The Sundered

This novel is the first in an ingenious series bridging the a gap between generations. Captain Sulu and the USS Excelsior depart on a diplomatic mission to work with an older foe, the Thorians. With the help of many colleagues from the original Enterprise, the crew is able to stop a war between the Federation and the Thorians.The volume of tie-in presented in the book excited me. Every time a chapter started, I sat on edge waiting to see how the authors would bring another aspect of the Star Trek universe in. As the third novel I have read from these writers, I can say each time I am elated with the complexity they provoke in the familiar characters.With no reservations, I give this book the highest rating. As a novel it defiantly deserves it but I question the background presented about the Thorians. I fell there might be descripencies with the minimal use of the Thorians in the current TV series. Enterprise.

This book, which chronicles an adventure of Captain Sulu and the crew of the Excelsior, is excellent. Perhaps the most intriguing parts were those which took place in the past, showing what happened to the O'Neill colonies. Their storyline is intertwined with the Excelsior storyline and they eventually come together. The authors did a fantastic job of revealing bits and pieces of the mystery at a time, instead of spelling the whole thing out at once. The "bad guys" are the Tholians. It was interesting to see the Tholian culture explored a little. Character moments for Chekov, Tuvok, and L. J. Akaar were also appreciated. An excellent start to the Lost Era series!

I finished reading the Sundered a couple of days ago and wanted to say WOW!. I truly enjoyed that book. It was like coming home again. The character interactions were phenomenal. It was revisiting the past. It sucked you right into the world of Star Trek. The characters are as you remember them, only all grown up. The authors write with a passion that shows they love the series as much as you do. Great job, Fun read. Cannot wait for the next one.

This book is further proof that Captain Sulu is a viable property for book series. The characters have a good relationship and harkens back to the events in the TV show. It refers to Kirk without having to depend on his tactics. Sulu has a few tricks of his own to solve problems and his command style is much different than Kirk's. I hope to see more of this crew. For all intents and purposes Sulu should have had his own TV show. It would have brought back a lot of original series fans back home again.

The Sundered by Andy Mangels and Michael A. Martin is an incredible story in so many different ways. Whatever way you add it up it still comes out the same way-this is one great novel. The first of the much-touted Lost Era novels, this book does more than live up to its promise, it surpasses it.The Sundered is an amazing and compelling book, one that should have great appeal, on a number of levels for a wide variety of readers. Utilizing both familiar and unique characters, the authors paint a picture with their prose of three distinct societies: the Federation of that era, the Tholian Assembly and the Neyel Hegemony. The authors take the time to introduce the characters. Instead of rushing the plot, they patiently allow the characters to become `real'.Martin and Mangels depiction of the Excelsior crew is of a group of individuals who have developed deep and lasting relationships over a long period. There is a real comfort level in the way they interact. The Tholian society portrayed in The Sundered may not meet every reader's preconceived notions of that alien species, but I thought the author's depiction of the Tholians was incredible. Building on what little is known about the physical appearance of the non-humanoid Tholians, Martin and Mangels skillfully illuminate an intricate and fascinating species and provide our first real look at their unique civilization. The Tholian characters are as fully realized as any of the other characters in this story.The plot makes use of the classic story within a story framework. As the scenes shift from the current events to the past, we are gradually able to understand how the Neyel became who they are. How all they had gone through shaped their beliefs and how those beliefs shaped their actions. They went from being creepy to sympathetic by the end and it would be wonderful to find out some day if their hopes and dreams come true.One of the great things about The Sundered was how the story would often raise questions in your mind, you would begin to wonder about something and then within a chapter or two all was made clear. It was actually more satisfying than if it had all been laid out to begin with. Additionally, the way the authors were able to cleverly explain previous inconsistencies while at the same time adhering to established continuity was very impressive.Whatever way you look at it, Star Trek novels don't get much better than The Sundered. It is a true science fiction tale that amply demonstrates that the Star Trek universe is still a wonderful place to explore the human condition.