Star Trek - From the Depths

"Your arguments are at base emotional," Spock said. "Logic tells us that any attempt to systemise justice will entail a degree of compromise."
"Then set logic aside what does your heart say?"
"My heart is incapable of speech, Commissioner."
Wayne stared at him.  "Is he making a joke, Captain?"
"He's Vulcan," Kirk said.  "He can't make jokes."
He saw the sideways flicker of McCoy's eyes, the ghost of a grin, hastily hidden.

From the Depths (#66 Pocket, #61 Titan) (1993) by Victor Milan was, I must confess, chosen because it had silver gilded lettering on the first edition, and not the usual gold.  I'm sorry, I'm a bad girl.  Whatever my reason for picking this one however, I've got to say it was rather good, although a quick crib on Goodreads suggests that opinion is divided!  I think I enjoyed this so much because firstly Milan created a character I loved to hate, and secondly the water world idea was imagination food.

The premise of the novel is a relatively simple one.  Kirk and the Enterprise are sent to mediate between (read: remove one of) the species living there.  One species (a kind of strange, small horse like creature) claims that humans settled on their native planet and are aggressively attacking them.  The humans on the other hand claim otherwise (naturally) and imply that the other species - the Susuru - started the attacks on them, and that they have merely been defending themselves.  The situation is made more complex because of the Klingon presence who are acting as advisers to the Susuru.

Memory Beta Summary

The bulk of the novel comes from it's theme and the characters that represent it, and although this novel was written in 1993, the concerns it addresses are especially prevalent today.

You'd expect the Klingons to be the main villains wouldn't you?  Well... you wouldn't be totally wrong, but I can't hate them, they are just being what your expect them to be.  No, the true villain is a human bureaucrat, feminist, PC pushing, agenda driven... female.  Of course these days we'd call them 'SJWs' or 'Social Justice Warriors', and what a blight they are!  I have a particular antipathy towards people like this and have sat appalled in the same position as Uhura, being talked down to because a feminist disagrees with my position:

Wayne looked around, her lovely haughty face with scorn.  "How like earth men," she said.  "What other Earth-derived men say is all that's important - the outcries of native beings count for nothing."

"Two of the spokespeople for the Discordians were women, Commissioner," Uhura said quietly.

Wayne dismissed the objection with a flip of her hand.  "The leader was a man.  They're a male dominated, exploitative society.  The women were figureheads - nothing more.  They'll recite the lies they're told to."

"This ship is commanded by a man, Commissioner," Uhura said.  "Does that mean I and all the other women aboard are nothing but puppets and empty headed liars?"

"Lieutenant, I don't think I like your tone."

"Commissioner, I don't think I like yours."

The passage above represents the Commissioner - Moriah Wayne - well and... she's easy to hate because she's someone everyone knows.  The apologist with that particularly detestable way of thinking, or reasoning which alienates everyone and will not be brought around to reason.  She demonises one group in this case human men, in other cases all humans, in favour of another species with no consideration that perhaps they (in this case the Susuru) might be in the wrong.  In this case, Moriah's hatred goes so far as she becomes more of a monster than the monsters, in her thirst for her particular brand of 'justice'.  I've said before that Star Trek is at it's best when it's tackling a real life issue, in this case it's a stark warning of a destructive way of thinking, a thinking which seeks to punish and destroy groups of people because of their backgrounds whilst elevating others because of past injustices committed against them.  Whilst supporting a group and giving them the means to improve is certainly a good thing this shouldn't be done whilst punishing people who are circumstantially in a better position.

I'll stop proselytizing now, I just had to get that off my chest!

Most horrifying of course (not really, but humour me) is that Kirk makes a terrible misjudgement regarding his relations with her.  Seriously James T., that woman was unhinged from the moment you saw her, just you just couldn't keep it in your regulation pants!  I am disappointed.  Problem is, it isn't outside of his character to do such a thing...

