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Star Trek: Vanguard #3
Reap the Whirlwind
The mystery of the Taurus Reach is about to be revealed.Ancient secrets lie on the fourth planet of the Jinoteur system, and three great rivals are fighting to control it. The Federation and the Klingon Empire want to wield its power; the Tholian Assembly wants to bury it.
But the threat stirring on that distant world is more dangerous than they realize. The Shedai, who ruled the Taurus Reach aeons ago, have risen from their ages of deathlike slumber -- to gather, marshal their strength, and take their revenge.
To keep Jinoteur from falling into enemy hands, the crews of Starbase Vanguard and the "U.S.S. Sagittarius" must risk everything: friends...loved ones...their own lives. But the sacrifices they make may prove too terrible for them to bear.
But the threat stirring on that distant world is more dangerous than they realize. The Shedai, who ruled the Taurus Reach aeons ago, have risen from their ages of deathlike slumber -- to gather, marshal their strength, and take their revenge.
To keep Jinoteur from falling into enemy hands, the crews of Starbase Vanguard and the "U.S.S. Sagittarius" must risk everything: friends...loved ones...their own lives. But the sacrifices they make may prove too terrible for them to bear.
464 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published June 1, 2007
About the author
David Mack
115 books641 followersDavid Mack is the New York Times bestselling author of 39 novels of science-fiction, fantasy, and adventure, including the Star Trek Destiny and Cold Equations trilogies.
Beyond novels, Mack's writing credits span several media, including television (for produced episodes of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine), games, and comic books.
Follow him on Twitter @davidalanmack or like his Facebook page.
Beyond novels, Mack's writing credits span several media, including television (for produced episodes of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine), games, and comic books.
Follow him on Twitter @davidalanmack or like his Facebook page.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews
November 9, 2019
REAP THE WHIRLWIND is the third volume of the Star Trek: Vanguard series that follows the adventures of the Starbase Vanguard's crew. I was very fond of the first novel in Star Trek: Vanguard (Harbinger) and less fond of its sequel (Summon the Thunder). Part of this may be do to the fact that Vanguard is like a television series and has multiple writers each bringing their different perspectives as well as styles to the story.
The premise for Star Trek: Vanguard as a series is that the 23rd century Federation has found a fascinating scientific miracle in the Meta-Genome, a piece of incredibly complicated biological life that could be used to create just about anything [and is later revealed to be incorporated into Project: Genesis]. Not wanting to alert the Klingons to their find, they have established a space station in the region and opened it up to colonization as a cover for their research. This despite how fantastically dangerous it is.
Reap the Whirlwind, as its title implies, shows the consequences for this horrible idea. The Federation has a colony on Gamma Tauri IV that is unwittingly in the path of the Klingons, Tholians [who consider the region akin to the Great Old One's resting place], and the Shedai [who are akin to Cthulhu and his ilk]. The Federation can't warn them without breaking operational security and aren't fully aware of what they've unleashed.
I've commented on how much I love the Star Trek: Vanguard series that is immensely detailed and has a lot of themes that are not commonly found in Star Trek. Starfleet is depicted as callous, militant, secretive, and engaged in realpolitic rather than being the idealistic organization of explorers. The characters are various kinds of broken individuals as well, full of flaws and mixed loyalties that sometimes explode in their faces.
This may bother some people but I admit I like this simply as a contrast to the typical depiction of Starfleet as a bunch of superhuman Captain America science types. Everyone here is immensely flawed and full of the conflict that Gene Roddenberry hated. It also makes them immensely more relatable. There's even a scene that is based on Clerks where a bunch of workers are debating whether they can make an ice hockey rink on an alien planet in their break time (and can't because it's not that kind of Star Trek). It's a humanizing moment and one that stuck with me long after I finished the book.
The chief plot that interested me this book is the settling of Gamma Tauri IV by Jeanine Vinueza. Jeanine is an arrogant and condescending woman who is every bit as convinced of her righteousness as a typical TNG officer. She wants to keep the Federation off her colony despite the presence of Klingons and doesn't head any of the warnings by her ex-husband Reyes. Reyes can't tell her specifics but she's so full of herself that she throws caution to the wind with horrific results. The fact she's an esper (psychic) makes her feel even more entitled to know people's secrets.
I was also fascinated by the plotline of Commander T'Prynn and Anna Sandesjo (Lurqal). T'Prynn is a lesbian Vulcan working a similarly sapphically inclined Klingon disguised as a human in the local embassy. Anna has completely fallen for T'Prynn and wishes to make their romance "real" while T'Prynn continues to treat her as an asset. Unfortunately, T'Prynn's psychological state is in a state of collapse due to a doctor's well-meaning attempts to discover the source of her headaches: which are linked to her falsifying her medical records.
Part of what makes the book so damned good is the fact that the safety rails are completely absent this time around. I don't mean to say characters die, though some do, but they fail in an epic Rob Stark manner. This is not the kind of story that Star Trek often tells with the exception of that time Kirk got most of his crew killed in the Wrath of Khan. The fallibility of the crew and unwillingness to bend to accommodate situations they don't fully comprehend is stuff that makes the dramatic stakes all the higher. Starfleet has awoken an ancient evil in the Shedai and don't seem to realize that Godzilla is stomping around their backyard. The only reason he hasn't destroyed their cities yet is because Godzilla is on their side, fighting the other equally horrible monsters--for now.
A lot of good stuff happens in this book from epic planetary battles, revelations about the mysterious Shedai race, stuff that couldn't happen on a TOS television budget, and more. There's even comedic bits like the Klingons discovering their ship's toilets have been sabotaged. This is a great book and I recommend everyone pick up the Vanguard series to enjoy its unique take on the Federation during its early years.
