Book Review: Star Trek, Vulcan's Soul Book 1: Exodus
by Jim Pappas
Published: September 4, 2005
Author |
Genre |
Publisher |
Price |
Josepha Sherman and Susan Shwartz |
Sci-Fi |
Star Trek |
$7.99 US |
 |
|
It is logical to assume that at some time or place we will all learn just how it was that the race called “Romulans” actually came to be. In the new novel, “Star Trek, Vulcan's Soul, Book 1: Exodus,” by Josepha Sherman and Susan Schwartz, we are introduced to the beginning of that tale, as this is but part one in a series. How many more books are planned, I do not know, but Vol. II will be called “Exiles” and is to be released in 2006. This is, indeed, a most welcome event for us, the lovers of Star Trek, as we will finally be shown those things hinted at and alluded to in both the movie and television series.
In “Exodus,” we are introduced to several new characters, and re-acquainted with old ones, including Spock, Chekov, Uhura and Saavik, who we learn is “Mrs. Spock” and a starship captain as well. Both Uhura and Chekov have become admirals, and Spock is no longer in Starfleet, but is a highly respected ambassador for the Federation. The new characters are Karatek, a Vulcan physicist and propulsion design engineer, his wife T’Vysse and Karatek’s friend and chairman of the design team of which Karatek is part, Torin. We meet others as well, but perhaps the most fascinating aspect of “Exodus” is the opportunity to meet and get to know a bit the legendary Surak of Vulcan. We begin to see just how it was he managed to convince Vulcans of the necessity for the suppression of emotions and how pure logic would help them overcome the centuries of warfare that had plagued the Vulcans throughout their history.
The book is two stories in one. In the chapters titled “Memory” we are taken back to the time of Surak and we find out just how desperate the Vulcans had become to stop the endless violence that they had been enduring for so many years, and in the chapters titled “Now” we find out that a new enemy has emerged, first to threaten the Romulan Empire, and finally to make themselves into an enemy of the Federation and the Klingons. This enemy, the Watraii, have attacked a Romulan colony, exterminating it ruthlessly, and their attack is witnessed via comlink by a group of diplomats visiting the grounds of Starfleet Headquarters, there to celebrate the 1 year anniversary of the conclusion of the Dominion War. The Watraii claim that the Romulans are their mortal enemy, and declare that somehow, in the past, the Romulans had committed some transgression which earned them the hatred of the Watraii.
These two stories would seem to be destined to come together, and the connection between them will become more clear in future volumes of the series.
The writing styles of the two authors are different, as the story contained in the “Memory” chapters seems a bit more introspective than the “Now” chapters, and we spend a lot of time inside the mind of Karatek there. In “Now” we are painted a picture with a broader stroke, as the canvas is much larger in scope, stretching from the Romulan home-world to the Earth and finally to the Romulan neutral zone. There is a familiarity here, as both writers necessarily borrow from others in order to maintain the consistency of character necessary with icons Spock, Uhura and Chekov, as well as what we know of Surak and the Vulcans in general.
Again, “Exodus” is but the first book of a series, and it has the requisite cliffhanger ending that should be expected. It is definitely recommended reading for Star Trek fans, but I found the book to be a bit slow in narrative style, lacking a certain quickness of pace that could bring excitement to a reader and lead one to eagerly look forward to turning the next page. It is an above average effort, for sure, but not one that I would call even remotely profound, and perhaps profundity is something that we need for a story that is more than interesting.
Overall Rating: B
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