The Dark Veil by James Swallow My rating: 5 of 5 stars Interesting story! Felt a lot like a Titan series novel, but being set in Picard (and probably in a different 'universe') there were notable differences in crew composition on the Titan. I'd gladly read more Titan stories set in the TV universe.From the book jacket: The Alpha Quadrant is mired in crisis...Within the

Assassin's Creed: Assassins Vol.1: Trial by Fire by Anthony Del Col My rating: 4 of 5 stars Interesting story. I was pleasantly surprised to see that the past life/animus sequences take place in Salem during the Salem Witch Trials and the hysteria that ensued.  Of course, it was all a templar ploy ;-) I do like that at the end of the individual comics they've

Death's End by Liu Cixin My rating: 4 of 5 stars Well...that was an interesting ending... It wasn't bad, but it did feel very nihilistic.  I suppose the opposite view might be a continuous renaissance, but still, it felt a bit bleak.  Overall throughout this series, I felt that we were witnessing the increasingly bad decisions of humanity. It was still

The Dark Forest by Liu Cixin My rating: 5 of 5 stars A good follow-up to the three-body problem. Earth prepares for the invasion of the Trisolarans, but they are hampered by the Sophons - subatomic particles that are semi-AI. Our technological advancement can only go so far. There are a couple of different options that emerge, but ultimately what saves the day is a

Leviathan Falls by James S.A. Corey My rating: 5 of 5 stars This was a satisfying ending to the series.  I was surprised by the epilogue, but maybe I shouldn't have been surprised? ;-). Of course, Amos was going to make it to the end, one thousand years later!  This book series, to me, is basically about the rise and fall of human empires, and all the

To Lose the Earth by Kirsten Beyer My rating: 5 of 5 stars That was a good 'finale' for the Voyager relaunch series of books.  I am not sure if this is a series finale or a season finale, but I am curious to see where things go from here.  It's interesting to see the connections that ultimately make their way to star trek discovery, with species 10-C

Architects of Infinity by Kirsten Beyer My rating: 5 of 5 stars OK, this one ended in a "WTF" moment for me?  Eh... whut?On the plus side, I did remember the Kriotians from TNG's "the perfect mate," which made for an interesting sub-plot in the book.  The biodomes on a dead planet were an interesting main plot, but OMG.  You find an abandoned paradise? 

A Pocket Full of Lies by Kirsten Beyer My rating: 4 of 5 stars That was pretty interesting!  Tuvok comes back for a special mission and gets an unexpected breakthrough for the stuff he's dealing with.  There's another Janeway (how many of them are around?!) and yes...there are temporal shenanigans happening...so the Krenim aren't that far behind. 

Atonement by Kirsten Beyer My rating: 4 of 5 stars Good to see a conclusion to the Paris family court drama, which also parallels the conclusion of the Janeway tribunal drama.  Overall, this was a good story.  For the Voyager kids who've entered the academy, it's also interesting to see that college...errr..the academy isn't the only path forward.From

Acts of Contrition by Kirsten Beyer My rating: 5 of 5 stars I rather enjoyed this one. You start off on a diplomatic and negotiation meeting, only to find yourself wanted by Delta Quadrant powers... I am, so far, enjoying the episodic nature of the relaunch novels. I hope that they come to a smooth conclusion, with no dangling threads.From the blurb:Admiral Kathryn