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.