Rating: 
Summary: Mary Sue ruins it
Review: I always like a good "find the cure" thriller, and for the most part this book is not too bad. But unfortunately it is weighted down with the very definition of a Mary Sue character, the new doctor. She overpowers the rest of the book with her obnoxiousness and renders it very difficult to read, for me at least.The "cats are so wonderful" stuff is also fairly grating; I think this book was written purely for self-gratification, and as such is sort of immune to criticism, but unless you find characters who are Just the Best! And Everyone Likes Them So Much! interesting, and are a cat person, I suggest finding another Star Trek book to read.
Rating:
Summary: Mary Sue ruins it
Review: I always like a good "find the cure" thriller, and for the most part this book is not too bad. But unfortunately it is weighted down with the very definition of a Mary Sue character, the new doctor. She overpowers the rest of the book with her obnoxiousness and renders it very difficult to read, for me at least. The "cats are so wonderful" stuff is also fairly grating; I think this book was written purely for self-gratification, and as such is sort of immune to criticism, but unless you find characters who are Just the Best! And Everyone Likes Them So Much! interesting, and are a cat person, I suggest finding another Star Trek book to read.
Rating: 
Summary: A first-rate Star Trek novel!
Review: I have four Star Trek paperback novels, and "Uhura's Song" is one of them. This is definitely one of my favorite of the novels I have, if not my favorite, because it really is a first-rate Star Trek novel. In this story, the Enterprise has to save a race of cat-like beings called the Eeiauoans from a deadly plague that is also communicable to humans! It turns out that the Eeiauoans are outcasts from another planet, and this planet (Sivao) may have a cure for the disease. They get to Sivao thanks to songs Lt. Uhura secretly learned from an Eeiauoan diplomat-singer who has the disease now, but the Sivaoans feel so guilty over what their ancestors did they won't discuss it to people they consider children! Since some consider the Enterprise landing party children (especially one very important Sivaoan), the landing party must prove their adulthood by taking a rite of passage. There's a lot I really like about the novel. One thing is that the aliens are cat-like beings, and I love cats. Another, more important, thing is that we learn a lot about the Sivaoan culture. There is a lot that's good about the Sivaoan culture -- they're very artistic, have great memories, and have a high technology. They also have respect for their environment, which fits since they're a nomadic culture. Of course, there are bad things about their culture -- the treatment of one Sivaoan called Jinx is a good example of what's wrong about their culture. There's also a good theme embedded inside the story about what it means to be an adult. But what I love most is the characterizations of the Enterprise crew and the Sivaoans. There are no out-and-out villains -- the only "villain" is Stiff Tail, the important Sivaoan I mentioned earlier, and she's not truly evil -- just inflexible. As a result, she acts like a child, though she's biologically an adult. Her daughter, Brightspot, can be stubborn, but she's also more curious, more willing to learn new things, and helpful, which ultimately makes her more adult than her mother. And Jinx is quiet, but very responsible and courageous, making her a real adult, though she's considered a child. She proves this when she is able to save the life of one of the landing party -- she's the apprentice to a doctor! As for the Enterprise crew, Uhura is key to the story. She is the one who holds the clues to finding Sivao and ultimately the clue to finding the cure for the plague. Chekov also plays a key role in finding a cure -- but not the way he would've liked to play such a role. And last, but not least, there is the new doctor on the Enterprise -- Dr. Evan Wilson or Tail-Kinker (as she later calls herself). She is a gem of characterization -- mischevous, funny, but tough, courageous, and professional. She is a great tease, and really bedevils Spock. She is really charming, and I do wish Janet Kagan would write another novel and bring her back. There's so much I want to know about her. In short, I urge you to read this novel! Jaci
Rating: 
Summary: "Uhura's Song" by Janet Kagan did not spark my interest
Review: I just finished reading "Uhura's Song" by Janet Kagan. I am a really big Star Trek buff and have been reading Star Trek books for about 5 years. This book's cover made me angry. Apparently, the author did not take into consideration that when the Enterprise was refit, Starfleet issued new uniforms. With the picture of the new Enterprise and the old uniforms, I immediately knew it was fake. I also hate the idea of having cats as the main alien. I enjoyed the writing technique used by this author and would like to see her publish more.
Rating: 
Summary: good but confusing
Review: i love this book it shows all the things that starfleet officers need to think about when contacting new races (something that you never see in the television series!). it does however get confusing with regards to the morals of the sivoans (cat people) another disappointing factor was the portrayl of Mr Spock, i much prefer Diane Duane's portrayl of this significant chracter. however i have to say that Dr McCoy character was written to perfection. all in all a good book if confusing at times
Rating:
Summary: Pure Star Trek
Review: In my opinion this is a true Star Trek book. Exploring new worlds, seeking out new civilizations and (of course!) boldly going where ABOSOLUTELY noone has gone before. It's a marvelous book. I would recommend this book to anyone who knows anything about Star Trek. I also think that it would be enjoyed by a non-Star Trek reader... but if you aren't fluent in Star Trek some of the inside humor will be missed. I don't want to give a detailed book description because that would, well, who wants to know everything about a book before they read it?! The basics are: An entire planet,eiouea (?), has been quarantined because of a disease called ADF. The people on this planet (cat-like beings called Eiaeouians)have distant relatives on another planet somewhere, Kirk sets off to find them. YOU WILL BECOME COMPLETELY IMMERSED IN THE CULTTURE OF THIS PLANET. It is truly amazing. Truly. I really can't explain the joy i got from reading this book... so YOU go read it. Eventually they find the cure and save everyone (of course!) but that isn't all they accomplish. Oh. and Please have a nice day.
Rating:
Summary: One of the very best. . .
