This review originally published in . Rated 4.0 0f 5
Una Chin-Riley is the poster girl for Starfleet: smart, driven, and dedicatThis review originally published in . Rated 4.0 0f 5
Una Chin-Riley is the poster girl for Starfleet: smart, driven, and dedicated. She's a by-the-book student, not afraid to ask questions and to quote the manual when she thinks something is being done incorrectly. And like all really good students, she's also active in extra-curricular activities. She's often the lead in the Academy-produced opera and she has sympathies for displaced peoples and works with groups to help people seeking asylum.
Christopher Pike is an ensign, having only recently graduated from the Academy, he's back at Starfleet waiting for a hearing for an incident during his short tenure on the ship. He's asked to give a lecture to students ... he's closer in age to them (compared to the usually retired people who lecture) and yet he's got actual starship experience.
Pike takes a liking to Una, despite her being so by-the-book and his realizing 'the book' doesn't have all the answers out in space.
25 years later, Christopher Pike is captain of his own starship and Una is his Number One and they are on assignment to settle a trade agreement when there is a terrorist attack. But the attack and the trade agreement are the least of Una's worries when she discovers that she knows the attacker from her days at the Academy helping those who sought asylum. The attacker was someone she helped and someone who knows too much about her own history.
This was the first book I've read by Una McCormack, and my first Star Trek: Strange New Worlds novel, and I found it quite well written. I'm a fan of the Star Trek: Strange New Worlds series and I thought the characters here acted and sounded the way we would expect them to, having watched the series. I'm not generally a fan of multiple timelines in a book and I would have been happy with just the Academy era storyline, but this worked well - the Academy story being a bit stronger and more interesting.
There is something from the Starfleet Academy days that is rather legendary in the Star Trek lore (I don't want to give too much away) that has its origins here. It's a fun bit for Star Trek fans.
This is precisely the sort of book I'm looking for when I read a Star Trek novel ... something that gives me more insight to the characters I already know and am familiar with, while giving me a solid story in the process. I'm definitely interested in reading more works by McCormack.
Looking for a good book? Star Trek: Strange New Worlds: Asylum by Una McCormack is a well written Star Trek story with characters that sound and act like those we're familiar with.
I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Edelweiss, in exchange for an honest review. ...more
This review originally published in . Rated 3.0 of 5
It's never been told before, but finally we can read about the final missioThis review originally published in . Rated 3.0 of 5
It's never been told before, but finally we can read about the final mission of the Starship Enterprise. It's been five years and Captain Kirk and his crew have encountered many new life forms and discovered many inhabited worlds but will this mission bring about the end of the Federation itself? The mission brings Kirk full circle as they head to Archernar IV, where Kirk had his first mission as the Enterprise captain. The natives here are essentially giant, intelligent spiders, and their beasts of burden are centipedes.
The story mostly looks at character growth. How much have Kirk and Spock and bones matured, as people and as Starfleet officers during the past five years.
I found this to be a well-written, interesting story and the art was generally okay (I miss the work of Gordon Purcell who worked on a number of different Star Trek comics) but there are enough oddly drawn scenes to take me out of the story. I've randomly opened to a couple of pages and grabbed these moments:
Kirk and Spock as dwarves? (See screenshot on blog )
Who knew Scotty had such a skinny leg? (See screenshot on blog )
I love Chekov with the machine gun, but is that Captain "Skinny Arms" Kirk firing a phaser? (See screenshot on blog )
This just strikes me as a 1970's action pose.
I do think that author Ty Templeton captured that characters, as we know them from the television series, nicely but why the bugs? Why spiders and centipedes and dragonflies for the presiding life forms? It kind of made me chuckle.
Artist Steven Molnar isn't the worst Star Trek graphic novel artist I've seen, but I definitely wouldn't recommend this book based on the art.
This was a pleasant enough read, but I'm glad I waited for the Kindle Unlimited version and didn't shell out big dollars just to read it.
Looking for a good book? Star Trek: Mission's End is a graphic novel by Ty Templeton and Steven Molnar of the last mission of the Enterprise's five years of missions. Star Trek fans will enjoy the story (but probably not the art). ...more
This review originally published in . Rated 4.0 of 5
In 2024, investigative reporter Melinda Silver tries to track down whateverThis review originally published in . Rated 4.0 of 5
In 2024, investigative reporter Melinda Silver tries to track down whatever happened to Gillian Taylor, an influential marine biologist who walked away from a great job at Sausalito’s Cetacean Institute, never to be heard from again. Slowly, Melinda begins to put together a picture of the people she had been with - people for whom there is no other searchable data. The only possibility it too far out there to possibly be true. In 2268, Captain James T. Kirk must delve into unknown, and off-limits territory in order to rescue and recover a Federation scientist whose secrets are wanted not only by the Federation, but by the Klingon Empire as well.
In 2292, the Klingons, Romulans, and the Federation come together for a joint mission when the Osori, a race so ancient that they consider the other three races 'young.' But the mission begins to unravel when an Osori enjoy is killed and each believes the other is responsible.
Author Greg Cox weaves each of these three stories into one exciting rollercoaster ride.
I've long admired Greg Cox's work, and, it's no secret, I'm a huge Star Trek fan, particularly the Original Series. So getting to read this new, original story is really great. I love that the story takes place in three different eras. I was really afraid I wouldn't like - too often this kind of time-jumping within a book gets confusing - but I never had any trouble knowing immediately where and when I was.
The investigation into the disappearance of Gillian Taylor is just brilliant. Why has no one written this before now? Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home was a huge box office hit, it only makes sense to follow up on that story. Do this from a modern reader perspective with an investigator trying to uncover what happened is just brilliant concept.
The story of the missing scientist gets just a little muddled and lost in the other stories. It's probably the most Star Trek-like of the stories (it could easily have been an episode in the late 1960's) and maybe it's because of that that it less interesting to me.
The Osori story also has a lot of what we might think of as Star Trek themes - older, almost god-like races that decide it's time to come make some proclamations. This brings about some of the good conflict in the book and it's great, from a fan point of view, to have familiar races, such as Klingons and Romulans.
The stories do seem pretty divergent, but have faith that things will come together. There's a reason these three stories are being told.
It's pretty clear that Cox is a fan himself. He slips a lot of classic Trek references and Easter Eggs. I can't help but wonder how many I catch and how many pass over my head.
