STAR WARS - THE CLONE WARS - NO PRISONERS

A Del Rey Trade Paperback Original

Written by Karen Traviss

Copyright 2009 by Lucasfulm Ltd.

All Rights Reserved.

In No Prisoners by Karen Traviss, Padawan learner Ashoka goes on a routine three day space shakedown cruise on a newly refitted assault ship with brand new untested clone troopers - when they suddenly go on a rescue mission for a Republic undercover agent who was investigating a planetary rebellion.

It is interesting to see Ashoka relate to a different type of Jedi order who assists in the rescue of Republic agent Hallena Devis. Anakin's reaction to this Jedi order is sad as well, since this order allows marriages amongst their Jedi. With his secret marriage to Padme, and his taking time off to see her when Ashoka's routine mission becomes a rescue mission, this Jedi order makes Anakin feel very guilty and fills him full of regret when he meets them and measures his life against them. Anakin also feel betrayed that Master Yoda did not tell him about this order of Jedi.

Captain Gilad Pellaeon's secret relationship to agent Hallena Devis fills him full of regret as well, since he is using his authority as the ship's captain to go to his lover's rescue. Devis regrets that everyone is risking their lives to rescue her, especially when one of the new inexperienced clone troopers gets killed during the rescue. I feel so sad for her as I know I would feel the same way if I were under the same circumstances. You also feel how powerful Jedi can be when one of the Jedi uses the Force to become one with the assault ship during a space battle.

Pancho
All people smile in the same language.

STAR TREK - DESTINY - BOOK II: MERE MORTALS

Pocket Books

Written by David Mack

Based upon STAR TREK and

STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION
created by Gene Roddenberry

STAR TREK: DEEP SPACE NINE created by Rick Berman & Michael Piller

STAR TREK: VOYAGER
created by Rick Berman * Michael Piller & Jeri Taylor

STAR TREK: ENTERPRISE
created by Rick Berman & Brannon Braga

Copyright 2008 by CBS Studios Inc. All Rights Reserved.

In Mere Mortals, the Borg are coming to Federation space and Federation President Nan Bacco gathers allies to stop the Borg invasion. Meanwhile, Captain Jean-Luc Picard and Captain Ezri Dax are determined to try to close off the Borg's route of subspace tunnels. On the other side of the galaxy, Captain William Riker in his explorations has made contact with the Caeliar who has held captive Earth starship Captain Erika Hernandez for 200 years.

You feel for President Bacco as she realizes that the Federation's only hope against Borg assimilation and annihilation is an alliance with governments and people that were hostile to the Federation and  also her realization that she will be the last President as the Federation gets destroyed. She is just a person in charge that everything has fallen onto her. Bacco's strategic negotiations are a desperate action for the preservation of the Alpha Quadrant. My respect for Captain Hernandez has fallen considerably from her being the captain of one of Earth's first starships to being the sole survivor of her crew, despite the fact that she has evolved into part Caeliar and has been able to live so long. In fact you feel that she deserves the pergatory that she has been placed into, especially when Riker and the crew of the U.S.S Titan are captured by the Caeliar with her. The Titan's crew plan an escape strategy, but can not trust Hernandez as a result. With Counselor Deanna Troi pregnant, you also feel her peranoia against the reptillian Titan's ship's doctor - Dr. Ree as her pregnancy endangers her health.

Pancho
All people smile in the same language.

INTO THE LOOKING GLASS

A Baen Book

Written by John Ringo

Copyright 2005 by John Ringo

Cover Art by Kurt Miller

In Into the Looking Glass, when a University experiment blows up with the size of a nuclear explosion - it opens up gateways to other planets. Dr. William Weaver, a doctor in nuclear physics, and Navy SEAL team Command Master Chief Miller must do what they can in their armored mecha suits to stop hostile aliens from invading Earth. Somehow, this was not in their original occupational job descriptions.

The first of the Looking Glass series, this is a fun book with a down to earth physicist just trying to deal with a sudden wacky problem. Instead of travelling through space, aliens are arriving through interstellar gateways. With the gateways popping up all over the planet, it is hard for the general populace to deal with the strange aliens appearing at home in their living rooms. It is nice to see the National Guard having a major role in defense of our country for once and that aliens are not classified by the government as a secret.

Pancho
All people smile in the same language.

TERMINATOR SALVATION

TITAN BOOKS

Written by Alan Dean Foster

Based on the motion picture written by
John Brancato & Michael  Ferris

Copyright 2009 by T Asset Acquisition Company, LLC.

The novelization of the movie Terminator Salvation tells the story of human resistance leader John Connor and Kyle Reese both in there own ways fighting the Terminators.

With the novelization, I better understand the characters than what I learned from the movie as there is more characterization with the characters than what can be depicted in a movie. Even the new Terminators I can better understand as they are described in the novelization. You can see the development of Kyle Reese as a resistance fighter as he survives in the city ruins of Los Angeles. With Marcus Wright searching for his engineered experimented origins and for his new acquaintance Kyle, who was taken by the Terminators, the novelization is more about Wright than about John Connor. Connor's conflicts with his own chain of command is rather frustrating and you almost cheer for Connor as he defies command and becomes the leader he is supposed to be.

See movie review:

Terminator Salvation


Pancho
All people smile in the same language.

