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Summary: But Spock was a father figure to Saavik!
Review: Vulcan's Heart is fun to read, but I just couldn't except the basic premise of Saavik and Spock together. The fans have already explored this relationship in The Pandora Principle (Pocket Books 1990). Spock was her surrogate father, her mentor, but not her future mate! A fatal flaw-write the same book, introduce a suitable love interest for Spock, and you'd have had a good Star Trek novel.
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Summary: Simply the best Star Trek novel ever written
Review: This book will appeal to non fans and fans alike. It has plenty of intrigue, emotion, action, space battles and heartbreaks. Being in the Star Trek universe is an added bonus to any fan of the series.Taking place in the era between the original TV series and The Next Generation series, VULCAN'S HEART takes full advantage of some of the most popular episodes from those series (_Yesterday's_Enterprise_ from TNG, and _Enterprise_Incident_ from the original series.) Josepha Sherman and Susan Shwartz take charcters from those episodes and instill a depth and richness that one is normally accustomed to with the regular Star Trek characters. Even the U.S.S. Stargazer, Jean-Luc Picard's first command, makes an appearance with the crew that first appeared in the novel REUNION by Michael Jan Friedman. Plots, sub-plots and numerous threads abound giving this book a pace that picks up right from the beginning and proceeds full steam ahead into some desperate and almost chaotic pursuits. Reading this book is a very immersive experience that grips you emotionally and then takes off at warp speed. Often times VULCAN'S HEART is heart stopping and heart breaking simultaneously. The finish allows the reader to catch their breath and bask in the outcome, giving the reader one last chance to stay immersed in this story that you don't want to end. What is evident to any fan of Star Trek, is the care and detailed research Josepha Sherman and Susan Shwartz display in their book. VULCAN'S HEART is respledent with Star Trek references of the past. From the TV series, movies and some books (including their other Star Trek novel, VULCAN'S FORGE, which is also an excellent read.) these little Trek flashbacks are very effective contextually, giving further evidence of the authors' writing talent and and expertise with the Star Trek lore. Not ony can they write exceedingly well, the authors know and care about Star Trek and perpetuate the mystique. In VULCAN'S HEART, Josepha Sherman and Susan Shwartz weave a complex tapestry that clearly demonstrates a labour of love.
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Summary: Vulcan's Heart review from EON magazine
Review: Note: The first part of this review is written "Shatner style." Not reading it using this method could cause serious brain damage (as in "Hey! That Lost in Space movie wasn't so bad," or "Star Trek V is the single most important piece of celluloid in history"). Captain's Log, Stardate 0799.05: After a long winter and spring of (pause) reading "serious science fiction," I (pause) decided to read (pause) Vulcan's Heart, Sherman and Shwartz' sequel to their (pause) 1997 novel, Vulcan's Forge, once again following the trials and (pause) Tribble-ations of everyone's favorite (pause) green-blooded science officer. Sorry, must've been that classic TREK marathon. Anyway, never have I been a fan of Star Trek novels or any type of "space opera," but for a summer weekend I needed something light. So there I was, a fool and his Spock novel. I was pleasantly surprised. Spock, now a career diplomat, receives a covert plea from Romulan Commander Charvanek (the Romulan Commander from "The Enterprise Incident") to help the Romulan empire resist its own power-mad Praetor. Spock answers the call, but Starfleet Intelligence sends Spock's betrothed, Commander Saavik (Robin Curtis' version and not Kirstie Alley, apparently, if the cover art is any indication), as backup. They plunge into a hotbed of deadly intrigue, during which they experience pon farr, the Vulcan mating frenzy that can be fatal if not consummated. Both fight the urge and risk their lives, Spock to aid the revolution, and Saavik to warn Starfleet of the Praetor's aggression. The incident is resolved by the Enterprise-C and the U.S.S. Stargazer, under the command of young Captain Jean-Luc Picard. After many years of swearing off these types of books, it's good to see that someone (or in this case two someones) knows that novels can be light yet well written. Sherman and Shwartz know the Trek universe well and create believable backdrops for Trekkers and non-Trekkers alike, as well as fleshing out some worlds we've only seen briefly. The Spock character especially feels like the one we've been followed for years, never stepping the least bit out of character. Fans will love the little bits of Trek lore, such as a young Lieutenant Picard at Spock's wedding (as mentioned in the TNG episode "Sarek") or Captain Uhura of Starfleet Intelligence....Trek fans should enjoy this romp through the Alpha Quadrant. Not a fan? This book could convert you, or at least give you an enjoyable light read, perfect for a summer afternoon in the hammock. Now I must (pause) return to the (pause) bridge. I have a new Ensign to train, (really big pause) I believe her name is Candee... -CAPT. JAMES TIBERIUS VOELPEL, Eon Magazine
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Summary: Best Trek Novel to Date!
