Star Trek: Picard: The Last Best Hope

By: Una McCormack

Narrated by: Robert Petkoff

Length: 11 hrs and 40 mins

Publisher's Summary

An original novel based on the new Star Trek TV series!

A thrilling novel leading into the new CBS series, Una McCormack’s The Last Best Hope introduces you to brand new characters featured in the life of beloved Star Trek captain Jean-Luc Picard - widely considered to be one of the most popular and recognizable characters in all of science fiction. 

©2020 Una McCormack (P)2020 Simon & Schuster Audio

Star Trek by people who don't get Star Trek

This is an odd book. It feels like an episode of Picard dragged out into a 12 hour audiobook. There are baffling choices made by the characters, and science presented that make no sense with what has come before in the universe. This book will not satisfy hardcore fans, and isn't exciting enough to entice casual fans. Robert Petkoff gives a master performance, but the content provided for him isn't great.

For some reason, the Romulan Star Empire is completely incapable of managing their own affairs and require the Federation to rescue them, begrudgingly. The only people that seem interested in the rescue are Picard and his small group of confidants, the Federation doesn't want to help and the Romulan's would rather blow up... Seems illogical, and like it should have been better planned out by the story planners.

When this book isn't blundering through it's out of touch depiction of the characters, species, and Star Trek universe built over decades of tv and movies, it's trying to shove contemporary political opinions down your throat. Star Trek has always been political to an extent, but this book is so ham-fisted in it's approach it completely pulls you from the story. You'll be gleaning some enjoyment out of the meager story presented and then suddenly someone wearing a PETA shirt bursts out of a closet and decks you in the face, yelling "animals have feelings too!" as they run off, only to return the next time you start getting into the story and throw an uppercut into your jaw.

This book is completely unnecessary, save your time and money and read a plot synopsis or spoiler filled review online.

34 people found this helpful

My Favorite Story - Spoiled with foul language

Star Trek is one of my all-time favorites. From old-school Kirk to this new Picard, there has always been a few curse words—say from Dr McCoy “Bones,” but why litter this story (which had always been family oriented), with all the “Fxxx” word. I’m really disappointed!

10 people found this helpful

A Great Companion to the Series

This is an excellent prequel to Star Trek Picard and fills in a lot of the gaps between Nemesis and the current series. I am left wanting more to be sure. The major characters are well developed and the storyline is focused on the Romulans. There is still the great mysteries which I hope the series (or other books) will uncover and explore.

3 people found this helpful

Probably worth it if you are watching the show

A lot in the TV show Picard which has not been explained (at least up to now) does get back story and context. I think the show will be easier to understand and maybe more enjoyable knowing why the characters are the way they are and the histories they have with each other.
I'm not sorry that I bought it but I never found myself engrossed in the story.

3 people found this helpful

Excellent!

I now feel properly prepared to watch the new series on CBS All Access. Fills in timeline.

2 people found this helpful

Glad I listened

I'm watching Star Trek Picard so it's nice to know the catalyst for the show

1 person found this helpful

Essential reading for all ST:TNG fans

This deep dive into post-Nemesis Trek is what I've been waiting 17 years for :)

1 person found this helpful

Interesting, but Lacking

As always, Robert does a great job narrating the story, and I'm very happy that Star Trek is finally releasing lots of unabridged audio books. That said, this one was not a hopeful story. The Federation was supposed to be more enlightened than the politics of today. Now that most of our basic needs were satisfied, we were supposed to be better. But in the end, this book tells us that it's the same old story. A few grasping, self-aggrandizing, petty people manage to thwart the best of us. If you've seen the new Star Trek: Picard series, then you know that this is the back story which explains how we found Admiral picard puttering around his vineyard watching the world go by. There is a lot to say about this story. The Romulan culture has been changed up a bit, but it makes for a much more interesting culture. Diane Duane did a beautiful job with The Romulan Way, but this book tosses a good portion of that out the window. The author does a good job connecting the characters, but we're missing a couple of important people. I'm left with many mixed feelings about this story and the timeline of the series, but if you'd like a more fleshed out back story, this will certainly provide it.

1 person found this helpful

Great prequel to the show

I really enjoyed this book, especially the way it set things up for the show. Just keep in mind any of the TNG novels set after Nemesis starting with Death in Winter are set in a continuity incompatible with Picard, so you can just go straight from Nemesis to this book.

picard: The last best hope.

while a decent listining, the whole thing simply illuminates the fact that by the end, the writer was tired, and ran out of steam. there is no finality, no real ending. It simply lies down and whimpers. It doesnt even offer some conclusion, nor does it die.

The Back Story To The Series - Perfect

This book gives you the almost full backstory to the series - almost as it deals with Picard mainly so what happens on Mars is not gone into so sorry all no answers given as to why, hopefully we will find out in the Picard series or in another book. Almost up to the start. Just missed out the intervening years while he was in France.

If you love the Picard series this book is a must read and if you are not so bothered about it but like Star Trek in general then this is a must as it’s set in the Star Trek Universe.

A great book - I listened to it in one sitting.

3 people found this helpful

Page turner

Hard to switch this off. A brilliant book, brilliantly read. Fills in a lot of the back story to the Star Trek Picard TV the series.

A good preview into the tv series

A good story which Leeds well into the new Star Trek Picard TV series. It flashes out the Picard’s life between his years on the Enterprise and the start of the Season One of Picard and well worth listing to.

very engaging 🤗

what can i say, its star trek at its best. i read it after 2 episodes of picard and filled me in on the missing pieces without spoilers.

Epic tragedy of high ideals undermined by banality

Very well told story, very well narrated and an all too believable lapse of the high standards of a civilization by everyday compromises and perhaps something more sinister.

Most of the character voices were convincing, but I think the narrator needs to research the pronunciation of Hagia Sophia.