Review Detail

Escape Route (Star Trek: Prodigy)

Middle Grade Fiction 394

Nickolodeon meets Star Wars

October 06, 2023

Overall rating

3.7

Plot

3.0

Characters

4.0

Writing Style

4.0

Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)

N/A

In this third book in the Prodigy series (following A Dangerous Trade and Supernova), we find six members ot the Protostar Federation ship wandering the universe in the escape shuttle, trying to get back to Earth. Dal, an Augment android-type individual, was the captain and Jakhom Pog the navigator. We also have Gwyn, Zero (who uses they/them pronouns), Rok-Tahk, and Murf, who language doesn't translate to the others, so communication is difficult. When the warp drive on their shuttle becomes damaged, they realize that they won't be able to reach Earth until they are all grown ups unless they can fix it. They land on a white moon that seems to be comprised of garbage, Chakkara, and meet local resident Yichirri, who takes them to Amkarja, the leader. The planet is indeed made of waste, and since dangerous chemicals frequently end up there and cause explosions, the underground bunkers where the residents live are in danger. When it turns out that Murf can eat just about anything and neutralize it, the Chakkarans offer to give the crew the parts they need to fix their warp drive in exchange for Murf. Since Murf can't communicate, he is only able to voice his displeasure in whines. The crew feels bad, but is also desperate to return to Earth. What it the best way forward?

Good Points

Since I haven't seen the Nickolodeon television series or read the first two books, I did have some unanswered questions, like why Murf hasn't picked up any language? Of course, we are dealing with space denizens (I imagine we don't call them aliens anymore, since that has picked up a perjorative sense in the last few years), so there are many subtleties I am missing. This also seems to be the final book in the series, so is more concerned with wrapping up the action than in investigating the different characters.

Novel adaptations of television programs have been around for years; I may even have a Partridge Family mystery with a young David Cassidy on the cover, but I haven't seen as many of these adaptations recently. There are many novelizations of the Star Wars franchise, but far fewer of the Star Trek one, so this was good to see, even if Janeway was the only character mentioned (she was a hologram on the Protostar) with whom I was familiar!

Space adventure is always good to find, and the adventures of the Protostar crew will be welcome by readers who navigated space with Sylvester's Miners, Landers' Blastaway, Fry's Space Pirates, and Levy's Seventh Grade vs. the Universe.