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Star Trek: Voyager
Full Circle
When the U.S.S. Voyager is dispatched on an urgent mission to the planet Kerovi, Captain Chakotay and his first officer, Commander Thomas Paris, must choose between following their orders and saving the lives of two of those dearest to them. B'Elanna Torres and her daughter, Miral, are both missing in the wake of a brutal attack on the Klingon world of Boreth. With the aid of their former captain, Admiral Kathryn Janeway -- as well as many old friends and new allies -- Voyager's crew must unravel an ancient mystery, placing themselves between two warrior sects battling for the soul of the Klingon people...while the life of Miral hangs in the balance.
But these events and their repercussions are merely the prelude to even darker days to come. As Voyager is drawn into a desperate struggle to prevent the annihilation of the Federation, lives are shattered, and the bonds that were forged in the Delta Quadrant are challenged in ways that none could have imagined. For though destiny has dealt them crushing blows, Voyager's crew must rise to face their future...and begin a perilous journey in which the wheel of fate comes full circle.
But these events and their repercussions are merely the prelude to even darker days to come. As Voyager is drawn into a desperate struggle to prevent the annihilation of the Federation, lives are shattered, and the bonds that were forged in the Delta Quadrant are challenged in ways that none could have imagined. For though destiny has dealt them crushing blows, Voyager's crew must rise to face their future...and begin a perilous journey in which the wheel of fate comes full circle.
561 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published April 1, 2009
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 143 reviews
March 10, 2016
A welcome return to form for the Voyager "Relaunch", after the dreadful Spirit Walk duology!
This is also where the EU Star Trek stuff, IMO, really starts to gain cohesion; after the events of Star Trek: Destiny: The Complete Saga: Gods of Night, Mere Mortals, and Lost Souls, all the Star Trek books begin to move together as a whole; this becomes even more prevalent after the Seize the Fire saga.
And, just a minor quibble… Something sadly not present in this book (but beginning later in the Voyager Relaunch saga) is the "Background" page, which tells you what happened in prior books, and where each book falls in the saga. (A useful touch to keep the chronology in-order when you span not only multiple books in a single series, but connect to other parts of a greater saga.)
This is also where the EU Star Trek stuff, IMO, really starts to gain cohesion; after the events of Star Trek: Destiny: The Complete Saga: Gods of Night, Mere Mortals, and Lost Souls, all the Star Trek books begin to move together as a whole; this becomes even more prevalent after the Seize the Fire saga.
And, just a minor quibble… Something sadly not present in this book (but beginning later in the Voyager Relaunch saga) is the "Background" page, which tells you what happened in prior books, and where each book falls in the saga. (A useful touch to keep the chronology in-order when you span not only multiple books in a single series, but connect to other parts of a greater saga.)
November 22, 2017
It's hard to rate this as a whole because it didn't read like one book, but rather two loosely related novels smashed together. The first story continues the thing with B'Elanna and Miral, wherein the baby is kidnapped and Chakotay ends up sending almost a hundred people to fight and many to die to save one child's life. I couldn't help but raise my eyebrows at that. Sure, maybe her closest friends would have jumped on that irrational train, but can you imagine being one of the security officers being told, "The 70 of you are being sent to the planet to fight 300 Klingon warriors in order to retrieve a baby from a group of people who actually have a huge vested interest in keeping her safe anyway." Wow.
The second story was more interesting, but the telling was weird. It's very disjointed and told largely by skipping huge chunks of time and then having characters flash back to events we missed, except I think Beyer sometimes forgot she was in a flash back, because she'd, for example, have Chakotay telling a story that included B'Elanna's point of view while she hatched a plot that he never found out about. Confused? Me too.
Additionally, this story felt a bit like Beyer sweeping all of Golden's toys off the table. Did the two of them have a personal beef? She straight up killed most of the new long term characters Golden had created, and sidelined the ones she couldn't kill. It was brutal and awkwardly obvious, at least to me. I hope she felt better after that, and that her next story is more story and less violent erasure of her predecessor's world building.
The second story was more interesting, but the telling was weird. It's very disjointed and told largely by skipping huge chunks of time and then having characters flash back to events we missed, except I think Beyer sometimes forgot she was in a flash back, because she'd, for example, have Chakotay telling a story that included B'Elanna's point of view while she hatched a plot that he never found out about. Confused? Me too.
Additionally, this story felt a bit like Beyer sweeping all of Golden's toys off the table. Did the two of them have a personal beef? She straight up killed most of the new long term characters Golden had created, and sidelined the ones she couldn't kill. It was brutal and awkwardly obvious, at least to me. I hope she felt better after that, and that her next story is more story and less violent erasure of her predecessor's world building.
November 7, 2017
The entire Voyager series under Kirsten Beyer has been impressive, but this novel sets the stage for the greatness that follows. Full Circle was, at the time I first read it, one of the best Trek novels I had ever read, and now, years later, it retains much of that status. While it isn't my absolute favorite of the relaunch series (that honor is reserved for the truly singular Children of the Storm), it is still at the top of a very select list of truly great Trek novels. A huge hearty recommend from me: if you haven't read the Voyager relaunch novels by Kirsten Beyer, pick up Full Circle today and give it a go. Even if you're not the biggest Voyager fan, you will be impressed. This is some great stuff.
Full review: http://treklit.blogspot.com/2017/11/F...
Full review: http://treklit.blogspot.com/2017/11/F...
April 12, 2020
3.5/5. Good Star Trek angst here.
November 28, 2017
Hard to judge as one book...
As others have said, this one is hard to review because it doesn’t really read like a single book. Although, it does seem to contain a decent, traditional novel inside its first half; that part read like a well-done, B'Elanna-centered, short novel. The rest of the book is more just a collection of short snippits of what the Voyager crew have been experiencing in the years between "Spirit Walk" and this one. Those parts basically serve to rebuild the "Voyager" Relaunch series after years of abuse and neglect--and funny enough, the book itself seems to comment on that, but I'm getting ahead of myself.
Some background info...
For those who haven't read any of the Relaunch novels, there's some background information you'll need before diving into this one. Directly after "Star Trek: Voyager" ended, frequent "Voyager" author Christie Golden (who wrote some fantastic "Voyager" novels during the show's run) was tasked with starting the Relaunch books, which would continue the crew's adventures after their return home to the Alpha Quadrant.
Anyway, that is what poor Kristen Beyer had to work with when she began writing "Full Circle." For her first Relaunch book, Beyer's task was basically to tie up loose ends, and try to repair some of the insulting damage that Golden and the TNG authors had wreaked on the "Voyager" characters.
And she did a damn fine job of it.
What'd she manage to fix?
Beyer does an amazing job nailing the "Voyager" characters, giving meaning to the more nonsensical writing decisions of both the show and the aforementioned novels, and developing them further. Seven in particular is given much-needed repair from the damage Golden wreaked on her character; from her first appearance in the book, Seven's love for her friends and emotional conflicts are front-and-center, and she is clearly being developed with her final-season persona as a starting point. The cruel irony of her transformation, Janeway's death, and so many other fates suffered by the characters since their return home is delved into with care and sincerity.
Beyer then gives Christie Golden a taste of her own medicine, by And Beyer does all of that with infinitely more respect to Golden's characters than the latter did with "Voyager's." I was actually starting to LIKE Lyssa Campbell right before she got demoted to redshirt.
While I must admit that I did like some of Golden's OCs (I was a bit sorry to see --both of them!--go, I like one of Beyer's far better: Captain Afsarah Eden. Actually, I liked Eden before even reading this book, just from reading about the character on Memory Beta. And yeah, I know, I know... (sigh) I've read some spoilers about her. But whatever. Eden is my new favorite "Star Trek" character. Not only is she intriguing and likable in her own right, but for "Full Circle" at least, her character seems to represent an apology to "Voyager" for its treatment by the Relaunch books, and a desire to repair the damage. In-universe, Afsarah Eden is angered over Starfleet's criminal neglect of the information Voyager brought from the DQ, and the former crew's wellbeing; in particular, the injustice of BS death, and Starfleet's patronizing view of the crew. (Starfleet's, or those TNG authors...?)