Anyway, not going to spoil just how beastly she is, but she does do something quite horrific, and you know what, when she eventually gets her comeuppance it is intensely satisfying.  Intensely satisfying.  On thing I do dislike though about her characterisation is that her behavior or, well frankly insanity is blamed on a tragic back story.  Like, Milan had to explain it away with some hackneyed pseudo psychology about her being an abuse victim so it kinda mitigates the pure evil she commits.  Sorry Milan, it doesn't.

Through the commissioner's story we also have a little bit of insight into Federation politics and the  possibility (almost a certainty) of corruption therein. Different authors have different takes on the situation within the body politic, Milan suggests a wearyingly familiar scenario where self serving individuals cover up  the evil actions of their friends.  I still don't agree with how this is linked with Moriah Wayne, I don't see why she had to have an excuse to be a monster.

Theoretically we're challenged to accept the 'human' interlopers, after all they are remnants of Earth's Eugenics Wars - think Khan - who escaped earth on a sleeper ship, only waking and landing on this oceanic planet forty or so years ago.  The most challenging is that they still practice genetic engineering, which really has been a requirement for life on this planet with its punishingly hot and humid environment and limited land.  The Augments are resourceful and command respect for their adaptation to their new environment, not just genetically but also in the way they have changed culturally and technologically to live on vast floating cities that have the capacity to submerge if the need arises.

We're introduced to a number of characters from the 'Discordians'  / Auguments, including a rather attractive green haired girl... who actually is the first character to be described in the book.  Kirk realises however that his 'love' has got him in trouble once this adventure and doesn't pursue her although he is interested in her (and she in him).  Aileea is set up to contrast to Moriah.  She is strong in combat, leading defense against the attacking Susuru but is also gentle and doesn't want to hurt them.  She is a strong representative of her people without a bureaucratic/political body behind her and doesn't feel she has anything to prove, seeing herself as equal to all others.  Other discordian characters are equally likeable one extensively engineered woman strikes up and easy friendship with Spock, and another male representative just seems like a super nice, accommodating guy!

I said that we are theoretically challenged to accept the Augments, but in actual fact the challenge isn't all that hard, and I'm not sure if that is a clever ploy to unsettle us and make us feel like we're backing the wrong people, or whether it's just supposed to be taken as read.  After all, the Susuru are allied with the Klingons and they also seem utterly unreasonable, and aside from a couple of contacts with them we don't get to know them as a species.  The reader and the Enterprise crew don't get a chance to like them or understand them, although it is difficult to speak to them with the Klingons there.

The main challenge I guess is not trying to reach into the book to strangle Moriah Wayne?

The Klingons needed to be there to facilitate the Susuru's use of advanced weaponry, but they do fall a little flat.  The commander of the Klingon forces wishes revenge on Kirk for several events in the past, and he's the one who has concocted this plan to get the Enterprise here while trying to control the planet...  He's not a strong character and is overshadowed by Wayne, this is possibly because he's a strange combination of TNG and TOS Klingons.   The Klingons also have a secret weapon hidden under the sea... however this again falls flat as the Enterprise defeats it with relative ease.

I haven't read any other books by Victor Milan,  but he isn't an inexperienced author looking at a list of his published works, although From the Depths is his only Star Trek novel.  I'm not sure that reading this novel really makes me want to read any other of his offerings.  I did enjoy it on the whole but that's mainly because of the characterisation of Moriah Wayne... and the fact she was utterly revolting to me (love to hate!), but certain parts of the story let it down terribly.  I still want to recommend this novel however, it's worth picking up for a quick and enjoyable read.

3/5 - Somebody set us up the bomb!


Finally - Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah! 😺

Star Trek - The Starship Trap

'He did not normally have such thoughts.  A starship captain must be an optimistic and clever person, in addition to the other attributes he or she might have.  For one thing, Kirk was philosopher king, a supreme and benevolent leader in his twenty-three deck realm.'

