Star Trek: The Original Series: Agents of Influence Book Review
3 min read
Star Trek: The Original Series: Agents of Influence
by Dayton Ward
Book Description:
“For years, Starfleet Intelligence agents have carried out undercover assignments deep within the Klingon Empire. Surgically altered and rigorously trained in Klingon culture, they operate in plain sight and without any direct support, while collecting information and infiltrating the highest levels of imperial power. Their actions have given Starfleet valuable insight into the inner workings of Klingon government and its relentless military apparatus.
“After three of Starfleet’s longest serving agents fear exposure, they initiate emergency extraction procedures. Their planned rendezvous with the USS Endeavour goes awry, threatening to reveal their activities and the damaging intelligence they’ve collected during their mission. Tasked by Starfleet to salvage the botched rescue attempt, Captain James T. Kirk and the crew of the USS Enterprise must discover the truth behind a secret weapons experiment while avoiding an interstellar incident with the potential to ignite a new war between the Federation and one of its oldest adversaries.”
Book Set-Up:
Historian’s Note
Chapters One through Forty
Acknowledgments
About the Author
Non-Spoiler Review:
A Dayton Ward book is always welcome around here because I know it’s going to be a classic Trek story. And sure enough, There is plenty of drama and excitement to keep the reader hooked. Those who remember a certain character from The Trouble With Tribbles were left wondering about something, and this book answers that question.
In Agents of Influence, the Enterprise must extract the agents and rescue the crew of a damaged ship while contending with two enemies, all the while avoiding an interstellar incident.
Spoiler Review:
Ward’s Trek adventures are always fun. Sometimes, one needs an escape from today’s world and this book will fill the bill. The book starts off with a bang, as three agents (Binnix, Watson, and Horst) suddenly have to leave due to fear of discovery of their activities.
Unfortunately for them, escaping the planet is only their first hazard. Once aboard Endeavour, they and Endeavour‘s crew have the bad luck to travel through an area where a new weapon is being tested, and things don’t go well for Endeavour. Even more bad luck is in store for the crew, but I won’t spoil that element. Enter Enterprise and Admiral Nogura – coming to rescue them and the valuable agents.
Readers see these events through both Federation eyes, and that of the Klingon High Council, who are understandably not happy with the turn of events. One can only imagine that on both sides, going forward, things will be much tougher for those seeking to gather information in enemy camps.
Being a spy is a risky business, and readers get a taste of how it is for both the Federation and Klingon spies; how careful they must be and how any slip can lead to their deaths (if they’re lucky) or worse (torture and THEN death, if they’re not). Readers also see how governments will seek to deny or claim ignorance of events.
One almost feels sorry for the Orion D’zinn and her crew who are assisting the Klingons in their testing, but it’s rather difficult to feel sorry for anyone working for the Orion Syndicate. One can feel sorry for scientists, even enemy ones, whose work is secondary to military or political concerns.
I really enjoyed this book. I had planned to read it in segments, but it was so engrossing that I spent the entire evening reading and didn’t put down the book until I reached the end. Now that’s a good book.
Book Information:
Author: Dayton Ward
Publisher: Pocket Books
Publication Date: June 9, 2020
ISBN-13: 978-1982133689
ISBN-10: 1982133686
Pages 368
Star Trek: The Original Series: Agents of Influence is available as a paperback for $15.20 on Amazon or as an eBook for $11.99. To order, head to the link located here.
About The Author
