Star Trek: Voyager: Full Circle Review

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(More customer reviews)Voyager fans have had a rocky few years. The first 4 Relaunch books were less than fantastic IMO, but at least we had something. Then 5 years without any major post-series action. Of course we had Tuvok in the extremely well written Titan series. There were cameos by multiple crew members in other titles. And we had the death of a beloved character in the shocking if moving 'Before Dishonor' by Peter David; a Next Generation title that starred Janeway & Seven. Seven also saw quite a bit of development in the exciting Destiny trilogy by David Mack.
But now we have 'Full Circle' and Voyager hasn't been this good in ages. The author, Kirsten Beyer previously wrote the excellent middle volume in the Voyager "String Theory" trilogy. She got the characters right then, and she's perfected them beyond my hopes in this new integral installment. Those who feel that the loss of 1 character from the ensemble is too much to bear may understandably want to skip this one, but if they choose to do so they are missing out on quite a ride - and easily the best post-series Voyager story yet. Those that felt that the first 4 Relaunch titles by Christie Golden were missing something need to give this one a shot! The characters have rarely been this well written. The story has never been this moving. The series feels reinvigorated. And I for one am very happy with what is happening in the post-Voyager landscape.

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When the U.S.S. Voyager is dispatched on an urgent mission to the planet Kerovi, Captain Chakotay and his first officer, Commander Thomas Paris, must choose between following their orders and saving the lives of two of those dearest to them. B'Elanna Torres and her daughter, Miral, are both missing in the wake of a brutal attack on the Klingon world of Boreth. With the aid of their former captain, Admiral Kathryn Janeway -- as well as many old friends and new allies -- Voyager's crew must unravel an ancient mystery, placing themselves between two warrior sects battling for the soul of the Klingon people...while the life of Miral hangs in the balance. But these events and their repercussions are merely the prelude to even darker days to come. As Voyager is drawn into a desperate struggle to prevent the annihilation of the Federation, lives are shattered, and the bonds that were forged in the Delta Quadrant are challenged in ways that none could have imagined. For though destiny has dealt them crushing blows, Voyager's crew must rise to face their future...and begin a perilous journey in which the wheel of fate comes full circle.

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The Star Trek Cookbook Review

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(More customer reviews)A Star-Trek cookbook narrated by Neelix the Chef was a nice idea, but poor editing, and not enough supervision by people who know Star Trek characters, have made this book a mess.
First, some of the recipes themselves are poorly written and edited. For example, the Peptide Cake recipe does not specify the pan size. (The recipe mentions a "sheet-cake pan," the standard size of which is too large for the recipe.) The recipe itself is a little strange, as it is a sponge cake that contains many egg yolks but *no* egg whites. Since I don't know what the writers were trying to achieve, I can't say for sure that they made a mistake, but I suspect that the egg whites were left out by accident. There are other recipes for which I suspect ingredients are missing as well. This would not surprise me, due to the number of typos that are scattered throughout the text.
Second, some of the recipes are inconsistent with the book's narration, as well as with information from the tv shows. For example, after having confirmed that "raktajino" is a beverage similar to strong coffee (and having printed a recipe for making raktajino out of coffee beans,) "Neelix" offers a recipe for raktajino cake that contains no coffee! In another example, "Neelix" says that "parthos" can be made out of brussels sprouts. Any one who has seen "The Next Generation" knows that parthos looks nothing like brussels sprouts, and everything like bright green spinach. Finally, while the book gives a reasonable recipe for "Klingon blood pie," (basically a steak and kidney pie,) there is also a version, called a "favorite" of a Klingon character, that is really a sweet cherry pie. To pass a cherry pie off as "blood pie" is to say that the publishers really don't know--and don't care-- what Star Trek is all about.
Third, there are inconsistancies in the narration. On page 115, "Neelix" says that Commander Riker's favorite Klingon dish is "bregit lung"; on page 117 he says that Riker's favorite Klingon dish is "pipius claw."
An annoying aspect of the book is padding with recipes that have nothing to do with Star Trek. These recipes are given teasers that are meant to connect them with Star Trek characters. But who needs a recipe for oatmeal on the doubtful assertion that it's Jake Sisko's favorite breakfast, or a recipe for green beans (improbably called "Klingon green beans," as if any Klingon would actually sit at the same table with them!)
The book strictly avoids beverage recipes that contain alcohol, so this book is of no use to those who want to recreate ales and spirits for taste as well as looks.
The book has its good points-- it tells you how to recreate prop food, and some of the recipes are good, even thought they have little to do with Star Trek, and some of the stars have contributed good recipes.

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Is there one food that humans, Klingons, Bajorans, and Vulcans would like? If so, what would it taste like? How would you prepare it? Could you find all the ingredients locally? This is the task that faces Neelix, chef for the U.S.S. Voyager™, every time he takes on the challenge of trying to feed its crew of 140 food critics. But over the course of their journey, Neelix's learned a few tricks of the trade. He had to, just as a matter of self-preservation. Ethan Phillips, in the persona of Neelix, and William J. Birnes, the New York Times bestselling coauthor of The Day After Roswell, throw wide the vaults of interstellar haute cuisine, revealing for the first time the secret preparation techniques behind all those exotic dishes and drinks. The favorite foods of characters from every Star Trek series and movie are here, all adapted for easy use in twentieth-century kitchens. The Star Trek Cookbook also features a complete guide for whipping up the all the drinks served at Quark's. Fun, and easy to use, the Star Trek Cookbook is your indispensable guide to the food of the stars!

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