Star Trek Vanguard
Harbinger
FROM THE USA TODAY BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF STAR TREK: A TIME TO HEAL, THE START OF A NEW EPIC IN THE ERA OF THE ORIGINAL SERIES
Returning from its historic first voyage to the edge of the galaxy, the damaged U.S.S. Enterprise journeys through the Taurus Reach, a vast and little-known region of space in which a new starbase has been unexpectedly established. Puzzled by the Federation’s interest in an area so far from its borders and so near the xenophobic Tholian Assembly, Captain James T. Kirk orders the Enterprise to put in for repairs at the new space station: Starbase 47, also known as Vanguard.
As Kirk ponders the mystery of the enormous base, he begins to suspect that there is much more to Vanguard than meets the eye. It’s a suspicion shared by the Tholians, the Orions, and the Klingon Empire, each of whom believes that there are less than benign motives behind the Federation’s sudden and unexplained desire to explore and colonize the Taurus Reach.
But when a calamity deep within the Reach threatens to compromise Starfleet’s continued presence in the region, Kirk, Spock, and several key specialists from the Enterprise must assist Vanguard’s crew in investigating the cause of the disaster and containing the damage. In the process, they learn the true purpose behind the creation of Vanguard, and what the outcome of its mission may mean for life throughout that part of the galaxy.
Reviewers' Comments
"Vanguard follows a really unique group of people. ... It's without doubt the most diverse and spellbinding range of characters we've seen in Trek"
"…captivating and well-written…"
"David Mack's work has been among the best of Star Trek in recent years"
"Harbinger gets into engrossing, all-cannons-firing form. There's action, romance, humor, and tension aplenty, and you'll soon be absorbed into the fascinating world of Starbase 47. If it's excitement, intrigue, darkness and secrecy that you want, Harbinger is definitely for you."
—Daniel Berry, BookTrek
"David Mack takes us back to the days of the Original Series by giving us a harder-edged look at a space station on the edge of a new frontier."
"It wouldn't be a David Mack novel without his signature penchant for suspenseful, hard-hitting action that harkens back to his earlier novels, not to mention an ever-increasing body count in the process."
"Mack makes you care about the lives lost, the lives touched by their losses, and the dramatic after-effects that occur throughout the novel's myriad events."
—Bill Williams, TrekWeb.com
"Star Trek Vanguard: Harbinger is superb."
"…a great concept and fascinating characters…"
"Harbinger has it all; adventure, suspense, nail-biting action, characters you very quickly come to care about and the occasional twist to keep you on your toes. … [A] sensational addition to the Star Trek universe."
"Harbinger … is a meaty, gripping story populated with strong characters."
"This is very much an ensemble piece, which allows Mack to spread his plot-tendrils wide and fine, and have a grand old time drawing them gradually together."
"This is easily the most promising start to a print-only Trek series since New Frontier."
—Tom Holt, TV Zone Magazine, Issue 193
"It's as if Star Trek: The Original Series never ended."
"Harbinger is an enjoyable beginning to a new saga."
—Star Trek Magazine (U.K.), Issue #123
"I recommend David Mack's inaugural entry into the Vanguard novels not only to Trek fans but to lovers of all SF, indeed, to anyone who enjoys a fast-paced yarn."
"Vanguard seems to be created for guys just like me. People who love DS9 for its characters and lengthy arcs, but also love the world of the TOS era."
"I hope the other novels in the series keep up this level of fun."
"Superb characters who come easily to your mind's eye page after page. A new setting which breathes life into the original series era and allows for exploration as well as combat, personal conflict and political wrangling. The space combat by the way is fantastic. Easily among the best in Trek writing I've had the pleasure of reading."
"Detailed, well paced and multifaceted, the story comes at you from several fronts and maintains its integrity and imagination from beginning to end."
—Keith Brown, Reviews for Kicks