I found this book to have an interestingly self-conscious Kirk—maybe it's just more interested in his internal mental state than some other books. The plot hinges on a politician and scientist who have rather simplistic ideas about how to end war in the galaxy and seem to blame the existence of war on Starfleet. Ultimately I found that part of the book pretty silly. More interesting is the superweapon the scientist creates, which randomly sends starships to other universes, many of which are inimical to life. (His idea is no starships, no wars...yeah, I didn't say it hung together.) Perhaps most interesting of all is the introduction of a character with a brain-enhancing implant that allows her to record her visual and auditory inputs. That's something Star Trek has never really fully explored (despite Geordi and, yes, the Borg) and which I wish there was more of. Still, all that said, I don't think this was the finest outing. Passable!

Oh, and amusingly: they spell "petaQ" or "p'takh" wrong: "p'tach." I wonder how Klingon spellings were circulated among the various strands of the franchise? I'm pretty sure that 1993 is after they were laid down, especially for common words like petaQ...

Soon after arriving at a starbase for some much-needed shore leave, the U.S.S. Enterprise is ordered to Pegasus IV to pick up Conrad Franklin Kent, a member of the Federation Council with a pronounced bias against Starfleet and an eye on the Federation presidency. Once aboard, Kent orders James Kirk to take him to Starbase 12, where they are to participate in the testing of a new shielding system devised by Professor Omen, the Federation's foremost weapons designer. While there Kirk learns of the disappearance of a number of warships — Federation, Klingon, and Romulan — from the sector, which he soon discovers is part of an ambitious plot to end conflict throughout the galaxy, no matter what the cost.

Like most Star Trek novels, Mel Gilden's book is one offers a mix of strengths and weaknesses that reflect the author. In it's favor is a plot that, while rich in a number of elements, nevertheless moves along at a brisk pace. Unfortunately this comes at the expense of character development, which is particularly unfortunate given the prominence of the new ones Gilden introduces to his story. This is especially true in terms of his antagonists, who come across more as caricatures of standard Star Trek archetypes than as nuanced creations. This tends to sap the plot of much of its tension, as like most two-dimensional cutouts they exist mainly to be knocked down by the Enterprise team. Nor does it help that the threat itself is strangely muted (seriously, how does the captain of a Federation starship not know that ships are disappearing from his sector? Even if it's being hushed up one would think it there would be widespread Starfleet scuttlebutt over friends and classmates going MIA), and in the end less of a danger to be overcome than a puzzle to be solved. While it still makes for an entertaining enough read, the overall result is not one of the most memorable contributions to the Pocket Books series of Star Trek novels. ( )

Starships are disappearing and Federation, Klingon and Romulan tensions are running high. Can the crew of the USS Enterprise solve this mystery before war breaks out? That is the question that faces Captain Kirk. But matters turn for the worse as the Enterprise herself becomes one of the missing ships. Kirk and crew battle the unknown, along with altered races and a mad man with enhanced weapons while stymied by Federation politics. ( )

This was your typical Trek story, but Gilden's characterizations weren’t particularly compelling. Mainly told from Kirk’s perspective, there were several rabbit holes that seemed to go nowhere, in addition to some of Kirk’s behavior being slightly out of character.

The hard science fiction aspect of the Aleph plot device was, at least, interesting. Much more so than the villain’s fixation on 19th and 20th century European and American classic literature or one of the minor character’s obsession with the American Old West. C’mon, Gilden — your ethno-centric roots are showing! For all the aliens and cultures on Star Trek, there is a disproportionate number of stories with references to American or European modern (to the reader) history. ( )

A decent enough Star Trek adventure in which the Enterprise is attacked by a Klingon warship, whose captain claims the Federation is responsible for several vanished Klingon ships. Investigating, Kirk finds out the same has happened for Federation, Romulan and vessels of every known race. A good read for a sleepy afternoon. ( )