BEYOND THE STARS

In Berger’s middle-grade SF sequel, 23rd-century adolescents find themselves in danger on a plague-ridden planet.

In this follow-up to The Captain’s Daughters (2021), space-faring siblings Diane and Robin Marsh lost their parents in infancy to an intergalactic war and have been brought up by their uncle, the stalwart Capt. William Marsh of the League of Universal Planets starship Polaris. Now, in 2298, the girls are aboard that vessel when it undertakes a mission to the planet Lasusia, which is divided by civil conflict. There, another Marsh brother seeks a cure for a mysterious, fatal flulike virus that only seems to be ravaging one side of the political divide. Both the plague and political strife are being secretly manipulated by the Klingon-like Frazons, alien warlords and foes of the LUP intent on gaining a foothold on Lasusia. A camouflaged Frazon warship, commanded by Capt. Marsh’s longtime enemy, Gen. Malon, is in the vicinity, and when Diane and Robin—disobeying orders, as they have before—transport to the planet with their new friend, a lonely, teenage Lasusian princess named Jannel, the villain sees a chance to exact revenge against Marsh. In a subplot, Diane and Robin make the uncomfortable discovery that Capt. Marsh may be rekindling an old relationship. Even casual readers of this series installment will note that Berger’s fictional universe is one that’s very much in the tradition of Star Trek (“Standing in the transporter room waiting to transport down, Marsh handed his brother a phaser”), although it’s reengineered for a younger demographic, with horses and horseback riding as recurring themes. The pacing, prose, and action are well attuned to the narrowly targeted readership; if one especially liked the Wesley Crusher–oriented episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation, they’ll likely enjoy this spinoff, which clearly falls into a similar tradition.

A light interplanetary adventure with a mild Starfleet-esque flavor.