Reviewer: Miranda Fave Signed [Report This]
Date: 19 Aug 2013 01:08 Title: Chapter 1

You know what? The captain saving the ship trope can be tiresome and so badly handled. You know what? Hank saves the ship and says 'Dumb luck' before passing out. You defy the tropes, the conventions and cliches. It's the humanity of the Hank character, the everyman appeal and nature of him that makes him tick and resonate as a character with people. And amid such a scene of carnage and terror that he can say a line like that, showing humility, humanity, humour and awesomeness, that makes him and your writing so endearing.

I have to admit, that I didn't like Hank way back at the beginning. I know in the analyze thread on the forum there was talk about him being author avatar but I guess I knew you before I read Hank and I liked you already so didn't need to buy into the character. He just seemed so chipper, normal and everyday way back in the beginning. But then he steals over you. He wins you over, just when you're not looking. You find yourself rooting for him, worrying and fretting for him, and cheering for him - and then gasping in horror for him because almost after a win moment you go and pull the rug massively on us like you did at the end of book 2 (and well throughout too). No wonder that crown of yours is so polished looking!

Now, please don't be offended by the fact I didn't like Hank in the beginning. Because actually, I like having my opinions challenged and changes. I like stories with characters in them I don't like because real life is filled with that. And despite everything I initially didn't like about Hank, he always felt real and realised.

Your skill trekfan has been weaving this story that has taken the crew of the Pearl and its captain and carried us along so that we end up cheering them. That you make Hank win me over. And throughout it all, you keep the reader hooked, invested and puzzled and amazed by the rollercoaster plot.

Now it's all worth mentioning this in a chapter with little plot development in itself, because this is the opener to the third instalment and you chuck your readers right into it. The scene opening is confusing, chaotic, a frightful spectre of doom - it pays off on the climax of the last book and shows skill in your depiction.

Then with the transition to the medical bay to bring a level of normalacy back to the story. It's a natural ease down of the heightened tension and drama of the opening, serving well to introduce the reader back into the plot and setting the scene up for the hunt for answers.

And boys, what questions there are to be answered. The shockwave climax demands an answer and given the totality of it no wonder there's no ready answers yet. How does this all play into the larger schemes? What of the crew? Hank? And the dynamics now that Hank has returned to the Pearl after being missing for so long?

Reviewer: Enterprise1981 Signed [Report This]
Date: 01 Jun 2013 21:50 Title: Chapter 1

I haven't read much of your stories, TF, but I hear they're highly popular with other forum users. I still seem to know these characters very well from the challenge and the weekly prompts.

The opening chapter is a really teaser shrouded in mystery. How did the ship end up in this situation? A battle? Some kind of subspace anomaly? I'll be reading on to find out, as well as getting caught up on the previous two ST Chronicles novels.

Reviewer: kes7 Signed [Report This]
Date: 29 Jul 2010 13:25 Title: Chapter 1

Maria must die, and I groaned aloud when the red alert klaxon sounded!  He was going to tell her!!!  Sweet scene between him and Bethany, and I liked the sickbay scene, too.  I still have to read the rest of this series but I'm glad I checked this chapter out.

Author's Response:

Well, color me surprised that you took a peak here! You do have a lot to catch up on, but much thanks for the review. I'm glad you checked this chapter out.