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Star Trek: Picard #5
Star Trek: Picard: Firewall
A thrilling prequel adventure based on the acclaimed TV series Star Trek: Picard!
Two years after the USS Voyager’s return from the Delta Quadrant, Seven of Nine finds herself rejected for a position in Starfleet…and instead finds a new home with the interstellar rogue law enforcement corps known as the Fenris Rangers. The Rangers seem like an ideal fit for Seven—but to embrace this new destiny, she must leave behind all she’s ever known, and risk losing the most important thing in her life: her friendship with Admiral Kathryn Janeway.
Two years after the USS Voyager’s return from the Delta Quadrant, Seven of Nine finds herself rejected for a position in Starfleet…and instead finds a new home with the interstellar rogue law enforcement corps known as the Fenris Rangers. The Rangers seem like an ideal fit for Seven—but to embrace this new destiny, she must leave behind all she’s ever known, and risk losing the most important thing in her life: her friendship with Admiral Kathryn Janeway.
Audiobook
First published February 27, 2024
About the author
David Mack
112 books651 followersDavid Mack is the New York Times bestselling author of 39 novels of science-fiction, fantasy, and adventure, including the Star Trek Destiny and Cold Equations trilogies.
Beyond novels, Mack's writing credits span several media, including television (for produced episodes of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine), games, and comic books.
Follow him on Twitter @davidalanmack or like his Facebook page.
Beyond novels, Mack's writing credits span several media, including television (for produced episodes of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine), games, and comic books.
Follow him on Twitter @davidalanmack or like his Facebook page.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 60 reviews
March 27, 2024
Star Trek: Picard is a controversial spin off in my circle as it draws out very strong emotions from its viewers. Some people love it, some people hate it, and some people's feelings change between the seasons. On my end, I think the Picard show was of varying quality but came up with some of the best ideas the franchise ever had. Also, I think that it has consistently produced some of the best novels that Star Trek has ever produced. THE LAST BEST HOPE by Doctor Una McCormack and ROGUE ELEMENTS by John Jackson Miller are two of my all time favorite Star Trek novels ever. FIREWALL by David Mack is now up there as well.
The premise is that Seven of Nine has found herself adrift after the ship's return to the Alpha Quadrant. Starfleet has made the possibly justifiable decision to exclude her from Starfleet based on the idea she might be a danger. Which becomes considerably less justifiable when you remember that if she could be remotely hacked or was going to taken over by the Borg, would have probably happened during the show's seven year run. It becomes even more spiteful and prejudice-filled when you find out they've also denied her Federation citizenship. Which doesn't actually prevent her from living there but exists purely to make her feel unwelcome.
I wasn't a big fan of "Ad Astra Per Aspera" from Star Trek: Strange New Worlds because it depicted a Federation that was engaged in hate crimes and ghetto-ization of a large chunk of its population in the Illyrians. I like to believe in Roddenberry's future, we may not be perfect but we've moved past Nazi/Terran Empire behavior. I'm more inclined to accept Seven's treatment, though, because it is far more isolated and we see pushback from Janeway and others. It's also practiced only by a handful of individuals in the Federation which, sadly, include people of power.
Anyway, Seven seeks to find herself by living on the fringes of Federation society that are also pretty dystopian and seem capitalist despite the fact they don't have money. This is a pretty common issue in many works, though, so I don't mind. That's when she's offered a chance to get her membership in the Federation and possible Starfleet commission if she infiltrates an organization called the Fenris Rangers.
Like all prequels, the actual destination is less important than the journey. There's a lot of interesting character beats in this book like Seven coming to terms her bisexuality and also analyzing the idea that the Federation's Romulan Rescue Plan resulted in a total collapse of necessary humanitarian relief in other parts of the galaxy. It makes the question to cut their losses after the destruction of Mars seem more justified.
Some fans were offput by Seven's attraction to women but I think it results in some of the more interesting parts of the book. We also get a relationship that is surprisingly drama free and one that I feel like will resonate with queer reader. I really liked the character of Ellory Kayd and hope she shows up in future Star Trek material. I understand that David Mack envisioned her as played by Jessica Henwick and I think that helped my mental picture a great deal.
The Fenris Rangers are actually given a backstory and we get a sense of what they are, other than having a cool name and fighting crime. Apparently, they were once a legitimate law enforcement/security company (for lack of a better term) contracted to protect the Qiris Sector. When the governments collapsed, they continued carrying out their jobs of enforcing the law of the previous regimes. Frankly, Starfleet labeling them vigilantes in that respect is a sign of Federation arrogance as who else would qualify as a legitimate government in that situation?
The villains of the book are also interesting because they're some of the vilest ones in Star Trek, up there with the Cardassians, but some of the most easily understood too. General Kohgish and Erol Tazgül are guilty of horrific crimes against sapience but their motives are both believable as well as extremely petty. General Kohgish just wants to make as much bank as humanly possible while Arastoo believes that he's able to keep the Romulans out of the Federation by making a buffer state via any means necessary once the Neutral Zones collapses. I also appreciate Erol isn't a part of Section 31 as that would be the "easy" way to do it. No, he's just a guy who got fired for his extreme politics.
Admiral Janeway gets something of an off kilter performance and why I put this book as a 9.5/10 instead of a 10 out of 10. Well, that and because I feel like some of the locations like Starfield are a little too like capitalistic intolerant Earth than the Federation should be. Basically, Janeway seems awfully naive throughout the book. She doesn't seem to understand how much pressure and prejudice Seven is getting or that Starfleet's opinion on the Rangers are wholly unjustified. I wonder if those blinders are just something every Federation citizen has or it's because she wasn't in the Dominion War and saw how falliable the Federation's leadership could be.
In conclusion, I find this to be a fantastic novel and one I really enjoyed. Seven of Nine has always been one of my favorite characters in Star Trek and this is a great bridge between her VOY and Picard personas. I really liked the Fenris Rangers as a concept and hope they eventually invite David Mack to do a sequel or perhaps even a series of novels set between this one and Season One of Picard.
The premise is that Seven of Nine has found herself adrift after the ship's return to the Alpha Quadrant. Starfleet has made the possibly justifiable decision to exclude her from Starfleet based on the idea she might be a danger. Which becomes considerably less justifiable when you remember that if she could be remotely hacked or was going to taken over by the Borg, would have probably happened during the show's seven year run. It becomes even more spiteful and prejudice-filled when you find out they've also denied her Federation citizenship. Which doesn't actually prevent her from living there but exists purely to make her feel unwelcome.
I wasn't a big fan of "Ad Astra Per Aspera" from Star Trek: Strange New Worlds because it depicted a Federation that was engaged in hate crimes and ghetto-ization of a large chunk of its population in the Illyrians. I like to believe in Roddenberry's future, we may not be perfect but we've moved past Nazi/Terran Empire behavior. I'm more inclined to accept Seven's treatment, though, because it is far more isolated and we see pushback from Janeway and others. It's also practiced only by a handful of individuals in the Federation which, sadly, include people of power.
Anyway, Seven seeks to find herself by living on the fringes of Federation society that are also pretty dystopian and seem capitalist despite the fact they don't have money. This is a pretty common issue in many works, though, so I don't mind. That's when she's offered a chance to get her membership in the Federation and possible Starfleet commission if she infiltrates an organization called the Fenris Rangers.
Like all prequels, the actual destination is less important than the journey. There's a lot of interesting character beats in this book like Seven coming to terms her bisexuality and also analyzing the idea that the Federation's Romulan Rescue Plan resulted in a total collapse of necessary humanitarian relief in other parts of the galaxy. It makes the question to cut their losses after the destruction of Mars seem more justified.
Some fans were offput by Seven's attraction to women but I think it results in some of the more interesting parts of the book. We also get a relationship that is surprisingly drama free and one that I feel like will resonate with queer reader. I really liked the character of Ellory Kayd and hope she shows up in future Star Trek material. I understand that David Mack envisioned her as played by Jessica Henwick and I think that helped my mental picture a great deal.
The Fenris Rangers are actually given a backstory and we get a sense of what they are, other than having a cool name and fighting crime. Apparently, they were once a legitimate law enforcement/security company (for lack of a better term) contracted to protect the Qiris Sector. When the governments collapsed, they continued carrying out their jobs of enforcing the law of the previous regimes. Frankly, Starfleet labeling them vigilantes in that respect is a sign of Federation arrogance as who else would qualify as a legitimate government in that situation?
The villains of the book are also interesting because they're some of the vilest ones in Star Trek, up there with the Cardassians, but some of the most easily understood too. General Kohgish and Erol Tazgül are guilty of horrific crimes against sapience but their motives are both believable as well as extremely petty. General Kohgish just wants to make as much bank as humanly possible while Arastoo believes that he's able to keep the Romulans out of the Federation by making a buffer state via any means necessary once the Neutral Zones collapses. I also appreciate Erol isn't a part of Section 31 as that would be the "easy" way to do it. No, he's just a guy who got fired for his extreme politics.
Admiral Janeway gets something of an off kilter performance and why I put this book as a 9.5/10 instead of a 10 out of 10. Well, that and because I feel like some of the locations like Starfield are a little too like capitalistic intolerant Earth than the Federation should be. Basically, Janeway seems awfully naive throughout the book. She doesn't seem to understand how much pressure and prejudice Seven is getting or that Starfleet's opinion on the Rangers are wholly unjustified. I wonder if those blinders are just something every Federation citizen has or it's because she wasn't in the Dominion War and saw how falliable the Federation's leadership could be.
In conclusion, I find this to be a fantastic novel and one I really enjoyed. Seven of Nine has always been one of my favorite characters in Star Trek and this is a great bridge between her VOY and Picard personas. I really liked the Fenris Rangers as a concept and hope they eventually invite David Mack to do a sequel or perhaps even a series of novels set between this one and Season One of Picard.
March 13, 2024
I'm rounding this up to 3 stars, mostly because David Mack has a great writing style...but colour me disappointed. I'm afraid the Fenris Rangers weren't that interesting to me, and I think the story with all the emotional meat -- the failure of a frightened, darkening Federation refusing to accept Seven into its society -- was thrown away in passing. THAT was the story I was hoping to read, but it feels like I was given warmed-over, Lucasverse-style left overs. It's a perfectly competent story, but compared to Kirsten Beyer's work on the Voyager crew in her novels...well, as I said, colour me disappointed.
February 27, 2024
Star Trek Picard: Firewall is the newest novel in the Picard timeline by David Mack. It was released in February 2024 and was published by Gallery Books at Simon and Schuster.
This book follows Seven of Nine in her journey after the events of Voyager and before the events of Picard. We see Seven first strike out on her own after being rejected by the Federation. However, when an opportunity to work with the Federation comes up to spy on the Fenris Rangers, Seven has a unique opportunity to explore her future and do good in the galaxy.
I thought the novel had some enjoyable aspects, and some less enjoyable aspects, making it very mixed for me.
