I wasn't sure about this at first but by the end I was pretty on board. Basically a fill in the blanks fanfic that explains how the characters drifted apart between the end of the five year mission and the first movie. I buy it, generally speaking, although the Vulcans and Romulans are treated with somewhat broad strokes (only noticeable because they're very Duane Vulcans and Romulans, and she's a bit more careful).

Ever wonder why Spock had secluded himself? Why Kirk accepted a desk job? Why McCoy left the fleet? This book connects the dots and gives a bonus. We learn some more about the Kolinharu. I enjoyed the interAction as the three get slowly driven apart. My one criticism is the amount of time spent developing the Dwen character. It wasn't enough. The end would have been more effective had the author spent a chapter on making her more substantial. In all it was a good read. ( )

Filling in the blanks....

I've enjoyed Dillard's many Trek books - a touch of horror (vampires, demons, magicians) lurks there within the SF world of Trek. This is a good story that provides answers to the Trekkers - how did Kirk wind up an Admiral? Why did Spock attempt kolinahru? And it's all wrapped up in a story with ancient Vulcans, Romulans and more. ( )

In Star Trek: The Lost Years, J.M. Dillard begins at the end of the U.S.S. Enterprise's five-year mission as the ship returns to Earth for refitting. Dillard follows Captain Kirk through his promotion to admiral as well as Spock and Dr. Leonard McCoy after they resign from Starfleet, setting up the events in the original cast series of films. The story is primarily character-driven and works well to capture the feel of the original series while foreshadowing the more action-oriented nature of the feature films. Overall, The Lost Years is an enjoyable read, though it feels a bit disjointed as it jumps around between Kirk, Spock, and McCoy in order to explain their estrangement at the beginning of The Motion Picture. Still, Dillard writes with her usual understanding of the characters so that readers will enjoy going along with their experiences and can overlook the brevity of some parts of the story. ( )

My favorite book inspired by the Star Trek universe.
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