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Star Trek: Vanguard #1
Harbinger
Returning from its historic first voyage to the edge of the galaxy, the damaged U.S.S. Enterprise journeys through the Taurus Reach, a vast and little-known region of space in which a new starbase has been unexpectedly established. Puzzled by the Federation's interest in an area so far from its borders and so near the xenophobic Tholian Assembly, Captain James T. Kirk orders the Enterprise to put in for repairs at the new space station: Starbase 47, also known as Vanguard.
As Kirk ponders the mystery of the enormous base, he begins to suspect that there is much more to Vanguard than meets the eye. It's a suspicion shared by the Tholians, the Orions, and the Klingon Empire, each of whom believes that there are less than benign motives behind the Federation's sudden and unexplained desire to explore and colonize the Taurus Reach.
But when a calamity deep within the Reach threatens to compromise Starfleet's continued presence in the region, Kirk, Spock, and several key specialists from the Enterprise must assist Vanguard's crew in investigating the cause of the disaster and containing the damage. In the process, they learn the true purpose behind the creation of Vanguard, and what the outcome of its mission may mean for life throughout that part of the galaxy.
Inside: Bonus diagrams of Vanguard station!
382 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published August 1, 2005
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 131 reviews
April 4, 2024
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Well, I've decided to pick up David Mack's VANGUARD series after re-watching the first season of STAR TREK: DISCOVERY. I enjoyed the handling of combining the TOS era with NuTrek advances as well as serialized storytelling. So, I was intrigued by the possibilities of a series seemingly based on combining the premise of DS9 (a long-range space station on the frontier of Federation Space) with the time period of the Original Series. So, how did it work? Remarkably well, actually, and Discovery could take a number of lessons from David Mack on how to write "dark" Trek.
Indeed, this is the darkest incarceration of Star Trek I can remember reading and it does so without the "Space Whale" elements of armies of cyborg zombies or scary dogmatic aliens who hate humans. Instead, what makes Vanguard dark and personal is the human stories (even for the aliens) which are going on. The space station Vanguard is a place where the humans of Roddenberry's enlightened future are nasty, meanspirited, lost, confused, and full of all too believable emotional trauma. The fact Kirk, Uhura, and Spock find the place deeply unpleasant during their short visit also nicely establishes it's not a revisionist take on the Federation but it's THIS SPECIFIC PLACE which is the Mos Eisley of their territory.
Harbinger works essentially like an anthology of collected stories. We have Commodore Reyes, who is the fuming admiral who clearly hates his position on the Vanguard despite the fact he has convinced himself it's of vital Federation importance. We have T'Prynn, a Vulcan intelligence agent whose life was ruined by the culture which raised her. She's also a lesbian or bisexual character in literature which is still catching up for the show. Then there's my favorite character of Pennington, who is a crusading reporter in an adulterous affair that both seem like are things which shouldn't be needed in the 23rd century. The only character I really didn't warm to was Cervantes Quinn who seems a bit like a much-less competent Han Solo wandered into the Trek universe.
The premise of the first book is Starfleet has constructed Vanguard to secure their position against Klingon and Tholian Space (or possibly something bigger). While sending out one of their ships, it gets destroyed by the Tholians and a government cover-up is enacted to prevent war with the former. Because if the Federation goes to war with the Tholians, they'll be easy pickings for the Klingons and vice versa. This ties into everyone else's story because Quinn stole the materials which the starship was replacing, Pennington is lovers with one of the dead crewmen, and Reyens is the architect of the cover-up with T'Prynn as his agent.
I found T'Prynn the most interesting of the characters and enjoyable even though she seemed the most like a book character. I love the idea of a Vulcan who has just been utterly screwed over by her culture from birth until present. I also like the fact she's an amateur jazz piano player because that's just a character quirk which says so much about the character. Watching her handle Reyes' dirty work while maintaining her Vulcan stoicism worked well.
I also very much like the dualistic cowardly and crusading elements of Pennington. In the 21st century, being exposed as an adulterer is bad but hardly life-destroying but he's terrified of it and goes to elaborate lengths to cover it up. He also is outraged by Starfleet's various actions and cover-ups but is less concerned about actually revealing the truth than the "Big Scoop." He's a mass of contradictions and I like the implications he's just a terrible selfish person in his marriage but an excellent journalist. Still, it makes you wonder what Orianna (his lover) ever saw in him.
This feels very much like the set up for a new series with original characters and very little in the way of guest stars from the canon. There's a few but they're not central. Instead, the book asks us to go on a ride with an entirely new set of heroes and a tone much darker and more "realistic" than Trek normally goes. Much to my surprise, I'm entirely onboard and fascinated with the stories of its flawed and human cast (even the nonhumans).
In conclusion, I really loved this book and will be picking up the other installments of the series. I like the handling of Starfleet and the Federation's politics in this time period. It's a little more off-beat and less utopian but not so much as to be unrecognizable. I think the troubled protagonists really bring out the heart of this story and the darker, more militaristic realpolitic motivated Starfleet causes the story to have more stakes. You don't think these guys will do the right thing and yet when they don't, it's still surprising.
Well, I've decided to pick up David Mack's VANGUARD series after re-watching the first season of STAR TREK: DISCOVERY. I enjoyed the handling of combining the TOS era with NuTrek advances as well as serialized storytelling. So, I was intrigued by the possibilities of a series seemingly based on combining the premise of DS9 (a long-range space station on the frontier of Federation Space) with the time period of the Original Series. So, how did it work? Remarkably well, actually, and Discovery could take a number of lessons from David Mack on how to write "dark" Trek.
Indeed, this is the darkest incarceration of Star Trek I can remember reading and it does so without the "Space Whale" elements of armies of cyborg zombies or scary dogmatic aliens who hate humans. Instead, what makes Vanguard dark and personal is the human stories (even for the aliens) which are going on. The space station Vanguard is a place where the humans of Roddenberry's enlightened future are nasty, meanspirited, lost, confused, and full of all too believable emotional trauma. The fact Kirk, Uhura, and Spock find the place deeply unpleasant during their short visit also nicely establishes it's not a revisionist take on the Federation but it's THIS SPECIFIC PLACE which is the Mos Eisley of their territory.
Harbinger works essentially like an anthology of collected stories. We have Commodore Reyes, who is the fuming admiral who clearly hates his position on the Vanguard despite the fact he has convinced himself it's of vital Federation importance. We have T'Prynn, a Vulcan intelligence agent whose life was ruined by the culture which raised her. She's also a lesbian or bisexual character in literature which is still catching up for the show. Then there's my favorite character of Pennington, who is a crusading reporter in an adulterous affair that both seem like are things which shouldn't be needed in the 23rd century. The only character I really didn't warm to was Cervantes Quinn who seems a bit like a much-less competent Han Solo wandered into the Trek universe.
The premise of the first book is Starfleet has constructed Vanguard to secure their position against Klingon and Tholian Space (or possibly something bigger). While sending out one of their ships, it gets destroyed by the Tholians and a government cover-up is enacted to prevent war with the former. Because if the Federation goes to war with the Tholians, they'll be easy pickings for the Klingons and vice versa. This ties into everyone else's story because Quinn stole the materials which the starship was replacing, Pennington is lovers with one of the dead crewmen, and Reyens is the architect of the cover-up with T'Prynn as his agent.
I found T'Prynn the most interesting of the characters and enjoyable even though she seemed the most like a book character. I love the idea of a Vulcan who has just been utterly screwed over by her culture from birth until present. I also like the fact she's an amateur jazz piano player because that's just a character quirk which says so much about the character. Watching her handle Reyes' dirty work while maintaining her Vulcan stoicism worked well.
I also very much like the dualistic cowardly and crusading elements of Pennington. In the 21st century, being exposed as an adulterer is bad but hardly life-destroying but he's terrified of it and goes to elaborate lengths to cover it up. He also is outraged by Starfleet's various actions and cover-ups but is less concerned about actually revealing the truth than the "Big Scoop." He's a mass of contradictions and I like the implications he's just a terrible selfish person in his marriage but an excellent journalist. Still, it makes you wonder what Orianna (his lover) ever saw in him.
This feels very much like the set up for a new series with original characters and very little in the way of guest stars from the canon. There's a few but they're not central. Instead, the book asks us to go on a ride with an entirely new set of heroes and a tone much darker and more "realistic" than Trek normally goes. Much to my surprise, I'm entirely onboard and fascinated with the stories of its flawed and human cast (even the nonhumans).
In conclusion, I really loved this book and will be picking up the other installments of the series. I like the handling of Starfleet and the Federation's politics in this time period. It's a little more off-beat and less utopian but not so much as to be unrecognizable. I think the troubled protagonists really bring out the heart of this story and the darker, more militaristic realpolitic motivated Starfleet causes the story to have more stakes. You don't think these guys will do the right thing and yet when they don't, it's still surprising.
August 11, 2011
Well David Mack, you've got something here, but it isn't a novel. Harbinger reads like a fantastic new Star Trek TV pilot. There's plenty to hook viewers - short, punchy scenes, loads of world-building, promising arcs, explosions! And who cares if the story doesn't really hold together. But for 300 pages of print, there are flat out too many original characters introduced to keep track of, let alone care about who is sleeping with whom. (And, yes, they are ALL having illicit affairs. Did I mention the TV potential?)
I'm still not sure if this is a character driven novel with lame to nonexistent intrigue, or a thriller with flimsy characters. Either way, this adds up to... not a whole lot. I'm going to give the author the benefit of the doubt because his style here is very different from Sorrows of Empire. I THINK he's trying to give a nod to pulp cliches like heavy drinking, loose women, schemes that require you to suspend your disbelief, and underdog reporters. Unfortunately, his writing is not nearly snappy enough to pull this off.
Dealbreaker: I really want to believe you, male scifi writers, when you promise me the old boys club is no more. I mean, you don't titter over boobs in space anymore. You even write men with 23rd century feminism awkwardly inserted into thought bubbles. ("She's so brave! And they say women can't be captains!" "Boy, that new miniskirt uniform sure is hot! I mean demeaning! Really demeaning! Demeaning... and hot.") But every time I relax and think I just might have made it as part of your target audience, you go old school. Say, with some decidedly unenlightened girl on girl action. Ew. (If you must, you can read the entire offending scene excerpted here. It's pretty tame, though shameless in its violation of copyright laws, in that it is clearly lifted from the first 30 seconds of the lesbian porn David Mack watches when he has writers' block.)
I'm still not sure if this is a character driven novel with lame to nonexistent intrigue, or a thriller with flimsy characters. Either way, this adds up to... not a whole lot. I'm going to give the author the benefit of the doubt because his style here is very different from Sorrows of Empire. I THINK he's trying to give a nod to pulp cliches like heavy drinking, loose women, schemes that require you to suspend your disbelief, and underdog reporters. Unfortunately, his writing is not nearly snappy enough to pull this off.
