Review of
By the Book
Published:
January 2002
Reviewer Rating:
Avg User Rating:
(3.44)
First of all DnD in my Star Trek???? Amazing. I didn’t mention it in the summary because it really doesn’t relate to the plot but we keep getting little bits of them playing in the mess hall. Hoshi gets pulled away to work on the planet below, and gets replaced by Ethan Novakovich (the crewman with stuff embedded in his skin from a risky trip via the transporter). It is delightful to watch them really get into the game and to have Cutler grow as their DM. It gives you little beats to really enjoy them playing the game as the chaos happens arounds them. Escapism is a must on any long haul adventure, the Enterprise is no exception. I understand why some people might not love that, but it was certainly one of my favorite parts of the novel.
I also love the possibilities that Enterprise really presents as a series. This is the first of everything! We get to really explore the decision making process that sets the precedents of the rest of the show. This novel was focused on the idea of the Prime Directive. I love that they don’t come up with the Prime Directive immediately here. Archer really struggles the whole novel about what they should do, how much information they should share. He is really haunted by how humans were treated by Vulcans in many ways that he thinks were unjust, but trying to navigate his own first contact he really sees how complicated these issues are. He talks (and sometimes argues) with T’Pol a lot in the book really wrestling with what is right, and what is wrong. His decision to not give the Hipon the translation device, and let the two species develop naturally shows his depth as a character I thought. It is so easy to brush Archer off as impulsive and thoughtless, but I think this novel really rounds out his character from what I have seen in the first two seasons of the show (I am working on finishing it as the novels really jumps around in where they are in the show).
I think overall the novel was really delightful. Nothing too heavy, a great way to really start off my adventure here.
I also love the possibilities that Enterprise really presents as a series. This is the first of everything! We get to really explore the decision making process that sets the precedents of the rest of the show. This novel was focused on the idea of the Prime Directive. I love that they don’t come up with the Prime Directive immediately here. Archer really struggles the whole novel about what they should do, how much information they should share. He is really haunted by how humans were treated by Vulcans in many ways that he thinks were unjust, but trying to navigate his own first contact he really sees how complicated these issues are. He talks (and sometimes argues) with T’Pol a lot in the book really wrestling with what is right, and what is wrong. His decision to not give the Hipon the translation device, and let the two species develop naturally shows his depth as a character I thought. It is so easy to brush Archer off as impulsive and thoughtless, but I think this novel really rounds out his character from what I have seen in the first two seasons of the show (I am working on finishing it as the novels really jumps around in where they are in the show).
I think overall the novel was really delightful. Nothing too heavy, a great way to really start off my adventure here.
