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Star Trek: Mirror Universe #3
Shards and Shadows
Fractured history. Broken lives. Splintered souls. Since the alternate universe was first glimpsed in the classic episode "Mirror, Mirror," something about Star Trek's dark side has beckoned us, called to us, tempted us -- like forbidden fruit on the Tree of Knowledge. To taste it is to lose oneself in a world of startling familiarity and terrifying contradictions, where everything and everyone we knew is somehow disturbingly different, and where shocking secrets await their revelation.
What began in 2007 with Glass Empires and Obsidian Alliances -- the first truly in-depth foray into the turbulent history of this other continuum -- now continues in twelve new short tales that revisit and expand upon that so-called "Mirror Universe," spanning all five of the core incarnations of Star Trek, as well as their literary offshoots, across more than two hundred years of divergent history, as chronicled by...
Christopher L. Bennett - Margaret Wander Bonanno - Peter David - Keith R.A. DeCandido - Michael Jan Friedman - Jim Johnson - Rudy Josephs - David Mack - Dave Stern - James Swallow - Dayton Ward & Kevin Dilmore - Susan Wright
426 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2009
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
January 31, 2022
Really really good anthology of mirror universe short stories. All of them are at least average stories, except Vanguard's 'The Black Flag' by James Swallow & Voyager's 'Bitter Fruit' by Susan Wright. But, all of the stories mesh really well with 'Glass Empires' and 'Obsidian Alliances'. Highly recommended.
May 1, 2018
The mirror universe of Trek is chiefly known for its inhabitants' general awfulness and triumphant moral chaos. In The Sorrows of Empire, however, Spock killed his captain and seized control of the Empire not for his own gratification, but in pursuit of a dream. In reforming and weakening the Empire and allowing it to be conquered by its enemies, he established the foundation for a new galactic order, seeding the empire with agents conspiring together to create a peaceful republic from the ruins of both the Terran Empire and the Klingon-Cardassian Alliance. Shards and Shadows consists of over a dozen stories spanning the the mirror universe's trek tenure, and Spock's secret project -- "Memory Omega" -- is a persistent aspect of the latter stories. The collection draws on not only the Trek shows, but various series of literature like Vanguard, Stargazer, and Titan. It also visits periods not covered in shows or books. One story follows a young officer named Kirk as he seizes the Enterprise from its ruined drunk of a commander, and another visits the ruined planet of Betazed, where a brothel madame named Troi is hiding desperate secrets.
Below are a few memorable stories:
* "Nobunaga" opens the collection with a mindscrew story, one in which the narrator is losing their mind under interrogation and consequently confusing realities. It's a bit like the TNG episode * "Frame of Mind", or the Roman Polanski film The Tenant.
* "The Greater Good" revisits the world of Talos IV, where Captain Christopher Pike was once captured by telepathic beings and placed into a zoo. That was in our reality. In this reality, whatever happened turned a brilliant young commander into a lifeless shell -- and a ripe target for a rising officer who coveted the Enterprise.
*"A Terrible Beauty" features Keiko Ishikawa, who is definitely more than a botanist and loving wife in this universe.
*"For Want of a Nail": only one man can stop a centuries-old plan from being unraveled: Reginald Barclay.
I liked this collection more than the previous two, largely because it's not all torture and genocide; here we have signs that Spock's plan will at least bear fruit, even if it doesn't create some uber-federation from the ruins of various nasty polities. I enjoyed the variety of contributing authors, which included favorites from the Relaunch era (Christopher Bennett and David Mack) as well as authors who were active far earlier, like Michael Jan Friedman.
Below are a few memorable stories:
* "Nobunaga" opens the collection with a mindscrew story, one in which the narrator is losing their mind under interrogation and consequently confusing realities. It's a bit like the TNG episode * "Frame of Mind", or the Roman Polanski film The Tenant.