Dealbreaker: I really want to believe you, male scifi writers, when you promise me the old boys club is no more. I mean, you don't titter over boobs in space anymore. You even write men with 23rd century feminism awkwardly inserted into thought bubbles. ("She's so brave! And they say women can't be captains!" "Boy, that new miniskirt uniform sure is hot! I mean demeaning! Really demeaning! Demeaning... and hot.") But every time I relax and think I just might have made it as part of your target audience, you go old school. Say, with some decidedly unenlightened girl on girl action. Ew. (If you must, you can read the entire offending scene excerpted here. It's pretty tame, though shameless in its violation of copyright laws, in that it is clearly lifted from the first 30 seconds of the lesbian porn David Mack watches when he has writers' block.)
July 15, 2015
I have a bit of a fetish for tie-in novels. I don’t know why, I think that they’re the hardest thing to pull of successfully and generally say as much on every review I write of one. Yet I always get suckered in by the prospect of further adventures of … x character from TV show/movie of the moment. I’ve been a Star Trek:TNG and DS9 fan for as long as I can remember and recently added TOS to the list, so colour me suckered again when I read around some good reviews of this ambitious series, set in the timeline of the original series, featuring Kirk and crew as only one peripheral character of many; featuring a space station, Klingons, technological discoveries and the prospect of war. It sounded juicy.
It is, actually, very juicy indeed but it’s not really Star Trek. It hardly even tries to be Star Trek – and I think that’s a good thing. We’re introduced to a whole roster of characters, that, yes, feel a lot more influenced by DS9 than TOS, although to the novel’s credit I didn’t feel a sense of déjà vu so much a sense of thematic continuity. In DS9 we’re introduced to crew that initially appear fairly bland and it’s not until a few seasons in that we feel the turbulence underneath and see relationships really forming. In Vanguard everyone has a relationship with everyone else right from the start and it’s this novel’s job not so much to peel the layers aside, but to hit you in the face with them and make you care. It’s an approach that has its strengths and weaknesses but it’s to Mack’s credit as a potboiler writer that I really did care about seedy journalist Pennington, wily Quinn, aloof Commander Reyes and his version of astute Captain Kirk … amongst a whole host of others. They are a good, diverse bunch to get to know, if a little clichéd and there’s no real depth here, just types.
However, the novel’s massive weakness is that it just tries to do much in too little space. Within the first 50 pages we’ve probably been introduced to ten characters with their own viewpoints and I was scrabbling around trying to remember who was who instead of appreciating their personalities and motivations. It all comes together eventually and the pace of the novel slows, but this quickfire introductory technique is a little flawed and for while a lot of the characters and the plot get a little lost within it. But yes, there’s plot too in there somewhere – taken as a standalone you could be forgiven for finding the plot a little disappointing, but as a first book in the series I was satisfied. Wheels are set spinning and whilst there’s a tying up of events of sorts towards the end it’s only really to keep those wheels rolling. It doesn’t make for a satisfying arc, but questions are asked and cursory answers are given and I feel that I want to know more on that score. Who is going to end up allying with whom since there are three major powers on the edge of a border vying for control of the district. The usually unaggressive Tholians have destroyed a federation starship, the Federation have discovered possibly a new type of life form, and the Klingons (whom I’m having great fun imagining in their 60s incarnation for some reason) … well, they just want to kill everyone, I think.
The book’s strengths are its weaknesses which is why I felt I had to mark it down. It’s a character chamber piece that doesn’t quite juggle the pieces, but it’s never boring to read, often funny, incorporates a lot of trek lore and made me feel right at home with it as an original fiction and as a tie in to a larger shared universe. That’s an impressive feat which makes it easily recommendable if you like Space Opera (hate that term, but hey) or light hearted science fiction – you don’t even really need to be a Trekkie to appreciate the positive aspects of the book; it may even turn you into one. This is a pleasant discovery and I’m looking forward to seeing where the story goes.
It is, actually, very juicy indeed but it’s not really Star Trek. It hardly even tries to be Star Trek – and I think that’s a good thing. We’re introduced to a whole roster of characters, that, yes, feel a lot more influenced by DS9 than TOS, although to the novel’s credit I didn’t feel a sense of déjà vu so much a sense of thematic continuity. In DS9 we’re introduced to crew that initially appear fairly bland and it’s not until a few seasons in that we feel the turbulence underneath and see relationships really forming. In Vanguard everyone has a relationship with everyone else right from the start and it’s this novel’s job not so much to peel the layers aside, but to hit you in the face with them and make you care. It’s an approach that has its strengths and weaknesses but it’s to Mack’s credit as a potboiler writer that I really did care about seedy journalist Pennington, wily Quinn, aloof Commander Reyes and his version of astute Captain Kirk … amongst a whole host of others. They are a good, diverse bunch to get to know, if a little clichéd and there’s no real depth here, just types.
However, the novel’s massive weakness is that it just tries to do much in too little space. Within the first 50 pages we’ve probably been introduced to ten characters with their own viewpoints and I was scrabbling around trying to remember who was who instead of appreciating their personalities and motivations. It all comes together eventually and the pace of the novel slows, but this quickfire introductory technique is a little flawed and for while a lot of the characters and the plot get a little lost within it. But yes, there’s plot too in there somewhere – taken as a standalone you could be forgiven for finding the plot a little disappointing, but as a first book in the series I was satisfied. Wheels are set spinning and whilst there’s a tying up of events of sorts towards the end it’s only really to keep those wheels rolling. It doesn’t make for a satisfying arc, but questions are asked and cursory answers are given and I feel that I want to know more on that score. Who is going to end up allying with whom since there are three major powers on the edge of a border vying for control of the district. The usually unaggressive Tholians have destroyed a federation starship, the Federation have discovered possibly a new type of life form, and the Klingons (whom I’m having great fun imagining in their 60s incarnation for some reason) … well, they just want to kill everyone, I think.
The book’s strengths are its weaknesses which is why I felt I had to mark it down. It’s a character chamber piece that doesn’t quite juggle the pieces, but it’s never boring to read, often funny, incorporates a lot of trek lore and made me feel right at home with it as an original fiction and as a tie in to a larger shared universe. That’s an impressive feat which makes it easily recommendable if you like Space Opera (hate that term, but hey) or light hearted science fiction – you don’t even really need to be a Trekkie to appreciate the positive aspects of the book; it may even turn you into one. This is a pleasant discovery and I’m looking forward to seeing where the story goes.
December 28, 2007
This is a really great start to what could be cool new series. Set during the original series era and on a starbase next to the Klingon-Tholian border, we follow a colorful cast of characters through the ups and downs of life on the frontier. Highlights include: Vulcan/Klingon lesbian sex, amazing starship combat, adultery, Kirk, etc. Great stuff.
April 11, 2020
The first book in a series set in a time very early in Kirk's captaincy of the Enterprise. The action is mostly set in a star base near the Klingon and Tholian border, and this is before the Organian treaty. While I enjoyed many aspects, it didn't all hang together.
The description of a major space battle was excellent. There are a lot of characters, and some of them fairly well drawn. It has a broader gender and species mix than a 60s television show. In fact this book reads like a television pilot - there is also a LOT of intrigue, and the station gangster seems a bit much. There is also a mystery here - and not enough said about that. Later books, I guess.
DS9 was visited by the Enterprise, so it makes sense to kick this one off with a visit by the Enterprise. This was early in Kirk's captaincy, and the references to "Pike's ship" were a nice fit. That said, the old series cast were a little... off. Kirk doesn't get his way. Scotty is outside his element, and quite off balance. Spock wasn't. Each loses out, in their way, to the new station personnel - and that doesn't feel right to me.
I have been writing a Star Trek role playing adventure set in this time period, so this is research, and I will read the other books. This series has several authors, and one goal was to "add geopolitical and cultural context" to the events of the series. I am hoping that means more than just cameos (such as Scotty's "green" beverage).
The description of a major space battle was excellent. There are a lot of characters, and some of them fairly well drawn. It has a broader gender and species mix than a 60s television show. In fact this book reads like a television pilot - there is also a LOT of intrigue, and the station gangster seems a bit much. There is also a mystery here - and not enough said about that. Later books, I guess.
DS9 was visited by the Enterprise, so it makes sense to kick this one off with a visit by the Enterprise. This was early in Kirk's captaincy, and the references to "Pike's ship" were a nice fit. That said, the old series cast were a little... off. Kirk doesn't get his way. Scotty is outside his element, and quite off balance. Spock wasn't. Each loses out, in their way, to the new station personnel - and that doesn't feel right to me.
I have been writing a Star Trek role playing adventure set in this time period, so this is research, and I will read the other books. This series has several authors, and one goal was to "add geopolitical and cultural context" to the events of the series. I am hoping that means more than just cameos (such as Scotty's "green" beverage).
September 22, 2014
An interesting tale, not centered on the Enterprise as most of the Star Trek fiction of this time, but still involving them. It spins an compelling story, managing to keep much of it hidden until I had a brainwave in the last half of the book as all of the pieces fell into place. There wasn't really a climax, but since this is book one of nine, I wasn't really expecting one. The epilogue sets things up nicely for the next book in the series.
March 28, 2019
I wasn't as blown away or instantly hooked by this as I wanted to be, but I am invested enough to try the next in the series. I think this could be because it feels less like a novel and more like a pilot for a TV series. Not much in and of itself, but the potential is definitely there.
July 23, 2018
As much as I love DS9, it never quite managed to really evoke the feel of what living on a massive space station would really feel like. Mack accomplishes that and much more here, effortlessly spinning an intricate web of characters whose interactions and relationships to one another fall like dominoes in an increasingly satisfying narrative which, while slightly anti-climactic, is nevertheless a magnificent starting chapter for this new miniseries. Highly recommended.
May 17, 2010
The promise shown in parts of The Sorrows of Empire Star Trek Mirror Universe (my review here) is proven in Harbinger. There are still portions that read episodically or as if he were just trying to put familiar TOS characters into a scene but overall the story moves along at a good pace and the writing's solid.
It takes place just after Enterprise's disastrous mission to the edge of the galaxy seen in the TOS episode "Where No Man Has Gone Before." A battered Enterprise is surprised to find a major starbase in the midst of the Taurus Reach, a frontier region between the Klingons and the Tholians far beyond the core systems of the Federation - Vanguard. The base is ostensibly there to protect UFP colonies in the region but its real mission is to trace the evidence for a previous civilization that left behind enigmatic artifacts and traces of advanced genetic engineering abilities. While Kirk and crew provide a framework, the focus of the book is on introducing a new cast of characters: Commodore Diego Reyes, the base's CO; Lt. Cmmdr. T'Prynn, the Vulcan security chief; Ambassador Jetanien; Lt. Ming Xiong, the young "expert" on the aliens; Dr. Ezekiel Fisher, CMO; Capt. Rana Desai, the base's JAG; Tim Pennington, a civilian journalist; Cervantes Quinn, an independent merchant along the lines of Cyrano Jones or Harry Mudd (though the humor of those characters is far more muted); Anna Sandesjo, a Klingon spy in the Ambassador's office; and Ganz, the Orion crimelord.
