Homecoming Book One: Homecoming Book One of Two (Pt.1)

But even as Janeway and the others go their separate ways, pursuing new adventures and opportunities, a mysterious cybernetic plague strikes Earth, transforming innocent men, women, and children into an entirely new generation of Borg. Now the entire planet faces assimilation, and Voyager may be to blame!

As we read on in the book, U.S.S. Voyager has come home, but the welcoming mat is not what it is supposed to be. Yes, Golden has put some twist and turns into the story as we get to meet the major character's families. There is good character development as the author fills us in on the details of their respective families.

As the crew gets acquainted with their families things get heated up in Starfleet... Starfleet is more dark in attitude and after the Dominion War things have changed. Now, distrust seems to more of the norm as things begin to fall apart as the crew of the Voyager are gathered up and questioned as to a Borg virus outbreak on planet Earth. The Doctor is kept prisioner for his tangental part in a hologram revolt and is scheduled for reprogramming equivalent to a lobotomy. Seven and Icheb are getting weaker by the day as they no longer have a regeneration chamber.

This book has very descriptive writing and you can picture the characters in your mind as they go through their trials. B'Elanna is on Boreth searching for her long lost mother in the nude with some awful smelling ointment spread all over her body. And there is major posturing by the admirals within Starfleet itself.

Interestingly enough Harry Kim's love life is... well, it's normal for Harry as Libby Webber is an undercover agent with Starfleet Intelligence and is trying to find a mole within Starfleet. There is a lot going on in this book as it does a very good job of setting up the conclusion for book 2 "The Farther Shore."

For telling a really good engrossing story with a well developed plot, mystery, and intrigue I gave it a solid 5 star rating. Others may think it is a weak story but I really don't think they've read the complete book. This book piques my interest to read the next book "The Farther Shore." Time is running out and Captain oops, Admiral Kathryn Janeway and her crew seek the help of Captain Jean-Luc Picard. Will they be able to save Earth from complete Borg infestation? The answer to that question is... To Be Continued.


A perfect beginning for a new series.   June 6, 2003
Robert F. Glass (Scottsdale, AZ United States)
16 out of 18 found this review helpful

Christie Golden, in her new Star Trek Voyager novel, Homecoming, has created a story that captures the same spirit and characterization of all of our beloved heroes from the TV series.
Homecoming picks up right where Voyager ended: the crew are now back in the Alpha Quadrant after their seven year journey from the Delta Quadrant.

All of the former crew of the U.S.S. Voyager meet up with the loved ones they left behind, including Captain Janeway, who is soon promoted to Admiral. Her former fiancee Mark makes an appearance with his wife and infant son. Even Ensign Kim (now a lieutenant) reunites with his former lover, Libby, although she now possesses a secret she is forbidden to tell him.

As a special surprise, we also get to see Captain Picard and Counselor Troi in cameos, both of Star Trek The Next Generation fame.

This book is part one of two and chronicles two separate story lines that will be presumably concluded with the second book. One arc entails a hologram revolution sparked by the Doctor's original holonovel, "Photons Be Free." And the other story follows a strange Borg-virus that seems to appear spontaneously in younger children and elderly adults, with no cure in sight.

A Starfleet admiral suspects Admiral Janeway and the Voyager crew (because of the ship's newly acquired technology from the Borg and the future) to be the cause of this new virus. Seven of Nine and Icheb, both former drones, are imprisoned as prime suspects.

Overall it was a very enjoyable book, easy to read, and a quick page turner. This is a must for all Voyager fans who loved the show and want to see their favorite characters' lives continued. Hopefully this book and its counterpart will be but the first in a new series that can chronicle their further adventures.

Only one downpoint--there is never any communication with the one Voyager crewmember who was unable to complete the journey back to the Alpha Quadrant--Neelix. But hopefully we will see him in the next book.


Keeping Voyager Alive!   January 16, 2008
Kate Fredericks (Maine, USA)
8 out of 8 found this review helpful

I guess I'm a bit late in the whole Star Trek Voyager realm. Since SpikeTV has been rerunning Voyager, and I have been ill, I indulged myself in seven years worth of Voyager in a matter of months. Having watched all of the other Star Trek series, and shunning this one early in its original showings due to my dislike of Captain Janeway as portrayed by Kate Mulgrew, I admit that I was wrong! I really came to like the series, the characters and even the spunkiness and intelligence as portrayed by Ms. Mulgrew. Watching it all the way through in a matter of months, I was able to see how Captain Janeway grew from what I thought was much overemoting by Mulgrew to a more controlled, intelligent and enjoyable character. I became a fan late in its life.

So, when I found Homecoming (and subsequently The Farther Shore), the sequels and resolution to this series, which I felt definitely was left dangling, I was almost shamefully thrilled (I used to say to such people - "Get a life!").

There is no doubt that Homecoming will never be up there with the greatest fiction in human history, but it does carry on the one reason I loved Voyager - the optimism that humanity can rise above its current state of testeronocity (my new word for too much technology, too little evolution in human emotional control).

During this time of political chaos (which has, for the first time, had me tuning out the world around me), I have loved immersing myself in a television series which tries to transcend politics to a place where we all accept each other without prejudice, no matter that we are matter or photons or whatever.

As for this story being preposterous - come on!! The whole premise of the original story of Voyager (being hurtled 70,000 light years from the Alpha Quadrant by a Caretaker) would be preposterous to many humans today. And photon torpedoes? Does anyone know they really don't exist? Neither do phasers or warp drive or for all we know, any of the many species encountered by the whole Star Trek genre.

Lighten up and enjoy it for what it is. And also - after watching the series and then reading these sequels as written by Christie Golden - I'd say she did an amazing job at not only writing quality fiction, but in keeping the characters true to their original screen personalities. Frankly, if I wanted dark and true-to-life humanity, I'd play one of the many violent games available today. I'd watch one of the many CSI-type shows all over the tube today. It seems we go from one end to the other. Either we are offered death and mayhem on the CSI's or T and A and sex on Las Vegas or Boston Legal or the extreme silliness of the many game shows today.

Star Trek, all of them, tried to embody the philosophy that humanity can rise above all of that and become better. Particularly STNG and Voyager offered us "smart" shows where I always left feeling better about the world. Hope and triumph were always the underlying themes. Not blood, gore and sex. I'd say that Christie Golden manages to capture this, and give us some good entertaining reading in the process.


Excellent novel!   June 16, 2003
1 out of 1 found this review helpful

This is not your typical Star Trek novel. This one is very well written and highly intelligent. I would easily recommend this to any Star Trek Voyager fan.

This book takes up right after the TV series ends. I can't wait until part 2 comes out!


A Good Read For Any True Voyager Fan   October 17, 2007
J. Jackson
1 out of 1 found this review helpful

In spite of what some critics may say about this book, I believe it closely follows the series and alot of research was put into this book. Christie Golden did a wonderful job with following the characters as they adjust to life back in the Alpha Quandrant. She did a good job in keeping me interested in every expereince each charcter was going through. Star Trek: Voyager has always been my favorite spin off out of the Star Trek series and Golden did a wonderful job of tieing up those lose ends that where left at the end of the series. I was also very happy to see her right some wrong's that the writers did in the last season with no ryhme or reason in paring up Seven Of Nine with Chakotay. It was nice to see her break them up and bring back that sexual tension between Seven and the doctor like it rightfully should be. Overall, this was a very good book and is a must read for any true Voyager fan.