Review: "Vulcan's Heart" offers a well-crafted mix of romance (adult and poetic), palace intrigue, and action (including exciting space battles). Major Trek characters ring true; new characters fit well into the established universe, and are easy to care about. More, please!
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Summary: Best Trek novel of the year
Review: What I didn't like: not enough Saavik (you can never have too much Saavik); much too short. (It's not a short book at all, really, but I wanted to spend much more time in the world of this novel.) What I did like: everything else. Seriously, this was the best Trek novel I've read in quite some time. So many plot threads and characters were pulled together so skillfully that it was a joy to read. The characterization of Spock was really well done. For that matter, most of the characters, even many of the ones with small roles, felt real. And the story itself... what a ride! Yes, there's intrigue, action, romance, tragedy, heroism, sacrifice, passion, and humor. There's also intelligence and an obvious love and knowledge of Star Trek on the authors' part. Vulcan's Heart is better than any hardcover Trek novel since Vulcan's Forge, and better than most, if not all, of the paperback novels since then. Oh, and one more thing: I hope this sells well enough to warrant a direct sequel. I'd like to see what happens next for Spock and Saavik, and for the other characters (especially some of the Romulans). Thank you, Susan and Josepha. It was worth the wait.
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Summary: ONE OF THE BEST TREK BOOKS EVER!
Review: Initially skeptical about the Spock/Saavik pairing, this reader found this book to be a fun, suspenseful, can't put it down ride. The authors stay true to the Trek mythos and characters. If you like trek, love space battles, and enjoy romance and mystery, this is the book for you.
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Summary: ridiculous garbage
Review: The relationship between Spock and Saavik is teacher/student and parent/child. For them to get married is incestuous. If you want to read a good Saavik story find The Pandora Principle by Carolyn Clowes.
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Summary: STAR TREK'S AMBASSADOR SPOCK WEDS COMMANDER SAAVIK
Review: Commander Saavik and Ambassador Spock, Son of Sarek, were married on the on the second day of the month of Sharveen at sacred wedding grounds belonging to the family of the groom. T'Pau of Vulcan, former leader of the planet, presided over the ceremony. The bride, Commander Saavik, is a starfleet officer in good standing, late of the original Starship Enterprise but most recently assigned as first officer aboard the U.S.S. Armstrong. The groom, Ambassador Spock, is also formerly of the first Starship Enterprise but is currently an Amabassador-at-Large, representing Federation interests throughout the galaxy. The couple met while the bride was a student at Starfleet Academy and the groom was assigned there as an instructor. Ambassador Sarek of Vulcan, father of the groom, was in attendance. Amanda, the mother of the groom, is deceased, as are the parents of the bride. The bride wore embroidered silver robes that have been in the groom's family for over a thousand years. Among the guests were Dr. Leonard McCoy, an admiral in Starfleet, Lieutenant Jean-Luc Picard of the U.S.S. Stargazer, Captain Truman Howes of the U.S.S. Armstrong, and many members of the Armstrong crew. A more detailed report on the wedding can be found in the Pocket Books novel Star Trek: Vulcan's Heart by Josepha Sherman and Susan Shwartz, on sale now.