Chakotay also gives a nice little speech that could be directed at some previous "Star Trek" authors just as well as the Starfleet admirals he means to tell it to:
"I think no one here really understands me or my crew. I think because we didn't serve in the Dominion War, we have always been considered somehow 'less' than those who did. I think they use us when it seems convenient, but no one has ever really given proper weight to the service we did in the Delta Quadrant, not just by surviving it, but by gathering enough data to keep every one of your analysts busy until the end of time, had anyone bothered to look before they classified it or filed it away. And I think the disrespect we have suffered is nothing compared to... ( death, basically)."
I hope Kristen Beyer felt better after writing that, because I sure felt a hell of a lot better after reading it.
Mushy Stuff
Let's face it; at least half the people reading this book just want to know whether Chakotay will choose Kathryn or Seven. As mentioned before, Christie Golden steamrolled C7 very quickly and lazily in "Homecoming," and it's never been brought up since, at least as far as "Full Circle." Christie Golden returned to hinting at JC, but just like the show, was too chicken-sh*t to actually go there.
So Beyer did.
I've never been a fan of the Janeway/Chakotay pairing, so a sure sign for me that someone is a damn fine writer is when they can write that pairing and make me like it. Unlike so many other writers, Beyer does not use the atrocious episode "Resolutions" as a guide for how to write a Janeway/Chakotay romance; instead, she keeps both in-character, and writes their love as one between two adults, rather than two "Twilight" characters. The first and final chapters of this book are nothing short of gut-wrenching, and again, this is from someone who prefers C7 and is usually sick and tired of JC.
Chakotay and Seven's platonic interactions in this book are magnificently rendered as well. Their romantic relationship is never directly addressed, but one can see the lingering mutual feeling of two exes who still care for each other in their final scene together. I get the feeling that Beyer was ordered by someone in the higher-ups to pretend C7 never happened, which would be understandable given how clumsily it was handled by both the show and Golden, and if that is the case, then Beyer skitted around that requirement beautifully, and I do mean beautifully.
Here are my only complaints from Beyer's part:
- Way too much filler. It's wonderfully written filler, but still very unnecessary. Too many extra paragraphs and sections spelling out things that aren't relevant to the story and that we could easily infer for ourselves.
- Some annoying continuity errors. (A human can't out-wrestle a Klingon; Sek is the oldest, not Elieth; Tuvok blew up the Array, not Kim.)
- Hugh Cambridge is at best, unnecessary. Another grumpy genius with bad social skills, because "Voyager" just doesn't have enough of those. At worst, there are a few times where he treads dangerously close to Gary Stu territory (see the above mention about out-wrestling a Klingon). That said, I don't mind him hooking up with in future books. He wasn't that bad here, and I'm hoping this character improves in the future books.
In conclusion...
This book makes me want to sob uncontrollably. Not because of all it's beautiful tear-jerking moments, but because of the cruel, wicked irony surrounding this book. Kristen Beyer was born to write the "Voyager" Relaunch books; but before she got there, Christie Golden and some "Next Generation" authors hacked poor "Voyager" up with a chainsaw, shat and p***ed all over it, and dumped the remains in a wood-chipper, leaving Beyer to sort through the sad remains and try to salvage something that could be rebuilt from it. And again, she did an amazing job of that.
All in all, this is by far one of the better "Star Trek" novels, and Kristen Beyer has earned my respect.
As others have said, this one is hard to review because it doesn’t really read like a single book. Although, it does seem to contain a decent, traditional novel inside its first half; that part read like a well-done, B'Elanna-centered, short novel. The rest of the book is more just a collection of short snippits of what the Voyager crew have been experiencing in the years between "Spirit Walk" and this one. Those parts basically serve to rebuild the "Voyager" Relaunch series after years of abuse and neglect--and funny enough, the book itself seems to comment on that, but I'm getting ahead of myself.
Some background info...
For those who haven't read any of the Relaunch novels, there's some background information you'll need before diving into this one. Directly after "Star Trek: Voyager" ended, frequent "Voyager" author Christie Golden (who wrote some fantastic "Voyager" novels during the show's run) was tasked with starting the Relaunch books, which would continue the crew's adventures after their return home to the Alpha Quadrant.
Anyway, that is what poor Kristen Beyer had to work with when she began writing "Full Circle." For her first Relaunch book, Beyer's task was basically to tie up loose ends, and try to repair some of the insulting damage that Golden and the TNG authors had wreaked on the "Voyager" characters.
And she did a damn fine job of it.
What'd she manage to fix?
Beyer does an amazing job nailing the "Voyager" characters, giving meaning to the more nonsensical writing decisions of both the show and the aforementioned novels, and developing them further. Seven in particular is given much-needed repair from the damage Golden wreaked on her character; from her first appearance in the book, Seven's love for her friends and emotional conflicts are front-and-center, and she is clearly being developed with her final-season persona as a starting point. The cruel irony of her transformation, Janeway's death, and so many other fates suffered by the characters since their return home is delved into with care and sincerity.
Beyer then gives Christie Golden a taste of her own medicine, by And Beyer does all of that with infinitely more respect to Golden's characters than the latter did with "Voyager's." I was actually starting to LIKE Lyssa Campbell right before she got demoted to redshirt.
While I must admit that I did like some of Golden's OCs (I was a bit sorry to see --both of them!--go, I like one of Beyer's far better: Captain Afsarah Eden. Actually, I liked Eden before even reading this book, just from reading about the character on Memory Beta. And yeah, I know, I know... (sigh) I've read some spoilers about her. But whatever. Eden is my new favorite "Star Trek" character. Not only is she intriguing and likable in her own right, but for "Full Circle" at least, her character seems to represent an apology to "Voyager" for its treatment by the Relaunch books, and a desire to repair the damage. In-universe, Afsarah Eden is angered over Starfleet's criminal neglect of the information Voyager brought from the DQ, and the former crew's wellbeing; in particular, the injustice of BS death, and Starfleet's patronizing view of the crew. (Starfleet's, or those TNG authors...?)
Chakotay also gives a nice little speech that could be directed at some previous "Star Trek" authors just as well as the Starfleet admirals he means to tell it to:
"I think no one here really understands me or my crew. I think because we didn't serve in the Dominion War, we have always been considered somehow 'less' than those who did. I think they use us when it seems convenient, but no one has ever really given proper weight to the service we did in the Delta Quadrant, not just by surviving it, but by gathering enough data to keep every one of your analysts busy until the end of time, had anyone bothered to look before they classified it or filed it away. And I think the disrespect we have suffered is nothing compared to... ( death, basically)."
I hope Kristen Beyer felt better after writing that, because I sure felt a hell of a lot better after reading it.
Mushy Stuff
Let's face it; at least half the people reading this book just want to know whether Chakotay will choose Kathryn or Seven. As mentioned before, Christie Golden steamrolled C7 very quickly and lazily in "Homecoming," and it's never been brought up since, at least as far as "Full Circle." Christie Golden returned to hinting at JC, but just like the show, was too chicken-sh*t to actually go there.
So Beyer did.
I've never been a fan of the Janeway/Chakotay pairing, so a sure sign for me that someone is a damn fine writer is when they can write that pairing and make me like it. Unlike so many other writers, Beyer does not use the atrocious episode "Resolutions" as a guide for how to write a Janeway/Chakotay romance; instead, she keeps both in-character, and writes their love as one between two adults, rather than two "Twilight" characters. The first and final chapters of this book are nothing short of gut-wrenching, and again, this is from someone who prefers C7 and is usually sick and tired of JC.
Chakotay and Seven's platonic interactions in this book are magnificently rendered as well. Their romantic relationship is never directly addressed, but one can see the lingering mutual feeling of two exes who still care for each other in their final scene together. I get the feeling that Beyer was ordered by someone in the higher-ups to pretend C7 never happened, which would be understandable given how clumsily it was handled by both the show and Golden, and if that is the case, then Beyer skitted around that requirement beautifully, and I do mean beautifully.
