Jean Lorrah

I was not a huge fan of the Tasha Yar character on TNG. She seemed always a little bit over the top in some of her reactions on the bridge. I don't know, it's probably just me. I was only 8 years old when TNG first aired. I read this book to see if maybe I could see Yar in a new light, but nope, she's pretty much the same as she was on the show. If not more so. The story just seemed very by the numbers, if that makes sense. And Dares "ending" was for me to contrived and unbelievable. I missed the other members of the crew and and Data was off character to me. (I know this was an early story and the characters weren't fleshed out.)… (mais)

Jean Lorrah is two for three: I didn't love "The IDIC Epidemic," but I really liked "The Vulcan Academy Murders," and she's back on form again here. The idea of dashing space pirates, etc. is a rather TOS vision of Star Trek, but I don't mind it here because it's combined with some geopolitical ideas, and underpinned with a really loving examination of Data and Tasha Yar's relationship. (Of course it doesn't cohere with the backstory Tasha is given later, but whatever.) Is it perfect? No, because how could it be when all of Tasha's emotional experience has to get jammed in with an adventure story? I would want to read a whole novel just about her trauma and recovery. But in my opinion it makes gestures in the right direction.… (mais)