I didn't pick this one!  I actually asked my partner to pick one this time, which is probably why the cover is unlike the others!  I was somewhat put off by the woman on the cover, don't be afraid, she is not a romance option (I'm not biased at all nooooo....)!  I had to laugh though, she's illustrated wearing a Starfleet uniform, but it is an important part of the storyline that she isn't part of Starfleet at all.  I formulated all kinds of theories about how she would end up in a uniform, like, she was an undercover Starfleet spy keeping an eye on an errant anti-Starfleet Federation politician - needless to say, it was not the case.  Which leads me to ask, who did brief the artist on what these covers should be?  Mind you, can't complain, the artist put Kirk on the front at his best (3/4) angle, and since the cover of the last novel I reviewed was Kirkless, well, I'm glad my eye candy is back!

The Starship Trap (#64 Pocket, #59 Titan) (1993) by Mel Gilden opens with a quote -

To see a world in a grain of sand,

And a heaven in a wild flower,

Hold infinity in the palm of your hand,

And eternity in an hour.

                                       - William Blake

                                          1757 - 1827

- and quite a lofty one at that!  It's a very well known piece of poetry, and I have to admit I was a little dubious because of it.  Why?  Well, I sometimes feel that authors try and oversell their work by putting a 'deep' quote at the beginning, trying to make it more that it is.  That might have coloured my expectation of it a little and perhaps my perception of the narrator.  The narrator's voice comes  across as pretty arrogant, and slightly aloof but his observations are usually smirk inducing.  The narrator's main focus is Kirk, his thoughts, feelings and perspectives.  I think the narrator has a strong synergy with Kirk, or perhaps Kirk overwhelms the narrator a little... he's charmed by him and the narrator digs in to Kirk's smarmy nature for the best observations and reactions.  Spock and McCoy are strong supporting characters, well characterised especially when the narrator's gaze moves from Kirk for a short while and reads their inner workings.

Much of Kirk's interactions in this novel are characterised by a distinct weariness, which you can occasionally see in the series, there are certainly a couple of episodes in season three in which Kirk (or Shatner... perhaps both) is really fed up with the general state of things.  Short tempered, likely to say something with a 'devil may care' attitude, tired of responsibility, tired of politics and bureaucracy.  This may sound like it's going to be a heavy book with a description of Kirk's temperament like that, but it's not so!  The Starship Trap is an offbeat but funny novel that just seems to hit the right key.  I guess Kirk's attitude in this story is best described as sardonic, which ousts McCoy from his usual role as resident cynic-come-humanitarian to bold-optimist.  It's nice seeing Bones being cheery, and also RIGHT about someone!  Spock remains Kirk's right hand, companion and quasi-computer, I'm fairly sure that he's relieved that Kirk couldn't go chasing tail this time!

I'm getting a bit ahead of myself, I haven't even summarised the story yet... but for once I don't know where to begin!

The story begins with the Enterprise crew on shore leave, this gets interrupted with orders to go pick up one Conrad Franklin Kent and his assistant.  Kent is a Federation politician, Federation presidency hopeful and noisy critic of Starfleet, he is joined by his able assistant Payton, a woman who 'gets things done.  On picking the Kent and Payton from Pegasus IV, Kent then orders Kirk to travel to Starbase 12.  You can imagine Kirk's disapproval at this turn of events, especially since the Enterprise is being used as a taxi to a man such as Kent.  During this trip we are introduced to Payton's mental augment; she has an implant which allows her to record everything she experiences for her records - this of course goes down a treat with Kirk, already not in the greatest of moods.  While on route to Starbase 12, the Enterprise is confronted by a Klingon starship, the captain of which claims that the Federation have been the perpetrators of attacks on Klingon vessels and responsible for their subsequent disappearance.  The easily dislikable Kent refuses to confirm or deny a weapon's existence to the Klingons.  A truce is eventually brokered and the Enterprise continues on its way, Kirk still in the dark as to the purpose of the journey.

On reaching Starbase 12, it is revealed that the Enterprise is to firstly engage in the testing of a new shield configuration designed by the reclusive Professor Omen (who also designed weapons such as the photon torpedos)  and then go search for the weapon (with Omen's help) which has been causing not only Klingon ships to disappear but also Federation and Romulan ships too.  Payton also is required to come along on the expedition in order to record the mission with her device and write report for Kent.  Naturally nothing goes to plan and the Enterprise is drawn into a trap, causing the Starship and crew to be thrown into another empty universe which they have to escape in order to stop a madman from sending the crews of hundreds, perhaps thousands of starships into other, unknown universes. 