Here are my only complaints from Beyer's part:
- Way too much filler. It's wonderfully written filler, but still very unnecessary. Too many extra paragraphs and sections spelling out things that aren't relevant to the story and that we could easily infer for ourselves.
- Some annoying continuity errors. (A human can't out-wrestle a Klingon; Sek is the oldest, not Elieth; Tuvok blew up the Array, not Kim.)
- Hugh Cambridge is at best, unnecessary. Another grumpy genius with bad social skills, because "Voyager" just doesn't have enough of those. At worst, there are a few times where he treads dangerously close to Gary Stu territory (see the above mention about out-wrestling a Klingon). That said, I don't mind him hooking up with in future books. He wasn't that bad here, and I'm hoping this character improves in the future books.
In conclusion...
This book makes me want to sob uncontrollably. Not because of all it's beautiful tear-jerking moments, but because of the cruel, wicked irony surrounding this book. Kristen Beyer was born to write the "Voyager" Relaunch books; but before she got there, Christie Golden and some "Next Generation" authors hacked poor "Voyager" up with a chainsaw, shat and p***ed all over it, and dumped the remains in a wood-chipper, leaving Beyer to sort through the sad remains and try to salvage something that could be rebuilt from it. And again, she did an amazing job of that.
All in all, this is by far one of the better "Star Trek" novels, and Kristen Beyer has earned my respect.
February 17, 2021
UPDATE:
"So Rachel, why was this book that you so adored banished into the realm of disgrace known as the 2 star review?"
Well, I'm glad you asked.
The reason this book was bumped down to 2 stars is because of several issues with the key elements of the story.
And this is currently February…and I started this review in like idk I think it was maybe summer of last year????
So why, you may ask, have I spent this long dredging over a book I gave 2 stars?
(Irrelevant, I know, but I just saw it and I had to include it)
(back to the review)
Let me tell you:
BECAUSE I EXPECTED HEAVEN AND GOT HELL.
I don’t remember much… but what I do is this:
WHAT I LOVED:
I LOVED: THE PROLOGUE! ,
I LOVED: Seven’s aunt!!! (Not just because her name was Irene but that definitely had something to do with it.)
Ahem! Moving on…
I LOVED…nothing else. Seriously. The rest of the book went to pot.
On a more scholarly note, in my current writing course, we are learning how to become creative writers, and as part of the process we learned the 5 key elements that make up a story:
1. Plot
2. Character
3. Setting
4. POV
5. Dialogue.
In order to share my extreme disappointment in this book (and the reasons why I will not be reading the subsequent books) in a way that can truly convey it in a meaningful light (instead of me just ranting garbled nonsense about how unfairly this book treated me), I will attempt to point out all of the things about this book that broke my heart by listing the problems as they correspond to the above categories.
*puts on glasses*
Number One:
Plot
What I did not understand about this book before I read it (which was partially my fault, since this book is actually advertised as the sequel to the "Star Trek: Destiny" series which spans 3 books the size of dictionaries) is that it simply one part of a continuing series that includes books based off of plotlines from The Next Generation and Deep Space Nine as well as Voyager. I didn’t really do much research about whether this book series would be a part of the vast Extended Star Trek Universe, (upon the release of "Star Trek: Picard" this series became apocrypha since plotlines from the show contradicted facts established in the books,) but then again, I wasn’t really looking to do a ton of researching up on this book.
Because, if you can believe it, this was supposed to be a comfort read
The key word is SUPPOSED.
Now, as a book that is part of a SIGNIFICANTLY LARGER universe can tend to do, this book referenced important events that had occurred in separate books, and even tied CRUCIAL plot points to said events, without going into much detail about those events.
And all I’ve got to say is…what the heck?
Sure, I know those books are out there, but I’m here for Voyager. I mean, I love TNG and DS9…but when I pick up a Voyager book, I’m expecting Voyager. But that’s not even the worst part.
To say it louder for the people in the back: I was not here for extensive tie-ins to other books, I was here for the characters from my favorite TV show; Star Trek: Voyager.
Number 2: Character
The character plotlines in this book relied heavily on previous adventures (which I already discussed), yet the adventures themselves left much to be desired. For the most part, the characters themselves stayed true to themselves, and I especially enjoyed the revelation of Libby Webber’s part in the story, and Chakotay’s devastation and grief after he learns that died.
HOWEVER, THIS CHARACTER’S DEATH WAS NOT EVEN INCLUDED IN THE BOOK; IT WAS MERELY REFERENCED FROM A SEPARATE ADVENTURE!
If such a brilliant and sensational character like the one who died perishes, the LEAST the writer can do is devote a few pages of their tome to exploring the way their character went out, but apparently that is not possible since And when I discovered this, it immediately soured the soul-searching walk I had walked with Chakotay on as he struggled to adapt to life without someone he dearly cared for.
(As you can see, this review is rife with spoilers. What can I say, it’s a fandom book! There’s gonna be spoilers.)
Number 3: Setting
The setting for this book is garbled and disjointed. Jumping from one year to another, it makes for a bit of heavy reading, and there were many times when I had to pause, rewind to the part of the book where it told what time this was all in, and then keep going. Very annoying since I had to do this many, many times.
However…the POV and dialogue was actually executed brilliantly. I felt that Chakotay’s character arc – while heartbreaking – was moving and very well done. And as for character interactions…some were written smoothly, and others felt cheesy, but they all felt like Voyager.
EXCEPT FOR TOM AND B’ELANNA
I adore them.
But oh, in this book, what a waste of two incredibly marvelous characters.
Final Thoughts:
(Don’t worry, I’m almost done)
Narrator: she was not, in fact, almost done.
It was a good idea, but poorly executed due to the fact that you would have had to read several other series before coming to this one for most of the content to make sense. Even I, who’ve watched ST TNG, DSY, VOY, Picard, and parts of Discovery had a pretty hard time parsing out the storyline.
And…for those haters out there…yes, I do plan on watching TOS.
Thanks for asking.
And as for plot and dialogue…well…you’d think with all the multiverse of madness going on around here (I know I know, it’s not actually a multiverse, wELL IT FEELS LIKE ONE), you’d expect there to be a plot, right?
rIGHT?
RIGHT?
Weeeeeell
But that’s pretty much it.
TL;DR: Kathryn and Chakotay? Stan to high heaven. B’Elanna and Tom? What the heck happened to their characters?! And finally…can we please not jump through time so much? It was giving me a headache, and headaches are SO the 23rd century.
2 out of 5 stars since Kathryn and Chakotay’s
------
After reading the book:
As all books can tend to do, this book had some parts that weren't as great, but the ending wrapped everything up nicely and made me yearn for more, so what can I say? ;)
After reading the Prologue:
Which, I gotta say, was amazing. If the entire book was just as well structured and written as that prologue, BAM, at least 4 stars
Ohhhhhh my goodness! This book is AMAZING.
- Characters staying true to the show? Check! heh heh oh you sweet innocent soul
- Plotlines I rooted for? Check! Oh honey…no
- Awesome Klingon Culture? Check!
spoiler alert: This time...it really wasn't. I'm sorry!
In all seriousness, the Klingon plotline is something I really could have done without, (shocking, I know!) as it added unnecessary complications to an already confused and messed up book.
This is coming from the girl who’s reading all the “Day of Honor” books, knows literally all of Worf’s backstory, who’s favorite Voyager character is the B’Elanna Torres – who this book butchered like crap – and cries during Worf and Jadzia’s wedding.
Also…if you didn’t know they were married…they are. DS9 came out in the 90s. It’s not a big secret. Also, I love them. :D
What more could my Trekkie soul ask for? ;) Lemme just clarify: back then, my Trekkie soul was just glad that there were Star Trek books. At all. I know better now.
Aaaaand this review is way too long.
"So Rachel, why was this book that you so adored banished into the realm of disgrace known as the 2 star review?"
