3Amo Amas Amok
This story focused on the loyalty and respect between Kirk and Chapel, a relationship rarely explored. It also nicely depicts the friendship and comradary between Chapel and Uhura. A story that reminded me how much I miss Nesabj’s voice on the NG.
-- Rabble Rouser - Sat, 01 Mar 2003 15:43:15 -0500

4Another Such Victory
This first person story gives us a take on an obscure canon character, Bob Wesley, developing a distinctive voice from the beginning with its touches of bitterness and irony. I also very much liked the ending. There are plenty of politicos who claim they are taking responsibility--few are willing to take any consequences. Rob redeems Wesley by having him do more than lamenting his fate or just admitting guilt.
-- Rabble Rouser - Sat, 01 Mar 2003 15:44:53 -0500

5Bridges
The last Carter story this year made a solid "season finale" as, true to its title, it bridges universes and its characters. Djinn manages quite well in welding her major characters, Chapel, Spock, and Kerr into a team, although not without a lot of pain for all of them--and thereby hangs a tale and more interesting revelations and twists. I enjoyed the appearance of Carol Marcus here, perhaps not as sympathetically portrayed as in other tales (including Djinn's own "In Mine") but certainly a valid portrayal given the undercurrent of bitterness and drive in the character we see on the screen. The story also reads as quite solid science fiction with an interesting premise developed well. This is also a story where another of Djinn's Carter crew, Penhallon, nearly steals the show. A worthy successor to a powerful string of stories this year--I can't wait for the next episode of the U.S.S. Carter!
-- Rabble Rouser - Sat, 01 Mar 2003 15:47:58 -0500

6The Captain's Woman
The depiction of woman in the original series was always a mixed thing. It can seem rather dated now but was a product of its times and was actually progressive for its era. Because of that, I find it fun to read the kind of story that both examines the strengths you can find in the female characters of the original series, but that subverts its sexual politics. This is one of those stories--and mind you it's not heavy handed polemic. Just a delightful, delicious tale that turns a lot of things inside out with a kicker of a last line. It's also refreshing to read a Mirror Universe story that uses its milieu well rather than being an excuse for sadism. I've always liked Marlena and it was great revisiting her here. In fact this is a tale that begs for a sequel. I'd love to visit Paula's Mirror Universe again with these characters. "The Captain's Woman" was one of the most enjoyable tales in the original series posted this year on ASC in my opinion and one of my favorites.
-- Rabble Rouser - Sat, 01 Mar 2003 15:50:02 -0500

7Dear Irina Part 7
The voice is dead spot-on Chekov. Nesabj brings out the humor in the character without ever being mean about it. That humor is a big part of the story’s charm as is seeing Kirk and the Enterprise through a newcomer’s eyes. I also enjoyed how Nesabj took a tired staple of Trek and put it to comic use.
-- Rabble Rouser - Sat, 01 Mar 2003 15:52:13 -0500

8Desert Companion
Interesting take on Surak. I liked the parallels Rob drew with a certain historical figure.
-- Rabble Rouser - Sat, 01 Mar 2003 15:53:22 -0500

9Double Take
This story dealt with a certain doppelganger in canon quite neatly.
-- Rabble Rouser - Sat, 01 Mar 2003 15:54:18 -0500

11Fate and the Morningstar
This was an interesting look at an AU Khan.
-- Rabble Rouser - Sat, 01 Mar 2003 15:55:10 -0500

14Freedom From Fear
This story tackles the line in all of Trek I most despise: "I'm frightened, Captain." Dealing with this side of Uhura has always been a challenge, and I was glad to see Rob deal with it. I like how the story shifts back and forth from key incidents in Uhura's life to her conversations about it with a counselor. I particularly liked how Rob gave dignity to the infamous "fan dance" in Star Trek V by taking us inside Uhura's thoughts. An interesting exploration of Uhura's character that makes deft use of canon.
-- Rabble Rouser - Sat, 01 Mar 2003 15:57:23 -0500

15Growing Up together
I liked how Rob conveys Chekov’s strength--that he listens, and how both Peter and Pavel grew up--together. I liked the touch that Peter was the first to call Chekov "sir."
-- Rabble Rouser - Sat, 01 Mar 2003 15:58:38 -0500

