(A Quick Note: This review contains a few more spoilers than usual. Some have actually been requesting that for a while, so for those people, today is your lucky day. But if you want to keep some of the mystery alive, I’d recommend skipping the “MVP & LVP” section on this one. —Jess)
In today’s episode, when the Enterprise is tapped to scare off Beta Quadrant baddies, the locals advise shooting first and asking questions never. But when Picard realizes that may well be the only way to neutralize an even bigger threat, he’ll need all of Data’s USB ports to get the job done. Can you change the difficulty setting of space? How do hiccups feel to a Trill? And how much setup is too much for one pun? All this and more in Intellivore, the book that demonstrates the value of (ab)using your noggin.
In today’s episode, two storylines get equal custody of the book. In one, Picard and Crusher investigate a nasty bird flu, but the way their hosts treat them won’t fly if they don’t want to wind up with an empty nest. In the other, Riker and Troi run damage control on a rogue observer whose shabby treatment of the Prime Directive demonstrates exactly why they have it in the first place. Can you get addicted to phaser stuns? Will Barclay ever find a completely healthy way to unwind? And how do you know if you’re a main character or an NPC? All this and more in The Death of Princes, the book with hands across the water, hands across the sky.
In today’s episode, the Starfleet Academy Band’s performance at a competition earns them a new biggest fan. But he’s not interested in waiting to book a private gig, and drags them into the worst USO Tour ever. Can Riker withstand a gauntlet of light hazing? Will Geordi make the leap from roadie to band member? Is Phish’s influence still being felt in the 24th century? All this and more in Crossfire, the book where reversing the polarity still works.
In today’s episode, when Picard starts handing the Borg a loss at Earth, they switch to plan B: un-inventing the game. Now the Enterprise-E has to follow the Borg back into the past and make sure history’s most important pilot makes it to the air. Did redshirts peak with this installment? Who’s holding Picard accountable? And which doctor took a greater timeline liberty: McCoy or Crusher? All this and more in Star Trek: First Contact, the book that needs to clean up its Klingon armory.
In today’s episode, when a colony world’s sun is about to go nova, Picard is stuck holding a plate at a buffet of Sophie’s choices. But if Data can walk as big a golf game as he talks, they might not have to make any of them. How many people have a personal connection to this planet? Is the solution somewhere out in the ocean? And hasn’t anyone ever told Picard that “Cs get degrees”? All this and more in A Fury Scorned, the book that skims a little off the top.