I actually don't want to give too much of this one away, because it's one of those books which will be a pleasure to read and discover yourself.  The Starship Trap is probably more story development orientated than character development, but it is a good balance and Mel Gilden's writing is really uplifting and enjoyable to read.  The twists and developments in the story aren't incredibly obvious and I was kept guessing as to whether some characters had more information about the big bad than they let on.

Kirk and Payton are the strongest characters in The Starship Trap.  The way the narrator presents Kirk's narrative is humourous and his slightly off colour mood just really works.  I think I just really wanted a Kirk-centric novel, and this fit the bill!  Aside from the narration of Kirk's thoughts, I did like a particular section where Kirk wants to be involved with looking for a solution, only to find that he simply can't be involved.  Payton is an unusually strong original character who is well developed and is actually useful!  I particularly like the use of her augment, and how it is used as a way to develop her emotionally.  It was also nice that she was out of reach for Kirk (she had absolutely no interest in him and is engaged to another man), which meant they develop a better relationship.  By the end of the book, I was sorry to let the original characters go, I would happily meet them again in another outing (even Kent!)!

Mel Gilden just does a seriously good job with this book, and part of me isn't happy just seeing this in print.  I think it would have made a really good episode, which I don't think is accidental.  Mel Gilden has written a huge amount of TV scripts as well as four Star Trek novels, but it's clear he has a mind for television, the scene changes are often sudden but they are just in the right place to cut out any time wasting dialogue or actions.  At one point Gilden introduces us to an alien race in an alternate universe called the 'Klingee', they are of course that universe's Klingons, but their ships are a dusky pink and they are less warriors and more playground bullies who are easily manipulated into retreating.  The Klingee just felt very in keeping with the humour of TOS, again television friendly, and aren't we reading these novels because we love the television series so much?

4/5 - Yes, the poem does relate to the plot!

Star Trek - Doctor's Orders

He laughed softly. 'Fine.  I just wish the Captain would walk in here.  You know the trouble with this chair?'
'Wish I did' Devlin said with undisguised envy.
'You're nuts,' McCoy said.  'Well, each to his own insanity.  This thing has no back support to speak of.'

So, I was looking for something that would lighten my mood a little bit, something that would allow me to de-stress.  I was starting to feel a little fatigued by the emotional onslaught of ST:TOS fanzines and my novel choices had been a little heavy!  Jen I thought, you've got to pick something a little more therapeutic this time, otherwise you're going to be an emotional wreck this week!  Who better to see when you need a bit of therepy than a good ol' country doctor?

This cover makes me feel
inexplicably happy!

Doctor's Orders (#50 Pocket, #36 Titan) (1990) by Diane Duane was just the prescription I needed!  Initially I thought I'd reviewed a novel by Diane Duane before, the name was so familiar, but on checking, no I hadn't!  I have got several books by her that I have yet to read however which kinda explains it.  At least, I recognised it as being a name attached to The Romulan Way which I have multiple copies of... 

Diane Duane is pretty prolific when it comes to Star Trek!  By the time Doctors Orders was released in 1990 she already had eight Star Trek related projects under her belt including other novels, a computer game and even a TNG episode!  Post 1990 Duane has also written a ST:TOS manga series, a TNG comic mini series and adapted her works for audio production.  Most notably she has her Rihannsu series of ST:TOS novels, which originally started as two standalone novels My Enemy, My Ally and The Romulan Way but now encompasses 5 novels which have now been collected and published as The Bloodwing Voyages.

Needless to say I knew none of the above when I decided to read this, however it soon becomes quite clear that Duane is a seriously talented writer with a real love and understanding of Star Trek.  It isn't just her delicate hand when it come to crafting familiar main characters or new species that makes her writing great though, she's also quite capable of baffling pseudo-science!  It seems really unusual for a writer (either male or female) to be able to balance satisfying (for me!) characterisation and scientific jargon without either producing strange robot characters or conjuring some sort of space magic.