* "The Greater Good" revisits the world of Talos IV, where Captain Christopher Pike was once captured by telepathic beings and placed into a zoo. That was in our reality. In this reality, whatever happened turned a brilliant young commander into a lifeless shell -- and a ripe target for a rising officer who coveted the Enterprise.
*"A Terrible Beauty" features Keiko Ishikawa, who is definitely more than a botanist and loving wife in this universe.
*"For Want of a Nail": only one man can stop a centuries-old plan from being unraveled: Reginald Barclay.
I liked this collection more than the previous two, largely because it's not all torture and genocide; here we have signs that Spock's plan will at least bear fruit, even if it doesn't create some uber-federation from the ruins of various nasty polities. I enjoyed the variety of contributing authors, which included favorites from the Relaunch era (Christopher Bennett and David Mack) as well as authors who were active far earlier, like Michael Jan Friedman.
October 26, 2016
The last of the Mirror, Mirror universe anthologies, Shards and Shadows contains some pretty interesting stories. Clark has gathered a nice variety of stories covering a large number of interesting situations that will keep the author engaged.
As I have mentioned in my other reviews, I am a huge fan of the Mirror, Mirror universe for the sheer variation and number of conflicts that can come about. In the usual universe, the very nature of Star Fleet and such don't allow for a lot of truly engaging situations for me. With the Mirror, Mirror universe, not only is there more potential for violence, but there is more potential for character growth.
I will admit that I found myself questioning continuity at certain points, as some of the stories seemed to conflict with previously done stories in the other anthologies. Still, those times often were few and far between, with the quality of stories often keeping me moving from one page to the next as fast as I could read them.
If you enjoyed the Mirror, Mirror episodes of any of the Star Wars tv shows, I would highly recommend this anthology to you.
As I have mentioned in my other reviews, I am a huge fan of the Mirror, Mirror universe for the sheer variation and number of conflicts that can come about. In the usual universe, the very nature of Star Fleet and such don't allow for a lot of truly engaging situations for me. With the Mirror, Mirror universe, not only is there more potential for violence, but there is more potential for character growth.
I will admit that I found myself questioning continuity at certain points, as some of the stories seemed to conflict with previously done stories in the other anthologies. Still, those times often were few and far between, with the quality of stories often keeping me moving from one page to the next as fast as I could read them.
If you enjoyed the Mirror, Mirror episodes of any of the Star Wars tv shows, I would highly recommend this anthology to you.
November 20, 2020
Meh. Some good ideas but lots of uninspiring snippets of stories. Even some of the better ones have poor characterisation or plotting. Take one of the better tales, involving Keiko. The plot hinges on the timing of a slave revolt. Yet the scheme is the kind which had no guarantee of working and certainly no likelihood of working out to a schedule. Many existing characters are handled badly and new characters often struggle even to achieve two dimensions.
January 19, 2021
WARNING: This book is part of the Star Trek expanded universe. As such, if you are not a fan of Star Trek Television series AND the published expanded universe, you are probably not going to enjoy this book.
Anybody left?
Okay for those of you that are fans, you are still going to find this 3rd entry in the Mirror Universe Anthology to be disappointing. Even as fans, I find it unlikely that you would be able the match some of the mirror characters with their prime counterparts without several trips to the Memory Beta wiki. That is because this third book deals with characters who only appear in expanded universe novels and not the Tv Shows. For example, "Homecoming" will only make sense if the reader has read the New Frontier Series by Peter David (which I DO recommend.) Likewise, while "Empathy" features mirror versions of Riker and Tuvok, the other character have only appeared in the Star Trek: Titan series. Even if you are steeped in the lore, the story provides an uneven interpretation Riker that borders on offensive. They also based the story on a Titan book that was snoozefest in it's own right. If you do read this books, I would skip this story enitrely.
