Star Trek: Strange New Worlds: The High Country – Book Review

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds: The High Country by John Jackson Miller

Synopsis:
When an experimental shuttlecraft fails, Captain Christopher Pike suspects a mechanical malfunction—only to discover the very principles on which Starfleet bases its technology have simply stopped functioning. He and his crewmates are forced to abandon ship in a dangerous maneuver that scatters their party across the strangest new world they’ve ever encountered.

First Officer Una finds herself fighting to survive an untamed wilderness where dangers lurk at every turn. Young cadet Nyota Uhura struggles in a volcanic wasteland where things are not as they seem. Science Officer Spock is missing altogether. And Pike gets the chance to fulfill a childhood dream: to live the life of a cowboy in a world where the tools of the 23rd century are of no use.

Yet even in the saddle, Pike is still very much a starship captain, with all the responsibilities that entails. Setting out to find his crewmates, he encounters a surprising face from his past—and discovers that one people’s utopia might be someone else’s purgatory. He must lead an exodus—or risk a calamity of galactic proportions that even the Starship Enterprise is powerless to stop….

Review:
The High Country is the first novel based on the new series Star Trek: Strange New Worlds – spin-off of Discovery and prequel to the Original Series. A mysterious planet traps the away team without access to any advanced technology. Each of the team are put in different situations with no way to contact each other or the ship. And the story moves from character to character as they figure out their surroundings and attempt to find each other. It has a Cowboys & Aliens feel. I love the series; and this novel is another great standalone adventure. The story has some familiar aspects with engaging and colorful characters. I enjoyed the suspense, mystery, and new alien creatures. And the fun, exciting vibe is similar to the show as well. Fans of the show will want to pick up this entertaining novel.