I used to read a lot of Star Trek novels but quit when they started coming out so often that I couldn't keep up. I'm slowly getting back to reading more and I'm really glad that the quality seems to have improved as well.
Looking for a good book? Lost to Eternity by Greg Cox is a Star Trek: The Original Series novel spanning many generations, from the 1980's to the 2020's and beyond. Fans of the series will really enjoy this well-told story.
I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Edelweiss, in exchange for an honest review....more
This review originally published in . Rated 4.5 of 5
In the tradition of the 'Choose your Own Adventure' books comes this riotouThis review originally published in . Rated 4.5 of 5
In the tradition of the 'Choose your Own Adventure' books comes this riotously funny, often irreverent, Star Trek: Lower Decks, choose your path, graphic novel. Yeah, that's a lot.
Mariner just wants to have a quiet, normal day, but no matter what she does, the universe is on the verge of ending. At least for her and the ship she rode in on. It's Groundhog Day with death and destruction at the end of the wrong paths. But are they all wrong?
I can't remember the last time I had so much fun and laughed so much while reading a book. Author Ryan North understands these characters - this really is like watching an episode of Star Trek: Lower Decks! There are a LOT of little moments that really make this shine. My favorite is probably the talking Spock clock which, like a modern day Alexa, offers to provide useless, random facts:
"Once, on Stardate 5341, I survived without a brain for almost 24 hours." "Spock clock, disable all fun facts!" "Acknowledged."
There's really not a sense of impending doom for the reader, which is odd, since you die a lot. The older Choose-Your-Own-Adventure books really brought the reader into the story. This is a little more passive, but it's also a heck of a lot more fun.
If you are going to consider this, and I highly recommend it for any Star Trek fan, then you really need a physical copy. My digital ARC made it very difficult to jump forward and back to follow along the different paths. The page numbers didn't line up accurately - if the story path you choose asks you to jump to page 28 and the actual story is on page 32 it throws you off. I know ... once you know the disparity you can do the math each time. But let's face it, 1) I don't want to have to think too hard, especially when reading a fun book like this, and 2) I shouldn't have to. You also have to remember where you were when you want to go back - it's not too easy to 'flip' through digital pages.
The art looks exactly the animation on the television program.
Looking for a good book? Star Trek: Lower Decks - Warp Your Own Way, story by Ryan North and art by Chris Fenoglio is a seriously fun 'Choose Your Own Adventure' style book with all the familiar Star Trek: Lower Decks characters and plenty of Star Trek Easter Eggs.
I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review....more
This review originally published in . Rated 1.0 of 5
Why? Why do we need this?
Aside from my distaste for a non-fan to act like This review originally published in . Rated 1.0 of 5
Why? Why do we need this?
Aside from my distaste for a non-fan to act like a deep fan for the purposes of a book, my other 'problem' is that this offers nothing new. 'This' episode is good. 'This' episode is bad. Yeah, yeah, some of this is pretty commonly held thought, and some is clearly personal choice. (I happen to enjoy some of the lighter or funnier episodes as a good mix-up with the heavier, darker episodes but it's okay if you don't.)
Salinsky makes it very clear that he doesn't like the lighter or humorous episodes. Really? You don't like Harry Mudd? You don't like tribbles? Who doesn't like tribbles?! But to each his own. I assume that means I won't find many lighter episodes when I finally sit down to watch Doctor Who.
But it's comments like "It's the return of Mark Lenard - and he's Spock's daddy! Not only that, he's brought Spock's mummy" and "This time, McCoy has wiped out a whole planet with a dangerous vaccine. It's a little known fact that this episode was the early work of Joe Rogan" and "Party pooper Picard" that cheapen this reflection. Perhaps if Tom Salinsky were a celebrity, this would be amusing. I know, it's a bit of a double standard, but let's face it, if Ryan Reynolds were saying these things, we'd be amused. But ... we'd also believe Ryan Reynolds was a 'true fan' and had earned his right to poke fun.
And, sorry, but it's offensive on multiple levels to refer to actor Lycia Naff as "Ensign Hot Chocolate from Q Who...."
And if you need to be reminded that Salinsky is NOT a true fan, he does that plenty:
Why are these episode titles so vague and so hard to remember? I never have any trouble recalling which Doctor Who story is which (you’re a real Doctor Who fan if it’s never even occurred to you that people might mix up 1969’s ‘The Seeds of Death� and 1976’s ‘The Seeds of Doom�) but without looking, I couldn’t tell you which one was Wolf in the Fold, which one was Return to Tomorrow and which one was Errand of Mercy if my very life depended on it.
But still he tries to also pass himself off as a true Star Trek fan when he writes "Fans have debated for ages..." How would he know? Once again, accessing the Memory Alpha wiki does not make one a 'true fan.'
But Salinsky has pinpointed the problem ... he's a 'real' Doctor Who fan and NOT a real Star Trek fan. That's cool. The world can have both. But, it brings me back to my opening question ... Why? Why do we need this book? The answer is, we don't. And I'm most certainly not interested in reading the next volume.
Looking for a good book? In Star Trek: Discovering the TV Series by Tom Salinsky, the author capitalizes on Star Trek fans' interest in reading about their beloved series. It offers nothing new to fans or to the franchise but it may put a little money in his pocket.
I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review....more
This review originally published in . Rated 3.5 of 5
Will and Sara Trent are a newly married couple off to a cabin resort in theThis review originally published in . Rated 3.5 of 5
Will and Sara Trent are a newly married couple off to a cabin resort in the wilderness for their honeymoon. With all intentions of leaving their work behind (Will is an agent for the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and Sara is a medical examiner), they arrive at the resort with assumed histories.
The resort is not a Fodor's 5 star resort, but a family-run business with plenty of family drama. The resort is jointly owned although most of the work is done my Mercy, who controls two shares of the business - hers and her teenage son's (until he turns 21). Mercy finds satisfaction in the work, loves the resort, and sees it as something valuable to leave her son. The rest of the family wants to sell it to an investor from the city who wants to modernize the whole thing. That investor is visiting the same weekend as Will and Sara.
Family squabbles reach a fevered pitch, with many skeletons in the family closet being threatened to be released by Mercy if she doesn't get her way and the resort stays in the family. But when Will and Sara, looking to enjoy a romantic evening alone along the lake shore, hear cries for help and find Mercy taking her last breaths after being fatally stabbed multiple times, it will be up to Will (and his new wife) to uncover the killer among an entire family of suspects - the task made more difficult with no cell service or internet to reach the GBI.