At the moment, I'm not particularly "taken" with any of them but none are unbelievable, they're all distinctive, and all are potentially interesting. And Mack can be an exciting writer. The doomed battle between Bombay and 6 Tholian ships is gripping and excellently paced.
I'm sure I missed most of the post-TOS inside jokes but Mack manages to almost seamlessly refer to little things that will pop up later in the series. The example I have in mind is a bottle of liquor Scotty picks up that's described by the drunken Orion who gives it to him as "green." As the true Trekkie knows, that bottle will surface in the episode "By Any Other Name," and will prove instrumental in distracting one of the Kelvans while Kirk saves the ship. When asked by Tomar what it is, Scotty replies, "It's green."
M'Benga, the human doctor who served in a Vulcan ward and shows up at least twice in TOS, makes an appearance and is, IMO, one of the less successful scenes - we really don't need to see him and he does nothing to advance the plot.
Of course, the reason I originally selected this novel over the myriad available nowadays is the promised Vulcan/Klingon lesbian sex scene. It's there; it's PG-13 at the most; and, having read Ceridwen's review of Skye O'Malley, I can't hope to compete but here it is:
It takes place just after Enterprise's disastrous mission to the edge of the galaxy seen in the TOS episode "Where No Man Has Gone Before." A battered Enterprise is surprised to find a major starbase in the midst of the Taurus Reach, a frontier region between the Klingons and the Tholians far beyond the core systems of the Federation - Vanguard. The base is ostensibly there to protect UFP colonies in the region but its real mission is to trace the evidence for a previous civilization that left behind enigmatic artifacts and traces of advanced genetic engineering abilities. While Kirk and crew provide a framework, the focus of the book is on introducing a new cast of characters: Commodore Diego Reyes, the base's CO; Lt. Cmmdr. T'Prynn, the Vulcan security chief; Ambassador Jetanien; Lt. Ming Xiong, the young "expert" on the aliens; Dr. Ezekiel Fisher, CMO; Capt. Rana Desai, the base's JAG; Tim Pennington, a civilian journalist; Cervantes Quinn, an independent merchant along the lines of Cyrano Jones or Harry Mudd (though the humor of those characters is far more muted); Anna Sandesjo, a Klingon spy in the Ambassador's office; and Ganz, the Orion crimelord.
At the moment, I'm not particularly "taken" with any of them but none are unbelievable, they're all distinctive, and all are potentially interesting. And Mack can be an exciting writer. The doomed battle between Bombay and 6 Tholian ships is gripping and excellently paced.
I'm sure I missed most of the post-TOS inside jokes but Mack manages to almost seamlessly refer to little things that will pop up later in the series. The example I have in mind is a bottle of liquor Scotty picks up that's described by the drunken Orion who gives it to him as "green." As the true Trekkie knows, that bottle will surface in the episode "By Any Other Name," and will prove instrumental in distracting one of the Kelvans while Kirk saves the ship. When asked by Tomar what it is, Scotty replies, "It's green."
M'Benga, the human doctor who served in a Vulcan ward and shows up at least twice in TOS, makes an appearance and is, IMO, one of the less successful scenes - we really don't need to see him and he does nothing to advance the plot.
Of course, the reason I originally selected this novel over the myriad available nowadays is the promised Vulcan/Klingon lesbian sex scene. It's there; it's PG-13 at the most; and, having read Ceridwen's review of Skye O'Malley, I can't hope to compete but here it is:
"`Good evening, Miss Sandesjo.'
She nodded politely, but her throat tightened. `Commander.'
T'Prynn walked in uninvited. The door closed behind her. Standing in front of Sandesjo, she drummed her fingertips once on the closed lid of the briefcase. `Working late?'
`Just finished,' she said.
`Good.' Moving with exaggerated slowness as if to prolong the moment, T'Prynn circled the table, trailing her right index finger along its edge. Her fingernail left a subtle gouge in the table's varnish. `Then I am free to take my time.'
Sandesjo was convinced that T'Prynn's dark brown eyes were staring clean through her pseudo-identity. The lithe Vulcan woman, who was slightly taller than Sandesjo to bein with, took advantage of the fact that the younger woman was seated and loomed over her. `Some things are best done by degrees,' T'Prynn said. `Do you concur?'
Sandesjo stared back with equal intensity. `Absolutely.'
T'Prynn's hand shot forward and grasped a fistful of Sandesjo's auburn hair. Sandesjo grabbed T'Prynn's arm and dug her fingernails into the skin. Twisting Sandesjo's hair as she pulled, T'Prynn yanked her, shrieking, from her chair and slammed her, back-first, against the wall.
The Vulcan woman's kiss was rough and hungry. Sandesjo reveled in it until their lips parted. They both breathed heavily and eyed each other through chaotic locks of ferally tousled hair. Sandesjo gasped for breath through a delighted smile. `You're early, my love.'
Saying nothing, T'Prynn gave Sandesjo's hair another hard, aphrodisiacal twist and kissed her again. Blissfully surrendering into her lover's embrace, Sandesjo savored the irony that not only had she forsaken Klingon tradition for the touch of other women, but that of all the women she might have loved she had lost her heart to a Vulcan.
Breaking free of the devouring kiss, T'Prynn tugged on Sandesjo's sleeve and, moving with the languid grace of a slow-dancing flame, led her toward the bedroom.
The inevitable, eternal reproach of her ancestors haunted Sandesjo's thoughts: They will never let me enter Sto-Vo-Kor. Sinking into the bed beside T'Prynn, however, she decided that the dishonor of her next life would be a small price to pay for such a love in this one.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 3, 2019
great, though mostly for that scene with the Bombay, for Pennington and Quinn
March 15, 2021
Unfortunately the rest of this series can be hard to find in print anymore. Maybe will be released as ebooks, many of the Trek books are now.
June 5, 2021
Great Read
Great read for any trekky. I enjoyed the curves and bumps that leave you waiting for the next turn. This book will leave you on the edge of your seat as you join Kirk and a few other familiar faces whilst exploring the secret Vanguard holds tight
Great read for any trekky. I enjoyed the curves and bumps that leave you waiting for the next turn. This book will leave you on the edge of your seat as you join Kirk and a few other familiar faces whilst exploring the secret Vanguard holds tight
Read
March 19, 2020Well, I've decided to pick up David Mack's VANGUARD series after reading watching the latest season of STAR TREK: DISCOVERY. I really liked his fusion of both the Original Series era with the 2017 CBS series, having only a few seams showing in the resulting stitching up of the two franchise sections. So, I was intrigued by the possibilities of a series seemingly based on combining the premise of DS9 (a long-range space station on the frontier of Federation Space) with the time period of the Original Series. So, how did it work? Remarkably well, actually, and Discovery could take a number of lessons from David Mack on how to write "dark" Trek.
Indeed, this is the darkest incarceration of Star Trek I can remember reading and it does so without the "Space Whale" elements of armies of cyborg zombies or scary dogmatic aliens who hate humans. Instead, what makes Vanguard dark and personal is the human stories (even for the aliens) which are going on. The space station Vanguard is a place where the humans of Roddenberry's enlightened future are nasty, meanspirited, lost, confused, and full of all too believable emotional trauma. The fact Kirk, Uhura, and Spock find the place deeply unpleasant during their short visit also nicely establishes it's not a revisionist take on the Federation but it's THIS SPECIFIC PLACE which is the Mos Eisley of their territory.
HARBINGER works essentially like an anthology of collected stories. We have Commodore Reyes, who is the fuming admiral who clearly hates his position on the Vanguard despite the fact he has convinced himself it's of vital Federation importance. We have T'Prynn, a Vulcan intelligence agent whose life was ruined by the culture which raised her. She's also a lesbian or bisexual character in literature which is still catching up for the show. Then there's my favorite character of Pennington, who is a crusading reporter in an adulterous affair that both seem like are things which shouldn't be needed in the 23rd century. The only character I really didn't warm to was Cervantes Quinn who seems a bit like a much-less competent Han Solo (or a much-more competent Harry Mudd) wandered into the Trek universe.
The premise of the first book is Starfleet has constructed Vanguard to secure their position against Klingon and Tholian Space (or possibly something bigger). While sending out one of their ships, it gets destroyed by the Tholians and a government cover-up is enacted to prevent war with the former. Because if the Federation goes to war with the Tholians, they'll be easy pickings for the Klingons and vice versa. This ties into everyone else's story because Quinn stole the materials which the starship was replacing, Pennington is lovers with one of the dead crewmen, and Reyes is the architect of the cover-up with T'Prynn as his agent.
I found T'Prynn the most interesting of the characters and enjoyable even though she seemed the most like a book character. I love the idea of a Vulcan who has just been utterly screwed over by her culture from birth until present. I also like the fact she's an amateur jazz piano player because that's just a character quirk which says so much about the character. Watching her handle Reyes' dirty work while maintaining her Vulcan stoicism worked well.
I also very much like the dualistic cowardly and crusading elements of Pennington. In the 21st century, being exposed as an adulterer is bad but hardly life-destroying but he's terrified of it and goes to elaborate lengths to cover it up. He also is outraged by Starfleet's various actions and cover-ups but is less concerned about actually revealing the truth than the "Big Scoop." He's a mass of contradictions and I like the implications he's just a terrible selfish person in his marriage but an excellent journalist. Still, it makes you wonder what Orianna (his lover) ever saw in him.
This feels very much like the set up for a new series with original characters and very little in the way of guest stars from the canon. There's a few but they're not central. Instead, the book asks us to go on a ride with an entirely new set of heroes and a tone much darker and more "realistic" than Trek normally goes. Much to my surprise, I'm entirely onboard and fascinated with the stories of its flawed and human cast (even the nonhumans).
In conclusion, I really loved this book and will be picking up the other installments of the series. I like the handling of Starfleet and the Federation's politics in this time period. It's a little more off-beat and less utopian but not so much as to be unrecognizable. I think the troubled protagonists really bring out the heart of this story and the darker, more militaristic realpolitic motivated Starfleet causes the story to have more stakes. You don't think these guys will do the right thing and yet when they don't, it's still surprising
Indeed, this is the darkest incarceration of Star Trek I can remember reading and it does so without the "Space Whale" elements of armies of cyborg zombies or scary dogmatic aliens who hate humans. Instead, what makes Vanguard dark and personal is the human stories (even for the aliens) which are going on. The space station Vanguard is a place where the humans of Roddenberry's enlightened future are nasty, meanspirited, lost, confused, and full of all too believable emotional trauma. The fact Kirk, Uhura, and Spock find the place deeply unpleasant during their short visit also nicely establishes it's not a revisionist take on the Federation but it's THIS SPECIFIC PLACE which is the Mos Eisley of their territory.