10/10
The premise for Star Trek: Vanguard as a series is that the 23rd century Federation has found a fascinating scientific miracle in the Meta-Genome, a piece of incredibly complicated biological life that could be used to create just about anything [and is later revealed to be incorporated into Project: Genesis]. Not wanting to alert the Klingons to their find, they have established a space station in the region and opened it up to colonization as a cover for their research. This despite how fantastically dangerous it is.
Reap the Whirlwind, as its title implies, shows the consequences for this horrible idea. The Federation has a colony on Gamma Tauri IV that is unwittingly in the path of the Klingons, Tholians [who consider the region akin to the Great Old One's resting place], and the Shedai [who are akin to Cthulhu and his ilk]. The Federation can't warn them without breaking operational security and aren't fully aware of what they've unleashed.
I've commented on how much I love the Star Trek: Vanguard series that is immensely detailed and has a lot of themes that are not commonly found in Star Trek. Starfleet is depicted as callous, militant, secretive, and engaged in realpolitic rather than being the idealistic organization of explorers. The characters are various kinds of broken individuals as well, full of flaws and mixed loyalties that sometimes explode in their faces.
This may bother some people but I admit I like this simply as a contrast to the typical depiction of Starfleet as a bunch of superhuman Captain America science types. Everyone here is immensely flawed and full of the conflict that Gene Roddenberry hated. It also makes them immensely more relatable. There's even a scene that is based on Clerks where a bunch of workers are debating whether they can make an ice hockey rink on an alien planet in their break time (and can't because it's not that kind of Star Trek). It's a humanizing moment and one that stuck with me long after I finished the book.
The chief plot that interested me this book is the settling of Gamma Tauri IV by Jeanine Vinueza. Jeanine is an arrogant and condescending woman who is every bit as convinced of her righteousness as a typical TNG officer. She wants to keep the Federation off her colony despite the presence of Klingons and doesn't head any of the warnings by her ex-husband Reyes. Reyes can't tell her specifics but she's so full of herself that she throws caution to the wind with horrific results. The fact she's an esper (psychic) makes her feel even more entitled to know people's secrets.
I was also fascinated by the plotline of Commander T'Prynn and Anna Sandesjo (Lurqal). T'Prynn is a lesbian Vulcan working a similarly sapphically inclined Klingon disguised as a human in the local embassy. Anna has completely fallen for T'Prynn and wishes to make their romance "real" while T'Prynn continues to treat her as an asset. Unfortunately, T'Prynn's psychological state is in a state of collapse due to a doctor's well-meaning attempts to discover the source of her headaches: which are linked to her falsifying her medical records.
Part of what makes the book so damned good is the fact that the safety rails are completely absent this time around. I don't mean to say characters die, though some do, but they fail in an epic Rob Stark manner. This is not the kind of story that Star Trek often tells with the exception of that time Kirk got most of his crew killed in the Wrath of Khan. The fallibility of the crew and unwillingness to bend to accommodate situations they don't fully comprehend is stuff that makes the dramatic stakes all the higher. Starfleet has awoken an ancient evil in the Shedai and don't seem to realize that Godzilla is stomping around their backyard. The only reason he hasn't destroyed their cities yet is because Godzilla is on their side, fighting the other equally horrible monsters--for now.
A lot of good stuff happens in this book from epic planetary battles, revelations about the mysterious Shedai race, stuff that couldn't happen on a TOS television budget, and more. There's even comedic bits like the Klingons discovering their ship's toilets have been sabotaged. This is a great book and I recommend everyone pick up the Vanguard series to enjoy its unique take on the Federation during its early years.
10/10
June 11, 2014
The more books by David Mack I read, the more I believe that he is the number one Star Trek writer out there at the moment. Having written one of the most meaningful stories of the Star Trek Universe (the Destiny trilogy) and having made contributions to numerous other Star Trek series, he is, in my opinion, the author who manages to best capture the Star Trek atmosphere. When reading his books I am totally immersed in the story and location. Totally involved in the character progression.
Reap the Whirlwind is again one of those books. Having written the opening book of the Vanguard series (Harbinger), David Mack returns with the third book. And what a book it is. Packed with action, exploration, character development. The way he portrayed the Shedai race reminded me of the Caeliar in Destiny. In his skilful hands the Shedai became more than an instrument of destruction carrying the plot forward, they became a collective character in the story, as they should have been.
Reaching the end of the book left me with a feeling that this was initially intended to be a trilogy with Reap the Whirlwind as the conclusion. I truly hope that the decision to continue the series beyond this book does not end up hurting the series as a whole and that the following books manage to at least maintain the bar set by David Mack in this one.
Reap the Whirlwind is again one of those books. Having written the opening book of the Vanguard series (Harbinger), David Mack returns with the third book. And what a book it is. Packed with action, exploration, character development. The way he portrayed the Shedai race reminded me of the Caeliar in Destiny. In his skilful hands the Shedai became more than an instrument of destruction carrying the plot forward, they became a collective character in the story, as they should have been.
Reaching the end of the book left me with a feeling that this was initially intended to be a trilogy with Reap the Whirlwind as the conclusion. I truly hope that the decision to continue the series beyond this book does not end up hurting the series as a whole and that the following books manage to at least maintain the bar set by David Mack in this one.