STAR TREK - UNSPOKEN TRUTH

POCKET BOOKS

Written by Margaret Wander Bonanno

Copyright 2010 by CBS Studios Inc. STAR TREK and related marks are trademarks of CBS Studios Inc.

Cover art by Doug Drexler

In Unspoken Truth, after the events of Star Trek III: The Search for Spock, Saavik - Spock's Vulcan/Romulan science officer protege, from the Romulan planetary experiment Hellguard - becomes a science officer aboard the research vessel U.S.S. Chaffee. She is then contacted by an old friend. Someone is killing Hellguard survivors and Saavik is recruited by her childhood colleague survivor from Hellguard to find out why.

We learn more about Saavik and how she grew from a feral discarded genetic experiment to the logical science officer she is now. It is cute how Spock's mother Amanda tries to educate the child Saavik, while on the Chaffee another scientist falls in love with Saavik - especially since they had similar rough childhoods. The womanizing scientist getting his comeuppance trying to get to know the cool Saavik is both rather funny and annoying at the same time. You feel that she deserves better as they catalogue a new planetary system and attend an alien wedding. When Saavik goes undercover to find out who is killing the Hellguard survivors, you feel that she really has gone over to the other side and I felt very disconcerted about that.

Pancho
All people smile in the same language.

STAR TREK - CORPS OF ENGINEERS - GRAND DESIGNS

POCKET BOOKS, a division of Simon & Shuster, Inc.

Written by Dave Galanter, Allyn Gibson, Kevin Killiany, Paul Kupperberg, David Mack, and Dayton Ward & Kevin Dilmore

Based upon Star Trek and Star Trek: The Next Generation created by Gene Roddenberry and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine created by Rick Berman & Michael Piller

Star Trek S.C.E.:Ring Around the Sky copyright 2004 by CBS Studios Inc. Star Trek S.C.E.: Orphans copyright 2004 by CBS Studios Inc. Star Trek S.C.E.: Grand Designs copyright 2004 by CBS Studios Inc. Star Trek S.C.E.: Failsafe copyright 2004 by CBS Studios Inc. Star Trek S.C.E.:Bitter Medicine copyright 2004 by CBS Studios Inc. Star Trek S.C.E.: Sargasso Sector copyright CBS Studios Inc.



Star Trek Corps of Engineers  Grand Designs is an anthology about the Federation Sabre-class Starship U.S.S. da Vinci and their crew of Corps of Engineers, like the Army Corps of Engineers, who go around Federation space solving the engineering problems of the Federation.

Several of the stories continue with the aftermath of the loss of half the crew from a previous story. It shows how the series is evolving rather than just being one shot stories with a new series. Although the stories by themselves are of a good quality, like Captain Gold at odds with his own crew of Corps of Engineers during a weapons inspection - or Commander Sonya Gomez leading an away team mission to extract a Federation probe as they infiltrate behind the lines of a planetary war.

Pancho
All people smile in the same language.

STAR WARS - CORUSCANT NIGHTS III - PATTERNS OF FORCE

A Del Rey Books Mass Market Original

Written by Michael Reaves

Copyright 2008 by Lucasfilm Ltd. All Rights Reserved.

In the third book of the Star Wars - Coruscant Nights series, Patterns of Force has Jedi Knight, in hiding from the Great Jedi Purge, Jax Pavan find a young man amongst the bowels of the city planet Coruscant with such raw power in the force that he takes him on as his padawan. Pavan also becomes involved in a plot to kill Emperor Palpatine.

I liked the idea of Jax being concerned about young Kaj and that Jax tries to teach Kaj on how to use the Force. Of course Jax is also concerned that Kaj does not fall prey to the Dark Side of the Force as the Inquisitors search for them. Having self-aware droid I-5YQ volunteer to kill Emperor Palpatine since he can not feel the droid in the force is a cute but logical action as I-5's reporter partner goes home. The climax has Darth Vader completing his quest of finding Jedi Knight Jax Pavan.

Pancho
All people smile in the same language.

STARGATE SG-1 - ROSWELL

Fandemonium Books

Written by Sonny Whitelaw & Jennifer Fallon

Copyright 2007 Metro-Goldwyn-Meyer. All Rights Reserved.

Stargate SG-1's, Roswell has the Stargate team on a mission gone wrong and a future General Sam Carter sends the rest of SG-1 after them. After various incidents, they wind up back in the past in Roswell, New Mexico 1947 - where the original UFO and aliens crash-landed - as they search for a lost Asgard.

I happen to like time travel stories and considering that the Asgard look like the grey aliens from the Roswell incident, it was only a matter of time that a story would revolve around the Asgard and Roswell. With the ship SG-1 uses considered as a UFO, it was funny how the alien Teal'c is the expert on Roswell trivia as the United States military at the Roswell Army Air Field tries to deal with the Asgard and their technology and not a weather balloon. The book even deals with the alien autopsies. Since dealing with the Stargate, they deal with quantum theory. The book explores the consequences of have the timeline being changed by SG-1's actions as well as exploring predestination events like the Tunguska explosion with the engine of a Goa'uld ship exploding. Having SG-1 meet some famous figures like H.P. Lovecraft is rather fun as well. It is sad that changing the timeline causes Colonel Cameron Mitchell to become a Jaffa First Prime in order for him to survive. This puts the pressure on SG-1 to correct the timeline and go home as the Goa'uld invade New York City from space.