16Incident
A well-written story and it was nice to see a story featuring Demora Sulu.
-- Rabble Rouser - Sat, 01 Mar 2003 15:59:30 -0500

17It's Always Something
If "A Matter of Life and Death" is my favorite Carter tale by Djinn this has to be a very close contender. Of all the Carter stories, this may well be the best plotted with twists and turns a plenty and revelations about characters you thought you knew. It starts off with a wonderful comedic turn as an old "friend" from the original series returns providing both plenty of humor and revealing a lot about the characters. I still find it hard not to start guffawing at the thought of the line "I am the wind." (To get that you'll have to read the story--very much recommended in any case.) There's also a certain scene with a garden hose... Then, just when you think the story is over, you notice you're only half way through and that is, as they say, when the plot thickens. I like the arc here, the way previous event in the last story, "A Matter of Life and Death" is further developed and yet the story goes off in an entirely unexpected direction and ratchets up the tension and complications aboard ship. Yet any time you are surprised in a Djinn story you have to admit the author has played fair with you--you can always connect the dots from what has come before. Once again, I like how the different original characters are being developed in a way that gradually we are getting to know--and in many ways love them--as much as many regulars in a Trek series.
-- Rabble Rouser - Sat, 01 Mar 2003 16:02:55 -0500

18Not All At Once
This is a kind of story rare in fan fiction, or at least Trek fan fiction I have read. "Not All At Once" is a true horror story and one of the scariest fan fiction stories I have ever read. This story is told from Khan's point of view and it is unrelentingly dark and unflinching in portraying his evil and delusion bordering on madness. One of the things that impresses me in this story is how well Djinn captures Khan's voice down to things like cadence, word choice, and style as well as getting little gestures and his way of thinking. There are so many phrases here that stay with you. One of the most indelible is Khan's comparison involving lions and hyenas. The descriptions of Khan's post-apocalyptic world is vivid, as is the description of his little "pet." The horror is there from the start, and then still manages to keep building through out to the completely chilling conclusion. "Not All At Once" is definitely the darkest of any of Djinn's fics to date, and one of the most powerful.
-- Rabble Rouser - Sat, 01 Mar 2003 16:06:07 -0500

19The Old Once Over
I liked this story of a Captain Chekov getting his comeuppance when he resists advice.
-- Rabble Rouser - Sat, 01 Mar 2003 16:07:19 -0500

22Time and Distance
Djinn warns that this is a "hurt/comfort" story and it certainly delivers on that while managing to be a fresh take on the genre. Like many of her sisters, this Djinn Chapel is strong yet vulnerable and a living, breathing person. I like how Djinn shows Spock and Chapel and how their relationship changes without it going the way we would expect. I love how hard Djinn is on her characters--not just in the external events (and I should warn that there is a rather harrowing, violent scene right at the beginning) but that her characters always have to come to terms with the hard issues without flinching. It's her tackling of difficult themes even when working in a cliched genre that makes me feel that reading a story of Djinn's is always time well spent.
-- Rabble Rouser - Sat, 01 Mar 2003 16:09:41 -0500

23The Way By Moonlight
Like the others in the series, this installment delivers an action adventure tale worthy of a Trek episode and Djinn's original characters are as vivid as the two original series characters highlighted here, Spock and Chapel. I was glad to see Nako again, a character who reminds me of Guinan--and that's a big compliment because that's one TNG character I love. Djinn also creates novel and interesting aliens: the Pesadii and the Tourmaxians. The author develops an interesting mystery surrounding them and solves it with a nice twist. Another thing I like about the Carter series is that it truly is a series, not just a group of stories in the same setting. "The Way by Moonlight" has tips of the hat to what has gone before and hints of the future and the characters show real growth from tale to tale and an interesting arc.
-- Rabble Rouser - Sat, 01 Mar 2003 16:12:09 -0500

25Werewolves of Vulcan
First, it's all too rare and lovely to find a story featuring the women of the original series apart from the men and written as friends or colleagues so I loved the focus on Chapel and Uhura. Second, "Werewolves of Vulcan" is fun! The comic (but spooky!) mood of story is wonderfully set by the filk up front and you’re really drawn into the story with just the right level of detail. Ventura manages to create a weird and alien world. It is a pleasure to put yourself in the hands of a real storyteller. This may not have been a nice outing for Uhura and Chapel, but it is certainly a fun one for the reader. I liked the scientific explanation Chapel found for everything that happened to them at the end and Uhura's due skepticism. And that last line is a scream (in more than one sense to be sure after their experiences).
-- Rabble Rouser - Sat, 01 Mar 2003 16:14:12 -0500