HARBINGER works essentially like an anthology of collected stories. We have Commodore Reyes, who is the fuming admiral who clearly hates his position on the Vanguard despite the fact he has convinced himself it's of vital Federation importance. We have T'Prynn, a Vulcan intelligence agent whose life was ruined by the culture which raised her. She's also a lesbian or bisexual character in literature which is still catching up for the show. Then there's my favorite character of Pennington, who is a crusading reporter in an adulterous affair that both seem like are things which shouldn't be needed in the 23rd century. The only character I really didn't warm to was Cervantes Quinn who seems a bit like a much-less competent Han Solo (or a much-more competent Harry Mudd) wandered into the Trek universe.
The premise of the first book is Starfleet has constructed Vanguard to secure their position against Klingon and Tholian Space (or possibly something bigger). While sending out one of their ships, it gets destroyed by the Tholians and a government cover-up is enacted to prevent war with the former. Because if the Federation goes to war with the Tholians, they'll be easy pickings for the Klingons and vice versa. This ties into everyone else's story because Quinn stole the materials which the starship was replacing, Pennington is lovers with one of the dead crewmen, and Reyes is the architect of the cover-up with T'Prynn as his agent.
I found T'Prynn the most interesting of the characters and enjoyable even though she seemed the most like a book character. I love the idea of a Vulcan who has just been utterly screwed over by her culture from birth until present. I also like the fact she's an amateur jazz piano player because that's just a character quirk which says so much about the character. Watching her handle Reyes' dirty work while maintaining her Vulcan stoicism worked well.
I also very much like the dualistic cowardly and crusading elements of Pennington. In the 21st century, being exposed as an adulterer is bad but hardly life-destroying but he's terrified of it and goes to elaborate lengths to cover it up. He also is outraged by Starfleet's various actions and cover-ups but is less concerned about actually revealing the truth than the "Big Scoop." He's a mass of contradictions and I like the implications he's just a terrible selfish person in his marriage but an excellent journalist. Still, it makes you wonder what Orianna (his lover) ever saw in him.
This feels very much like the set up for a new series with original characters and very little in the way of guest stars from the canon. There's a few but they're not central. Instead, the book asks us to go on a ride with an entirely new set of heroes and a tone much darker and more "realistic" than Trek normally goes. Much to my surprise, I'm entirely onboard and fascinated with the stories of its flawed and human cast (even the nonhumans).
In conclusion, I really loved this book and will be picking up the other installments of the series. I like the handling of Starfleet and the Federation's politics in this time period. It's a little more off-beat and less utopian but not so much as to be unrecognizable. I think the troubled protagonists really bring out the heart of this story and the darker, more militaristic realpolitic motivated Starfleet causes the story to have more stakes. You don't think these guys will do the right thing and yet when they don't, it's still surprising
December 24, 2013
“Harbinger” by David Mack is the first novel in the Vanguard series, a collection of novels set in the Star Trek Universe around the same time period as the Original Series. This series of novels does not utilise Enterprise or its regular crew beyond the odd cameo, instead it uses a whole new cast of characters and is set on Starbase 47 aka Vanguard.
Anyway, the events of this novel take placed just after the TOS Episode "Where No Man Has Gone Before" and features the Enterprise heading to Starbase 47 for repairs following the events contained in that episode. However the Commander of Vanguard and his crew have more to worry about than just assisting with the repair of the Enterprise as they have colonists to support, ships to prepare and two other spacefaring Empires right on their doorstep who may not appreciate the Federation’s presence.
I am going to come right and say that the most difficult aspect of reading this book was trying to appreciate all the new characters. As this is a whole new crew I didn’t know anything about any of them and it took me a bit of time to get them all straight in my head which did lead to some confusion. Also, the limited time given to each of them means you can’t fully appreciate who they really are yet. In the end however, I realised that I had just had to treat this as the pilot episode, it is mainly here to introduce you to these new characters and at least give you some basic appreciation for who they are. I fully expect future novels to enhance the characters and give them greater depth.
Despite the negatives highlighted above in regards to the large ensemble cast I have to say that Mack has created a group of characters who feel realistic with their flaws and imperfections quite clearly showcased. In addition, I appreciated their variety as we get to see civilian points of view in addition to Starfleet and even the Starfleet crew are varied with a legal officer included for example which felt rather different. I basically found myself warming to most of the characters quite quickly and I particularly enjoyed following the antics of Cervantes Quinn a trader/smuggler who despite his criminal leanings, had elements of compassion within his persona. A final thing that struck me as the various characters were introduced is that Mack has realised there is a multitude of ethnicities within humanity itself and has tried to include a nice prominent mix within the novel which was nice to see.
In regards to the story itself, well of course people are going to compare this with DS9 or Babylon 5 as the similarities are quite obvious. I really did feel the influence of these shows quite strongly with the frontier space station, flawed characters and an overall mystery which could result in various spacefaring empires going to war. The only issue is that the book itself doesn’t really contain a standalone story, there was lots of set up with some good plot twists and action sequences but there was no real heart to the novel itself. It wasn’t a big problem for me as I am jumping straight into the next novel but as a standalone book “Harbinger” itself didn’t really leave me feeling that satisfied.
Overall, this book has the feeling of being a setup for the series in that it introduces the characters and gives us a taster of some overall mystery that is going to be uncovered as the reader progresses through the other novels. It was without doubt a nice introduction but I do wish that there had been at least some sort of decent standalone plot element as there was no real satisfying conclusion to the novel itself. In the end, this initial glimpse of the characters and the overall story arc were more than enough to get me hooked on the series which is without doubt its aim, so on that front it is a success.
Anyway, the events of this novel take placed just after the TOS Episode "Where No Man Has Gone Before" and features the Enterprise heading to Starbase 47 for repairs following the events contained in that episode. However the Commander of Vanguard and his crew have more to worry about than just assisting with the repair of the Enterprise as they have colonists to support, ships to prepare and two other spacefaring Empires right on their doorstep who may not appreciate the Federation’s presence.
I am going to come right and say that the most difficult aspect of reading this book was trying to appreciate all the new characters. As this is a whole new crew I didn’t know anything about any of them and it took me a bit of time to get them all straight in my head which did lead to some confusion. Also, the limited time given to each of them means you can’t fully appreciate who they really are yet. In the end however, I realised that I had just had to treat this as the pilot episode, it is mainly here to introduce you to these new characters and at least give you some basic appreciation for who they are. I fully expect future novels to enhance the characters and give them greater depth.
Despite the negatives highlighted above in regards to the large ensemble cast I have to say that Mack has created a group of characters who feel realistic with their flaws and imperfections quite clearly showcased. In addition, I appreciated their variety as we get to see civilian points of view in addition to Starfleet and even the Starfleet crew are varied with a legal officer included for example which felt rather different. I basically found myself warming to most of the characters quite quickly and I particularly enjoyed following the antics of Cervantes Quinn a trader/smuggler who despite his criminal leanings, had elements of compassion within his persona. A final thing that struck me as the various characters were introduced is that Mack has realised there is a multitude of ethnicities within humanity itself and has tried to include a nice prominent mix within the novel which was nice to see.
In regards to the story itself, well of course people are going to compare this with DS9 or Babylon 5 as the similarities are quite obvious. I really did feel the influence of these shows quite strongly with the frontier space station, flawed characters and an overall mystery which could result in various spacefaring empires going to war. The only issue is that the book itself doesn’t really contain a standalone story, there was lots of set up with some good plot twists and action sequences but there was no real heart to the novel itself. It wasn’t a big problem for me as I am jumping straight into the next novel but as a standalone book “Harbinger” itself didn’t really leave me feeling that satisfied.
Overall, this book has the feeling of being a setup for the series in that it introduces the characters and gives us a taster of some overall mystery that is going to be uncovered as the reader progresses through the other novels. It was without doubt a nice introduction but I do wish that there had been at least some sort of decent standalone plot element as there was no real satisfying conclusion to the novel itself. In the end, this initial glimpse of the characters and the overall story arc were more than enough to get me hooked on the series which is without doubt its aim, so on that front it is a success.
January 8, 2013
After reading the reviews of this book, I was actually shocked to find myself in the minority of loving it.
I think people are a bit too hard. When I read a Star Trek book, I have images in my head that liken to a TV Show, and because of that, the little mini climaxes that build on each other don't bother me. Nor do the myriad of characters thrown at you. And that's the other thing, people talk about how this would be a good pilot. Well guess what? It is a pilot! It's the first book in a series, that will build upon previous books.
Now there were alot of weird plot things happening, and yes, even a Klingon/Vulcan lesbian sex scene, and yes there were affairs, but really, that doesn't distract from the story at all.
The book takes place just after the TOS Episode "Where No Man Has Gone Before" and features a battered Enterprise going in for repairs on the mysterious Starbase 47 (Vanguard), and being caught up in a conspiracy/cover-up regarding the destruction of the USS Bombay. While Kirk/Spock and the crew are in the book, they don't make up a ton of it, but play a pivotal role in the discovery of what happened to the Bombay.
I really enjoyed the characters and how they were written, and I want to know how everything melds together. At the time of my review the entire series has wrapped up, so I'll be reading all of it soon.
I think people are a bit too hard. When I read a Star Trek book, I have images in my head that liken to a TV Show, and because of that, the little mini climaxes that build on each other don't bother me. Nor do the myriad of characters thrown at you. And that's the other thing, people talk about how this would be a good pilot. Well guess what? It is a pilot! It's the first book in a series, that will build upon previous books.
Now there were alot of weird plot things happening, and yes, even a Klingon/Vulcan lesbian sex scene, and yes there were affairs, but really, that doesn't distract from the story at all.
The book takes place just after the TOS Episode "Where No Man Has Gone Before" and features a battered Enterprise going in for repairs on the mysterious Starbase 47 (Vanguard), and being caught up in a conspiracy/cover-up regarding the destruction of the USS Bombay. While Kirk/Spock and the crew are in the book, they don't make up a ton of it, but play a pivotal role in the discovery of what happened to the Bombay.
I really enjoyed the characters and how they were written, and I want to know how everything melds together. At the time of my review the entire series has wrapped up, so I'll be reading all of it soon.