There are standout stories. For example "The Sacred Chalice" focuses on the Mirror versions of Deanna Troi and her mother and their struggle to survive on a decimated Betazed and keeping their telepathic gift a secret to the wider universe. "A Terrible Beauty" focuses on a mirror Keiko and poses the question of what faction she is actually loyal to. I credit the author for making this version of Keiko far more interesting than her television counterpart. These stories work because they present a decent character study of established characters placed into different circumstances. Whereas the other stories focused on creating Mirror Universe characters for shock value only.
The final issue with the anthology is that it suffers greatly from the expanded universe being invalidated with the recent entries of Star Trek: Discovery and Star Trek: Picard. You won't see Emperor Georgiou and company in this series and their existence does not make sense in this continuity. Instead we get throwaway dialog stating the Empress Sato clones herself to keep herself in power. Even for sci-fi, it's weak plot point.
Final Verdict: Even with standout stories, this anthology suffered from poor character treatments and an expanded universe that no longer makes sense. If you want a Mirror Universe experience, I would stick with the first two books or maybe just find your favorite mirror episodes on Netflix.
Anybody left?
Okay for those of you that are fans, you are still going to find this 3rd entry in the Mirror Universe Anthology to be disappointing. Even as fans, I find it unlikely that you would be able the match some of the mirror characters with their prime counterparts without several trips to the Memory Beta wiki. That is because this third book deals with characters who only appear in expanded universe novels and not the Tv Shows. For example, "Homecoming" will only make sense if the reader has read the New Frontier Series by Peter David (which I DO recommend.) Likewise, while "Empathy" features mirror versions of Riker and Tuvok, the other character have only appeared in the Star Trek: Titan series. Even if you are steeped in the lore, the story provides an uneven interpretation Riker that borders on offensive. They also based the story on a Titan book that was snoozefest in it's own right. If you do read this books, I would skip this story enitrely.
There are standout stories. For example "The Sacred Chalice" focuses on the Mirror versions of Deanna Troi and her mother and their struggle to survive on a decimated Betazed and keeping their telepathic gift a secret to the wider universe. "A Terrible Beauty" focuses on a mirror Keiko and poses the question of what faction she is actually loyal to. I credit the author for making this version of Keiko far more interesting than her television counterpart. These stories work because they present a decent character study of established characters placed into different circumstances. Whereas the other stories focused on creating Mirror Universe characters for shock value only.
The final issue with the anthology is that it suffers greatly from the expanded universe being invalidated with the recent entries of Star Trek: Discovery and Star Trek: Picard. You won't see Emperor Georgiou and company in this series and their existence does not make sense in this continuity. Instead we get throwaway dialog stating the Empress Sato clones herself to keep herself in power. Even for sci-fi, it's weak plot point.
Final Verdict: Even with standout stories, this anthology suffered from poor character treatments and an expanded universe that no longer makes sense. If you want a Mirror Universe experience, I would stick with the first two books or maybe just find your favorite mirror episodes on Netflix.
October 11, 2014
As with most anthologies, this is a bit of a mixed bunch, but they do at least have a unifying theme: .
Looking at the TV episodes, they all involved at least one character from the "Prime" universe interacting with the Mirror Universe, and that provided a contrast. Since these stories are all set entirely in the Mirror Universe, it poses a problem: you can have a story where all the familiar characters are evil (which is depressing) or you can say that the counterparts are also noble (so there's not much difference from the Prime universe). Some authors handle this better than others: I particularly recommend the stories by PAD and KRAD, but I strongly disliked Friedman's Stargazer story.
Looking at the TV episodes, they all involved at least one character from the "Prime" universe interacting with the Mirror Universe, and that provided a contrast. Since these stories are all set entirely in the Mirror Universe, it poses a problem: you can have a story where all the familiar characters are evil (which is depressing) or you can say that the counterparts are also noble (so there's not much difference from the Prime universe). Some authors handle this better than others: I particularly recommend the stories by PAD and KRAD, but I strongly disliked Friedman's Stargazer story.
September 10, 2018
Good Storytelling
This 3rd volume in the Mirror Universe series is a collection of short stories rather than a set of novellas. Each of the stories is well written.And the authors are some of the finest of the stable that works in the Trek universe. I have now read four of the five books in this series; this is the strongest so far.
