Novel news: New Coda cover and blurb, and Shadows Have Offended excerpts

The next cover for the Coda trilogy has been revealed, along with a new blurb for the series. Continue below to check out those updates, plus excerpts from the recently released TNG novel Shadows Have Offended.

This autumn the Coda trilogy(ad) will bring together the heroes of the Star Trek novel continuity from the last couple of decades, in a "Temporal Apocalypse", which is presumably their final adventure, as their timeline has been shunted into an alternate timeline by the events of Picard painting a very different future for the prime timeline. The second book in that trilogy is James Swallow's The Ashes of Tomorrow(ad), and the cover has now been revealed for that, which has a bit of a DS9 focus, with the new Starfleet-built replacement Deep Space 9, and Captain Dax's slipstream-ship the USS Aventine.

Star Trek novel news: First Coda cover, and audiobook updates

Exciting times Star Trek novel readers, the first cover for this year's mega-crossover event, the Coda trilogy, has been released. Continue below to check it out, and for some other Star Trek novel updates.

The Coda trilogy(ad) will feature the crews under Jean-Luc Picard, Benjamin Sisko, Ezri Dax, and William Riker dealing with a "Temporal Apocalypse" in the Star Trek books continuity readers will know well from the last couple of decades of Star Trek novels, which Picard has now rendered an alternate timeline (or maybe after this apocalypse, more linked in some way?). Dayton Ward's Moments Asunder(ad) kicks off the series, and as we can now see, the cover features the USS Enterprise-E swooping into action. 

Star Trek novels: New Picard post-season one novel announced, plus Coda and Living Memory previews

A few Star Trek novel news items have turned up lately, including a little something from the Coda trilogy, and previews of the newest TOS novel, Living Memory. But most excitingly, there is news of the first Star Trek novel scheduled for 2022, and the first non-prequel Picard novel!

Coming in April 2022 from Una McCormack is Second Self(ad), a new Picard novel which centers on Raffi, and unlike the three Picard novels so far(ad), which have filled in the backstory for characters in the series in prequel settings, this new book is set after the events of the first season. 

The blurb therefore might be mildly spoilery for where we are come the start of the second season, as it suggests where some characters are beyond simply flying off away on La Sirena:

A thrilling untold adventure based on the acclaimed Star Trek: Picard TV series!

Following the explosive events seen in season one of Star Trek: Picard, Raffi Musiker finds herself torn between returning to her old life as a Starfleet Intelligence officer or something a little more tame—teaching at the Academy, perhaps. The decision is made for her though when a message from an old contact—a Romulan spy—is received, asking for immediate aid. With the help of Cristobal Rios and Dr. Agnes Jurati, and assistance from Jean-Luc Picard, Raffi decides to take on this critical mission—and quickly learns that past sins never stay buried. Finding the truth will be complicated, and deadly….

Book bits: Coda teases, audiobook covers, and Discovery: Wonderlands excerpts

There a diverse offering of Star Trek novels on the way this year, from old and current series, and even a (presumably) last hurrah from the novel continuity Picard has now pushed into an alternate timeline. Publisher Simon and Schuster have now released some updated covered for several of those, plus various excerpts from the latest release, Discovery: Wonderlands. Continue below for all the latest Star Trek novel updates:

German cover art for the Destiny crossover trilogy

First up, looking towards the end of the year (September to November), we have the Coda(ad) trilogy. Initial short blurbs were released for this a couple of months ago, revealing it will chronicle a "Temporal Apocalypse", and feature the crews under Jean-Luc Picard, Benjamin Sisko, Ezri Dax, and William Riker.

These are the lead commanders of the post-Nemesis novel continuity featuring the ongoing adventures of the USS Enterprise-E, USS Titan, USS Aventine, USS Robinson, and the rebuilt Deep Space 9. A continuity that alas is no longer compatible with the on-screen Trekverse established in Picard, due to numerous divergent elements, including most significantly the lack of a massive Borg invasion in the Destiny(ad) trilogy, the resurrection of Data in the Cold Equations(ad) trilogy, and a very different life of Captain Picard.

While not explicitly marketed as such, the Coda trilogy seems to be offering us one last chapter in this world of Trek, which will hopefully tie up a few dangling plots, let us enjoy one last adventure with many novel-only characters or versions-of-characters we know, and give us some sense of resolution to what for many has been the main reality of Star Trek for years. 

The authors of the trilogy, Dayton Ward, James Swallow, and David Mack have been talking about work on the trilogy on the TrekBBS message boards, and revealed some little titbits. Responding to a question about the involvement of DS9 in the series, Mack reassured it will be a major element:

Not just some role — a pivotal role. I'll tell you now we were not able to address all of the open story threads from that series, but we are doing some deep-cut callbacks and making sure the DS9 heroes are front-and-center for the climax of book three.

Star Trek novel updates: First Coda blurbs, details of next DS9 novel, and audiobook covers

More Star Trek novel news! Following the recent reveal of the 2021 line-up of Star Trek novels, Simon and Schuster have now updated their Online Catalog with blurbs for the books coming towards the end of the year, including the first details of the Coda trilogy. Continue below for all the details.

The Coda trilogy is set to tie-up the reality of the Star Trek litverse which has been told over the last couple of decades, but was alas shunted into an alternate timeline by the new canon events of Picard. All three of the new blurbs start with the following intro, which confirms we are getting one last enormous TNG/DS9/Titan/Aventine crossover:

The crews of Jean-Luc Picard, Benjamin Sisko, Ezri Dax, and William Riker unite to prevent a cosmic-level apocalypse—only to find that some fates really are inevitable.

Book 1: Moments Asunder(ad), by Dayton Ward kicks off the trilogy in September:

REALITY ITSELF IS UNDER ATTACK.

The epic Star Trek: Coda trilogy begins when the unexpected arrival of an old friend triggers a desperate mission to avert a fast-spreading temporal disaster.

James Swallow continues in October with Book 2: The Ashes of Tomorrow(ad):

THE FUTURE IS AT WAR WITH THE PAST.

The epic Star Trek: Coda trilogy continues as friends become foes, the Temporal Apocalypse accelerates, and the catastrophe’s true cause is revealed.

And David Mack closes the trilogy in November with Book 3: Oblivion's Gate(ad):

THEIR MOST DAUNTING MISSION WILL BE THEIR FINEST HOUR.

The epic Star Trek: Coda trilogy comes to a shattering conclusion as the Temporal Apocalypse forces Starfleet’s greatest heroes to make the greatest sacrifices of their lives.

Temporal Apocalypse!! Blimey. Who is the mysterious old friend, what is the nature of the disaster, how will this all mesh the litverse with the canon reality? I cannot wait to find out!