Children of the StormBy Kirsten Beyer

Pocket Books, out now

The fleet encounters a force who were capable of repelling the Borg – and defies their order to stay away…

It’s been a couple of years since I caught up with the Voyager relaunch, which really starts to blossom in this intriguing adventure. While the central characters from the Voyager TV series are key to this story – even Janeway, whose death continues to affect some of the characters’ actions – Beyer allows plenty of room for the new creations to expand. We particularly get to spend a large amount of time with the crews of three of the other ships in the fleet, notably Captain O’Donnell and his first officer aboard the USS Demeter who both defy expectations in a number of ways (particularly in the resolution of the conflict between them). There are also important developments for Seven of Nine, as well as B’Elanna and her daughter, Miral – I suspect Beyer’s own insights as the mother of a young girl inform the latter particularly.

There are two timeframes in the book – the “present” aboard Voyager, and the events of the previous few weeks on the other ships – but you never feel confused, and the plot is structured so that you get insight into what’s happening in either section through the other, despite the time difference. The Children of the Storm are exactly the sort of new life and new civilisations that Starfleet used to spend its time searching for, and it’s good to see that the argument about the increasing militarisation of the fleet is rehearsed here, with an unusual outcome.

Verdict: Beyer provides characterisation, action and a scientific mystery to be solved – a terrific Voyager story. 8/10

Paul Simpson

 

Click here to order Star Trek: Voyager: Children of the Storm from Amazon.co.uk

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