Rating: 
Summary: Trekkers Treking through muddy Trek waters
Review: David is known for sometimes making parts of his book rather confusing. In fact, every now and then one HAS to reread David's book just to make sense out of some of the stuff that goes on, and this book is a prime example of that. The book itself really isn't all that confusing: Someone from Picard's past is He**-bent on taking down the Borg, but the last few chapters are enough to give even William Shatner a headache. As you may notice by looking at the following reviews there are mixed feeling about this book, and I have to agree that it is not one of David'd best. However, it is still worth 4 stars (maybe even five) hands down and worthy of purchasing simply because it is nice and lengthy. Great for a boring summer day read or a long car trip session, this is a welcome addition to any Trekker's Library.
Rating: 
Summary: The Book 'First Contact' Should Have Been
Review: Ever since their introduction in Star Trek: The Next Generation, the Borg could have been the Federation's (and everyone else's) ultimate enemy. Technologically advanced, but somehow dead, the Borg would assimilate all that they found useful, (this undoubtedly also led to inspire Blizzard in their creation of the Zerg for Starcraft), and destroying the rest. The Borg, whose massive cube ships roamed space, forever seeking the next race to absorb and obliterate were unaware of the Federation and all other races in the Alpha Quadrant until the meddlesome Q hurled the USS-Enterprise into the Borg's back yard, it should have started an all-out war, but as with most things Star Trek, the writers fumbled the ball. Something that should have been impossible to do given the possibilities in the introduction of such an enemy.However, salvation can be found in Vendetta, a novel by Peter David, who as I have said, writes the best Trek novels. David has such a terrific grip on the Next Generation characters that the reader has no trouble believing that this is canon and just a really good Next Generation episode. David also includes a valid reason for the existence of the Doomsday Machines, as presented in the old series. They had been created to destroy the Borg, before mankind had ever reached into space. Makes sense and it tied up a loose end nicely, something Paramount has long since forgotten how to do. A new planet killer is on the move; and this one is far more massive, and it's slaughtering Borg with frightening ease. The death machine is haunted by Delcara, a woman who is suspected to be of the same species as Guinan, whose race was wiped out by the Borg, and she is on a path that while it may wipe out the Borg, will cut a path through the Alpha Quadrant killing millions. The book is laced with David's usual observational humor and witty banter between most members of the Enterprise crew. But he also digs deep, assessing the personal turmoil felt by Picard as he comes to terms with facing the Borg after being assimilated by them only months before. Plus we get a wonderful insight into Geordi LaForge who is at odds with everyone on board the starship when he struggles to 'unassimilate' a captured Borg drone. Vendetta is a wonderful free for all across the Federation and through the depths of time, because Picard once new, once loved Delcara and he watches helpless as she is consumed by the ghosts of the Doomsday Machine into becoming an instrument of their revenge against the Borg. David even throws in an encounter with the Tholians, which goes marginally better than the time when Kirk met them. The Borg, as created by the Trek writers, should have been the ultimate enemy, and in Vendetta, they are. But they are ones that can be destroyed, and not reasoned with as is the usual Trek touchy-feely method of handling things. The Borg deserve no quarter, no mercy-exactly what they have shown the countless races they have annihilated over the centuries. Vendetta goes a long way in showing us what should have been. Instead, we got 'First Contact' and I know which one I like better.
Rating: 
Summary: A Discovery Amongst The Deepest Galaxy
Review: Halfway through this book, I realized that I would much rather watch a TNG episode than reading it. I put the book on the shelf and starting watching my Season II DVD set. A rare case where I take the box over the book.
Rating:
Summary: A Discovery Amongst The Deepest Galaxy
Review: Halfway through this book, I realized that I would much rather watch a TNG episode than reading it. I put the book on the shelf and starting watching my Season II DVD set. A rare case where I take the box over the book.
Rating:
Summary: The best Trek novel I've read.
Review: I have been reading Trek books for a few years now, and this is the best one! I think it would also make a great story line for a film. It grabs you from the get go and ingeneously ties together story lines from the original Trek and Next Gen. If your interested in blasting Borg. . . buy it
Rating:
Summary: This book is Great!!
Review: I really enjoyed this book. Although it was my first Star Trek book so I don't know what I can say. But, It is great. A must read. Action, adventure, drama.... Every trekie has gotta read this!!!