May 16, 2015
This is a great start to what I think will probably be my favorite ST series. It read more like a pilot, establishing people, places & things. I read one review prior to reading this novel that described the Vanguard series as what Star Trek would be like if it were a series airing on HBO. That being said this novel sheds a little more light on the very harsh, very deadly reality of life on the final frontier surrounded by adversity. It's my opinion that David Mack is the best Star Trek writer currently writing & maybe of all time. Mack does it all perfect,...dialog/character interaction, political intrigue, action sequences, all revolving around a highly compelling story populated by characters that are good, bad & somewhere in between. It's also written in a way that the reader can tell the author truly loves Star Trek & is very familiar with the Star Trek universe. This was just a really fun book that had a kind of edge to it that made it very hard to put down. Highly recommend!
August 6, 2016
Reading Mack is like sailing down a highway in a sleek limosine, filled to the glass with engaging characters. Then, you hit the potholes. The otherwise energetic writing is littered with cheesy cliches and tired expressions that I found to be distracting from the building tension. The ideas behind the series are creative. I finished the book feeling hungry for more answers and resolution, but its the kick-off to a series and is supposed to end with a stinger that makes you come back. The most interesting character, an ancient alien that was dormant until awakened, was introduced in the epilogue. It punted the most interesting storyline to the next book.
This book needed more Kirk and Spock, who felt more like side characters. A fun read. Keep expectations modest and you'll enjoy yourself. I am on the fence about reading the next book in the series, but the ancient alien is intriguing.
This book needed more Kirk and Spock, who felt more like side characters. A fun read. Keep expectations modest and you'll enjoy yourself. I am on the fence about reading the next book in the series, but the ancient alien is intriguing.
June 30, 2020
This book is still great all these years later. Be advised that the ebook does not have the Vanguard diagrams like the paper copy, so if you are choosing between versions, I would pick the paper one.
June 16, 2022
Star Trek - Harbinger by David Mack is a prequel series to the Original Star Trek tv show, called the Vanguard series since all the action involves Vanguard Station. Vanguard Station is Starfleet's furthermost station in the Federation, the station is in-between two enemies the Klingons and the Tholians and also a warp lane to the new frontier. This story is full of political intrigue and introduces a lot of characters. This is a ensemble story about corruption the USS Enterprise plays a part of it but can't say it is the main focus. I know this will disappoint some seeing Kirk and Spock as part of an ensemble than the leads. I did not mind it and liked the new characters that all have their own agendas. The Vanguard series is 9 books and this first one set up a lot, of characters and a lot of conflict some that was resolved and some to come. Since this book has so many characters the only crew members of the USS Enterprise that we have any interaction with are Kirk, Spock, Uhura, and Scotty ( the book does mention that the new doctor McCoy will join them soon, all other crew members are not mentioned). I was happy to see a new female character that is a total bad ass and is the root of a lot of conflict. The novel has two LGTBQ characters, I like what it adds to both characters who are both from different alien races. I liked a majority of the story lines for new characters and how they intertwined with others, the plot was complex and made me read a couple things over, but overall I was entertained and want to read the next novel.
The Plot: In 2263 a Starfleet ship makes a discovery of a possible new species with an incredible DNA make up as they're headed home. Just two years later the Vanguard Space Station is built near the discovery. The discovery has been made secret as Starfleet has setup the space station as a peace deterrent between two species The Klingon and The Tholians, but really the station was set up so the federation can research and keep the two species from finding and using it. The USS Enterprise has just docked at the station, and already is indirectly involved in the cover up, will Kirk and Spock realize they are pawns in this game of chess?
What I Liked: I like the political intrigue, it was written really well and I feel I got all sides of it, Starfllets side, the Underworld's side, Klinglon's Side, Tholian's side, and the scientist's side. There was a really clever plot twist that I did not see coming that kind blew me away. Of the non USS Enterprise side charcter's I loved the journalist Tim Pennington (which this character is supposed to be who the school on Deep Space Nine was named after) and I loved the Vulcan T'Prynn who is one of the strongest new character's to this series. For the brief LGTBQ storyline I liked how it was two different alien races and we get them to think how are they going to be accepted by their race. The cast is very international and inner species.
What I Disliked: We didn't get enough of Uhura she has one scene that was almost all exposition, she deserves better than that. The dialogue was stale in some places, mainly when character use idioms, and there far too many idioms used in this novel.
Recommendation: I recommend you check this novel out. I think it is a good intro to the Star Trek novel universe, since it does not focus on solely on the Star Trek crew. I think people that just want to have a Kirk and Spock adventure might be a little disappointed, but when Scotty, Kirk and Spock make an appearance it is a good time. I thought this story was a good mix of both Chris Pine and William Shatner's Kirk, wile Spock was all Leonard Nimoy. I rated Star Trek - Harbinger by David Mack 4 out of 5 stars.
The Plot: In 2263 a Starfleet ship makes a discovery of a possible new species with an incredible DNA make up as they're headed home. Just two years later the Vanguard Space Station is built near the discovery. The discovery has been made secret as Starfleet has setup the space station as a peace deterrent between two species The Klingon and The Tholians, but really the station was set up so the federation can research and keep the two species from finding and using it. The USS Enterprise has just docked at the station, and already is indirectly involved in the cover up, will Kirk and Spock realize they are pawns in this game of chess?
What I Liked: I like the political intrigue, it was written really well and I feel I got all sides of it, Starfllets side, the Underworld's side, Klinglon's Side, Tholian's side, and the scientist's side. There was a really clever plot twist that I did not see coming that kind blew me away. Of the non USS Enterprise side charcter's I loved the journalist Tim Pennington (which this character is supposed to be who the school on Deep Space Nine was named after) and I loved the Vulcan T'Prynn who is one of the strongest new character's to this series. For the brief LGTBQ storyline I liked how it was two different alien races and we get them to think how are they going to be accepted by their race. The cast is very international and inner species.
What I Disliked: We didn't get enough of Uhura she has one scene that was almost all exposition, she deserves better than that. The dialogue was stale in some places, mainly when character use idioms, and there far too many idioms used in this novel.
Recommendation: I recommend you check this novel out. I think it is a good intro to the Star Trek novel universe, since it does not focus on solely on the Star Trek crew. I think people that just want to have a Kirk and Spock adventure might be a little disappointed, but when Scotty, Kirk and Spock make an appearance it is a good time. I thought this story was a good mix of both Chris Pine and William Shatner's Kirk, wile Spock was all Leonard Nimoy. I rated Star Trek - Harbinger by David Mack 4 out of 5 stars.
March 9, 2020
I've been looking for a Trek series that doesn't focus on primary TV characters for quite a while. I thought I had found it with New Frontier, which started out good but eventually delved into soap opera-esc drama. I've read the last two Titan books and really enjoyed them, but the previous stories didn't sound as interesting to me. Now we come to Vanguard. Overall the reviews are good, so I decided to give it a shot, but there were a few comments that gave me pause:
Several reviewers mentioned how pretty much every character was having some sort of sordid love affair. Those comments are quite exaggerated, and the few characters who are sneaking around didn't bother me since karma catches up with them. Others pointed out how everyone acts like modern day Earth folk, forgetting this universe takes place a couple centuries in the future when humanity overcame such things for the most part. While I have taken note that ST gets further and further away from Gene's vision with each story (look at DIS & PIC for evidence of this), present day behavior can be found in all Trek series, just more so now. Then there's the criticism of introducing too many new characters. Well, yes, I agree... not to mention that most of the characters aren't very interesting. I get this is the 'pilot' episode, so to speak, so I'm not too bent out of shape by the crowd of new people. However, David Mack (DM) didn't have to throw out everyone so soon, and if he cut the Enterprise crew scenes in half (despite them capturing my attention above the rest) then more of the new ones would've had room to breathe and feel like real people rather than caricatures.
SPOILERS AHEAD! - What stood out to me the most; a scene which I seem to be the only person to take issue with, was what happened to the USS Bombay. They were attacked by six Tholian ships and left for dead while those ships turned to bomb a secret SF base. They were completely out gunned, so why then did they go on the attack when it appeared the Tholians were done with them? Who were they fighting for? Their ship was in shambles, half the crew was probably already dead, and the base they were delivering supplies to destroyed. The scene was well written; DM excels at writing action, but this wasn't heroism, it was needless suicide. It's fairly obvious that DM is a Trek fan, but he seemed to have conveniently overlooked some important lore just to shoehorn in unnecessary drama.
A few things I did like were a couple of the new characters; namely Quinn and the Ambassador whose name escapes me (Jetenian?). Quinn is your run of the mill thief/smuggler, but it was amusing to watch him get pulled in multiple directions at once, usually when he's about to take a drink of his beloved tequila. The Ambassador is just snarky/sarcastic, which makes me smile when done well. The other is the detail put into Vanguard itself. Although my book is missing the promised foldouts, I can still picture the place quite effectively.
Regardless, if you are looking for an off the beaten path series within the original ST universe, the Vanguard series may be for you. I think those who enjoy the new shows in particular may like this series and characters. I haven't decided if I'll continue with the next installment yet, but I don't regret picking this one up.
Several reviewers mentioned how pretty much every character was having some sort of sordid love affair. Those comments are quite exaggerated, and the few characters who are sneaking around didn't bother me since karma catches up with them. Others pointed out how everyone acts like modern day Earth folk, forgetting this universe takes place a couple centuries in the future when humanity overcame such things for the most part. While I have taken note that ST gets further and further away from Gene's vision with each story (look at DIS & PIC for evidence of this), present day behavior can be found in all Trek series, just more so now. Then there's the criticism of introducing too many new characters. Well, yes, I agree... not to mention that most of the characters aren't very interesting. I get this is the 'pilot' episode, so to speak, so I'm not too bent out of shape by the crowd of new people. However, David Mack (DM) didn't have to throw out everyone so soon, and if he cut the Enterprise crew scenes in half (despite them capturing my attention above the rest) then more of the new ones would've had room to breathe and feel like real people rather than caricatures.
SPOILERS AHEAD! - What stood out to me the most; a scene which I seem to be the only person to take issue with, was what happened to the USS Bombay. They were attacked by six Tholian ships and left for dead while those ships turned to bomb a secret SF base. They were completely out gunned, so why then did they go on the attack when it appeared the Tholians were done with them? Who were they fighting for? Their ship was in shambles, half the crew was probably already dead, and the base they were delivering supplies to destroyed. The scene was well written; DM excels at writing action, but this wasn't heroism, it was needless suicide. It's fairly obvious that DM is a Trek fan, but he seemed to have conveniently overlooked some important lore just to shoehorn in unnecessary drama.
A few things I did like were a couple of the new characters; namely Quinn and the Ambassador whose name escapes me (Jetenian?). Quinn is your run of the mill thief/smuggler, but it was amusing to watch him get pulled in multiple directions at once, usually when he's about to take a drink of his beloved tequila. The Ambassador is just snarky/sarcastic, which makes me smile when done well. The other is the detail put into Vanguard itself. Although my book is missing the promised foldouts, I can still picture the place quite effectively.
