels unnecessary, rushed, and tacked on at the last minute to remind the readers where the novel began. It stings almost of an insult. Never take the audience, or its collective memory, for granted. The Sum Still, like fine wine, all Treks improve with age. Picard earns his stripes, as does Friedman, and THE VALIANT sets the stage for the continuing adventures of the USS Stargazer ... with subsequent adventures already in the works.
Rating:
Summary: Picard Made It So!
Review: Behind every Starship captain, there are a hundred small legends ... stories, if you will, that depict the moments of discovery, of circumstance, of facing adversity. History has taught us that the sum of a person's greatness is cumulative; if you "walk a mile in a man's shoes," then you will not so much know the man as you will understand him, who he is, and perhaps how he achieved greatness. Such is the case with Michael Jan Friedman's THE VALIANT, the tale of Second Officer Jean-Luc Picard's rise to the captaincy of the famed USS Stargazer. The Good Friedman's 'Picard' sounds right. Much of what is written involving Picard sounds like the man TNG shows an audience. Not only is the character believable to learned Trek enthusiasts, but also a reader of random science fiction could pick up THE VALIANT and experience little difficulty in hopping aboard this journey into the unknown. As well, Friedman rounds out a cast of characters to serve as the officers for the Stargazer that are not only interesting but likeable, a task not easily handled. In particular, the ship's doctor (Greyhorse) and navigator (Gerda Asmund) are standouts that could be picked up and plunked down as believable characters in any Trek book. The Bad Did Picard's first literary claim to fame have to descend to the level of the typical shoot 'em up? Granted, there are some valuable lessons learned along the way, but most of those deal with Picard making choices and then questioning whether or not he's done right by himself, his former mentor, and Starfleet ... all completely understandably and appreciable given his position aboard the Stargazer. While the story involving the possible aggressors, the Nuyyad, is interesting, Friedman chooses to never really put on face on the probable villains. Sadly, they're relatively one-dimensional 'baddies' that Picard must vanquish in order to destroy a possible future threat to the United Federation of Planets. The Ugly It's a small world, after all, and THE VALIANT is heavily weighted down by events of -- yet once again -- the earlier adventures of one Captain James T. Kirk. In short, the book must contain two dozen references to Kirk, his adventure, or his crewmates. While revisiting some events in the Trekiverse works well in some novels, I found this indirect and none-too-coincidental pairing adventures of the captains -- one legendary and one in the making -- more of gimmick than anything productive. Also, the obligatory last chapter -- the second half of a frame that begins the novel -- feels unnecessary, rushed, and tacked on at the last minute to remind the readers where the novel began. It stings almost of an insult. Never take the audience, or its collective memory, for granted. The Sum Still, like fine wine, all Treks improve with age. Picard earns his stripes, as does Friedman, and THE VALIANT sets the stage for the continuing adventures of the USS Stargazer ... with subsequent adventures already in the works.
Rating:
Summary: Nice Idea, but Troubling Execution.
Review: Ever wonder what Jean Luc Picard was like as a junior officer? Now you can find out in "Star Trek: Valiant," where Picard is the second officer on the USS Stargazer. And the plot? Can Picard and crew save the Federation from an evil race that wants to invade from across the galactic barrier? The novel has some intriguing aspects for Star Trek fans. Picard as a second officer. We revisit the Kelvans from the classic series. Those were the guys that pushed a button on their belts to turn the crew into little white cubes. We also get to reexamine the entire super being plot from the original series. That's where the energies in the galactic barrier turned Kirk's friend Gary Mitchell into an eye-glowing superman who had to be terminated. Then it falls apart. Truth be told, Picard is not the second officer for long and takes over early in the book. The entire plot line of Picard competing with the first officer is dumped in no time at all. Bad form, and weak plotting. The Enemy is faceless for the entire book, and we never do figure out why they are threatening the Federation or even if a constructive conversation might help. Nope, Picard just blows them up. Very un-Picard like. The technobabble is bordering on silly and the final resolution of the mystery plot is unsatisfying. Good thought, bad execution.
