Star Trek: Discovery: The Way To The Stars Book Review
3 min read
Star Trek: Discovery: The Way To The Stars
by Una McCormack
Book Description:
“Despite being an inexperienced Starfleet cadet, Sylvia Tilly became essential to the U.S.S. Discovery finding its way back home from the Mirror Universe. But how did she find that courage? From where did she get that steel? Who nurtured that spark of brilliance? The Way to the Stars recounts for fans everywhere the untold story of Tilly’s past.
It’s not easy being sixteen, especially when everyone expects great things from Tilly. It’s even harder when her mother and father are Federation luminaries, not to mention pressing her to attend one of the best schools that the Federation has to offer. Tilly wants to achieve great things — even though she hasn’t quite worked out how to do that or what it is she wants to do. But this year, everything will change for Tilly, as she about to embark upon the adventure of a lifetime—an adventure that will take her ever closer to the stars…”
Book Set-up:
- Prologue:
- Part 1: Autumn
- Chapters 1-4
- Part 2: Winter
- Chapters 5-8
- Part 3: Spring
- Chapters 9-11
- Coda: Summer
- Epilogue
- Acknowledgments
- About the Author
The Review/Verdict:
The Way to the Stars is the story of Sylvia Tilly as a sixteen-year-old. The story of the young Tilly is framed by a prologue and epilogue set on the USS Discovery, in the quarters that she shares with Michael Burnham. Tilly is nervous before beginning her first day of the Command Training Program. When both she and Burnham are unable to sleep, Tilly shares the story of how she came to be in Starfleet.
Tilly at sixteen was even more of a “fish out of water” than she is on the USS Discovery. Here we find the reason why – parents divorced, a beloved father often too far away from home, and a rather overbearing mother, Siobhan, who seeks to remake Tilly into her own image.
Sent away to school, Tilly makes a mess of things and goes on the lam. The rest of the story details what happened during her escape and what happened after she was found. Readers will understand how Tilly discovered that Starfleet was the place she wanted to be.
I liked this story and it’s a quick read, always a good thing. I didn’t know if I would like it, because I’m not a big fan of Tilly. Part of me likes her, but the “Oh I’m brilliant but socially awkward” cliché just makes me wince. Think Barclay or Geordi or poor Wesley Crusher. This story though, made me like Tilly a little more, flaws and all.
It was very interesting to see her relationship with her mother, hinted at on the actual television series, and the relationship with her father. With both parents, the reader can see from where Tilly got some of her traits, and that’s not even including a very charming French grandmother and a step-grandfather with whom Tilly resided until forced to go to a boarding school.
And finally, the reader sees Tilly starting to make the transformation from teenager to adult. She starts to rethink some of her past behavior and tries to make amends for it.
The author does a good job of getting the reader to root for Tilly while not demonizing her bossy mother too much. It would have been easy to have made Siobhan totally unsympathetic. Instead, she’s more of a “pain in the rear,” but readers will understand why she is how she is.
At any rate, if you are a fan of Tilly, then you’ll want this book. Even if you’re not a fan of Tilly, read the story anyhow. It just might change your mind.
Book Information:
Author: Una McCormack
Publisher: Gallery Books
Publication Date: January 8, 2019
ISBN-13: 978-1982104757
ISBN-10: 1982104759
Pages: 288
Star Trek: Discovery: The Way To The Stars is available as a trade paperback for $16.00 ($11.00 on Amazon) or as an ebook for $11.99. The Way To The Stars is also available as an audiobook for $16.53. To order, head to the link located here.
About The Author
