Star Trek: Voyager: String Theory #3: Evolution: Evolution

Evolution is probably the most complex of the three, since it had to wrap up all of the numerous plotlines, and do so in a way that was pleasing to the reader. This book didn't provide as much opportunity for character relationships due to the situations they found themselves in. Janeway is definitely missed, but it gives the others a chance to shine, especially Chakotay, who was definitely underused in the series. And seeing Kes brought back in such a lovely way, and providing an excuse for the strange episode Fury, was just great. It was also nice to have an excuse for the confusing season 5 premiere, Night. This is a great trilogy, and I recommend it whether or not you liked the series, because at times, this is better!

And with Evolution, the String Theory trilogy of Star Trek: Voyager books comes to an end. Heather Jarman is given the task of wrapping up the cosmic events that took place in the first two books (Cohesion and Fusion). I have enjoyed Jarman's writing in the past, even as I've criticized some other aspects of the books (the characters, for example), but this time, she gives us the complete package. The only problem is that it's a bit too technical at times for my taste, and the technobabble billows forth now and then. I found that I had trouble getting into the book every so often, but Jarman's characterizations always brought me back. That, and the book does eventually find its footing. It's probably the worst book in the trilogy, but that's only because the other two were so good. Captain Janeway lies comatose in sickbay, a victim of an alien known as a Nacene, who masqueraded as Janeway's sister, Phoebe. The holographic Doctor has disappeared, and a shuttle carrying Harry Kim and Tom Paris has also disappeared, presumably destroyed. Meanwhile, the strange space that Voyager was trapped in is affecting reality, and things are only getting worse. A war between two branches of Nacene, one faction working to maintain the strings that govern the universe's existence, the other engaging in a long attempt at freedom, may be coming to a head, and Voyager may get caught in the crossfire. And what does Q have to do with all this? Can he really be as benevolent as he seems? Or is it because he's in trouble again and only Tom and Harry can get him out of it? It all comes together in a conflict that bridges time and space, and the dimensions in between. If one side wins, reality as we know it will be fundamentally altered. But perhaps there's a third way? Jarman does a great job characterizing the Voyager crew, and the book holds together despite the disparate viewpoints we're given. Chakotay is in command now that Janeway's incapacitated, and he has to figure out how to replace the officers who have disappeared. His indecision is palpable, and there's a great scene where he and Neelix talk around the fact that he doesn't really know what to do. The gossip mill can pay off, it seems. Since Janeway's out of the picture, we don't get to see much pining from Chakotay like we saw in the previous books (especially Fusion). Instead, it spans the entire crew as they miss their captain. Still, Chakotay gets to be solid when he needs to be, and the scenes between B'Elanna and Seven (along with everyone else) make the Voyager sequences shine. Not quite as successful, though still extremely fun, are the scenes in the Q Continuum. Jarman captures Q so perfectly that I could almost hear John DeLancie speaking the lines. The interaction between Q and our intrepid pair (especially Harry) is priceless. However, I've always found the Continuum to be extremely dull, even as authors make it whatever they want to and then say that the characters are

I enjoyed the series; this is last in a set of three. This was good reading but bogged down with to much detail about the charters thoughts or what it was going through. There are several areas where you could skip a couple of paragraphs and not miss a beat. With that said I don't hesitate in recommending it.

The Monorhans, a sapient species spawned as one more accidental consequence of activity by "exploring" Nacene (remember what those explorers unintentionally did to Ocampa?), are down to one vast shipload of survivors. Their star system exists apart from the rest of our universe, and Acting Captain Chakotay needs to get Voyager out of Monorhan space before the forces destroying it finish their work. Of course he wants to save those survivors. He must find a way to recover the ship's holographic Doctor, or do without a competent medic for the rest of Voyager's lifetime-long homeward journey; and he wants - almost above all else - to see Captain Janeway back in her command chair. That's another reason for needing the Doctor returned from whatever Q or Nacene dimension has snatched him, because Janeway lies comatose - to all intents and purposes, already dead - after aiding a Monorhan escape to the Nacenes' Exosia. And that's just part of the plot setup that author Jarman inherits, and resolves, in Evolution's pages...whew. I applaud Jarman's knowledge of the Voyager characters and their history, and I'm sure many fans will read this tale with delight as she works to make its events provide background for the series' subsequent episodes. Personally I found it less enjoyable than the trilogy's first two installments, though, because I buy a Voyager novel expecting plenty of Janeway. This time I got almost none. Also, I was thoroughly annoyed by what felt to me like a clumsy attempt to explain my favorite Trek captain's behavior later on the Voyager time line. That's the book's only misstep, though, and other readers may not react to it as I did. Jarman is a fine writer, and - despite my personal disappointment with her handling of Kathryn Janeway - she pulls the trilogy's many plot threads together very competently indeed.

I thought this was a descent ending to the triogy I think it would have been better If the writing style was different. it was mostly a narritve style format but I like the person to person interaction better and book 3 did not have that as much as the other 2.