January 30, 2022
“Summon the Thunder” crawled at quarter impulse so that “Reap the Whirlwind” could go to warp 9.9. This novel was thrilling from start to finish and focuses on the exploration of the Jinoteur system and Gamma Tauri IV, both of which have ties to the Shedai. One of my main criticisms of “Summon the Thunder” was that it didn’t give us enough background about the Shedai and that is remedied here in this novel to great extent. The pacing is also greatly improved upon and Mack weaves through the different stories very effectively. T’Prynn, Pennington, and Quinn were all given much more substantial storylines in this novel and each of their actions mattered quite significantly. I felt those characters were underserved in STT and it was great to have them back in full force. There are some amazing reveals about the carrier wave, the meta-genome, and the Shedai and I frankly was not expecting them at all. There are some really cool ties to the TOS movie era as well that helped ground this series and establishes its importance. Commodore Reyes continues to be a really interesting and complex character that constantly battles the weight of command and his duty to Starfleet with what is morally the right thing to do. There’s a lot of sacrifice on his part that is frankly gutting, but I respect his character all the more for it. If you were like me and struggled with “Summon the Thunder,” it is absolutely worth pushing through for “Reap the Whirlwind.”
August 11, 2019
Wow! What an epic! Even shed a tear at the end.
June 21, 2010
Reap the Whirlwind is the third book in the Vanguard series of “Star Trek” novels.
For those who may have missed earlier reviews of the previous novels: Vanguard is a Federation starbase in the Taurus Reach, a region of space between the UFP, the Klingons and the Tholians. Several years before the opening of the initial volume – Harbinger Star Trek Vanguard 1 – Starfleet discovered what it calls the meta-genome, clear evidence of an incredibly advanced race that had once dominated the region. Under cover of colonization and exploration efforts in the region, the crew of Vanguard attempts to unravel the meta-genome’s mysteries before the “bad” guys can get their hands on them. (Here, we must have faith that the Federation will use the knowledge with wisdom.) Unfortunately, Starfleet’s interest in the region draws the attention it wished to avoid from both the Klingons (who are there, initially, because they have a general policy of interfering with the Federation when they can) and the Tholians (who have a history with the original inhabitants of the region, the Shedai, they are desperate not to reveal).
Reap the Whirlwind is well titled as a number of galactic-level and personal tragedies are played out, not least of which is Diego Reyes’ (commodore of Vanguard) decision to leak Starfleet secrets and face court martial when his decisions and Starfleet’s policy result in the death of an innocent Federation colony. (It gets a bit melodramatic and maybe over-the-top to have the governor of the colony be Reyes’ ex-wife, who he still carries a torch for, but it’s not too excessive.)
As with the first two books in the series, this is pretty good “Star Trek.” Mack again shows his versatility as an author. His action scenes crackle and are well paced, though nothing as good as the Tholian ambush of the Bombay in Harbinger. And that skill continues with the novel’s down times – they’re important to the story and they don’t overstay their welcome. The chief weakness of the novel is that for too much of it the Federation et al. are on the sidelines, watching two factions of the Shedai vie for dominance and trying to avoid becoming collateral damage. On the plus side, Mack contrives to neutralize the overwhelming superiority of the aliens, paving the way for making the characters the focus of subsequent novels.
The series continues to lack a strong emotional connection for me. No character has really connected. For which I blame the number of characters; there are too many foci and little time for measured character development. Too often, Mack and his collaborators rely upon telling us something has changed rather than following through with it in the story. I’m still following the series more for the solid story-telling in a milieu I like than for any other reason.
Two final observations:
(1) Mack continues to enjoy slipping in references not just to past and future developments in the ST universe but also pays homage to other SF icons. In RTW, his target (at least the one I kept picking up on) is the movie “Aliens.” Some of the dialog is lifted directly from the movie. (Though not my favorite line when Burke complains that destroying the colony will cost a hefty sum and Ripley says, “They can bill me!”)
(2) There’s also a nice scene where Mack captures why the Federation is the “good” guy and preferable to the Klingons, regardless of how “cool” and “honorable” Worf is: A group of Tholians have been captured and are being tortured by the Shedai. A Federation officer convinces the rebel Shedai to free them because it’s the right thing to do despite Tholia’s hostility to the Federation and even though it’s unlikely the Tholians would be so magnanimous were the situations reversed.
It’s nice to see that optimistic side of the future that TOS captured better than any of its children – We can be better people than we are now.
PS - There's a handy mini-encyclopedia of characters in the back of this book but be warned - it contains spoilers. Don't peruse it till you've finished the novel.
For those who may have missed earlier reviews of the previous novels: Vanguard is a Federation starbase in the Taurus Reach, a region of space between the UFP, the Klingons and the Tholians. Several years before the opening of the initial volume – Harbinger Star Trek Vanguard 1 – Starfleet discovered what it calls the meta-genome, clear evidence of an incredibly advanced race that had once dominated the region. Under cover of colonization and exploration efforts in the region, the crew of Vanguard attempts to unravel the meta-genome’s mysteries before the “bad” guys can get their hands on them. (Here, we must have faith that the Federation will use the knowledge with wisdom.) Unfortunately, Starfleet’s interest in the region draws the attention it wished to avoid from both the Klingons (who are there, initially, because they have a general policy of interfering with the Federation when they can) and the Tholians (who have a history with the original inhabitants of the region, the Shedai, they are desperate not to reveal).
Reap the Whirlwind is well titled as a number of galactic-level and personal tragedies are played out, not least of which is Diego Reyes’ (commodore of Vanguard) decision to leak Starfleet secrets and face court martial when his decisions and Starfleet’s policy result in the death of an innocent Federation colony. (It gets a bit melodramatic and maybe over-the-top to have the governor of the colony be Reyes’ ex-wife, who he still carries a torch for, but it’s not too excessive.)