5Bridges
In this final (for now) Carter story, Our Heroes have gotten past the most recent crises, such as Farrell's murder, Christine's 'broken promise', Spock's various losses (including Christine to Kerr) and Kerr's past rearing its ugly head. And instead of just giving us an ongoing soap opera, Djinn reminds us that these people are all professionals with actual jobs to perform and we get to see them do exactly that, as well as revisit another 'old friend' from the past. I'm looking forward to the resumption of this series.
-- Rocky - Sun, 02 Mar 2003 06:03:31 -0500

6The Captain's Woman
I loved this look at the Mirror Universe female officers. I can just see this conversation unfolding--and would love to see more.
-- Rocky - Sun, 02 Mar 2003 06:04:40 -0500

17It's Always Something
I thought this story was going to be a light-hearted romp once I saw the words Psi 2000 virus and the opening scenes certainly backed it up. And I thought, good, after the intensity of the last Carter story, we could use something like this. But then came the curve. Very nicely done.
-- Rocky - Sun, 02 Mar 2003 06:06:36 -0500

18Not All At Once
This is a fitting companion piece to Rabble Rouser's "Weeds." This story was very chilling and perfectly in character with Khan. I can see him doing *exactly* this once he was aware of Marla's betrayal, and of plotting ways to make her suffer to the max. And at the same time, never being quite sure if she hasn't gotten the better of him, even now.
-- Rocky - Sun, 02 Mar 2003 06:08:26 -0500

22Time and Distance
Very interesting premise here. Spock's concern for, and later comfort of, Chapel was nicely rendered and without seeming out of character. And just when I was wishing *he* had been the one tortured and forced to seek comfort in *her* arms instead, Djinn went ahead and presented us with this scenario. The parallels, as well as the contrasts, between Spock's pain at Kirk's death and Chapel's pain from torture, were very well done. Best of all is the fact that Chapel is never a hapless victim but picks herself up and moves on.
-- Rocky - Sun, 02 Mar 2003 06:10:44 -0500

23The Way By Moonlight
I really like this series for so many reasons: the wonderfully strong and 'in control' Chapel, the beautifully balanced working relationship between her and Spock, and the sparkling OC's who leap off the page brimming with life. I found the basic premise of this story very intriguing and liked how the aliens were truly 'alien', down to their appearance.
-- Rocky - Sun, 02 Mar 2003 06:11:56 -0500

24Weeds
This is one of the most powerful stories I've read this year. Once again Rabble Rouser has taken a most unsympathetic character and made me not only understand where she was coming from, but also what were her motivations. And succeeded in getting me to feel for her, to boot. This portrayal of Marla McGivers is very convincing, down to the detail of a student of history stubbornly refusing to see clearly, and learning all the wrong lessons. We got to see how she grew and changed, how she caught herself relying on her Starfleet training to survive in her post-Enterprise existence, how she emulated the examples of true leadership--Kirk, even Uhura--which she had had before her and previously taken for granted. The exile on Ceti Alpha 5 is brought to stunning life, and some gaps, such as the flimsy explanation given at the beginning of TWOK re: the 5th and 6th planets and their orbits, are nicely filled in. I liked the idea that Khan's own ambition--and McGivers' skillful manipulation--caused the destruction of their adopted home.
-- Rocky - Sun, 02 Mar 2003 06:13:42 -0500

25Werewolves of Vulcan
Cute and clever twist on some standard spooky cliches! All that's missing is for Spock to remind them, 'it is not logical for stone statues to actually turn into living creatures.' And poor Uhura--she's never going to live down the "Captain, I'm frightened!" line, is she?
-- Rocky - Sun, 02 Mar 2003 06:14:59 -0500

24Weeds
My, this one was quite the inspirational story, wasn't it? Hard to believe that a tale about Marla McGivers getting a spine and doing the right thing on Alpha Ceti 3 would do that, but it did. Very, very good rehabilitation of a minor guest villain. Makes one wish she'd lived to be in Wrath of Khan.
-- Paula Stiles - Sun, 02 Mar 2003 20:51:28 -0500

