Shadow of Heaven (Paperback)

Where "Cloak and Dagger" and "Ghost Dance" established the trilogy and furthered it along, "Shadow of Heaven" quickly takes shape in the beautiful "Trek" fashion of wrapping up the many strands that make up a great story! Christie Golden's skills as a writer, in setting up a very plausible premise, carrying an exceptional pace and imbedding a highly intriguing twist or two all shine through brilliantly in this trilogy, making this third novel one that is hard to put down until you've reached the last page.

One extremely minor note of caution in this third novel is that there are some fairly glaring mistakes in where people are but I would highly recommend dismissing those editorial misses as I did, all in favor of the overall excellence of this exemplary tale!

The cover art for this third and final novel in the Dark Matters trilogy is in keeping with the other two in that they're a cut above the rest of the novels published in the same time frame.

The Premise:

Where the first novels established the premise and furthered the story, Christie Golden does an exceptional job of wrapping up the many threads of this wonderful Trek tale where we finally become privy to the rogue Shepherds plot and the good Shepherds role; the exceptional character of the Romulan chairman of the Tal Shiar, Jekri Kaleh and the conclusion of her intriguing tale; the troubles that Chakotay and Paris go through in the Shadow universe and ultimately, the trials that Captain Janeway and her remaining crew aboard Voyager must go through to conclude this extraordinary chapter in their journey home...

Overall, I highly recommend this entire trilogy to any and all who are fans of great Star Trek fiction that more than capably makes up for the lack of these series airing on a weekly basis for our viewing enjoyment. Additionally, I'd highly recommend any other novels written by Christie Golden as she is an exceptional author whose work "must" be acknowledged as among the best in the world of Trek fiction! {ssintrepid}

What a wrap-up! All along you were hopeful that things would turn for the better... with the Voyager characters and the universe... the Romulans, the Shepards... even the deceitful rogue... as if I should doubt.

Christie Golden pulled it off in her unique way... I was riveted to the whole series, not only were they fast reading, but captivating till the end. And, yes, I too had a chuckle when Paris was not on the bridge... ahh just a little brain flatulence nothing more... something a good proof reader should have caught.

Nonetheless, a good story told well. To get the whole story reading all three volumes is a must. The Romulans were excellently portrayed, true to the essence of their character... even some redemption.

I've heard several comments from various Star Trek fans who feel there were flaws with technobabble. And I also noticed the slip up where someone speaks to Paris on the bridge, when he had been missing since early on in the story. But to be completely honest, I don't see the big deal. When I saw Tom being addressed in that scene, I simply smiled to myself and went on. It didn't distract me from the story. Why? Because the story isn't really ABOUT the technobabble. It's about the hearts of these characters that I have come to love and adore so much.

Christie Golden has a way of capturing the essence of the Voyager characters that seems to elude most authors. She gives them depth and a realism that many Voyager novels lack. I recommend this book to anyone who loves Voyager not only for the space battles and futuristic technology, but for the heart and the character interaction.

Shadow of Heaven is a wonderful conclusion to a brilliant story. If you love Janeway's wry humor mixed with her deep devotion to her crew, or B'Elanna's Klingon temper toned down by her newly found sense of belonging and acceptance, and all the things that make each character unique ... if you love action, humor, and emotion all rolled up neatly into one story - this trilogy is for you.

Kudos to Christie Golden! Once again, she wrote a book that touched my heart, and took my mind off of reality for a short while. What a gift. Thank you, Christie!