Pancho
All people smile in the same language.

STAR TREK - GATEWAYS - CHAINMAIL

POCKET BOOKS

Written by Diane Carey

Copyright 2001 by Paramount Pictures. All rights Reserved.




The second book of the Star Trek Gateways series is set amongst the Star Trek New Earth series. After encountering a derelict mausoleum ship in Belle Terre space, the U.S.S. Challenger, a hodgepodge of a Federation starship patrolling the Belle Terre colony sector, soon encounters the dangerous decendants of the derelict ship as they appear from one of the ancient Gateways. With the aliens, who were marooned on a metal planet with different physical laws - which gives a new meaning to the word metallica, Commander Nick Keller and the Challenger are hard put to defend themselves against the aliens who were on a quest for home.

The beginning of the book was a little hard to understand and relate to, especially if you are not familiar with Keller and the background of the Challenger crew - which combines Starfleet personel and the alien race the Blood. Once you are back on Challenger, then you are on familiar territory dealing with Star Trek concepts - even with the alliance with the Blood. When Blood first officer Shucorion comes across a missing ancestor, it becomes a very interesting story as to how he got there. Commander Keller becomes very determined to get control of the situation with a Blood strike on his ship because his best friend disobeyed orders and saved Shucorion's life, and the aliens trying to quarentine all the ships and the entire Federation. The book ends with a cliffhanger which leads to the last book, the Gateways anthology What Lay Beyond.

Pancho
All people smile in the same language.

TRANSFORMERS - THE VEILED THREAT

A Del Rey Mass Market Original

Written by Alan Dean Foster

Copyright 2009 by Hasbro



Set between Transformers  and Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, in The Veiled Threat by Alan Dean Foster, captain Lennox and tech sergeant Epps are now part of the classified agency NEST and are in alliance with the Autobots in searching for Starscream and the Decepticons.

Based out of NEST headquarters, Lennox, Epps, and the Autobots - who have sworn to protect the humans - go around the world searching for Starscream and the Decepticons as the Decepticons search for various power sources. The question now is why do the Decepticons need the power?

The events from the book lead to the start of Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. As more Autobots and Decepticons arrive on Earth from space, the battles between them are intense enough that there are losses of both Decepticons and Autobots. Although Lennox and Epps are major characters in the book, there is more characterization with Russian AI specialist Petr Andronov and Asian cyberneticist Kaminari Ishihara than with Lennox and Epps.

Pancho
All people smile in the same langauge.

STAR WARS - DARK NEST III - THE SWARM WAR

A Del Rey Mass Market Original
Written by Troy Denning

Copyright 2006 by Lucasfilm Ltd. All Rights Reserved.

Excerpt from Star Wars: Republic Commando: Triple Zero copyright 2006 by Lucasfilm Ltd. All Rights Reserved.

In The Swarm War, at the Chiss-Killik border space, the alien insect race Killiks are at war with the Chiss. The Jedi try to stop the war, although the Chiss do not like their interference while almost Joiners, Jedi Knights Jaina Solo and Zekk assist the Killiks. Meanwhile, Jacen Solo believes that in order to stop the Killiks, they need to kill their old friend Raynar Thul.

When Jaina and Zekk refuse to return home to the Jedi Academy when Jedi Grand Master Luke Skywalker calls them, you know they are basically Joiners and you are concerned for them as they are in the trenches fighting with the Killiks. Luke wants the Jedi to be focused on committing to put the Jedi Order first instead of being distracted by other concerns which is driving the Jedi apart. Jacen being so cold blooded as to wanting to kill the leader of the Killiks, his old friend and former Jedi Raynar Thul, shows Jacen's slow path to the Dark Side of the Force. Luke, of course, disapproves and would rather search for another way, as killing is a last resort to the Jedi. Although Raynar has been unknowingly influenced by the Dark Jedi Queen Lomi Plo to control the Killiks for her own agenda, Raynar's stubbornness and forceful will is annoying and you almost agree that the only way to stop him and the Killiks is by killing Raynar.

The excerpt of Triple Zero by Karen Traviss shows Kal Skirata first encountering the Null clones children on Kamino and his basically adopting them away from the Kaminoans clonemasters who want to destroy them for being defective. It is rather touching to see mercenary Skirata's heart breaking as he sees these determined children protecting each other in order to survive.

Pancho
All people smile in the same language.

Star Trek

Pocket Books

A novel by
Alan Dean Foster

Written by Robert Orci & Alex Kurtzman
Based upon "Star Trek" created by Gene Roddenberry

Copyright 2009 by Paramount Pictures Corporation. Copyright 2009 CBS Studios Inc. STAR TREK and related marks are trademarks of CBS Studios Inc. All Rights Reserved.



The novelization to the movie Star Trek is about the launching of the new crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise in an alternate universe from the original TV series Star Trek. After a bitter Romulan miner from an alternate universe destroys the planet Vulcan with Red Matter - in revenge for the destruction of his own home world of Romulus, the Enterprise is the sole surviving starship to stop him as he targets Earth.

