Star Trek Vanguard
Reap the Whirlwind
The mystery of the Taurus Reach is about to be revealed.
Ancient secrets lie on the fourth planet of the Jinoteur system, and three great powers are fighting to control it. The Federation and the Klingon Empire want to wield its power; the Tholian Assembly wants to bury it.
But the threat stirring on that distant world is more dangerous than they realize. The Shedai, who ruled the Taurus Reach eons ago, have risen from their ages of deathlike slumber — to gather, marshal their strength, and take their revenge.
To keep Jinoteur from falling into enemy hands, the crews of Starbase Vanguard and the U.S.S. Sagittarius must risk everything: friends … loved ones … their own lives. But the sacrifices they make may prove too terrible for them to bear.
Reviewers' Comments
“richly developed and dynamic”
“Three books in, the Vanguard series has found its stride. … Reap the Whirlwind is the best Vanguard book yet, and the series shows no signs of slowing down.”
“Verdict: 4/5”
"The only original novel concept set at the time of the original Star Trek series continues in fine form, with a third novel penned by its co-creator. David Mack maintains an unflagging pace throughout the book, revealing some of the secrets of the Shedai while setting up further mysteries."
"If you like well-written sci fi, let alone well-written Star Trek, then this is for you."
—Owen Morris, DWSciFi.com
"There's love, death, sex, violence, first encounters, alien worlds and at long last, the first hints as to what the secrets of the Taurus Reach might be … If you've not visited Vanguard yet, then head there this summer."
—StarTrek.com
"Mack ratchets up the tension until it gets to a breaking point, with jaw-dropping action sequences and beautiful characterization that brings everybody to life. As with most Mack books, the death toll rises, and not all of our favorite characters are spared. The fact that we've gotten to know some of them throughout this series, or even just in this book through the depths of Mack's characterization skills, makes it really hurt when one of them dies. And Mack doesn't shy away from the consequences of this either. Each death will ring throughout the story, causing other characters to change their perceptions and even do something they couldn't have even imagined themselves doing earlier in the book."
"Told with Mack's usual rich prose (nobody in the Trek stable of authors writes an action scene like him), the story just flies off the page and immerses you in it so that you can't put the book down."
"The Vanguard series keeps getting better and better."
—David Roy, Epinions
"David Mack once again proves just how good of a writer he is with another fantastic Vanguard novel."
"[T]his is the most ambitious and exciting entry in the series to date. … If there ever was a center of action in Star Trek, it's centered around … the great stories this series pumps out with every volume. Who knew that the original-series era still had so much potential in it without treading on familiar ground?"
"[T]he action: Wow! It's like he crammed half a season's worth of episodes into 400+ pages."
"Star Trek Vanguard is quite possibly the best Trek series in publication right now!"
—Keith Brown, Reviews for Kicks
"[T]hese novels are getting better and better. … [T]his novel and the [Vanguard] series in general [are] proving to be Star Trek at its very best."