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Star Trek: Vulcan's Soul Book 3: Epiphany by Josepha Sherman and Susan Shwartz
01/01/2008 . Source: Eamonn Murphy 
pub: Simon and Schuster/Pocket Books. 342 page hardback. Price: £14.99 (UK), $25.00 (US), $29.99 (CAN). ISBN: 978-0-7434-6362-1. Buy Star Trek: Vulcan's Soul in the USA - or Buy Star Trek: Vulcan's Soul in the UK  check out website: www.simonsays.co.uk, www.startrekbooks.com and www.startrek.com
Book three in this interesting series, 'Vulcan's Soul', and the saga continues. As before, there are two stories presented. One of those Vulcans who left their home planet long ago in the Sundering, the other of a present day crisis with the mysterious Watraii attacking Romulans.
Karatek, his family and their supporters were stranded on Remus at the end of book two. It is a world which does not spin, one side forever facing the sun and too hot, the other too cold. There is a thin twilight zone in which Vulcans can just survive, with proper equipment, but there is no way to make it self-supporting. They depend on food and supplies from Romulus. Effectively, they have been turned into slaves, mining the rich mineral deposits of Remus in return for enough food to stay alive. However, there are interesting developments with a local life-form, almost a germ but with a very fast mutation rate, which might combine with the Vulcans genetically and enhance their chances of survival in the tough conditions. Naturally, this idea is heresy to many.
In the present day, Spock, Data, Scotty and Ruanek take a shuttle down to the Watraii's bleak storm wracked home world to rescue Admiral Chekhov and a precious artefact. When they are almost discovered crouching in the rocks by a Watraii patrol, Spock gives himself up to distract them, pretending he is alone, while the others get away. Naturally, they put him in a cell with Chekhov and then take him to their leader so he can begin persuading him of the Federations peaceful intentions. This story continues along predictable adventure story-lines. Its okay but, as in the other books, the real interest is in the ancient Vulcan story of the Sundering. Both stories soldier on to an ending and the connection between them is made clear. I can't say either ended very dramatically.
There is a sort of post-climax to the book which sets up another story about Spock and Charvanek (the Romulan Commander who was always hot for him) perhaps trying to unify all the Vulcanoid species on Vulcan, Romulus, Remus and the Watraii home planet. I scent the authors planning another trilogy.
Good luck to them. This one was pretty good but I do take exception to the misuse of the word 'logical' to describe emotional states. It's even worse in this book. Grief, rage and tears are all described as logical reactions. The Vulcans whose story is being told are from an era before logic had become the native religion, though it is a cultural force, so the emotional states of the players in terrible circumstances are perfectly understandable. But describing them as logical is nonsense, especially given the context in which Star Trek uses logic, namely as the opposite of emotion. Spock never turned to McCoy and said, 'Your emotional reaction is quite logical, doctor.' Poor old Leonard would have died of shock if he had.
Aside from this flaw the books are a good read and recommended to all Trekkies, especially those with a particular interest in Vulcan. I'm bound to say though that the build-up promised more than the climax delivered so I can't give it five stars. Three is about right.
Eamonn Murphy
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