I loved the scenes with Janeway and Starfleet. We get a little bit of an anchor to the story to see the Federation’s point of view. We get a “meanwhile, back at the ranch”. I really enjoyed the connections to Prodigy, which are evident throughout Janeway’s plot.
The best part of the Seven of Nine storyline is her interaction with Keon Harper, who is very different to Seven. He feels metaphorical and colorful whereas Seven feels serious and literal and bleak. Their interactions were really solid.
However, as a whole, I didn’t particularly enjoy Seven of Nine’s story, which is the primary story here. I didn’t enjoy her romantic relationship, which I felt was totally out of place for Seven. I also thought that the scenes with the fenris rangers were just ok.
I did enjoy the spy elements to the book, which very much felt like they were influenced by “Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation”.
Overall, the book was an interesting read, but not particularly amazing. I got some elements that I appreciated, but it doesn’t rank as high as some of the other Picard tie-ins. I’ll give this one a 6 out of 10.
This book follows Seven of Nine in her journey after the events of Voyager and before the events of Picard. We see Seven first strike out on her own after being rejected by the Federation. However, when an opportunity to work with the Federation comes up to spy on the Fenris Rangers, Seven has a unique opportunity to explore her future and do good in the galaxy.
I thought the novel had some enjoyable aspects, and some less enjoyable aspects, making it very mixed for me.
I loved the scenes with Janeway and Starfleet. We get a little bit of an anchor to the story to see the Federation’s point of view. We get a “meanwhile, back at the ranch”. I really enjoyed the connections to Prodigy, which are evident throughout Janeway’s plot.
The best part of the Seven of Nine storyline is her interaction with Keon Harper, who is very different to Seven. He feels metaphorical and colorful whereas Seven feels serious and literal and bleak. Their interactions were really solid.
However, as a whole, I didn’t particularly enjoy Seven of Nine’s story, which is the primary story here. I didn’t enjoy her romantic relationship, which I felt was totally out of place for Seven. I also thought that the scenes with the fenris rangers were just ok.
I did enjoy the spy elements to the book, which very much felt like they were influenced by “Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation”.
Overall, the book was an interesting read, but not particularly amazing. I got some elements that I appreciated, but it doesn’t rank as high as some of the other Picard tie-ins. I’ll give this one a 6 out of 10.
February 27, 2024
3.5 out of 5
March 11, 2024
I interviewed author David Mack on my podcast about this book!
Watch it here: https://youtu.be/ZBE3tDa30Sg
Listen to it here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast...
I watch Star Trek like many writers. I hear random bits of world-building and my mind goes instantly to new stories I would love to tell. David Mack had the same reaction when the popular Star Trek Voyager character Seven of Nine was introduced in an episode of Star Trek Picard. The secret of Jeri Ryan's return was well-guarded and it was a good twist when trailers started coming out. When her appearance came the years between Voyager and Picard was hinted at. The idea was that Seven was on the frontier operating as a Fenris Ranger, a rag-tag operation that sought to police areas to remote or wild for the Federation to police.
My first reaction was...oh wow that is a show. David Mack however paused the show to write to his editor and to say "put me in coach." The process took a few years and Mack had to wait for the show to produce two more seasons but here we are. I had a big smile on my face when I heard this novel was happening. I would be lying if I didn't say I was jealous of him, but also happy for him and stoked to read this book.
Seven of Nine is a unique character in the Star Trek canon who has been on an incredible journey both on the screen and behind the scenes. When introduced to the show, the catsuits and the borg to Grace Kelly lead to many accusations of the show selling out and sexist casting, an odd turn for the Trek show with the first woman as captain. The Voyager writers and Jeri Ryan did an excellent job of portraying Seven's coming of age in the last years of the show. In the novel Janeway thinks about this in a revealing scene.
"An adult. Chronologically, that was true. Biologically, Seven was thirty-two years old, though she appeared younger thanks to the regenerative properties of her Borg nanoprobes. But did her age accurately represent her degree of socialization? She had been robbed of so many years of her life as a Borg drone. So many aspects of social development that her new peers took for granted
likely remained alien to Seven."
I never thought her journey back to humanity was done when Voyager returned to the Alpha Quadrant. Mack understood this and the novel Firewall opens with Seven's lack of family once the Voyager crew returns home and she realizes she doesn't fit into the Federation. Looking at the where Seven's story ended and picked up again this novel has the task of bridging that gap.
Seven is not only a ranger living on the fringes, but queer and if you are paying attention slightly more evolved since we last saw her emotionally. Some of the fans who think Star Trek has gotten to woke will complain, but people Star Trek has always been progressive and it has to grow with the times. IF you can't handle Seven being queer, maybe this franchise is not for you. Mack embraced this and even when he was early in the writing process he told social media in very CLEAR language this was pro-LBGTIQ and if you didn't like that he didn't care.
In many ways does for modern Star Trek what Andor does for Star Wars. Firewall has different agendas but it has then, is unashamed about it and willing to shine a light on the dark gritty corners of the galaxy it takes place in. You would think after all Seven did to help Voyager return home she was a no-brainer for Starfleet. No matter how progressive the Federation thinks of itself the terror of the two Borg invasions has left scars.
"Seven hated feeling self-conscious about her implants. They made her feel unwelcome in so many settings now, as if she were a pariah or a criminal. It was a condition she hadn’t needed to confront in any significant way before arriving in the Federation. Her shipmates on Voyager had worked hard not to make her feel ashamed of who she was, or embarrassed by her lingering body modifications and nanoprobes. Part of the credit for that, she knew, belonged to then-Captain Janeway, who had welcomed Seven with unexpected openness and trust. While Janeway’s faith in Seven had been tested by a few crises during their early years together, her staunch support of Seven had set the tone for Voyager’s crew—and for Seven’s new life. "
Janeway's support and love for Seven is the through-line of the novel, and Mack is even sets the stage for Janeway's return in Star Trek Prodigy (a show he consulted on) in subtle but neat ways. Janeway is desperate to help Seven and wants to believe there is a place for her in Starfleet, and she is concerned when she is tricked into the Fenris Rangers. The thing is Seven thought she was working for Federation intelligence but the reality is being out on the frontier opens her up to accepting who she is, and in that sense firewall perfectly explains the changes we saw in Seven.
There are Romulans, Orion pirates, Starship battles, chases, phaser battles for days. Plenty of nerdy Star Trek details for those who can read maps set in the Trek universe. Don't worry I have not given away the action, and that stuff is fun but the growth of the character is really what makes the novel special.
Also on a funny side note, yeah it was cool that Discovery dropped the first Trek F-Bomb. Mack got the word mosh into the Star Trek universe.
"She was about to remove herself from the mosh pit when she felt the gentle, tentative contact of a soft hand on the back of her neck. It arrived like a feather touching down on snow, gentle enough to capture her attention without triggering her alarm.
Seven moved with the music, careful not to pull away from the unexpected touch. She turned to face a tall, young Andorian woman. The bone-white hair on the right side of the woman’s head had been shaved down to stubble, revealing her azure-blue skin, and on the other side it had been styled into a wild wave of ombréed teal, white, emerald, and orange. Her clothes were scant and
stylishly torn in all the right places, and like Seven she wore ankle-high boots that were as practical as they were flattering."
Watch it here: https://youtu.be/ZBE3tDa30Sg
Listen to it here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast...
I watch Star Trek like many writers. I hear random bits of world-building and my mind goes instantly to new stories I would love to tell. David Mack had the same reaction when the popular Star Trek Voyager character Seven of Nine was introduced in an episode of Star Trek Picard. The secret of Jeri Ryan's return was well-guarded and it was a good twist when trailers started coming out. When her appearance came the years between Voyager and Picard was hinted at. The idea was that Seven was on the frontier operating as a Fenris Ranger, a rag-tag operation that sought to police areas to remote or wild for the Federation to police.
My first reaction was...oh wow that is a show. David Mack however paused the show to write to his editor and to say "put me in coach." The process took a few years and Mack had to wait for the show to produce two more seasons but here we are. I had a big smile on my face when I heard this novel was happening. I would be lying if I didn't say I was jealous of him, but also happy for him and stoked to read this book.
Seven of Nine is a unique character in the Star Trek canon who has been on an incredible journey both on the screen and behind the scenes. When introduced to the show, the catsuits and the borg to Grace Kelly lead to many accusations of the show selling out and sexist casting, an odd turn for the Trek show with the first woman as captain. The Voyager writers and Jeri Ryan did an excellent job of portraying Seven's coming of age in the last years of the show. In the novel Janeway thinks about this in a revealing scene.
"An adult. Chronologically, that was true. Biologically, Seven was thirty-two years old, though she appeared younger thanks to the regenerative properties of her Borg nanoprobes. But did her age accurately represent her degree of socialization? She had been robbed of so many years of her life as a Borg drone. So many aspects of social development that her new peers took for granted
likely remained alien to Seven."
I never thought her journey back to humanity was done when Voyager returned to the Alpha Quadrant. Mack understood this and the novel Firewall opens with Seven's lack of family once the Voyager crew returns home and she realizes she doesn't fit into the Federation. Looking at the where Seven's story ended and picked up again this novel has the task of bridging that gap.
Seven is not only a ranger living on the fringes, but queer and if you are paying attention slightly more evolved since we last saw her emotionally. Some of the fans who think Star Trek has gotten to woke will complain, but people Star Trek has always been progressive and it has to grow with the times. IF you can't handle Seven being queer, maybe this franchise is not for you. Mack embraced this and even when he was early in the writing process he told social media in very CLEAR language this was pro-LBGTIQ and if you didn't like that he didn't care.
In many ways does for modern Star Trek what Andor does for Star Wars. Firewall has different agendas but it has then, is unashamed about it and willing to shine a light on the dark gritty corners of the galaxy it takes place in. You would think after all Seven did to help Voyager return home she was a no-brainer for Starfleet. No matter how progressive the Federation thinks of itself the terror of the two Borg invasions has left scars.
"Seven hated feeling self-conscious about her implants. They made her feel unwelcome in so many settings now, as if she were a pariah or a criminal. It was a condition she hadn’t needed to confront in any significant way before arriving in the Federation. Her shipmates on Voyager had worked hard not to make her feel ashamed of who she was, or embarrassed by her lingering body modifications and nanoprobes. Part of the credit for that, she knew, belonged to then-Captain Janeway, who had welcomed Seven with unexpected openness and trust. While Janeway’s faith in Seven had been tested by a few crises during their early years together, her staunch support of Seven had set the tone for Voyager’s crew—and for Seven’s new life. "
Janeway's support and love for Seven is the through-line of the novel, and Mack is even sets the stage for Janeway's return in Star Trek Prodigy (a show he consulted on) in subtle but neat ways. Janeway is desperate to help Seven and wants to believe there is a place for her in Starfleet, and she is concerned when she is tricked into the Fenris Rangers. The thing is Seven thought she was working for Federation intelligence but the reality is being out on the frontier opens her up to accepting who she is, and in that sense firewall perfectly explains the changes we saw in Seven.