Review: In my reviews of Classic Star Trek novels, it must be understood that I adhere to the original canon as invisioned by Gene Roddenberry, and not the "Star Trek" universe accepted by Rick Berman and company. I generally rate a classic novel thus: Adherence to Canon -- does this novel adhere to the vision of the original Star Trek? Yes, in my opinion, it does. The principles of the Prime Directive come very much to the fore. The themes also seem particularly relevant to this day and age. Believability (within the confines of 23rd century Star Trek viability) -- is this novel well-plotted and well written? Can I picture this novel or imagine myself in it? Again, yes. Quite so. Coherence and Consistency -- does this novel internally consistent? Is it consistent with other Star Trek novels by the same author? Is it consistent with what is known of the CLASSIC Star Trek universe? Again, yes. The fan of "Classic Trek" will appreciate the expanded roles of both Chekov and Uhura. Mitigating Factors -- pluses or minuses which dramatically affect the enjoyment of this book As someone who appreciates fine music of many genres, the fact that much of the plot was based on a musical theme was an added bit of enjoyment. Altogether, an enjoyable "Classic Star Trek" experience.
Rating:
Summary: Adventure! Mystery! Excitement! (and nothing blows up!) Fun!
Review: Me again! You may have read my reviews on the Honor Harrington series, or ACC's 3001, or othher ST novels. (I reccomend all but 3001) so you know why I gave this book an 8 instead of 10. No phasers. No deep space combat. Just a stubborn race of felinoids with eidetic memories and a love of music. Just EXPLORQATION! Just LEARNING! A bit of swashbuckling every now and again. Just fascination and wonder. Just a race against time to save Chapel and McCoy (o, yah, and the rest of known civilization) from a horrible plague. An excellent faeture of Uhura, as "Blackfire" & "Ishmael" are for Spock and "Shadow Lord" is for Sulu. Read and laugh, and relax. I recommend a summer day in the grass under a partially cloudy sky with a gentle breeze to take the edge off that bright warm sunshine. = ]
Rating:
Summary: A great model for inter-cultural dialogue
Review: Of all the Original Series Trek novels I've read (and that's a LOT!), I rank this one in my Top 10 for good writing, excellent plotting, and a thought-provoking presentation of what a successful intercultural dialogue should be like. The book has a universal appeal and a very good message, even if you're not a Trekkie or an SF fan. In my opinion, it could even be used as outside reading for a course in multiculturism. The way Kagan's characters handle each other's differences certainly beats some of the, er, shall we say, less-than-successful "first contacts" I've experienced as a Hasidic Jew living in rural Minnesota, where "that's different" is local codespeak for disapproval. We can all learn a lot about mutual respect from this book, where both sides discuss what their behavioral "norms" and expectations are. As Stiff Tail explains to her humanoid visitors, there is no "of course" when it comes to local customs. Although the main plot is about finding a cure for a devastating plague that is killing both Eaouans and humans, the real strength of this story lies in the exchange of ideas, songs, customs (and sometimes taboos) between the Enterprise crew and the cat-like alien beings on the planet Sivao. Being a cat lover myself, I found Kagan's portrayal of the felinoid culture to be internally consistent and believably grounded in the real behaviors of cats. Feline characters have appeared in Trek before (such as crewperson M'ress in the animated series, and Snarl, who also makes an appearance here), but this was the first book to explore the cultural possibilities in any depth. Because this novel came relatively early in the Trek series (it's only #21 in a list of hundreds), it helped set a high standard for IDIC in future stories about alien societies. I also liked the central role that Uhura plays in this story. In the Original Series, she sang in a number of episodes, setting the scene for her musical accomplishments in this tale. Having learned certain "secret" songs from her Eaouan friend, Sunfall of-Ennien, Uhura discovers clues in the ancient ballads that lead the crew to Sivao, the original homeworld of Sunfall's ancestors. There, Uhura is honored as a bard for her singing abilities, and this leads to another private song-swap with the local bard. Not only does this exchange help solve the puzzle of the origins of the plague, it fulfills a healing prophecy as well. To tell you any more would ruin a very good read. So nu, enjoy it for yourself!
Rating: 
Summary: Annoying guest character steals spotlight from Uhura.
Review: Of the over 40 of the Star Trek novels that I have read, I DISLIKED this one the most. The main reason was the character of Evan, one of the most annoying know-it-alls of all time. A major reason that I read Star Trek is because I enjoy following the adventures of my favorite characters. While a good guest star can be refreshing, seeing my favorites in action is what holds my interest. Furthermore, the character of Evan Wilson was not "refreshing". Throughout the book she was continually showing off as the smartest, strongest and best-est at everything. This in itself can be annoying, but even more so was the continual putdowns of Kirk, Spock and those other (sic) incompetents on the Enterprise crew. The ending with her revealing herself to be some kind of mystical elf almost made me throw up. I found her to be a continual annoyance throughout the novel. Even more disappointing, was the minor role that Lt. Uhura played. The title, cover picture and even the synopsis led me to believe that this was going to be an Uhura story. However once she had identified the song as the clue, she stayed behind with the sick, while Kirk, Spock etc accompany Evan Wilson to the other planet to search for the cure. Throughout all of the mediums, including the novels, Lt. Uhura has gotten very little spotlight, even less than Chekov, Sulu, Scott and the rest. I thought that this novel might be the exception, but sadly, I was disappointed. The book is not without some good qualities, the idea is good. The Cat creatures are excellent, (although it is definately a cat lovers book), and there are nice touches throughout. However, I found the negatives too distracting to enjoy this one. Only read this one if you wish to read all in the series. There are way too many good Star Trek offerings to waste your time on this one. NOT RECOMMENDED!
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