S P O I L E R
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I have already posted a more detailed review about the first book. As I
said then, I enjoyed it. I think it just has the right balance between
trekno-stuff (If I may call it that) and characterizations.
Unfortunately, I can`t say the same about the second book. It took me
more than a week to read about half of it. To me, the balance that was
right in book one tipped much more into the direction of trekno-stuff in
book two with little to nothing in regards of interesting character
moments. Everything was just concentrating on new weird stuff that pops
up and people reacting to it. Unfortunately strange emissions and
dimensions and a new singularity is not something I find exciting. I
often read about it without even trying to grasp what it actually means.
The "human element" (in the broadest sense) was missing to me and the
mix of real life and not so real life treknobabble and SF-elements was
either boring or even got on my nerves at times.
Sometimes I was very tempted just to pack the book away but there was
some element of curiosity left that made me wonder how this will end.
Fortunately, slowly, things started to get better. The turning point was
when Tuvok was found and the station as well as various other related
aspects were explored. I won`t be able to retell how this complicated
puzzle actually fits together. Much of it still remains beyond my
understanding and sometimes beyond my caring. But there were key
elements that got me more and more curious and involved.
Also, the human element I missed so much at the start of the book got
much stronger and when I finally put the book aside, my reaction was
"wow"! I very much felt with Tuvok and his personal sacrifice. Janeway`s
sacrifice and that of Assylia was no less powerful and moving. Now I am
glad that I kept reading.
Nevertheless, I think it would have helped a lot not to have been so
overly mysterious at the beginning and expect the reader to wade through
more than about 100 pages until everything makes at least some more
sense.
From what I could see (I definitely wouldn`t call myself a Voyager
expert), the characterizations are very accurate. Again, Janeway looks
too much like a super captain in this story but I also admit, that has
also something to do with it that her portrayal in the TV series was so
erratic. Neelix was very much in character, too, including one aspect
that I very much disliked on TV: his "mother hen" nature when dealing
with Naomi. No, of course Naomi shouldn`t have been told details about
Janeway`s condition but telling her, Janeway is just "resting" is
ridiculous. Naomi is not an idiot and should not be treated as such.
Also children should be treated seriously and this over protectiveness
does more harm than good.
I can`t say that I am really looking forward to the next book after this
experience but I will get it and eventually read it. Hopefully it will
be more to my liking than this one.
Baerbel Haddrell
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