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Summary: A Star Trek novel that would raise Spock's eyebrow
Review: "To boldly go where no man has gone before," "Vulcan's Heart" is a Star Trek novel that breaks new ground by treating mature themes in a well-written, compelling manner. Spock would rate this book as "fascinating", his favorite non-emotional expression for a work of the highest logical order. And well he might, since he's one of the main characters. The team of Josepha Sherman and Susan Shwartz, two old hands at writing in the Star Trek universe, give us another story set among the Vulcans, and their sundered relations, the Romulans. And, as in their earlier work, "Vulcan's Forge", they have an unerring touch in providing an authentic Star Trek "feeling" to their work. They also continue to write alien characters that are both comprehensible and empathic while still being profoundly "other". We now find Ambassador Spock, former StarFleet captain, responding to a secret plea from an old enemy and lover, Chervanek, the "Romulan Commander" from one of the most interesting of the old TV episodes. Now, so many years later, the woman, a Romulan of noble descent and impeccable honor, pleads with Spock to save her planet from a vicious, grasping Praetor who plans on launching a quick, dishonorable war against an unarmed Klingon colony to provide cheap glory to his regime. Setting out without informing anyone, Spock sets foot on a gray, grimy Romulus armed only with some fake ID and his Vulcan DNA, which is identical with that of the Romulans. He finds a society living in the shadow of informants, where Romulans of stature who speak up too loudly suffer convenient "accidents" that not only silence them, but enrich the Praetor. But along with grumbling discontent, there still remains a core of honorable Romulans, who are desperately trying to prevent a dishonorable war of aggression that can only hurt Romulan society, regardless of the benefits that would accrue to their not-so-beloved Praetor. While biologically identical to Vulcans, the Romulan race is not only highly emotional, but also predatory, at least among the more powerful. Spock must negotiate this emotional minefield while undergoing the Vulcan mating urge of Pon farr, and his betrothed, Saavik, stuck as science officer on a StarFleet ship half a quadrant away, or so he thinks. At this point, Spock's life becomes really "interesting", as in the Chinese curse, "may you live in interesting times." What follows is a compelling mixture of lust, murder, savagery, nobility, captures, escapes, and assorted computer hacking. Oh, and a real hum-dinger of a space battle. If this was a Star Trek movie, it would be rated "R", as the authors intended. But it's a worthwhile "R", gained by the telling of serious issues in a serious manner. Some things are grim, shocking, or sensual, but they're needed to move the story along. If you love reading Star Trek novels, this one's for you. If you have never read one, this is the one to start with. It's a perfect example of what two talented authors can do with material they know, love, and respect. And after you finish the book, pester Paramount to commission Sherman and Shwartz to write a movie script as a PG-13 version of the book. They'd have a hit on their hands that would please Star Trek fans everywhere. Richard Kirka
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Summary: It Doesn't Get Better Than This
Review: Amazing Stories Review: Star Trek: Vulcan's Heart by Josepha Sherman and Susan Shwartz You can certainly call VULCAN'S HEART a space opera -- there are high-energy starship battles, breathless pursuits, and dangerous combat sequences in ample supply. But collaborators Josepha Sherman and Susan Shwartz deliver a good deal more than a breakneck adventure yarn. Like the duo's earlier VULCAN'S FORGE, this book is at once a superior STAR TREK story and a first-rate SF novel in the same package, and a volume that deserves serious attention from voters for the genre's various awards. As in the prior book, Spock is a key figure but not the sole protagonist. Saavik, seen in the first few STAR TREK feature films, returns in a major role, as does the elegantly chilling Romulan Commander from the original series episode "The Enterprise Incident." And a host of other characters, many with names longtime fans will find familiar, appear as supporting players or in cameo parts. What's distinctive about VULCAN'S HEART is its complexity. Rarely in Trek fiction have we seen so convoluted a plot, interweaving Spock's marriage with a crisis in Romulan politics that's extrapolated from the televised continuity with positively diabolical flair. Most of the novel, in fact, takes place on the Romulan homeworld -- where Spock's hybrid metabolism picks the worst possible moment to trigger Pon farr, the Vulcan mating drive. What could easily have degenerated into melodrama at this point instead, in Sherman's and Shwartz's hands, escalates into a compelling test of character and resolve. The effects and consequences of the Pon farr condition are treated with ruthless plausibility, and the contrast of Vulcan logic and Romulan passion drives the story forward with an intensity unmatched in any other Trek novel published to date. And "intensity" is the right word. Sherman and Shwartz expertly dovetail the legendary Vulcan reticence about matters of biology with a subtle but brutal frankness about the emotions and needs that underlie that reserve. The result is prose that shivers with barely restrained tension, remaining true to STAR TREK's spirit and reaching beyond it at the same time. Both authors have referred to the book as "the first R-rated Trek novel," and they're not wrong. Though the words by themselves are sedate enough, the tone is relentlessly mature, to a degree STAR TREK fans have never before seen on the printed page. Those fans should consider VULCAN'S HEART a book not to be missed. But while the novel is perhaps a bit less accessible to non-Trek audiences than was VULCAN'S FORGE, it is by any measure a skillfully told tale with enough sheer power to deserve the widest possible readership. - John C. Bunnell, Amazing Stories
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