The Last Roundup (original 2002; edition 2002)

A pretty good Star Trek story, set shortly after the events of the last good classic "Star Trek" movie, "The Undiscovered Country", which for some reason purports to be the last adventure of the original crew. Nonsense. Sure, the crew have gone their separate ways, and a series of plot devices are required to bring most of them back together. But nobody dies, and the ending certainly doesn't suggest any finality. Anyway, there is some welcome continuity with past stories, as Kirk's nephews Alexander and Julius prevail upon Kirk to leave his teaching position and help them establish a new planetary colony on a planet donated by a race attempting to gain admission to the Federation. As it turns out, the Falorians have a plan of betrayal in the works, which will result in the galaxy's dilithium being rendered into inert matter, effectively isolating most planetary systems from one another. The story is well-plotted, and the interaction between Kirk and his nephews is at times compelling. Throw in a(nother) mid-life crisis by an aging Jim Kirk, and you have a pretty enjoyable Trek novel. ( )