Well, I'm glad you asked.
The reason this book was bumped down to 2 stars is because of several issues with the key elements of the story.
And this is currently February…and I started this review in like idk I think it was maybe summer of last year????
So why, you may ask, have I spent this long dredging over a book I gave 2 stars?
(Irrelevant, I know, but I just saw it and I had to include it)
(back to the review)
Let me tell you:
BECAUSE I EXPECTED HEAVEN AND GOT HELL.
I don’t remember much… but what I do is this:
WHAT I LOVED:
I LOVED: THE PROLOGUE! ,
I LOVED: Seven’s aunt!!! (Not just because her name was Irene but that definitely had something to do with it.)
Ahem! Moving on…
I LOVED…nothing else. Seriously. The rest of the book went to pot.
On a more scholarly note, in my current writing course, we are learning how to become creative writers, and as part of the process we learned the 5 key elements that make up a story:
1. Plot
2. Character
3. Setting
4. POV
5. Dialogue.
In order to share my extreme disappointment in this book (and the reasons why I will not be reading the subsequent books) in a way that can truly convey it in a meaningful light (instead of me just ranting garbled nonsense about how unfairly this book treated me), I will attempt to point out all of the things about this book that broke my heart by listing the problems as they correspond to the above categories.
*puts on glasses*
Number One:
Plot
What I did not understand about this book before I read it (which was partially my fault, since this book is actually advertised as the sequel to the "Star Trek: Destiny" series which spans 3 books the size of dictionaries) is that it simply one part of a continuing series that includes books based off of plotlines from The Next Generation and Deep Space Nine as well as Voyager. I didn’t really do much research about whether this book series would be a part of the vast Extended Star Trek Universe, (upon the release of "Star Trek: Picard" this series became apocrypha since plotlines from the show contradicted facts established in the books,) but then again, I wasn’t really looking to do a ton of researching up on this book.
Because, if you can believe it, this was supposed to be a comfort read
The key word is SUPPOSED.
Now, as a book that is part of a SIGNIFICANTLY LARGER universe can tend to do, this book referenced important events that had occurred in separate books, and even tied CRUCIAL plot points to said events, without going into much detail about those events.
And all I’ve got to say is…what the heck?
Sure, I know those books are out there, but I’m here for Voyager. I mean, I love TNG and DS9…but when I pick up a Voyager book, I’m expecting Voyager. But that’s not even the worst part.
To say it louder for the people in the back: I was not here for extensive tie-ins to other books, I was here for the characters from my favorite TV show; Star Trek: Voyager.
Number 2: Character
The character plotlines in this book relied heavily on previous adventures (which I already discussed), yet the adventures themselves left much to be desired. For the most part, the characters themselves stayed true to themselves, and I especially enjoyed the revelation of Libby Webber’s part in the story, and Chakotay’s devastation and grief after he learns that died.
HOWEVER, THIS CHARACTER’S DEATH WAS NOT EVEN INCLUDED IN THE BOOK; IT WAS MERELY REFERENCED FROM A SEPARATE ADVENTURE!
If such a brilliant and sensational character like the one who died perishes, the LEAST the writer can do is devote a few pages of their tome to exploring the way their character went out, but apparently that is not possible since And when I discovered this, it immediately soured the soul-searching walk I had walked with Chakotay on as he struggled to adapt to life without someone he dearly cared for.
(As you can see, this review is rife with spoilers. What can I say, it’s a fandom book! There’s gonna be spoilers.)
Number 3: Setting
The setting for this book is garbled and disjointed. Jumping from one year to another, it makes for a bit of heavy reading, and there were many times when I had to pause, rewind to the part of the book where it told what time this was all in, and then keep going. Very annoying since I had to do this many, many times.
However…the POV and dialogue was actually executed brilliantly. I felt that Chakotay’s character arc – while heartbreaking – was moving and very well done. And as for character interactions…some were written smoothly, and others felt cheesy, but they all felt like Voyager.
EXCEPT FOR TOM AND B’ELANNA
I adore them.
But oh, in this book, what a waste of two incredibly marvelous characters.
Final Thoughts:
(Don’t worry, I’m almost done)
It was a good idea, but poorly executed due to the fact that you would have had to read several other series before coming to this one for most of the content to make sense. Even I, who’ve watched ST TNG, DSY, VOY, Picard, and parts of Discovery had a pretty hard time parsing out the storyline.
And…for those haters out there…yes, I do plan on watching TOS.
Thanks for asking.
And as for plot and dialogue…well…you’d think with all the multiverse of madness going on around here (I know I know, it’s not actually a multiverse, wELL IT FEELS LIKE ONE), you’d expect there to be a plot, right?
rIGHT?
RIGHT?
Weeeeeell
But that’s pretty much it.
TL;DR: Kathryn and Chakotay? Stan to high heaven. B’Elanna and Tom? What the heck happened to their characters?! And finally…can we please not jump through time so much? It was giving me a headache, and headaches are SO the 23rd century.
2 out of 5 stars since Kathryn and Chakotay’s
------
After reading the book:
As all books can tend to do, this book had some parts that weren't as great, but the ending wrapped everything up nicely and made me yearn for more, so what can I say? ;)
After reading the Prologue:
Which, I gotta say, was amazing. If the entire book was just as well structured and written as that prologue, BAM, at least 4 stars
Ohhhhhh my goodness! This book is AMAZING.
- Characters staying true to the show? Check! heh heh oh you sweet innocent soul
- Plotlines I rooted for? Check! Oh honey…no
- Awesome Klingon Culture? Check!
spoiler alert: This time...it really wasn't. I'm sorry!
In all seriousness, the Klingon plotline is something I really could have done without, (shocking, I know!) as it added unnecessary complications to an already confused and messed up book.
This is coming from the girl who’s reading all the “Day of Honor” books, knows literally all of Worf’s backstory, who’s favorite Voyager character is the B’Elanna Torres – who this book butchered like crap – and cries during Worf and Jadzia’s wedding.
Also…if you didn’t know they were married…they are. DS9 came out in the 90s. It’s not a big secret. Also, I love them. :D
What more could my Trekkie soul ask for? ;) Lemme just clarify: back then, my Trekkie soul was just glad that there were Star Trek books. At all. I know better now.
Aaaaand this review is way too long.
June 22, 2016
I went back and forth several times over the course of this one whether I liked it or I hated it, so I finally settled somewhere in the middle.
Full Circle is really two connected stories that start out with the continuing adventures of B'Elanna Torres and Miral Paris. I'm in the minority in that I don't care for most Klingon stories so this was a bit of a chore for me. The second connected story sets up the continuing adventures of the USS Voyager.
2 things bug me about this book:
1) I'm sure B'Elanna is a fantastic engineer, but given what we've seen on the show I think the she was doing some work beyond the Federation's abilities.
2) The layout of the story bothers me too. Several "scenes" are told in flashbacks within a larger frame, but the perspective doesn't make sense in the context of who is telling them. Character A might be recalling something that happened a year ago, but the book will go on for quite a while telling what happened to Character B, even though it has little to do with Character A and he wasn't even there.
Full Circle is really two connected stories that start out with the continuing adventures of B'Elanna Torres and Miral Paris. I'm in the minority in that I don't care for most Klingon stories so this was a bit of a chore for me. The second connected story sets up the continuing adventures of the USS Voyager.
2 things bug me about this book:
1) I'm sure B'Elanna is a fantastic engineer, but given what we've seen on the show I think the she was doing some work beyond the Federation's abilities.
2) The layout of the story bothers me too. Several "scenes" are told in flashbacks within a larger frame, but the perspective doesn't make sense in the context of who is telling them. Character A might be recalling something that happened a year ago, but the book will go on for quite a while telling what happened to Character B, even though it has little to do with Character A and he wasn't even there.
June 11, 2016
The first half of the book is a little slow, while the second half of the book has a lot of great character moments in it. I wasn't expecting the ending or where various characters wind up. I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series
February 21, 2012
Rather flat for a Star Trek book, basically nothing more than a set-up for a new series. Has everyone forgotten how to write stand-alones?
