Customer Reviews

Marooned (Star Trek Voyager, No 14)

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I'm a big Voyager fan, and I can honestly say that this is possibly the best Voyager book that I have ever read. It's exciting, nicely written, interesting... you should have this book if you're a Voyager fan or even just a Star Trek fan!

Star Trek-Voyager: Marooned written by Christie Golden is a Kes book primarily with highlights on Tom Paris/B'Elana Torres. Not to forgetten that the characterizations of Nelix and Captain Kathryn Janeway play an integral part also.

The main plot of the book is to get Kes back to U.S.S. Voyager after she's been kidnapped. Kes is portrayed as a strong character in the book but she also has a delicate side that is exploited well in the novel. What I liked about the novel is that there is some fleshing out of the charcaters above making for an interesting read. The plot moves well with the expected twists and turns keeping the reader's interest, also there is a mixture of some tongue in cheek humor with a sprinkle of intrigue making for a well-written novel.

The book has the U.S.S. Voyager in hot pursuit of an alien who has kidnapped Kes and resucue attempts but the mission fails all adding spice to the story, as a shuttle crashs on an unknown planet. Janeway and her away team must find a way off the planet as the environment is hostile... while Chakotay and the Voyager crew confronts an enemy fleet.

This book has action-adventure and good character developement making it one of the better Voyager books. Engaging and fascinating are just two words that can describe this book... read it and enjoy a good adventure tale.

As I said in the title, it's not the best but it's still a great VGR book. It is well worded, has a good mixture of characters, the space pirates are an interesting twist and there are some really funny scenes. The main character in this book is Kes but all of the shows main characters have a moment in the spotlight. Golden produced another wonderful piece of work with this book and I really recommend it.

P.S P/Ters should be forewarned that theirs only one or two P/Tish scenes so do NOT buy this book just because you think they might be a key relationship scene in this book. You would be sorely disappointed.

I just finished reading this book for the second time, and I loved it even more. I've yet to read a Christie Golden book that I didn't thoroughly enjoy from beginning to end. Her excellent characterizations and wonderful sense of humor make reading her books a delight. She is the best Voyager author to date, and I look forward to her every book with great anticipation.

Marooned is a wonderfully engaging story filled with moments of apprehension, tension, humor, affection, and scenes so well written I forgot where I was while I was reading.

One thing that really stuck out about this book was Golden's portrayl of Kes. I must admit that this particular character never held much interest for me. She was nice enough, but seemed to blend in to the background. Not in this book. In this story, Kes is brave and strong, and yet she's as delicate as the flowers she loves so deeply. It changed the way I see the character, and I watched Voyager reruns with renewed interest.

One of my favorite things about this author, and this book in particular, is her ability to bring the characters to life and give them great depth. It's the simple things, for example: the way she describes Janeway running her fingers through her ratty hair and pulling it into a braid as she did when she was camping. What a human thing to do! Golden has a talent for making Janeway's femininity stand out, and blending it beautifully with her formidable command presence and discipline. That's something the shows writers never seemed to grasp.

Thank you, Christie, for another wonderful story!

I've read lots of Star Trek novels from all five book series, but "Marooned" is one of my favorites. Voyager has some strong characters that often go unnoticed as the show is the least popular Trek series, but Christie Golden does them justice in this book. Kes was often represented as frail and obedient, but once in a while her stubborn hard-core self emerged, as it did here. If you want to buy this book because Tom Paris and B'Elanna Torres are on the cover, don't. They are not the main characters here by far. The story is about Kes's abduction by a man entranced by her race. Janeway, Neelix, and, yes, Tom and B'Elanna, are sent to rescue her, but meanwhile Kes is finding out that her captor is not as evil as he seems. Though Kes is the main character, others have their moments as well. Golden does a good job with her characterization in this book. The villain isn't just another "bumpy-headed" alien appearance that is sometimes seen in Trek, but is a deeper and more complex character. Kes and the Doctor are my favorite characters in Voyager so I was happy, as the latter got some funny and emotional lines worked in. Other memorable scenes came from Neelix and Janeway as they work to recover Kes safely. I really enjoyed this book; I've read it five times and have not tired of it. There is the main "action" plot of Kes's abduction and the secondary plot of the villain's backround and the characters' emotions. I think there really is something everyone can enjoy in this Trek novel.

I am in the middle of this book currently, and I can definitely say that it has met my expectations. Though the cover's line of "It's Paris and Torres against the wilderness, with Kes' life at stake!" is a bit deceiving (I haven't come across a B'Elanna/Tom moment yet), it has remained true to the characters and been an entertaining read. Christie Golden's writing style is informative yet pleasureable, making her one of the best Voyager book writers. The wonderful writing of Seven of Nine is repeated again in Marooned-I only withheld a star because I haven't finished the book yet. I would definitely recommend buying this book, it is quickly becoming one of my favorites!

I absolutely loved this book, and I highly recommend it for others to read. :)

This story is a marvelous combination of a romance novel, an adventure movie, and a classic science-fiction tale. Golden clearly understands the characters at a level equal (or maybe beyond) the writers of the show! She includes wonderful looks into the relationships between Paris and Torres, Neelix and Kes, and Janeway and Kes, while still leaving time for plenty of plot development without overwhelming readers with either. I enjoyed many humorous moments, including the scenes with Neelix and Furball. The alien cultures are fascinating and believably portrayed. You can really sympathize with Yashar's people! The plot includes many twists and turns, touching moments, and heart-pounding adventures. This is truly one of Golden's best works!

I really enjoy the show (despite its faults, which I will admit to), and I also really enjoy reading the novels--but I usually give them three or four stars, other than the magnificent "Mosaic," which stands alone. While Janeway and Kes are of course the most prominent characters of "Marooned" (making one wonder why it's Paris and Torres who get featured on the cover), each one of "Voyager's" main characters has an important part to play that only he can. The only one who could possibly be short-changed is Tuvok, but even still he was an important part of the story, just a smaller part. I got the feeling while reading this one that the author really *knows* these characters, and that they are people, not plot pawns. Not only that, the aliens Hrrrl and Aren Yashar are given depth and believable personalities/problems. I even liked Neelix's "Furball" (the Kakkik), and I found myself chuckling, "That sounds like Neelix, all right." But perhaps the best part of this novel lies in the ideas it presents--its "food for thought." The issues of a people that are slowly dying out and the despair that they feel, of another race that has been driven to "becoming takers-of-lives" to survive, of a young girl-woman who, by our standards, will never experience a full life and of a man who to us would seem immortal--and what would happen when they meet--all these are dealt with thoughtfully and sensitively, leaving just enough "gray" areas that we can't soon forget what we've read. To sum up, this is a real winner with substance; it tops "Seven of Nine" by far.

If the Voyager novels line can sometimes seem like the poor cousins of their TOS and TNG cousins, Christie Golden's books show us how they should be done. It's obvious that she's very fond of the characters, while not hesitating to play with them. Marooned is in part a pastiche/parody of bodice-ripper romance novels, albeit subtly done; and the focus on Kes and Neelix (not two of my faves) is well justified by the plot and by some expert characterisation. More, Ms Golden, please. (Her non Trek novels aren't bad either.)