There are Romulans, Orion pirates, Starship battles, chases, phaser battles for days. Plenty of nerdy Star Trek details for those who can read maps set in the Trek universe. Don't worry I have not given away the action, and that stuff is fun but the growth of the character is really what makes the novel special.
Also on a funny side note, yeah it was cool that Discovery dropped the first Trek F-Bomb. Mack got the word mosh into the Star Trek universe.
"She was about to remove herself from the mosh pit when she felt the gentle, tentative contact of a soft hand on the back of her neck. It arrived like a feather touching down on snow, gentle enough to capture her attention without triggering her alarm.
Seven moved with the music, careful not to pull away from the unexpected touch. She turned to face a tall, young Andorian woman. The bone-white hair on the right side of the woman’s head had been shaved down to stubble, revealing her azure-blue skin, and on the other side it had been styled into a wild wave of ombréed teal, white, emerald, and orange. Her clothes were scant and
stylishly torn in all the right places, and like Seven she wore ankle-high boots that were as practical as they were flattering."
March 20, 2024
Hear me out—David Mack is a fantastic science fiction author, and FIREWALL showcases his talented writing abilities. Regretfully, the narrative has a Star Wars vibe rather than a Star Trek one. However, it's not the author's fault; instead, it's a product of the bad writing and poor production of Star Trek: Picard seasons one and two, which features too many action scenes and superfluous foul language. Seven of Nine is substantially similar to her Voyager counterpart; however, she is now a lesbian. One of the things I didn't like about Star Trek: Picard was forcing a relationship between Seven and Raffi in the last seconds of the first season finale episode; the last time we saw her on Star Trek: Voyager, she was sort of in a relationship with Commander Chakotay, which was explained in FIREWALL, though it got tiptoed around due to Chakotay's ongoing storyline in the animated series Star Trek: Prodigy.
The appearance of Admiral Kathyrn Janeway, who plays a significant role in the story, was one of the few surprises in FIREWALL. I found it surprising that David Mack had "the powers that be" permission for him to use Janeway, given her role in Star Trek: Prodigy.
To put it simply—STAR TREK: PICARD: FIREWALL was a decent novel with excellent prose. As I've mentioned, David Mack is a gifted storyteller, but his skills weren't enough to elevate the Fenris Rangers above mediocrity. Except for Seven of Nine, I didn't like any of the Fenris Rangers characters. In my perspective, the greatest part of the story was Janeway's role in it. ╌★★★☆☆
The appearance of Admiral Kathyrn Janeway, who plays a significant role in the story, was one of the few surprises in FIREWALL. I found it surprising that David Mack had "the powers that be" permission for him to use Janeway, given her role in Star Trek: Prodigy.
To put it simply—STAR TREK: PICARD: FIREWALL was a decent novel with excellent prose. As I've mentioned, David Mack is a gifted storyteller, but his skills weren't enough to elevate the Fenris Rangers above mediocrity. Except for Seven of Nine, I didn't like any of the Fenris Rangers characters. In my perspective, the greatest part of the story was Janeway's role in it. ╌★★★☆☆
July 21, 2024
DNF - This book so poorly written that it makes one of my favourite characters of all time boring. Overly descriptive. Tried to keep going because I was interested in the story, but just couldn’t.
March 18, 2024
Well I went in with my doubts about a story centred on the Fenris Rangers but I did manage to enjoy the ride and even occasionally get behind the Rangers' motivations. I can see how perfect they are as an avenue for Seven to explore freedom of choice, but to poorly paraphrase Janeway: "they're still just a bunch of punkasses."
While I enjoyed the outcome, for me it was a case of the ends not justifying the means and the whole Superhero Seven vibe never works for me.
That said, Mack is an excellent storyteller and LaVoy an excellent narrator so this read was naturally plenty of fun!
While I enjoyed the outcome, for me it was a case of the ends not justifying the means and the whole Superhero Seven vibe never works for me.
That said, Mack is an excellent storyteller and LaVoy an excellent narrator so this read was naturally plenty of fun!
November 1, 2024
This ST:P tie-in novel is about Seven of Nine. Those who’ve followed me for a while know I’m a fan of the ex-Borg member severed from the Borg Collective by the USS Voyager. Over the Picard series three seasons, we learned she was rejected by the Federation and Starfleet, became part of the Fenris Rangers, served as first officer on the USS Titan, and is now Captain of the USS Enterprise-G.
This novel is a “frame” story; Seven tells the story of how she became a Fenris Ranger to someone in a Freecloud bar. This Seven is canonically queer and the author did a beautiful job showing that journey, along with everything else Seven is going through, adrift as she is without her Voyager “family”. Janeway makes a cameo appearance.
This novel is a “frame” story; Seven tells the story of how she became a Fenris Ranger to someone in a Freecloud bar. This Seven is canonically queer and the author did a beautiful job showing that journey, along with everything else Seven is going through, adrift as she is without her Voyager “family”. Janeway makes a cameo appearance.
March 28, 2024
Check on my Blog: https://magicandmeteors.wordpress.com...
Firewall kicks off with us catching up with Seven of Nine as she makes her home in South Africa. The story starts off two years after Voyagers return from the Delta Quadrant and sees the crew of Voyager scattered around the Federation. Janeway is an Admiral but has been going to bat for Seven trying to get her into Starfleet and to become a Federation system but is getting stonewalled by Xenophobia and paranoia regarding Seven's Borg origins.
At the same time Seven has not been settling. This and other factors combine to make Seven desire to leave Earth and settle elsewhere. The portrayal of Seven and Janeway relationship is handled brilliantly. It really shows the vibe of friendship and vexation that they both cause in each other and every scene really plays excellently with them two and froing. We get to see Janeway chagrined from the beginning though as she made Seven very much like her, and combined with Seven's personality, has created a person she clearly on one hand causes the raised eyes but on the other admires for sticking to her guns when things need doing. Janeway and Seven have a lot in common and their choices lead to mutual respect, friendship and eye rolling at each other. This adds another tone to the palimpsest of tones but induces a feel good factor as you know they both have each others others best interests at heart.
Seven getting conned worked, by the supposed FIA, as well works brilliantly as she herself is on a learning curve and trying to find a place that she feels comfortable and at home following Voyager's return. The Fenris rangers that she finds herself involved in though are a diverse lot from Harper the irascible mentor, Ellory the Trill, Lucan ground crew, Tovok Vulcan Fenris Ranger, Saszyk Deputy Commander of the Ranger etc for a great eclectic bunch that really shine and make Seven welcome. It does show how the character of Seven fits in immediately with the Rangers something that she has been looking for. Her response of liking it is brilliantly portrayed really showing how she falls in them brilliantly. Seven is on a steep learning curve but with the others around her the process is smooth which in turn encourages her loyalties to her. The running gags they have concerning food, Starfleet, lack of facilitates really also knits the scenes together brilliantly as well. This works well really showing how every aspect of the Ranger hierarchy works well together and like a large team. A different way to Starfleet as Janeway notes but also very similar. Firewall really does illustrate how different agendas can really introduce a fictitious gap between people and organisation until they don't realise that what they have in common. Janeway and Seven stepping over all of this and setting everything back on an even keel is brilliantly handled and really set up things for future plotlines neatly tying things all together.
We get a great look at the Fenris Rangers themselves really giving us a look into the facilities and how they operate. We also get to see their origins and how they operate. This gives us a great incite into the cast of characters and you really get to see their back story and what drives them to do what they do as well. The fact they take Seven on as well shows how much more moderate they are as well, that in turn really gives us an insight in how they aid other people. It also shines a light on Starfleet and their policies. This the thing that the different POV's that we see throughout do brilliantly as Seven from outside but knowing how things worth, the Rangers with a healthy scepticism and Janeway from within the organisation. This really gives us a neat look at the flaws and the good and how Janeway, Seven and the Rangers go about sorting everything is brilliantly handled. Seven though and Janeway throughout are very aware of the political and moral motivations and actions behind them and these make for a dramatic backdrop that flares up from the beginning with both Seven, The Rangers, Janeway, Starfleet taking it to the hilt. We also get to see how Janeway as well as Seven are forging their paths in the respective organisations. Janeway is not hesitant at all to throw her weight around to get what she want al la like Picard and by the same token neither is Seven. The consequences of their actions are brilliantly done and you really a feel for what is at stake and the lengths they are both willing to go to.
General Kohgish and Erol Tazgül make for a pair that have a genuine edge and you really don't know how Seven, The Rangers and Janeway are going to get around the. This makes for a genuine edge of the seat book from the start that has a really sharp feel to it. The humour comes thick and fast throughout though that marries up with all the other layers of activity that Firewall pack in spades onto our characters as they charge around. The book revels in the little details and Easter Eggs as well which you will find yourself spotting from the start. The world building is all out there as well as we are introduced more characters, planets, Zirat, Sagasta,, Soroya IV Otroya II and Fenris itself etc are brilliantly rendered as is the technology. Inside and outside of the Federation we also get to see what sides in their organization Seven and Janeway may have to come down on and this is cleverly handled as Janeway moves other Admirals out of the way and Seven finds herself settling more into the Rangers. Plot points are answered in the book but a whole epic new lot are set up in ways that you expect and ways that you will not expect as well in any way.
Firewall is a explosion of a story right from the start. All the parts are moving and interacting in ways that you will not expect. The book will keep you on your toes trying to anticipate what is going to happen. The cast of characters makes for situation that are sharp and visceral keeping all the plotlines moving at a frenetic pace and making for an unpredictable storyline that will keep you up late to see what happens. The characters and their history work brilliantly and their future collaborations are also set up making for a book that really rocks from the start and really gives you the impression of flying along the characters and combined with excellent descriptions makes for, right from the beginning, brilliantly realised craziness that leaps off the page and drags you along and never lets up. Firewall is full of epic world building, three-dimensional characters from the start, it full of Easter eggs and returning characters as well as new ones, it breaks out of the stall and keeps running right from the very outs and is full of epic and crazy action! Get it you won't regret it!
Firewall kicks off with us catching up with Seven of Nine as she makes her home in South Africa. The story starts off two years after Voyagers return from the Delta Quadrant and sees the crew of Voyager scattered around the Federation. Janeway is an Admiral but has been going to bat for Seven trying to get her into Starfleet and to become a Federation system but is getting stonewalled by Xenophobia and paranoia regarding Seven's Borg origins.
At the same time Seven has not been settling. This and other factors combine to make Seven desire to leave Earth and settle elsewhere. The portrayal of Seven and Janeway relationship is handled brilliantly. It really shows the vibe of friendship and vexation that they both cause in each other and every scene really plays excellently with them two and froing. We get to see Janeway chagrined from the beginning though as she made Seven very much like her, and combined with Seven's personality, has created a person she clearly on one hand causes the raised eyes but on the other admires for sticking to her guns when things need doing. Janeway and Seven have a lot in common and their choices lead to mutual respect, friendship and eye rolling at each other. This adds another tone to the palimpsest of tones but induces a feel good factor as you know they both have each others others best interests at heart.