Like the novella collections, this is not limited to characters from one series. But the stories are mostly TNG era. I wish each of the volumes had been organized so that the result was a chronological sequence. The editor could have followed the example given by George R. R. Martin in the Wild Cards series.
But if you are a Trek fan, this is a satisfying read.
This 3rd volume in the Mirror Universe series is a collection of short stories rather than a set of novellas. Each of the stories is well written.And the authors are some of the finest of the stable that works in the Trek universe. I have now read four of the five books in this series; this is the strongest so far.
Like the novella collections, this is not limited to characters from one series. But the stories are mostly TNG era. I wish each of the volumes had been organized so that the result was a chronological sequence. The editor could have followed the example given by George R. R. Martin in the Wild Cards series.
But if you are a Trek fan, this is a satisfying read.
July 4, 2021
To be fair this may be a better collection of short stories than I'm giving it credit to be ..but being someone not really too aware of all the Star Trek literary and even filmed variations I didn't really follow all these stories as well as maybe I would have with a little more insight.
Some good tales nonetheless and the dark tone of many did make a difference in regard to these tellings of Star Trek mythos.
So for me ..a half decent collection but not an essential one.
Some good tales nonetheless and the dark tone of many did make a difference in regard to these tellings of Star Trek mythos.
So for me ..a half decent collection but not an essential one.
May 27, 2021
Underbara berättelser som hänger ihop otroligt bra. Jag är verkligen förvånad och positivt överraskad över hur bra berättelserna var. Man kunde läsa dem enskilt eller som en följd. Jag kan inte framhäva någon särskild av kortnovellerna, för de var samtliga oerhört bra. Redaktören för boken måste ha haft ett riktigt spännande jobb att föra samman alla dessa författare och deras berättelser.
June 2, 2018
Ehhh... It's an alright collection. If I hadn't read all three of these back to back I'd likely feel more positive about the book, but 3/4 of the stories in this one felt like the author was trying to set themselves up a spinoff series and for a lot of the stories I just didn't care.
October 9, 2017
some chapters were good,some were boring
Shelved as 'dnf'
November 14, 2022Didn't enjoy the first couple of stories, so I think I'm just going to leave this one.
March 23, 2017
A Nice Compendium of Mirror Universe Stories
February 23, 2020
Nobunaga: Excellent glimpse into machinations of The Enterprise mirror universe. The voices of the characters were spot on.
Ill Winds: How exciting that we get to know Robert April; not a captain as originally written by Gene Roddenberry, but a commodore. Very cool story pre Captain Pike.
The Greater Good: Super cool Kirk, Spock, Pike, back story with a little of the Tantalus Penal Colony thrown in for good measure. Unexpected twist at the end.
The Black Flag: Takes place 10yrs after the TOS ep Mirror, Mirror and is a side story to The Sorrows of Empire and it ties in nicely.
The Traitor:
A unique story with Picard involving Klingons, the Lakul and the Star Gazer. I loved the way the author drew on many characters and stories in the ST universe to weave a satisfying glimpse into the fight for dominance in the Mirror Universe. It left me with a lingering, vivid afterimage of what might be or what was yet to come.
The Sacred Chalice:
Another story that looks at the MU from a very different angle. It takes place on Betazed, home to a pocket of Betazoids who managed to escape the bloody rout of their race by the Alliance. The author conveys the character voices perfectly. Superbly entertaining leaving me wanting more.
Bitter Fruit:
A rebellion story starring Kes and Tuvok with the rest of Voyager’s crew popping up here and there. Kes is far from my favourite character. The author has captured and magnified the character’s voices to match the MU but Kes and B’Elanna are too whiney for my liking. If you’re into excessive torture, this one’s for you.
Family Matters
This is not so much a story, as a series of Klingon and Cardassian missives and transcripts of communication logs between brothers and cousins. They describe a number of attacks on weapons convoys and the ultimate answer to who is the petaQ behind them, a couple of months after the DS9 ep Shattered Mirror.