October 10, 2012
The Voyager TV show itself had a great potential, some of which had been cut off by the producers who were against any notion of Janeway/Chakotay pairing. Janeway, being the only female main character captain so far in the Star Trek verse had been denied all the jaunts of Kirk or Picard. The difference to many fans appeared because she was female and Kirk and Picard were male. The producers in question, which apparently axed a scene between the pair in the New Earth episodes could have opted to write it as a one sided attraction: Chakotay loving Janeway, and Janeway being completely oblivious.
Kirsten Beyer appears to pick up on this angle. Janeway/Chakotay or "JetC" fans could easily flock to this book on that premise alone. But this is not Janeway/Chakotay pairing novel. Yes, the pairing exists, but this is not a fanfiction that goes out of its way to establish this romance.
The story begins as a bit of an epilogue. Taking place after Star Trek: The Next Generation's Before Dishonor (Yes, a Next Generation book, even though Seven's picture is on the cover), Chakotay has come to meet Janeway in Venice. (Note, I may be the only Star Trek fan who does not know which episode they went to Venice on the holodeck or what episode he tried to give her that mirror before.) He is instead met by Janeway's former fiancé, Mark. "Tell me she's not dead."
Chakotay's love for Janeway, which seems a bit one sided on his end, is a driving force for his character, both in his actions and in his actions due to his crippling grief which impacts everyone on the new crew of Voyager. It is a good exercise in character development, and keeps the plot moving along. Tom and B'Elanna fans will be pleased with the important sub plot to save their Klingon Savior daughter, Miral.
This book provides a lot of background and development for many characters, including a few minor ones and those characters who were introduced in the book-verse.
The author does an excellent job at dealing with the most annoying character in the series, Harry Kim, who is told spot on by his former love that unlike what his parents had taught him all his life, the entirety of the universe does not revolve around Harry Kim. I am very happy to have read that line. It expresses a lot of what I have felt about the character, one who started as a minor one, but then either was always intended to be a major one, or one of the writers just had his character as a favorite.
This book will bring closure, for a while anyway, to Janeway/Chakotay fans, expand on Before Dishonor's Borg invasion and aftermath, explore a Seven who is losing it, and set the stage for three more books by Kristen Beyer, Unworthy , Children of the Storm , and Eternal Tide . The latest of these books will again give closure to both those who were disappointed with Janeway's fate in Before Dishonor and a new beginning for Janeway/Chakotay fans.
Kirsten Beyer appears to pick up on this angle. Janeway/Chakotay or "JetC" fans could easily flock to this book on that premise alone. But this is not Janeway/Chakotay pairing novel. Yes, the pairing exists, but this is not a fanfiction that goes out of its way to establish this romance.
The story begins as a bit of an epilogue. Taking place after Star Trek: The Next Generation's Before Dishonor (Yes, a Next Generation book, even though Seven's picture is on the cover), Chakotay has come to meet Janeway in Venice. (Note, I may be the only Star Trek fan who does not know which episode they went to Venice on the holodeck or what episode he tried to give her that mirror before.) He is instead met by Janeway's former fiancé, Mark. "Tell me she's not dead."
Chakotay's love for Janeway, which seems a bit one sided on his end, is a driving force for his character, both in his actions and in his actions due to his crippling grief which impacts everyone on the new crew of Voyager. It is a good exercise in character development, and keeps the plot moving along. Tom and B'Elanna fans will be pleased with the important sub plot to save their Klingon Savior daughter, Miral.
This book provides a lot of background and development for many characters, including a few minor ones and those characters who were introduced in the book-verse.
The author does an excellent job at dealing with the most annoying character in the series, Harry Kim, who is told spot on by his former love that unlike what his parents had taught him all his life, the entirety of the universe does not revolve around Harry Kim. I am very happy to have read that line. It expresses a lot of what I have felt about the character, one who started as a minor one, but then either was always intended to be a major one, or one of the writers just had his character as a favorite.
This book will bring closure, for a while anyway, to Janeway/Chakotay fans, expand on Before Dishonor's Borg invasion and aftermath, explore a Seven who is losing it, and set the stage for three more books by Kristen Beyer, Unworthy , Children of the Storm , and Eternal Tide . The latest of these books will again give closure to both those who were disappointed with Janeway's fate in Before Dishonor and a new beginning for Janeway/Chakotay fans.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 16, 2014
I love Voyager the series and looked forward to reading the books to expand on it. But this was the most drawn out book ever. It was all over the place and I didn't know if they where coming or going.
February 16, 2021
This review was also posted on my blog: https://prettypeonyblog.com/2021/02/1...
Star Trek Voyager: Full Circle by Kirsten Beyer is a science fiction novel based on the television show Star Trek: Voyager. It continues the story after the last episode of the show.
In this book, the main plot surrounds B’Ellana Torres, Commander Paris, and their baby daughter, Miral. There is a subplot on Admiral Janeway and Captain Chakotay’s relationship that plays an important part in the story. There is also a sprinkling of story on the main crew just to remind us that this was the Voyager crew.
I enjoyed this read. It was fast paced and ended too quickly. I would have loved more story on Seven of Nine and Tuvok.
Star Trek Voyager: Full Circle by Kirsten Beyer is a science fiction novel based on the television show Star Trek: Voyager. It continues the story after the last episode of the show.
In this book, the main plot surrounds B’Ellana Torres, Commander Paris, and their baby daughter, Miral. There is a subplot on Admiral Janeway and Captain Chakotay’s relationship that plays an important part in the story. There is also a sprinkling of story on the main crew just to remind us that this was the Voyager crew.
I enjoyed this read. It was fast paced and ended too quickly. I would have loved more story on Seven of Nine and Tuvok.
July 15, 2010
I have mixed feelings about this book. Since I am a Janeway and Chakotay fan it was a bit sad...It is still a wonderful book though!!! I loved reading about what happened to the Voyager's crew after they returned to Earth. The first half is about B'Elanna and her daughter. Someone warns her that she and Miral are in danger..She learns that two different Klingon sects want her daughter.By the end she makes a hard choice for her and her daughter's safety.
The second part was the best part. It focuses on Admiral Janeway's death & how it affects Chakotay and the rest of the Voyager crew.I loved that they were finally going to be together not so happy the way it ended. I didn't particularly like that Voyager gets a new captain.Noone can fill Janeway's shoes and noone should try. I really enjoyed reading this book. It's one of those books you want to read again and again...
"She did it not because you meant too little to her.She did it because you and all those she led throught the Delta Quadrant meant more to her than her own life."Cambridge to Chakotay pg.494
Glad I read this cause it put it in perspective.
"You were in love with her,weren't you?" Tom to Chakotay
The second part was the best part. It focuses on Admiral Janeway's death & how it affects Chakotay and the rest of the Voyager crew.I loved that they were finally going to be together not so happy the way it ended. I didn't particularly like that Voyager gets a new captain.Noone can fill Janeway's shoes and noone should try. I really enjoyed reading this book. It's one of those books you want to read again and again...
"She did it not because you meant too little to her.She did it because you and all those she led throught the Delta Quadrant meant more to her than her own life."Cambridge to Chakotay pg.494
Glad I read this cause it put it in perspective.
"You were in love with her,weren't you?" Tom to Chakotay
August 1, 2014
I was glad to have a new Voyager book. It's been a really long time. It was kind of sad to see them all split apart like they were, but it was pretty well done.
I'm not totally dead set against the whole Chakotay/Janeway thing, mostly because they promptly killed her off so we don't have to deal too much with the teenage emo angsty relationship crap we've had to deal with in the other Trek books dealing with Picard/Crusher and Riker/Troi.
I liked the different story lines and the way the time lines intertwined. I am looking forward to seeing what they do with Seven from here. I always liked her and am glad to see her as anything less than cold and Borgish. I'm also curious to see what Tom and B'Elanna have in mind for making a life on their own without worrying about those Klingon religious zealots. I never cared much for the Klingons but I did always like Tom and B'Elanna.