Seven getting conned worked, by the supposed FIA, as well works brilliantly as she herself is on a learning curve and trying to find a place that she feels comfortable and at home following Voyager's return. The Fenris rangers that she finds herself involved in though are a diverse lot from Harper the irascible mentor, Ellory the Trill, Lucan ground crew, Tovok Vulcan Fenris Ranger, Saszyk Deputy Commander of the Ranger etc for a great eclectic bunch that really shine and make Seven welcome. It does show how the character of Seven fits in immediately with the Rangers something that she has been looking for. Her response of liking it is brilliantly portrayed really showing how she falls in them brilliantly. Seven is on a steep learning curve but with the others around her the process is smooth which in turn encourages her loyalties to her. The running gags they have concerning food, Starfleet, lack of facilitates really also knits the scenes together brilliantly as well. This works well really showing how every aspect of the Ranger hierarchy works well together and like a large team. A different way to Starfleet as Janeway notes but also very similar. Firewall really does illustrate how different agendas can really introduce a fictitious gap between people and organisation until they don't realise that what they have in common. Janeway and Seven stepping over all of this and setting everything back on an even keel is brilliantly handled and really set up things for future plotlines neatly tying things all together.
We get a great look at the Fenris Rangers themselves really giving us a look into the facilities and how they operate. We also get to see their origins and how they operate. This gives us a great incite into the cast of characters and you really get to see their back story and what drives them to do what they do as well. The fact they take Seven on as well shows how much more moderate they are as well, that in turn really gives us an insight in how they aid other people. It also shines a light on Starfleet and their policies. This the thing that the different POV's that we see throughout do brilliantly as Seven from outside but knowing how things worth, the Rangers with a healthy scepticism and Janeway from within the organisation. This really gives us a neat look at the flaws and the good and how Janeway, Seven and the Rangers go about sorting everything is brilliantly handled. Seven though and Janeway throughout are very aware of the political and moral motivations and actions behind them and these make for a dramatic backdrop that flares up from the beginning with both Seven, The Rangers, Janeway, Starfleet taking it to the hilt. We also get to see how Janeway as well as Seven are forging their paths in the respective organisations. Janeway is not hesitant at all to throw her weight around to get what she want al la like Picard and by the same token neither is Seven. The consequences of their actions are brilliantly done and you really a feel for what is at stake and the lengths they are both willing to go to.
General Kohgish and Erol Tazgül make for a pair that have a genuine edge and you really don't know how Seven, The Rangers and Janeway are going to get around the. This makes for a genuine edge of the seat book from the start that has a really sharp feel to it. The humour comes thick and fast throughout though that marries up with all the other layers of activity that Firewall pack in spades onto our characters as they charge around. The book revels in the little details and Easter Eggs as well which you will find yourself spotting from the start. The world building is all out there as well as we are introduced more characters, planets, Zirat, Sagasta,, Soroya IV Otroya II and Fenris itself etc are brilliantly rendered as is the technology. Inside and outside of the Federation we also get to see what sides in their organization Seven and Janeway may have to come down on and this is cleverly handled as Janeway moves other Admirals out of the way and Seven finds herself settling more into the Rangers. Plot points are answered in the book but a whole epic new lot are set up in ways that you expect and ways that you will not expect as well in any way.
Firewall is a explosion of a story right from the start. All the parts are moving and interacting in ways that you will not expect. The book will keep you on your toes trying to anticipate what is going to happen. The cast of characters makes for situation that are sharp and visceral keeping all the plotlines moving at a frenetic pace and making for an unpredictable storyline that will keep you up late to see what happens. The characters and their history work brilliantly and their future collaborations are also set up making for a book that really rocks from the start and really gives you the impression of flying along the characters and combined with excellent descriptions makes for, right from the beginning, brilliantly realised craziness that leaps off the page and drags you along and never lets up. Firewall is full of epic world building, three-dimensional characters from the start, it full of Easter eggs and returning characters as well as new ones, it breaks out of the stall and keeps running right from the very outs and is full of epic and crazy action! Get it you won't regret it!
June 8, 2024
DNF. I made it to chapter three of a digital sample. That third chapter made it clear to me that I wasn't going to buy the book. Too bad, because I bought the previous books within the Picard series.
April 3, 2024
Remember Star Trek and the future utopia of Earth where mankind is at its best?? David Mack doesn’t. This is a minor spoiler but let me just quickly summarise what happens in the first couple of chapters vaguely so you can see how well it captures the feel of Star Trek.
Seven moves away from the utopia that is Earth because she is getting threatening graffiti sprayed on the wall of her house that reads ‘die Borg bitch’. Oh Star Trek and its uplifting future, do you know no bounds. Oh and she moves to a remote colony where she visits a queer and trans bar where she enjoys bopping and smacking into people in a mosh pit. Is there an award we can give David Mack for clearly being a big Star Trek fan going off his previous work but has managed to get so many things very strangely and offensively wrong.
Seven moves away from the utopia that is Earth because she is getting threatening graffiti sprayed on the wall of her house that reads ‘die Borg bitch’. Oh Star Trek and its uplifting future, do you know no bounds. Oh and she moves to a remote colony where she visits a queer and trans bar where she enjoys bopping and smacking into people in a mosh pit. Is there an award we can give David Mack for clearly being a big Star Trek fan going off his previous work but has managed to get so many things very strangely and offensively wrong.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 29, 2024
Star Trek: Picard is a controversial spin off in my circle as it draws out very strong emotions from its viewers. Some people love it, some people hate it, and some people's feelings change between the seasons. On my end, I think the Picard show was of varying quality but came up with some of the best ideas the franchise ever had. Also, I think that it has consistently produced some of the best novels that Star Trek has ever produced. THE LAST BEST HOPE by Doctor Una McCormack and ROGUE ELEMENTS by John Jackson Miller are two of my all time favorite Star Trek novels ever. FIREWALL by David Mack is now up there as well.
The premise is that Seven of Nine has found herself adrift after the ship's return to the Alpha Quadrant. Starfleet has made the possibly justifiable decision to exclude her from Starfleet based on the idea she might be a danger. Which becomes considerably less justifiable when you remember that if she could be remotely hacked or was going to taken over by the Borg, would have probably happened during the show's seven year run. It becomes even more spiteful and prejudice-filled when you find out they've also denied her Federation citizenship. Which doesn't actually prevent her from living there but exists purely to make her feel unwelcome.
I wasn't a big fan of "Ad Astra Per Aspera" from Star Trek: Strange New Worlds because it depicted a Federation that was engaged in hate crimes and ghetto-ization of a large chunk of its population in the Illyrians. I like to believe in Roddenberry's future, we may not be perfect but we've moved past Nazi/Terran Empire behavior. I'm more inclined to accept Seven's treatment, though, because it is far more isolated and we see pushback from Janeway and others. It's also practiced only by a handful of individuals in the Federation which, sadly, include people of power.
Anyway, Seven seeks to find herself by living on the fringes of Federation society that are also pretty dystopian and seem capitalist despite the fact they don't have money. This is a pretty common issue in many works, though, so I don't mind. That's when she's offered a chance to get her membership in the Federation and possible Starfleet commission if she infiltrates an organization called the Fenris Rangers.
Like all prequels, the actual destination is less important than the journey. There's a lot of interesting character beats in this book like Seven coming to terms her bisexuality and also analyzing the idea that the Federation's Romulan Rescue Plan resulted in a total collapse of necessary humanitarian relief in other parts of the galaxy. It makes the question to cut their losses after the destruction of Mars seem more justified.
Some fans were offput by Seven's attraction to women but I think it results in some of the more interesting parts of the book. We also get a relationship that is surprisingly drama free and one that I feel like will resonate with queer reader. I really liked the character of Ellory Kayd and hope she shows up in future Star Trek material. I understand that David Mack envisioned her as played by Jessica Henwick and I think that helped my mental picture a great deal.
The Fenris Rangers are actually given a backstory and we get a sense of what they are, other than having a cool name and fighting crime. Apparently, they were once a legitimate law enforcement/security company (for lack of a better term) contracted to protect the Qiris Sector. When the governments collapsed, they continued carrying out their jobs of enforcing the law of the previous regimes. Frankly, Starfleet labeling them vigilantes in that respect is a sign of Federation arrogance as who else would qualify as a legitimate government in that situation?
The villains of the book are also interesting because they're some of the vilest ones in Star Trek, up there with the Cardassians, but some of the most easily understood too. General Kohgish and Erol Tazgül are guilty of horrific crimes against sapience but their motives are both believable as well as extremely petty. General Kohgish just wants to make as much bank as humanly possible while Arastoo believes that he's able to keep the Romulans out of the Federation by making a buffer state via any means necessary once the Neutral Zones collapses. I also appreciate Erol isn't a part of Section 31 as that would be the "easy" way to do it. No, he's just a guy who got fired for his extreme politics.
Admiral Janeway gets something of an off kilter performance and why I put this book as a 9.5/10 instead of a 10 out of 10. Well, that and because I feel like some of the locations like Starfield are a little too like capitalistic intolerant Earth than the Federation should be. Basically, Janeway seems awfully naive throughout the book. She doesn't seem to understand how much pressure and prejudice Seven is getting or that Starfleet's opinion on the Rangers are wholly unjustified. I wonder if those blinders are just something every Federation citizen has or it's because she wasn't in the Dominion War and saw how falliable the Federation's leadership could be.
In conclusion, I find this to be a fantastic novel and one I really enjoyed. Seven of Nine has always been one of my favorite characters in Star Trek and this is a great bridge between her VOY and Picard personas. I really liked the Fenris Rangers as a concept and hope they eventually invite David Mack to do a sequel or perhaps even a series of novels set between this one and Season One of Picard.
The premise is that Seven of Nine has found herself adrift after the ship's return to the Alpha Quadrant. Starfleet has made the possibly justifiable decision to exclude her from Starfleet based on the idea she might be a danger. Which becomes considerably less justifiable when you remember that if she could be remotely hacked or was going to taken over by the Borg, would have probably happened during the show's seven year run. It becomes even more spiteful and prejudice-filled when you find out they've also denied her Federation citizenship. Which doesn't actually prevent her from living there but exists purely to make her feel unwelcome.
I wasn't a big fan of "Ad Astra Per Aspera" from Star Trek: Strange New Worlds because it depicted a Federation that was engaged in hate crimes and ghetto-ization of a large chunk of its population in the Illyrians. I like to believe in Roddenberry's future, we may not be perfect but we've moved past Nazi/Terran Empire behavior. I'm more inclined to accept Seven's treatment, though, because it is far more isolated and we see pushback from Janeway and others. It's also practiced only by a handful of individuals in the Federation which, sadly, include people of power.