I read it through once, went back and watched the DS9 ep., then read it again. The author did an excellent job capturing the mindset and characteristics of Alliance Klingons and Cardassians. Left me wanting more and made me want to re-watch certain DS9 eps.
Homecoming:
Takes place around DS9 Shattered Mirror & after Cutting Ties
As I have only read the ST: MU Obsidian Alliance story Cutting Ties, and not any ST: New Frontier books I don’t know the main character M’knzy of Calhoun and his universe very well. That being said, I found the tone of the story very reminiscent of a Robert A Heinlein story and enjoyable nonetheless. I loved the nod to Battlestar Galactica, “…Hiren and Mac looked on the fleet of ships that contained the last remnants of the Romulan race. Only 49,998 had survived…”
A Terrible Beauty
Takes place 2 weeks after Saturn’s Children
This is an amazing follow up to the ST: MU Obsidian Alliance story Saturn’s Children. It tells Keiko’s back story as a counterpoint to what is happening presently on Terok Nor. The author craftily weaves the salient points leaving you guessing until the bitter end. Love the nod to Stargate SG-1 and Teal’c’s homeworld. “Keiko gave the Vulcan a smile. ‘You have me at a disadvantage, Mr…?’ The Vulcan nodded. ‘I am Chu’lak’”
Empathy
Takes place almost 1 yr after Saturn’s Children
A thought - provoking look, at both sides of the Alliance / Terran war. This story introduced me to new characters and species, whom some unwittingly share a common goal.
For Want of a Nail
Takes place 1 yr after Saturn’s Children and prior to the DS9 ep Warpath.
Cool, fun, buddy story involving K’Ehleyr and Barclay. Again, the author gives us an outside the box story. It reads like a perfect episode of Trek.
I had no idea what to expect from a book such as this. Every story is cleverly written with a passion for the Trek (Mirror) Universe. Each author continued their story seamlessly from where others left off.
I was inspired to watch Enterprise and DS9 - two shows that I had tried to watch 1st run and dismissed out of hand because they didn't align with my view of what Star Trek was. I now stand corrected and love both for what they are.
I highly recommend this series. Be sure to start with ST:MU Glass Empires, then ST:MU Obsidian Alliances. The ST: New Frontier novels by Peter David introduce M'Kenzy Calhoun and his universe. I've yet to read it, but this series concludes with ST:MU Rise Like Lions by David Mack.
Ill Winds: How exciting that we get to know Robert April; not a captain as originally written by Gene Roddenberry, but a commodore. Very cool story pre Captain Pike.
The Greater Good: Super cool Kirk, Spock, Pike, back story with a little of the Tantalus Penal Colony thrown in for good measure. Unexpected twist at the end.
The Black Flag: Takes place 10yrs after the TOS ep Mirror, Mirror and is a side story to The Sorrows of Empire and it ties in nicely.
The Traitor:
A unique story with Picard involving Klingons, the Lakul and the Star Gazer. I loved the way the author drew on many characters and stories in the ST universe to weave a satisfying glimpse into the fight for dominance in the Mirror Universe. It left me with a lingering, vivid afterimage of what might be or what was yet to come.
The Sacred Chalice:
Another story that looks at the MU from a very different angle. It takes place on Betazed, home to a pocket of Betazoids who managed to escape the bloody rout of their race by the Alliance. The author conveys the character voices perfectly. Superbly entertaining leaving me wanting more.
Bitter Fruit:
A rebellion story starring Kes and Tuvok with the rest of Voyager’s crew popping up here and there. Kes is far from my favourite character. The author has captured and magnified the character’s voices to match the MU but Kes and B’Elanna are too whiney for my liking. If you’re into excessive torture, this one’s for you.