This novelization by Alan Dean Foster is a good companion to the movie, whose prose adds more depth to the movie and the gathering of the crew of the Enterprise - including Doctor McCoy, asian helmsman Sulu, and Communications officer Uhura. You see a rebellious young James T. Kirk trying to live up to his late father's name, who once commanded a starship for 12 minutes before the ship was destroyed by the Romulan miner Nero in deep space of twenty years before. Starfleet cadet Kirk in turn becomes the captain of the Enterprise when captain Pike becomes a prisoner of Nero. An alternate universe explains outcomes that are different than what we have known before. With the original Spock as a link between the original universe and the new alternate universe, the concept seems more acceptable than having a totally re imagining of Star Trek. You look forward to a face-to-face meeting with both the mature and young Spock.

See the movie review of Star Trek.

Pancho
All people smile in the same language.

Mission Earth 3 - The Enemy Within

Galaxy Press

Written by L. Ron Hubbard

Copyright: 1986, 1988, 2005 L. Ron Hubbard Library

Cover Art: Gerry Grace

Cover artwork: copyright 1988 L. Ron Hubbard Library.

All rights reserved.

The Enemy Within, part of the 10 book Mission Earth series, continues the adventures of alien combat engineer Jettero Heller who was sent to Earth from Apparatus space to study the planet. Heller is also being hampered to the point of attempted assassination by Soltan Gris, the Apparatus government officer in charge of Earth, who Heller believes is really working with him as the Apparatus government prepares to invade Earth.

In this satire about politics and intelligence gathering, it is fun to see the seemingly innocent Heller try to learn more about Earth and make things better for the planet while Gris frantically searches for a way to get a revealing communications message recording from Heller to preserve Gris's status quo as well as trying to kill Heller. Gris is totally clueless to the fact that his new sweet girlfriend is actually a tramp just using him while being so innocent. In the meantime, Gris works with the leaders of the political underworld to stop Heller from becoming famous.

Pancho
All people smile in the same language.

STAR TREK - THE Q CONTINUUM - Q-ZONE

An Original Publication of POCKET BOOKS

Written by Greg Cox

Copyright 1998 by Paramount Pictures. All Rights Reserved.

In Q-Zone, the second book in The Q Continuum, the Enterprise battles some cosmozoans near the Galactic Barrier space, the high energy field beyond the edge of the galaxy first seen in the Star Trek episode Where No Man Has Gone Before, while Q takes Captain Picard back in time to observe the younger Q as they witness the destruction of the Tkon Empire.

While the illness of the Betazoid scientist, who brought the Enterprise to the Barrier for an experiment, might make you sympathetic to him, his obsession with penetrating the Galactic Barrier with no apologies is very annoying amidst the safety of the ship and crew as they battle the cosmozoans. He makes you want to make the Enterprise crew beat him around some as the Enterprise comes under attack. His lack of concern for his son and daughter, whose craving for their fater makes the son become more mature than he should as he takes care of his little sister, makes the scientist even more despicable as the Enterprise crew has the grace of trying to protect him. The super beings that the young Q pals around with are some of the most famous evil super beings in the Trek universe and you get to see their influence in the destruction of the Tkon Empire.

Pancho
All people smile in the same language.

STAR WARS - DARK NEST - THE UNSEEN QUEEN

A Del Rey Books Mass Market Original

Written by Troy Denning

Copyright 2005 by Lucasfilm Ltd.

Excerpt from Star Wars: Outbound Flight copyright 2005 by Lucasfilm Ltd.

In The Unseen Queen, the alien insect Killiks are producing an alien membrosia that is being distributed throughout space, but a dark membrosia is also being produced and the Jedi blame the Killiks for it. Meanwhile, the Dark Jedi queen in charge of the Dark Nest of Killiks tries to get Luke while the Jedi masters become divided as to the best direction of what the Jedi Order should do.

It is sad to see a former Jedi become a Joiner and become a Dark Jedi. I was hoping Luke would break the hold of the Joiners and bring Alema Rar back as a Jedi. Raynar Thul was a lost cause when he became the leader of the Killiks. You also get a glimpse of Jacen as he grows more in the force and touches on the dark side as he is determined to prevent a galaxy wide war. With the Jedi masters divided as to the direction of what the Jedi Order should do, as half of them want to search for Luke, the Galactic Chief of State manipulates Jedi Master Corran Horn to lead the Jedi as Luke and Han are being held hostage by the Killiks.

Pancho
All people smile in the same language.

THE RADIOACTIVE REDHEAD

DAW Books

Written by John Zakour & Lawrence Ganem

Copyright 2005 by John Zakour & Lawrence Ganem

Cover art by Michael Koelsh

In The Radioactive Redhead, a Zachary Nixon Johnson novel by John Zakour, Zachary Nixon Johnson is the last freelance private investigator on Earth and takes on the job of protecting a pop star singer whose life has been threatened because of her awful musical singing talent, This, despite the fact that her audience goes into nirvana when she sings. Meanwhile, Zach's own life is threatened as he becomes the unwilling target star of an Internet reality show - "Let's Kill Zach."