Like many people, I'm sure, I discovered this series via the television show, Will Trent. Picking up here, this 12th book in the book series is somewhat of an eye opener as the Will Trents are a bit different. Will Trent on television is quite marvelously portrayed by Ramón RodrÃguez. I like everything about this portrayal (it's my initiation to the series) but I would not call Ramón RodrÃguez 'imposing.' Will Trent in the book is someone who can say, "That's my wife" and others would immediately back off by the implied, imposing threat of the man.
Overall, I enjoyed this read. The family dynamics among Mercy and her kin were more than dysfunctional. They were disturbing. I kind of really didn't care about any of them. This was definitely exacerbated by the fact that one of the prime suspects, a family member, is someone Will knew during his orphanage/foster family days. It was not a good meeting (of course). Even our victim, while painted to be someone trying very hard to change her life and who thinks about her son with everything she does, never comes out of the shadow of being someone whose luck has run out and who was probably never destined for anything better. She makes (made) choices that keep her as someone not to feel sorry for.
I don't know anything about Sara. She hasn't appeared in any of the tv episodes I've seen so far, so the fact that she's married to Will is interesting but a complete unknown to me. This is a case where you definitely need to have read more of the book series to understand and appreciate, I think. We're told she's a medical examiner and she does a few simple things in the course of the book, but other than a means to be out at a cabin resort (honeymoon), she doesn't play much part.
I'm not overly enamored with this book. I've picked up a lot of mysteries over the past few years and this one is not one that will stay current on my bookshelf. If I find an older book kin the series at used a bookstore, I may or may not pick it up. I will, however, keep watching the TV series, which I quite enjoy.
Looking for a good book? Fans of the Will Trent television series may be in for a surprise picking up this book. Twelfth in the Will Trent series, This is Why We Lied by Karin Slaughter probably requires greater background knowledge of the book version of Will Trent to truly appreciate. ...more
This review originally published in . Rated 2.0 of 5
We look back at the Academy days of Jean-Luc Picard and see that he's quiteThis review originally published in . Rated 2.0 of 5
We look back at the Academy days of Jean-Luc Picard and see that he's quite the loner, focused solely on doing well and getting ahead. But his instructor, Mr. Spock, informs him that getting to know the people on his team is important when making leadership decisions and orders Cadet Picard to attend a party with his fellow cadets. Well ... Spock can order him to attend but there's nothing that says he has to enjoy it or participate in shenanigans!
Through a series of incidents, young Jean-Luc discovers that there's more to being command than simply giving orders and knowing 'the book' backward and forward.
This is a pretty simple story (hard to believe it makes up six issues of a comic) and frankly pretty obvious. I never felt like we were following the same Jean-Luc Picard who would go on to captain the USS Enterprise or become a Starfleet Admiral. That's not to say I think we are the same at age 19 as we are at 50. Of course we learn and grow, but I don't see anything of the Picard we know in the television shows and movies in this comic/graphic novel.
Because it's a graphic novel, the art is just as important in telling the story as is the writing (otherwise why not just make it a novel?) and the art here is ... I suppose 'cartoony' is the best way to describe it. If we weren't introduced, by name, to Jean-Luc Picard or Mr. Spock, I'd never know that's who we were looking at.
This style works in some graphic novels, but I definitely don't feel like it enhances the story in any way. This looks like a Veronica and Betty style comic meant to appeal to sixth graders.
Which brings me to: Who is this for? Based on the simplicity of the script, the whole 'academy days' (ie being in school) and the over-the-top message, along with the artwork, this looks like the target audience is middle schoolers and younger. But do these kids know Star Trek: The Next Generation? Why not a story using the more recent Star Trek series' characters? Did Janeway (featured in the animated Star Trek: Prodigy) learn some important lessons about getting to know her crew? What about Michael Burnham? Based on her current character she had to have had some hard lessons in the academy.
I enjoy reading new stories and adventures featuring my familiar Star Trek 'friends' (they often feel like friends when you've watched the episodes over and over) but when they no longer look or feel familiar but instead are used to make a moralistic message to kids (who probably don't know them at all), I don't feel good about the book.
Looking for a good book? The graphic novel Star Trek: Picard's Academy--Commit No Mistakes written by Sam Maggs and illustrated by Ornella Greco, doesn't feel at all in line with the Star Trek universe.
I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review....more
This review originally published in . Rated 4.0 of 5
DI Vera Stanhope and her team are called to Rosebank Children's Home to invThis review originally published in . Rated 4.0 of 5
DI Vera Stanhope and her team are called to Rosebank Children's Home to investigate the murder of Josh Woodburn. Josh was a student at university and a volunteer at the home. One of the residents - 14 year old Chloe Spencer - is missing. It doesn't seem possible the two incidents aren't connected, but Vera can't imagine the young teen killing a college boy.
Another murder, this time of a boy from Rosebank, is found near three ancient standing stones known to the locals as The Three Dark Wives. Complicating the investigation for Vera and her team is an influx of tourists for the local witch festival.
Prior to reading this book, my knowledge of Vera is based the long-running television series which I've been watching on BritBox. And based on this familiarity it threw me for a bit of loop that Vera's 'second' was DS Joe Ashworth. In the series, Ashworth only lasted four seasons and it's been DS Aiden Healy for the last ten years. But it's almost like only the name has changed.
For those who aren't familiar with either the books or the series, Vera is a detective inspector with a smaller community in England. She's very good at what she does, she's no nonsense and expects her team to be as thorough and dedicated as she is. But she can also be nurturing - in a work sense. She's not at all happy with errors but she'll also tell them to move on and try not to let it happen again. She's good with all her team, but she definitely treats Joe differently. A favorite, perhaps, but she also expects more of him.
This comes into play in the book as there's a new member of the team - DC Rosie Bell - who, like many of the newcomers, is ambitious and out to prove she belongs with this squad. But when Vera shows appreciation for what Rosie does, jealousy comes over Joe. He recognizes it and tries to understand why he feels the way he does.