18Not All At Once
I actually read this before Weeds, which inspired it. This is of the "makes you shiver, but you can't put it down" variety. You'll never look at Khan in quite the same way again (which could be bad, if you admired him at all) and you'll feel very, very sorry for his "beloved" wife, who pays the price for outsmarting a superman.
-- Paula Stiles - Sun, 02 Mar 2003 20:53:41 -0500

24Weeds
This story is an amazing portrait of Marla and her relationship with Khan and of course, with those she left behind on Enterprise. The journey Marla takes from the very first paragraph to the last is beautifully told here and is especially more poignant because it's in Marla's own voice, so we get to hear exactly what she's thinking and feeling at the same time she does. Chilling and haunting right down to the very last word, this is a marvelous story and is highly recommended.
-- Seema - Sun, 02 Mar 2003 23:15:24 -0500

18Not All At Once
This is a chilling companion piece to RR's marvelous "Weeds." This is no less haunting or cruel. Khan's perspective on his 'beloved wife' is both sympathetic and horrifying at the same time. Another lovely story from Djinn.
-- Seema - Sun, 02 Mar 2003 23:20:58 -0500

25Werewolves of Vulcan
Loved your desert adventure with Christine and Uhura.
-- Kattz - Mon, 03 Mar 2003 03:37:11 -0500

9Double Take
Loved reading about when Amanda and Sarek were younger and the seduction of "Sarek".
-- Kattz - Mon, 03 Mar 2003 04:05:06 -0500

6The Captain's Woman
I couldn't believe my eyes at first when Uhura said she tortured Sulu to death but eventually I figured out which side of the mirror I was on. Good story.
-- Kattz - Mon, 03 Mar 2003 04:29:36 -0500

3Amo Amas Amok
It was nice to see that story from another perspective.
-- Kattz - Mon, 03 Mar 2003 04:52:58 -0500

3Amo Amas Amok
I enjoyed the story especially the look at the friendship between the two women. And at that damn dismissal of Chapel by McCoy. Grrr.
-- Djinn - Mon, 03 Mar 2003 22:39:08 -0500

6The Captain's Woman
The Captain's Woman is a truly wonderful story that packs a wallop in a very small space! The Snow Leopard has crafted a memorable story here -- edgy and dark and wonderfully twisted but at the same time just so right given what we've seen on screen of the Mirrorverse. I have no trouble at all imagining that mirror Marlena Moreau and mirror Uhura might have worked together the way the author describes in this story--and I can well picture them possibly collaborating in the future. The dialogue is delicious and the details are wonderfully described, giving this tale a very dark and very rich feel. I'd love to see some of the other female characters that are mentioned here, like Mirror Janice Rand and Christine Chapel (my little Spock/Chapel heart would love to see some interaction in that direction but I guess I shouldn't be greedy, LOL!). I hope we see a sequel or two in this world in the future! Fantastic story!
-- Djinn - Mon, 03 Mar 2003 22:39:54 -0500

25Werewolves of Vulcan
Creeeeeee-eeepy! Oh, I like this! In Werewolves of London, Ventura33 gives us a very fun and clever filk as well as this suspenseful adventure story full of great depictions of Chapel and Uhura as strong, capable women. Ventura33 offers us a fresh and fun and, I think, realistic look at their friendship. This is a fast-moving story, full of wonderful dialogue that transforms Vulcan into another, less logical, place. I could feel the hackles rising on my neck as I read along and shared in the two women's adventure. Very, very good stuff! Just don't read it right before bedtime! And you might want to turn up the lights. LOL!
-- Djinn - Mon, 03 Mar 2003 22:40:40 -0500

24Weeds
Rabble Rouser has already proven she can take an unlikable character and redeem them, twisting and pulling (but always in a believable way) until you start wondering if you really knew them at all. She's done it for T'Pring in "Sympathy for the Devil" and for mirror universe Kirk in "A Good Look in the Mirror." And she does it again here for Marla McGivers in Weeds, giving us a glimpse into Marla's rather chilling psyche and providing some answers for her hero worship of Khan and her willingness to betray her colleagues and then try to take it all back. Best of all, Rabble Rouser fills in some of the blanks between Space Seed and Wrath of Khan, showing us what life must have been like on that planet and how it ended up the way it did. Told in journal format, this story is alive with details, references to other TOS episodes, and able characterizations of the crew and Khan's people. Marla isn't likeable but like the others, Rabble Rouser finds a way to make her understandable. And the ending is great. Weeds is a truly wonderful story!
-- Djinn - Mon, 03 Mar 2003 22:41:39 -0500