As with the first two books in the series, this is pretty good “Star Trek.” Mack again shows his versatility as an author. His action scenes crackle and are well paced, though nothing as good as the Tholian ambush of the Bombay in Harbinger. And that skill continues with the novel’s down times – they’re important to the story and they don’t overstay their welcome. The chief weakness of the novel is that for too much of it the Federation et al. are on the sidelines, watching two factions of the Shedai vie for dominance and trying to avoid becoming collateral damage. On the plus side, Mack contrives to neutralize the overwhelming superiority of the aliens, paving the way for making the characters the focus of subsequent novels.
The series continues to lack a strong emotional connection for me. No character has really connected. For which I blame the number of characters; there are too many foci and little time for measured character development. Too often, Mack and his collaborators rely upon telling us something has changed rather than following through with it in the story. I’m still following the series more for the solid story-telling in a milieu I like than for any other reason.
Two final observations:
(1) Mack continues to enjoy slipping in references not just to past and future developments in the ST universe but also pays homage to other SF icons. In RTW, his target (at least the one I kept picking up on) is the movie “Aliens.” Some of the dialog is lifted directly from the movie. (Though not my favorite line when Burke complains that destroying the colony will cost a hefty sum and Ripley says, “They can bill me!”)
(2) There’s also a nice scene where Mack captures why the Federation is the “good” guy and preferable to the Klingons, regardless of how “cool” and “honorable” Worf is: A group of Tholians have been captured and are being tortured by the Shedai. A Federation officer convinces the rebel Shedai to free them because it’s the right thing to do despite Tholia’s hostility to the Federation and even though it’s unlikely the Tholians would be so magnanimous were the situations reversed.
It’s nice to see that optimistic side of the future that TOS captured better than any of its children – We can be better people than we are now.
PS - There's a handy mini-encyclopedia of characters in the back of this book but be warned - it contains spoilers. Don't peruse it till you've finished the novel.
December 14, 2020
My views on this book is much the same as the last two books in the Vanguard series. It has so much potential and lots of things I enjoy. However, it is overall boring and poorly paced.
David Mack took back the reigns for this book and swung for the fences...although he missed badly. His development of the alien species the Shedai would be more interesting if I hadn't already read his Destiny Trilogy, where he does a much better job with a similar species; the Caeliar.
The books most fascinating parts are the political/military aspects with Vanguard. Any time the station is on the page, I was instantly fascinated. The political aspects of the series is the primary driver of bringing me back with each book. Without it, I would have quit the series already.
The boring parts of this book are also the boring parts of the first two books: The alien planet section. Each Vanguard book has followed an overall pattern: Start on Vanguard, go to a planet where a disaster happens, return to Vanguard. The beginning and ending are interesting, but I just don't care for alien species(unless it's the Klingons or the Romulans) and the exploration aspects of Trek are boring to me. I know I should like it more, but I just don't.
Again, the soap opera part of the book annoyed me, although it wasn't quite as bad as the last book and the relationships actually had to do with the main plot, so it had one interesting quality(although it's still annoying).
Overall, I give this book a 5.5 out of 10. Not great, but not utterly terrible, although of all the series I've read in Star Trek, this is probably the lowest. I know Mack can deliver, and I'm sure that Dayton Ward can as well, so I'll eventually continue the series, but I need a break from this version of Trek for a while.
David Mack took back the reigns for this book and swung for the fences...although he missed badly. His development of the alien species the Shedai would be more interesting if I hadn't already read his Destiny Trilogy, where he does a much better job with a similar species; the Caeliar.
The books most fascinating parts are the political/military aspects with Vanguard. Any time the station is on the page, I was instantly fascinated. The political aspects of the series is the primary driver of bringing me back with each book. Without it, I would have quit the series already.
The boring parts of this book are also the boring parts of the first two books: The alien planet section. Each Vanguard book has followed an overall pattern: Start on Vanguard, go to a planet where a disaster happens, return to Vanguard. The beginning and ending are interesting, but I just don't care for alien species(unless it's the Klingons or the Romulans) and the exploration aspects of Trek are boring to me. I know I should like it more, but I just don't.
Again, the soap opera part of the book annoyed me, although it wasn't quite as bad as the last book and the relationships actually had to do with the main plot, so it had one interesting quality(although it's still annoying).
Overall, I give this book a 5.5 out of 10. Not great, but not utterly terrible, although of all the series I've read in Star Trek, this is probably the lowest. I know Mack can deliver, and I'm sure that Dayton Ward can as well, so I'll eventually continue the series, but I need a break from this version of Trek for a while.
September 6, 2015
Outstanding & best so far of the Vanguard series!
August 9, 2023
Challenging, dark, emotional, mysterious, reflective, sad, and tense.
Medium-paced
Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75 ⭐
Powerful story, indeed. I was told it was good, but I hadn't realized HOW good. VERY good.
My favourite character is Commodore Reyes. I cannot say that I've agreed with every decision that he's made, but I was impressed at his resolve to make the hard decisions. In this story, he has been rocked. It seems that the culimation of ALL these decisons has broken a good man. I have a good idea on what's going to happen to him, but I hope there is a way that he can survive (instead of being ground up BY the machine).
Quinn and Pennington are also favourites...and in this book, we see them "stepping up". Neither of them had gotten this "leg up" WITHOUT the help of others, but deep down, each of them have heart's of gold and the moral fortitude to "do the right thing", even when it is the hardest thing they will EVER have to do.
Tim was "allowed" to write the story that needed to be written, but also at the expense of another. I'm hoping that through Tim's pursuit of the "right" story, he'll also be able to repay Commodore Reyes for the kindnesses that he's give him.