Anyway, Seven seeks to find herself by living on the fringes of Federation society that are also pretty dystopian and seem capitalist despite the fact they don't have money. This is a pretty common issue in many works, though, so I don't mind. That's when she's offered a chance to get her membership in the Federation and possible Starfleet commission if she infiltrates an organization called the Fenris Rangers.
Like all prequels, the actual destination is less important than the journey. There's a lot of interesting character beats in this book like Seven coming to terms her bisexuality and also analyzing the idea that the Federation's Romulan Rescue Plan resulted in a total collapse of necessary humanitarian relief in other parts of the galaxy. It makes the question to cut their losses after the destruction of Mars seem more justified.
Some fans were offput by Seven's attraction to women but I think it results in some of the more interesting parts of the book. We also get a relationship that is surprisingly drama free and one that I feel like will resonate with queer reader. I really liked the character of Ellory Kayd and hope she shows up in future Star Trek material. I understand that David Mack envisioned her as played by Jessica Henwick and I think that helped my mental picture a great deal.
The Fenris Rangers are actually given a backstory and we get a sense of what they are, other than having a cool name and fighting crime. Apparently, they were once a legitimate law enforcement/security company (for lack of a better term) contracted to protect the Qiris Sector. When the governments collapsed, they continued carrying out their jobs of enforcing the law of the previous regimes. Frankly, Starfleet labeling them vigilantes in that respect is a sign of Federation arrogance as who else would qualify as a legitimate government in that situation?
The villains of the book are also interesting because they're some of the vilest ones in Star Trek, up there with the Cardassians, but some of the most easily understood too. General Kohgish and Erol Tazgül are guilty of horrific crimes against sapience but their motives are both believable as well as extremely petty. General Kohgish just wants to make as much bank as humanly possible while Arastoo believes that he's able to keep the Romulans out of the Federation by making a buffer state via any means necessary once the Neutral Zones collapses. I also appreciate Erol isn't a part of Section 31 as that would be the "easy" way to do it. No, he's just a guy who got fired for his extreme politics.
Admiral Janeway gets something of an off kilter performance and why I put this book as a 9.5/10 instead of a 10 out of 10. Well, that and because I feel like some of the locations like Starfield are a little too like capitalistic intolerant Earth than the Federation should be. Basically, Janeway seems awfully naive throughout the book. She doesn't seem to understand how much pressure and prejudice Seven is getting or that Starfleet's opinion on the Rangers are wholly unjustified. I wonder if those blinders are just something every Federation citizen has or it's because she wasn't in the Dominion War and saw how falliable the Federation's leadership could be.
In conclusion, I find this to be a fantastic novel and one I really enjoyed. Seven of Nine has always been one of my favorite characters in Star Trek and this is a great bridge between her VOY and Picard personas. I really liked the Fenris Rangers as a concept and hope they eventually invite David Mack to do a sequel or perhaps even a series of novels set between this one and Season One of Picard.
April 12, 2024
I ended up liking this (hence the three-stars) and don't want to sound overly critical here, because—again—I liked this, so maybe I'll say it a third time: I liked this.
Getting the world-building on the Fenris Rangers, getting some (fleeting) background on what happened to Voyager's crew since their return from the Delta Quadrant in the canon timeline (sigh, rest in peace, Splinter Timeline) was solid. I believed in a lot of what was put forth in the background as the idea of what it had been like for Seven since her return (especially that others wouldn't look past her ex-Borg status).
Now, some of Seven's early journey felt a little bit like it began from a set-back position—I kept feeling like she was re-learning things she'd already shown us she'd learned in Voyager, from an emotional point of view—but then, I'm willing to chalk up a great deal of that to masking; perhaps on Voyager it was more that she'd learned how to appear as someone the crew understood. Also, it was exactly that: a crew. The same people, day-in, day-out. Throw in suddenly being part of the Federation, and that's bound to knock someone off-kilter no matter how much she'd integrated into Voyager's smaller microcosm of a community.
The over-all arc of the story—Seven being offered something she wants, meeting the Fenris Rangers, getting in with them, coming to realize they're very much where she wants to be? Solid. The plot occurring throughout that—of heists and criminals and deplorable actions and the Federation turning its back on a whole sector because planets there have no official governments with which to call for aid? I struggled a bit with it in places—this is the Federation being the Federation and mucking things up, but it really read as kind of over-the-top in how much the Federation just... left, and then seemed to take zero care or responsibility about the mess they'd made, but at the same time, we've seen that with the Maquis, so it wasn't entirely off-brand, just frustrating as a reader.
And Seven of Nine being key to putting a major wrong at least to something slightly right and more just was an enjoyable journey.
Also, this was so casually, inclusively queer. Loved that for me.
So why only like?
Part of it was that "reset" feeling to Seven's awareness and understanding of human—and humanoid—actions. She seemed completely unaware of how evil individuals could be, but... this is Seven who encountered the Devore, fights-to-the-death in Tsunkatse, Species 8472, the Hirogen, the Equinox... She seemed to have no grasp of what a power-hungry dictator, or the desperate, might do if angered, and that seemed more than a step or two removed from what she'd encountered before. It felt like she got punished/forced to learn things when I struggled to believe she hadn't already known these things. So, a bit off.
The second thing is a frustration and limitation of the sub-genre of IP fiction. Introducing any new character beyond canon characters is an exercise in "well, this can't last." So, I was basically waiting for every death that happened to happen—a slight surprise in one character's non-death, though they don't get written out, either, they're just gone in the framing device of the novel that takes place years later—and so getting any sort of investment is next to impossible. It's unfortunate, but it aligns with the same way I felt watching Picard: Oh look, a guest character I loved from TNG. I bed they'll die—oop, there they go. It feels like the one play the narrator has to work with, but honestly at this point not killing these side-characters would be the truly surprising thing.
Lastly, and this is just a tonal thing for me and entirely a me-as-an-enjoyer-of-Trek thing, it landed very hopeless. One of my favourite things about Star Trek—indeed, the core thing for me—is how it's about the belief we can be better, and we're better when we work together, and the entire narrative framework of this book was instead hinged on the reveal of one of the most frustrating, hopeless things I disliked the most about Season One of Picard. While there's a victory for Seven of Nine in the plot throughout, the final scenes double-down by her noting how the Fenris Rangers are already devolving into little more than vigilantes without much in the way of actual justice and... sigh.
That aligns perfectly with where Seven of Nine is at the start of Picard, so I wasn't surprised, but it still left me finishing the audiobook with that slightly sour feeling overall. One of the things I love about Discovery and Strange New Worlds is the refreshing return of how competent and caring they are, and how it's about a Starfleet and Federation trying to be better, rather than individuals trying to do good surrounded by unrelenting "you'll never do enough."
But as I said, that's on me. There was nowhere else the book could have ended, really, given it's designed to do exactly what it did, and deliver us the Seven we meet coming to the rescue of La Sirena.
Getting the world-building on the Fenris Rangers, getting some (fleeting) background on what happened to Voyager's crew since their return from the Delta Quadrant in the canon timeline (sigh, rest in peace, Splinter Timeline) was solid. I believed in a lot of what was put forth in the background as the idea of what it had been like for Seven since her return (especially that others wouldn't look past her ex-Borg status).
Now, some of Seven's early journey felt a little bit like it began from a set-back position—I kept feeling like she was re-learning things she'd already shown us she'd learned in Voyager, from an emotional point of view—but then, I'm willing to chalk up a great deal of that to masking; perhaps on Voyager it was more that she'd learned how to appear as someone the crew understood. Also, it was exactly that: a crew. The same people, day-in, day-out. Throw in suddenly being part of the Federation, and that's bound to knock someone off-kilter no matter how much she'd integrated into Voyager's smaller microcosm of a community.
The over-all arc of the story—Seven being offered something she wants, meeting the Fenris Rangers, getting in with them, coming to realize they're very much where she wants to be? Solid. The plot occurring throughout that—of heists and criminals and deplorable actions and the Federation turning its back on a whole sector because planets there have no official governments with which to call for aid? I struggled a bit with it in places—this is the Federation being the Federation and mucking things up, but it really read as kind of over-the-top in how much the Federation just... left, and then seemed to take zero care or responsibility about the mess they'd made, but at the same time, we've seen that with the Maquis, so it wasn't entirely off-brand, just frustrating as a reader.
And Seven of Nine being key to putting a major wrong at least to something slightly right and more just was an enjoyable journey.
Also, this was so casually, inclusively queer. Loved that for me.
So why only like?
Part of it was that "reset" feeling to Seven's awareness and understanding of human—and humanoid—actions. She seemed completely unaware of how evil individuals could be, but... this is Seven who encountered the Devore, fights-to-the-death in Tsunkatse, Species 8472, the Hirogen, the Equinox... She seemed to have no grasp of what a power-hungry dictator, or the desperate, might do if angered, and that seemed more than a step or two removed from what she'd encountered before. It felt like she got punished/forced to learn things when I struggled to believe she hadn't already known these things. So, a bit off.
The second thing is a frustration and limitation of the sub-genre of IP fiction. Introducing any new character beyond canon characters is an exercise in "well, this can't last." So, I was basically waiting for every death that happened to happen—a slight surprise in one character's non-death, though they don't get written out, either, they're just gone in the framing device of the novel that takes place years later—and so getting any sort of investment is next to impossible. It's unfortunate, but it aligns with the same way I felt watching Picard: Oh look, a guest character I loved from TNG. I bed they'll die—oop, there they go. It feels like the one play the narrator has to work with, but honestly at this point not killing these side-characters would be the truly surprising thing.
Lastly, and this is just a tonal thing for me and entirely a me-as-an-enjoyer-of-Trek thing, it landed very hopeless. One of my favourite things about Star Trek—indeed, the core thing for me—is how it's about the belief we can be better, and we're better when we work together, and the entire narrative framework of this book was instead hinged on the reveal of one of the most frustrating, hopeless things I disliked the most about Season One of Picard. While there's a victory for Seven of Nine in the plot throughout, the final scenes double-down by her noting how the Fenris Rangers are already devolving into little more than vigilantes without much in the way of actual justice and... sigh.
That aligns perfectly with where Seven of Nine is at the start of Picard, so I wasn't surprised, but it still left me finishing the audiobook with that slightly sour feeling overall. One of the things I love about Discovery and Strange New Worlds is the refreshing return of how competent and caring they are, and how it's about a Starfleet and Federation trying to be better, rather than individuals trying to do good surrounded by unrelenting "you'll never do enough."
But as I said, that's on me. There was nowhere else the book could have ended, really, given it's designed to do exactly what it did, and deliver us the Seven we meet coming to the rescue of La Sirena.