As you might be able to see here, the murder mystery is only part of what makes the Vera series so interesting. Solving murders is Vera's (and her team's) business, but who they are, as individuals, as a team, and how they work together is what makes it most interesting. (I think about a number of detective mysteries I like - Walt Longmire, Cork O'Connor, Rushmore McKenzie - and it's the people that make the series interesting while the mystery is only good for one book.)
The book moves along quite quickly and, like the television series, ends with Vera having figured it all out before anyone else on her team does. Usually because she puts one small, thought-to-be-innocuous clue to the killer.
I definitely want to read more of these Vera books, but I do think I need to wait until I'm done watching the series (one more season is coming out, I understand, and I'll have caught up to it be the time it arrives on U.S. television) because I did make some assumptions based on current television characters.
Looking for a good book? The Dark Wives by Ann Cleeves is the eleventh book in the Vera Stanhope book series. It's a popular series (both in book form and on television) for good reason. Fans of detective procedurals and solid mysteries should be sure to read it.
I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review....more
This review originally published in . Rated 3.5 of 5
It is not uncommon to see books about early days of popular entertainment,This review originally published in . Rated 3.5 of 5
It is not uncommon to see books about early days of popular entertainment, There are some wonderful histories of the early days of television, and there have been several histories of the early days of televised science fiction. This is the first book that I have seen dedicated solely to Science Fiction Theatre.
Science Fiction Theatre was an anthology television series that ran two seasons from 1955-1956. I almost used the adjective "innovative" but honestly, just about any television show from the mid-1950's could be considered innovative.
Although the series isn't as familiar to science fiction fans and television fans as other, often syndicated shows, the series was clearly inspiration for programs such as The Outer Limits and The Twilight Zone, though the latter two have more name recognition. And while I recently listened to a podcast giving a lot of credit to Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry for being rather progressive with getting shows into syndication, Science Fiction Theatre takes top honors there as well.
Author J.P Telotte does a fine job of digging deep into archives and giving us a bit of biography of creator Ivan Tors (a name I was not familiar with, but as someone interested in television I certainly should have been) and the making of the series. By this account, Tors was a man interested in his subjects and the storytelling, and not just about making fast, cheap, entertainment - something which is certain to doom any Hollywood creative.
The book gives us some really good information and has made this reader interested in knowing more about the show and trying I've been trying to find episodes to watch online. But the book does read very much like a college paper and given it's published by a university press it might seem even more likely. There's a manner of paper writing that college professors seem to look for that you don't typically find in mass consumer publications, such as phrases like: "In the next section I'm going to discuss..."
As a paper, this is very good. As an information book, I think Telotte could have gone a little deeper examining the format and structure of the show and maybe let a little of the author's own passion show through.
Looking for a good book? Science Fiction Theatre by J.P. Telotte examines an early science fiction anthology television series and provides some interesting background to the show, but it reads a little too much like a college project paper to be truly engaging.
I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Edelweiss, in exchange for an honest review. ...more
This review originally published in . Rated 2.5 of 5
There was a time that I read every Star Trek novel as soon as they were pubThis review originally published in . Rated 2.5 of 5
There was a time that I read every Star Trek novel as soon as they were published. Until the mid-1980’s, these all featured Captain Kirk, Spock, and the rest of the crew from the original series and with only two or three a year, it was easy to keep up with the releases. But then, particularly around the time Star Trek: The Next Generation hit stations, books were being released at a rate of 6 or more per year. Aside from the financial strain of trying to buy that many books, I simply couldn’t read that many Star Trek books (there are so many other books to read, too!).
Early on (this book, Strangers From the Sky, was one of the earliest original novels) the books varied greatly in quality and length. Sometimes the character didn’t sound or act like the characters we’d come to know through the television series. But fans like me read them because at the time it was the only way to get new adventures with these old friends.
Margaret Wander Bonanno’s Strangers From the Sky was an oddity when I first read it (probably 1987) so I thought I’d give it a try again. It’s still odd.
There are two books here � there’s the story of Captain Kirk and Spock and Dr. McCoy in which Kirk, having been reading the non-fiction account of the first meeting between humans and Vulcans, imagines how he might have reacted differently if he’d been involved in that first meeting. And then there’s the story about that fateful meeting (titled Strangers From the Sky) included within the pages of the book. Once we get to the book within the book, the chapter numbers even start over.
I don’t think I caught on to this very well 30+ years ago and while it made more sense to me now, I feel as though I may have been more disengaged with this reading. I wasn’t so eager for any new Star Trek story and so I was more discerning.
The novel within a novel wasn’t necessary and didn’t work. Or � it worked just fine, but in that case, we didn’t need the odd time travel piece of the story, sending the Enterprise crew back in time to ‘correct� the first meeting. There’s just one too many plot devices happening, with characters who feel wooden and simply walking through their roles, to make this the exciting tale that it should be.
Looking for a good book? I held on to my copy of Strangers From the Sky by Margaret Wander Bonanno as a reminder of those more innocent years when I bought a book just because it had the words Star Trek on the cover (as well as some swell Boris Vallejo art). Now I’m hanging onto it because there aren’t likely to be many people who actually want to read this....more
This review originally published in . Rated 3.5 of 5
I am one of those faithful Star Trek fans who will gladly read stories (stoThis review originally published in . Rated 3.5 of 5
I am one of those faithful Star Trek fans who will gladly read stories (stories, novels, graphic novels) featuring the original Star Trek cast/crew. When you add in an author such as D.C. Fontana, who wrote for the original series, and the excitement level for a book like this is high.
The book reads like a classic Trek episode. Here, while the Enterprise is testing a new cloaking device (having stolen such a device from a Romulan ship) Kirk and Spock find themselves boarding the ship from a shuttlecraft only to discover that they are out of ‘phase� with the rest of the ship’s crew. Only Lt. Arex is slightly visible to Kirk and Spock (due to some technical, fortuitous accident). It is during this time that the Romulans arrive, with Ambassador Sarek, and an old-fashioned pistol (phaser pistol) fight may ensue in the corridors.
I will almost always have fun reading new adventures from my favorite starship crew, and I definitely enjoyed this, but scribe Fontana does something that I don’t really like too much � she gets too cute trying to bring aspects from multiple episodes into one story. She does, however, have a better understanding of the characters than many Star Trek comic writers.
Many comics/graphic novels have stories that span multiple comics issues which really does create a different kind of story (because each ‘issue� has an entire story with rising action and a climax). This graphic novel is built more as an actual episode with one large story as the focus.