Honestly, the gorgeous cover of this book was enough to make me want to read it, but really it's the cherry on top when next to premise of McCoy being put in command of the Enterprise and pretty much everything going wrong.  Not only does Kirk go missing soon after McCoy is put in command, but a Klingon ship appears in orbit of the planet the crew of the Enterprise is surveying and their crew goes missing!  This compounds with McCoy having to deal with an overzealous Starfleet, Klingon reinforcements cruising for a bruising and to add insult to injury, an Orion pirate ship of colossal proportions joins the party with designs of making the Enterprise a trophy (why yes, I did enjoy using all those idioms).

As you can probably imagine, there is a lot going on in the narrative of this book, there's McCoy 's narrative, Kirk's narrative, and also a couple of short Klingon narratives.  Despite the many threads and characters - Duane is careful to include all of the 'first family' - nothing feels rushed or as if she has less interest in one section than another.  Duane's characterisations are spot on, and this is especially noticeable in McCoy's case - he grumbles, mutters, curses and has more than a few periods of introspection where he realises that possibly his own simplistic suggestions to Kirk might have been not so helpful after all!  An example of a nice touch, is when he realises that perhaps the captain comfort eats in times of stress and that he might have to bring that up in his next physical.  Kirk's characterisation plays on both his impish sense of humour and his uncanny ability to take everything in his stride.  Kirk's narrative is split between the Enterprise (before he gave command to McCoy) and his time 'missing' on the planet's surface while talking to a strange species called the ;At.  Kirk also deals with (with the ;At's help) a small group of very confused Klingons.

I'm not sure how Duane does it, but she manages to make the Klingons endearing.  Not very often that ones wants to cuddle a Klingon, but I certainly want to now!  Well, these are TOS Klingons, no pointy teeth or forehead ridges, so, perhaps that's more acceptable!  McCoy's interactions with the Klingon commander are wonderful,  especially because he just can't help being a Doctor and advising on the Klingon's medical condition, all the while insulting him.  His 'good' relations with the Klingons ends up benefiting him since they come to his aid against the Orion pirate ship.

The new aliens in the book are pretty interesting, and after all they are the main reason that the Enterprise is orbiting the planet in the first place.  Initial surveys from Starfleet suggest that three different sentient species have evolved on the same planet, and since this appears to be the only planet where this has occurred they want to study the peoples of the planet.  The inhabitants of the are very much 'others' not just because they are happy little slimes or 'ents' but because they perceive the past, present and future simultaneously.  The ;At, who is perceived as moving stones or vapour is a little more mysterious, and yes I'm having trouble writing about it/them, as its existence is mutable!  I really enjoyed the Enterprise crew trying to get the universal translator to work and trying to make sense out of creatures that simultaneously appear to exist in the past, present and future.

The final space battle with the Orions is really impressive - so well written!  I loved McCoy's reactions here and the overall competence of the crew.  When Kirk is back in the drivers seat however, everybody is relieved!  Another thing I liked here is how Kirk literally just appears on the bridge of the Enterprise, in the middle of combat, and just gets down to business.  Assesses the situation and makes it all work without breaking a sweat (afterall McCoy is doing all the sweating!).

It was good to see the Enterprise take part in what should have been a routine mission which was scientific in nature.  Sure, strange things happened but it wasn't the great drama we're kind of accustomed to seeing.  The Enterprise is in orbit for much of the book, the Captain has an incredibly restful time (for once!) and much of it is concerned with a rather peaceful dialogue with other aliens, both resident of the planet and of the Klingon variety.  As I said at the beginning, it was just what I needed to feel more peaceful and pleasant again, it's a very calming book!

5/5 - The past, present and future walk into a bar.  It was tense.

Star Trek - Ghost Walker

'Dammit, Spock! Kirk screamed at him, voiceless, helpless, from the corner of the room where he stood; and he was standing, he told himself - feet on the floor, elbow a few centimetres away from the wall - he did have a shadow of corporeal body still... Don't bend that fine Vulcan mind of yours to finding a reasonable explanation!  You're the only one who might be able to hear me - who might be able to save me, to save Helen!

