Bless The Beasts

(Star Trek: Voyager 10)
by
Karen Haber

Pocket, December 1996, 274 pp.
ISBN: 0-671-56061-1

Genre: Science Fiction
Subgenre: TV Tie-In
Reviewed: 4/22/2001

Reviewed by: Conan Tigard

Book Cover

Excerpt

The Fair Wind's engines roared...

...and the ship swung about in the water in a desperate attempt to evade her pursuers. Lieutenant Tom Paris couldn't see any way out of the ambush. They were surrounded by superior firepower and more maneuverable craft.

"I think we should surrender," Ensign Harry Kim said.

The shelling increased.

"I don't think they're interested in our surrender," Paris replied grimly. "Harry, can you swim?"

Synopsis

Desperately in need of repairs, the USS Voyager finds the Sardalia, a planet of immense beauty and very friendly natives. But they seem overly friendly and willing to help the crew of Voyager get whatever materials they require without asking for much in return.

After sending up one engineer to assist B'Elanna, and her getting upset with his ineptitude, suspicions about the natives arise. Then when Janeway visits the planet, and watches one of the natives collapse and no one moving to help, she begins to get suspicious that all is not well on the planet. Kim and Paris, while on shore leave, become involved in the illegal poaching of some water mammals.

After their ship is sunk, and after washing up onshore with the Lord Councillor's daughter, they are captured by the protectors of the mammals and held for hostage. But the Lord Councillor does not appear to be interested in bartering for his daughter's life, and he claims to know nothing of Voyager's missing crewmen.

Bless the Beasts is a science fiction book in the Star Trek: Voyager world and was written by Karen Haber. It is Star Trek: Voyager number 10.

Review

Bless the Beasts story appears to takes place during the first season of the show, so Kes is still on board and Seven of Nine has not yet joined the crew. This book is an interesting one. It is a little hard to relate to since a lot of things have changed on Star Trek Voyager since this book was written. B'Elanna is more interested in what happens to Harry, rather than Tom, her future husband and father of her child.

Nelix is more easy to anger and the Doctor has no personality at all. These differences only made me laugh a little. Is this the way that it really was in the first season? I can't say...it is hard to remember. Other than these small issues, the story was good and entertaining. I read it rather quickly and was happy with the plot. But I did find it quite easy to figure out what was going on and how it was going to end.

As a Star Trek Voyager fan, I enjoyed Bless the Beasts. Yes, it was a little predictable, but still it was a new story with characters that I am very familiar with and enjoy either watching or reading about.

So, if you like Star Trek Voyager, and are looking for something to read, you may want to pick up Bless the Beasts.

I rated this book a 7 out of 10.