Set a course far away from this book—maximum warp.
Goodman (The Autobiography of James T. Kirk, 2015, etc.) continues his series of in-universe memoirs by Star Trek captains.
Perhaps the second-most provocative question one could ask a Star Trek fan is “Who was the best captain?” (The first question being “Which is better: Star Wars or Star Trek?”) Every fan has a captain who holds a special place in his or her fandom heart, and fans of Star Trek: The Next Generation now get their turn to pore over the faux memoir of their favorite, Jean-Luc Picard, written in the same in-universe style as Kirk’s (with Goodman as its “editor”). Picard recounts his entire life, from his earliest childhood on his family’s French vineyards in the 24th century through his years on the USS Stargazer and Enterprise to his retirement back on Earth. Many details of his early life, touched upon briefly during Next Generation, are expanded upon here; readers discover, in detail, how he gained his love of archaeology and how he felt when he first met Beverly Howard (later Crusher). However, Picard’s voyages on the Enterprise—which spanned 178 episodes and four movies and which are arguably what readers are most interested in—merit less than a fifth of the entire book. Aside from Crusher, none of Picard’s romantic relationships are addressed, and many fan-favorite moments are completely omitted. (Darmok and Jalad, their episode unmentioned.) In Kirk’s autobiography, Goodman thoughtfully and lovingly wove together details to create a real sense of Kirk as a fully fleshed-out human being—which makes it infuriating that Picard’s story seems utterly lifeless in comparison. Goodman never really grasps who Picard is or displays any sense of his voice. Picard often comes across as uncharacteristically pedantic and emotionally revealing, while canonical personality details are twisted to suit Goodman’s lazy writing: for instance, Picard’s unease around children becomes a churlish loathing. Worse still, Goodman occasionally injects unheard-of events (such as the origin of the Borg Queen) into the story—a surprising carelessness from someone who penned an entire Futurama episode about Star Trek fans’ affection for minutiae. If this book series is to continue, fans should hope that Goodman relinquishes command to writers who truly love and understand the captains they write about.
Set a course far away from this book—maximum warp.Pub Date: Oct. 17, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-78565-465-7
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Titan Books
Review Posted Online: Oct. 8, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2017
BOOK REVIEW
A new series starts off with a bang.
A queen and her young daughter are forced to separate and go into hiding when a corrupt politician tries to take over the kingdom.
Queen Cressa of Weirandale is worried about her 8-year-old daughter, the “princella” Cerúlia. The people of Weirandale worship a water spirit, Nargis, who grants each queen a special gift called a Talent. Cressa herself is able to meddle with memories, for example, and her mother possessed supernatural strategic abilities that served her well in battle. Cerúlia, however, appears to have none, because surely her insistence that she can talk to animals is only her young imagination running wild. When Cerúlia’s many pets warn her about assassins creeping into the royal chambers, the girl is able to save herself and her mother. Cressa uses her Talent, which actually extends to forcing anyone to tell her the truth, to root out traitors among the aristocracy, led by the power-hungry Lord Matwyck. Fearing for her daughter’s life and her own, Cressa takes Cerúlia and flees. Thinking Cerúlia will be safer away from her mother, Cressa takes the girl to a kind peasant family and adjusts their memories so they believe Cerúlia is their adopted daughter. Kozloff’s debut is the first of four Nine Realms books, and Tor plans to publish them over just four months. Luckily, the series opener is a strong start, so readers will be grateful for the short wait before Book 2. Kozloff sets a solid stage with glimpses into other characters and nations while keeping the book together with a clear, propulsive plot.
A new series starts off with a bang.Pub Date: Jan. 21, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-250-16854-2
Page Count: 496
Publisher: Tor
Review Posted Online: Sept. 29, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2019
PERSPECTIVES
Suspenseful and snarky with surprising emotional depths.
This debut novel, the first of a projected trilogy, blends science fiction, fantasy, gothic chiller, and classic house-party mystery.
Gideon Nav, a foundling of mysterious antecedents, was not so much adopted as indentured by the Ninth House, a nearly extinct noble necromantic house. Trained to fight, she wants nothing more than to leave the place where everyone despises her and join the Cohort, the imperial military. But after her most recent escape attempt fails, she finally gets the opportunity to depart the planet. The heir and secret ruler of the Ninth House, the ruthless and prodigiously talented bone adept Harrowhark Nonagesimus, chooses Gideon to serve her as cavalier primary, a sworn bodyguard and aide de camp, when the undying Emperor summons Harrow to compete for a position as a Lyctor, an elite, near-immortal adviser. The decaying Canaan House on the planet of the absent Emperor holds dark secrets and deadly puzzles as well as a cheerfully enigmatic priest who provides only scant details about the nature of the competition...and at least one person dedicated to brutally slaughtering the competitors. Unsure of how to mix with the necromancers and cavaliers from the other Houses, Gideon must decide whom among them she can trust—and her doubts include her own necromancer, Harrow, whom she’s loathed since childhood. This intriguing genre stew works surprisingly well. The limited locations and narrow focus mean that the author doesn’t really have to explain how people not directly attached to a necromantic House or the military actually conduct daily life in the Empire; hopefully future installments will open up the author’s creative universe a bit more. The most interesting aspect of the novel turns out to be the prickly but intimate relationship between Gideon and Harrow, bound together by what appears at first to be simple hatred. But the challenges of Canaan House expose other layers, beginning with a peculiar but compelling mutual loyalty and continuing on to other, more complex feelings, ties, and shared fraught experiences.
Suspenseful and snarky with surprising emotional depths.Pub Date: Sept. 10, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-250-31319-5
Page Count: 448
Publisher: Tor
Review Posted Online: June 30, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2019
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
© Copyright 2025 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