The art here is fine. I think Gordon Purcell is probably one of the best artists for Star Trek graphic novels currently working in the field.
Fun read? Yes. Not to be missed? Only because it’s D.C. Fontana telling a Star Trek story.
Looking for a good book? True Star Trek fans will want to read D.C. Fontana’s story in the graphic novel Star Trek: Year Four � The Enterprise Experiment.
I borrowed this through the Kindle Unlimited program....more
This review originally published in . Rated 3.5 of 5
A rare, purebred corgi is on its way to DS9 when the Ferengi Quark procuresThis review originally published in . Rated 3.5 of 5
A rare, purebred corgi is on its way to DS9 when the Ferengi Quark procures it for a wealthy buyer. But the dog comes with a little something extra - some Borg technology that could become very useful in the war. Much of this comes to light when Bashir and O'Brien are looking to use a holosuite for one of their adventures but Quark informs them that he needs the suite to take Latinum (the corgi's name) for a walk. Bashir and O'Brien offer to take the dog with them. Everyone on the station is completely enamored with the cute K-9 and are reluctant to let Quark sell him but Quark is a Ferengi, after all, and it's all about a financial win for him. Will cute and useful win out over money?
I was honestly a little hesitant to get in to this, but I was in the mood for a Star Trek 'fix' and this was what was most available to me. The main source of my hesitation was the 'cuteness' factor. A story about dogs on Star Trek? That cover, as depicted above, might be considered 'precious' and I'm not into cute and precious Star Trek.
But the story works, for the most part. Latinum (the dog) doesn't doesn't dominate the story, but he is central to it. That's an odd juxtaposition, but it works okay here.
The corgi story is slightly more interesting than the Borg technology story, which is strange only in that the corgi is not integral to the overall DS9 story arc, whereas the Borg technology could be seen as crucial. You could take out the corgi, put in a chimpanzee or a tortoise or even another human and not lose too much in the story. But honestly this felt mostly like a filler story. It was a quick four issue series, then bundled together for a graphic novel (the 'novel' could have been 30 pages shorter and still told the story but since it wasn't written as a novel, but as four short stories, it's padded to make sure readers are fully caught up, even if they don't start with the first installment.
The artwork is decent but not particularly exciting. The characters were recognizable but despite the computer artwork advancements in coloring and shading, this felt quite flat.
Looking for a good book? Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: The Dog of War is a decent graphic novel, worth passing the time for dedicated Star Trek fans.
I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review....more
This review originally published in . Rated 2.0 of 5
In 1977, when this book was first published, we Star Trek fans were still hThis review originally published in . Rated 2.0 of 5
In 1977, when this book was first published, we Star Trek fans were still hungry for anything we could get that was Star Trek related. We had the original series, and we'd already seen the animated series come and go but we were only just starting to get the books (this was only the fourth Star Trek novel to be published) and this was our only way to keep the adventures going. I would have read this when it first came out (I was 16) but as I was looking it over, I couldn't remember anything about it. Now I know why ... it's not particularly good.
The story ... ? Kirk is dead. Maybe. And the Enterprise crew is coming to retrieve him. When Spock confronts the ruler (Omne) on the planet where Kirk has died, Omne informs the Vulcan that he has developed the 'phoenix process' - a variation of the Federation transporter technology that creates an exact duplicate of a person - and there is such a duplicate of Kirk (who Spock will call 'James'). Together, Spock and James will go in search of the original Kirk, whom they have reason to believe is still alive.
There is a sub-plot with the Romulan Commander from one of the original season episodes, who will help with giving a purpose to the 'extra' James Kirk.
This story idea is, while not exactly unique, not a bad idea for a Star Trek story. The problem, for me, is the actual writing quality of Marshak and Culbreath. Everything about this book screams ROMANCE and if there's one thing I don't associate with Star Trek, it's romance fiction.
If you're thinking that the romance is between the female Romulan commander and Kirk and/or Spock ... you're wrong. It's between Kirk and Spock.
I am aware that there's a sub-culture in Star Trek fandom that really enjoys Kirk/Spock gay themes - I didn't remember that there was a mass market book with these themes.
My problem here isn't with the subject of the romance ... it's the romance itself. It's the main theme and the phoenix process and Romulan commander are just devices to get the romance going. The language, the writing, is syrupy romance, not Star Trek. I've randomly turned to a page:
Time already had run out. The agony was more than mere pain now. Defeat. Loss. Hopelessness. Spock struggled to see and to keep moving.
He had permitted himself -- illogical hopes.
Among them that there would be some extension of the directionality of the link through the strange resonance.
But there was not.
He could follow the movements of -- James.
But only the feelings of Jim.
James. Suddenly Spock became aware that James was leading the Commander, his movements shifting from bafflement to purpose -- tentative, groping - but purpose. As if James were following the most fragile gossamer thread - but following, and leading.
I'm hoping to read as many of the old Star Trek books, but there's a sequel to this and I'm not sure if I will want to read it.
Looking for a good book? The Price of the Phoenix by Sondra Marshak and Myrna Culbreath is only the 4th Star Trek book to be published, but it's more romance than Star Trek or science fiction. I would not recommend it....more
This review originally published in . Rated 4.0 of 5
Commander Benjamin Sisko is still struggling over the death of his wife, JeThis review originally published in . Rated 4.0 of 5
Commander Benjamin Sisko is still struggling over the death of his wife, Jennifer, at the battle known as Wolf 359 (where the Borg nearly wiped out the entire Federation fleet), but he needs to put forth his best efforts in order to raise his young son, Jake. Commander Sisko is assigned the position of commanding a space station, Deep Space Nine, on the far edge of the Alpha Quadrant. The station, built by the Bajorans (as slaves) and once known as Terok Nor had, until very recently, been occupied by the Cardassians. The result of negotiations has the Cardassians retreating from Bajoran space and the station.
What Sisko couldn't anticipate was discovering a stable wormhole that appears within sight of the station. He chooses to investigate (he's the ranking officer in the region and he is just getting to know his station crew after all) and has a very unusual meeting with the wormhole creators ... alien beings who live outside of normal time. Upon returning to the station, the Bajoran people see him as 'The Prophet' - someone who has come face to face with their gods. It is an unusual and highly charged beginning to his appointment.