Family Matters
This is not so much a story, as a series of Klingon and Cardassian missives and transcripts of communication logs between brothers and cousins. They describe a number of attacks on weapons convoys and the ultimate answer to who is the petaQ behind them, a couple of months after the DS9 ep Shattered Mirror.
I read it through once, went back and watched the DS9 ep., then read it again. The author did an excellent job capturing the mindset and characteristics of Alliance Klingons and Cardassians. Left me wanting more and made me want to re-watch certain DS9 eps.
Homecoming:
Takes place around DS9 Shattered Mirror & after Cutting Ties
As I have only read the ST: MU Obsidian Alliance story Cutting Ties, and not any ST: New Frontier books I don’t know the main character M’knzy of Calhoun and his universe very well. That being said, I found the tone of the story very reminiscent of a Robert A Heinlein story and enjoyable nonetheless. I loved the nod to Battlestar Galactica, “…Hiren and Mac looked on the fleet of ships that contained the last remnants of the Romulan race. Only 49,998 had survived…”
A Terrible Beauty
Takes place 2 weeks after Saturn’s Children
This is an amazing follow up to the ST: MU Obsidian Alliance story Saturn’s Children. It tells Keiko’s back story as a counterpoint to what is happening presently on Terok Nor. The author craftily weaves the salient points leaving you guessing until the bitter end. Love the nod to Stargate SG-1 and Teal’c’s homeworld. “Keiko gave the Vulcan a smile. ‘You have me at a disadvantage, Mr…?’ The Vulcan nodded. ‘I am Chu’lak’”
Empathy
Takes place almost 1 yr after Saturn’s Children
A thought - provoking look, at both sides of the Alliance / Terran war. This story introduced me to new characters and species, whom some unwittingly share a common goal.
For Want of a Nail
Takes place 1 yr after Saturn’s Children and prior to the DS9 ep Warpath.
Cool, fun, buddy story involving K’Ehleyr and Barclay. Again, the author gives us an outside the box story. It reads like a perfect episode of Trek.
I had no idea what to expect from a book such as this. Every story is cleverly written with a passion for the Trek (Mirror) Universe. Each author continued their story seamlessly from where others left off.
I was inspired to watch Enterprise and DS9 - two shows that I had tried to watch 1st run and dismissed out of hand because they didn't align with my view of what Star Trek was. I now stand corrected and love both for what they are.
I highly recommend this series. Be sure to start with ST:MU Glass Empires, then ST:MU Obsidian Alliances. The ST: New Frontier novels by Peter David introduce M'Kenzy Calhoun and his universe. I've yet to read it, but this series concludes with ST:MU Rise Like Lions by David Mack.
September 22, 2016
Enjoyed reading these Mirror Universe books, especially after reading several DS9 books set in or partially in this universe. Should have probably read the Mirror Universe books before reading the DS9 books, however.
August 1, 2009
It’s been a long time since I have read Star Trek book beyond the ones I own. I found this book while browsing the shelves at the library and was glad to find it. I’ve always been a fan of the mirror universe episodes and books. It’s interesting to see what my favorite characters would have been like if they took a different path in life or grew up in a different environment. This book is made up of 12 short stories that take place at different times and involve characters from each of the Star Trek series. I will admit I did not read the ones about the classic Star Trek characters. Some of the stories were just ok but Nobunaga by Dave Stern, Bitter Fruit by Susan Wright and A Terrible Beauty by Jim Johnson in particular really left me wanting more. I’m going to have to check to see if any of those were fleshed out into full length books. Nobunaga involves the crew of the series Enterprise and centered around Trip (my favorite of the crew) and imagine an evil empress Hoshi. Bitter Fruit is filled with the Voyager crew. It sounds like Kes may have a darker plan in mind for the world. A Terrible Beauty seems to have a mix of characters from various series. We see Riker, Tuvok and Deanna Troi’s father. This was definitely another great addition to the mirror universe books and I can only hope some of them were or will be developed into full length books.