Definitely curious about what Chakotay will do now that he's not in Starfleet anymore. I definitely like him. Always did sort of have a crush. :)
I don't know. This book didn't really answer many questions, but it did a good job in making me want to read the next one.
I'm not totally dead set against the whole Chakotay/Janeway thing, mostly because they promptly killed her off so we don't have to deal too much with the teenage emo angsty relationship crap we've had to deal with in the other Trek books dealing with Picard/Crusher and Riker/Troi.
I liked the different story lines and the way the time lines intertwined. I am looking forward to seeing what they do with Seven from here. I always liked her and am glad to see her as anything less than cold and Borgish. I'm also curious to see what Tom and B'Elanna have in mind for making a life on their own without worrying about those Klingon religious zealots. I never cared much for the Klingons but I did always like Tom and B'Elanna.
Definitely curious about what Chakotay will do now that he's not in Starfleet anymore. I definitely like him. Always did sort of have a crush. :)
I don't know. This book didn't really answer many questions, but it did a good job in making me want to read the next one.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 17, 2016
This is a continuation of the Voyager saga; if you haven't read previous entries in the series, you may want to hold off on reading this one until you've read all of its predecessors, not because this story wouldn't make sense on its own, but because there are serious plot spoilers here for the previous books. But eventually, you'll want to get to this book; it's quite well done and takes the story in an interesting direction. The characterizations are handled smoothly and ring true to the characters we've come to know. It was ALMOST good enough to rate a fifth star; if I wasn't particular about giving out five star ratings, it would have rated that.
May 4, 2017
In August 2014 I read my very first Star Trek novel. It was Caretaker, and with that a wonderful journey of reading Star Trek began.
I've read mostly Voyager, which is the Trek closest to my heart, and decided from the very beginning that I wanted to read all of the novels about this amazing ship and its crew. That being said, Full Circle was one of a few books that I was looking forward a little extra to read. So, as you might have already figured out by now, my expectations of this novel were pretty high. I also had high expectations of Kirsten Beyer as an author after reading Fusion that I fell in love with from practically the first few pages. So knowing that she would be the author of so many Voyager relaunch novels was something that made me very happy. And what also makes me very happy is that Full Circle did not make me disappointed. Not in the least.
First of all I think that the writing in this novel is exceptionally good. It's thorough and it gives me the feeling of being right there beside the characters almost like I'd be witnessing it all first hand. It's obvious that Beyer knows and loves these characters. She knows their history, who they were and who they've become. This is something that shines through in every pages and makes the story that much better.
This book came five years after Enemy of My Enemy by Christie Golden and in many ways Beyer had a lot to accomplish with this book considering the Star Trek universe has been moving forward in Trek literature during this time. If you, like me, haven't been keeping up with the other Trek novels (yet) there might be some minor confusion about the Borg, the Caeliar and the Typhon Pact. But I would argue that Beyer does a good job with this and it's nothing that I would say get in the way of the story being told here, even though you surely would get a different point of view having read up on some other Trek before reading this.
One of the major story lines in this novel is about B'Elanna and Miral disappearing from Boreth where B'Elanna has been studying the Klingon faith, and especially what it says about the Kuvah'magh which some people believe is Miral.
This story is an interesting one both in the fact that it deals with religious beliefs, a mother's love for her child and what turns out to be a new adventure for Voyager getting to the bottom of how to find Miral. I think it's an amazing story that also gives the reader a better view of some parts of Klingon belief.
What I appreciated the most about this novel, though, was what it did with especially Janeway's and Chakotay's characters that are my favorites in this wonderful universe. It deepened their relationship and it also showed in such an emotional and almost brutal way what a loss of someone close to us can do to our very soul. It's crushing and at the same time so beautiful in some way. We have to try to go on without them, but it breaks our heart to do so. Reading the acknowledgments at the end of the book I learned that Beyer has lost her father and dedicated this book to him. I could almost have guessed reading that she knew loss first hand to write about it in such an emotional and heartfelt way.
I like the way Beyer takes the relaunch novels, on what I'm sure, will be a great adventure. The plans for Voyager and the mission they're now about to embark upon really does make you feel like fate comes full circle. I'm so much looking forward to read the rest of the relaunch novels and see what this adventure has to offer and where it'll take this amazing crew of mine next.
There's also two new characters that I've come to like and find a little bit extra interesting, and that's Counselor Cambridge and Captain Eden. Cambridge seems to be so much more than your usual counselor. He, for one, has a vast knowledge of not only psychology but also Klingon history and faith. He intrigues me. And with Eden I've come to understand that there's a whole lot more to her than I first thought, and I can hardly wait to figure out more about that. Beyer is really good with characters and making you get involved in them and interested in where the story will take them.
So as you all know by now; Yes, I l o v e d this book! Now I just want more Voyager, more adventures and more hanging out with these characters...
I've read mostly Voyager, which is the Trek closest to my heart, and decided from the very beginning that I wanted to read all of the novels about this amazing ship and its crew. That being said, Full Circle was one of a few books that I was looking forward a little extra to read. So, as you might have already figured out by now, my expectations of this novel were pretty high. I also had high expectations of Kirsten Beyer as an author after reading Fusion that I fell in love with from practically the first few pages. So knowing that she would be the author of so many Voyager relaunch novels was something that made me very happy. And what also makes me very happy is that Full Circle did not make me disappointed. Not in the least.
First of all I think that the writing in this novel is exceptionally good. It's thorough and it gives me the feeling of being right there beside the characters almost like I'd be witnessing it all first hand. It's obvious that Beyer knows and loves these characters. She knows their history, who they were and who they've become. This is something that shines through in every pages and makes the story that much better.
This book came five years after Enemy of My Enemy by Christie Golden and in many ways Beyer had a lot to accomplish with this book considering the Star Trek universe has been moving forward in Trek literature during this time. If you, like me, haven't been keeping up with the other Trek novels (yet) there might be some minor confusion about the Borg, the Caeliar and the Typhon Pact. But I would argue that Beyer does a good job with this and it's nothing that I would say get in the way of the story being told here, even though you surely would get a different point of view having read up on some other Trek before reading this.
One of the major story lines in this novel is about B'Elanna and Miral disappearing from Boreth where B'Elanna has been studying the Klingon faith, and especially what it says about the Kuvah'magh which some people believe is Miral.
This story is an interesting one both in the fact that it deals with religious beliefs, a mother's love for her child and what turns out to be a new adventure for Voyager getting to the bottom of how to find Miral. I think it's an amazing story that also gives the reader a better view of some parts of Klingon belief.
"Just tell me she's not dead," Chakotay said flatly. It wasn't much, this faint possible hope, but it was enough to keep the worst from descending upon him in its full, final force.
Mark inhaled sharply, then composed himself.
"She is," he replied in a grim attempt at stoicism.
The next sound Chakotay heard was that of breaking glass as the mirror he held in is hand fell to the cobbled street, shattering.
What I appreciated the most about this novel, though, was what it did with especially Janeway's and Chakotay's characters that are my favorites in this wonderful universe. It deepened their relationship and it also showed in such an emotional and almost brutal way what a loss of someone close to us can do to our very soul. It's crushing and at the same time so beautiful in some way. We have to try to go on without them, but it breaks our heart to do so. Reading the acknowledgments at the end of the book I learned that Beyer has lost her father and dedicated this book to him. I could almost have guessed reading that she knew loss first hand to write about it in such an emotional and heartfelt way.
"You're the most stubborn woman I've ever met, Kathryn," he'd said. "And I'd give anything to be able to watch you stand here and deny it."
I miss you.
...
"Remember the first time you tasted a leola root? The look on Neelix's face when he thought he'd poisoned his captain? The first time you hustled Tom Paris in a game of pool at Sandrine's? The day Naomi brought you her very first captain's assistant report? The day we walked into the cargo bay wondering which of our crew would stay behind with the 37's and their descendants and found it empty?"
