Chapter by Chapter features me reading one chapter of the selected book at the time and reviewing it as if I were reviewing an episode of a TV show or an issue of a comic. There will be spoilers if you haven’t read to the point I have, and if you’ve read further I ask that you don’t spoil anything further into the book. Think of it as read-along book club.
So far it’s not the perfect chain of command change. The new helmsman isn’t happy to be here, the captain’s “friend” is trying to get him drunk before the ceremony, and there’s already a new threat getting ready. On the other hand things aren’t too bad.
Yet.
This chapter finds Jim at the chain of command ceremony…not making a lot of friends on the new staff. Spock is worried that he’s some swashbuckling hero, Jim upset the admiral because his choice of first officer was rejected in favor of Spock, Scotty is already worried the new captain will be a tyrant (I’m assuming that’s the line that got cut off) and his helmsman doesn’t want to be here. He also gets taken aback by Uhura’s beauty for a moment. Don’t worry, Jim. Someday telekinetic aliens will force you to kiss each other.
Jim does get to spend time with his mother (who knows the admiral, who served with Jim’s late father) and brother, Sam but their tour of the ship finds hay in the shuttlecraft bay…and some kind of creature with black wings! I do remember what he is, but I won’t spoil it for anyone who has yet to reach chapter 3.
As for chapter 2, it’s not a bad start. We’ve established the hurdles the characters will go through to become the team we know today, plus learned a bit more about Jim’s family. Not a bad story. Next time Kirk get’s his first mission, and not even space Bob Hope (if he was here) will help him like it.
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