This is an amusing book with P.I. Zach also dealing with the disturbing fact that his artificial intelligent sidekick changed his personality programming from a bookish man into a hot, sultry lady as an experiment. As much as Zach appreciates HARA, he misses his old friend HARV - besides, his jealous doctor girlfriend keeps breaking his home furniture. Dr. Electra can be even more dangerous than the reality show that Zach is a victim of as she gets upset that all his clients have always been beautiful women while Zach tries to find the killer threatening the beautiful pop singer. Although the book is a cynical version of the media, a lot of it has a sense of truth behind it, especially considering the marketing strategy behind both the reality show, and pop singer Sexy Sprockets fans and concerts. While the media is not normally fatally violent, it does get out of hand concerning Zach. Fortunately he is armed with both a gun and HARA/HARV.

Pancho
All people smile in the same language.

STAR TREK - THE LOST ERA - THE SUNDERED

POCKET BOOKS
a division of Simon & Shuster, Inc.

Written by Michael A. Martin and Andy Mangels

Copyrigtht 2003 by Paramount Pictures. All rights Reserved.

In The Sundered, Captain Sulu and the U.S.S. Excelsior is sent on an ambassadorial mission to the Tholians, but is secretly on an intelligence mission to spy on Tholian space. Ambassador Burgess finds about him spying on the Tholians and tells them. As the Tholians engage them, along with their more advanced Tholian energy Web, they run across a mysterious race that is closer to home than they think.

Ambassador Burgess was not a likable character as she goes behind Sulu and Starfleet and tells the Tholian ambassadors what is happening with little apology to Sulu. Even she says her career was finished, although she was determined to stop the war between the Federation, the Tholians, and the aggressive Neyel race. Her solution to establish communications, while unorthodox, did leave you feeling that there is something good about her after all as the Neyal search for their ancient home. Reading about the genesis of the engineered Neyal was a bit sudden as they go from an intelligent peaceful people to aggressive phobic conquerors.

Pancho
All people smile in the same language.

UNDERWORLD - RISE OF THE LYCANS

Pocket Star Book

A Novelization by Greg Cox

Screenplay by Danny McBride and Dirk Blackman & Howard McCain
Story by Len Wiseman & Robert Orr and Danny McBride
Based on Characters Created by Kevin Grevioux and Len Wiseman & Danny McBride

Copyright 2009 by Lakeshore Entertainment Group LLC. All rights reserved.

Underworld - Rise of the Lycans, a prequel to Underworld, tells the ancient origin of the lycan servant Lucian and his forbidden love with vampire noblewoman Sonja. With the threat of Lady Sonja's powerful vampire leader father Victor finding out about their love and their unborn child, Lucian leads the dangerous lycans and werewolves in a revolt against their noble vampire masters.

A second telling of the origin of Lucian and Sonja, and of Lucian's determination to get revenge after a tragic execution performed by Victor, written by Greg Cox. The story is slightly different than the original origin book Underworld - Blood Enemy. I happen to like the Blood Enemy story better and I think it is more romantic and therefore more tragic as a result. Rise of the Lycans is more of a graphic revolution story than a love story, and the love story is different than that of Blood Enemy although it is basically the same.

Pancho
All people smile in the same language.

STAR WARS - ORDER 66

Del Rey Mass Market Edition
Written by Karen Traviss

Copyright 2008 by Lucasfilm Ltd. All rights reserved.

In Order 66, part of the Republic Commando novels told from the clone troopers point of view, events leads up to the most infamous order in the Star Wars galaxy as Kal Skarita strategically plans to get his clan of elite clone commandos out of the Galactic Army of the Republic. Now how does Order 66 affect their relationship with their Jedi close friends?

The actual order number 66 is part of 150 contingency orders that were never meant to be used, but meant for only the most dire of emergencies: the Jedi have staged a coup and all must be shot on sight. As a clone says to a Jedi general, "you thought we were excellent troops because we obey orders, but when we obey all orders - and these are legal orders - we've betrayed you." The reason the order is so destructive is that the Jedi are so powerful, only lethal force can be used to stop them. As the Jedi have become more of a political force in the Star Wars universe, instead of a force for good, we are not as sympathetic to the Jedi as when we first heard about them in Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope. In fact, when a Jedi accidentally kills a major character, I felt no sympathy to that unknown Jedi, who to me the Jedi was an insurrectionist. Life after Order 66 by Emperor Palpatine effects Kal Skirata's clan of clones and makes it much more difficult for them to extract themselves from the galactic war, and the newly formed Empire, as the clones mission objectives are to officially search for Jedi escapees. While most of the action takes place on Coruscant, there are some scenes in space as some of Skirita's clones are on other planets and are trying to be extracted for home - including Jedi Etain trying to make it home to her clone husband and son.

Pancho
All people smile in the same language.

SPACE: ABOVE AND BEYOND - Demolition Winter

HarperPaperbacks

A novel by Peter Telep
based on the series created by
Glen Morgan & James Wong

Copyright 1997 by Twentieth Century Fox Corporation

In Demolition Winter, Space Marines of the 58th squadron "Wild Cards" are to be trained and inserted onto an alien Chig planet, far from Earth, using enemy Chig bombers to blow up a Chig supply line - but there is more to the mission than what they were told.

