Welp, I'm in!

Features:
- Burnham arguing for the nonviolent approach (just sayin’)
- Spock and Burnham working out their ~daddy issues~ together in a totally delightful way
- Saru! Lots of Saru! And lots about how his whole prey species thing works, which is really nice.
- Captain Georgiou listening to jazz on vinyl in her ready room, what is she Riker, come on, Georgiou would totally be like “I’m listening to 21st century masters” and it’s Harry Styles on vinyl AND I’M NOT JUST SAYING THAT BECAUSE I LOVE HIM but because jazz and classical, great as they are, are probably not the only thing that people in the future will listen to
- Captain Pike when he was not kept in a box
- Number One!! AKA Una, AKA Also Christine Chapel And Also Lwaxana Troi And Also Gene Roddenberry’s Long Suffering Wife. Well, I assume she was long suffering. And related to that...
- Some intensely Trekker fix-it fic shit about why “The Menagerie” is such a weird episode!

What can I say? This book, while not, like, probably the greatest Star Trek book ever written (DIANE DUANE, YOU HAVE MY HEART FOREVER) was definitely everything I needed from the first Disco book. It gave me backstory that I needed, reassured me that we were still in the Trek universe I know and love, and did it all with style. Also possibly it’s just nice to read something written with a contemporary sensibility after subjecting myself to all the early (70s, 80s) novels. I vote you read it.

The more I think about this book, the more I love it. It really felt like an episode of ST Discovery, only more. The characterization was on point, the plot and secondary characters were well developed, and everything was masterfully paced and played out. I really got into the story and felt truly invested in what was going on, which doesn't always happen with me and Star Trek novels.

My favorite sections were the Saru and Burnham sections, and seeing their relationship dynamic pre-series, knowing full well how it would end up developing as, was immensely interesting. Actually, that was true with a lot of the pre-existing characters' relationships in this book, and David Mack did a great job of making these dynamics fresh despite that, by now, we already know how they look on screen.

I'm looking forward to reading more of the Discovery novels, including the comics series. Thank you, CBS, for continuing the time honored tradition of having a line of original novels with every new Star Trek series (and it looks like Picard is getting the same!). ( )

The first tie-in novel for the new Trek series is set two years before the events of the series itself and is designed to be a primer on the series lead characters, as well as creating relationship with the pre-Kirk era Enterprise. Unfortunately most of the characterization, relationships, and some backstory details presented here are superseded by Season Two of the show itself and as a result a lot of what’s in this text no longer rings true. Having said that the central yarn of an ancient judgement-ship from a lost empire being awoken on a Federation colony world is a pretty solid sf action story. ( )

Great fun, great background, great story!

Mack does a terrific job with this prequel to the new Star Trek series, Discovery. As he's explained elsewhere - while technically not canon, his book developed (and named!) characters seen in the series. And connecting Georgiu's crew with Pikes Enterprise crew make for a nice bridge between TOS and the new Disco series. ( )

An excellent primer for the show, or at least it's first two episodes. Mack succeeds in building an interesting starship crew worthy of more exploits, with standout characters including Saru and the captain. The plot is familiar, but it nicely echoes bits of 'Encounter at Farpoint". The contant barage of deadly puzzles Spock and Burnham face got tiresome in the end. The meeting of the two crews was well handled, especially that of Saru and Una, but not even Mack can square the gap in tech and visual aesthetics between TOS and this new series. It's a good read for Trek fans, that honestly, I enjoyed much more than the actual web series. ( )