I like the way Beyer takes the relaunch novels, on what I'm sure, will be a great adventure. The plans for Voyager and the mission they're now about to embark upon really does make you feel like fate comes full circle. I'm so much looking forward to read the rest of the relaunch novels and see what this adventure has to offer and where it'll take this amazing crew of mine next.
There's also two new characters that I've come to like and find a little bit extra interesting, and that's Counselor Cambridge and Captain Eden. Cambridge seems to be so much more than your usual counselor. He, for one, has a vast knowledge of not only psychology but also Klingon history and faith. He intrigues me. And with Eden I've come to understand that there's a whole lot more to her than I first thought, and I can hardly wait to figure out more about that. Beyer is really good with characters and making you get involved in them and interested in where the story will take them.
So as you all know by now; Yes, I l o v e d this book! Now I just want more Voyager, more adventures and more hanging out with these characters...
July 12, 2016
SUPER IMPORTANT: Though this is the fifth book in the Star Trek Voyager Relaunch Series, you should most certainly read Star Trek: Before Dishonor, Star Trek: Greater than the Sum, and Star Trek: Destiny (three parts). It's a lot of reading to do before you get to this book after having finished Christie Golden's Enemy of My Enemy, but if you don't you would definitely struggle to keep up with all of the events discussed throughout Full Circle.
Is it a bridge or a book? I really like where Kirsten Beyer is going with the Voyager crew. I thought Christie Golden's books were exciting (though sometimes bordering on the absurd), but once she was done with the Voyager relaunch novels, other authors felt it necessary to throw a bunch of wrenches into the Voyager works without providing sufficient detail. Beyer goes back and reshapes all that happened to Voyager's crew in Before Dishonor, Greater than the Sum, and Destiny, by providing more context and logic to explain why things turned out the way they did. Other authors had certain characters running headlong into danger with the implication that it was out of curiosity, but Beyer gives legitimate reasons - protecting family, necessity of the job, and grief to name a few - for their foolhardiness.
That being said, nothing really happens during this book. You need to read those other five novels to understand what is going on, but there is no central storyline other than: the band is getting back together... at least partially. It sets up novels I'm excited to read, but there's no story arc, no Sci-Fi, no intrigue. It was a necessity after the Voyager characters had been abandoned in the Star Trek novel-verse, but it wasn't a gripping tale of space battles and alien encounters.
You should read it if you're reading the series, but if you haven't read the first four Star Trek Voyager relaunch novels and the five (one is three parts) other novels that come before Full Circle, you'll probably end up more confused than anything. There is definitely a silver lining to reading this book, in that you'll be excited for the post-"bridge" novels to come. Also, I believe Kirsten Beyer is supposed to be working on the new Star Trek show, and it's clear that she's both a good writer and deeply invested in the Star Trek characters.
Is it a bridge or a book? I really like where Kirsten Beyer is going with the Voyager crew. I thought Christie Golden's books were exciting (though sometimes bordering on the absurd), but once she was done with the Voyager relaunch novels, other authors felt it necessary to throw a bunch of wrenches into the Voyager works without providing sufficient detail. Beyer goes back and reshapes all that happened to Voyager's crew in Before Dishonor, Greater than the Sum, and Destiny, by providing more context and logic to explain why things turned out the way they did. Other authors had certain characters running headlong into danger with the implication that it was out of curiosity, but Beyer gives legitimate reasons - protecting family, necessity of the job, and grief to name a few - for their foolhardiness.
That being said, nothing really happens during this book. You need to read those other five novels to understand what is going on, but there is no central storyline other than: the band is getting back together... at least partially. It sets up novels I'm excited to read, but there's no story arc, no Sci-Fi, no intrigue. It was a necessity after the Voyager characters had been abandoned in the Star Trek novel-verse, but it wasn't a gripping tale of space battles and alien encounters.
You should read it if you're reading the series, but if you haven't read the first four Star Trek Voyager relaunch novels and the five (one is three parts) other novels that come before Full Circle, you'll probably end up more confused than anything. There is definitely a silver lining to reading this book, in that you'll be excited for the post-"bridge" novels to come. Also, I believe Kirsten Beyer is supposed to be working on the new Star Trek show, and it's clear that she's both a good writer and deeply invested in the Star Trek characters.
November 4, 2012
I'm not going to mark this as having a spoiler, but there are some soft spoilers, so beware. With all the Star Trek that I've watched, I feel almost like the characters are an ersatz family. To write a novel about characters that the fans feel they own must be difficult. There were times when I didn't agree with Beyer. I think Seven does have a spirituality, it's just not nurtured or acknowledged. She did worship her ideas of perfection. In a way the author of such a novel has to really step out of the way, and not intrude. In the beginning I felt like Beyer was writing a school composition. But as I warmed up to the plot and the way she writes, I got more absorbed, and it came to a culmination when Chakotay finally saw the light in working with a newly introduced character, counselor Cambridge, a Trill. Another question I had was whether it's fair to bait a reader's interest by witholding? It's a standard technique to build suspense, and motivate the reader to follow the story. In some hands it's done well, but at the beginning I had resistance to Beyer using this technique, it felt manipulative. I almost stopped reading the novel. But somehow I plodded on and I feel like it was worth reading. This is my third Voyager novel and I think it's probably the best I've read so far. In the end it's a competent novel. I'm not sure if I'm going to read the next one though. Also regarding Cambridge, I find that therapist are portrayed as either hacks and frauds or super wise. In this one they are super wise, in the end. I guess I prefer that one over hacks, but I wish someone would put them in the middle, occasionally apt and insightful, but at times flailing around like the rest of us, trying to master the ambivalences.
Shelved as 'abgebrochen'
August 18, 2019Had to give up. If a novel starts with an abrupt major character death for which to understand I would have to read novels from a WHOLE DIFFERENT SERIES OF BOOKS that's something I just can't accept. It's bad enough that Star Trek obviously abandoned the concept of standalone novels (that I loved and cherished, personally). But this here becomes so much like the Marvel Cinematic Universe that my wish to read this books just died. I love the show. (Except for ENT I loved all the shows.) But how the novel 'extended universe' evolves is just not what I want to read. And not what I wish for Star Trek to be as it seems all the books from now on are dark and about war and conspirecies instead of the fun, banter and exploration that once was Star Trek. But even that could have been acceptable - if at least there wouldn't be any crossovers in the series. If they wanted to make a common series with common history, why not actually create it as a chronological freaking series of different ships under the same series name and numerology?!
March 19, 2017
Despite my many different views on a number of things that happened, I had to give it 5 stars.
The author made some extremely bold choices with the story, some I agreed with and some that made me physically drop my kindle. On reflection though, I think that the cut-throat, irreversible scenes have been lacking from Star Trek as a whole, ultimately worked in this book.
I enjoyed how the book was written, the storytelling was excellent and I'd recommend to any Star Trek fans.
My one drawback. Certain events seemed to happen very quickly. Maybe there is a case for novellas attached to this book?
The author made some extremely bold choices with the story, some I agreed with and some that made me physically drop my kindle. On reflection though, I think that the cut-throat, irreversible scenes have been lacking from Star Trek as a whole, ultimately worked in this book.
I enjoyed how the book was written, the storytelling was excellent and I'd recommend to any Star Trek fans.
My one drawback. Certain events seemed to happen very quickly. Maybe there is a case for novellas attached to this book?
March 1, 2014
Probably 3.5 stars. I really dislike the Klingon religious stuff at the beginning of the book. It started slow and then we totally shifted gears in the second half of the book. Chakotay would never have wallowed in his sorrow either. His faith is too strong.
That being said I enjoyed the book and plan to read the next one.
That being said I enjoyed the book and plan to read the next one.
December 13, 2016
I sincerely love how Beyer has resurrected these characters that I love. I'm grateful that she gave Janeway & Chakotay the relationship that felt inevitable to the audience and how (spoiler for later books) she brought Kathryn back. I look forward to reading more of her Voyager novels.
