This review is also published on my blog.

In July 1975, five months after the publication of the previous volume, was published Star Trek Log Five by Alan Dean Foster. This volume, as usual, adapts three episodes from Star Trek: The Animated Series: "The Ambergris Element", "The Pirates of Orion", and "Jihad".

The Ambergris Element

The blurb on the back of the book for this story reads: "Marooned on the strange water world of Argo, Kirk and Spock are in incredible danger . . . pursued by a hideous sea monster!" That is only accurate in the most approximate sense. There is a water world, and a sea monster, but Kirk and Spock aren't marooned and the story isn't about a sea monster chasing them. Rather, a sea monster attacks their submarine and they're injured. The water-breathing natives find and heal them, mutating Kirk and Spock into water-breathers as part of the process. The story is about Kirk and Spock attempting to return to normal, hindered by the cultural traditions of the aliens, but aided by some of the younger aliens, who are willing to ignore the old traditions to do what's right. The blurb does not do the story justice.

This is a good story, and Foster improves on the episode. An altogether satisfying adaptation.

The Pirates of Orion

Spock has contracted a deadly illness, and the only cure has been stolen by pirates. Kirk must catch them and retrieve the medicine before it is too late.

Like many of these stories, the tension is provided by what amounts to a timer counting down. In this case, Spock's life is on the line, and to be fair it is interesting to see how affected Kirk is by the situation, but ultimately the plot isn't interesting.

Jihad

Kirk and Spock, along with several others of various species, are tasked with retrieving a religious artifact stolen from the Skorr before they declare war on the rest of the galaxy. The group must work together in a hostile environment where all previous efforts have failed.

The plot of this story is unsatisfying. It feels like the group just wanders around, stumbling from danger to danger, until finally they discover the artifact, survive the climactic encounter, and the story ends. There's no particular buildup; the story doesn't go anywhere so much as it churns in place for fifty pages and then spits everyone out the other side.

In summary

"The Ambergris Element" is the only worthwhile story in this one. The writing is good, as usual (though my edition, at least, is positively riddled with typographical errors), but it isn't enough to save the other two stories.

A trio of Star Trek stories from the animated series. In the first, Kirk and Spock are transformed into fish-men while exploring a water-world. The second involves a chase of Orions for the antidote to a disease which is killing Spock. The best of the bunch is "Jihad", in which Kirk is appointed leader of an interesting group of beings to track down the thief of a planet's holy relic and prevent a Jihad. ( )

F/SF