This novel of the TV series Space: Above and Beyond, has the 58th on an operation with a silicate, a not human, reprogrammed android, demolitions expert assigned to their squad. With Vanson's unfortunate history with silicates from home, she naturally does not trust the silicate, and his circuits and programming, as she leads the mission to search for the supply lines. They also encounter survivors of another squad who failed to accomplish the mission the 58th are now assigned to, and the reason the survivors failed the mission is shocking. It makes you wonder if you would continue the mission under similar conditions, just as members of the 58th ask the same questions when they find out the news of the mission as they extract the survivors of the mission for court-martial.

Pancho
All people smile in the same language.

Star Wars - Dark Nest - The Joiner King

A Del Rey Books Mass Market Original

Written by Troy Denning

Copyright 2005 by Lucasfilm Ltd. All Rights Reserved.

In The Joiner King, Jedi Knights involved in a strike force in the book Star by Star, including Jaina and Jacen Solo, go missing. Luke, Han, and Leia leave home and to search for their kids in the Unknown Regions. They encounter a colony of alien insects led by a former disfigured old friend as king.

It is interesting to see how the Young Jedi Knights have grown and changed. Being under the influence of the aliens is rather frustrating, especially if you are familiar with their characters from earlier books. The alien insects are on the verge of all out war with the Chiss as the insects expand into Chiss space. This jeopardizes any alliance between the Republic and the Chiss and the insect Killiks. Having Luke get a glimpse of his mother from an old record file is rather heartbreaking.

Pancho
All people smile in the same language.

STAR TREK - VOYAGER - FULL CIRCLE

Pocket Books
A Division of Simon & Schuster, Inc.

Written by Kirsten Beyer

Copyright 2009 by CBS Studios Inc. All Rights Reserved.

In Full Circle, the U.S.S. Voyager goes on a mission to search for B'Elanna Torres and her daughter, Miral kidnapped by radical Klingon warriors. Then later, Voyager is sent on a deep space diplomatic and scientific exploration mission to lead a fleet back to the largely unexplored Delta Quadrant.

This book is basically two books with Captain Chakotay, and especially with his first officer Commander Tom Paris looking for his missing wife B'Elanna and kidnapped daughter Miral - who is believed to be the chosen one for the Klingon people. Then later, after Admiral Janeway is killed, are the political dealings with Starfleet trying to send Voyager back to the Delta Quadrant where Voyager was stranded far from home for seven years.

The second half of the book takes place after the events that have occurred in previous Star Trek books, one of which Janeway was killed from a Borg threat. My initial reaction is that Voyager and her crew suffered enough and should not go back, but there is the logical reason for Voyager to return - in that Voyager's crew has the most experience with the Delta Quadrant and would know how to deal with the many dangerous and violent species they might encounter. And with new engines, there is no chance Voyager and the fleet will be lost in the Delta Quadrant. Chakotay, after greatly suffering from the loss of his love Admiral Katherine Janeway, must undergo psychiatric evaluation to prove he is capable of commanding Voyager. The results of which causes him to make a major career decision.

Pancho
All people smile in the same language.

STAR TREK - ERRAND OF FURY - SACRIFICES OF WAR

POCKET BOOKS
A Division of Simon & Shuster, Inc

Written by Kevin Ryan
Based on the Star Trek episode "Errand of Mercy"
Written by Gene L. Coon

Copyright 2009 by CBS Studios Inc. All Rights Reserved.



In Sacrifices of War, the U.S.S. Enterprise is sent on a mission to a planet near Klingon space that has been enslaved by the Klingons in order for the native inhabitants to produce weapons for them. Later, Kirk and Spock get stranded on the planet Organia - when the Klingons arrive to enslave Kirk and Spock as well.

In this novelisation of the TV episode "Errand of Mercy" there are two stories in the book which are basically the same in tone for the book in that the crew of the Enterprise comes in support of occupied Klingon planets as the Enterprise encourage the local population with different results. This book is a more in depth novelisation than the James Blish adaptation from The Star Trek Reader I . There is also  more political involvement in Sacrifices of War with the President of the Federation and his staff as they prepare for war in this part of the galaxy between the Klingons and Earth.

Pancho
All people smile in the same language.

STAR TREK - A Time to Be Born

POCKET BOOKS

Written by John Vornholt

Copyright © 2004 by Paramount Pictures. All Rights Reserved.

In A Time to Be Born, a part of the A Time to... series, Traveler Wesley Crusher returns in disguise and observes the crew of the Enterprise as they patrol an interstellar graveyard. As tragic events occur in the space graveyard under his watch, Captain Picard is sent home to Earth to undergo court-martial proceedings.

You can see the frustration mount in the book the longer you see everyone spending time in the graveyard. The various anomalies and the patrolling for alien scavengers take their toll on the crew of the Enterprise and of her Starfleet allies. The counselor in charge of Picard's evaluation seems to be determined to prove that he is incompetent.

Pancho
All people smile in the same language.

INDIANA JONES and the LAST CRUSADE

Scholastic Inc.

Written by Ryder Windham
Based on the story by
George Lucas and Menno Meyjes
and the screenplay by Jeffrey Boam

Copyright © 2008 by Lucasfilm Ltd. All rights reserved.


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The Scholastic novelization to the movie Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade has Indiana searching for the legendary Holy Grail in order for him to find his missing academic professor father. Along the way Indiana encounters Nazis who are also looking for the sacred Holy Grail.