The story of T'Prynn is also tragic. From an outward POV, Starfleet can "drum her out", but I'm holding out HOPE that she will survive this latest struggle with Sten and all the torment that she's been afflicted with through his Katra being "a constant companion" of torture. She's unwavering, and she's NOT done yet. I truly wondering what's it going to look like when she wakes up...and how far she'll have to go to recover. Maybe not be in Intellegence, but righting the wrongs in the universe. A very logical thing for her to do.
As we know, we have NOT seen the last of the Sedai, nor the Tholians. The longer they stay in the Tauris Reach, they will have to navigate this issue. It is going to get far worse, before it gets better. Many thousands, possibly hundreds of thousands of lives are yet to be lost. I wonder IF the Federation, at the end...will have believed it was worth it? Hmmm?
This was a great story.
👇Spoiler
Does anyone feel that Anna Sandjesjo is STILL alive? I do. I think that she's the one that blew the pod OFF the ship. She's actually still alive (cannot keep a Klingon down).👍🏻
I cannot wait to start the next book in the series.
Medium-paced
Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75 ⭐
Powerful story, indeed. I was told it was good, but I hadn't realized HOW good. VERY good.
My favourite character is Commodore Reyes. I cannot say that I've agreed with every decision that he's made, but I was impressed at his resolve to make the hard decisions. In this story, he has been rocked. It seems that the culimation of ALL these decisons has broken a good man. I have a good idea on what's going to happen to him, but I hope there is a way that he can survive (instead of being ground up BY the machine).
Quinn and Pennington are also favourites...and in this book, we see them "stepping up". Neither of them had gotten this "leg up" WITHOUT the help of others, but deep down, each of them have heart's of gold and the moral fortitude to "do the right thing", even when it is the hardest thing they will EVER have to do.
Tim was "allowed" to write the story that needed to be written, but also at the expense of another. I'm hoping that through Tim's pursuit of the "right" story, he'll also be able to repay Commodore Reyes for the kindnesses that he's give him.
The story of T'Prynn is also tragic. From an outward POV, Starfleet can "drum her out", but I'm holding out HOPE that she will survive this latest struggle with Sten and all the torment that she's been afflicted with through his Katra being "a constant companion" of torture. She's unwavering, and she's NOT done yet. I truly wondering what's it going to look like when she wakes up...and how far she'll have to go to recover. Maybe not be in Intellegence, but righting the wrongs in the universe. A very logical thing for her to do.
As we know, we have NOT seen the last of the Sedai, nor the Tholians. The longer they stay in the Tauris Reach, they will have to navigate this issue. It is going to get far worse, before it gets better. Many thousands, possibly hundreds of thousands of lives are yet to be lost. I wonder IF the Federation, at the end...will have believed it was worth it? Hmmm?
This was a great story.
👇Spoiler
Does anyone feel that Anna Sandjesjo is STILL alive? I do. I think that she's the one that blew the pod OFF the ship. She's actually still alive (cannot keep a Klingon down).👍🏻
I cannot wait to start the next book in the series.
July 24, 2022
Now that’s more like it.
I don’t know what it was, but this volume breezed by. Probably because the motivations behind the Shedai were finally revealed. So many questions were answered.
And the status quo has been shook. Questioning the motions of secrecy for securitiy’s sake. Reyes and where he ends, revealing the General Order 24. T’Prynn and her mental degradation.
The Sagittarius chunk is a bit of a slog. But we only have a crew of 14! How novel for a Trek crew to be small. Suddenly, logistical questions you’re asking about the other Trek shows go out the window.
I don’t like them tying in Genesis to the meta-genome. But I don’t want anyone to even reference TWOK. Don’t do it, you’ll ruin it.
I don’t know what it was, but this volume breezed by. Probably because the motivations behind the Shedai were finally revealed. So many questions were answered.
And the status quo has been shook. Questioning the motions of secrecy for securitiy’s sake. Reyes and where he ends, revealing the General Order 24. T’Prynn and her mental degradation.
The Sagittarius chunk is a bit of a slog. But we only have a crew of 14! How novel for a Trek crew to be small. Suddenly, logistical questions you’re asking about the other Trek shows go out the window.
I don’t like them tying in Genesis to the meta-genome. But I don’t want anyone to even reference TWOK. Don’t do it, you’ll ruin it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 4, 2022
A continuation of the series
These books are very slow reading.
Some trekkers might go for the intricate step by step detail of every button pushed and switch flipped, as if all of the Trek techno-babble actually means something, - but I just find it tedious to read.
The action is predictable, making for a slow read too.
Plus the overt carnage and high body count makes the entire story very in-house Star Trek.
It is as if the author or authors of the recent Star Trek books actually hate Star Trek and are doing their best to change Trek into something wholly unrecognizable to the long-standing fans.
These books are very slow reading.
Some trekkers might go for the intricate step by step detail of every button pushed and switch flipped, as if all of the Trek techno-babble actually means something, - but I just find it tedious to read.
The action is predictable, making for a slow read too.
Plus the overt carnage and high body count makes the entire story very in-house Star Trek.
It is as if the author or authors of the recent Star Trek books actually hate Star Trek and are doing their best to change Trek into something wholly unrecognizable to the long-standing fans.
April 11, 2018
Pretty much everything I could ask for in a great sci-fi book - big ideas, interesting characters, a satisfying series of storylines, some of which have been resolved in this book, some continue, some have just been introduced - a wonderful sense of humanity and character development - even though this is volume 3 of 9, I already feel that I've been paid back for my reading with the adventures so far, and the revelations of the origin of Taurus Reach. This is going to be a hard volume to follow - highly recommended!
July 12, 2018
In this book, several open story threads introduced in the first and second volume finally collapse and get resolved. It might not be the resolution you were hoping for but for me it made it a far more interesting read than the previous book of the series.
It was really good to see a supporting cast as Quin take a more frontline role, and the way that made him evolve was great.