October 15, 2016
why did I have this marked as read before ? I must have ? misclicked a book? or read a different mirror verse book and fsr marked this one down, by mistake, because I for sure have not read it until now but MAN oh man I really enjoyed this !!!!!!! mirror verse stories can be confusing but they are VERY fun, especially when the authors behind them know what they're doing.
hmmm actually you know what the only other time this book was checked out was back in march 2014 and that's when I had it marked down originally for so perhaps I? Skimmed through and never actually read it, deciding it wasn't worth it? because I know damn sure I didn't read read it because there's some shit I would've remembered..... Well, anyway, if that's the case I'm glad I picked it up again because it was good my friends, I went from a three-star to five-star rating. But, uh...I need to read the other books now lmao
ps my favourites were probably homecoming and the very last one
ALSO it's wild because I read it originally from march 12 to march 14 and it was due march 15 and this time I read it from oct 13 to oct 14 and it's due oct 15 LMFAO one date different hashtag fate
_____________________
mirror verse is like one gigantic fanfic
hmmm actually you know what the only other time this book was checked out was back in march 2014 and that's when I had it marked down originally for so perhaps I? Skimmed through and never actually read it, deciding it wasn't worth it? because I know damn sure I didn't read read it because there's some shit I would've remembered..... Well, anyway, if that's the case I'm glad I picked it up again because it was good my friends, I went from a three-star to five-star rating. But, uh...I need to read the other books now lmao
ps my favourites were probably homecoming and the very last one
ALSO it's wild because I read it originally from march 12 to march 14 and it was due march 15 and this time I read it from oct 13 to oct 14 and it's due oct 15 LMFAO one date different hashtag fate
_____________________
mirror verse is like one gigantic fanfic
November 4, 2012
Nothing describes this book better than the quote Fractured history. Broken lives. Splinterred souls.. It is indeed just that. Stories from all star trek timelines, all set in the grim mirror universe. It was rather interesting to read about some of the more meaningful and iconic characters of the Star Trek universe, that were left out of the previous novels or short stories. Characters such as Deanna Troi, Will Riker, Christine Vale, Jaza Najem found a home for their stories in this third book of the Mirror Universe.
From Troi's story of pleasure giving, among the ruins of Betazed to the brutal and merciless rebel commander Will Riker and the reoccurring love story between Chrstine Vale and Jaza Najem, together with the other stories, it is almost guaranteed that any Trek fan can find at least one story to love and one to hate (or love hating?!?). Which one will it be depends on each ones' tastes or affinities. I, for one, greatly enjoyed Ill winds and For want of a nail and was particularly unimpressed with Family Matters and A Terrible Beauty.
From Troi's story of pleasure giving, among the ruins of Betazed to the brutal and merciless rebel commander Will Riker and the reoccurring love story between Chrstine Vale and Jaza Najem, together with the other stories, it is almost guaranteed that any Trek fan can find at least one story to love and one to hate (or love hating?!?). Which one will it be depends on each ones' tastes or affinities. I, for one, greatly enjoyed Ill winds and For want of a nail and was particularly unimpressed with Family Matters and A Terrible Beauty.
December 4, 2013
I bought this book because of the New Frontier story and will probably get around to reading the others as they seem interesting but for now I wish to power on through to the end of the New Frontier series as we are close to what currently seems the end of it. "Homecoming" is the title of the story and it is the 25th chapter of what's properly referred to as Star Trek: The New Frontier (and what I like to call Star Trek: The Prime Time Soap) and the second part of trilogy of stories dealing with Star Trek's so-called "Mirror Universe." Time has passed since part 1 and Mac has renamed his captured ship, Stinger, the Excalibur. We meet a few more MU doppelgängers and follow Mac and company on their journey to their inevitable showdown with Romulus. Naturally things don't end up as expected.
Next up the concluding chapter of this Mirror Universe Trilogy, the graphic novel Turnaround.
Next up the concluding chapter of this Mirror Universe Trilogy, the graphic novel Turnaround.
