Despite the daunting array of co-authors, this novel holds together pretty well - no obvious seams in the plot or disjunctions in style. There are, in fact, two parallel plots, sewn together quite neatly at the end. In one, Kirk and the Enterprise pursue a group of extremely ruthless planet-raiders. They eventually deduce the raiders' motives (they are mercenary warriors stealing technology so that another race can make a plasma cannon), and devise a partially successful way of dealing with them. Meanwhile, Uhura is assigned to another ship to make contact with a race of aliens who are divided into castes (hunters, procreators, governors, etc). Their procreation centre is threatened by a nearby volcano. In the course of helping them, Uhura notices that there is an extra caste being produced - and disowned. These turn out to be the missing "warrior" caste. Guess what - the adult "warriors" are the raiders Kirk is pursuing, and Uhura's knowledge helps to defeat them. As a subplot of her story, she also helps the communications officer on the starship Lexington come to terms with his own "disinherited" state (his parents belong to a cult). As an amusing subplot, we see the newly-assigned Ensign Chekov settling into life on the Enterprise and gradually winning Kirk's confidence - far more sympathetically imagined than the caricature originally put forward in the series! I enjoyed this one.
