The second Shatnerverse novel, The Return, captures the egomaniacal glory of the collection. Unlike the primary Shatnerverse entry Ashes of Eden, which follows a late Kirk journey that put him in opposition to Starfleet, The Return picks up shortly after the occasions of Generations.
From the ravages of Veridian III, Kirk comes again to life through the machinations of his biggest enemies, the Romulan Star Empire. The Romulans brainwash the returned Kirk and set him not simply in opposition to Starfleet, however particularly in opposition to Jean-Luc Picard. Why Picard, you ask? For the sake of the Romulans’ new allies, the Borg Collective.
That audacious mixture apart — one which presents the often artful Romulans as buffoons simply hoodwinked by the Borg, a race probably not identified for his or her strategic acumen — The Return has some enjoyable conceits. The journey takes the heroes throughout the galaxy, together with a layover on Deep Space Nine with appearances by Dr. Bashir and Quark. Strangely, Sisko doesn’t drop by, regardless of the person having met Kirk and holding sturdy opinions concerning the Borg. Spock’s mind-meld with V’Ger in The Motion Picture performs a stunning position within the story, and Bashir groups up with McCoy for a surgical process.
But actually, The Return exists to verify everybody is aware of that Jim Kirk is the best Starfleet officer who ever Starfleeted. While nonetheless within the thrall of the Borg and Romulans, Kirk takes out practically each member of the Enterprise-D bridge crew, punking Data and Geordi and outfoxing Riker. More importantly, Kirk makes use of Picard’s data as Locutus to search out the central Borg hub and, principally, flip the “off” swap, doing what Picard couldn’t — at the very least, till Picard season two.
Indulgent as that story definitely is, it unfolds at a ripping, well-written tempo. In reality, that trait holds throughout the entire Shatnerverse novels, in phrases each good and unhealthy. Ashes of Eden places Kirk and Scotty on a brand new ship to defend a planet from Starfleet interference, practically pitting these two venerable officers in opposition to their previous shipmates. Sequel Avenger finds Kirk and Spock teaming as much as avenge the demise of Spock’s father Sarek (Sybok and Michael Burnham couldn’t be bothered, apparently).
In the three-part Mirror Universe saga of the Shatnerverse, Kirk and Picard workforce up and go to the Mirror Universe to battle with the ruler of the Terran Empire, Emperor Tiberius — Kirk’s personal evil counterpart, who has survived into the Twenty fourth century. The last three novels within the collection insert Kirk into main Twenty fourth-century occasions, together with the fallout of the Dominion War and the assassination of Kirk following the assault on the Romulan Senate after Star Trek: Nemesis. Along the way in which, Kirk interacts with virtually each member of the TNG, DS9, and Voyager crews, whereas reuniting together with his previous mates alongside the way in which.
