I finished it! It seems like it hqs been forever since I successfully finished a novel. I was good at the beginning of the pandemic, and then in the fall, boom, no concentration.

But, c'mon, it's Seven of Nine and James Kirk, and time travel. Craziness ensues.

And, it's by Greg Cox, so, you know that the characterizations are on point and the plot is tight (with so many allusions and callbacks to other star trek media as well as other novels too!) Awesome. ( )

Star Trek novels are like big bowls of chocolates. ( )

Better than Greg Cox's other TOS novel, The Weight of Worlds, certainly, but the author's understanding of the original series characters is still sadly lacking. Kirk remains a caricature of Shatner's creation - more the reckless maverick with an eye for the ladieees from the Abrams films - and the rest of the regular crew are made up of catchphrases and references to past episodes. Cox even repeats his 'joke' of having Kirk call someone on using one of Scotty's lines about the engines! For the record, Captain Kirk is not a ladies' man - he flirts with everyone, irrespective of gender. Spock, Bones, twentieth century pilots, Abraham Lincoln...

The crossover plot raises this story above Cox's previous attempt for me, because Voyager always reminded a lot of the original series, in that the crew were more of a family. And out of the VOY cast, Seven was one of my favourites - luckily, Neelix, Tuvok and Janeway, who accompany her on the start of her adventure, are knocked out of the action early on. (I can't stand Neelix.) So, great choice of character to do the crossing over, and an intriguing 'puzzle' for Seven and the TOS crew to piece together. Bonus points for having a gigantic stone monument dedicated to Kirk on Gamma Trianguli!

Other original source material 'borrowed' for the story includes Let That Be Your Last Battlefield and All Our Yesterdays, not to mention A.C. Crispin's novelisations based on that season three episode. I would advise Mr Cox to familiarise himself with the actual series before incorporating the fevered headcanon of other fan fiction authors, but hey ho. The City on the Edge of Forever - 'Edith!' - and Harry Mudd are also referenced.

Any fans wishing to read a Voyager novel with parodied references to the 'primitive' Enterprise and her cliched crew will find this an entertaining mashup, but TOS devotees like myself might be left wanting when it comes to favourite characters. ( )