Star Trek Titan #3: Orion's Hounds Book

Well, this has to be one of the best written books that I didn't really like in a lot of places. This is a very well told story with intelligent, engaging dialogue (in fact, some of the best dialogue I've read in a Trek book to date) that should give one pause and consider how tolerant a person they really are towards others and the story is competently handled as well.

The problem here, which might just be me, is that I really didn't need the lion's share of a Sci-Fi fiction book to serve as catalyst for personal growth in the area of tolerance among diversity. This book, and the Titan series in general, continually bludgeons me over and over and over with how diverse the crew - and life in general in that galaxy. Don't get me wrong, I agree and the topic is treated fairly and intelligently and the discussions and stories in the books are well done. Problem is, it's more of a distraction than it should be and I'm really just looking for a little Sci-Fi escapism and a bit more fun in the Trek books I read. Intelligent fun to be sure, but still, fun.

That's my biggest beef with the book, really.....not much really happens. At 50% of the way through the book it was largely set up and a lot of discussions with just a couple important scenes of any substantive action. It picks up a bit in the last half, but it's still largely intellectual and not enough mystery, action, suspense of the other elements that made for some classic Trek.

So, bottom line, I rate it 3.5/5 stars because I recognize this is quality, intelligent writing....I just wish the balance that's so often talked about in the book could have been achieved with other elements in the story. Beyond that, I did like the author and have hopes that his next novel will achieve a bit better balance.