As this is a Scholastic book, the adaptation of this book is geared for kids. The adaptation is a straight-forward novelization of the movie and not a religious book, even if there are religious elements in the book. There are pictures of the movie compiled in the middle of the book with 1940's thrill captions for the pictures to get the feeling of the Golden Age of Hollywood. Because I had seen the movie, it was nice to picture the movie in my head as I was reading the book.

Pancho
All people smile in the same language


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STAR TREK - INCEPTION

Pocket Books
A Division of Simon & Schuster, Inc.

Written by S.D. Perry & Brittra Dennison

Copyright © 2010 by CBS Studios Inc. STAR TREK and related marks are trademarks of CBS Studios Inc. All Rights Reserved.

In STAR TREK - Inception, written by S.D. Perry & Brittra Dennison, Dr. Carol Marcus assembles a terraforming project on Mars and brings on botanist Leila Kalomi onto her team. The project gets sabotaged by extreme environmentalists trying to protect rocky Mars natural climate. Kirk and Spock help Carol and Leila search for a way to control the sabotage.

It seemed a natural subject for Carol Marcus and Leila Kalomi to be paired up in a novel. Their relationships with Kirk and Spock are so similar, and the women themselves are so similar, that it makes perfect sense - although Leila's relationship with Spock is not as mature as Carol's relationship with Kirk. Unfortunately, neither of the women's relationships works out. While the initial intentions of the environmentalists are admirable, the sabotage of the project has dire consequences to Mars.

Pancho
All people smile in the same language.

STAR WARS - THE LAST COMMAND

Bantam Spectra

Written by Timothy Zahn

Copyright 1993 by Lucasfilm Ltd. All Rights Reserved.

In The Last Command, Volume 3 of a Three-Book Cycle of Star Wars: The Thrawn Trilogy, Coruscant, the home capital world of the New Republic, is under bombardment by cloaked asteroids from space being delivered by Grand Admiral Thrawn's fleet. Meanwhile, smuggler entrepreneaur Talon Karrde tries to build a partnership of smugglers to go up against the Empire. Luke and Mara go up against an insane Dark Jedi named C'boath in C'boath's secret fortified cloning facility who is determined to make Luke and Mara as his apprentices as well as shaping Leia's unborn Jedi twins into his own image.

After searching for, and locating, the lost Katana fleet of warships in the last book Dark Force Rising - the Katana fleet is hardly mentioned at all in The Last Command, which was a disappointment to me, when you consider how powerful the Katana fleet would have made the Republic if the Republic were the ones who had found the Katana fleet instead of the Empire. This is a shame as I was expecting that the fleet of warships would be utilized against the Republic in massive space battles, especially under the strategic command of Thrawn. While they may have been out of date, a fleet of warships is still pretty powerful and it was sad for me not to see them utilized. It is curious at how I was not sure which way Mara Jade would side with, as Mara used to be known as the Emperor's Hand. Insane Dark Jedi C'baoth was a very frustrating and formidable foe that I had looked forward to C'baoth being beaten.

Pancho
All people smile in the same langauge.

ANGEL - haunted

SIMON PULSE

Written by Jeff Mariotte

Copyright 2002 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation

In haunted, written by Jeff Mariotte, wanna-be actress Cordelia becomes a contestant on a reality TV series in a haunted house. When Cordelia gets a vision in the middle of the show, she sends a message through the cameras and the webcams to Angel, and Angel Investigations, to search for the girl in Cordelia's vision. Meanwhile, the hauntings in the reality series haunted house become dangerously real in the contestant eliminations - and the TV series is no longer a game.

This book reminds me of the TV series Ghost Hunters, as the characters experience the various paranormal events in the haunted house - while the webcams send the character's images through the net. You also feel for the girl victim of Cordelia's vision as the girl's identity is slowly taken away from her as a result of the lawyers from Wolfram & Hart and their demonic partners.

Pancho
All people smile in the same language.

AREA 51 - THE TRUTH

Dell Publishing

Written by Robert Doherty

Copyright 2003 by Robert Doherty

Through the Area 51 series, witten by Robert Doherty, it has been discovered that all of the world's secret unexplained mysteries - were as a result of alien interference, similar to the TV series Dark Skies. Now everything comes to a head as the aliens get control of a space satellite system which is linked into all the nuclear missile codes - and the aliens are about to blow up the Earth.

In the process, Area 51 commander Mike Turcotte must search for his abducted former lady love - Lisa Duncan, who is not quite human and more mature than she appears to be, to help him stop the aliens that have been controlling Earth's population for several millennium. Ever since Lisa was brought back to life, and discovered to be not totally human in a previous novel - all of Lisa's characterization has been removed from this book and I, as the reader, had lost all empathy for her. This was sad for me as Lisa has become just a body in the book and not a person. Even when they do give Lisa back her charactization, I did not have quite the same empathy for her. The final face-to-face showdown with the enemy alien leader is not as satisfying as I would have liked to have seen. The showdown is almost anti-climatic as it was not much of a showdown. It was also a little disconcerting to me to find out "the truth" about the human race, but "the truth" did makes sense in the context of the series.

Pancho
All people smile in the same language.

STAR TREK: Deep Space Nine - Mission Gamma

An Original Publication of POCKET BOOKS

Written by David R. George III

Copyright 2002 by Paramount Pictures. All Rights Reserved.

