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Book Review By Waleed
Star Trek: The Ashes of Eden by William Shatner

In the first of William Shatner's many books, often labeled the "Shatnerverse," Captain Kirk is back for what seems his last adventure, before the movie, Star Trek: Generations. In this book, Kirk is now a teacher at StarFleet Academy after creating a lot of trouble out in space. Feeling depressed that he now has no real purpose, he goes back to StarFleet's leading molecular researcher, Carol Markus, also his ex-wife. Finding no consolation, or advice, he attends a invitational dinner meeting commerating the new Commander and Chief of StarFleet, Admiral Androvar Drake a.k.a. Kirk's nemisis in StarFleet Academy, and his major competition. Feeling like StarFleet doesn't need him, he meets a young Klingon-Romulan woman who needs his help to save her planet from rebels who want to destroy it. Spurred on by a sexual encounter with this woman(not very explicit as is Shatner's style), Kirk agrees to help. In return for his help, she gives him, as a present, the newly decommisioned U.S.S. Enterprise-A, which Starfleet has given her planet as a the first ship in their own planetary defense armada.

All the while this is happening, Commander Checkov, and Commander Uhura, are deep undercover in the Klingon Frontier searching, for StarFleet, for any Klingon Ships that may have been sold by top Klingon Generals when the peace treaty with the Federation was signed. Their jobs were simple, find the ships, then special services will take over. After being betrayed by the codenamed Jade, special services officer, and stuffed into a non-shielded cargo hold in the bottom of a ship, they are rescued by Captain Sulu and his U.S.S. Excelsior. They now rush to the new Commander and Chief of StarFleet with the news of betrayal. Admiral Drake tells them that former Captain Kirk, is essentially responsible, and Sulu and his crew, along with McCoy, Spock, Checkov, and Uhura, are to apprehend Kirk, or kill him if he resists. Shocked the go on the mission.

Kirk is back on the new planet he is supposed to be saving, and is surprised that no one on the planet ages, and that is just the beginning of the mystery. After beaming into a secure structure in the middle of the only city, he finds out that the people on the planet were bioengineered to be fighting machines if the Klingon or Romulan Empires were to fall to anyone.


Plot & Themes
Tone of book - sensitive (sigh....)
FANTASY or SCIENCE FICTION? - science fiction story
Spying & Investigations Yes
What is main char. doing? - unraveling a conspiracy
If an invasion, from Earth/human POV: - fighting overt invasion (attacking aliens)
War or Invasion Yes
Major kinds of combat: - spaceship battles
Kind of series - Star Trek
Is this an adult or child's book? - Adult or Young Adult Book
Descript. of chases or violence - 40 %
planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 40 %
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 10 %
Descript. of society, phenomena (tech), places - 10 %
Star Trek or Star Wars book? Yes

Main Character
Identity: - Male
Profession/status:
Age: - 60's-90's
Really unusual traits?

Main Adversary
Identity: - Male
Age: - 60's-90's
Profession/status:
Eccentric: Yes
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in: - a moderate amount
How sensitive is this character?
Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Genius (really!)

Setting
Terrain
Spaceship setting: - futuristic human warship
Planet outside solar system? Yes
Takes place in spaceship? Yes

Writing Style
Accounts of torture and death? - generic/vague references to death/punishment
scientific jargon? (SF only) - none/very little science jargon needed
How much dialogue? - roughly even amounts of descript and dialog
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