Several other characters went through very defining moments in this book, so this makes it a must read, as it changes the status quo quite greatly.
It was really good to see a supporting cast as Quin take a more frontline role, and the way that made him evolve was great.
Several other characters went through very defining moments in this book, so this makes it a must read, as it changes the status quo quite greatly.
January 14, 2020
Really enjoyed this one. Incredible tension and stakes in pretty much every storyline the book contained. I absolutely loved the stranded Sagittarius sections. I really bonded with the characters and felt for them during their struggles. The Shedai stuff at times felt a little more fantastical rather than science fiction, but once it tied into Carol Marcus and Genesis, it all clicked! Looking forward to book 4!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 20, 2023
Another great ST book by David Mack. Mack keeps the storyline going at a fast pace, with different scenes and lots of characters, but in a way the reader can keep up. Additionally, Mack reveals the genesis of a storyline that will become paramount in the ST future canon. What a juicy tidbit that was! This whole series is a must-read by any Star Trek fan.
August 5, 2018
An excellent conclusion to the first act of VANGUARD, this exciting novel brings the events set up in books 1 and 2 to a satisfying climax, while setting up plenty of conflict and mystery for the second half of the series.
April 1, 2022
The third entry in the Vanguard Series. It seems that the series has found its stride with this book. While quick paced, the events of the book really pick up tempo within the last 1/3 of the story. The main characters are developing nicely and you find yourself intrigued by them.
June 13, 2017
Easily the best yet of this spectacular series.
May 26, 2018
A Good Read
Vanguard #3 is another good effort. David is one of my favorite authors. Looking forward to Vanguard #4. A court martial to conduct.
Vanguard #3 is another good effort. David is one of my favorite authors. Looking forward to Vanguard #4. A court martial to conduct.
July 15, 2018
Really good. Hope the next one is just as good
June 3, 2021
This may be my favorite novel ever.
May 15, 2022
Action packed, not for children darker Star Trek.
Read
November 1, 2022A little boring
January 6, 2024
Amazing story so far. The Shedai are weird and scary.
February 25, 2014
“Reap The Whirlwind” by David Mack is the 3rd novel in the Star Trek Vanguard series and it really highlights how these novels are getting better and better. The novel is full of engaging philosophical and moral dilemmas set amongst a thoroughly engrossing and enjoyable space adventure. Simply put, I believe this novel and the series in general is proving to be Star Trek at its very best.
The story itself picks up several weeks after the events of the previous novel, “Summon The Thunder”. The ancient and powerful alien race known as The Shedai continue to awaken throughout the Taurus Reach and are continuing to threaten the various Federation colonies that have spread across the region. The crew of Starbase 47 and its various support ships continue to try and protect these colonies from both the Shedai and the Klingons with whom tensions have continued to rise. However, trying to keep the information on the Shedai a secret is proving a strain, especially when one of the leaders of these new colonies turns out to be Commodore Reyes’ ex-wife.
Mack has really ratcheted up the tension in this book which helps to turn the book into a addictive page turner as the reader. This tension is expertly released via various exciting action sequences that don’t pull any punches as the body count continues to rise due to the dangers of the Taurus Reach. All of this is supported by some really wonderful characters that continue to grow as they face various challenges, both personally as an individual and professionally as a member of Starfleet etc. I now really feel for these characters and can’t help but feel for them as they are forced to face the wide ranging consequences that have resulted from their actions in both this and previous books.
What I also have enjoyed about the book is that Mack has continued to try and give the reader differing viewpoints to that of our usual Federation heroes. We get to see things from the view of the Klingons, Tholians and now even the Shedai themselves which provides so many interesting layers to the story. Seeing things from the Shedai’s position in particular was a clever move as it manages to give this potentially super powerful enemy a real face that the reader can try and understand and opens up future avenues to explore in greater detail as the series progresses.
I have finally come to the conclusion that none of the Vanguard novels are going to have any real standalone stories that would make me recommend the book as an individual read. Yes, there are two superbly enjoyable central plots to this novel, the first being around the colony being set up by Commodore Reyes wife and the scouting mission being undertaken by the USS Sagittarius but neither of them would mean much to a reader who doesn’t know the overall storyline. Basically, if you haven’t read the previous book in the series and/or don’t plan to read the next ones then I wouldn’t waste your time picking this novel up.
Overall, this is another fun and entertaining book in the Vanguard series which now has me well and truly hooked. If you have enjoyed the previous books then you are really going to be thrilled by this book.
The story itself picks up several weeks after the events of the previous novel, “Summon The Thunder”. The ancient and powerful alien race known as The Shedai continue to awaken throughout the Taurus Reach and are continuing to threaten the various Federation colonies that have spread across the region. The crew of Starbase 47 and its various support ships continue to try and protect these colonies from both the Shedai and the Klingons with whom tensions have continued to rise. However, trying to keep the information on the Shedai a secret is proving a strain, especially when one of the leaders of these new colonies turns out to be Commodore Reyes’ ex-wife.
Mack has really ratcheted up the tension in this book which helps to turn the book into a addictive page turner as the reader. This tension is expertly released via various exciting action sequences that don’t pull any punches as the body count continues to rise due to the dangers of the Taurus Reach. All of this is supported by some really wonderful characters that continue to grow as they face various challenges, both personally as an individual and professionally as a member of Starfleet etc. I now really feel for these characters and can’t help but feel for them as they are forced to face the wide ranging consequences that have resulted from their actions in both this and previous books.