Well, it's back to my usual programming for this post!  

As usual I approached my teetering pile of books, head craned to one side as I endeavoured to read the sideways spines.  'Oooh Ghost Walker' I thought to myself and plucked it right from the middle of the stack, unceremoniously toppling the rest.  I've never claimed to be sensible, especially where books are concerned.

Then I looked at the cover...  No!  A bird man is on the cover.  Previous bird people related trauma grips me, until I notice the name Barbara Hambly.  A warm fuzzy feeling and a memory of a rather good book surfaces... And yes, it is one I've reviewed before - Ishmael, it's also one I completely gushed over and gave it a top notch 5/5.  

Barbara Hambly, I have perfect faith in you, don't let me down!

Ghost Walker (#53 Pocket, #44 Titan) does not disappoint, although not quite as brilliant as Ishmael it is still rather good and rather charming.

When I started reading Ghost Walker I did wonder whether I was in the right frame of mind for this kind of story.  I'd just put down a fanzine (it was making me too stressed) and picked up this one to recuperate from the destruction of the federation.   Surely Hambly would be able to soothe my grieving soul?  No, Hambly poked deftly at one of the more stressful concepts for me - the idea of a double or impersonation.  In this case it's more a case of possession than duplication like in Double Double, but it still completely stresses me out!

Ghost Walker is a scifi ghost story, Kirk's body is possessed by the mind/spirit of an individual from race of tiny little not-quite-birdmen.  On being transported back to the Enterprise his own mind is forced from his body and the birdman takes over.  Kirk exists as a kind of poltergeist on the Enterprise, desperately trying to hang onto to consciousness, while the other consciousness controls his body with the intent to cause harm to the crew of the Enterprise and to destroy elements of his own people who would make peace with the Federation.

These events come about because the Enterprise transports a group of anthropologists to a disputed planet, they are trying to gather evidence that the inhabitants of the planet have a culture and are a people who need to be protected from the designs of the Klingons.  Meeting the creatures the 'Midgwins' Kirk allows telepathic contact with them, this is the action which allows the 'ghost walker' the opportunity to possess him.

A subplot to this book is Kirk's relationship with one of the anthropologists Dr Helen Gordon, in the weeks they have been travelling together to the planet of the Midgwins they have fallen in love with each other.  Although she was travelling to work with the anthropologists, she decides that she wants to stay on the Enterprise with Kirk, which involves her in the meat of the plot.

The plot itself is interesting and quite enjoyable and Hambly is careful to back up some of the more farfetched aspects of the story with references to actual episodes, but in trying to set up the 'haunting' aspect of the story the narrative stalls somewhat.  Although Hambly tries to mask what is going on, it's almost immediately obvious what has occurred, so until the crew actually works out the nature of the events on the Enterprise the reader is stuck in a frustrated limbo.  Perhaps if you didn't work it out rather quickly the prolonged mystery of the poltergeist wouldn't be so frustrating.  That being said, the 'haunting' episodes does allow Hambly to do what she does best - detail.  Hambly slips in snippets of information and description succinctly (rather unlike me...) and creates additional characters and scenes.  I really enjoyed the additional minor characters she added in, they didn't factor in with the main plot, but they did help the Enterprise come alive and made it seem less like a handful of people work on the ship.  Kirk in his poltergeist form is privy to all sorts of goings on amongst his minor crew members; an archivist has bribed an engineer to pressurise part of the hull so he can hide books in it, while another crew member has been trying to get the replicators to properly replicate chocolate.

Actually, while we're on the subject of original characters let me talk about Dr Helen Gordon, to whom I hold a particular antipathy towards.  She's an original character for this novel and, don't get me wrong, she's a well written character, but she's presented as a kind of new 'love of Kirk's life' character.  My problem with this really is, because it's one of these novels, we know it's all going to have to return to the status quo at the end.  The reader knows the relationship isn't going to last, so when I was reading the novel I was kind of always against her.  The decisions she makes as a character initially are based on the fact that she believes she can have a life with him, but it's just so futile!  I felt particular antipathy towards her because despite her expertise, intelligence and relationship with Kirk she doesn't actually put two and two together until Spock has already done so.  Possessed Kirk also rapes her, and tries to kill her (secretly) but she never comes forward with her concerns particularly, even with her girly chums Uhura and Chapel.  Helen Gordon just seems to be there to have horrible things done to her for virtually no reason, well, aside from extend the haunting sections of the novel.

