Dreadnought! (Star Trek, Book 29)

I love this book!!! It is the probably the best Star Trek novel I've read so far. The beginning was a little slow, but once it picked up, I couldn't put the book down. The characters are great! I began to feel a certain bond with them. A few parts of the book even brought tears to my eyes. I will certainly buy the sequel!

I read this book and Battlestations for the first time when I was in Junior High. They were my favorite two star trek books for a long time and still rank right up there. Before Voyager, Piper was the epitome of Star Trek Women. I wanted to be her. I think these two books are great and really let female readers get into the star trek universe in a way we can't reading about captain kirk chasing skirts.

This is a remarkably different book taken from the perspective of a newly minted starship crewman thrust into the middle of a tangled web of intrigue and treason. The Federation, under direction of Vice Admiral Rittenhouse, has undertaken the building of the most powerful battleship the galaxy has ever seen. This ship is stolen by a supposed group of terrorists who, instead of threating mass destruction, claim they have stolen the ship as a last desperate bid for peace. Kirk, with the wet-behind-the-ears Piper in tow, chases off after the dreadnought. One by one, little anomalies in the conduct of Vice Admiral Rittenhouse and the passionate pleas of the dreadnought's crew bring to light a terrible plot to forcefully unify the galaxy at any cost. Piper, pushed through situation after situation, discovers the truth, escapes from Rittenhouse, and reaches the dreadnought. There, she, her Vulcan friend Sandra, and a crew of students and desk officals must meet the threat head on, as Rittenhouse takes a desperate gamble to annilate the dreadnought, destroying those aboard and their knowledge of his plan. Kirk, seeing through Rittenhouse (aided by a rather impromptu arrest of Kirk himself and several of his officers by Rittenhouse) comes to the aid of the dreadnought in defiance of all orders, and he and Piper togeather face a fleet of the Federation's best starships in desperate combat for the fate of the galaxy. The edge of the seat excitement and clever story line make this book a hit in itself, but Piper herself is the real star. I felt like chearing when she overcame her doubts, took command of the dreadnought, and faced death to defend what she believed in. She embodies the spirit of Star Trek, and at the same time reminds us that all heros are at bottom ordinary people.

This novel remains among my all time favorites. A very human Lt. Piper is assigned in a whirlwind manner to the Starship Enterprise and before she can even see her post is caught up in a plot to take over the galaxy. Involving a superweapon capable of destroying a fleet of Starships, the stakes are incredibly high. Piper must thread her way through a maze of deception and intrigue to learn the truth about who is who and what is intended for the galaxy. She then must become a true commander to hault the forces of a military takeover and preserve the Federation in its most desperate hour. A gripping story, grand in its implications and still very human, this book should not be missed.

I think I enjoyed the intense relationship between a human officer and her Vulcan counterpart who at first hates her, yet he comes to understand and essentially like her. The amount of humor the author puts into this story will keep you awake and alert the entire time, as well as the eccentric characters in the story like Piper's friends.