Cry of the Onlies

Judy Klass

reviewed by Carolyn Kaberline

Many Star Trek novels attempt to tie up loose ends left by the televised episodes, and that’s exactly what Judy Klass tries to do in her novel Cry of the Onlies. However, attempting to tie up two loose ends and telling yet another story can be a little much for one book.

The novel begins with the Enterprise on its way to Boaco VI with orders to try to smooth out relations between the planet’s ruling council and the Federation. Since the planet has just undergone a revolution and both the Klingons and the Romulans are known to have supplied materials for that revolution, the crew of the Enterprise definitely has their work cut out—especially since the young council believes the Federation has treated them unfairly in the past.

While Kirk and his crew visit various sites on the planet, word comes that a small ship of Starfleet design has destroyed a vessel on its way from Boaco VI to Boaco VIII. This vessel had carried a minister of Boaco VI who planned to smooth out relations between the two planets. Since Boaco VIII had long enjoyed good relations with the Federation, Tamara Angel, the ruler of Boaco VI sees this destruction as treachery and proof that the Enterprise crew has other designs on the planet. The Enterprise is soon on its way to learn the truth behind the ship’s destruction before war between the two planets can occur.

It isn’t long before Captain Kirk finds out that the ship that destroyed the minister’s vessel is the Sparrow, an experimental Starfleet ship that has been commandeered by three of the inhabitants of Juram V, Miri’s world. And the ship’s creator? None other than Flint of "Requiem from Methuselah" fame. Now the Enterprise must track down the Sparrow before it enters Klingon space, and it’s up to Flint to help them located the cloaked Starfleet vessel which he created.

While the novel is intriguing and brings together characters from two popular Star Trek episodes, none of the plots gets the attention that it needs and deserves. Each of the three stories—the Enterprise’s attempt to better relations with Boaco VI, the theft of the Sparrow and the situation on Miri’s world, and how Flint faces his mortality—would make a complete novel in its own right. By combining all three stories into one novel of a mere 255 pages, the reader often feels he/she is getting the condensed version of each. It would have been better for Judy Klass to write three separate novels so each story could be presented in more detail.


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