Rating:
Summary: Average
Review: If I had read the book before Seven of Nine appeared, I would have liked it more. However, the borg being de-assimilated contradicts everything about Seven of Nine. Besides that, the idea of a species more powerful then the borg (almost a preminiton of species 8472) was interesting
Rating:
Summary: For every force there is an equal and opposite force
Review: It's really too bad Rick Berman lacks much of the vision that the Star Trek "enterprise" [business wise] has demonstrated over the years. The Borg, not entirely a unique Star Trek creation, have been over used time and time again. Even though The Borg are the ultimate user, as Q put it, The Borg are in an evolutionary dead end. Even though they may be able to assimilate entire worlds, they are no more than parasites rather than creatures reaching for "perfection". It was nice to see a balance, if you will, for The Borg. Vendetta also gives allusion to the TOS mention of The Preservers who might be related to the beings who hid clues of their own existence in the Star Trek: The Next Generation Episode, of which I cannot remember. All I do remember is the representation of that billion year old being, who'se race put their DNA into the primordial soup of many planets, is non other than the actor who plays the Dominion leader! Surprise, surprise! Vendetta also reminds me of the famous The Count of Monte Cristo. At first vengence seems a keen sense of justice, but in the end is realized to be pitiful and utter non-sense, often times with a high price, as Sarek once said in the TOS series. I'm also tired of seeing Star Trek with humans aka Terrans as the central point of any story. How about a story of the early Vulcans. The split that created the Romulans. The Breen. The creatures from Andromeda, from the TOS series. Terrans are great, but it would be nice to have the central point of view from another species, but perhaps that is asking too much imagination and vision. Often times, the plots of various Star Trek shows, television, movies, books, have horrible plots to them. The original idea is great, but by the middle of the story, there are so many loose ends that at the end of the story, they are never tied together or allowed to be open ended with a semi-conclusion perhaps for a sequel. I'm particularly angry that just when a Star Trek television series gets going good, the series ends, usually after 7 or 8 years. Case in point, Deep Space Nine. I HATED the show when it first started, but by the 5th season, I was falling in love with the show. Characters were being developed, they were evolving and the plots were getting better. The ending of the Dominion War was so absurd that I nearly threw my television out the window. Vendetta, in my humble opinion, is an excellent book, which likely lead to the creation of the movie Star Trek: First Contact, a few too many Voyager episodes and far too many Star Trek: Enterprise episode. Who was the idiot who decided to take the viewers back to the creation of the Federation? Star Trek has always been about moving forward, a vision of the future. Going backwards, from the point of view from TOS, TNG, Voyager, DS9 makes no sense whatsoever. Hopefully the new series being created by Strazinsky will be more visionary and creative than anything Rick Berman can think up. Live long and prosper, you will be assimilated.
Rating:
Summary: For every force there is an equal and opposite force
Review: It's really too bad Rick Berman lacks much of the vision that the Star Trek "enterprise" [business wise] has demonstrated over the years. The Borg, not entirely a unique Star Trek creation, have been over used time and time again. Even though The Borg are the ultimate user, as Q put it, The Borg are in an evolutionary dead end. Even though they may be able to assimilate entire worlds, they are no more than parasites rather than creatures reaching for "perfection". It was nice to see a balance, if you will, for The Borg. Vendetta also gives allusion to the TOS mention of The Preservers who might be related to the beings who hid clues of their own existence in the Star Trek: The Next Generation Episode, of which I cannot remember. All I do remember is the representation of that billion year old being, who'se race put their DNA into the primordial soup of many planets, is non other than the actor who plays the Dominion leader! Surprise, surprise! Vendetta also reminds me of the famous The Count of Monte Cristo. At first vengence seems a keen sense of justice, but in the end is realized to be pitiful and utter non-sense, often times with a high price, as Sarek once said in the TOS series. I'm also tired of seeing Star Trek with humans aka Terrans as the central point of any story. How about a story of the early Vulcans. The split that created the Romulans. The Breen. The creatures from Andromeda, from the TOS series. Terrans are great, but it would be nice to have the central point of view from another species, but perhaps that is asking too much imagination and vision. Often times, the plots of various Star Trek shows, television, movies, books, have horrible plots to them. The original idea is great, but by the middle of the story, there are so many loose ends that at the end of the story, they are never tied together or allowed to be open ended with a semi-conclusion perhaps for a sequel. I'm particularly angry that just when a Star Trek television series gets going good, the series ends, usually after 7 or 8 years. Case in point, Deep Space Nine. I HATED the show when it first started, but by the 5th season, I was falling in love with the show. Characters were being developed, they were evolving and the plots were getting better. The ending of the Dominion War was so absurd that I nearly threw my television out the window. Vendetta, in my humble opinion, is an excellent book, which likely lead to the creation of the movie Star Trek: First Contact, a few too many Voyager episodes and far too many Star Trek: Enterprise episode. Who was the idiot who decided to take the viewers back to the creation of the Federation? Star Trek has always been about moving forward, a vision of the future. Going backwards, from the point of view from TOS, TNG, Voyager, DS9 makes no sense whatsoever. Hopefully the new series being created by Strazinsky will be more visionary and creative than anything Rick Berman can think up. Live long and prosper, you will be assimilated.
Rating:
Summary: It is a good story
Review: Mr.McLeod has overanalyzed this work of Trek, and that is no service to Trek lovers. I liked the book, and thought its story was quite nicely interwoven.The Reannon storyline was my favorite. Yes, I was dissapointed that she could not be disassimilated and made normal, but it was proper to end on a somber note. Some Borg, even former humans, are too far gone to be retrieved. GeronL.- a reader
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