I was somewhat reluctant to read this book for two specific reasons. This be a really really long book, and, secondly, I'd already read an 'after return' series of books through the official canon. I figured any need to learn more about the 'after stuff' had been satisfied both by the official books and by the previous book in this here series. Since they did 'get back' at the end of the last book. Well, no, just reading that tells me that it didn't include 'after stuff'.

Right, so. This really long book involves family, assassins/terrorists, couples, briefings/parades, and business. This book was jammed packed with stuff. All of which was handled quite well.

On the family side – I guess anyone who wanted something more, longer, more in depth involving Seven of Nine and her human relatives will have to read the official books. Because that is something tackled relatively deeply there. But only lightly here. Well, more than lightly. The aunt and Annika meet. The ‘after’ versions of 7 are vaguely interesting in their two different interpretations. The official version has 7 actually using her real name (and dating Chakotay, which was really gross on many many levels; more than just because I despise Chakotay). While the fan fiction has 7 still using 7 of Nine. Yet, 7 seemed to have grown more as a character, filled out more, in the fan fiction than in the official version.

More family – the Janeway family, as might be expected, was an important feature in this book. With mother Gretchen, sister Phoebe, Kathryn herself, and Lynne. Plus the motherly-ness Gretchen brings, in certain scenes with Revi.

Even more family – it was only touched on very briefly, but B’Elanna’s mother turns up in this book, along with Tom’s father. B’Elanna’s father wasn’t involved, and I don’t recall if Tom’s mother was mentioned. In the official canon, B’Elanna's father and mother turn up, however briefly.

I suppose I should mention that Alison’s aunt plays a role as well, but then she always did, what with being Admiral Necheyev, Janeway’s direct boss. Their dynamic of being aunt/niece played a part in this book, but not as importantly, on one level, as some other families.

Revi Sandovhar’s mother and father also popped up. Good/bad. Those who actually read this series in order, probably already recall that there is something like bad blood between Revi and her family. Mostly between Revi and father. Well, that gets addressed in this book here.

One last family to mention (though I’m sure I’m missing others). And that would be the Hamilton family. Both the living (Elise, Brian, Melanie (Elise’s mother, Brian’s sister), and . . um, Adele and . . Stephen is mentioned, he’s Elise’s brother; and, of course, Lynne Hamilton), and the dead (Lynne’s parents via messages).

That whole family dynamic was handled quite well.

In terms of coupling/Romance. The main couples continued living their lives – Revi & Seven, Lynne & Kathryn Janeway, but they also had to share the spotlight this time around with a third main couple. Alison and Elise.

Well, darn. My ability to write stuff is sadly lacking. Failing. I’m failing!

Well, I liked everything that occurred in this book, despite my reluctance to read it. Quite enjoyable time spent by me reading this here book.

February 8 2016
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This review is for the entire Past Imperfect series of books 1 to 5. I've known about this series for years, but just never got around to reading it, because...well, its fan fiction, and in a fandom I'm not particularly into. Add to that the epic length--according to Calibre, it all comes out to about 5000 pages--about 20 lesfic books long. I don't think I'd have started it if I knew that figure beforehand, lol. It took me over 3 weeks to finish the series but what a ride it was.

For those who are unfamiliar with the series, Voyager is a spaceship from 24th century earth on a routine mission that was flung halfway across the universe by an energy wave (actually its just around 70,000 light years but it might as well be considering our puny human lifespans). The crew have been trying to get home to earth ever since. The five books chronicle the second half of their journey home.

Despite being set in space and involving futuristic technology and time travel, this isn't a hardcore sci-fi tale. It is, at its heart, a lesbian romance, or three. A good portion of the books are devoted to the development of the romances, the inevitable drama, misunderstandings, talking it over and making-up...lots of making-up! :) And of course where can one find such a thorough demonstration of a futuristic pleasure device that takes up an entire chapter--only in a lesfic romance!

The most impressive aspect of the books is that even with the romantic focus, the author managed to come up with such a coherent and well-thought out overall plot that for me, was much better than the TV series on which it was based on. Most lesfic suffer from plot holes huge enough to swallow entire worlds, but here the author painstakingly crafted very credible scenarios where actions in the first books impact events that occur books later. The action scenes are very well paced and executed. Many times, the crew and our heroines teeter on the brink of death and once, even topple over entirely--resulting in one of the most gut-wrenching scenes in lesfic. The whole diverse cast of characters is excellently and consistently drawn. The author also has the uncanny ability to delve deep into the psyche of her heroines and dig up some wonderful angst, guilt, or whatever emotions they'd kept buried deep inside. I could have sworn she's a psychologist/psychiatrist on the side. Granted, there were a few instances where she got carried away and the exchanges were excessively long winded, and sometimes there was just a little too much hand-wringing, but overall, the dialogue is some of the best I've ever read.

I'd like to take this opportunity to thank the author, Ms. Fletcher Delancey, for such an amazing work of fiction. I've been totally immersed in the world you've created this past month, and what a wonderful world to be lost in. Not many writers would care to spend so much attention and forethought on what is ultimately free fiction, and I hope you get to publish your own original epic some day!


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