Regardless, if you are looking for an off the beaten path series within the original ST universe, the Vanguard series may be for you. I think those who enjoy the new shows in particular may like this series and characters. I haven't decided if I'll continue with the next installment yet, but I don't regret picking this one up.
September 14, 2014
This was actually my third time reading this book - but the first time I actually felt like writing a review...
Harbinger is the first part of a books-only Trek-series.
It's set on the huge space station Vanguard in the Taurus Reach, a region of space remote from the rest of Federation territory and neighbouring Klingon and Tholian space. Because of its remote location it's unusual for Starfleet to construct a station of Vanguard's calibre but the recent finding of a mysterious set of genome and artifacts that point to an advanced civilization warranted its existence. But Starfleet's keeping its investigations a secret and strictly need-to-know basis, and uses legitimate colonization projects as its cover. The Klingons are intrigued by Starfleet's advance and follow them into the Taurus Reach curious about what's out there, the Tholians dismayed because this region of space harbors a secret to their existence. And so, Vanguard's also used as a meeting-place for diplomatic envoys for all 3 powers.
The main protagonists:
* Commodore Diego Reyes is the commander of Vanguard - of both its legitimate and its secret operation. He's the former captain of the USS Dauntless, his then first officer Hallie Gannon is now the captain of the Bombay, his oldest friend, Dr Fisher, is still serving with him on Vanguard. But he's not at liberty to read them in on Vanguard's mission. He's originally from Luna, divorced (his wife was a telepath) and is struggling with the knowledge that his mother's dying of a debilitating disease but he's too far from home to reach her in time. He's also involved with Rana Desai who also doesn't know about Operation Vanguard.
* Lt Commander T'Prynn is Vanguard's liaison officer to Starfleet Intelligence. She's a Vulcan, cooly logical but also deeply passionate. Unknown to anyone she's struggling with her late fiancé's katra which he deposited within her during his dying moments in the ritual combat during pon farr. But even before she found the dichotomy of Vulcan customs - advocating peace but learning martial arts, teaching independence but bonding at a young age, denying emotions - hard to live by. She's involved with Anna Sandesjo, a Klingon spy among the Federation diplomatic envoy who she uses for her purposes, and she coopts Cervantes Quinn into her services. The mission is above everything - and she's willing to go to any lengths to preserve its secrecy.
* Lt. Ming Xiong is an archaeology and anthropology officer who specialised in the findings in the Taurus Reach and hopes to uncover their secrets.
* Ambassador Jetanien is the fourth person on the station to know about Operation Vanguard. He's the head of the Federation diplomatic envoy.
* Cervantes Quinn is a mercenary, more often than not drunk and broke, indebted to the Orion merchantman Ganz. His failed mission to steal a sensor screen on Ravanar set events in motion which led to the destruction of the USS Bombay. No one knows of his involvement, save for T'Prynn who uses her knowledge to secure Quinn's services.
* Tim Pennington is a reporter with the Federation News Service. He's also involved with the pilot of the Bombay, Oriana D'Amato. After her death he stumbles upon a conversation between T'Prynn and Quinn and begins to investigate the true reasons for the Bombay's destruction.
* Captain Rana Desai is the head of Vanguard's JAG division, she's not been read in on Operation Vanguard but starts an official inquiry into Reyes' actions after the Bombay's destruction.
Every new Trek-series has been sent off by an existing crew - that's why the Enterprise makes port at Vanguard for repairs after their disastrous mission to the Galactic Barrier ("Where No Man Has Gone Before") and is then subsequently coopted to investigate the destruction of the USS Bombay on a supply run to an outpost at Ravanar after its sensor screen was destroyed. The senior officers are then read in, and even discover a probable planet that could also house Shedai artifacts and traces of the meta-genome with Erilon.
As said before, this was my third run through this book - and this time I enjoyed it immensely. Perhaps it's knowing what will happen, perhaps it's knowing that some actions taken here have consequences and justice indeed has a very long memory, whatever it is, I appreciated the little details as much as the broader strokes of the background story. The only thing I could have done without was Enterprise, or in this case Scotty, discovering that the artifact on Ravanar was a subspace array... and he didn't even have all the facts but only scans of the array mostly destroyed after the Tholian attack. Good to know that many of Starfleet's "finest" (even Xiong in this case) are idiots. And the other thing is Ganz/the Orions. Their presence lends a bit of a DS9-atmosphere if you will - and of course Ganz's ship will have its uses later on, but, I don't know, they don't really serve a purpose right now save to intimidate Quinn and give him a hand at going to places where he could be of use to T'Prynn. They are just ordinary thugs and as such take too much space in the story (even in a later book when Ganz's ship becomes a major location).
Knowing what will happen definitely put another spin on reading those first glimpses into Reyes and T'Prynn. I didn't remember Reyes being portrayed in such... well... human way. He's flawed, impatient, desperate and isolated, but also driven and dedicated. He loses 2 people of personal importance to him in this book, not to forget a whole ship under his command. His actions are under investigation, and he starts to question himself as a leader and a human-being. He starts to wonder what he's going to leave behind. I think what I remembered most of my 2 previous read-throughts were his impatience, his unwillingness to read people in, and, of course, his condoning Pennington's ruin. But did he actually have a real choice in all of this? Of course, he could have set the facts straight and confirmed Pennington's version... but it was an impossible choice to make, faced with war against the Tholians. I really liked his speech at the memorial service as this is the one moment in this book where Reyes has to face all the people under his command - and all those who rely on him to make the right decisions. And he is right - not only will the deaths of the Bombay's crew be judged by what the survivors make of that sacrifice, so will his actions be judged by history.
Call it selective memory, but I was really astonished by the insights into T'Prynn's character in particular but also into Vulcan society as a whole. As logical as they claim to be, suppressing a part of yourself is deeply illogical. Granted it might have led to peace on Vulcan, but how can "a life in emotional atrophy" be satisfying for a species? And shouldn't it be logical for Vulcans to find a way to live with their emotions? T'Prynn, denied any other release by upbringing, education and tragedy, finds ways to cope - music and her lover Anna Sandesjo. But I wonder if her inner struggle didn't damage her moral compass as well. Was there no other way to contain the situation but to ruin Pennington? Spock's wondering the same thing and in very effective scene questions T'Prynn.
Cervantes Quinn's sad existence leads directly to the Bombay's destruction and to Pennington's ruin. Now he's a puppet of 2 masters, and he's on the way to redemption for at least one of his bad deeds. And Pennington doesn't even know yet why Quinn offered him a place on the Rocinante...
Overall, Harbinger is one hell of a pilot to this new series. It shows a Starfleet that is willing to cross lines in T'Prynn, but also in keeping its operations and findings secret in order to be able to one-up their neighbours, it offers an enemy that's awakened due to the actions of curious scientists, and it shows that actions, however innocently taken, have consequences - on a small scale but also on a broad scale. Quite a colorful and nuanced picture Mack is painting here, perhaps a bit darker than what Star Trek has shown up until now. 9/10
Harbinger is the first part of a books-only Trek-series.
It's set on the huge space station Vanguard in the Taurus Reach, a region of space remote from the rest of Federation territory and neighbouring Klingon and Tholian space. Because of its remote location it's unusual for Starfleet to construct a station of Vanguard's calibre but the recent finding of a mysterious set of genome and artifacts that point to an advanced civilization warranted its existence. But Starfleet's keeping its investigations a secret and strictly need-to-know basis, and uses legitimate colonization projects as its cover. The Klingons are intrigued by Starfleet's advance and follow them into the Taurus Reach curious about what's out there, the Tholians dismayed because this region of space harbors a secret to their existence. And so, Vanguard's also used as a meeting-place for diplomatic envoys for all 3 powers.
The main protagonists:
* Commodore Diego Reyes is the commander of Vanguard - of both its legitimate and its secret operation. He's the former captain of the USS Dauntless, his then first officer Hallie Gannon is now the captain of the Bombay, his oldest friend, Dr Fisher, is still serving with him on Vanguard. But he's not at liberty to read them in on Vanguard's mission. He's originally from Luna, divorced (his wife was a telepath) and is struggling with the knowledge that his mother's dying of a debilitating disease but he's too far from home to reach her in time. He's also involved with Rana Desai who also doesn't know about Operation Vanguard.
* Lt Commander T'Prynn is Vanguard's liaison officer to Starfleet Intelligence. She's a Vulcan, cooly logical but also deeply passionate. Unknown to anyone she's struggling with her late fiancé's katra which he deposited within her during his dying moments in the ritual combat during pon farr. But even before she found the dichotomy of Vulcan customs - advocating peace but learning martial arts, teaching independence but bonding at a young age, denying emotions - hard to live by. She's involved with Anna Sandesjo, a Klingon spy among the Federation diplomatic envoy who she uses for her purposes, and she coopts Cervantes Quinn into her services. The mission is above everything - and she's willing to go to any lengths to preserve its secrecy.
* Lt. Ming Xiong is an archaeology and anthropology officer who specialised in the findings in the Taurus Reach and hopes to uncover their secrets.
* Ambassador Jetanien is the fourth person on the station to know about Operation Vanguard. He's the head of the Federation diplomatic envoy.
* Cervantes Quinn is a mercenary, more often than not drunk and broke, indebted to the Orion merchantman Ganz. His failed mission to steal a sensor screen on Ravanar set events in motion which led to the destruction of the USS Bombay. No one knows of his involvement, save for T'Prynn who uses her knowledge to secure Quinn's services.
* Tim Pennington is a reporter with the Federation News Service. He's also involved with the pilot of the Bombay, Oriana D'Amato. After her death he stumbles upon a conversation between T'Prynn and Quinn and begins to investigate the true reasons for the Bombay's destruction.
* Captain Rana Desai is the head of Vanguard's JAG division, she's not been read in on Operation Vanguard but starts an official inquiry into Reyes' actions after the Bombay's destruction.
Every new Trek-series has been sent off by an existing crew - that's why the Enterprise makes port at Vanguard for repairs after their disastrous mission to the Galactic Barrier ("Where No Man Has Gone Before") and is then subsequently coopted to investigate the destruction of the USS Bombay on a supply run to an outpost at Ravanar after its sensor screen was destroyed. The senior officers are then read in, and even discover a probable planet that could also house Shedai artifacts and traces of the meta-genome with Erilon.
As said before, this was my third run through this book - and this time I enjoyed it immensely. Perhaps it's knowing what will happen, perhaps it's knowing that some actions taken here have consequences and justice indeed has a very long memory, whatever it is, I appreciated the little details as much as the broader strokes of the background story. The only thing I could have done without was Enterprise, or in this case Scotty, discovering that the artifact on Ravanar was a subspace array... and he didn't even have all the facts but only scans of the array mostly destroyed after the Tholian attack. Good to know that many of Starfleet's "finest" (even Xiong in this case) are idiots. And the other thing is Ganz/the Orions. Their presence lends a bit of a DS9-atmosphere if you will - and of course Ganz's ship will have its uses later on, but, I don't know, they don't really serve a purpose right now save to intimidate Quinn and give him a hand at going to places where he could be of use to T'Prynn. They are just ordinary thugs and as such take too much space in the story (even in a later book when Ganz's ship becomes a major location).
