Star Trek Voyager: A Pocket Full of Lives, by Kristen Beyer

a-pocket-full-of-lies-9781476790848_hrI would like to start this book review by saying I am not the biggest Voyager fan. I did watch the series, but only because after Deep Space Nine ended there was no other Trek on TV. Since the series finale of Voyager, I have maybe read a total of three books concerning the crew of Voyager, whether it be on Memory Beta, or any of the other current Trek universe series where they have intersected. Which, brings me to my review of A Pocket Full of Lies.

Established in previous Voyager novels, the Full Circle Fleet was created in the early part of 2381. Project Full Circle became a mission in itself to explore the Delta Quadrant in much further detail.

Currently made up of four ships, the USS Voyager, USS. Vesta, USS Galen and the USS Demeter, the fleet once again begins its primary mission of exploration of formerly Borg occupied space, the U.S Demeter establishes first contact with the highly elusive Nihydron race. Rarely interacting with the species they study, this humanoid race collects historic events. They have created a massive database of the numerous races, inhabited planets, and the current geopolitical landscape of a large swath of the quadrant. Commander Liam O’Donnell purposes an exchange of information during an formal introduction.

During the gathering, representatives of the Nihydron delegation seem to become flustered when meet by the fleet’s commander, Admiral Katherine Janeway. During the duration of their meeting, they inform the Fleet that for almost 100 years, two warring races, the Rilnar and the Zahl, have been fighting over a nearby planet named Sormana, both claiming it as their ancestral home. The war has gone on continuously as a stalemate, until the Rilnar started gaining terrain thanks to the new strategies proposed by their new military commander, who appears to be none other than Katherine Janeway.

As I have already stated I am not a big Voyager fan, but did enjoy this novel though it was challenging to read at times. I have rather enjoyed that, just like several other books in the Trek book series, different characters have come together across series lines to add to Starfleet’s mission. The story itself was not just a stand alone story, and held roots to an episode of the Voyager TV, series and was kept interesting with subplots and an ensemble cast of the crew of four different Starships.