7Dear Irina Part 7
Great Chekov voice, really captured here in the panicked anguish and the lighter moments.
-- Djinn - Mon, 03 Mar 2003 22:42:03 -0500

17It's Always Something
Djinn has created a marvelous world with her Carter series and this story is a perfect example of the intriguing and wonderful and completely accessible - even to a TOS newbie - world Djinn has created. This story has all the elements of a great novella - adventure, mystery, pacing, romance, suspense, angst and betrayal. This fic is a riveting and thoroughly satisfying from beginning to end.
-- Seema - Tue, 04 Mar 2003 18:28:33 -0500

6The Captain's Woman
I really liked this TOS potrayal of the mirror universe. Tough women in mini-skirts indeed! Nice job.
-- Seema - Sat, 08 Mar 2003 22:19:30 -0500

24Weeds
I love stories that take minor characters and give them three dimensions. Rabble Rouser takes Marla McGivers and makes her more than a spineless chick who follows Khan into hell; she becomes a rounded, believable person who's prone to misjudging her situation and the people around her. The ending packs a punch for anyone who's completely misjudged a circumstance and paid for it.
-- Lori - Sun, 09 Mar 2003 11:25:31 -0500

18Not All At Once
The worthy followup to Weeds. "Hyenas are dangerous." Khan's voice in this is believable and absolutely chilling.
-- Lori - Sun, 09 Mar 2003 11:34:53 -0500

5Bridges
Djinn's Carter series has dragged its followers on a merry chase, what with UST, love triangles, and missions that complicate things for Our Heroes. Happily, we've loved every minute of it. Chapel comes into her own as a character, Spock reaches acceptance of himself for what he is, and the OC's are as real as the canon characters. Good job, Djinn.
-- Lori - Sun, 09 Mar 2003 11:47:12 -0500

24Weeds
I very much enjoyed this story, especially the characterization of Marla and her perspective on events aboard the Enterprise. The plot on Ceti Alpha VI was a nice twist, though I thought the portrayal of Khan and company as a "pack of wolves" made the story more black-and-white than it needed to be. Thanks for a great read!
-- Jemima - Sun, 09 Mar 2003 20:13:03 -0500

18Not All At Once
I loved the language of this story. I'm a sucker for Khan, too, but his lines were even better than he was, if that makes sense. You showed his capacity for denial especially well, and made him into a lovely madman.
-- Jemima - Sun, 09 Mar 2003 20:24:15 -0500

24Weeds
This was the best exploration of Marla McIvers I've seen, showing how frustration and wounded pride contributed to her actions - and then letting her self-understanding unfold slowly. Marla's connection to John Gill was inspired. Completely credible and oddly moving. It's also amazing that this was written after Djinn's "Not All At Once," because the two flow together seamlessly. Very well done.
-- Penny Proctor - Sat, 15 Mar 2003 15:48:22 -0500

18Not All At Once
Wow. This is Khan at his most dangerous - wounded and seeking revenge. Poor Marla. And the irony just drips, since TWOK would normally lead one to a different conclusion about the relationship. This story is both chilling and immensely sad. Extremely well done.
-- Penny Proctor - Sat, 15 Mar 2003 15:52:58 -0500

5Bridges
The Carter series just keeps getting better and better. Djinn always manages to combine complex plots with consistent characterizations and unique original characters. The whole concept of pulling in the alternate universe was fascinating.
-- Penny Proctor - Sat, 15 Mar 2003 15:56:30 -0500

9Double Take
This story was just plain fun to read. Very enjoyable look at the relationship of Sarek and Amanda.
-- Penny Proctor - Sat, 15 Mar 2003 16:08:02 -0500

7Dear Irina Part 7
I love looking at the bridge of the Enterprise through Chekhov's eyes. Seat belts? A nice premise and a nice explanation for why everyone got hurled around. Fun!
-- Penny Proctor - Sat, 15 Mar 2003 16:14:04 -0500