October 11, 2010
I don't generally care for the "Mirror Universe" stories; the basic concept is a fascinating one, but stories set in this universe have a tendency to get depressing, as (unlike in the regular run of Star Trek stories) the world is a dark and unforgiving place, and honor, honesty, and kindness generally are rewarded with a boot to the head. In this book, there is still some of that to be found, but we are BEGINNING to see the possibility of gradual change for the better. There ARE heroes, and sometimes they actually succeed in their missions. That makes this book for more palatable than some of the earlier books in the series.
December 5, 2016
This Anthology is set in Star Trek's original Mirror Universe and continues some of the stories that were published in Mirror Universe: Glass Empires & Obsidian Alliances. These stories take you through the darker side of the already dark Mirror Universe and let you see that there are truly good people on both sides of the major conflicts. From the early years in the twenty-second century right after the USS Defiant (Constitution-Class) was brought through to giving hope to both the Terran Revolution and Memory Omega operatives. This is an anthology that I highly recommend for anyone who is interested in Star Trek's original Mirror Universe.
November 18, 2010
This is the first Star Trek book I've read, but after a disappointing start, it wasn't a bad book. Certainly the later stories in the book generally seemed better than the earlier ones. Mind you, being set in the mirror universe, it wasn't really standard Star Trek fare; there was a lot more violence and sexual references than normal for Star Trek.
Anyway, if you like Star Trek, and don't mind some violent or sexual scenes, it's an okay read, but you're not really going to miss anything by not reading it.
Anyway, if you like Star Trek, and don't mind some violent or sexual scenes, it's an okay read, but you're not really going to miss anything by not reading it.
January 4, 2013
Very good stories but with nearly every single one of them you see the limits of the format. Most of them were basically cut down in the middle with some weird conveniences put into place to be able to speed them up. If you've enjoyed the mirror universe stories before you will definitely also like these, but it is just sad to see otherwise great stories to be stripped down just to fit into the format of a short :-(
September 26, 2016
This is a collection of stories about beloved characters from the Star Trek universe in a parallel universe - a very dark place indeed. Some of the stories I liked more than others but basically, the entire collection was not "my cup of tea!"
I am very interested in this other universe; but many of the stories were parts of books I have not read. So it was like trying to read the sixth book in a series and not having read any of the previous ones.
I am very interested in this other universe; but many of the stories were parts of books I have not read. So it was like trying to read the sixth book in a series and not having read any of the previous ones.
May 31, 2011
Although the concept was a good one to try to integrate the different series of the Star Trek captains and weave various seperate stories jumping through time, I feel the book fails as a whole. A deep black hole where stories get lost and there seems to be no real thread attaching the reader's interest.
April 7, 2016
More stories based in the Mirror Universe. Most of them follow on the stories from the previous volumes, so I suggest you read them first. A few new characters are introduced in this volume, we find out what happened to members of the Titan crew, Deanna and her mother, and Will Riker. Each story is engaging in its own way. A good read.
July 30, 2011
This is a lot of fun, especially the stories involving TOS Mirror Mirror sequels.
There's an excellent story of just how the Mirror Kirk seized command of the Enterprise from Capt. Pike that's truly chilling.
In fact, all of the tales in this book are worth the Trekker's time.
There's an excellent story of just how the Mirror Kirk seized command of the Enterprise from Capt. Pike that's truly chilling.
In fact, all of the tales in this book are worth the Trekker's time.
August 3, 2011
It's Star Trek, but it IS a completely different universe and is not linked to what I know and love. I actually haven't finished it, since there is a previous book I haven't read that gets referenced in this one. Makes it even harder to enjoy.
April 26, 2012
The third story is the one that caught my imagination: The Greater Good by Margaret Wander Bonanno. She turns everything inside out--Pike and the telepaths, the Federation, Kirk's personality, works in Van Gelder, parts of "Mirror, Mirror"--really a tour de force.
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August 13, 2009I was very entertained by the possibilities in the mirror universe proposed by these stories.
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