I did like the use of Uhura and Chapel though, they are often sidelined in the novels so it was nice that the two of them were proactive and well written.  They were really in supporting roles to Helen, and despite their suspicions about the captain, they also don't say anything.

As you can probably guess, Hambly really likes the character of Spock; Ishmael almost solely centers on Spock and Ghost Walker also puts him in the hot seat.  I can kind of forgive Helen Gordon for not realising that Kirk's strange behaviour isn't Kirk, after all, she's only known him for a couple of weeks, but Spock?  Spock just logics strange behaviour away and carries on as usual while poltergeist Kirk is trying desperately to get him to realise what is going on.  This is actually questioned by Kirk once he's able to communicate, who unfortunately accepts a less than satisfying answer.  One of the key points is the idea of Katra, which is essentially what Kirk is existing as.    At one point possessed Kirk denigrates the idea of Katra, which does hurt Spock, but he still doesn't twig that it isn't Kirk! GAH.  What does save Spock is that Hambly's characterisation of him is consistent and  at times quite endearing.  I kinda of expected Spock to end up keeping Kirk's Katra within his own mind, however that didn't happen, I may have been influenced by a certain fanfiction I read, I was a little disappointed then that didn't happen.

I don't know how I really felt about Kirk's consciousness being stored within the framework of an AI on the ship's computer, that I find a bit of a stretch, although Hambly is careful to explain why she feel this could be allowed to happen... ok I'm more than little bitter that Spock didn't retain Kirk's Katra.  Sorry.  On the plus side, Kirk ended up the 'ghost in the machine' and the ghost in the machine - don't try to tell me Hambly wasn't aware of Ryle's The Concept of Mind.  I think actually the whole idea of Katra is based off Descartes and mind body dualism, but that's an exercise for another day when I'm motivated enough to think about philosophy... yuck.  I was quite nervous about Kirk being put in the computer, because he is essentially digitised... doesn't he die when that happens?  I guess if I can accept that they are not being killed every time they use the transporter I should accept that he hasn't died if his consciousness is put in a machine?  Kirk didn't have much of a choice though, as he was unable to rest in the state he was in, as he was only tenuously able to hold himself together.  This is the same for the mind possessing his body - Kirk's body does not sleep for a week by the time the events of the novel are over.

McCoy needs to hand in his medical license.  He gives the captain a physical but doesn't seem to notice that he's close to keeling over.  I don't know about you, but after two days without sleep, I look like hell,  I think Kirk has a physical at about four days without sleep?  I think Kirk's body should be failing at seven sleepless days!  Although admittedly the record was set in 1964 by a high school student, who stayed awake for 11 days (264 hours) for a science project.

There are two high points in the novel (both in the last quarter) which I particularly liked.  The first one was when Kirk (still in poltergeist form) warns the women about the danger Spock is in by writing in condensation.  This is the point when the everyone starts adding the events together and realise that the total jackass captain isn't Kirk at all!  Poor James T... Your crew fail you again!  The other is when Spock and Kirk finally face off against the possessed Kirk, I won't spoil but there is a particularly 'Spock' moment which will make you smile!

The end of the novel is actually incredibly satisfying!  It must have been so tempting to extend the ending, but Hambly makes the right decision.  I have to assume Spock did his naughty 'memory wipe' since we never hear about Helen again (of course!).  Thankfully, Kirk is left unable to remember much of what happened to him while separated from his body,  I can't help but think that it would be terribly traumatic to remember everything that happened!

I really do recommend Ghost Walker by Barbara Hambly, it's a good, solid entry to the series.   It's a little ponderous at times but persevere through yonder slow bits and ye shall have thy reward!

4/5 - Bird People... redeemed?