17It's Always Something
Another strong entry in the Carter series. This one is filled with both twists of both the emotional and the plot variety, and sends the reader searching for the next installment.
-- Penny Proctor - Sat, 15 Mar 2003 16:19:43 -0500

22Time and Distance
No one understands Christine Chapel like Djinn. No matter what the scenario, her Christine is compassionate, passionate, strong and vulnerable - in short, a complex and largely admirable woman. This story about friendship, honesty and moving on rings with truth. Nicely done.
-- Penny Proctor - Sat, 15 Mar 2003 16:26:37 -0500

3Amo Amas Amok
I enjoyed this view of Uhura and Chapel as workout buddies -- a nice friendship story.
-- Ventura33 - Sat, 15 Mar 2003 16:29:36 -0500

25Werewolves of Vulcan
Clean Halloween goofiness, indeed. Just the right degree of spookiness - the sort of thing that should be told over campfires. Fun!
-- Penny Proctor - Sat, 15 Mar 2003 16:30:10 -0500

5Bridges
This is a suspenseful adventure -- the resolution is very much in the tradition of Star Trek as well. Carol Marcus makes quite the villain! And I love Djinn's romantic Chapel stories in which our brave Christine saves the day while being torn between two lovers. Fun!
-- Ventura33 - Sat, 15 Mar 2003 16:36:33 -0500

6The Captain's Woman
Loved this one! It's about time the women of the mirror universe fought back! Tough chicks in jackboots, YAY!
-- Ventura33 - Sat, 15 Mar 2003 16:38:10 -0500

17It's Always Something
This one is probably my favourite of the Carter series so far. Farrell's true colours shown, Penhaligon's unexpected loyalty revealed, Kerr's own loyalties sorely tested--and of course, as usual, Christine at the absolute centre of all the murder and mayhem. Djinn's special abilities to make a villain sympathetic (and a hero not-so-sympathetic), even as she's pulling the rug out from under the reader are all present and accounted for here. This is a tour de force. If you read any of the Carter stories, this should be the one. It's a pivotal point in the series.
-- Paula - Sat, 15 Mar 2003 16:41:27 -0500

17It's Always Something
Once again, Chapel gets to be the hero in a fast-paced romantic adventure. And the almost-threesome scene in this story is absolutely priceless!
-- Ventura33 - Sat, 15 Mar 2003 16:42:08 -0500

18Not All At Once
Brrrr! Djinn's muse definitely scares me sometimes! Here she's channeling Khan, in all of his viciousness. This story is a coda to Rabble Rouser's excellent "Weeds." Khan's sadistic character is captured frighteningly well. The grim events that unfold here seem inevitable.
-- Ventura33 - Sat, 15 Mar 2003 16:46:40 -0500

22Time and Distance
An imaginative twist on the hurt/comfort genre. No one can torture Chapel -- or leave her to choose between two men -- quite like Djinn.
-- Ventura33 - Sat, 15 Mar 2003 16:50:44 -0500

5Bridges
Just when you think you know what's going on in the Carterverse, another plot twist arrives and kicks you in the ass. For every truth Djinn exposes, she throws you at least three more secrets. It's maddening, I tell ya! As convoluted as the segment is, the professionalism of the characters involved prevent it from becoming a soap opera in space. "Bridges" is a wonderful character study in perceptions as opposed to the realities of the personalities involved. Once again, beloved characters fall off of their pedastels, but it makes you care for them even more.
-- Kath - Sat, 15 Mar 2003 16:54:04 -0500

23The Way By Moonlight
Hahaha! Chapel saves the day again, but in a way we certainly never saw in the episodes! This was great fun!
-- Ventura33 - Sat, 15 Mar 2003 16:58:44 -0500

17It's Always Something
This story does the enviable job of combining slapstick, drama, betrayal, cloak and dagger machinations, and erotica. And they all blend together beautifully. I don't even dare hint at the plot twists in fear of giving something away in this artistically crafted tale. Suffice to say, the Psi 2000 virus rears it's ugly head again, and the roller coaster ride commences from that point forward. A must read for Carterverse fans. In my opinion, one of Djinn's all-time bests.
-- Kath - Sat, 15 Mar 2003 17:00:44 -0500