What I also have enjoyed about the book is that Mack has continued to try and give the reader differing viewpoints to that of our usual Federation heroes. We get to see things from the view of the Klingons, Tholians and now even the Shedai themselves which provides so many interesting layers to the story. Seeing things from the Shedai’s position in particular was a clever move as it manages to give this potentially super powerful enemy a real face that the reader can try and understand and opens up future avenues to explore in greater detail as the series progresses.
I have finally come to the conclusion that none of the Vanguard novels are going to have any real standalone stories that would make me recommend the book as an individual read. Yes, there are two superbly enjoyable central plots to this novel, the first being around the colony being set up by Commodore Reyes wife and the scouting mission being undertaken by the USS Sagittarius but neither of them would mean much to a reader who doesn’t know the overall storyline. Basically, if you haven’t read the previous book in the series and/or don’t plan to read the next ones then I wouldn’t waste your time picking this novel up.
Overall, this is another fun and entertaining book in the Vanguard series which now has me well and truly hooked. If you have enjoyed the previous books then you are really going to be thrilled by this book.
August 6, 2017
Well... What a ride.
After reading the first two Vanguard novels I came away feeling very underwhelmed. The plot was intriguing and the characters had promise but there was far too much set up, too many characters to keep up with and too much padding.
This story changed everything. The plot was thrilling and kept me hooked throughout with lots of twists and turns that had me saying to myself "just one more chapter" despite the fact it was 2 in the morning. The characters whilst still too many to keep track of in some respects were far more fleshed out and I felt for them and they plights, especially Reyes and surprisingly Quinn and Pennington.
The story as a whole mostly wrapped up a lot of the plot points raising in the first two books whilst setting up new mysteries and story lines that will presumably fuel the other 5 novels left in the series.
To sum up, in my review of book 2 I said this would only really appeal to hard core Trek fans but I take that back. This is a thrilling Sci-Fi read that almost transcends it's Star Trek roots and I can't wait to read book 4 :)
After reading the first two Vanguard novels I came away feeling very underwhelmed. The plot was intriguing and the characters had promise but there was far too much set up, too many characters to keep up with and too much padding.
This story changed everything. The plot was thrilling and kept me hooked throughout with lots of twists and turns that had me saying to myself "just one more chapter" despite the fact it was 2 in the morning. The characters whilst still too many to keep track of in some respects were far more fleshed out and I felt for them and they plights, especially Reyes and surprisingly Quinn and Pennington.
The story as a whole mostly wrapped up a lot of the plot points raising in the first two books whilst setting up new mysteries and story lines that will presumably fuel the other 5 novels left in the series.
To sum up, in my review of book 2 I said this would only really appeal to hard core Trek fans but I take that back. This is a thrilling Sci-Fi read that almost transcends it's Star Trek roots and I can't wait to read book 4 :)
May 21, 2014
I just finished reading Reap the Whirlwind, the third book in the Star Trek Series Vanguard. I know, it's not current news and the book is seven years old now, but I just read it and I think it's worth sharing.
Vanguard focuses on events surrounding the Taurus Reach, a mostly unexplored region of space between the borders of the Federation, the Klingon Empire, and the Tholian Assembly. The series is named for Starbase 47, Vanguard, where a lot of the story takes place. The Federation moved into the Taurus Reach in order to study the Taurus Meta-Genome, an incredibly complex genetic structure that seems to hold the key to much more than a specie's genetic material. The Klingon's are trying to discover what the Federation is after and the Tholians are trying very hard to keep both parties out. The reasons why become clear when the Shedai, an ancient collection of beings that can shed their physical bodies and have godlike powers, come back from their eons long self-induced hibernation and try to use the Tholians as the slaves they once were inside the Shedais' machines.
Reap the Whirlwind continues the plot lines set down in the previous two books and has the Federation making it to the Jinoteur system, the seeming source of the Shedais' power. The middle of the book is full of explosive action and I found it difficult to stop reading at that point. There is great character development in this story, and the story and characters are pretty deep for a Star Trek novel. This is certainly a long way from the original Star Trek books. It has a good mix of action, political intrigue, legal drama, and real stories of human interaction. By the end of part two, the story seems to be done. The third part, while very interesting, feels like an extended epilogue. Each of the chapters wraps up the hanging plot lines, of which there are many. Some of these later chapters leave obvious places for the fourth book in the series to pick up, while others neatly tie up a sub plot. Reap the Whirlwind nicely wraps up the first story arc, while setting the series up for a refreshing new start.
I get that people usually write about new or upcoming releases, and this book is pretty old, but I really enjoyed reading it. Being a few years old doesn't mean a book is worthless, or that everyone that would enjoy it has read it, so I hope a few people out there are inspired to start reading the Vanguard series. It is a very well written set of books with a very deep set of plot lines. If you've never read a Star Trek book before, this would be a great place to start. It is separate from the events in the main novel arcs and the TV series, and it would be great on its own, even if you took all the Star Trek jargon out of it.
Find the rest of my reviews at Tavern at the End of the Universe
Vanguard focuses on events surrounding the Taurus Reach, a mostly unexplored region of space between the borders of the Federation, the Klingon Empire, and the Tholian Assembly. The series is named for Starbase 47, Vanguard, where a lot of the story takes place. The Federation moved into the Taurus Reach in order to study the Taurus Meta-Genome, an incredibly complex genetic structure that seems to hold the key to much more than a specie's genetic material. The Klingon's are trying to discover what the Federation is after and the Tholians are trying very hard to keep both parties out. The reasons why become clear when the Shedai, an ancient collection of beings that can shed their physical bodies and have godlike powers, come back from their eons long self-induced hibernation and try to use the Tholians as the slaves they once were inside the Shedais' machines.