August 22, 2024
I was excited that there was a new entry in this series, but this book was not good. The main events, essentially, take place over the course of around a week. I’m sorry, what! And Seven is basically the cause of a lot of death, damage, and drama. It’s quite ridiculous and unbelievable.
The book doesn’t capture Seven’s pattern of speech that well. There are of few idioms and colloquialisms she uses that don’t work with how she speaks. Metaphors are not her thing, how would she be using them, and why?
She also cries a lot. She can have empathy, feel guilt and shame, and lash out or get angry, not cry. She rarely cries. We knew that in Voyager, but that’s evident in Picard as well. I really do wonder if, because a dude wrote it, he seems to want to go the polar opposite of the diktat given to the Voyager cast — don’t cry. She’s melodramatic here, that’s a weird choice.
I found the scenes of her life and loneliness on Starheim very very depressing. Her feeling of being a failure and being cast out of the life she wanted, and having to deal with it all on her own, were gut wrenching, but so well written.
The whole Soroya IV debacle — I get that the book is trying to show how idealistic and naive Seven is, but her manager, Harper, should have stopped her from making such a grave mistake. He should have corralled all the Rangers heading to that mission and talked over the likely retaliation scenarios. That’s the whole point of being a manager. It’s on you to guide the newbie, irrespective of how headstrong they are.
First American book I’ve read in a long time that correctly says “champing at the bit”.
The heist should have been longer and more suspenseful. But oof, what a gut punch that irrespective of when a story is set, corruption runs deep through every organization, even the Federation. I think giving the FSA a pass was a cop out though.
Seven’s journey to becoming a Ranger was too fast tracked. I get that, on Voyager, she became a senior officer in like one episode, but that was Captain Janeway pushing for it and Seven has skills. She’s completely clueless with the Rangers but they keep giving her chances, even after mess up after mess up. And why is no one on the Rangers corroborating or checking the plan and coming up with backup ideas? Lives could have been saved if someone had a brain.
I also didn’t realize Seven’s nanoprobes and implants were made inert. Was that obvious in the Picard show?
I don’t understand the point of the romance. Her loneliness wasn’t just about lacking a romance, it was that she didn’t have her Collective, her support system, her friends. I thought it was so reductive to make her life a banal Hollywood b-plot. The whole thing about her dancing in mosh pits was like, what? Maybe I don’t know enough about Seven, but I don’t think that’s her. And one night stands — jeez, it’s like there’s no other way for writers to consider people making connections with others.
I thought the new girlfriend was nice, but she’s not a person as much as the love interest. Why do these people like each other than because they’re good looking?
The whole book was ridiculously fraught, and I don’t think it did justice to the story of a person landing in an unknown land and not being accepted by her people. I think there was a really good character study brewing here, but the author couldn’t find it. He says in the acknowledgements that he needed help turning this from just an action novel to something else, and that’s obvious. There’s a lot of detailed action scenes in here, written with precision but not with pace or emotion.
From all the books in the series, this was the first to be a real let down. It’s like the creative team didn’t understand Seven or what makes us love her so much.
The book doesn’t capture Seven’s pattern of speech that well. There are of few idioms and colloquialisms she uses that don’t work with how she speaks. Metaphors are not her thing, how would she be using them, and why?
She also cries a lot. She can have empathy, feel guilt and shame, and lash out or get angry, not cry. She rarely cries. We knew that in Voyager, but that’s evident in Picard as well. I really do wonder if, because a dude wrote it, he seems to want to go the polar opposite of the diktat given to the Voyager cast — don’t cry. She’s melodramatic here, that’s a weird choice.
I found the scenes of her life and loneliness on Starheim very very depressing. Her feeling of being a failure and being cast out of the life she wanted, and having to deal with it all on her own, were gut wrenching, but so well written.
The whole Soroya IV debacle — I get that the book is trying to show how idealistic and naive Seven is, but her manager, Harper, should have stopped her from making such a grave mistake. He should have corralled all the Rangers heading to that mission and talked over the likely retaliation scenarios. That’s the whole point of being a manager. It’s on you to guide the newbie, irrespective of how headstrong they are.
First American book I’ve read in a long time that correctly says “champing at the bit”.
The heist should have been longer and more suspenseful. But oof, what a gut punch that irrespective of when a story is set, corruption runs deep through every organization, even the Federation. I think giving the FSA a pass was a cop out though.
Seven’s journey to becoming a Ranger was too fast tracked. I get that, on Voyager, she became a senior officer in like one episode, but that was Captain Janeway pushing for it and Seven has skills. She’s completely clueless with the Rangers but they keep giving her chances, even after mess up after mess up. And why is no one on the Rangers corroborating or checking the plan and coming up with backup ideas? Lives could have been saved if someone had a brain.
I also didn’t realize Seven’s nanoprobes and implants were made inert. Was that obvious in the Picard show?
I don’t understand the point of the romance. Her loneliness wasn’t just about lacking a romance, it was that she didn’t have her Collective, her support system, her friends. I thought it was so reductive to make her life a banal Hollywood b-plot. The whole thing about her dancing in mosh pits was like, what? Maybe I don’t know enough about Seven, but I don’t think that’s her. And one night stands — jeez, it’s like there’s no other way for writers to consider people making connections with others.
I thought the new girlfriend was nice, but she’s not a person as much as the love interest. Why do these people like each other than because they’re good looking?
The whole book was ridiculously fraught, and I don’t think it did justice to the story of a person landing in an unknown land and not being accepted by her people. I think there was a really good character study brewing here, but the author couldn’t find it. He says in the acknowledgements that he needed help turning this from just an action novel to something else, and that’s obvious. There’s a lot of detailed action scenes in here, written with precision but not with pace or emotion.
From all the books in the series, this was the first to be a real let down. It’s like the creative team didn’t understand Seven or what makes us love her so much.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 13, 2024
Seven made her bold entrance on 'Star Trek: Picard' roughly four years ago. Since then, many fans have wanted to know the untold story of how she became a Fenris Ranger. "Firewall" gives fans that story. And I'm happy to report-it's well worth the wait!
"Firewall" not only chronicles Seven of Nine's early days with the Fenris Rangers, but also serves as an appropriate bookend for 'Star Trek: Picard'.
And while this book may connect to other Trek shows-primarily 'Star Trek: Picard'-it very much stands on its own as a Seven of Nine, aka 'Seven's' story.
We find Seven on earth roughly two years after Voyager's return home. Her application to Starfleet has been denied. Her rights to citizenship, revoked. She has essentially been disavowed and blacklisted from the very organization that gave her back her humanity.
The ostracized Seven leaves earth and becomes a working-class nomad in search of herself, and ends up a deputy for the infamous Fenris Rangers.
'Firewall' does a terrific deep dive into this group of intergalactic peacekeepers. We find out that they're more than just a band of gunslinging vigilantes. Thier world, thier cause, and all they stand for is fully explored. With the Rangers, Seven finds a cause worth fighting for-as she and her posse take on a genocidal warlord.
Author David Mack writes our favorite ex-Borg with both bravado and vulnerability. She's essentially on her own for the first time ever. No Voyager crew, no collective.
There's a cloak and dagger element to this story that I found very appealing. These espionage elements capitalize on Mack's strengths as a writer-as he weeves this type of thread exceptionally well.
'Firewall' runs the full gammit of emotions. I found myself on the verge of tears at times, and pumping my fist at others. (YES-I actually 'pumped' a fist!)
There's a cinematic exhilaration to the action scenes that will have you on the edge of your seat and out of your comfort zone. But for every space battle and phaser fight, there's a great character interaction, or quiet moment of reflection. .
Seven's experiences with Fenris Rangers enable her to further explore her humanity in a variety of ways: some tragic, some triumphant.
This book boast a queer romance that is refreshingly heartfelt and sincere. There is also a transgender character that I found very interesting, and a nice addition to the story. These elements represent Star Trek's ethics of diversity and inclusion very well, and I was glad to see them on display.
'Firewall' is the epitome of the term 'space western'. It boast sensational action sequences while simultaneously furthering the development of Seven's character and her place in the universe. And there's just the right amount of emotional weight to balance the story out nicely.
Fans of "Star Trek: Picard' will love how seamlessly this story works into the show, and utilizes it's established mythology.
Fans of David Mack will be pleased to see that his writing is sharper than ever, as he utilizes every word put on the page and doesn't allow for any drag.
But the fans I'm REALLY hoping this book will reach are the one's who have ever felt ostracized or shut out from society. The one's who've been shamed or bullied because of thier gender, sexual orientation, race, or appearance. If you're one of those fans...'Firewall' will speak to you.
"Firewall" not only chronicles Seven of Nine's early days with the Fenris Rangers, but also serves as an appropriate bookend for 'Star Trek: Picard'.
And while this book may connect to other Trek shows-primarily 'Star Trek: Picard'-it very much stands on its own as a Seven of Nine, aka 'Seven's' story.
We find Seven on earth roughly two years after Voyager's return home. Her application to Starfleet has been denied. Her rights to citizenship, revoked. She has essentially been disavowed and blacklisted from the very organization that gave her back her humanity.
The ostracized Seven leaves earth and becomes a working-class nomad in search of herself, and ends up a deputy for the infamous Fenris Rangers.
'Firewall' does a terrific deep dive into this group of intergalactic peacekeepers. We find out that they're more than just a band of gunslinging vigilantes. Thier world, thier cause, and all they stand for is fully explored. With the Rangers, Seven finds a cause worth fighting for-as she and her posse take on a genocidal warlord.
Author David Mack writes our favorite ex-Borg with both bravado and vulnerability. She's essentially on her own for the first time ever. No Voyager crew, no collective.
There's a cloak and dagger element to this story that I found very appealing. These espionage elements capitalize on Mack's strengths as a writer-as he weeves this type of thread exceptionally well.
'Firewall' runs the full gammit of emotions. I found myself on the verge of tears at times, and pumping my fist at others. (YES-I actually 'pumped' a fist!)
There's a cinematic exhilaration to the action scenes that will have you on the edge of your seat and out of your comfort zone. But for every space battle and phaser fight, there's a great character interaction, or quiet moment of reflection. .
Seven's experiences with Fenris Rangers enable her to further explore her humanity in a variety of ways: some tragic, some triumphant.
This book boast a queer romance that is refreshingly heartfelt and sincere. There is also a transgender character that I found very interesting, and a nice addition to the story. These elements represent Star Trek's ethics of diversity and inclusion very well, and I was glad to see them on display.
'Firewall' is the epitome of the term 'space western'. It boast sensational action sequences while simultaneously furthering the development of Seven's character and her place in the universe. And there's just the right amount of emotional weight to balance the story out nicely.
Fans of "Star Trek: Picard' will love how seamlessly this story works into the show, and utilizes it's established mythology.
Fans of David Mack will be pleased to see that his writing is sharper than ever, as he utilizes every word put on the page and doesn't allow for any drag.