22Time and Distance
It's great to read a hurt/comfort story that doesn't overwhelm the reader with it's own hand-wringing. This was a wonderful tale of growth, pain, fear. This Chapel is very flawed, almost a train-wreck of a human being, but watching her grow and gain the strength to take a chance made it all worthwhile. The dialogue between Spock and Chapel is some of the most painfully real I have ever read. Instead of cheap sentimentality, Djinn gave us the bleakness and alienation that is true pain and grief.
-- Kath - Sat, 15 Mar 2003 17:11:53 -0500

18Not All At Once
I think the word that sums this story up best is "shudder". Just when you think you know how coldly evil Khan was, Djinn makes the guy in "The Wrath of Khan" look like a mere beginner. This was an excellent sequel to Rabble Rouser's "Weeds", and beautifully demonstrated how coldly ugly life was on Ceti Alpha 6. Not for the faint of heart...
-- Kath - Sat, 15 Mar 2003 17:15:22 -0500

23The Way By Moonlight
Another outing on the good ship Carter, Yay! Djinn mixes psychological intrigue, mysterious aliens, chronic nightmares, and comes up with a decidedly original solution. Once again, the original characters on the Carter steal the scenes from our canon friends. This is scary, sexy, and just plain fun to read!
-- Kath - Sat, 15 Mar 2003 17:59:21 -0500

24Weeds
I love stories in which minor, or one shot characters are further developed. Rabble Rouser surely didn't let me down with this extensive character study of Lieutenant Marla McIvers, Ship's Historian. The fascinating backstory that Rabble Rouser gave her, complete with a prior association to Professor John Gill, makes the reader understand, although not condone her actions in "Space Seed". What Rabble Rouser gives us is a complex, maladjusted officer who is stuck on a ship and a career path which are in direct conflict with her conscience and inner desires. She's a recipe for disaster on a good day, and adding Khan Noonian Singh to the mix merely expands the ripple effect when everything hits the fan. As much as I disliked this character's actions, her strenght of character and firm belief that her way is the correct way, won me over.
-- Kath - Sat, 15 Mar 2003 18:07:06 -0500

24Weeds
I love stories in which minor, or one shot characters are further developed. Rabble Rouser surely didn't let me down with this extensive character study of Lieutenant Marla McIvers, Ship's Historian. The fascinating backstory that Rabble Rouser gave her, complete with a prior association to Professor John Gill, makes the reader understand, although not condone her actions in "Space Seed". What Rabble Rouser gives us is a complex, maladjusted officer who is stuck on a ship and a career path which are in direct conflict with her conscience and inner desires. She's a recipe for disaster on a good day, and adding Khan Noonian Singh to the mix merely expands the ripple effect when everything hits the fan. As much as I disliked this character's actions, her strenght of character and firm belief that her way is the correct way, won me over.
-- Kath - Sat, 15 Mar 2003 18:07:17 -0500

24Weeds
I love stories in which minor, or one shot characters are further developed. Rabble Rouser surely didn't let me down with this extensive character study of Lieutenant Marla McIvers, Ship's Historian. The fascinating backstory that Rabble Rouser gave her, complete with a prior association to Professor John Gill, makes the reader understand, although not condone her actions in "Space Seed". What Rabble Rouser gives us is a complex, maladjusted officer who is stuck on a ship and a career path which are in direct conflict with her conscience and inner desires. She's a recipe for disaster on a good day, and adding Khan Noonian Singh to the mix merely expands the ripple effect when everything hits the fan. As much as I disliked this character's actions, her strenght of character and firm belief that her way is the correct way, won me over.
-- Kath - Sat, 15 Mar 2003 18:08:23 -0500

24Weeds
Rabble Rouser has done it again, taking a TOS character that everyone despises and successfully turning her into a real person with understandable motives. Marla McGivers isn't just a mindless lovestruck idiot in this story; she's a fully developed character who comprehends where she has gone wrong and eventually seeks to redeem herself. I think we have all known people like the Marla we see in this story -- academics who have spent so much time with their books that they lack a reasonable perspective on the real world. Rabble Rouser renders the character in excellent detail and gives a realistic (and quite nasty) view of the "weeds" that grew from Khan's colony.
-- Ventura33 - Sat, 15 Mar 2003 18:28:42 -0500