September 12, 2009
This book is good, but depressing. And the beginning of a series. Which I didn't know. So I was finishing it at 2am, crying and then freaking out that it wasn't really over.
August 18, 2012
To be honest I only read half and stopped when Janeway died. It was a good first half though...
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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March 31, 2016this book evoked such strong emotions, mostly sad. Hoping there is some kind of temporal interference in the next book to assuage my heartache.
December 30, 2021
this should have been two separate books.
the first half was quite honestly just boring, i couldnt find it in me to care at all.
the second half was A Mess. the time skips, the back and forth, flashbacks that didnt make sense, there was next to no context really given on the war against the borg and i just felt like i didnt have enough information at any point to really understand what was going on with the plot or the characters...... and then the needless killing of a bunch of side characters introduced in the first 4 novels of this series........ not fan either of the way all the characters are being pulled away from each other and how this books just seems So Focused on making Every. Single. One. Of. Them. SUFFER in one way or another. try to show me one truly happy or joyful moment in this entire book that wasn't immediately tinted by something bad/terrible happening right before or after.
im not sure when and if i will continue reading this series, it might happen soon or it might never happen. fact is, i didnt enjoy reading this book at all and this book definitely wont be the reason why i would continue the series. the only reason why i would continue is my love for the original characters, despite fearing what the following books might do to them too.
the first half was quite honestly just boring, i couldnt find it in me to care at all.
the second half was A Mess. the time skips, the back and forth, flashbacks that didnt make sense, there was next to no context really given on the war against the borg and i just felt like i didnt have enough information at any point to really understand what was going on with the plot or the characters...... and then the needless killing of a bunch of side characters introduced in the first 4 novels of this series........ not fan either of the way all the characters are being pulled away from each other and how this books just seems So Focused on making Every. Single. One. Of. Them. SUFFER in one way or another. try to show me one truly happy or joyful moment in this entire book that wasn't immediately tinted by something bad/terrible happening right before or after.
im not sure when and if i will continue reading this series, it might happen soon or it might never happen. fact is, i didnt enjoy reading this book at all and this book definitely wont be the reason why i would continue the series. the only reason why i would continue is my love for the original characters, despite fearing what the following books might do to them too.
July 20, 2019
Read Star Trek: Destiny by David Mack before you read this book. I didn't and it totally spoiled ST: Destiny quite thoroughly.
Nonetheless, it's a fine Voyager story. Probably the best Voyager book I've yet read, aside from Voyager: Mosiac. Full Circle is the first in the Voyager relaunch series and continues the story after Voyager has returned from the Delta Quadrant. This is a big and epic story. Actually, it's more than one novel. It's like two or more novels in one as it tells more than a single tale. It's also a fair page-turner. It's 600 small type pages move quicker than you'd believe. Shocking events, with twists and turns: this novel will give you everything you want and more in a great ST book.
Nonetheless, it's a fine Voyager story. Probably the best Voyager book I've yet read, aside from Voyager: Mosiac. Full Circle is the first in the Voyager relaunch series and continues the story after Voyager has returned from the Delta Quadrant. This is a big and epic story. Actually, it's more than one novel. It's like two or more novels in one as it tells more than a single tale. It's also a fair page-turner. It's 600 small type pages move quicker than you'd believe. Shocking events, with twists and turns: this novel will give you everything you want and more in a great ST book.
April 11, 2024
The writing is stiff and formal but I guess so is Star Trek. The story was great though if a little sad. It was everything I was looking for in terms of Janeway and Chakotay content. The first half lags with a lot of uninteresting (imo) Klingon story but I enjoyed Worf’s appearance. The last half is stellar.
September 1, 2021
I rather enjoyed this relaunch of the relaunch series. I didn't expect the Voyager (or the Federation) to be going back into the Delta quadrant so soon, but I can't wait to see where this ends up. The fleet of ships beings prepared gives me mental shades of Battlestar Galactica.
June 19, 2021
This was a nice way to fill in the gaps surrounding the death of Admiral Kathryn Janeway (in the pages of Star Trek Next Generation Before Dishonor). We saw what happened, but not the effect it had on her Voyager family.
It took me a minute to keep up with the jumping back and forth from two years before the admiral's death to the present day, but I got the hang of it soon enough. I enjoyed seeing Admiral Janeway help Tom Paris and B'Elanna Torres protect their daughter Miral from two sects of Klingon fanatics who saw her as the savior of their race- the qaw'haphoch (Those Who Remember) who would give their lives to protect Miral so she could one day fulfill her destiny and the Warriors of Grethor who wanted to kill her to prevent it.
We got to see the Azure Nebula slaughter from Voyager's perspective- how they survived (who didn't) and what it took for them to repair the ship and return home for repairs and replacement crew for those who died in action.
Seven of Nine isn't doing well in the wake of her Caeliar transformation. Her Borg implants are gone, but now a voice in her head keeps telling her she's Annika Hansen, an identity she doesn't care to use. She teaches classes at Starfleet Academy and cares for her elderly aunt, but she misses spending time daily with the only family she ever knew.
Captain Chakotay is a wreck after Admiral Janeway died. Admiral Willem Batiste has a mission for Voyager, but if Chakotay can't get past his grief, he might not get back command of his ship to lead it. They are to lead a fleet back to the Delta quadrant. They will have slipstream drives and communication with home this time, and their mandate is to see what's out there and mend fences with those Voyager might have pissed off during their seven year trip home.
Captain Afsarah Eden (Admiral Batiste's ex wife) is in charge of logistics for the trip. She's happy flying a desk, but the admiral wants her along for the trip. She's spent time interviewing the Voyager crew after their return and knows more about them than anyone not a member of the crew outside of Lieutenant Reg Barclay.
Now that the setup is complete, I can't wait to see the next book so I can see the mission fly. I also want to see what becomes of B'Elanna and Miral, namely how long she can be stubborn and not seek Voyager's help for protection against the Warriors of Grethor instead of trying to hide out on her own.
This was a nice way to catch up with the Voyager crew and see their part in moving forward after the Borg invasion and in the wake of the loss of Admiral Janeway.
It took me a minute to keep up with the jumping back and forth from two years before the admiral's death to the present day, but I got the hang of it soon enough. I enjoyed seeing Admiral Janeway help Tom Paris and B'Elanna Torres protect their daughter Miral from two sects of Klingon fanatics who saw her as the savior of their race- the qaw'haphoch (Those Who Remember) who would give their lives to protect Miral so she could one day fulfill her destiny and the Warriors of Grethor who wanted to kill her to prevent it.
We got to see the Azure Nebula slaughter from Voyager's perspective- how they survived (who didn't) and what it took for them to repair the ship and return home for repairs and replacement crew for those who died in action.
Seven of Nine isn't doing well in the wake of her Caeliar transformation. Her Borg implants are gone, but now a voice in her head keeps telling her she's Annika Hansen, an identity she doesn't care to use. She teaches classes at Starfleet Academy and cares for her elderly aunt, but she misses spending time daily with the only family she ever knew.
Captain Chakotay is a wreck after Admiral Janeway died. Admiral Willem Batiste has a mission for Voyager, but if Chakotay can't get past his grief, he might not get back command of his ship to lead it. They are to lead a fleet back to the Delta quadrant. They will have slipstream drives and communication with home this time, and their mandate is to see what's out there and mend fences with those Voyager might have pissed off during their seven year trip home.
Captain Afsarah Eden (Admiral Batiste's ex wife) is in charge of logistics for the trip. She's happy flying a desk, but the admiral wants her along for the trip. She's spent time interviewing the Voyager crew after their return and knows more about them than anyone not a member of the crew outside of Lieutenant Reg Barclay.
Now that the setup is complete, I can't wait to see the next book so I can see the mission fly. I also want to see what becomes of B'Elanna and Miral, namely how long she can be stubborn and not seek Voyager's help for protection against the Warriors of Grethor instead of trying to hide out on her own.
This was a nice way to catch up with the Voyager crew and see their part in moving forward after the Borg invasion and in the wake of the loss of Admiral Janeway.
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