But the fans I'm REALLY hoping this book will reach are the one's who have ever felt ostracized or shut out from society. The one's who've been shamed or bullied because of thier gender, sexual orientation, race, or appearance. If you're one of those fans...'Firewall' will speak to you.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 1, 2024
This is my favorite Star Trek: Picard novel. And that feels kinda weird to say given that Picard is not present in this at all and just gets a couple mentions. Really makes one question whether the TV show should've had another title. This is definitely a Seven of Nine novel picking up a couple of years after Voyager's return. The novel never devolves into a Voyager nostalgia fest, but I do appreciate how her friends from Voyager feel very much part of her life in how she reflects and makes decisions.
We do get interesting updates on them, but Janeway is the only one who's actually present. Her difficulties in getting Seven accepted by Starfleet are interesting to think about when you have the events of Prodigy a couple years later in mind. Seven, rather than dealing with bigotry on Earth, travels in space to find herself, aimlessly at first yet exploring her sexuality, feeling realistically awkward, and joining up with the Rangers under suspicious circumstances.
This really is the origin of whom Seven becomes prior to when we see her in Picard. There's a continuing reminder that Seven prefers to not use her birth name, a choice that might be debatable, but seems to be an allegory for deadnames. Your mileage may vary on how well that works, given the involvement of Borgs in this analogy. But I do quite like how Seven accepts that there are some things that will always be part of her, and all she can do is put those aspects of herself to good use as a way of reclaiming and owning who she is..
I felt really invested in Seven's story here. Since she missed out on her teen years, I kind of feel like this is her teen rebellion phase, but she never comes across feeling petulant. Even as Janeway, her mother figure essentially, tries to tell her there's another way, you understand why Seven feels the Federation is useless in the wake of Romulus, while the Rangers are people of action not so mired in politics.
I admit that I do question whether we needed the wraparound segments at the beginning and end of this story. It feels like they're there to push her a little further to where we see her in Picard and end on a shocking note, whereas the story really could have ended well on the emotional note with which the penultimate chapter ends.
We do get interesting updates on them, but Janeway is the only one who's actually present. Her difficulties in getting Seven accepted by Starfleet are interesting to think about when you have the events of Prodigy a couple years later in mind. Seven, rather than dealing with bigotry on Earth, travels in space to find herself, aimlessly at first yet exploring her sexuality, feeling realistically awkward, and joining up with the Rangers under suspicious circumstances.
This really is the origin of whom Seven becomes prior to when we see her in Picard. There's a continuing reminder that Seven prefers to not use her birth name, a choice that might be debatable, but seems to be an allegory for deadnames. Your mileage may vary on how well that works, given the involvement of Borgs in this analogy. But I do quite like how Seven accepts that there are some things that will always be part of her, and all she can do is put those aspects of herself to good use as a way of reclaiming and owning who she is..
I felt really invested in Seven's story here. Since she missed out on her teen years, I kind of feel like this is her teen rebellion phase, but she never comes across feeling petulant. Even as Janeway, her mother figure essentially, tries to tell her there's another way, you understand why Seven feels the Federation is useless in the wake of Romulus, while the Rangers are people of action not so mired in politics.
I admit that I do question whether we needed the wraparound segments at the beginning and end of this story. It feels like they're there to push her a little further to where we see her in Picard and end on a shocking note, whereas the story really could have ended well on the emotional note with which the penultimate chapter ends.
Read
April 23, 2024I came to this on the heels of being fairly disappointed with the last two offerings in the Picard series of novels. Still, I was also looking forward to it as David Mack brings some serious game to the table when it comes to Star Trek.
While the book takes place before the start of season one, the publication was perfectly timed to come in close proximity to the final season of the show, where we got to see Seven take an extraordinarily emotional journey. In the book, we also see her at a crossroads of sorts, looking ahead to her future while also dealing with her feelings around the past. In season three we saw a character struggling to fit in and find a place in the world and we definitely get the early iterations of that arc here.
The story is exciting but also provides some emotional and moral complexities. And Mack does a fantastic job weaving the story into the existing Trek universe. And I LOVED the reference to Prodigy.
One minor issue I had, which is one I have had with a lot of current Trek is that at times I found the language to be a touch anachronistic. Considering how much language evolves, I just have a hard time believing that in the distant future of the Trek universe, people would still be using terms like queer or trans or even something like parkour. I think Trek is at its best when it shows us what we might evolve in to. Occasionally with Trek these days I feel more like it’s just 2024 with ray guns and space ships. Not a big deal, it just takes me out of the story a little.
What I loved the most about this book is that it provides a little of the emotional coda that Voyager kind of fell short on. Getting the crew back home is great but I’ve always wished we could have seen some of the characters grappling with their own legacy and with trying to re-enter their lives. With this story, Mack reminds us that sometimes it’s not as simple as we’d like to close the door on our past.
This is not the first book of David Mack’s that I have read and it definitely will not be the last.
While the book takes place before the start of season one, the publication was perfectly timed to come in close proximity to the final season of the show, where we got to see Seven take an extraordinarily emotional journey. In the book, we also see her at a crossroads of sorts, looking ahead to her future while also dealing with her feelings around the past. In season three we saw a character struggling to fit in and find a place in the world and we definitely get the early iterations of that arc here.
The story is exciting but also provides some emotional and moral complexities. And Mack does a fantastic job weaving the story into the existing Trek universe. And I LOVED the reference to Prodigy.
One minor issue I had, which is one I have had with a lot of current Trek is that at times I found the language to be a touch anachronistic. Considering how much language evolves, I just have a hard time believing that in the distant future of the Trek universe, people would still be using terms like queer or trans or even something like parkour. I think Trek is at its best when it shows us what we might evolve in to. Occasionally with Trek these days I feel more like it’s just 2024 with ray guns and space ships. Not a big deal, it just takes me out of the story a little.
What I loved the most about this book is that it provides a little of the emotional coda that Voyager kind of fell short on. Getting the crew back home is great but I’ve always wished we could have seen some of the characters grappling with their own legacy and with trying to re-enter their lives. With this story, Mack reminds us that sometimes it’s not as simple as we’d like to close the door on our past.
This is not the first book of David Mack’s that I have read and it definitely will not be the last.
March 14, 2024
A friend told me not that long ago about Star Trek: The High Country, the first and so far, ONLY tie-in novel for Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. I read that book and thoroughly enjoyed it. I had read a LOT of the Star Trek The Original Series tie-in novels not long after the original series was cancelled, in mass market paperback.
Star Trek: Picard: Firewall is the first Seven of Nine tie-in novel that I have read.
The book takes place about two years after Voyager returned home to the Alpha Quadrant and Starfleet. This is the tale about how Seven of Nine joined the Fenris Rangers, a group independent of Starfleet operating near the Romulan Neutral Zone.
The novel begins in the present when someone is asking Seven of Nine about her time with the Fenris Rangers. Seven relates the tale and then says that what she just told that woman happened many years ago.
But I was very interested myself in how Seven became a Fenris Ranger and I highly recommend this book!
A different Seven of Nine Star Trek: Picard tie-in novel, No Man's Land, came out back in 2022 on Audible as an "Original Audio Drama". No Man's Land has both Raffi and Seven and is set just after the close of Star Trek: Picard season one.
I am pleased that both the trade paperback and ebook versions for No Man's Land are coming out in September 2024, and I have already pre-ordered the Kindle ebook version!
Highly recommended for Star Trek fans, Star Trek: Voyager (which has some 50 tie-in novels, at least 5 of which include Seven of Nine on the cover) fans, Star Trek: Picard fans, series books fans, and fans of good space opera stories told well!
Star Trek: Picard: Firewall is the first Seven of Nine tie-in novel that I have read.
The book takes place about two years after Voyager returned home to the Alpha Quadrant and Starfleet. This is the tale about how Seven of Nine joined the Fenris Rangers, a group independent of Starfleet operating near the Romulan Neutral Zone.
The novel begins in the present when someone is asking Seven of Nine about her time with the Fenris Rangers. Seven relates the tale and then says that what she just told that woman happened many years ago.
But I was very interested myself in how Seven became a Fenris Ranger and I highly recommend this book!
A different Seven of Nine Star Trek: Picard tie-in novel, No Man's Land, came out back in 2022 on Audible as an "Original Audio Drama". No Man's Land has both Raffi and Seven and is set just after the close of Star Trek: Picard season one.
I am pleased that both the trade paperback and ebook versions for No Man's Land are coming out in September 2024, and I have already pre-ordered the Kindle ebook version!
Highly recommended for Star Trek fans, Star Trek: Voyager (which has some 50 tie-in novels, at least 5 of which include Seven of Nine on the cover) fans, Star Trek: Picard fans, series books fans, and fans of good space opera stories told well!
March 15, 2024
An excellent example of Trek fiction at its best. Mack found an opportunity to illustrate development among the main characters of the franchise, and he did an impressive job helping us better understand someone we already know so much about.
I'm not sure this belongs in the Picard universe, as its title implies. It's very Voyager-heavy and should appeal most to fans of that sub-franchise. True, it ramps up to what we get in Picard, but that connection is less obvious (as it should be—from the vantage point of what happens in this story, the Picard series is still in the future).
This is one of those rare instances where an author manages to combine events having real consequences, significant milestones in characters' growth, and details that give more weight to things we've seen on screen. It's a rewarding deep dive into parts of Seven's story we've yet to see, and it's definitely worthwhile.
If you want to better understand why Seven behaves as she does both at the beginning and at the end of Picard: Season 1, read this book.
And if you're an audiobook fan, this one is exceptional. Lavoy does amazing work here, bringing to life a broad array of characters and making the book feel like a true performance. She put energy, passion, care, and careful attention into each of the players in this cast, making it easy to forget it was performed by a single person. I honestly chuckled in surprise the first time she switched directly from Seven's voice to Janeway's genuinely wondering how she pulled off that trick. After finishing the entire book, I still don't know how she does it, only that it works incredibly well.
I'm not sure this belongs in the Picard universe, as its title implies. It's very Voyager-heavy and should appeal most to fans of that sub-franchise. True, it ramps up to what we get in Picard, but that connection is less obvious (as it should be—from the vantage point of what happens in this story, the Picard series is still in the future).
This is one of those rare instances where an author manages to combine events having real consequences, significant milestones in characters' growth, and details that give more weight to things we've seen on screen. It's a rewarding deep dive into parts of Seven's story we've yet to see, and it's definitely worthwhile.
If you want to better understand why Seven behaves as she does both at the beginning and at the end of Picard: Season 1, read this book.
And if you're an audiobook fan, this one is exceptional. Lavoy does amazing work here, bringing to life a broad array of characters and making the book feel like a true performance. She put energy, passion, care, and careful attention into each of the players in this cast, making it easy to forget it was performed by a single person. I honestly chuckled in surprise the first time she switched directly from Seven's voice to Janeway's genuinely wondering how she pulled off that trick. After finishing the entire book, I still don't know how she does it, only that it works incredibly well.
