Star Trek succeeds where other SF series fail -or at least fall short- in not merely telling an exciting story of exploration and strange alien beings, but in exploring the characters and their relationships. We already know some of the characters here, but many have never appeared on the screen. Thus, readers are able to enjoy some more arcane life forms than might grace their television sets. The Titan is trying to break the mold and be a ship with the most diverse species as its crew, and part of the story describes the ups and downs of this inevitably difficult crew. There is also the suggestion that meddling in other species' affairs might not always be in their best interests, but to say more would spoil the story.

The book could stand editing in some places, but on the whole it is a good one, marrying the best tradition of Star Trek in being about an exploratory vessel, but also providing a thought-provoking story about the relationship between hunters and prey, the joys and pitfalls of being part of a "mixed" group, and the ethics of getting involved with others' conflicts.