This book, by J. M. Dillard (a familiar name to Star Trek readers), is a novelization of the first episode of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. It's been a lot of years since I saw the episode, but much of it came back to me as I read this. I thought that this novelization increased my enjoyment of the episode as we got more insight in Sisko frame of mind throughout.
It is interesting to note that Dillard wrote this adaptation based on the final draft of the script by Michael Piller and, due to the security around a new Star Trek series, had not gotten to see any of the show. She notes (elsewhere in fandom, not in the book) that writing the scene with the aliens in the wormhole was particularly challenging without seeing the scene. Again, I haven't seen the episode in many years, but this scene in the book made so much sense to me - more-so than the episode did.
DS9 is the series I'm most interested in revisiting and since I had a copy of the book I thought I'd start here. Turns out this was a good place to begin my DS9 journey.
Looking for a good book? J. M. Dillard brings clarity and depth of character to the first Star Trek: Deep Space Nine outing with the novelization of Emissary....more
This review originally published in . Rated 2.5 of 5
I have not kept up with the Star Wars literary catalog. If you include the This review originally published in . Rated 2.5 of 5
I have not kept up with the Star Wars literary catalog. If you include the animated series', I have not stayed up to date with the shows and I'm not entirely sure why. But what I find as I try to get back in to the Star Wars world(s) is that there are a LOT of characters whom I do not know. Crimson Climb centers on a character, Qi-ra, who has only appeared in the film, Solo (which I haven't seen) and then in a couple of books. Qi'ra grew up on the streets, one of her best friends being a boy by the name of Han. But when Han manages to get away from the street gangs and finds his way to his personal freedom, Qi'ra is pulled back into the White Worms gang. Until, that is, she is approached by a member of Crimson Dawn, a crime syndicate, brings her to meet with the syndicate's leader, Dryden Vos.
Vos believes that Qi'ra has talents that would be useful to his organization and offers Qi'ra the opportunity to build for herself a life that could be comfortable - far from the scrabbling for scraps of food on the streets. But failure would mean death.
Not understanding who this character is and how she fits into the Star Wars universe really seemed to put me at a disadvantage. While this appears to be an origin story it really meant very little to me. Han is mentioned many times but it seems to be more to remind the reader that she's going to be important and she's had a history with one of our beloved characters. I had hoped to learn about the character if she's been in one of the movies, and I didn't learn much.
The book drags, especially early on, and in part, I think because of all the characters that are introduced. Do we really need a large supporting cast to tell this story? When we aren't spending time with the protagonist we think the character being featured will have an important role, but that isn't always the case here.
The book is meant to be a YA book but I fear that is a real disservice because it's more likely to turn YA readers off. A Young Adult who comes to this book is likely to do so because of the Star Wars franchise and having watched the films. But the films are action-packed spectacles, and this is very much not.
What I learned is that I do need to start with the films and the television shows and then, and only then, consider branching out to other mediums.
Looking for a good book? Crimson Climb by E. K. Johnston is part of the Star Wars universe, but only fans of the movie Solo: A Star Wars Story are likely to enjoy this slowly-paced back story.
I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review....more
This review originally published in . Rated 3.5 of 5
We like to think that the scandalous behavior we see in the Netflix series,This review originally published in . Rated 3.5 of 5
We like to think that the scandalous behavior we see in the Netflix series, Bridgerton, is the folly of a writer's imagination (specifically that of Julia Quinn, author of the book series). But fiction so often can't hold a candle to the truth.
Author Catherine Curzon does a deep dive in Britain's lascivious history and shares a number titillating tidbits that sometimes make Bridgerton seem quite tame by comparison.
Nobility in the Georgian era appeared to have a strong libido - for anyone other than their partners. There were lots of rumors and lots of suspicions of adulterous behavior, but Curzon does a fine job with backing up much of this book with historical documentation. This comes primarily from newspaper accounts and legal trials ... husbands and wives would go to court to 'prove' infidelity (which was often the testimony of maids and servants as to seeing or hearing someone visiting rooms late at night) and the more prominent the persons the more the newspapers would report on the proceedings. Today's U.S. politicians buying time with porn stars or luring interns into bed isn't anything new.
This is a quick, well-written, well-researched read and I suspect only touches the surface (certainly the more prominent figures) of the illicit pastime for Britain's noteworthy. And, just as there is Lady Whistledown in Bridgerton, there was a Mrs. Crackenthorpe, who published The Female Tatler, for less than a year between 1709 and 1710 and the thrice weekly, The Tatler, published by Isaac Bickerstaff, Esq. which reported on society news and gossip.
Each of the subjects reported on here was sufficiently interesting and could probably worthy of having their own book, but I did appreciate the brevity, keeping it interesting and moving on. Even so, they began to sound the same. 'He' (insert royal title and name) has affairs with women (who probably like his power or status. His wife begins to have affairs and he gets upset.
One that does stand out as being a bit different was Anne Lister (b. 1791) who is considered to be the first modern lesbian and was in the first lesbian marriage (1834) in Britain.
Looking for a good book? Fans of Bridgerton or any kind of sexual 'scandal' should find The Real Bridgerton, by Catherine Curzon, a quick, entertaining read.
I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review. ...more
This review originally published in . Rated 3.5 of 5
It is the 1970's and perhaps there has never been an era where the generatiThis review originally published in . Rated 3.5 of 5
It is the 1970's and perhaps there has never been an era where the generation gap has been so pronounced or more obvious. It may have been in the 60's when Jack Weinberg declared "Don't trust anyone over 30," but it was the decade that followed that took this to heart. The conflict in the generation gap perhaps shows itself most strongly when two people in different generations are forced to work together - such as in a police force.
In Carolyn Weston's murder mystery, Poor Poor Ophelia, homicide detective Al Krug is newly partnered with Detective Casey Kellog - a college-educated former surfer. Kellog is the youngest detective on the Santa Monica police force. To say that Krug and Kellog go about their work in vastly different ways is an understatement.
The pair are called upon to solve a gruesome murder - a woman is found floating in the nearby bay. Around her neck is a plastic bag containing a law firm member's business card. Soling this should be straightforward, but Krug and Kellog have to first learn how to work with each other.
This book was the basis for the 1970's television show, The Streets of San Francisco. The location, of course, was changed, as was the name of the two detectives, but the concept of an older detective working with a hippie-era detective remained.
