Review: Star Trek: Picard – To Defy Fate
Star Trek: Picard – To Defy Fate is as good a version of the much-requested Legacy series as we’ll ever get, as author Dayton Ward exercises his status as one of the franchise’s predominant authors to essentially write his own fan fiction, pulling from all corners of the Star Trek universe to craft a tale that spans space and time.
After Star Trek: Picard ended, fans were hot for a follow-up show that witnessed the adventures of Seven of Nine, Raffi Musiker, and other characters from not only Picard, but others in the Star Trek pantheon; indeed, such a show would honor the immense legacy this franchise enjoys. Alas, we aren’t getting that show, but that doesn’t mean adventures can’t be had in novel form. To Defy Fate is Ward paying homage to that legacy he clearly reveres.
Drawing from his experience writing book one of the expansive and consequential Star Trek: Coda trilogy, along with many other entries in Star Trek’s expanded universe, Ward once again plays across space and time. In To Defy Fate, Wesley Crusher, the young man from The Next Generation who became a Traveler, is the catalyst for a story that sees characters like Jean-Luc Picard, Beverly Crusher, and Raffi Musiker visit pivotal moments in the Star Trek timeline to prevent an unknown actor from irreparably damaging the multiverse.
What would have happened if the Enterprise-C wasn’t actually returned to the Battle of Narendra III? What would have happened if Benjamin Sisko’s incriminating message about getting the Romulans into the Dominion War was actually sent to the Romulans? What if William Riker was the longtime captain of the Enterprise-D, even into the Battle of Sector 001 as seen in Star Trek: First Contact? These questions and more, normally the stuff of fan fiction, are tackled by our protagonists from Star Trek: Picard; for hardcore fans of the franchise, it’s like a fever dream.
Because of Ward’s reliance on intricate knowledge of the franchise, it is best if you come into this book knowing the ins and outs of Star Trek. You’ll certainly get more from the greatest hits-type story beats this book presents. The book demands a deep familiarity across multiple series, from key TNG episodes like “Yesterday’s Enterprise” to recent entries like Prodigy‘s “The Devourer of All Things,” making this a rewarding experience for Trek veterans. Check out our list at the end of this review of episodes and movies you should watch before reading To Defy Fate.
Considering we know all these movies and episodes inside out, we were enthralled by the narrative Dayton Ward conjured from pulling on so many aspects of the Star Trek universe. Sometimes such fan service can seem a bit gratuitous, but to Ward’s credit, such service serves more often than not to explore a particular character’s life experience, memories, or feelings, thus giving us a deeper understanding of the character. For that reason, the indulgent fan service serves a greater purpose in this book, which is a huge credit to Ward’s thoughtful execution.
Relationships we’ve seen on screen or in other novels are further expanded in To Defy Fate, such as Seven and Raffi’s romance, Picard’s paternal connection to Wesley Crusher, Picard and Beverly Crusher’s somewhat complicated championship, and more. Meanwhile, new connections are formed among various characters, such as Guinan and [redacted]’s shared sensitivity to space and time, Wesley’s partnership with two of his newer fellow Travelers, or Picard’s professional relationship with a former temporary commander of the Enterprise-D. Star Trek really does offer an incredible tapestry from which to craft a character-centric story, and To Defy Fate does this expertly.
Besides the sometimes too-dense time-travel-related technobabble even for seasoned Trek veterans like us, there’s not much to dislike about To Defy Fate. It’s a great release for Star Trek’s 60th anniversary, as Ward pulls from the expanse of Star Trek iterations to inform his narrative. For those still mourning the absence of the Legacy television series, this novel is not merely a replacement — it is a confident, consequential, and deeply personal entry into the tapestry of the Star Trek universe.
By our reckoning, here are entries in the franchise you should watch before reading To Defy Fate to get the most out of the story beats, easter eggs, and miscellaneous references:
- Star Trek: Picard (all three seasons)
- Star Trek: The Next Generation:
- “The Best of Both Worlds”
- “Yesterday’s Enterprise”
- “Where No One Has Gone Before”
- “Remember Me”
- “Journey’s End”
- “Chain of Command”
- Star Trek: Deep Space Nine – “In the Pale Moonlight”
- Star Trek: Generations
- Star Trek: First Contact
- Star Trek (2009)
- Star Trek: Discovery (season three)
- Star Trek: Prodigy – “The Devourer of All Things”
- Star Trek: Strange New Worlds – “Terrarium”
- Star Trek: The Original Series – “Arena”
- Star Trek: Enterprise
- “Carbon Creek”
- All Temporal Cold War episodes, if you are up for it
You can check out Star Trek: Picard –To Defy Fate on Amazon.
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