STAR TREK is a Registered Trademark of Paramount Pictures.


The Dominion War is over. The U.S.S. Defiant from Deep Space Nine is sent out on a deep space exploratory mission into the Gamma Quadrant. Meanwhile, the planet Bajor is on the verge of joining the Federation.

The first book of a four book series Mission Gama, Twilight is supposed to represent an optimistic future for both exploration of the Gamma Quadrant and for the prosperity of Bajor. However, the Defiant's mission to the Gamma Quadrant goes wrong when a First Contact becomes devastated by energy waves from another planet's star system. Back at Deep Space 9, Colonel Kira feels like she is being heavily scrutinized by Admiral Akaar for her command style of Deep Space 9. As much as the Bajorans want to join the Federation, things will change - and not everyone on Bajor is excited about the change to their home.

Pancho
All people smile in the same language.

Star Wars - Survivor's Quest

A Del Rey Book

Written by Timothy Zahn

Copyright 2004 by Lucasfilm Ltd. All Rights Reserved. Used Under Authorization.

Excerpt from Star Wars: Labyrinth of Evil Copyright 2005 by Lucasfilm Ltd. All Rights Reserved. Used Under Authorization.

In Survivor's Quest, the remains of Outbound Flight, a lost Jedi Expedition from fifty years ago, have been found. Luke and Mara Jade Skywalker join a diplomatic expedition with the Chiss and a new alien species and travel to the remains of Outbound Flight to search for Jedi history - and discover secrets and treachery.

It is great to see Luke and Mara Jade work together as both Jedi and married couple. Mara has matured from being a brash young woman from when she had first appeared in the Star Wars universe, into an experienced mature loving woman with incredible power in the Force. It was hard for me to relate to the new aliens that were depicted in the story, in which the book makes the aliens appear to be a new force in the universe.

Pancho
All people smile in the same language.

Star Trek - Vanguard - Precipice

Pocket Books

Written by David Mack

Copyright 2009 by CBS Studios Inc. All right reserved.

STAR TREK and related marks are trademarks of CBS Studios Inc. All rights reserved.

In Precipice, while the galaxy learns of the aggressive alien Shedai that Starbase Vanguard has been studying as part of their secret project, everything revolves around a mysterious artifact of the Shedai.

While it is gratifying to see that Commander Reyes is actually alive, to see the relationship between reporter Tim Pennington and the Vulcan woman who had sabotaged his career, T'Prynn, become much better was more interesting to me. Pennington's and T'Prynn's relationship was just as interesting as the relationship between merchant Quinn and Starfleet Officer Bridy Mac - while Quinn and Bridy Mac go undercover amongst the Klingons as the two of them search for the Shedai object. Having a driven Shedai tear through the Starbase into the heart of Vanguard shows how powerful the Shedai really are - and that Starfleet has it's work cut out for them with the Shedai running around the galaxy in future books.

Pancho
All people smile in the same language.

Robotech: The Zentraedi Rebellion

A Del Rey Book

Written by Jack McKinney

Copyright 1994 by Harmony Gold USA, Inc.



The #19 book of the epic Robotech TV series, The Zentraedi Rebellion is set during the Lost Generation - which was never televised - just before the Southern Cross TV series and the Sentinels book series. The Zentraedi Rebellion deals with the aggressive rebellious Zentraedi survivors that have spread throughout North and South America.

It is interesting to see how the characters have developed in between the Macross TV series and the Southern Cross TV series. The Zentraedi Rebellion also explains why some of these main characters were not seen in the Southern Cross TV series because these characters were preparing to go off on a deep space mission. You see the different leadership styles between the Macross characters and the Southern Cross leaders. I was not too crazy about the Southern Cross leaders in the TV series, and the leaders were even more annoying in the book. The book also introduced several new characters that would become major characters in the Southern Cross and Sentinels series. It was sad for me to see Miriya's journey to come to the Zentraedi's aid and to see what happens with Miriya.

Watch the TV series:
Robotech - The Macross Saga
Robotech - The Masters

Pancho
All people smile in the same language.

Mission to Minerva

 

A Baen Book

Written by James P. Hogan

Copyright 2005 by James P. Hogan

The fifth novel in the "Giants" series - Mission to Minerva, written by James P. Hogan,  is about UNSA scientists, Victor Hunt and Chris Danchekker, as well as the alien giant Ganymeans conducting experiments into open communication - and travel into alternate realities. Their ultimate goal is to go 50,000 years into the past - to prevent the destruction of the planet Minerva, the giant's original home, whose debris is now the asteroid belt in our solar system.

While the scientists try to figure out how to achieve stabilization and connection between the alternate worlds, and how to travel back in time, the scientists never consider the consequences of actually changing history aside from saving Minerva. I felt that not considering the consequences of their actions to history was very irresponsible for the scientists as they try to go back in time. They forget that present day mankind originally came from the planet Minerva, so the Earth as we know it would not exist if the Minervan survivors never came to Earth. They don't even considered if they would even exist after changing the past.

It is only in the last quarter of the book that they actually all travel back in time to Minerva to search for the ancient Terrans who were responsible for the destruction of Minerva, that the adventure begins.

Pancho
All people smile in the same language.