The book suffers a bit from being very much of its time period. The challenge of two people of different generations working together is likely timeless, but this particular story really does feel more like historical fiction or someone today setting a story in the late 1960's/early 1970's as a period piece.
Yet ... I enjoyed it.
Perhaps it's because I enjoyed watching the television show with Karl Malden and Michael Douglas. Perhaps it's because I've come to enjoy detective/mystery fiction. Perhaps it's because I grew up in this time period so it brings back memories for me. And perhaps it's a little bit of all of these.
The story isn't the mystery, of course. The story is 'how do two people so different learn to work together?' Author Carolyn Weston handles this well, which makes the mystery (oh yeah ... there's a murder to solve here, too!) more interesting.
I wouldn't rush out to make sure I got a copy of this book, but I enjoyed it and would definitely be interested in reading the others in the series. I'm also interested in watching The Streets of San Francisco again - especially the first episode which sounds very much like this story.
Looking for a good book? Poor Poor Ophelia by Carolyn Weston was the basis for the television series The Streets of San Francisco and and is a murder mystery in which two detectives from very different generations must learn to work together in order to solve the crime.
I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review....more
This review originally published in . Rated 3.5 of 5
One of the signs of a pop culture success is the 'jumping on the band-wagonThis review originally published in . Rated 3.5 of 5
One of the signs of a pop culture success is the 'jumping on the band-wagon' to capitalize on that success. I don't mean this to be as negative as it sounds. Take, for instance, a book of essays like this - Beyond the Wall - which has a number of people examining different aspects of the popular book and television series A Song of Fire and Ice by George R.R. Martin. This book certainly wouldn't exist if the series weren't extremely popular (where are the books like this on Roger Zelazny's Chronicles of Amber or Louis L'Amour's Sackett series, or Jan Karon's Mitford books? And honestly, they may exist, I can't say I've looked for them, but it's more likely that they haven't seen the pop culture success that Martin's books have seen. The up-side to this is that for those of us who enjoying digging a little deeper into a series, or who appreciate new viewpoints or learning something new, we have that opportunity through books like this.
I can't say that I'm a huge fan of Martin's books (mostly because I've only read the first one and only seen the first season of the HBO hit series), but I'm certainly more interested in exploring both based on some of the essays in this collection (and because I've waited long enough to read this book and write this review, there's a new television series set in this world, which should renew interest in a book such as this).
First, I'll note that I appreciated Linda Antonsson and Elio M. Garcia, Jr.'s comment in their article, "The Palace of Love, the Palace of Sorrow," that "readers identify with characters, not socioeconomic trends, so it’s natural to position protagonists and antagonists as the primary instigators of events." Readers of my reviews will note that I comment on this quite often.
One of my favorite essays in the collection is Myke Cole's "Art Imitates War" in which, early on, he writes:
If there’s one specific area I like to hone in on, it’s Martin’s facility with character. Martin routinely steps into the mindsets of a wide range of characters who are nothing like him. ... Each one fully realized. Each one authentic. And each one suffering from intense trauma. Martin’s not very nice to his characters. Westeros is a rough place to grow up. Every single major character in the saga is horribly traumatized at some point, and that trauma is exacerbated as their stories evolve. It’s in that trauma, and how his characters react to it, that I see Martin at his best. That Cole has been to war multiple times, and responded to domestic disasters makes him keenly aware of what emotional trauma does to people.
I thought that the piece by Matt Staggs, "Petyr Baelish and the Mask of Sanity" was quite well written, with observations such as:
One of the great charms of Martin’s epic is that the author avoids the good versus evil dichotomy present in much of fantasy fiction, instead opting to present a more textured, realistic human tableau. Just exactly who the heroes and villains are depends on one’s perspective, and even then neither designation is necessarily static: the despised monster of one book may be the hero of another, or vice versa. and
Martin doesn’t introduce an external source of evil in his work because it isn’t required. There is corruption and depravity and sin in A Song of Ice and Fire, but it can all be ascribed to human fallibility. Supernatural evil is exceptionally rare, and when it appears, it is almost uniformly alien. Caroline Spector's essay, "Power and Feminism in Westeros" was also a powerful and well-written piece and John Jos. Miller's article "Collecting Ice and Fire in the Age of Nook and Kindle" was as much a fascinating and informative look at book publishing and collecting as it was a connection to the Martin saga.
Fans of the Song of Fire and Ice books and series will definitely want to get some extra insight into these books.
This book contains the following:
Foreword � Stories for the Nights to Come by R.A. Salvatore
Introduction � In Praise of Living History by James Lowder
"The Palace of Love, the Palace of Sorrow â€� Romanticism in A Song of Ice and Fire" by Linda Antonsson and Elio M. GarcÃa, Jr.
"Men and Monsters � Rape, Myth-Making, and the Rise and Fall of Nations in A Song of Ice and Fire" by Alyssa Rosenberg
"Same Song in a Different Key � Adapting A Game of Thrones as a Graphic Novel" by Daniel Abraham
"An Unreliable World � History and Timekeeping in Westeros" by Adam Whitehead
"Back to the Egg � The Prequels to A Song of Ice and Fire" by Gary Westfahl
"Art Imitates War � Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in A Song of Ice and Fire" by Myke Cole
"The Brutal Cost of Redemption in Westeros � Or, What Moral Ambiguity?" by Susan Vaught
"Of Direwolves and Gods" by Andrew Zimmerman Jones
"A Sword Without a Hilt � The Dangers of Magic in (and to) Westeros" by Jesse Scoble
"Petyr Baelish and the Mask of Sanity" by Matt Staggs
"A Different Kind of Other � The Role of Freaks and Outcasts in A Song of Ice and Fire" by Brent Hartinger
"Power and Feminism in Westeros" by Caroline Spector
"Collecting Ice and Fire in the Age of Nook and Kindle" by John Jos. Miller
"Beyond the Ghetto � How George R.R. Martin Fights the Genre Wars" by Ned Vizzini
Looking for a good book? Beyond the Wall is a collection of essays about George R.R. Martin's A Song of Fire and Ice series (both books and television), edited by James Lowder. There are some definite gems among the collection that will have you looking at the series in some new light.
