4.5
The Fall: The Poisoned Chalice
ByPublisher Description
The fourth original novel in the electrifying The Next Generation/Deep Space Nine crossover event!
One simple act, and the troubles of the United Federation of Planets have grown darker overnight. The mystery behind the heinous terrorist attack that has rocked the Federation to its core grows ever deeper, and William Riker finds himself beset by rumors and half-truths as the U.S.S. Titan is ordered back to Earth on emergency orders from the admiralty. Soon, Riker finds himself drawn into a game of political intrigue, bearing witness to members of Starfleet being detained—including people he considered friends—pending an investigation at the highest levels. And while Riker tries to navigate the corridors of power, Titan’s tactical officer, Tuvok, is given a series of clandestine orders that lead him into a gray world of secrets, lies, and deniable operations. Who can be trusted when the law falls silent and justice becomes a quest for revenge? For the crew of the U.S.S. Titan, the search for answers will become a battle for every ideal the Federation stands for...
™, ®, & © 2013 CBS Studios, Inc. STAR TREK and related marks are trademarks of CBS Studios, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
One simple act, and the troubles of the United Federation of Planets have grown darker overnight. The mystery behind the heinous terrorist attack that has rocked the Federation to its core grows ever deeper, and William Riker finds himself beset by rumors and half-truths as the U.S.S. Titan is ordered back to Earth on emergency orders from the admiralty. Soon, Riker finds himself drawn into a game of political intrigue, bearing witness to members of Starfleet being detained—including people he considered friends—pending an investigation at the highest levels. And while Riker tries to navigate the corridors of power, Titan’s tactical officer, Tuvok, is given a series of clandestine orders that lead him into a gray world of secrets, lies, and deniable operations. Who can be trusted when the law falls silent and justice becomes a quest for revenge? For the crew of the U.S.S. Titan, the search for answers will become a battle for every ideal the Federation stands for...
™, ®, & © 2013 CBS Studios, Inc. STAR TREK and related marks are trademarks of CBS Studios, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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Meet readers like you in the Fable For You feed, designed to build bookish communitiesThe Fall: The Poisoned Chalice Reviews
4.5
“Action and suspense both reign in this conspiracy novel which suffers a bit from being an in-between-part of a five-part crossover/storyline. Still, Swallow makes the best of the hand that's been dealt.”
“Star Trek: Post-Nemesis era: The Fall 04 The Poisoned Chalice by James Swallow
adventurous challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense
Medium-paced
Plot or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters are a main focus? Yes
4.25 Stars
As I have been noticing from The Fall series within the Post-Nemesis era Star Trek novels...a peak into our own timeline...like all classic Star Trek stories. They are instructive to what we are going through in our current time (for me, March of 2025), and I see the same problems with a leader that has taken TOO much power unto himself.
In the story, and our heroes...they do what is right, versus what is easy. They stand up to the bullies in the room, and sacrifice themselves for the greater whole.
Julian Bahir, Admiral Riker, Vail...and so many more of the characters...stand up against illegal deportations, holding "political enemies" in black box sights...forever, if they were able to achieve this.
People on the BAD side, allowing minions to fall on the sword, to save the corrupt politicians.
Doesn't this sound familiar? It does to me...especially after the latest security breach that has happened on the Signal app (with is NOT a secure software...where any Classified operation should EVER be discussed). Someone will take the fall, if they ever investigate this Eff-up.
Really enjoyed seeing how this story pushed the ball down the field. Next up is...Peaceable Kingdoms by Dayton Ward...to finish The Fall series.”“Without warning or reason, the starship Titan – specialized for deep space exploration – has been recalled and ordered to patrol…Earth. Captain Riker has been promoted to admiral and shoved in an office, while several members of his command crew have disappeared on secret missions that not even the Fleet Admiral knows about. Who’s giving orders around here? It’s a troubled time in the Federation, with one head of state assassinated only weeks before, and the president pro temp acting in ways that make Chancellor Gowron look compassionate and conscientious. More mystery and more stress are not what the Federation needs….but they do make for another great novel in The Fall series.
Schemes are the name of the game here, as everyone is Up to Something. The fleet admiral suspects the president is up to something, Riker suspects the fleet admiral is up to something, and the crews of two starships suspect Riker is up to something. Commanders Tuvok and Nog know they’re both being put up to something, because they and a few other officers have been ordered to the middle of nowhere to meet a group of mercenaries who are obviously up to no good. But what is going on? All these secret goings-on are the ripples around the schemer in chief, President Pro Tempore Ishan Anjar. Anjar was chosen not for manifest competence, but to assure Bajor – in the light of the Federation’s growing ties with Cardassia – that Bajor’s history was not forgotten, and its place is secure. Throughout this series he’s proven himself to be petty, mean, obnoxious, and other sundry adjectives, prolonging crises for political gain. That is coming to a head, however, and things are unraveling.
The Poison Chalice brims over with intrigue and terse conversations, with a healthy bit of action and a little comedy as well. I was spellbound, still enjoying the drama of Starfleet officers wrestling with questions of conscience and duty, and can’t wait to see how this ends. I hope it involves Anjar getting a right sound lecture from Picard.”
About James Swallow
James Swallow is a New York Times, Sunday Times bestselling author, a BAFTA-nominated screenwriter, and the only British writer to have worked on a Star Trek television series. His Star Trek fiction includes The Ashes of Tomorrow, The Dark Veil, Fear Itself, The Latter Fire, Sight Unseen, The Poisoned Chalice, Cast No Shadow, Synthesis, Day of the Vipers, The Stuff of Dreams, Infinity’s Prism: Seeds of Dissent, and short stories in Star Trek Explorer, Seven Deadly Sins, Shards and Shadows, The Sky’s the Limit, and Distant Shores. His other works include the Marc Dane thriller series and tales from the worlds of 24, Doctor Who, Halo, Warhammer 40,000, and more. He lives and works in London.
Other books by James Swallow
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