Rating: 
Summary: This is a great story
Review: Friedman and Harrison did a wonderful job of blending what is essentially 300 year old story. It was great to find out what happened to the original crew of the Valiant and then the story moves on to explain the circumstances surrounding Picard's promotion to Captian. I read the entire book in two settings and enjoyed every minute of it. There are some plot issues such as how the survivors of the original Valiant all developed mental powers and how they managed to progress as a society in just 300 hundred years? Also we learn next to nothing about the aliens who are allegedly bent on invading our Galaxy other than they are violent and bent on conquest. Also how can class M planets or any solar systems exist in the void between galaxies? Nitpicking aside it is an entertaining story that should appeal to fans of the STNG series in general and Picard in particular.
Rating:
Summary: A good story combining many Trek plot streams
Review: Friedman and Harrison did an excellent job in this book. The story arc covers nothing less than 300 or so years in the Trek universe. The co-authors go behind the story of the original Trek episode "Where No Man Has Gone Before" and present the story of the S.S. Valiant and what happened to it, its captain, and its crew beyond the galactic barrier. It also delves into the cause of Gary Mitchell's (Captain Kirk's crewman) transformation into a psychotic superman. Then, the main part of the book, set on the U.S.S Stargazer with Jean-Luc Picard as the second officer, seeks to expand on those stories a bit, and adds the problems of a new and violent alien race, descendents of the survivors of the Valiant who seem somewhat suspicious, a sneak attack that leaves Picard in command with an untrusting crew. The authors do a good job in presenting Picard as an imperfect person, devising imperfect solutions to difficult problems. Some may be offended because the Picard of TNG is not presented in this story, but how can he? If the story takes place when he is younger, you have to expect that he is not as wise as he is during TNG and that he might make some errors in judgment. Not to mention the fact that the authors also have to maintain continuity with what we learned in TNG -- that Picard did not receive a command posting for his efforts with the Stargazer in this story, because he was first office under Jack Crusher later in his tenure on the Stargazer, where yet again, he was forced to take command. This is a very good story, because it shows the very human and fallible face of Picard in his early life, which only makes us appreciate the character all the more in his later life. Picard is, in the end, like any one of us, trying to do what is right in an imperfect world with imperfect people. The only complaint I have was that I wished the Nuyyad race had been given a face and a reasoning behind their attacks.
Rating:
Summary: A good story combining many Trek plot streams
Review: Friedman and Harrison did an excellent job in this book. The story arc covers nothing less than 300 or so years in the Trek universe. The co-authors go behind the story of the original Trek episode "Where No Man Has Gone Before" and present the story of the S.S. Valiant and what happened to it, its captain, and its crew beyond the galactic barrier. It also delves into the cause of Gary Mitchell's (Captain Kirk's crewman) transformation into a psychotic superman. Then, the main part of the book, set on the U.S.S Stargazer with Jean-Luc Picard as the second officer, seeks to expand on those stories a bit, and adds the problems of a new and violent alien race, descendents of the survivors of the Valiant who seem somewhat suspicious, a sneak attack that leaves Picard in command with an untrusting crew. The authors do a good job in presenting Picard as an imperfect person, devising imperfect solutions to difficult problems. Some may be offended because the Picard of TNG is not presented in this story, but how can he? If the story takes place when he is younger, you have to expect that he is not as wise as he is during TNG and that he might make some errors in judgment. Not to mention the fact that the authors also have to maintain continuity with what we learned in TNG -- that Picard did not receive a command posting for his efforts with the Stargazer in this story, because he was first office under Jack Crusher later in his tenure on the Stargazer, where yet again, he was forced to take command. This is a very good story, because it shows the very human and fallible face of Picard in his early life, which only makes us appreciate the character all the more in his later life. Picard is, in the end, like any one of us, trying to do what is right in an imperfect world with imperfect people. The only complaint I have was that I wished the Nuyyad race had been given a face and a reasoning behind their attacks.
Rating:
Summary: Fun reading
Review: Fun reading with the unusual aspect of different species, but the usual references to Capt. Kirk. Action and humor.
Rating:
Summary: Fun reading
Review: Fun reading with the unusual aspect of different species, but the usual references to Capt. Kirk. Action and humor.
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