Knowing what will happen definitely put another spin on reading those first glimpses into Reyes and T'Prynn. I didn't remember Reyes being portrayed in such... well... human way. He's flawed, impatient, desperate and isolated, but also driven and dedicated. He loses 2 people of personal importance to him in this book, not to forget a whole ship under his command. His actions are under investigation, and he starts to question himself as a leader and a human-being. He starts to wonder what he's going to leave behind. I think what I remembered most of my 2 previous read-throughts were his impatience, his unwillingness to read people in, and, of course, his condoning Pennington's ruin. But did he actually have a real choice in all of this? Of course, he could have set the facts straight and confirmed Pennington's version... but it was an impossible choice to make, faced with war against the Tholians. I really liked his speech at the memorial service as this is the one moment in this book where Reyes has to face all the people under his command - and all those who rely on him to make the right decisions. And he is right - not only will the deaths of the Bombay's crew be judged by what the survivors make of that sacrifice, so will his actions be judged by history.
Call it selective memory, but I was really astonished by the insights into T'Prynn's character in particular but also into Vulcan society as a whole. As logical as they claim to be, suppressing a part of yourself is deeply illogical. Granted it might have led to peace on Vulcan, but how can "a life in emotional atrophy" be satisfying for a species? And shouldn't it be logical for Vulcans to find a way to live with their emotions? T'Prynn, denied any other release by upbringing, education and tragedy, finds ways to cope - music and her lover Anna Sandesjo. But I wonder if her inner struggle didn't damage her moral compass as well. Was there no other way to contain the situation but to ruin Pennington? Spock's wondering the same thing and in very effective scene questions T'Prynn.
Cervantes Quinn's sad existence leads directly to the Bombay's destruction and to Pennington's ruin. Now he's a puppet of 2 masters, and he's on the way to redemption for at least one of his bad deeds. And Pennington doesn't even know yet why Quinn offered him a place on the Rocinante...
Overall, Harbinger is one hell of a pilot to this new series. It shows a Starfleet that is willing to cross lines in T'Prynn, but also in keeping its operations and findings secret in order to be able to one-up their neighbours, it offers an enemy that's awakened due to the actions of curious scientists, and it shows that actions, however innocently taken, have consequences - on a small scale but also on a broad scale. Quite a colorful and nuanced picture Mack is painting here, perhaps a bit darker than what Star Trek has shown up until now. 9/10
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 23, 2024
”No Lieutenant. When a Starfleet ship and her crew are lost in the line of duty, it is never a waste, only a tragedy.”
I am not a diehard Star Trek fan.
I’ve seen some of the movies, watched a few episodes of the shows, know my Captains as Kirk and Picard, and can recognize the bad guys as (mostly) Klingon. So David Mack’s Harbinger was a definite leap of faith for me, struck after I had fallen pretty deep into an absolute book funk and just needed something completely different to pull me out of that hole.
And Mack delivers … like exploding photon torpedoes.
Deftly juggling a hefty cast of both fan-favorite originals, mostly Kirk and Spock, and a Vanguard station crew of newbies, Mack is able to seamlessly blend the two groups of characters together, adding depth and heart to his newcomers while giving the crew of the original Enterprise a balanced bit of screen time for Kirk’s signature cockiness (and eye for thigh-high skirts) and Spock’s cool rationalism. By book’s end, however, it’s Mack’s new characters who steal the show as he spins a labyrinthine tangle of interpersonal relationships – that steams-up many of Vanguard station’s windows – with a harder edge than one would usually expect from Starfleet. Mack leans into the idea that the crew of Vanguard station is indeed guarding a secret that could crack the universe, and it’s nice to see the cast playing for keeps when it comes to protecting something that could change everything.
The character development alone earned this book a five-star rating for me, but icing the cake is Mack’s delivery of a truly epic starship battle amid a topsy-turvy plot that is an absolute clinic in personal and professional backstabbing. There are so many good scenes strung together that this defined licensed property page-turner. I was particularly fond of Pennington’s cringe-worthy encounter with the errant husband he cuckolded, Reyes sweating under legal deposition, Oriana’s heroism, and new envoy Karume’s eventful first meeting with the Klingons. And while I’m sure much of Star Trek’s deep lore eluded me, Mack sprinkled so many Easter eggs into the mix – the ‘hard to believe that the Enterprise will ever be anyone but Christopher Pike’s ship’ remark being a favorite – that even non-Trekkie me got into the between-the-episodes references without every feeling that was Mack going to bury the casual reader under fan-service minutia.
My mark for the start of any new series is how quickly I reserve the next book. With this one, I the next installment on my library pull-list just after I finished the last page. Star Trek fan or not, this was an absolutely enjoyable bit of sci-fi with a cast of characters that will keep me hooked right into the next books from author who I probably should have started reading about twenty years ago.
May 21, 2023
Adventurous, challenging, emotional, funny,
hopeful, inspiring, 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
4.25 ⭐
I really liked this story. It is the beginning of a nine book series (which warms my heart). Love this time period. The Original Series and the crew of the Enterprise is great. The author knows the voices of the characters in the TV series SO well, that when reading the dialogue and the actions/reactions are perfectly written.
The Vanguard Station is brilliantly realized. Still too early to understand fully WHY it was put in the Tauras Reach, but a few glimpses have been seen.
Love the characters stationed on Vanguard. I get the feeling of a DS9 scenario. Love the Commodore, Diego Reyes and his crew. The collective of Starfleet in this station is SO varied.
Also, Quinn grew on me...as I read the story. I really believe he will be a stand out...for sure. Everyone love the scoundrel/rogue character. He's a bad boy, but also loveable.
Did not love Tim the FNS reporter...till the very end. What happened to him was not cool.
I also enjoyed T'Prynn. Such a complicated character and I think she will be a major character throughout this series.
Love the comings and goings. I do hope that Enterprise revisits the station. The brash new captian of the Enterprise is impressing a lot of people in Starfleet and even on Vanguard.
Again, loved this story. Cannot wait to start the sequel.
Live Long and Prosper. #LLAP 🖖
hopeful, inspiring, 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
4.25 ⭐
I really liked this story. It is the beginning of a nine book series (which warms my heart). Love this time period. The Original Series and the crew of the Enterprise is great. The author knows the voices of the characters in the TV series SO well, that when reading the dialogue and the actions/reactions are perfectly written.
The Vanguard Station is brilliantly realized. Still too early to understand fully WHY it was put in the Tauras Reach, but a few glimpses have been seen.
Love the characters stationed on Vanguard. I get the feeling of a DS9 scenario. Love the Commodore, Diego Reyes and his crew. The collective of Starfleet in this station is SO varied.
Also, Quinn grew on me...as I read the story. I really believe he will be a stand out...for sure. Everyone love the scoundrel/rogue character. He's a bad boy, but also loveable.
Did not love Tim the FNS reporter...till the very end. What happened to him was not cool.
I also enjoyed T'Prynn. Such a complicated character and I think she will be a major character throughout this series.
Love the comings and goings. I do hope that Enterprise revisits the station. The brash new captian of the Enterprise is impressing a lot of people in Starfleet and even on Vanguard.
Again, loved this story. Cannot wait to start the sequel.
Live Long and Prosper. #LLAP 🖖
May 12, 2017
Harbinger is the initial story in the Vanguard series. James Kirk is the new Captain of the Enterprise and the ship has docked at a new Space Station. The mystery in the story is why does Starfleet have a starbase this big on the edge of nowhere? Well, not exactly the edge of nowhere. It borders on Tholian and Klingon space and who naturally want to know what's going on and why are the Tholians experiencing weird species-wide interruptions in their telepathic link? Does it have to do with the strange DNA genome found a few years earlier by another Starfleet Crew?
This story is more of a setup, introducing us to the crew of the Space Station. We see all types of people here, the reporter, the raffish trader, the commander, the JAG officer, the spy and we get to know the Tholians and Klingons. Interesting bunch.
Amusing note-Mack constantly is bringing up the fact that the 'new uniforms' for women are miniskirts. Several times he brings it to the reader's attention but in all fairness he points out that while the men might like them, the women aren't all that fond of them and even mentions Uhuru being annoyed at having to tug at it.
Minus a star for the relationship drama. I don't care for it and with the exception of the Pennington/Orianna story (it is his motivation for finding out what happened to her ship, The Bombay) the rest could have been cut out completely and the story wouldn't have suffered.
A good beginning to what I hope is an interesting series.
This story is more of a setup, introducing us to the crew of the Space Station. We see all types of people here, the reporter, the raffish trader, the commander, the JAG officer, the spy and we get to know the Tholians and Klingons. Interesting bunch.
Amusing note-Mack constantly is bringing up the fact that the 'new uniforms' for women are miniskirts. Several times he brings it to the reader's attention but in all fairness he points out that while the men might like them, the women aren't all that fond of them and even mentions Uhuru being annoyed at having to tug at it.
Minus a star for the relationship drama. I don't care for it and with the exception of the Pennington/Orianna story (it is his motivation for finding out what happened to her ship, The Bombay) the rest could have been cut out completely and the story wouldn't have suffered.
A good beginning to what I hope is an interesting series.
July 16, 2022
Once again, I wish I could give something a 3.5. There was definitely some stuff I enjoyed here. It's not strictly a TOS tie-in, though it does feature the TOS characters and even has Kirk dealing with the aftermath of "Where No Man Has Gone Before." Since his friendship with Gary Mitchell has always fascinated me, I kinda wish it could've been explored more. But Kirk clearly feels terrible about what had to go down.
The story, for the most part, actually focuses on newer characters, which I appreciate, even if I didn't necessarily latch on to all of them. Somehow, I found Pennington's affair to be the most engaging thread. When I read Q-Squared, I wasn't that into the soap opera nature of alternate versions of Picard and Beverly Crusher having an affair in a universe where her husband is alive but their son is dead. But since we're talking about unfamiliar characters in Harbinger, it's not as frustrating. And it makes sense that Pennington would want to investigate what happens with the Bombay.
A funny Easter egg I noticed is when, during Quinn's introduction, it's mentioned that he swiped a sonic screwdriver from "a rather daft chap" on Barolia. If this is meant to be The Doctor from Doctor Who, I can't help wondering which one it could've been. Maybe the Ninth Doctor since this came out in 2005?
Overall, this book does feel like sort of a pilot for the series. I'm still getting used to the characters, but I'm interested in seeing where it goes.