March 18, 2024
The 5th novel in the "Star Trek: Picard" series, David Mack's "Firewall" is a bit of a prequel to the series itself, but also fills in some blanks of one of the more complicated characters ever introduced into the various series in 7 of 9. The book itself begins as a conversation between Seven & a woman in a bar & then jumps backward to 2381 and the time just after Voyager's return to the Alpha Quadrant in "Endgame". Mack weaves a story that is a coming of age one for Seven as she decides to try to set out on her own after Starfleet rejects her application due to the fear that she's still tied into the Borg Collective. Every step of this emotional book, we the reader follow her on the path to her home with the Fenris Rangers which ends up having a twist that is only appropriate for this timeline and part of the Alpha Quadrant. As a reader, I appreciate the use of Vice Admiral Janeway with her continued relationship as a type of surrogate mother to Seven as well as the continuity with the Voyager crew via the events in season 1 of "Star Trek: Prodigy". In the acknowledgements, Mack also makes an interesting statement as that this book is for the members of the LGBTQIA+ community as those of us in it (myself included) look to Star Trek for hope. It's done in a way that is appropriate for Seven of Nine with her later relationship with Raffi. Overall, "Firewall" is a very solid entry into not only the Picard universe as well as the overall canon of Star Trek book themselves. Extremely well done.
May 1, 2024
Firewall does a decent job of filling in some of the gaps in Seven’s story, showing the reader what she was up to after Voyager arrived in the Alpha Quadrant and how she joined the Fenris Rangers, however, the author, David Mack, was limited in some of the things that could be said, because shows such as Star Trek: Prodigy have yet to reveal information about certain characters. This leads to occasional awkward conversations between the characters, most notably Janeway and Seven, who are left saying vague statements about what their friends are up to. Janeway responds to Seven’s request on an update about Tom and B’Elanna with “now that you mention it, I haven’t heard from them in over a year.” What has happened that the Voyager crew is so disconnected? Something that we also see in Prodigy when Janeway and Chakotay are tripping over what to call each other. On the positive, fans who have been curious as to exactly what Janeway’s and Seven’s relationship is finally have an answer; Janeway refers to Seven as her “parodical daughter.”
The other bit of awkwardness and/or comedy comes from the recycled names of the background characters, such an Adorian named Shren (assuming that he isn’t the same one that Archer encountered on Enterprise) and a Ferengi named Brunt (again, assuming that he hasn’t left his position of liquidator to become a bounty hunter). In case you’re thinking that Mack is just a really big fan of characters played by Jeffery Combs, there’s also a Vulcan named Tovok.
The other bit of awkwardness and/or comedy comes from the recycled names of the background characters, such an Adorian named Shren (assuming that he isn’t the same one that Archer encountered on Enterprise) and a Ferengi named Brunt (again, assuming that he hasn’t left his position of liquidator to become a bounty hunter). In case you’re thinking that Mack is just a really big fan of characters played by Jeffery Combs, there’s also a Vulcan named Tovok.
June 11, 2024
Seven of Nine, the ex-Borg drone from Voyager, is having trouble adjusting to Voyager's return to Earth. No one at Starfleet wants to acknowledge her existence as she refuses to use her legal name: Annika Hansen. Caught in this legal limbo, Seven becomes a galactic nomad. Eventually, she winds up becoming part of the Fenris Rangers, a group committed to righting wrongs in the universe. (This is the set-up to Seven's appearance on ST: Picard.) Anyway, Seven quickly becomes embroiled with the Rangers & their original mission of justice. The book takes Seven on quite the journey. Do not expect many appearances by other ST characters, though, as this is primarily Seven's journey to self-discovery. The only quibble I have with the book is not only was I interested in finding out about Seven's journey I also wanted to learn more about the Fenris Rangers. While we do get quick glimpses into the Rangers via several other Rangers, I did not feel quite satisfied with the exploration of the Ranger's organization.
March 27, 2024
'Picard-Firewall' by David Mack
Two years after the USS Voyager’s return from the Delta Quadrant, Seven of Nine finds herself rejected for a position in Starfleet…and instead finds a new home with the interstellar rogue law enforcement corps known as the Fenris Rangers. The Rangers seem like an ideal fit for Seven—but to embrace this new destiny, she must leave behind all she’s ever known, and risk losing the most important thing in her life: her friendship with Admiral Kathryn Janeway.
Star Trek Voyager was always my favourite of the Star Trek franchises and I absolutely loved Picard. This book explains Seven's journey from Voyager into the Fenris Rangers.
I love Seven and her journey from a member of the collective to an individual. This book is amazing and I love her Fenris Ranger family in particular Harper and Ell. And I love that Janeway is in it too. If you're a fan of Voyager and Picard then I would definitely read this.
Two years after the USS Voyager’s return from the Delta Quadrant, Seven of Nine finds herself rejected for a position in Starfleet…and instead finds a new home with the interstellar rogue law enforcement corps known as the Fenris Rangers. The Rangers seem like an ideal fit for Seven—but to embrace this new destiny, she must leave behind all she’s ever known, and risk losing the most important thing in her life: her friendship with Admiral Kathryn Janeway.
Star Trek Voyager was always my favourite of the Star Trek franchises and I absolutely loved Picard. This book explains Seven's journey from Voyager into the Fenris Rangers.
I love Seven and her journey from a member of the collective to an individual. This book is amazing and I love her Fenris Ranger family in particular Harper and Ell. And I love that Janeway is in it too. If you're a fan of Voyager and Picard then I would definitely read this.
March 18, 2024
A good, solid Star Trek tale, for an important character
David Mack is one of my fave Star Trek authors, and this book illustrates why. Simply put, David Mack knows his characters, and gets them right. This story opens the door to a previously unknown part of Seven's life, the time between Voyager's return and the events shown in Picard, and explains how she became the person we see on the USS Titan. The frustrations, the struggles, and finding her calling.
I was impressed that the story even wove into Star Trek: Prodigy, in a subtle yet effective manner, fleshing out these events even further.
I highly recommend this book to all Star Trek fans, especially those for who hold Star Trek: Voyager dear.
David Mack is one of my fave Star Trek authors, and this book illustrates why. Simply put, David Mack knows his characters, and gets them right. This story opens the door to a previously unknown part of Seven's life, the time between Voyager's return and the events shown in Picard, and explains how she became the person we see on the USS Titan. The frustrations, the struggles, and finding her calling.
I was impressed that the story even wove into Star Trek: Prodigy, in a subtle yet effective manner, fleshing out these events even further.
I highly recommend this book to all Star Trek fans, especially those for who hold Star Trek: Voyager dear.
August 9, 2024
I didn’t know what I was going to get with this book; I thought we knew everything there was to know about Seven, but I couldn’t have been more wrong.
I have always been a Seven of Nine fan and was surprised when she showed up in Star Trek: Picard, seemingly as a different version of the same character. However, we learn in Picard that she has changed how she behaves around people to appear more ‘human’, and in Firewall, we can see her begin to make those adjustments as she starts to connect more with her emotional side.
Overall, Star Trek: Picard: Firewall was an entertaining and enjoyable read and a must for Trek fans. With its intriguing story and well-formed characters, this book is sure to satisfy.
I am giving this one a 7/10.
Read my full review here:
https://georgelthomas.com/2024/07/12/...
I have always been a Seven of Nine fan and was surprised when she showed up in Star Trek: Picard, seemingly as a different version of the same character. However, we learn in Picard that she has changed how she behaves around people to appear more ‘human’, and in Firewall, we can see her begin to make those adjustments as she starts to connect more with her emotional side.
Overall, Star Trek: Picard: Firewall was an entertaining and enjoyable read and a must for Trek fans. With its intriguing story and well-formed characters, this book is sure to satisfy.
I am giving this one a 7/10.
Read my full review here:
https://georgelthomas.com/2024/07/12/...
February 27, 2024
Disavowed by Starfleet, Seven of Nine decides that Earth is no longer her home and goes to the Federation borders in an attempt to find a new life. There, she is approached by the Federation Security Agency, who offer her citizenship and a Starfleet commission if she infiltrates the vigilante group known as the Fenris Rangers and passes back intelligence that will help lead to their arrest.
David Mack has written a rollicking adventure which really develops Seven into the character seen in 'Star Trek: Picard'.
There are two minor quibbles. I find the use of "queer" as a sexual identifier out of place and unnecessary in the twenty fourth century (though perfectly acceptable today) and there is a scene in the text where Seven identifies an ensign as belonging to the sciences division based on an emblem on her combadge, rather than by the blue collar on her Starfleet uniform.
David Mack has written a rollicking adventure which really develops Seven into the character seen in 'Star Trek: Picard'.
There are two minor quibbles. I find the use of "queer" as a sexual identifier out of place and unnecessary in the twenty fourth century (though perfectly acceptable today) and there is a scene in the text where Seven identifies an ensign as belonging to the sciences division based on an emblem on her combadge, rather than by the blue collar on her Starfleet uniform.
March 1, 2024
David Mack delivers another top tier Star Trek novel with the story of Seven of Nine post-Voyager (and pre-Picard) with a supporting cast of characters including Vice Admiral Janeway (in the Star Trek Prodigy timeframe) and many new Fenris Ranger characters including a mentor and new love interest for Seven. One thing I love most about this book is that it explores identity from an LGBTQ+ perspective in the form of Seven’s finding her way without her former Voyager crew member and without Starfleet or the Federation. The action and plot are engrossing and the characters are well developed. Also it’s an enjoyable listen with January Lavoy’s wonderful voice.
April 18, 2024
I like Trek novels with other characters other than Kirk and Picard. I like how the LGBTQ+ is woven into the story.
The backstories are well done. The antagonists are evil and the good guys are good. I also appreciated that the Federation and Starfleet are made to have some faults in their system.
I also appreciate the politics and the use of mostly known characters rather than some new species that is like more of apart of the episodic cannons.
My one minor quibble is Janeway and Seven of Nine relationship. In the TV series Janeway was a mentor but so was the doctor (EMH). I just felt that Janeway was to much of mother than a mentor in this book,
The backstories are well done. The antagonists are evil and the good guys are good. I also appreciated that the Federation and Starfleet are made to have some faults in their system.
I also appreciate the politics and the use of mostly known characters rather than some new species that is like more of apart of the episodic cannons.
My one minor quibble is Janeway and Seven of Nine relationship. In the TV series Janeway was a mentor but so was the doctor (EMH). I just felt that Janeway was to much of mother than a mentor in this book,
February 28, 2024
This is a great novel by David Mack. The author stays true to the character Seven of Nine while driving her story forward. David Mack is at his best in this novel when he is delivering pulse pounding action storylines and this book is filled with them. The reader will not be able to wait to read each following chapter to discover what is happening next. Mack also gives fans of Seven a beginning to her queer identity and that is a huge win! This is definitely a Trek novel that you will want to read again and again.
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