Reap the Whirlwind continues the plot lines set down in the previous two books and has the Federation making it to the Jinoteur system, the seeming source of the Shedais' power. The middle of the book is full of explosive action and I found it difficult to stop reading at that point. There is great character development in this story, and the story and characters are pretty deep for a Star Trek novel. This is certainly a long way from the original Star Trek books. It has a good mix of action, political intrigue, legal drama, and real stories of human interaction. By the end of part two, the story seems to be done. The third part, while very interesting, feels like an extended epilogue. Each of the chapters wraps up the hanging plot lines, of which there are many. Some of these later chapters leave obvious places for the fourth book in the series to pick up, while others neatly tie up a sub plot. Reap the Whirlwind nicely wraps up the first story arc, while setting the series up for a refreshing new start.
I get that people usually write about new or upcoming releases, and this book is pretty old, but I really enjoyed reading it. Being a few years old doesn't mean a book is worthless, or that everyone that would enjoy it has read it, so I hope a few people out there are inspired to start reading the Vanguard series. It is a very well written set of books with a very deep set of plot lines. If you've never read a Star Trek book before, this would be a great place to start. It is separate from the events in the main novel arcs and the TV series, and it would be great on its own, even if you took all the Star Trek jargon out of it.
Find the rest of my reviews at Tavern at the End of the Universe
September 3, 2016
Star Trek: Vanguard: Reap the Whirlwind by David Mack I think what bothered me about the Vanguard-series up to that point was the moral ambiguity by the SF-characters. T'Prynn and Reyes' actions against Pennington were just despicable. There's no other word for it, even if they might have been warranted by the situation/orders/whatever. And of course, the willful ruination of a person happens in reality "for the greater good", but that's why I read Star Trek because I kind of like to have the illusion that society can grow above all those petty, immoral decisions (not withstanding that DS9 already started to darken that illusion by Section 31 or even Sisko's actions). So I really appreciated the show conscience on Reyes' part especially, but also that this show of conscience - not in the least caused by the terrible choice he had to make surrounding Gamma Tauri IV - had consequences for him in return.I enjoyed the events on Jinoteur (even though Sagitarius' crew is a bit... quirky for me. There are only so many one-liners I can stand.) very much, especially now in retrospect after having read Open Secrets. Who's really the bad guy among the Shedai? What's the Apostate's agenda? I thought it very interesting that SF is viewing the Apostate as some kind of good guy, whereas for the Tholians (Nesrene) he's the absolute evil as he was the one to enslave them. Again, at least that's my impression from Open Secrets.Overall, I felt as though the plotthreads start coming together. With Marcus' appearance it becomes clearer what the meta-genome is about. The mythical Shedai come out from under the shadows, the race for mastery of their technology between the Klingons and the Federation is on (with contributions from other races), and the main SF-protagonists so far (Reyes and T'Prynn) were given a heart and a conscience fighting their own demons - literally and figuratively.Great book - definitely the turning point in this to me so far lackluster series (when I first read it, not when I went back to the opening books - what a change in impression a few more details can make).
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 15, 2015
It's sort of weird when you get near the end of a story and realize that there's nearly another whole book to be read. Not a bad thing exactly, but it was a bit distracting, because after about page 351 the story truly seemed concluded to me, and concluded well. But, you read what is on the page and so I kept going and it was a good little extra novella after the first part, though not as very exciting as the first part of the book. Mack is a very good author when it comes to weaving all these new characters (and life forms) with the established canon of Star Trek (of which there seemed to be more in this book than the previous two).
On the whole I thought it was the best book of these three Vanguard books that I've read so far. A lot of questions that the first two books posed were answered, but of course, new questions were asked as well as new problems and situations cropped up so that the series wouldn't die off.
On the whole I thought it was the best book of these three Vanguard books that I've read so far. A lot of questions that the first two books posed were answered, but of course, new questions were asked as well as new problems and situations cropped up so that the series wouldn't die off.
December 14, 2021
The answers to many questions are within reach, but it will be one hell of a struggle to get them.
The race to the planet with all the answers is on, and it is going to be tight. The federation crosses the finish line first, but it does so by crashing into it and the race for answers becomes a desperate bid to merely survive till rescue. They might yet find some answers along the way though, including the face of the new mysterious enemy. In the meantime a new colony president is as stubborn as it gets putting her people in danger and Starfleet can't share how precarious their situation truly is.
Truly fantastically written, as we have come to expect from David Mack. It is curious though, the story ramped up faster than I expected, so I wonder what the rest of the series will bring. I look forward to finding out!
The race to the planet with all the answers is on, and it is going to be tight. The federation crosses the finish line first, but it does so by crashing into it and the race for answers becomes a desperate bid to merely survive till rescue. They might yet find some answers along the way though, including the face of the new mysterious enemy. In the meantime a new colony president is as stubborn as it gets putting her people in danger and Starfleet can't share how precarious their situation truly is.
Truly fantastically written, as we have come to expect from David Mack. It is curious though, the story ramped up faster than I expected, so I wonder what the rest of the series will bring. I look forward to finding out!
December 18, 2016
The third book in the Vanguard series is full of interesting twists and turns and is most definitely the most exciting instalment so far. It's hard to say too much without spoiling it, but at times its funny, one character makes a MacGyver type escape and revelations abound. It has pretty much everything you'd want from Star Trek even though there is only one character from the screen in it (that I know of) and thats Commander Terrell who'd be a captain in Wrath of Khan. Everytime I read his sections my heart breaks. We all know how his story ends.
If you haven't read Harbinger or Summon the Thunder then this book might be tough to get into, but if you have then know this..... Reap the Whirlwind is the best yet.
If you haven't read Harbinger or Summon the Thunder then this book might be tough to get into, but if you have then know this..... Reap the Whirlwind is the best yet.
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