Daedalus's Children

Title: Star Trek Enterprise: Daedalus's Children, Part Two of Two
Author: Dave Stern
Release Date: May 2004
Format: Mass Market Paperback
ISBN: 0-7434-7646-8

If you have not yet read Daedalus (December 2003), the novel that precedes the newly released Daedalus's Children, then I will warn you now that this review does contain spoilers for the first book. You really do need to have read Daedalus to be up to speed on the story as author Dave Stern wastes no time and jumps right back into the action packed plot. As conclusions go, Daedalus's Children is very good indeed.

At the end of Daedalus , the crew of Enterprise was scattered and trapped in a parallel universe. Pawns in a local power struggle, Captain Archer and the majority of the crew are being held prisoner by the Denari while Commander Tucker and Ensign Sato work with the opposition forces, members of a group called The Guild, to track down their missing ship. With the Denari leader, General Sadir, dead, things become even more complicated as the internal strife escalates.

Unlike Daedalus, where the story revolved primarily around Commander Tucker, Daedalus's Children gets the entire Enterprise crew involved. Stern's plot barrels forward from the opening page interspersing the almost non-stop action with great character moments. The characterizations are excellent, especially Stern's portrayal of Jonathan Archer.

The parallel universe inhabitants play an important roll throughout both novels. Trip and Archer's former relationships with the counterparts of some of the Daedalus crew bring a strong emotional element to both their storylines. Those unique characters are superbly portrayed, particularly Brodesser, the replica of Trip's former mentor.

Twists and turns and quite a few surprises await as you turn the pages of Daedalus's Children. Step-by-step Stern leads us through the crew's exploits building to several minor climaxes with meticulous pacing throughout. There is never a let down. From the opening paragraph to the epilogue the reader is held rapt by the narrative.

Readers looking for an entertaining and satisfying adventure that features the crew of the Enterprise NX-01 need look no farther than Daedalus and Daedalus's Children. Individually the two parts of this story are very good indeed and taken as a whole this tale is first-rate. By turns exciting, tragic, shocking and sweet, Daedalus's Children is an almost perfect conclusion.

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