I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review....more
This review originally published in . Rated 4.0 of 5
It seems like, as people get older, they typically fit into two categories This review originally published in . Rated 4.0 of 5
It seems like, as people get older, they typically fit into two categories ... the cranky and the reflective. Here, actor/author/singer/songwriter William Shatner gets reflective. Philosophically reflective. And why not? Shatner has had a good, long life to look back on. There's not much about William Shatner that we don't already know. A star from the classic, much-loved 1960's television show, Star Trek, trekkies and trekkers (fans of the show) often know more about the stars and their work and lives than the stars themselves (as Shatner mentions at one point in this book). But while there might be hundreds (or thousands?) of people following every moment of Shatner's life, the one thing we can't possibly know is: what is Shatner thinking?
Shatner, now in his 90's with a 70 year career on stage and screen, can look back and reflect on what has been, but perhaps more interestingly, what is yet to come. He waxes philosophic on his early life as an actor, but combines it with thoughts and concerns for his children and grandchildren who may want to seek the life of a performer.
He gets just a little maudlin on his brief trip to space (one of the all-time great marketing gimmicks in my mind) but surprisingly doesn't go where so many 'astronauts' have gone, talking about feeling so small and recognizing how fragile the earth is.
But for me, some of the most interesting parts of this brief, quick read, are his thoughts about music, singing, and songwriting.
As a fan of Star Trek myself, I am well aware of Shatner's horrific blunder into singing and the release of his first album back in the late 60's. Though I've never listened to the album, I've heard snippets, and I've rolled my eyes and laughed at the chutzpah of this man, to think he could sing.
But he explains it. He talks quite clearly about this, and his rather devastating appearance on a talk show that really doomed his early singing career (beyond his own voice, of course). And honestly, I now want to watch that clip and listen to the album. And possibly listen to one of his other EIGHT albums.
The narrative has a little bit of a random feel to it - more memoir than biography - but I appreciated that this wasn't strictly a Star Trek-related biography. In fact there's relatively little about Trek here, which is pretty appropriate because it was only three years of work for someone who's now 91!
I read this more out of curiosity than because I'm a Star Trek fan, and I enjoyed it much more than I thought I might.
Looking for a good book? Boldly Go is a memoir/biography by William Shatner (with a little help), it's a long life being reflected upon and it probably made me appreciate the actor/author a bit more.
I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through both Edelweiss and Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review....more
This review originally published in . Rated 3.5 of 5
There have been a few books and 'tell-alls' from people (specifically womenThis review originally published in . Rated 3.5 of 5
There have been a few books and 'tell-alls' from people (specifically women) in the porn industry, but few, if any, come from someone who worked as a high-profile Hollywood actor prior to making the conscious decision to start working in porn. Maitland Ward was a teenager when she worked on the soap opera The Bold and the Beautiful and a young woman when she was cast in the role of 'The Girl Next Door' Rachel McGuire on the successful Boy Meets World series and in the film White Chicks.
But Maitland quickly ran into casting issues - as in, no one wanted to cast her in anything ... especially anything beyond the cute arm-candy girl - and she got frustrated with The Industry. She continued to interact with fans at conventions and found she really enjoyed doing cosplay. Her fans seemed to really like it as well, which is not surprising since she leaned toward the more exploitative cosplay (ie dressing as Slave Girl Leia from Star Wars). Each time she did this, which often got press attention, her manager would tell her that such action would make her untouchable in Hollywood. Not much of a threat if Hollywood isn't casting you anyway.
Ward developed her cosplay, creating an OnlyFans account (a website where people can load videos and photos and then fans can then subscribe [for a fee] to look at the videos and fees) and realized that she still had a lot of fans who would shell out good money to catch a glimpse of her. This led to some nudity (good money there). She often posed for cosplay photos with a friend who also did some porn and Maitland had a lot of questions about how this worked. She was then introduced to a porn producer who was wanting to make some 'serious' porn ... films with hardcore action but also with a story (and dialog) which would require actual acting abilities. Maitland Ward, with a built-in fan base and some real acting experience, was just what this producer was looking for.
The first third of the book details a lot of Maitland's upbringing (strict, repressed, religious) and her constant curiosity regarding sex, as well as the leering males she had to put up with for years (I'm not quite sure the purpose of all the information about a specific male actor from her The Bold and the Beautiful days).
What Ward doesn't note (perhaps because she's not aware of it?) is how much of her 'legit career' was pretty much handed to her. As an actor, she didn't suffer through hundreds of cattle calls just to be excited by a callback much less getting a role.
The second third of the book talks about her no longer getting cast and her interest in cosplay and developing her fan base through online sites like OnlyFans, which leads to her involvement in porn. And then the last third of the book is how she is changing the face of porn by bringing it some legitimacy with her acting and with the producer willing to spend money on actual sets and costumes and porn actors.
Ward does take a lot of credit for her presumed changing attitudes toward porn (I can't say if there's a change in attitudes or not). Her awards (porn has its own versions of the Oscars) for her performances give her some credence.
Ward is clearly excited by this new phase of her career and by her discovery that she can combine acting with sex - something she really likes (she also constantly tells us that her husband is very supportive of her new career), and I think it's great when anyone is excited by what they are doing. But I also think she has a bit of a Pollyanna attitude (a naked Pollyanna, of course) about the porn industry and her new profession. She may have gone a little too far to call her new porn films 'art,' but what is art is generally pretty subjective.
I believe it's true that the professionals in porn - specifically those in the porn film industry - are likely pretty good people (I've read other such books and I had a friend years ago who worked behind the scenes in porn), but she doesn't touch on the seedy side of porn which seems to have taken off with the ease of getting porn on the internet.
There are some parts of the book, very specifically some of the frank sex discussion, that I didn't need. I didn't need all the background (pun not intended) on the preparation for and then the act of anal sex. This was definitely a "TMI" moment.
Yes, I did go to watch some of Ward's porn and honestly, I didn't enjoy it. It was much too rough and aggressive for me and I wasn't expecting that. I didn't watch a whole film, just a scene, so maybe I selected the wrong one?
It will be interesting to follow Ward's career from here. Does she stay in porn? Does she get some 'legit' offers again now that she's getting a lot of attention? Does she shun porn at some point? Does she fade into obscurity?
Looking for a good book? Rated X: How Porn Liberated Me From Hollywood by Maitland Ward is a quick read biography of a young women many watched on the Disney channel who is now making porn films with the hope of bringing the 'legit' and porn industries together.
I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Edelweiss, in exchange for an honest review....more
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