The story, for the most part, actually focuses on newer characters, which I appreciate, even if I didn't necessarily latch on to all of them. Somehow, I found Pennington's affair to be the most engaging thread. When I read Q-Squared, I wasn't that into the soap opera nature of alternate versions of Picard and Beverly Crusher having an affair in a universe where her husband is alive but their son is dead. But since we're talking about unfamiliar characters in Harbinger, it's not as frustrating. And it makes sense that Pennington would want to investigate what happens with the Bombay.
A funny Easter egg I noticed is when, during Quinn's introduction, it's mentioned that he swiped a sonic screwdriver from "a rather daft chap" on Barolia. If this is meant to be The Doctor from Doctor Who, I can't help wondering which one it could've been. Maybe the Ninth Doctor since this came out in 2005?
Overall, this book does feel like sort of a pilot for the series. I'm still getting used to the characters, but I'm interested in seeing where it goes.
July 18, 2018
My first Star Trek novel, since it was a new crew - not base on any TV series - I decided to make the jump. I've watch some Star Trek episodes in the past and loved the recent movie series, but I'm not a trekky. I like this first story of Vanguard and the ensemble cast of characters are interesting and well written. The book feels like a TV episode with all the different POV and intertwined storylines. The writting is very, very good and the pacing is a bit slow but that might be more because the story is not action oriented at all, it's more human drama and intrigue. I started to read this books many months ago and stoped at 65% because it did not hold my interest enough. But to be fair, I was in a mood of action heavy/space opera galore when I started reading the book. Now I'm looking for some well written, high quality sci-fi story in general and not an only an action thriller. Star Trek as a build-in familiarity because of it's glorious and long past in our collective minds and the idea of a new original series was appealing. So, now that I read the book in the right frame of mine, I liked it very much and totally enjoy the ride. David Mack is a talented writer, storyteller and the general quality of this book is impressive.
December 29, 2019
This was an intriguing start to the Vanguard series. This has been on my list for a while, so I’m excited to start as I’ve heard quite a bit of praise about this series. I like the characters and star base set-up. Feels a little bit like DS9 set in the TOS era—the characters are complex and a good deal of them are deeply flawed. Also a good deal of them aren’t in Starfleet.
As always, I appreciate David Mack’s style and skill. He tackled a huge job—setting up the plot, introducing brand new characters, and still finding time to have Kirk and the Enterprise play a big role. I wonder if they will be in every book or if this was a kind of baton-passing introduction situation. We’ll see!
I’m looking forward to continuing straight through the Vanguard series. My only real complaint with this book was how many times male characters brought up the fact that Starfleet is making women officers wear miniskirts...it’s inappropriate to objectify coworkers that way. Surely in the 23rd century men might be better behaved? It would at least be nice in these 21st century novels to start working on explanations to help subvert the obvious 60s sexism of TOS, not reinforce it. That’s why my rating is four stars instead of five!
As always, I appreciate David Mack’s style and skill. He tackled a huge job—setting up the plot, introducing brand new characters, and still finding time to have Kirk and the Enterprise play a big role. I wonder if they will be in every book or if this was a kind of baton-passing introduction situation. We’ll see!
I’m looking forward to continuing straight through the Vanguard series. My only real complaint with this book was how many times male characters brought up the fact that Starfleet is making women officers wear miniskirts...it’s inappropriate to objectify coworkers that way. Surely in the 23rd century men might be better behaved? It would at least be nice in these 21st century novels to start working on explanations to help subvert the obvious 60s sexism of TOS, not reinforce it. That’s why my rating is four stars instead of five!
December 7, 2022
The greatest thing to do during a blackout is read, provided you have a flashlight on hand or, in my case, a Kindle Fire. In early November, when the power went out for many hours without any apparent cause, I used my Kindle Fire to read "Star Trek: Vanguard—Harbinger" by David Mack. I decided to read the first book in the 2005–2014 spinoff series since David Mack's impending publication of "Star Trek: The Original Series—Harm's Way" incorporates several Vanguard characters.
Harbinger is set shortly after the second Star Trek pilot, "Where No Man Has Gone Before." Returning from their voyage to the edge of the galaxy, the Starship Enterprise journeys through the Taurus Reach, an unexplored region of space between the Klingon Empire and the Tholian Assembly, where they unexpectedly come upon the newly constructed space station Vanguard.
The Starfleet Corps of Engineers constructed the watchtower-class starbase Vanguard, also known as Starfleet Starbase 47, in the Taurus Reach between 2263 and 2265. Commodore Diego Reyes is in charge of the station, which has three spaceships stationed there: the USS Endeavour (Constitution-class), the USS Bombay (Miranda-class), and the USS Sagittarius (Archer-class scout ship).
Captain Kirk asks Vanguard to permit the Enterprise to dock for urgent repairs because he is perplexed as to why Starfleet would build a starbase so distant from Federation space. Commodore Reyes grants the request but issues a stern warning to Kirk and his crew that they should keep to themselves and refrain from interfering in any Vanguard matters—at least until the news gets out that the Bombay was destroyed near Ravanar IV. The Enterprise is ordered to Ravanar IV to search for survivors.
Harbinger has too much going on; rather than being a novel, it reads more like a "pilot" episode. The rest of the Enterprise crew, including Kirk, Spock, and Scotty, feel like prolonged cameos; their sole function is to introduce us readers to the space station Vanguard and the many, many individuals who populate it. There aren't enough pages to adequately develop these characters. I haven't learned enough about any of the Vanguard crew to form an opinion on them, though I'm hopeful these characters will be fleshed out more in the other Vanguard books.
It's exceedingly perplexing that Doctor M'Benga, a central figure in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds and a character who appears in two TOS episodes, is stationed at Vanguard. Contrary to Jean Lorrah's book, "The IDIC Epidemic," where M'Benga bears the first name Geoffrey, David Mack has given M'Benga the name Jabilo. The "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds" prequel television series has the character's first name as Joseph. The character's full name in the alternate universe novella "The Tears of Eridanus" is Jabilo Geoffrey M'Benga.
All things considered—"Star Trek: Vanguard—Harbinger" is a fun start to a TOS spinoff novel series. There are just enough minor bits to keep me interested in reading the rest of the series, even if I don't believe the "meta-genome" narrative, as a whole, is that compelling. David Mack is a superb writer, and his depiction of the battle between the Bombay and Tholian ships was exciting. ╌★★★✰✰
Harbinger is set shortly after the second Star Trek pilot, "Where No Man Has Gone Before." Returning from their voyage to the edge of the galaxy, the Starship Enterprise journeys through the Taurus Reach, an unexplored region of space between the Klingon Empire and the Tholian Assembly, where they unexpectedly come upon the newly constructed space station Vanguard.
The Starfleet Corps of Engineers constructed the watchtower-class starbase Vanguard, also known as Starfleet Starbase 47, in the Taurus Reach between 2263 and 2265. Commodore Diego Reyes is in charge of the station, which has three spaceships stationed there: the USS Endeavour (Constitution-class), the USS Bombay (Miranda-class), and the USS Sagittarius (Archer-class scout ship).
Captain Kirk asks Vanguard to permit the Enterprise to dock for urgent repairs because he is perplexed as to why Starfleet would build a starbase so distant from Federation space. Commodore Reyes grants the request but issues a stern warning to Kirk and his crew that they should keep to themselves and refrain from interfering in any Vanguard matters—at least until the news gets out that the Bombay was destroyed near Ravanar IV. The Enterprise is ordered to Ravanar IV to search for survivors.
Harbinger has too much going on; rather than being a novel, it reads more like a "pilot" episode. The rest of the Enterprise crew, including Kirk, Spock, and Scotty, feel like prolonged cameos; their sole function is to introduce us readers to the space station Vanguard and the many, many individuals who populate it. There aren't enough pages to adequately develop these characters. I haven't learned enough about any of the Vanguard crew to form an opinion on them, though I'm hopeful these characters will be fleshed out more in the other Vanguard books.
It's exceedingly perplexing that Doctor M'Benga, a central figure in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds and a character who appears in two TOS episodes, is stationed at Vanguard. Contrary to Jean Lorrah's book, "The IDIC Epidemic," where M'Benga bears the first name Geoffrey, David Mack has given M'Benga the name Jabilo. The "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds" prequel television series has the character's first name as Joseph. The character's full name in the alternate universe novella "The Tears of Eridanus" is Jabilo Geoffrey M'Benga.
All things considered—"Star Trek: Vanguard—Harbinger" is a fun start to a TOS spinoff novel series. There are just enough minor bits to keep me interested in reading the rest of the series, even if I don't believe the "meta-genome" narrative, as a whole, is that compelling. David Mack is a superb writer, and his depiction of the battle between the Bombay and Tholian ships was exciting. ╌★★★✰✰
October 8, 2019
Obviously, this is David Mack's greatest "Star Trek" novel series so far.
There's a mystery behind how Starbase 47, "Vanguard" was constructed so quickly in the distant "Taurus Reach" between the Federation, Klingon and Tholian borders. The first novel keeps you guessing and amazed at the visuals of the facility and sights around it and the plot mystery behind the cover ups makes this book a page turner. None of it is entirely revealed, even after reading its epilogue, but I will be gleeful to read the iBook versions of the sequels in the series...!!!!
Captain Kirk, Commander Spock, Scotty and other colorful characters that stay on the station have great interactions and interesting philosophical points...!!!
There's a mystery behind how Starbase 47, "Vanguard" was constructed so quickly in the distant "Taurus Reach" between the Federation, Klingon and Tholian borders. The first novel keeps you guessing and amazed at the visuals of the facility and sights around it and the plot mystery behind the cover ups makes this book a page turner. None of it is entirely revealed, even after reading its epilogue, but I will be gleeful to read the iBook versions of the sequels in the series...!!!!
Captain Kirk, Commander Spock, Scotty and other colorful characters that stay on the station have great interactions and interesting philosophical points...!!!
May 11, 2020
In my quest to read my star trek novels, this was definitely one of the best, plot and character wise, but it just wasn't a Star Trek book. It was a very good sci-fi with some cameos from the Enterprise. Not that I'm complaining, I'm a sucker for space operas and flawed characters like the many we see in Harbinger, but the tone, much darker than the original series, was somewhat harsh when remembering Kirk once fought a lizard in a tarzan costume.
Nevertheless, this is probably one of the most accessible titles in the saga exactly because of the reasons above. The character were complex and the plot much intriguing.
Addition touch of a f/f relationship? *chef's kiss*
Will definitely be reading the sequel.
Nevertheless, this is probably one of the most accessible titles in the saga exactly because of the reasons above. The character were complex and the plot much intriguing.
Addition touch of a f/f relationship? *chef's kiss*
Will definitely be reading the sequel.
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